SonicANIME2010 here, after a long hiatus due to writer's block and bad time-management on my part that I'll go into briefly at the end, I'm finally bringing in the aftermath of the Little Planet arc. With all of that action and drama, it's time for a breather. I own nothing canon; here we go!
[Non-Administrated Planet #97 "Earth"]
[Never Lake: Little Planet]
[Metallic Madness: Act 3]
[Zone: Future]
[No BGM]
The ground, walls and ceiling crumbled as Metallic Madness; the zone that had been coined as Eggman's base of operations on Little Planet had started to fall. In addition, Little Planet itself had started to quake and tremble, leaving Sonic, Signum, Vita, Nanoha, Fate, Alicia, Arf, Amy Rose and Precia with precious time to escape.
"We better get out of here," said Sonic, "This whole place is coming down."
"Gather towards me," Precia called out to the others, "I have a Dimension Transfer spell ready,"
"How far ahead have you planned?" questioned Signum.
"Enough to secure our escape," replied the older woman.
One by one, everyone gathered around Precia Testarossa as the woman tapped the ground with her staff, extending a large purple glyph around them. The air became saturated with the magical energy that rose from the glyph on the ground.
"Aren't we going to do something about the Time Stones?" Sonic asked
"Leave them," Precia shook her head, "They belong to this world, and it is where they shall stay."
With her eyes closed and body posture calm, Precia focused her attention on the spell. The coordinates for the transfer were set to a point off Little Planet. It was just a matter of building up enough energy to start a mass-group teleportation.
More bits of the ceiling came crashing down, one piece of rubble landed less than five feet away from Amy Rose, unnerving the pink hedgehog greatly. Reflexively, she clung to the nearest person as if they were a security blanket. Though her luck had failed her as it was Vita that she ended up attached to.
"Oi!" the small redhead barked at the pink hedgehog, "Not so tight."
"Sorry!" apologized the pink hedgehog, "It's just that last debris almost took my head off."
"Fine," Vita grumbled, "Just watch where you're grabbing."
The energy continued to rise from the glyph, doing so to the point where everyone within had to cover their eyes. That was the breaking point as Precia tapped the center of the circular glyph with her staff, triggering the Dimensional Transfer. As the last piece of debris fell, a pillar of light emanated from the ground and whisked the heroes away, leaving nothing behind.
[Intro]
[OP: "Bright Stream" Nana Mizuki, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha The MOVIE 2nd A's]
The instrumental started with a small piano solo as still images of Nanoha, Fate, Hayate, Reinforce, Signum, Vita and Sonic are cycled. As other instruments like the guitar and drums joined in the opening ballad, the scene fell into a shot of the night time sky. Clouds gave way as the text scrolled horizontally, accompanied by an emblem consisting of the Sonic Team logo within a large yellow star.
Sonic the Hedgehog: Wind of the Night Sky
The first cut is to the Yagami residence, where the normal morning rituals had finished with Sonic, Hayate and Vita being calmly sent off by Signum, Reinforce, Shamal and Zafira.
Boku no me ni utsuru kimi nani wo mitsumeteru no…? (What are you, reflected in my eye, gazing at…?)
The next scene took place in the Takamachi residence, where Nanoha just finished tying her hair into her favorite pigtails as she leaves the house in her school uniform
Nuguenai yami ni sashikomu hitosuji no hikari (A single ray of light piercing into the perpetual darkness)
A similar scene unfolded at the Harlaown residence as Fate and Alicia left their house with a shared sigh, being sent off by a comically overbearing and doting Precia while Lindy pulled the crying woman back by the ear.
Kizutsuita kokoro sae mo yasashisa ni kaeru (An injured heart too can become kindness)
All of them meet up at a bus station with Alicia glomping Nanoha to the ground while Arisa and Suzuka watch from afar
Mukuna kagayaki subete toiteku (An innocent radiance releases everything)
Split screens show the transformation sequences of Nanoha, Fate, Hayate, Reinforce, Signum, Vita and Alicia in that order
"Kowagaranaide itsumo soba ni iru yo" ("Don't fear, I'm always with you!")
Following Sonic as he piloted the Tornado with a thumbs-up and a grin, the aerial mages soared towards South Island, ready to initiate combat.
Kimi no koe ga boku no sora kodamasuru (Your voice echoes throughout my night sky)
Nanoha and Alicia provided cover fire for Fate as she engaged several ground based animal-shaped robots with Bardiche, the three combining for several eliminations
Masshiro na hane wa asu wo sagashite (A pure white wing is searching for hope)
Vita and Signum press against each other's backs for a moment before they push off and destroy a wave of robots that had circled around them.
Ikutsu mo no yoru wo koeteiku (Surpassing countless pasts)
With Hayate and Reinforce providing firing support from afar, Sonic utilized his spin-dash and rolled into several mechs, taking out them all in a consecutive line
Hitori kakushita kanashimi dakishimete (Embracing the sorrow I hid alone)
Seven powerful gems revolved around Sonic's form as he closed his eyes. Their power engulfs his body wholly in a pillar of light
Nagareta hoshi no kazu dake kitto (I believe I can surely become as strong)
Hayate and Reinforce close their eyes as the taller of the two turned into a white orb and entered the brunette's body, engulfing her in a powerful tower of light.
Tsuyoku nareru to shinjiteru yo (As the amount of tears I've shed)
The brightness blocked all sight, soon fading to reveal the combined team gathered altogether, looking out into the sunset from a hill.
Kimi ga iru kara utsumukanai (Because you're here I won't look down)
The viewpoint shifts upwards to the sky as the music starts to fade into the pianos that it had opened with. As the screen fades into black, the music dies out altogether, and the chapter number and title are revealed
Sonic the Hedgehog: Wind of the Night Sky
Chapter 9
Project 97
[South Island Archipelago: Never Lake]
[Time: 11:45 am]
[No BGM]
A pillar of light fell to the ground at the base of the lake and the heroes of Little Planet appeared from it. Aside from Amy Rose, who had felt a bit of motion sickness from the teleportation, everyone appeared unharmed and only somewhat winded. Precia knelt to the ground in fatigue, her magic reserves having taken a sizable hit due to the power demands that her wide-area, large group teleportation spell had provided. Other than the fatigue drains and motion sickness, the heroes were safe and sound.
Looking around the landing point, Precia could see all of the items and cargo she had previously teleported from her temporary home on Little Planet. The fact that they were present and accounted for was more than enough for the old woman's mind. For her, it meant success and the beginning of a new life. Others soon noticed the stuff that had surrounded them with Alicia drawing attention as she opened one of the bags that she was close to.
"Hey, this is my favorite dress!" The small blonde pulled out a frilly, light blue dress, "Oh, and some shoes, socks, underwear…"
"Some other stuff is here too," Sonic added, glancing at Precia, "Looks like someone's been planning this out."
"Indeed, I have been planning this escape for a while." the woman nodded, "All I needed was a trigger and the motivation. I suppose that I have you to thank for the latter."
"Eh?" the hedgehog looked at the older woman again, "Say wha-!"
[BGM Insert: "Cosmic Eternity - Believe in yourself" Sonic CD JP/EU]
A huge tremor quaked through the earth close to the party, cutting off any conversation instantly. Bright flashes emitted from Little Planet, drawing attention to the bound satellite. The chain that had secured the planet to the mountain with Eggman's face carved in it shattered as the face exploded into dust. Pieces of the chain fell to the ground; some almost hitting the party on descent.
"Take cover!" Signum ordered without delay, "Defenses up!"
Nanoha and Precia, acting upon Signum's swift order of defense, projected their barriers. The former opted for a Wide-Area variant of her Protection spell, sacrificing some of the defensive power for the extra range while the latter used her X Defender for compensation. The hexagonal barriers had been placed almost strategically in spots where the younger mage's initial spell was at its weakest.
For all of the effort, the falling bits of the chain failed to connect with any of the barriers that were set, instead they harmlessly landed on the ground with only meager rumbles to indicate their impact. The real show was from Little Planet. Sparks flew as the planet shook off Eggman's mechanic influence with its natural rotation, allowing its lush beauty to be seen.
Precia and Alicia, in particular, were overcome with a bout of nostalgia as they were reminded of their initial arrival on the planet.
"To think that instead of dying when we fell into that rift, we ended up there." intoned Precia, deep in thought as she sent a short gaze to her daughters, "So much has changed since then..."
"We had a few memories up there, some good, some bad," Alicia said, holding her "younger" sister, Fate, close to her in a caring manner, "But today, everything changed, and I'm glad they did."
"Whoa!" Sonic's exclamation directed the group's attention onto Little Planet, "Not to interrupt the nostalgic feels, but somethin' funny's going up there."
From the viewpoint on the ground, everyone watched as Little Planet shook and glowed, emanating bits and pieces resembling stars as it started to ascend to the sky. The starry particles surrounding the small planet started to take a solid shape, almost like a projection. The projection soon took the form of a face that resembled Sonic's face.
"Huh?!" The blue hedgehog just blinked awkwardly, "What the?!"
The projection view soon shifted before another image, one resembling Nanoha, took the place of the hedgehog. That projection was soon replaced by one of Fate, followed by Signum, Vita. A discernable pattern soon followed as every hero that had participated in the liberation of Little Planet was projected by the particles.
"Amazing…" Nanoha noted in awe, "It's like Little Planet is thanking us for rescuing it."
"And saying farewell..." Precia noted as she saw her own reflection on the projection.
The particles soon engulfed the planet and without another word, it disappeared without a single trace, almost as if it was never there in the first place. Star particles soon fell from the wake of the light show, they landed on the ground and soon blossomed into beautiful sunflowers.
Silence descended upon those gathered as the weight of what had occurred settled in, especially for the Testarossa family. For Alicia and Precia, Little Planet had served as a home for them and now it was gone, leaving much for them to adjust to. The weight was also exceedingly heavy for Fate, and she fell to the ground, heaving out breath after breath.
"Fate!" Alph was quick to cling to her master's side and support her weight. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine" Fate heaved out a sigh, "Thank you, Arf"
"We should take our departure, now..." Signum noted as the moment of awkward silence passed through, "Ideally before-!"
Signum's statement was soon cut off as she had to swiftly dart in front of a missile that was aimed at the group. She was already on high alert and had drawn Laevatein, so deflecting the projectile was simple enough. The wayward bomb was sent off course with a swing from the woman's scabbard, where it exploded harmlessly in the distance.
"O~ho ho! You avoided that" A familiarly annoying laugh echoed as Doctor Eggman, much like a nuisance that simply would not let itself be expelled, descended upon the party once more, "You may have won this round, but don't get so cocky."
The next thirty seconds or so was spent filled with the air from Doctor Eggman's empty threats of retribution. Everyone, with the odd exception of Sonic, looked like they were ready to unleash whatever full-power spell or attack necessary despite their winded condition. As for the blue hedgehog, he simply walked past the group with, oddly enough, a rock in his hand.
"Sonic-kun?" Nanoha curiously called out.
With the rock in hand, Sonic curled up into his ball form and spun rapidly in place to rev himself up and get momentum. Swiftly, he uncurled from his ball form and, in a motion resembling a baseball pitcher, went into the wind-up with his right arm and unleashed a devastating pitch of the rock that curved upward into the sky, much to the shock of all but Signum and Precia.
With movement and speed comparative to a power curveball from a baseball pitcher, the rock arched and slammed into the egg-mobile, generating a brief explosion that sent Eggman flying high and deep out of the zone with a small smoke cloud in the shape of his comical face in the wake.
"Strike 3, you're out!" Sonic shouted with a fist pump to the sky.
"That was unnecessary..." Not even Nanoha could stop herself from facepalming at the antics, "At any rate, we should probably leave before anything else happens."
"Agreed," Signum nodded as she sheathed her blade for the final time, "We have much to report on."
There was a brief moment to discuss what was to happen with Amy Rose, with the group ultimately deciding to take her with them in order to get her witness statement for the report on the incident. The pink hedgehog, though hesitant to come initially, caved in and agreed after she was promised some compensation in return, not to mention a chance to convince Sonic to return to South Island. No one told her that she would be successful, just that she would get a try.
[Dimensional Space]
[Time-Space Administration Bureau Space Headquarters]
[Arthra: Bridge]
[BGM: "Vow Of Unity" Tales of Vesperia OST]
Admiral Lindy Harlaown strolled swiftly through the sliding doors to the bridge of her ship with purpose. A pleasing humming reached her ears as the engines to her ship ignited, fully fueled and energized, ready for duty. Her bridge crew assembled in their designated positions and her top enforcer, Chrono, laid in the central platform, saluting at attention.
"Ma'am!" The teen enforcer addressed his superior formally, "The Arthra is fully operational! Ready for liftoff at your command."
"Excellent, set our course for Non-Adminstrated World #97" Lindy ordered as she seated herself at her desk, "I imagine we have quite a bit of work to do on the planet."
"Yes, ma'am!" Chrono nodded, "I'll explain once we depart from the station."
The engines roared to life as the ship's docking equipment was raised, allowing the ship to depart from the space station and out into the great reaches of magical space. Once the ship had a safe clearing between it and the station, the engines ignited to full power, allowing it good speed on the Sea of Dimensions.
It was only once when the ship took a jump into one of the warp ways in dimensional space that the Arthra bridge crew could relax a bit. Chrono was quick to put them to work, however, as he needed the space in the bridge ready so he could make his report to the Admiral. There was much to discuss including the events on Non-Administrated Planet #97 "Earth" as well as what Lindy was called away to discuss in Admiral Crowbel's office.
"Going over what we have so far," Chrono's debriefing began with a magitek display of the planet Earth with a red dot over Never Lake, where Little Planet used to be, "Early in the morning on Earth, a distress signal was sent off..."
It took little time for Chrono to give his report on what was known about the incident thus far. This was because there was little known of the incident outside of the fact that Arf, who was initially on the reserve team at Hayate's residence, had left her post after sensing her master's exposed mental state.
"Do we have any idea what could've happened to Fate-chan that could have triggered this?" asked Lindy, feeling concerned for the wellbeing of the young girl, "She was doing so well the last time I saw her, too."
"We can't be certain without any confirmation. The last that I heard was that the mission was successful and the party we dispatched is returning to make a report," Chrono said, "Though we do have some speculations."
"Ideas?" Queried Lindy, looking for her son's input "What sort of ideas were you speculating on, Chrono-kun?"
"Unfortunately, nothing that can be confirmed," Chrono replied with a regretful shake of the head "And it's a long shot at best, so our only option is to await their reports."
"Fair enough." Lindy decided to return to the topic at a later time, "Now, I suppose it's my turn."
"Yeah," the enforcer confirmed with a small nod, "What happened on your end?"
Lindy's report took just about a little bit longer than Chrono's because it included the meeting she had with Admiral Crowbel. She refrained from including all of the details though, as she wanted to let everyone know of the development and plans that were going to be in place. Still, the fact that Lindy was approached and spoken to by one of the Legendary Admirals did not escape Chrono's notice.
"I don't know what you did or say in that report you made," The teenage enforcer said idly in observation, "But to have one of the Legendary Admirals approach you for an assignment afterward. It's safe to assume one links to another. You must have kicked the hornet's nest."
"I'd say the nest was already shaking," Lindy countered with her own point, "There were two major high priority cases on the same planet within less than a year, with both cases involving high powered Lost Logia. And I'm willing to bet this incident won't be much different."
"Shouldn't we hold off on bets without more information?" Questioned the Enforcer, "We're due to get a report sometime within the few days it'll take for us to get there."
Silence descended upon the ship as it made its way through the long trip to Earth, where the drama was just unfolding.
[Non-Administrated Planet #97 "Earth"]
[Uminari City, Japan]
[Residential: Yagami residence]
[No BGM]
Needless to say, when the team returned from their world saving excursion, some of the tagalongs, especially Precia, drew a shocked response from the lone Bureau representative on the planet. It took a few minutes and a cup of freshly brewed tea to calm down poor Amy Limietta. Fortunately, the debriefing that followed the brief, if a bit humorous episode went along smoothly. Limitetta dutifully documented the story of Precia and Alicia, which resolved some of the gaps missing between the Jewel Seed Incident. She was then able to take note of the results from the incident on Little Planet, drawing device feeds from Raising Heart and Bardiche as evidence. There was a bit of an issue, however, with the willing surrender of Precia Testarossa in regards to the Jewel Seed Incident. Namely, she was unable to accept it or process it officially for the time being.
"Pardon? You can't accept my surrender?" the Testarossa matriarch asked the young officer, "How come?"
"Aside from me being the only Time-Space Administration official on this planet for the time being. The ship I'm stationed on had to depart the planet for Mid-Childa several days ago to file a report on the last incident in this world." Limietta responded with a neutral tone, "They aren't due back for a few days."
"Do you have anything setup here?" queried Precia, "Branch office or headquarters."
"Our "Headquarters" is basically converted from an apartment we acquired that was close to the cafe owned by Nanoha's family." Limitetta added, "We have enough equipment to run surveillance and communication support, but we don't have anything that will provide for any official means of detainment that would be less comparable to a house arrest.
"I suppose if we need to, it will be somewhat suitable for a short-term solution, at least until Admiral Harlaown returns with the Arthra," The brunette relented after some thought, "That and we have to get some reports written up for this incident. This will include statements from witnesses including official and unofficial collaborators."
"Wait, so this is like a military police-like force?" questioned Rose. The pink hedgehog looked justifiably confused as one should be given her lack of context of the conversations.
"Yes, That's kinda what the Bureau is. And unlike that one movie that Hayate made us watch, they don't use any memory wiping pens or whatever." Vita answered, sending a look at Sonic "Not that it stopped blue here from taking us out to the mall the next day to buy sunglasses."
"For the record that was her idea" said the hedgehog in his defense, drawing a confirming gesture from the brunette in the wheelchair, "And you spent the longest time looking for a pair"
At that moment, Amy Rose was able to take stock of who else was in the room, her attention primarily focused on Hayate. As the pink hedgehog watched, even she had to admit that there was some obviously friendly chemistry between the brunette and Sonic, a bond that was also shared by Vita and Signum. There was something about her that radiated kindness and warmth, and she could tell why Sonic liked her. She was unsure that were she in his shoes, she might not have felt the same way.
"At any rate, we still have the fallout from this incident to deal with. While this world isn't Bureau territory, we still had to deploy and engage in combat." Amy Limietta spoke with an official tone, "Due to protocols, we have to officially document and report this incident. This means signed statements from witnesses and collaborators alike.
"Which means we'll need to be able to contact you" Limietta shifted her attention to the newcomer pink hedgehog, "For a follow-up, do you have any contact information?"
"My cellphone, but there's another problem" answered Rose with an awkward shuffle of the feet, "How am I going to get home? Also, If I have to stay awhile, I'll need to pack some bags"
"Well…" Limietta mused out loud, "I suppose we have Sonic's plane-"
"Needs fuel." The blue hedgehog interrupted, "And she could just barely fit a second seat, let alone a cargo hold."
"That leaves only teleportation or flight." Limietta said with a shake of her head, "I think teleportation would be more suitable."
"Shamal-san?" Hayate turned to face the blonde medic, "Think we can help her out?"
"Well, I suppose my Mirror can work here," replied Shamal, her arms folded in thought, "Even if she doesn't have specific coordinates, we can make it work."
"You'd do that for me?" Amy Rose asked in surprise, "We only just met."
"That really doesn't matter," countered the girl in the wheelchair, "I don't like turning down anyone in need."
The finality of Hayate's statement left the female hedgehog in stunned silence, but she was the only one who displayed any reaction to the girl's kindness. The meeting adjourned with Shamal, Hayate and Amy Rose taking their leave to help the latter get home. They had returned shortly after to find that Nanoha, Fate, Alph, Limietta, Precia and Alicia had shortly left afterwards, citing things that had to be taken care of regarding the Testarossas, and Nanoha having to return home to check in and let her family know she was okay. As the first half of the day was quite eventful, the final half was spent in relaxation for the Yagami household, seeing a brief respite of peace that would last until Lindy and the Arthra returned.
[Eyecatch #1: Sonic: Wind of the Night Sky Bio Card #17: Eggman]
Name: Doctor Eggman
Katakana: ドクター・エッグマン (Dokutā Egguman)
Gender: Male
Age: Unknown (Presumed 50s)
Height: 185cm
Weight: 128kg
Affiliation: Eggman Empire
[Eyecatch #2: Sonic: Wind of the Night Sky Bio Card #18: Metal Sonic]
Name: Metal Sonic
Katakana: メタルソニック (Metaru Sonikku)
Gender: None
Age: Unknown
Height: 100cm
Weight: 125.2kg
Affiliation: Eggman Empire
-January 8th, New Calendar 0066-
[Dimensional Space]
[Arthra: Office of Lindy Harlaown]
[BGM: "Vow of Unity" Tales of Vesperia OST]
Several days following the incident on Little Planet saw the return of Lindy Harlaown and the Arthra from the Time-Space Administration headquarters. She had already received word from Amy Limietta regarding the reappearance of Precia and Alicia Testarossa, but the admiral was hardly surprised. That and the Little Planet incident just gave her cause to have to turn back around and head back to the Headquarters to take Precia into custody and to figure out what to do regarding Alicia. Unfortunately, this also meant that Nanoha, Fate, Sonic, Hayate, Reinforce and the Wolkenritter all had to come back with her for a few reasons. The first reason was to get reports and statements filed from the incident so it could be properly documented. As for the second reason; the admiral was put in charge of a project, and it was for discussing this project that she saw the need to summon the group from Earth to her office.
"I called you here today to go over what the Bureau has authorized me to do in regards to your world." Spoke the admiral in a rehearsed, professional manner, "Namely something my superior has codenamed: Project 97."
"97 refers to the number you administrated folks have for Earth, right?" Queried Sonic, "The...uh… planet number?"
"Correct," Lindy confirmed with a simple nod before continuing on, "The Bureau is authorizing me to command a small task force for the purpose of investigating and stopping the growing concern of incidents on Earth."
It was on that note that Sonic looked like he was about to say something to interrupt. However Signum and Hayate, who both knew the hedgehog enough, immediately silenced him with a shared look. Lightly defeated, the boy sat in slight pouting silence to allow the admiral to continue on.
"The reason for this squad is less related to the recent encounter with Doctor Eggman, although his actions in the last incident did not help" The admiral added, much to Sonic's dismay, "The recent incidents with the Tome of the Night Sky and the Jewel Seeds were the primary driving force behind my superior's decision."
"So is that why we're going with you back to Mid-Childa?" Nanoha asked, "Because you'd like for us to be part of this squad?"
"Precisely," The admiral nodded with a neutral expression, "We would like for everyone here to register as citizen collaborators, we won't stop you if you want to officially enlist, but if you do so, we will still see to it that you are placed in Project 97"
"What about Alicia and kaa-san?" Fate asked in concern, "I know that kaa-san will have to be processed by the Bureau for her part in the Jewel Seed incident, but what about Alicia?"
"What she does is ultimately going to be up to her," Lindy's expression remained schooled but there was a few hints of concern, "What happens with Precia will be up to the Bureau. I doubt that she will be able to officially get custody of you or Alicia given her record.
"That said, my offer for adoption still stands Fate," Lindy added with a small hint of a hopeful smile, "And before you ask, I am willing to extend Alicia-chan the same offer."
Fate immediately fell silent as she processed the admiral's statement. She had been given the offer before but she chose to dwell on it. The young girl had feelings of fear and nervousness, which led to her uncertainty about accepting the offer. In the end, she resolved to hold off on giving her answer until she had gotten her own feelings in order regarding Precia.
"At any rate, I believe I've taken up enough of everyone's time. You are free to go." Lindy rose from her seat to address the collective before her, "You will have up until we arrive on Mid to figure out what you want to do from here. Talk amongst yourselves, I won't be able to tell you what you should or shouldn't do."
Following Lindy's dismissal, everyone left to go about their own business and discuss amongst one another what they planned to do upon arrival. The admiral also left her office, coincidentally running into Fate as their paths converged to one destination: the holding cells where Precia Testarossa was kept.
[Arthra: Brig]
[No BGM]
Since departing from Earth, Alicia had spent most of her time next to Precia's cell in the brig. Despite her mother's protests on the matter, the young girl was reluctant to leave her side. The only time she left was when Amy Limietta dragged her off to pick up some lunch from the mess hall to keep her from going hungry. When Lindy and Fate entered the brig to visit Precia, the admiral was hardly surprised. There was a fairly long moment of silence as the two women's eyes locked onto one another.
"I suppose this is our first meeting in person, Precia Testarossa" Lindy broke the ice neutrally, "You seem to be faring better than our last encounter."
"I would hardly call your raid on the Garden of Time a good benchmark of which to compare.." replied the older woman with something of a sour expression, "I was almost knocking on death's door at the time."
"Indeed, you have much to answer for regarding the Jewel Seeds, and the raid to bring you to justice." the admiral replied back, expression schooled in neutrality, "We lost good men that day."
"I'm aware, this second chance at life has given me cause to reflect upon my actions. I am prepared to take any punishment. The lives your men gave to bring me down that day will not go to waste. You have my word on that," Precia answered, the conviction that filled her voice soon gave way to curiosity, "Though I sense that is not why you are here right now."
"Correct, I'm here for another matter that I mean to bring to your attention," As Lindy spoke, her attention gaze shifted between Alicia, Fate and their mother, "And it regards your daughters, Fate and Alicia."
A gathering of mixed emotions was shared throughout the three members of the Testarossa family. Alicia displayed confusion, curiosity and a pinch of nervousness. The confusion stemmed from being mentioned so suddenly which tied into understandable curiosity and the additional feeling of being unnerved. Fate shared the feeling of nervousness, but as she had just heard Lindy's intentions regarding Alicia, she was not as confused.
For Precia, the emotions were far more complex; while she was perceptive and insightful enough to predict that the topic of her girls would arise, she was fearful and her body language could not mask the uncertainty. She had doubts that the Bureau would allow her custody of Fate and Alicia, and she was unsure if she could contest that idea. Even if she could, she was doubtful that she could give them the love and care they deserve; especially for Fate, whom she had horribly mistreated in the past. This brought to her one question: where would they go?
"With my track record, you know as well as I what my chances are to ever be a part of their lives." Precia spoke quietly, her tone dripping of regret and remorse as she tried to fight back a tear from sneaking past her expression, "And even should the Bureau miraculously give me any form of mercy, it will hardly matter. I failed them, I don't deserve that chance."
Both Fate and Alicia visibly recoiled at what Precia said and the conviction behind her tone of it. Both of them were upset, and it was only a calming gesture from the Admiral that kept either girl from letting those feelings go.
"That remains to be seen, there has been a rather peculiar amount of unpredictability from the Bureau as of late. At any rate, I will get on to the point," the admiral cleared her throat and immediately changed the topic, "I am here to inform you that I intend to adopt both Fate and Alicia. I have already extended this offer to Fate and am willing to extend this same offer to Alicia, should they accept."
The bombshell dropped by the admiral shocked all three of the Testarossa family into silence, although the matriarch was able to somewhat restrain her surprise. While Fate had known due to Lindy informing her of such in her office, it was an entirely different thing for her to outright say as such. Alicia, on the other hand, had no idea what to say, if anything. There was a moment of silence that seemed to last for some time before Precia broke it.
"If you mean to ask me for my blessing, don't. You have no need, for I will not oppose," The matriarch spoke quietly, though her willpower to restrain her emotions was slowly slipping, "All I ask, is that you take care of them. Give them the love and care that they deserve, no need. Give them what I could not. That is all."
"But, kaa-san," Fate was the next to speak, tearfully moving to grip the bars of her mother's cell, "Are you sure about this?"
"Yes, this feels like the right thing to do," Precia replied, kneeling to address her children, "You both deserve happiness and the opportunity to have a better life, and she can give you that."
"How…" Alicia joined in next, fighting back tears as she stared at her mother, "How can you be sure?"
"Because, if she wasn't sure herself, we would not be having this conversation." replied the older woman, her resolve building as she turned to face the admiral, "She would not even be here if not for this reason, am I incorrect?"
"You honor me with your words and confidence, Precia-san" Lindy stepped forward, splitting her attention between the children and their mother, "The decision though is up to them, should they accept. I will welcome them with open arms and will promise to give them a life they deserve."
Silence descended upon the gathering once more as all of the attention was put upon the children present. A decision had to be made, and it was theirs alone to make. Neither Precia nor Lindy said a word, they were in no position to order or suggest to them either way what the correct course of action was. Both girls stared at each other, as if a wordless debate was being held, but the nod that they shared indicated otherwise. Fate and Alicia had known all along what they were going to do, all they needed was the verbal confirmation.
"Lindy-san," Fate broke the silence first, stepping forward to face the admiral, "We accept. We would be honored to join your family."
"Are you sure?" queried Lindy simply, turning her attention towards Alicia this time, "This is a big decision that will impact the rest of your lives."
"We wouldn't have said so if we weren't sure of this." Alicia spoke next again, "From today on, we are in your care."
At that moment, Fate and Alicia both charged and embraced Admiral Harlaown, who knelt down to welcome the girls to her care. Precia could contain her emotion no longer and broke down into tears, grasping at the ground at her knees. These were no tears of sadness, however. No, for the first time in what likely was years, the older woman was finally happy.
Lindy allowed the two children to hug her for what felt like minutes before she 'accidentally' let her hand slip. The cell door keeping Precia from the three was opened, and the woman took the wordless invitation to join the embrace. This moment would go down as, especially for Fate and Alicia, the happiest moment of their life.
-January 11th, 0066 New Calendar-
[Administrated World #1: "Mid-Childa"]
[Cranagan]
[Time-Space Administration Ground Headquarters]
[BGM: "Vow of Unity" Tales of Vesperia OST]-
Upon arrival at Mid-Childa, the natives from Earth were just about shocked at the different feel and atmosphere on this planet compared to their home world. The biggest difference was the fact that Mid had not one but two moons, something that Sonic pointed out would make things more than a little interesting for the coastal towns.
The weather and sightseeing, unfortunately, had to be put on hold though as there were things that had to be done. Lindy and Chrono had to go to the main office of the Bureau to turn Precia in and to file the paperwork to officially adopt the Testarossa siblings. Amy had to take other humans plus hedgehog to file paperwork on the Little Planet incident. It was there that Nanoha, Fate, Alicia, Hayate, Sonic and the Wolkenritter came to the next decision in regards to Project 97.
Everyone, including Sonic, much to the surprise of the others present, decided to officially enlist in the Time-Space Administration as cadets. All had their own reasons behind the enlistment. For Nanoha, Fate and Alicia, they wanted to make a difference and go beyond just being contracted mages or citizen collaborators. Hayate, Reinforce and the Wolkenritter all shared the feeling that they could find their atonement for their past sins with the Book of Darkness incident in the community service, to prevent another tragedy. As for Sonic, it was his reasoning that had most of them dumbfounded.
"Are you seriously joining the Bureau just on a whim?" Vita was the first to voice the confusion.
"Well… I mean, why not?" countered the blue hedgehog, "It really isnt going to make too much of a difference if I'm a contracted, or collaborator thing or whatever."
"Any other reasoning?" Reinforce questioned, having suspected there was an ulterior motive that Sonic had not mentioned.
"Alright, you got me." Sonic threw his hands up in comical frustration, "Figure that if these guys are going to stick their necks out and go to the effort to stop Eggman from turning South Island into some weird robot establishment thing, I might as well return the favor."
"At any rate, I'll take these enlistment papers to the Bureau for processing," Amy said as she secured the batch of documents from Reinforce, "We will have you report to Admiral Lowran at Resource Management, she's the one in charge of logistics for the operation."
"So you want us to check in with her and confirm what she is setting up for our squad." questioned Reinforce.
"Correct, Chrono-kun and Admiral Harlaown should be finished by that time," Replied Amy back, "You will report to her with your findings."
With their new orders, Reinforce led the group to the Resource Management department of the Bureau. The navigation was not too difficult as the headquarters had signs and maps placed fairly strategically to keep those from getting lost. So long as one knew their destination, they could navigate the base.
The trip Resource Management was most productive, Lowran informed them that she had arranged for a few instructors from the Bureau and Saint Church to be available at a relatively short notice. She had also arranged for a teleportation array between Mid and Earth, allowing for reinforcements or extra instructors as needed to be available. For the arrangements of the new instructors for the cadets to be made, Lowran had to make a few squadron shake-ups and transactions, but she was quick to assure the group that their core would remain unchanged.
True to Amy's word, Admiral Harlaown was waiting for the group at the point where they initially split off. Suspiciously, Chrono, who had left with her to help process Precia, was not with her, but the Admiral indicated that there was no cause for alarm on that note.
"I heard from Amy that you've all enlisted with the Bureau officially," The admiral addressed the group, "Good, I'm glad for that."
"We will be working under you then," Nanoha replied, "We'll work hard under your care."
"I wouldn't expect anything less. And don't expect me to make this easy." The admiral replied back, "I run my ships tight, and I won't go easy with you just because you are young."
"Phrasing." Sonic piped up, only to earn a hard slap on the back of the head, courtesy of Signum, "Ow!"
"At any rate, we will adjourn to the Arthra. Your first day under me starts tomorrow, we will make for Earth to start our training regiment," Lindy spoke before offering a smile, "Work hard, cadets."
"Yes, ma'am!" everyone acknowledged with a formal salute.
With that, the newly formed Project 97 squad were teleported back to the Arthra to rest. A rest that will be needed, as their first day as cadets in the Time-Space Administration started tomorrow. More adventures awaited, but for now the Little Planet incident had come to a close.
[Ending: "Hikaru Michi (The Shining Road)" Aya Hiroshige]
We close to a beautiful shot of the Uminari City as the night was slowly coming to an end and dawn began to break
Watashitachi no sekai wa mahou wo kakerarete (Our world is under a spell)
Ai suru to kime kisae namida ni fuujirareteru (Even the excitement of our love is sealed in our tears)
As the sun rose, Sonic could be seen on top of one of the rooftops, looking onward with a simple neutral expression
Boy futari de jumon wo sagashi ni ikou (Boy, let's go together to find that charm)
Kinjirare ta yume wo kanaerareru kuni he (To the land where forbidden dreams may come true.)
Clouded in fog and mist from the early morning, Sonic would be seen walking through a park with purpose
Dare ni mo naisho de ashita machi awaseshiyou. (Alone, tomorrow, let's secretly meet)
Itsuka kotori wo ume ta yoake no mieru oka de (Up on the hill where small birds are buried)
The hedgehog soon came to a stop as he found Hayate, without her wheelchair, kneeling to the ground to pick up flowers by a tree. As the cool morning mist broke, the brunette noticed his presence.
Tsumetai asamoya kimi to te wo tsunaidara (Some day, when i hold your hand in the cold morning mist)
Hikaru michi no fuuin ga tokeru yo (And the seal of the shining road will be broken)
As the mist slowly broke, Hayate, on her own, stood up to face the small blue hedgehog as we slowly fade to black
Hateshinaku (Forever)
[End of Chapter 9]
Author's notes: Okay. After about 3 years since the last post, I finally got this one together. It's a bit shorter than the last ones, I'm aware, but I needed to get something to get me back on the grind and off my writer's block. I will do my best to make the next few ones longer, but for now, I'm taking what I have and going with it.
So, why was I in a 3 year long hiatus. Real life issues and poor time management. Within these last 3 years, I lost my job at the car wash (some bad bad things there), got a new job working at an alarm company as technical support, got laid off in June due to COVID, and now I finally have a new job working support for software used by dental offices. At some point I started typing again, but between jobs and school, my time management was not good, and I lost motivation to continue. Somehow, even I cant explain, I found the motivation and drove myself to work on my fanfiction. It took me about a week to finish up this chapter. With school back again, I can't promise that I'll be able to upload consistently like I did in 2017, but I will do my best.
For now, I'm signing off, thank you for reading, I hope this release gives me the mojo I once had. Next chapter will probably be some filler, to give some pause before the next game arc.