Author's Note: I apologize for the short chapter last time…I'll try to make a loong one this time. Actually, Chapter 5 was left unfinished; I uploaded it by accident…sorry! I won't be fixing it until after the entire story is done, though.

Fate sat down at the table outside with Hayate, Vita, Signum, Nanoha, Arf and Shamal—as usual. The only person missing was Alicia. Her heart heavy, she opened her lunch and started to eat slowly, feeling tired.

"Where's Alicia?" asked Hayate, looking around the table for the maple eyes and blond hair. She turned to Fate when she didn't get an answer. "Fate-chan?"

Fate shrugged. "We don't live together—I saw her this morning,"

Nanoha sighed. "They're fighting," she told Hayate.

"Oh, sorry," Hayate said, looking at the table. Then she brightened. "Hey, Arf-chan, can you try on a few outfits I made? I mean, you have pretty good assets…"
"What?!" yelped Arf, blushing bright red and crossing her arms. "What are you talking about?!"

"Well, you know…" Hayate wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, and Shamal, Vita, Signum, Nanoha and Fate laughed.

"Hey, Hayate-chan," Chrono called, coming over with his lunch. Fate and Arf both groaned loudly at his appearance.

"Hey, Chrono-kun," Hayate answered looking up with a rather cool look in her blue eyes. "Is there something you need?"

"Um…" Chrono coughed. "We have a student council meeting, and Sensei asked me…"

"Shit!" Hayate squealed, the word sounding very odd with her girlish tone. The table burst into laughter again, and Hayate hit the nearest person to her over the head—and that person happened to be Signum. "See you!" Hayate yelled over her shoulder, grabbing her bag and leaving her lunch on the table, probably partly to escape the ominous look in Signum's eyes.

The group laughed again as Chrono dashed off after Hayate, ambling awkwardly, unable to keep up with her speedy pace.

"My, this looks cozy," said a snide voice.

Fate looked up in surprise. "Alicia-nee," she said, recognizing the mirror-like image in front of her.

Alicia looked different somehow. Her eyes were cold, and her features hard. She looked more like Precia than Fate, in fact. Her hand rested on her right hip, and she leaned backward in an arrogant position. "Hey, oneechan," she said, smirking slightly. "How are you? Or should I call you liar, instead?"

"Alicia!" a voice called from behind her, and Alicia turned.

A boy with purple hair and malicious green eyes ran up to stand next to Alicia. He greeted them all with a creepy grin that made all the girls flinch back. "Heeeeyy," he greeted them, his eyes resting on each of the girls in turn.

"It's Spaghetti-san!" cried Nanoha suddenly, sparking laughter from the girls. Nanoha blushed. "Sorry, that's how we know him,"

"You're hanging out with Tentacle Monster?" Vita gaped, eyes wide. "Gross. Fate, I think you're sister…"

"Stop it," Shamal said, barely concealing giggles herself.

Alicia rolled her eyes. "See you after school, liar," she said sweetly, and walked off saucily, Jail right behind her.

"Man, that guy's creepy—I heard that in his first year here…"

They launched into a great gossip session on Jail Spaghetti the Tentacle Monster, and Fate slowly sank back in her chair, allowing the conversation to rise and fall without her.

What would await her after school?

***

"Hey, Fate-chan,"
Fate spun around and held up one hand defensively. "What do you want?" she asked aprehensively, recognizing Jail's figure.

"Just a message from Alicia—she wants to meet you in front of your new house, now,"

"Why didn't she tell me herself?" asked Fate, honestly curious.

"Hell if I know; Alicia asks, I do. See ya around, Fate-chan," he put a special emphasis on her name that made her want to take a bath.

With a shudder, Fate continued down the road back towards her house, walking quickly to meet up with Alicia.

She hoped that Alicia would hear her out, that they could return to their old relationship, and wondering briefly what had happened to her sister, she stepped into the front yard of the Harlown residence.

Her hopes dropped and shattered as she spotted Alicia lounging on the front steps, an arrogant smile on her cruel face. Fate's jaw clenched and she stepped forward as Alicia looked up, feigning surprise.

"Oh, Fate, I wasn't expecting you," she said sarcastically.

"I'm sure you weren't, since this IS my home," Fate answered, her voice as emotionless as her eyes. "Were you waiting for the birds?"

"Last time I checked, this was the Harlown residence, not the Testarossa residence," Alicia shot back. Fate caught the first glimmer of regret in her sister's eyes and grabbed her chance.

"I'm sorry Alicia, I didn't lie, I swear—you saw, didn't you?" asked Fate pleadingly.
Alicia's eyes glittered. "Mother never lies to me. She told me you told her to do those things so you could leave your home with me and her," she said coldly.

"I didn't I swear, Alicia!"

"I know what I know," Alicia replied coldly.

"Then I guess you know that I'm not a liar," Fate answered, crossing her arms and walking toward the front door, past her sister.

Alicia stood up and turned to Fate. "I'm not hanging out with you or school, and I'm not visiting you anymore," she announced. "I won't be talking to you, either,"

Fate turned, eyes narrowed. "And?"

"And I don't ever want to see you again,"

"Is that all?" asked Fate, struggling to retain her calm.

"Yes," Alicia's face was a mask.

The two girls turned away from eachother at the same time, and Fate slammed the door behind her, and ran upstairs, into her new room, and crawled under the covers and started to cry, letting the sobs wrack her body, and trying to get over being rejected by the closest person to her in the whole entrie world.

***

"I did it…" Alicia murmured to herself, sinking to the floor in her bedroom and putting her head in her hands. "I really, honestly did it…" Her shoulders shook violently as she stared down at the carpeted floor of her bedroom. "I did it…"

She started to laugh. It just poured out of her like a hot drink. And then she remembered a song that she and Fate used to sing when they were young, and she started to sing, and then tears poured from her eyes and she began to sob as the laughter wracked her body.

So this was what being crazy felt like.

Alicia felt it was a rather interesting feeling.

***

"Fate, let me in. Please, Fate? Come on, Fate, I wanna talk to you," begged Arf, leaning against the bathroom door and listening to the sound of the water running. "You've been in there for years, honestly…"

There was a splash and the door opened, and Arf stared at her red eyes and pink cheeks with surprise. She was still wearing her school uniform, but her arms and face were wet."Yes, Arf? I'm taking a bath," Fate said simply, her eyes and voice empty.

"Are you okay, Fate?"

"Yes, I'm fine," answered Fate, without a smile or any emotion at all. "Do you need something, Arf?"

"Fate…Please, tell me what's wrong. Please?" Arf begged, taking Fate's hot hand in her own, and staring into her blank, maple eyes. "Please?"

Fate's shoulders slumpedand she stared at the floor. "Alicia…"

Arf resisted the urge to mutter, "the bitch", and waited for her to say more.

"Alicia told me she doesn't ever want to see me again, and that she won't speak to me ever again or come to visit or anything," Fate said in a rush. "She said those things, but she looked so unhappy, Arf, and I don't know what to do, if I should help her or let her alone, but it hurts, Arf, it hurts badly, and I cant' figure it out," Fate's eyes were wide, but not tear-filled as Arf expeccted them to me.

Arf was struck by how strong Fate was, and how much it must of hurt to open up like this. The only problem was, Arf had zero experience with sisters, brothers, or family arguments.

"Don't let her slip away, Fate," Arf told her friend, surprising herself. "Don't,"

Fate nodded, and closed her eyes. "Thanks, Arf," she said quietly.

"Come on, let's go downstairs. Chrono and Amy want to watch Raging Heart the Movie 4 again," Arf said, trying to be cheerful.

Fate nodded, took Arf's hand and let her friend lead her downstairs.

***

"My, you look pretty," Precia said approvingly as Alicia came down the stairs in a baby blue dress that reached her knees. It was fancy, with pleated skirts and a ribbon that matched the two in her hair. Alicia smiled.

"Thank you, Mother," she said clearly. "Where do you want to go?" Some of the madness that had posessed her earlier had faded away, and her mind was sharp; almost too sharp, in fact.

"Hm…how about just a walk in the park?" offered Precia, holding out a hand.

"Thank you," Alicia repeated, taking her mother's hand, letting her lead her outside, into the cool dusk air.

They walked. Alicia lost track of time, until…

"Mother? Alicia?"

Alicia's face hardened at the sight of Fate, Lindy, Arf, Chrono and Amy standing together in a little group. Chrono was holding a ball. Fate looked shocked to see them there.

"Hello, Fate," Precia said warmly.

She was so much nicer than Fate deserved. Alicia glared at her sister.

"I will have to ask you to leave, Precia-san," said Lindy Harlown calmly, putting an arm around Fate's shoulders and looking Precia straight in the eye.

"Why should she leave? The only person who hurts people around here is that," Alicia pointed to Fate, satisfied by the hurt that flitted across her twin's face as the words struck her.

"What's wrong with you, Alicia-chan?" asked a voice. Nanoha stepped into the light; she had been so silent and still that Alicia had hardly noticed her.

"Nothing. I only realized the truth," answered Alicia snidely.

"No. You closed your eyes to the truth," Nanoha corrected coldly.
"Please. I'm not the liar here, and niether is Mother," Alicia snapped.

"I think the liar here is clear," Nanoha said.

"Stop it," Fate said suddenly, interrupting their argument. "Alicia can believe whatever she likes," she stared at Alicia sadly, but Alicia turned away.

"Yes, Alicia can," Fate's twin said mockingly. "Now, if all you freaks and liars will excuse us," Alicia grabbed her mother's hand and started walking, Precia following her easily.

"I can't believe she got everyone to believe her," Alicia said, disgusted.

"Yes…Fate is a good liar,"

"Has Fate ever lied to you?" called someone from the group they had just left. Alicia turned slightly to see Nanoha staring at her, her slate blue eyes far more piercing than Fate's.

Alicia's mouth twisted in an odd smile. "I'm afraid so," she said. "She has now," But she couldn't help glancing back as she felt the blue gaze burn her back as she walked away.

Nanoha's words echoed in her mind.

Has Fate ever lied to you?

***

"Aiie ~nano! This is tiring ~nano! I hope that Lyri-chan hurries up, ~nano!" a tiny, pink creature recited on the TV screen, it's squeaky voice growing higher with each "~nano".

"Damn, that voice hurts my ears," Arf complained. "Choucho is the worst character on Raging Heart, I swear,"
"He's cute!" Amy disagreed. "I mean, look at his cute little ears!"

"Amy has a rabbit boyfriend, Amy has a rabbit boyfriend!" Chrono sang.

"Chrono has NO girlfriend, Chrono has NO girlfriend," Amy shot back, earning herself a mutinous glare from Chrono.

"Raging Heart, Set Up!" cried the girl on the screen, and the room collapsed into giggles.

"It's so…nerdy…" giggled Nanoha. "I mean, what if I did that?" She stood up in front of the TV screen, faced them, and held up an imaginary marble. "Raging Heart, Set UP!"

Fate laughed. "You look good," she told her friend, who rolled her eyes, but grinned, to let Fate know she wasn't upset.

"Oooh, it's Black Lightning, she's sooo hot!" cried Arf. "I mean, look at her staff, it's awesome," she grinned. "Look, she's gonna go!"

Fate nodded. "Yeah, it's really cool—Bardiche, right?"

"Yeah, why don't you do it—I did Raging Heart, so you go!" Nanoha insisted.

"No way," disagreed Fate.

"Yes, way!"

"Nope!"

"Meanie,"

"Sucks for you!" Fate teased. "Just kidding," she turned back to the TV. This was good. This was very good. She didn't even think about Alicia while watching this show…

"Fate-chan?"

Fate looked around into Nanoha's concerned eyes, forced a smile, and threw herself back into the conversation with great emotion.

***

"Alicia, what are you doing?"

Alicia Testarossa looked up, then stared down at her hands. Blood. Where had that come from? She examined her hands carefully, and found a knife clenched in her right hand, and cuts on her left. The knife was bloodstained. She'd have to clean it soon.

"Ow," Alicia said in surprise, the pain from her cuts reaching her. She rubbed one of the cuts slowy, trying to ease the pain.

"Were you cutting yourself, Alicia?" asked Precia sternly.

"Yes," Alicia answered. "I guess I was. Sorry, Mother. I didn't realize,"

Precia looked down at her daughter's injuries. "Here, I'll clean it," she offered, taking the knife from Alicia and laying it on the counter. She took her daughter's arm and led her towards the sink; Alicia had been standing in the kitchen.

Precia clenched her free hand into a fist. She knew what was causing Alicia to do these things. That monster.

Even if it cost Precia her freedom, she would put an end to this.

***

"Dear Fate Testarossa,

Please come to the Testarossa residence after school. Thank you.

--Alicia"

The letter was typed, so Fate had no idea who had written it. She crumpled the paper in her hand as the last period bell rang. Jail sent her a pitying look; he had delivered the message. Why would he pity her?

Shaking her head, Fate packed up her bag and headed out the door, skipping homeroom without a second thought. It would take her ten minutes to get home anyway.

"Fate-chan?"
Fate didn't look back as Nanoha called her name, and headed out the door.

She reached her old house before long and knocked on the door. No one answered, so she tried it. It was open.

Precia Testarossa stood in the hall, a belt in one hand, a knife on the counter. Fate took a step back, but Precia lunged.

Too late.

Author's Note: Oooh, cliffhanger, cliifhanger! Muahaha! I think I ended in an exciting way, hopefully, anyway. I feel like this chapter was sorta boring, but I threw in the Lyrical Girl part for comedy, yes, since things are gonna get serious soon.


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