Posted: 20/08/2008
The song is available at LJ...but considering the fact that I'm using the same one from the prologue, it may be a moot notice.
-o-
Expiation
Part I
"Rather than a life for finalty"
- Narcissu, OST.
-o-
She was gone the next day. Vanished, without so much a note.
For some brief moments, Nanoha wondered if it was just a dream. A figment of her imagination. Those touches, as familiar as they were foreign; the hand that would brush away strands of hair that covered her forehead, and...the warmth.
It would have been easier to think of it as a dream, if she hadn't woken up in a bed empty of a familiar warmth, and with sheets filled with the faint scent of rain and smoke.
And if the jacket, dried and hanging by the chair, wasn't there.
Yes.
It would have been easier.
-o-
"...It's been a while, Admiral Harlaown."
She paused in her steps, forcing herself to remain still and not tense up.
Her gaze turned to meet a shade of blue different than the one she knew intimately, with hair darker than hazel.
She stared for a few long moments, before her hand raised to salute.
"Yes...General Yagami." A pause. "It's been a while."
There were unshed tears in those blue eyes.
"...Are you busy?" I want to talk to you.
It was another long pause before Fate answered. Contemplated running away.
"...No. No, I'm not."
She owed her that much.
Even more.
"Walk with me, Fate-chan."
She wasn't given a chance to respond when a hand tugged at her elbow insistently.
-o-
"How have you been?"
"Busy."
Hayate gave her a wry look.
"And how is your social life, Fate-chan?"
The blonde could only shrug, reaching for her cup of coffee.
Hayate sighed.
"Everyone misses you here, you know."
"...Ah."
"Have you met Nanoha?"
Her hand froze in mid-air, cup mere millimeters from reaching her lips.
The silence that came after was long.
Too long.
Then red eyes moved to meet blue.
And she replied.
"...No."
The coffee tasted bitter on her lips.
-o-
Vita frowned.
Nanoha was leaning against the wall with her right shoulder, eyes distant as she stared out at the window next to her.
It all pointed to one thing.
She had heard.
Vita, a male voice warned in her head.
The redhead forced a scowl down before it could form.
Zafira, in his massive wolf form, lounged on the couch. He had never (no, not really) parted from Nanoha ever since that day, and part of it was because of Hayate's request.
Another part was because of his own fondness for Vivio, the little child whom he had protected for years.
Leave her be.
This time, a scowl did form.
Why?
There was a pause before he answered.
Do you honestly think she would respond well to your questions?
That wasn't what he wanted to say. Not really.
He wanted to speak of the scent of rain and smoke, but did not.
It was not time.
And idly, he wondered if it would ever be time.
So, instead, he watched Vita bristle slightly.
"Nanoha," she grunted, almost warily.
"Hmm?"
Surprise filled Vita for some reason. She hadn't thought that Nanoha would be aware of her surroundings at all.
"Vita-chan?"
Her gaze lifted to meet inquiring - but still distant - blue.
The Wolkenrietter wanted to ask what the brunette was going to do. She wanted to, badly.
Instead, she said,
"It's time for those kids' training session."
"Ah. Right. Let's go, then."
Zafira walked by their side, watching.
Always watching.
He was the guardian beast, the protector, and thus it was his job to find and prevent danger. And failing that, his duty to overcome the danger.
But even he could not have foreseen this.
In exactly one hour, thirty-three minutes and twenty-four seconds, Nanoha was sent to the hospital.
He almost tore the cadet into pieces for his recklessness.
-o-
It was with thinning patience, frustration, exasperation and sadness that Hayate finally posed her last question.
"Why did you come back, Fate-chan?"
The brunette bit her lip. She hadn't meant to say it that way. She had wanted, hoped, that the blonde would have forgiven herself. Because she knew that would, aside from military obligations, make her come back.
That was the only thing.
"Fate-chan, I didn't - "
"It's fine."
"No, you don't underst - "
"It's fine, Hayate."
Fate smiled.
And she fell silent.
"Will you ever come back?"
There was a pause before the blonde answered, burgundy eyes glancing up at the massive ship, Ather.
The one she would be commanding.
"If I ever do, Hayate...it will be because I am called back by my superiors."
"...Nothing else?"
The silence was longer this time.
"No."
Her gaze narrowed.
"Liar."
A twinge of rueful amusement flashed past red.
She had to resist the urge to grab her by the shoulders and shake some sense into her.
"Will you take care of her, Hayate?"
Instead, she shut her eyes and sighed, and felt something heavy settle on her shoulders.
"...Of course I will. She's my friend."
"...Mm."
The whistle sounded its signal for departure.
"I should go. Stay well, Hayate."
Hayate felt tears forming despite herself, and gathered the blonde into a fierce hug; one that was reciprocated gently.
"You better come back," she whispered, "Or swear to god, I - I will goddamn well hunt you down." For them. For Nanoha.
She heard the faint chuckle close to her left ear.
"Cursing is unbecoming of you, Hayate."
The brunette almost snorted.
And she watched the ship depart into the black, starless night.
"Superior's orders," Fate said, quietly, snapping her out of her reverie and confirming her suspicion
It was with those words that Havate, once more, felt an invisible, heavy burden drape itself over her shoulders.
Beep, beep, beep.
Beep, beep, beep.
The brunette glanced at Fate, who nodded, and waved a hand in the air.
A hologram built itself in front of her.
"Hayate," the voice from the machine said - Vita, she recognized immediately, who sounded stressed, with voice cracking and full of anger, pain, regret - "Nanoha...Nanoha's in the hospital."
She felt dread settle in her stomach.
-o-
It was, in retrospect, not quite a light injury.
A minor concussion, a one-inch hole in her stomach, and cracked bones from her fall.
She had been comatose for a few hours.
It took much persuasion from Hayate before Vita could bring herself to go back for the night. And that was only after Shamal was brought in for a second inspection (she did not trust the other doctors) of Nanoha's well being.
Nanoha, the blonde had assessed, was on the road to recovery. The injury was not light, but it wasn't that bad either. The only problem that could arise was the concussion, but even that remained to be seen. Give or take, she would very likely be awake once the sedatives ran their course.
It had been Zafira who broke Nanoha's fall from high in the air.
But even he was moments too late, diving across the grass, her form slamming onto his back.
He broke her fall, but not entirely.
Said wolf would not be persuaded to return to rest, and declined Shamal's insistent wishes to check on his dully aching back, curling by the couch.
It was with a soft swish, later that night, that the door slid open.
Light poured into the darkness of the room, and Zafira raised his head, instantly alert.
But when he saw who it was - Fate - and she saw him, the blonde inclined her head lightly in greeting. For a long moment, he stared, gaze impassive.
Then he settled back down, eyes closing.
The door closed, and she stepped up to the woman resting on the bed.
A hand brushed away stray locks of brown hair.
"You're terrible at this, aren't you?"
She felt a smile, a sad, sad smile, flicker on her lips despite herself.
"...Should I say the same to you, Nanoha?"
Zafira gave no hint that he heard those softly spoken words despite his acute senses.
-o-
A/N:
I will admit I was pleasantly surprised to see another know of Narcissu game. Yes, I'm referring to you, Digikaren. It's a good game, no? :D
But..aye, I'm afraid I'll have to say that I don't have a plot for this story. I mean, I do, sort of, but I suspect most of you will be able to guess what kind of fic this is. The problem is how to go from point A to point D. What is B and C? That's the thing. It will just have to come as I...go along.
I hope it's a good chapter, though. And while I am on this, I'm going to advertise about RoE, a.k.a Resplendence of Ebony. It's been updated, if some of you have not realized yet.
Also, reviews are inspirational. -hint-
Till next time,
Aki.
