Lonely No More
by Cyberchao X

Chapter 22

Disclaimer: There are some things in this story that are not mine.

*late September*

"Thanks for bringing me up here, Ari-chan. It seems like it's been far too long since we've done anything just the two of us."

"Well, you're my girlfriend. I can't stay mad at you. Though…it's not going to be just the two of us…"

"What? I thought this was supposed to be a romantic getaway!" As they arrived, Suki realized what was going on. "I see. You're utilizing your best friend with benefits to help rope me back in. So underhanded…"

"You're one to talk," Arisa retorted.

"It's fine, I don't mind leaving the two of you alone."

"No, no, Suzu-chan, I don't mind. It has been far too long." She kissed Suzuka. "Hmm…I think Ari-chan is better at this."

"Ari-chan is a damn good kisser," Suzuka agreed. "So, ready to get naked?"

"This place really brings back memories," Suzuka said. "We haven't been here in awhile, have we?"

"Four years. We decided to come back here with Hayate-chan, because she'd never been here."

"Oh? The first time you came here, it was just the four of you still?" Suki asked.

"The three of us, actually. Well, okay, there were four, but we didn't know that at the time."

"I guess Fate-chan was probably here back then, too, don't you think?" Suzuka asked. "Since this was where we first met Arf-san."

"…Arf-san?"

"Fate-chan's…" Arisa trailed off, unsure how to finish that sentence.

"…Oops. I think I just blew it," Suzuka said.

"Whatever happened with Shinamori-chan?"

"She stopped asking. She seemed satisfied once she found out when we first met Fate-chan and Hayate-chan."

"Asking about what?"

"About where our friends went."

"…Right. 'A secret to everyone'. I hadn't even thought that there was something weird going on until I spoke with Arisa-chan at Tanabata…" Suki trailed off. The conversation in question had immediately preceded Katsura's confession.

"…Yeah. You caught me getting wistful, and asked what was wrong, and…I tried to deflect the issue."

"I hadn't ever really thought of it until then. You still talk about them so much, I assumed that you were still in touch with them."

"Maybe that's because you had at least met them before, if not necessarily getting a proper introduction. Shina-chan had only our words to go on, so she was a little more curious as to why they weren't around."

"And you still don't feel you can let me know what's going on?"

"It's not really something that normal people should know. We only found out by accident, a fluke failure of the barriers that should've blocked us out."

"You're talking like they're not really human."

"That's…not exactly correct, at least not for Nanoha-chan and Hayate-chan. But…" Arisa paused, even though she'd already committed to telling Suki the truth. "Magic is real. Not like stage magicians; like honest-to-god magical girls. About seven years ago, Nanoha-chan found a magical artifact, along with a magic-user who was masquerading as a ferret, and took up the mantle of searching for these powerful magical artifacts called Jewel Seeds. A few of them actually got pretty close to us, though somehow we were kept out of the loop. Fate-chan was…an opposing force, though she was not exactly 'evil'."

"About half a year later, Fate-chan returned, fully on the side of 'good', as it were. Around the same time, I met Hayate-chan. At the time, she was in a wheelchair. What we didn't know at the time was that she had discovered another powerful artifact and that her apparent caretakers were in fact magical constructs bound to serve it. It was during this incident that we stumbled upon a magical battle. As far as we know, aside from the two of us, the only non-magical humans who know of the existence of magic are Nanoha-chan's family. And now, you know too."

"…Wow. Everyone has their secrets, but that's…that's big."

"You actually believe us?"

"It would be a very cruel prank for you to tell such lies in such a solemn tone. Honestly, I don't think I'd believe that magical girls are real unless I'd seen it with my own eyes. But I believe that the two of you are very concerned about your friends, and that they're somewhere very far away and that their safety isn't guaranteed. So if you say that this is because they're magical girls who have left the planet entirely—and yes, I know that you haven't actually come right out and said this, but the implication is there, what with it being 'kind of tough for them to keep in touch'—then I believe you."

"…Wait, wasn't Yuuno-kun in the baths with us the first time we came here?" Suzuka asked.

"Yeah, that was what I meant when I said that there were four of us, though we didn't know it at the time."

"You're awfully nonchalant about the fact that he saw us naked!"

"We were like eight years old. It's not like it was a big deal. I mean, yeah, I don't really like that we let a boy see us naked without even knowing it, but it's not really a huge issue."

"Okay, I'm confused again," Suki said.

"Yuuno-kun is the ferret who wasn't a ferret. I think he had a crush on Nanoha-chan as well, but she got over the hot springs incident quickly enough and kind of teased him about having seen her naked—though she said that her initial reaction was much like yours."

"Teased him?" Suzuka asked.

"Yeah, it was…now that I think about it, it was kind of a bitchy thing to do, unless she didn't realize that he had feelings for her. She had no qualms about stripping down in front of him."

"…Well, Nanoha's no Hayate, but she's never been terribly shy about her body, either."

"Don't I know it," Arisa agreed.

"You're drooling." Suzuka giggled.

"I thought you were over Nanoha-san," Suki said.

"I am. Doesn't mean I don't still think she's sexy."

"Nanoha-chan has an undeniable magnetism. She turns foes into admirers, even lovers."

"Haya-chan was never actually evil, though. The Wolkenritter, yes, sort of, but Hayate-chan knew nothing of what they were doing. Of course, her first 'befriending' preceded her acquisition of magical powers."

"'Befriending'?" Suki asked.

"Nanoha-chan is a very compelling debater…and is more than willing to use force to make sure her foes listen to her. Would you believe that I was somewhat of a bully when I started school?"

"My sweet Arisa-chan? A bully?"

"Well, you know me—the tough girl, kind of a tomboy. I…kind of picked on weaker girls when I was little." She pointedly sidled up close to Suzuka, holding her close to her body, hands placed over the other girl's breasts.

"It sounds like there's something you're leaving unsaid," Suki said. Arisa and Suzuka both just grinned, the former playfully nipping at the latter's ear. "Wait…Suzuka-chan?"

"Yep. That was how the three of us first met: Arisa was bullying me, and Nanoha came to my defense."

"Hey, you know what they say about little boys—they pick on the girls that they have a crush on."

"…You're not a boy."

"Well, the same is probably true of little tomboyish lesbians."

"…You're full of shit. You didn't have feelings for me then. You only fell in love with Nanoha because she beat you up and you're attracted to strong women…and like you just said, I wasn't a strong woman at the time. Strong girl," she corrected.

"No…but you were pretty. And isn't that what most childhood 'crushes' are based on? Thinking someone is cute?"

"…Whatever. I still think you're trying to rewrite history, but I'll let it slide because the thought is so sweet."

"Like I said. I can't picture her as a bully." Suki moved in on Arisa's other side and groping. "…You still look lost in thought."

"Suzuka's right. This place really brings back memories. Coming back here with everyone, seeing Hayate-chan at her finest—by which I mean feeling up everyone in sight…"

"Almost everyone," Suzuka corrected.

"Now who's rewriting history? Hayate felt everyone up, claiming that it was completely innocent. It wouldn't have looked as innocent if she'd been more discriminating."

"…Right. Sorry, I guess I was so caught up in the times she didn't treat me the same way she treated the rest of you that I forgot about the times she did."

"I really do wish that the three of them were still here. I hate seeing you two looking so sad," Suki said.

"I wonder…would things be different if she was still here? With what happened just before they left…would we be a couple?"

"Maybe. But I don't think you should obsess about these things. You have a wonderful girl right here," Arisa said.

"Two wonderful girls," Suki corrected. "I'm here too."

"Right. Sorry about that, Suki-tan." "I just…wanted to comfort Suzuka-chan. It felt so natural…but she's not my girlfriend. Suki is. My sweet, beautiful, beloved Suki… Why can't I just be happy with that? And yet, I'm getting mad at her for her feelings for Himiya-chan, when my heart isn't any more loyal than hers?"

"It's okay. I know you want to be there for Suzuka-chan. Just remember who your girlfriend is."

"I know, I know…"

"Huh? A missed call? I don't think I recognize this number…" Suzuka said, "but they left a voicemail." The girls had finished up in the hot springs and were retrieving their clothes. "…Well, I'll be damned."

"Who was it?" Arisa asked.

"Takamachi Miyuki-san. We've got news on Nanoha-chan. And…there's a chance that they'll be able to visit soon."

"When is 'soon'?" Arisa asked.

"Nanoha-chan has apparently been approved to take her leave right now, but she wants to wait until all three of them can go together. It'll probably be in…a few months."

CCX: Poor girls. After all, we already know how this turns out.