Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha
Jaded
Marble
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Chapter
2
Nanoha glanced nervously at the clock on her carfs
dashboard, which read 23:12. Shefd been waiting in her own garage for several
minutes already, but nervously procrastinated heading into her apartment while
strings of guilt wrapped tighter around her heart. She ached to be with Vivio,
yet the possibility of meeting... someone else held her back.
She didnft want to
see him. Not yet.
Not now, anyway.
Nanohafs old apartment was
built to house a single person, and with every year Vivio grew older, the
girl needed more space. Eventually her apartment in Cranagan
was too small, and she had to move. Luckily, she found one that was walking
distance from Sankt Hilde, the school that Vivio attended, and
was just over an hourfs drive away from the academy if you took the main roads,
or thirty minutes if you knew the streets.
The apartment had
two bedrooms, a spacious bathroom and a good sized living room which connected
to the kitchen and dining room. It also had its own laundry. To top it all off,
it had an amazing view of Lake Hilde, which was a sight to behold, especially
at night.
She glanced in the
rear view mirror to the stack of documents she brought with her. Even though
she was now on holiday, there was work that still needed doing.
What Carrington had
said resurfaced to her memory. eDid I make a
mistake, Takamachi?
Can you do the job?f
Of course I can,
she told herself. Ifve been doing it for two months now!
And shefd done a
good job too, if she wouldnft say so herself. Carrington had told the truth
about the academy being on the verge of shutting down. Attendance rates had
dropped dangerously low when Nanoha
had stepped in, and it wasnft just because of a lack of students; Instructors
were quitting or being forced from the job. Classes and lessons were
re-organised (most were picked up by Nanoha herself), staff were rallied and
hired, and a lot of it was done by no one else but Nanoha. She had to
admit though, Vita had been a great help too. If it wasnft done by Nanoha,
it was probably done by Vita. And if it wasnft done
by Vita, then the other staff members had free dibs on taking responsibility.
It wasnft long
until the academy was fully staffed again, and Nanoha could return
focus on what was important: Recruitment. With so many officers resigning or
being forced from the job, the Bureau was in dire need of fresh blood. Nanoha
had organised with the other academies within the Bureau to start a recruitment
campaign, which at first was almost impossible to get off the ground because
the other, much more older and arrogant headmasters were too busy watching
their backs or backstabbing someone elsefs to pay her any mind. But eventually,
Nanoha
made herself heard and the recruitment drive had great success.
And now the academy
was running at full capacity. There was one issue that bugged her though...
Some potential officers were turned away from the academy because they couldnft
take on any more boarding students. Somewhere in the stack of documents was the
red tape to build another dormitory, and some more general renovation of the
old dormitory. The rest were back piled paperwork that needed doing some weeks
ago.
Carrington must
have known about what Nanoha
had done. Why did she make the comment though? Because I wasnft
answering my phone calls?
e... your daughter is
lonely...f
The words ran out
from her memory, grabbed her heart and twisted. Panic gripped her, and before
she realised she was already out of her car and heading for the elevator.
She stopped, turned
around and retrieved the documents she brought from work, locked the carfs
doors and then headed for the elevator again.
The anti-grav elevator rose gently through its glass chute, past
the commercial floors and then into to the residential floors. The idea of the
apartments was to create a community, although Nanoha still firmly
believes that you get a better community in the military dorms. Yes, the
apartment stores on the bottom two floors let the residence mingle together,
and the pool between the two residential complexes allows for more of the same,
but when you soundproof a room so well that you could scream and all youfd hear
on the other side was a muffle, people stop seeing each other as neighbours
they have to get along with. And why have a pool when the lake was only walking
distance away, and was probably a lot cleaner than the pool would ever be?
Although you had to get along in the foyers of all the floors. Every floor was
effectively a gangway that hugged the outside of a great void in the building
plan. Everything that was spoken on the top floor, the fortieth level, could be
heard from the bottom floor.
The elevator came
to a gentle halt and the doors slid open to the chime of a bell. Nanoha
carefully made her way to the door of her apartment as she juggled carrying the
documents and retrieving her house keys from her handbag. After successfully
retrieving the key, she held it over a plate beside the door which faintly
glowed with the numbers g2274h. There was a beep and the numbers shone bright
green, and Nanoha
pushed the door open. There was no handle, but then again why should there be a
handle? Only those with keys were supposed to open them anyway. Handles were
reserved for the inside of the door only.
She paused in the
doorway, looking down. There was another pair of shoes next to Viviofs.
Polished black clogs. Relief swept over Nanoha. Thatfs right, she thought to herself, Carrington said that Fate was
looking after Vivio.
And I spent all that time downstairs being worried for nothing.
eIfm home,f she
called softly as she placed her work on the wooden floor boards and knelt to
take her shoes off. Her house didnft have any shoe racks, and was made for
wearing shoes throughout it, but Nanoha had found that old habits die
hard. She had been brought up to take her shoes off at the doorway, and she
couldnft find any reason not to. It made cleaning easier anyway.
eHello stranger,f Nanoha
heard Fate reply as she reached for some slippers. She was leaning over the
back of the sofa, looking at her with a welcoming smile. eWelcome home.f The
lounge room was dimly lit in an amber glow. The projected television image was
casting odd lights and shadows about the room as it mutely played the news.
eFate-chan...f
Nanoha
sighed. It had been too long since she had last seen her childhood friend, and
hadnft realised how much she missed her.
When the slippers
were on her feet, she picked up her pile of work, made her way over to the
kitchen bench and lazily dumped it there. There was a hush from Fate. Nanoha
turned to see her wearing the lacy lingerie piece she always wore for pyjamas, and Vivio
dozing on her lap.
With a smile, Nanoha
gestured an apology and made herself a glass of water which she downed in one
go. She unbuttoned her uniform as she made her way to the sofa and, with the
greatest of care not to wake her daughter, sat next to Fate. She then let
fatigue take over as she rested her head on Fatefs shoulder and absentmindedly
started to stroke her fingers through Viviofs hair.
eShouldnft she be
in bed?f Nanoha
asked Fate with a very soft whisper.
eLast day of class today. Shefs on holidays now,f Fate
replied as she rested her head against Nanohafs. eShe
said she wanted to see you at least once today. Shefs been having a tough time
at school.f
There was a guilty
pause from Nanoha.
eReally...f she said. eThen Ifll allow it.f
Fate watched as Nanohafs
fingers brushed gently through Viviofs hair.
Her eyes then traced up her arm, and to the open collar, where she saw the
insignia.
eYou were
promoted,f she stated.
Nanoha nodded, her strokes hesitating once more. eAnd made headmistress of the academy.f
Fate straightened
up to look at Nanoha
properly, forcing her head from her shoulder. eWhen?f she asked. Nanoha
looked away guiltily.
eTwo and a half
months ago... Ifm sorry I didnft tell you.f She bit her lip. Why didnft I tell
Fate? I could have still kept in contact with her! Ifve been a fool all this
time!
Fate saw the
apprehension on her friendfs face, put an arm around her and gently placed her
head back on her shoulder with a sigh. eItfs okay. Congratulations.f
eThanks,f Nanoha
muttered as she made herself comfortable again, and began stroking her
daughterfs hair again. eDid you send Tiana to the
academy?
eNo, she offered to
go for me. I wanted to be here for Vivio. Was she angry?f
Nanoha shook her head. eDidnft see her. Grand Admiral
Carrington spoke to me though. She met Tiana at
reception though.f
eCarrington? What was she doing there?f
eThe same thing that Tiana was. Wanting to know
why I wasnft answering my phone.f
eOhcf Fate held her
friend a bit tighter. eDid you get in trouble?f she asked.
Nanoha chuckled. eShe told me to take two weeks leave
or shefd suspend me,f she replied sheepishly, and Fate laughed softly. eThatfs
right... Carrington also told me that you had something to tell me. Something about a get-together.f
eOh yeah... Arisa
told me about it this afternoon. Remember Yuki from highschool?f
eShe was in our
class, right?f
eYeah, thatfs
right. Shefs decided to throw a graduation reunion and has invited all her
friends. She says we can invite our friends too.f
They sat in silence
as Nanoha
thought about it for a bit. eSoc whatfs the catch?f she replied eventually. eIf
I remember correctly therefs always some sort of crazy twist to everything Yuki
does.f
eItfs a camping
trip, and we have to bring our own supplies.f
eSounds tedious...
When is it?f
eThis Saturday.f
eYeah. Another one of Yukifs spur-of-the-moment ideas it
seems.f
eI suppose so,f Nanoha
replied.
There was a stir
and murmur from Fatefs lap as Vivio
started to wake up.
eAh... I think we
woke hercf Fate stated as the young girl rubbed her eyes and looked around
barely conscious. She looked at Nanoha, and then rubbed her eyes again. Nanoha
smiled at her daughter as she looked slightly confused.
eMamac?f she asked
tiredly, then dropped her head drowsily and then raised it again to look at her
mother. As she realized that her mother was really there, her face lit up and
then she pounced into her arms.
eMama! Welcome home!f she cried.
Nanoha laughed as she wrapped her arms around
daughter, and Fate watched on joyfully. Nanoha had forgotten
when her daughter stopped calling her Nanoha-mama,
preferring to call her simply Mama. She wondered if it was when people stopped
recognizing them as foster parent and child and began seeing them as a real
mother and daughter.
eSorry for being a
bad girl, Vivio,f
Nanoha
said playfully as she patted her daughterfs head. eWere you lonely?
Vivio buried her head into her motherfs chest. eMm. But Fate-mama came, so itfs okay. Did that lady yell
at you?f
eAdmiral
Carrington?f Nanoha
asked, and Vivio
nodded, her head still buried in Nanohafs chest.
eShe did. She came to my office and got really
angry at me. Then she ordered me to spend more time with you.f
Vivio removed her face from Nanohafs
chest and sat up on her lap, but to Nanohafs
surprised, Vivio
had a sour expression. eWhatfs wrong?f Nanoha asked.
eMamac did you come
straight from work?f Vivio
asked carefully.
eThatfs rightc Why?
Whatfs wrong?f
eYou need a shower,
Mama,f Vivio
said with no remorse, and Fate burst out laughing. Nanoha grabbed on side
of her open shirt and sniffed the inside. Her daughter was right. After all,
she did go straight from the middle of a training session to see Carrington,
and effectively went straight home from there. Vivio started to laugh
too, and she jumped off her motherfs lap and ran around the back of the sofa to
hug her mother from behind. Nanoha
felt slightly betrayed as she watched Fate roll backwards onto the sofa.
eThatfs mean, Fate-chan!f
Nanoha
cried as Fate tried to sit back up. eWhy didnft you tell me before?f
eButc!f Fate
laughed, trying to compose herself. eYou looked so comfortable!f Nanoha
got up from the sofa and took Viviofs hand.
eCome on Vivio,
letfs wash your face and get you to bed. Tomorrowfs going to be a busy day
after all.f
eReally? Are we going somewhere?f Vivio cried excitedly.
eYup. Ifll tell you in the morning. Now letfs leave silly
Fate-mama until she calms down.f
Vivio looked back to Fate and then to Nanoha
again, a bit disappointed. eBut Fate-mama smells better...f
eYes, okay,f Nanoha
sighed as she ushered her daughter to the bathroom, eIfll soon change that, now
come on. Letfs get you cleaned up.f
The pair left Fate,
as she struggled to gain control of her laughter.
Half an hour later Nanoha
was out of the shower, drying her hair with a towel in her pyjamas and watching her sleeping daughter from the doorway.
She had made a habit of watching her daughter sleep since she started working
until late in the night and was the only time that she had left to see her
daughter. It was only recently that she realized how much Vivio had grown. Her
daughter was twelve years old already, and growing fast. Shefs already
considerably taller than Nanoha
was when she was twelve.
Fate walked besides Nanoha and placed her
arm around her. She bent her head down to her shoulder and quickly sniffed.
eMmc much better,f Fate told Nanoha
softly. Nanoha
vaguely tried to shake Fate off her out of annoyance, but gave up and leaned
against her instead. They both stood there in the silence, watching Vivio
sleep.
eDo you do this often?f Fate asked her.
Nanoha nodded. eEver since I was promoted, I never got home in time to see her
to bed properly.f
eI know. Vivio told me.f They stood there for a
moment longer, until Nanoha
finished drying her hair and closed the door to her daughterfs room. She made
her way back to her bedroom with Fate closely behind.
Though it left little room for anything else, she had
kept the large bed that was made for her and Fate from Section 6. At her old
apartment she only had one bedroom, so she needed a bed to fit her and Vivio.
It also proved handy for the times when Fate decided to stay the night. Both Nanoha
and Fate slipped into the thick blankets and they made themselves comfortable.
After a while, Fate shuffled across to hold her friend again.
eYoufve been rather clingy today, Fate-chan,f
Nanoha
told her, not shifting around to face Fate as she found her friendfs actions to
be rather odd.
eI canft help it. Itfs been so long since I saw you last.
And Ifm worried about you,f Fate replied.
Nanoha didnft. eSocf Fate said when Nanoha turned around after she realized
Fate was staring at her. eAre you going to tell me what happened?f
eWhat do you mean?f Nanoha replied with a
stiff yawn.
eYou know what I mean. What happened with Yuuno?f
Nanoha didnft seem to like the question. She looked down uncomfortably, and
then rolled over again and shuffled away from Fate.
eNanohacf
Fate called with concern, but Nanoha
tightened the blanket around her. Fate shuffled towards Nanoha again. eI asked
Vivio
why Yuuno
wasnft with her at nights. She said she wouldnft let him in anymore. I canft
contact Yuuno
anymore either.f Fate put her hands on her friendfs shoulders. eCome on. Tell
me what happened. Ifm on your side, Nanoha.f
Nanoha
was silent for a bit, but Fate patiently waited. eHe cheated on me,f she said
eventually.
eCheated
on you?f Fate asked, a bit confused. eWere you two
going out?f
eWell... nocf Nanoha whimpered. eBut
I was waiting for him! I was waiting for him to tell me he loved mec waiting
for him to ask if he could spend the night with me... waiting for him just to
ask me out...f Nanoha
curled herself into a ball. eAll those times we went out together, he never
arranged one. Ifd always call him, or Vivio would say that
she wanted to spend some time with him.f Her voice started to croak as her
emotions started to flare. eShe started calling him Yuuno-papa you know?
She was treating him like her father.f She sniffled heavily, trying to keep
tears at bay.
eWhy didnft you tell him how you felt?f Fate asked as
she propped herself up on one arm and stroked her friendfs head with the other.
eI was scared! I was worried that he didnft feel the same
way I did! I mean, hefd never ask to meet me, Ifd always ask to meet him, or
drop by the Library.f She reached around to find comfort in her friendfs arms
and sobbed in her chest. Fate continued to comfort her by stroking her head.
eSome time ago, he became harder to contact. When I asked him about it, he made
vague excuses, like he was too busy, or that it wasnft a good time. So I
started visiting him at the library more often. I started to notice this other
woman was with him a lot. I didnft think about it much at first, but they
started to get closer.
eThen one time I went to see him in his office...f The
memory became vivid within Nanohafs memory
as she told Fate. She was going to tell Yuuno that she had
been promoted, and was now in charge of the Academy. The other librarians had
told her that he was in his office and she eagerly rushed over to see him. What
she saw when she opened the door still seems surreal to her. Something small
was standing on the desk, the light shinning off it brilliantly. Yuuno
was sitting in his office chair with a waxed look on his face. She was in there
with him. She was sitting on his lap, slowly turning her head back to look at Nanoha
with a devious grin.
eShe wasnft wearing anything!f Nanoha cried as
emotions took control and tears streamed down her face. It hurt Fate to see her
friend this way, and she held her tight. Fate knew that something had happened
between Nanoha
and Yuuno,
but she never even imagined that hefd be seeing another woman, yet alone be
stupid enough to be caught in the act. But it was all... wrong. It didnft make
any sense. It took several minutes of comforting to calm Nanoha down again.
eThat doesnft sound like the Yuuno I know...f Fate
said. eWhy would he do such a thing?
Nanoha didnft respond.
eSo what did you do?f Fate asked her gently.
eI donft know...f Nanoha said in between
sobs. eI felt sick. I think I ran away.f
eIs that when you stopped answering your phone?f
Nanoha nodded. eI didnft want to hear him. I knew that shefd be with him, just
thinking about them together made me feel sick. I worked longer to keep my mind
off it. It hurts, Fate-chan, it really
hurts to think about it!f Nanoha
fell into tears again. And silently, so did Fate.
It was zero six hundred hours the next morning, and the late sun was
peaking over the horizon. Lexus Carrington, Grand Admiral and leader of the
Time-Space Administration Bureau was already hard at work. She sat in her Midchildan
office, hunched over various paper documents that needed approval, or signage,
or both.
Paper documents...
With the greatest known technology in the Dimensional
Sea, the leader of the most powerful known organisation – sorry,
government – still uses documents made from pulped trees. Well, there was a
time when Carrington herself didnft understand why they werenft using more
gmodernh technologies, but when you come to power you realise how reassuring it is knowing that the only people who
know whatfs written on the sheet in front of you is the person who wrote it,
and the person reading over your shoulder. Anything within cyberspace can be
hacked by anyone anywhere. You have to get through at least ten security check
points and then lock pick two safes with a security check point between them to
make it into the Bureaufs archives.
A sudden silence caught Carringtonfs attention, and
then she realised there was a shadow
hovering over her desk. The person reading
over my shoulder? she thought and
cautiously looked up from her work.
Standing up against her desk was a tallish prim man,
whose black hair was brushed straight back. He wore an unfamiliar uniform that
had a somewhat Bureau design to it. It was pure black, but had the shoulder
caps that all the other uniforms had. This one was gold. The jacket was also a
trench coat. He also wore white gloves. They were clenched. So was his jaw.
eAh,f she said, leaning back and smiling pleasantly,
eCharlie Maybach. What brings you
here this morning?f
eIfve been here for five minutes!f Charlie cried. His
voice was grating and nearly hysterical. eIfve been talking to you for five
minutes and youfve only just noticed
me!?f
Carrington gave him an innocent and perplexed look.
She pointed to his trench coat. eWhatfs with the suit?f she inquired.
eOh this?f Charlie said,
brightening up as he stretched his arms out and inspected himself. eThis is the
new uniform for the senate.f
eThe senate?f
eIt looks obnoxious,f Carrington said with a sneer
before returning to her work.
Charlie gave her an offended look. eWell, you donft
have to be so rude about it.f
There was another silence as Carrington read over a
few more documents, signing where needed. She then sighed.
eYoufre still here, Charlie...f she said, not looking
up.
eYes.f
eWhy?f
Charlie tensed up in the way a chicken would normally
ruffle it feathers. eHavenft you heard a thing Ifve said!f he squealed, forcing
Carrington to shut her eyes.
eNo, I have a habit of ignoring the annoying and
irritating when Ifm working, you see.f
eFive minutes! Ifve been here for five minutes and you
havenft listened to a word Ifve said!f
eWhat is it,
Charlie?f Carrington demanded, putting down her pen and looking at him angrily.
She never did like Charlie. He had the same air about him that fashion
designers had, and that only causes trouble in the
military.
eThis!f he cried, pointing to a piece of paper in
front of him. Carrington frowned at it and read it up-side-down. She frowned
further and looked back at Charlie.
e... And?f
eYou canft be serious,
can you? Allow cities to govern their own
laws!?f Charlie threw his hands in the air. eWefre a government now! We decide
the laws!f
eYes, and we have,f Carrington said with patience. She
was half expecting this to happen. eIf youfd read the document properly, youfll
see that Ifve listed the laws that are to be followed –e she drew a line down the sheet next to several bullet
points, e—right here.f
Charlie bent over and critically inspected the
document. eAll planets under Time-Space Administration rule are to abide by the following governing laws... One. All states are to surrender all mass weaponry to the
Bureau for destruction. Two. All states are to
either, ay; merge all military bodies
with the military of the Time-Space Administration Bureau. Be; Disband all military
bodies. Three. All states are to
use Time-Space Administration Bureau currency.
Four. All states are to abide by
the laws set by the Time-Space Administration Bureaufs Headquarters. Five, for all other laws, each state may declare
their own policies and submit them to
the Time-Space Administration Bureau for approval!?f
Charlie slammed his hands down on Carringtonfs desk,
disturbing several papers. eHow is this governing!? Itfs not even written properly! And itfs the senate that decides the laws, not you!f
Carrington glared at the hands on her desk until they
were removed. eThatfs where youfre wrong, you see,f she said, putting down her
pen and folding her hands on her chest. eIfm quite sure that this governing
system you pushed for was a militant government.f
eDemocratic-militant!f
eBut these laws are the basic requirements for coming
under the Bureaufs protection! Thatfs before
we formed this government, when we were just a mere organisation!f
eYes! Thatfs righ-e Carrington cleared her throat
and gave an irritated glance to Charlie. His annoying habit of emphasising key words was starting to rub off on her. eThatfs
right. Ifve played along with your stupid idea of becoming a government, but in
the end this is still the Time-Space Administration
Bureau. We have far too many states for us to fully govern, so wefll take
care of all the big stuff while the states themselves can take care of their
own little problems. Is that understood?f
Charlie opened his mouth to protest, but hesitated and
thought again. Carrington watched him sternly as he thought over things. His
jaw moved oddly as he did.
eYou know, Charlie,f Carrington said gently. eWhen
Admiral Mizetto
died, the Administration Bureau started to fall apart because some fools
thought it would be good to turn this organisation into a government.
Donft look at me like that. In fact, I can safely bet that if General Kill and
Advisor Leone Fils didnft step back in to whack
some people across the ear and sort out the mess, we wouldnft be here. The
Bureau would have failed. It was then when we went about weeding all those
within the bureau who tried to make it collapse for their own gain. Now
this...f Carrington bent over to open one of the cabinets in her desk, where
after a moment of shuffling about, she produced a thick folder which she
dropped on her desk. She had a cheeky and amused look on her face as she opened
it up and flicked backward and forwards through the documents. eThis is a
report that I was given by some of my most trusted staff member. In this folder
contains the names and profiles of all the people who have been judged to be
most dangerous to the stability of the Administration Bureau.f
Charlie craned his neck to look at the documents. His
face went slightly pale when he noticed that a vast majority of them had the word
gTerminatedh stamped across the profile in red.
Carrington raised an eyebrow when she noticed his
gaze. eThese people... they tried to use the Bureau for their own person gains.
Remember that big corruption investigation we had? It was like a witch hunt,
really, and went for months. Such a hassle; and so many good officers were
lost. Oh my...f
She stopped at a page. It didnft have a big red
gTerminatedh stamp on it. It was Charliefs profile. Although Charlie didnft say
anything, his jaw was moving.
eI see youfve remembered that Ifm still your boss,f
Carrington said as she closed the folder. eWould you like to know why you
havenft been gTerminatedh yet?f She briefly raised an eyebrow as she hoped for
Charlie to reply. He didnft. eYou havenft been terminated because I know that
you actually use your head, Charlie. You think twice about taking a risky
action. And you can still be of use for me, if you keep thinking that is.f
Carrington put the folder away.
eWhat do you plan to do with the senate?f Charlie asked. His voice was a bit shaky.
eOh, Ifll still have a use for the senate, donft you
worry. Ifm not going to be bothered with looking after everything...f Carrington cleared her throat again. eBut if I hear
word of the senate working in ways thatfs against the image and policy of the
Bureau... Ifm sure I donft have to finish that sentence.f
Charlie realised that when
Carrington finished her sentence, she wasnft looking at him, but rather over
his shoulder. He threw himself against Carringtonfs desk in fright when he
looked behind him. There, stood rather tall and regal man. His hair was grey
and curly, his uniform was
mainly black with red shoulders. He looked down his nose at Charlie, before
shifting his gaze to Carrington.
eGood morning mafam,f he said dismissively. His voice
was lazy and just as regal as his look. eI do believe this man has not got an
appointment.f
eWho the hell
are you!?f Charlie squealed.
eCharlie, I would like you to meet my advisor,f
Carrington said.
eVindicator Jeremy Clarkson,f the tall man said. He
kept his hands behind his back and glanced at Charlie as if he was an
afterthought.
eI never heard
you enter!f Charlie pointed to the large metal doors that made safe vaults look
like plywood.
eThat is because, sir, I was always here.f And he
could have been. The room was certainly large enough, and if someone was good
enough at making themselves blend into the
surroundings it was possible to go unnoticed. Although those exiting would have
noticed the Vindicator sitting behind his desk near the massive doors, just out
of the peripheral vision of those entering.
Charlie looked to Carrington, the back to Clarkson.
His expression changed from shocked to puzzled, then looked to and fro again.
eWhat sort of rank is Vindicator?f
eWhat sort of rank is a senator?f Carrington asked in
reply. eDonft look at me like that, Charlie.f
Clarkson gave an inquiring glance to the Admiral. She
sighed and shrugged.
eVindicators are what you may refer to as special
agents of the Saint Church, sir. After the Administration Bureau formed
government, all of the Church Knights are now members of the Bureau.f
eSpecial agents?f Charlie asked.
eYou mean like an Enforcer?f
eOh please, Senator Maybach,f Clarkson laughed
as an amused grin cracked his wooden face. ePlease donft weigh us up against
the Enforcers of the Bureau. They pale in comparison to us Vindicators.f
eHow many of
you are there?f
eThat will do for now, Charlie,f Carrington
interrupted. eIt appears that Clarkson has something he needs to tell me.f
eWait, whatfs he an advisor of?f
eGoodbye,
Charlie.f
Carrington and Clarkson waited for the clunk of the
closing metal doors before continuing. Carrington winced when they did.
eYou know,f Carrington said as the sound faded off, eI
should get someone in to make this office more warmly. Takamachi
has a good office. Nice woodwork, a door to respect. Wonderful chair. This office is
cold and harsh really...f
ePerhaps at a more suitable time, mafam,f he said as
he dropped some documents onto the clutter of Carringtonfs desk. She looked at
the curiously as she read it up-side-down. eHowever it seems our city guard
issue is becoming a problem. While our military capacity is steadily increasing
again, our guards seem to be rapidly dissipating.f The regal air that
surrounded Clarkson had now dissipated as well. While he still looked to
attention, he felt at ease. He was still stiff, but you could argue that before
he was rigid.
eThe coppers are leaving us?f Carrington questioned as
she continued to read.
eThatfs the issue, mafam. Police, or city guards, are
civilian; whereas our current guards are enrolled within the Bureau, which
makes them military personal.f
eWhat, our guards are leaving us because of a technicality?f
eNo, mafam, theyfre using the opportunity to be
re-trained within the Bureau, or are simply applying to be re-assigned to an
actual military unit.f
eWhy?f
eI do believe it is because the pay is better.f
Carrington sighed. eAssign some reserve units to
patrol the streets then.f
eThat would put us under martial law, mafam.f
eWe are a
militant government, Clarkson.f
eYes, but we are also a democracy, mafam.f
Carrington rolled her eyes. eI knew this was a bloody
stupid idea.f
Nanoha found herself
lying awkwardly across the bed. A blinding glare was coming from the lake; this
must mean her curtains were open. She checked with her bleary eyes. A purple
square was temporarily burnt in her sight. Yes, they were open.
After the purple afterimage faded, she looked around
the room. Fate was already awake, and was already dressing into her uniform,
buttoning up her jacket but still yet to put on her skirt. Nanoha shuffled to the
edge of the bed and straightened her pyjamas, but
didnft bother doing up her buttons which had mysteriously undone themselves in
her sleep. The last thing she remembered last night was crying in Fatefs arms,
which would probably explains the odd position she woke up in.
eGood morning, Nanoha,f Fate said as
she noticed her, sliding into her jacket and buttoning it up. eFeeling better?f
Nanoha
wearily got out of bed, walked over to Fate and embraced her firmly.
eMuch better,f she said softly. eThank you, Fate-chan.f
She honestly did feel better. She felt lighter and
refreshed, all the baggage she was wearing on her shoulders had been carefully
removed by Fate. eDo you have to work again today?f Nanoha asked as she
let go of Fate to allow her to continue getting dressed.
eOnly for a little bit. Ifve got to finalise
some things for Tiana before I can take my leave.
I hope Ifll still have time to spend with Leila and Claude though...f
Nanoha put Fatefs lacy pyjamas on a
clothes hanger and hung them on one of the racks in her walk-in wardrobe. The
two had decided to keep some of their clothes in each otherfs house, just in
case they unexpectedly decided to stay the night. They often did anyway. The
uniform that Fate was putting on was a spare Nanoha kept in her
wardrobe. Yesterdayfs uniform was already in the washing basket.
Nanoha took off her pyjamas and
then took one of her favourite
casual pieces from the rack; a pink top with a long sleeved black cotton jacket
with a thick belt and tight thigh length skirt.
eYou donft mind if I tag along?f Nanoha asked as she
reappeared from the wardrobe. Fate had already gotten dressed and was putting
the scrunchie
on the end of her long blonde hair. eThere are some things I want to do too.f
eSure, I donft mind...f Fate said. eWhat do you have
in mind?f
eFirst I want to thank Tiana
for dropping by,f Nanoha
said as she made her way to the door.
eAnd then...?f Fate asked, a bit concerned.
eI might go out to do some shopping with Vivio
a bit later, but nothingfs set.f Nanoha opened the door, and Fate followed
closely behind.
eReally? I think Ifll join in then.f
As they entered the short corridor that led to the
bathroom, Viviofs
room and laundry, a smell from the kitchen caught Nanohafs
attention. She checked Viviofs room
and found it vacant.
In the kitchen, Vivio was hard at work
cooking pancakes, using an unusual fool proof technique Nanoha had never seen
before. Two frying pans were on the stoves, instant pancake mix to the left,
and plates to the right. Two plates already had four pancakes on them, and the
remaining plate had only two. Vivio
took the right frying pan, and flipped the pancake cooking on it onto the
plate. She then took the left frying pan and flipped the pancake from that
frying pan into the right one. After she shook the right frying pan to centre
the pancake and turned off the left stove, she returned her attention to the
morning cartoon that was playing on the television in the lounge room. Vivio
was paying so much attention to the cartoon, she didnft notice as Nanoha
placed her clothes on the files and documents that placed there last night.
eVivio...!f
Nanoha
gasped as she admired her daughterfs cooking. eYou shouldnft have!f
Viviofs attention snapped from the
television to her mother, and her face lit up once again. eMama!f she cried as
she ran over to hug Nanoha.
eGood morning!f she said after she ran into her mother and wrapped her arms
around her, almost knocking Nanoha
off balance in the process.
eGood morning, pumpkin,f Nanoha replied as she
patted Viviofs
head. eAre you making breakfast for us?f
eYup!f Vivio replied
joyfully, enjoying her motherfs affection. Vivio then leaned back
while still hugging Nanoha
to look at Fate. eGood morning, Fate-mama!f
eGood morning, Vivio. It looks
delicious,f Fate said as she retrieved a bottle of orange juice from the fridge
and some glasses from one of the cabinets.
eMama... you should be more lady-like,f Vivio
complained as she started to button up her motherfs top. Nanoha squealed and
then fiercely hugged her daughter.
eYoufre such a good girl, Vivio!f Nanoha
cried and kissed her daughter on the forehead. Vivio chuckled,
gaining the praise and affection she was hoping for. Nanoha had realised
some time ago, but was just reminded again that Vivio wasnft just
growing quickly physically; she was also becoming alarmingly mature. So much
so, that her teacher, Sister Schach, had
told Nanoha
some months ago that Vivio
was having some peer issues within her class. The girl was the tallest not only
in her class, but her grade, and was significantly more mature than the rest of
her grade. And to top it all off, her eyes were different colours.
The combination made it hard for her to make friends and made her an easy
target in a peerage that had begun to quickly discriminate anything that was
different to the majority.
Nanoha idly thought how it would be for her, Fate and Hayate
if her class mates found out that they could use magic. She wanted to believe
that everyone would be amazed and fascinated, and would all agree to keep it
all under wraps, but she knew better. It was hard enough trying to convince her
family that she could use magic, and Arisa and Suzuka
only believed them because they were caught in the middle of it. Realistically,
she believed everyone would fuss, argue, and then decide to keep their distance.
Vivio released herself from her motherfs grip, flipped the last pancake onto
her plate, turned the stove off and changed the television channel to one that
had the morning news on it.
eYou donft have to change the channel,f Nanoha
told her daughter as the three of them sat down at the small table to eat their
breakfast.
eItfs okay,f Vivio said, plopping
down on the chair, eIfve seen it before anyway.f She picked up a bottle of
maple syrup, held it high over her pancakes and watched as they syrup slowly
fell to the pancakes. eSo where are we going today, Mama?f she asked, still
watching the syrup seep down.
eWell tomorrow, wefre going to your grandparentfs
place,f Nanoha
said after she swallowed a slice of her pancake.
eReally!?f Vivio was already
getting excited.
eAhh..! Be
careful with the syrup Vivio!f
Nanoha
cried as Viviofs
distracted hands ventured the stream of syrup towards the edge of the plate. Vivio
carefully ended her show of syrup spilling, and then passed the bottle to Fate.
eYes, wefre all going back to Earth tomorrow, Vivio,f
Fate added as she put a small dollop of syrup on her pancakes. eThe day after
tomorrow, wefre all going on a camping trip with some of your motherfs old
friends.f
eCamping!?f Vivio squealed excitedly. eIfve never
been camping before! I canft wait!f
eI wonder if itfs okay to bring children though...f Nanoha
wondered after thinking over it a bit. eDo you think therefll be other children
there?f she asked Fate, who shrugged.
eI donft know... itfs possible. It has been fifteen
years after all, I donft think youfre the only one in our class that has a
child,f Fate answered, and then took a sip of her orange juice.
eAre Elio and Caro
coming?f Vivio
asked.
eNo,f Fate said, shaking her head, ethey wonft be able
to make it in time. I told them last night though. They hope we enjoy
ourselves.f
eThatfs okay. As long as Mama and Fate-mama are with
me, I wonft be lonely.f
eWatch yourself Vivio!f Nanoha
jokingly warned as she pointed her knife to the ceiling. eFlattery will get you
nowhere!f Vivio
chuckled as she took a sip of her orange juice. eBut today, wefre going to go
shopping for the camping trip. First, wefll have to go to Fate-mamafs office.
She needs to finish off some work before she can go camping, and I need to talk
to Tiana.f
eOkay!f Vivio said, and she took a she took a
hefty slice of pancake and tried to fit it all in her moth, smearing some syrup
on her face.
eSilly girl...f Nanoha complained
after she picked up and licked one of the paper handkerchiefs on the table
before she used it to wipe Viviofs face
with it. eTake smaller slices, it wonft run away.f
eYes, Mama...f Vivio moaned
uncomfortably.
Fate suddenly reached for the remote and turned up the
volume of the television. The news was a reporting of a drug smuggling bust in
Southern Midchilda. It was a large operation involving enforcers and some
ground defence
units. It didnft end peacefully. Several people were injured on both sides of
the law, and some on the bad end had died.
eAh... Fate-mamafs on TV,f Vivio stated to no
response. The footage on the projected screen showed Fate in her barrier jacket
and with Bardiche
in hand, next to her was Tiana who was
also in her barrier jacket. They were standing in the middle of a rundown
street with some old and neglected cars parked on the curbs. Fate was
questioning one of the Ground Defence troops
and Tiana
was taking notes. It looked like the usual after operation mop-up that the Bureau
always ran. That is, until there was an explosion from one of the windows which
had everyone ducking and running for cover.
Apart from the camera man, who foolishly stood his
ground for the sake of good footage.
A figure
appeared in the flaming window frame and fired several rounds from his rifle,
but Fate already had cast a protective shield and the rounds ricocheted off
into the pavement. Tiana spun
around, dropping to one knee as Cross Mirage materialised
in her right hand and she returned fire.
Fate spun back around, yelled something at the
cameraman which couldnft be heard over the anchormanfs report and the
background noise of heavier gunfire and more unseen explosions, then ran
towards the camera and off screen as Tiana began to
retreat as well, creeping backwards while covering everyone with return fire.
The camera suddenly shook and panned up violently, and
then the footage cut to the reporter standing further down the street several
hours after the incident. The street was blocked off by several Ground Defence
APCs and they were guarded by a squad of troops, heavily armed and standing
shoulder to shoulder.
eFate-mama,
you look good on TV,f Vivio
said casually, and Fate replied with a smile. Vivio knew that what
she just saw was another day at the office for both her godmother and her
mother. She clearly remembered what happened on the Cradle as if it was
yesterday, and Nanoha
had often wondered if that was the reason why her daughter was unusually mature
for her age.
The article ended and went onto news about a rare
animal in the zoo being pregnant, only to be silenced again by Fate, who was
uninterested.
eSo howfs the investigation going?f Nanoha
asked.
ePoorly,f Fate ate another slice of pancake. eWe
walked straight into a trap. Theyfre taking advantage of our personal shortage
and shipping drugs to and from the administered planets. They must have formed
up or gathered an alarming amount of members during the corruption
investigation.f
eWell, at least theyfll be easier to find if therefs
more of them,f Nanoha
stated.
eItfs not their members that Ifm worried about, itfs
their trading routes. I have no idea how theyfre shipping off the planet,f Fate
said, shaking her head.
eKeep at it, Fate-mama! Youfll get eem
eventually!f Vivio
cried energetically. Fate smiled again and patted her on the head, who grinned
as she enjoyed the attention.
eDonft worry, I havenft given up yet,f Fate told the
little girl.
Nanoha finished her pancakes, drank the rest of her orange juice and thanked
her daughter for the meal. eIfm going to have a shower now,f she told the
remaining pair at the table. eI wonft be long. Vivio, have you
showered already?f
eYep!f her
daughter replied.
eOkay. Donft forget to brush your teeth once youfve
finished your breakfast.f
eOkay Mama!f Vivio dug into the
remainders of her pancakes, eager to go out with her mother and godmother, as Nanoha
picked up her clothes from the bench and made her way to the bathroom.
Not many people know about the Vindicators, but to be honest, thatfs the
way itfs supposed to be. They were indeed the special agents for the Saint
Church Knights, but they were the ones who did the jobs you couldnft possibly
ask someone else to do. Such jobs are commonly cited by authorities as being
gHighly dangerous with life threatening risks to personal evolved and anyone
within a one hundred kilometre
radiush, gWill be traumatic to any involved in operationh, and most frequently,
gTo be honest, this operation is damn well impossible, but youfre going to do
it anywayh.
Thatfs the con of being a Vindicator. The pro of being
a Vindicator, is that youfre simply told what needs doing. How it gets done, is entirely up to the Vindicator. Vindicators are
also judge and jury as well, being allowed to convict and sentence anyone on
the spot, then and there. And it seemed to Clarkson that the late Admiral Mizetto
along with Judicial Advisor Fils, made sure
that a Vindicatorfs judgement was
carried out. After all, they immediately informed the Admiral of the Advisor of
the convictions, not the local authorities. But then, thatfs because the
authority isnft supposed to know about the Vindicators, because if the
authorities knew, then the criminals would know too.
But in honesty, the criminals did know of the Vindicators, in the form of folk lore and rumours.
Tales of how an acquaintance of a friendfs friend somehow managed to escape
from, or spied on, or heard of how a lone person single handed foiled plots to
rob banks or raid cities or pinch the old ladies bag. The Vindicator was the
shadows. It was indestructible. And it stalked like a wolf closing in on its
prey. Clarkson actually enjoyed being likened to a wolf, so he quite enjoyed
that one. And he quite enjoyed the faces of those who have been told by stories
by a friend of an acquaintance of the friendfs friend to find that the stories,
while exaggerated, are actually true.
One thought was running through Clarksonfs head at the
moment. It was from Senator Maybach, when
he squealed, eWhat kind of rank is
Vindicator?f
Clarkson had to admit, that it was a damn good
question. He himself had thought what it meant too, when he turned to a trusty
dictionary for a definition to the word. The word derived from Vindicate, which
had three relevant definitions; To set free. To
avenge. To
free from allegation or blame, or to provide justification or defence
for, or to protect from attack or encroachment. Clarkson believed that the last one you had to choose
which ever was appropriate at the time, as they all could be summed up with a
few simple tasks: To deliver, to avenge, to defend, to justify, and to confirm.
Before
he read the definitions, he wasnft sure if Vindicator appropriately told what
his job was supposed to be. But hefd been ordered to infiltrate institutions of
other planets and governments, and sometimes companies to retrieve goods which
may be illegal, dangerous, or useful to the church, which took care of gto
deliverh. Hefd been ordered to assassinate, which took care of both gto
avengeh, and gto defendh. Hefd been sent on espionage missions too, so therefs
gto confirmh. Although gto justifyh did confuse him. He suspected it was a
twist of the word justice, because hefd convicted many felons too.
Oh
yes, there was another con for being a Vindicator, one that was now being
removed. The Vindicators didnft exist. Yes, they did exist physically, but they
had no form of identification, and they werenft in any database. The only forms
that held their profile was in a secret compartment within the leader of the
Church Knightfs desk. If they were caught by anyone on mission, and the Church
Knights were asked to give an explanation, the people doing the asking were
allowed to search through their databases in search for the caught Vindicatorfs
profile with no success. But this also meant that friends and family had to
think that they no longer existed too.
Now
the files were being taken out, and handed to the Bureau. Vindicators now
existed. Life wasnft as harsh anymore. Although Clarkson didnft have any family
or friends, so he really didnft care.
Clarkson
reached the door he was walking to. When he opened it, several high ranking
officers turned to look at him, wondering who had the nerves to disturb them.
eTerribly
sorry for being late,f Clarkson said as he entered and closed the door behind
him. eThe Admiral needed something attended to.f
eThatfs
perfectly fine, Sir Clarkson,f Said the man standing in front of the projector
screen. eWefve only just started.f Clarkson knew the man as Jensen May,
commander of the Midchildan branch of enforcers. A reliable man with a steady
head, and has a firm grip with his command. Hefs age was starting to show with greying
hair and wrinkled face, but May wasnft the type of person to let something like
age get in his way. Clarkson respected that.
May
continued where he left off as Clarkson found his seat. eWhere was I..? Oh yes.
Yesterday, with thanks to Major Morris, we successfully intercepted a smuggling
convoy. The smugglers fought fiercely to protect their cargo, and as a result
several of our troops were injured. Many of the smugglers were injured, and... er... I have confirmation that one had unfortunately
passed away this morning.f There was a murmur of disapproval from the rest of
the officers as the faces of all those injured appeared on the projector
screen. Clarkson didnft understand why though, but they always did this when
loss of life was mentioned. He thought it was odd for military personal to be
so concerned of the life of the enemy.
eThe
other wounded smugglers are now in stable conditions. They should be ready to
be questioned within the week.f
eDid
any of the smugglers escape?f asked one of the officers.
eUnfortunately
quite a few did. My officers couldnft tell exactly how many trucks there were
in the convoy, but they estimated between six and nine vehicles were in use. We
are not sure if there are any more smuggling routes that they are using, but
judging from the smugglerfs counter attack, it would be safe to assume that the
smugglers have a very large group, and do have alternative routes available.f
eBut
why counter attack if they have more routes?f asked another officer. eWhat was
their cargo?f
eIt
appears to be a new form of liquid narcotic.f The projector screen changed to
show a simple vial, containing a milky blue substance. Shown next to it was a create
full of the vials. eWhat the substance does and how itfs administered, we are
currently investigating. Wefre calling it gBlue Milkh for now.f
eDo
you have one of these vials?f Clarkson asked.
eNot
with me, Sir. But I can arrange for one to be sent to you.f
eNo,
thatfs quite alright. Ifll personally visit your office some time and see them
for myself,f Clarkson said as a notepad appeared from his pocket. He wrote
something down, and then turned back several pages. He stopped when he arrived
at a picture of a vial. It was a simple design, much like the ones shown in the
projector, although this one was almost empty. Sitting in the bottom of the
vial was a clear blue substance.
Tiana sat at her workstation, or rather, slumped on her
workstation with her head propped up by an arm, gazing at the information that
scrolled across her monitor with complete lack of interest. In her idle hand,
she fidgeted two vials of simple design. One was milky blue, the other was clear
blue.
So far the information was only leading her to sleep,
but if Fate was here, shefd probably tell her that shefd need to find the
routes the drugs were being smuggled through. It was painfully obvious though.
Drug trafficking is just that; trafficking. Remove the operative and you have
traffic. Traffic needs roads to operate on. Shut down the road, shut down the
traffic, shut down the drug trafficking.
The only problem is, you often have no idea which
roads the drug smuggling is happening on, and of course, it wasnft happening up
on the streets. It was somewhere they didnft know of. And the reason why they
didnft know of the roads being used was often because they didnft have any
information of the roads. The only information she had that was remotely helpful
was other smuggling case reports and current, up-to-date city maps and plans,
and they were... well, next to useless really.
From the way the smugglers attacked them, Tiana
had to say that they were either incredibly stupid, or incredibly clever. They
had been tipped off about suspicious vehicles entering a tunnel in a rundown
part of Southern Midchilda, and as they went to investigate with a squad of
Ground Defence
troops, they just happened to come out of the tunnel. They didnft even try to flee
at first. They took one look at the troops and opened fire. And they came back
again sometime after the fight had finished too. And when they went to
investigate the tunnel, they found some more tunnels that werenft on the maps,
which to Tiana
was a good indication that they wouldnft be using old routes, and if they did,
it would only be as a decoy. So the previous smuggling cases wouldnft help
much. Tiana
also knew that Midchilda had been built on, then demolished, then built on
again, and then demolished again, and then built on some more. And therefs
every chance that for good measure, it was demolished yet some more. It was
more than likely that the current maps and city plans she has donft include
abandoned and sealed off underground tunnels, sewers and subways, and that
makes the maps she has almost useless too.
She needed more information than what was available.
She needed details on the city and maps that dated back to when the city was
first and had already sent Shario
to try and get permission to access to the secured archives that only the
highest ranking officers could access, and now she was scrolling through the
old cases in the slight hope that something of worth would appear.
Another problem she was having trouble with was how
they were shipping off the planet. All ports and transfer stations in Midchilda
were tightly secure with customs and defence force
units in attendance, getting through with contraband would be incredibly
difficult. That meant the smugglers either had a flawless mean of transporting
their goods, or someone was helping them from the inside... and the last thing Tiana
wanted was yet another corruption investigation.
But if all went well, and Tiana
managed to take out the smuggling routes, theyfd be able to avoid another witch
hunt, one which the Administration Bureau probably wouldnft survive.
A movement from the corner of her eye caught Tianafs
attention. She was expecting Shario
to return at any moment, so she continued to gaze at the information scrolling
past the monitor. eAny luck?f she asked.
To Tianafs
surprise, there wasnft a response. Sure, Shario often played
tricks with her, but she was always serious about work. After a brief moment of
patience and thought, Tiana lazily
turned around. Shario
was nowhere to be seen, but looking at the monitor over her shoulder was a
young girl. She wore an open blue cotton jacket with a light blue buttoned
shirt underneath, and a frilly knee length, multi-layered skirt that was
fastened to her waist by a beaded thin leather band which wrapped around her
waist a few times before it loosely sagged down one side and finally clipped to
the tighter part of the band. On her feet were a pair of sports shoes with
baggy white socks, strapped to her shoulder was a handbag and her long
golden-blonde hair was tied into a waist long high pony tail. Tiana
briefly wondered who she was until she noticed the girlfs eyes. Green
and red.
eVivio?f Tiana
said.
The girlfs attention snapped from the monitor to Tiana,
and her expression lit up just as fast.
eHello Tiana-san!f Vivio
chirped, giving Tiana a fierce hug.
eVivio,
what are you doing here?f Tiana asked,
slightly confused but happy to see the girl. eDid Fate bring you along?f
Vivio shook her head. eI came with Mama!f Vivio beamed. Tiana
looked past the girl. Surely enough, her mother was smiling warmly besides Fate.
eHey, Tiana. Long time no see,f Nanoha
said as Vivio
released Tiana
from her hug.
Tiana greeted Nanoha and they
briefly talked about what people normally talk about when they catch up with
each otherfs lives; their immediate health, work, social life and of course,
the weather.
eBut still, I canft believe youfre my academyfs new
headmistress...f Tiana went on.
eWell... I wanted to tell you, but something
happened...f Nanoha
said sheepishly. eSorry.f
eNo, no, you donft need to apologise.
So what happened?f Tiana asked as
Fate sat down at her station and started opening several files.
eIfll tell you later...f Nanoha said
uncomfortably. eThis isnft the best place to talk about it.f
eOkay...f Tiana said, and
then was distracted by Fate trying to get her attention. Fate and Tiana
set down to work, while Vivio
pulled Nanoha
aside to tell her stories of the mischief she and her friend got up to in
school.
eNanoha!f Shario
called in surprise as she returned back from her superiorfs office. eItfs good
to see you again!f
eYou too, Shari!f Nanoha
said as she gave her a friendly hug.
eShari, howfd it go?f Tiana
asked her leaning back on her chair.
eNo good,f Shario shook her head. eThey wonft allow
junior officers into the archives, because we gmay not be as loyal as we seemh.f
Tiana gave a soft cry of frustration. eHow long are they going to be this
paranoid!f she moaned.
eWhat are you looking for?f Fate asked her.
eMaps and blueprints of Midchilda,f Tiana
replied as she picked up the clear blue vial and started to fidget with it.
eThat ambush yesterday was crafty and well planned. Itfs obvious theyfre
incredibly organised,
and theyfll be smart enough to know that wefll be monitoring the smuggling
routes that have already been used. We need to find other possible routes, but
now we canft access the Bureau archives, Ifll have to go to the Infinity
Library and try to find the maps in there.f Tiana
let out another irritated moan. eIfll be there for weeks looking for these
maps!f
eAbout that...f Shario added
carefully, ewe wonft be able to get to headquarters until tomorrow. After
yesterdayfs incident, they shut down all the transfer stations to prevent any
of the smugglers from fleeing the planet. The shut down applies for both
military and civilian transfer points.f
eWhat!?f both Nanoha and Fate cried
out in unison.
eAh... donft worry! The military transfer points will
be operating again tomorrow. If youfre with an officer whofs on duty, youfll be
allowed access. Expect to be searched thoroughly though,f Shario replied
hastily, not wanting either of the two to get upset.
eWhat about from headquarters to Earth though?f Fate
asked.
eYoufll be fine once you get to headquarters. Only Midchildafs
transfer points have been locked down. Once you get to headquarters, you can
move where ever you want.f
eThank goodness,f Nanoha sighed. eWefd
be in trouble if we couldnft leave Midchilda tomorrow.f
eLooks like youfll be coming with me then,f Tiana
said with a smirk. eArenft you lucky that Ifm here for you guys? Whatfll you do
without me?f
eWefd probably go with Shari,f Fate said
indifferently. Tiana threw her an irritated
glance, but left it at that.
eHey, Nanoha, do you think you could come with
me to the Library?f Tiana asked,
propping herself forward in her chair. eItfll really help if you could get Yuuno
to assist...f Tiana stopped herself in
midsentence, noticing that Fate was looking at Nanoha with incredible
concern, and Vivio
was clutching the end of her motherfs jacket and looking up at her in worry. Nanoha
herself also became rather gloomy. e... Whatfs wrong...?f
eItfs nothing,f Nanoha said, forcing
herself to act cheerfully again. eDonft worry about it.f There was an awkward
silence before Fate cleared her throat.
eWell, I think wefre about done here then,f she
declared and turned off her workstation. eI transferred those files to the
shared drive, Tiana. They should help you out a
lot. Best
of luck.f Fate got out of her chair, and started to leave
with Nanoha
and Vivio
after they said their farewells to Shario.
eHey, hold up!f Tiana cried as
she jumped out of her chair and hastily turned off her workstation. eIfm coming
with you! You owe me, Fate, remember!?f
eHuh? Tiana, youfre
still on duty...f Fate said nervously after she looked beyond Tiana.
eIfm not going to get anywhere looking at those old
cases, if anything I might be able to find some clues in the city. Come on,
Shari, letfs get out of here for a change,f Tiana
said and she went to turn around. eI havenft had a decent launch for weeks...f Tiana
trailed off as she saw her commander between her and Shario. She laughed
nervously. eAh... Good morning, Commander May...f
The tall, aging man cleared his through politely, and
then looked down at Tiana again.
eGood morning, Lanster,f he said softly, but his
voice still seemed to boom. eGood luck on your investigation.f He turned and
walked back towards his office at the end of the hall. eDonft enjoy yourself
too much,f he added as he walked away.
The
drive to Cranaganfs
shopping district was long, but worth it, and Nanoha used it as a
chance to tell Shario
and Tiana
a less emotional version of the story she told Fate last night.
As they
drove down the highway towards the city centre, Nanoha told Tiana
and Shario
a less emotional version of the story she told Fate last night. Nanoha,
Fate and Vivio
were driving in Nanohafs red sport sedan, and Tiana
and Shario
followed behind on Tianafs bike.
They were forced to leave Fatefs two seat sport car behind at the apartment,
but Nanoha
thought that was for the better as she silently swore it was a super car. The
first time she drove it, she almost crashed from its incredible acceleration,
and she vowed never to sit behind its wheel again.
They
spent most of the day window shopping and trying out outfits in random fashion
outlets. Every now and then, Tiana and Shario
would ask the occasional shopper and worker if theyfd noticed anything odd
recently, but they all knew that today was about Vivio and Nanoha,
and never did anything that would interfere with their day.
They ate
lunch at a fancy Balkan diner, and Tiana made a
fuss over Fate paying for her, insisting that she owed her for last night. Fate
reluctantly gave in as a waiter reminded them that there were other guests in
the diner too. Several hours, stores, and a few bags of clothing later, Tiana
and Shario
parted ways and Fate, Nanoha
and Vivio
made their way home. Fate drove the car down the orange sunlit highway as Nanoha
and Vivio
sat in the back seats, Vivio
asleep on Nanohafs
lap.
eNanoha...f
Fate called to her softly, looking through the rear-view mirror. eAbout
tomorrow...f
eWhatfs
wrong, Fate-chan?f Nanoha replied,
slightly drowsy. The day had worn her out, but she felt refreshed.
eAbout
going to the Infinity Library tomorrow... Are you sure?f
Nanoha didnft reply. Instead, she looked out the window,
watching the forest of buildings fly past.
eYeah...f
she said eventually, eIfm sure. You told me last night that Vivio wouldnft let Yuuno
in anymore. I never told Vivio
what happened, so I want to know what happened between him and her.f
eWhy
donft you ask Vivio
herself?f
Nanoha shook her head softly, and then looked to Fate
through the mirror. eI want to hear his side of the story,f she said, then
smiled to herself. ePlus, if Viviofs not
letting him in anymore, I want my house
keys back.f
Fate
replied with a smile, and the rest of the trip continued in silence.
The sun
was almost under the horizon when they arrived back at the apartment. Vivio
was awake again and bouncing with energy again at the concept of having to pack
her bags for tomorrow and meeting her grandparents, aunty and uncle again. Fate
apologised for not being able to stay for another night, and she left in her
black sports car to prepare for tomorrow herself.
Later
that evening, after Vivio
had fallen asleep on the sofa with her bags packed and ready to go, Nanoha
started sorting through the documents that she took from work and began to fill
out the forms that were needed before she could plan the refurbishment of her
academy. The ten ofclock news caught her attention as it started to air on the
television. She reached for her cell phone, it would be about seven ofclock at
her parentfs home now, the cafe should be closed and her parents at home. The
phone rang through her receiver several times before someone answered.
eHello...?
Mum? Itfs Nanoha,
how are you?f she began as the phone call continued through the night.
Now its
one ofclock in the morning, and in the north western
part of Midchilda, in a dying and crumbling city by the name of Neueburg,
the last train service pulled into the only station still remaining in the
city. Only ten passengers departed. No one boarded the train which left
immediately after on its journey back to Cranagan.
Nine
passengers left the station immediately,
the tenth detoured to the public toilets. Years of no maintenance have left the
facilities unusable and made the smell unbearable, but that didnft bother her.
She just needed a few moments of privacy.
A minute
later, the passenger reappeared from the toilets, shrouded in a hooded cloak
which was washed out blue, brown and grey in colour. She made her way to the
automated ticketing gates, and left silently as the station shut itself down
behind her.
The
streets were run down, and somewhere in the distance a fight was breaking out.
But they did here in Neueburg. The
city was and still is famous for its violent history. No one wants to live
here, but those who do donft want to live anywhere else, although some will
argue that no one will take them in anyways.
The
shrouded passenger made her way from street to street, dodging streetlights and
whoever was brave or stupid enough to be out at this hour of the night, zigg-zagging
through the streets to the outer reaches of the city that is still standing.
She
reached a more expensive street, one which was maintained and kept. Cautiously,
she made her way to the largest block of land. And it was large. The street was
about a kilometre long, but this block took up about a third of it, and
probably even more in length. It was fenced off with the classical spear-head
metal fence, except this one was taller than normal, and the spikes were
sharpened to a real point. Cameras also watched the perimeter. Whoever owned
this house wanted their privacy.
That
didnft matter to the shrouded passenger though. She walked up the street until
the cameras werenft facing her, then pulled her up one of the spears with one
arm and flung herself over the fence with the
other. She landed with professional silence and dashed for the cover of a large
and thick garden, hiding behind a large tree while she caught her breath again
and waited for any alarms.
When
satisfied that she wasnft noticed, she made her way towards the main building.
It was a large mansion, and to her it wasnft very remarkable, but for a run-down
city like this it was like a brilliant diamond among a pile of coal. A few
lights were on in the building, so she ignored the main entrance and made her
way silently around to the back of the house.
She made
it to the back door, or the gworkerfs doorh as it is often known as among the
more regal people in Midchilda. She found it ironic that she would be entering
in such a way, but she knew that it would never be locked, and possibly it
wouldnft be monitored at this time of the night. She reached for the handle and
hesitated. She heard something from inside.
Just
before the door opened, she flung herself back against the wall. A young lady
came out with a sigh, adjusted her handbag and made her way towards the workers
exit to sign off for the day. After a few steps she paused. The door hadnft
closed yet. She turned around to see no one, and the door slowly shut. With a
shrug, she turned back and headed home.
The
figure stood in the doorway for a while, perfectly still. She searched ahead
with her ears, hearing the faint sound of kitchen work and some feet walking on
carpeted ground. She wasnft alone in the house, but thankfully, she was in the
room.
With a
hushed haste, she took the cloak off and checked the lockers. None of them were
locked, so she picked one with a maidfs uniform and switched into it. The house
didnft employ many people, so shefd still need to be careful, but the uniform
would help if she was seen in the corner of someonefs eye.
After
she had changed, she took from her cloak a small PDA, and a small veil which
held a clear blue liquid. She checked the PDA, which displayed a map of the
house before placing both in her pocket and moving into the corridor, up the
stairs and down another corridor to a large set of doors. No one had seen her.
Good
She
tapped gently on the doors twice.
eHmmm...
Er,
yes... Come in...f The voice was very elderly.
The
passenger opened both the doors before entering politely and professionally,
closing the doors behind her.
eGood
evening, sir,f she said as she made her way to a cabinet on the wall.
eWah..?
Oh yes. eEvening...f the aging man grumbled. He was resting in a recliner,
possibly as old as he was, entertaining himself with an old and frayed book.
eYoufre, er...
Here early today.f
eAre you
sure, sir?f she asked as she opened one of the cabinetfs window
and reached for a glass. The book suddenly snapped shut.
eDo not
question me!f the man barked. eI may be old but I know my routine!f
The
passenger turned around and bowed deeply. eIfm terribly sorry, sir. I was out
of place.f
eHmmm...
Very well then,f The old man opened his book again,
but watched the passenger straighten up and turn back to the cabinet. eYou
girl,f he called. eAre you new here?f
eYes
sir, this is my first time working this hour. I may have entered earlier than I
was meant to, I apologise.f
The man
grunted in response.
eIs
there any beverage you prefer, sir?f
eBeverage?f
the man cried, but then fussed over himself in an unusual way of calming
himself down. eRight, yes... first time... hmmm... No. Water is fine...f
eVery
well, sir.f The passenger stole a glance in the cabinets
reflection. The old man had gone back to his book. She pulled the veil out of
her pocket, and emptied it into a glass before filling it up with water, and
placing on a small table beside the man with the flask of water.
He
grumbled as he reached out for it, downed it in one go and went back to his
book. But before he started reading again, he paused and looked at the
passenger again, who waited attentively besides the table.
eWhat
are you waiting for...? Hmmm, fill it back up, girl!f he barked.
The
passenger smiled politely. eI donft think youfll be needing
anymore tonight, sir.f
eHmm? What?f
eIn
fact, I donft think youfll be needing anymore...f
the passenger revealed the veil from her pocket and placed it next to the empty
glass, e... ever, sir.f
The old
man looked at the flask, then back at the passenger. His eyes widened. eYou!f
He cried. eCurse you! Somebody! Anybody, get in here now!f
The
passenger grinned as the old man started to wheeze and he grabbed his chest.
eYou wonft get away with this, woman! Ifll see to it!f he wheezed.
eOh? And
how will you do that?f
The man
reached down beside the recliner and pulled out a knife. The passenger stepped
back cautiously, but then grinned some more and laughed.
eHah!
Try it old man! You canft get out of your own chair!f
But the
grin faded when the old man himself grinned. He then brought the knife to
himself and slit his own throat. The passenger watched on stunned as blood
sprayed from his neck. She then grinned again as she wiped some of the blood
from her face, but not worrying about the blood on her dress.
eLike
thatfs going to stop me,f she muttered before turning to make her way to the door.
Which then burst
open. eSir, are you
alright!?f a maid cried.
The next
scream could be heard several streets away before it was
cut off. And this time, people paid attention to it.
The
next day, Nanoha and Vivio arrived at the Central Midchilda Military Transfer
Depot and were welcomed by a crowd of protesting merchants and businessmen.
While the military transfer points opened again today, civilians were forced to
take interplanetary transportation to get around to other planets. The process
could take weeks, and those whose journeys became unbearably long decided to
protest instead of idling on a confined spaceship.
Fate was
waiting for them, wearing a casual outfit this time; Dark blue denim jeans and
a white blouse. Tiana and Shario seemed to be having
an argument with one of the guards.
eIs Hayate coming?f Nanoha asked Fate, noting her absence.
eShefs
leaving tomorrow,f Fate replied with a shake of her head. Unlike Fate and
Nanoha, Hayate had no family to meet on Earth and she
made it known that she had no need for a home on her birth planet when she
moved to Midchilda while still in high school.
The three
joined Tiana and Shario in their argument to gain
access to the transfer point, and eventually were let in.
eThis
would be so much quicker if Fate-chan transferred us
herself,f Nanoha complained after she remembered Fate was able to cast transfer
magic.
Fate
laughed. eItfs illegal to use transfer magic without authority though.f
eNot to
mention that with the recent activities around here, youfll probably be
discharged if you get caught,f Shario added.
Transferring
from Midchilda to Headquarters wasnft instantaneous. The distance was so great
that to safely make the trip, they had to make several stops along the way.
With each stop, they needed a fifteen minute break to prevent their bodies from
synchronising with the dimensional field that propelled them from one place to
another. If they didnft take a break, they ran the risk of parts of their body
staying within the dimensional field when they arrived at their destination,
which was either extremely painful, or in most cases, fatal, as certain parts
of the body remained in the dimensional field after the rest of the body came
to its destination.
During
the trip, Tiana constantly informed everyone how
anxious she was about having to venture towards the older archives of the
Infinity Library. While the Library itself was unbelievably massive, it still
had the problem of being limited within the space stationfs walls. A scientist
several years ago had came up with a solution however, and invented a machine
that creates dimensional pockets, making it possible to extend the library into
another dimension rather than into containers outside the station. And so, as
new books, files and archives fill the library each day, the older books are
pushed farther and farther into the dimensional pockets. On a rare occasion,
however, the machine that generates the gate between the dimensional pockets
would over heat and shutdown, trapping all those within. It was possible to
generate the gateway again, but the gateway from within the pocket could appear
anywhere, and anyone trapped inside could die before they found the gateway
again, which thankfully, hasnft happened again.
Shario
then reminded Tiana, that she didnft have to worry
about the gateway disappearing while she was inside the pocket, but rather the
gateway disappearing as she was passing through it. Or even worse, the
dimensional pocket itself collapsing. It took another
half an hour to calm Tiana and Vivio down before they
could continue to headquarters, as Shario informed the party that dimensional
pockets runs on the same principle as dimensional transferring, and that they
can run into the same problems the dimensional pockets have while in
mid-transfer.
Surely
enough, an hour and fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the Time Space
Administration Bureau Main Headquarters and freshened up before they made their
way to the Infinity Library. While the library was built in the bureaufs
station, it was still a public facility, and people from every corner of the
dimensional sea were streaming in and out of its entrance, including bureau
officers.
After the
party took a few steps inside the doors of the Infinity Library, Nanoha came to
a sudden stop, and everyone looked back to her. Fate followed her gaze to one
of the ladies at the reception desk.
eIs that
her?f Fate asked, watching the woman from the corner of her eye. She wore her
dark green hair in a similar fashion to Viviofs. She
had a full fringe, but her hair was tied into a high, but curly neck long
ponytail. She wore half spectacles with golden frames and looked very sour, but
Fate deducted that she looked like that because she saw Nanoha in the entrance
was and was shooting a dark look at her.
eAre you
sure you want to do this, Nanoha?f Shario asked her quietly. eWe can talk to
her for you...f But Nanoha didnft listen. She took a deep breath, clenched her
fists and stormed straight for her. Vivio decided to take cover behind Fate,
while the rest of the party followed closely behind Nanoha.
eWhat do you want,f the green haired receptionist
said bitterly as she adjusted her glasses, but smiled pleasantly.
eWhy
hello Caprice, itfs nice to see you again,f Nanoha said pleasantly, and Caprice
flashed a distasteful look at her. eI was wondering if you could take me to see
the head librarian, Yuuno Scryer.f
eWhy
should I?f Caprice scoffed, her arrogant irritation ruining her rich British
voice. eWhy donft you run off and play soldier like you always do? Ifm sure
thatfs more important than a boring conversation with him.f She made a show of adjusting her glasses again.
eYes, you
can stop that, it makes it look like your glasses are irritating you,f Nanoha
said, still with her pleasant voice, which was making her friends feel very
uncomfortable now. eUnfortunately I canft play soldier for a while, my boss
came to me at my academy and told me to sort out unfinished business and then
spend some time with my family. And while I know youfve got more important
things to do than assist a military headmistress and two enforcers from the
Administration Bureau, it seems that youfre the only staff member whofs not
pre-occupied at the moment.f
This was
half true. Every other staff member saw Nanoha and her party approach, and
either made themselves busy or fled to the staff area
in the back. The situation between Caprice and Nanoha was well know among the
staff of the Infinity Library, mainly from Capricefs behaviour, but what was
more famous were the over-exaggerated stories of Nanohafs
supposedly hellish combat training and discipline, which would float in from
various Bureau trainees. The library staff didnft want to be caught in the
crossfire, but those who were still in the lobby were interested in the outcome
and the two women had become the centre of attention.
eWell
then, if you know I have better things to do than to put up with you, why donft
you run off and find Yuuno for yourself?f Caprice retorted.
Tiana,
impatient for results and with a need for information, grew tired of the
receptionistfs attitude and stepped forward to put her straight, but without
even looking, Nanoha blocked her path with an arm.
eOh come
on now Caprice, donft give me an opportunity like that!f Nanoha laughed. eSure,
I could easily find Yuuno in this Library; Ifve known him for over fifteen
years after all! And do you really want us to be alone together? Who knows, I
might just rip off his clothes and get a bit intimate with him in the middle of
the library!f A man somewhere in the lobby chocked on something. eYoufd know
all about how stuff like that works, wouldnft you?f Nanoha added softly and
subtly, but everyone in the now dead silent lobby heard it.
Caprice
jumped out of her chair before she realised that everyone was watching her. She
looked around angrily, intimidating some of the onlookers back to their previous
task before adjusting her top and leaning forward onto the counter.
eWhat the
hell do you want?f Caprice hissed to Nanoha.
eDidnft
you hear me?f Nanoha replied, still using her now unnaturally pleasant voice.
eI would like to see the head librarian, Yuuno Scryer.f
Nanoha paused in thought for a moment. eAnd then my good friend here,f she
indicated to Tiana, ewould like assistance in an
investigation of great importance. If you watch the news, Ifm sure youfd know
which investigation Ifm talking about.f
Caprice
glared at Nanoha and gritted her teeth; her clenched fists slowly tore up some
papers that were on the counter. eFine,f she conceded, talking through her
teeth, efollow me.f She then straightened up and stormed from behind the
counter and marched towards the entrance to the gravity-less library with
everybody watching her. Nanoha grinned to herself with satisfaction, and an
idea for one last jab came to her mind. She reached out for her daughterfs
hand.
eCome on
sweetie,f Nanoha called, eletfs go see Papa.f
Several
ladies in the lobby gasped and Caprice immediately stopped in her tracks,
spinning around to face Nanoha with her hands clenched furiously and posed as
if she was about to yell at her from the top of her lungs. But she realised that
she was still the centre of everyonefs attention and hesitated, looking as if
she was about to blow up. Vivio realised what her mother was playing, and ran
from Fatefs protective cover, eager to add some of her own fuel to the fire.
eI donft
like that lady, Mama,f Vivio said innocently as she slipped her hand into her
motherfs. eWhy is she always with Yuuno-papa?f Capricefs eyes went wild as
murmuring erupted through the lobby. Finally she let out a moan of irritation,
spun back around and stormed out of the lobby.
eDonft
worry sweetie,f Nanoha said, closing the act as she followed Caprice to the no
gravity zone, ewefll see Papa soon.f Fate, Tiana and
Shario followed behind, stunned from her friendfs unusual behaviour.
They
reached the entrance of the no gravity zone, where Caprice, Tiana,
Shario and Vivio grabbed Walking-Sticks from the dispenser before the entrance.
Walking-Sticks allowed those who arenft versed in the field of aviation magic
to traverse through the library with ease. Basically, it was a walking stick
that once in zero-gravity, always stood up right, was unaffected by inertia,
and was controlled by thought via hand contact. The library staff saw the
sticks as a godsend as those who couldnft fly would need someone to rescue them
if they started tumbling out of control, and bored kids couldnft use them as
swords or throw them across the library. Those who knew how to fly didnft need
one though.
The
Infinity Library was originally designed for those who knew how to travel in
zero-gravity, with or without magical assistance. It fills the largest vertical
shaft in the station, with quintuple helix bookshelf spiralling through the
shaft from end to end, the twisted bookshelves stretching as far as the eye can
see. Branches of bookshelves and platforms fork off helix every so often,
providing more places to hold books, but more importantly something for the
library visitors to manoeuvre on. Old library regulars often prefer to go into
the library without the Walking-Sticks, claiming that working on your zero G
manoeuvrability was a part of the Infinity Library experience. The introduction
of the dimensional pockets has added a new challenge for them as well.
Nanoha...
Fate timidly called, telepathically. Remind
me to never get on your bad side again.
Oh, Fate-chan, youfre
over-reacting, Nanoha replied.
That felt good!
Vivio chuckled.
That was terrifying! Shario cried. Ifve never seen
you act like that before!
I have to agree with Shari... Tiana added, morbidly. I thought that I had it bad when you hit me
with my own spell back in Section 6.
Ifll have to agree with Vivio, Nanoha laughed, that
did feel good. Youfre such a good girl! She hugged her chuckling daughter,
but then Caprice wheeled around a stopped inches from Nanohafs
unflinching face. Vivio fearfully hid behind her mother as the receptionist was
having difficulty keeping calm.
eAre you
quite having fun?f she yelled through her teeth.
eYes, I
am,f Nanoha replied politely.
eDo you
have any idea how much youfve just humiliated me?f She continued, ignoring Nanohafs answer. Nanoha thought about it for a bit.
eI think
youfll be able to answer that question yourself by answering mine. Do you know
how much youfve hurt me and my daughter?f Nanohafs
voice took a serious tone now.
eI donft
care about you or your daughter!f Caprice screamed back. Nanoha smirked and Caprice
backed off.
eLetfs
keep moving,f Nanoha said, ewefre not here to fight.f Nanoha suddenly
accelerated forward and stopped just millimetres from crashing head first into
Caprice. eAnd trust me,f she added, grinning, eyou donft want to fight me.f
Caprice
flinched back with a whimper. She nervously looked around to the rest of the
party, and could clearly see that they werenft brave enough to hold back their
friend if she was ready to start a fight. She once again straightened her
uniform.
eCome
now,f she said with a nervous croak, efollow me...f
Nanoha, stop it! Shario pleaded. Ifm going to
have nightmares if you keep it up.
Donft worry, if she knows whatfs good for her thisfll
be a silent trip. Nanoha said, looking
back to Shario, still grinning, failing to make Shario feel any more
comfortable. Nanoha noticed a small crowd following them from a distance, but
paid it no mind. No crowd, regardless of its size, was going to stop her now.
It seems that
Caprice did know what was good for her, and she kept nervously silent until
they found the head librarian. Viviofs anxious cling
to Nanohafs jacket had her concerned, but she
continued on regardless.
Nanoha
was alarmed at how calm she was. One of the reasons why she kept herself at
work was to avoid this very situation, but now she was living it, she found it
almost too easy to bare. She was so calm that she was
actually enjoying it, and felt a chill of pride and power every time she
managed to damage Capricefs overbearing pride.
eYuuno, dear,f
Caprice called out as they approached him, eyou have... guests.f Yuuno turned
around and gave Caprice and irritated gaze and was going to say something until
he saw the arriving party. He slipped the book that was in his hand into its
spot in the bookshelf before he gave Nanoha his full attention. Nanoha never
understood why he individually placed each book in its spot one at a time, and
she knew that it was a painstaking task. But for some reason, Yuuno enjoyed it.
He wore a soft orange-cream coloured suit with a green tie. His hair was still
tied in a low ponytail that reached his hips.
eNanoha!f
he called out, glad to see her again. eWhere have you been? Ifve been trying to
call you!f
eI know.f
Nanoha said, stopping several feet away from Yuuno, glaring at him. Yuuno quickly
realised that this wasnft going to be a friendly reunion, and stopped too.
Nanoha brushed Vivio off her jacket and ushered her to Fate. Caprice tried to
take Yuunofs side, but Tiana
and Shario stopped her.
eOh no you donft,f Tiana whispered to her.
eYoufll be safer over here, trust me. I still need your help in my
investigation, remember?f
Yuuno
looked away as he tried to find a way to break the ice. Nanoha stared at him
defiantly, allowing him to make the first move, and the pressure wasnft making
it any easier. eLook, Ifm sorry about what happened before...f he said weakly,
not sure if it was the right thing to say.
eAre you
now? I donft think you are. After all, you never actually came to see me,f
Nanoha returned spitefully. She didnft allow Yuuno room for defence though. eI
didnft see you chasing after me after I caught you two in the act. It must have
been terribly hard to get her off your lap. And therefs also the fact that
youfve changed your contact number without telling any of your old friends.
From the sounds of it you donft care about us anymore.f
It took a
moment for Yuuno to find his answer. eDonft say that... you know thatfs not
true. I was worried sick about you, Nanoha! You disappeared from the universe
for two months!f
eDisappeared?
Hardly!f Nanoha laughed. eIf you were seriously
worried about me you would have gone looking for me, not getting comfortable
with the woman I caught you with. And donft say that you had no idea where I
was, it took Fate-chan less than an hour to find me.
Obviously your little receptionist is more important than me.f
eNanoha...!
I have my own life to attend to...! I canft just drop everything to go looking
for you!f
eI have
my own life to attend to as well!f Nanoha cried out, her emotions were starting
to take control and pulling strings on her vocal chords. eAnd I thought you
were going to be a part of it! I tried to make you a part of it! For 6 years I
tried! But it seems you werenft interested after all, doesnft it?f
Yuuno was
taken aback. He looked puzzled and confused.
eShut it,
Nanoha!f Caprice yelled, being quicker on the uptake than Yuuno. eYuuno, dear,
we donft have to listen to this nonsense—e Shario
interrupted her with a sharp nudge.
eHonestly,
for your own sake, be quiet! Nanohafs scaring me right now,
please donft make it any worse!f Shario hissed, praying to herself that the
receptionist would shut up.
eWait...
what are you saying?f Yuuno asked, after giving Caprice another irritated glare.
eIfm
saying I loved you!f Nanoha cried with exaggerated irritation. eI thought it
was so obvious...! Hell, even Vivio started to call you Papa! What kind of
relationship do you think we were having Yuuno!?f
Yuuno,
again, took a moment to comprehend what he just heard and a bit more to think of
a reply. eI didnft know... You should have told me, Nanoha...f he said in
shock.
eI
thought I didnft need to!f Nanoha bent over and clutched her hair as if she
were about to tear it from her head. eAnd I was always afraid that you never
felt the same way! You never asked me out for a date, it was always me! You
never came to visit on a whim, I had to invite you! You never visited me at
work, I visited you! You never called me just to hear my voice, I always called
you!f She took several deep breaths to calm herself
down and compose herself again. eBut this isnft the reason why Ifm here... I
want to know what happened between you and Vivio.f
eVivio and I?f
Nanoha clutched
her head in one hand as you would if you had a headache.
eThe time
when Vivio refused to let you in,f Nanoha said painfully. She let go of her
head and glared defiantly at Yuuno again. eI want to know what you did that
made my daughter lose her faith in you.f
eMade her
lose faith in me...?f Yuuno muttered to himself. eOh...!f he cried as he
remembered. eThat was the night I brought Caprice with me.f
Nanoha
stared at him with stunned disbelief. eYou did what...?f she growled under her
breath, her glare changed from defiance to anger.
eI
brought Caprice with me. But Vivio took one look at her and slammed the door on
us. I thought it was a good idea to bring her because shefs one of the librarians
at Senkt Hilde, and Caprice said that she got along
well with Vivio...f Yuuno scratched his head and looked down guiltily.
eObviously I was wrong,f he added. Nanoha slowly shifted her gaze from Yuuno to
Caprice. Tiana and Shario, who were holding the
receptionist at bay, quickly backed away from her.
eWhat did
you do...?f Nanoha hissed. Caprice glanced between Yuuno, Nanoha and Vivio,
unsure of what to do and panicking quickly. Nanoha held her glare, but then
moved to Vivio, who was looking anxious, and upset. Nanoha knew Caprice had
done something to her daughter, she could think of a few plausible scenarios,
but she knew it had to do with her daughterfs problems at school. She was
angered at the thought of an older woman making her twelve year old daughterfs
life miserable. Nanoha held Vivio lovingly, gently stroking her golden hair,
and Fate gave the two some space. Vivio put her arms around her mother, and
started to sob.
eThere,
there,f Nanoha whispered, comforting her little girl. eWhy donft you tell Mama
what the lady did? She wonft be able to do anything to you anymore.f She shot a
hot, anger filled look to the receptionist. eIf she tries, I wonft let her
regret it.f
eYou
wouldnft dare!f Caprice croaked nervously, but everyone knew Nanoha wouldnft
bother with the dare; shefd do it without a second thought.
After a
moment and some sniffles, Vivio gathered the courage to tell her mother about
the origins of her troubles at school.
eIt all
started when she came to the library...f Vivio sniffed. eShefd start talking to
some students as if they were telling them a story. But theyfd be looking at me
all the time. Then theyfd start calling me names... gFreakh... gOdd Eyesh... gAbombimb...f Vivio fumbled on the word Abomination as she
broke down crying, but she was determined to tell her mother one more name and
tried to calm herself, but was having little success. She took a deep breath
and cried out, gTube Girl!h
Nanohafs
blood ran cold and her heart skipped a beat as she realised the story Caprice
were telling the children. She was about to move to give Caprice what she
deserved, but then Vivio held her tighter, crying but trying to control herself
so she could continue.
eThen my
friends stopped talking to me,f Vivio said, her voice heavily croaked as she
was unable to control her emotions. eMy lunch would be covered in sand! One day
someone tore up my note books during lunch break! Someone would throw a rock at
me every now and then. I tried to spend my break times in the library, but then
she kicked me out..!f Vivio broke down crying again.
eThatfs
enough, Vivio... Ifm sorry I wasnft there for you...f Nanoha said soothingly,
trying to calm her daughter down, but Viviofs
emotions were uncontrollable. eItfs okay now... Ifm sorry, Vivio, Ifm here
now...f Nanoha continued, tears streaming down her cheeks as she felt her
eCaprice...f
Yuuno said in disbelief. eHow could you do that to a child...?f Caprice chocked
on her answer a few times, unsure how to answer and then she eventually gave in
to her own frustration.
eOh come
on, Yuuno!f she cried. eThat... thing
doesnft even qualify as a child! I donft understand how she can hold it like
that; itfs not even her own daughter!f Caprice started to ramble, and Yuuno
tried to tell her to stop but shefd just talk over the top of him, and Vivio
started to cry harder. eIt wouldnft even be here if it werenft for some... perverted
scientist! You do remember how she was created,
donft you? A bloody glass tube filled with...f she was cut short as a hand spun
her shoulder around and then a hand smacked her head back the way it came from,
the collision sounded like a whip crack and forced her half spectacles from her
head. She held her already swelling cheek in shock as she watched droplets of
blood float from her gaping mouth. She turned to look at her attacker. eHow
dare you!f she shrieked at Fate, who was fuming. Little did Caprice know that
she wasnft only offending Vivio with her outburst. eIfll have you for assau—e
Fate cut
Caprice off short again as she grabbed her collar in both hands and viscously
pulled her close. eThink long and hard about what youfre going to say, woman!f
Fate yelled, almost screamed, filled with hate. She then thrust a finger towards
Nanoha. eBecause if she wants youfre blood, Ifm going to give it to her!f
Caprice
nervously looked to Nanoha, and was terrified. Never before had she seen
someone filled with so much hate, so much rage, so much loathing. But what
terrified her most though, was that Nanoha wasnft wild. She was in control. She
was allowing her body to clench and tense in rage, and she seemed to wear it
like another piece of clothing. Fate shook the woman violently to get her
attention.
eAnd if
youfre not careful, I just might take your blood myself!f Fate glared intensely
at the terrified woman, but then noticed that it was now rather silent, and looked
down to Nanoha. Vivio had cried herself to sleep, and Shario was carefully
taking the little girl from Nanohafs arms. After
Vivio was taken from her arms, Nanoha slowly straightened her body and looked
to Caprice. You canft really describe the look she was giving. It wasnft a
glare, or a stare or a gaze... just a look that was filled with so much hate it
seemed to stretch time. Her stance was neutral, arms and shoulders limp yet as
tense as a wound spring with her feet shoulder width apart, but she wore her
anger like a coat and it felt like she could snap and pounce at any second, and
in any direction.
eNo...f
she decided with wavering calmness. She slowly turned her head to look at Yuuno
again, and ever so slowly began to close the distance between them. eNone of
this would have happened if you hadnft placed her at that library, Yuuno-kun.f
eCaprice
requested to be placed there herself!f Yuuno cried in
defence. eWhat was I supposed to do? Say no?f
eYes...
You were supposed to say no...f Nanohafs calm was
breaking, her clenching and unclenching tensely. eYou knew my daughter goes to
that school... You told her about Viviofs past... I
trusted you to keep that confidential... You would have known about the
troubles that she was having since you posted her there...f
eYes, but
I didnft think it was...f
eAnd then
you took her to my house...f Nanoha interrupted her voice cracking as she
slowly closed in on him. eMy house...
My home... My house...!f She came to a stop, several feet away Yuuno, who was
becoming increasingly nervous.
eLook,
Ifm sorry Nanoha...f he said, trying to reason with her. eYoufre right... I
shouldnft have brought her...f
eYou took
another woman to my house!f she
yelled. Yuuno looked around, trying to find a way out
of the mess he got himself into.
eLook,
Ifll give you back your house keys...f he dove a hand into his pocket and
Nanoha pounced. Yuuno doubted that hefd make it through his encounter with
Nanoha without getting hit, and he braced himself for a heavy slap as Nanoha reeled
back her right arm. But it never came. As Nanoha closed in, she swung her fist
down short and tight forcing her body into a spin which she magically
accelerated. Her heal connected with Yuunofs jaw at
incredible speed and with a sickening crack during her second rotation. Nanoha
was a soldier, and she knew how to hit people properly.
The hit
caught Yuuno by surprise and he was thrown head first into the bookshelf behind
him, crashing into it with a messy thud. The crowd that Nanoha had completely
forgotten about moaned and groaned in sympathy. Caprice tried to make it to
Yuuno, concerned about his health, but she couldnft escape from Fatefs grasp.
eYOU BROUGHT ANOTHER WOMAN TO MY HOUSE!f
Nanoha screamed in rage, her voice echoing throughout the library.
eI TRUSTED YOU! I TRUSTED YOU WITH MY
SECRETS, I TRUSTED YOU WITH MY DAUGHTER! I TRUSTED YOU AND YOU BETRAYED ME! YOU
TOLD EVERYTHING TO THAT BITCH OVER THERE AND SHE RUINED MY DAUGHTER! THEN YOU
WENT AND FUCKED HER IN YOUR OFFICE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME! THEN YOU BROUGHT HER
TO MY HOUSE! MY HOUSE! YOU BETRAYED ME! HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU!f She
stopped to catch her breath and then started to sob quietly. Yuuno watched on
silently, unable to say anything as blood dribbled from his mouth and the wound
on his head that he clutched. He knew she was right. She had also fractured and
dislocated his jaw.
Nanoha
calmed herself with a few deep breaths. eKeep the keys,f she said, emotionally
worn, elet them be a reminder of how you ruined over fifteen years of
friendship. Ifll change the locks instead.f She moved over to Shario and
retrieved her daughter, who was beginning to wake up again. After she kissed
Vivio on the forehead and held her close, she looked at Yuuno again, this time
with pity. eCongratulations on your relationship with Caprice, Yuuno Scryer. May fortune light your future.
And pray that we never meet again.f
With
that, Nanoha turned around and made her way to the libraryfs exit. Fate gave
one last look of disgust before she pushed Caprice away and followed Nanoha.
The crowd parted as they approached and then started to cheer and applaud, but
the two ladies had little to celebrate. Caprice tried to make her way to Yuuno,
but Tiana and Shario caught her before she managed to
get close.
eCome on,
itfs our turn now,f Shario told the battered receptionist as they dragged her
away. Caprice struggled to break free but quickly gave in. She was too
exhausted, her face stung, and Yuuno gave her a look that simply read: go away.
As she was dragged away by the Bureau officers, Yuuno herd the pair start
sharing stories of how Nanoha took Tiana down during
practice, or how she cast one of her most powerful spells on her own daughter. Yuuno
closed his eyes in pain and rolled over in mid space, the taste of iron filling
his mouth.
eWow, you
really got what was coming for you, son!f he heard someone beside him say a few
minutes later. He looked to the voice from the corner of his eye and recognised
the man as one of the old regulars, and if Yuuno wasnft mistaken, he was a high
ranking military police officer.
eThatfs
one fine kick shefs got there...f he said admiring her as he looked towards the
distance Nanoha had disappeared into. He then looked back to Yuuno with a
joking face. eYoufre not gonna press charges, are
you? Cus if you do, I wonft be surprised if the girl
kills you!f He laughed to himself but Yuuno couldnft find the humour in it.
Yuuno simply gave the regular a discontent look as he tried to work out what to
say.
eHyank hooh, hofffysir,f
he decided to say, unable to move his jaw. The regular gave Yuuno a friendly
grin.
eHey,
donft mention it. Advice is free! Gimme a look at
that, that looks painful,f the regular cheerfully said as he moved Yuunofs hand from the wound on his head, allowing a decent
sized puddle of blood to slip out into the open. eOh my, thatfs a nasty one.
Youfll need stitches for sure. And therefs no doubt that your jawfs broken.
Cfmon son, letfs get you to the hospital. There should be an ambulance here by
the time we get to the exit.f
By the
time the regular began to assist Yuuno to the exit, Nanoha, Fate and Vivio had
already left the library. Vivio held her motherfs hand and Fate followed
closely behind. Both were looking at Nanoha with great concern.
eMama...
Are you okay...?f Vivio asked quietly and Nanoha slowly came to a stop, looking
straight up at the artificial sky. She covered her face with her hands, took
another deep breath and held onto it for as long as she could before exhaling
heavily and letting her hands drop limply to her side. She then bent over and
scooped up her daughter in her arms and smiled.
eYou
know... I feel much better,f she said to her slightly bewildered daughter.
eLetfs go visit your grandparents now.f
Moments later, in the city
of Neueburg, a rich black sedan rolled into the most
expensive street in the city. A crowd of locals had already gathered around the
main gates of the house the passenger infiltrated the night before, as had several
media crews. The local city guards were having trouble keeping the crowd at
bay.
The car
stopped just before the crowd. Clarkson stepped out and quickly surveyed the
area before telling the driver that hefd call him when he needed him again. As
the car pulled away, Clarkson looked at the spear fence. A section near him was
damage, bent over like silver spoons in a telekinesis show.
The
cameras caught his attention too. They looked like theyfd been painted too
thickly, and were in mid drip before the paint dried. He almost glared at them
before taking out his notepad and writing in a few words.
Folding the
notepad back up and putting his hands in his pocket, he then casually made his
way into and through the crowd. He gave a nod to one of the city guards who
gave him a curious look. eGood morning,f he said.
eExcuse
me, sir, youfre not allowed in!f the guard called after him.
eOh yes I
am,f Clarkson replied without looking back. He then nodded to one of the Bureau
officers heading towards him from the house. eGood morning, Lieutenant.f
eHardly,
Sir,f the officer replied. eItfs a bloody horrible one.f
eWhatfs
the situation?f
eGeneral Fils was found in his room this morning, Sir. His throat
was slashed. Two dead maids and a dead kitchen hand. Herefs the poor soul now.f
They approached
a canvas on the ground which covered the body. Several other Bureau officers
were searching the immediate area. Clarkson bent over and pulled the canvas
back. The kitchen hand was a young man, his face frozen in surprise. Blood had
trickled and dried from his eyes, ears, mouth and nose.
eHefs
warm,f Clarkson noted.
eYes Sir,
itfs the same with all of them. They seem to have been cooked from the
inside... Like a microwave. All of them but the General.f
Clarkson
pulled out his notepad again. eSo son,f he said as he flicked to an empty page,
ewhatfs your story?f
eSir?f
the officer asked.
eOh, not you Lieutenant. The poor boy. Every body has a story to tell; you just have to learn how
to listen.f
Clarkson
remained crouched beside the body for a while, jotting down notes every now and
then. But it wasnft long until he covered the body with the canvas again. eRest
in peace, son,f he said sombrely before standing back up again. eWherefs the
next body?f
eNear the
entrance, Sir,f the officer said as he lead the way again.
eHave you
found anything that explains the damage to the property?f
eDo you
mean the fence and security cameras?f Clarkson nodded. eFrom what wefve
gathered so far, itfs similar to what killed the staff. They were superheated,
possibly microwave again. Ifm not aware of any microwave weaponry within the Bureau
though, Sir.f
eThere
isnft any,f Clarkson said as he made his way up the steps and through the
entrance. Another canvas wasnft too far away, just before the stairs. Clarkson
crouched beside it, and pulled it back. The young woman had the same expression
as the man, and same wounds. The notepad was brought back out again.
eAre they
all this young?f he asked.
eYes Sir.
The General like to be surrounded by youth.f
eItfs a
shame he was a grouch.f
eActually,
Sir, the staff say he was more like a grandfather to
them.f
Clarkson
looked back to the officer and raised an eyebrow.
eWell... A strict grandfather.f
With a
smile, the Vindicator went back to jotting down notes. After he had finished,
he covered the girl again, paid his respects and turned to the Lieutenant.
eWherefs
the next body?f he asked.
eWith the General, Sir. Theyfre upstairs.f
eHas
anything been moved in the room?f Clarkson asked.
eNo, not that Ifm aware of, Sir. The Captain ordered the room to be left alone until
after you had finished your investigation.f
eHas anyone
been in the room?f
eOnly the
Captain from what I know. Shefs still in there.f The Lieutenant hesitated. eShe...
The Captainfs taking this rather hard, Sir. She frequently visited the General.f
eFrequently?f
eYes, Sir.
At least once a week. She enjoys the presence of the
elderly.f
eIs she
old herself?f
eWell... figuratively
speaking sir. She appears to be very young, but we all know shefs older than we
are. Here we are.f
The
double doors that lead to General Kilfs room were
left open. The bodies in the room werenft covered by canvas this time. A maid
lay dead in the doorway, her expression of shock and surprise was the same as
the other two deceased. The General lay slumped in his chair,
his blood covered a large area of the room in front of him. The recliner was
soaked in it.
The
Captain stood in front of the General, her back to the door. She looked about
twelve years old, but Clarkson knew better. He recognised red pigtails immediately.
eCaptain
Vita,f he called.
Vita
slowly looked behind her. Her eyes were swollen and red. Emotion was drained
from her face.
eSir
Clarkson,f she said as she turned around and saluted. eIfm glad youfve come.f
eNot at all.f Clarkson nodded to the Lieutenant who dismissed himself. eI was told
you visited him regularly.f
Vita
nodded. eHefd tell me about his past. He always enjoyed telling me his
stories...f
Clarkson
placed his hand on her shoulder. eTake the rest of the day off, Captain, thatfs
an order. Meet up with Yagami, youfre a wreck.f
Vita
nodded again. eIs there anything youfd like me to do before I leave, Sir?f
eYes,
tell the Lieutenant to lift the media blackout. Tell them everything, donft
hide a thing. And close the door after you. Good day, Captain.f
eGood
day, Sir Clarkson,f The doors shut after Vita.
Clarkson
turned back to the deceased General and walked over to his chair side table. eHello
General Kil. I apologize for your loss,f he said as
he picked up the empty vial, inspecting it carefully.
He smiled
bemusedly as he pulled out his notepad once more. eI have to say, sir, itfs
refreshing to have someone expecting me for a change. Care to tell me what
happened?f