SonicANIME2010 here, bringing in a new installment to Lyrical Record. Well been awhile since I was updating, I've been on a vacation in Lake Powell on a houseboat. Had a lot of fun, skiing, wakeboarding and so on. Well now back to this one
The pivotal world in the "Sea" of dimensions, "Mid-Childa"… Four years have passed since the resolution of the "JS" Incident of urban terrorism. The Riot Force 6 division that was made for combatting that incident had been dissolved, and everyone part of it, including newlyweds Sonic, Nanoha and Fate Takamachi thought they found time to "rest" their wings and focus on raising their child Vivio. That wasn't the case as other incidents such as the Nocturnus and the Mariage incidents had quickly put the trio and the division they were part of back to work once more.
The Nocturnus incident had reunited Fate with her late "mother" Precia Testarossa in the Garden of Time at the Twilight Cage. Thanks to the Chaos Emeralds, Precia had revived her previously deceased daughter Alicia, and as a last dying request, made Fate promise to take care of her daughter. Promise to give Alicia the love she couldn't have given here once more. Since then, Fate has held true to that promise, along with the help of her husband and wife of course.
The Mariage incident reunited the four forwards from Riot Force 6, Subaru, Teana, Erio and Caro. They were a key help in solving that case, especially Subaru, who had helped Sonic and Nanoha rescue Ixpellia from a ravine of underwater ruins. After the incident was resolved, Ixpellia was placed under the custody of Sonic until she was cleared to join normal life.
Almost a year has passed since that time, and Ixpellia, who was cleared a few months prior, agreed to be adopted by Subaru and Teana. An announcement that furthered the speculation that there could be wedding bells in their future. Pretty much everyone they knew, including Sonic, Hayate and Nanoha all had a betting pool on who'd make the first move and the jury was still out.
Little did anyone know that a new turn of events would soon unfold
[OP: "Phantom Minds" Nana Mizuki]
Sonic Adventure: Lyrical Record
Record 36
First Memory, Sacred Heart (Part 1)
[Mid-Childa]
[Takamachi Residence]
[Time: 0700]
[No BGM]
Everyone woke up bright and early to start off the morning, but this wasn't the start of any morning for the Takamachi family of Sonic, Fate, Nanoha, Alicia and Vivio. Both girls were celebrating going up a grade at the Mid-Childan Academy of Magic, going from the 3rd grade to fourth.
"Vivio? Alicia?" Sonic asked as he served the young girls their breakfasts, "Today's the opening ceremony, right?"
"Hai!" Both girls enthusiastically smiled cutely and cheerfully
"Today's an early day at the office for all of us" Nanoha explained why she had Sonic ask, "So Nanoha-mama, Fate-mama and Sonic-papa will be home early. How about we all go out to dinner to celebrate your promotion?"
"Sounds like fun!" Alicia smiled in agreement.
"See you both later then" Fate said as she and the other two parents watched their kids finished breakfast and grab their backpacks, ready to start their first day as fourth graders in school.
"Hai!" Both girls smiled
The family of five shared a little cute and cheerful moment of high fives for the younger girls before Alicia and Vivio went on their way to school.
[St Hilde Academy of Magic: Elementary and Middle building]
Vivio and Alicia arrived at the large building that held their classes. The academy of magic, sponsored by the Saint Church, was Mid-Childa's school for the youth who were willing to learn the basics of magic, whether to practice magic for combat or pedestrian use. They didn't take two steps before they were already greeted
"Vivio! Alicia!" two young female voices called out from behind them. The sources revealed to be also girls in the same ages as Vivio and Alicia, wearing the same uniform for the school as the two blondes.
The girl on the left, with blue eyes and long silverish-brown hair tied in long twin tails with cute light-blue bows, was Corona Timil. To her right, with green eyes and purple hair cut somewhat boyishly short but also had a cute yellow bow on top of her head was Rio Wesley. They were classmates and friends of Alicia and Vivio for as long as they've been in school. They get along quite well too.
"Corona! Rio!" Alicia greeted the two as they approached
"Did you see the class list?" Corona asked, anticipating that she wouldn't have to tell the two girls what they know.
"We did!" Vivio answered
"We're all in the same class!" Rio enthusiastically cried out anyway.
In celebration and again another cute moment for the young girls, they all high-fived each other, all in front of just about everyone in the school who stopped and watched them. A couple of older girls in the middle school class giggled a bit and quipped about the immodesty of the girls, much to the embarrassment of the quad of Vivio, Alicia, Rio and Corona.
Inside the building, a St Church representative spent a couple of moments on a welcoming speech, informing the students that while the studies of magic and sorcery would only get more difficult, but also encouraged that their hard work now would pay off in the future.
After the speech, the four had opted to go to the library, Rio had something she wanted to borrow, most likely for their studies. Vivio and Alicia had agreed, but first, they wanted to take a picture together and send to everyone who had helped Vivio and Alicia in the past.
A quick and cute picture of the four in a group hug was taken and sent to the device of everyone they knew, from Sonic and Nanoha, to Teana and Subaru, and even as far as Erio and Caro off on another world again. There was an attached message to the picture that read out, "Thanks to everyone, Vivio and Alicia can be happy"
In the library, the four shared a table, waiting for the comm device that Vivio had used to send the pictures to everyone to beep out for replies. Corona and Rio were surprised that neither Vivio nor Alicia had their own devices yet despite already fulfilling the promises of learning the basics and advancing to the fourth grade in their school. Both blondes groaned a bit and told them that the people making it were busy and they would have to wait. Sure enough a response did come, but to everyone's surprise, it was from Bardiche.
"If you come home early, you'll both find a surprise" was Fate's message, she had sent it from her location in the Enforcer division.
"Eh?" Both Alicia and Vivio blinked in pure confusion, what could be this surprise? That was the fifty thousand yen question for everyone.
[Streets]
[Time: 1600 hours (4:45 pm)]
Investigator Sonic Takamachi and his new regular partner, Nove Nakajima, walked around the street. Sonic had reviewed reports given to him by Ginga, who had opened a communication channel from her device to Blue Star.
"Why are you giving me hospital records, Ginga?" Sonic looked them over, listing what he saw "All this for an assault case?"
"Not really an "assault" officially" Ginga shook her head, "All the victims were masters of combat styles. They were challenged to street duels"
"No holds barred fights?" Nove asked, she explained why when Sonic gave her a questioning look "Wendy's been going on about street fighters and brawlers"
"I take it these masters lost then" the hedgehog queried, and after getting a nod of reply he asked another question that he doubt he'll get the answer to, "Have any of the victims described this individual?"
"No" Ginga shook her head, "and this isn't an "official" case, there hasn't been any reports and the victims have all refused to make statements"
"Understandable.." Sonic nodded, then he himself got a look from Nove, to which the hedgehog shrugged, "Even in the street, duels are duels, and the only thing on the line for these duels are bragging rights. Do we have anything on this individual?"
"Hai" Ginga nodded and then sent a photo of an individual standing in front of what looked like a knocked out thug.
The figure appeared to be a girl in her mid-to-late teens with long, greenish-silver hair flowing down her back and just reaching to the top of her legs and past her hips, part of her hair was also tied in twin tails held by ribbons, her face wasn't able to be seen because her hair had obscured the view from the angle of which the photo was taken. Her clothing wasn't as easily hidden; a light-green mini dress covered by a white jacket, long white socks, and black boots. She has long, puffy sleeves on her dress and also gloves on her hands. She has a choker on her neck, as well.
"She calls herself Hegemon Ingvalt" Ginga explained
Nove raised her eyebrows and, like Sonic had her eyes glued on the person in the picture. What got her attention the most was the name, "That's!"
"Name of the Ancient Belkan ruler from the age of the Saint King's war" Sonic finished that statement for her. He once again got another strange glance, to which he just shrugged, "Live on a world for almost a decade, and you tend to pick up a few things like their history."
"You want us to check into it?" Nove asked
"Well, I was going to say be on the lookout" Ginga noted, "With Sonic's reputation and your own, with any luck she'll find you. Also, considering who we think this person is, its recommended that Ixpellia and Vivio are protected"
What Ginga was referring to when she said reputation were the duo's well known talent in fighting. Nove was known for her mastery of Strike Arts and has recently taken on a few young pupils to mentor. Sonic, already having a well-established reputation of his own with his speed and heroics, also has lately taken his hand at instructing a few lessons in fighting.
"Last I heard, Subaru and Teana were both off for a few weeks and they're taking that time to care for Ixpellia" Nove noted, "So she's well protected.. as for Vivio, need I really say it?"
"We'll be ready, thanks for the heads up, if we see her, we'll deal with her" Sonic cut the communication from there. After some time of just standing around, the blue hedgehog opted to do a few stretches, as he did so, a blue box dropped from his person.
"Eh? What's this?" Nove asked as she picked up the blue box
"A surprise for the "kids" Sonic answered, "Mary-san told me it was ready so I decided to take it home and save Nanoha and Fate the trouble"
"How nice of you" Nove noted
"Enough about that" the blue hedgehog shrugged, "Let's get going, because, find this lady or not, 1700 I'm checking out because we're going out to dinner to celebrate Vivio and Alicia going into the fourth grade. They've worked so hard"
"Going out? I thought you said something about a diet" Nove teased, referring to a little running gag about Sonic and the weight "issues" he had a long time ago.
"Oy oy.. I don't need a "diet".. and this coming from the sister of the black hole (Subaru!)?" Sonic countered
"Still can't believe I'm related to her" Nove deadpanned.
With that the two walked around the streets a bit, they weren't looking specifically for this "Hegemon", but they had figured she'd show up at some point because with who they are, odds are, she'd target them for a duel.
It was around 4:30 when the duo found themselves alone and walking down a sidewalk with streetlights along the side. Their stride was interrupted by a feminine voice that seemed to call out to them from above
"Expert in the Strike Arts, Nove Nakajima-san, and the fastest being in Mid-Childa, Sonic Hedgehog-Takamachi" The voice asked of them, "Am I right?"
"Hai hai.." Sonic shrugged, not bothering to look up just yet because he knew that with his size and angle, he'd be staring right up into the sun, curse his shortness sometimes. "Did you really need to include all of those titles?"
"Hegemon Ingvalt, I presume?" Nove asked, unlike her partner, she didn't have that downside of looking up into the sun to see the owner of the voice, and sure enough, she the girl who's image matched the one on the picture
'She's the one' Nove informed Sonic mentally
'Yeah, I could tell that, thank you very much' Sonic shrugged and snarked back. The hedgehog took a couple steps back to get a better angle on looking at the "Hegemon"
"I have some questions for you both." the girl known only as Ingvalt said, the wind blowing a few petals from a nearby cherry blossom tree to add for a more dramatic flair, "and some things I'd like to confirm"
[To Be Continued!]
[Ending: "Beautiful Amulet" Yukari Tamura]
[End of Chapter 36]
Author's Notes: Alright! My first chapter update since leaving for the houseboat trip in Lake Powell, hope it's enjoyable, and hello we meet a new person. Who on earth could this Hegemon Ingvalt be? What could she want with Sonic and Nove? Find out next time!