Chapter 12

Vivio Takamachi was scared, everything was dark and her own house looked like a prison. Next to her, Einhart, tightly grabbed her hand while trying to find a way out, but there was nothing.

They had no way out.

-If I can't have the mother, perhaps I'll be satisfied with the daughter. – said a voice.

And from nowhere, Vivio watched her worst nightmare come true. A part of the shadow began to take the form of a body as the face formed in front of them, a face that she didn't want to ever see again.

Jail Scaglietti.

-No…no… - whispered Vivio.

She felt the warmth of Einhart's hands and even her determination to protect her, but she knew that it wouldn't be enough, not if that maniac was thinking of harming her, she would only get hurt in the process and that was something that she could not afford.

-Here you are little Vivio. – whispered the voice.

-You won't touch her. – said Einhart.

And before she could stop her, Einhart transformed into her alter ego, "Heidi" revealing all her power in front of that monster.

Vivio could do nothing, nothing! She was paralyzed with fear and she could only watch her best friend defending her from those shadows.

-Interesting… - whispered the shadow.

-I'll show you how interesting I can be. – said the girl.

Einhart suddenly jumped with her fists ready to fight and the power radiating from within her as the shadow…

Was smiling.

-Einhart! – cried Vivio.

-Dark Boom! – shouted the shadow.

-Unchain Knuckle! – cried Einhart.

The two attacks hit at the same time together with the cry of Vivio in an explosion that left the house full of smoke and a single winner.

Einhart fell to the ground with her clothes torn and her eyes closed while the shadow was still laughing nonstop, and Vivio knew that there was no escape, she was lost…

Help, please.

Fate Testarossa was furious, not only were they attacking the house of the woman she loved but they were also attacking two girls.

Her daughter and her friend.

-Fate, maybe we should call Chrono. – said Clyde.

-Call him, I'll go after him. – she whispered.

Clyde began to dial the numbers that Fate gave him, when he saw how the dark barrier opened to make way for the Enforcer and he knew…

It was trap.

-Fate! Wait it's a trap.! – cried Clyde.

But it was too late. Fate smiled as the shadow closed again in front of him, blocking his way and leaving Fate and the girls to their fate.

I have to save them.

He quickly dialed Chrono's number, he needed his son to gather his team and come as soon as possible, he had to save Fate, and the girls…

He was shaking.

Come on Harlaow, you're an Admiral, you died for peace, don't let all of that to get lost.

-Yes?

It was the voice of Lindy and Clyde swore to had run out of air when hearing her, that voice he had not forgotten over the years, nor her and now…

Now he didn't have time, nobody had time, he forced himself to swallow the lump in his throat and sighed before answering.

-Who is it? – asked Lindy.

-I'm… I'm a fellow of Chrono Hawlaow, could I speak with him? – he said.

He could hear how she stopped for a few seconds, praying that she had not recognized his voice, wishing that she had, but when he heard her calling Chrono he knew that she had not and a part of him was happy while the other screamed in agony.

-Yes? – answered Chrono.

-Son, we have problem, I'm at the Takamachi house and a shadow is attacking two girls, Fate went in to save them but… - whispered Clyde.

-But what? I need everything you know. – Chrono said.

-The shadow is a terrible force from Al-Hazard that has possessed a guy named Jail Scaglietti, Chrono, he's really strong. – told him his father.

Chrono sighed on the phone before hanging up without saying anything more and Clyde knew his son was on his way, then he looked at the shadow and for the first time, he whispered.

-Be careful, Fate.

Chrono never thought of having to make that call again, he really didn't think of doing it but he knew that he couldn't hide it, not when it was Nanoha's house and not when it was Vivio and Fate the ones to be in trouble.

-Hayate, the shadow is at Nanoha's house, I heading there right now. – he was saying through the call.

From the other side of the line, Hayate, together with Kaito, prepared the team on maximum alert. She sighed knowing that only that team would manage to get results in the seriousness of the matter that they had to deal with.

And then, another line opened.

-Chrono… - whispered the instructor.

He and Nanoha had not spoken since Fate died and the truth was that many things had been lost, but he couldn't hide it and he wanted to be the one to tell her, he had to be the one to tell her.

-Nanoha, I'm almost at your house, Fate is there so you don't have to worry, she'll protect Vivio. – he said with a small smile.

-And her? – asked Nanoha.

-What? – said Chrono confused.

-Who… Who will protect Fate-chan, only I can do it and I'm not there right now… - she whispered.

Chrono carefully looked at her, surprise and tenderness breaking through him, he had heard that Nanoha had not forgotten about his sister all this time, but he had not wanted to believe it, not until he had seen with his own eyes.

Like now

-Nanoha… - whispered Chrono.

-I see it! – she suddenly cried.

And he looked forward watching the house covered by a great darkness that hid everything and everyone who were inside.

It was the first time that Chrono Harlaow had real fear, then, he saw his father looking for a way to get in and something in his heart relaxed.

-Dad! – cried Chrono.

-Chrono! – said he.

The young man got down, not realizing that another person had gotten down on the ground at the same time as him and was looking at them with surprise in her face, a person who had heard it all and now understood the familiarity she had found in that man.

-Clyde Harlaow? – asked Nanoha.

The two looked at the same time, nervously. She was about to ask what was going on when she heard it…

Noisy, frightening, destructive, that was the sound of a great explosion, one that had happened in her house.

Fate noticed her daughter's surprise and how she hesitated to say something to her, when she got in the way of an attack that the shadow had launched at the two girls.

-Fate… Fate-mama? – asked the little girl.

Fate smiled, she missed been called mama and the felling of been looked up as her heroine, just as Vivio was doing now.

-I'm sorry I took so long, Vivio. – she whispered.

Turning to her opponent, she felt how he accumulated energy as he looked at them, her rage was great and it kept on growing as she held her Bardiche.

-Ready pal? – asked the Enforcer.

-Yes Sir. – said the device.

And she let the light fill her, she felt an energy that she had never felt, one that made her feel stronger, confident… her power from Al-Hazard.

-It impossible! – said the shadow.

Fate smiled, her vision restored, her strength capable of stopping the shadow that was threatening them and the security of knowing that she could help her daughter once more, it all made her look at her enemy with a new confidence and determination.

-Gold Jet Zanber! – shouted the Enforcer.

Bardiche, with a giant sword-shape form, hit the shadow filling the whole space with light as the shadow screamed and backed away as quickly as possible from her, giving her the victory she needed.

-I'll finish you, heiress, I swear! – cried the shadow as it left the place.

Fate put Bardiche away and looked at the girls before getting down on the ground. She placed her hands on Einhart and healed her wounds using her power.

Within minutes the girl was opening her eyes as Vivio looked at her with tears on her eyes.

-Fate-mama! – cried the girl.

Before knowing what was going on, the girl hugged her tightly, almost throwing her to the ground and for the first time since she arrived, Fate gave to her needs and hugged her daughter with tears filling her eyes.

Eyes that saw the look of longing from Nanoha who looked at them from the door with a small smile on her lips, and unwittingly, she wished to be home.

She wished to not continue on with her destiny.