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 14: End of the Beginning
"And with that, we're done Amamiya-san. You're free to go." As he got up from the bed, Ren noted that the process had been more boring than painful. Actually, it wasn't painful in the slightest. Removing the Jewel Seed had been an easy process, if a bit slow. Thanking the doctor, he got up and quickly changed back into his clothes from the medical gown he was made to wear. Without any time wasted, he exited the med bay, walking past a few soldiers that were still being cared for. Once out the door, he tried to reach down into his self to test whether or not it was still there.
Nothing. So, he tried again. Still nothing. He tried a few more times just to be absolutely sure. Each time yielded the same results. Even so, he just wanted to be even more sure. After just a few more tries, he finally concluded that they were gone. So that was it. He no longer had his powers. It was finally over. It was a bit more anti-climactic than he thought it was going to be. Just poof, they're gone.
"Yo, it's over already?" He looked over to see Ryuji waving at him. Walking beside him were the rest of the Thieves and Lindy.
"Yeah, didn't even get a lollipop," he joked as they approached him. Morgana sat down beside him as the others arrived.
"That's an Earth sweet correct? A mass of hardened sugar of various colors, shapes, and sizes on a stick for convenient eating," Lindy asked, seemingly fascinated by the mundane candy. "Well regardless, I must commend you for deciding to relinquish the Jewel Seed so soon. I had thought that with your attitude, you'd have put up more resistance. I'm happy to be wrong in this instance, especially given that I had thought you made your escape during the raid on the Garden of Time. I was very surprised to see you show up when the incident had resolved itself."
"Haha… yeah…" Ren awkwardly scratched the back of his head. The rest of the thieves doing much the same without argument against Lindy's assertion. "We just kind of got lost in the place. It's pretty big after all."
"Really? I happen to recall you and your group disappearing from that pocket of dimensional space." Crap, of course they could track it, aside from them literally just disappearing right in front of everyone in open view.
"I mean, we didn't expect it either. It was a devious trap Precia set in that place that we just happened to activate. Took us the whole time to get out," Makoto did her best to explain, though a tremble or two could be heard in her voice. They hoped Lindy wouldn't catch on. The commander's eyes narrowed, causing the thieves a mite of worry that they'd be forced to explain just what they were doing. However, before they could continue to make excuses, Lindy let out a sigh.
"I suppose so. What a devious trap. Just to help save face and paperwork, we'll just strike you all from the records. Afterall, in the end, it's not like there's enough evidence to prove more was done." She didn't believe them, Ren realized. At the very least though, this would be to their benefit. It would be best to keep quiet and let it go.
"Of course, I mean it's not like we went inside her hear-" Before he could make a further blunder, the rest of the thieves placed a hand over Ryuji's mouth.
"We absolutely understand that decision. While it is disheartening to hear that. A lack of achievement on our end of course deserves a lack of proper records as a result," Makoto leapt in to say.
"What about Nanoha-chan? She's going to get the proper commendations, right?" Ann added. "I mean she was such a pivotal part of the operation. Surely the TSAB would recognize such talent, right?"
"Of course. An ad hoc ceremony was held just yesterday for her and Yuuno, and we're looking forward to her future. For now however, we will stay in this dimension for just a while longer. The dimensional quakes that were caused by this incident have made the surrounding dimensional space too unstable to fly in for the time being. This will give us more time to sort out our plans regarding our prisoners."
"Which is…" Futaba attempted to coax.
"Well they are currently being detained in the brig. We've already gone ahead and treated all their major wounds and have begun a treatment plan to heal some of the damage that has accumulated in Precia's system prior to this incident. We're doing our best to improve her health. However, I can't exactly say the same regarding her future under the law."
"Her list of crimes is not an easy thing to dismiss I imagine," Yusuke mused.
"As much as I wish it was," Lindy said to the surprise of the thieves. "She seems like such a nice woman now. I think these events have genuinely made her reflect on her actions, and listening to her, I'd like to help her as much as I can as one mother to another. Hmm? What's wrong?" She asked, looking a stunned set of young adults.
"It's just that… we're surprised how much you seemed to like Precia," Haru explained.
"As am I. It turns out she and I actually get along quite well together. I suppose it is quite unprofessional of me. However, because of that, I sincerely wish to help her," Lindy confessed with a bit of a self-deprecating tone, and a small giggle at her expense. "That's enough of that for now though. How about we go to the mess hall and have something? Chrono, Amy, Yuuno, and Nanoha have informed me they're already down there. This might be the last time we'll all be able to eat on the Arthra."
"Aw yeah I'm starving!" Ryuji was first to reply.
"Yes, that sounds like a great Idea!" Free Food was always a great Idea to Yusuke, but no one said it out loud. Soon the rest of the thieves began to bustle about what they were going to have.
"Ren? Are you okay?" Morgana asked. "H-hey!" Instead of answering, he gave Morgana to Ann, which shut the kitty up right away.
"I'm still feeling a little sick from the operation, I'll catch up with you guys later."
"Um… okay Ren, if you say so," Ann answered, because Morgana was a bit too dazed to do so. "C'mon Morgana let's get going. Don't want to be left behind. If you need anything Ren let us know!"
"Mrrow…" Was all Morgana could muster in his little moment of bliss. Ren replied to the two with an appreciative nod as he watched the rest of the group disappear around the end of the hall. Once the sound of their voices died away, and making sure he was alone, he turned around and walked the other way.
-0-0-14-0-0-
Despite the advancements in technology, a brig was still a brig. Dark, dingy, and clearly worse kept than the rest of the ship. It would seem that some things were always the same no matter how far things would progress. This time though, he wasn't here as a prisoner. For once, he was a visitor, albeit an unsanctioned one. He didn't try to hide his presence in the slightest. Security was lax now that everything had settled down. While they had kept a close eye on her at first, her near completely docile behavior, combined with exhaustion from recent events, no one was going to be closely paying attention. And even if they did catch him, it wasn't like there was much they could do about him.
Even so, when he opened the door to the brig, he was still careful to try and not make too much noise. There were quite a few cells, but if he remembered correctly, they were all placed together in a single room. Left, Right, he checked each one he passed, walking slowly so that he wouldn't miss the one they were in until he finally found them in a random cell somewhere in the latter half of the brig's hall. He was about to speak but stopped himself once he saw the contents of the cell.
Inside he could see Arf in her familiar form curled up sleeping on the floor, while Fate slept in her mother's lap. Precia herself sat upright against the wall of the cell, humming a lullaby as she stroked Fate's hair in a tender fashion. Though the bland white prison uniforms the two wore dampened the scene, Ren couldn't help but smile. This was probably the first time he'd seen the results of their escapades change someone into a fundamentally better person, and not just be overcome by guilt. He continued to watch in silence as the mother properly comforted her daughter. The soothing tone was even beginning to put him to sleep.
"Thank you…" Precia's voice snapped him back fully awake. Though the woman hadn't stopped tending to Fate, the humming had stopped. "I'm sorry. I don't know why, but for some reason I just have this urge to thank you. It's… there's this feeling deep in my heart that you're the reason that I can hold my daughter like this. More than anyone else, you're the one I have to thank for returning me to who I once was."
Ren remained silent, unsure of how to answer. The truth was too farfetched, but any lie he could make on the spot wouldn't be sufficient. Instead he decided to remain transfixed on a scene that should have taken place in a warm living room rather than the grungy cell of a military ship.
"Our time in this prison," Precia continued, "has given me and my daughter the opportunity to really talk to one another. Before this, we'd never truly spoken to each other about… anything really. It had only been my selfish demands one after the other. It was quite difficult figuring out just what to say, not helped by how I hadn't raised Fate to be one for conversation. Still, we did eventually start speaking to one another."
"She did say she had a lot she wanted to talk to you about."
"Yes… if only we had just a little more time." Precia gave Fate's hair a single long stroke that almost spanned the length of the blonde girl's entire upper body. Once her hand had reached the end, the woman finally turned her head to face the young man on the other side of the bars. "She did however talk a lot about you and that other girl, Nanoha."
"Me and Nanoha?" Nanoha he could perhaps understand, but himself?
"In fact, that young girl made it a point to come visit us the past couple of days. I'm happy that Fate was able to make such a close friend. However, I did find it curious how the conversation would always somehow steer itself back to you." Ren gulped, trying to find a way out of such an awkward spotlight.
"Um… I guess it's just because Nanoha looks up to me a bit too much. For Fate it might just be the fact that I was a bit too nosy," he tried to explain, only to receive a huff from the woman.
"Really?" He couldn't tell if it was genuine curiosity, sarcasm, or some combination of the two. "Well I suppose all I have to say on the matter is that at the very least it is someone like you, rather than someone else." Ren wasn't sure he liked the way that was worded.
"She's a sensitive one, and perhaps a bit overly devoted, so make sure she doesn't overextend herself. She can also still be a bit blind to others' faults but at the very least yours seem subdued. Also, you should expand your menu. This curry she talked about does sound nice but subsisting on a single dish cannot be healthy. Hmm… you at least don't dress too sloppily and… I'm sorry. I have no right to be judging you. It's just… I can't help but worry about…" Her gaze shifted downwards, as her hand caressed the mop of blonde hair. With nothing to say, he waited for Precia to continue.
"I've spoken with Lindy. There will be a good chance that Fate will be let go relatively quickly. If I give a testimony regarding my daughter, they can probably release her within the month, assuming we get a hearing in that time frame." Before he could ask, Precia answered for him. "As for myself… well the chances of even a reduced sentence are slim. Assault on TSAB Personnel, Violation of protocol in regards to the procurement and use of Lost Logia, involvement and interaction with a non TSAB registered world. While I should be thankful that murder is not on the list, it still leaves my sentence a hefty one. The unauthorized use and handling of Lost Logia is a grave offence."
"Even though you're a different person now?" Ren asked, wanting to latch on to anything.
"I'm not sure how the courts work on Earth, and to be fair I was never one for the law myself, however if I were to guess the end result and letter of the law will most likely be used against me. It is set in stone that I have committed crimes against the TSAB. Motive cannot be proven easily." She shot Ren a wry smile as her mind began to contemplate the future that awaited her for the umpteenth time. "What comes next is simply the result of my actions."
"If something is different, then the outcome should be different," Ren let out, but it lacked confidence, his voice was wavering.
"In another world, perhaps. However, I feel that this is how it should be. This is because of my foolish desire to return to a life that had passed, when I should have treasured what I still held. I'm actually happy now that such an obsession has left me. I feel… content, especially since they've been taking care of Alicia's body."
"Her body?" Right, he hadn't heard what they'd done with it.
"The Commander went out of her way to personally inform me of their plans regarding Alicia. They're taking care of her for the purposes of evidence come my trial, but she was going to let me decide what they do with her body. I haven't yet decided to be honest, but I thanked her for the consideration. It puts my mind at ease that they are giving her the care she needs until I can come to a decision."
"I suppose that's good to know," Ren scratched the back of his head, unsure of what else to add and only saying as such to prevent a completely stop to the conversation.
"Yes… oh yes, speaking of care. As I recall you had a Jewel Seed integrated into your body, correct? Oh, don't misunderstand me. I don't care for the things any longer, it's just that merging with something as powerful as the Jewel Seed could yield quite dangerous side effects. I was just asking to see if you are alright," Precia explained, trying to remain calm, but a bit of blush and fluster exposed a bit of embarrassment.
"I had it removed before I came here, and they told me that they were no side effects that they could see. The situation's over, so there's no longer any need for it," Ren answered, smiling to assure that he knew of Precia's kind intentions.
"I'm impressed. Most people wouldn't dream of willingly giving up such power, not at your age. It was the kind of power that could save even someone as far gone as myself." Precia wore a wry smile as she looked down at her daughter. "In a way that power still fulfilled my wish, to be with my daughter."
"All the more reason to give it up now that it's served its purpose."
"Do you regret giving it up? It was a power I'd never seen before, of a magnitude that I couldn't even begin to fathom. Not a meager feat I assure you, given my background into the study of magical energies and the like. if you'd kept it, I doubt there'd be anyone even in the TSAB who could stop you." Precia looked at him, trying to peruse his figure to read his true intentions. Her heart eased as she saw him remain relaxed and composed.
"Not at all." He'd done it before. A second time was even easier. Precia waited to hear if he had anything else more to say on the matter, only for the young man to remain firm in that simple, terse answer.
"Ungh…" the little blonde girl groaned, stirring in her mother's lap.
"I suppose I should get going. Don't want to wake little Goldilocks from her slumber," Ren joked. "Especially when she's found a bed that's just right."
"Are you sure you cannot stay for just a little longer?" Precia asked, she still had a couple of questions to ask him.
"My friends and the Commander are probably wondering where I am by now. I was supposed to have lunch with them, and I'm a tad behind."
"I see. I suppose that won't do at all, enjoy your meal. You've certainly earned it," Precia said to him, as he made his way to leave, waving behind him as he passed through the door. Once he was out of sight. Precia immediately eyed the nearby clock. A design flaw lay within it, one she would exploit.
"In a way it's disappointing for a military ship, leaving such a vulnerability as this." A magic circle appeared over the clock, and another nearby manifested around the security camera. They'd neglected to seal her magic on account of her behavior. She would not betray such good will, at the very least in spirit.
"Ren Amamiya," she began to whisper. "I'm happy that you and Nanoha are the ones my daughter gives favor towards. However, I believe that in this instance you are too naïve. In such a place of turmoil as the TSAB and its administrated worlds, one day your power will be needed again. That I am sure of. I can only pray that I can finish this before it's too late. Now to find where that data is so I can begin…" Only a small flicker of light and magic could be seen and heard as she labored and toiled in secret.
-0-0-14-0-0-
Nanoha tried to settle into the couch again, but no matter how many times she tried, she just couldn't get comfortable. Knowing that this was her last day on the Arthra left her restless, so She came to this room on the ship used for general recreation to try and relax. Despite her attempts to calm down, she remained antsy.
Not helping however was that the only other person in the room was Ren sitting right next to her looking at his phone. Everyone one else had picked other places to be like staying in the cafeteria, or being on the bridge, but Ren had to pick here of all places too. Nanoha wouldn't deny she was happy to be with him, but the young man was a source of both comfort and anxiety for her.
"Are you okay, Nanoha? You look a bit stressed out," Ren asked. She was a little elated that he noticed, though a little more than embarrassed as well.
"It's that easy to tell?" She asked in a bit of self-depreciative tone, a nervous giggle escaping from her. "It's just… today's our last day on the ship, so I'm just a bit nervous is all. Huh? Why are you smiling Ren?" Nostalgic? Nostalgic was the word Nanoha was looking for. That's what that smile made her think of.
"Oh, sorry. You gained confidence quickly but seeing you as nervous as the day we started reminded me of that time," Ren admitted.
"I was kind of unsure of what was going on at first. I just all happened so quickly I didn't know what to make of any of it. One moment I'm following a voice in my head, and then suddenly I'm casting magic and fighting a monster. Then time just seemed to fly by as we chased the Jewel Seeds one after another with Morgana and Yuuno. Then Fate showed up, and we did our best to help her. We even managed to save her mom," Nanoha recounted, smiling as she did so. "It was all so difficult, but I was able to make it through to the end. If you weren't there I don't know if I'd have been able to handle it all."
"I'm sure you would have been fine. Even without my help, I think you would have grown strong enough to handle whatever came your way." She grew so fast, faster than he and his friends did. While she wouldn't have been perfect, he was confident in her abilities to that extent.
"But then Fate's mom wouldn't have been saved, right?" Ren's had to restrain himself from any obvious sudden movements. He instead slowly panned his eyes towards Nanoha, paying extra attention to her. "I don't know what you did, and you don't have to tell me. But if you weren't there, then I don't think Fate's Mom would be here with us, because you did something to save her. You did something I couldn't do." Ren was both impressed and a bit scared by Nanoha's intuition. He had a feeling that this girl was truly something special.
"Perhaps I did," he cryptically replied, not giving her a straight answer.
"And because of that, I'm happy you were here with me… well that's not the only reason." Nanoha turned away from Ren, her face blooming into a mad blush. "Um Ren, you remember our promise, right?"
"I think you'll be the first to forget it," Ren answered back, clearly not taking things as seriously as Nanoha wanted.
"I won't forget! Nobody forgets their first love!" Nanoha declared, repeating what she remembered from somewhere. Realizing what she had just said however, she instantly curled up, and wanted to find somewhere to hide. Without anywhere to run though, she just ended up hugging her knees and burying her face in them.
"Oh? I'm flattered. Thank you," Ren had a bit of a chortle at her expense. Nanoha looked up at him with as harsh a glare as she could muster, cheeks puffed in anger. Before Nanoha could get too angry, she felt his hand placed upon her head. "I won't ever forget about you either," he told her, easing her worries. "No matter what happens, we'll face it together."
"With Fate too!" She reminded him as she felt her nervousness dissipate once and for all.
"With Fate too…" The two of them stayed like that for just a moment. The silence and stillness of the room making it feel like time had stopped. There it was just the two of them, almost like how it all began. Of course, all good things must come to an end.
"Dear guests, it's almost time. Please head to the transportation room as soon as possible." As soon as they'd heard the announcement, Ren and Nanoha got up from their seats.
"Ready to go?" Ren asked, to which Nanoha gave as big a nod as she could.
"Yeah! Let's go Home!"
-0-0-14-0-0-
Ren watched as the dark waves rolled against the yacht, looking out into the ocean. Everyone was inside, relaxing on a job well done. Nanoha on the other hand had gone home. She'd spent the last few days away from her family, so it made sense for her to opt to return there, rather than hang out with a bunch of high schoolers and a couple of college students.
Ren had gone through it over and over. Was there really no way to help Precia just one more time? At the very least reduce her sentence. No matter how he thought of it, no matter how much more he pulled, the Phantom Thief just couldn't find another ace up his sleeve. He didn't know enough about the TSAB's laws, and he didn't have anything he could use to turn things around.
He looked at the thing in his hand once more; Precia's Treasure. While he was at first a bit confused as to why Alicia manifested in such a way in the real world, after speaking to Precia, it made a bit more sense.
In his hand was a photo in a simple frame that had the word 'Family' etched at the bottom. Within said photo was a picture in a grassy idyllic field with each of the photo's participants giving their best smiles. Precia, Fate, Arf, Rynith, and Alicia, all together as one. A fantasy, just like Precia's dream. A strong wind of the coming summer caught him, blowing the frame out from his loose and distracted fingers.
"Woah!" he exclaimed as he made to catch it before it could drop onto the deck. "I should be more careful…" He'd have to give it back one day, he remembered as his fingers moved along the treasure, making sure to feel for any damage that might have happened. "Hmm?" Something felt off and uneven with the back of the frame. Without hesitation, he moved closer to the center of the deck to avoid further winds and opened the back of the photo frame. Inside was something that looked similar to a USB.
"Lindy," he called out into the air, hopping the commander was still available on the comms. After a few seconds a green light sprang forth from the side of his vision.
"Yes Ren, is something wrong?" Placing the rest of the treasure out of view, he brought up the USB like object for her to see.
"Can you tell me what this is?" He asked as he watched Lindy's eyes widen in surprise.
"That's… that is a TSAB data drive. Where did you get that?" She asked, a bit suspicion clear in her voice.
"I found it during the raid." Which was true, just not in the Garden of Time. "I just didn't find an opportunity to bring it up until now." Also, technically true.
"Hmm… give us a second. Amy!" A second later, the disk drive disappeared from his hands. "This… is interesting."
"What's in it?"
"Videos with dates," Amy answered, distracted as she was looking through the files one by one. "This one is interesting…" Ren received a separate feed, showing the contents of the video.
"Again, I'm telling you, we haven't tested nearly enough! Please, we need more time to test the energy reactio-"
"We don't have time! We're running a full start up tomorrow. The investors are getting antsy and need to see results."
"But si-"
"Tomorrow, Testarossa."
The video cut off there. It was a short video, but it showed Precia arguing with some sleazy looking big wig, at least that's how Ren would describe him.
"That old guy… I recognize him from somewhere," Amy muttered to herself as she already had her fingers blazing away at the monitor. "That's it!" She shouted as she brought up an article from their archives. "It was from a massive energy meltdown that occurred around twenty years ago. That guy was a director for the project."
"Show us another video Amy," Lindy ordered as Ren waited with bated breath as a second video was brought up. In no time at all, a second video started.
A screeching wail preceded the image of a desolate wasteland of what was probably a once pristine city of the TSAB. Precia herself was in tatters and wounds. The world within the video seemed to worsen with each passing second as Ren looked on, trying to ignore the woeful cries of the woman at the center of the screen. His attempt to do so was not born of malice, or dismissal, but more so to keep his own composure, as he felt that if he'd truly given it his attention, he'd be swallowed in its sorrow.
In the corner of his eye that could still see the video was something he wanted to ignore as much as he could. In his periphery was the bloodied, ugly corpse of Alicia. At least he assumed it was, as the state of the body was left in was anything but kind. Before Ren could even be tempted for any more details, he heard a voice speak up.
"Cut it, please…" Lindy asked, to which Amy was more than happy to oblige. A heavy sigh escaped the Commander's lips, as did Ren's.
"The… the date on the video lines up with the records…" Amy eked out, clearly as exhausted from the experience as they were. Lindy took a moment to collect herself before speaking once more.
"Assuming these are not doctored, these could potentially be used as evidence to establish a motive and perhaps reduce Precia's sentence. Motive and reason can be used to lessen sentences in TSAB judicial courts, particularly to establish loss of stable reasoning or soundness of mind. If the others are of similar content, then the reduction may increase. However, I have no real legal experience, and we lack such dedicated counsel on the ship…"
"Is it really that necessary?"
"More so to be able to establish a more concrete case. A plea for temporary insanity to reduce charges or even change the charge entirely to something more reasonable would be the best avenue for her, as I stated just earlier. It's just that I don't have time for such things at the moment, nor the experience," Lindy explained, leaning back into her seat in exhaustion. Ren's mind raced, focused on the idea of Counsel…
"Do you have a copy of the TSAB laws in Japanese?" He asked, as an idea popped into his head. Though she didn't know what he was hinting at, she answered all the same.
"Yes, as we've had some people from Earth enter the TSAB in the past. We do have a copy of our laws in Japanese. Why do you ask?"
"I need to make a call." Ren reached for his phone, taking out a small business card in the process. "Just hoping she's not going to be too angry at me for calling at this hour…"
-0-0-14-0-0-
He could hear the seagulls crying out as the flew overhead. The sun shone over the clear blue ocean as the waves rocked against the dock. He rubbed one of his eyes, still trying to get the sleep out of his eyes.
"en… e… Re… Ren!" Nanoha pulled at his shirt, grabbing his attention now that he got most of it out of his system.
"I hear you Nanoha, no need to shout," he said rubbing his ears to help get the point across.
"Well you only answered after I did," she replied, with a bit of irritation on her face. "Fate's going to be here soon. It will be the last time we'll see her for a while." They were all meeting up one last time before Fate left. Those coming from the Arthra hadn't arrived yet, while the others were preparing to return to Tokyo. The two of them had been waiting on a bridge just a small walk away from the docks. "There they are!"
As Nanoha said, a light appeared indicated a warp circle. The very next moment, Chrono, along with Arf and Fate appeared in casual clothes. Yuuno was in his ferret form, sitting atop Arf's shoulder.
"You didn't wait too long I presume?" Chrono asked, far more relaxed than he had been on the Arthra, Ren noted.
"Just a bit," Ren answered truthfully, though his tone was meant to do a bit of ribbing. Nanoha lightly knocked him for it and proceeded to speak.
"Don't worry about it, there wasn't any trouble at all," Nanoha tried to assure them. After hearing her assurance, Chrono looked around until he spotted a bench in the distance.
"We don't have much time until we have to go. We'll be over there if you need us," the officer said, signaling to Arf to follow him.
"Even though he said that, take your time. Be sure to say everything you need to say," Yuuno told them in contrast to Chrono's statement.
"Don't do anything too saucy, okay kids?" Arf teased as she followed Chrono towards the bench, taking the ferret with her. Used to her antics, no one really batted an eye, but it did at least lift the mood up just a bit. Ren looked at his phone, a bit worried that his friends would miss seeing Fate off after hearing Chrono say there wasn't much time. As he fiddled with his messages, Fate and Nanoha already got started.
The two stared a bit awkwardly at each other, a bit unsure of how to proceed. With Ren doing his own little thing, the two just continued in silence. Yet despite that, the two began to break into smiles. Though the two of them had only just talked to each other the other day in the brig, being outside, near the calm ocean, made their meeting again feel just a bit fresher.
"You know… I had something I wanted to say, but now that you're here, it's just kind of faded from my mind," Nanoha confessed.
"I… let's see… it seems I can't really put it into words either. No actually, I can. Thank you," Fate said with as much earnestness as she could muster. "I want to thank the both of you, for all that you've done."
"It's nothing!" Nanoha said, still smiling ear to ear. "I just thought it would be great if we could be friends. That's all… but today's the day you're heading out right? Right after this…" Nanoha said, her spirits falling as the reality of Fate leaving was finally setting in. A small grimace replaced her brimming smile as her eyes fell towards the ocean.
"It might take a while. The trip itself will be long, and that's not counting what will happen once we're there."
"But we'll see each other again, right?" Nanoha asked as soon as Fate stopped. Though a bit caught off guard, Fate's expression returned to being a happy one.
"Of course. It's only for a little while, but we'll be able to see each other again in the future. At the very least, I'll be able to move forward with Arf and Mother. Oh, they apparently were able to find evidence in the Garden of Time that could lessen my mother's sentence."
"That's wonderful!" Nanoha exclaimed, happy for Fate.
"Apparently, they were also able to procure legal counsel as well and according to the person they consulted with, the evidence should be able to withstand court. Though apparently this person was quite grumpy. Lindy-san complained a bit this morning about it." The idea of Lindy complaining brought a giggle to both girls. However, for a moment the two thought they heard a cough from somewhere nearby but brushed it off.
"I'm so happy for you!" Nanoha said once more. "Hmm? What is it?" Nanoha asked, noticing Fate fidget about in place. Fate's lips pursed as they readied to speak. It took just a moment later before they finally made a sound.
"Well… It's just…" Fate blushed, hesitating on what she wanted to say next before taking a deep breath and taking the plunge. This was the last time she could ask. It was now or never. "I'd like to be your friend… Did I do it right?" Fate was finally able to say. Another giggle escaped Nanoha.
"Almost. I mean, we're practically already friends. There's just one more thing to do. Don't worry, it's really easy." Despite Nanoha's saying so, Fate still felt uneasy. What was this last thing they had to do to become friends?
"Call me by my name. That's all you have to do. Not 'you', or 'hey you', but my actual name. Even when we spoke on the Arthra, you haven't said my name once." Nanoha leaned in, making sure that her eyes met Fate's.
"I'm Nanoha Takamichi. Call me Nanoha!" That was it? That was all that was left? Fate's mind raced, trying to sift through her memories but to no avail; she found not a single instance she called the girl in front of her by name. She could feel her throat crack as she forced strength into her voice. This was it, the final hurdle. She just needed to push one last time.
"Na… Nanoha…" She was finally able to say. "Nanoha," she repeated. The name felt pleasant on the tongue. "Nanoha," she repeated again, each time her smile widened.
"Yeah, that's right!" Nanoha replied, tears forming at the edges of her eyes as she closed the distance between the two of them. Knowing what was to come, Fate opened her arms to match Nanoha's embrace. "Fate!" Nanoha cried aloud, happy to finally have become friends, sobs leaving the girl's throat as the two held on to one another.
"Thank you, Nanoha," Fate said, trying to hold back her own tears all the while. The two stayed like that for a time, even the waves of the ocean sounded distant as they held onto each other. Finally, after the sobbing had finally left them, the two parted. Once apart, Nanoha, without pause, undid her pig tails, causing her hair to fall to her shoulders, loose and free.
"Here, I want you to have these, as a token of our memories." She held her pink ribbons tightly in her hand, offering them to the blonde girl. Fate's eyes darted between Nanoha's earnest expression and the ribbons.
"T-then I should too." Fate undid her black thin ribbons and offering them to Nanoha in much the same way. Her own hair fell like golden waves, reaching the middle of her back. Carefully, without words, they reached with their free hands for the other's ribbons, making sure the winds didn't blow them away. Once they were sure that the ribbons were secure, they parted hands, with ribbons exchanged. The both of them brought their respective gifts close to themselves, taking the time to truly savor the feeling of their new ribbons. Both stood still as they-
The two realized they were being watched, remembering with a suddenness that there was someone who had been with them the whole time. They both suddenly turned to find Ren still standing there, a bit of a wry smile painting his expression, having awkwardly watched the two of them as the third wheel in this arrangement.
"Uh… don't mind me," he said, trying to minimize his existence. He was a bit too tired from speaking at length with someone of the phone the previous night, and how she wasn't offering real legal advice as she wasn't officially his counsel or something like that. "You can keep going."
The two laughed a little at his attempt at being polite before turning away from him. Nanoha then motioned to Fate to come closer, to which the brunette then began to whisper into the blonde's ear. Ren could only hear the faintest bit but couldn't make out anything concrete. The only thing he could see was the occasional nod Fate would give as she listened to whatever it was that Nanoha was telling her. Then Fate whispered into Nanoha's ear. Ren was beginning to wonder if he should just leave and join Chrono and Arf.
"Ren," Nanoha called before he could make his escape.
"Sorry, I'll-"
"No, stay where you are," Nanoha commanded, to which Ren complied. The two of them walked up to him, looking up at him once they were at his sides. "Now can you come down here?" She asked next. Ren bent down on to his knees until he was about at their height. "Hmmm… yeah that's good. Just stay like that for a second, okay? Don't move." In sync, Nanoha and Fate seemed to agree upon something to which Ren was beginning to grow suspicious of. Before he could just come out and ask what it is they wanted, they took it.
He felt both his cheeks meet with something warm and soft, and his vision fill with brunette and blonde. The feeling held for about a second before the it had left him, and the ocean returned to view. It took him a moment later to realize just what it was that happened. The two of them had kissed him; Nanoha on his left cheek, and Fate on the right.
"Fate, don't you have something to say to him?"
"Um…" Fate looked down at her knees as she fidgeted in place again. "Nanoha and I have been talking for a few days," she revealed. "We talked about why heart beats faster and my head feels funny, or when I can't stop thinking about either of you. It's a different feeling from when I think of Mother and Arf. Nanoha's told me what she thinks it is… and I think she's right."
"Go for it Fate!" Nanoha cheered, though Ren was too focused on Fate to really pay it any heed.
"Ren… I like you too. Like Nanoha, will you also wait for me? Someday, the three of us, together…"
Ren's vision darkened as a familiar voice echoed in his mind and the everything stood still.
Thou art I… And I am thou…
Thou hast acquired a new vow.
It shall become the wings of rebellion
that breaketh thy chains of captivity
With the birth of the Aeon Persona,
I have obtained the winds blessing that
shall lead to freedom and new power…
As suddenly as it began, the darkness faded, and the world returned to light. Standing before him, Fate awaited an answer, Nanoha at her side eagerly waiting for the same. From the both of them he could feel the newly formed bond between them. Before he could take any of that into consideration however-
"Ren!" He heard from behind him. Turning around, he saw the rest of the thieves approaching them, with Ryuji waving at him, presumably being the one who called him.
"You guys are late," Ren replied, getting a couple of chuckles from both the girls next to him and some of his friends. Once they and gathered together, Ryuji handed Ren his bag, to which a little kitty head popped out from the open zipper.
"Don't look at me! It's not my fault they lacked punctuality," Morgana complained now that he was in his familiar place.
"Sorry about that, we just had to make sure the Yacht was ready to go whenever. It's actually quite a bit of work to take care of it," Haru answered.
"Hey there, Fate! It's so nice to meet you! I don't think we were properly introduced. I'm Ann Takamaki," the stylish girl started, causing Fate to pause, unsure of how to proceed. She looked to Nanoha and Ren, who just gave her a nod and wink respectively.
"Um… I'm Fate Testarossa. It's nice to meet you Ann," Fate was able to reply, though her wording was a bit stiff.
"Ryuji Sakamoto!"
"Yusuke Kitagawa."
"Um… Haru Okumura!"
"Ugh… well there goes any semblance of order. Oh, I'm Makoto Nijima."
"Aw lighten up! Besides it's faster this way. Anyways, Futaba Sakura, at your service!"
If Fate wasn't flustered before, she was now with the flood of new faces she was now apparently friends with. However, in spite of that her mouth threatened to rise into a grin. There was something fun about this chaos.
"This is your last day right? Is there anything you want to do today before you go?" Ann asked, hoping to give Fate a way out.
"I don't have a lot of time to be here," Fate answered, a bit unused to the spotlight among so many people.
"Then all the more reason for us to do it now while you still have time," Ann continued to egg on, to which none of the other thieves tried to stop her. They also wanted Fate's last day to be something special.
"Then… maybe the mall? I remember Ren saying we should go to one someday." She recalled the time they met right before the TSAB first arrived. Ren jokingly suggested it, and she couldn't help but be a little curious.
"Ooh, good choice," Ann said, a bit of girlish glee escaping her.
"You know I wouldn't mind going to a mall around here," Haru saying in agreement.
"Ren, you know the way, right?" Makoto asked, making sure their plans were set.
"I think I'd rather stay here near the ocean so I can-"
"Oh no, you're coming with us. Who knows where you'll end up if we let you stay here," Ann said, grabbing Yusuke by the collar to make sure he didn't stray.
"Just don't make us carry your bags, okay? I'm not going to fall for that cliché," Ryuji didn't so much as say as he did sigh.
"I guess I can shop for parts or games," Futaba mused to herself. The conversation between the thieves continued as Fate and Nanoha watched on.
"It's kind of always like this," Ren admitted to the two of them.
"It's chaos, but we wouldn't have it any other way," Morgana added, watching on with pride as the group chatter continued.
"Well, are you two ready to go?" Ren asked, only to be answered with the two girls grabbing hold of his hands. Instead of struggling, he just sighed in resignation at their boldness, letting them do as they pleased. Hopefully it wouldn't be a trend.
"Yeah, let's go!" Nanoha said, raising her hand into the air, as they walked over to where Chrono, Arf, and Yuuno were to drag them along for the shopping trip.
"Let's go, together," Fate echoed, a full bloom smile on her face as the two of them dragged Ren along for the first time, and what certainly was not going to be the last. No matter what the future may hold, even through the darkest night sky, they would get through it together.
Author's Note:
Welp, that wraps up the first season of the anime. Next will be a couple of filler chapters before I move on to the next arc. We're heading to summer vacation for a short stint and ignoring whatever happens in Persona 5 Scramble because I can't read moon runes.
This chapter mostly covers the second half of the final episode which was dedicated to an epilogue of the show, only with Precia, Joker, and the others in two. I hope I'm getting across just how repentant Precia is now, and that she's genuinely changed as a person. I also want to clarify that the Aeon Arcana here encompasses both Nanoha and Fate in case anyone is not clear on that. You all know who Ren called for legal consultation. She was not happy about a late-night call, but she helped all the same.
On the subject of temporary insanity pleas, yeah, they're mostly used to show cases of someone not comprehending what they did at the time because of lack of mental wellness during the act. At least that's what my law major friend has advised me (to which I acknowledge that he is not offering me legal counsel and was not giving real legal advice), alongside whatever I could find on it. It's basically an investment if I need her later. Permanent insanity will just get you committed.
I've really not much else to say, other than this chapter took longer than necessary to come out, because I replayed KH3 on critical to the extent that it would count as a second Platinum Trophy and am currently having a hell of a slobber knocker with the Limit Cut bosses who I already beat on Proud, as well as beating DMC3 again… 4 times over: Normal and Hard with Dante and Vergil, without being told easy mode was now selectable until the end.
Oh yeah, and if you thought I was joking about Pictionary's OST in last chapter's AN… I wasn't. Seriously, go listen to it if you haven't already and be prepared to be baffled by how good it is, as well as everything else Tim Follin's ever done like the Solstice NES Title theme.
And that's it. As always thank you for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed yourself. Leave a review about what you thought worked and didn't work so that I can find my flaws and try to improve, and I hope you have a great day. See you next time!
