A/N: I opted to go with a modern translation for the lines in this chapter, as I don't think I'm ready to deal with Shakespeare on a serious level in this fic lol. Oh, and some super major stuff happens in the second half of this two-part update, marking the halfway point of the story.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor or any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
by : ~Nissanity~
Chapter 10 – Pick Your Poison (1 of 2)
Nanoha POV
"Have you two ever heard of 'The Fates'?" Lindy began.
I nodded. "The three goddesses that control destiny, right?" I responded.
"Exactly!" Lindy clapped her hands together. "They are thought to decide the course of a person's life, as well as how long their life will be. Usually, the timelines that they weave with the 'threads' of life cannot be changed, as the goddesses are infamous for being very stern and inflexible with their paths."
"So let me guess..." I began, and then glanced over at Fate nervously.
"Yes, the timeline you two are currently on is really bleeped up," she informed us.
"Bleeped...up...?" I repeated slowly.
"My mom sometimes censors herself like that," Fate said to me. "So, what happened different on this timeline?" she then asked, turning back to Lindy.
"Well, this is all still just a theory, of course. But every other timeline before this one followed a certain pattern. You two lived, you loved, you inspired, and then you died," she stated bluntly. "But what never happened before was you two learning about your role with the Muses, or finding out about your past lives."
"Is that a bad thing?" I ventured.
"It's... probably not good, from what I've gathered," Lindy replied. "Remember that we are talking about the 'threads' of life here, invisible or not. And tangled 'threads' can make things become very messy. The more they wrap around each other, the stronger the energy starts to build around what is being entangled."
"Energy? As in electricity, maybe...?" I continued to guess.
"It's possible. The Fates probably did not anticipate you two doing these reenactments that would physically connect you to your former lives. Or I should say, they did not anticipate the connection to the past happening as it did."
Fate rubbed her forehead as she tried to grasp everything. "So that's why Nanoha and I went from just visiting a hazy world during short reenactments, to now being able to physically enter and relive our past lives? There is that much energy built around this timeline?"
Lindy nodded. "Especially now that you've added four more people, and all their 'threads', into the mix."
I put my head in my hands in terrified realization. It made perfect sense, how the club could go from acting out a few scenes here and there, to all of us reliving the past like we just had. As soon as the energy from their 'threads' were added, our abilities to reenter the past were enhanced substantially.
"But if you think about it," Lindy continued, "a lot of this energy is actually being channeled through you, Fate."
My head shot up nervously. "Wait, what do you mean? Is Fate-chan in some sort of danger?" I asked nervously.
"I would hope not," Lindy said, her breath catching momentarily before she looked down to the floor. "But think about her controlling the electricity while you couldn't, Nanoha? It's because she is the conductor and you are her insulator. And her energy is what initially connects this timeline to the past ones when she visits them, allowing you to pass freely to that world after she creates the path."
"But why me?" Fate asked quietly.
Lindy shook her head. "I don't know, sweetie. If I did know, I would tell you to stop doing whatever it is you are doing right this instant."
"So what do we do now?" I asked after a moment. "If we stop the reenactments, that should at least keep things from getting worse, right?"
"I think things are now well past anything you two can do to control it," Lindy replied. "It is more likely that The Fates will find a way to retake control of the situation."
I suddenly panicked, and began frantically reading the book in front of me regarding the three goddesses. "But, that could mean..." I said, and then made a motion in the air with my fingers of scissors snipping an imaginary 'thread'.
Fate laughed out loud. "You're pretty cute when you panic, Nanoha," she teased.
I glared at her. "Damnit Fate-chan, this is serious! Atropos could come in here and cut all our 'threads' at any moment!"
"As much as I think she would love to do that, quite honestly..." Lindy began. "If that were an option, I'm sure they would have done it already. But you two are still one of the Muses' main sources of inspiration. The Fates have an obligation to try to protect you and come up with an alternate solution, if they can."
"So do we just keep reliving our past lives until something changes, then?" I wondered.
Lindy nodded. "But, there is just one more thing..." she began.
I sighed but said nothing, as I waited for the next bomb to drop.
"Go ahead," Fate said calmly beside me to her mother.
"Since The Fates are not currently in control of your destinies, you may want to do everything you can to not die in another timeline," she advised us. "Just to be safe."
I nodded, and then turned to Fate. "Fate-chan, it's a good thing you didn't die when you got shot in the – oh wait, what? I did not just say that!" I tried to backtrack, seeing Lindy's face suddenly change to horror as she looked over at her daughter.
"You got shot?!" she yelled at Fate, immediately standing up and running over to her. She starting fussing over her, inspecting her body for gunshot wounds.
"Mom, it's okay. I did, but that was 70 years ago. I'm okay now, I promise," Fate tried to reassure her, and then peered over at me. "Nanoha, you almost committed suicide in our version, you know?"
Lindy now turned her horrified face to me. "How could you even think of doing such a thing to yourself, Nanoha?!" she yelled even louder.
"Have you really never seen Dear John, Lindy-san?" I asked, still amused at her reaction of Fate being shot lifetimes ago.
"I've been a bit busy," Lindy replied casually with a shrug.
I smiled at her. "So I guess we need to warn the other girls, right?" I then asked. "To make sure they don't die, and to not let us die, either."
Lindy nodded in confirmation. "It could be nothing, but I'm trying to make sure I secure a future with my grandchildren on this timeline," she replied with a wink.
"Oh, grandchildren you say?" I began, and then turned to Fate with raised eyebrows.
Fate raised her hands up defensively. "Hey, now! Who knows how many kids I'm already having to support in all these other timelines?"
I crossed my arms. "Lindy-san, what do I expect from someone who doesn't even want to marry me?"
"Oh, now wait just a min - " Fate began, but then the volume of her voice cut out before she could finish her sentence. Her body then started to glow, and she began to fade and dissolve away once again.
"Oh, how convenient!" I yelled, rolling my eyes at her. She smirked back and stuck out her tongue at me.
I then softened my posture towards her. "Good luck..." I said silently to her.
She nodded back. "I love you..." she mouthed in return with a genuine smile.
As Fate faded away completely, I turned to Lindy. "We really need to figure out what the trigger is for that happening, if possible," I told her.
"Yes. We will have to examine what was said, and where she was, during the times it has happened before," she confirmed. Before we could continue to discuss that issue further though, we suddenly heard noises coming from inside the kitchen. Lindy and I quickly ran to the doorway, only to stop dead in our tracks.
"Fate-chan!" I exclaimed, stunned to see Fate now sitting at the dining table, opening a bottle of water in front of her. "That was fast!" I added.
She shrugged. "I didn't have to stay long because I recognized the story right away. Plus, with everyone's energy now added in, it was easier for me to exit the world when I wanted to," she told us.
"So, what did you see?" I asked. Fate froze at my question, now unwilling to look at me or Lindy.
"Romeo and Juliet..." she finally replied, nearly indecipherable.
I threw my hands up in the air. "What?! We almost all die in that story!" I yelled in frustration.
Lindy sat down next to Fate. "Girls, you must do everything in your power to avoid that reenactment," she warned us.
"And if we can't?" I asked nervously.
She paused for a moment. "Ad-lib, maybe?" was her only response.
oOOOo
"So, with all that said, we should probably avoid reenactments from here on out, if we can," I announced sadly to the group, standing in the middle of the clubroom.
Everyone silently nodded. "It is a little sad," Hayate added, "but the risk is just too great. We don't want anyone getting hurt... or worse."
"We could still do research and try to help The Fates out though, right?" Teana suggested. We all agreed that it was possible.
"Hey Fate, just out of curiosity, which movie version of Romeo and Juliet did you see?" Ginga, the eternal movie buff, asked.
"The most recent one, Romeo + Juliet," Fate replied.
"Awww, that's too bad! I loved how evil Tybalt was in that one," she said, smiling. "Turn thee, Benvolio. And look upon thine death..." she sneered playfully, reciting one of the character's lines.
Ginga immediately cupped her hand over her mouth in horror and squeezed her eyes shut after realizing her blunder, as our five heads shot up and stared at her in complete disbelief.
oOOOo
~Verona, Italy, 1303, Day 1 morning~
Third Person POV
Hayate drew her sword quickly as she entered the street, finding her servants battling with two unknown men. "Break it up, you fools!" she yelled at them. "And put your swords away! You don't know what you are doing!"
The four men halted their bickering momentarily at hearing her words, but did not lower their weapons. They continued to glare at each other, breathing heavily, until the two unknown men began to smirk in Hayate's direction as they looked over her shoulder.
"What?" a voice called out menacingly from behind Hayate. "You've pulled out your sword to fight with these... worthless servants?"
Hayate froze at the sound of the familiar voice, which was now just inches behind her. "Turn around Hayate, and look at the woman who's going to kill you," she sneered softly into her ear.
She quickly ran forward and turned to find Ginga, who was glaring at her with a sinister grin. Ginga pulled out her sword slowly and raised it, pointing it directly at Hayate's face.
"I'm only trying to keep the peace," Hayate insisted, trying to mask her nervousness. "Either put away your sword, or use it to help me stop this fight."
"What? You take out your sword, and then talk about peace?" Ginga countered, narrowing her eyes at her. "I hate the word peace like I hate hell, all Takamachi's... and you."
Hayate stumbled back a step, the shock of Ginga's hate causing her to lose her balance for a moment.
"Let's go, coward!" Ginga suddenly screamed, charging forward and swinging her sword down at Hayate's head.
oOOOo
~Verona, Italy, 1303, Day 1 evening~
Nanoha POV
"What will we say is our excuse for being here?" I asked Hayate, pausing in the front doorway of the manor that she, Subaru, and I had just walked into. "Or should we enter without apologizing?"
Hayate smiled, looking around at the lavish masquerade ball in front of us. Her mask covered the black eye she had received in her scuffle with our sworn enemy, Ginga, earlier that morning. We were all wearing knight costumes, having pieced the outfits together quickly before we left my parent's home earlier.
"Let them judge us however they please. We shall give them a dance and then hit the road!" Hayate told me.
I looked at her skeptically, knowing her real intention was to stay the whole night."I don't want to dance," I said to them both.
"No, Nanoha, you've got to dance!" Subaru replied.
I shook my head. "Not me, believe me. My soul is made out of lead, and it's so heavy it keeps me stuck on the ground so I can't move."
Subaru rolled her eyes and threw her arm around my shoulders. "You're a lover! Take Cupid's wings and fly higher than the average woman."
"I have a feeling this party tonight will be the start of something bad, something that will end in my own death," I responded. I then paused, lost in thought for a moment. "Well, whoever is in charge of where my life is going can steer me wherever they want," I finally decided.
Hayate and Subaru cheered, pushing me from behind into the party. I silently walked ahead of them as I made my way to the staircase across the hall, with the two of them close behind me. They quickly attempted to strike up a conversation with a couple of the other party attendees near the stairwell.
"Welcome!" I suddenly heard call from above us, a voice coming from the stairway to my left. I recognized the woman descending the stairs as Precia Testarossa, my parent's sworn enemy and owner of the manor we were in. She was smiling at the three of us, as she did not seem to recognize our faces with the masks on.
"There was a time when I could wear a mask over my eyes and charm a lady by whispering a story in her ear," she playfully announced. "That time is gone, gone, gone. You three are welcome! Come, musicians, play your music!"
I bowed graciously to my host, and turned my vision to my left towards the dance floor. Across the hall, my eyes were immediately drawn to a girl with long, blond hair flowing down her back, who was facing away from me. Her hair was secured at the end with a ribbon, and her costume was that of an angel. Her hair rested over a pair of small wings attached to the back of her dress. She was dancing with another party attendee, who was costumed as a knight like myself.
I grabbed a servant walking by. "Who is the girl on the arm of that lucky knight over there?" I asked him, pointing across the room.
He bowed. "I do not know," he replied apologetically, and then continued walking.
I began moving around the room, my eyes never leaving her form. "When this dance is over," I thought to myself as I walked, "I'll see where she stands, and then I will touch her hand with mine."
As I pressed my back against the pillar that was close to where she was dancing, her partner spun her around, and suddenly she was facing me. I held my breath as I studied her eyes, a deep burgundy unlike anything I had ever seen before. She saw mine in return from behind the pillar, a look of surprise and then wonder crossing her features. She was then moved away by her unsuspecting date, and they continued to dance across the hall.
"Did my heart ever love anyone before this moment?" I said to myself. "My eyes were liars, then, because I never saw true beauty before tonight."
I heard someone speak from the railing of the second floor above me. "I can tell by the voice that she is a Takamachi! Get me my sword!" a girl above me growled. I did not look up, pretending to have not heard the voice. I eavesdropped on the girl above me as she spoke again, with my eyes never leaving the blond still dancing in front of me.
"What, does this peasant dare to come here with her face covered by a mask?" she continued to sneer at my presence. "Now, by the honor of our family, I do not consider it a crime to kill her."
"Why, what's going on here, Ginga?" I heard Precia's voice then speak from above. "Why are you acting so angry?"
"Precia, that girl is a Takamachi. Our enemy!" Ginga hissed. "She's a scoundrel who has come here out of spite to mock our party."
"Is it young Nanoha?" she asked.
"That's her, that villain Nanoha," Ginga replied coldly.
"Calm down, gentle niece. Leave her alone," Precia scolded. "She carries herself with a dignified presence, and to tell you the truth, she has a reputation throughout Verona as a virtuous and well-behaved young woman." They then moved away from the railing, out of my range of hearing. I returned my attention fully to the blond in front of me, who had just stopped dancing and was now standing a few feet away from me.
I grabbed her hand, pulling her closer to me beside the pillar I was still hiding behind. She was surprised, and still facing away from me, but she leaned in so that I could speak into her ear.
"Your hand is like a holy place that mine is unworthy to visit," I said softly to her. "If you are offended by the touch of my hand, my lips are standing here instead, ready to make things better with a kiss." I raised my eyebrows slightly at her.
She smiled, biting her lower lip at my playful suggestion. "You don't give your hand enough credit," she said to me over her shoulder. "By holding my hand you show polite devotion. After all, pilgrims who visit holy lands touch the hands of the statues of saints. Holding one palm against another is like a kiss."
"Don't saints and pilgrims have lips too?" I asked, leaning in further.
"Yes," she replied, turning her face closer as well. Her eyes met mine, and I noticed her glancing down at my lips a few times. "They have lips they are supposed to pray with," she said.
"Well then, my saint, let lips do what hands do. I'm praying for you to kiss me," I responded, and she held her breath in anticipation. "Please grant my prayer so my faith doesn't turn to despair," I requested.
Her eyes searched mine as she spoke. "Saints don't move, even when they grant prayers," she whispered, my lips now just inches from hers.
"Then don't move while I act out my prayer," I replied, moving my lips to meet hers. She pressed hers back into mine for a few seconds, before I pulled away from our kiss.
"Now my sin has been taken from my lips by yours," I said, my eyes studying her face.
She raised her hand, brushing her fingertips against her mouth lightly. "Then do my lips now have the sin they took from yours?" she asked quietly, one of her fingertips pulling her bottom lip down a little.
I watched her mouth carefully. "Sin from my lips? You encourage crime with your sweetness," I teased. "Give me back my sin," I said as I kissed her again, our lips lingering on each others longer this time before she gently pulled away.
"You kiss by the book," she responded, her lips still hovering over mine as she smiled.
"Madam, your mother wants to speak with you!" a voice called out loudly from the banister above us, and the blond quickly moved away from me. I looked up and noticed a red-headed girl walking down the stairs towards us.
"Who is her mother?" I asked the girl, as she grabbed the blond by the hand and was starting to usher her away from me, back up the stairs.
She paused at the top of the stairway. "Her mother is the lady of the house," she replied to me, as the blond looked back at me apologetically. "Let me tell you, the person who marries her will become very wealthy!"
"Is her last name...Testarossa?" I whispered to myself in shock. "This is a heavy price to pay! My life is in the hands of the enemy," I continued softly, beginning to panic.
Hayate came up from behind and grabbed me by the shoulders. "Come on, let's go. Right when things are the most fun is the best time to leave," she told me, starting to pull me towards the front door.
I walked backwards towards the exit, my eyes never leaving the blond as she was pulled by the hand across the second floor, her eyes never leaving mine as well. She and the red-head stopped, and they began to speak as they leaned over the rail to watch me leave.
"Yes, but I'm afraid I'm in more trouble than ever before," I told Hayate, before finally turning and exiting the manor.
oOOOo
Fate POV
I continued to watch the copper-haired girl who had just stolen my first kiss, as she was now headed towards the front door.
"Come over here, Teana," I requested to my nurse. "Who was that?" I then asked, indicating the girl with the sapphire eyes who was just about to exit the manor.
"Her name is Nanoha," Teana replied. "She's a Takamachi. She's the youngest daughter of your worst enemy."
I leaned against the rail. "The only girl I love is the daughter of the only man I hate!" I said to myself quietly. "I saw her too early without knowing who she was, and I found out who she was too late! Love is a monster for making me fall in love with my worst enemy," I concluded bitterly.
"What's this?" Teana asked me, having just heard my confession.
I shook my head. "Just a rhyme I learned from somebody I danced with at the party."
"Fate!" my mother's angry voice called out from her room behind me.
Teana began to scramble. "Right away! Come, let's go," she said, pulling me away from the banister and towards my bedroom to keep me safe.
oOOOo
~Verona, Italy, 1303, Day 2 after midnight~
Nanoha POV
I climbed over the garden wall of the manor, having just escaped from Hayate and Subaru. They were trying to lead me home, but I wanted to see the blond again, who I now realized was Fate Testarossa. I had known of her name from my father, but I had never seen her before tonight.
I leaned against the walls and hid among the shadows, as I made my way across the grounds, although I wasn't sure in what direction I would need to go to find Fate, once I reached the manor. I eventually made it to the side of the building, and looking above me I saw a balcony just off to my right.
I began to walk away from the wall when I noticed a candle flickering just inside the window of the balcony. I pushed myself back into the shadows, attempting to hide myself. I held my breath as I watched Fate enter onto the balcony and lean against the edge, looking across the manor grounds.
"But wait, what's that light in the window over there?" I said quietly to myself. "It is the east, and Fate-chan is the sun. Rise up, beautiful sun, and kill the jealous moon."
I paused as I watched Fate gently place her fingers across her cheek and her lips absently, as if lost in thought.
"Oh, I wish I was a glove on that hand," I continued in a whisper, "so that I could touch her cheek."
"Nanoha..." she suddenly said, and I froze upon hearing my name. "Why do you have to be Nanoha?" she said, slightly bitter. She then rose up and placed both of her hands on the rail, bracing herself against her arms. "Forget about your father and change your name. Or else, just swear you love me and I'll stop being a Testarossa."
"Should I listen more, or should I speak now...?" I thought to myself, still motionless in the shadows.
"What does a name mean?" she continued before I could say anything. "Nanoha would be just as perfect, even if she wasn't called Nanoha. Lose your name. Trade in your name, Nanoha, which really has nothing to do with you - - and take all of me in exchange."
"I trust your words," I finally spoke from the shadows. "Just call me your love, and I will take a new name. From now on I'll never be Nanoha again."
"Who are you?" Fate demanded, leaning over the edge of the balcony in my direction. "Why do you hide in the darkness?"
I paused. "I don't know how to tell you who I am by telling you a name. I hate my name, because my name is your enemy."
"I recognize the sound of your voice," Fate replied, her's now softening. "Aren't you Nanoha? And aren't you a Takamachi?"
"Nyahaha, I am neither of those things if you dislike them," I teased.
She leaned against the railing, turning her back to me as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Who told you how to get here to be below my bedroom?" she asked briskly. I smiled at her slightly accusatory tone.
"Love showed me the way - - the same thing that made me look for you in the first place. Love told me what to do, and I let love borrow my eyes," I told her.
She paused, thinking of the words I had just spoke. "Do you love me...? I know you'll say 'yes', and I'll believe you. But if you swear you love me, you might turn out to be lying."
"Fate-chan, I swear by the sacred moon above - " I began.
She turned around quickly. "Don't swear by the moon," she interrupted. "The moon is always changing."
I paused. "Well, what should I swear by, then?" I asked, trying to be patient.
"Don't swear at all. Although you bring me joy, I can't take joy in this exchange of promises tonight. It's too crazy."
"Oh, are you going to leave me so unsatisfied then?" I asked, now pouting.
She looked in my direction skeptically. "What satisfaction could you possibly have tonight?"
I smiled. "I would be satisfied... if we made each other true promises of love and marriage."
"I pledged my love to you before you asked me too," she replied, now walking and lightly running her fingers along the railing. "But I wish I could take that promise back now."
I felt against the wall a little. "You would take it back? Why would you do that, Fate-chan?"
"Only to be generous and give it to you once more," she replied, now smiling.
"Fate!" a voice suddenly called out from behind her. She started to look anxious in my direction.
"I heard a noise inside," she said quickly to me. "Dear love, goodbye - - Just a minute, Teana!" she said over her shoulder. "Nanoha, stay here for a moment, I'll be back."
I watched her exit, and I put my hands to my head excitedly. "I'm afraid all this is just a dream, too sweet to be real!" I whispered to myself. I then heard Fate return to the balcony.
"If your intentions as a lover are truly honorable and you want to marry me, send me word tomorrow," she stated. "I'll send a messenger to you, and you can pass on to them where and when we are to be married."
"My soul depends on it!" I replied, elated.
"What time tomorrow should I send the messenger to you?"
"By nine o'clock."
"I won't fail," she assured me. "Good night, Nanoha. Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I'll say goodnight until tonight becomes tomorrow." She smiled one last time, and then walked back into the manor.
I stared up at the now empty balcony for a few moments. "I hope you sleep peacefully. I wish I were Sleep and Peace, so I could spend the night with you."
I then stepped out from the shadows, looking at the balcony one last time. "But for now, I shall go see the priest to ask for her help," I concluded, running across the manor grounds.
oOOOo
~Verona, Italy, 1303, Day 2 noon~
Fate POV
I was pacing in my room, awaiting the return of my nurse, Teana. I had requested that she act as messenger for me, to find out when and where I would meet Nanoha, so that we could be married. It was taking her longer to return to the manor than I had anticipated, and as every extra minute passed by, I grew more anxious.
"Wait for me outside," I heard Teana grumble from the bedroom door, before she finally entered my room. She looked worn out and a bit harried.
"Why you you look so sad?" I asked, rushing to her side.
"I'm tired. Leave me alone for a minute." Teana said grumpily. "My bones ache so much! I've been running all over the place."
I frowned a little. "I wish you had my bones, and I had your news. I beg you, Teana, speak."
"Sweet Jesus, you are in such a hurry! Can't you wait a moment?" she growled.
"Is the news good or bad?" I asked, undeterred. "Answer that question. Tell me if it's good or bad, and I'll wait for the details."
She shook her head. "Well... you have made a foolish choice. You don't know how to pick a woman. Nanoha? No, not her, although her face is more handsome than any man's. And her legs are prettier. And as for her hands, feet, and body...? They're not much to speak of, and yet, they are beyond compare."
I stared blankly at Teana, wildly perplexed at what she had just told me.
"Well, what do you want?" she asked, and then paused for a moment. "Have you had lunch yet?"
"No, I haven't had lunch yet," I replied flatly. "Everything you told me I already knew. What did she say about our marriage? What about that?"
Teana started rubbing her temples. "Lord, what a headache I have! My head is pounding. It feels like it'll break into twenty pieces. My back aches too..."
I immediately sat behind her and started massaging her back.
"Ooh, on the other side!" she instructed me, and I moved over to it. "Curse your heart for sending me running all over town. I could get sick and die."
I rolled my eyes behind her back. "Believe me, I'm sorry you're in pain. Sweet, sweet, sweet, Teana, tell me. What did my Nanoha say?"
Teana paused for a moment. "Where is your mother?" she responded.
"Where is my mother?" I repeated, perplexed. "Your answer is so strange!" I yelled at her.
"Oh God! Are you this impatient?!" she yelled back. "From now on, take care of your own messages yourself," she said, crossing her arms in a huff.
I slapped her on the back. "You're making such a fuss. Come on, what did Nanoha say?"
Teana finally conceded. "Do you have permission to go out and take confession today?" she asked.
"I do."
"Then hurry over to Friar Lindy's cell," she said. "There's a girl there who's waiting to make you her wife."
I excitedly hugged Teana from behind, before running around the room getting ready. I hugged her one last time in thanks and she groaned, trying to hide a smile.
"Go to the church," she instructed me, peeling me off of her. "I'm going to go to lunch."
oOOOo
I ran as fast as I could to the local church a few blocks away from the manor, my hands pushing the front door open quickly upon my arrival. Nanoha was standing in front of Friar Lindy, and turned to face me when I entered, smiling brightly and taking a few steps into the aisle. I ran to her, nearly knocking her over as I wrapped my arms around her tightly.
I heard Lindy's voice beside me. "Lovers are so light they can walk on a spiderweb floating on a summer breeze, and yet not fall. That's how flimsy and unreal pleasure is."
I pulled back from Nanoha a little. "Good evening," I told the friar.
Lindy bowed slightly. "Nanoha will thank you, for both of us."
"I'll give her equal thanks, so we're even," I replied, smiling at her.
Nanoha faced me, running her fingers through my hair softly. Her eyes danced at little as she looked into mine. "Fate-chan, if you're as happy as I am, and you're better with words... tell me about the happiness you imagine we'll have in our marriage," she requested.
I pulled her tighter to me, placing my forehead to hers. "I can imagine more than I can say - - I have more on my mind than words. Anyone who can count how much she has is poor. My true love has made me so rich, that I can't count even half of my wealth."
Lindy put her hands on both of our shoulders, beginning to push us in the direction of the chapel. "Come, come with me, and we'll do the job quickly. Because if you don't mind, I'm not leaving you two alone until you are united in marriage."
A/N: So the second half of this chapter is mostly written already, and I will be posting it as soon as it is done. See you then! ~Nissanity~