Disclaimer: The characters used within this are mostly the property of others. I have a few originals, but the vast majority are not original. Everything here is fiction. This is for entertainment only and not for profit.

-=oOo=-

Araiansu - Chapter 23

-=oOo=-

Nanoha was lying in a new bed in the courier ships small infirmary. The ship had already gotten underway before Lindy stopped by.

"Hey Nanoha. How are you doing?"

"Better than I have any right to be."

"I heard. Chrono is beating himself up over not being there, over allowing you, over well you get it."

"I know. I've been chewed out by the best."

"Good. I don't ask that you don't take chances, and ultimately if you want to kill yourself to save a life we aren't going to stop you, but you know how overwhelmed we are. You being down now will not help us."

"Okay, the second best."

"Sorry."

Nanoha asked, "I have a request."

"What is it?"

"When Raising Heart is examined and purged of the flawed dimensional transport system and related knowledge, will you please examine the merge data with appropriate controls for when Kasumi and Rommie merged. I feel like we might be able to do something to help them. Kasumi has a very small magical core. It is not enough for much, but the spell we all abuse when we are about to collapse is not beyond her, nor perhaps simple telepathy, at least short range. I promised to find her a teacher as well."

"As to the teaching, I will do that myself, as I can't officially request that, not for a non magical tech civilization. What exactly did she do?"

"I think she reduced the stress of linking to Rommie and handling all that sensor data. I only get vague impressions from Raising Heart, and I obviously can't transform to get more."

"That we may be able to help with. I will ask. We cannot significantly extend her ability. I'm pushing things a bit as is, but if we may be able to help them handle it more safely. Has she had the kind of formal training mages take to increase their multitasking ability?"

"I do not believe so."

"Then that may be one answer. Again, I can teach that."

"Thank you."

"Rest now Nanoha. I can't promise you will be well soon, for you most assuredly will not, but it does look like you will be well in time."

"I know. Do you know of the true life adepts?"

"That wasn't in Chrono's reports, though I suppose I'm not surprised why. What do you know? You do know that even if we went to their dimension and they healed your body it won't heal your magic, which is the priority right now."

"I know, and I'm not asking for myself. I don't even really know much other than they exist. When I picked up Raising Heart I only got impressions. I think she learned it from the merge."

"I'll find out. Your device's recklessness may have netted us some powerful and useful allies, and they some as well. It won't change the outcome. Your device will lose her knowledge of at least the specific routines. The normal dimensional transfer spells will remain available, but they take longer."

"You should erase my memory as well of it."

"We can't. Medically that won't be possible, and by the time you are well enough it might be medically okay, you will have no doubt thought about it so many times to have made it really hard to safely remove. Fortunately I don't think you are an expert in the area, nor do I think you have ever had a record of doing dimensional transfers without help. In short, your probably safe since you simply don't know enough. I'm sorry, but there will probably be a restriction on Raising Heart relearning it for your lifetime, perhaps longer."

"That is okay," the gem insisted.

"Chrono did note in his reports that they offered you work, apparently as a way to get them to remove the limiters on you and the others."

"Did it work?" Nanoha asked.

"No, or at least not yet. Might it eventually? Maybe? Should you seriously consider their offer? Yes. Unofficially, they would likely change their minds after a year or so, though whether or not you, Fate, and Vivio would, well that would be your decision."

"Chrono needs us."

"Nope, that is not how it works. Chrono needs competent mages in his org. Other competent mages exist or can be recruited. Short term it may be harder, but hey, just give a couple months notice if you want to make it easier, but make sure they know your serious."

"Thanks."

"Anytime. I wish we could have gotten Shamal to come back with us, but she is no doubt too exhausted to help and will return with the others."

Lindy then went to her own room where she was letting Megumi stay. "Hey, are you doing okay?"

"Are you doing the thing with the translations too?"

"No, I know Japanese well enough."

"I'm doing okay. A bit tired."

"Well do you mind budging over? These courier ships aren't the biggest and I want to be fresh when we get there."

"Of course."

-=oOo=-

In another room on the cramped ship Daniel said, "Only one bed. Give me a blanket and a pillow. It will bug me less."

"Okay,"

"Do you honestly still believe we are where we are doing what we are doing?"

Jack said, "Not really, but I'm just kinda rolling with it."

"Ditto."

-=oOo=-

Nanoha was surprised to wake in the Mid Childa medical center, but not that surprised. She had woken up here more than a few times before when she had collapsed somewhere else. She saw her second favorite doctor. Shamal was of course her first, mostly because she didn't preach quite as much and usually just healed her.

"So back again eh?"

"Is there nothing I can say to convince you that I will do better next time?"

"Probably not. You will mean everything you say, and you will see someone in trouble and do it again. I'm going to enter a recommendation in your file that you not be sent on hazardous missions alone."

"I understand."

"So do you want the good news or the bad news?"

"Bad."

"There are a series of micro fractures in your bones that are resistant to magical healing. By the time the resistance fade we will be too late to fix it."

Nanoha smiled.

"You know your supposed to be more upset about that kind of thing?"

She still smiled.

"What do you know?"

"The people that found me, that saved me, have a true life adept. I don't know the details, wasn't in the room when they talked. Raising Heart, what can you tell us?"

"They have two, and two that are possibly on the threshold."

"And," Nanoha added, "We have you, our absolute best at repairing magical cores, who just might be the key to them having more than two, and then us having access, or possibly even recruits."

"That note is still going into your file."

Nonoha smiled. "What is the good news?"

"I know your magic, I've done your initial core assessment. I've even done some initial spade work to stabilize things. The short version is I can help you over the worst of it in about three days. That won't be the end of your time with me. You know the path. Six months is my guess though we will probably see each other about weekly after the initial work. It might of course be shorter or longer."

"I know. I've even been reminded of the lives I cannot save now."

"We usually try not to guilt the patients, but perhaps it did some good in your case?"

"It did. Make your entry. I'll be the first to admit in battle I forget."

"Thank you," he said.

"For what? For making you a lot of work? For forgetting to release or possibly just not wanting to deal with the hassle of it, thinking I could pull it off and almost costing those kids their lives? For the lives I cost for that mistake of being unable to work?"

"It is the first time you actually admitted to having the problem. The entry has been in your file for a couple years now. Chrono really should not have approved. He weighed the odds. He is very good at that, and given how busy he was he supported your decision."

"So your saying I got Chrono in trouble too?"

"No."

"What do you mean no?" asked Nanoha. "If it was in my file."

"A recommendation by me is not an absolute command. If his superiors believed he ignored it when he made his decisions, then that would be a problem, but no one is going to believe that. I shouldn't say this, but I have access to his relevant reports. He was taking everything into account. Yes, he feels guilty, but he was going to feel guilty regardless. He had the choice between knowing for certain those kids would die, or you providing a chance, even though we had no backup to give to you at the time. We do not fault leaders for making decisions that end badly, as long as they are making them with reasonable judgment. Some would have let the children die to save a resource as valuable as you are who will probably save many more in the future. Some would have agreed with Chrono's position. Heck I sort of support his decision when I look at it with the information he had then, and I of course support it now because look what you have brought, if by pure chance."

"Then what should I do?" she asked.

"I asked casually last time if you would talk with one of our counselors. I did not think you were ready then, not for real change, but now I think you are. They can bring you through simulations, help you to learn instinctively so no matter how high you are on mana overload your brain remembers that retreat is an option. Once you had those kids to safety that thing could have been abandoned or you could have kept hitting it with long range snipe shots to keep it contained until help could arrive. Please understand that I am in no way faulting you. You are a very smart and exceptionally talented young woman. How is this for a bit of trust? Do you know the true reason that the s-rank limiters were placed on you and your team? Not the publicly known one, the true one?"

"No."

"If I tell you, you can't tell them, unless you get them to take the same training and pass it. I'm serious."

"I think I know. Magic accelerates thought, but with my kind of magic, particularly in a sustained battle it becomes harder to think as clearly when everything is moving so fast and there are so many enemies and so many sub parts to objectives. Running at s-rank levels accelerates that."

"It does. Your device is one of the best in existence, and your friends all have comparable. They help, but it is not enough. This is going to be hard training, but you have time to do it now. Complete it and I will recommend the limiter be permanently removed, though you will have to be field tested without it. I know you work fine generally. You are, to be honest, the best S ranked mage we have."

"What about Hayate?"

"I don't consider her S-ranked."

"What?" Nanoha exclaimed. "She is like SS ranked."

"In power yes. In control no. In all honestly Fate arguably has more control, though I was never quite certain if it was because she was slightly less powerful. It is all arguably a meaningless difference."

"Can't we get Hayate some help?"

"How do you suppose we get her to stop all her work and focus on what is an extremely difficult and time consuming task? The good news is she mostly uses semi canned spells, probably because of her former link to the Book of Darkness. This means she is usually running at that kind of super high level for brief periods, even when her limiter is unlocked."

"That could still be a problem. We were offered a job without the limiters in this other dimension."

"You can't tell them, unless they already make the decision, then they must know. I'd rather have them mad at the government that believing there is something wrong with them. There isn't. Not really. Understand this, what is asked to be able to safely wield s-class powers for long periods of time is in no way shape or form reasonable and it likely never will be. I wouldn't fault you for an eye blink if you just kept going with things as they are."

"But to gain the control I need, I need to do this?"

"Yes, and it may still not work. It is not your fault."

"I understand."

"Good, now who do I have to talk to about these adepts?"

"Jack O'Neill and Daniel Jackson should be here somewhere, possibly with Lindy? I'm not sure."

"I'll find Lindy. For now, take a nap, walk if you feel up to it, but take a crutch. Very very small spells.. You know the drill."

"That I do. Thanks Doctor Camber."

"Your welcome."

-=oOo=-

Lindy was not particularly surprised to see Doctor Camber outside her office. "Come in."

He closed the door after he entered.

"So, do you know why I'm here?"

"Not entirely. Is Nanoha okay?"

"Are we secure?"

"Yes."

"Her magic is more or less where it was last time. It will recover. Her bones have micro fractures where there was taint from whatever the heck she was fighting preventing magical healing. I removed the taint, but she can't be magically healed for months, and by then…"

Lindy said "It won't work."

Lindy paused, drinking a drink from her tea before answering, "I was thinking of making a visit to their life adepts a priority. Now it is a priority, that is, if you will go?"

"I will."

"Artha is due with their ship in about twelve hours. It will need at least four hours of parts replacement. The engines need overhauled, but they are okay for this. We promised to try to create them a new power core. I have a core for a terra-former. It is similar in capacity, similar in size, but uses of course a different interface. There has not been time to make it, though Amy could eventually create one on the Artha, and she may be able to help improve their D-Drive as well."

"Another bad one?" asked the doctor.

"No, well its horrible on energy, but doesn't actually cause problems that we can see. In fact it actually fixed the problems Raising Heart made. I can't actually approve it for operation in our domain because it is so inefficient, but we can do something there, sooner or later. Their technology base combined with their help opened that door. There is nothing as efficient as magitech, but with their available energy they don't need it to be."

"I read about what happened. They are going to insist it is done before we leave."

"It was done just after she got here. She seemed okay didn't she?"

"From what I can tell."

"Please verify it. Can Nanoha be ready in about sixteen hours?"

"Sure, I'll need to load up some medical equipment, which is going to take up some space."

"That's fine. Take what you need. Get the list to Amy. She will get it loaded."

"Thanks."

"Please recheck Raising Heart for me. I know it is technically not in your field. I had our best do the work. I just want a check. It annoys me that I have to risk her life by removing dimensional transportation knowledge from her device, even if she does keep all the clean spells."

"She took an oath, as did we. You know what we may face if the walls ever did truly crumble. We would be swept away by the storm and the death would be on levels never seen before. Existence itself could crumble."

"I know, but I don't have to like it."

"Agreed. I will of course recheck her device myself."

"There is one other thing. I didn't get to ask the others, and you are probably the better person to ask anyway, but look at the merge she did with one by the name of Kasumi Tendo and her ship avatar Rommie. I promised Nanoha I would do what we could to help her. I already said I would teach her the usual spell to reduce recovery time. Telepathy and the usual mage training to think fast, logically, and in parallel are also on my list."

"Did you get approval?"

"Nope."

"The I have obviously not heard that."

"Thank you. I'll look. What specially am I looking for?"

"The twelve hour merge the three did to save all those lives truly exhausted her. No one was surprised. Look if there is something small we could do, not to give her more power, but just to reduce the chance she exhausts her resources and ends up dead."

"That I can do and use my own authority for."

"Thanks."

"You do know that being in that state after anything nearly as dangerous as that is not unsurprising?"

"It is not the primary merge. For better or worse they are bonded life adepts, if a strange pair. They could stay in sync continually without causing anyone to be tired. They may lose all sense of self, which is another danger you might consider, but I think what made them tired is our readings indicate their was life energy laced in their sensor sweeps."

"Effective, but dangerous."

"They saved a lot more lives than Artha did initially and in total to be truth, because Artha took over their systems and even sent some to their bio beds to be healed. By the time they were done they had more TSAB people on their ship than they had crew."

"How?"

"The biggest thing is their transporters were not magitech based. Yes they burned an insane amount of energy from their power module to do this, but they could run continually and fast. Ours can't. Technologically ours are superior in every way that usually matters. They are a lot more efficient. They can transport in more or less the same time. They are safe. They aren't too bad to repair."

"But not for bulk duty," he said.

"No."

He asked, "Can we build some?"

"Currently no. There are some copies of non magitech transporters, but nothing comparable. Could we figure it out? Eventually, but for something like transporters..."

He said, "Yah, might get them approved in twenty or thirty years, if you are lucky. I'll see if we can make some trades."

Lindy replied, "Thanks. I'm not entirely sure how we are going to use this bit of knowledge, but we should not ignore it. I know it warrants at least a ship above each of our core worlds with it."

The doctor added, "Agreed. That would be a good place to start. They could then head to other destinations at need."

Lindy said, "Thank makes sense."

"Well I'm off to get Amy those lists and to pack. I also need to find other doctors for a couple patients."

"Anything serious?"

"Nope, thankfully Nanoha is my only critical patient and to be honest she will be able to tend most of it herself in a few days. The others two are about a month from release. It is no problem to transfer them. I would have before this, but thankfully we have been lucky."

"Then I'll leave you to it."

He hesitated. Finally he said, "There is one more thing."

"Yes?"

"Nanoha admitted she has a problem with making the best decisions when she is deep in combat."

Lindy said, "So is she going to accept treatment then and do you think it will work?"

"Yes, and it will help. I think the help will be significant. I do not know if it will be enough, but well the kinds of energy flowing through an s-rank mage in the highest tiers of combat is enough to make any of us a gibbering idiot. We ask far too much of them. She figured out why the restrictions exist, though I hinted fairly plainly. She promised not to tell. I told her we would rather they keep their anger on those in command than think there is something wrong with them, when there isn't. Hell my brain would not remotely handle the magical load hers does."

Lindy said, "Well that sounds promising at least. I had to publicly support their positions for threatening to leave if we didn't remove their limiters."

"I know, but it is still remains better for them to be mad at us. If that changes, well we will deal with it then."

Lindy replied, "Thanks. As always, my door remains open to you."

"Thanks."

-=oOo=-

Megumi held the small purple gem like device that was hanging around her neck on a silver chain. Admiral Lindy had given it to her saying that it would, in time, help her learn other languages and offer a small bit of protection to her. It wasn't much she had said, but it was a lot to her. Of course she had been told to hide it off of Mid Childa. Here it was nothing special. She slipped it inside her shirt before she sat down on the swing set in this lovely little park that was on an alien planet.

She could hardly believe it. So many children playing on this seemingly normal sky in this seemingly normal world. Well a few of the children managed to fly badly from place to place, so perhaps almost normal?

Daniel asked, "Want a push?"

"Sure."

Jack rolled his eyes, even as Megumi started to go higher and higher. She laughed in joy even as she started to sing a song from the old Slayer's series she worked on:

Things are moving so fast.

The moments ticking by

I'm running through the city.

To me, a savanna

Like it's struggling

Trying to break free

I wanna test all this power

I know that the answer

Is out there somewhere

The answer everyone looks for

From the day they're born

When all looks lost

And there's no escape

I turn to my dreams

I'm not afraid of getting hurt

But I'm not strong either

It's just that I can't stand

Just doing nothing anymore!

She was surprised when she just looked around after she stopped singing. They were surrounded by children, well and one Admiral. "Hello Lindy."

"You know you could stay if you want? I could easily make the case on your singing alone."

"Could I really?"

"Yes. You would be required to learn our laws and take some other educational courses, but nothing too onerous."

She saw Jack and then Daniel.

Jack shrugged. "If it is something you want to do go for it."

Daniel added, "I agree. Heck I'd stay here just to learn if there wasn't so many other things I needed to be doing."

Lindy said, "Well you could retire here, or come back and teach or?" She left the thought open, clearly to both of them.

Jack said, "Do you have any places that are great to fish?"

She smiled. "Many. Though the best are on other worlds."

"I thought I had retired before the Stargate project opened up."

"Stargate? What is that?" asked Lindy.

Daniel said, "You don't know about the Stargate network? You know big ring about twenty two feet wide. Forms a tunnel through subspace between connected gates allowing travel through well a lot of planets in the galaxy?"

"Truly? I've read of it on a small scale. We use some to get around some planets, but most are standardizing on magitech transporters, since there are fewer problems scaling."

Jack said, "Yep, we have a whole network of them that go all over. Some of the places aren't particularly friendly. Most are just everyday folk just trying to go about their days."

"I didn't know that. I have no doubt we would value whatever you can tell us. Can you make more?"

Daniel said, "I'd bet the Asgard could. We might be able to, though we'd have to consult them with such a big decision."

"Even with our best dimensional drives it can take far too long to get to a place. This is within a dimension, so it wouldn't always help, but for many it could. Part of our problem is not personnel but having them close enough to matter. With such a gate system a mage could possibly get physically close enough then do the dimensional jump." She trailed off before looking around. The children were clearly hoping for another song, though a few were beginning to peal off. She added, "It seems we have many ways we could benefit each other. I have one more, I would almost not mention since it may not work."

"What is it?" Jack said.

She said softly, "You have two true healing adepts, that heal with life energy without forming bonds or possibly leaving problems right?"

Jack nodded.

"And two that might be close?"

He also nodded.

"It is possible that our chief magical doctor could help them find that missing part they lack."

"That would work?" asked Daniel skeptically. "Isn't it two different things?"

"No. One affects the other. They are not fully separate. It is through this link that the answer might be found, if indeed it can be found. Doctor Camber is very good at what he does. If anyone can, it would be him."

"Sweet," said Jack.

"I just hope it works," added Daniel. "We don't have the lifespan to wait potentially decades, though I suppose some of them may get it."

"It is surely worth a try," suggested Lindy.

"Oh, of course it is," agreed Daniel.

Lindy said, "We are expected to depart for your world in twelve hours, with your ship. Nanoha needs your kind of healing as well, unfortunately. We have the power module, but have not yet built an interface. The mechanics on the Artha are skilled and may help you other ways. We would normally not rush, but I do not want Nanoha to have a permanent injury. We need her badly."

"Of course," Agreed Jack. "Always take care of your men and of course women."

Lindy grinned.

Megumi asked, "If they are leaving…"

"You can stay with me for now, and for longer if you want. If not, I can find other places."

"Sure."

"How are you at babysitting?"

"Pardon?"

"Nanoha and Fate have an adopted child then I end up watching fairly often. I was hoping you would help me with her?"

"Sure. How old is she?"

"Thirteen. Did I mention she is potentially more powerful than Nanoha?"

"No," she said softly.

"Don't worry. She is a bit of a special case. An incident a few years back nearly caused us to lose her. A very evil man thought he could use her as a power core for a ship. They could have killed her with the things they did to her."

"Like Rommie?" asked Daniel hesitantly.

"No, not really. She was used as a glorified magitech power source plus they brainwashed her to kill her mother. Nanoha was beyond pissed. Having to fight and use extremely powerful attacks against her daughter just to stay alive. Even with the magic we learn to prevent fatal damage, well, at those levels one mistake could kill. She made none. We are damn lucky they both made it out alive. She had to blow through to the far end of the ship and down like five levels to blast the person immediately responsible, and even then she spent the extra effort not to kill, though I'd not have blamed her if she did. Vivio is my precious granddaughter. She has been through more than anyone should. We did have to seal away the bulk of her powers though. No child is ready for such responsibility."

"I will do my best," Megumi insisted.

Jack asked, "What happened to the creep behind it all?"

"He is in jail. We do not normally kill. Sometimes it happens despite our best efforts, but our magic provides the options to go non lethal most of the time. We get that you don't have that option. The worst part is the creep created clones of himself and implanted them in several young women that he had as cult followers. He also had his knowledge set to download into the clones heads. We managed to stop that much and the kids were all safely adopted. The young women, well, I think we reached all of them but two. Those two are still locked up. The others work with us."

Daniel asked, "Wait people you lock up you later hire to work for you?"

Lindy nodded. "This is often part of their punishment. It we can save people we do. Most are saveable. Yes, we occasionally do have one that makes it through our screening. We are very thorough. If you have adepts among you, I'm sure you have learned how to ask questions, or rather to listen to their opinion."

Jack nodded.

"We have similar methods. Quite frankly even with their help we are short staffed. This may be a world that has a lot of magical technology, but most people have very little if any. High ranking mages are rare. Even one of my rank is rare, and I seldom fight anymore. Given my specialty I never did as much as some."

Megumi asked, "What is your specialty?"

"I am a AA+ class support mage. I don't usually get involved in combat. I specialize in cleaning up message and mass data management. I can and have closed large scale dimensional tears myself, and as such I am normally forbidden from attempting combat, as my skills are exceedingly rare."

"Understandable," said Jack. "My teammate Sam Carter is brilliant with technology. They kept wanting to pull her from my field team to work only on it. I'm glad they didn't. A lot of lives would have been lost if they did, though you also wonder what lives could have been saved if she did work only only development."

"Yes, well we make hard decisions as leaders. Some of them are good. Some won't be. Had I been nearer to where you were, I'd have taken a lot of the load from Kasumi, Rommie, and Raising Heart. My device and I specialize in some of what she was doing. I can do an analog for what she did with life energy and sensor fusion. It is not the same, but the effect is similar."

"That's amazing," said Daniel.

"I do what I can. It seldom seems enough."

"That is all any of us do," Jack said.

"Yes. I find it irritating that I spend more time navigating politics than I do saving lives directly, but well.."

"Everyone finds it annoying," Jack added.

Daniel said, "Yes, it is. We once had to disobey direct orders to save the planet. We were of course saved from court martial when we succeeded."

Lindy laughed. Megumi smiled.

-=oOo=-

Fate looked down at Nanoha. "You are injured again."

"I'll get better."

"I know, but I hate seeing you like this."

Little Vivio came in, "Nanoha Mommy!"

Nanoha winced even as she held her precious daughter.

"Vivio chan, be careful Nanoha is hurt."

"Oh no! Vivio stepped back in horror."

"I'm fine," Nanoha lied.

"Make it better!" commanded Vivio.

"I will get better. I have to go on a little trip.."

"No!"

"I really need to. Fate will be here…"

"No," added Fate.

Nanoha looked vexed. "Fate, this is an unknown dimension with possibly unknown threats. Yes, we like these new people, but Vivio can't go, and you need to.."

"No," insisted Fate. "Vivio you don't mind if you stay with your grandmother while I go make sure Mommy Nanoha is okay?"

Vivio tried to hold back tears.

Nanoha mouthed, "No fair," to Fate.

Vivio said to her second mother, "You will make sure Nanoha Mommy is okay?"

"I will. I promise, but you have to behave for your grandmother while we are gone."

"I promise." Then she started shooing them away as if she could get her mothers back more quickly if they left now.

Nanoha smiled. "Let's go to your grandmother's house. We can visit before we leave."

"Okay." Fate smiled.

-=oOo=-

They were surprised when they arrived to see Lindy had a guest.

Nanoha greeted, "Megumi-san, it is good to see you."

"I asked to stay, and I guess maybe help watch over your daughter?"

"You can help watch Vivio? Really?"

"Won't you introduce us?" asked Fate.

"Fate, this is Megumi-san. She helped me when I was sick and she can sing!"

Fate said, "It is nice to meet you Megumi-san. So singing huh? Are you good with kids?"

Lindy said, "She drew a whole park of them to her with nothing more than her voice."

Vivio looked unimpressed with her new babysitter.

Megumi knelt down in front of her and asked, "Would you like to hear a song?"

She was still suspect. "What song?"

Megumi grinned. "How about from the beginning of a cartoon called Utawaremono?"

"I don't know that one," said the child determined to be fussy.

"Well if you don't like it you can pick one and teach it to me."

"I can?" Vivio's eyes brightened at the point of teaching something.

"Sure. You can do that anyway, but perhaps mine first?"

"Okay," said Vivio doubt lacing her voice that it could possibly be any good.

The others all stood still as if afraid to spoil the moment as Megumi sang:

The dreams I had when I was a child,

were drawn to my heart's desire,

with scribbles that wouldn't fade away

and are connected to the future that I draw.

The clear skies

were endlessly blue

And my innocent heart

being satisfied, was attracted to them

I finally obtained wings

with which I could fly freely

I want to go to the end of the skies

which my pure eyes desire.

If one wish could be granted

out of countless others…

I feel that it should be to grab onto the dream

and never be tempted to let go.

"Sing it again!"

The three other adults laughed quietly which earned them a dirty look from Vivio.

Megumi smiled and started to sing once more.

A few hours later, after they finally convinced Vivio to take a nap, Megumi met back up with them in Lindy's kitchen.

"I really have to thank you," Nanoha said.

"Why?" asked Megumi genuinely curious.

Lindy smiled.

Fate said, "Well, I thank you for helping Nanoha."

"Your welcome. Will you please pass my eternal thanks to Kasumi and Rommie for giving me this opportunity?"

"We will," Nanoha answered.

She said with a smile, "I suppose I should also thank Lindy for giving me a home, even with her nefarious plans."

"You don't mind?"

"No. Certainly not. She is a lovely child."

Fate asked, "Is there anything else you wish to do? We have considerable resources."

"I have only ever wanted to sing. Perhaps there is a band that needs a singer?"

Nanoha asked, "Could you get her a device that would help her with music?"

"Probably not I'm afraid. She doesn't really have the requisite magic."

"That is fine. I wouldn't want that anyway."

Lindy said, "I will of course look. You may have better luck advertising. You are clearly good enough to attract whatever talent you require for this. Of course, to sing to a large audience your going to probably need to learn the language first. Your device helps there, but it still takes time, and won't work with a large audience."

"I wish I had some of my music here."

"Your ship should be in com range now. Would you like to ask it if they have any?"

"Yes please."

Fate said, "I'll make sure to get some if not."

"Thanks."

-=oOo=-

Fate was surprised to see Rein with Doctor Camber. "Rein I didn't know you were coming?"

"Doctor Camber asked. He hopes I can be of help."

Nanoha said, "We are glad to have you." She held out her hand for Rein to land on.

"I'm sorry about your injuries," Rein said.

"I am actually not."

Fate twisted her head in surprise.

"I'll talk to you later Fate. I think. I hope I can do better now, and maybe you can help me?"

"Always."

Rein and Doctor Camber smiled.

Fate asked, "Shall we go in their ship or Artha?"

"I want to go visit Kasumi," suggested Nanoha.

"Their ship it is," agreed Fate.

The doctor said, "I will be riding on it as well. I regret that Shamal has to stay, but they would never approve both of us going."

"I'm not surprised," Fate responded.

"Shall we go?"

-=oOo=-

Author's Note: Megumi is of course awesome, but the portrayal here is obviously fiction. I don't think there is a reason to change her name here, though if anyone ever sees anything where she is portrayed as anything less than the legend she is, well let me know.

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