Disclaimer: I do not own MGLN but my girlfriend reckons she should!
Author's Notes: I have changed the rating of this story again. It is now M-rated. The following chapter may be a little confusing but bear with me, all will be revealed in due time.
A big thank you to Lance58, Rainea91, Redmoon021 and megamar for reviewing. Thank you so much guys :-) Your reviews mean a lot to me. Thank you also to all those following this story. Your support encourages me to continue with it.
WARNING: The following chapter contains distressing material which may be confronting for some readers. Please do not read italicised section if easily overwhelmed. I do not mean to offend or hurt anyone with this chapter.
Chapter 12
Betrayal
Fate's POV.
I am playing with my best friend, Arf. We are laughing so naturally and carefree, the way any nine year old should, playing with a puppy Arf found and gifted to me. We are laughing and running in an emerald coloured field. The sun is hot and the cicadas seem to be trying to compete with our laughter. My puppy is barking excitedly as it is running after us. Arf and I find a tree with ample shade and lie underneath it.
"Haven't you named him yet? It's been like forever." Arf asks as she lies on her back with her arms behind her head.
I chuckle, "I'm still deciding. I want the name to be the best name ever." I say as I ruffle my little friend's fur who is sitting next to me to which I get a lick on my hand in return.
"It is so nice that your mother let you keep him."
"Hmmm."
"What about naming him Rex? You know just like that detective dog on TV or Lassie?"
"Nah, I actually have a name but wanted to ask you if it was alright."
"Really, what is it?" Arf asks expectantly as she sits up.
"Well I wanted to call him Arf after you. You know because you are my bestest friend in the whole wide world and because you gave him to me." I look at Arf to see her reaction.
"Wow, really?"
"Yeah." I shake my head up and down at the same time.
At this Arf gets up and crash tackles me with a hug. "You are my bestest friend too Alicia. Arf is a great name for him. I love it!" We both smile at this.
I look at my puppy and say "What do you think Arf-kun? Do you like your new name?" To which I receive several barks and a tail wag. Arf and I giggle at that.
"I think Arf-kun likes his new name."
*BARK BARK*
"I think that was two yes'."...
That evening…
"Fate have you named your mutt yet?"
"Yes mother, his name is Arf-kun." Why does she keep calling me Fate?
"Good." She has asked me this almost every night now. I look at mother who has this weird smile but Arf-kun's begging for his food so I couldn't ask her about it...
Much later in the evening…
"Wake up Fate, wake up." I moan as I am being shaken awake by mother.
"What's happening? Mother?"
"Follow me and take your mutt with you."
I sit up, rub the sleep away from my eyes and get out of bed. The floor is cold so I put socks on and find Arf-kun in the blankets. "Come on boy, mother wants us to follow her." Arf-kun stretches and follows me, wagging his little tail. I look at him and smile making my way out of the bedroom.
I hear voices in the main living room. I wonder who mother is talking to. I walk into the living room and see mother with a man who has joined our family. I find him scary. Upon seeing him Arf-kun starts to growl. He also doesn't like him. I kneel next to Arf-kun in my nighty and pat his back while saying calming words to him in his ear. It doesn't take Arf-kun very long to quieten down, he trusts me completely. I turn my attention to mother and the man.
"Hello Uncle Jail. Mother what is happening?"
"Fate I hear you have named your dog today, is that so?" Uncle Jail asks me, he also calls me by that name.
"Yes, his name is Arf-kun."
Uncle Jail smiles broadly and turns to mother. "Excellent. The first stage can finally begin; I will set up the camera." Mother nods to him and crosses her arms whilst looking at me. I look at Uncle Jail. He is setting up a camera on a tripod in a corner of the lounge. It is facing me and Arf-kun. I watch as a red light comes on then he says aloud: "The Projects first Experiment Fate Testarossa, The Hatching Phase."
"Mother are we doing an experiment?" But she doesn't answer me. Her mind seems to be far away. What is going on? What is Uncle Jail talking about? What is Hatching Phase? Why did we have to wake up in the middle of the night to do this?
"Fate tonight is the day you throw away childish ideals and embrace your new identity. Tonight you have to do something very important for your mother and I."
"What is it Uncle Jail?" At this he walks over to a wall and gets a long duffle bag. He takes out several curious items and lays them on the floor. They are all weapons. I recognise them from the books mother makes me read. One is a knife, next to it a sword, a scythe, a hammer and a spear. I look at him then at the weapons then back at him.
"Uncle Jail?"
"Fate, pick a weapon." I hesitate.
"Do as you are told Fate." Mother scolds me. I nod and walk towards them Arf-kun in tow. I am instantly drawn to the unusualness of the scythe and pick it up. It's heavy!
"Excellent!" Jail states then loudly says "The Experiment has chosen the scythe."
I wait in silence. What is going on? What does he mean by experiment? Uncle Jail and mother share a look and nod to each other.
"Now Fate kill your mutt with your weapon." He casually says.
"What?" The blade of the scythe hits the floor while I maintain a hold on the shaft. Did he really just say that?
"Kill Arf-kun with the scythe." Mother repeats to me.
"No." I say.
"Hahaha I expected resistance but you will do it in the end." Uncle Jail laughs whilst making himself comfortable on one of the armchairs.
"Mother, what is going on? I don't want to kill Arf-kun." Mother looks at me, sighs deeply, uncrosses her arms and walks towards me. She kneels down in front of me and places her fingers on my chin. I notice they are cold just like her eyes.
"Fate, you must do what we ask of you at all times and never question it. This is very important for Jail and I. You don't want to make me sad do you?"
"N-no but…"
"Good, attachments are weaknesses Fate. You are too soft. Now do it."
"Please no, please, I don't want to. I will do anything else, anything you want me to, please don't make me hurt Arf-kun. I will find him a new home. Please!" Tears start to accumulate in my eyes.
"No Fate, no other alternative will do. This is the only way. This phase is very specific and requires this. Cut down your weaknesses by killing Arf-kun or don't you love me?" Mother says while still holding my chin with her fingers.
"I love you mother."
"Then prove it." She spits out while tightening the hold on my chin.
"N-no please mother, I love you, I love you, please. I will be good. I will never make you angry again. I promise, please don't make me do it." Tears are freely flowing now. Arf-kun comes to my side and is licking my fingers that are holding the scythe's handle, trying to comfort me.
Mother gets up and sternly says "You will obey and do as I say." She walks towards were Uncle Jail is sitting and stands next to him.
I drop the scythe, run to where Uncle Jail is sitting and launch myself on his legs. I grab at his clothes. "Please Uncle Jail, please don't make me kill Arf-kun, please let me find him a home tonight."
I look up at Uncle Jail and he is smiling. Why? "My Dear Fate, I expected a lot of pleading, naturally you have grown too attached to it which makes this all the more fun." Uncle Jail then leans forward and continues "However if you do not kill him, I will and I will do it very very slowly so that it suffers until its last breath. Do you want it to suffer?"
I shake my head quickly no.
"Then what are you waiting for?" He snickers.
"We do not need to kill him, I can find him a home. Please, please. I will be good. I will do anything you want but not this, please Uncle Jail." I'm desperate. My voice is breaking and my entire body's shaking. My head feels much too heavy for my neck to support.
*SLAP*
Mother slaps me. "You are disgustingly weak."
Uncle Jail is laughing as if all this was very funny. I hold my stinging cheek. He then composes himself, looks into my eyes and says "Do it or else something very bad will happen to your friend Arf."
"No not Arf." I half hiccup and gasp.
"Then DO IT! What are you waiting for? The longer you wait the more in danger you put YOUR best friend in. Do you want her death on your head?" Mother shouts angrily to which Arf-kun barks loudly.
"Please…" I am sobbing so hard that my words are suffocated by my crying.
"Fate, either you kill it or you loose both your mutt and your friend and trust me I will make you watch." Why are they making me do this? Why? I have been a good girl. Arf-kun has never been bad. I have had to do things for them that I didn't like but this is the worst one.
I turn around and look at Arf-kun. He is sitting in the middle of the living room. He seems distressed by the commotion but still wags his tail. I slowly walk towards him and kneel in front of him. I close my arms around his neck and hug him close to me, burying my face in his soft fur. I cry loudly in it for a few minutes. I wipe my tears and pat him gently. "Arf-kun I am sorry. It is all my fault. I should never have accepted you then you could still be free to live a long life. I am so sorry. I am so sorry. You have been the best pal… and I… the worst." I made a motion for Arf-kun to stay whilst I go pick up the scythe.
I turn to look back at Arf-kun. I lift the scythe over my head then drop it again, "I can't…" I whisper in a sob but if I don't Arf will die because of me and Arf-kun will be made to suffer. I look back at Uncle Jail and mother. Mother seems annoyed and Uncle Jail looks at me then with a finger points to his watch and taps it three times mouthing 'tic toc'.
I look at my pet, my friend. I couldn't see him too clearly as new tears start to spill out of my reddened eyes. He will not suffer by my hands. I lift the scythe over my head again. Arf-kun looks at me thinking this is a game. He has complete trust in me the one who is about to betray that trust and kill him. I close my eyes as tight as I can and swing the scythe down "I'm sorry"…
I awake screaming as I sit up from bed. I am sweating. My hair is stuck to my face. My heart pounding painfully in my chest. My breath is fast and shallow. My head throbbing with a painful nightmare of the past. A memory I had tried to suppress for many years. Why had a dreamt of this? It must have been because of Nanoha's pet ferret that I met last night. I lift my knees up and place my hands on my face.
I hear running and suddenly Linith swings the door open to my bedroom.
"Fate are you alright? I heard screaming." I look up at her and am unable to formulate a sentence. She looks at me, closes the distance between us and sits on the bed next to me. She gently places her hand over mine.
"Are you alright? You look like you had a terrible nightmare. It has been a while since you had one of those. Do you want to talk about it?"
I shake my head no. Of course Linith doesn't know about it. She was assigned to me after that incident. This is something I can't share with anyone. It is my painful memory to keep for all eternity.
"I will be fine Linith, thank you, I think I will go for a run and do some training, then scout another area."
"Okay… if you think that is best." I notice a sad smile as she gets up and makes her way out of the bedroom. "I will prepare breakfast and your training schedule then." Just as she is ready to close the door behind her she adds "Fate if you ever need to talk, I am always here to listen."
"Thank you Linith." With that she closes the door behind her.
I can't share this with her. It's my pain to keep.
Arf-kun, my first and last pet dog, I hadn't dreamt of you for many many years. I wonder if you hate me from wherever you are watching. You should if you don't.
Because I murdered you.
To be continued…
