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To say I was worried about Nanoha was an understatement. She did her best to put on a mask for Alisa and Suzuka, but she didn't fool me. I knew exactly how she felt, having lost family myself. We had left Uminari this morning, and we didn't really know where to go besides north toward the coast. Maybe some organised group along the coast had survived. At the very least, the ocean would be a good place to get food and water, if nothing else. The four of us were still clad in our school uniforms, though we did manage to each salvage some spare clothes from what was left of our homes. The familiar triangular form of Bardiche rested in my pocket, silently waiting for when it would be needed.

As we walked along the deserted roads, we could see abandoned cars all around, some of them emitting smoke. Everything was eerily quiet. It was as if everything had died. There were no birds, no squirrels, no insects. We occasionally saw ruins of buildings or bodies which Arisa and Suzuka cringed at. Cars were abandoned along the road where we travelled, some crushed, others not. Withered grass gave way to our steps, still completely silent. It was as if the earth itself had died after, and perhaps to, what had struck Uminari. The sky was consistently grey, with lightning occasionally crackling overhead.

Nobody talked. Despite being able to laugh at whatever Arisa had said to her three days ago, Suzuka was still grieving for her parents. Nanoha had moved on somewhat; having been able to bury her family had given her a sense of closure. I think Arisa and I both realised it, and we both gave the other two some space as we trudged along the broken pavement towards the coast. There was a coast south of Uminari that was close by, but we decided to head north from Tokyo since the northern coast would be closer to other countries. Part of me hoped Nanoha and I would be able to handle the thing that had destroyed the country. Part of me hoped we didn't ever see that monstrosity again.

In front of me, Nanoha stopped abruptly, causing me to bump into her. The acrid smell of blood filled the air, a smell I hadn't noticed before. I covered my nose, grimacing at the stench. Arisa and Suzuka did the same, but Nanoha stood completely still. I walked up beside her and took in what she was looking at. It was carnage. There were bodies everywhere, blood gathering in pools. Some of the corpses had parts missing or severed. Behind me, I could hear Suzuka retching at the sight. What really worries me was…

I don't know if it was something I saw in the corner of my eyes or pure instinct, but I dove at Arisa, knocking her to the ground. A bullet whizzed over my head just as we both landed. Arisa stared at me, wide-eyed. Additional gunshots rang out, and I heard a cry of pain belonging to Suzuka. Before I have a chance to say anything, Nanoha is by the purple-haired girl's side, pulling her up all the while shouting at me.

"Fate-chan! Get Arisa-chan and run!"

The adrenaline fills my veins, and I comply, hauling my fellow blonde on her feet and sprinting. A sharp pain erupts in my leg, but it is quickly dulled. I can sense Bardiche itching to be used, but this wasn't a magical enemy. I made the mistake of looking back. There were about dozen people aiming guns at us, firing. None were automatic, but a hail of bullets still filled the air around us. To my right, Nanoha was carrying Suzuka, who was clutching her side. Blood seeped through her fingers. She had been shot. I was pretty sure we were doomed. This was a flat open field, with nowhere to hide. To make matters worse, there was another group of people up ahead, and it didn't take a genius to figure out they were holding firearms as well.

They weren't firing at us, but they did see us. We hesitated for only a moment. Between two groups with guns, I'd take my chances with the group not shooting at us. As we got closer, one of them made a hand motion signalling us to get down. I dive to the ground, pulling Arisa with me. Beside me, a thump tells me that Nanoha and Suzuka also complied. The group in front of us took aim and fired, spraying our pursuers with lead. After a while, they stopped firing and walked over to us. The one who had been motioning us to drop to the ground spoke.

"Are you four alright?" he asks.

"We're fine," I say, gesturing to me and Arisa. I point at Suzuka. "She's been hit."

He looks me over, his eyes resting on my eyes longer than I was comfortable with. Without looking at his companions, he does a motion with his left hand. Based on how the other strangers reacted, he was probably their leader.

"You're definitely not okay. They got your leg, look. I have no idea how you ran with that kind of wound."

Nanoha stands, moving aside for one of the strangers who was holding medical supplies and walking over to me. Suzuka lay a few metres away from where I was, eyes shut, breathing quickly. Arisa stares down at her with a worried light in her eyes. A sudden surge of pain in my leg nearly makes me scream, and I bite my lip at the last second to stay quiet. When I look, one of our rescuers is staring at my leg, holding a cotton pad that was soaked red. Their leader catches me looking, and explains.

"Disinfectant. The bullet went through your leg, so it's not in there anymore, but we wouldn't want anything infecting the wounds. You won't be able to walk well for at least a few weeks."

It made sense. It also made sense that they were doing the same with Suzuka, as the screams filled the air beside me. I winced as the screaming turned into screeching, and watched as Arisa had to help hold Suzuka in place and prevent her from thrashing. The world slowly grows dark for me, and the screaming grows faint.

'Must be the blood loss' is all I can think before the darkness consumes me.

The whip cracks down again. I don't even have the strength to cry out. My mother is screaming something incoherent at me, but her voice does not reach me through the haze of pain. Again, and again. And again. I'm delirious, I recognise that much. The torment continues for what feels like hours, but eventually, I find myself on the ground. Arf is there one moment. The next, she's gone. The Garden fades to black. The darkness lingers for brief moments before suddenly, the whip lashes at me once more. This time, I find it in myself to scream.

I hear my name being called. It wasn't my mother's voice. It was...Who was it?

The world slowly comes into focus for me, the light blinding my eyes. As my eyes adjust to the brightness, I see Arisa kneeling at my side. I'm lying down on the ground. She stared at me with a look of concern.

"Fate? Same dream?" she asks. I hesitate before shaking my head in denial. She sighs.

"You were screaming, Fate."

I didn't want to talk about this, so I change the subject.

"Where are we?"

"Some abandoned medical clinic that the group who saved us uses. You've been out for about half a day. Nanoha's been worried sick."

She gestures to the brunette in question, who was fast asleep sitting against the wall. I look around. To my right lay Suzuka. Arisa sucks in a breath when my gaze lingers on Suzuka too long. That's when I notice two small metal objects coated in blood at her side. I move to stand, but Arisa pushes me back down.

"Nuh uh. You're not going anywhere with that leg," she chides. "Nanoha will have my head if I don't stop you."

When she mentioned my leg, the bullet wound began throbbing as if to remind me that it was there. Seeing that I wasn't in a position to argue, I concede the point. Satisfied, she stops pushing me downward.

"How's Suzuka?" I ask, staring at the blank white ceiling. In the corner of my eye, I see Arisa's face contort into a scowl. Not good.

"Not good," she says, echoing my thoughts. "A bullet in her side and one in her chest. They say she might not wake up again."

Hands are clenched into shaking fists. I begin contemplating my options for escape. However, I am spared Arisa's wrath for at least a while as a knock comes from the door. A voice belonging to the leader of our rescuers calls out.

"Is everybody decent? I'd like to talk," he says through the door. I look at Arisa.

"Go wake Nanoha up," I tell her. Then, turning to the door, I respond. "We're all good, come in!"

The door opens with a clack. I get a better look at the person who saved us. He couldn't be more than twenty-five, though in his eyes I recognise a bit of what I see in my own eyes in a mirror. Pain, and indescribable suffering. Loss. He hides this behind a mask of cheerfulness. Nanoha walks back over with Arisa.

"We haven't introduced ourselves, have we? I'm Takamachi Nanoha," she says cheerfully. She does not see the man's mask, mistaking it for a cheerfulness equal to her own.

"Arisa Bannings. That's Tsukimura Suzuka over there."

All eyes turn to me.

"Fate Testarossa. Thank you for helping us," I say. I don't fully trust this man, even if he did save us. He smiles, and something tells me he notices my distrust. He lingers on my eyes, likely noting the same thing I had noted about him.

"My name is-," he begins, only to be interrupted by a hail of gunfire from another part of the building.

"...unimportant, it seems," he finishes, drawing two pistols from the bag he had slung over his shoulder. He tosses one to me, confirming my suspicion that he recognised the loss in my eyes.

"I hope you know how to use that thing," he says to me, running into the hallway. I follow, leaving a telepathic message to Nanoha to keep the others safe.

The man leads me through a plethora of twists and turns, hallway after hallway. Towards the sound of gunfire. I glance down at the gun he's given me. I know vaguely how these things work, having spent the last five years on Earth. I just hoped I wouldn't make a mistake. My leg feels like it's being shoved into a grinder, but I ignore the pain as best I can. We enter what I guessed was the main hall. Desks were overturned, facing the door to the outside. I could see dozens of people hiding behind the desks, popping out occasionally to fire at an unseen enemy. I hazarded a guess that it was the same group who had chased us before. A prickly feeling came at my leg, and I looked down to see a thin stream of blood flowing from my bullet wound. Great.

We joined the rest of the defenders behind the row of desks. Ammunition was scattered all over the ground, bullets of various sizes. A box is set down beside me. It's filled with extra bullets

"You'll need these. Be careful, they have stronger guns than what you're using," a voice says to me. I nod without looking, loading the gun. My hands are shaking. Could I shoot to kill? After how Nanoha had gone through so much to pull me out of my misery before?

I shake off my misgivings. I'm doing this for Nanoha, and Arisa, and Suzuka. I clear my mind.

No doubt.

No guilt.

No fear.

A/N:

Yea, so I realised that last chapter I forgot to mention this. This story is a companion to In Saecula Saeculorum which is the Madoka Magica side of the story. Anyway, there will be a sequel to this and the Madoka side, and the sequel will be a crossover. Otherwise, there will only be slight nods to Madoka Magica in this story. As usual, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! :D

On a more serious note, a member of a band I am part of has passed away. I won't name him out of respect to his family, but I'd like to take this opportunity to remember him. Rest in peace, mate.