Disclaimer: Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha is not owned by me.
Chapter 6, also known as episode 5.
It seems some people are wondering why who remembers remember. There's an actual reason for it, you know. If you think about it hard enough, you should realize it of you haven't already.
Anyways, enjoy.
'That girl.... Who was she?' Fate sat silently on her couch, contemplating who Nanoha was and what her intentions were. Alph, concerned over her master's concern, also sat silently in the corner of the room until she mustered up enough courage to ask about it.
"Hey, Fate... What's bothering you? Is it that brown-haired girl? It is, isn't it!? Why I'm gonna-"
"Alph, stop," Fate requested of her companion. Although she didn't exactly like the girl, she had piqued Fate's interest. Somehow, that girl had known her name. Fate felt like the girl was hiding something, and she wanted to find out what. "She's also after the Jewel Seeds, maybe we can take a couple from her. Besides, she might be able to defeat you. If you're going to go, then I'll accompany you.
Alph, who had been touched by her master's words, felt a great burst of emotion in her hate of Precia Testarossa. 'Still,' the familiar thought, 'I guess I shouldn't act against her until I get some solid proof of what she's been doing.' Clenching her teeth, Alph prepared to accompany Fate to wherever that brown-haired girl was, and stop her.
The next day, the Takamachis went on their car trip to the hot springs. Once again giving Nanoha much time to think about what's going on. 'I'm not even going to try to convince myself otherwise, I still have a soft spot for Fate. That's going to be a problem, especially since it seems that she has no qualms about attacking me. But no matter how I try, I can't seem to muster up enough determination to truly attack her. Still, I think that I have enough determination to at least last a while, and win the battles I'm supposed to. That's one problem down, not for a couple others. What am I going to do today...' As Nanoha proceeded to contemplate all that had been happening in her life lately, she still knew that there was one person that would remain a mystery, that hooded man. Nanoha had no idea what his intentions were, only that he was cruel enough to send her here. Whatever they were, she didn't think that they were important enough to disrupt her life and the lives of all others around her. Before Nanoha could continue, however, Yuuno came in and telepathically sent Nanoha some words.
Come on, Nanoha, relax! It's a vacation!
I know, but...
Inwardly letting out a sigh, Nanoha knew that the ferret's words were true. Not that that meant that she would forgive him for not helping out Vivio with her homework, of course. Deciding that maybe it would be best to just relax today until she encountered Fate and Alph, Nanoha leaned back and began to converse with Arisa and Suzuka.
As the three were conversing, however, an interesting scene occurred outside their windows. A car quickly came zooming by, as if it were a flash of green. Blinking, everyone wondered if they were just imagining things, when another car came zooming by. This one, however, seemed to stop time just as the driver's seat passed by Nanoha's row. Looking into the car, Nanoha found a sight that would shock her. Namely, the hooded man putting up his hand in a thumbs up manner. Gasping, Nanoha tried to jump towards him, but the car zoomed by again.
It was at that point that Nanoha awoke from her dream. Rubbing her eyes, Nanoha looked out the window and saw nothing, not even the skid tracks from the fast cars. It appeared that she had dozed off while on the car ride. As she remembered the situation that she was in once more, Nanoha's thoughts instinctively turned to Fate. 'Fate, I wonder what you would say if you found me like this...' As Nanoha proceeded to get lost in her thoughts once again, she remembered that she told herself that she would take it easy for now, and just sat back and looked around.
After arriving at the hot springs, Nanoha set Yuuno down and told him to wait outside while they were bathing, and the ferret was happy to oblige. Inside, Nanoha just acted normally and let the heat just soak away all her worries for a moment. She remembered that it was after they had finished that Alph showed up, and this time she wouldn't just back down.
As Nanoha predicted, Alph did show up after they had gotten out. As the familiar approached Nanoha, she pretended not to think anything of her until she got closer. Alph, who seemed to have been tricked by Nanoha's acting, spoke up.
"Hey kiddies, having fun?"
As the three focused their attention on Alph, Nanoha silently and unnoticeably began to think about what to say when Alph began sending messages to her. As the scene proceeded as it did before and Alph warned Nanoha to stay out of their way, Nanoha decided that she wouldn't take it any longer.
Bad little girls get bitten when they don't mind their own business.
I see... But why are you telling me this? Shouldn't you be the one minding your own business? I wouldn't want to hurt you, you know.
As the look of shock appeared over Alph's face, Nanoha wasn't exactly having the easiest time either. 'It feels like I'm saying this directly at Fate, that doesn't exactly feel too nice. Still, I can't show it to them. Remember, Nanoha, the person in front of you right now is not the one whose trust you earned by helping save Fate, the person in front of you hates you right now.' Silently, Alph walked away, shocked that the girl would be brave enough to speak back to her.
Nanoha could not fall asleep that night, as she was far too worried over how she would handle that night's actions. As she tried to emulate the conversation she had with Yuuno last time this had happened halfheartedly, Nanoha began to try and sense where Fate was at the moment. Yuuno sensed this and was slightly annoyed that Nanoha wasn't entirely all that worried about the two. He was wrong. She was worried, just not in the way he expected. Suddenly, it came. The feeling of a Jewel Seed. Snapping to full awareness the same time Fate did, Nanoha prepared to set out and get it, before remembering that Fate was the one who obtained this Seed and moving slightly slower. Running towards the scene of the Seed, Nanoha felt that she should pull out Raising Heart as Yuuno had suggested.
"Raising Heart, please activate!"
Standby, ready. Set Up.
As a pink flash of light came, Alph realized that Nanoha really was going to come and got ready to fight them. While Fate began to seal the Lost Logia, or Jewel Seed as some preferred to call it, Nanoha was slowly moving closer to the scene of the crime. As she arrived, the blue flash of a Jewel Seed being sealed was there in her eyes. Alph, noticing the two now, spoke.
"Well, so you're here. Guess it's time to fight then."
Quickly changing to wolf form, Alph charged towards the two when Yuuno got in the way.
"Yuuno! Thanks!" Nanoha thanked the ferret, happy that he blocked the attack.
"Nanoha! I'll transport her away! You take care of the other girl!
As another flash of light, this one green was in the air, Yuuno and Alph disappeared from the scene of the fight, leaving only Nanoha and Fate. Fate spoke first.
"Well, he can control barriers and other things like transport spells, your familiar is quite interesting.
"He's not my familiar, he's just a friend of mine, okay!"
"I see. Very well then, what now?"
"Can't we talk this over!"
"No, I doubt mere words can change anything at this point. We must fight, with the Jewel Seeds as the prize."
Fate suddenly appeared behind Nanoha, who quickly turned around and shot at Fate, who was forced to take to the sky to evade the attack. As she flew up as well, Nanoha, who was surprised that it was her who had taken the initiative this time, used the words Fate should have.
"Fine, if you're so determined to fight, then let's bet one Jewel Seed each!"
As she finished her line, Nanoha saw that Fate had disappeared once again. Looking around, Nanoha saw that Fate was about to fire Photon Lancer at Nanoha, who reacted fast enough to dodge. Shooting out three shots of Divine Shooter, Fate, who was not expecting a counterattack quite as fast, attempted to dodge but was hit by the third shot, and when she recovered, she found a whole barrage heading towards her. Putting up a defense, Fate managed to survive all those attacks, while wondering why they were weaker than the three she had fired earlier. As she got behind Nanoha once more, she was surprised to find that the girl was expecting that and dodged by momentarily undoing her Flier Fin, and instead opting to use another spell to get behind Fate, and taking the change to shoot her down with a powered up Divine Shooter. As Fate hit the ground, Nanoha walked up to the girl, suddenly remembering that Fate was supposed to gain the Jewel Seed this round. Relived that Fate stood up meaning that she hadn't won just yet, Nanoha commanded Raising Heart to eject, and the device, knowing what its master was thinking obeyed the command. Throwing the Jewel Seed to Fate, who was managed to catch it, Nanoha spoke.
"Here. You might need it if you want to please your 'mother'" Making sure that Fate didn't catch the tone of voice she used with mother, Nanoha prepared to answer the inevitable question Fate would ask.
"Who are you, and how do you know so much about me?"
"I'm Nanoha Takamachi, and I think I know a bit more about you than I should, my dear Fate." Smiling as she finished her sentence, Nanoha saw Fate blush a bit when Alph arrived on the scene. Running up to her master, the familiar looked at Nanoha and glared at her, looking annoyed that she had dared to do this to Fate.
"Hey, don't look at me like that, she won, why else do you think she has my Jewel Seed in her hand?"
As Alph looked at Fate, she saw that she really did have another Jewel Seed in her hand and was relived a bit.
"Is that true, Fate?"
"Ummm, yes, it is. Let us go now."
As the two took off, Nanoha couldn't help but smile a bit at how cute Fate was.
If anyone is offended at the ending of this chapter, I apologize. I just couldn't resist putting it there. Anyways, please review.