Hello there! Yes, this is later than I thought it would be. Frankly, I was supposed to do this last week, but five project ninjas snuck up on me with all their homework minions. Ugh.

And yay, we have a winner! It is Courage the Cowardly Dog! Though I did give a huge amount of hints...

SapphoSensei: I was wondering if I should have gone into this side story at all, but glad you liked it!

Rezinpeace: Well, I'm a girl actually, but I don't mind.

And thanks to all who reviewed! If you didn't, I would have waited until after I finished my exams. PS: some scenes that were in the show I didn't write in full 'cuz, well, we already know what happened.

It was a bad day all in all. As Teana sat down with the others, she cupped her burning cheek. Ouch. Signum sure could hit. But also, she felt confused. The way they had reacted... About everything, really. (flashback sequence)

" I've decided." I announced to Subaru, sitting down next to her

" Tea?" Subaru asks me, curious. I turn to face her.

" You can help me." She stares at me. " If you want to, of course." I add. She stares. " Subaru?" She jumps me.

" Of course I want to!"

" Okay, okay," I try to push her away, but she clings on tightly. Finally, she pulls away.

" I've been waiting for you to say that." She grins at me.

" Yeah..." I stare at the floor.

" So, what's the plan?" I look back at her.

" Well..."

White lights. I closed my eyes immediately, but the bright light turned the back of my eyelids red. With a pained groan, I raised an arm to block the lights. " Feeling better?" A sympethetic voice asks from somewhere beside me. Sheilding my eyes, I open them slowly. Shamal is standing beside me, smiling gently. She helps me to sit up. " Do you remeber what happened?" She questions. I wince a little at the throbbing in my head and struggle to remember.

I shoot her a glance. She nods to let me know she's ready. We execute the plan. I leap down at Nanoha with my dagger blade while she's distracted with Subaru. I stare wide eyed as she catches the blade with her bare fingers. Blood trickles down slowly. " I'm disappointed." I hear her say. She binds me.

" Tea!" Subaru screams. In the corner of my eye, I see the lightning members on a rooftop. Erio moves forward to interfere, but Fate holds him back. Her burgundy eyes watch me. From the distance, I can't tell, but I think I see disappointment. And sadness as well as pain.

" Watch." Was all Nanoha said. Pink bolts streaked towards me...

" Nanoha-san...hit me?" She nods and scribbles something on her clipboard.

" At least you don't have concussion. Any pains?" I stretch out slowly.

" No. Except for a headache."

" That's good. It's probably best if you rest, though. Your Linker Core is quite strained." She writes something else down. She hands me some pills and a glass of water. " For your headache."

" Thanks." I down the pills. Handing the glass back to her, I ask, "How long?"

" Several hours. You took quite a blow." She smiles sympathetically. Then adds,"Subaru was very worried." As if on cue, Subaru bursts in, flinging her arms around my neck.

"Teaaa!" I blush deeply. Shamal stifles a laugh.

I race to the roof. Bursting through the door, I run to the others. The blades of the helicopter creates a gust that pulls at my jacket.

"Wait!" I stop a few feet away from them. "Let me come with you!" Signum shakes her head.

"Teana," Fate says gently. "You need to rest." I argued with her-them. Desperation ate away at me. I need to go. I want to prove myself! Why can't they-?

Signum's blow sends me sprawling. Subaru, Erio and Caro run to my side.

"Signum." Hayate warns her. The pink haired knight turned and entered the chopper. Hesitantly, Fate follows her. "Nanoha." Hayate turns to her.

"We'll talk later." She says and boards the transport. Hayate follows. Shari appears at my side.

"Let's get inside. I'll explain."(end of flashback)

Nanoha POV

"Mou, Shari! Don't just tell people about me!"

"Yeah, Shari!" Hayate grins playfully. "Don't do that." I glare a her. She clears her throat loudly. "Um, what did you show them anyway?"

"Sorry, Nanoha," she apologises. "I thought they should know. I only showed them a bit about your rehabilitation and your fight with Fate-chan."

"Oh, oh! Which one?" Hayate asks, excitedly.

"The one with Starlight Breaker." Fate winces slightly. "Sorry," Shari apologises again.

"Well, maybe Teana will understand now." Yuuno says.

"Hopefully," says Shari. "She seemed shocked. She didn't understand the full consequences her actions might have."

The others have wandered off, Shari to prepare some technical things, Hayate to file some paper work and lastly Fate who mumbled something about checking on Erio and Caro. It's just Yuuno now.

"I take it you guys still haven't made up?" he asks, watching her retreating back.

"No. And maybe we won't." I reply curtly. Why is it that whenever someone talks to me, it's about Fate?

"Oh? And why is that?" His voice is mild.

"I don't want to talk about this, alright?" I narrow my eyes at him. "That's all anyone ever says to me anymore! I'm sick of it!" He lays a calming hand on my arm.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." His emerald eyes lock with my own. "But, I'm not going to drop this subject."

"Why?" my voice a mere whisper.

"Because," he says smiling sadly, "I'm worried about you." I stare at him in confusion. "Maybe you didn't notice it, but you've been affected by this," he gestures, "As much as Fate."

"What? That's-"

"True. Absolutely true. Think about it, okay? You need to move on. Whatever happened...it's holding you back. You said you've moved on. You haven't. You're still stuck at the same place. Talk to her. Sort this out. Then maybe both of you can move on."

I pause, thinking. "I don't think I can." I say quietly.

"Nanoha." his voice is forceful. "Do you remember? When you were injured?"

"Of course I do!"

"And do you remember, who stayed by your side every day from when you first entered the hospital, until you were healed. And even after that, you stayed at Fate's and she looked after you."

"I never asked her to do that!"

"But she did. And I never heard you complaining then," he takes a deep breath. "I didn't know, you know? That you'd been injured. Not until a few weeks later. But when I went to visit you...Fate was there. I'd never seen her look so...broken. Not even when we'd met for the first time. And also your first meeting. You trained so much just to be able to persuade Fate and help her. Tell me that wasn't all for nothing, Nanoha!"

"I..." I look at him desperately. "I don't know how." He smiles and pulls me into a hug.

"Just take it slow. As long as you try, well, nobody can ask for more than that."

Erio POV

I hear soft voices in Caro's room, next to mine. It was probably Fate-san. Sometimes, when she finished working early, she would say goodnight to us. Even when she doesn't, sometimes when I'm half awake, I can hear my door open when she checks on me. I don't mind it. It kinda feels nice that she cares so much. But tonight, I have something on my mind. The videos that Shari showed us. Especially the part where Fate-San and Nanoha are fighting. Maybe it has something to do with what's happening now.

I hear a soft knock on the door. "Erio." Her gentle voice greets me.

"Come in." I call out, facing the door. She walks in. "How was the mission, Fate-San?"

"It was fine. The drones were relatively weak. We go back some parts to scan, so that's. plus." She stretches, yawning widely. "It was still quite tiring though. I'll be glad to get to bed."

"Fate-San?" I call out hesitantly.

"Yes, Erio?" She turns to face me.

"I just wanted to ask.." I pause. "Well, Shari showed us some videos and I was wondering...you and Nanoha-san were rivals?" She laughs softly.

"It's true. We were on different sides. But we became friends after that."

"How? I ask curiously. All she had said last time I'd asked was 'She saved me', followed by a laugh accompanied with her ruffling my hair. She tilts her head.

"Oh, that's right. I never did tell you, did I?" She smiles. "No time like the present. Sit down." I sit down on my bed while she pulls up a chair. This reminds me of when she used to read me stories or sing me to sleep. I smile. I really owe Fate-san. For everything.

She cleared her throat. "As you know, I was cloned by my mother Precia Testarossa to replace her daughter, Alicia. She thought I would be exactly the same as her. I was. But only in appearances. My personality, my behaviour wasn't. And so, she… she was upset. She had…failed to bring back her daughter," Fate-san took a moment to compose herself.

I could see that even now, ten years later, she still hasn't gotten over it completely. Maybe she never will. And she won't have to. I-we will always be there for her.

"She sent me on missions. To retrieve objects that could help her resurrect Alicia. I always tried my hardest. To see her smile at me…" her voice trails off. "I would have done anything and everything for her." She said quietly. Something about how she said it made me wonder if it still applied now. She gave herself a small shake. "Anyway," she turned to me, "she eventually sent me to find some Lost Logia. Jewel Seeds. Apparently, they had turned up quite recently. So I made my way to unadministered planet 94#: Earth. That was when I met Nanoha." She smiled sadly, recalling a distant memory.

"She wanted the Jewel Seeds as well. You see, a week or so prior to our meeting, she encountered Yuuno, injured and hurt. He had come to Earth to retrieve the Jewel Seeds."
"Why?" I couldn't help asking. She ruffled my hair.
"He was the one who found them. When the transport ship carrying them was destroyed, he made it his business to get them before they fell into wrong hands." She chuckled dryly.

"Such as mine. Nanoha took him in. She decided to help him and he taught her magic. We clashed many times over the Jewel Seeds. She always reached out to me, wanting to help me, get to know me." She shook her head. "I didn't listen, of course. Mother had stressed on how important it was that I needed to be fast." I watched her closely as she talked. Taking in all her words. "-and that's how we became friends," she finished.

Fate POV

After I finish, Erio seems deep in thought. Finally, he raises his head. "Fate-san?"

"Hmmm?"

"You said Nanoha-san and you were close friends?"

"Un. After my trial was over, I was adopted by Lindy-san. We lived on Earth with Nanoha and then Hayate. The three of us were best friends."

"But then...why are you and Nanoha-san... arguing?" I sigh.

"Well, it's hard to explain. I did something I shouldn't have. So now she doesn't know how to react to me anymore."

"Oh." he frowns hard, thinking. I chuckle inwardly. He's always so serious. I reach out and ruffle his hair before getting up.

"Don't think too hard about it. Focus on your training. Speaking of which, you are doing very well. Keep it up. I'm sorry I can't train you guys all the time."

"Thanks," he says, abashed. "And don't worry about it. Vita-san keeps us occupied." I smile in amusement. I'm sure she does.

"Anyway," I stretch," It's late. You'd better get to bed. You've a long day tomorrow." I lean down and tuck him in, kissing his forehead. He blushes.

"I'm not a kid anymore, Fate-san!"

"You'll always be a kid to me," I reply matter-of-factly. "Goodnight, Erio." I switch of the light.

"Goodnight, Fate-san."

Teana POV

I can't sleep. Tossing and turning restlessly, thinking about what Shari showed us earlier. So that's why she... The images replay. I feel sick. And Fate was against her last time. That power. No wonder she got hurt. I flex my fingers. Can that really happen..to me? A shiver runs through me. She could have died. She was in a coma for almost a year.

"Teana." Subaru's voice startles me. It's not a question, but a statement. Strange. She didn't call me Tea. N-not that I want her to or anything!

"Yes?"

"You-you won't do that again right? Over work yourself?"

"Of cour-"

"Because," she interrupts me. "I'm really worried you know? What if that happened to you? You could have died!"

"I know that! I've learned my lesson, okay?" I feel irritated. She doesn't have to tell me that!

"Sorry. It's just that...I really care about you a lot. I don't want anything to happen to you. So, could you...promise? Promise me you won't do that again. Please, Teana?"

She called me Teana again. She must be really serious. And how can she say things like that so easily? I'm glad for the darkness. I can feel the heat on my cheeks.

"I promise." I reply softly. I hear her sigh. A few minutes later, she starts snoring.

"Baka," I whisper, "Don't say it like it's nothing."

Is it me, or is the story just running on the spot? I'm sorry! And also, is it me or are half Subaru's lines just screaming Teana's name? So I decided to have her serious for once. Anyway, yes, that's the end of this side story. Finally! Next will be *den den den* Vivio! bwahahahahaha...haha. Though it might take a while to update. Because:

This week, I have Chess(yes, again) and wheeee, Sports Day! Thank God it's on Thursday! Friday HOLIDAY! And my exams are week after the next from that (if that makes sense) So yeah...study time... Oh shit, I just realised how close they are.

GOOD NEWS: I been practically DYING to write the next part. In fact, I've wrote it about a quarter way. So... I might update this weekend. Might not, though. I need to study for exams. Right now my priority is Sports, Studying, sleeping, fanfiction. Some reviews might change that, though... *hint hint*

Also, tell me if you want me to follow the strikers events fully or only focus on the parts that involve NANOFATE.