Of Assassins, Samurai, and Magic
A/N: And the next chapter is up! There seemed to be some confusion at the end of the previous chapter about who summoned those hundred of magical orbs at the end which blasted at the Numbers and Jail. Admittedly, I didn't think of this alternate possibly, but looking back on it now, I can see how readers came to that conclusion. Just to clarify, the magical bombardment of pink and yellow orbs at the end of the previous chapter was created by Vivio and NOT by Nanoha and Fate. Both of our leading ladies are out cold, nor were they in any capacity to call forth such a strong burst of magic. Just to repeat, Vivio attacked the Numbers at the end of the last chapter, driving them away, NOT Nanoha and Fate. Hopefully that clears up that confusion.
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Love thus story - Thanks for the review! ^^ It's my pleasure to be able to reply back to you. A few years ago I vowed to reply back to all the review, favorites, etc, and have been doing that ever since. I think the readers appreciate that, knowing that their words are being read. For me as an author, I appreciate the feedback and improve my stories based on what readers point out. Congratulations on getting your laptop. ^^ That will definitely make things easier to read. Hehe. Enjoy the next chapter. :)
Disclaimer: The characters and the worlds I write in do not belong to me. The stories that I write are intended for entertainment purposes. I do not make any money from them.
*** ~ Chapter 35: Ripple ~ ***
A groan escaped Fate's lips as the rising sun roused her from her slumber. It had been a fitful sleep at best, the flashes of horrific sights, and the sounds of pain, haunting her dreams. Scrunching up her face, Fate tried rolling onto her side to escape the sunlight warming her face, only to realize she was being held down by something.
"Mama..."
Or rather someone.
Burgundy coloured eyes snapped open in surprise, immediately locking onto the person clamped on her arm. Blonde hair, one shade darker than her own, splayed across her pillow and the one next to her. A small mass lay next to her on her left, a tiny arm curled around her forearm. Fate blinked in surprise.
"Mama," the child said softly, clutching at her arm. "It's Vivio."
"So it wasn't a dream after all..." Fate said quietly. Looking beyond Vivio's small form, Fate's breath got caught in her throat as she spotted brown hair.
"N-Nanoha..."
"I have never loved a person more than I have Fate. And that would never happen if she wasn't human!"
Fate bit back a pained whimper as she forced herself up with her right elbow. Rolling on her side, careful not to wake Vivio in the movement, Fate slowly reached across the bed to touch Nanoha's cheek. The brunette was deep asleep, flat on her back, with her head tilted partially in Fate's direction. Nanoha let out a soft murmur, a smile curling on her lips the moment Fate cupped her cheek. Fate smiled.
They were safe.
She and Nanoha. And Vivio.
They were all safe.
Stroking Nanoha's cheek softly, Fate's gaze wandered down to Vivio again, the smile on her face never wavering. Vivio had both her arm and one of Nanoha's arms hugged to her chest, holding onto them tightly. Wine coloured eyes were filled with such warmth.
Vivio had called her Mama.
The small child had called both of them Mama.
Fate didn't know why, but just hearing that word made her so happy. While she didn't understand the connection between them, Fate knew this was right. The three of them together just felt right. The youngest Harlaown's heart was practically bursting with happiness at the moment. For right now, Fate felt whole.
The door to the room opened.
"Fate-san," Shamal said in surprise. She hadn't expected to see the blonde up so fast, considering her grave injuries from the day before.
"Shamal-sama," Fate said, turning to look back at the other blonde. "Zafira-san," she said in greeting to the demon wolf who trailed behind the Empress' attendant.
"Everyone will be relieved to hear you're awake, Fate-san," Zafira said. Fate didn't miss the undercurrent of worry and relief in the demon wolf's voice.
"What... happened?" The youngest Harlaown asked, groaning some more as she sat up completely.
Shamal swiftly made her way over to Fate's bedside, setting down some medical supplies on the nearby table. "I could ask you the same thing..." the attendant said, giving Fate a once over. "... Thunder Reaper."
Fate went stiff as a board, her eyes widening slightly.
"I think we both have some explaining to do, ne?" Shamal smiled at Fate.
Fate laughed wearily. "I guess we do." A pause. "Where am I exactly?"
"Shamal-san would have preferred to keep you all in the imperial hospital," Zafira commented. The blue demon wolf sat down on his haunches next to Shamal. "But with that little one threatening to blast everyone for looking at you funny, it was decided it was best to keep you all in the same room and in the same bed."
Fate blinked. "Little one..." She looked down at Vivio, the small child still attached to her arm. "Blasting... everyone?"
Shamal laughed wearily. "N-now, now, Zafira-san," the green robed attendant said. "Fate doesn't need to know about that right now. Right now, her number one concern should be recovering."
"Uh... huh..." Fate said in confusion. She looked between Shamal and Zafira.
"Fate-mama?" came a sleepy voice next to Fate. Vivio sat up yawning before rubbing her eyes.
"Good morning Vivio." Fate smiled. She's as cute as Nanoha when waking up! Fate wanted to squeal.
"Mornin'," Vivio mumbled still not quite awake. Then she froze in her spot and blinked. "Fate-mama?" Heterochromic eyes looked at Fate in surprise.
"Hai?"
"Mama!" Vivio tackled Fate, squeezing her tightly. "Mama's awake! Vivio was so scared!"
Fate almost fell off the bed from Vivio's jump attack, only Shamal's bracing arm saving them both from a rough meeting with the floor. The youngest Harlaown bit her lip, stifling back a pained groan as Vivio cried into her shoulder.
"Nanoha-mama won't wake up," the little girl sobbed.
Concern and fear immediately filled wine coloured eyes, Fate immediately seeking out Shamal's gaze.
The Empress' attendant pursed her lips. Shamal looked over at the still slumbering Nanoha. "Both of you were in pretty bad shape when we found you, Fate-san," Shamal began. "We almost lost you both at one point. Had we not gotten there when we did... If we had arrived just a few minutes later..."
Shamal didn't need to go on for Fate to know how dire the situation was the night before.
"I've done what I can for you, healing all of your most major injuries," the green robed attendant continued. "But both of you will need some more rest to recover completely."
"And Nanoha?" Fate said, looking over at the brunette.
"Nanoha-san..." Shamal paused. "She lost so much blood. I've never seen her so pale before..."
Shamal's hands clenched into fists on her lap. Tears threatened to fall. "I... I..." Shamal jumped when something cold poked her fist. It was Zafira's nose.
"Don't give up on Nanoha-san just yet," the blue demon wolf said. "She's stronger than she looks. I'm sure she'll make it through."
Shamal smiled slightly, wiping away her tears on her sleeves. "Y-you're right," she said with softly. "Nanoha-san just needs a bit more rest and I'm sure she'll be fine."
"Fate-mama," Vivio said, tugging lightly at Fate's shirt.
"Hai Vivio?"
"When will Nanoha-mama wake up?"
Fate shot a glance at Shamal who returned the glance with an uneasy look. "I'm sure she'll wake up soon Vivio," the blonde said with smile. "Nanoha-mama is just really tired right now and needs her rest."
Vivio looked sadly at Nanoha.
"Hey," Fate said, drawing Vivio's attention back to her. "She'll wake up. I promise." Fate put her hand over top Vivio's on her lap. "And when she does, can you do something for me?"
Vivio looked at Fate, blinking.
"When she wakes up, can you give her a big hug for me?"
Vivio's face lit up with a bright smile. "Uhn!"
"Good girl," Fate said, kissing Vivio on the forehead.
Shamal smiled as she watched the scene unfold before her. Fate would make a great mother. There wasn't a doubt in Shamal's mind about that. Put her together with Nanoha, and before anyone would know it, Vivio would be spoiled rotten. No one would be able to separate them from each other.
The Empress' attendant glanced at the door to the trio's room. Now if only she could get Signum to come around...
A loud grumble.
Everyone looked at Fate, the youngest Harlaown blushing madly with a hand over her stomach.
"Mama?" Vivio queried the blonde curiously.
"I think someone is hungry," Shamal said chuckling.
"Maybe... just a little..." Fate said quietly, obviously very embarrassed about it.
Vivio giggled along with Shamal, that is, until her stomach growled noisily too. Like Fate, Vivio immediately flushed, grabbing at her stomach.
"I'm not the only one it seems." Fate smiled at this.
"Vivio-chan," Shamal said. "How about you, me, and Zafira-san go get your Mama something to eat?" The Empress' attendant gave Fate a knowing look.
Fate stared at Shamal in surprise, blushing more when emphasis was put on her new title.
"Mama?" Vivio said, looking at Fate uncertain.
Fate smiled. "Go on Vivio," she said. "Don't forget to bring back something for Nanoha-mama too for when she wakes up later. Okay?"
"Hai!" Vivio said, absolutely beaming. "I'll be right back Fate-mama, Nanoha-mama." Vivio hugged Fate tightly. "Vivio promises to be good."
Fate smiled, waving as Shamal led Vivio out of the room with Zafira in tow. When the door to the room closed completely, burgundy coloured eyes turned back to the other occupant of the bed. Nanoha was still unconscious, but alive.
Lying down, already feeling the pull of sleep calling to her, Fate shifted across the bed until she was right next to the sleeping brunette. Only Nanoha's soft breaths were heard now, Fate's gaze lingering on her best friends face. Like before, Fate's hand went up to cup Nanoha's cheek, her thumb gently stroking Nanoha's skin.
"Did you mean what you said before... Nanoha?"
"I have never loved a person more than I have Fate."
Wine coloured eyes squeezed shut, tears building up behind Fate's eyelids. For so long she waited to hear those words. For so long she wished for them to be true. Her love reciprocated. And while she never had the courage to tell her best friend how she truly felt all this time, somehow Nanoha knew. The brunette knew how Fate felt, and she returned those feelings.
Fate couldn't describe the feeling of completeness she felt when Nanoha uttered those words. After all of this time, all of her wishes had finally come true. Yet... Yet was it already too late?
"Both of you were in pretty bad shape when we found you, Fate-san," Shamal began. "We almost lost you both at one point. Had we not gotten there when we did... If we had arrived just a few minutes later..."
Fate's thoughts went back to Miyuki, the other Takamachi still asleep in the imperial hospital. Shamal had done all she could for that girl too, but the brunette had yet to awake. Would the same thing happen with Nanoha?
Burgundy coloured eyes opened again, tears leaking out as Fate's face inched closer to her best friend's. "I love you too, Nanoha," she said weakly, before leaning in to kiss the brunette on the forehead. She would not steal a kiss on the lips now. That would be reserved for the special time, when they both were awake and wanted it. Not now.
"Please," the blonde pleaded softly. "Please wake up soon, so I can finally tell you that."
"I'm sorry Empress," Carim said regretfully. "We are no further along since the last time we met."
Hayate frowned but nodded. "I understand," she said, giving the blonde a strained smile. "I appreciate you visiting to let me know. Please contact me immediately when you learn something further."
"Of course, Empress," Carim said bowing.
Before long, the last remaining descendent of the Oracle was gone, leaving Hayate alone on the balcony to think.
"Hayate-sama?" After escorting Carim and her bodyguard out of the Imperial Palace, Signum promptly returned to the Empress' chambers to check on the brunette.
"Signum," Hayate said, looking over her shoulder at the pinkette. Hayate still leaned against the railing of the balcony, gazing at the Middle District.
"Is everything alright, Empress?"
Hayate smiled, even though Signum couldn't see it. Her back was to the samurai after all. "Just... thinking..." She said wistfully.
Signum remained silent.
"It's been quite a few days, hasn't it?"
The swordswoman tiredly looked at the Middle District. "It has," Signum agreed.
"Who would have thought Fate-chan and Nanoha-chan were the Thunder Reaper and the White Devil." Hayate chuckled.
Just like everyone else, Signum too was stunned to learn the black and white assassins' true identities. Shaken in fact. Thinking about it now however, the samurai realized all of the clues were there, staring her in the face. She just hadn't picked up on it until now.
"Did I ever tell how I met them?" Hayate asked, her voice breaking Signum out of her thoughts.
"I didn't think it was my place to ask," Signum replied.
Hayate smiled. The pinkette was always respectful like that. Sometimes annoyingly so. But that's one of the things she admired about the samurai. Her knight. And best friend.
"The day fire rained from the heavens, I thought I was going to die," Hayate said as she began her recollection "But then two girls and a demon fox found me..."
~ Japan. Ten Years ago. During the Garden of Time Incident. ~
Hayate awoke to the sound of barking and whimpering, the brunette dazed and semi conscious. Pain was all she knew, every breath she took a wheezing one. Hours ago, she woke up where she currently lay, pinned down under the rubble of what used to be her house. The moment she tried to move an inch away from her spot, pain wracked her entire frame, paralysing her. She had long given up on getting help from anyone, to escape this hellish landscape.
For the first few hours since waking, Hayate screamed until her voice was hoarse and her throat sore, vainly hoping someone would find her and save her. But no one ever came. And for every hour after that, she lost hope, slipping in and out of consciousness as the sky above her turned redder with each passing moment. Then something cold poked her in the cheek.
"Arf!" Fate called after the tiny demon fox. The blonde came reeling around the corner with Nanoha in tow, Arf having taken off like a rocket without warning, barking incessantly.
Nanoha gasped at the sight of the trapped girl, half buried under large stones and broken wood. The youngest Takamachi darted ahead, sliding to a stop on her knees next to the half conscious girl.
"Wh... what?" Hayate looked up at the shadow covering her in confusion. Who was that? Was this a dream?
"Fate-chan! Help me!" Nanoha cried out, feebly trying to lift the boulders pinning down Hayate's prone form.
The blonde complied without hesitation, positioning herself on the other side of Hayate from Nanoha, pushing with all of her strength against the largest piece of debris. But the blasted thing wouldn't move, no matter how much they pushed. Even Arf tried to help, the tiny demon fox doing her best to claw away at the earth beneath it with no luck.
"Who... are you...?" Hayate said, looking at the trio around her.
"Nanoha," Nanoha gritted out, trying vainly to push at the stone again. "I'm Takamachi Nanoha. But you can just call me Nanoha."
Hayate blinked.
"Fate Testerossa," was the blonde's reply on the other side of her. Even the little orange demon fox barked, as if replying with a name.
"Nanoha-chan... Fate-chan..." Hayate said as the girls tried for the umpteenth time to free her from the rubble. Hayate closed her eyes, sighing. "It's no use..." she said, her tone already beaten. "It won't move. I'm trapped here until I die."
"Don't say that!" Nanoha snapped, making Hayate jump from the outburst. Fate too looked at Nanoha in shock, surprised by the harsh response from her new friend.
"If we can't move it," Nanoha continued. "Then we'll just have to find someone else who can!"
~ Back to the present. ~
"Nanoha-chan stayed with me while Fate-chan and Arf-chan went off to search for an adult to help," Hayate said. She smiled, remembering that day years ago. "They weren't able to find anyone at the time and because night was falling quickly, Fate-chan decided to come back and wait with us rather than stumble around in the dark."
Signum silently listened to Hayate's tale, the samurai never realizing just how important Nanoha and Fate were to her. The pinkette knew they were great people, having gotten to know them herself, but to hear of their adventures as children, Signum couldn't but respect them even more.
"It got so cold that night and I probably wouldn't have survived if I was on my own," Hayate continued. "Nanoha-chan let me use her stuffed bunny as a pillow while Fate-chan shared her cape with all of us. We all kept each other warm, even Arf-chan," Hayate said with a smile. "And the next day we were found and separated."
Hayate pushed herself back from the railing to stand up straighter. "I wouldn't find out until months later what happened to them. When we finally met back up again, it was like we were friends our entire lives. We just clicked."
The brunette jumped slightly, feeling a hand on her shoulder. Signum smiled at her softly, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze.
"I want to save them, Signum," Hayate said swallowing back the lump in her throat. "They saved me all those years ago. Now it's my turn to save them."
"And you will," Signum said without a hint of doubt in her voice. The samurai opened her mouth to speak again but instead tensed before tackling Hayate to the ground.
BOOM!
Hayate winced as the ground shook underneath them, dust coating the air. Gritting her teeth, Signum jumped to her feet, her blue eyes widening. From the balcony, she could see a large hole blasted through the north wing of the Imperial Palace, just a few levels down from where they were. Blue assassins retreated from the opening, Signum catching sight of blonde hair in the grasp of one of the assassins.
"Signum!"
Signum's eyes met Hayate's and both of them took off running towards the lower levels. The closer they got to it, the louder the sounds of fighting became. Turning the corner, Signum skidded to a halt. Hayate almost ran straight into her back but managed to the stop at the last second.
At the very end of the corridor was Signum's samurais, fighting against Numbers assassins. As valiantly as her men and women fought, her eyes were on the ground where a familiar green robed attendant lay motionless. Right next to her was Zafira. Rein and Agito were with the downed pair, Rein doing what she could to heal Shamal and Zafira, while Agito fired off magic attacks at the blue assassins in warning when then got too close.
Signum barely heard Hayate gasp behind her, her eyes widening as the crimson stain on Shamal's green garb grew bigger and bigger and bigger. "S-Shamal-san?"
Levantine was in her hand before she knew it, the legendary blade blazing with fire.
"Sky-Piercing Fang!"
The Captain of the Samurai darted forward in a burst of inhuman speed, slashing at the closest Numbers assassin in range. Anger and rage powered her attack, and fury added its punch. Blood would be spilt today, in retribution if for nothing else. Signum would make sure of it.
"Kisama!"
"Mama! Mama!"
Nanoha clutched at the blankets with white knuckled fists, sweat rolling down the side of her face.
"Mama! Help me!"
"Vi..vio..." the brunette whispered, twisting in bed.
"Don't let them take me! Mama!"
Nanoha jolted upwards in bed, panting heavily. A groan escaped her lips, the brunette clutching at her stomach as pain shot outwards through the rest of her body. Hunching over, it took a few moments for her to catch her breath, the pain eventually subsiding into a dull ache. Wiping the sweat from her brow with her sleeve, Nanoha took a quick look at her surroundings. While she didn't recognize where she was, the architecture and the layout of the room reminded her a lot of the Imperial Palace.
"Nanoha..." came a soft whisper to her right.
"F-F-Fate-chan?" Violet coloured eyes went wide in shock as they landed on the blonde sleeping next to her.
What was Fate doing here, in her bed?
Wait.
She was in bed. With Fate.
Nanoha's cheeks went beet red at the thought. Now wait a minute! They actually didn't... Nanoha looked down, finding herself in clothes not her own. How it relieved her to know she wasn't naked as she expected. Not that doing it with Fate was a shameful thing. She just wanted to be awake when that one special moment came. She wanted to remember it, every detail of it.
Wait.
Why was she even thinking about such things?
Nanoha's face went even redder. Did Fate even like her like that? The blonde had never openly said anything to hint that, though there were those times when Nanoha couldn't but wonder about it. As if to answer Nanoha's thoughts, Fate shifted in her sleep, ending up with her head resting on Nanoha's lap with her arms circled around Nanoha's waist. The brunette stared at her best friend in disbelief, her hands held to her chest, as the blonde nuzzled her leg, smiling. Kami-sama, she was going to have a nosebleed!
The sound of buzzing.
Nanoha tensed instantly, putting a hand on Fate's head as she stared at the straight ahead. "So it wasn't a dream after all," she said, before turning to face the black garbed assassin to her left.
"No," the black assassin replied. The small one stood at Nanoha's bedside.
"Who are you really?" Nanoha stroked Fate's hair, the blonde murmuring happily, oblivious to the current conversation. "You're not the Thunder Reaper's apprentice, are you?"
The moment Fate was revealed to be the Thunder Reaper, Nanoha knew it couldn't have been her. She knew Fate couldn't have kidnapped and hurt her brother. She just knew.
"No," the black assassin answered. "That was merely a disguise my true master told me to use."
"And does your master have a name?" Violet coloured eyes narrowed at blood coloured ones.
"None that you would know," the black assassin replied.
"Is it Jail Scaglietti?"
The black assassin remained silent.
"I see," Nanoha said, her eyes narrowing further. "How about you?"
Crimson coloured eyes widened slightly. "Lutecia," the assassin replied a few seconds later. "Lutecia Alpine."
Lutecia didn't know what compelled her to tell the brunette her name. But before she knew what was happening, it was rolling off her lips like the most natural thing in the world.
"That's a pretty name."
Lutecia felt her cheeks burn at the compliment. She looked away from the brunette shyly.
"Why is Lutecia-chan working for a master who hurts people?"
Lutecia looked up to meet a cold, hard gaze. She said nothing.
"What does your master want?"
"My master requires your presence," Lutecia answered. "I am to use as much force as necessary to convince you."
Nanoha gritted her teeth. Lutecia's threat was not an empty one. She already had witnessed the girl's powers first hand. "If you leave Fate-chan out of this, I will come with you."
Lutecia glanced down at the blonde, and then met Nanoha's gaze again. "That is acceptable."
Closing her eyes, Nanoha took a deep breath, biting back a pained whimper as pain shot out from her stomach. Tired violet eyes opened again, looking longingly down at Fate. With one final stroke through the blonde's hair, Nanoha untangled herself from her best friend, giving Fate her pillow to hug instead. Fate quickly squeezed the substitute, cuddling it as she slept on.
Lutecia held up Raging Heart in dormant form to Nanoha the moment her feet touched the ground and she was out of bed. Nanoha was also handed a golden magatama jewel bracelet which she could only assume belonged to Fate and was Fate's legendary weapon. Turning back to the bed, Nanoha tied the bracelet around her friends wrist before turning around to leave.
"Nanoha..." Fate murmured quietly.
"Did you mean what you said before... Nanoha?"
In her sleep, Nanoha had heard Fate's soothing voice. Whether it was just her dreaming or if it was actually Fate talking to her while she was unconscious, the brunette didn't know. Turning back once more to her best friend, Nanoha leaned in and kissed Fate gently on the forehead.
"I meant every word I said, Fate-chan," Nanoha murmured, tucking some stray blonde strands behind Fate's ear. "I have never loved anyone more than I have loved you. And that is why I must do this, all by myself."
A/N: For those of you unfamiliar with the non-English words, I have translated them below.
Hai = Yes
Kisama = You (usually used to show the speaker's extreme hostility / outrage towards the addressee)
For an explanation of Japanese honorifics (eg. [name]-sama), please check out: http:/en[dot]wikipedia[dot]org/wiki/Japanese_honorifics