Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Fan Fiction ❯ Unexpected Expectations ❯ Fallout ( Chapter 2 )

Unexpected Expectations

Chapter 2: Fallout

 

 

 

Nanoha tried to avoid thinking about it as she took Vivio home. She couldn't tell her daughter about what had really happened, just that her and Yuuno had been trapped inside the object for awhile; to her relief, Vivio was appropriately apologetic about what she had done, and thus didn't question further. She couldn't quite face it herself just yet, and so couldn't tell anyone else.

 

She threw herself into her work, somewhat glad that Fate was out on assignment for the past few days, and thus she didn't have someone around who could read her and confront her.

 

"Wow, it all smells good!" Vivio noted sleepily as she came downstairs in the morning.

 

Nanoha smiled as she turned away from the simmering dishes. "It's just us. Fate-mama is still away on assignment for a few days, so I thought I'd make all your favorite dishes for breakfast this morning!"

 

The little girl jumped and glee and then hugged her mother's leg. "Yay! Thanks, mama!"

 

Nanoha patted her daughter's head. "Go get cleaned up and dressed, and I'll have everything done and ready when you come back down."

 

"Okay!" came the thrilled reply, as the Takamachi daughter disappeared rapidly.

 

The young mother thought for a moment as she checked the cook pots, wondering what else she could do, then pulled up a video screen and placed a call.

 

A familiar face appeared on the screen. "Aina's housekeeping services, oh, Hello Miss Nanoha! What can I do for you?"

 

"Hello!" Nanoha replied with a cheerful face. "I just wanted to let you know that I won't be needing your services for a couple of weeks."

 

The other woman looked a bit confused and hesitant. "Is something wrong? Did I make a mistake?"

 

Nanoha shook her head, smiling. "Oh, no no! You've been doing a wonderful job. It's just that I want to handle the housekeeping chores for awhile, for a change of pace. It's only a short break. You can resume in a few weeks, okay?"

 

That seemed to bring the other woman some relief. "Alright, I understand. Good luck, and I'll see you in a few weeks then!"

 

The call was ended, and Nanoha nodded to herself; that would give her plenty of things to do. As she finished cooking, she placed the food out on the table, just in time to catch an excited Vivio coming back down, all ready for school. The two talked as they ate, and then Nanoha took her to school before heading off to work, glad for the extra distractions.

 

 

 

She doubled up on her training courses, too, working to teach twice as many classes during the day. While she observed one of her classes work a holographic simulation, she followed their progress in multiple screens, making notes.

 

[Grenna needs to work on her evasion skills, and Junt is still having trouble with that bind spell; I'll have to set up extra tutoring classes for them,] she thought to herself, scheduling the personal tutoring sessions in one of the floating holo screens. [But Firl and Lethwarta's shooting magic is getting much better. Perhaps I should schedule barrier training for them now?]

 

Her hand hovered over a screen on the periphery of her vision, and she froze. [When did I open that one?] It was her e-mail, and Yuuno's name was selected. She recalled she had opened it, to see if he had sent her any message, but there was none. A small part of her mind had debated sending him one, but for some reason, she couldn't find the courage to do so. [What is wrong with me?]

 

"You're distracted," came a familiar flat voice.

 

"Vita-chan!" Nanoha exclaimed. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."

 

The smaller girl raised an eyebrow. "So I noticed. You've missed the fact that your class is struggling against the higher difficulty level. I thought they were only scheduled for Rank C fights today? You've dialed it up to Rank B+."

 

Alarmed, she realized she had, and quickly dialed it back down. "Oops, I guess I hit a wrong key."

 

"Is something wrong?" the hammer knight asked, although it came out as more of interrogation-type question.

 

"Not really," Nanoha lied cheerfully. "I guess I just have a few things on my mind, that's all."

 

There was a moment of relative quiet, as Nanoha felt herself being studied.

 

"Uh huh," Vita said at last, but her next words indicated she was willing to let it go, for which the taller woman was grateful. "Well, I'm here, so let's split them up and begin working individual skills."

 

Inwardly, Nanoha let off a sigh of relief as she closed her e-mail window, then returned her focus to the cadets. There was much work to be done today, and she couldn't afford to let her mind wander.

 

 

 

The day passed with still no word from Yuuno. In the evening, after she put Vivio to bed, she finally managed the courage to tap out a short message to him, wanting to talk. But by morning, there had been no response. She didn't think too much of it, until she came home that day, better composed.

 

And that's when she saw the envelope taped to her door. Curious, she opened it as she stepped inside, her eyes trailing over the contents, her body growing cold. It was obvious who it was from, even before she reached the end, but she couldn't wrap her mind around what he was saying. And despite how many times she read it, the contents of the letter didn't change:

 

 

Dear Nanoha,

 

Words can't express how sorry I am for what I did to you. I know you probably can't forgive me, and even if you could, there would always be this hanging over you. Every time you'd see me, you'd be reminded of it. I can't do that to you. Perhaps I am a coward for leaving, but I'd prefer to be thought of as a coward, then cause you more pain.

 

But I don't think I'm a coward. I swear, I will find some way to make this up to you. I don't know when I'll return, but I'll be back someday, with a way to make you whole again. I can only hope there is something out there that will help me accomplish that. I can promise you that, if there is, I will find it. I've left another letter for Fate; don't worry, I didn't tell her everything. I just asked her to do her best to support you. I know she cares about you very much, and will do a much better job at helping you through this than I would.

 

Take care, and try to forget about me, in case I am unable to come back. I hope you can find the life you always wanted.

 

Yuuno Scrya

 

 

Nanoha felt her vision began to blur slighty. [Oh Yuuno-kun, you idiot. Why did you have to do this? Why did any of this have to happen?]

 

She rubbed her eyes with her sleeve, crumpling up the piece of paper and tossing it across the room, then bringing her legs up to her chin as she reclined on the sofa. She rested her arms on her knees, sighing as she buried her face in them.

 

Well, she knew how Yuuno felt about things now; the question was, how did she feel about it? Closing her eyes, she was surprised to find her thoughts strangely empty. It was an odd sense of relief, as she had been avoiding confronting those thoughts, and now when she finally had the courage, she found nothing there.

 

It had been two days since... the encounter. She couldn't even bring herself to call it what her innermost places wanted to call it. Somehow, to do so, would cause her more mental anguish than she felt she could handle at the moment. Perhaps it was her subconscious's way of protecting her psyche, or maybe, somehow, a part of her wanted to believe that it was something she wanted, something they both wanted, and that would make everything all right.

 

But he had run.

 

Disappeared.

 

That would explain why she had been unable to contact him, and why he hadn't contacted her. A day afterward, she had sent him an e-mail, asking to talk, but when that got no response, she called his work to find out he had put in for personal leave; and now she had come home to find this letter taped to her door. He was here, and hadn't even hung around to talk to her.

 

[The jerk.]

 

She shook her head; he wasn't like that, she knew. Even despite the whirlwind of her own thoughts, emotions, and feelings, she knew enough to see that he felt he had dishonored her... raped her. For a time, she felt that might have been the case, but she knew better now. It hadn't been his fault; there had been some magic there, that forced him to act that way. It brought him pain to fight against it, and so she had willingly given herself over. She would bear the pain of what happened, so that he wouldn't.

 

That's what she told herself now. But the real question was: What would she do now? Should she track him down? Leave him alone and hope he comes back?

 

[Do I even want him back?] the thought came, mostly unbidden.

 

She heard the front door open, and a familiar worried voice call out, "Nanoha?"

 

"I'm in here, Fate-chan," Nanoha called back softly from the living room.

 

A mop of golden-hair peeked around the corner, a moment before the rest followed. Fate removed her coat and draped it over the back of a chair, before coming to sit beside her friend. She took a moment to grab a piece of paper out of her pocket and lift it up.

 

"I just got back from an assignment to find this letter on my door," she said, her voice obviously confused. "Yuuno said he was going away for awhile, and that you would need me. What's this about?"

 

Nanoha opened her mouth, but nothing came out. [Can I not even tell my best friend about this? Would she think less of me? No, of course she wouldn't; so why can't I say anything?]

 

Fate's gaze softened, and she placed a hand on Nanoha's shoulder. "Nanoha? Are you okay? What happened?"

 

"He didn't mean to," she finally squeaked, surprised at how soft the words came out.

 

The other woman's brow furrowed in confusion. "Didn't mean to what?"

 

"It wasn't his fault," Nanoha told her, although it was mostly to convince her, rather than her friend.

 

Fate sighed and placed her hands on Nanoha's shoulders, turning the girl partially to face her. "What do you mean? What did Yuuno do? Tell me!"

 

"Oh, Fate-chan," Nanoha managed before she broke down, hugging the other woman.

 

For the next thirty minutes, she babbled. Explaining everything that happened, always making sure to mention that it wasn't his fault, and that she was the one who let him have his way. But she also couldn't believe how the act made her feel; it shouldn't have been such a big deal, but it was. Why?

 

"And now, I just want to tell him that I don't blame him," she sobbed, finally getting out what was in her heart.

 

"Yuuno... raped you?" Fate said.

 

Nanoha raised her head and wiped her eyes. "No! He didn't want to, but he was in pain when he tried to stop. I don't blame him! I let him, and he's my friend, and I care about him, so I don't know why this is such a big deal. It shouldn't be. I just... don't know why I feel this way...."

 

"Because it happened against your will," Fate told her straight up. "I know a few things about circumstances forcing someone to do things that a part of them didn't want to do. Not only myself, but in the variety of people I've come across in my line of work. A part of you is angry for having something taken, and yet you feel you can't bring yourself to be angry with Yuuno. And now he's run out on you."

 

Nanoha opened her mouth to protest, but nothing came out. Instead, she pulled back away from Fate and finished drying her eyes. [Am I angry at him? It wasn't his fault, though!]

 

"I'll find him and bring him back," Fate told her. "We'll work this all out, I promise."

 

"No!" Nanoha pleaded. "He's probably just as confused and hurt as I am. I think we both need time. Let him come back on his own. Please."

 

Fate hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Alright. We'll give him some time. You should talk to a counselor, though. I'm not a professional, but I know one is needed in these cases. And you should have Shamal check you out. I'm not sure how rough he was with you, but you need to make sure there isn't any physical trauma."

 

Nanoha lowered her head and nodded. "I'll make an appointment in the next few days."

 

"And I'll stay here for awhile," Fate told her. "Regardless of what you think, you shouldn't be alone."

 

 

 

Once Yuuno's eyes adjusted to the lower lighting of the restaurant, he scanned the large room, checking each table and booth. Eventually, he found his target and crossed over to sit down.

 

"Well, hello there," the woman with flaming red hair told him, giving me a seductive smile as she swirled her drink. "Didn't expect you to actually show up here, but it is a pleasant surprise."

 

"I'm sorry, this is business," he told her, sliding a photograph across the table. "I need you to tell me everything you know about this."

 

Yuuno had returned the next day to place a strong seal on the lost logia, and return it to the vault, classifying it as dangerous, then informed his superiors that he needed some leave to do some extra research, which was granted. He also requested the case files on the device, but what he got was rather sparse. He knew that sometimes files got misplaced or lost, sometimes on purpose, but in this case, he felt like it might have been more the latter.

 

The record just included a date when the object was checked in; there wasn't even a name attached. Howver, Yuuno was going to be stymied; he had worked up a number of favors over the years with various Bureau personnel, due to the extra research he had personally done for a number of them. He called in several of those now, and after several days, one of them finally got him the name of the agent who had retrieved the device. He got the distinct impression someone in the higher-ups knew what the object did, and had erased most of the information on purpose so he could use it when he/she wished.

 

And thus he arranged this meeting with the agent to get more information.

 

The woman, Captain Racheal Vespertine glanced at it, her brow furrowing. "Hmm, this looks familiar... oh yes, I think it was over 10 years ago."

 

Yuuno leaned forward a bit, excited. "Can you tell me where you found, and what you know about it?"

 

She sighed, shaking her head a bit as she stirred her drink. "I'm afraid I don't remember too much, as it's been a long time. Didn't the case file have the information?"

 

He sat back. "It was mostly blank, and I'm not entirely sure why. can't you remember anything?"

 

"Well," she said, her expression changing a bit. "It was one of my solo jobs. A planet many teleportation jumps from here, near the edge of TSAB patrolled-space. I remember being out there for another reason, when I heard the locals talking about some problem they were having with one of the villages. I checked it out, and discovered they had been kidnapping and releasing people."

 

Yuuno's eyes narrowed. "Kidnapping and releasing? What for?"

 

"I wasn't entirely able to figure that out," Racheal admitted. "But I snuck in and managed to see them using this device. A woman led a bound and gagged male in and activated it, and they both disappeared. Several minutes later, they reappeared, minus clothes, the male unconscious. She rebound and gagged him, and carried him out."

 

The archeologist leaned forward, excited. This was almost exactly what happened to him and Nanoha. But he wasn't unconscious when they exited; maybe the woman knocked him out or something?

 

"I'm not sure what happened, but I recognized it as a lost logia," Racheal continued. "The Bureau has strict policies about the hazardous use of objects like this, and it was obvious they were using it for no good reasons. They had a number of good mages and warriors, so I didn't feel I could take it by force, but I was able to steal it and seal it. Barely got off the planet, though; they found out and chased me halfway across the continent to my ship."

 

"What world was this?" Yuuno asked.

 

The woman thought for a moment. "I can't quite remember, as it was an un-administered world. Maybe 123? Or was it 132? I noted everything in the report, including the trouble surrounding that village, and the higher-ups promised they would do something about it. But my role in the case was over, so I moved on. You say there was no case file?"

 

"There was, but not much was in it," Yuuno told her. "Just a case number, and that a lost logia had been recovered, sealed, and placed in the vault." He took a breath, then told her his suspicions about what the device did.

 

She slammed her fist on the table, growing angry. "I'll be damned. Someone higher up must have realized what it could do, and erased the information so they could occasionally sneak it out of the vault to use. I should have followed up on that case!"

 

"Contact Lt. Colonel Hayate Yagami in Army Investigations," Yuuno told her. "I can vouch for her integrity; she'll help you find out who was behind that."

 

"I remember her from the JS incident, good mage, and her Sixth division saved our asses," Racheal noted, nodding, then noticed him standing. "What are you going to do?"

 

"I've been in charge of identifying and categorizing the lost logia in the vault," he told her. "To see what can safely be destroyed and what might be useful. I need more information on this artifact, before I can safely say what to do with it."

 

"Well, good luck," she replied, lifting her drink in a salute. "I promise I'll bust the bastards behind this."

 

He nodded, and headed for the door. He had leads now, and hopefully those that were using the device, would know of some way to reverse what happened. At least, that's what he hoped; he wouldn't let Nanoha suffer.

 

 

 

A week passed with no word from him, and Nanoha finally managed to pull herself to Shamal's office. She hadn't wanted to, as it would mean letting another person know what happened. But although Fate had given her some slack, she had increasingly prodded the other woman as the week went on; she insisted Nanoha do it.

 

"Okay, Nanoha, you can come in now," Shamal's announced, her smiling face appearing after the door opened.

 

Nanoha managed a smile in return, as she stood up and left the waiting area and entered the doctor's office. "Thanks for seeing me on such short notice."

 

"I must admit, I was a bit surprised you wanted to move your physical up," the Belkan doctor admitted, closing the door behind her. "But I'm always happy to see my patients. Why don't you lay down on the bed, and you can tell me about why you wanted to move things up?"

 

Nanoha hesitated as she laid down, and Shamal began her examinations, but she remembered that Shamal was her friend, too. Slowly she began to tell her what had happened, noting the look of concern on the doctor's face as she went on.

 

"Shamal?" Nanoha asked as the doctor got some extra equipment out and began to scan her lower half. "What is it?"

 

"There's been no real physical damage, although I can see the signs," she started to say, then paused as she moved the scanner farther up. "How long ago was your last period?"

 

Nanoha felt a disturbing feeling in her stomach as she tried to recall. "Um, I-I think about... a month ago? I should be having my next soon..."

 

Shamal set the device down and fixed her patient with a look. "You're not going to. Nanoha, you're pregnant."

 

 

Author's notes:

 

Yeah, I'm sure you all saw that coming, but hopefully there will be some surprises in the next few chapters. :P