Disclaimer: I do not own MGLN.
Fate and Nanoha followed Alicia and Rein after few minutes they went in. Everyone from the gym looked at the two figure who just appeared in front of the entrance.
The team captain and the younger blonde were doing the recap of the rules and procedures of the try outs to their potential recruits. When they had noticed Fate and Nanoha, the pair gave them a direction on where they should perform their warm-up exercises. Seeing the gesture of the two, the older blonde and the sapphire-eyed girl went on the left side of the gym.
While looking around on the court, the blonde asked, wondering if the auburn-haired girl was taking care of herself properly. She had heard from Alicia that Nanoha had stopped playing tennis few months ago which made her worry despite the pain that she was feeling, she knew Nanoha really loves to play the sport since they were kids. "Neh, Nanoha, have you been doing your dynamic warm-ups every day?"
"Ah.. Yeah. I've been doing it every day, seven days a week, three hundred sixty-five days a year, Fate-chan" – Nanoha responded dryly thinking on how she would respond to the girl beside her. Her heart has been racing since yesterday and she didn't like it.
Hands on her pockets the blonde respond when she thought that Nanoha was taunting her she laughed "Ha! Ha! You don't have to elaborate it, Nanoha." Fate paused for a while while secretly inspecting Nanoha from head to toe while mentally saying. "Nanoha has an impressive body. Much sexier than the last time I saw her." While the other side of her brain was reprimanding her "Stop gawking at her, Fate! Nothing good in admiring her beauty! She left you out in the dark! You must remember that!"
Smiling at the auburn-haired girl considering that she's in a good shape she continued "I guess there won't be a problem about the injuries that we might get since you've been so diligent doing your daily routine. I see, you're strict as ever."
Raising her brows to the blonde's remark, remembering how bad Fate was in making her routines without her help she can't help herself to reprimand her indirectly "Being remiss to my body is not my style. Unlike with a certain someone that I know." Nanoha was starting to do the Frankenstein walk to stretch out her hamstring muscles for her lower body. "How about you, Fate-chan? Don't tell me you've been slacking around?"
Pouting at Nanoha, Fate exclaimed defending herself. She cannot let the auburn-haired girl think that she became a slacker. "Hey! I'm reading between the lines, Nanoha! How can I be a slacker when I just came back from TSAB? The amount of physical trainings there were ridiculous!" Fate raised her right eyebrows."Oh, I think we need to do at least 2 sets of 10-15 reps of Hip opener stretch on each leg." Fate added seeing that Nanoha was rushing their warm up exercises.
"I know! Just follow what I'm doing! You don't have to tell me! We don't have the luxury of time to complete the whole sets of stretches. Unless you want to do it alone, Fate-chan?" Nanoha replied, she doesn't know but Fate's presence were irritating her especially when she mentioned about TSAB.
"Fine! I'll do it! No need to sound irritated!" Fate sighed defeatedly, starting to get annoyed but decided to cool it down, she continued "By the way Nanoha, have you been playing tennis since.. since l-last year? I didn't see your tennis racket with you." Fate asked trying to pry what Nanoha was up to lately. When she never received a response from the girl, her shoulders drooped, it was a short awkward moment that the two doesn't want to feel.
Deciding to break the silence, Nanoha spoke. "Y-yeah, been playing with Amy-san and Chrono-kun during their free time. I invited Alicia several times but she declined all of my invitations. As for my tennis racket, I bought a new one."
"I see." Fate answered in a forlorn voice. Dismissing the conversation with Nanoha having all the negative thoughts about her, she glanced away from her.
Nanoha felt anxious and unconsciously bit her lip feeling the tension between her and Fate. She knew that it's not easy to approach the blonde thinking that they have both unfinished business with each other. Her heart was telling her that she should talk and make up with her so soon, but was hesitating to do actions in fear of what Fate's reaction could be. Both of them never spoke to each other after their short conversation.
On the other side of the court were Vita and Hayate spectating what were Nanoha and Fate doing.
"Hayate, I'm surprised to see Takamachi-senpai and Fate-senpai doing the warm-ups together. They even appeared in front of the entrance at the same time. They were even chatting with each other! " Vita staring at the pair, still wondering what happened to these two.
"Yeah, but they look so awkward together! And I hate it!" Knowing her best friend well, she was in great distress and in any minute, she might find a thing or two to blow up to release her stress which made her felt more worried. "There's a strange aura lurking on Nanoha-chan. Fate-chan looks depress too. It's so frustrating to see them like that Vita-chan!" Hayate shook Vita's shoulder thinking that she must do something about her bestfriends.
"Oh? Why are you frustrated Hayate?" Vita asked but understood that her friend was really upset about the break-up of Nanoha and Fate. "And can you please stop shaking me?!" Vita exclaimed. Glancing at Reinforce, she continued to speak wondering what the tanuki had said to their captain earlier that made her upset "It seems that Rein was upset with you. What did you say to her earlier?"
"Oh, it was nothing Vita-chan. I just told her that she doesn't have the chance to put Fate-chan in bed. Tee-hee…" Hayate placed her fist on her head while sticking out her tongue then she added "I also told her, we can do it together all the way if she wants! Haha!" The brunette made a silly laugh while shaking in laughter. She used to have a crush on Rein when she was in the 2nd year middle school, but cannot pursue her since Alicia was preventing her to do so which made her smile thinking that it was the best thing that ever happened since she knew that the silvery-haired girl has feelings for Fate and it could have stain her friendship with her childhood friend.
Slapping her friend's shoulder Vita reprimanded her "You idiot! Do not corrupt Rein with your perverted thoughts, Hayate! Stop flirting with her." Remembering how the tanuki could not handle the sad Alicia very well, grinning to her friend she decided to tease her, creasing her brows she said "I'm sure Alicia-chan will not appreciate what you had said to Rein. Maybe, I should go tell her now."
Pouting at the red head girl, Hayate placed her hands on Vita's shoulders, she knew how the younger blonde will react on her remarks and she doesn't want to deal with Alicia's gloomy demeanor and she prefer to see her mischievous smile. "Wait, Vita-chan! I was just joking! Don't be so serious!" Vita deadpanned, glaring at her saying nothing. Wrapping her arms around herself, she playfully said "Mou, you're so stiff! Do you really want to see my dead gorgeous body naked hanging on the bridge?!"
Smirking at her friend she said, "Seriously, Hayate you have to…" The redhead-girl was not able to finish her speech when she saw that Teana was on her way to approach Fate and Nanoha.
"Wait! Lanstar was on her way to Takamachi-senpai and Fate-senpai! She's supposed to be listening to Rein while checking on the first years!" Vita face-palmed "What the hell is she doing? I must go and scold her now!"
Scratching her head in disbelief, Hayate wanted to prevent a disaster that might happened especially she knew Teana's attitude and she might be her auburn-haired girl friend's stress reliever today. "I'll come with you, Vita-chan!" The brunette and Vita stood up and walked towards the direction where Fate and Nanoha were.
"Hey! You two! What the hell do you think are you doing here?" Hands on her hips, Teana reproached the pair without knowing who they were.
Nanoha and Fate look at each other with a questioning brows formed at the auburn-haired girl's face, she crossed her arms and said "Ahhhmm, doing some warm up exercises?" The blonde did her best not to laugh hearing Nanoha's response to the girl who was trying to scold them unreasonably.
"Oh, I can see that. And why the hell are you doing exercise here?" Pointing her finger on the floor, Teana insisted that they shouldn't be inside the gym "This is a tennis court, I supposed you should be doing your pity exercises outside this premises!" Teana answered sarcastically.
Trying to conceal her irritation, not wanting to make a fuss but her pride was about to get hurt, Fate responded coldly "We are here to join the try-outs. That's why we are here. We are not yet done with the warm-up stretches, and we are finishing it up, now."
"Oh right, you were late and yet you are taking much of your sweet time doing the stretches! Are you blind?" Raising her browse, Teana estimated the two girls from head to foot.
Pointing to where Rein and Alicia where she continued "Don't you see that everyone was listening to the team captain about the recap of the rules? If you were late it means that you are incompetent! You did not even bring your rackets with you!"
"What an arrogant bitch.. tsk tsk..!" -Nanoha could not help herself but to respond harshly not wanting other people to yell at her especially Fate. Her protective instinct would not allow anyone to insult her blonde.
"What did you say?! Who were you calling a bitch?!" Teana raised her voice that caught everyone's attention inside the gym. Alicia, Rein, Vita and Hayate were heading their way to the fuss.
"Didn't you hear what I just said? Are you deaf?" Nanoha's replied in a sardonic tone, trying her best not to blow up the girl instantly she insulted her back.
"Lanstar-san, wait! Could you please calm down? You don't have to reprimand them!" Alicia stood up in front of the orange-haired girl, looking at her straight from the eye.
"Oh great! Testarrosa-senpai, I don't want to hear that from a loser like you. You are telling me not to reprimand these two for being incompetent on tryouts?! Haha! That's funny!" She responded thinking that the shorter blonde has no right to tell her what to do.
"Lanstar!" – Vita shouted calling her attention, while Hayate pulled Alicia away from the girl. The tanuki was worried about the younger blonde to do something she shouldn't have but instead she trusted Nanoha to do something about Teana's attitude.
Can't believe on what she just heard, Nanoha gritted her teeth. Alicia doesn't deserve any insults from anyone and she know that Fate will do something about it. Fate was staring at Teana coldly and the auburn haired girl could not grasp what she was thinking. Both Nanoha and Hayate spoiled the shorter blonde but since the tanuki was such a kind girl, it was Nanoha's role to teach this girl a good lesson. "I can see that you have a great attitude. You are not only an arrogant bitch. But, also a disrespectful junior to her senior. Tsk, calling your senior a loser is rather disgusting."
"Girls, stop it! I think we need to calm down." Rein tried to mediate but no one listened to her. Hearing what Rein has said made Nanoha enraged.
"You know what, whoever-san, do you seriously think that you are talented in playing tennis? To me, it seems that you do not know enough to come out the rain." Nanoha smirked knowing that Teana could not even par with Alicia. "And if you really think that you are good enough to make that kind of remarks to Alicia-chan, then you are as daft as a brush." Nanoha looked down on her.
Not accepting the insult, she shouted "How dare you insult my tennis skills! I am one of the best in this team!"
Running her fingers on her hair, she raised her brows "Oh, I didn't think that you are really slow on the uptake, whoever-san." Pressing her left hand on her hips, Nanoha decided to challenge the girl. "I'll say this clearly to you. Why don't we settle this with a match?"
"Ara- are you sure you really want to have a match with me? I'll make sure you'll gonna bite the dust!" Teana's face was flushing in red. Itching to beat the girl that she didn't even know who she was.
"What? Are you telling me that you are a yellow-bellied person?!" Nanoha added the salt on Teana's wounded pride while mockingly laughing at her "Niyahaha! Come on! Let's get the ball rolling!"
"You two must stop this now! You cannot drag everyone with this because of your own selfishness!" Not wanting to make the issue bigger, Reinforce decided to stand between the two, pushing Teana away from Nanoha. The silver white-haired girl know how the previous captain punished other people, to blow up anyone that will pissed her off. As much as she wanted to hit Teana, she knew that it wasn't a good idea to raise a red flag against the sapphire-eyed girl. "Can we just set aside this for now? We're in the middle of our tryouts!" She glared at Teana.
Nanoha was about to slap Rein when Fate grab her wrist. Even she was upset at her imouto's best friend by not protecting her from the insults, she can't let the auburn-haired girl do something that will destroy the relationship between the two, knowing that Reinforce idolizes Nanoha. Glaring at Rein, she spoke coldly that made the silver haired girl worried. "Play ball, Reinforce. Let Nanoha do what she wanted to do with this junior of yours."
"But.." Rein was about to reason out when Fate interrupted her.
"No buts!" Fate gave her a dismissal wave. Then, the blonde commanded the girls to do something for her "Vita, go and get our racket's now." Looking at her tanuki friend now, who was whispering to Alicia, trying to comfort her, she interrupted her "Hayate, tell everyone that there will be a match before the try-outs. Make sure that everyone will keep an eye." Hayate nodded, grabbing ahold of Alicia, they walked towards to the other team members but the shorter blonde stopped and went back to her sister.
Teana was shocked seeing her seniors being bossed around by the taller blonde that she doesn't know who she was and the auburn-haired girl that she just insulted a while ago.
Alicia tried to stop the plan, worried about the outcome. She doesn't care what Teana had said, she can do something about her later, but she will not let her oneesama's get into trouble. "Onee-sama, you don't have to… " Fate cut her instantly.
"Enough! Alicia. We'll talk about this later." Fate gave her a devious smile and patted her head.
Turning her attention to the confused Teana she spoke "And as for you, you better go and get ready for your match. I'll give you an option. You can choose between the two of us for your today's opponent. I am not as good as your senpai's here but I can assure you that you cannot beat me."
Glancing at Nanoha who was rolling her eyes hearing what Fate had said, the auburn haired girl will never approve the way the blonde will handle the situation. "Or if you want the strongest opponent you can choose this girl. If one of us will lose the match, we will not join the team." Fate spokes in a fussy voice.
For some reason, Teana could not gather some words to throw against Fate just by hearing the tone of her voice. It was more like she was giving her a command rather than an option and she felt that the older blonde wasn't intimidating her but telling her that she was certain that they would win the game. She was waiting for the other condition about her losing the game but Fate did not make any conditions aside from that. She chose to walk away to make herself ready. While Nanoha was not pleased about what she had heard from Fate. Alicia was even more worried, the two were always arguing the way they handle the conflicts and punishments. Both never backed out on their opinions especially, Nanoha who was always agressive.
"Fate-neesama, Nanoha-neesama, I must warn you. She's a strong opponent." Alicia warned the blonde and the sapphire-eyed girl.
Ignoring Alicia's warning she smiled "It doesn't matter Alicia-chan. I'll make her bite the dust." Nanoha place her left hand to the younger blonde's head, gently stroking her hair, she smiled at her. "On that note, I'll be the one's going to play with her. Not Fate-chan."
"But you haven't even played in singles game, Nanoha-neesama." the younger Testarossa was feeling anxious but the truth was, she was worried that Nanoha would do the same thing as what she did to Rein before when she saw that the silvery white haired girl confessed to her oneesama during the summer camp and was enraged when Nanoha found out that Rein peck on Fate's lips.
Fate facepalmed by hearing Alicia's statement. "Nanoha, it seems that you didn't teach your apprentice very well. She's underestimating you." Fate said dryly. "Are you sure you want to do this? I can't let this slide." Fate looked at where Teana was.
"Fate-chan, I'm afraid that I cannot allow you to do that. Haven't you heard her insults towards me and Alicia?!" Annoyed on how Fate was trying to solve the situation, she yelled at her knowing that it would upset the blonde she lashed out to Fate. "She'll be my stress reliever for today! So, stay out of this and stay away from me!"
Fate and Nanoha glared at each other. Fate clenched her jaw when she heard what Nanoha has said. Her resentment towards the auburn-haired girl's nonsense has resurfaced, the feeling of abandonment and rejection that she had felt since they broke up, she wondered if she can contain it. While Nanoha's eyes were filled with frustrations and hurt over the reason of their break-up, she can't help but lashed out to Fate. Alicia could not do anything about the present situation so she chose to keep her mouth shut and thought that they must do something about the two.
"Do what you want, Takamachi." After saying those words, Fate walked away leaving Nanoha and Alicia unsettled and went towards the umpire chair and climbed up her way to sit down. The group of girls noticed and was surprised to see her.
There was a commotion among the first years and second years when they saw Fate sitting on the umpire chair.
"-Areeeh! Is that? Is that Fate Testarossa-san?!" One of the girls pointed her finger on the umpire's seat. Everyone turned their gaze to the blonde was checking something on her phone.
"You mean, that Fate Testarossa-senpai that has no official record of losses?" The girls keep on observing the girl who was now staring at their direction.
"Wow! She's so gorgeous! She's looking on this side!" The shorter girl giggled.
"I didn't expect her to have a sylphlike body! She's taller and more gorgeous than Alicia-senpai too! I felt so envy!" The other girl shook her friend.
"-Niyahaha! Silly! You girls don't know her? Look at this, I've been following her on Instagram since I was in middle school." The other girl opened her phone and showed it to others. "She doesn't like posting a lot of photos though. For some unknown reason, she stopped posting pictures a year ago. This is Takamachi Nanoha-senpai, her doubles partner. With that enticing smile she looked a million dollar, right?"
The girl said lowering her voice. "Neh, neh! I've heard they were dating."
"Oh? Who told you?"
"This photo was the evidence!"
"Oh, this photo was sweet! These pair look so good together! They have a whimsical feeling in here. Testarossa-senpai was blushing while Takamachi Nanoha-senpai was smiling at her playfully." The girl pointed the photo where the blonde was sitting on the bench while the auburn haired girl's arms were wrapped around her shoulders, almost kissing Fate's cheek.
"Wow! You're well informed!"
"Takamachi-san is the sole heir of Takamachi Corporation, isn't she?"
"Ah, yeah. They were extremely rich." The girls didn't notice that Hayate snuck in behind their back, scratching her head while listening to her kouhai's gossip, she can't help herself but smile. Even if they don't want to be showered by too much attention, they seem could not able to escape it.
"If you girls didn't notice, most of the regulars came from the top elite families. I'm sure they were childhood friends. The Testarossa and Yagami are from the noble families, it's not as powerful as the Ingvalt and Huckenbein though."
"Takamachi's were still in the power though, and they used to be the part of the noble line."
"How did you know that?" the other girl asked.
"Aren't you girls informed? What did your tutors teach you?"
"Ehemm, Are you girls done gossiping?" Hayate called their attention. Everyone was surprised, secretly smiling when they heard the brunette spoke from their back feeling embarrassed, but they knew that the tanuki was the kindest girl among the senpai's. Some of them were secretly wanting her attention, but with Alicia around they just back off.
"Today, before we start our tryouts there will be a match between Lanstar-san and that woman." Hayate chuckled while pointing her finger to Nanoha's direction.
"Woaah! Takamachi-senpai! She looks as pretty as the picture!" The girls tittered.
"Areeeh? Nanoha-chan is definitely alluring. But, just to warn you my little angels she's not in a good mood today." The girl could not help but made a light squeak when Hayate called them little angels. The brunette chuckled and continued "I suggest, you must behave yourselves and watch the match without blinking an eye. You'll learn a lot from this." Although the tension from her face was visible, Hayate winked at the girls playfully, giving them a wide grin, which made the girls feel at ease.
"Preet preet preeeet!" a series of high pitched sound from the whistle filled up the gym, enough to call the attention of every person within the sound range.
"Today, we will be going to witness an interesting match-up that you will never see outside this court. I will be the chair umpire for this match. I will also be the referee and the service judge. Alicia, Reinforce, Hayate, and Vita will be the line judges. I hope this match will serve a good lesson for everyone." After saying those words, she called out the attention of Nanoha and Teana. "Hot headed athletes, please step in near the umpire seat." Fate finished her speech in a phlegmatic tone.
The next scene might be harder for me to write since I am not an experienced writer. So please, be patient with me guys.
Also, I'm not sure if I had written this chapter well. Go easy with me! haha! Thanks for the reviews! Happy Holidays!
