Disclaimer: I do not own MGLN and Touhou Project.
Edited and re-posted: 9/2/12
Normal POV
"So, why are we going to this, Great Toad's Pond, place?" Teana asked the bouncy Subaru.
"Well, when I visited Nitori she mentioned a great big pond halfway up the mountain. It sounded interesting, so yeah," the purple haired girl nodded her head. "And also," she looked shyly at the annoyed orange haired one, "I wanted to spend time with you at a beautiful scenery."
"Eh?"
"You know, hold hands and watch the sunlight bleed threw the leaves of the trees that surround the lake and bounce off the calm waves." -whack- "Owie," Subaru clutched her head.
"Don't even joke about it," she shook her orange head.
"It seems Nanoha-chan's befriending method has rubbed off on you," Hayate beamed a smile at Teana.
"Oh shut up Hayate," a tint of pink colored her cheeks. "So Vita, what were you doing out here on Youkai Mountain?"
"I dunno," the little one shrugged her shoulders. "Just hanging around with this really dumb fairy and beating up some youkai. There really isn't much to do here if you want to avoid people."
"You shouldn't do that Vita-chan," her master whined and glomped her. "Vita-chan, we must find the others and be a complete family."
"Whatever," the kid rolled her sapphire eyes.
The four walked through the forest, at the point where the trees started to scatter, creating a small pathway to a pond with lotus flowers growing on the surface. A little shrine can be seen across the pond. "So this must be Giant Toad's Pond," Subaru looked around with shining eyes.
"I see you have come into my territory you outsiders," the pond started to mist. "Those who trespass will be dealt with," the familiar voice said.
Vita sighed and took off her pendant, "Graf Eisen, hammerform."
"Ja," the pendent responded as a red triangular magic circle, with the same pointed cross from the book in the middle, appeared from underneath the redhead. It extended into what resembled a long silver polo mallet with a pointed tip.
Taking the handle, the little guardian swung the mallet at the incoming ice balls. "Cirno," she sighed again, "how many times do I have to tell you not to mess up this pond?"
"There is nothing to be messed up here," the blue fairy appeared from the mist.
"Remember last time? You were almost eaten by a giant toad."
"Yes, but Eye am the strongest. Eye beat the toad while still in it."
"You chilled its insides, causing it to spit you out," Vita deadpanned.
"See?" the fairy brought a fist to her chest, "Eye am strong. Eye defeated it."
"No, according to Aya, who got the information directly from the toad, you only surprised it. You really need to stop freezing frogs and toads."
"But it's an art. Freezing them and bringing them back to life is a form of high-class art."
"It's a hobby you have that will make Suwako really ticked off," Vita sighed exasperatedly.
"Buuu~" Cirno pouted. Looking around, she asked, "where's Nanoha? Eye want to have a match with her."
"Nanoha-chan is with her lover right now," Hayate said in a dreamy voice.
"Lover?"
"Yes, the love of her life, whom she lost during childhood."
"Oooh," the ice fairy said, amazed. "Then Eye challenge you," she pointed to Vita.
"Not again," the little guardian face-palmed.
Cirno pulled out a spell card and shouted, "Ice Sign, 'Icicle Fall'!" Streams of icicles curved in from both sides, in addition to the one coming from Cirno's direction.
"Panzerhindernis," Vita tiredly said. A red crystallized shield surrounded her, leaving threads of red light following the icicles as they reflected off the shield. "Eisen, Gigantform."
"Ja," her device responded and grew into a ridiculously huge hammer with the head over the fairy.
"Gigantsclag," Vita said with boredom as she swung the hammer down.
The fairy let out a, "gyah!" before a huge splash was heard. After Graf Eisen turned back into a pendent, a Cirno was seen floating face down in the pond.
"Have you learned your lesson now?"
"Gurgle gurgle," the blue fairy replied.
"Nya?" a new voice spoke up. "Ah, it's you onee-sans."
Teana and Hayate turned around to the familiar voice. "Chen?"
"Hello," the nekomata waved to them from the tree tops. "Where's Nanoha? Actually, why is Cirno in the water?"
"Rawr!" Cirno lifted her head up, "I demand a rematch."
"Bring it," the redhead grinned. Graf Eisen once again went to battle mode.
Ignoring the fight, the rest of them turned to Chen. "Hello Chen, so adorable as always," Hayate squealed.
"Eheh," her twin tails swayed in embarrassment. "So who is this onee-san and that imotou?"
"Oi! I'm older than you! OW!" Vita exclaimed as she got hit by an ice shard.
"Finally eye got you now! Frost Sign 'Frost Columns'!" She shot pillars of ice bullets from all directions and ice pillars from the ground.
"...let's talk in the forest," Teana pointed to the trees. They all walked in the forest to avoid the below freezing temperatures the fairy was creating.
"That was Vita, my cute little guardian," Hayate nearly squealed. "And this is Subaru," she pointed at the purple haired girl.
"Nice to meet you," she replied.
"Chen, nice to meet you too. Ah, that's right, you were the one Yukari-shama dropped from the other world."
"Oh my gah, that person again. Wait, so it wasn't an error in the spell?" Teana twitched. "What is her purpose of doing that anyways?"
"No idea," the nekomata rocked on her feet. "She does these things for amusement sometimes."
"Amusement..."
"Mmmhmm, but I think there is an actual reason this time. I over heard Yukari-shama and Ran-shama talking about you all earlier today."
"What did she say?"
"Um," she closed her eyes and crossed her arms to think. "Something about you all being related to some event eleven years ago. Also that there is something you need to do here in Gensokyo." Her ears twitched, "I got to go now, Ran-shama is calling for me. I'll see you nee-chans later." She waved and left the group.
"Eh? This Yukari person sounds so mysterious," Fate's voice came from somewhere in the forest.
"Yeah, she does," Nanoha's voice followed.
"I thought you two were going to spend the day together!" Hayate shouted. "You know? Alone! Together! In a home where there is no other person there to bother you two! In bed!"
"HA-YA-TE!"
"Meep."
"Cross Fire Shoot!" Two magenta winding beams accompanied with a few other straight forward beams shot out at the brunette.
She was sent flying back to the pond, where her head collided with Vita's head. "Gyah!" the little guardian shouted out, a splash was then heard.
"Aha! Eye told you Eye am the strongest!" Cirno said in triumph.
"Gahhhhh! Hayate!" the little girl clad in red angrily shouted.
"Uh, Nanoha? I think you went a bit too far," Fate chuckled nervously at her redden girlfriend.
"Her fault," Nanoha mumbled.
"Ahaha," the blonde laughed dryly.
"Oh yeah," the chestnut-haired girl walked to the pond where Hayate and Vita were still floating. "According to Fate-chan, one of your guardians is in the underworld."
"I must go there immediately!" the brunette was about to swim off before Vita stopped her.
This scene seems familiar, Teana thought. "You are acting like Nanoha right after we met Alicia."
Fate's ears perked, "Alicia?"
"Yeah, according to Nanoha, the girl we met in the human village who looks like a little you. She's been seen in her dreams with you, as your twin. Her name is Alicia."
"My sister?" Her crimson eyes showed confusion.
"Oh yeah, I did forget to ask you what your sister's name was," Nanoha tilted her head.
"Onee-chan's name was Alicia, but she died just before I came to Gensokyo."
"Maybe it really is her. We both felt that we were familiar to each other."
"Ehehe, yeah, but I think other villagers saw me roaming around with the youkai here and would think I'm dangerous."
"...off to the human village!" The slate blue-eyed girl proceeded to drag the blonde through the forest and down Youkai Mountain.
And we are now left behind, the remaining humans, fairy, and guardian thought.
"Eye am going to fight you all!" Cirno declared, "and eye am going to win against all of you!"
"Bring it, I've been wanting to try out Cross Mirage," Teana took out her two identical guns.
"Oooh! Let me join!" An excited Subaru rolled right next to the orange haired girl and readied her Revolver Knuckle.
"We're just going to watch," the soaked duo said as they swam to the edge of the pond and walked to the nearest line of trees.
"Alright! Eye am going to defeat you two." The fairy pulled out a spell card, "Snow Sign 'Diamond Blizzard'!" Large snowballs and ice shards where shot out from her.
"Oooh, this is going to be chilly," Hayate huddled with Vita for warmth.
Subaru casted, "protection," effectively deflecting the ice off of her light blue barrier.
"Tch," Teana held out Cross Mirage, "Shoot Barret." She shot out orange compressed mana bullets.
"You aren't going to hit me like that!" The fairy maneuvered herself through her ice to block the incoming bullets.
"Heh," the gun user smirked. She seemed to be controlling her bullets with her eyes, making them dodge the ice and curve behind the fairy.
"Gah!" Cirno got hit in the head. "Ice Sign 'Fairy Spin'!" She spun around, launching icicles everywhere.
Subaru casted, "Wing Road!" and grabbed her partner, zipping through the path created.
"Optic Hide!" The gunner shouted.
"What the? Where'd you guys go?" The ice fairy desperately looked around, trying to find the now invisible duo.
A semi-frozen Hayate whistled, "and she just learned of that yesterday. Ahaha, they are the perfect team."
"How would you know?" her little guardian asked. "You can't even see them. For all you know, they can be faraway by now, judging from how far the road extends."
Meanwhile with the two mentioned...
"Uh, Subaru?"
"Yes, Tia?"
"How far do you plan on taking us?"
"Uh," her green eyes nervously looked around. "I really don't have any control over these skates now, since Nitori modified them."
"...SUBARU!"
Back at the pond...
"Cirno," Hayate called out, "I think you won. I don't think they're here anymore."
"Gasp! They must have been so frightened, that they ran away!" The fairy danced around the pond. "Ahhhh~" her eyes were all swirly, "Eye must still be dizzy from my last attack~" she then fainted with a big splash as she fell in the pool.
"Oh my," Hayate watched the fairy floating in the pond.
"Idiot," Vita mumbled.
Fate POV
"Um, Nanoha?"
"Yes, Fate-chan?"
"We really don't have to go there."
"Mmm, but Fate-chan," she hummed, "don't you want to see her?"
"Yeah, but..." she trailed off as we came to a stop at the edge of the village. "Do we really have to go through the village?"
"Well, her home is in the village. Don't worry, I'll protect you. Besides, there are other youkai in the village."
"Eh? But still," I twiddled my fingers.
"Come on," she dragged me into the village. It was bustling with life, almost as much as the Tengu Village. "Hm, I should ask Keine where Alicia is." She then proceeded to drag me through the crowds.
Among the humans, I heard them whispering, "is that Alicia?" "Nah, it can't be, she looks older." "So she's the one hanging around the youkai in the mountains?"
I guess Nanoha heard them, because she wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me closer to her. "Nyahaha, don't worry, I'll always be with you."
A smile formed on my lips, "thanks." I nuzzled my cheek against her head.
We came to a place that looked like a school. "Ah! Keine," Nanoha waved over to a woman in blue.
"Nanoha," she turned around, and a shocked expression was on her face as she saw me. She quickly recovered and held out her hand, "Kamishiwasara Keine, nice too meet you."
I shook her hand, "Testarossa Fate." She seems like a half-youkai.
"You do look like her. I guess she was telling the truth," I heard her softly whisper.
Who is this 'she' person? I wondered, but quickly pushed that though in the back of my mind.
"Ne Keine, do you know where Alicia-chan is?" the one still holding me asked.
"Hm, I think she's in the bamboo forest again. I'm sure she showed you her favorite spot."
"Yup, thanks Keine," she smiled and dragged me off to the other side of the village.
Thickets of bamboo came into view and as we went further in, I smelt a familiar scent. Lilith? "Nah, it can't be," I shook my head, earning a confused look from Nanoha. "Ah, it's nothing."
"Hm," she shrugged it off. "It looks like I'll eventually find out later. Ah, Alicia-chan." She ran through the trees, still holding onto me.
My heart skipped a beat, "onee-chan." I stared at the little girl, who looked like a younger version of me, squatting next to the stream.
She looked up at me, "imouto-chan!"
"Oof!" Her glomp surprised me.
"I've heard from Nanoha-chan that you are my younger sister," her innocent eyes gleamed at me.
"Hey, I only thought that you were. I never said that you were her older sister," slate blue eyes shifted from side-to-side.
"But you were my little sister in my past life, right?" I blinked as memories flooded my mind...
"Onee-chan," tears ran down my cheeks as I clutched her hands.
"My cute little Fate-chan, why are you crying?" my sister tried to wipe my tears.
I shook my head, "why wouldn't I cry? You- you're- Why...why did you have to do that? Why did you have to protect me?" I choked.
"Because you're my little sister," her voice was only a whisper, "there's no other reason. If only I knew what you were going through earlier I would have done this sooner."
"Onee-chan." I heard her breath become even more shallow.
"Nanoha-chan," she looked at the crying girl standing next to me. "Take good care of my little sis. She'll need someone to be with her."
Her chestnut-colored hair covered her eyes. "Y-yeah," a sniffle came out, "I will."
"And thank you for telling me about her situation with our mother. I was destined to die soon, but at least I will be able to change your fate, imouto-chan."
"That doesn't mean you had to go that far," my cracked voice barely said.
"Like I said, you're my cute little sister. I want you to be happy. Do what you want, and obtain true happiness." With her last breath, she said, "We'll meet again someday, I just know it..."
Tears ran down my cheeks, "yeah, I was."
"No, don't cry," when she tried to reach up to my face, Nanoha lifted her up. Alicia's tiny hands wiped away my tears.
I hugged her small form, "thanks onee-chan, for everything you've done."
"Eheh," she giggled in my embrace. "I never would have though I would be an older sibling for some who's older than me."
"Ehehe," I chuckled nervously, "sorry about that."
"Nah, it's okay."
I looked up at Nanoha, who had a warm expression. "Thank you Nanoha, for dragging me here."
"Hm, I feel like adopting Alicia-chan with you," she said.
"Well, that was quite random, and that would be awkward, for me at least."
"I would love to be your child," little me beamed a smile. "I wonder if Keine-sensei would let me go."
"We should ask her soon," they both simultaneously said.
I giggled at the scene, "ahaha, I might have my ex-twin sister as my daughter."
"Get use to it," they both grinned.
"Ayayayaya!"
That oh so familiar cry...
"What is this I hear? You couple want to adopt this child? Who was a sister of the Fate Testarossa? And you both are going to leave Gensokyo?"
"Aya, shut up and leave, unless you have information about Arf."
"Never! The pure and honest Shameimaru will never leave from an interesting scoop." She then saluted me after I glared at her, "sir, I am sorry. I have failed to locate Arf."
"Then go look for her."
"Fine," the crow tengu pouted. "I will come back later. This isn't the last you've heard from me!" With that said, she flew off mumbling, "this is the perfect scoop, but I'll just have to wait. Now, where is that wolf?"
"Nene," Alicia motioned for Nanoha to come closer. She lifted herself a bit higher and clonked our heads together. "I should start calling you Nanoha-mama and Fate-mama," she then kissed our cheeks, making us blush.
"Nanoha-mama," my girlfriend whispered.
"Fate-mama," I whispered.
"Ehehe," we dumbly laughed. "That has a nice ring to it."
Lilith POV
"Oh my gah," I wiped my tears. "This is such a beautiful scene. I could die happy."
"Uh huh," Mokou said dryly. "Don't do that so soon. I heard from Aya, who heard from Chen, who heard from Yukari, that there is going to be big trouble soon."
"Aw, and just when they finally meet."
"Uh, yeah. I really think you should go meet them soon. That Fate person seems to have a hunch that you are here."
"There you are." I jumped at the voice. Turning around, I saw Arf. "Lilith, finally found you," she was practically out of breath. "Can you still sense that woman," she growled.
"You mean Precia? What a moment, you knew I was here?"
"Yeah to both, Fate doesn't know you're here though, but probably suspects it."
"I'm no longer her familiar, so I can't tell where she is. Sorry," I apologized.
"Tch, I'm going to go back to Mid-Childa." She placed a hand on my shoulder and gave it a little squeeze, "please continue to watch over them."
"Uh, y-yeah. I will." After hearing me say that, she disappeared into the forest.
Mokou whistled, "looks like things are going to get serious here in Gensokyo."
"Uh-huh," I slowly nodded my head. I looked at the three by the stream, they really do look like a family. Can this continue for just a bit longer?