SonicANIME2010 here, bringing in the start of a new arc for Wind of the Night Sky. So yeah, we got Sonic crashin at Hayate's place for a while longer… and with the Tornado fixed, things are looking fine and peaceful, but we all know how long that will last. As usual, I own no canon characters from either side of this crossover.
-January 3rd, 0066 New Calendar*-
[South Island Archipelago]
[Never Lake]
[BGM: "Little Planet" Sonic CD OST (JPN/EU)]
Never Lake, a beautiful body of water situated on a large island a mile or two off the coast of South Island, has long been the subject of a legend lost to time. It was a large, beautiful, clear lake in an open, green-field landscape with the occasional rock formation. Steep cliffs surrounded the circumference which prevented the natural formation of any beachheads. Around the clearing of the wide pool were several mountains and sizable rock formations. A lone river was connected to the main body to flow water into it.
According to the legend, for one month of every year, a small planet would appear above the magnificent lake. Nobody knew what this satellite was called officially, so they had simply called it "Little Planet" or "Miracle Planet". It had been well over eleven months since the last appearance, so logic would presume that the mysterious orb was due to appear once more.
A lone hedgehog girl approached the lake with purpose. The girl had pink fur on most of her body and peach skin on her muzzle, arms and belly, if her attire ever showed such. She had emerald-green eyes, six short but spikey head spines and three bangs on her forehead, separated by a red headband. Two smaller quills protruded from her back above her short tail. Her attire consisted of a green polo shirt with puffed sleeves and a white collar and trim to match. At her waist was an orange-yellow ruffled skirt that showed off her pink legs nicely. For her feet, a pair of blue and white running shoes with orange laces while white cuffed gloves fitted nicely to her hands.
As the girl approached, she heaved her signature hammer, known as the Piko Piko Hammer, over her shoulder. The hammer had a red head, twin flexible yellow faces and a pink handle designed for her grip. Though the hedgehog girl looked young, the way she carried the special mallet indicated that she knew how to wield it and was undeterred by its weight.
"Finally!" The girl sighed to herself as she let the hammer rest at her feet, "Never Lake at last..."
The little hedgehog female took out several tarot cards and looked at them in her left hand. A light pink aura flared about her body briefly she made the cards float before her with a wave of her hand; their images lining up in a horizontal gathering before her eyes. To many, the practice of tarot reading can be a waste of time, but this girl felt different. Though she was young, she held a certain sight; an ability to divine and predict the future from said cards. That said, even she would admit that they can be trying on her patience and their accuracy was comparable to a horoscope.
"A destined encounter will occur soon, but it may not be with whom you expect…" She spoke softly, mysteriously, "Your future holds arduous and nigh impossible trials, but do not be afraid… fear not…fret not…
"A new entity will expose you to a new power." Confusion etched into the hedgehog girl's tone as the reading reached the last verse, "Follow your heart and stay your course."
The girl's face took on an adorable look of thoughtfulness as she tried to analyze the reading she was given. Her heart had almost skipped a beat when she read the first part with a destined encounter, but hearing it was not with whom she expected it to be with had demoralized her somewhat.
"I came here because my last reading said I would have a destined encounter with one that I liked here, but now with someone I don't expect?" The girl grumbled vocally as she dismissed her aura and stowed her cards away, "Mou…"
As the girl sat down on a rock to pout, a flash of light emitted from a central point above the lake that had forced her to close her eyes. Once the light settled, a small planet had been left behind in its wake; floating on a rotational axis.
"What the?!" Shock was first expressed on the girl's face; though that soon gave way to realization as she recalled an old legend, "Wait… could that be the Miracle Planet spoken of in myth? No wa-"
The rumblings of rockslide interrupted her as one of the mountain faces shattered and crumbled away, leaving a weird carving in its place. A face of a bald human male with a spiky, weird moustache was carved into the face of the mountain for an odd reason. As if to add to the growing shock, a chain was fired off from the "mouth" of the mountain and attached itself to the planet.
"Doctor Eggman!" exclaimed the pink hedgehog in identification as she watched a battalion of robots, led by a man whom the mountain was shaped after, began to invade the planet above.
The hedgehog looked around as if expecting something or someone else to show up. Her expectations were soon dashed as despite waiting a good part of several minutes, not a soul was to be seen. This young girl was not one to let herself be downed by fear of the aggression so easily.
"Well then, if Sonikku won't show up…" The pink hedgehog stood up and hoisted the hammer over her shoulder, "Then Amy Rose will have to cover for him!"
With a swiftness to her step, the hedgehog, aptly identified as Amy Rose, made her way up the chain and ascended into the new world. However, shortly after she landed, she was immediately intercepted by a small blur of golden-yellow hair and crimson-red eyes; thus, a new adventure began.
[OP: "Eternal Blaze" Mizuki Nana, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's]
Sonic the Hedgehog: Wind of the Night Sky
Chapter 5
Little Planet Phase 1: Meaning of Birth
[Uminari City: Residential]
[Yagami Residence]
[No BGM]
Crimson eyes gazed at the ceiling as Reinforce woke from her slumber. She looked out the window to find the light of the rising sun shine beautifully in the bedroom. Unable and unwilling to resist, she relished in the peaceful morning atmosphere. It was a simple given for many, but for the woman who had often spent centuries held within a dangerous Lost Logia that used to have a cycle of death, destruction and reincarnation, it was a blessing.
'How long have I missed being able to wake up in the physical world? I suppose I should get used to this,' The woman thought to herself softly as she gazed at a figure cuddled in the bedsheets beside her, 'Much like others…'
She lightly pulled the covers away to reveal the sleeping form of Sonic, the blue hedgehog who was arguably the trigger to the events that led to the current situation. A kind smile of innocent adoration blessed her face as she watched the blue boy react to the light shining on his body. The hedgehog was slowly stirring out of his own sleep.
"Sonic-san, you've done many things for my mistress and my knights. I don't think there's any amount of gratitude enough that I can show. But," Reinforce wrapped her arms in a warm, kind, motherly embrace around the hedgehog. Unknowingly due to the size difference, she had pushed the hedgehog boy's face deep into her ample, generous, round bosoms, "I'll do what I can to protect you and the happiness you bring us…"
The silver-haired beauty might have gotten lost in her kind, innocent embrace, had she not felt the boy stir more. She could feel movement of the hedgehog's spiny, but soft, head against the cleavage gap in her sleeping gown. Humorously enough, she also soon heard Sonic mutter something in a tired voice.
"Mou, Reinforce…" Sonic groaned tiredly, half-asleep, "Can't breathe. Big, soft, bouncy things blocking…"
"Oh, sorry!" Reinforce quickly released the hedgehog so he could breathe, feeling more shameful for nearly suffocating the poor hedgehog than to be embarrassed by the situation.
"Ufu~!" a musical giggle, belonging to Hayate, echoed from the cracked-open door to the shared bedroom, where the Mistress of the Night Sky had watched the scene with humor, "Good morning, Reinforce-san, Sonic-kun."
"Yo~!" the hedgehog, still half-awake, droned out with a small wave.
"Mistress!" red tinted the cheeks of Reinforce as the embarrassment started to settle in, "Um, this isn't…"
"What it looks like, I know." Hayate had a knowing, but mischievous expression to her face, "Sonic-kun's just too cute to not cuddle with. Shamal-san does the same thing and I'm still trying to get Signum-san and Vita-chan converted, but it's a slow process with them.
"At any rate, breakfast is almost ready…" the brunette started to turn her chair towards the dining room, "We should hurry too. Limietta-san is coming over soon with Nanoha-chan and Fate-chan; looks like something important too."
Both hedgehog and unison device nodded in acknowledgement as they watched Hayate leave. Neither of them took long to change as all Sonic had to do was put on his gloves, socks and shoes while Reinforce's outfit, a sweater and skirt combination with black stockings, was already laid out. The embarrassing situation from before was swiftly behind them. Although Sonic had innocently failed to see what the trouble was aside from the breathing issue, he refrained from asking out of respect for Reinforce's comfort.
[Dining Room]
[BGM: "Honobono" Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha OST]
Surprisingly, Vita and Signum were already waiting at the table for Sonic and Reinforce, though Vita looked about as awake as Sonic did earlier. Shamal had just finished laying out the plates and a bowl for Zafira when she spotted the two enter. She could see the awkward look on the unison knight's face, but only offered a nod of understanding and sympathy, saying nothing else.
The family gathered fully at the table for a peaceful and delicious breakfast of bacon and eggs. As Sonic ate, he took notice that Hayate was still in her wheelchair, despite the fact that her paralysis was only mending. He could not help but feel confused and concerned for her sake.
"Uh, Reinforce…" Sonic paused in-between bites, "You said you could give Hayate the ability to walk freely, didn't you?"
"Correct," Reinforce nodded calmly, taking note of the glances on her from all parties.
"So, why not do it now?" the hedgehog asked, somewhat understandably so out of concern.
"I could…" The woman admitted calmly, taking a moment to sip her tea before continuing, "But to do so now would be a detriment to her health. She had spent a significant amount of time crippled. To reverse all of that now, without giving her legs the time to build up their strength to support her weight again…"
"Oh…" trailed off the hedgehog in understanding.
"She will be able to walk again." Sincerity was all that could be felt in Reinforce's tone as her message was for all in the family, "It is only just a matter of time."
"Thank you for the concern, Sonic-kun…" Hayate spoke softly with a smile, "But, I've spent so much time crippled already. The time it takes for my legs to heal will only make that final moment better, when I can walk, like everyone else."
Breakfast went by smoothly, and it had both Sonic and Vita fully awake and ready to take on the day. The others could only smile and sigh at the energy displayed by the hedgehog and girl. It was hard to fault either of them, though, as they often used that energy productively, when they were not playing pranks on one another.
[No BGM]
The family had just finished putting away dishes when Amy Limietta had arrived with Nanoha and Fate in tow. Hayate's initial presumption of a serious matter had been correct as the guests were well prepared to give a debriefing.
"I'm sorry for bothering you on a nice day," Limietta said remorsefully, "But we have a potential crisis developing."
"What's the situation?" Signum was the first to query.
In an instant, Amy pulled up a map of the South Island archipelago on a magitek viewing screen in the living room. There was a large red dot flickering from one of the smaller islands off the coast of South Island. The coordinates and positioning had triggered a sense of familiarity from Sonic, but he kept his thoughts to himself.
"About 20 minutes ago, Raising Heart and Bardiche picked up a distress beacon from an unregistered device." Limietta gestured a pointed finger at the dot, "The signal is weak from unknown interference, but I was able to determine that a mage is operating under duress and is requesting aid."
"How can we be sure of that?" Reinforce asked.
"The source of signal is a Mid-Childan Intelligent Device, like myself and Raising Heart." Bardiche spoke up, taking the form of a pendant on Fate's neck.
"Devices like us are able to call out to one another, either automatically or upon command." Raising Heart added, also taking a standby form of a pendant around Nanoha's neck.
"The beacon came in on one of the emergency channels we use in the Bureau, and we were able to track it here." Amy gestured to the island, "On an island just a few miles away from South Island."
As soon as Amy had said that, all eyes had fallen upon the resident "expert" of the islands, Sonic. The hedgehog, to his credit, had a thoughtful look on his face as he stared at the map. It was evident that he knew, or at least strongly suspected, what the island was.
"Sonic-kun?" Hayate tapped his shoulder softly to get his attention.
"Never Lake, Little Planet…" Sonic approached the map and ran a gloved finger along the island in question, "It's an urban legend only spoken of in stories."
Briefly, the hedgehog told the gathered group all he knew about the legend in question. He had heard rumors about the miracles the planet could grant, but his main concern was on the power it was said to have. If the mage was truly under duress on Little Planet, Sonic had one reasonable guess as to the culprit.
"Doctor Eggman…" Sonic unconsciously clenched his gloved fist, "If there's anyone who would use Little Planet for their own desires, it's him."
"Given what you've told us of him before, it makes sense." Amy added thoughtfully, "If he's allowed to get what he wants…"
"We should dispatch him posthaste," Signum looked at the teenaged liaison, "Is that allowed?"
"I don't see why it wouldn't be. Eggman-san's ideals spell trouble for us and he must be stopped." Amy Limietta said with a small shrug, "I'll have to ask that you allow Fate-chan and Nanoha-chan to accompany you and identify the source of the distress beacon and hear out their story."
"Acceptable." nodded the Blazing General, Signum as her gaze fell upon the hedgehog, "I presume you are joining in."
"Of course~!" winked Sonic.
Reinforce stepped forward, in front of Shamal, Hayate and Zafira. Her tone was formal and apologetic, "My apologies, but you will have to leave us behind. Neither myself nor the mistress have recuperated enough from our battle with NachtWal and we will need these two for protection."
"No apology is necessary," Signum shook her head, "With Takamachi, Testarossa, myself, Vita and Sonic-san, we should be able to manage."
"Alright!" the energetic officer and lone true representative of the Bureau on the planet cheered as she threw out a pointed finger into the air, "Deploy!"
[South Island Archipelago: Never Lake]
[Little Planet: Palmtree Panic Zone]
[Time Zone: Present]
[BGM: "Eeto Desu Ne" Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha OST]
One might think that for the tropical region of Little Planet known as Palmtree Panic, with its sharp mountains and scattered waterfalls in the backdrop, palm trees and star-shaped plants littering the coast and pipes that ran water through the zone to make miniature waterfalls; it would be less than an ideal place for an awkward encounter. However, it seemed as though two individuals had missed that memo as the tension between them was thick yet humorous.
On one hand, there was Amy Rose, a seemingly kind, gentle, innocent young girl with just the HINT of a crush on another hedgehog. She had only visited Little Planet because the subject of her crush was predicted to be there, she hardly expected to run into an enigma like the one before her.
On the other side of this awkward confrontation was a young human girl who bore an astounding resemblance to Fate Testarossa, albeit a head shorter. Teal ribbons had tied her lovely, long hair partly into twin-tails while the rest went down to the small of her back. Her Barrier Jacket was a white sleeveless shirt with a teal necktie attached to a deep blue collar. Matching blue cuffs were fastened to her wrists, and left her whole arms bare, with the exception of a teal ribbon attached to her left arm at the bicep. A white-blue short skirt was worn at her waist with a bluish-green miniskirt above it that was parted to expose the underskirt. Metallic plates were secured to her waist and flowed into deep blue waist-cape that had insignias of stars just at her hips. At her right ankle was a teal ribbon while white and blue tennis shoes completed her look.
Her device, codenamed: "Lucky Star", was unique in the sense that it was not one, but two weapons that were dual-wielded. In her right hand was a paper-fan with a big blue star emblem on the face and a matching blue gem at the hilt. For her left hand, a small handgun with a matching color scheme that resembled more of a toy squirt gun, a probable testament to the human child's youth.
Both girls stared down one another warily, their bodies dripping in sweat and breathing shortened. From the immediate surroundings, it seemed as though the girls had fought. Although, there was also the presence of scrap metal, perhaps a few robots had also gotten in between the two.
"You're not bad." Amy Rose complimented genuinely.
"I don't really like fighting, but that doesn't mean I can't hold my own…" The blonde sighed and wiped her forehead of the dripping sweat, "Look, during our spat, Lucky Star told me that at least four mages are on the way here after I sent out the distress beacon. I'd rather not wait for them because I don't know if they're friend or foe.
"Now can we go back to my previous questions?" Truthfully, the short blonde, nice as she may look, seemed to be under some stress and her patience was thinning, "I had three: What world is this? What is the current year and month according to the New Calendar? And who are you?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about." the pink hedgehog, understandably so, was a little bit confused, "I can at least say my name, but it's kinda rude to ask for someone else's name without giving your own."
"We're really not getting anywhere with this… oh well, I'll at least give you my name," The girl smiled cheerfully and bowed, "My name is…"
[South Island Archipelago: Never Lake]
[Several miles away from Little Planet]
[No BGM]
"Alicia, Alicia Testarossa…" Fate spoke with a strained voice, as if the name had hurt to say, "Kaa-san's real daughter, my original."
Alicia's name had come up as Fate had retold her story to Sonic and the Wolkenritter during their trek to Little Planet. Sonic had taken to the ground while the mages and knights followed him closely. Fate had felt somewhat guilty for seemingly avoiding the topic when she and Nanoha spoke of the Jewel Seed incident. Because of that and the time they had, she felt that the three deserved to know.
Fate Testarossa, as her story revealed, was actually an Artificial Mage, rather a biological life form not made by the normal methods of conception. She was created by her mother, Precia Testarossa, in an attempt to resurrect the woman's dead daughter, Alicia. Supposedly, Alicia had died as a result of a prototype energy generator meltdown. Precia, who was developing the prototype, had been forced to ignore safety regulations when her superiors put pressure on her.
Distraught, Precia had shifted her scientific focus from energy to life. She had involved herself in the illegal scientific research of cloning, hopefully as a means of bringing Alicia back to life. Eventually, she was successful in creating a clone; one that would have been a perfect replication, if not for one small detail: Alicia was left-handed, while Fate was right. The mad-woman, driven even more by her perceived failure, refused to accept the copy as a replacement for her daughter, not even bothering to give her a real name, instead coining her after the project that had brought her to life: Project Fate.
"Project Fate… Fate, Fate Testarossa!" Sonic thought out loud as he connected the dots, "What is it with mad scientists and their bad naming clichés?"
"Sonic-kun!" Nanoha chastised the blue blur, "This is very sensitive to Fate-chan, please don't be rude."
"It's fine, Nanoha," Fate shook her head, truly the girl did not seem able to hold a grudge against anyone, "As I think about it now in a different light, it does seem kinda silly."
"Regardless, I believe we should continue the story." Signum interjected, "You were talking about the Jewel Seeds?"
Nanoha took over the narration from there whilst Fate chimed in when needed. She had gotten involved in the incident when a shapeshifting archeologist, Yuuno Scrya, had gotten injured after trying to seal the relics on his own. From what she was told, Yuuno's ship had suffered an interdimensional accident that had scattered the Jewel Seeds all over Earth, primarily Japan and the western Pacific Ocean and with Yuuno recuperating, it was up to her to seal them.
"Yuuno-kun said that he sought me out because I could hear him." Nanoha added, "Apparently I had alot of magical potential,"
"I can attest to that." Vita confirmed the statement, "That was the reason I went after you that one night."
"Given what was said before, I'm going to assume that Fate was collecting these Jewel Seed things as well." Sonic guessed, rather fairly with what information was stated, "Right?"
"Kaa-san had sent me and Arf to gather them. Nanoha and I clashed over them several times." Affirmed Fate, "Each clash, she tried to reach out to me, but I never listened. I wanted to see kaa-san smile, but she never did for me."
One of the clashes generated the interdimensional disturbance which drew the Bureau's attention and that was when they got involved. Nanoha had aligned herself with them because the incident had localized over her homeworld, making the incident a race to gather them all. As this race continued, Precia grew more unstable, lashing out at Fate, which had enraged Alph, the girl's familiar, into striking back.
It was Alph who had started the chain of events that had led to Fate's defection. Precia injured the wolf-girl in retaliation and the familiar had just barely managed to escape. Arisa, who by pure coincidence was one of Nanoha's best friends, had found the wolf and nursed her back to health. Nanoha and Yuuno initiated contact with the injured familiar while visiting. They had come to an agreement that Alph would help them so long as they saved her master.
"Fate-chan and I had one last battle." Nanoha glanced into Fate's eyes, "A winner-take-all for the Jewel Seeds."
"I lost…" Fate looked away for a moment, "Kaa-san was mad. She intervened and took the Jewel Seeds I had before I could surrender them."
Fortunately, while Precia had initiated her attack from her realm known as the "Garden of Time", the Bureau were still able to trace and launch an offensive in hopes of capturing the criminal. During that attack, Fate's defection was made official.
Precia had revealed to all just what her plans were and how she felt about her daughter. The Jewel Seeds were collected for the purpose of reaching the ancient civilization, Al-Hazard, so she could resurrect her Alicia. She claimed to have never seen Fate as a daughter, merely a means to an end; a failed duplicate that she had mercifully implanted the memories of Alicia Testarossa into. Fate was heartbroken, shocked, she could hardly believe it, yet Precia went on and effectively disowned her.
"I was able to recover with Bardiche and went to confront kaa-san myself." Fate, although tearful, continued on, "I told her just what I felt. That despite all that she said, I wanted to save her from this. But she-"
"Look out!" Signum had been forced to interrupt her former rival when one of the mountains up ahead started to burst and create a massive avalanche of rocks, "Rock slide!"
Pressed for time, the four in the air immediately tried to dart away from the falling boulders while Sonic took a different approach. The hedgehog, in a display of his amazing agility, leaped from each rock as if they were stepping stones, but soon reached one that was too big for such a feat. As the massive boulder's shadow enveloped him, Sonic leaped forward, rolled into his spin-form, pierced straight through the middle of it and then jumped forward. His momentum had taken him to the peak of an undamaged mountain, where the others followed him.
"Unexpected, yet effective." Signum calmly complimented the hedgehog.
"That was a bit reckless. You should be a bit more careful," Nanoha tried to advise the blue hedgehog, but found the silent treatment in response, "Um, are you listening?"
"Look." Sonic pointed a gloved finger ahead.
The others followed Sonic's gaze and were shocked by the sight before them. Little Planet was there, but it was covered in machinery and a long chain connected it to a rock formation with Eggman's face carved into it. As serious as the situation seemed, seeing the caricature of a rock formation played against it.
"Yup, that's Eggman alright. I recognize that bald head anywhere." Sonic grimaced at how unsightly the mountain looked, "I will never get his tastes, though."
"Bardiche, is the beacon up there?" Fate asked of her device
"Yes sir!" Bardiche replied, "Signal strength is getting stronger."
"Judging from the machinery, it appears that we will have company to deal with," Signum glanced at the hedgehog in a hint of concern, "Is everyone ready?"
"Yes!" Both Fate and Nanoha nodded at the same time.
"Feh…" the crimson iron knight, Vita, smirked, "It doesn't matter what we're up against. We'll beat down anyone who causes trouble!"
"Hehe~! I like that attitude," The blue hedgehog had a smirk equaling the confidence displayed by the knight, "Here we go~!"
Without delay, the hedgehog leaped from the peak, spin-dashed down the cliffside to build up speed and launched off a natural ramp-like lip. To the surprise of the mages and knights watching, Sonic had enough speed to generate a sonic boom that launched him into the air with enough carry to land halfway up the long chain.
Vita bit back a comical curse and took off after him with Nanoha in tow. Fate had to take a moment to gather her bearings and courage before she took off in pursuit. Signum, having waited to make sure the others were not left behind, took off as well to bring up the rear.
[Little Planet]
[Palmtree Panic: Act 1]
[Time: Past]
[BGM: "Palmtree Panic 'P' Mix" Sonic CD (JP/EU)]
A lovely turquoise sky served as a backdrop for this prehistoric coastal region of Little Planet. Short, purple mountains complimented the palm trees and natural waterfalls. As lovely of a sight it was, for Alicia Testarossa, it was a sight she had grown accustomed to during her stay. She had wanted something more, something like the plains she used to go to with her mother on picnics. Despite all of that, it was her home now, and she would protect it with her life.
The girl had travelled to the past after she found something in the present that did not belong there. She had come alone as for some reason her pink hedgehog acquaintance had been unable to follow her through the time warp. Regretfully, she might add, as Amy had seemed to be competent enough to hold her own.
Regardless, she had had her job to do and a planet or two to save. After a brief flyover of the past, she had found not one, but two objects that did not belong. The first was some sort of projector device that had displayed an image of a metallic hedgehog, stomping his foot on the ground in front of a cute and cuddly squirrel. Likely put in by the moustached egg that seemed to be the mastermind of the invasion. A good photon bullet had made quick work of the projector.
The second item that she had found had appeared to be some sort of teleportation device. It had two identical shells of black, yellow and silver with yellowish energy flowing in between them. Alicia had surmised that the device was used for teleportation because she could see robots spawning from it. Much like the projector, it went down simply after she smashed it once with her paper fan.
"And that makes two." The girl hoisted her paper fan over the left shoulder, "That should keep those creepies from showing up here."
The gem on her paper fan emitted a loud, beeping noise and flickered as a communication channel opened up. There was no face on the other end, but she could hear the beeping and typing of a computer in the background.
"Yes~?" She chimed out almost musically.
"The mages who had found our distress beacon have landed on the planet." An older female voice spoke from the other end, "They're in the same zone you are, but in the present timeline. They appear to be friendly."
"How can you be sure if they're friend or foe?" Alicia, fairly so, countered, "They only just landed, didn't they?"
"Fate is one of them." The voice spoke with a painfully suppressed sigh, as if regretful, "Another is her friend. There are three others with them that I presume are also friendly units, given the reactions between them."
"My imouto (little sister)?! The one you've been telling me about?!" the youth almost dropped her device in pure joy and excitement, "Yay! I finally get to meet her!"
"Do please try to be gentle with her. She's been through so much." One could swear they heard the voice on the other hand mutter something about it being by their own hand, "I want you to head off to the Future zone and meet them there."
"Why not go now?" Alicia asked.
"Because your pink acquaintance is about to find them first." spoke the voice one last time, "And things will get complicated, it's best that you avoid it for now and head for the future. I'll make sure they get there."
"Roger! Roger!" Saluted the young blonde as the communication feed cut there.
[Eyecatch #1: Sonic: Wind of the Night Sky: bio card #9: Fate]
Name: Fate Testarossa
Katakana: フェイト・テスタロッサ(Fe-i-to Te-su-ta-ro-ssa)
Age: 09
Gender: Female
Height: 130 cm
Weight 28 kg
Color: Golden
System: Mid-Childa
Rank: AAA+ (Air)
Device: Bardiche Assault
Familiar: Alph
[Eyecatch #2: Sonic: Wind of the Night Sky: bio card #10: Alicia]
Name: Alicia Testarossa
Katakana: アリシア・テスタロッサ(A-ri-sh-ia Te-su-ta-ro-ssa)
Age: 11*
Height: 105 cm
Weight: 20 kg
Color: Turqouise
System: Mid-Childa
Rank: AA+ (Air)
Device: Lucky Star
[Little Planet]
[Palmtree Panic: Act 2]
[Time: Present]
[BGM: "Palmtree Panic" Sonic CD (JP/EU)]
Sonic, alongside Signum, Vita, Nanoha and Fate touched down on the grassy surface of the palm tree zone. They were taken in awe by the beauty of the zone before them. Nanoha and Fate admired the unique yet fitting color combination of the aesthetics. Though Signum and Vita took the surroundings in stride, even they had to be impressed. As for the hedgehog, he was reminded, in a good way, of Green Hill and drew the parallels between the two zones.
Outside of the beautiful landscape, the first thing that everyone noticed was the scrapped corpses of robots that littered the field. Flowers had grown from the spot where the scrap metal was.
"I wonder if this will become a recurring theme." Sonic opined out loud, "The whole first zone being some green-fielded landscape out of a calendar thing."
"Someone has beaten us to the action, it seems." Signum gestured to the pieces of scrap that laid before them, "We've walked into a battlefield."
"Not a single scrap left for us," Vita pouted a bit as she kicked the head of one of the robots that resembled a mosquito.
"There will be more." The general of the Wolkenritter assured her fellow knight. Her focus went to the hedgehog, "Will you be alright here? To our knowledge, you used your last ring in the mock battle on New Year's Eve."
"Oh~ Rings! Rings! Rings! Whatever shall I do without…" The blue hedgehog grinned in a sing-song fashion as he pulled out four golden rings, "Rings!"
"Eh!?" Nanoha and Fate both blinked rapidly in shock.
"Hehe~! Reinforce and Hayate were apparently experimenting with some of the new data from the Book and made these things." Sonic explained briefly as he twirled the rings into the air, "They asked me to test them out, so I figure why not have a live test out here."
"A convenient boon." while Vita was surprised, Signum mildly took the positive of the breakthrough, "Let us not waste it."
The group started their descent into the zone. They kept close to the ground as the terrain made it difficult to fly without avoiding low hanging obstacles and walls. For Sonic, it felt nice to stretch his legs and run again. It was a bit confusing to find the lack of robots in the zone and flowers blooming where machines might normally have been. They soon stopped at what had appeared to be a plate-like signpost with the word "Future" written on it.
"What is this thing?" Sonic asked as he looked at it.
"Some sort of sign." Vita analyzed it visually, somewhat pointing out the obvious, "But what is it doing here?"
"Maybe someone put it here?" Nanoha offered as she looked at it, "It says 'future', but what future?"
The group was so focused on the sign, they had lost track of their surroundings. They were soon brought back to reality when a high-pitched voice shouted from a different direction and seemed to be coming closer and closer. Fate was the first to notice it, as she looked around in confusion, trying futilely to pinpoint the source of the voice. Nanoha, Vita and Signum, in that order, were the next to look around, futilely, but kept their weapons close just in case. Sonic, unfortunately did not notice it until he was too late.
"SONIKKU!" The voice shouted as the blue hedgehog was suddenly tackled hard to the ground by a pink blur!
"Uwah!" Sonic yelped in shock as the blur, who turned out to be a pink hedgehog, had clung to his chest and nuzzled in place, "H-hey!"
"Oh~ Sonic!" the pink hedgehog, Amy Rose, spoke her crush's name romantically as she nuzzled against the honest efforts of her blue crush to break free, "How long I've wanted to see you."
"Oy! you!" Vita, using more strength than she had anticipated, pried the pink girl off of Sonic and threw her to the ground with the momentum "What the heck are you doing!?"
"Ah?" Amy blinked, suddenly finding herself with Laevatein threateningly close to her throat, courtesy of Signum. Her survival instincts kicked in rather quickly as she leaped back and bowed her head rapidly in an apologetic manner, "I'm sorry! I just kinda lost control of myself there."
"Do you always "lose control" when you see other hedgehogs?" Vita, unable to resist, snapped at the girl, "Or is blue boy here just that special?"
"Eh heh heh…" a sheepish giggle escaped Amy's lip, "Well, he saved my life a while back, and I've been trying to thank him since."
Signum sheathed Laevatein and folded her arms under her chest, keeping herself between both hedgehogs, "A rather unorthodox method of thanking someone."
The situation had become calm, though incredibly awkward. Amy could not stop staring longingly at Sonic while the latter, justifiably so, was more than a little creeped out. There have been bad first impressions, but this one seemed to have taken the cake as the heroes had to ponder what to do with the pink hedgehog. Sonic and Vita wanted to up and ditch the pink girl while Nanoha and Fate, reasonably, wanted to give her a chance to explain herself.
Amy, on the other hand, seemed confused with everything. She could hear the quintet whispering amongst each other but could not discern what was said. As the group before her talked, she took mental notes on their appearances.
Her hero Sonic was obviously there, that was a given, but he was accompanied by such a strange company. That red girl with the polo mallet and rough attitude was really rude to her for no apparent reason. The pink-purple woman had the scary sword and that glare most definitely did not make Amy need to change her underwear. The auburn girl in white with the staff looked nice, and then there was the blonde...
"Say…" Amy Rose found herself closing in on the blonde in confusion, "You look awfully familiar."
"Um, you must be mistaken." Fate shook her head in confusion masked by uncertainty, "We… We haven't met before."
"No no, I think it was you or a doppelganger." the pink hedgehog was sure of it, "Though now that I think of it, she seemed shorter. But she had your eyes and hair and looked just like you."
Before the pink hedgehog could go any further in her interrogation, she was thrown back by a sudden shockwave that hit the signpost from out of nowhere. The sheer force caused the plate to spin rapidly and the five that were closest to it soon disappeared in a blinding light.
"Huh?!" Amy Rose stood up and looked around in complete confusion.
[Palmtree Panic: Act 3]
[Time: Future]
[BGM: "Palmtree Panic 'G' Mix" Sonic CD JPN/EU]
The time warp had led Sonic and his party of four to a mechanized but bright, vivid coastal zone like the previous time points. A majority of the star-shaped plants and palm trees have become mechanical and acted as transports for clean, clear water. Water had appeared to power this zone as they could all see it flow in waterfalls in the background.
"Whoa…" Even Sonic was left utterly speechless by the sight.
"Pretty…" Nanoha and Fate echoed each other's thoughts in awe as they stared.
"We were taken here it seems…" Signum kept herself stoic and on guard, "Likely for a reason."
"That sign was spinning," Vita noted from memory, "Maybe it somehow took us here?"
"Sir!" Bardiche suddenly spoke, "Emergency beacon source is estimated to be 15 kilometers ahead."
"The signal is much stronger than before." Raising Heart added.
"That probably means we're getting closer to it," opined the blue hedgehog, "We should hurry."
The others agreed and started to make their way forward. They were only able to go a few steps, however, before they noticed something was wrong. The area behind them became obscured in an eerie fog while the sky tinted itself an ominous yellow. While the magically sensitive knights and mages had picked up on the sudden change of environment swiftly, it Sonic who had beat them to the punch.
"I got a bad feeling about this…" The blue hedgehog let himself drift off for a moment in thought, "The sky was definitely not the color of that weird thing Shamal made for breakfast the other day."
"A barrier." Signum's hand wrapped around the hilt of Laevatein, ignoring the hedgehog's jive on the knight of the lake's cooking, however true it may have been, "And we just walked into it."
"Someone's expecting us," Vita heaved Graf Eisen over her shoulder, smirking ever so slightly, "To set this up ahead of time."
Nanoha, on the other hand, started to add up the coincidences. The sign from before was activated, which somehow sent them here, the signal from the distress beacon was not weakening, in fact it was getting stronger. This barrier was only the topping of the cake of coincidences.
"Raising Heart," The girl questioned of her device, "Can you tell if the source of the barrier and the distress beacon are one in the same."
"It is confirmed, my master." Raising Heart chimed from the gem as its staff rested in Nanoha's left hand.
"Distance to the source approximated at 12 kilometers." Bardiche added.
"Thank you, Bardiche…" Fate was still troubled by the words of the pink hedgehog from before, though she was able to keep her feelings in check and not so blatant to the rest of her comrades, 'Looks just like me…'
[Metallic Madness]
[No BGM]
A man sat at a computer desk in a cold, dimly lit room. He was a tall human with a rather comically egg-shaped figure, a bald head and one of the most ridiculous spiked moustaches in the world. Yet the aura of evil that seemed to emanate from this man was undeniable. His attire consisted of blue prince-nez glasses, red jacket, black one-piece pants and boots with two silver buttons and white cuffless gloves.
This man was known throughout the world as the notorious Doctor "Eggman", though even that was an alias, as his true full name was unknown to all but himself. The doctor was known for his I.Q estimation of 300 and his mechanical genius, which he used for his nefarious deeds. Unbeknownst to many, despite his high intellect and his age, his spoiled, childish tendencies left something to be desired. It was unknown if he had any family or friends, as his only company these days was robots of his own making.
"Eggman-sama!" A robot of so little importance that it barely deserved a physical description, other than it being egg shaped, called out to its master in alert, "Zone-1 has been compromised!"
"What?!" The mad scientist shouted with no regard to the concept of an indoor voice. Swiftly, he turned to his computer and tapped a few keys, "Pull up the surveillance feeds!"
Three separate screens appeared on the monitor before him. Each was labeled for a time variant of the zone. Normally, it would have displayed live camera feeds from the Palmtree Panic zone in the past, present and future; but only static could be seen now.
"Where are the cameras?" The doctor almost shouted as he frantically typed, "Why am I not getting any signals from the teleporter or mechs?"
"It would appear that something or someone has destroyed the teleporter in the zone." Replied the mech, obviously.
"Grr!" Eggman slammed his gloved hand onto the keyboard in childish frustration, "Interlopers are ruining my plans again!"
Unfazed by its master's childish tantrum, the robot inquired, "What are your orders?"
"Direct more power to the Zone-2 teleporter and ready my Eggmobile." The scientist spoke as he stood up, "Also make sure the mechs in Zone-2 are prepared for my arrival. I want to see this interference myself."
"Understood, Eggman-sama!" the robot saluted dutifully.
If the chair that Eggman had just vacated could express emotions, it would have been relief as it was freed from having to support the comically obese human's weight. As the scientist walked through the corridors of his base, his robots had lined up to make a hall with a comically overexaggerated width to support Eggman's wide frame. The actions had the man reconsider his dieting choices for but a moment until he promptly quashed the thoughts. Silly fools, world domination always comes before weight management, Eggman's intellect was beyond recognition and doubt!
[Palmtree Panic: Act 3]
[Time: Future]
[BGM: "Palmtree Panic 'G' Mix" Sonic CD (JP/EU)]
Sonic was not normally one to be patient or slow down for anyone, but he was more than willing to make an exception when situations required caution. The current situation had favored caution as the party had entered a barrier. Fate, Nanoha and Vita were quick to provide a brief explanation of the spell and their effects.
"Force field spells are used by mages for isolating threats." Fate spoke softly, "Arf and I were taught to use them in a previous incident."
"Yuuno-kun used barriers for isolating Jewel Seeds so that way they can be sealed safely," Nanoha added, "Time was warped a bit and it masked our magic from the public."
"Gerfangis Der Magie, the Ancient Belkan equivalent of a barrier, can do the same thing." the crimson iron rider sounded bored as she provided her own two cents, "Mid-Childan and Ancient Belkan force fields also are capable of blocking communications outside."
"So that's why you and Signum didn't answer your phones that one night. Here I thought you guys just needed a better cell carrier." Sonic chuckled a bit.
"Those within the barrier can still talk to one another with telepathy." Added Fate softly, "Or mind-to-mind communications."
"All mages are capable of it. That reminds me! We should teach you some of that." The thought had occurred to Nanoha and it had her swiftly call out Signum in mindspeak, "Signum-san?"
"Understood, allow me…" The swordswoman drifted off in thought as she focused her mind on the hedgehog, calling out to him, "Sonic-san?"
"Yipes!" The hedgehog jumped comically, gripping at his furred spiky head, "Voices in my head!"
"Apologies for startling you, but we're going to give you a lesson in telepathy." Signum, even in telepathy, maintained a polite, formal tone, "It's a basic form of communication utilized by mages and knights. We broadcast or send messages amongst one another in our minds."
"It's so easy, idiots can pick it up." Vita chimed into the mental exchange.
"Try to focus on broadcasting a thought." Nanoha added, then elaborated to a more simpler instruction, "In your mind, just say something. Anything!"
'Hmmm...' Sonic thought to himself as he focused his mind on a message, "Test, one, two, threeeeee~!"
"Anything but that…" The iron knight swore that her hedgehog ally was trolling her, "At any rate, that's how it works."
"Just be careful you don't accidentally broadcast something public that you intended for just one or two friends," Nanoha urged caution there, "Also keep in mind the time and place."
"Such as being within another mage's barrier." Signum spoke once more, "We should keep off the telepathy while we're in here, least our conversation also gets picked up by the one responsible for keeping us in here."
Not another word was sent telepathically following the swordswoman's order. The quintet swiftly pressed on ahead through the mechanized coast. Despite the presence of the barrier, the fields were still as beautiful as ever, which kept most of the nerves at ease. Though the party had kept their guard up, no one could have predicted what laid ahead.
[No BGM]
A small girl seated herself amongst a clearing filled of freshly bloomed sunflowers. Her back was turned, revealing the full head of her long golden blonde hair and the teal ribbons tied within. A small gun laid in the grass on her left in a non-threatening manner. The sudden presence had the Wolkenritter on guard while Nanoha and Fate kept their distance, unable to shake the feeling of familiarity.
"I've been waiting for you…" the girl suddenly spoke as she stood up with the gun in her left hand. Her voice, to everyone's surprise, sounded almost exactly like Fate's, albeit a bit younger.
Several things happened as the girl stood up. Signum's hand gripped the hilt of Laevatein, ready to draw it at any moment's notice. Vita tightened the grip on her hammer, though made no other moves of aggression. Sonic slowly moved into a defensive position, just in case something was about to go south. Fate and Nanoha remained completely still, the former was trying to fight off a feeling of shock while the latter consoled her.
'It… it can't be…' Fate fearfully clenched Nanoha's hand within her own and gripped.
'Fate-chan…' Nanoha could not help but wince as Fate's hand gripped hers so tightly in growing fear.
Slowly, the girl turned and Fate's legs shook and trembled in fear. She turned to face the party, allowing them to see her face, eyes and a kind smile. There was not a single trace of malice in her aura and body language.
"A-A-A…." Fate struggled visibly, squeezing Nanoha's hand for comfort as tears threatened from her face and she coughed out the name, "Alicia!"
"Mhmm…" Alicia kindly, softly confirmed her own identity, "I am Alicia Testarossa."
"N-no way…" Legs gave way as Fate fell to her knees, incidentally forcing Nanoha to take a kneeling position beside her.
"Fate-chan!" The auburn-haired girl placed her hand above Fate's.
Signum warily glanced between the blonde having a nervous breakdown and the one before her. She could see tears fall from the face of this new party. Her grip relaxed on Laevatein's hilt, but she kept a guarded stance, "I presume you are responsible for the distress beacon and the force field."
"Yes, thank you for coming here..." confirmed the small girl as she slowly made her approach, eyes locked firmly on the form of the kneeling, hyperventilating Fate, "May I?"
"Your presence is having a severe effect on her." The swordswoman did not move from her spot, "Why should we-"
"No! Please!" Fate shouted, hysterically trying to calm her breathing, her strength drawing from Nanoha's presence and comfort, "Please, Signum. Let me talk with her."
"Very well," Signum stepped back to allow passage to Alicia.
Alicia hastened her approach while Fate stood to meet her. As her eyes met her original's, Fate was beset by memories. She suddenly fell forward as she relived her past from her awakening and training to the pain of her mother's whip and the sting of the words spoken to her on that fateful day. It all came back to haunt her once more.
She was caught before she could hit the ground. Her eyes opened to see Alicia, the very same girl whose memories, body and face that she shared, holding her in a deep, warm embrace. Fate's emotions rapidly shifted from pain and fear to uncertainty, doubt and confusion.
"Alicia…" Fate could not fight back the tears, "Y-you… you-"
"Know… I know everything." Alicia pulled Fate back so they were face-to-face, burgundy red orbs locking onto one another, "It's okay now. Nee-san (big sister) is here."
"N-Nee-san?" the taller girl coughed from her tears, "Mine? B-but, I'm-"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence," Alicia pulled back a bit, making sure Fate can stand on her own, "Looks like your nee-san will have to remind you of who you are, what you are. Your heart knows, but your mind just needs to catch up."
Bardiche materialized in Fate's hand as Alicia gripped the handle of her own device, which was currently in its' gun form. The smaller of the two girls took a few more steps back and readied herself in a battle-ready stance.
"I see..." Fate held her own device close to her, as she looked at her original, "This is what she wants."
"A no-holds-barred mock battle! Here and now!" Alicia declared, "If neither of us do not concede within ten minutes, it will be a draw."
"A mock battle?! Here?" Nanoha shouted out in concern, "Are you sure we have the time for this."
"I have to agree with Takamachi," Signum added, "Time is precious as it is."
The shorter girl sent a pleading look to the rest of the party. Her emotions projected outward, calling out to them as she spoke, "Please, I have been waiting for so long…"
"Very well…" the swordswoman agreed, though her tone indicated something of a stipulation, "But you will explain yourself to us immediately afterwards."
"I was going to do that anyways!" Cheerfully and optimistically, Alicia grinned and looked at the girl she coined as a little sister, "Now, let's go Fate! I'll show you your meaning of birth! GOOOOO!"
-Rival: Fate Testarossa vs Alicia Testarossa-
[BGM: "Meaning of Birth" Tales of the Abyss OST]
-Standby, ready! -
-Phase One-
-Engage! -
Though hesitant as she was, Fate still resolved herself to give the mock battle her all in respect for Alicia's wishes. The taller girl immediately took to the skies and was followed swiftly by her opponent. Their bodies turned to flashes of gold and turquoise respectively as they clashed in an aerial dogfight.
The weapons clashing were opposites in of themselves; the sharpness of Bardiche's blade was well matched by the silly, yet extremely effective paper-fan that was one of Lucky Star's various forms. Sparks flew each time the weapons collided. Neither side appeared to gain any ground.
"How does it feel?" Alicia asked as she traded blocking strikes with her clone.
"Weird…" Fate replied in kind, mirroring her original's, "I still have your memories. You were a kind, gentle girl. You never really liked to fight."
"I still don't, but that won't stop me anymore. I have a reason to fight…" Alicia trailed off as she circled around Fate in mid-air to attack from behind, "I have someone I want to protect."
"Me too…" Fate blocked the strike with a Round Shield spell. Swiftly she poured more mana in to burst the barrier and send her opponent back, "I have a treasured someone that I want to protect too."
"Crescent Form!" Bardiche declared as it converted the head into an energy scythe.
With astounding speed and agility, Fate flew in for a powerful slash with Bardiche at Alicia's midsection. To her surprise, her foe was able to re-center herself in midair and defend with the paper-fan. The fact that the energy scythe had yet to affect the paper material was a testament to how durable it was made to be.
"Is it the auburn cutie?" Alicia asked rhetorically, giggling at the cute blush it drew from her clone, "I'm glad. She tried so hard to reach out to you."
"I don't know where I'd be without her, I'm happy we're friends..." Something occurred to Fate then and there, "Wait! How do you know abo-"
"I already told you," The smaller girl smiled as she shook her head, "I know the whole story. When I found out that you were here, I could hardly wait. I wanted to see you, I had so much to say."
The battle continued as an aerial display of elegance as both mages had seen their strengths counter their opponents. Fate had a clear advantage in overall power, speed and mobility, to which she was able to use and avoid and counter a majority of the shooting spells that Alicia had used against her. Despite that, she still found herself countered by Alicia's versatility.
Alicia was able to swap weapons and tactics on the fly and was even able to dual-wield her gun and paper-fan simultaneously, but she lacked the offensive power to make them as effective. Still, her shorter size, combined with her aerial talent and versatility created problems for her clone. Despite the advantages, neither of the two girls were able to make any true progress or secure an advantage for the first few minutes.
Meanwhile on the ground, Sonic and the others watched the battle closely. They had a good view of the battlefield and thus were able to see both girls clash with such grace and speed. The beauty of two magic practitioners sparring with explosive elegance and grace was truly awe-inspiring.
"Whoa…" Sonic whistled, "Look at them go."
"I haven't seen Fate-chan get this much into a battle since we fought over the Jewel Seeds." Nanoha added.
"Both Testarossa and her original seem to be evenly matched. Their styles are similar if a bit different in application." Signum noted in observation, "The shorter one's weapon, while unorthodox, should not be underestimated."
Vita narrowed her eyes as she observed both of the participants' body language and power output. Something started to stand out for her, "Anyone else think that Testarossa… er… Fate… is hesitating a bit?"
"Her mind is beset with recent memories that she hasn't been able to recover from." Signum acknowledged her shorter knight's observation, "Do you remember her story? Meeting the girl whose memories she shares has triggered this reaction."
"Fate-chan still doubts of her own identity..." Nanoha felt discomfort, pain even as she watched Fate's eternal turmoil take form while she was unable to help, "Can't we do something?"
"Unfortunately, not…" the tall woman shook her head, "This is Testarossa's trial to overcome."
"Fate-chan..." Nanoha held her hand close to her heart. She was so absorbed in her thought that she failed to notice a gloved hand grip her own, "Huh?"
"Don't worry~!" Sonic winked at her with a fanged grin.
"Oh…" The girl in white recalled what she has seen Fate overcome already. A small, confident smile graced her face, "Fate-chan will pull through."
True to Vita and Signum's words, Fate had started to grow hesitant generated pauses in her attacks. The pain stemming from her trauma suffered during the Jewel Seed incident had refused to go away from her mind. With that pain came uncertainty, confusion, self-doubt. Was she really her own person? Or was she a simple failed clone of the girl before her. It hurt her poor heart to even consider, yet the trauma consisted.
'She's hesitating again, we only have five more minutes. I better take things up to the next level!' Alicia frowned at her sister, whom she absolutely refused to consider her a simple clone, "Lucky Star, Form-3!"
"Riot Form, get set!" A baritone voice, not unlike Bardiche, emitted from the device in return as its' form changed shape. While the handgun remained in her left hand, the paper-fan was replaced by a black hilt that generated a small broadsword made of pure mana that emanated sparks of lightning.
"Wha-" Fate's shocked uttering was interrupted as she suddenly felt the new blade cut lightly against her midsection, "Gugh!"
"Stop doubting yourself, Fate!" Alicia shouted at her counterpart as she combined the gun and blade into one and held the combined weapon in her left hand, "You're hurting me too! How do you think I feel? Having to see you suffer this pain you feel?"
"I'm sorry…" Tears fell from Fate's eyes, "You probably feel disappointed because of me."
"I don't! I don't care!" Now the waterworks went into overdrive for the smaller of the two, "I don't care if you're my clone or whatever! What kaa-san said to you back then was wrong. You're not a failure! You're not a disappointment! You are… You are…!"
"Riot Zanber!" Lucky Star declared as its master pulled the trigger and expanded the size of the blade to almost three-quarters that of Bardiche's Zanber form.
"The second daughter of the great mage Precia Testarossa! You have my memories, but you are not me! You are your own person, Fate Testarossa!" Alicia shouted fiercely as she heaved the blade upward into the sky, ready to strike, "You are my imouto! REMEMBER THIS!"
[No BGM]
Too staggered from the previous attack to dodge, Fate watched somewhat helplessly as the blade fell upon her. At that moment, time seemed to have stopped for her as Alicia's tearful words resonated within her mind. Fate slowly repeated her original's words in her mind. She was the second daughter of Precia Testarossa; she was her own person, not a copy of Alicia. She was her own person, she was…
"Fate Testarossa." Fate's eyes flickered with a life renewed, reinvigorated, "Bardiche!"
"Barrier Jacket: Blaze Form! Full drive: Zanber Form! Get Set!" Bardiche declared just as it and Fate were about to be hit by the Riot Blade. Both device and master were engulfed in a blinding golden burst of light that forced all to shield their eyes.
[BGM: "Lightning Assault" Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha the Movie 2nd A's OST]
Fate's flight stabilized as the light dissipated to reveal her unharmed, uninjured form. Her Barrier Jacket took a new form to represent her identity and will. The cloak, which was once black as night, turned white and the swimsuit-like part at her waist between the pink miniskirt became an inner-skirt. Bardiche, once again resembling a massive claymore with its mana blade, rested in her right hand with the blade turned to parry Alicia's strike.
"Sorry and thank you, Alicia-nee-san." Fate smiled softly, yet confidently at her original, "Because of you, my doubts are put to ease. My mind and my heart work as one from here on."
"Those are just the words I want to hear from you, imouto." Alicia smiled in return, "Now, put action to those words. Show me what you can do."
With no delay, Fate flew above Alicia almost faster than the smaller girl could track and loaded a cartridge into Bardiche. Purplish and gold lightning struck the blade and empowered it to a great deal. There was no doubt, no hesitation; Fate was willing to give it her all in one strike.
"Break through, lightning!" Fate called as she readied her blade to strike.
"Jet Zanber!" Bardiche chimed right on cue.
It was at that point, that the battle had went full circle and the tables had turned against Alicia. While she was able to pull up a defensive Round Shield spell with impeccable timing, Fate's full drive attack was too much and broke through. A smile that just had the slightest hint of exasperation appeared on Alicia's face as she was struck by the blade and slammed into the ground.
-Down-
-Fate Win-
[No BGM]
"Alicia-nee-san!" Fate, a little fearful that she might have pulled a Nanoha there and overdid it on the last attack, flew down posthaste to make sure her original was alright. She was soon flanked by Nanoha and the others with the former leading the fray.
Thankfully, there was only a small crater where Alicia had landed and the girl was mostly dazed with dizzy swirls in her eyes. Her barrier jacket had a few nicks and cuts but not enough to endanger her modesty. Slowly, but surely the small girl sat up.
"That…" the cute Alicia pulled herself out of the miniature hole in the ground and shook her head to wave off the dizzy spell, "That. Was. Awesome!"
To everyone's surprise, the little kid glomped her clone and nuzzled into her softly. Fate, though surprised, smiled kindly and ran her fingers through her original's hair. Tears from both girls faces, yet Alicia was the only one who was sobbing. The smaller of the two felt so happy, she could not restrain herself.
[BGM Insert: "Dear My Sister, Dear My Memory" Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha The Movie 2nd A's OST]
"I'm happy, you beat me." Alicia stared into Fate's eyes, admiring the life that had returned to them, "You had me worried there."
"It took me a while, but I found myself thanks to you…" Fate said that to not just Alicia, but to everyone else with her, "All of you, thank you."
Tearfully, emotionally, Nanoha rushed forward and embraced the taller girl. The tears and emotions were happy, ecstatic, reflecting how Nanoha felt. Her energy was contagious, it even spurned Alicia to extend the hug to include the auburn-haired girl.
"I know that you were made as a clone to me, but I don't care." Alicia gazed into Fate's tearstained eyes, "I still love you. You are the best sister I can ever ask for. I'm happy that you were made. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
"Alicia…" the tears fell from Fate's face like waterfall.
"And you…" The shorter turned to face Nanoha with a warm smile and an energetic nuzzling hug, "Thank you for taking care of Fate. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."
"Your welcome." Nanoha reflexively leaned into Alicia and Fate, "Fate-chan's a kind girl, and I know you are kind too."
"We can be friends too, right?" Alicia asked.
"Sure! Just say my name." the auburn-haired girl nodded, "All Fate had to do was say my name. That's all you have to do to. My name is Takamachi Nanoha, but you can just call me 'Nanoha'."
"Thank you, Nanoha." Like Fate before her, Alicia had no issue in pronunciation and said the name without hesitation, "I look forward to what we can do as friends."
Signum allowed the three to have their moment of happiness and friendship for what felt like a few minutes. While she was a warrior at heart, she could not deny this moment for what it was. To see a bond bloom between others even when not on the battlefield was a rare yet beautiful thing. She looked at the other two with her, taking note of Vita's efforts to restrain herself from crying out of empathy, while Sonic's reaction was a bit calmer, intriguing.
"At any rate…" Unfortunately, the swordswoman could not let them linger for much longer, "I believe there is still the matter of the distress beacon to address."
"Oh yeah!" Alicia goofily giggled as she broke the embrace up. Her attention refocused on the task at hand, "I had Lucky Star broadcast it because some evil guy, who I'm declaring to be named: 'Moustached Egg', started invading our home with his machines and stuff."
"Pffffff! Moustached Egg! That's exactly who he is!" Sonic briefly made a show of pulling out a pen and pad to write down the name, "Technically, his name is Doctor Eggman, but Moustached Egg is too funny! I am so remembering that!"
"You were calling for aid?" Signum queried for the record.
"Mhmm…" Alicia nodded, "You guys will help me, right?"
"Yes!" Nanoha and Fate agreed without a second thought.
"That's kinda what we came here to do." Vita added with a shrug.
"As if I'd miss a chance to crack that egg's plans wide open" The hedgehog smirked.
"It won't be easy, he's taken over the other zones here." the smaller girl dusted her barrier jacket off, "I hope you guys are ready to get your hands dirty."
"Feh, as if that will stop us." Vita smirked in confidence that was further accentuated by the presence of the polo mallet held over her shoulder.
"A warrior is never afraid to fight." Signum added.
"I'm always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone." Nanoha said with a cheerful smile.
"I won't hesitate…" Fate nodded, "Not anymore."
If she could, Alicia's grin would have widened in admiration of her clone's resolve. Introductions were shortly made in full so Alicia could identify who was who among her party, particularly the trio of Sonic, Signum and Vita. The girl dismissed the barrier as well, if only to make sure that she had not forgotten about it.
The party, now boosted with the addition of Alicia, started to press on, advancing towards the next stage in their adventure.
[Little Planet]
[Collision Chaos: Act 0]
[Time: Present]
[No BGM]
As much as she wanted to deny it, Amy Rose was lost. After witnessing Sonic and his party disappear, the pink hedgehog was left to wander in her own thoughts. While the alone time helped her regain control, she was still painfully reminded of the one thing that she believed was a prime factor in her current predicament.
She, bluntly put, screwed up. The initial meeting with her hero and not-so-secret crush had gone completely south. How could she have been so stupid as to misread the situation and simply rushed in with no regards to it. If she had restrained herself from going on a lovestruck high in the presence of her crush, maybe that first meeting would have gone more smoothly, without leaving her on the wrong end of a sword.
"Alright, I can do this… I just have to apologize to Sonic and the others there." The girl chuckled sheepishly, highly doubting that it was so simple, "Assuming I don't get skewered by that lady's sword."
The little pink hedgehog was so caught up in her own thoughts, she had failed to watch her surroundings. A dark shadow descended upon her so fast that she had failed to notice it until it was too late.
"Sonic? You're not So-KYAAAAAAAA!"
[Ending: "Mi-Ra-i" by Run & Gun]
[End of chapter 5]
Author's Notes: There were a few asterisks to which I will now address
New Calendar refers to how years are counted in the Nanoha series timeline. 0066 estimates to roughly 2007 in our time.
Alicia's age is listed to be two years older than Fate's in the INNOCENT manga... i went off that for official documentation... and also to note that Alicia is the older sister despite being shorter and looking younger...
Moving on... plot twists and cliffhangers ahoy. I put a lot of thought into the Alicia/Fate battle, I hope it turned out the way I presented it. I went with a mock battle here because battles like those have a way of allowing mages to express their feelings... Nanoha and Fate had a battle like that... albeit higher risk
Anyways, yeah, I opted to not have an Eggman fight this chapter. I really wanted to put a lot of focus on this reunion and I figured that Eggman would be more likely to cut off the heroes in zone 2 rather than zone 1… and with that barrier Alicia made, he wouldn't be able to even set foot in the zone.
Finally, I left a few subtle, very subtle references here and a few hints behind the scenes of this current arc, I wonder if anyone can guess what they are.