Nanoha StrikerS: Pursuit of Perfection 10

A female figure entered the dusty village, wearing a light purple hooded overcoat to buffet the sand and wind. Looking around, she couldn't believe this one horse town could have anything that she was looking for.

Soran sat on his bed in his dorm room, his fingers intertwined into a fist. "Kuso!" He hissed.

"I'm sorry there's nothing more I can do, Soran." Mustang was on the viewer in his watch. "Our mine has run dry, and most of the other pieces have already been claimed. I've tried to pull one more favor, but it may take quite a while."

"You've done your best. Thank you, Father." The transmission was cut. "GOD DAMN IT!" He tossed the watch into the wall.

The purple-clad figure entered a general store, looking around. On a day like today, no one was there. There was a wrinkly old man at the table, reading a book, playing with his moustache. "I hear you supply information as well as items to people."

"I might… if I like you. And there are very few strangers that I like! Especially ones that keep their hoods up indoors!"

"I'm sure you could make an exception for me." She removed the hood and shook her long blue hair out, giving him her largest smile.

"Oh, we could do business." The old salt admired her. "For the right price. What are you looking for Miss…."

"Ingit. Call me Ingit." Ginga put the golden cylinder on his table. "What can you tell me about this?"

He pulled out a jeweler's monocle and put it into his eye. "Let's have a looksee." He frowned after inspecting the shell. "Beautiful women shouldn't have these kinds of things."

"So then you do know what it is?"

"Indeed I do, this is a number 8 Caster shell."

"Caster?"

The man's eyes went wide. "You mean you don't know what this is?! You didn't shoot it off, did you?!"

"No, it was already discharged when I found it."

The man leaned on the table. "Now listen here, gorgeous, this is not a weapon that you can go around being ignorant about. I'm going to tell you this for free just because I don't want to see your pretty face plastered all over the obituaries. This is a Caster shell. As you probably have already figured, if it hasn't been discharged, it has a bullet along with it. Within that bullet is a power not seen by any dimension before except one. You should never use it."

"What's so special about some projectile weaponry? It can kill a person or two, and that's it."

"Or an entire dimension." The old man corrected her. "Casters are marked numerically, from zero to nine. A number 9 has the power to destroy an entire dimension, and once, it did."

Ingit blinked. "I'm somehow not convinced of that story."

The geezer sighed. "I guess I'm going to have to tell you the whole thing. About 20 years ago, something tore through the interdimensional barrier and impacted the planet, destroying the ecosystem in the general area. It was a chunk from another world. We had never seen such a phenomena before, and scientists from everywhere came to investigate. They found no signs that life had ever existed on the planet before, except these shells. Archeologists kept digging, until they found out that there were only ten types of shells. We, as a planet, had been investigating singularity weaponry for a while, and we discovered that the bullets either had a black hole in them, or created one when fired."

"A black hole? That's impossible."

"We thought so too, until one was fired. A type 0 destroyed an entire island in one blow, although you're probably too young to remember it. All of the early experiments failed. Every time a shell was tested, someone died. Then five years later, a mage appeared that claimed that he could master the Caster system. His research was an overwhelming success. He also gave us the theory of how the Casters came to exist in the first place. He said that most likely, an uncontrolled type 9 shell consumed the universe, and combined it into solidified matter. Eventually it was dense enough that sections tore through the barrier between universes and landed in other dimensions. Most likely they were like us, trying to use a power they couldn't control, most likely created by an ancient extinct race. He also forbade us from ever using a type 9."

"Wait, if a type 9 could destroy a universe, then does that mean this type 8 could have destroyed the planet?!"

"Heheheh. Girly, I don't think you quite understand it. All Caster shells have the power to destroy the universe. Stay right there, I'll be back." The man shut the windows and locked the doors, arming laser security defenses, and then unlocking his safe. Putting the little felt box on the table in front of her, he opened it. "This is a type 9." Ingit's eyes went wide. "It's okay, it's okay, it's inert. If this bullet were defective anywhere, and didn't have the proper delivery system, everyone would be sucked into oblivion. The same can be said for all of them, the unbridled energy able to devastate the universe."

"Then if all of them have the same raw power, then why are they numbered differently?"

"Because each has their own special function, which the professor classified. Your number 8 is a rare find that can target a single point. However the type 9 is rather common in comparison."

"What?!"

"That's because it's forbidden for use. Not only that but it's very difficult to use. 2, 7, 9. It's the sequence to use a number 9 shell. If you load it alone or out of order, the Caster will lock up and refuse to fire. So this number 9 is completely safe unless I load and shoot the others first, and they are both very rare."

"Good." Ingit sighed. "I was worried that anyone could destroy the world with one of those."

"Not at all." He put the bullet away. "But against the wise professor's wishes, someone tested a number 9. I'm sure you know what happened."

She nodded. "The second moon was destroyed completely. When the Persean government asked the Dimensional Feds for assistance, they banned singularity weaponry."

"We were so close to mastering the Caster system. We couldn't let research just be cut, so we went to war. I'm afraid that's really all I can tell you about Casters."

"You've told me plenty. By the way, what are the functions of all ten Casters? I mean, you just told me what number 8 does, and an uncontrolled number 9 can destroy the universe, but what about its true function?"

"That I can't tell you. If the professor was still alive, he'd be willing to share. He was always the sucker for pretty women, even though he was married to a gorgeous one himself."

"What happened to him?"

"Swept away in one of the Feddy raids. When war broke out, he quit the science, saying he wouldn't work to further weapons to be used in war against other humans. He lived as a civilian, and died as one."

"I see. That's a real shame, such a brilliant mind taken before his time. What was his name?"

"Professor Starwind. He and his entire family was wiped out. I don't think you'll find much on him nowadays."

"Well, perhaps I'll pay my respects to him someday." She turned back to him. "If someone were interested in purchasing Casters, how would they go about doing it?"

"I told you that's not something beautiful women should play with."

"And if I'm representing someone else far less beautiful that likes to collect things?" Ginga smiled sweetly.

"Then that would be a different story. What is this buyer looking for?"

"Well a full set would be the most ideal, really."

"Egh… that's next to impossible. Type 1 and type 3 are virtually dinosaurs. No one's dug them up in years."

"At the very least, type 2, 7, 8, and 9." The shopkeep opened his mouth to protest. "Don't worry, this is for sheer collecting purposes. I'll make sure that the buyer keeps those bullets separate."

"Eh, you had me going there, Missy. Too bad I don't sell them." He pressed a button under his table and the entire building was sealed up tight by titanium shielding. "Officially that is. I've got a person who mines the shells from the impact crater. Recently his stash has been going dry though. I have no guarantees if he'll find what you want or not. And it's going to be expensive, very expensive."

"My client's budget can handle whatever you throw at it, though please keep in mind that I am the one that makes the final purchase decision, so please be nice." She winked.

"Always, my dear, always. Also, I should warn you that you have a bit of competition. Another buyer is interested in a full set, and he did come here first, so I'm obliged to fill his order first."

"Another buyer? You wouldn't happen to know his name, would you?"

The dealer shook his head. "I've never seen him before. He was wearing one of those city slicker suits, looked pretty important."

The girl paced the small room as she thought. She placed a card in front of him. "When you get the shipment in, or as best as you can complete it, please give me and this other buyer a call. I'm sure that if we meet, we can come to a compromise. At the very least, we'll have a bidding war, which would be in your best interest. Is that acceptable?"

"Of course. I'll do just that. It might take a while, I'm just warning you."

"I understand. My client is very patient. I'll take my leave now." She bowed.

Meanwhile, back at Section 6 HQ. "Teeyah!" Zaphila came down on Soran with a punch from the air. Soran raised his cybernetic hand and caught the huge fist. But before he could think of an attack to use against him, Zaphila's swift kick sent him flying to the mats. "What's wrong, kid? You're better than this."

"I'm just pissed off today." Soran stood up, wiping his chin. "That's why I wanted to spar with you, sub-commander. Nothing gets the malice out of your system than a good fistfight, right?"

"Well I suppose that's right in some cases." The burly wolf-man sat down Indian style on the mat. "But violence is never the first answer. Sit down, kid. You've not talked with anyone yet since they're all out today, right?"

Soran blinked, surprised at his change in demeanor. "Well, yeah." He sat in front of him.

"What's got your goat?"

"I'm just angry, I guess. At a lot of things. It started after that thing with the type four."

"You're mad at the person that tried to kill you then."

"Well who wouldn't be? But it's more I'm angry at myself for being bested by that thing. Not even Unison with Akito worked against it. Here I thought I was making all this progress, and in the end I get whipped around like a long noodle."

"Soran, there's something that you're misunderstanding. You are getting stronger, I've seen it myself. But there will always be someone out there who is stronger. Always. Just because you were thrashed by a new opponent doesn't mean that you haven't made progress, it's just that it's higher than your current level."

"You think?"

"I know. Remember at the beginning of your training, it was just Signum and Vita taking turns against you. Now it takes all three of us going full bore at you at once to wear you down. Also your flow from one attack to the next has improved. Your control of the three elementals has become easier, hasn't it?"

"Well, yeah…. I guess you're right."

"So you're not weak in the slightest. So stop acting like you don't deserve the feathers on your back."

"Yes, sir."

"Now what about the rest? You said there were more things making you mad, right?"

"I used my trump card in front of everyone." Soran squeezed his kneecap. "I never wanted anyone to know about it. I didn't even want to use it, but it was the only way."

"You might find it rude of me, but what's the big deal? Everyone knows about Nanoha's and Fate's trump cards. Just because Section 6 knows about your trump doesn't mean a thing."

"It means it to me! That technique… was taught to me by my father, something I never wanted to share with anyone. It's mine and mine alone. I shouldn't have to share it!"

"Mmm."

"I know it was extremely powerful, but if I hadn't used it, then I would have died there! That shouldn't be a reason to force me to spill my guts about it! Now the Investigation Bureau is going treasure hunting in my past, and it fucking pisses me off! It's my life! I have the right to refuse to answer questioning based on personal reasons! Why does that give them the right to dig it up regardless?!"

"Okay, cool it down kid. Sit down."

Soran blinked. He hadn't noticed that he had gotten up during his rant. "Sorry."

"I understand how you feel. The past is something that you've lived and it is your own, no one else's. There's a lot I've done that I'm not proud of, as have all of the subcommanders. The curse of the Wolkenritter saw to that. I suppose that if the Bureau looked into everything in my past I'd be beyond pissed, considering it spans hundreds of years."

"Then how would you be able to stand it?"

"Ever since I was released from the curse of the Wolkenritter, and the dark book had been destroyed, I've sworn the rest of my days to Master Hayate. I haven't forgotten my sins, but I've become a new man. You're different than what your past might show, right? Everyone here knows that. Hayate and Fate know that, and Nanoha accepts everyone even if they're pure evil." Soran smirked at that. "But at some point you have to say that it's okay for people to look. You're eventually going to let Subaru in, aren't you?"

"That…" He was surprised, but then he looked away, ashamed. "I hadn't thought of that at all."

"Unfortunate, considering she opened up everything to you already. She didn't even reveal she was a cyborg to Section 6 personnel until she was beaten and broken from battle. Imagine how her teammates felt, who had trained with her the entire time. Everyone's different, but you might want to figure out when to let her in. That will also be the day you'll be okay with letting everyone see."

"Zaphila…. You're strong, and I mean more than just physically."

"Yeah well…" He shrugged and his fuzzy ears twitched. "Shall we get to sparring again? This time make sure I don't get a shot in." He stood up and set up a martial arts stance.

"Unh. It's about time we got serious." The boy leapt backwards from his sitting position with a smile.

"And for the record, I'm glad you used that attack, Soran. Sparring with the other women is way too difficult. I'm always worried I'll hit them in the wrong spot."

"Heh. Iguzo!" Soran charged.

A woman with long golden hair stood on the edge of a huge crater. She looked down into its depths and sighed. "Why did such a thing have to happen?"

"It didn't. That's why it's called a blunder." Ginga walked up to her from behind, taking her cloak off.

"Welcome back. How'd it go?"

"I learned more than I thought I would. It seems that these shells are Lost Logia from a dimension that was destroyed by the ninth shell. It was the same thing that destroyed the second moon in this dimension." They looked up into the sky, able to see the asteroid belt created by the debris.

"Children playing with a box of grenades…." Fate shook her head. "That's all we really are. Do you have anything else?"

"Yes. Ever heard the name Starwind? He was apparently the foremost expert on Casters. He died in the war though."

"Yuuno might have something on him."

"I put in an order for a few Casters for us to study. I also ordered another type 8. I feel bad that Soran had to waste it on a computer program. But there was someone that came before me that asked for the same."

Fate bit her thumb. "Then someone else knows about these weapons. We need to be careful. It could be the same person that tried to kill Soran."

"I was thinking the same. Fate-san, if I may, why did you set this place for our rendezvous?"

Fate sighed, leaning down and picking up a bit of the dust. She let it go in the breeze. "In this spot, Nanoha went up against a singularity weapon user. Her opponent was just a young boy, no bigger than Erio is now, but he threw his life away in an attempt to destroy her. I now realize just how close I came to losing Nanoha-chan that day." She opened up her hand and showed Ginga the golden shell in her hand.

"AH! That's a…!"

"Shell 9." She clenched her fist around it. "And it's been fired once."

Ginga turned to the crater, trembling. "This is the aftermath of a type 9 Caster…."

"SORAN!" Subaru raced into the cafeteria. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"There you are, Su! I was worried you guys wouldn't be coming back."

"Are you crazy or something? Didn't you get my messages?!"

"What messag…." He looked at his watch, which was blinking SYSTEM DOWN. "Crap, it must've broke when it hit the wall."

"Urgh!" Subaru snarled as she yanked him out of his seat. "Barrage, set up this idiot. We're taking the skies."

"…"

"NOW!"

"Setup Initialization. Get Ready."

Soran shook out of Subaru's grip. "Barrage Zwei. SET UP!" His jacket was on him in seconds. Subaru was already riding her Wing Road by the time he launched to catch up with her. "Just what is going on Su? Why are you mad?"

"You don't even have a present, do you?!"

"What? Present? What present? For who?"

"RRGH!" Subaru slapped her face hard. "Soran, why do you think we all left today? We were all doing shopping! Today's Nanoha-san's birthday! The big two zero!"

Realization washed across his face. "Oh crap."

"And we're already late, so we can't swing by anywhere to get a present."

"I'm really sorry, Su. I had no idea. I accidentally broke my watch this morning, so I didn't get anything."

"Apologize to Nanoha-san, not me. Just be grateful that I made it in time to grab you. We'll make it in the middle of cake."

"Oh no we won't." Soran put a magical circle under his feet, and his artemis wings glowed white. "Subaru, you've got it too, don't you? Nanoha-san told Shari-san to give me a bit of a mobility upgrade. ACS Mode!"

"Okay boss!" Barrage spoke, and in a burst of speed, he was suddenly ahead of her.

"ACS Mode." Mach Caliber spoke.

"WOAH!" Subaru caught up without expecting to. "You are really reckless, you know that?! Going ACS Mode in a non-combat situation."

"Well, if I don't hurry it up, it'll be a combat situation." Soran shrugged. "Race you there!"

"Enjoy the second place podium!"

"TooryeaH!"

"SokoKA?!" Two bright red flashes of light rained down on Nanoha's deck party, both landing squarely in the pool. Steam and splash rose from it, stunning everyone.

As everyone waited for something to happen, Soran was the first to climb out of the pool. "Well…" He stumbled back and forth. "I think I might have… have overdone it there. Is this the Takamachi residence, or did the post office send me to… to somewhere else?"

"Egh!" Vivio hurled a soda can at his forehead.

"Oh good. This is the place." He said dizzily as he fell back into the pool.

Subaru was having difficulty climbing up with Mach Caliber still on her feet. "Um…" Hayate spoke. "Could someone fish them out, please?"

"We don't have a pool skimmer big enough." Tea quipped.

"Fine, I'll get them." Vita extended Graf Eisen's handle over the pool and yanked Soran out by his cape. Signum caught him and tried rousing him to consciousness.

Vita plunged her arm into the water and managed to get a hold of Subaru's headband. She coughed as she was brought out. "Thanks, Vita-budaichou. I thought I was a gonner."

"It looks like we got dinner AND a show." Ginga commented as she walked out onto the deck.

"Indeed." Fate came up next to her. "Subaru, thank you. We couldn't afford a clown, so we're glad you brought us one."

"If they're real, then why are they so huge?" Soran muttered, still not completely to consciousness. Then he was assured that he wouldn't be, as Signum, Shamal, Hayate, Fate, and Tea all added lumps to his skull to match the one Vivio gave him.

Soran, with a giant ice pack on his head, sat on the second floor deck, looking out into the night sky. He sipped a soda and sighed. "Hey little bro." Ginga sat down next to him. "Brought you some cake."

"I'm not really that into sweets. Thanks anyway."

"You're into Subaru, aren't you? If you can take her sweetness, you can handle this. Come on, try it at least. It's good."

"Okay, okay." He took the plate and shoved a forkful in his mouth. "Mmh. Not bad."

"Told you." She waited for him to swallow before saying anything more. "How come you're up here?"

"Well if I said my head was hurting it wouldn't be a lie." He shifted the ice pack. "But it's more that I don't really feel in place there right now. Vivio is still trying to kill me. A few months ago, I hated TSAB and Nanoha-san. Add to that that I don't have a present to give to her…. I just am worried I'd ruin the party."

"Soran." This time it was Ginga's turn to clonk him on the head. "Baka. You're not dragging anyone down here. You're a part of Nanoha's special group of friends. Don't think for a minute that you don't belong. Now come on, Left Arm Arm Wrestling is coming up, and I hear a trophy calling your name."

"Hmm." Soran smiled. "Hey Gin? What should I do about the present? Should I just get her one tomorrow or what?"

"You already have her present, Soran." He turned to her, wondering what she was talking about. "Just forgive her."

"Huh?"

"Trust me. I guarantee that if you tell her you forgive her, it will be the best present she'll receive all night."

"Okay… I don't really get it though."

"You don't have to. Now come on, before Vita clenches the title."

"ERGH!"

"HUNGH!" Vita and Soran were going at it, wrestling with their left arms in the finals.

"What's the matter, Vita-san?" A bead of sweat rolled down Soran's nose. "I thought you would have at least been able to budge me by now."

"Please, if you weren't throwing all your weight against this one, I'd be creaming you right now." Vita ground her teeth.

"Then why is it you have your leg braced against the table?"

"You should talk!"

Rein floated above them as judge, but she took a huge yawn. "It looks like they'll be doing this for a while desu."

"What's your wrist strength, brat?"

"Two metric tons. You?"

"Same."

"Let me… put it this way." Soran panted. "You're up against a metal arm. There's no way this will break, while your bones can. I'd like to avoid that, so I suggest a truce. We split the prize."

"What's the prize? Hey, Fate. What's the prize for this?" Vita yelled as she cringed.

"Um… a stuffed animal and restaurant gift card."

"I call the stuffed animal." Vita said quickly.

"Then the gift card is mine." Soran nodded. "Truce?"

"Truce." They stuck their other hands out and shook. Both let go, gasping and grunting in relief.

"For the record, Vita-san, I'm going to ask for a rematch someday, and I'm going to beat you." Soran panted, wiping the sweat off his face.

"I'll wait with bated breath, brat." She sneered as she rubbed a towel across her face.

Soran had stood there, his back against the wall as he watched Nanoha open her presents. He didn't really see what she got, or even hear her reactions. He just stood there, letting out a big sigh. Looking down, he saw a red and green eye looking up at him and he reeled, expecting the girl to attack him. "Vivio's mommies say I shouldn't call you Mr. Meanie anymore, since Nanoha-mama's leg is all better."

"You can go ahead and call me Mr. Meanie, Vivio. In the end that's what I am, a meanie. I didn't get your mama a present, after all."

"Mr. Meanie feels bad?"

"Ah." He looked away from her and the party.

"Fate-mama says that if you feel bad and say you're sorry, it'll be okay. Maybe not right away, but sometime."

"'It'll be okay sometime' huh?" He sighed and patted Vivio on the head. "Thanks, Vivio."

"Unh!" She ran back to her mother's lap.

Nanoha looked up, and Soran climbed up the stairs to head to the terrace, looking her in the eye before continuing up. Nanoha blinked. "Excuse me for a moment, everyone." She got up and went after him. She found him standing on the terrace, looking up at the stars. "You've been really quiet tonight, Soran." She closed the glass door and locked it. "Do you not like parties?"

"Sorry, I'm not trying to spoil the mood. It's your birthday, and the last thing I want is for me to bring you down. I'm just… well I'm sorry that I don't have an actual gift to give you, Nanoha-san." He slumped on the railing.

"Subaru told me about your watch. I can't blame you for something like that. I just want you to have fun, Soran-kun."

"I know. Really I do… it's just… it's really difficult for me to say, okay?"

"Say? Say what?" He turned back to the rail and spoke three words in what would barely be considered a whisper. Nanoha's eyes went wide. "I… I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that."

"I forgive you."

"F-forgive me… for what?" She trembled, trying to keep a smile on her face.

"You know what. I just need to say it."

Her legs gave out underneath her, and she went to her knees, shivering. "Soran, please say it just once more."

"I… I forgive you." He turned to face her.

"Ah!" She looked up at him with tears streaming down her face.

"Oi! Why are you crying?! Oh crap, I said something really wrong there, didn't I? Nanoha-san!"

"Soran… for five years I've been begging for it. For five whole years it's been haunting me, teasing me. You have no idea how happy you've just made me, Soran-kun! To finally, finally be forgiven for what I did, even if it's just by one person!" She fell forward, wrapping her arms around him, both collapsing to the floor. "Thank you! Thank you Soran! Thank you! Ahhhahahaaaaa!" She cried into his chest, as some of her closest friends watched her from beyond the glass.

Fate explained it to the others in the room who didn't understand completely. "Nanoha-chan has been haunted by Operation Bushfire ever since it occurred. Though we forgave her many times, she had always wanted to hear it from a victim, a survivor. Soran just gave her a gift that outclasses all of ours put together; freedom."