A/N Reminder: Each new chapter of this story starts with a randomly picked first sentence from a book that I own and too often found in stacks scattered across my loft. My friends and family choose the book, not me.

This chapter's first sentence comes from one of my favorite authors: Isabel Allende. If you have not read her... why not? !

My name is Eva, which means "life," according to a book of names my mother consulted. From Eva Luna by Isabel Allende. I made slight modifications to this sentence to make it work in the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own any property or creative rights to MGLN

{MGLN~MGLN~MGLN}

Chapter 14: Fate - Rise of the Phoenix

Present: 30 seconds after Fate's death by electrocution at the Uminari City Central Train Station

Inside Fate's mind as she slowly sinks into death's abyss...

My name is Fate, which means "destiny," according to a book of names my mother consulted. But I had found out later that my name also meant death, destruction and ruin. Is that MY fate now? Am I dead?

'Mother... Alicia... ... ...'

All I see is a gray fog. It muffles the sound of my voice as I call for my loved ones. I want to see them again. Maybe death is not so bad if it means seeing Alicia and Mother's smiles again. I've been so lonely without them. It can't be wrong to give in to the cold that is seeping over me.

BAthump

'Is it getting darker?'

Ba thump ...

'It seems so ...'

The gray around me has spun in and pulls me down towards oblivion. The pain in my body has stopped.

'Mother ... Alicia ...'

My voice can no longer pass my lips as it is absorbed by the death shroud that has wrapped me in its embrace. Where are you? Why can't I see you? Am I still useless to you like back then?

ba …. thump ...

It is as if I was once standing in the center of an ice-covered Nordic lake. The ice cracks and I am submerged into its freezing depth. Water on the verge of crystallizing surrounds me. I drink in its silent chill till it fills me to the brim and I am the same inside as the still water outside. Did I once have arms and legs? I am without body now.

There was someone I was calling for, someone I was looking for but I no longer know their name.

ba …. thump...

I don't know how long I have been this way; no time at all... all of eternity...it is all the same... even the gray fog is now gone... even the frozen still waters...I am surrounded by have evaporated into nothingness; I am the nothing.

ba …... thump...

...

...

'Wh- what was that?'

A small golden spark.

I find myself stirring just enough to sense it's after glow.

I remember having eyes, and I open them. At first there is nothing to see as I exist in a void, but then I notice from the corner of my eye a soft pink glimmer. It's faint... but it is there. Now I hear a sound and I strain to hear. It is a voice, a woman's voice reading from a book.

"...And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb..." *

ba ...

I remember, in happier times my mother reading to Alicia and me as we sat at her feet. Her voice so loving.

'S-she loved me.'

I smile for I have a mouth.

ba …... thump...

'Na -no - ha'

The name rises like a phoenix to dance lightly upon my tongue, sending tendrils of warmth down my throat into my bosom and filling my belly. That sound is like a grace to me. A healing balm to my soul.

ba…... thump...

Brighter now, pushing back the fog that has turned from black to gray again - another flash of gold it's edges trimmed in pale pink. It flickers in my burgundy eyes.

'Nano - ha'

Is it me that sings this sweet song? Or does she call to me. Rising out of the ashes a memory emerges and spreads its wings so luminous and pink.

"Fate-chan come find me..."

ba... thump...

I reach my hand out towards a blue sky that makes me think of gentleness ...

I have hands?

A body?

I open my mouth to cry out...

'Nanoha! Nanoha! Wait for me. I will find you, I promise!'

A golden power, so strong it bursts through my veins in a maddening rush. A fire that ignites my blood and makes my body sway and convulse like leaves tossed in a storm. My eyes blink from the golden light's brilliance, as I raise one hand to shield them. Then I hear a metallic voice.'

"I am Bardiche. Command me, Sir."

Bathump!

Fate blinked her eyes once, twice, then the cacophony of sounds from the skirmish being fought nearby filled her ears. She shakily raised her hand and painfully opened her fist to see the golden triangular gem inside her burnt palm. It was glowing.

"I am Bardiche. Command me, Sir."

"W-what did you just call yourself?" Fate's voice sounding rough and dry. She grimaced from the pain and swallowed hard.

"I am Bardiche, sir."

"That's impossible! How do you know that name?"

"You gave it to me sir, I sensed it in your mind. It's also how I got my form. I am designed to transform my shape to fit the needs of my master."

"How did you get into my mind?"

"Through electromagnetic waves aligned to your own brainwave pattern sir."

"Ugh! this is so confusing." Fate rubbed the back of her uninjured hand across her eyes. She decided to accept that somehow this device had gotten into her thoughts and pulled from it the image of the broach Alicia had given her when they were kids, and the name as well. After all, why would that be any stranger then the alien invasion she was in the mist of fighting? The thing… Bardiche had asked for her to command it. She decided to try.

"C-c-can you... help me f-find Nanoha?"

The gem's glow increased in intensity. "Search Mode Initiated. Identify Nanoha, sir."

"She's my friend. Takamachi Nanoha. She is a student at Uminari University and majors in math."

"Roger that sir, accessing university network. Accessing student files." Bardiche's mechanical voice rang out as he quickly navigated through files on the university's network he had hacked into. He quickly made his way though city records and family registers.

"Takamachi Nanoha, female, age 21, resident Uminari City. Accessing medical records. Accessing family records. Target acquired. State last known location sir."

Fate told the device when and where she last saw Nanoha.

"Connection to city traffic network, Acquiring satellite data. Accessing local surveillance camera images. Commencing search."

"I can't believe I am saying this to a gem, but thank you." Fate felt a bit of relief wash over her with the knowledge that the device in her hand would help her find the girl who was taking up more and more of her thoughts.

"I am Bardiche. Standby ready mode. Command me, Sir."

Fate didn't know what kind of other commands the gem meant. She didn't know what it could do or how it would work for her. But, just like she had with Arf, she felt a strange connection with the device which had started ever since feeling the jolt of electricity go through her.

"Fate! Look out!" Arf's voice rang out with urgency.

"Protect me." Fate spoke without thinking as a young male about her age, dressed in a baseball uniform swung a bat at her head.

"Defenser."

As Bardiche spoke a translucent yellow shield sprang up in front of Fate. The bat shattered against it. Arf came to Fate's aide, quickly putting down the enemy.

"Fate! You're alive. I c-can't believe it. H-how?" Arf blubbered over Fate as she wrapped the girl in a ferocious hug. She had felt the connection between her and and the young blonde woman re-establish just moments ago.

"Ugh, Arf I can't breathe!" Fate's voice was muffled as her face pressed into Arf's ample chest.

"Sorry, sorry" Arf quickly leaned back to look at Fate, a wolfish grin upon her face. SHe started feeling the girl over to make sure the blonde was not injured anywhere. Frowning, the redhead noticed the painful burns on Fate's hand.

A big crash and a body thumped to the ground nearby them.

"Head's up Arf! Fate! This is not the time for a tearful reunion. We are being overrun here and I can't hold them back any longer." Chrono shouted as he evaded a potential decapitation by a knife yielding man in a business suit.

Fate looked around. The station floor littered with moaning bodies grabbing at their ears. Others lay still, casualties of the fighting. Still more were making their way through the barricaded front entrance, and many of these had much deadlier weapons then a baseball bat.

"Chrono, we need to get out of here now. We got what we came for." Arf shouted to Chrono.

"Alright. I'll use the freeze setting on my device to send out a wall of ice to try to contain the enemy. With this I think I can hold them off for several minutes while you two make it to the stairs. Our only way out now looks like we have to go up and across the roofs. Can you stand Fate?"

"Yeah, I think so." Fate stood up with Arf's help. She was shaky for a moment and gripped the arm of the woman supporting her with a worried look.

"I'm ok now Arf, no worries." Fate gave the older woman a small smile as she stood up straight, a fire of determination returning to her eyes.

"Permafrost, construct a frozen coffin and deliver eternal sleep unto this beast." Chrono sent a wall of ice across the front line of enemy combatants and towards the doors that more were pouring in from.

"Go on now, I will be right behind you"

"Right let's go then." Arf kept a grip on Fate's arm as she quickly led the blonde across the floor littered with the withering bodies of the injured. Seeing the fatalities up close she could feel bile in the back of her throat. Till just yesterday she had not experienced death like this... not since Mother and Alicia. But she didn't let it slow her down.

Fate heard the sound of ice cracking and looking back from her position halfway up the stairs she saw the ice seal Chrono had placed on the entranceways shattering by the force of those trying to get in. Chrono had made it to the bottom of the staircase. He turned back one last time to send out another wave of ice to temporarily seal the doorways again. He then turned and raced up the staircase taking the steps two and three at a time, quickly joining his team.

The train station in Uminari City was built around a colonial design as a stand alone building. Fate wondered how they would reach the roof of the nearest building which was across a fifteen foot alley. As she turned to her companions she saw that Arf had already turned into her wolf form with one end of a yellow chain rope she had pulled from her pack before transforming dangling from her mouth. Chrono had the other end in his hands and looked for a good place for a tie down. He finally settled on wrapping the rope around some piping on the water tank that was near the edge of the roof facing the alley.

"All secured Arf."

Arf nodded her head and slightly growled before taking a few steps backwards to increase her takeoff run. Then she ran, leaping across the alleyway, landing on the next buildings rooftop. SHe dug in with her sharp claws to secure her footing. Quickly Arf looked for a place to tie the rope down, but spotting none she braced her legs against the small wall that lined the edge of the building, gritted her jaw and signaled for the others to follow. One at a time Fate and Chrono crossed over using the chain rope. Once everyone was across Arf dropped the rope over the side of the building and transformed back into her human form. She rubbed her jaw with her hand.

"Chrono, you need to go on a diet!"

"Hmmf" was all the blue haired man cared to reply.

From the rooftop they could hear sirens and shouting coming from the streets below. Fate crept up to the front edge of the building facing the main street. Carefully she peaked over to survey what was happening below. What she saw made her eyes grow wide. She pulled away from the edge and got back to Arf and Chrono.

"It's complete mayhem in the street. I just can't believe it." As if to confirm her words, they suddenly heard the sound of gunfire. Fate couldn't help flinching before she continued her report. "I can't believe what is happening...There are still a lot of people struggling to get into the station. There's also riot police on hand trying to get control of the crowd too."

"Good," said Chrono. "Their attack on us would only work if they could succeed quickly, but it took too long and as a result they drew the attention of the police who I am sure will quell the mob, at least for the time being. But this also means we have less time on our hands."

"What do you mean Chrono?"

"Let's talk once we get further away from here."

With that the three began to run hunched over across the rooftop. Fortunately the next several buildings were easy to navigate across for all of them. Finally after coming to the end of a block of buildings, they made their way down a fire escape to the street below.

"Lets get us some transportation." Chrono led them around the corner where they found several cars luckily parked. They walked up to a fairly nondescript sedan.

Arf pulled something out of her bag that she used to pop the lock on the car door. "I am sure I can get this star..."

Fate had lifted the golden device she held in her hand and aimed it at the car. It was time she found out more what it can and can't do.

"Bardiche"

"Yes sir?"

"Can you start this car?"

"Identify car, sir."

"Right, ah... Bardiche can you turn on the transportation vehicle in front of me?"

"Roger that sir" A precise golden beam shot out from the device in Fate's hand hitting the car and just for a fraction of a moment engulfing it in a golden glow of electrical power.

"Yikes!" Arf jumped back growling even though she was in her human form, her hair raised going every which way from the static discharge. She turned to give Fate the evil eye.

"Sorry." Fate gave a sheepish grin as she raised her hand to scratch the back of her head feeling embarrassed for almost frying her friend.

Before Arf could say anything she noticed the hum of the engine. "Well, I guess I can forgive you this time."

"Thanks Arf." Fate felt the residue of energy from Bardiche in her burnt hand and couldn't keep a grimace from crossing her face. Arf noticed the blonde's pained expression and frowned.

"Get in the backseat Fate. I'll heal your hand while Chrono drives."

They had traveled across town zig zagging and doubling back several times to make sure they weren't followed before pulling over outside a convenience store to get some much needed supplies. While Arf ran into the store Fate decided it was time to ask Chrono what he had meant back on the rooftop.

"Chrono, can you explain now what you meant back on the rooftop? Why is it that we have less time to stop what is happening? Isn't it a good thing that the authorities know what is happening? This means we can fight back now!"

"The aliens must feel they are closer to completing their takeover of this world. They must also really fear that device you have there Fate to launch such an open attack against us. This kind of action will undoubtably lead to the authorities of your planet to realize something is going on, although they probably will not connect it to aliens."

"Isn't that a good thing that they know something is going on though? That means we can fight back!"

"Yes and no. I am sure that you noticed all the different kinds of people who the aliens have copied. And it wasn't just regular civilians. Did you see the number of police and even military that were in the last wave of attackers trying to get into the station?"

"Ya, I saw that. It was about to get really dicey there if we hadn't had an exit route."

Chrono nodded. "Always an important part of any military plan Fate is to have multiple exit strategies incase things go bad." He paused for a moment before continuing.

"When the aliens first infest a planet, and you can kind of think of them as a virus... they go for what ever warm body gets physically near to them. But, once they have taken over a host body, they can use it to steer them to their future takeovers. People are greatly connected whether they think they are or not. Each of us is only a few takeovers away from someone very important."

"It sounds kind of like a game I heard of, it's called the seven degrees from Kevin Bacon. He is an American actor. Name any person in the world and within seven people you can connect them to Bacon."

"That's precisely it Fate, but now imagine you have the memories of the people you infest, you can use that knowledge to strategically reach people in high places of all parts of a civilization."

"So what you are saying is that the aliens have probably already infiltrated the government and this means they will be able to hinder or subvert any action we take against them?"

"Right. You get the picture."

Arf arrived back loaded down with a bag of water, energy bars and those pre-wrapped bland sandwiches found in every convenience store. She also had hot coffee which Fate took gratefully. The blonde took a sip and smiled as the warm liquid reminded her of Nanoha and how cute the brunette had looked working behind the coffee shop counter. Fate shook her head. She had to concentrate on what was happening right now if she was going to help Nanoha. She squeezed Bardiche.

"So, how do we stop the aliens?" she asked.

Arf responded to her question. "The only hope we have is to destroy the source. The alien species work as a hive. They are connected through this and need the command of their queen who links them all together into a collective."

"So, kill the queen, you disable the aliens?"

"That is what we believe."

"Huh?" Fate frowned, puzzled at Arf's response. " Don't you know if it will work?"

"Frankly, no." Chrono answered her question. "We have never reached the hive to destroy the queen. We do not even know what the queen is, just that it exists. Lanster believed that the device you have, Bardiche I think it called itself is the key to the hive's destruction." Chrono paused for a moment to let that thought sink in for Fate.

"And Fate, the last bit of intel we got from Lanster before we lost contact with him was that the hive, the queen is here, on Earth, in Uminari City."

"Oh..."

Fate looked down at the golden triangular gem she held in her hand. How was she suppose to use this to destroy the Queen and save the world? She shook her head and frowned. She closed her fist around the device and squeezed, feeling its corners biting into her skin.

"No. This doesn't make sense. I'm just a college kid. Fuck, I don't even know what is going on. None of it. So why me? How am I suppose to be the world's savior? It's a joke. A really bad joke! ... Right?" Fate's voice had risen to a shout, her face turning red as her blood pressure rose, her spittle hitting Chrono's cheek.

Chrono wiped his cheek and spoke calmly to the girl. It was clear she was on the verge of breaking down.

"Yeah, I know Fate. It's not fair. It never is." Out of character for the stoic young military man, he reached over the front seat of the car and squeezed fate's hand.

Fate allowed him to hold her hand for a few minutes while she tried to calm her racing thoughts and emotions.

"Awwww," Arf threw her arms around the young blonde and gave her a bear hug.

"Alright!... alright!," Fate pushed them both away. She looked up and sighed before nodding her head to each of her new comrades.

"Ready to go save the world Fate?" Chrono asked.

"You're not alone. We are all in this together." Arf got her two cents in.

"Sir, I am waiting your command." Bardiche spoke up.

"Yeah. Thanks everyone. Let's go find Nanoha and save the world while we are at it. Haha." Fate felt the nervous laugh escape her as her cheeks turned red. She really did feel like she was in some B-rated movie hearing herself say lines like that.

"Nanoha Takamachi's location found, sir."

"What! Why didn't you say so earlier Bardiche. Where is she?"

"Location just acquired sir." Bardiche projected a screen in front of him. All the occupants of the car turned to look at the display of a city map. On it were two blinking spots. One was their location and the other...

Fate pointed to the pink blinking dot. "That is where Nanoha is?"

"Yes sir."

"I don't believe it.

Chrono looked down at his own GPS device then back up at the map Bardiche was displaying for them.

"That's the same location that Vice has under observation right now and has confirmed as an alien stronghold. If they brought Takamachi there, it may even be their main headquarters here on Earth."

Chrono and Arf looked at each other.

"You know what that means don't you Fate?" Arf asked her.

"Yeah. It's where the hive is; that's where we'll find the queen. And the queen has Nanoha."

{MGLN~MGLN~MGLN}

A/N: This chapter just would not work for me so I am sorry for the poor quality of the writing and the long wait for the post. I hope that with the upcoming attempt at rescuing Nanoha the story will progress better and finally move towards some NanoFate.

* The line Precia reads is from: The Prophetby Kahlil Gibran