Disclaimer: Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha belongs to Seven Arcs and all respective license holders. The Persona Series belongs to ATLUS. I only own this fic and nothing else. I also own all the mistakes too.
Chapter 10: Let the Show Begin
"Wrong again…" Ren scratched another off the list, his pen almost tearing through the paper in frustration. "Still not it." He hadn't been able to sleep ever since he'd woken up from only the short bit of sleep that he was able to get. Not that it could have been called sleep. He sat alone at a desk in the room provided to him for his stay on the Arthra, a single small light shining over him from the nearby lamp as he continued to work in the otherwise dark room. Though there wasn't anyone else around, he still tried to keep quiet given the hour. There was still time, but it was running out without any sign of more coming to alleviate him of his plight. "Think… Think…" His pen tapped the paper over and over without pause, as he struggled to get any more ideas he could use. He had a promise he had to keep, and the only way to do that was with this. "Alright, let's give it another go…" He wiped away the drowsiness as he forced himself forward through the night.
-0-0-10-0-0-
"It's not enough, it's not enough." Precia mumbled to herself in anguish as she ran the numbers again through her device. She stood in an isolated tunnel of her sanctuary, the Garden of Time. "I need more seeds. I need to reach Al Haza-" her deranged monologue was interrupted as coughing tore her throat and sent her to her knees, blood flowing from her mouth and staining the floor below. Her device disappeared as she her coughing fit continued to ravage her body, wheezing for breath as she tried to swallow down the pain and urges to cough further. "I'm running out of time. For me… for Alicia…"
The doors slammed open, echoing in the air as Arf stormed past and onto the stairs down into the dilapidated cavern ruins.
"Precia!" Her voice filled the otherwise quiet tunnel without difficulty. Despite her unobstructed voice reaching even the farthest reaches of the room before her, Precia didn't seem to acknowledge her. No, she acknowledged Arf's presence, but chose to ignore it soon after. She continued to stand unperturbed far into the tunnel's depths. Arf's eyes narrowed in focus. She sped up her descent, reaching a full-on sprint once she hit the bottom of the stairs and made for her target. Once in range, Arf leapt at Precia with her claws at the ready.
"Urragh!" She swung her arm at the sorceress, only to be stopped by a barrier. She was then blown back by the force but managed to land back on her feet. After catching her breath, Arf ran in again, swiping her claw at Precia a second time. As before, Arf found herself stopped by Precia's barrier, however this time, she didn't back down. "Argh!" At last, she tore her way through, shattering the magical shield to pieces. Carrying the momentum forward, Arf rushed past until she reached Precia proper, turning her around, and grabbing her by the collar.
"You're her mother, she's your daughter, right!?" Arf began, letting her thoughts stream right into speech without hesitation. "She tries so hard for you, gives everything she has for you! How can you continue to abuse and neglect her!" Arf stopped. What was that expression she saw on Precia's face? It was as if it was a glimpse of… regret? Before she could continue however, Precia fired a magic bolt from her hand, piercing Arf's side and sending her crashing into the nearby tunnel wall.
"That child's familiar is so poorly made. It's far too emotional." Precia's apathetic tone made Arf's temper flare further. She spoke as if she was handling a tool that had worn out its welcome, rather than a living creature with its own will and sapience.
"Fate is your daughter!" Arf pushed down her own indignation and redoubled her resolve for her master. "She wants to see you smile. She wants the kind mother from her memories back so much…" Arf tried to force what strength she had leftover from the previous attack to stand, only for her muscles to jolt with pain as she tried to push even the smallest bit of movement out of them. She winced as her body screamed, but she didn't stop. She continued to try, even when the pain paralyzed her. She had to continue, for her master. An ominous chuckle brought Arf out of her struggle as her eyes opened to find Precia right above her. In the next moment, Precia brought out her staff.
"What a nuisance…" There wasn't much time left, she had to move. "Be gone!" Precia's staff was set aglow as it unleashed a spell meant to rid the world of the familiar.
At that moment, Arf, shutting her eyes to shield herself from the blast, unleashed her held spell, breaking the stone behind her and launching her out of Precia's view. Once she'd opened her eyes, she found herself falling from the giant stone structure and into time-space.
"Fate, I'm sorry…" she whispered with her ragged, faint breath as she continued to fall into dimensional space. "I… have to transform… have to transport… wait for me. I'll get… help…" Arf's body disappeared as a spell sent it through dimensions.
-0-0-10-0-0-
"Great job again today Nanoha-chan," Yuuno said as he, Ren, Morgana, and of course Nanoha sat down at an empty table in the Arthra's Cafeteria. In Morgana's case, he jumped on to the table in cat form. None of the regular crew of the Arthra had so far told him to stop, and he felt no reason to either.
"A quick snatch and grab. Nice and easy. Strange how we haven't run into those two recently," Morgana noted as he began to clean his fur. "According to Futaba-san's readings, it seems we're just missing each other by a hair."
"And that is all the difference it takes to determine who gets the seed." Ren broke apart the croissant in his hands and bit a piece off before continuing. "So far we've gotten 3 seeds-"
"-while Fate's gotten two," Nanoha finished for him as he plopped another piece of bread into this mouth with a nod agreeing with her. "That leaves six left I believe."
"Right, and we've exhausted all the land surface area that the seeds could have landed. We've already set Amy-san and Futaba-san to work on scanning the nearby sea. I'm not sure how the seeds were able to remain dormant for so long, but it just might be perhaps it's just your ocean life haven't interacted with them." Yuuno had been the one to order the search, given that Ren, Nanoha, and company had their hands full dealing with the seeds and the results there in; an exhausting affair. "By the way, when I went to the bridge to request them to check the sea, I overheard Lindy-san saying that you've been doing great Nanoha. She even joked about wanting to keep you around even after all this is over."
"Really? That's kind of embarrassing." Nanoha couldn't keep a smile and blush from creeping over her as she took in the compliment. "But I don't think I would have done nearly as well without Ren and the others."
"Possibly, but you shouldn't be so quick to discount yourself. Lindy also made a passing remark about you Ren, saying something along the lines of 'if only he was more traditionally trained in magic' and 'What interesting but underhanded tactics' or something to that effect. You two have really made an impression on her." Yuuno finally got to his meal once he'd finished speaking of the praises the two of them had been receiving. Ren took his compliments for what they were. It's not like they were wrong.
"Hey what about the rest of us?" Morgana asked, once he'd realized that he and the other thieves hadn't been mentioned, of which the rest of them, aside from Futaba, were resting back on the yacht, whose amenities were significantly more accommodating for relaxation than a military vessel, advanced magi-tech be damned.
"She's pleased with everyone's performance," Yuuno added once he'd swallowed on what he was chewing just then. "It is not that any of you are unremarkable, but to be frank, those two are quite the outliers."
"Well I guess I can't argue that. Ren's always been a bit special. I guess it just took more people getting involved to really notice." Morgana gave a passing glance at the other crew members walking by, just enough to catch a glimpse but not enough to be noticed. Some stole glances at the group, but none dared to sit next to what had become the highlight of the week. When they'd started, there was significantly more attention thrown their way, causing a bit of discomfort for the thieves and Nanoha, but eventually it died down to its current level as half of Golden Week had blew right past them. Most of them don't spare a second to glance at Futaba as she ran around the ship to mess with everything at hand. Though they would question her if it looked like she was doing anything particularly strange or dangerous.
"Is something wrong Nanoha?" Ren realized that she hadn't touched her meal, and despite earlier praise having lifted her mood a bit, seemed a bit down. In fact, he remembered, she'd been down for a while now.
"Huh? Oh, it's nothing… I'm fine." Ren didn't buy it, and neither did the others at the table.
"Nanoha, you know better than to think that would convince us."
"Nanoha, if you're feeling lonely without your family and friends around, then that's normal." Yuuno tried to comfort the girl, only for her to shake her head.
"I'm used to being alone." Yuuno, Ren, and Morgana found themselves surprised by Nanoha's statement as it was clear that this time it wasn't the girl putting up a strong front. "A few years ago, my father got injured pretty badly at his job and had to be hospitalized for some time. This happened right when the café had just opened and wasn't as popular as it is now. My Mother and Kyouya nii-chan had to work at the café while Miyuki nee-chan made regular visits to dad at the hospital."
"So, you were left at home a lot then?" Ren asked, to which Nanoha answered with a nod.
"I was too young to help at the café, and I didn't like seeing dad wrapped in bandages and casts all over his body. It's only recently that I'm not alone at home so much anymore." Ren eyed Morgana who was licking himself clean and felt the edges of his lips crease upwards, thankful that he also wasn't as alone.
"I can't recall a single thing about my parents. As far as I can remember, they've never been a part of my life," Yuuno shared. "Instead, I was raised by Scrya clan. They took care of me, teaching me magic and the like. They're pretty much my family."
"I see. On the topic of family what about you Ren?" Nanoha then asked, seeing this as the perfect time to learn more about her, in her mind, promised partner.
"Me?" The shift caught Ren off guard, a bit of lettuce falling off his fork due to his staying idle.
"Mhm, what was your family like?"
"Well…" Ren's words trailed off before they even began as he struggled to find the words to describe the people that, as Sojiro put it, 'got rid of him for being a pain in the ass'. Noticing the way his eyes seemed to become more and more downcast with each passing second, Nanoha tried to make up for her faux pas as quickly as she could.
"If you don't want to say anything that's okay." Memories of Ren's home surfaced in Nanoha's mind. She remembered how dark and somewhat empty it seemed, also recalling how Ren said his parents were out of the country for work. She ignored how vacant it was for the most part thanks in part to Ren's presence as well as Fate's. But when giving those memories a second look, it seemed obvious now that Ren wasn't exactly experiencing the same kind of warm family life that she did.
"It's fine," Ren said to reassure Nanoha that she didn't offend him. "Though, if I was pressed to talk about anyone, I guess Futaba and Sojiro then. Oh, Sojiro's the one who took me in after I was put on probation, as a favor apparently. He's Futaba's dad. I lived on the second floor of his café, Le Blanc for the year I was in Tokyo. It was a bit rocky at first but overtime he kind of became something like a… well dad's not the right word, but something close to it; uncle maybe? Futaba also became something like a little sister to me too."
"And what am I? Chopped liver?" Morgana asked in joking indignation.
"Nah, chopped liver's got more meat to it, but you're important to me too, Morgana." Ren the smothered the cat's head under his palm with just a bit more force than usual.
"Hey! Watch the goods!" Despite his protests, the cat didn't fight back all that much, instead deigning to let Ren continue to manhandle the crown of his head with only a token amount of annoyance.
"But then when I really think about it, I kind of feel the same way about a lot of other people I met in Tokyo. All the other thieves, Mishima, the doctor down the street, a reporter I met at a bar, that shogi girl at the church, the airsoft shop owner, the fortune teller in Shinjuku, heck even a member of the national Diet."
"Don't forget your maid-teacher." Ren pushed even harder down on Morgana's skull, prompting the cat to finally start fighting back a bit by trying to scratch at Ren's hand, only for him to playfully pull it back and forth like a cat toy to tease Morgana.
"You… have a lot of friends, don't you Ren?" Yuuno commented in slight shock at the diversity of the individuals he hinted at.
"I'm even friends with a defense attorney," He added with a subtle feeling of smug on his face as he and Morgana settled down from their little spat, Morgana giving a little huff from the minor physical exertion.
"Maid-Teacher?" Nanoha mumbled to herself. She didn't know what that could possibly mean, but she for some reason really didn't like the sound of it. It sounded… wrong, in an adult way. Not that she fully understood what adults did, but she still didn't like it. Not only that, but her (as her older sister would probably have put it) woman's intuition flared at a few of the descriptions that passed.
"But yeah… They're probably better family than my actual blood relatives, if I had to be honest." After all, they're the reason he wasn't still in juvie. The memories came marching in one by one. The days and nights he spent with them, were still fresh and clear. Man was he bad at keeping their identities as the thieves a secret. But he looked fondly at those times, and that would probably never change.
"Were you lonely before you met them?" Nanoha asked, bringing Ren back to the present.
"Yeah, I guess. But having people to share in that loneliness, to be able to empathize and understand each other's problems and come to a mutual trust, I don't think I'd trade that for anything in the world." Of course, he didn't mention the mutual using of one other another for their own designs and convenience, but that part was only at the beginning when he first met them all.
"Then I guess we're alike." Before Ren could ask what Nanoha meant by that-
"Ren, Get to the bridge ASAP!" Oracle's voice rang through his head, and from the looks of it, the rest of his table mates' as well. "Something's popped up in front of your house! I think you'll recognize it. Just get over here now!"
"Got it! Let's go guys!" With a nod from the others, they left without delay, leaving their trays on the table as the four of them headed for the bridge.
-0-0-10-0-0-
Her eyes flickered open as her consciousness returned to the fore. Even after they opened in full, and her body awakened, it took a moment to realize that the ceiling that she was staring at wasn't one from Earth. She flung herself up in a panic, looking to and fro around the room only to calm back down once it was clear that she was alone save for the hum of machinery that was near her.
"Where am I?" Her mind was still hazy. The last thing she remembered was being flung to Earth and struggling to get someplace. But where was that place? "Right, that guys house." That was where she was going. She didn't know where the brunette lived but she had been to his house. She was desperate but knew that he, at the very least, would help. He didn't show it, but he had bleeding heart, that much she was able to gleam from their few interactions. That and the fact that within those interactions, a good portion of them were of him helping her and Fate, or at least offering to.
"And yet, here I am." She grimaced. This was probably a TSAB ship. It made sense, given that they made their presence known just a few days prior. With their greater technology and her being practically at death's door, it would have taken a miracle for that guy to find her first. She looked down to find that she was mostly healed, save for a few deeper injuries that were still recovering, but this 'kindness' was probably only to make sure she was well enough to answer their questions before they sent her off to god knows where. "Dammit…"
The TSAB didn't have a reason to help her, they'd only see her as a criminal to be put in jail and forgotten. She could try to plead with them to help Fate, but they'd probably just jot it down for the court record and file it away. Not only that, now that she was out of the picture, there was nothing stopping Fate from listening to her mother's every order, making her crimes worse by the minute. At this rate the TSAB will probably handle Fate just like Precia, and it was all her fault. She couldn't stop her, and now that monster can do anything she wants to Fate. And when it all tumbles down, Precia will drag Fate down with her. There wasn't anything she could do now, not a single option remained.
It was over.
"I'm sorry Fate. I'm so sorry." Tears streaked down Arf's cheeks. She felt helpless. Her only hope was gone, and her future was going to be in a cell where she'd most likely never see Fate again. She wasn't going to get another chance to make Fate happy. At the very least that is what she thought.
"- and I'm telling you to calm down Futaba. She's resting so be quie- Oh, you're awake". A brown, short haired girl Arf didn't recognize was the first person she saw after the doors opened, followed by a younger orange haired one, and a blue haired man who seemed distracted. The weren't wearing anything indicating military affiliation but the familiar would be remiss if she left her guard down. Arf quickly wiped away her tears. She'd at least maintain what dignity she had left.
"Who are you?" Arf's eyes narrowed as she focused on them.
"I'm-"
"So, you're the familiar of that rival magical girl?" The orange haired one interrupted catching everyone off guard as she got between the brunette and Arf.
"Um… yes?" Her eyes blinked thanks to the suddenness of the girl appearing right in her face. She then internally chided herself when she realized how easily she answered.
"Futaba!" The orange haired one went ramrod straight and jumped away from the bed as, what Arf presumed to be, her name was called. "I'm sorry about that. I'm Makoto Nijima. This is Futaba Sakura, and over there is Yusuke Kitagawa."
"Hi!"
"A pleasure, Arf-san."
"We're Ren's friends, so you can relax." That guy's friends? To Arf, he didn't seem the type to have so many. He did seem cool and was certainly nice but seemed to give off a somewhat sheepish demeanor… outside of his transformed state. That was scarier than anything else in her experience. Given enough time to heal, she'd gladly throw herself at Precia again, but you couldn't expect her to do the same to him if he ever brought that thing out again. Regardless, she felt her guard drop upon hearing his name. She realized it was ironic that she was more antagonistic towards the one she felt was the weaker of the two.
Then her brain clicked. Ren's friends? That guy. The guy she was trying to find? That Ren? Arf's mind swam as it tried to process what it heard a few moments ago. She wanted to jump out of the bed in joy. There was still reason to hope, a chance that Fate could be saved. However, she tempered herself. They could be lying, and this could be a trap of some sort.
"What are you doing here?" She put her guard back up. "If you're friends with that guy then ask him to come here, right now." Makoto eyed Futaba, who returned it with a nod.
"We're contacting him now, as well as Nanoha-chan since she wanted to know of when your consciousness returned," Makoto informed truthfully.
"That's fine… what's he doing?" Arf felt herself be perplexed as Yusuke continued to examine her.
"Those lupine features are real I presume?"
"What are you staring at?" Arf covered her ears, embarrassed at being leered at. Even more so that it was not the usual pair getting the look. That she could handle, but her ears?
"Sorry, he's a painter, so he's always looking for new aesthetic inspiration for his next piece. If you can ignore him for the moment, would you mind telling us what happened to you?" Arf was still wary of taking her eyes of the guy, but when she realized his eyes weren't moving downwards like she thought he might, she inched her gaze over towards Makoto. At least she seemed sensible amongst these weirdos.
"Only when he's here." He referring to Ren, Makoto guessed.
"Fair enough. We'll wait." It wouldn't be the first time she wasn't trusted completely, and considering her choice of future vocation, it wouldn't be the last. Rather than exacerbate her mood, they let themselves sit in silence. Arf however, made sure that blue haired guy didn't do anything too weird in the meantime.
"We're here Futaba. You said she was awake?" Ren, followed by Nanoha, and the rest of the thieves, crowded the room.
"And bored. Also, what are you doing on a TSAB ship? You don't seem the military type." Arf hoped that it wasn't too obvious that she was relieved to see him. Likewise, Ren felt his anxiety shed away upon hearing her sass him.
"Temporary Alliance," he answered. "What happened to you? We found you in front of my home, and pretty much at death's door. How'd you end up like that?"
"Straight to the point? That's no-" Ren's wry expression of worry, and similarly uncomfortable looks on the others in the room, reminded her of the situation at hand. "Sorry. Let's try that again." Arf took the time to clear her throat, taking a deep breath afterwards. Once she made sure they were all paying attention, she resumed. "I, well… I tried to stop Fate's mother." Eyes widened as Arf spoke. "I just couldn't take it anymore, so I took matters into my own hands. I went up to Precia without Fate's knowledge and tried everything I could to take her down. But as you can see," she motioned to the bandages and wounds on her body, "that didn't go so well. I was thrown out into dimensional space and back to your planet after things went south."
"Where you then tried to find me?"
"I guess. I can't say for sure. I was delirious at that point, but it would make sense as to why I ended up there before blacking out." She shrugged before taking a deep breath. This was the chance she wanted. She didn't care how it happened, but she wouldn't this miracle slip away. "I suppose, since I have the opportunity, I should do what I intended to do then…" Arf's hands gripped the blanket as she readied herself for what she was about to say next. "Please, save Fate." Her vision blurred as her master entered her thoughts. "I know I'm not in any position to beg, but I've got no one else to turn to. That woman has to be stopped and you're the only ones I know who might be able to do something." Her words came out strained as they had to fight her sobs coming out at the same time.
"Arf…" Nanoha said under her breath as her hands balled into a fist in frustration. Ren's eyes flickered over, but instead of doing anything, decided to let Nanoha's emotions stew. It would be a good learning experience for her, he thought. And besides, it wasn't like he wasn't just as frustrated.
"I've tried repeatedly to get Fate to stop, but every time she just goes 'mother this, mother that' as if she's really ever been a 'mother' to her. I don't know what to do anymore. Fate just refuses to listen to anything I say, always rebuffing it by saying that Precia will be better once this is all over. That Precia's happiness is her happiness. She's just using Fate. Why can't she see it?"
"Very likely it isn't that Fate isn't aware of it, so much that she wishes to genuinely believe in her mother, to the extent that she doesn't care that she's being used," Yusuke interjected to the surprise of all present save for a few of the Thieves. "To her, her mother is her world. She has attached herself to the idea that there is nothing better for her than her mother and her place next to that figure. Alongside that she probably feels an obligation to the person that raised her, wanting to repay that kindness regardless of how much it comes to her own detriment."
"Raised her? That bi-" Yusuke raised a hand to stop Arf before she could go any further.
"If you will be quiet for a moment, regardless of the reality of the situation, Fate rationalizes her mother's behavior in ways that make sense to her, that fit into the image she's built up and idolizes. It most likely is something of a foundation to her sense of reality and self-worth. Something that is sacrosanct to her very core. It will be difficult to shake someone when they possess such idolatry of a person or thing at the level that you have most likely described. Only an extreme revelation or showing of contradictory circumstances might be able change Fate's mind, and even then, that person might yet still harbor reservations… especially if that person is like a parent to them."
"But I don't know anything like that. If I knew something like that I wouldn't be here. She already beats Fate and treats her like garbage. What more can I do when it being right in her face doesn't do anything?" Arf pleaded, half to Yusuke, half to no one in particular.
"You wanted to know why Fate refuses to see her mother for what she is, and I answered," Yusuke clinically responded. "At this point, if we are without the option of being able to change Fate, then there is only one person we can set our sights on." He turned towards Ren, giving him a knowing look as he did so which Ren returned with a nod. With a quick glance he confirmed everyone else's stance on the matter and found that they were all in agreement. They might not have the same means as before, but they certainly still had the will. In this case the method, most of the thieves surmised, would have to be a tad more straightforward.
"Arf," Ren spoke, catching the wolf girl's attention. "The Phantom Thieves formally accept your request to stop Fate's Mother." Arf felt herself blink once or twice.
"Yeah, and we have the TSAB with us. I'm sure that if we explain it to them, they'll be happy to help out as well," Nanoha added. Arf wasn't sure how to respond to that. Nanoha's optimism felt cheap, but at the very least sincere. She wouldn't trust the TSAB as far as she could throw them, but she felt that this little girl genuinely wished to help regardless of their past. Perhaps it was lucky that she was accompanied by Ren. When she looked at him, she noticed his smirk was a twinge devilish, but there was something comforting in it as if it had a plan that would satisfy all parties under its twisted deal. At least she wouldn't have to fight that thing if he was on her side.
"Thaaaaaaa-" A yawn escaped from Arf's mouth, and she found herself exhausted. "Sorry, I guess I'm still tired from everything that's happened recently." She realized she wasn't as anxious as before. That confirmation of assistance was probably the cause, that she was able to get the help she wanted.
"You should get some rest. I'll tell the crew that you're under our protection," Ren told her as she lay back into the bed, its soft feeling already beginning to take her consciousness. She fought the urge if only to continue talking to Ren.
"Right. Fate will be happier knowing that your healthy," Nanoha added as she stood next to Ren over Arf's bed.
"You really will save Fate?" She asked one more time.
"Of course."
"Yeah," Ren and Nanoha spoke over each other, causing the two of them to face the other at the same time. Nanoha's blush contrasted Ren's little smirk in a sort of comedic fashion. Arf smiled at their little blunder, probably the most genuine smile she's had in a while, she thought to herself.
"Then, I'll leave it to you." That was all she said before her mind eased into slumber, her body finally giving in to the rest it sorely needed.
-0-0-10-0-0-
"And that's what happened." Ren finished explaining to Lindy what had gone on in the infirmary. He, the rest of the thieves, Nanoha, and Yuuno all stood in the command room.
"I see…" Lindy focused herself on the report, replaying the events in her head to make sure she had it down right.
"So, we're going to help Arf, right?" Nanoha asked, her smile a bit too hard to look at.
"Well it's not going to be that simple," Lindy said with an apologetic look. "She still has criminal activity on her record that needs to be addressed. Even if she's come to us for help in stopping the source of the problem, that doesn't erase what she's already done."
"Okay, but that doesn't mean we can't do whatever it takes to save Fate and stop her Mom. We can, you know, talk about that stuff later!" Nanoha pushed.
"Well, even so, there are procedures that have to be-"
"Ma'am, we're getting a reading over the ocean!" One of the crew called out from the lower deck of the command room. Lindy didn't let the opportunity slip past, focusing herself on the crew member who just spoke.
"We have visual. Do you want it on the main screen?" Amy followed swiftly after before turning her attention to Lindy.
"Put it on," Lindy commanded without hesitation.
"Roger!" Soon after the main screen of the Arthra lit up to display a lone blonde girl floating above the ocean.
-0-0-10-0-0-
Fate floated above the ocean, the city only visible in the distance as a smudge on the horizon, and even then it was perhaps a generous description of its relative size. She rechecked the coordinates to make sure that this was the spot. Her mouth opened, readied to say something, only to be closed shut as the wind blew past to remind her that she was alone. Arf wasn't here. She wouldn't be here anymore. According to her mother, apparently a… defect had appeared in Arf and she was disposed of. Fate didn't know what she felt when she heard that, only something inside her stung when she heard those words. Regardless there was nothing she could do as she was only told after the fact. Now Mother was all she had left. There wasn't anyone else anymore to turn…to.
Despite her wishes, her thoughts turned to that girl and the young man that accompanied her. They appeared in her vision for some reason and wouldn't go away, even as she did her best to rid herself of those thoughts. And yet the thought to sitting at his table and eating with… After a pause, she shook away the downcast look that was about to form on her face and looked resolutely at the target location. Now more than ever, it was important for her to make mother happy.
Mother was all she had left. She ignored the thoughts that still threatened to edge themselves into her head; thoughts of that girl and boy. It wasn't the time for that. It should have never been time for…
She aimed Bardiche as the ocean and prepared the spell alone. A giant yellow magic array appeared above the ocean, sending streams of lightning down into the water, as well as conjuring even more storms above. Rain came, signaled by a particularly strong thunder clap that Fate felt through her body. The goal was to activate all the Jewel Seeds that had fallen into the ocean simultaneously and seal them all in one go. The TSAB wouldn't have time to move if she was quick enough. She would have to be quick enough.
Water jettisoned upwards, wreathed in magic as it flew towards the sky in a pillar that rivaled skyscrapers. Then another erupted, and another, and another until six geysers like formations appeared, kicking up even more water than before.
"Found them!" Fate yelled as she confirmed the remaining six seeds. Though her muscles froze for a moment, she forced herself forwards. "Moving to seal them." Activating Bardiche's scythe mode, she moved in to get the remaining seeds into her custody. No more failure.
-0-0-10-0-0-
"What's she doing?" Morgana was the first to ask as the thieves took in every moment that Fate was on the Arthra's screens. None of them were able to derive an answer, but by contrast it appeared that the crew didn't have any such doubts as to the contents of her actions.
"She appears to have forced the activation of the seeds that fell into the ocean," Amy answered as she along with the other crew members were analyzing the incoming data.
"Is the storm a result of that?" Tornadoes and Lightning were in full view as Fate continued feeding magic power into the raging ocean. Her body was slowly being battered by the intense rain, causing Ren and the others to worry.
"It would seem so. They do appear to be the result of the seeds being force fed magical energy." Amy's nonchalant attitude put him on edge. Looking about the room he could see the same sense of dread dripping bit by bit off his team. Everyone kept their eyes focused in front of them on the screen, but occasionally they would dart to and fro on the crew. In contrast to the thieves whose anxiety was slowly building by the second, the crew seemingly remained placid.
"That seems like it would take a lot of magical power then," Ren added, hoping what he was saying would nudge the conversation towards what he wanted.
Silence filled the room as his statement was not so much ignored as let past without additional comment. There should have been a signal. Lindy should have said something to them about deployment or orders. And yet nothing was being said. They continued to apathetically watch the events unfold as Fate continued to weather the storm. He eyed his team. Each of them wearing nervous expressions as they either continued to watch Fate struggle to seal the six seeds after expending so much of her energy finding them, or on the crew that seemed to be doing nothing. Nanoha for her part watched, her eyes betraying her sadness at the events that unfolded before her, how Fate was get beaten and battered by the Seeds. He had to make a decision, and it had to be made now. He couldn't let it happen again.
He gave the signal to Futaba to ready it.
-0-0-10-0-0-
Lightning struck once more. Her body flinched as her eyes shut to block the light. The sound reverberated through her body, shaking her focus and weakening her hold on her magic. She composed herself, ignoring the biting cold rain that poured over her. She then forced herself to move as the water surrounding the seeds lurched forward again towards her. She felt the attack nick her foot just a tad, but it was luckily nothing more than a slight abrasion. However, she then found herself in an awkward position as more attacks came as a tornado from another seed sent lightning her way. Practically flinging her body out of the way, she dodged the strikes, but just barely.
She attempted another attack, sending an Arc Saber at one of them which managed to disrupt it for a moment, only for the other seeds to attack in the lull. She pulled away to avoid the coming onslaught. She stopped in the air to catch her breath, her breathing heavy and rasped. The dull ache of exhaustion coursed through her body. She heard a crackling by her side to find that Bardiche was having trouble maintaining its scythe blade, which brought her own breathing and lack of energy to her attention. Thing weren't looking good, but even so, she had to continue.
This was it. This would make mother happy. This would make everything back to normal. She kept repeating it to herself. Over and over. At this point, in her mind, it had to. There wasn't any other way. Yet even so, dread filled her as she saw the six Jewel Seeds shine once more. She swallowed down the words that she wanted to say with everything she had, because there wasn't anyone to hear them.
-0-0-10-0-0-
"Lindy, when are we moving out?" Ren asked, breaking the silence that seemed to pervade the room. He waited for a moment, but it became clear to him that he wasn't going to get answer anytime soon, and the one he would probably get he knew he wouldn't like. He still at the very least had to try though. He looked back at the main monitor. He scowled as he watched Fate's condition worsen under the tumultuous storm. He didn't have much time, or patience left. The time to act was coming soon whether he liked it or not.
Nanoha's eyes threw themselves between Lindy and Ren. Before she herself could, Ren asked the question she wanted to. As if Fate wasn't enough to worry about, the way both Ren and Lindy's eyes narrowed piled on even more anxiety in her heart. The warm motherly gaze that Lindy display just the other day had been replaced by a cold, hardened look. She became fearful of what that gaze meant in conjunction with the lack of orders to deploy.
Ren's gaze however? Disappointment. That's what Nanoha thought when she looked at Ren's eyes. He looked betrayed and disappointed by what he saw. Nanoha had never seen him look so resigned before. Sure, he appeared calm, but looking into his eyes she knew that he was saddened by what he was seeing; her ears, she noticed, picking up on the sigh that escaped his lips. Then his eyes seemed to move every which way, faster than she could keep track of. He was calmer, as if focused on something else. How could he be focused on anything else right now, especially since they weren't doing anything but watching Fate getting hurt? She understood the need to do something right now, a feeling that she shared and desperately wanted to fulfill no matter what, but she couldn't help but be confused as to what Ren was doing. It was easy for her to see that he was planning something again, but just what exactly?
"Lindy, when are we moving out?" He asked once more, just as calm, if not more so than the last time. And then he waited. He waited for an answer. The thunder and rain from the monitor punctuated every second of the silence Lindy gave him. The benefit of doubt he was giving her was slowly chipping away, piece by piece as his eyes continued to watch the girl he'd promised to protect continue to struggle. He swallowed down his urge to raise his voice. "Lindy, just give me an answer."
"There isn't a need to move out," Chrono answered him instead. Everyone's focus whipped towards the boy who continued to watch the events, unperturbed by the sudden attention. "Even if we don't do anything, that girl will die on her own. And even if she doesn't die, and in fact succeeds in sealing the seeds, all we need to do is attack while she's exhausted. Begin preparations to capture the Jewel Seeds."
"We… must always choose the best option. It may seem cruel, but this is reality," Lindy coldly stated as Chrono began to work with the crew on the now stated plan without so much as even a hint of hesitation. The thieves stood still as the crew began to move around them, all of them trying to hide their expressions. Some of them held grim expressions, others scowled. They had their orders, but it was difficult to keep themselves contained, as at least more than one of them wanted to lash out. However, they remained quiet; placid, but seething under a thin exterior. It was easy to do so, given that such a feeling wasn't at all new to them.
"Reality, huh?" Nanoha could faintly hear what Ren mumbled to himself. She turned to him, still shocked over what she had just heard, to find that he held a most complicated expression that was parts amused, angry, disbelieving, and so many more emotions that she couldn't name. She didn't know if it was because she was still to young to name them, or if it was because there may have been no name for his turbulent combination. "So that's what you call it?" Perhaps his voice had been too soft, or maybe he wasn't even looking to be answered back. Regardless the captain didn't seem to react to his little remark. She remained sitting as if unaware of his presence. Ren took a deep breath, calming his nerves, and ridding himself of his anger. It would only get in the way of what needed to be done. "What a joke. If that's how it is, then it's time for me to play may hand. Yuuno! Futaba!"
"Right!" A flash of white light appeared behind them, casting the rest of the deck in shadow.
"Execute!" At Futaba's remark, all screens save for the main one that had Fate displayed all had shut down. Only a second later the screens fired up again, this time blood red with the trademark symbol of the thieves on full display on every monitor laughing at the crew as they tried to get in after getting over the initial shock.
"I can't get in!"
"What is this?"
"Captain, the systems been taken over. We can't access anything!"
"What's goi-" Lindy was interrupted as she heard magic activate behind her. As she turned around, she saw Ren facing Nanoha, and behind them a portal to Earth. The other thieves were consumed by azure flames as they each transformed. Skull, Panther, and Fox raised their guns as Queen and Noir made for the portal. Mona on the other hand stood by Oracle as she continued to mess with the Arthra's systems. And in the middle of all of it was those two, in their own little world.
"You want to save her right?" Ren asked Nanoha, ignoring the scene around them as his friends moved to their designated spots as ordered earlier. Unlike his friends, he hadn't yet transformed. "You still have things you want to say to her, don't you?"
"But Ren, this is-"
"You see, Nanoha, I have this problem where I can't simply stand by and let someone get hurt, knowing full well I can do something about it. Even if that lands me in more trouble than its worth, I won't regret doing what I think is right, no matter who or what is in my way. If you want to stay here and obey orders, then you're free to do so, but…" Ren then stood to the side, providing Nanoha a free path to the portal. "If you're anything like me, don't be afraid to do what your heart tells you and make that into reality." Nanoha looked back to the screen that displayed Fate struggling to seal the remaining Jewel Seeds, her wounds had worsened, and it didn't seem like things were going to improve. And if nothing was done, it would become the worst possible outcome.
Reality… The reality in front of her was that someone her age, someone who shouldn't be out there in such a terrible battle, was in danger of dying. She could do as ordered and just stand there, but then she probably wouldn't be able to forgive herself. She'd regret it for the rest of her life if she just let Fate die without doing anything. She had so much she wanted to talk to her about, so much she wanted to say. But she couldn't do that if she let Fate die. Ren was right, she just had to listen to her own heart. Nothing else mattered more. Her eyes hardened as she gave Ren a firm nod and stood tall.
"Then Nanoha Takamichi is ignoring orders and taking independent action! Nanoha Takamichi moving out!" She caught a glimpse of Ren's smile, proud and firm, as she darted past him, and straight to the portal, her hesitation and reservations completely discarded. Now wasn't the time to quibble over the small things. What mattered now was to do what she thought was right. It was time to save Fate, just as she swore to do. Before anyone could say anything else, her body disappeared into the portal, sending her right back to Earth.
"Well, I better get going too," Ren said as he leisurely strolled towards the portal, his body becoming engulfed in flames as he finally transformed. In a way a person might have found it insulting. Here he'd just instigated a mini mutiny and yet there he was just pacing about like it was a Sunday stroll. "You know what to do. Just like I said." Joker signaled to his friends who were staying behind as he stood near the exit, still as lackadaisical as before.
"Of course! You can count on us!" Skull said, pumping his shotgun for good measure to get the point across to the crew of the Arthra.
"Be careful down there." Panther cracked her whip before squeezing it tightly in her hands for the same reason as skull.
"Hopefully no one here will be so distasteful as to actually get in our way." Though he hadn't drawn his katana, Fox kept his eye on Chrono, on the look out for any sudden movements the boy may have. "I'd hate to have to once again, waste my blade on more worthless objects."
"Well luckily I'd like to believe the crew here are at least smarter than that." Morgana's slingshot looked silly, but none of the Arthra's members wanted to be in its line of fire after having seen its accuracy and power over the past few days. Laughing was much harder to do when one had either lead balls lodged in their body, or gaping holes.
"Joker! The clocks ticking. Just leave this to us!" Oracle gave the final push, and in response, Joker finally decided to make his getaway, following the others that had gone on earlier.
"Stay safe! Yuuno let's go!" He said with his trademarked grin as he bid his friends well before he and Yuuno, who followed quickly behing, disappeared into the portal, which itself evaporated into the ether, leaving the remaining thieves behind to do what they were ordered to do. Silence pervaded the room as none of the Arthra's crew knew what to do, and the thieves themselves remained stoic and still. At this moment, the crew realized that the thieves lived up to their more unlawful nature, as currently the situation had turned into one not unlike a hostage situation.
Sweat formed on Lindy's brow. It wasn't a hard hostage situation, but they were being held at gunpoint nonetheless. Each of them, Skull, Morgana, Fox, and Panther had powerful area spells that could easily wipe the floor with them, thanks to their lack of Barrier Jackets. Combined with their astonishing cast speed thanks to them being Persona users, they were at a major disadvantage to say the least. That isn't even mentioning Oracle's takeover of the Arthra's systems which left the ship in complete disarray. She looked over to find Amy silently trying to get through Oracle's control. But she hadn't been made captain just for show. Lindy had a plan, but she needed just a bit more time for Amy t-
"Phew…" The tension snapped at Skull's sigh that filled the room. "Man RenRen, what a crazy ass plan. I don't know how much longer I could have kept that up. Still not used to receiving orders via telepathy either." One by one, the thieves that stayed behind, lowered their weapons before returning to their civilian clothes in flash of blue. "We surrender." On cue, they all held their hands and paws up. It took a moment for Lindy to connect the dots as to what had happened, but once it did, she still didn't have proper words to express herself. She could only express herself in the most eloquent manner possible.
"What?"
-0-0-10-0-0-
The yacht tore through tumultuous the waters as the storm continued to rage. Despite its luxury, Noir certainly picked a sturdy ride that lived up to the price in more than just its small amenities. Though it was being rocked considerably, it stayed afloat, avoiding the worst scenario of capsizing, much to the amazement and assurance of those on board. Joker internally thanked the fact that Noir had come by when she did, and that she was rich enough to have the yacht in the first place. Looking out the window, they were now quite a ways away from shore, the city growing ever smaller.
"How much longer?" Joker yelled over the roar of the engine and storm that penetrated the usually otherwise soundproof room.
"We're almost there!" Yuuno answered, only for the boat to rock heavily to and fro. "Woah! Is everything okay?" Yuuno readjusted himself after getting tossed a bit, as had the rest of those onboard.
"Just some turbulence!" Queen replied as she tried to move the steering wheel back into place. "Noir how's it looking?"
"It's still okay!" Noir observed the various meters in place on the yacht's controls to make sure everything was still fine. "This one was made to last, so it should be able to whether this kind of storm. We will probably be able to avoid capsizing for now, but if it gets worse, I can't guarantee what will happen then!"
"There! I see her!" Nanoha cried as she pointed out the window and at a yellow-black dot in the sky. Sure enough, it was Fate, though it was still tough to see from the distance they were at. Regardless, they were happy to have finally gotten to her.
"Perfect! Noir, Queen, let's keep the yacht here. Nanoha, we'll leave the rest to you," Joker commanded swiftly after confirming that it was indeed Fate.
"What are you guys going to do?" Yuuno asked, as he checked his equipment over once more to make sure it was in working order.
"Well we can't exactly fly, now can we? We'll support you from down here with whatever we can. Just let us know and head back if you need healing or anything of the sort," Joker explained to Nanoha and Yuuno, who both nodded in affirmation of his orders. "Nanoha."
"Uh, Yes!" She yelped in surprise as her body turned stood ramrod stiff as Joker knelt down to meet with her at eye level. Managing to take off his mask without summoning his Persona, he gave her his softest smile. Nanoha's heart calmed down as she took in his expression, making her realize just how fast it had been beating for a while now.
"Nerves getting to you? Can't blame you for that one." He chuckled a bit at her expense. As usual he always seemed so blasé about things even in the direst of circumstances. She found that, rather than be annoyed by his impropriety, she felt assured, like things would be okay so long as he was around. Afterall, if he wasn't worried, why should she be? However, then his expression turned more serious, her own posture stiffening even further.
"This is it." He started again, his tone being nothing like the one before, this one far less jovial, and feeling heavier. "This time it's your show; you're the star." He said as he put his hand on her shoulder. "Despite that, just do it like you always do, and you'll be fine. You've gotten strong over these past few months, you can do this. I know you can. Go. Save Fate, just like you promised. I'll be right behind you every step of the way, so don't be afraid to give it everything you got, okay?" It was the same voice he used whenever he told her of something important. She knew it thanks to his past words of encouragement being one of the things she kept close to heart.
"Thank you, Ren. Knowing that you'll have my back makes me feel a bit safer. Though you didn't have to tell me most of that. I believe in myself too!" She returned his smile with her best impression of his impish grin, causing the young man to raise in eyebrow in amusement.
"Hey, that's mine," He said as he moved his hand from her shoulder to her head, ruffling her hair a bit.
"Says the thief. Maybe I should take the time to try and save you too after Fate, before you do something really bad," She said as she let her hair continue to get messed up.
"I'd like to see you try. Oh, by the way, here. Just this into the air when you're near Fate." Ren handed Nanoha two beautiful chains of beads that rattled as they fell into her hands. "Use one of these to heal her. I'm sure she can use it. The other one's for just in case things go south."
"Thanks Ren, I'll be sure to use one."
"Are you done with your pep talk?" Queen asked as she continued to keep an eye on the storm outside. "Sorry to interrupt you, but I think your next appointment is getting a bit… testy."
"R-Right!" Nanoha answered as Ren put his mask back on and that soft smile returned to the cocky smirk she'd become, not just accustomed to, but come to genuinely like. He didn't say anything, but that glance, the one she knew would watch over her, helped to set her heart afire. She can do this. She was ready. "Yuuno, let's go!" She commanded, deciding to take the proverbial stage given to her. She flew out the door and into the sky.
"Right behind you!" Yuuno followed right on her tail.
-0-0-10-0-0-
"Fate-chan!" Nanoha cried as she flew towards the blonde.
"You!" Fate cried, she tried to raise Bardiche to prep an attack only for her arms to give up halfway. Despite the weakness permeating her arms, she continued to struggle to raise her staff. This was the worst possible scenario. She was weakened, had no back up, and the Seeds were still raging. Escape was not an option. Mother wouldn't allow it. Even if it cost Fate her life, she had to fight. She had t-
"Seal Support!" Fate heard from the distance as green magical chains flew towards the water tornadoes that held the seeds, constricting each of them. That distracted Fate long enough that she didn't realize that Nanoha had gotten so close. She glared at her fellow magical girl. This wasn't going to be her end. Whatever Nanoha had planned, she was ready.
"Please help me! I'm not here to fight you! Let's stop the Jewel Seeds, together!" Raising Heart's jewel at the staff head glowed a pink color before Fate had a chance to say anything. A stream of magical energy connected itself between it and Bardiche's Jewel. Within moments, Bardiche's Scythe, which had gone out not a few minutes ago, suddenly sparked back to life.
"Power Restored."
"Resupply Complete." The devices said one after the other. Fate eyed her device, feeling the magical energy coursing through her and giving her some manner of relief, but she was still losing blood from the wounds she'd incurred trying to seal the six Jewel Seeds alone.
"Oh right! Hmm… I guess just toss it up?" Fate heard what sounded like beads getting thrown. She looked to find Nanoha in a gesture that suggested that she was the source of the noise. Looking up, she was only able to catch a glimpse of some glowing white object that soon shattered like glass before she could understand what exactly was flung above her. A moment later, a white light surrounded the two of them. Fate felt her wounds close, and her fatigue fade immediately. The aches in her muscles had gone, and the sharp stings all over her body no longer plagued her consciousness; her mind clearing as the pain receded into nothing. "Yuuno's got them under control for the moment. Now's our chance! If we do it together, we can get it all in one go! We'll seal them on my count!" Nanoha didn't wait for Fate's reply, instead opting to get firing range, dodging and weaving between what strikes the chained seeds could still fire.
"Shooting Form" Raising Heart transformed as Nanoha got into stance, beginning to charge magical energy. Fate floated still in the air there, unsure of what to do. On the one hand, Nanoha wasn't wrong. This was the chance she needed, the hope she was waiting for to arrive. In the moment of reflection, she realized that a feeling of relief had encompassed her, its source being Nanoha's arrival, the arrival of a… But no, she couldn't. She had a duty… she had to…
"Sealing Form, set up."
"Bardiche…" The device interrupted her thoughts. It was right, now was not the time for hesitation. The chains on the seeds wouldn't last, given how much that boy mage was struggling.
"Divine Buster, full power," she commanded as a pink magic circle expanded at her feet, energy gathering at Raising Heart's tip, forming wings of light at the front of the staff. Alongside that, Fate followed neither a word or resistance; a yellow magical circle just as large forming at her own location. Thunder crackled, and wind howled, the effects of the drawn magic clashed against the storm wrought by the seeds. More and more, the two focused the energy into their respective devices, aiming to do just as they had said. Right on cue, the two finished preparing their spells. Nanoha began the countdown.
"One… Two…"
"Thunder!"
"Divine!"
"RAGE!"
"BUSTER!"
Lightning fell from above even the storm, striking each Jewel Seed in a torrent of magical electricity. The seeds seemed to freeze in place as the magic took hold of them, preventing their movement and interfering with their own magic. Only a moment later a pink shining light flashed on by, ripping through space with a deafening roar as it flew right into their midst's. Nanoha's Divine Buster also impacted with Fate's Thunder Rage. The two spells seemed to bend against one another, tugging at the very realities they occupied until finally, they mixed. Pink mixed with Yellow, magic reacted with magic, and a white light in the middle of it all expanded outward, and with it a force the likes of which the sea surrounding would never forget, blowing everything in its vicinity away in what could only be called spectacular fashion as it commanded the attention of all in attendance.
-0-0-10-0-0-
"We've got confirmation, the six Jewel Seeds have been sealed!" Amy reported as she continued reading the battle.
"What an absurd…" Chrono couldn't finish his muttering still taken aback by the display.
"Amazing…" Lindy whispered as she also couldn't believe what she saw.
"Woohoo! Yeah!" Ryuji cheered, the first one to do so in the tied-up state the thieves were in.
"Alright!" Ann also joined in despite the discomfort. The lot of them had been detained, sitting on the floor of the deck in cuffs, only being allowed to watch the proceedings as there wasn't any time to put them in proper cells.
"A beautiful display, truly wonderful."
"That's how it's done, magical girls of course have to get along!"
"And to think she'd only started just a few months ago…" The rest of the deck remained silent as they continued to watch the screen, their eyes unable to look anywhere else.
-0-0-10-0-0-
"Is it over?" Noir asked as the rocking stopped, and all had become silent. They had to make a break for it, pulling in the opposite direction before the explosion caught up to them. Though Nanoha, Fate, and Yuuno would be fine thanks to their flight, the thieves on the other hand were not so lucky. They were only barely able to make it out of the blast zone. Not their closest call, but all on board certainly were not up for an encore any time soon.
"Seems like it, the storms still raging, but it's just heavy rain now and should fade naturally in time," Queen said as she looked out the windows. "Looks like our little magical girl did it," she said as a smile of relief entered from the edges of her lips.
"No rest for the wicked," Joker began as he got out of his set, all ready to get right back into the fray. "We've got to get back to support her and Yuuno." He was met with tired but steady nods by his fellow thieves.
"Right, our jobs not over yet." Noir perked up, readying herself and checking the Yacht's status, flipping a few switches and looking about. "We're good to go, we've got enough fuel and I don't believe we were damaged in the explosion. Ready whenever you are Queen!"
"Right! Let's go!" Queen, in a display of her practice, turned the yacht around with ease and proceeded to return to where Nanoha was. Once in transit, Joker sat back down, turning his phone on, and eyeing something on the screen.
"Got a promise to keep…" he said under his breath.
-0-0-10-0-0-
Nanoha and Fate hung in the air, looking at one another, breathing heavily after such heavy use of magic. A pillar of light from the ocean shot up between the two, taking their attention from one another. As the light shined, six twinkling jewels rose up from the waters, rising and rising until they found purchase in the air between the two girls.
"Fate-chan, I want to understand you." Nanoha's voice caught Fate's attention. As always it confused Fate as to why Nanoha always looked at her with such a solemn expression. No matter how much they had clashed, Nanoha never looked at her with hate, or anger. "I want to understand you, to talk to you."
"I'm sorry." She was almost surprised by that, how automatic that response was, and how much she meant it. To be understood? That sounded… wonderful, she realized. It sounded wonderful to be able to have someone else understand what she was going through, her thoughts and feelings. The more she pondered on it, the more wonderful it became. But, was it more wonderful than her kind mother? Her mind couldn't come up with an answer. She realized that's why she apologized.
"Arf's with us by the way." Fate's eyes shot wide open, and her breath staggered. "She's healed and resting on the Arthra right now." A feeling of relief fell over her to hear that she was alive. That mother's words were… wrong…
"Thank you…"
"It's nothing, just… you won't leave? You don't have to listen to her. You can come with us." There it was again, that offer, an offer that Fate didn't adamantly refuse, but not necessarily one she might have wanted either. No, what she wanted was plain and simple. She wanted her mother back. She was sure that was what she wanted. "I see, so that's how it will be. Fate-chan?"
"Huh?"
"I want us to start for real. I don't think you and I have really ever actually started, so let's make a wager."
"A wager?" Fate's eyes narrowed as her mind wandered about over that word and what it could possibly mean.
"Let's have our final battle, right here, right now, where the winner gets all the Jewel Seeds." Fate became surprised for the umpteenth time. A wager for all the seeds? The seeds mother wanted? It sounded too good to be true, and yet there in Nanoha's eyes, Fate saw not even the smallest ounce of hesitation, not even the smallest twinge of deception. Nanoha was telling the truth.
"Put Out." Both of their devices simultaneously released a pale glow before producing their stored seeds, which then floated above the two mages, waiting for a winner to be decided.
"Bardiche?" She hadn't ordered her device to do that, and yet here it was, performing autonomous actions. "I see. Then let's settle this once and for all." She couldn't let this opportunity pass her by. This was it, her last chance to make things right, to make her mother just like before.
"Put out!" Both devices declared at once, releasing all the Jewel Seeds all at once, before they flew into the sky to await the winner of their duel. The wager had been made, now all that was left was to start the battle. The two, after confirming the Seeds having left the vicinity, turned back to look at one another. Nanoha felt words bubbling up from her throat but swallowed it down. She'd have time later for them. For now, action was what she needed. Fate for her part didn't have anything she wanted to say. She had nothing to say. Thoughts of her mother continued to plague her mind, but she believed they would lead her to victory. They had to, and now was the time to prove it… but to whom? The air between them became heavy as their focus on one another increased ever so much, looking for even the slightest twitch in the other, an opening to take advantage of. This was it.
At nearly the same time, the two broke away from each other, setting up premade magic spheres that orbited them, ready to fire at a moment's notice; Fate's yellow to Nanoha's pink. The two, perhaps anxious, did not give either the chance to breathe as they both immediately went on the offensive.
"Fire!"
"Shoot!"
Their magic fired near simultaneously, a couple of shots colliding at the middle, but the lion's share speeding past each other to make their way towards their respective targets. Fate opted for a defensive measure in response, flying back to evade the shots that homed in on her position, flying every which way in order to shake them off, but with only minimal success. She found herself having to constantly retreat under the assault. Nanoha on the other hand noticed this, deciding to instead actively evade each on coming attack by flying past each with a well-timed dodge around each magic bolt that came her way, eventually finding herself unbidden and free to pursue.
Once she'd gotten the distance she needed, Fate turned around, placing Bardiche in front of her and projecting a barrier, blocking all the shots and sending them scattering like glass in a flurry of light and ear-piercing screeching. As the light of Nanoha's attack faded, Nanoha had already made her way towards Fate, more Divine Shots at the ready, much to Fate's annoyance.
"Shoot!" Nanoha cried again, sending more magic Fate's way.
"Scythe Form!" Bardiche lit up as Fate flew straight towards the attacks this time rather than away. Before the attack could make contact though, Fate swung, completely destroying the magic attack, and then she swung again, and again, and again; each swipe rendering Nanoha's Magic worthless. With a final swing of her scythe, Fate reoriented herself and zoomed right on in to Nanoha's position, her speed allowing her to close the distance without delay. Though she was shocked for a moment, Nanoha quickly regained herself, holding a hand out in front of her in response.
"Round Shield!" Only just barely in time, A magic circle appeared in front of Nanoha, catching Fate's Attack as their contact caused sparks to fly as the two magics grinded against one another in attempt to supplant the other. The sound of something flying flitted in Fate's ears as she noticed Nanoha struggling in an unusual manner. Instinctually she stopped her attack on Nanoha to turn around and quickly project a shield. Within only a second a pink blast flew right into her fortification, kicking up dust and light in the process. She turned back to Nanoha immediately after, only to find the girl gone. She looked all about her, trying to look for the other magical girl, but to no avail as the white clad girl had seemingly disappeared.
"Flash Move!"
"Raaaaaaargh!" Fate whipped her orientation to look above her to finally find her opponent, now flying right at her with her staff poised to strike. Her speed wasn't at Fate's level, but regardless she had no time for anything but to raise Bardiche to block. More sparks flew as the two staves made impact and continued to do so as Fate and Nanoha pressed them against the other.
"Haaaaa!"
"Yaaaah!" A giant burst of magic and light exploded with them at the center once their magic finally reached critical mass, causing the ocean to tremble beneath them, blotting out even the sun that peaked behind the clouds that were beginning to part. Nanoha shielded her eyes in the blast, only to reopen them after she realized that Fate had disengaged using the cover of light like a flash bang.
"Scythe Slash!"
Nanoha banked to the side as the light finally died down, the ribbon over her heart getting slashed in half as she made to retreat away from Fate. She realized that while she had the advantage in long range, the tables turned at melee, something she suspected Fate also figured out as well. But as she turned around, she found herself surrounded by pre-set magic spheres like at the beginning of their duel, probably set up during the flash. In what time she had, she brought up a small shield, deflecting the shots rather than outright blocking them due to what little power she was able to get for it in the interim. Each attack that bounced off her shield was sent into the ocean where they kicked up water upon impact.
Nanoha brought the shield down, eyeing Fate as she tried to catch her breath. Fate too made sure to not take her eyes off Nanoha, also exhausted and gasping for air. Fate couldn't believe it, but this amateur, in only a few months, was able to reach her level. She realized that she'd used too much magic so far and that she needed to end this now if she wanted to win. Hesitation would only spell doom for her.
"What the?" Nanoha watched patiently as several yellow magic circles one after the other materialized and then dissipated in rapid succession. She found herself constantly looking all around herself unsure of what it was that was happening.
"Phalanx Shift!" Nanoha heard Bardiche say as the magical circles also stopped appearing. She turned her attention to Fate as a large number of magic spheres far surpassing any amount summoned before, encircled the black clad magical girl with more appearing by the second.
"I won't-" Before Nanoha could raise her staff, her left hand jumped out of her control becoming stuck in place above her as a magic ring cuffed itself around her wrist with a magic circle supporting it. Then another appeared on her right, then they appeared at her ankles. Nanoha realized that, like Ren in his duel with Chrono, this was a binding spell.
"Lightning Bind!" Fate murmured to herself, confirming Nanoha's suspicions.
"Nanoha-chan, let me help you!" Yuuno sent telepathically. "You-"
"No, don't interfere! This is my fight! There's no meaning if other people get in the way!" She fired back before Yuuno had a chance to finish.
"Just let her have this one, she's giving it all she's got," Joker interjected without warning. Nanoha frantically whipped her head down to see the yacht in one piece, with Ren standing at the bow, looking back at her with his usual smirk. She realized that she'd lost track of the boat in the middle of the earlier chaos but was happy to see that he and the others were okay. "It's bad form to end a show in the middle of the good part."
"Thank you again, Ren. I'll beat Fate-chan, just watch me!" She hardened herself for the oncoming attack as Yuuno and Joker silently acquiesced to her wishes, one more willing to do so than the other. The magic around Fate became more and more dense as she continued her incantation. All Nanoha could do was watch as the space around Fate seemed to distort magic concentrated around.
"Arukus Kurutus Aegias. Swift Wind, Come to me now! Bareru Zarureru Brahzeru. Photon Lancer. Phalanx Shift. SMASH!" With a point of her finger, the concentrated spheres of magic, now crackling at the seams, sped forward towards their target, assaulting Nanoha from all sides as they exploded one by one once they reached their destination. The onslaught continued without pause as Fate kept the attack up for several seconds, sending more and more attacks towards her helpless opponent. A tiny gasp escaped Fate's lips as her eyes shut, both from strain and sadness.
This was it. With this… she'll have won. As the last of her gathered magic was sent flying, the attack slowed, and the density thinned until it finally ended. A few magic shots remained at her side, but they were only a mere fraction compared to the amount from just before. With what remained, she gathered them to her hand as the dust began to settle, coalescing them into a single, final shot.
"You know, the binds disappeared when you fired just earlier." Nanoha floated in the air, dispelling her magic shield as the last bits of dust flitted away. A bit shaken, scratched, and a few markings where the magic had struck where visible on her barrier jacket, but her smile hadn't faded. "Now it's my turn!"
"Divine Buster!"
As a solid pink beam of light shot out of Raising Heart's head, Fate threw the last dredges of her magic that remained. The two crashed into one another, but Fate's attack was swallowed whole by Nanoha's, continuing with only the most insubstantial of resistance.
"Dammit!" Fate gasped as she put up her own shield to brave the attack. Her body shook as the Nanoha's magic made impact and an incredible force pushed against her with winds roaring all around her as light the light of the attack blinded her. "If she can withstand it, so can I!" She told herself as she poured more magic to stave off the assault. The force of the attack proved itself formidable as her barrier jacket tore, starting with the glove that held the shield up and then the more ancillary parts such as the cape and hem of her skirt. Even so, she held on, until finally, the pressure lightened bit by bit, the light began to die, and her sight cleared of magic. Her hand fell once the attack ended, her throat drinking in the air to replace what had been lost. Her magic was mostly gone, but Nanoha's had to have been in a similar state after such an attack. Once she'd recovered, she'd fly in for the final strike. But something shining above her caught her eye.
In the sky, Nanoha held her staff aloft, shining brighter than the sun in a soft pink glow, and a giant magic circle, bigger than any Fate had seen before at her feet.
"I hope you can take this! It's a variation of Divine Buster!" She declared as the magic circle grew ever larger and the light ever brighter.
"Starlight Breaker!" Raising Heart so named the spell, in doing so gathering magic in an inconceivable amount that Nanoha couldn't have had after using Divine Buster. Fate looked around as she saw the ambient, used up mana from the fight so far, fly towards the spell's center gathering together at a single point. She realized that all the magic they'd used up so far was now being repurposed for this spell. Nanoha didn't need to use anymore of her own magic for this attack. If that was the case then she had to move now, except she found that her arms and feet were frozen in place.
"A Bind!?" She looked down to see the same spell she used not a few moments ago now being used on her, most likely placed during the Divine Buster spell when she couldn't see. Fate struggled as best she could, pushing and pulling against the magic rings that held her limbs in place trying to break free. She had to break free, if she didn't it was over. She couldn't take a strike like that head on.
"This is the best I got, Fate! This is everything I have! STARLIGHT BREAKER!" Fate watched in horror as the spell Nanoha held loosed itself forward, exploding in a single streak of pink light that raced towards her, the fear preventing her from struggling against her binds any further. She was engulfed without mercy as the spell tore through the air and consumed her. Flying past her, it even struck the ocean below, kicking up an even more fearsome torrent of water than the Jewel Seeds had just some time before.
Eventually though, the spell faded, flickering out of existence and the waters calmed as the onslaught ended. Nanoha's own flight magic at her feet struggling to maintain itself as it faded in an out of existence. Fate herself remained in the air, if only because of the binds, but those too stopped working and then she fell.
"Fate!" Nanoha flew down after as Fate crashed into the water, and she also dove into the water, grabbing her and Bardiche before she fell too far and the immediately rose up to the surface, bringing them back into the sky as Nanoha held Fate in her arms. "I'm sorry, Are you okay?" Fate could only nod, in response to at least let her know that she wasn't too badly hurt.
"I guess this means I won."
"So, it would seem." The Jewel Seeds that had made their roost in the sky from before, floated back down until they rested around the two of them like twinkling stars. Fate could feel her face drop into a frown. She failed mother. She looked at the seeds with sadness, knowing that her last chance had gone with them. Nanoha saw this, the sadness in Fate's eyes that looked as if all hope had faded from her life. Nanoha had to say something, and now there was no better time to do so, to let Fate know what she really wanted to say.
"Watch out!" A voice rang in Nanoha's head as a she took the warning to heart and looked above. The sky had darkened all of a sudden in the distance and the space around it looked warped and distorted. Without warning a massive bolt of lightning shot out from the distortion in space, heading straight for the two of them. Unable to move from both exhaustion and from holding onto Fate, she pulled the girl in her arms away, placing herself between the attack and the blonde girl.
"Yoshitsune!" A samurai flew past the two girls and caught the spell at the end of one of its two swords with a distinct sound of resonating glass, but with no target in sight, the redirected spell simply flew back into the empty void. Once it was clear another strike was not coming, the Persona faded away in a puff of azure flame and smoke.
"Ren!" Nanoha cried in relief as she saw Joker's confident smirk as usual from the bow of the yacht, only for it to morph into one of alert as a different voice made itself known.
"Interesting," Precia's voice boomed from beyond. "But it is not a matter worth considering at the moment." Without warning, the loose seeds flew into the warped space above.
"The seeds!" Nanoha tried to begin a pursuit but found herself too exhausted alongside herself currently being encumbered by an unconscious Fate.
"Capture!" Raising Heart's Jewel glowed as it took some of the seeds back against Precia's magic.
"Fine, you can take those!" Precia's voice declared as she loosened her grasp on about half of the seeds. A cough also resounded from the void, but none could discern why, and neither did they have the time to. They could only watch as the seeds Nanoha couldn't retrieve flew into the void and disappeared beyond sight.
"Nanoha, Ren, Return to the Arthra this instant!" Nanoha and company heard from the magic telecom. Lindy appeared simultaneously next to all parties. "That attack we've confirmed was from Precia Testarossa. You are to return to the ship ASAP."
"What about the Jewel Seeds?" Joker asked.
"We can worry about that later! We've got a trace on her and we might need you ready for whatever's after! Start the warp now!"
"Well, let's get this over with…" Joker let out remorsefully as he along with Noir, Queen, and Yuuno too, became basked in a glowing light.
-0-0-10-0-0-
The humming of the Arthra's engine and air circulation unit were the only sounds to fill the room. Nanoha stood with her face downcast, nervous like a dear in headlights as. Ren on the other hand stood with his head held high, shameless and proud. The two couldn't have looked any more different in Lindy's eyes, not helped by their clothing not only being white and black respectively, but also that Nanoha was still in her mostly white school uniform while Ren was in his casual black shirt over white and slacks. Though she entertained the thought for a moment, she quickly dispelled it in order to focus on the task at hand. Now wasn't the time for jokes.
"I… was going to begin by speaking of the importance of directives and orders, and how they're used to not only protect the individual, but the group as a whole. However, I am more at a loss over your little stunt." It was difficult to miss how Lindy's eyes trained themselves on Ren, all but boring a hole through his skull, and yet he didn't seem the least bit affected. Of course, it did have an effect, in that he seemed to become ever more emboldened with each passing moment he was under her scrutiny, much to her ire. "You not only disobeyed orders but also held the crew hostage and took over the Arthra's systems, paralyzing it for a short period of time. Any one of these acts are liable to send you straight to prison." Lindy tried to maintain a clam professional tone, made easier by experience, but her emotions were still on edge. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
"Not my best plan," Ren gave a weak shrug.
"Excuse me?"
"I didn't have a lot of time to come up with it. I was just lucky that you guys let Futaba run around your systems, and hey, it's not like anyone got hurt, right? It was part of the plan to have them stand down since you guys are supposed to have a veneer of justice and protection and all that jazz. Not only that, we managed to get more info out of the ordeal, got a trace on where our target is, and neutralized Fate's involvement without casualty." Ren's emphasis on a particular word did not go unnoticed by Lindy, an inaudible sigh escaping her lips.
"Still, you had your orders to-"
"Let a little girl die alone. Oh, were you trying to sugar coat it some more?"
"Ren!" Nanoha cried as the young man's aggression was coming through. She tugged on his sleeve to try and grab his attention, only for him to gently shove her hand away. He gave her an aside glance, a small apologetic smile also thrown her way, before it disappeared, replaced by a smirk of contempt.
"That's-"
"What did Chrono say? I don't exactly remember, but I think it was something about letting her get herself killed or something like that. Forgive me if I don't like remembering details that make me sick to my stomach." Chrono wasn't in the room, currently guarding the other Thieves and Yuuno as a precaution but only in the loosest sense as he was only watching them as they sat and ate in the cafeteria. "Honestly, what kind of peace keeping organization thinks that its acceptable to do nothing and let a child die because it's 'the best option'? Heck what kind of people do you have to be to even consider that the best option? Then again, I guess it makes sense. If you have no problems bringing kids into your military, then I guess you also don't have problems killing them either." A slam punctuated the end of Ren's sentence. On the far end of the room, Lindy's fist could be seen atop the desk, trembling just the slightest bit.
"The… The TSAB only brings into the fold those who are capable of what the TSAB demands. It doesn't matter your age, creed, race, gender, if you have the will, desire, and ability, the TSAB welcomes you without hesitation." Lindy tried to collect herself, but the sweat on her brow and the small quivering of her body told a different story. "Those who enter the service do so of their own volition, and children on Administrated worlds do on average tend to mature earlier than those on non-Administrated worlds based on scientific survey's officially conducted by the Bureau."
"So that's your justification for being able to discard people at a young age? I mean sure, whatever helps you sleep at night, and honestly, I don't know enough about kids that are from your worlds to be able to state otherwise. Perhaps they are mature enough to be treated like adults there, I can believe that for the time being and will give you at least that much of the benefit of doubt. However," Ren began as he walked up to the desk Lindy was sitting at.
"What I saw out there was someone desperate for help, someone backed into a corner by forces out of her control, that trapped them in a place she believed she couldn't leave, even when a better place was right in front of her, giving her every opportunity to leave. Someone so trapped in a cage of her own making, that she couldn't break out of. I just want to ask, why did you order us to do nothing?" Ren watched Lindy as her eyes fell to the side, unable to meet his own. He was right. She ordered the crew to leave Fate to her own demise. Regardless of the surrounding circumstances, the truth of the matter was she saw it fit to sign a child's death warrant.
"I… I prioritized the safety of my crew and yours over the life of a previously proven hostile element." Ren could see the conviction growing in Lindy's eyes; her posture hardening and becoming more confident as each word passed her lips. "I did what I believed to be the best course of action to protect the lives that I oversee. I realize that you may not see it that way but at times a leader must make difficult choices; choices that we may not wholly proud of."
"Element, huh? Not even going to bother with her name?" Lindy flinched as Ren made her aware of her gaffe, causing her to shrink back a bit, but not as much as before. "Well regardless, I can respect that sentiment. You're right, she was a criminal element and in possession of very powerful magic that even you and the crew recognized as extraordinary and far above the average. Had she been maybe ten years older or so, I might have had my own reservations on whether or not to do what I did."
"You realize how shallow that makes you sound."
"Very, but I don't care," Ren said while taking a more relaxed posture. "I also am not going to apologize for doing what I believe was the correct course of action given today's circumstances. Give me the exact same situation, and I wouldn't hesitate to disobey orders again."
"So, we are at an impasse then."
"It would seem so. Though I will admit that next time I'd probably want to come up with a more… discreet plan than that. That was more straightforward than I liked." Lindy let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, both from weariness, as well as relief that Ren only implemented his hostage situation out of limitation, rather than necessity. It was good to know the boy was still in his right mind… sort of.
"You realize that if you did that to any other officer in the TSAB, we wouldn't be having this kind of talk, right?" Lindy reminded him, hoping that he'd get the hint to maybe not go as far in the future.
"I know, but I still trusted you enough."
"Still trusted enough…" Lindy tried to contain the festering emotion as she contemplated what he meant by that. 'Still trusted enough', which meant his trust had changed; 'enough' meaning that it had… lowered. She didn't need to ask herself what did it. She already knew the answer as to what the inciting incident was, given that it was still the day of.
"But only to that extent. Next time something happens, we're moving on our own regardless of your permission or orders." Ren didn't leave room for negotiation, he simply stated the new terms going forward. "I'll be talking to the other thieves about leaving once this meeting is done."
"Ren," Nanoha finally spoke up, pushing through her exhausted mental state to try and shore up her courage and fortitude. If Ren's expression was any indication, it seemed to be working. "We can't just leave the TSAB right now. We still need their resources, and they're taking care of Fate in their infirmary. Please, we need them. We should at least stay until this is over."
"Well," Ren started as he took in her words. "you're not wrong." He let himself get a little too heated there he realized. He took a moment to collect himself, something Nanoha saw as an opportunity to speak further.
"Didn't we all agree this arrangement was always supposed to be temporary." Nanoha reminded not just him, but Lindy as well, giving the commander just a moment of eye contact before focusing back on Ren. "Just hold out a little while longer, okay?"
"Nanoha-"
"Okay?" She emphasized again when it seemed that Ren was about to argue. She wouldn't have any of that, not when there were more important things to worry about. She thought she heard him say something under his breath, something about being pushed around by kids again, but perhaps she was only imagining it. "Remember why we teamed up? It was so that we could save Fate and stop her Mother. We've done the first thing, and now it's time to do the second one. It'll all be over soon."
"Fine. You've got a fair point. I won't bring up leaving to the others then. However, we'll still act on our own."
"I suppose that will have to do then." Nanoha patted him as far up his back as she could reach, happy to have at least talk a bit of sense into him. Ren didn't say anything, just letting her do as she pleased, before she stopped with a stern look in her eye. "I also don't like that I was told to do nothing." Now it was Lindy who was under Nanoha's scrutiny.
"I was happy that Ren offered me a way to help Fate-chan. It's just that, I don't understand. Isn't the TSAB supposed to be something that helps people? I know now that sometimes you need force in order to be able to do certain things, but with everyone on board, Chrono-kun, Ren, Yuuno-kun, and the others too, I think we have enough power to save her, don't we? We have enough power that we could save her without putting any of us in danger? So why didn't we try?"
"That's…" Lindy found herself disarmed. With Ren, she was more used to his kind of rebellious spirit. It was stronger and more resolute than was typical, in fact one might call it noble and admirable as well in the best ways possible. However, she'd encountered similar in the TSAB. But Nanoha was different. She was a genuine child, growing up without significant strife or worry. That was something she hadn't dealt with. Chrono, given that he lost his Father early in life, wasn't ever like this either. "Perhaps we'll… discuss it next time." She found herself unable to answer Nanoha's innocence, either because her point wasn't entirely unsound, or that the child seemed to bright for her and her cynicism. She couldn't just ruthlessly smother such a thing.
"Next time then," Ren said, giving Lindy a way out, one she took gracefully. "Hopefully they'll consider it next time, Nanoha."
"Hmmm, Okay." She wasn't entirely satisfied, but at least felt that she got her point across. Besides, at least it seemed like things weren't going to get worse between them now. That was what she wanted most. "We will consider it next time." That was the tone that signaled that she wouldn't be argued with, Ren finally pieced together. He made note to heed it in the future.
"If you don't mind me asking," Lindy began, grabbing the two's attention. "Why were you so intent on saving her. I've seen people who try to save others without reason, along with their psych evals. Comparing your attitude to the written records, something else drove you to save her. Do you know what it might be that caused you to act like that?" Ren looked between the two, Lindy and Nanoha as they both awaited an answer from him with growing anticipation. A few seconds passed as he gathered himself, trying to find the right words to speak, and the right time to speak them.
"She reminds me a bit of the past," Ren said after much deliberation on whether to say as such. "Remember when he spoke on the yacht Lindy? You were the one that told me that it could be different this time. But then you also ordered me to do nothing. If I followed that order, then nothing would have changed from before. They would have died again." Lindy felt guilt finally bubble forth in a tangible form as she realized just what she'd done. She'd felt it halfway through their conversation, and more gathered along with shame that she couldn't name it earlier. It wasn't just ordering him to do nothing, it was promising him something, only to break the promise while lacking the presence of mind to realize what she was doing. She could only call it a failure of the worst kind. Greater considerations would be made in the future, she promised herself.
"I see. Thank you for telling me." Ren was about to reply with how he shouldn't have had to say it to begin with but knew better. He kept it in his thoughts as he replied.
"You did ask nicely." Lindy, and Nanoha didn't know what to say, as the conversation ran into a dead end. The hums returned as they all stood, a bit at a loss of how to proceed at all. However, things were in a time crunch now thanks to the preceding events. Lindy forced her voice to speak.
"We'll be infiltrating the Garden of Time in a few hours to apprehend Precia," Lindy said, pushing through the awkward silence that had settled in the room from her personal deliberation to at least deliver the message of their next move. "It will take some time for Precia to fully activate the seeds for her machinations. We'll inform all aboard the ship once we commence operations, however we will send the Arthra's own crew to handle the arrest as they'll be better equipped to handle the task. You may still watch the proceedings if you wish. Until then you're free to move about the ship as before."
"Does that go for my friends as well?"
"As soon as I inform Chrono, yes."
"Alright then. Now if you'll excuse, there's someone that I need to attend to." Lindy gave a single firm nod, prompting Ren to walk away without saying anything more.
"Ah, Ren wait for me! Um, I'm sorry! Thank you for not punishing us." Nanoha gave a small bow before chasing after the young man, catching up to him just as the doors were about to close. The tension lifted from Lindy's shoulders as she saw the girl disappear behind the door, but the feeling at the pit of her stomach did not lift at the same time.
"How disgraceful," she muttered to a quiet, empty room.
-0-0-10-0-0-
"How's she doing?" Ren asked as he and Nanoha entered the infirmary. Arf was looking after Fate as she lay in the bed, conscious but tired. Though the familiar still looked a bit injured (parts of her body still wrapped in bandages and gauze), and her movements were still stiff, it was a far cry from the battered and damaged state she was in not a few hours ago.
"Fate-chan!" Nanoha ran into the room once Ren had gotten out of the way of the door. Excited to see her, she zipped right up to Fate's side. "Are you okay?"
"U-um, I'm okay." Fate's voice was hoarse, but even so, she wanted to match Nanoha's enthusiasm for some reason, still unknown to her. Perhaps Nanoha's attitude was just infectious.
"Nanoha, calm down, she's still exhausted," Ren chided Nanoha as he two walked up to Fate's bed. "How's she been so far?" He asked Arf again.
"She's been through the worst of it. Though you healed her wounds, she's still tired and needs to rest." So basically, what he just said. Fair enough, better to have more confirmation so that they can be more assured of her safety. "Thank you, by the way."
"Hm? Oh right. Well, I had other reasons for helping, but no problem."
"Other reasons? Well it doesn't matter. Thanks to you, Fate's safe and sound, away from that monster."
"Arf," Fate said in a displeased tone.
"I'm sorry Fate-chan, but… you know what, never mind. I'm… I'm just happy to see you again." Arf gave Fate another hug, added onto an already uncountable number, to which she returned without complaint. Despite what happiness beginning to hill her heart, Arf continued to swallow down her bile, not wanting to put strain on either Fate or their relationship. It still threatened to bubble up, given that she couldn't believe Fate still had any measure of hope for that woman, but it wasn't worth the time right now.
"I am too…" Fate eked out. Nanoha's cheeks also found their way into a smile, happy to see the two reunite as she backed off a bit to give them some space alongside Ren. After what seemed like several minutes, the two finally let each other go. Fate then focused her attention on Ren. "Why do you keep trying to help me?"
"Don't you think it's a bit weird to have to ask that?" Ren tossed back at her in a playful tone, as if egging her on to think a bit more deeply.
"It's because I never asked for your help."
"But you still recognize it as help."
"That's… You're getting away from the main point," Fate was too tired to get annoyed, but still had enough of her senses to become the tiniest bit incensed by his verbal dancing. "A person normally wouldn't go out of their way to help someone that's hurt them. I know that much."
"At least you do… So, you really want to know then?"
"Yes." Even in her tattered state, Fate held a steady gaze towards him. A sigh punctuated his resignation, realizing that she was probably going to be as stubborn as Nanoha.
"It's because you kind of remind me of someone I knew."
"Is it that guy you've mentioned before? I don't think you ever said his name." Nanoha remembered Ren possibly mentioning the person before in bits and pieces, and especially just earlier when they spoke with Lindy, but he'd never been explicit about whoever it was.
"His name was Goro Akechi. Honestly, I didn't like him very much. He was a bit of a smarmy asshole and sometimes just didn't know when to shut up." Ren's sudden tone shift into one of disdain had caught all present company off guard. "Honestly, I don't think most of us liked him at all, especially Haru. She really didn't like him."
"That doesn't sound anything like Fate-chan though?" In fact, Nanoha thought that sounded a bit like Ren. Of course, she kept that to herself. "Why does Fate remind you of him then?"
"I'll spare you some of the darker details for when you're older." Nanoha's cheeks puffed up in irritation at being told as such, but she let it go, remembering that it probably wasn't good to have too much of what was becoming their usual banter at the moment. "But what I can say was that, just like you and Fate, he and I fought each other. Not only that, the person giving him his orders was a parent of his. Despite that, I felt that perhaps he and I could come to an understanding if the circumstances were just a bit different."
"Alright, now it makes a bit more sense," Arf commented, beginning to see the connections.
"Glad it does but," Ren continued. "Unfortunately, he and I weren't able to in time. To make an abridged telling, even shorter, well... he's not here anymore."
"So that's why you wanted to save Fate-chan then? Because you couldn't save him?" Nanoha asked, now with a better understanding of Ren.
"Pretty much. I felt this was my chance to make up for that; that by saving Fate it could show that I'm better than I was then. Of course that's not to discount the feeling of just wanting to save Fate by itself. I also just wanted to help her in general. I'm aware that ultimately Fate is herself, and not Akechi."
"Myself…" Fate muttered.
"I suppose when I say it like that, I should probably apologize for overlaying someone else's image over yours. Sorry. You're your own person, but thanks all the same for letting indulge in a bit of selfishness." Despite his heartfelt apology, as well as her own desire to respectfully meet those emotions, Fate was unsure of how to respond. "I just didn't want you to end up like him or be forced to do something you may regret."
"I'd never regret anything mother would order me to do," Fate interrupted him at almost the exact moment his sentence ended. Though he seemed surprised for a moment, Ren quickly regained his stiff upper lip from before. She paused, thinking that he was about to say something, only for both him and Nanoha to remain silent. When she realized that they were waiting for her to continue speaking, she decided to oblige them. "Mother wouldn't do that. I know that right now the things she does may seem bad, but if I had the seeds, things will be right again. She was so kind in the past. She'd acquiesce to my selfish requests, scold me when I did something wrong, but she always did so with love. With the seeds, I know that she'd go back to being the kind person I remember. That's all I need to be happy. Just mother and Arf."
"Fate-chan…" The familiar let out in a pained manner. As she saw her master begin to breakdown into tears, baring her desires. Nanoha and Ren continued to silently watch as Fate tried to keep herself from crying. She was able to hold it down, keeping herself only to small sniffles that escaped. It took a few moments, but eventually she was able to wipe her face clear and clean. Though she still seemed drained, she appeared to be in control of herself.
"You really do love her, don't you?" Ren asked somewhat rhetorically. He already knew from how Fate talked about her before that she probably loved her mother dearly, all this did was cement that idea.
"She's my mother, of course I do."
"Of course, but loving someone isn't always just doing what they want you know?" Fate stared at him, confused by his remark. Nanoha as well wasn't sure what he meant by it. "Man, I wish some of the others were here for this; probably Haru, Yusuke and Makoto," he whispered. He shook his head, deciding to go on regardless.
"Sometimes if you love somebody, it's also about confronting them. Criticizing them when they're not doing their best, admonishing them when they do something wrong, and stopping them before they do something bad. Loving someone isn't about always trying to please the other person. That kind of relationship isn't love." He kept himself from specifying what he thought Fate's relationship with her mother was. He'd seen what direct confrontation of such a thing could result in. "If you really love your mother Fate, you have to be honest with both her and yourself."
"Honest…"
"It's not my place to say more. I'll let you stew on that on your own. For now, you seem tired. It's probably best that you rest for now." They'd kept her up alongside pushing her mentally with talks about her mother. It would be exhausting for most people in this situation, regardless of the events just prior.
"Sorry about that…" Nanoha sheepishly apologized, feeling responsible for Fate's current state.
"No, it was expected. You only did what you felt you had to do," Fate said as she tried to assure Nanoha of herself. She, for some reason, wanted to let Nanoha know that it was okay. The words left her mouth at the same time she felt as such. "Thank you for trying to help me," Fate finally was able to say to them.
"Of course, it's no problem," Nanoha said, giving the other girl a bright smile.
"You're welcome. although, it wasn't just Arf who asked me to save you." Fate was confused. There shouldn't be anyone else who could have asked. What did he mean by that? Had he gone mad? Was he not in his right mind? To her, evidence so far suggested it was possible.
"All hands, please report to your stations. Those associated with the Phantom Thieves, please report to the bridge. We are about to engage. I repeat, we are about to engage."
"Looks like that's the curtain call," He said as Amy's voice faded out over the comms. "That eager to go huh?" Fate was struggling to get up.
"Fate-chan!" Arf said as she caught her master before she fell to the floor.
"You're going to confront my Mother, right? Then I have things I want to talk to her about," Fate said undeterred by her condition.
"Here, let me help you!" Nanoha offered, propping Fate up alongside Arf. "No problems?" She asked Ren who still looked a bit worried, but ultimately shrugged.
"Well, I'm not going to stop her. Come on, let's go."
"Thank you." With that they left the infirmary and hurried to the command room.
-0-0-10-0-0-
The bridge was in chaos, crew members scrambling and shouting as they worked.
"Platoon No.1! Heading in!"
"Prep support, get a reading on the surrounding magic, check for any potential resistance, or traps!"
"Transport successful! Get the next platoon ready!"
"Hey, you're here!" Ryuji waved over at Ren and company once they'd entered, Fate still in her medical gown being propped up by Nanoha while Arf followed just behind.
"Hey guys! Looks like everyone's here." A quick glance showed that all the thieves and Yuuno were there and accounted for. Upon looking at Haru, a question sprang to mind. "So, uh… Haru how's the yacht? We kind of left it behind…" Ren asked with a bit of a sheepish demeanor.
"I've already contacted a few servants to pick it up over the phone. It should be at the port in the morning."
"Sorry about that." Haru's giggle at his expense set his heart at ease over the guilt he had of taking advantage of the situation and leaving a mess at the end.
"It's fine, no harm done, we've got more important things to worry about at the moment." Haru visibly directed her attention to Lindy who sat at the captain's chair. At Haru's word, Lindy turned around.
"I suppose it's good that you're here. Fate, I presume? It's nice to meet you." Lindy walked over sporting her motherly persona as she spoke to Fate, devoid of any animosity or derision. She sounded nothing but kind. Ren couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at her behavior. "I know what you want to say," Lindy began speaking telepathically to Ren and Nanoha alone, or at least specifically addressing Ren. "I know that I'm in no position to try and speak like this to her, but does she really deserve any more vitriol?"
"No," He responded along the same channel with an acceptance of her stance. "She doesn't."
"Thank you, Ren. If possible, I'd actually like you to take her with you away from here. Though Precia is a criminal, she's still Fate's Mother. I know I said you could watch the proceedings, but I don't want Fate to have her see her be arrested, and she seems to trust you and Nanoha enough." Ren agreed, giving a small nod to both her and Nanoha, prompting the young girl to move.
"Okay," Nanoha gave Fate a little budge. "Fate-chan, let's go to my roo-"
"Platoon 1 Leader to control, both platoons have entered the throne room! Proceeding as planned." The leader's voice boomed out from the primary screen of the Arthra's command room. Indeed, the screen corroborated their statement, showing them now standing before the Precia. Though it was hard to make out at the distance the view was situated, Ren believed that Precia looked rather ill, at least more than before. Her bags under her eyes had grown, her hair, though still somewhat organized, was more strewn about and messy. He also realized that she seemed to be a little more than just slack on her throne. Something also stained her lips, something that looked like blood. Despite her pallor, she still held an air of dignity as she faced the platoon of mages before her.
"Precia Testarossa, you're under arrest for breaking established Time Space laws as well as assaulting official Bureau personnel and equipment. You are to deactivate all weapons, magic, and come with us." The threat by the Bureau only served to amuse Precia, who let out a small chortle at the expense of the officers that stood before her. She didn't seem at all worried. Regardless of her dismissal of their presence, they proceeded onward one group surrounding her, and another who proceeded past the throne to a hidden door just behind. This, Ren noticed, got a reaction. Once the door opened, and room came into view on the feed, all present either gasped or were laid silent at what was within. Fate stood with her eyes wide and unable to understand.
A giant glass tube, containing a blonde girl; a girl that looked just like Fate. Without warning Precia appeared before them in an instant, firing a bolt of magic that knocked the mages at the front of the formation to the ground.
"Don't you dare come near my Alicia!" Precia had become furious, an absolute contrast to the woman just moments before who seemed to regard the mages as insects. Now she saw them as vermin. The mages that were still standing began to fire on her. Their attacks did nothing to her, disappearing just inches away from her body.
"Prepare to fire again!"
"How contemptable." Precia raised her hand, and in response the space in front of her began to warp as magic filled the space. The readings all around the ship blared in warning.
"Protect yourselves!" Lindy tried to warn them, only for the entire facility to crackle with electricity. Every hall, every room was covered in Precia's attack and yet the Garden remained pristine. It was only for a moment, but all the mages sent in lay on the floor, their barrier jackets charred from taking the worst of it.
"Transport them out!"
"Roger!" Amy was already at work before Lindy even finished her order. Each of the mages disappeared in bath of light, no doubt simultaneously appearing in the transport bay. As Amy continued the sequence Ren's mind wandered just a bit.
"That's Alicia's body?" Nanoha picked up on Ren's soft muttering, unsure of what he meant or if he had instead misspoken.
"Ren? Do you know who that is?" He sounded to her as someone who seemed to recognize this Alicia as more than just someone who looked like Fate. Before he could answer, though he didn't look like he would, they heard Precia speak from beyond the monitor.
"There's no time left. I only have eight Lost Loggia, that might not be enough to reach Al Hazard. However, my hand has been forced. All the misery I've borne since she died, putting up with that doll-like copy, it is time to put an end to it." Fate's body froze. Mother couldn't have been talking about her, right? She was her daughter. She wasn't a copy, so it couldn't have been her.
"I suppose it's time for the truth then. I'm talking about you Fate."
"N-no… I'm…" Fate struggled, trying to say something, anything. She kept pushing air out of her lungs, but no a single coherent word came out, just vain gasps to do anything at all.
"I gave you all of her memories, little doll. In those memories you might recall that I was a researcher. Specifically, I was part of a special project whose goal it was to create artificial life. It was for the dual purpose of creating magical beings stronger than any familiar, but also," Precia consciously paused, taking a breath as she did so to prevent another coughing fit. "It was also a project to bring the dead back to life."
"And you used that research to try and bring Alicia back to life?" Ren both asked and assumed, keeping his eye on Fate.
"A correct assumption, but it was to no avail. Artificial Life is… well, artificial. That doll was no replacement for the real thing. Alicia's smile was so much sweeter. She could be selfish, but she always listened when she needed to."
"Please stop," Nanoha pleaded to Precia. She saw how each word Precia said was hurting Fate. As more and more was said, Fate became more and more distraught while unable to do anything. She took all of Precia's hatred and contempt without any resistance. "Please!" And yet Precia continued.
"She was always kind to me." Precia began to caress the glass, as if doing so also allowed her to touch Alicia. "But Fate? You're nothing but a fake Alicia. Why did I even bother giving Alicia's memories to you when you act nothing like her."
"Please, don't say anymore!" Nanoha tried once more, but again she went ignored.
"Fate was just an item of comfort, a doll to tide me over until I revived Alicia. I didn't even bother thinking of your name! I just took the name of the project that you were a product of and slapped it on without a second thought; Project Fate!" Precia turned around in a frenzy, madness clear in her eye along with absolute, unshakable disdain and scorn. "I don't need you anymore! Ever since I created you, I've hated everything about you! Get out of my sight and never speak to me again!"
"Fate-chan!" Nanoha cried as Fate became despondent and lifeless, almost like the puppet that Precia described. Before she could fall to the ground, Nanoha caught her, but the girl lay limp in Nanoha's arms.
"Now if you'll excuse me, Alicia and I have a journey to make. I'll have no interruptions."
"Multiple signatures detected within the enemy compound, A Class! Total Numbers rising… 60… 80. It's still going!"
"Is that what Alicia really wanted!?" Ren asked, his blood finally boiling over. "What makes you think any of this would have made Alicia happy!?"
"Shut up! Who are you to tell me what she would have felt! She can't even feel happiness, but that will all change once we go to Al Hazard! She'll be with me again, and we'll be happy together, I know we will! In this home of ours, mommy will make you happy again, Alicia." Again, the woman caressed the tube, as she did so it became free of the machines it was attached to and began to float in the middle of the air. Precia then lead Alicia's body back to the throne room.
"Wait… that's it… Thanks old hag, you gave me everything I needed." Ren almost sounded thankful, much to the confusion of all who could hear him. He then reached into his pocket, seemingly distracted. None paid him any more attention as Precia continued.
"I have no more patience for your useless prattling. It's time for us to go Alicia." The eight Jewel Seeds she had circled the air in front of her in perfect unison.
"I've got a read on the magic output. At this rate we have approximately 3 hours until she gathers enough energy to complete the spell!" Amy told everyone on board.
"Ren what should we do? Fate-chan is… Ren what are you doing!?" Nanoha was at a complete loss for words. In this time of crisis, for some reason Ren, of all people, was messing with his phone. "Ren, this isn't the time for that!" She grabbed a hold of his shirt, shaking him to try and get him back to reality, but he ignored her completely this time, his eyes and fingers dancing across the screen as if desperate to do something. "Ren!"
"Just, be quiet for a moment." Ren, probably the sternest with her he'd ever been, said as he brought the phone a bit close to his face. His face scrunched in thought, Nanoha able to see the physical strain of him apparently thinking about something. She did as he said, letting go of him and giving him the space he needed to do whatever it was he was doing. She still had to properly hold Fate up given the state she was in.
She caught glimpses of the other thieves, a couple of them whispering to among themselves. They seemed surprised, but in a different way to her. Though they appeared excited and intrigued, they kept their voices low. Nanoha couldn't figure out just what could elicit such a reaction from Ren messing with his phone. Just what was he doing? Just as she was trying to figure it out, Ren spoke once more into his phone, each word careful and measured. "Here goes nothing…Precia, Garden of Time, Home, Mother." A monotone feminine voice responded.
"Match Found."
Author's Note:
Well that took longer than I wanted to. I kept getting signs to keep writing this too, like fortune cookies and the first character I downloaded from CAS in SC6 was a Nanoha with Talim style, and my discovery that Bounce Man in Mega Man 11 is voiced by Yukari Tamura (Nanoha's VO). Doesn't help that as I was nearing the end of the chapter's completion, Amazon Prime's apparently lost the rights to the first season and A's. Thank god for piracy, I'll just watch it elsewhere.
Anyways only when I reached the 14k word mark did I realize that this chapter was getting a bit long. I was tempted to try and split it into two chapters but was having trouble finding a decent spot to make the split. Honestly chapters of this length are more my jam. I prefer writing this length, only shortening it recently as a means of self challenge in trying to write with more brevity. I just gave up and said, screw it, this is going to be a beefer of a chapter. That's also why this took a while since this is about as long as 2-3 of the other chapters. Sorry about that.
Any who we're finally getting to the finale of this season, and the core reason I wanted to do this. Originally, I wanted to make just a one shot about Joker and the gang going into Precia's Heart and doing their usual thing, but as I did more research, I realized that the initial plans I had would have been terrible or super forced, so I instead just made it a whole series rather than scrap the idea, making greater establishment and entangling of the two properties. Some of your probably already saw this coming, but hey I didn't promise a surprise or anything like that.
That being said, as usual, tell me what you think? Tell what you found either wrong or good and why, so I can take that feedback and improve as a writer, especially the why because just saying something is bad is kind of milquetoast and not useful as an assessment since it doesn't tell me in what ways or how. I appreciate anything you guys can tell me as usual.
Now that this is done its time for me to return to playing the DMC5 Demo. I haven't even opened my copy of Smash since this Demo came out, and I just need to play more and get my Ex-Act timings down in non-turbo… Also, yes Joker in Smash is Awesome. Double the Xander, double the fun.
Thanks for reading, and have a great day!
