Posted: 04/08/2007
-o-
White Devil
Part II
-o-
The explosion shook the ground, and Fate flinched involuntarily from the aftereffects as smoke and dust burst in the air - only to realize that Nanoha had already brought her close, shielding her from the worst of it as transparent pink barrier flared.
She felt her magic, which had created the rings which held Takeru, disappear.
The blonde gripped white cloth tightly, and her eyes squeezed shut.
Failed.
Failed.
She failed to stop her.
"You idiot," she whispered hoarsely, her fists crumpling the clothes further. Her left hand was probably throbbing with pain, but she could no longer feel it. Her thoughts - all of them - were of the person who held her. "You big..." Her voice choked. "...Idiot."
Nanoha didn't respond, eyes fixed on the - battered, broken - man hidden by clouds of smoke.
That much power would have torn Takeru limb to limb.
drip
And blood - she could hear the sound of blood trickling to the floor - there would be so much blood...
drip
The blonde cursed herself. Cursed her inability to stop Nanoha. Cursed -
"Ugh..."
Burgundy eyes snapped open.
That voice -
"...Dammit, Nanoha."
Fate stared.
Nanoha's eyebrow rose slightly.
The dust settled.
Blood dripped to the floor.
crack
Chrono grunted.
His staff - Durandal - had cracked all over, and the blue orb blinked every other second. From his shaking fingers, which held the staff upright in front of him, dark liquid trickled down the white stick. There was a deep gash on the side of his head, and he shut an eye to prevent the still-flowing blood from entering.
And behind him, Takeru was on the floor, alive but unconscious, judging by his heavy breathing, the fact he had not spoken, and his still posture. Durandal had taken the worst of the attack, but not all of it.
Fate, torn between relief and concern, could only stare.
With a shaking hand, Chrono raised his broken staff at Nanoha. His other hand fell lifelessly by his side, and it seemed to be bent at a slightly odd angle.
"Put away your device, Nanoha," he ordered.
Slate blue eyes glanced to Takeru for a moment, before her grip on Raising Heart tightened.
It did not go unnoticed by either Chrono or Fate.
"There is no longer anything else he can do, Nanoha." Chrono said calmly. "Put. Your. Weapon. Down."
Nanoha only gave a blank stare.
Fate tried to straighten herself, only to stumble - but the white mage tightened her grip around the blonde's waist, allowing her to stay upright.
"Nanoha," Fate grabbed the other's face with both hands, forcing the brunette to look at her. "Listen to me. Takeru did not do anything to me. He did not." She pressed on, watching a flicker of emotion in those blue eyes. "He did not touch me, Nanoha."
"He..." Nanoha repeated, slowly but numbly. "He...did not?"
"No," replied Fate, burgundy eyes searching the other's, "No. He didn't. He hurt me - " slate blue eyes grew darker momentarily, and the blonde was quick to continue, " - but he did not touch me."
Chrono took this as his cue to continue. "He was baiting you, Nanoha." His voice was sharp.
"...Bait...ing?"
"What better misery to put you in other than to have blood on your hands?" he said harshly before Fate could stop him. "That was what this bastard wanted, Nanoha. He wanted you to suffer."
The blonde saw more and more emotions flash through those blue eyes.
Chrono wasn't done.
"You may not regret it now, but will you in the future?" he said, his tone hard. "Your conscience will suffer for eternity, Nanoha. He - this bastard - is not worth it. And - "
He stopped when Fate - wordlessly – told him that he had said enough with darkening burgundy eyes.
Chrono took in a deep breath.
"Nanoha," he said, "if you do not want to be called in for insubordination, you will follow my orders. Drop. Your. Weapon."
The white mage was still.
Fate reached for the hand that held Raising Heart.
"Nanoha," she whispered, voice soft but urgent. "Nanoha."
Slate blue eyes focused back on her.
"It's all right. It's all right. We...we are all safe now." The blonde squeezed Nanoha's hand a little, before starting to remove the brunette's fingers from the staff slowly.
Nanoha just stared as Fate worked her fingers from the staff gently.
"You don't have to fight anymore. You don't." Conviction was mustered into the hoarse voice, and two fingers were lifted off the staff.
"Fa...te...?" Nanoha. Her voice was small and choked, all of a sudden. Expressions stirred on that once emotionless face, a mix of various things: sadness, happiness, relief, anger, guilt...
"Yes," the blonde murmured in reply. "Yes. I'm here, Nanoha."
"Fate...Fate..."
The staff dropped with a clatter.
A drop of water trickled down Nanoha's face.
"...Fate-chan..." She sounded so lost.
The battered mage held her close, a soothing hand on the brunette's back.
"I'm here," repeated the blonde. "I'm here."
Takamachi Nanoha, Ace of Aces. The famed 'White Devil' who was regarded so highly in the bureau, was the one who crippled every defensive system that Takeru and his underlings had set, carving a path for Asura to storm in. She worked her way in with such ease, decapitating everything, and left Chrono and his officers to deal with the aftermath. She was the one who investigated the organization, the one who systematically begun to cripple its business, stopping one deal after another; and then later, she was the one who shot down the last of its operatives in the name of justice, and it was she, too, who laid waste to the organization's headquarters.
Today, she single-handedly destroyed what remained of Takeru's already deteriorated organization.
And now she cried.
Cried in earnest.
-o-
Of all the Takamachi family members, Shiro was the only one with relatively dangerous physical injuries.
But, perhaps because Shiro was no stranger to life-threatening injuries like this, having been in that state before, he was well on his way to recovery, especially with the addition of magic. The other three, with varying degrees of fatigue and stress - mentally and physically - were also recovering, much to Shamal's relief. The things Takeru had done - they were not so much based on physical pain, but on mental suffering.
Takeru, it seemed, was a man with words and not brute force - which made things easier and harder for the Takamachi family. For one, physical injuries had been many but mild. But on the other hand, the damage done to both the mind and heart was...heavy. It was also significantly harder to heal.
But he had not taken into account that there was a possibility he could not break them.
Perhaps if Takeru remembered that Takamachi's family was not one that would be easily threatened, he would have resorted to physical torture alone.
It was his only mistake, one that would cost him greatly.
However, if he had chosen to do so, and incurred permanent damage, no one would have been able to save him from the wrath of one Takamachi Nanoha no matter how severe the consequences
Already it took a while for Nanoha to calm down; and it was something that happened only because Fate was there. And Chrono, despite his injuries, set his priorities on dealing with the aftermath of that incident.
Nanoha was detained soon after.
Takeru was arrested, held in place by numerous anti-magic wards.
And Fate - due to physical and mental exhaustion - collapsed, and did not wake up for two days.
A week later, Takeru Kisato was charged with kidnapping, assault, and torture of both civilian and TSAB forces. Secondary charges followed quickly, as he was the mastermind behind one of the biggest syndicates that was brought down by Takamachi Nanoha.
It was life-term sentences on both counts, which would - to say the least - put him behind bars until the day he died.
But he was smiling all the way; at times even laughing.
Chrono - who was still in bandages and an arm sling then - socked him full in the face, leaving bewildered judges and officers staring. His passing words were memorable ones, indeed, ones that Amy had no trouble quoting at him nearly every time she wanted something: "No one touches my sister without my permission, bastard."
As for Takamachi Nanoha; insubordination, recklessness which endangered certain parties, the fact she unleashed her full strength, and destruction of valuable evidence, meant she was ordered to step down from her post temporarily, revoking her officer's status and putting her on leave for a term of two months.
It could - and should - have been worse, but she was too valuable a mage for TSAB to lose; and both Admiral Chrono Harlaown and Lindy Harlaown vouched for her. The fact that Yagami Hayate and Fate Testarossa-Harlaown - the other two Aces of the bureau - backed Takamachi to the brim was also not forgotten.
All in all...
"...I will never know if I like military politics or not," muttered Amy, who was sitting in the chair by the bed.
"Maa, maa..." Shamal chuckled. "At least everything turned out fine."
It actually turned out better than they would have thought, but the blonde knight wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Green light faded from her hands, which hovered over Fate.
The blonde sighed, moving to sit up - assisted quickly by Shamal.
"Don't force yourself," reminded the doctor. "You still need plenty of rest."
Fate shook her head, a wry smile on her lips. "I'm sorry. I've been troubling you again."
"The three of you have been troubling me for years, Fate-chan," teased Shamal. "You don't have to apologize every time. Just get plenty of rest, heal properly, and I will be happy."
Said girl scratched her cheek awkwardly, before glancing at Amy. "Thanks for the information, Amy."
The brunette waved it off. "It's alright. Besides," she added, "hearing Chrono say that was priceless."
Fate's cheeks grew a little warm.
Amy snickered, hands clasped together. "Ah, what blackmail material this will give me..."
The blonde prayed for her brother's sanity.
Shamal, in the meanwhile, jotted down a final comment on the paper she held. "All right! You are free to go, Fate-chan. You have recovered from the malnutrition, fatigue, and stress. Your cuts and bruises are gone...but please be careful with your left hand." A pause, before a hint of disbelief entered her sweet voice. "You literally shattered the top part of your bone at your wrist there, Fate-chan. Even if it was just to break the chain, wasn't that a bit too dangerous?"
The enforcer flushed a little. "I couldn't think of any other way," she said a little defensively. "I had..." she faltered. "Well...I had no time then."
The doctor sighed. "We managed to put them back together, but only just, Fate-chan." She warned. "You don't need the arm sling anymore, but it's not fine yet. Any heavy impact may undo our work on it." Another pause, before Shamal added with a significantly more threatening note in her amiable voice. "So you will need plenty of rest."
Fate opened her mouth, but Shamal was faster.
"That means no training," Shamal continued cheerily, "and no working...ne?"
That smile. That sweet, non-lethal smile.
Whatever Fate had been about to say was forgotten, and she leaned back - and away - from Shamal a little. "H-hai."
Shamal beamed. "Good girl!" She picked up a roll of fresh bandage from the bedside table, took Fate's left hand, and begun to wrap it around her wrist.
Amy pretended to look away with a barely suppressed grin when Fate's burgundy eyes darted to her with a glare.
"Um, I thought you said I don't need the arm sling anymore?"
"Mm-hm," Shamal nodded without pausing in her work. "You don't, but it would be better if you still keep it held securely. Less chance of jarring the bone." The doctor secured the wrapped bandage with a knot. "There, done."
The officer tested her hand, wiggling it lightly. It felt a little stiff.
"Now," said Shamal, glancing at her watch, "I have rounds to make. Be careful on your way back, Fate-chan."
Fate could have almost sworn the blonde knight was skipping out of the room, parading her victory.
The enforcer sighed and stood up, picking up her black jacket, which was folded on the table.
"Oh, come on." Amy gave her an exasperated look. "You are thinking of all the work that's been piling up ever since you got kidnapped, aren't you?" she asked accusingly.
And though Fate was not a whiner, the brunette detected a hint of it when the reply came.
"Weeks," muttered the blonde, rubbing her temples. "I was gone for weeks, Amy. I don't even know how much is on the table now. And if I don't get it done, it's going to pile up even more." A pause. "Amy... "
"No," the brunette answered the unsaid request, her tone clearly amused. "Doctor's orders, remember?"
"But - "
Amy dismissed the protest with a wave. "Let your brother handle it. He's been going wacko over the wedding preparations, and this will be good enough to distract him."
Fate blinked.
"What?"
-o-
"Um, delayed?"
"Well...lots of things have been happening," admitted Amy, one hand pressing a blue folder to her chest as she walked next to Fate. "Delay was inevitable."
"I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault, Fate-chan," a hint of amusement and exasperation was in the older woman's voice.
"But still..."
Amy rolled her eyes, and poked the blonde. "Fate-chan," her tone was final and brooked no arguments. "None of us expected this, least of all you."
Fate would have tried to argue back if she hadn't noticed a figure, sitting quietly on a bench, and instead stopped in her tracks.
Soft brown hair ruffled with the wind; shoulders slumped slightly, resting against the backing. Hands were pressed to the bench, and slate blue eyes distant as they stared up into the clear sky.
Nanoha.
"She was released from detainment earlier, since the investigations and trials are over," Amy said quietly, before adding, "Her term starts today too."
The blonde could not find a proper reply, eyes fixed on Nanoha.
Emotions warred in her. A week. It had been a week since she last saw her.
Amy was oddly silent, before Fate realized she was waiting for a reply.
But she didn't know what to say.
Eventually, she managed an, "Oh."
The brunette next to her patted her on the back, before giving her a light shove forward.
"A-Amy?"
"Go to her. I have to get back to Asura," the older woman smiled. "Your brother's been nagging me to come back."
Fate couldn't help but chuckle at Amy's choice of words. Nagging. Her brother, nagging.
"I will see both of you later." Limietta waved lightly before leaving.
And with that, burgundy eyes focused back on the brunette who had yet to notice her.
For a few seconds, Fate could not bring herself to move; only staring.
Nanoha, at first glance, looked unreadable; merely distant, lost in thoughts. But, as Fate studied a little more closely, there was a faint hint of weariness.
She watched slate blue eyes darken momentarily, and fingers curl into fists.
And Fate knew why.
The blonde took one step forward, before pausing, and moving sideways.
Her steps were slow and soundless.
-o-
For the past week, and even much earlier, Nanoha's sleep had been far from peaceful.
Nightmares were a nightly occurrence.
They had gotten even worse in the last few days.
There were many, many things that she feared, but few she allowed to haunt her.
And here, her thoughts grew dark.
She remembered that day vividly. She remembered how her mind had been clouded by pure, uncontrolled rage; how she seemed to have lost all rational thinking; how she seemed to have lost all of the compassion that defined her; how her thoughts turned cold and cruel.
Nanoha never imagined she would be afraid of anyone, least of all herself.
But she was.
And she still is.
The brunette could still feel it faintly; the anger, the boiling blood, the way her mind went blank...and knew that should she see him again, it would return in full force.
She was teetering on the edge, desperately trying to keep herself from falling.
Her fingers formed into fists.
She was afraid.
Afraid of herself, of how easily she allowed the cruel part of herself to take over. Of how, with just some simple taunts, her control slipped...
Mocking laughter echoed in her head.
Him. His voice.
Takeru.
No. She was falling.
Coldness seeped into her. The urge to hurt - kill - came again, waiting to be released.
Her fists tightened.
Falling, and falling.
No.
No.
Don't let it take over.
Don't - she gritted her teeth, desperately trying to force down that cold laughter in her head.
Her figure shook.
If she hadn't been sitting on the bench, she would have crumbled to the ground.
No. No. Snap out of it. Snap -
More laughter.
That tone. That amused, sadistic tone.
Her body seemed to have only gone colder, and she shuddered.
Someone. Someone, help her. She can't take it.
Her fists were so tight they hurt, and her nails almost drew blood.
Someone. Somebody. Cold. It was cold. It was -
Darkness blinded her.
Nanoha flinched in surprise, startled.
A pair of warm, slender hands covered her eyes.
The back of her head was pressed lightly onto an even warmer, flat and soft surface.
What -
"Guess who?"
A faint, husky voice.
That voice. She knew that voice.
But her throat was locked. She couldn't speak.
"Nanoha?"
The tone was warm, warmer than she remembered, and the coldness shrank back.
But she still couldn't say anything. She still -
"Fate-chan?" The name came out before she even realized.
Hands lifted off her eyes, and she was suddenly looking up and into familiar burgundy eyes.
"Correct." There was a kind smile on that face.
Nanoha could only stare, at a loss for words.
Blonde eyebrows creased slightly when there was no response.
Hands wrapped around her, and the figure standing behind her leaned closer, cheek pressed to the side of her head.
"What's wrong?" A murmur.
There was a light fragrance which Nanoha recognized. A scent that was uniquely Fate's alone.
"Fate...chan..." A whisper. Trembling and afraid.
The other held her tighter.
Her vision blurred.
The figure behind her was familiar and warm, and the coldness left her.
Warm.
It was finally warm again.
-o-
A/N:
I was set to post this on the ninth of August but...ah, screw the timing. I need some motivation and inspiration for writing, and I'm nowhere near to getting them. I'm getting deprived, actually. So. Like what most authors says, and I quote, reviews are food for the writers. :P
(So yes, if you want more fic materials from me, reviews please. -cackles-)
And I guess this chapter confirms what happened to Fate, so none of you're turning into white devil(s), I hope. To be entirely honest, though, this chapter is pretty much an ending by itself...but then it would feel a little incomplete, probably. I've also entertained the idea of permanent damage on the Takamachi family (maybe to Fate, too?)...it would have created more of an impact. But then it wouldn't be very canon. And I'm trying to stick to canon, so, meh.
Lastly, be warned, dear readers, next chapter is totally gooey and fluffy and...well, I suppose I'm a little more obvious with the pairing this time as compared to the first MGLN fic. WD3 is already done, so it will be up in a week or so...but I still need inspiration for other materials, if you know what I mean? Yes? Yes.
So until then. :D
Eagle