Forgot I was supposed to post this! Time for some downtime with the mamas :). I've had plenty of these talks with my own mother, but without the huge explosions and the giant magical scythe, and the whole mom-being-an-awesome-enforcer-in-cool-blacks thing hanging over me. Writing down some small thoughts about my own experience with the whole mother-to-daughter talk helped with writing this chappy immensely. Summarily, be nice to your moms.

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The field crackled with the sounds of wild magic.

Thick bolts of electricity pummelled through the air, raking up huge chunks of earth and grass in their wake as a multitude of smaller projectiles followed, shearing trees and bushes alike. The glowing spear-heads of pure energy moved haphazardly through space, dancing and circling almost lazily around both combatants as they waited for their master's command. A misfortunate step, a careless brush would set them off as surely as the sun rose and bring a whole world of pain.

Vivio plunged on, crashing through the thundering hell around her with bullish stubbornness, absorbing the impacts one after another against her shield. At the centre of the inferno stood Fate, face frozen in a grim, calculating mask while she observed her daughter's progress. This was no longer the loving mother who would brush Vivio's hair for school, but the legendary enforcer criminals had to face when the bureau sent Investigator Testarossa-Harlaown after them. Vivio knew that a surprising majority of the felons her mama brought in pleaded guilty rather than stay in her custody. Seeing Fate at her full power was a good reminder of why.

A Hound was certainly no wimp but to say that Fate could be scary was a laughable understatement.

The younger Takamachi let out a shout as she pumped her legs harder, building speed with muscle and magic alike. Fate moved only so slightly, Bardiche balanced loosely in her hand. They clashed together in an immense explosion of shattered shields and shredded spells, Vivio's Strike Arts versus Fate's combat forms in a furious exchange of punches and slashes.

There was nothing like training with one of her mamas to remind Vivio of just who the women who had raised her were, and the potential consequences of making them an enemy.

Vivio ducked when a thrust from Bardiche's Scythe form suddenly turned into a retracting yank, a move that by all standards ought to have cleaved her head off. She used Fate's lack of momentum to propel herself into a backward flip, missing a plasma lancer to her neck by a hair while extending her leg into a crescent kick. Her kick missed Fate's face by a breath. Vivio sucked in air as she felt her spell build.

"Schildstoß!" She bellowed as her device flared and the world around her disappeared in an explosion of white, swallowing Fate and Bardiche and for a moment Vivio grew very afraid.

Her worries were quickly dispelled however. A flash of bright yellow was her only warning when Fate rammed into Vivio using the broadside of Bardiche's Zanber form. She had used the sword as a shield, most likely cleaving her daughter's spellwork like wet paper.

The contact stung like hot coal. The pure plasma blade burned even through her barrier jacket and what irked the young Takamachi most was that her mother wasn't even on the offensive. Vivio's shield was down. She caught a kick to her stomach, caught it as in the true sense of the world as her hands clamped down onto the woman's leg, pulling violently to throw the ace's balance while she tried to keep her breakfast. Fate fell, but refused to go down.

"Spear Form!"

Vivio's world shook as her hearing suddenly cracked violently. Fate had twisted her body, yielding to the motion while throwing her body into Vivio's brute strength, using her own momentum against her. She struck her daughter across the temple with the pole arm, channelling her lightening instantly. Vivio's shield went up one moment to late when a shearing jolt of electricity racked through her body. Fate's magic skewered into her skin as her vision darkened and air left her lungs.

Finesse be damned. Hounds may go down, but never without a piece of their enemy.

The pain was excruciating. Vivio screamed as she gripped onto Bardiche's shaft, defying the defeat she so clearly saw in her mother's eyes. Fate's eyes softened with a flash of worry but remained relentless in her onslaught. Being a field agent, she knew the real dangers of Vivio's work. Her training worked to ascertain her daughter's progress and both of them knew that her ruthless sparring tempo was an expression of her love.

Vivio ignored the older blonde's sympathy and yanked. It was a powerful tug which slammed the surprised enforcer into her while she tapped into the last of her strength, grasping after her last flickering reserves.

The ace read her intentions but did so too late. Vivio's magic speared through Bardiche and by extension into Fate, pure and merciless, giving as good as she had received. The enforcer gasped at the assault to her weapon, no doubt feeling the tear through their link. The young Takamachi felt how Sacred Heart's power began to falter. She clung onto her mother with nails and sheer willpower, then released what she knew would be her last attack.

"Die Hand der Königin!"

It wasn't as much a spell as it was a launch of a refined, focused power. Vivio had never given it much thought. She, like Hayate had raw magic in spades, she just didn't have the finesse to shape all of it into coherent, well-planned forms. The attack had its uses however as she felt how her essence crushed through the ace in an unforgiving wave. Bardiche trembled in their hands.

Vivio fainted before she could see the end of her spell. The last thing she would remember was the look of disbelief in her mama's face and the crystal sound of Fate's barrier jacket shattering into a million bright pieces.

She woke up in the infirmary with her mother by her side.

"Did I win?" She asked half in joke, wincing at the pain breathing caused. Fate looked neither amused nor angry but shook her head steadily.

"You burned out both devices but left me conscious. I could have finished you with a rock to your head." She said matter-of-factly. Vivio winced when she tried to move. "What were you thinking Vivio? Vita taught you better than this."

"You mean to leave out the suicidal stuff? Yeah, I know."

The familiar sight of a levitating plastic bag with clear liquid met Vivio when she looked around. She was on IV anaesthetics, great. No wonder she felt groggier than a drunken Navy grunt.

"Vivio, what's wrong?"

She looked over at Fate who now looked like nothing but a very worried mother, keen to understand her troubled child. She reached out and grasped her daughter's hand, interweaving their fingers. Vivio's heart ached at the fond caress only a mama possessed.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"You've been in a mood for days. You spend the nights at Hayate's, which is all well and good considering wh—"

"Mama…" Vivio pleaded, not sure if this was where she wanted to have this conversation.

"No, you listen. I'm not an Investigator for nothing, Viv. I knew you and Hayate were doing more than sleepovers. I just wanted Nanoha to catch on by herself. My concern is about your general behaviour over the recent days. You turn up at home whenever you see fit and disappear to Hayate's without as much as a word, then you spend the day training until you're half-dead with exhaustion. You don't go out and you haven't been visiting your friends. You missed Erio's visit. I could have let this pass as a phase or lovers' quarrel but I don't like the idea of you being deployed in this state, so I'm asking you again, Vivio: what's wrong?"

"Oh," Vivio replied weakly, because there really wasn't a whole lot to say when Fate lined it up like that. "How's Erio-niisan?"

Fate's face softened. "Very busy, I think he and Caro are planning to make me a grandmother prematurely."

"Go big brother." She smiled weakly. "Nanoha-mama must be prowling for baby stuff already."

"She is. The whole thing is hurting my brain but at least she's happy. I figured you would like the news." Fate chuckled. "Don't try to change the subject."

"Sorry," Vivio tried to gather her thoughts. The problem was that there were just so many of them that it had gotten to a point where everything started to clog together. Perhaps it was due to the drugs but she suddenly found herself willing to talk. "I… I guess I just feel powerless and it's making me frustrated."

"Is there a world-destroying, apocalyptic threat I'm not aware of? You're a Special Task Group officer Vivio; you'll need to elaborate on the whys." Fate looked at her thoughtfully. "Is this about Hayate?"

"No!— I… I don't know, mama. Yes. Maybe. She's great but it's just so…" Vivio closed her eyes as if in pain, her grip on Fate's hand tightening. The older blonde waited patiently for her daughter to gather her words. "…so difficult sometimes. I chased after her for so long, and now it's like I'm chickening out and that makes me so mad at myself."

Vivio continued: "Do you have any idea of how brilliant she really is? She's like the genius kid in school who finished math books in droves, but unlike the kid who eventually got bored, Hayate just kept going. She will never stop, mother. Sometimes I think she'll keep ploughing through the ranks until all of Cranagan is under her power, and then she'll just switch continent and keep going."

"Empress Hayate, that's a thought."

"Har har."

"I know what you mean though. I went to school with her, remember? The keenness of mind and a compassionate heart doesn't come together often. She's a rare find."

Vivio shook her head in amusement. Fate-mama was truly to humble for her own good.

Fate studied her carefully before speaking. "Do you feel left out from her life?"

"No, more like… like inadequate to it." She said, holding up a hand to stop her mother from protesting. "She's the real thing, mama. Hayate will go down in history as someone who made a real difference. Everyone around her can see that. Sometimes, I just feel like I'll always be like this in our relationship, like a little kid who can't see the big picture she's striving so hard to show us all, and it's infuriating because I want to understand so badly. I want to be with her as an equal in society's eyes because those dumb publicity things matters, not just some blonde hussy she brings to mingle parties! I want her to be able to be proud of me when we stand together like you and Nanoha-mama do. I want to be good for her but I just don't know what to do!"

And there it was. All her troubles in a neat nutshell.

She had to admit that it felt pretty good to put it out there.

"Oh Vivio," Fate brushed an errant lock of hair from her daughter's face, her burgundy eyes dancing. "You're both such sweet fools."

"…what?"

Fate didn't answer for some time but she smiled, a true, unrestrained curl of lips that made her look every bit the girl Vivio had seen in photos.

"Do you really think she thinks of you like that? As a young trophy companion, like the ones you pay for when one has the social need? Do you think she thinks so little of you, of my daughter?"

"Well, no…"

"Vivio, do you enjoy what you're doing with your life? Do you like your duty as an STG operative?" Fate asked.

"I do! It's like climbing the Farpeaks with no mountain gear and butt naked, but I do. It makes me push everything I learned from Vita and Signum to use, and I like being in the thick of it where things explode. I mean, being a defence expert and all." She answered honestly. "The officers' might not be a bunch of fairy tale princes, but they're good mages. I like how we get things done."

"Then don't you think Hayate likes seeing you doing exactly that?"

"Blowing things up?"

"If that's what makes you happy, I guess. You wouldn't make anyone happy by pushing yourself to do things you didn't enjoy." Fate's expression didn't waver as her daughter looked at her sceptically. "I'm not trying to pep-talks you like a schoolgirl, Viv. What we do, especially the two of us, are the genuine, visceral thing. It's life or death with a pretty unpleasant grey zone in between. No one shoulders STG or Enforcer duties if you haven't considered the dangers." Fate explained. "We don't do them because we're too stupid to dance the political tango. Most of the Enforcers take the test because they got bored of sitting behind a desk reading about the crimes. Also, we think it's much more satisfying to be there in person and slap the binds in place despite the risks. I know I do."

Vivio considered her mama's words. "So as long as I know why I'm doing it and can commit to the duty, it's all good?" She tried awkwardly, not sure if she had understood.

"You were comparing apples with oranges, honey. What you and Hayate do are both very significant but for entirely different reasons. Hers just needs to be showier because the public's opinion about the bureau is important to keep us going. Hayate is a very kind woman, but she's also practical." Fate went on, and then tipped her head in thought. "Besides, are you really sure she would appreciate you becoming a sharpie like that? Has she ever complained about you not knowing and understanding all those grand schemes of hers?"

"…no, but wouldn't she like me more if I did?" Vivio asked, and realized how silly it sounded as soon as the words left her. Fate just smiled gently.

"Viv, do I love your mother?"

The younger blonde nodded, blushing, because that was the one constant to her life that had never changed. Fate went on:

"And I do so despite that Nanoha doesn't have a clue about half of the things I do in field. It's a good thing really because I'm not sure she would agree with the ways the bureau operates at times. Now, I would never call your mother naïve, but her ideals are not completely in accord with mine and she has her own goals of what she wants to accomplish as a mage. We don't always agree and our duties are certainly different, but that doesn't stop us from making the best out of what we have together."

"But… Hayate is a general, and she will go further one day. I'll make captain probably, major tops."

"Nanoha's been a Flight Captain since you were in primary school." Fate's voice was not upset but firm. She shook her head. "Speaking as your mother and Hayate's best friend, you need to trust me on this. Hayate likes you for who you are and what you do. I've never heard her utter one complaint about your proficiency as a mage or as a person. I doubt that she's expecting you to be a follower and stepping stone for her career, she wants you for being you, and there's not a whole lot you can do to change that."

Vivio giggled tiredly. "That does sound a bit corny, coming even from you."

Fate blushed and shot her daughter a look. "But do you see my point?"

"I think I'm beginning to." The younger blonde sighed. She was glad that Fate was home and in her life again, however brief their time as a family may be. "Mama, will it ever get easier? I mean, how do you and Nanoha-mama do it when you're away on all those deep-space deployments? Or when you get promotions and she doesn't?"

"Trust." The older blonde answered simply, her voice never wavering. "Trust in Hayate, Vivio. Have faith in her to remain her own person beyond the goals she strives for, and most of all, trust her to see you as her support no matter what life you choose."

"It's hard."

"Life always is. That's why you must look closely at yourself at times to see if you like what you've become. That's what integrity is about, it's the loyalty you have to yourself and the person you wish to be. Besides, faith works in both directions. You look to her for strength too, don't you?"

Vivio felt her eyes tear. She squeezed the hand that held hers and laughed quietly before speaking:

"She's not my strength, mama. Hayate is my heart."

Fate leaned down and kissed her child's brow. After all those years, the task of being a mother still surprised her. STG or not, Vivio was still her precious daughter and a light to her life. She was a little taller perhaps, but yet in so many ways a girl in need of parental wisdom— and who didn't really? The enforcer thought fondly of Lindy and made a mental note to call home.

"Let her be that then. She deserves no less."