Prologue

Mid-Childa, January 15, 2010

Rain covered her clothes and made it impossible for her to see what was in front of her, at least, that was what she thought because she didn't want to think that the real reason for her lack of vision was her weakness due to the injuries she sustained during the fight. The pain was making it hard for her to take another step but she forced her leg to move as far away from their current location as they could.

I have to keep moving. I can't stop here… Nanoha, I…

She could hear the sound of the wind telling her someone was moving towards her location. It was one of the many skills she had as her powers were related to speed and movement and she was able to hear things that for others were nothing but whispers.

Another step and finally her legs gave out, making her fall on her knees. She wanted to keep moving but her injuries prevented her from doing anything but stand there, under the rain, and too weak to continue with this fight. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself as she heard the last of the enemies she encountered landing gracefully in the ground.

"Where are you going?" asked the voice.

Fate T. Harlaow looked up at the person that spoke to her. She could not see anything beyond a smile and red eyes with the same color of the blood that ran down her arm and the back of her head.

This was her end. She knew this as well as the person in front of her but she got what she wanted by distracting her enemies long enough to make her the target they had to take down. She managed to take five out of the six people attacking her but there was one still standing and this one, she knew, she couldn't defeat.

But at least she protected them and that was enough.

"Why are you doing this?" asked Fate trying to understand why all this was happening.

"That's not something I can say at the moment." said the shadow. "Besides, you should not worry about it, soon you will be nothing but a memory."

She knew this. Her body stopped cooperating with her a long time ago and not even her loyal friend 'Bardiche' was in any condition to continue with the fight, that's why, when that shadow called for a sword and started walking towards her, Fate knew she was going to die here.

And to be honest, she only wanted to take a break. She wanted to close her eyes for a moment and think about the person who still held her heart. Her important person. Takamachi Nanoha.

Nanoha…

The sound of thunder was heard far away from her location and Fate felt herself smiling in pain. Thunder was her power and now it was trying to save her, even if she knew that would never happen. She was fine with this, of course, since she made peace with this end a long time ago but there was a part of her that wanted desperately to spend more time with Nanoha, with her little Vivio, and with her friends.

But that choice was robbed from her a long time ago.

"No!"

Fate heard a voice that seemed to be far away from her current location and then the soft clash of swords as her body finally hit the ground and her eyes started to close, not feeling anything but the faint sense of cold embracing her.

"Hey… hold on, everything is going to be fine."

Nanoha…

Fate wanted to open her eyes and know who was saving her but she was losing her hearing and she couldn't even say if it was a man or a woman and finally, against her desires, her eyes closed, thinking about the woman that became the center of her universe so long ago and still today was everything she ever wanted.

I'm so sorry, Nanoha.

I had to do this. Please, forgive me.

I love you.

Finally, Fate T. Harlaow let herself go, leaving everything in the hands of the person who appeared to fight the shadow that wanted to kill her, unfortunately, she was sure that person wouldn't be here in time to save her.

And maybe that was fine.

"Shit!" said the person that came to save Fate. "Hold on, please. You can't die here!"

The person who barely managed to save Fate tried to wake her up and when that wasn't a choice, that person knew she needed a doctor quickly so without thinking, the person made a choice and took her away from that place to try and save her life one more time.

Because they couldn't let her go yet. Not because of these people and not when they needed to know why Fate T. Harlaow became a target to them.