She always found her way here eventually. And somehow, it was always snowing whenever she did.
Just like it had that day.
"I suppose this is silly of me," Hayate said. "I mean, we only knew each other....really knew each other...for such a short time. I shouldn't have had time to think of such things. But every year, I wonder why this had to happen. Why did I just stand by.....let it happen? I should have done something. I should have had the power to do something to save you. But instead, I was just there. I let you go, like you wanted. I know you were happy at the end. That you fulfilled your purpose in life...but..."
She dropped to her knees, barely feeling the snow as hot tears slid down her cheeks. "It hurts. Every time I think back on it, it hurts. I see your eyes, see your face. See that last smile. You were happy with your fate, you accepted it. You were stronger than I could ever be. Nanoha and Fate may have helped....but I remember. The longer it is, the more I remember of those days, before they arrived. I remember you. I remember how you saved me."
"The others try to understand...in their way, but it's hard. I think only the girls and Zafira really get it. We all remember it, in our own way. Zafira spends the night outside, howling at the moon until he can't anymore. Shamal will take the day off and go down to the local hospital, working in the ICU. Saving as many people as she can. Signum drinks a bottle in your memory with Vita. Two warriors saluting a fallen one, I guess. But me....I don't have that. I don't have that rock hard centuries of experience with this. And they don't have what I have. They didn't....they didn't fall in love with you like I did. I felt every piece of you. Every segment. Every emotion, hope, and dream. Unison....it's so hard to explain to them because they don't really know. And for the longest time, all it did was hurt..." Hayate whispered, before looking up at the small metal marker sitting half-buried in the snow.
"But I found something. Something to help the pain. To make sure that I didn't just have to remember your death." She gently opened the case she had with her, drawing out a tiny girl barely the size of a toy, napping gently in a small towel. Long silver hair with a small ribbon on one side framed a face so familiar, yet different. Hayate smiled tenderly.
"The Book Of The Azure Sky. I named her Reinforce Zwei....Rein, for short. When we were in Unison, I felt every part of you, and the Book's schematics were exact. I could recreate it....but I couldn't bring you back. It would just be a copy. It wouldn't be the woman I loved. So I didn't duplicate it exactly."
"She's got a little of you...and a little of me. And she'll grow up, taken care of. No malfunctions. No berserk self-defense programs. I promise."
"It's the least I could do for our daughter."
***
No idea where this one came from, and significantly less light-hearted than the previous ones, but once it hit me, I couldn't seem to get it out of my head.
---
"Oh, silver blade, forged in the depths of the beyond. Heed my summons and purge those who stand in my way. Lay
waste."
Just like it had that day.
"I suppose this is silly of me," Hayate said. "I mean, we only knew each other....really knew each other...for such a short time. I shouldn't have had time to think of such things. But every year, I wonder why this had to happen. Why did I just stand by.....let it happen? I should have done something. I should have had the power to do something to save you. But instead, I was just there. I let you go, like you wanted. I know you were happy at the end. That you fulfilled your purpose in life...but..."
She dropped to her knees, barely feeling the snow as hot tears slid down her cheeks. "It hurts. Every time I think back on it, it hurts. I see your eyes, see your face. See that last smile. You were happy with your fate, you accepted it. You were stronger than I could ever be. Nanoha and Fate may have helped....but I remember. The longer it is, the more I remember of those days, before they arrived. I remember you. I remember how you saved me."
"The others try to understand...in their way, but it's hard. I think only the girls and Zafira really get it. We all remember it, in our own way. Zafira spends the night outside, howling at the moon until he can't anymore. Shamal will take the day off and go down to the local hospital, working in the ICU. Saving as many people as she can. Signum drinks a bottle in your memory with Vita. Two warriors saluting a fallen one, I guess. But me....I don't have that. I don't have that rock hard centuries of experience with this. And they don't have what I have. They didn't....they didn't fall in love with you like I did. I felt every piece of you. Every segment. Every emotion, hope, and dream. Unison....it's so hard to explain to them because they don't really know. And for the longest time, all it did was hurt..." Hayate whispered, before looking up at the small metal marker sitting half-buried in the snow.
"But I found something. Something to help the pain. To make sure that I didn't just have to remember your death." She gently opened the case she had with her, drawing out a tiny girl barely the size of a toy, napping gently in a small towel. Long silver hair with a small ribbon on one side framed a face so familiar, yet different. Hayate smiled tenderly.
"The Book Of The Azure Sky. I named her Reinforce Zwei....Rein, for short. When we were in Unison, I felt every part of you, and the Book's schematics were exact. I could recreate it....but I couldn't bring you back. It would just be a copy. It wouldn't be the woman I loved. So I didn't duplicate it exactly."
"She's got a little of you...and a little of me. And she'll grow up, taken care of. No malfunctions. No berserk self-defense programs. I promise."
"It's the least I could do for our daughter."
***
No idea where this one came from, and significantly less light-hearted than the previous ones, but once it hit me, I couldn't seem to get it out of my head.
---
"Oh, silver blade, forged in the depths of the beyond. Heed my summons and purge those who stand in my way. Lay
waste."