Well, apparently I must offer some explanations, which is sure to be annoying for all of us. I'll try to keep it brief.
Firstly, I have never participated in gay bashing. Never. How anyone can think that I have when I've written fics with the message that there was nothing wrong with being homosexual is beyond me. Sure, I openly bash My HiME's Shizuru, but that's not because she's gay. It's because she's a psycho, murdering, bitch who didn't get what she deserved.
One thing you must understand about me is that I don't think NanoFate is canon. As such, by pairing them with guys, to me, I am not particularly going against canon. That's not to say I think that Nanoha and Fate's bond isn't as strong. I just interpret the nature of their relationship to be a platonic one. To use an analogy, it's like looking at a glass of water. We can agree that the glass is filled to the top, however, I think the glass contains regular water, where as you may think the glass holds flavoured water.
Now, I don't want you all charging at me going "It is canon because of this, this, and this!" You'll just be wasting my time and your's. If BPHaru can't convert me, you probably can't either. I've heard it all before. Only the word of God (ie, Seven Arcs) will affect my opinion. So, for example, I consider Fate's status to be Vivio's godparent, because that's what Fate herself said she was.
So, you may look at some of the stuff I have Nanoha and Fate do with each other in this fic and think I'm having them be a couple. Just keep in mind that I don't consider that stuff to be strange things for really close friends to do.
Could they grow beyond that over the course of the fic? Maybe. Could this be a pairingless fic? Perhaps. I'm not going to spoil my own story. I would also like readers to decide to read because the story interests them, not just because of the pairing involved (if there is one).
That brings me to another issue that a certain some one keeps insisting on. She says that readers will be very hurt and feel bad if the story doesn't turn out the way they think it should. As such, I have to warn them ahead of time by saying the pairing so they know to avoid it. I find it infinitely amusing that this person is the one who will read my clearly marked non-NanoFate fics anyways, and then come whining to me about how hurt she is. I just can't win, can I?
Yes, I'm aware I'm in the minority. However, I'm not going to alter a story for the sake of fan pandering. I hate when professionals do it, but I understand they have money to make. Writing fanfiction, though, is not a business. I'm not going to be cancelled if I don't get a certain approval rating. However, I don't mind the occasional fanservice, as you can see in my other fics.
TL;DR, If you're the kind of person who feels bad when they don't get their way, don't read this fic until it's done and you know how it turns out. Then you can decide if it's to your liking or not. For those who will stop reading because they think I'm an idiot, feel free to do so. For those who like reading and can accept whatever twists are presented to you, please enjoy.
This chapter was originally twice as long, so I split it in two. I'll post the next one in a few days.
All mad scientist and inmate Jail Scaglietti had were his books. Being locked up in an orbital prison left him with no freedom, and lots of time. So he read. A lot. He read anything he could get his hands on. Historic texts, adventure novels, pop-up books. The book cart he had access to certainly didn't have much in terms of selection. Thankfully, the few of his creations that retained a certain fondness for him would gift him with reading material.
After reading a certain book by a man named Harris, Jail took to offering his assistance to his captors. Being a criminal master mind, he could contribute a lot of helpful insight for the investigators that visited him. Aside from the occasional exception, all he asked for in return were more books. He had amassed quite the collection over the years. He wondered just how many he could read before his life sentence was up.
"Isn't this a cozy place?"
Jail peeked over his romance novel about vampires at his unexpected visitor. There had been no announcement of anyone arriving. Judging from the stranger's attire, however, it was a safe bet that he would never get clearance.
His body was covered by the cylinder of a black mantle that hung from his shoulders. His head was covered with a sleek, ebony helmet. The only skin that showed was his lopsided grin.
"A little early for Halloween, isn't it?" Jail quipped, sliding his bookmark into place. The stranger looked down at himself.
"What, you don't like it?" He asked. "I think it looks cool. It adds an air of mystery at least, doesn't it?"
Jail ignored the question. "I won't bother asking how you got in here. So, who are you, and what do you want with me?"
"To thank you, for one." The man said. "You got rid of that pesky ship for me, and now I'm free."
"So that's who you are… I see…" Jail nodded sagely. "So, what are you planning to do now?"
"Take over the world."
"Of course!"
"Hey, I'm evil. What else would I do? Well, I could try for Instrumentality, but that's too messy."
"And? What do you need from me?"
"I need mooks."
"Excuse me?"
"You know, mooks. Cannon fodder. Random lackeys whose only purposes are to be taken out by the good guys. Every evil overlord needs them. The little girl with the exploding zombies is asleep, so I can't use her. I can bust you out of here and we'll get to work."
"Sorry." Jail said, opening up his book. "I'm not interested. I actually kind of like it here. I cannot, in good conscience, help you out."
"I see." The man made to leave, but turned back again. "Can you recommend some one who will?"
Jail looked up from his book again. "Yes."
X-X-X
"Time to wake up, sir."
Fate stirred at the sound of her device's voice. She groaned and sat up, or she attempted to, at least. A familiar pressure was present around her waist. She looked down to see that, once again, Nanoha and latched onto her in her sleep. The brunette's arms had a firm hold.
It had been a week since Yuuno's funeral. Nanoha may have stopped crying constantly, but the woman was still incredibly listless. She could barely drag herself out of bed, and when she managed that, she mostly just stared into space.
Fate had put in for leave time. She couldn't let Nanoha be alone in that state. The other girl had begged Fate to stay as well. She had just lost Yuuno; she couldn't bear to lose Fate too.
Fate knew that it wasn't just the grief eating at her friend. There was also the regret that Nanoha hadn't been as close to Yuuno as she thought she had been. She would never have a chance to fix that.
Sometimes, she would call out the boy's name in her sleep.
Fate pried away the vice grip, and noticed that Vivio wasn't in the large bed with them. The little girl must have already woken up. She might have only known Yuuno for a short time, but the child had been rather fond of him. Vivio had the occasional melancholic bout, but she tried to keep up a cheerful demeanour. She said she knew Yuuno would want her to be happy.
Fate kept a similar mindset. She missed her friend greatly, but knew he wouldn't be pleased if she dwelled on it. She would live on and do his share as well.
She glanced at the calendar and noticed the big red circle on the day's date. Fate recalled what it meant and realised that was why Vivio had gotten up early.
"Nanoha, wake up." She nudged the sleeping girl. Nanoha just moaned and turned away. "Wake up, Nanoha. Today's the day you were going to show Vivio and her class around the training center, remember?"
"That was today?" The brunette muttered into the sheets.
"She's been looking forward to this all month." Fate said as she started changing. "Besides, you need to go out. This should be just the thing to cheer you up."
"Maybe…" When Nanoha mustered the strength to lift her head, she saw that Fate had changed into her uniform. "Are you going out on business?" She asked with a hint of dread in her voice.
"I just have a few errands to run." Fate said. "Don't worry, I'm not going into the field. I feel really bad dumping my caseload on Teana. The least I can do is help with some of the administrative tasks."
"Ok…" Nanoha sat upright. She didn't move again until several moments later.
"I'll meet up with you and Vivio when I'm done." Fate placed her hands on Nanoha's shoulders. "All right?"
Nanoha leaned forward and rested her face against Fate's middle. "I'm sorry for being a burden. I hate knowing I'm just worrying you all, but I just…"
"It's ok, Nanoha." She held her a moment. "I understand. Take all the time you need." Fate backed away and headed to the door. "Hurry up and get ready or else you'll be late. I'll see you later."
"Have a safe trip." Nanoha waved weakly. When Fate was gone, Nanoha made her way over to the mirror. She looked about as miserable as she felt. She had been sleeping a lot, but her eyes still had a faint ring of purple around them. Her frazzled hair appeared to be having an argument over which direction to stick out in. Nanoha couldn't remember when she last brushed it. She picked up her brush and forced an agreement.
She knew she was being pathetic. She knew she was just dragging down those around her. Vivio's smiles haven't been reaching the ends of her eyes, and Fate was being kept away from work. Her parents, siblings, and the rest of her friends called her almost every day even though they had busy lives of their own. She wanted to be able to at least fake a smile for them, but she was unable to. She just felt so hollow inside.
Even Subaru had tried to console her. The blue haired girl had told Nanoha about how devastated she was when her mom died. She would cry non-stop, but knowing that her father and sister were there for her helped her through it. She assured Nanoha that she wasn't alone.
Yes, Nanoha was well aware of that. She was grateful to Fate, Vivio, and everyone else for their love and kindness. It really did warm her heart, but… her heart felt like a hole had been bored into it. It was like she was missing something important.
Yuuno had been a constant figure in her life. They had been friends since they were kids, and he had helped her in so many ways. She thought he'd always be there, but now he wasn't. What was worse is that it was as if he had never really been there in the first place.
Setting her hair in order, Nanoha reached for the ribbon she always used to tie it off. Her hand twitched when she touched it. A memory flooded her senses.
"Ah! Yuuno-kun, your hair is getting long."
"I know, but I've been so busy I haven't had the chance to cut it. It really gets in the way sometimes."
Nanoha thought for a moment. "Oh, I know!" She reached up to one of her twin tails and pulled out the ribbon. She went behind Yuuno and drew together his hair. She used the ribbon to tie it off at the base of his neck. "There, that should do the trick!"
Yuuno put his hand to his new ponytail. "T-Thanks. But Nanoha, now your hair is all loose on one side."
"Hm…" Nanoha pondered again. She pulled out her other ribbon and gathered all her hair together at the side of her head. "How does this look?"
"It looks great. It really suits you." The boy replied. She smiled at his approval.
"Then it's settled." She retied her hair in the side tail that she would always use thereafter.
"Something like that did happen, didn't it?" She said sadly. If he still used it, that would mean her ribbon's twin was now under miles of rubble with Yuuno's crushed bo…
Nanoha shook her head violently and rubbed at the few tears that had fallen. She couldn't think of that. She was going to spend the day with her daughter and her class. Yuuno would want her to put her grief away and enjoy herself, wouldn't he?
She honestly didn't know anymore.
The ribbon in her hand suddenly felt so heavy. She put it in her drawer and used a different one in her hair. She donned her uniform and went downstairs to where her daughter was waiting.
"Good morning, mama." Vivio said cautiously. "How are you feeling today?"
"Good morning Vivio." Nanoha responded. "I'm… okay."
"If you're not feeling well you can stay home." The little girl suggested. "My class will understand…"
"No." Nanoha shook her head. "I made a commitment, and I'm going to honour it. I'm sure we'll have lots of fun today." She managed the biggest smile she had given in a week. Vivio considered her mama a moment.
"Okay! Then let's hurry! I made breakfast!" Vivio took Nanoha's hand and brought her into the kitchen.
X-X-X
"Ok class, please settle down." The teacher informed her students. The kids tore their eyes away from the giant building that was the headquarters of the TSAB combat instructors. They gave their teacher their attention.
"As I'm sure you all know," The teacher went on. "This is the place where those who teach aspiring young mages gather. This is a government run building, so I expect you all to be on your best behaviour."
"Yes, m'am!" The kids responded in unison.
"Ok then. Let's let our guide for today introduce herself."
"Hi, everyone." Nanoha said. "I'm Instructor Nanoha Takamachi. Some of you already know me as Vivio's mother. Today I'm going to be showing you around where I usually work." Of course there were areas the Bureau prohibited her from talking about, but she intended to give the children the fullest experience she could. "Now, let's all go inside and we'll get started!"
X-X-X
"I'm really sorry for having you do all this, Teana." Fate apologised to the girl on the screen.
"Don't worry about it, Fate-san." The other Enforcer replied. "I understand you have issues of your own."
"Still… I filled out all the necessary forms for you. I also called in a few favours. You should have no problem getting through the red tape. If you do, Shari will handle it for you."
"I appreciate it." Teana paused a moment. "So how is she doing?"
"A little better, I think. She should be at the training center by now. Vivio's class is there on a fieldtrip."
"I see… It was hard for me, losing my brother, so I understand what she's going through."
Fate nodded. "Subaru came over the other day and had a talk with her. That helped a lot. Thank her for me the next time you see her."
"Will do."
"Thanks again, Teana."
"You're welcome, Fate-san."
Fate ended the transmission and prepared to leave. She would probably make it for the second half of the tour if she hurried.
"Fate-chan." Hayate's voice stopped her.
"Hayate. How are you?"
"I've been better." The shorter girl huffed. "Join me for tea, Fate-chan. I have something to talk to you about."
Fate didn't dare refuse. When Hayate had that flat expression on her face, it meant something serious was going down. They took their tea in Hayate's office.
"First, I want you to look at this report." Hayate took out a folder and handed it to her friend. Fate opened it and read the contents.
"An unknown dimensional disturbance…" Fate looked up, aghast. "Wait, these coordinates are…!"
"That's right." Hayate nodded. "That area has never been that stable, but this is definitely suspicious. We can't be sure of what this actually means, though." Hayate handed over another folder. She continued while Fate read. "Since then, there have been raids at several factories. Machinery and supplies were both taken. Not small amounts, either. We're talking about whole assembly lines gone missing. Entire storehouses of metal plates have vanished."
Fate nodded along, following the report. "But how are these connected?"
Hayate passed her another folder. "A few days ago, a small, backwater outpost was attacked. The attacker is pictured there."
Fate studied the photo. What was pictured was a machine, no doubt about that. It had the shape of a man, but was otherwise featureless. Its entire body was a smooth, metallic grey. From its back spouted two straight edges, undoubtedly wings.
"It was a surprise attack, but the mages on duty were able to chase it off." Hayate went on. "They noted that the armour could take some punishment, but it was otherwise weak and used basic attack patterns."
"What does all this mean, Hayate?" Fate asked cautiously.
"I imagine the missing equipment was used to build this machine. Other than that… I honestly have no idea. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but…" Hayate's gaze fell a bit. "But after losing Yuuno-kun so suddenly, and then all this weird stuff going on… I have a gut feeling something's about to happen."
Fate nodded. She was beginning to feel something was amiss too.
"Keep on your toes, Fate-chan." The special investigator warned. "Keep an eye on Nanoha-chan, too. I don't want to lose anyone else."
Fate nodded a thanks and made long strides to the door. Something told her to get to Nanoha and Vivio, fast.
X-X-X
The children watched in awe as they saw a mock battle in progress. The trainees made several unsuccessful attempts to attack their instructor. The instructor, an older man by the name of Balgus, would side step wild charges, and parry away staff swings.
"This is about normal for a mock battle." Nanoha explained. "There's an obvious difference in strength and experience between a trainer and their students. That's why the trainees only need to land one blow. But that's not so easy, as you can see."
The children giggled as Balgus casually outstretched a foot, causing a trainee to trip and fall on his face. A loud buzzer sounded.
"What does that sound mean?" One boy asked.
"It means that time's up." Nanoha explained. "The trainees couldn't get a hit in. Knowing Mr Balgus, they'll be on toilet duty for the rest of the week as punishment."
The kids giggled again, prompting Nanoha's smile to widen a little more. This really was making her feel a lot better.
"Next I'll show you where we test out all the new technology." Nanoha held a finger up to her lips. "Some of it is top secret, so be sure not to tell anyone!"
"We won't!" The students promised. None of them could remain still after hearing they would get to see something top secret.
"Wow, Vivio! Your mom's so awesome!" Vivio's friend Rio whispered.
"Yeah, she is!" Vivio agreed.
"She seems different from when I last met her…" Vivio's other friend, Corona, noted. "She doesn't seem as energetic."
"One of her friends died last week." Vivio's smile disappeared. "She's still really sad about it."
"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that…" Corona looked down. Rio didn't know how to handle the gloomy atmosphere. She laughed nervously.
"Um… well…" She grabbed her friends' hands and pulled them along. "Come on! If we fall behind, we won't be able to see all the top secret stuff!"
"Ok, behind this door is the test range." Nanoha said. "We try out new devices and other gadgets that the Research and Development department come up with. We test their strengths, weaknesses, efficiency, and over all safety. We master their use so we can teach others how to wield them properly." Nanoha turned to the door and punched in her code.
Another buzzer began wailing, this time with the accompaniment of flashing red lights. Nanoha looked up in surprise.
"What does that sound mean?" The boy from before asked.
"It means…" A loud boom rumbled through the building. The structure convulsed, causing a few kids to lose their footing. "… We're under attack."
"I-Instructor." The school teacher asked shakily. "No one told me about this… demonstration!"
"I'm afraid this isn't a drill. We have to get the kids to the emergency shelter. Let's go."
