[IC][WIP][Arc 1] How I Managed to Quit Worrying and Love The Grief Seed

[robkelk]

I'd love to put this on the wiki, but (as I mentioned during prereading) there's no date stamps in the story...

[Black Aeronaut]

I'd love to put this on the wiki, but (as I mentioned during prereading) there's no date stamps in the story...

Argh.  I knew I was forgetting something.  Give me a day or two - now that I'm gainfully employed and all....

[Labster]

Whoa!  A truly disarming story.

And definitely a better mall battle than in Stranger Things.

“Now it’s my turn!  Now I have the power to do something about this!”  She then held out a beautiful glowing green gem, caged in gold like a Faberge Egg.  Suddenly, there was a brilliant flash of green light, and then the old Alisa was gone.

It looks kind of like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9Ywem5d3oU

Ben reached up and opened one of the storage compartments in ceiling console, revealing a pair of buttons - one blue and the other green.

Alan Tudyk said that whenever he wanted to do something cool with the Serenity, you always have to hit the toggles above the chair.

But if they attack again, we’ll abandon the van and then scatter.

Not Athena!  I just learned her name, we can't abandon her!

Also you now have an Alicia and an Athena.  I would not be surprised if cyberpunk espers on motorbikes start appearing in San Antonio.  You brought this on yourself.

---

OK this is now all boring proofreading stuff I'll just delete from the thread later:

and Sasami Nanoha, Fate, Alicia, Arf, Alisa, Suzuka, and

who is this Sasami Nanoha you speak of, she sounds small and adorable.  Change the first "and" to "with"

I’m a bringer King Neptune’s Thunder.

of

right behind the Chik-Fil-A,

Chick-fil-A (unless you're on-purpose bland naming)

with that year’s winter fashions.

If you need a date Rob, at least we know it's in the fall.

He ran to the back of the van, knowing he’d have only seconds, opened it, grabbed the large, flat, and heavy case from there, and cheesed it through the women’s department, only stopping to take cover in the midst of thickly packed racks of women’s clothes.

Gosh that's a lot of commas while still being grammatical afaict.

“So even if they aren’t anything to me directly, you might as well have just threatened my own family.  Get ready, buster.  I’m about to rearrange your face so badly that your own mother won’t even recognize you.”
And that was when Zafira’s day became very bad indeed.

Missing extra return between paragraphs

the button on his blue tooth headset

I'm okay about ignoring the capital letters, it's kind of become a generic word, but I still think it's one word.

[robkelk]

...

But if they attack again, we’ll abandon the van and then scatter.

Not Athena!  I just learned her name, we can't abandon her!

Also you now have an Alicia and an Athena.  I would not be surprised if cyberpunk espers on motorbikes start appearing in San Antonio.  You brought this on yourself.

"No, Mii, he said 'cyberpunk espers on motorbikes' - you can put your bike back in the garage. Besides, there has to be at least two of them so they can shout each other's names instead of having a real conversation."

(And now I'm wondeing where to find a post-disaster motorcycle shaped like a gondola.)

...

right behind the Chik-Fil-A,

Chick-fil-A (unless you're on-purpose bland naming)

I've never been in one of those. Do they hand out Chick-fil-A Tracts?

with that year’s winter fashions.

If you need a date Rob, at least we know it's in the fall.

Starting one week after the Halloween party, too - which makes early November an eventful time for everybody.

[Labster]

(And now I'm wondering where to find a post-disaster motorcycle shaped like a gondola.)

A challenger appears in the Bumblebee / Elan Vital race!

...

right behind the Chik-Fil-A,

Chick-fil-A (unless you're on-purpose bland naming)

I've never been in one of those. Do they hand out Chick-fil-A Tracts?

Yes.

On a scale of Christian businesses from In-N-Out (1) to the Roman Catholic Church (10), Chick-fil-A is about a 7.  Other examples: Hobby Lobby (8), that local mattress store that paints bible verses on the outside as a sales gimmick (4), the local Christian bookstore (9).  I got to meet a Chick-fil-A executive long before I ever ate at one of their restaurants, and it was less than a minute before he started talking about Christian values.

[Black Aeronaut]

Whoa!  A truly disarming story.

Pfft.

And definitely a better mall battle than in Stranger Things.

I haven't seen that, so I wouldn't know for sure. 

“Now it’s my turn!  Now I have the power to do something about this!”  She then held out a beautiful glowing green gem, caged in gold like a Faberge Egg.  Suddenly, there was a brilliant flash of green light, and then the old Alisa was gone.

It looks kind of like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9Ywem5d3oU

Watsonian: We can interpret this one of two ways - either there's some timey-wimey shenanigans involved here, or it's simply all in their head; either way, you get a sudden flare of magical light and then BINGO: instant mahou shoujo!

Doylist: I *really* didn't want to have to come up with a transformation sequence, and this sucker's been held back long enough.  Even worse, Puella Magi transformation sequences are all unique - you never see the same sequence twice, even from the same Puella Magi.

Ben reached up and opened one of the storage compartments in ceiling console, revealing a pair of buttons - one blue and the other green.

Alan Tudyk said that whenever he wanted to do something cool with the Serenity, you always have to hit the toggles above the chair.

Well, the ceiling console is about as close to "above the chair" as you can get.  It also has the advantages of 1) making sense from a standpoint of ergonomics - it's right there when you raise your right arm; and 2) being hidden in an otherwise ordinary looking compartment so "civilians" won't go "Hey, what are those for?"

But if they attack again, we’ll abandon the van and then scatter.

Not Athena!  I just learned her name, we can't abandon her!

Also you now have an Alicia and an Athena.  I would not be surprised if cyberpunk espers on motorbikes start appearing in San Antonio.  You brought this on yourself.

"No, Mii, he said 'cyberpunk espers on motorbikes' - you can put your bike back in the garage. Besides, there has to be at least two of them so they can shout each other's names instead of having a real conversation."

(And now I'm wondering where to find a post-disaster motorcycle shaped like a gondola.)

A challenger appears in the Bumblebee / Elan Vital race!

Okay, in order...

No worries, Athena will be returning - harder, better, faster, stronger.... 

Really, if Tetsuo and/or Kaneda do show up, Ben isn't gonna screw around.  He's gonna get Belldandy on that faster than white on rice.

If Priss, on the other hand, shows up, Mii is more than welcome to hang out with her - if for no other reason than to take turns shooting down Leon whenever he tries to make a pass.  Bonus points if certain Boomeroids are present as well. 

Hrm....  I wasn't aware that Volkswagen made motorcycles at any point in time.  Or that Bumblebee had a motorcycle alt-form.  Split the difference and let him use Volkswagen's GX-3 Concept?

OK this is now all boring proofreading stuff I'll just delete from the thread later:

Yeah, lots of gremlins to kill.  Someone get me the the 130,000 lux sun lamp...

with that year’s winter fashions.

If you need a date Rob, at least we know it's in the fall.

Starting one week after the Halloween party, too - which makes early November an eventful time for everybody.

Yes, this has to take place after the Halloween Party, as did the previous volume of How I Learned to Quit Worrying and Love The Grief Seed.  This gremlin is a result of me possibly committing a continuity error - if this is still technically fall, then it's very very last week or two of the season.  I've got my work cut out for me.

Keep in mind, I was never the one pushing for a Late Winter Seasonal Climax.  But I think I have partial fault in that I don't thing I ever really clarified what I meant when I started using the term "Seasons" to denote the major story arcs.

I never meant for it to map directly to the time frame of a season in-setting, but simply as a container for major story arcs - just like in television.  Certainly, they'll usually air during a season, but the in-story time frame rarely, if ever, maps to directly to that.

A good example of this in-action is the TV series, 24.  Each episode, which fits into a one-hour television time slot, covers an in-setting time frame 60 minutes, making it so everything is happening in real time (including whatever we miss during advertisement breaks).  But in the end, this means that each 24-episode season of 24 covers only a grand total of 24 hours within the setting - thus the selling point of the series: it tells a story in real-time that takes place over the course of 24 hours.

I'm still gonna let you guys set the in-story time frame for Season 1, but keep in mind how much I planned to have happen within Season 1.

You only need to look at how many residents I originally intended to have.

He ran to the back of the van, knowing he’d have only seconds, opened it, grabbed the large, flat, and heavy case from there, and cheesed it through the women’s department, only stopping to take cover in the midst of thickly packed racks of women’s clothes.

Gosh that's a lot of commas while still being grammatical afaict.

Yeah.  I was, perhaps, being a bit too careful there.  I'll see about trying to break it up while maintaining a sense of fast action.

right behind the Chik-Fil-A,

Chick-fil-A (unless you're on-purpose bland naming)

I've never been in one of those. Do they hand out Chick-fil-A Tracts?

Yes.

On a scale of Christian businesses from In-N-Out (1) to the Roman Catholic Church (10), Chick-fil-A is about a 7.  Other examples: Hobby Lobby (8), that local mattress store that paints bible verses on the outside as a sales gimmick (4), the local Christian bookstore (9).  I got to meet a Chick-fil-A executive long before I ever ate at one of their restaurants, and it was less than a minute before he started talking about Christian values.

* Black Aeronaut slips on his "Local Guide" hat...

The thing to keep in mind is that, with the exception of a small handful of stores that are directly operated by the Cathy family, nearly all Chick-fil-A stores are locally owned and operated franchises.

In other words, your mileage will vary.

The Cathy family is very strenuous in their vetting of who gets to own a franchise of their brand.  But in a ways, I don't see much fault in what they do because Chick-fil-A, no matter what you say about them as a company, has the lowest employee turnover rate in the fast food industry.

That said, the greater San Antonio metropolitan area has a very vibrant and politically active LGBTQ population, and I strongly suspect that there's a few that even work in the local Chick-fil-A stores.  By and large, you're not hurting anyone by patronizing one of the local chains here.  Instead, you'd only be depriving yourself of a pretty good chicken sandwich, tasty waffle fries, and some of the best lemonade to be had in a fast-food chain.

Do yourself a favor and, if you happen to visit a Whataburger, snag a few packets of their Spicy Ketchup (it's so popular here that they even sell it in the local grocery stores under the Whataburger brand).  It goes great with Chick-fil-A's waffle fries.

[robkelk]

I'd love to put this on the wiki, but (as I mentioned during prereading) there's no date stamps in the story...

Argh.  I knew I was forgetting something.  Give me a day or two - now that I'm gainfully employed and all....

a day or two ... plus a month ... later, and I think maybe it's time to give this request a nudge.

[Black Aeronaut]

Sorry. Just been so very tired lately.

I'll get to it during my next two days off here.

[robkelk]

A month later, and it's time for another nudge here.

I've got a birthday coming up, and what I'd really like is some numbers. (No, not those Numbers... although ViVid-era Wendi would be fun to pal around with.) I can't post this to the wiki without dates on the scenes.

[Black Aeronaut]

Yeah, I know. Just things haven't been terribly easy lately.

I'm just now starting to get over whatever bug it was that was trying to lay me low... it damn-near did the job - I could hardly get anything done and I've burned through two bottles of rapid-release Tylenol (Paracetamol for you folks across the pond), and a half a bottle of Aspirin. (You know about Excedrin, the so-called "Headache Medicine"? That's all it is - Tylenol, Aspirin, and Caffeine. It does a number on flu symptoms, let me tell you...)

And starting tomorrow I got this transmission rebuild to work on. uuuggghhhhh....

Okay, let's just go ahead and start working out the dates here and now.

So, with the whole thing about having Nanoha's and Fate's affections for Ben getting reset, it will have to come *after* the Christmas Story, because otherwise Benjamin would be a lot more moody than he is depicted right now. So we can have this particular story happening relatively close to Christmas time, as all we're doing is bringing the Nanoha A's characters into the Metacontinuity (as well as furthering the background plot of the Incubators).

Thoughts?

[robkelk]

The earliest that the "reset button" that Skuld built is available is December 30, 2016 - that's when Rob will have told the other managers about it.

[Black Aeronaut]

Sorry, this is still on my mind.

Now that my The Folks have realized my true potential (first time rebuild of an automatic transmission and got it right the first try), they've been keeping me busy enough with the Burbie Restoration Project that, combined with my taxable income job, even has my brother in the Marines saying I'm pulling long hours.

Please be patient with me for a little longer.  We're almost at the point where we're gonna give the restoration project a rest.... though the next thing after that is going to be me pulling the valve cover in their Elantra to find out what in the blue hell is going on in there.  Urgh...

What am I getting out of it?  The Folks are covering me for half of my rent every month I'm working on their cars.  Compared to the labor prices mechanics charge these days?  That's a freakin' steal.

[Black Aeronaut]

EDIT: Per Labster's commentary in the Discord channel, I'm reworking Chapter 4.

[robkelk]

Okay folks.  This is just a rough, so have at it.

First quick pass...

He then scoffed in dry amusement.  “It probably is, too, now that I think of it.  That damned contract belongs in a museum.”

Since it's my SI saying this...

That damned contract - that literally damned contract - belongs in a museum.

Mihoshi giggled.  “Ryouko has a new brother!”

Ryouko grumbled at that.  “Not like I mind the idea, but please don’t.”

There strained faces at that as people only managed to succeed in not laughing.  Aeka, though, placed a comforting hand on Ryouko’s shoulder, and Ryouko responded with a wan smile.

After all, they’ve had time now to get used to the idea that they were going to be sisters in all but blood.

"Everybody needs a sibling, Niiko Misaka opines."

Ryouko gave her a dirty look. "That's easy to say when you've always had one. And from what Ben told me, his siblings weren't the best in the bunch - I don't want him thinking of me that way."

“You too, Nanoha!?” said Lindy in shock.

“Unh,” replied the Takamachi girl with a nod of her head.  “I know it’s strange, but the very first moment I saw him…  I knew that Benjamin was special.  Just like Fate is.  He is very strong, but he’s been hurt so much - it makes me sad to even think about it.  But he is such a kind person, even though he would be justified in being angry and bitter at the entire world.  I don’t know of anyone that is that strong.  Not even my father or my brother could be what Benjamin is, and they are some of the kindest men I know.”

Once Rob finally hears about this, then looks through Skuld's glasses at Ben's hand (maybe at Callahan's later, so this is an omake):

"What's wrong?"

Rob looked at Ben's face instead of his hand. "Nothing. Just wondering how strong a rope you could braid out of all those red strings of fate tied around your pinky. Although, knowing you, they'll need a rope to haul you out of danger with - or, more likely, follow you in."

"How many girlfriends have I got?"

"Who says they're all girls, or friends?" {{insert Ben's reaction here)) Rob continued, "I'm not going to count them - that's none of my business."

Ben smiled at that - private lives are private for a reason, after all. "Okay, how many have you got?"

"Three so far, with something wispy leading somewhere I can't figure out. I hope that means I'm only getting four altogether."

"Have I got one of those wisps, too?"

"Oh, yeah. Big time."

“Lying by omission or stretching the truth is the Incubator’s shtick.  The Goddesses aren’t even capable of lying.”

The First Class Goddesses - Belldandy and Peorth - aren't capable of lying. In canon, Urd gave up a promotion so she could continue to lie when necessary. But maybe Ben didn't know that.


Oh, and the whole thing needs a spelling-check on the character names. You have multiple "Alissa" for "Alisa", multiple "Lindsey" for Lindy, one "Lies" for Lise, etc.

[Black Aeronaut]

Thanks, I'll get those bits fixed up.

[Black Aeronaut]

Alright.  Take Two.

Less focus on Benjamin.  More on the other characters.  Lots of material trimmed.  Lots of material added.

---

Chapter 4

When Ben woke up again, Washu was there waiting for him.

“Washu-chan?” he asked groggily.

“No sudden movements,” said the super-genius.  “You’re recovering well, but your new physiology is still settling in.”

Ben sighed and laid there, almost in-state.  “Washu-chan, I think I have some idea of what happened, but can you tell me anyhow?”

Washu nodded.  “One of the things I like about you, Benjamin, is that while you can be very astute sometimes, you’ve learned to verify before jumping to conclusions.  Your situation is not unprecedented, but it is unusual.  The Masers are very empathetic creatures, and once one or a group of them has accepted someone as their leader, their guiding intelligence, they’ll do whatever they can to help that person.

“Very few people have ever managed to form the sort of partnership you and Squishy had.  And even fewer still...  Let’s just say that this is very rare.”

Benjamin nodded.  “Squishy assimilated itself into me.”

“Yes.  It did so because you lost a great deal of bio-mass, your right arm in this case, and Massers are given to fusing and fissioning as needed.  More importantly, though, this means that your physiology has been radically altered in order to accommodate your new organ.”

“New organ?”

Washu nodded.  “You are now the proud owner of a biological matter-antimatter reactor and fermion inverter.”

“A reactor?  So what does this mean for me?”

“Well, short version is that you don’t have to worry much about excess calories.  In fact, you’re going to want to up your caloric intake to at least four-thousand k-cals a day.  Preferably five-thousand if you can manage it.  Reason being is that these calories are going to be fed into the fermion inverter.”

“Hang on... You mean to say I have an antimatter generator?”

“Converter.  Your fermion inverter inverts the the characteristics of the subatomic particles in existing matter.”

“Right.  So how much are we talking here?”

“Not much.  About one milligram per day.”

Ben’s eyebrows went up at that.  “Isn’t that actually a helluva lot?”

“By your standards?  Yes.  But for the Massers it’s business as usual.  In fact, it was because of them that antimatter became such a viable source of energy.  Working out their process was one of my first papers.”

“Hence why you got an aquarium full of the little guys.”

“Exactly.  Now, since I know you’re curious, I’ll go ahead and give you the reader’s digest version.

“The system operates at two levels of output: restocking and maintenance.  I don’t think I have to explain what that means to you.  Your organ will keep up to one microgram of antiwater in stock.  This is for the purposes of providing your means of self-defense as well as a fuel bunker.  What you did earlier today is that you expended ten micrograms of heavy-antiwater arranged in a packet of neutral matter with ten micrograms of heavy-water.”

“Question?”

“Yes?”

“Isn’t just two or three thousand extra calories kinda lowballing it?  I mean, there’s no way that equates to that kind of energy output.”

“You’d be right if you were looking at it from the perspective generating antimatter.  Now, flipping around the characteristics of existing matter, that’s a whole different ballgame.  It’s still an energy intensive process, but the Masu have evolved to make it efficient enough that you can keep up with only moderate changes to your diet.  And don’t pretend that I haven’t seen you eat.  You sure you don’t have a black hole hiding in that stomach of yours?”

“Har-dee-har.  Can’t help it if I have a fast metabolism.  Even now that I’m coming up on forty years it hasn’t let up a whole lot.”

“Yes, well, lucky draw from the genetic deck and all.  Any other questions?”

“Yes.  What do my guts look like now?”

“I’ll show you.”  With that, a hologram depicting Ben in the nude resolved.  Suddenly, the skin faded out, and then the musculature, and finally the ribs.

Everything seemed relatively normal, except that there was a roundish mass over his right lung, just opposite of his heart.  There was a small, dull red glow from inside it, and it looked like it was fed directly by the pulmonary veins.  There was also some other vessel that went up to his right arm and ran all the way down to his hand.

“This is your new M/A Reactor Organ.  It has four quadrants, much like your heart does.  The lower left quadrant has your fermion inverter, while the upper left is the reactor itself.  Your lower-right quadrant is your fuel storage and the upper right is a sort of preprocessing system that arranges the antiwater and water in neutral matter packets in such a way that you get the most efficient particle annihilation possible.”

“Question?”

“Yes?”

“How will my physiology be making use of an M/A reactor anyhow?”

Washu gestured to the hologram and everything faded out expect for the brain and nervous system.

“Notice anything different?”

“No I...  wait.”  Ben looked more carefully at where the M/A organ would be and there was a thick tendril feeding into a knot of nerves there, nearly half the thickness of the spinal nerve.  This nerve, as it reached towards the spinal nerve, branched out into seven nerves, each one feeding into the spine.  “That... is an awfully big nerve to be feeding into just that one organ.”

“Exactly.  It’s not really obvious from this picture, but your entire nervous system has been altered by Squishy to rely entirely on electrical synapses instead of biochemical synapses.  And on top of that, they’re further modified to handle heavy loads.  Your M/A organ is basically acting as a gain amplifier to give your muscles little extra kick.  Though I wouldn’t go grabbing any powerlines - that will still send your heart into fibrillation.”

“Okay, got it.  But even with that boost, can my muscles actually handle it?”

Washu nodded.  “They can, now.  Squishy has increased your muscle density by five times.  This is also part of why you need to up your calorie intake as your metabolism will have been adjusted to fit.  You won’t notice it right away, but in a few days you should feel very light on your feet.  But in order to gain access to all of it, you still need a training regimen.  That won’t be an issue for you, though, because you’ve also gained a certain degree of regenerative healing.  It’s not anything really special, but you can recover from the worst injuries in a few days as long as you’re resting.  With that, you’ll be able to recover from a high-intensity workout by the time you get through the cooldown.  It’s also why you’re awake this soon.

“Thus, you seem to be doing just fine, now.  Your injuries are healing at a pace that isn’t overtaxing your body.  But even so, I’ll need to begin your treatments right away.  While Squishy has fused itself into you, that doesn’t mean it has altered your genetic make up.  Your condition is very unstable right now.”

“So I guess this is where you knock me out, huh?”

“Pretty much,” said Washu-chan.

“Alright, hit me and let’s get it over with.”

“Will do, but just so you know, this will take several treatments.  But don’t worry, I’ll give you some time between each one to get things done.  Goodnight, Benjamin.”

A holoscreen appeared before Washu and she pushed a single button.  And just like that, Ben was out like a light.

---

Minutes later, Washu walked out of her ICU and into the waiting area.  There, everyone was, of course, waiting.

She smiled at the sight.

She hadn’t been stretching the truth at all: Benjamin was someone she had come to like.  He was a good person and had done whatever he could to see to other people’s needs.  Granted, a lot of that meant that he had to rely on Washu and her facilities, but she didn’t mind.  Even if Ben couldn’t repay her directly, she could sense his appreciation.

He deserved better than what he got in his life.

But now?

Things had changed.  All of these people - all of them having incredible power or remarkable skills and talents - were here waiting to learn about his well being.

And not just the Residents of the Westwoods Apartments, but also the people from the Blossom Apartments - Rob Donaldson, the Sailor Senshi, and the Academy City students.  Even Accelerator was there, though only because Last Order had dragged him in.  He would only grudgingly admit to having misjudged Ben’s character for having the balls to do something like going up against a superior foe like Vita.  They had all shown up soon after the dimensional barrier tripped the Good Neighbor System, and then stayed once they’d heard Benjamin had been hurt.

All because he was Brother Ben.

Not “Onii-san” or “Otouto”.

He would accept it, for certain, and even with a smile.

But at the end of the day?  He was simply everyone’s brother.  Always there to help, to guide, to support in whatever way he could.

He was family.

And because of that, everyone had now taken him in as family in return, and it made Washu smile to see that.

“He’s going to be just fine,” she announced proudly, and everyone sighed in relief as the tension bled from the room like a relief valve had finally been opened, giving everyone present the chance to breathe easy at last.  “Really, there was no question about it.  He was just a bit banged up.  The real issue was that his pet Masser assimilated itself into him.”

That brought sobriety crashing back into the group.

“Wait, that’s what happened!?” said Rob in surprise.

Washu nodded.  “That explosion was a very small uncontrolled matter-antimatter annihilation.  After the assimilation took place, Benjamin’s emotional state was elevated to the point where his new physiology took over.  Rather, you could say that Squishy was still there in a ways and did the hard part for him.  By now though?  It’s mind, such as it was, has been completely subsumed by Benjamin’s.  As a result, Ben will have some intuitive control over his new abilities, but he’ll still need time to practice them.”

“Christ,” said Kurtz.  “I almost feel bad for whoever was on the receiving end of THAT!”

“Don’t be,” said a strong voice.  All eyes turned to the elderly-but-hale man, a woman in a uniform with green hair and eyes, two felinoid familiars, a boy wearing black hobnailed armor, a girl in a uniform with an absolutely unruly cowlick, and a younger girl in a wheelchair.  They all stood together at the opposite end of the room.  Gil Graham continued, “If that was Vita he took out, then she only got what was coming to her for picking on someone like Benjamin.”

“Mr. Graham!” said Hayate in shock and dismay.

“Hayate,” said Lindsey, placing a comforting hand on Hayate’s shoulder.  “It’s true.  While you may be used to the concept of mass-based weaponry here on Unad- …here on Earth, they are quite rare among magic-using societies like ours and the Belkans.  The moment Vita noticed that he was using mass weapons should have been the moment where she started using far more caution.”

“But I don’t understand,” said Hayate.  “What is the difference?”

“Mass-based weapons do only one thing, Hayate,” said Aria quietly.  “They kill people.  Nothing more.  Nothing less.”

Liese nodded in agreement.  “Magic, on the other hand, can easily be made to be non-lethal.  It is very rare to hear that someone has been killed with magic, and when it does happen, it can be taken that someone did it intentionally.”

“Indeed,” said Gil heavily.  “If he was using a mass weapon against Vita… I do wonder what would push him so far so quickly.”

“Alicia,” said Sasami, stepping forward.  “They said they were after Fate and Alicia.”

“Alright,” said Lindsey, “I could understand that he’d want to protect Fate, but who is Alicia?”  Lindsey suddenly blinked as the name finally connected.  “Wait, isn’t that the name of the girl that Fate was cloned from?”

Sasami nodded.  “When Precia came back, we managed to save Alicia’s capsule.  Washu-chan couldn’t revive her… So Benjamin made a deal with The Daimakaichou.”

“Good Lord!” said Gil with an almost strangled sounding voice.  “He really made a deal with the Devil!?  And just for that little girl!?”

“It was more than that,” said Usagi.  “He did it because he couldn’t stand it.  He didn’t want to see Fate cry again for her sister.  His heart couldn’t bear to see her hurt anymore after what she has been through.”

“I wasn’t there for it when Ben got started,” said Rob soberly.  “But to hear the others… He was like a man possessed.  And I believe that, too, because he got Hild herself to make a contract that was as straight-forward as possible, given what was on the line.  You should have seen it - the legalese itself was almost like a work of art.”  He then scoffed in dry amusement.  “It probably is, too, now that I think of it.  That damned contract — that literally damned contract — belongs in a museum.”

“What he did today,” said Rei quietly.  “He put his life on the line.  Even though he had no idea what was going on for certain.”  Rei sighed before she went on.  “I have these memories now because this Maleable Causality System has changed things.  He was another person.  My younger brother.  And even though he was younger than me, he was always there for me, no matter what.  Whether it was bullies or even my own father, he always stood up for me.  He always had my back.  I never even needed to question it.  Whatever happened, he was there.  And that is exactly the kind of person he is now.”

Lindy and Gill looked to each other, and they knew right away that they were dealing with a person to be reckoned with.

“So, he’s that sort of person then,” said Gil thoughtfully.  “I think I’m rather looking forward to meeting this chap.”

“Washu-chan,” said Tenchi.  “What about… the Masser?  Is Benjamin going to be okay?”

“He will be.  He just needs time to adjust and fully assimilate his new physiology.  He’ll need a bit of help, though.”

“What do you mean, Washu-chan?” asked Aeka.  “When Ryo-Ohki assimilated all those massers, all we had to do was make new clothes for her.”

Washu nodded.  “And that’s true.  Ryo-Ohki needed no further help because her physical make-up is actually based on the massers.  But Benjamin is a human.  As he is right now, he’s more of a chimera.”

“Chimera?” said Kaname.  “You mean… he’s like some weird mash up now?”

Washu nodded.  “Exactly.  Right now, he has all of his original cells… but he now has cells from Squishy scattered throughout his body.  It’s only because of the masser’s ability to adapt that his body isn’t rejecting them.  But leaving him in that state could prove harmful in the long run.  He is going to require a full course of treatments in order to blend his genetic structure with that of the masser’s.  This will effectively make him more like Ryouko, though far less powerful.”

Mihoshi giggled.  “Ryouko has a new brother!”

Ryouko grumbled at that.  “Not like I mind the idea, but please don’t.”

There strained faces at that as people only managed to succeed in not laughing.  Aeka, though, placed a comforting hand on Ryouko’s shoulder, and Ryouko responded with a wan smile.

After all, they’ve had time now to get used to the idea that they were going to be sisters in all but blood.

“Everybody needs a sibling, Niiko Misaka opines.”

Ryouko gave her a sharp look. “That's easy to say when you've always had one.  And from what Ben told me, his siblings weren't the best in the bunch — I don't want him thinking of me that way.”

“He will not, Niiko Misaka asserts.  Niiko continues, If it is someone he chooses to be his family, then it is because he loves and cares for them.  Niiko Misaka knows this… because even though Niiko Misaka is a clone, Mikoto Misaka has accepted us as sisters.”

Ryouko nearly blanched at that because in a certain sense, she herself was a clone of Washu.  And Niiko had clearly made that distinction just then: If I — who is a clone — can be adopted into a family, then you — who is also a clone — can be, too.

Washu smiled warmly at the gesture, but then sobered as her focus shifted to Alyssa.

“As for you, young miss.”

Alyssa gulped.  “But… I didn’t do anything wrong!”

Washu sighed.  “No, you didn’t.  And really, that’s our fault.  Jeeze, Ben is gonna practically kill himself when he hears about this.”

That got everyone’s undivided attention.

“Washu-chan?” said Teletha in a deeply worried tone.  “What happened?”

Sasami answered before Washu could gather the druthers for it.

“A Kyubey - an Incubator - found Alyssa and she made a contract with it.  She’s a Puella Magi now.”

With that pronouncement, there was a collective outpouring of horrified gasps and despaired exclamations.

“What’s all this then?” said Gil Graham in mild confusion.  “Are you saying that someone made this little girl into a mage?”

“Were it so simple,” said Rob in a tone of voice that sounded like it could crush diamonds.  “These… THINGS go around masquerading as cute animals.  They get girls like Alyssa here to make a wish.  In return for that wish, they become magical girls, contracted to fight witches.”

Lindy blinked as she digested that.  “That… does sound bad, but a lot of our own mages start at the academy at Alyssa’s age.”

“Oh, that is literally not even the half of it, though,” said Rob.  “Alyssa, show them your soul gem.”

Alyssa began to quail, though.  “Am… am I in trouble?”

Usagi, though, loving spirit that she was, knelt down in front of Alyssa.

“Alyssa, I won’t lie.  You are in terrible danger now.  But we’re not angry at you.  We’re more angry at ourselves for forgetting to warn you about Kyubey.  Do you understand, sweetheart?”

Alyssa nodded, then reached into her pocket and pulled out the beautiful green gemstone that held her very soul within it.

Immediately, Lindy Harlaown’s device made an urgent sounding two-note squawk.

“WARNING!  UNREGISTERED PHYLACTERY DETECTED!”

The eyes in the faces of everyone in the TSAB contingent all widened in horror.  Except for Hayate - she was simply confused, but she held her peace for the moment knowing that an explanation would be forthcoming.

“Sweet merciful God in Heaven,” breathed Gil.

“It gets worse,” said Rob.  “That phylactery is also, as Ben once said, a mana reactor without a tailpipe.  Any time she uses magic, she’s slowly poisoning her soul.  Even just living right now is slowly building up corruption because it’s her magic that’s maintaining the link between the soul gem and her body.”

“Why in hell would someone do something like that!?” cried out Lindy in horror.

“These Incubators,” said Washu, “are obviously not what they appear.  In fact, they are mere constructs built to deceive by omitting as much truth as they can get away with.  Their masters, through the Incubators, harvest the negative energy in order to power their society.”

“But why would they do that?” cried out Aria.

“They say that they’re doing it to stave off the heat death of the universe,” said Rob.  “It’s a bunch of bullshit if you ask me.  To make anything even remotely resembling a dent in that kind of entropy, you’d have to have every intelligent species in the universe hooked into that system.  Whoever these people are, they’re an entire civilization of sociopaths.”

“But… What happens to these girls?” asked Liesse.

Rob sighed.  “Some of them manage to survive by farming witches for their grief seeds.  Puella Magi can use these to siphon corruption out of their soul gems and then give them to their Kyubey to dispose of.  But most others… they fall into despair… and then become witches themselves.”

Everyone was silent for a moment, processing that information and steadily feeling as though the horror was something tangible, sucking them deeper and deeper into it like quick sand.

Gil Graham broke the spell.

“My God in Heaven.  They’re right proper monsters, the lot of them!”

“But what can we do about Alyssa?” wondered Liesse aloud.

Aria nodded her head thoughtfully.  “Phylacteries are not well understood.  The ones we do tend to find… they’re empty shells by the time we find them, so we have no idea how they work.  Thus, they’re considered Lost Logia by the TSAB.”

“Well then, we’re in luck,” chirped Washu brightly, catching people by surprise with her sudden shift in mood.  “Not only do we have Alyssa’s Soul Gem, but we also have another, properly engineered, functioning phylactery to study, as well as the people that designed and created them!”

Gil blanched at that.  “I hope that this doesn’t become common knowledge, otherwise there’s no end to the trouble that might cause when people start trying to live forever!”

“Pffft,” said Washu derisively.  “Buddy, if they need a phylactery to be immortal, then they’re doing it wrong.  I should know - I’ve been around for thousands of years and I haven’t had to replace this body even once.”  She then looked elsewhere nervously as she more quietly added, “Not that there hasn’t been a close call or two… or maybe even three.”

There were a few sputtering giggles at that from people that understood all too well the sorts of reasons why Washu would wind in that sort of situation.

“Anyhow!” chirped the tiny mad genius.  “Ben has already made it so that if he’s ever out of commission that I can act in his stead.  That said, everyone relax.  New guys, I’ll get you some apartments in a few minutes, but first I need to make some phone calls.”

---

Fretfully, Nanoha watched as Benjamin floated in the medical-nanite bath.  She felt nervous and alone, seeing him like that.

Nanoha Takamachi is a strong girl.  While she didn’t make much of a big deal out of it, it was something that she privately prided herself on.

In that way, she is very much Japanese.  She thought a great many things, but she kept these things mostly to herself.  The only person she ever talked to about her inner-most demons was Fate, and even with her Nanoha was slow in coming out of her own shell.

It had only been recently when she met Benjamin when that really began to change.  While Fate and Nanoha were already close indeed, Benjamin gave her a sense of acceptance and trust.  He knew her deepest fears, and he accepted that.  Not as something to be ashamed of, but something that was a part of her.

At first, it had confounded her.  How could someone accept the negative aspects of someone’s personality?  But Benjamin had helped her there as well — had explained that true acceptance meant that you accept a person as a whole, even the bad parts, because it is also those bad parts that make a person who they are.  Not just the good, but the bad as well.

Once Nanoha understood this, it resonated sharply because she had the sudden epiphany that this was exactly how she felt about Fate.  Fate had some bad parts… but despite that, Nanoha had not only accepted her, but even gone out of her way to save her.

And this had only served to draw her even closer to Benjamin.  Because, like her with Fate, Benjamin had accepted her completely.  And the feeling that gave her was something she wanted to wrap herself up in.

In fact, having them both hold her at the same time was a sensation that was almost intoxicating — the sheer amount of calm, blissful contentment it gave her made her feel like everything else ceased to matter.  So long as she could have this feeling, then all was well.

Right then, though, she was as far from that feeling as she could possibly be.  Benjamin had been hurt.  Mortally wounded and placed in grave peril.  Only the quick action of his pet Masser had saved his life.

Anxiety is not a rational thing.  No matter the outcome, it will seize on the most negative aspects of a situation and not let go.  The simple fact that Benjamin had been in that kind of danger had ratcheted Nanoha’s anxieties to a level she had only felt at one other time in her life.

There was a touch at her shoulder.  Nanoha barely registered it at first until she heard a voice that brought the rest of the world back into focus.

“Nanoha?”

“Feito-chan!” she said in surprise — not at her friend’s sudden presence, but at the shock of being caught in such a state.  It was absolutely embarrassing to her Japanese sensibility of maintaining her facade.

“You don’t need to hide it,” said Fate.  “I know.  I’m worried about him, too.”

That was the last straw.  With that, the despair, worry, and sadness finally overwhelmed the levies she had worked so hard to build in her psyche.

Externally, it was a slow build-up as the tears began to well up in her eyes, her lips trembled, and her voice began to leak out despite her best effort to keep it contained.  But it was all for naught.

Fate received Nanoha with open arms as the girl began bawling.  She knew all too painfully well how much it hurt to keep that kind of sadness bottled up inside.  As she gently stroked the back of Nanoha’s head, she thought about how broken-up her most treasured friend must be feeling — that Benjamin had such a close brush with death, and all while Nanoha had been nowhere near enough to help him.

Failure.

That was something she could relate to.  The illusion that you had somehow failed in some terrible way.  That you weren’t good enough.

That was their common denominator.  Each of them, Nanoha, Benjamin, and Fate, had felt like they would never be good enough.  And while Nanoha was the least damaged of the three of them, she still felt it.  She still let it drive her actions.  Granted, part of that had resulted in Fate being rescued from Precia’s insanity, but it still meant that Nanoha had her own demons to conquer, just as Fate and Benjamin did.

A song that Benjamin had shared with her earlier in the week came to mind, and almost without thinking, Fate began to softly sing the words in Nanoha’s ear.

Well it's good to know that you'll be okay
I've been waiting for this
And I'll be there to sit while you pray
And no one's blaming me
I'm not supposed to waaaaaaiiiiiit
When they open up your heaaaaarrrt

I'll wait
I have been good
I understood
Like a machine they'll fix you from the start
I'm in repair
The life that we share
I know that I'll be lost in
But we're always in repair

And it's good to know that you'll drive away
From this car crash nightmare
And I'll be there to help you again
And there's no danger
We're just killing time agaaaaiiiin
While they order up new paaaaaarrrts

I'll wait!
I have been good!
I understood!
Like a machine they'll fix you from the start
I'm in repair
The life that we share
I know that I'll be lost in
But we're always in repair

Nanoha’s sobs quickly ceased once Fate began to sing the song, oh so gently into her ear.  She was utterly transfixed because she had never heard Fate sing before.  But now that she had…

Nanoha had never realized that she had such a sweet and beautiful sounding voice.  Just hearing it was enough to still her rampaging emotions.  But the words themselves struck a chord as well.  The message in there was clear.  That no matter what may happen, Fate will always be at her side.

Fate didn’t bother finishing the song.  The important parts had been said already.  She simply held Nanoha with the thought in mind: We’re all broken some way or another.  We’re always in repair.  But that was alright, because no one is perfect.  It was simply enough to be there for one another and love each other.

---

From Ben’s perspective, it had all been so very sudden.  One moment Washu had been saying goodnight to him, the next he found himself in another hospital bed… and that Fate and Nanoha had climbed into the bed with him — one to either side, sleeping on top of the bed covers and curled up at his sides.  Apparently, this wasn’t some off-the-cuff thing because the bed had been made wide enough to accommodate them all in comfort.

“Oh good, you’re awake,” came Washu’s voice.  Ben looked up and saw that she was poking her head in through the door.  She continued as she entered the room, “Well, that little fireworks show from earlier caught someone’s attention and they came a-knocking.  I was going to ignore them up until they said they were from the TSAB.”

Ben straightened up at that.

“They want to talk?  Now?”

“If you don’t mind.”

Ben shrugged.  “I guess it can’t hurt.”

Washu nodded and then waved someone in.  That someone was a woman somewhat unruly mint-green hair in a ponytail, mint-green eyes, and markings in the same color on her forehead - four bisected triangles in a diamond pattern with their apexes pointing toward the center.

Admiral Lindy Harlaown.

She stopped nearly in mid-stride, eying the tableau before her with some confusion.  Right away, Ben knew he was in trouble and vitriolically cursed himself for not asking exactly who it was before Washu let them in.

Lindy’s face hardened as she said, “Well, you look comfortable.”

Ben almost snorted despite himself.  “I was lucky.  It’s not every day you can tank a shot from Graf Eisen and still walk away intact.”

That stalled whatever tirade Lindy was about to go on as her expression suddenly shifted from ire to shock.

“You took a straight-on blow from Vita?”

“Not like I intended it,” said Ben with a shrug.  “I was on my way out when she tagged me.”

Lindy blinked.  “That’s not like her.  What did you do to deserve that?”

“I nailed her in the face with a 12.7 millimeter round from an anti-material cartridge.”

Lindy now goggled at Ben.  She had heard that Ben was using a mass weapon, but no one said anything about anti-material weapons.  The very idea - even if it was one of the Wolkenritter - was pure overkill by Lindy’s reckoning.

“What were you thinking!?”

“He was thinking of me,” said Fate softly as she began to stir, then gave Lindy a gentle smile.  “Hello Admiral Harlaown.”

“Fate!  What are you doing with this man?”

Her smile faded and Fate regarded the Admiral placidly.

“Benjamin is very important to me.  He’s a lot like me because of what he’s experienced.”

“What he’s experienced?” asked Lindsy.

“Yes.  He knows what it’s like.  To struggle in vain to try to please someone who won’t ever be pleased.  To always be afraid.  To be hurt by family.  It was so bad for him that it still haunts him even now.  For that, he understands me.

“But more than that… He made the impossible happen.  He brought Alicia back.”

“Yes, I heard about that, but-”

“LEAVE BIG BROTHER ALONE!”

Lindy could only look on in shock as a miniature version of Fate suddenly dashed in from behind her and interposed herself between Lindy and Ben, hands on her hips, chest thrust outward, and a solid hundred-watt glare on her little face.

“How did you make this happen?” asked the Admiral.  “I know that you made some kind of deal with Hild-sama, but no one told me the details.”

Ben tilted his head slightly and said, “What would you give to see Fate happy?”

“I…  I have no idea.  Not something like this.  I never thought it was even possible.”

“That’s the difference between you and me, Admiral.  I ascribe to James T. Kirk’s maxim: I don’t believe in no-win scenarios.”

“Who?”

“Quite possibly one of the greatest starship captains there ever was.”

“Right…  But this....  I...”  Lindy stopped, took a deep breath, then let it out slowly.  “I understand that you would want to help them,” she said.  “I really do.  But what in the world would make you go that far?”

Benjamin sighed and leaned back into his bed, as though recalling past events in order to tell a story.

This wasn’t far off from the truth.

“There is so much that has been denied me, Admiral, and so much that has been taken away.  To give Fate and Alicia something so dear and so precious, I would set myself on fire and give everything that I am and ever would be.

“The girls tell me otherwise, but life has taught me how little I matter to the world at large.  It cares not for the likes of me and will gladly grind me to pieces within its gears with nary a sign of effort.”

Benjamin then looked the woman in the eyes.  It was not a scowl, but the look in his eyes was so intense that it might as well have been one.

“How do I make a difference in such a world, Admiral?”

Lindy knew very well what he meant.  This world that she had found herself in was utterly antithetical to idealists.

“You set yourself on fire,” she said with a resigned regretfulness in her voice, “to light the way for others.”

“Don’t say such things,” said Nanoha as she stirred and wrapped her arms around his neck.  “You’re worth so much more than that!  Alicia is proof of that.”

“You too, Nanoha!?” said Lindy in shock.

“Unh,” replied the Takamachi girl with a nod of her head.  “I know it’s strange, but the very first moment I saw him…  I knew that Benjamin was special.  Just like Fate is.  He is very strong, but he’s been hurt so much — it makes me sad to even think about it.  But he is such a kind person, even though he would be justified in being angry and bitter at the entire world.  I don’t know of anyone that is that strong.  Not even my father or my brother could be what Benjamin is, and they are some of the kindest men I know.”

Lindy looked between all four of them and was confronted by resolute stares.

“I can’t do this right now,” she said with a sigh.  “But rest assured, we will have words about this matter later.”

With that, Lindy left.  Ben looked to Nanoha and Fate, who both only shrugged helplessly as Alicia joined them at their bedside.

Ben sighed.  “First Kaname, now Admiral Harlaown.”

“We already said that we’re going to wait,” said Fate.

“I know, Fate,” said Ben heavily.  “But for a lot of people, that won’t matter at all.  They’ll simply label me as a pervert and a monster.”

“That’s a lie!” said Alicia suddenly.  “Big brother is a good person.  I know he’d never do anything to hurt any of us.”

“But that’s the thing, Alicia,” said Ben gently.  “They don’t want to see the truth.  They only see what they want to see.”

“But the Admiral,” said Fate with worry, “why would she be like that?”

“Because she cares about you,” said Benjamin.  “She knows you’ve been through a lot, so she feels like she has to protect you.  It’s not really her fault.  She’s just in Mother Bear mode.  And with good reason, too.  Admiral Harlaown… she was supposed to adopt you.  Your name is supposed to be Fate T. Harlaown by now.”

Fate made a pensive expression at that.  “I… I know about that.  We had talked about it before all… of this happened.”  She then looked Ben in the eyes with a sad smile.  “But as thankful as I am to the Admiral, I think Fate Testarossa-Rhodes sounds better.”

Ben scoffed, both amused and bemused.  “Damn, girl.  You don’t pull your punches much, do you?”

“I never have.  Not when I have had to fight so hard.  My life… it may have been short so far, but it has been a constant battle.  But if this is what it takes for me to be happy, then I am prepared to keep on fighting.”

“That’s enough serious talk for you three,” came Washu’s voice from the door, drawing everyone’s attention.  “The other girls are putting together a sleep-over with Alyssa.  You should go and join them now.  Besides, there’s things Benjamin needs to take care of.”

“Alright then,” said Fate with an air of diplomacy.  “We’ll go.”

Nanoha and Fate then slid off the sides of the bed and turned to go, but Fate turned back one last time, pulling the others up short with her.

“We love you very much, Benjamin.  And we know what it means to you.  We’re willing to be patient.  We’re willing to fight.  We’re willing to be your family.”

With that, the three left the room, leaving only Ben and Washu together.

Once Ben was sure they were out of earshot, though, he finally let the burning tears come.

“God dammit all,” he cursed softly.  “Why the hell does it have to be this way?  They’re only children!  And I’ve done everything I can without saying ‘No’ outright!”

“It’s alright, Benjamin,” said Washu as she placed a comforting hand on his arm.  “I understand.  Believe it or not, I myself find it a bit strange.  Granted, having a crush at their age is perfectly normal.  But after everything that’s happened so far… normally a girl would have reevaluated her feelings long ago.  But those two continue to double-down each and every time.  Not that I can’t see why.  Nothing they’ve said so far is a lie.  But you would think that they would be at least a little bit frightened.  And yet, the only thing that frightens them is losing you.”

“It’s frightening me!” said Ben.  “I mean… I do want what they want.  For us to be a family.  And I just…  I just can’t say no to that!  So either way I would be out of my goddamned mind.  I can’t say no because I want it so much, but saying yes makes me out to be a child predator!”

Washu sighed at that because it was the truth.  There was only one thing she could say.

“Then maybe you should consider Princess Aeka’s offer instead.”

Ben closed his eyes and sighed, saying only one name.  “Vivio Takamachi.”

“I’m not sure who that is,” said Washu.

“She is the girl that Nanoha rescues and adopts as her own child later on when she’s an adult.  A very special girl.  And if Nanoha isn’t there?  Then that poor girl will have a very miserable life, spent as a living command and control unit of an interdimensional starship under the whims of a mad man.”

“… Oh.”  That was all Washu had to say on the matter, for it truly was a conundrum.  Messing with space and time was one thing.  Washu could do it so easily that she had been barred from doing so by the Galaxy Alliance.  But breaching the boundaries between universes… that had supposedly been what started this whole mess in the first place.

And yet, she had her doubts about that.  Something about it wasn’t lining up quite right, but for the life of her, Washu couldn’t quite put her finger on it, whatever it was.

Ben, for his part sighed and contemplated a terrible idea.

“Maybe we should erase their memories.”

“WHAT!?” cried out Washu, because for her this came so far out of left field that it defied all logic.

“Just… so they don’t remember me.  So I don’t have to break their hearts.  So they can go on and live…”  Benjamin scoffed.  “Well, whatever the hell counts as a normal life for those two.”

“Benjamin Michael Rhodes, that is horrible and you know it!”

“Well of course I know it!” he growled back.  “Since when has my life been anything but horrible!?”

Washu looked somewhat hurt by that.  “…I would have hoped that would be when we came into your life.”

His tears came once again, burning at his eyes as they welled over.

“No.  I am your caretaker.  Your custodian.  And I have no business being part of your lives.  And that should go especially so for Nanoha and Fate.”

“Even after what you did for Alicia?”

A beat.  “Yes.  Because after that I should have washed my hands of them and let them go live their lives.”

“But you can’t do that,” said Washu.  “Alicia is depending on you now.”

“And that’s why I should have had Nanoha or Fate — maybe even both — take on the role that I’m filling now.  I’m such a huge fucking moron for making that mistake.”

“DON’T SAY THAT!” yelled Washu suddenly.  “NEVER SAY THAT AGAIN!  THOSE THINGS HE TOLD YOU WERE LIES!  EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM!  YOU’RE INTELLIGENT!  YOU’RE INSIGHTFUL!  YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL!  EVEN IF YOU CAN’T WRITE POETRY, YOU STILL HAVE A POET’S SOUL!”

“…what use is any of that when all life does is invalidate my efforts?”

“Your efforts do matter!” cried out Washu.  She then said and said, “You keep working so hard for our sakes, Benjamin.  You have the right to be happy.  And even though this thing with Nanoha and Fate is strange, if it makes you happy, then I want to help you three out any way I can.”

His tears kept flowing because it hurt.  It hurt so much to know that someone cared for him that much.  That they wanted him to be happy.  So much that they would scream and rant and rave at him about it.

It wasn’t the idea that someone cared about him that hurt, though.  It was more the idea of why they couldn’t have come for him when he still could have been saved.  When he had first began to desire escape.

But that wasn’t her fault.  It was just life being unfair, as usual.  And so, it hurt.

“You need to get up,” said Washu at last.  “The others are waiting for you up in your apartment.  They want to talk about what happens next.”

Ben nodded his head sullenly.  No time for regrets.  No time for his feelings.  No time for him.

It was time to go to work.

---

In Ben’s living room, what he had taken to calling the Senior Council was sitting around his coffee table as a pot of tea and a carafe of coffee slowly cooled.  Washu, Noike, Teletha, Peorth, and Marlr.  This time they were joined by Gil Graham and Admiral Harlaown.

Ben had been assured by Washu and Noike that the Midchildan would be keeping things professional.  Any talk about his relationship with Fate and Nanoha was strictly forbidden.

“Sunuva fucking bitch, I really fucked up,” said Ben morosely as he palmed his face with both hands.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Benjamin,” said Marlr.  “God knows we all make mistakes.  Even the Megami mess up sometimes.”

“This isn’t a mistake I should have made.  I mean, how the hell do I make up for this?  Her parents could ask for my head and as far as I’m concerned, they’d be within their rights!”

“They won’t,” said Peorth, gently but firmly.  “They’re not the type of people that do that sort of thing.  They’re very well aware of the fact that as of late, danger has been lurking in the shadows.  They will know that it was not your fault that the Incubators had targeted little Alyssa.”

Ben grumbled impotently as he felt himself deflate with resignation.

“Alright.  Fine.  Whatever.  I’ll burn that bridge when I get to it.  What are we doing for Alyssa right now?”

Peorth wanted to say something about his passive-aggressive attitude, but Marlr put a hand to her shoulder.  Looking to the Demoness, Peorth saw her shaking her head in the negative with a deeply concerned look in her eyes.  Any other day, Peorth might have shrugged that off…

…But these days as of late have been far from ordinary.

Peorth nodded her head, signaling that she understood.  Better to let it go for now - confronting him right away would only rile Benjamin even more.

“We have her in my Lab,” said Washu.  “Of course she’s not alone there.  All the girls have put together a sleep-over to cheer her up.  They didn’t want her to feel alone.”

Ben sighed.  “Good.  That’s… I really mean it, that’s great.  Keeping her spirits up will help slow the corruption process.  So, making her a phylactery to take the place of her Soul Gem.  Can it be done?”

“It can,” said Washu with a nod of her head.  “But the tricky part will actually be moving her soul.  We’ll need Usagi’s help for that, but…”  Washu then looked to Peorth and Marlr.

“As the girl is still alive,” said Marlr with a mildly aloof tone, “it’s out of our hands.  The Megami may lend a hand with they wish to.”

Peorth shook her head.  “It’s as Marlr said.  Besides, with us needing to devote so much resources to restoring the Yggdrasil/Nidhog system, it would be best if you handle the things you can handle without our direct assistance.  Marlr and I are only here right now because the Daimakaichou and The Almighty want us to report on whats going on.  Keep in mind, this isn’t a negative reflection on your performance here.  It’s more that the situation has become elevated to such a degree that it warrants attention.

“Make no mistake about it, Benjamin: The Incubators and their masters are of grave concern to both the Heavenly and Infernal sides.  Even in an ideal situation, we would not be taking them any less seriously.”

Ben started to draw himself together.  There were things that needed to be done, and they had to be done, like yesterday even.

“Alright then,” he said.  “We’ll table Alyssa’s issue for later, as that can keep for a bit.  We need to do something about the Wolkenritter.”

“Normally that would be where I would supply some useful information,” said the Admiral from her side of the room.  “However, with such a radical alteration of their behavior, I cannot even begin to suss out their motives.”

Noike nodded her head.  “You mean how they were targeting Fate and Alicia.”

“Exactly.  Really, unless we find out who is pulling their strings, then even if we eliminate them, they can be respawned again and again.”

“This is part of what made the Book of Darkness such a terrible thing,” said Gil.  “Those poor people… Despite being magical constructs, they’re sophonts in every sense of the word.  And yet they’re forced to live out this brutal existence, serving one master after another.  The only blessing is that they have no real recall of their experiences with previous masters.”

Teletha chimed in a thoughtful look on her face.

“So, the question is: who would want them killed?”  Suddenly her expression shifted to one of realization.  “A FAMILIAR!”

Everyone else blinked in confusion, but Washu caught on right away.

“Are you sure of that?” asked Washu.

“I’m positive.  You saw it yourself, Benjamin - that the Fate clones all started to turn into familiars once Precia became a witch.”

“Yeah, that’s right,” said Ben, his expression still puzzled.  “You think one or two got out?  But if that’s the case, then why this?”

“The one thing Fate wanted the most in the entire universe,” said Teletha, “was to be acknowledge and loved by her mother.  If one of those familiars matured into a witch, a being which is comprised of nothing but negative emotions, then that longing becomes something evil.  Such as seeing Fate and Alicia as competition for her mother’s affections.”

Everyone was stunned into silence as it all rung true.

“Hooohhh-leeee-shit,” said Ben.  “That’s…  That makes sense.  A horrible, fucked-up sense, but yeah.”  He then shook his head in wonder.  “Now I’d just like to know how the hell it got ahold of the Book of Darkness, but I guess that doesn’t really matter now.”

“Indeed,” said Noike.  “For now, let’s focus on how we’re going to defuse this ticking time bomb.  Mr. Graham?  Admiral Harlaown?  You’re the ones with the most familiarity with the Wolkenritter and the Book.  We’ll gladly defer to your expertise in this matter.”

“Thank you, Noike,” said Admiral Harlaown.  “We’ve actually been thinking about that, and Hayate has informed us that she left a back door that will grant her and her alone access into the Book, just in case anything went wrong.  She’s absolutely certain that the Ultimate Defense Program doesn’t know about it since it has only recently reconstituted itself.”

“That’s remarkable!” said Washu in surprise.  “She managed to do that without upsetting the checksums?  She must be one hell of a natural at coding to pull that off.”

“But wasn’t that just because she named it,” asked Ben.  “As I recall, when it comes to magic, naming a thing gives a person incredible power over it.”

“The same applies to computers,” said Teletha sagely.  “If you’re able to gain enough access to start renaming everything, then you pretty much have full administrative access.  And supposedly, this so-called Book of Darkness is really just a strange operating system that manipulates and is powered by magic.  If that’s the case, then Washu-chan is absolutely right.”

Ben nodded at that.  Midchildan and Belkan magic systems were interesting in that way.  They were highly agnostic systems of magic where there was very little bullshit going on.  Everything was quantified and understood through the scientific process, and their version of modern spell making had much more in common with programming languages.  Ben wouldn’t be surprised if most applications of magic on Midchilda actually were considered to be engineering disciplines.

Lindy nodded sagely.  “It’s part of why I was sponsoring her afterward.  Her mage potential is phenomenal - even more so than Nanoha’s.  Her only problem is that her power looks like it will outstrip even her mathematical capability.  However, even though highly powerful spells require the ability to work with some incredibly large numbers, it doesn’t really matter when it’s in the league that Hayate is in.  That much sheer power has its uses, even if she never develops the sort of fine control that Nanoha has.”

Teletha spoke as she mulled that over.  “So, if Hayate has a back door, then we not only need to find the Book… but also occupy the Wolkenritter long enough for her to regain control.  And that’s to say nothing of dealing with the witch in its labyrinth.  But one thing at a time.  If the Wolkenritter have Fate and Alicia as their designated targets, then we can use the two to draw the Wolkenritter out.”

“Not Alicia,” said Benjamin with a note of finality that made it clear the matter was not up for discussion.  But he wasn’t about to leave it at that with nothing to support it.  “Fate, yes.  She can take care of herself.  But Alicia doesn’t even have a device, nor the knowledge to cast even a basic shield spell.  She is what she is now: a helpless child.  We do not endanger her life.”

“Agreed,” said Gil, his eyes downcast.  “I’ve already committed that sin myself.  I do not want to see anyone else make the same mistake.”

“That is acceptable,” said Noike.  “I wasn’t about to suggest it myself - it’s a horrible idea.”

Teletha nodded as well.  “I apologize if I upset anyone with that.  I was simply voicing my train of thought.  At any rate… We need to be cagey about this, because the Wolkenritter has already seen some of what we’re capable of.  They’ll be far more cautious this time around, especially if there is the slightest sign that Benjamin is on the field.”

Ben nodded his head.  “It’s like hunting wolves.  If they ever get even the slightest hint of a trap, they’ll turn tail and run for the hills.  Literally.”

“Very apt,” said Noike with an approving smile.  “You sure we can’t tempt you our way?  I would love to sponsor you at the GXP Academy.”

“I’d love to, Noike,” said Benjamin a sad smile on his face, “you know I do.  But with Nanoha and Fate… I’m not about to force that choice on them.”  Noike nodded in acceptance - she knew what the answer was going to be.  Ben wasn’t about to break the hearts of two little girls that he knew deserved better.

“At any rate,” said Washu, “I can create an advanced storming field to keep you under cover until the right moment.  Even if they hit it with active detection measures, it will keep you from being seen.”

Ben nodded.  “Sounds like we’ve got the general outline then.  Let’s put that on hold for now and hash out the finer details once all of our star players are up and about.  I’d like to get back to talking about what we’re going to do for Alyssa.”

“Not now you do,” said Washu suddenly.  “I need you back down in the lab, buster.  Your current physical condition is still incredibly precarious.  I only let you out of bed because we would be doing nothing more strenuous than talking.  And I fully intend on making sure that you properly recover.”

Lindy actually chuckled at that.  “Well then!  Who am I, an Admiral, to go against a medical directive from such a distinguished doctor?  We’ve done enough planning for now.  We can finish the rest tomorrow.  Washu-chan, Benjamin is all yours.”

Ben rolled his eyes and then spoke in a dull monotone.  “Oh no.  Someone save me from the legal loli mad scientist.”

He didn’t complain when Washu smacked him upside the head with a paper fan, but everyone else laughed at the sight.

Of course, that’s what Ben had intended.  If baiting the Rule of Funny lightened things even a little bit during these trying times, then he’ll gladly fall on that particular sword, again and again.

[robkelk]

First pass-through: I see you made the same mistake that I did. "Lotte" is the family name of Gil's familiars. The personal name of the shorter-haired sister is Aria.

[Black Aeronaut]

First pass-through: I see you made the same mistake that I did. "Lotte" is the family name of Gil's familiars. The personal name of the shorter-haired sister is Aria.

Fixed.

[Black Aeronaut]

So Brent was reading through this and mentioned in the Discord server that I was missing out on some potential characterization for Fate and Nanoha.  So, here's that relevant bit, revised and expanded.

---

At first, it had confounded her.  How could someone accept the negative aspects of someone’s personality?  But Benjamin had helped her there as well — had explained that true acceptance meant that you accept a person as a whole, even the bad parts, because it is also those bad parts that make a person who they are.  Not just the good, but the bad as well.

Once Nanoha understood this, it resonated sharply because she realized that this was exactly how she felt about Fate.  Fate had some bad parts.  At first, there had been her delusional commitment to serving Precia Testarosa, believing that it was her own shortcomings that was keeping Precia from loving her.

Despite that, Nanoha had not only accepted her, but even gone out of her way to save her.  It had take a lot of work on Nanoha’s part, and that of the Harlaown family, to convince Fate that she was a worthwhile person, and that it didn’t matter to them at all if she was a clone.

Even so, there were nights that Fate found herself in the grips of that sadness from before.  It was emotionally trying, almost to the point of pain, to experience her closest friend crying on her shoulder in the dead of night.  And Nanoha had to constantly reassure Fate that she loved her dearly, that Nanoha already cannot imagine life without her.

And it was thanks to Benjamin that she was beginning to see the parallels between herself and Fate, how they were both different, and yet the same as well.  Because Nanoha was starting to understand, again with Benjamin’s help, that she had her own fears, and that they were very real indeed.

And just like her with Fate, Benjamin accepted Nanoha, wholly and completely, even though he knew Nanoha had her issues.  He not only understood her insecurities, but he also wanted to help her come to grips with them.  Not to simply disregard them, but to acknowledge her fears and affirm that they were based on very real possibilities.  Benjamin had said that being afraid is part of what it means to be human.  It was both a weakness and a strength.  A weakness in that if you let your fears control you, they can destroy you.  And a strength in that if you master your fears, you can use them as guides to help weigh risks.

This love and wisdom that Benjamin shared with Nanoha had only served to draw her even closer to him.  That feeling of acceptance was something she wanted to wrap herself up in, both metaphorically and physically.

In fact, having both Benjamin and Fate hold her at the same time was a sensation that was almost intoxicating — the sheer amount of calm, blissful contentment it gave her made her feel like everything else ceased to matter.  So long as she could have this feeling, then all was well.

Right then, however, she was as far from that feeling as she could possibly be.  Benjamin had been hurt.  Mortally wounded and placed in grave peril.  Only the quick action of his pet Masser had saved his life.

Anxiety is not a rational thing.  No matter the outcome, it will seize on the most negative aspects of a situation like a mad dog and not let go.  Despite what Ben had taught her, the simple fact that he had been in that kind of danger had ratcheted Nanoha’s anxieties to a level she had only felt at one other time in her life.  Had she been in a better state of mind, she would have noted that it was ironic that the person counseling her about her fears wound up triggering them.

---

How's that?

[Black Aeronaut]

Oh, and have a nice taste of drama for the next chapter...

---

Jareth actually made a startled look at that.  “Are you serious!?  Odin has Chosen Dear Benjamin to be one of His Men!?”

Peorth nodded her head slowly, and Jareth suddenly spat out a series of words.  Though they flowed mellifluously, there was a vehemence present in the tone that spoke of great anger.

“Please forgive me,” said Jareth.  “That was nearly as upsetting as the news about the Incubators.”

Nanoha ventured forward.  “Is… is it really that bad?” she asked, uncertainly.

Jareth sighed and closed his eyes.  “Dear child, I have seen it only once before.  And it truly is that bad.  Because of Odin’s… Attention… Dear Benjamin’s lot in life will henceforth be fraught adversity.  Not only has fortune turned against him, but adversaries of all sorts will be drawn to him like moths to a flame.  And the analogy is apt.  Benjamin shall burn with a righteous fury and incinerate those that try him.  It is only on the battlefield where fortune will look the other direction and let his actions dictate destiny’s course, for that is his place.  Any other title he may bear has been rendered moot.  He shall be, first and foremost, and forevermore, a warrior.  It shall be his calling, his path, and his raison d'être.”

Jareth then looked Nanoha in the eyes.  “He will need all the love and support that can be mustered, but that is going to come at great cost to those around him, as they will share in the burden he must bear up under.  For that reason, dear child, I must ask you: is this the path that you so desire?  Benjamin will not hold you at fault for shying away.  It will hurt him, yes, but that is unavoidable in any case.  But he will never fault you for seeing to your own needs and desires.  Do you desire to walk his path and shoulder his burden, side-by-side with him?”

Ben suddenly spoke out.  “Nanoha, don’t say a word!”

Everyone suddenly looked in Ben’s direction with varying expressions of surprise and confusion.  Jareth in particular gave Ben the Vulcan Eyebrow, while Belldandy actually had a frightened look on her face.

Benjamin then panned his gaze across the room.

“That is a wedding vow,” he said slowly.  “And we have a King presiding over that vow, and two First Class Goddesses present as witnesses.  Call me paranoid, but that’s the way it felt just now.”

“Dear heavens, he’s right,” said Jareth quietly, shocked and awed not only by his own carelessness, but also at how Benjamin had been so quick to catch it.  He then looked around the room and explained.  “The question that I had thoughtlessly put to Miss Takamachi actually can be construed as a vow of matrimony.  And I am a King.  A ruler of a nation.  Such a vow with my endorsement would be binding as law in my Kingdom.  There are very few higher powers that may hold sway.  Suffice to say, when it comes to authority, the idiom ‘There is me and then there is God’ emphatically applies.  And with two Fist-Class Megami and a First-Class Demoness here to bear witness?  While it may not be a wish or a promise made by a First-Class, the Ultimate Force System would have acted on it.”

---

How do you like it?

[robkelk]

The expansion on Nanoha and Fate's scene looks good to me.

You already have my comments on Jareth's scene...

[Black Aeronaut]

So.  I was gonna post this like a week or so ago, but I realized that something was missing.

We needed a scene with our Tiny Adults doing their Tiny Adult Thing.

This is likely a bit controversial because we've got kids talking about sex.  But the thing is, this is actually perfectly normal for these Tiny Adults.

For one thing, it's been recognized by child psychologists far and wide that masturbation (or, at the very least playing with their genitalia) is something that happens at a very young age.  Often times as young as six months!  We just don't make much of it because, hey, they figured out there's something down there and they're curious about it.

What you don't often see is how it tends to progress from there, because we often tell our kids not to do that.  At the very least, not in public.  So they do it in private instead.  And the smarter ones?  They tend to figure out how to get the most out of it.

When you combine that with experiences that bring about precocious maturity - psychological traumas, environmental factors, liberal and open parents/guardians - you tend to get children who know a lot more than they let on about.  And they don't let on about it because they've been taught to keep that kind of stuff to themselves.

And then you got situations like this, where the Tiny Adults are holding their council, and then someone says the right words...

Thus, on with the show.

---

Chapter 5

Hours later, Benjamin strode groggily up to his apartment.  The last session hadn’t only been another genetic treatment, but also a recalibration of his motor cortex — the section of his brain responsible for voluntary muscle movement.  His strength had become amplified by both the gain in muscle density and the gain amplifier effect his M-A bioreactor granted.  And on top of that, his reflexes had been quickened to a remarkable degree by the conversion of his nervous system to rely on electrical synapses instead of chemically carried signals.  And thus, the need for his system to be recalibrated.

This meant a lot of violent and sudden twitches and jolts that left him feeling wrung out.  One might think that with all the “sleep” he was getting that he should be fine, but that was the irony of it all.  He needed that rest because he was already low on energy from his body healing itself.

He plodded through his apartment, shucking off clothes and dropping them on the floor without any heed of tidiness or order.  A few minutes in the bath left him clean.  He didn’t even bother with underwear or pajamas as he crawled into bed.

A chance look at his nightstand brought his eyes into contact with the crystal ball the Goblin King had given him at the Halloween Party.

“Huh.  Maybe Alicia can play a role…”

He then rolled over and fell right asleep.

---

Later that afternoon, Benjamin was up again, though still somewhat out of it.  After getting dressed and cleaning up the mess he made last night, he ate and then reconvened the meeting from last night.

“So first thing’s first,” said Ben.  “How are the girls?”

“They’re right as rain,” proclaimed Washu.  “Last night’s sleep over was a big success.”

“Great,” said Ben with a sigh.  “Any idea on how soon we’ll be able to move on a replacement for Alyssa’s soul gem?”

“I’m already working on the gemstone itself.  That’ll be ready by the time we’re done here.  I’ve already sent for Miss Tohsaka.  Fortunately, she kept a copy of the spell she used to create Alicia’s phylactery, so there should be no issues on that front.  And from what I’ve heard, Usagi’s already getting herself psyched up for this.”

“Awesome.  How soon can we do this?”

“The day after tomorrow.  She’s got got a test tomorrow that she needed to cram for.”

“Got it,” said Ben with a nod of his head.  “So, dealing with the Wolkenritter.  I had an idea about that last night, but I want to get your guys thoughts on the matter.”

Lindy, Gil, Noike, Teletha, Peorth, and Marller all shot looks at each other, then at Ben.

“What kind of idea?” asked Noike.

“The batshit crazy kind,” said Ben as he pulled out the crystal ball.

“…You can’t be joking,” said Marller.  “You’re gonna get the Goblin King involved?”

“Goblin King?” said Lindy in puzzlement.

“A very powerful fey,” said Peorth.  “As his title suggests, he rules over all Goblins.  And that means chaotic magic.  The kind that not many people can stand up against.”

“But why would such a person get involved?” asked Gil Graham.

“Well,” began Benjamin, “the Goblin King has a soft spot in his heart for children.  Especially children that are in danger.  He takes in children that have been wished away to him, and they eventually become goblins, living a happy and virtually care-free life.  And to protect them from harm, he has a massive labyrinth that surrounds his keep.  You see, there is a condition that someone can fulfill in order to take back a child that was wished away to the Goblin King, and that is to run his Labyrinth and solve it within thirteen hours.  The magics there are immensely powerful and ensure that anyone running the Labyrinth does so properly.”

“So you would wish away Fate and Alicia?” said Noike.  “Clever.  It would certainly distract the Wolkenritter.  But would it be effective in keeping the the Testarossa girls from harm?”

“The Wolkenritter will never even get the chance,” said Ben with certainty.  “They’re too straightforward — they’ll try and carve a hole through the Labyrinth because they’ll feel actually solving it is a waste of time, but the Goblin King’s power is far greater than theirs.  If they’re not careful, he’ll drop them into the Bog of Eternal Stench.”

Lindy blinked at that.  “I can understand how it would be unpleasant, but what is so terrible about that?”

Ben grinned.  But unlike his more often seen mischievous grins, this one was downright malicious.  And with his face, it made him look utterly villainous.

“It’s a magical curse.  If you ever even put a toe into the Bog of Eternal Stench, then you’ll smell like that for the rest of your life.”

Lindy grimaced at that.  While part of her doubted the veracity of what Ben was saying, a lot of things she once considered impossible had become not only become probable, but even common place as of late.  What more was a curse that made you smell odious to others on top of everything else?

Lindy, though, had one other qualm that she needed answered.

“But are you certain that you can run this labyrinth to get them back?”

“I might need some help with logic puzzles,” said Ben.  “But otherwise?  The Labyrinth is more of a test of one’s character than a test of knowledge and skills.  I have confidence in my ability to get through.”

“Alright then,” said Lindy.  “If you really are that certain that this Goblin King can do as you say… I propose that we bring Nanoha, Fate, and Alicia in on this before we move any further with this plan.  Is there anyone opposed?”

No one raised their voice.

“I’ll go get them,” said Washu as she then made for the front door.

---

Minutes later, the girls had all gathered in Ben’s apartment.  But not just Nanoha, Fate, and Alicia.

Declaring solidarity with their friends, Alysa, Suzuka, Fran, Hayate, and Sasami had all gathered with them — absolutely adamant in their refusal to let the other three go anything alone from this point on.

And so, Ben described his idea to them.

“Will it really be okay, though?” asked Fate right away.

“I’m sure it will be,” replied Benjamin.  “King Jareth is not an evil man.  He cares about children very much, and he wants all children to be as happy as his subjects in the Goblin Kingdom are.”

“But how will we contact him?” asked Allysa.  “He can’t possibly have a phone… can he?”

Ben smiled.  “He left me a means to do so.”  So saying, Ben took out the crystal ball that Jareth had given him.

“Oh, it’s so pretty!” said Alicia.

Ben smiled.  “It is.  Though for the Goblin King, these kinds of things are mere baubles.  Now, before I do this, I want to be sure.  Is this something you all will be okay with?”

Fate and Alicia looked to each other, and almost at once they both nodded.  They then turned to Ben and together said,

“YES.”

Ben nodded his head then sighed and looked into the ball.  “Goblin King, oh Goblin King.  This one respectfully requests your assistance.”

And just like that, he strode out of the kitchen like as though he was always in there.

“Benjamin!  What a surprise,” said Jareth genially, drawing surprised looks from everyone but Ben.  “I didn’t imagine that you’d call on that favor so soon.”  His face then became more sober.  “Though knowing you, you don’t do such things lightly.  Tell me what has happened.”

“You’ll want to sit down for this one, your Majesty.  It’s a hell of a thing.”

Once they were all seated, Benjamin explained the Puella Magi system, the Incubators, and the civilization they served.  At first, Jareth had been playing with one of his crystal balls, seizing the girls’ attention with the hypnotically smooth movements of his hand.

He stopped playing after the first minute.

And when Benjamin finished, there was a startling gun-shot report.  Everyone jumped at the noise, wondering where it had come from.

“Ah,” said Jareth, a rare look of embarrassment on his face.  “Do forgive me.  Benjamin’s tale was… quite upsetting.”  He then opened his hand to reveal what had been the crystal ball he was playing with earlier.  It was now millions of tiny, sparkling crystal shards.  With a gesture, the shards were gone.

“Anyhow, I know that you didn’t tell me this just to warn me about these… creatures.  How does this pertain to your current situation?”

“Well, we strongly suspect that a witch born of one of Precia’s familiars has gained access to a powerful device.  It’s called The Book of Darkness and it’s basically a grimoire and a magical computer combined.  It was once a benign thing, intended to be an automated archive of spells with an intelligent artificial mind at its core to make it easier to work with.  But as it passed through one set of hands after another, it was twisted into something incredibly sinister.  It became a tool of a mad man who added an ultimate defense system to the Book, as well as four guardians who are based on powerful warriors from the distant past.  And because the defense program was made by someone who was insane, it has a tendency to devour its own master and then go on a rampage.  When it gets to that point, the Book can hardly be stopped.  If you would pardon me, Your Majesty, it would give even you a great deal of difficulty.

“As this Book seems to have fallen into the hands of a creature based off of Alicia, we strongly believe that it’s delusional mind thinks that Fate and Alicia here are keeping its mother away from her.  So it’s sending these guardians out to kill them both.”

“I see,” said Jareth in an uncharacteristically flat tone.  “And I’m assuming that your desire is for me to keep Fate and little Alicia safe?”

“If you could, your Majesty, I would be grateful.”

Jareth waved that off, though.  “No need, Dear Benjamin.  I would gladly do it regardless of you asking it of me or not.  I will not even require you to run my Labyrinth to get them back.  Though now that I’m of a mind to think about it, I do need to speak with Lady Verthandi.  Now, did I not see a full length mirror here- ah good!  You are indeed well prepared.  May I borrow your phone for a moment?”  Benjamin nodded, unlocking his phone before handing it to Jareth.  The Goblin King then dialed a long series of numbers and put the phone to his ear.  “Lady Verthandi, I apologize for the sudden interruption, but could you be a dear and come down for a minute.  I’ve had a change in heart.  …Yes, Benjamin’s apartment.  He has a mirror set up here.  Thank you.”

Just as soon as Jareth had handed Ben back his phone, the mirror at the far wall glowed and Belldandy, clad in her Goddess costume, stepped through.

“Oh Jareth!” she exclaimed happily.  “It’s so good to see you again!  How is your kingdom fairing?”

“Quite well, milady Verthandi,” said the Goblin King as he bent the knee, taking the hand Belldandy offered, and gave it a respectful kiss.  He then stood straight and got right to the point.  “As I have said, I have changed my mind about your earlier request.  Dear Benjamin has informed me of a frightful state of affairs that I cannot and shall not abide.  So let it be witnessed here today, that I, Jareth, Ruler over all Goblinkind, shall accept any and all children that require refuge.  I shall send out my finest and most trustworthy scouts to look for these children so I may safeguard them from these Incubators.  Do you, Milady Verthandi, Goddess, First Class, accept my offer and make this into a binding promise between us?”

Belldandy nodded her head.  “I, Verthandi, Goddess First Class, do recognize the promise being made by Jareth, the Goblin King.  I accept this promise wholeheartedly, and shall render whatever assistance I am capable of giving.  So mote it be.”

With that, Belldandy raised her head skyward and a brilliant beam of pure, white light shot straight up to the ceiling from the mark on her forehead.  Energy suffused the air itself, stirring it and any loose papers that were about.

And then, just as suddenly as it happened, it was gone, and Belldandy turned to Benjamin with a mildly apologetic look on her face.

“I'm sorry about that, Benjamin.  I suppose I should have warned you.”

Ben shook his head though as he went to start gathering them all up.  “It’s no big deal.  I got them all numbered.”

“What was that?” asked Nanoha as she, Fate, and Alicia helped Ben gather the papers.

“That was the Ultimate Force System registering a promise,” answered Ben.  “It’s mainly to ensure a wish made with a Megami or a Demon is kept by altering fate and destiny.  Like when Belldandy and Keiichi first met, the Ultimate Force System made all kinds of ‘accidents’ happen to make sure they stayed together because of the wish Keiichi made.  But it will also work on promises made by a First-Class Megami as well.  Which is what we all saw just now.”

“Your Majesty,” said Lindy just then.  “Are you certain that Fate and Alicia will be safe in your care?  I have… concerns.”

Jareth looked to Lindy and stared at her intently for a short moment.  However, Lindy’s resolve was firm and she did not waver under the Goblin King’s gaze.

“I see,” said Jareth at length.  “So you wished to foster the Testarossa girls.”

Lindy said nothing in reply, maintaining her own gaze.

Jareth smiled wryly.  “Missus Harlaown, I understand your feelings on the matter, much more so than you can imagine.  That said, I assure you, they will certainly be safe in my custody.  My word is absolute law in my Kingdom, and it is backed by my magical power, which infuses and pervades my Labyrinth.  These Wolkenritter shall have no choice but to run that labyrinth.  And you can rest assured that they shall have a most difficult time of it.  I know what their intentions are, and thus, so shall my Labyrinth.  They will be hindered at every step of the way, at every turn, and at every challenge.”

“And what if I were to run your Labyrinth?” asked Lindy in challenge.

Jareth raised an eyebrow and tilted his head in mild puzzlement.

“You would wish to deprive Dear Benjamin of being in the company of these girls?” he asked.

Once more, Lindy held her silence and her gaze.

“Hmm,” said the Goblin King noncommittally.  “Troublesome.  Quite troublesome.  But this is the very crux of what it means to run my Labyrinth.  I know you care for the wellbeing of these girls.  However, your attitude is equally short-sighted.  The Labyrinth, as Dear Benjamin has told you, is more of a test of your character than anything else.  You seek to protect these girls, true.  But in the pursuit of their wellbeing, you also seek to harm Dear Benjamin.  And you haven’t even given any thought at all as to how they may feel about that, as well!  This makes the odds somewhat in your disfavor.”

“And Benjamin?” asked Lindy.

Jareth scoffed.  “Don’t be a fool, woman.  Benjamin already has my trust.  He will — and has! — laid not only his life on the line for the sakes of these girls, but his very soul as well.  If it is needed, he will bleed for their sake.  If it is needed, he will suffer for them.  If it is needed, he will exchange his life for theirs without even a second thought.

“Benjamin does not need to run my Labyrinth.  And that is because his very own childhood was a far greater test of his character than my Labyrinth could ever pose against anyone.”

“What do you mean?” asked Lindy.

Jareth then turned to Benjamin, an expression of askance on his face.

Ben shrugged.  “Might as well tell her.  I’ve given her a hint like an ACME anvil, but she probably didn’t believe it coming from me.”

Jareth nodded his head and turned back to Lindy.

“Tell me Missus Harlaown.  Do you recall Precia’s parting words to Little Fate?”

A shadow fell over Lindy’s face.  “How could I ever forget such cruelty.  That woman was insane.”

“Indeed,” said Jareth.  “Now, imagine a young boy having someone like that for a father.  And he would always say such horrible things to this child.  Can you even dream of what that would do to a person?”

Lindy quailed at that.  “But… that can’t be right!  There’s no way his father was that terrible.  It goes against all reason!”

“You FOOL!” thundered Jareth, and it indeed had sounded like an approaching storm as he whirled on Lindy.  “How can you be so blind!?  Is the world you come from such a wondrous utopia that you’ve never seen how hideous parents can be towards their own children!?  I see it EVERY DAY.  Children like Dear Benjamin was, ridiculed for being what they are, for what they cannot help!  Day in and day out, I see these priceless, beautiful gems being shattered!  And do you know what the worst part is?

“I CANNOT HELP THEM!  They are all beyond my reach.  Only those who are wished away to me, can I save, for I am bound by a higher set of laws.  I am not permitted to interfere except where I am expressly invited to do so.”

Jareth then sighed as he recollected himself.  “But that ends today.  Thanks to the contract I have entered into with Lady Verthandi, I can now intercede.  Even now, my finest officers and knights are sortieing to seek out the most endangered of children and to bring them into my fold.  Granted, I must leave their caretakers the option of being able to take them back.  But I suspect that not many will do so.  And that even fewer still will be successful.”

Lindy looked around the room in askance.  “Is… is it really that bad here?”

“Yes,” said Gil Graham.  “It is that bad.  In fact, when my own grandfather was but a boy himself, it was especially horrid.  Children that were unwanted or too great of a burden were often put to work in factories and treated little better than slaves.  They didn’t even have the most basic of safety mechanisms.  There were many tragic accidents where children lost their lives or were permanently maimed.”

“Things have improved substantially since then, for certain,” said Jareth.  “But there are still many places in this world where children must labor to support their families.  And then there are the parents that take their children for granted.  Children like Dear Benjamin was, once upon a time.”

Jareth then turned to Ben.  “I am terribly sorry for you, Dear Benjamin.  I am sorry that you had to suffer as you had throughout your childhood.  And I am so very, very sorry that I was never able to help you in your times of need.  If it had been possible, I would have gladly brought you to my Kingdom.  Your days would not, perhaps, have been peaceful, but at the very least I know you would have been happy there among my kin.  I even dare say that I would probably have knighted you in due time, and made you into one of my most trusted retainers.”

Ben didn’t know what to say.  It was difficult to say anything at all as he fought down the tears.

“I know, Dear Benjamin,” continued Jareth, reading him perfectly.  “Life has been most unjust towards you.  Why now?  Why not then?  I cannot say for certain myself.  In fact, I would dare say that not even the Megami can say for sure.  All I know is that you were beyond the reach of any of us, and we are all deeply regretful of this fact.”

Ben took in a deep breathe and let it out slowly, recentering himself.

“I understand, your Majesty.  And I do my best to content myself with what I have now.”

“Benjamin,” said Jareth gently.  “That is a lie and you know it.”

There were some startled looks from all corners of the room and some of the girls began to whisper between each other, confused at what was going on.

But not Nanoha.  And not Fate.  They were very well aware of what was eating at him, and they knew right then that Jareth shared their concerns.

“You are very much ill at ease with the situation.  You have all these people here who wish to call you their beloved brother.  And yet you shy away, hurting not only yourself, but them as well.  But I understand what it is you fear, Dear Benjamin.  You fear becoming ostracized by the only people who you feel can truly accept you.”  Jareth then shot a scowl at Admiral Harlaown.  “A fear that you, Admiral, have done nothing at all to put at ease.  Instead, you validate his fears.  You should be ashamed of yourself, woman.  While I can understand your own concerns, you should also be able to see how he agonizes!  He does not deserve to be put through this anguish.  Not when he has already been through Hell and only barely managed to survive the ordeal.”

“I would know,” said Marller just then.  “For certain, there’ve been worse cases.  But the simple fact that Benjamin never deserved that… you’d think he’d have a karmic credit for what he went through.  We’re still trying to figure out what the in the Blazes of Hell is going on there.”

Peorth then spoke up.  “It may be something to do with him being one of Odin’s Chosen.”

Jareth actually made a startled look at that.  “Are you serious!?  Odin has Chosen Dear Benjamin to be one of His Men!?”

Peorth nodded her head slowly, and Jareth suddenly spat out a series of words.  Though they flowed mellifluously, there was a vehemence present in the tone that spoke of great anger.

“Please forgive me,” said Jareth.  “That was nearly as upsetting as the news about the Incubators.”

Nanoha ventured forward.  “Is… is it really that bad?” she asked, uncertainly.

Jareth sighed and closed his eyes.  “Dear child, I have seen it several times before.  And it truly is that bad.  Because of Odin’s…”  And here, Jareth sneered as he forced the word out.  “Attention… Dear Benjamin’s lot in life will henceforth be fraught adversity.  Not only has fortune turned against him, but adversaries of all sorts will be drawn to him like moths to a flame.  And the analogy is apt.  Benjamin shall burn with a righteous fury and incinerate those that try him.  It is only on the battlefield where fortune will look the other direction and let his actions dictate destiny’s course, for that is his place.  Any other title he may bear has been rendered moot.  He shall be, first and foremost, and forevermore, a warrior.  It is to be his calling, his path, and his raison d'être.”

Jareth then looked Nanoha in the eyes.  “He will need all the love and support that can be mustered, but that is going to come at great cost to those around him, as they will share in the burden he must bear up under.  For that reason, dear child, I must ask you: is this the path that you so desire?  Benjamin will not hold you at fault for shying away.  It will hurt him, yes, but that is unavoidable in any case.  But he will never fault you for seeing to your own needs and desires.  Do you desire to walk his path and shoulder his burden, side-by-side with him?”

Ben suddenly spoke out.  “Nanoha, don’t say a word!”

Everyone suddenly looked in Ben’s direction with varying expressions of surprise and confusion.  Jareth in particular gave Ben the Vulcan Eyebrow, while Belldandy actually had a frightened look on her face.

Benjamin then panned his gaze across the room.

“That is a wedding vow,” he said slowly.  “And we have a King presiding over that vow, and three First-Class Celestials present as witnesses.  Call me paranoid, but that’s the way it felt just now.”

“Dear heavens, he’s right,” said Jareth quietly, shocked and awed not only by his own carelessness, but also at how Benjamin had been so quick to catch it.  He then looked around the room and explained.  “The question that I had thoughtlessly put to Miss Takamachi actually can be construed as a vow of matrimony.  And I am a King.  A ruler of a nation.  Such a vow with my endorsement would be binding as law in my Kingdom.  There are very few higher powers that may hold sway.  Suffice to say, when it comes to authority, the idiom ‘There is me and then there is God’ emphatically applies.  And with two Fist-Class Megami and a First-Class Demoness here to bear witness?  While it may not be a wish or a promise made by a First-Class Celestial, the Ultimate Force System would have acted on it.”

With that explanation, Nanoha felt a pang of betrayal.  Why would Benjamin have stopped that from happening?  Why wouldn’t he want to be married to her?  But then she looked into his eyes.  Even though he wasn’t looking back at her, she could see it — the fear and pain in those eyes — and then she remembered:

Not yet.

She was still a child in everyone’s eyes, albeit one who had a great deal of respect.  The danger that even a magically enforced marriage would pose to him would be so great that it could jeopardize absolutely everything.

“There is something very, VERY wrong here!” said Belldandy in a nearly uncharacteristic note of panic.  “And yet I felt nothing wrong about it while it was happening.  I was even happy about it!  Thinking about Benjamin and Nanoha being bound together like Keiichi and I felt so wonderful that I never even thought of how bad it could turn out!  It’s almost like as though this was a trap!  I’m sorry, but I must go report this immediately!”

But before Belldandy could reach the mirror, Benjamin stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.  Marller and Peorth barely suppressed audible gasps while Jareth was agog.

But Belldandy did indeed stop.  Not out of surprise, but because there was something that she sensed from Benjamin — an emotion that had yet to form into a coherent thought.

“You need to go see your husband,” said Ben quietly.

Empathy.  Pure, simple, empathy.  Because he knew so very painfully well how special it was for a significant other to take even a few seconds from their busy schedule to remind you how much they love you.  And with Keiichi so near by, it would have practically been a sin in Belldandy’s eyes to not visit her man before leaving.

At that, Belldandy suddenly turned, gently took Ben’s head in her hands, and tipped it downward so she could lay a loving kiss on his forehead.  And then she hugged him tightly.

“You really do not deserve this hardship,” she said quietly.  “Thank you.”  With that, she left through the front door at a pace that was nearly a run.

Ben sighed heavily and turned to everyone else.

“Okay.  I have no idea for sure what is going on, but I am pretty sure every one of us needs a break right now, because that was the dictionary definition of ‘intense’.  Take two hours, everyone, and decompress a bit.”

There wasn’t a single dissenting voice in in the group as they broke up and exited the apartment.  All except Noike, Peorth, and Lindy.

“What the hell just happened?” said Lindy suddenly.

“I just damn-near got married,” said Benjamin grumpily. 

“We know, Benjamin,” said Noike in a calming tone.  “But I think that what the Admiral really means is, ‘How did this happen?’”

Everyone looked to Peorth, and the Goddess sighed.

“How in Heaven we didn’t realize what was happening…”  She trailed off as she was well and truly flummoxed.  “I have no idea.  I am going to be honest with all of you.  I am scared right now.  And so is Belldandy.  This is far from normal behavior for us, and there seems to be a force at work here that is as subtle as it is powerful.”  She then sighed and gave a wan smile to Ben.  “By the way, Benjamin?  Good call on telling her to go see Keiichi.  That was exactly what she needed just now.”

Ben sighed.  “Yeah… just… yeah.  Thanks.  I… I know I don’t sound very thankful.  I just knew she was scared and that seeing Keiichi would comfort her.”

“It’s fine, Benjamin,” said Noike.  “You’re just stressed out.”  She then looked to the others.  “We should give Benjamin some space… but I’ll ask Washu-chan to come up and give Ben a check-up.”

“Thanks, Noike,” said Ben quietly.  “God help me I could use a hard cider right about now.”

---

As everyone made their way from Ben’s apartment, the younger girls all stayed together as a group and entered the apartment being used by Alyssa, Suzuka, and Francesca.  Hayate needed a bit of extra help, her being confined to a wheel chair, but no one even dreamed of leaving her out.

They all had their own council to keep.

Alicia led it all off.  Her being able to feel Ben’s emotional state, whether she liked to or not, left her feeling his turmoil almost like as though it were her own.

And Alicia cared deeply enough about Benjamin that, as far as she was concerned, his turmoil was hers as well.

“Big Sis?  Why did Big Bro stop that from happening?”

Everyone shot searching looks at each other, even though Fate was the one being put on the spot.

“He was afraid, Alicia,” said Fate gently.

“I know that, Big Sis!” said Alicia in frustration.  “But what was Big Bro afraid of!?”

Fate sighed as she reflected upon the memories she had from Alicia when Precia was sane.

“From what I’ve seen,” began Fate, “life here for children like you or me on UAW97 is very different from how things are on Midchilda.  If what Mr. Graham said is true…  I can’t even imagine what it must have been like to be a little girl in that time.”

Alyssa felt bad in particular because of how she had reacted to their relationship in the past.  Because of this, she felt like she had the best cultural context for the matter and spoke up.

“They made these laws to protect us,” said the young American girl.  “After our misunderstanding, I looked into it.  Here in the USA, it used to be fine for someone like Benjamin to be married to girls our age.  But that was a long time ago.  People began to feel that a lot of girls were being taken advantage of.  And it’s true, that was the case in a lot of situations.  A lot of these men… they only wanted a little girl so they could…”

Alyssa trailed off and looked around the room.  There were many wide-eyed expressions as every one of them has had The Talk before.  However, Alicia was the biggest surprise.

“You mean so they could have sex?”

Everyone else turned red.

“Uhm… Alicia?” asked Nanoha.  “How do you know about that?”

Fate blushed as well.  “It’s… embarrassing.”

Alicia nodded as well.  “It kinda is, but not for me.  Mo- Precia was never married.  Some nights she would go out and come home with a man, all smelly from too much alcohol.  They’d make all kinds of noises in her room, so I got curious one night and sneaked inside.  It was pretty easy because they were making way too much noise to notice me.  It looked pretty scary at first, but then I saw that Precia actually liked it.  She liked it a whole lot.  She even kept saying more more more!  So I asked her about it the next day and she told me about sex and how I was made.”

All eyes then turned to Fate for confirmation.

“It’s… true,” said the ruby-eyed girl.  “I’ve… known about it for a long time.  She was… very open with me… with us.  She told us everything about it, but said we should wait a while longer.  That it could be bad for us because we’re still growing.”

Alicia grinned.  “Not that it kept us from trying a few things when no one was around!  And I know for sure Big Sis and Nanoha have been having fun together~!”

“Aliciaaaaaaaa!” cried out both Nanoha and Fate together, suddenly having a strong desire to find someplace to hide and never come out again.

Fran was blushing, too, but had a thoughtful look on her face.  So did Suzuka, but without the blush.  She simply looked at her friend, Alyssa, with that thoughtful expression.  Alyssa, though, had gaped in shock, scandalized at what her friends had been doing behind their backs.

Hayate blushed as well.  “I’ve known for a while myself.”

“You have!?” Alyssa in surprise.  “How!?”

“Well, I spent a lot of time around doctors and nurses because I’m an orphan.  I had no family at all to care for me.  Even the house I lived in was in a medical campus for people who needed constant care like I did.

“This meant that sometimes I’d hear them joking about… things… when they thought I couldn’t hear me.  So, I eventually asked about it.  One of my nurses was a very nice woman, so she explained everything to me… thing is, though, is that she gave me a complete lesson using medical textbooks and medical terminology about sex and reproduction.”

Everyone gawked at Hayate, except for Sasami.  She simply raised an eyebrow, much how Benjamin would.

“I cannot imagine how weird that was,” said Alyssa.

Hayate laughed hysterically.  “I know, right!  What was even worse was after that, I managed to find a computer with an unfiltered connection to the Internet.  Now that was an eye opener!  I never realized that making a baby could be so much fun.”

“OH MY GOD, YOU’RE AN ERO-GIRL!?” cried out Alyssa in horror.

“Well,” said Fran thoughtfully.  “That explains why you’re so grabby in your sleep.”

Hayate chuckled sheepishly.  “Eh-heh.  Sorry?”

Sasami, though, felt they were drifting off-topic.  She had things to explain to her friends, and sharing your life with a Goddess gave one an interesting perspective on things.  And this was on top of living on such a liberal world as Jyurai.

“Getting back to Benjamin,” said the blue-haired girl, “It’s alright with me because it happens a lot back in my home.  Even the common people who are not bonded to Royal Trees tend to live at least three hundred years.  With lives that long, even the age gap between Benjamin and Nanoha would not seem strange at all.  That said though… we’re really no different from the humans here on Earth in that we have a limited amount of ova cells, so we still run out after about three decades.  Four if you’re lucky.  And because of that, a lot of us girls on Jyurai want to start as early as possible.”

“But can’t you extend that with advanced medicine?” asked Fate.

“We can,” admitted Sasami.  “But the human body doesn’t work well that way.  The process in which these cells either mature into ova or decay helps regulate our hormones.  If we tamper with that, we can develop all kinds of issues, like hormonally related cancers that are resistant to treatment.”

“How do you know all of this?” asked Suzuka.

Sasami gave a somewhat sad smile.  “Because part of me is the Mother of Trees on Jyurai - Tsunami no Ki.  I… know a few things a girl my age shouldn’t know.”

There was a beat of silence as everyone took that in.

“So waitaminit,” said Alyssa all the sudden.  “You mean you’re a Goddess?”

“Not quite,” said Sasami.  “I’m technically known as a ‘Choushin’.  We’re very close to being Gods, but not actually.  But it’s close enough that normal people can’t really discern the difference without being told.  And even then, some people will believe what they want to believe.  This is part of why Tsunami gave her power to the people of Jyurai.  They understood her when she told them she is not a God, and they have respected that wish of hers.  She is a great power, yes.  But not something you’d venerate like a God.

“It’s also why we have so much trouble with the people of planet Airai.  They’re a theocracy that wants to worship Tsunami, but my people do not permit them to do so because we know she’s not actually a God.  We also know that if we allow them to make pilgrimages into our territory, they’ll start converting our people to their religion, and then we’ll lose Tsunami’s support.  The Airaians have made several wars on my people because of that.  But thanks to Tsunami’s power, they’re always repelled from our territory with minimal loss of life.”

“Still,” said Alyssa.  “That has to SUCK.”

Sasami sighed.  “It does, but we’re off-topic.  Again.  Getting back to where I left off…  Like I was saying before, because of our limited time of fertility, some of us prefer to start as early as possible because if we’re not careful, we can quickly run out of chances to have children.  Big Sister was supposed to be married when she was fourteen, but things kept happening.”

“What happened?” asked Suzuka.

“The Prince kept finding reasons to be away from home, but he eventually left chasing after a space pirate and didn’t come home after that.”

“Wasn’t that your big brother, Prince Yosho, though?” asked Alyssa.

“Yes,” said Sasami, knowing what would come next.

“WHAT!?” cried out Alyssa.  “BUT…  Your brother!?  And your sister!?”

Sasami, though, shrugged nonchalantly.  “Our mother and Yosho’s mother were very close.  They wanted the family to stay together.”

“Huh?” said Alyssa in confusion.  “Two mothers?”

Sassami nodded and Fate jumped in at this point.  “It’s the reason why we decided to have Ben with us, together.  Princess Aeka told us about it when were having trouble deciding which one of us should be officially married.  Polyandry is common where Sasami is from because there’s always more women than men there.  And though it’s not really common on Midchilda, it is allowed there as well.”

“But still,” cried out Alyssa, “your brother!?”

“It’s allowed on Jyurai,” said Sasami.  “But mainly because it doesn’t happen often enough to be an issue.  Most families grow up very close together so all the children recognize each other as siblings.  But sometimes someone is born after the oldest siblings have already left to lead their own lives… and because they grow up apart from each other, they never really see each other like siblings, even though they know about it.  So sometimes?  Sometimes they fall in love with each other.  There’s not a lot you can do about that, and on Jyurai, we believe people should be free to do as they like, so long as they aren’t hurting anyone.  All of our laws center around that concept, and there’s a lot of ideas that never become laws because they violate that concept.  And it’s a “sometimes” out of a “sometimes”.  That’s not really a lot of “sometimes” if you stop and think about it, so like I said before, it doesn’t happen often enough to be an issue.”

There was a beat of silence before Hayate said, “Well, If brothers marrying sisters over there is okay, then I guess this thing with Nanoha, Fate, and Benjamin would be considered absolutely normal by comparison.”

Suzuka then smiled and said, “I think I’d like to visit someday.  It sounds like fun.”

“Of course you would,” said Alyssa wryly.

“You didn’t complain,” said Suzuka placidly, instantly piquing everyone’s interest.

“Please don’t,” said Alyssa.  “Not here.”

“Here is fine,” countered Suzuka.  “They’re our friends and given what we’re talking about, that’d be like the pot calling the kettle black.”

Everyone seemed to lean closer to the pair with intent stares and straining ears.

Alyssa sighed.  “Remember when my Mom was here and she said it was fun to kiss another girl?  And Suzuka said she wouldn’t mind?  Well, Suzuka and I tried it and…”

Suzuka reached out, took Alyssa’s hand in hers, and said, “We’re a lot closer now than we were before.”

There was an outpouring of exclamations, but these were all in the positive tone as the friends all drew closer together to congratulate the two and give them both hugs.  Suzuka accepted the well wishes with grace, while Alyssa felt bashful about it.  Nonetheless, the little American girl felt heartened by her friends’ acceptance.

“But… yeah,” said Alyssa once everything died down.  “It’s why I made that wish with Kyubey.”  Right away, that brought sobriety crashing back down on the group.  “Hey!  It wasn’t like I knew he was one of the Bad Guys at the time.”

The others then murmured to each other, and came to a quick consensus.  No, Alyssa couldn’t be blamed.  Not at all.

“Anyhow,” continued Alyssa, “Suzuka and I were already talking about it… how she’s gonna live a lot longer than I am.  She’d offered to turn me-  No, sorry, she calls it The Embrace.  She’s offered to give me The Embrace when we’re old enough.  But… I don’t know about that.  It’s… it just feels like a big deal to suddenly give up being human.  I wouldn’t have been able to go out in the sun for a long, long time.  The only reason why Suzuka can is because her parents are both very powerful, and she got a good share of that power from them because she was born as a vampire.

“So, when Kyubey showed up, it was like exactly what I wanted.  I could have all the power I needed right away.  Enough power that I can be with everyone.  That I can face the same dangers as you do.  I can finally stand by your sides, no matter what happens.  So I wished that I could always be together with the people I love.”

Alyssa’s expression then brightened.  “And that’s why I can do THIS now!”

Just then, two portals rimmed with green magical energy appeared.  One was at Alyssa’s side, and the other was in the middle of the coffee table.  Alyssa then stuck her arm through the portal at her side and it came up through the portal in the coffee table.

“See!” said Alyssa proudly.  “Kyubey said all Puella Magi have a special magical talent that sets them apart from each other.  And this is mine!  I call it The ACME Instant Hole — just like the ones from the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote cartoons — and I can make one anywhere I want, even in places I can’t see.”

“But how?” asked Nanoha.  “Even Shirai-san has trouble doing blind teleports.  She has to know exactly where she’s going, first.”

“That’s the amazing part!  My ability let’s me… Well, I guess you can say that I can ‘feel’ around the area I want to put the other end of the hole.  I can even tell if the conditions are safe on the other side, so I’m not opening it up into a lava pit or anything like that.  I can go anywhere so I can be with anyone whenever I want.  Distance and time will never stop me from being with my friends!”

“But what about Suzuka living longer than you?” asked Fate.

Alyssa smiled.  “That was part of the reason why I made the wish.  As a Puella Magi, I can heal my body perfectly.  That means I can even undo aging, so I can practically live forever!”

“Wow,” said Nanoha.  Her face then took on a thoughtful cast.  “But… what about the rest of us?”

“It will be something we will need to face in due time,” said Suzuka.  “This is something that my parents and sister have always warned me about.  I will always outlive everyone who chooses not to accept my Embrace.  So I will always need to be careful about the people I choose as friends.”  She then smiled wryly and said, “Of course, Nanoha being Nanoha, I didn’t have much choice in the matter.”

That got a much needed round of laughter.  Nanoha herself gave a nervous chuckle as she rubbed the back of her head.

“I guess I kinda was forceful, wasn’t I?”

“It’s alright, Nanoha,” said Fate consolingly.  “If not for you… I do not know what would have happened to me.  But I don’t think that I would have lived for much longer.  You not only became my friend.  You saved me.  You picked me up and carried me.  And you always remind me that I am someone who deserves love.”

“And that brings us back to Benjamin,” said Suzuka, and just like that a slight feeling of depression settled on the group like an overcast sky of iron-gray clouds.

“What can we do?” asked Fran.  “The laws here are very strict in this matter.  You can’t even pretend to be in love with him because some people are nasty enough to report it to the authorities.  Even if they know it’s pretend, they’ll do it because they like to use the law to hurt people.”

“And that is part of why Benjamin is so afraid,” said Sasami.  “Even being close with us is dangerous for him.”

“So why did he stop us earlier?” asked Nanoha.  “If the Ultimate Force System is that powerful, then wouldn’t it make it okay somehow?”

Sasami shook her head.  “I watched the anime so I could see what kind of people the Megami are.  The thing about the Ultimate Force… when it comes to keeping people together like that, it will do just enough and nothing more.  Keiichi and Belldandy had a lot of trouble finding a place to live because of it.  While Keiichi’s wish kept them together, it said nothing about their living conditions.  They did eventually find a place, but it was a close thing.  They almost had to sleep in the streets, and Keiichi actually caught a cold because he had to ride his motorcycle in the rain.  He gave his coat to Belldandy, who was riding in his sidecar.”

“I see,” said Suzuka thoughtfully.  “So even if it was okay by the Ultimate Force, it doesn’t mean that there wouldn’t be troubles.  Something really bad could still happen.  Most wedding vows are until death, so while it’s likely that Ultimate Force could do things to keep Ben and Nanoha together… how long that time may last, though, could be very short if Death intercedes.”

Nanoha felt the blood drain from her face.  “No!  Anything but that!” she cried out.

“It’s okay, Nanoha,” said Fate as she wrapped her arms around her closest friend.  Fate now understood very well about her friend’s fears and insecurities.  She knew right away that Nanoha needed to be reassured.  “Benjamin knew better.  He was very wise to stop it before anything could happen.  He is always thinking of us.”

Nanoha felt herself melt.  The very idea of something happening to Benjamin like that made her tense up so much that her relaxation in Fate’s embrace was noticeable, even to her.

“He always is, isn’t he?” said Nanoha, her voice muffled under Fate’s shoulder.  “He always gives me more and more reasons to love him.  And I already don’t want to live without him… or you.”

“You will never be rid of me,” said Fate, who then grinned somewhat mischievously and added a quiet, yet theatrical villainous laugh.  “Mua-ha-ha-ha.”

Once again, a round of giggles rippled through the group of girls - it was well understood that Fate was not really a villain, but she still stuck to her black barrier jacket, saying that nothing else would suit her quite as well. Hence, everyone made gentle humor out of Fate never actually having given up the villain’s role.

(The Galaxy Fraulein Yuna cosplay they sprung on Benjamin once came really close, though.  However, Benjamin had somewhat spoiled that, but for good reason.  The costume had extremely little coverage of her nether regions, and Benjamin knew that could only lead to trouble as it was just one accident away from becoming horribly ecchi.  He would only give the cosplay a pass if Fate wore spats under it.  What Ben didn’t say was that in a few years, the girl would be able to bring rush hour traffic to an utter standstill in that costume, spats or none.  She was already eye-catching in it with her natural beauty and innocent smile.)

While the moment was sweet, though, Hayate sensed a need to move things along, so she took the floor next.

“So I guess it’s safe to say that it’s a good thing that Ben stopped things when he did.  But something about that still bothers me.  That Goddess, Belldandy?  I get the feeling that she’s not someone that panics easily.  Is what happened here really that bad?”

Sasami nodded.  “It is.  Belldandy should have been the one to stop things.  And she would have done it in a calm and demure manner.  Letting it go on like that was very unlike her, and she knows it.  That’s probably why she’s scared right now.”

Everyone mulled that over for a moment before Suzuka spoke next.

“I believe I’m starting to see why everyone is so afraid.  Belldandy-sama is a Goddess.  What’s more, she is a First-Class Goddess.  Nothing should be able to control or influence her will that easily.  And yet, here we are.”

“Jesus,” said Alyssa fervently.  “You’re right.  That is scary!”

“But what can we do about it?” asked Hayate.  “If even a Goddess is being manipulated…”

There was a moment of silence at that.

“We remain vigilant,” said Sasami at last.  “Fate.  Nanoha.  I have no doubt in my heart about your feelings for Benjamin.  But, as we’ve all concluded, something about this situation isn’t right.  I do want you three to be together.  But for now, we must be absolutely careful.  I would like to suggest that we always have one other person around when you’re together with Benjamin.  This will keep other people from being able to accuse him too easily.  And we can keep watch for any unusual events that could cause problems for you three.”

“Agreed,” stated Suzuka.  “There is safety in numbers.”

“I’m up for it,” said Alyssa.  “As long as you two don’t mind.”

Nanoha shook her head.  “No, it’s fine.  You’re our friends, and Fate and I know you won’t say or do anything to hurt us.”

“Okay,” said Hayate.  “We can work out the details later.  But right now, I think we should be doing what Benjamin said and take this time to relax.”

There was a round of agreements at that.  Thus, they went straight to work, fixing snacks and setting up some games to play.

---

“You’ve been through a lot lately,” said Washu as she waved the scanner of a medical tricorder over Benjamin.  One might think that the great Washu Hakubi would disdain Federation technology of the 24th Century, but she actually found the medical tricorder to be a handy device, capable of performing all kinds of medical diagnostics in the most adverse conditions imaginable.

As for how she got it?  She wasn’t telling.

“Hah,” said Ben, in a humorless laugh.  “What was your first clue?”

Washu gave Ben the stink-eye.  “I’m trying to be empathetic here.”

Ben deflated as he sighed.  “I know.  Sorry.  You don’t deserve that.“

“Neither do you, really,” replied Washu gently.

“I keep hearing that,” said Ben tiredly, “but it doesn’t seem to change much.”

“Things have been changing” said Washu as she stored the scanner back in its receptacle on the tricorder and snapped it shut.  “Quite a lot, in fact.  Your physical health is better than it’s ever been.  And on that topic, you need to start eating more.  Right this instant, actually.  You’re already starting to metabolize your fat stores.”

Ben nodded.  “Right.  Self care.  Got it.”

“Nothing big for now,” continued Washu.  “Just snack on something and take a nap.  You had a really bad scare today, and that’s on top of everything else you’ve been through.”

“Should I really be sleeping at a time like this?” asked Ben.

“YES!” snapped Washu, though more out of concern than anger.  She then pleaded with him, saying, “Benjamin, you just had a near-death experience.  You can’t just walk it off.  And if you keep on persisting, then I have Lord Phantomhive on speed dial.  He will have Sebastian strap you to your bed if he has to.”

“Alright, alright,” said Ben, relenting.  “I’ll get a nap.  Just… could you please wake me?  You know how I get once I hit REM sleep.”

“I will,” answered Washu comfortingly.  “I promise.”

“Thanks.”

She then turned to leave, but then paused as something occurred to her.  She then turned back to Ben.

“You know, you could probably use an assistant.  I can’t keep doing this all the time.”

Ben mulled that over for a second before answering.  “I suppose you’re right.  But who would I have as an assistant?  Not Kaname.  Teletha is right out.”

Washu nearly winced at that.  Teletha was right out for a lot of things that had her directly interacting with Benjamin - nearly two months since The Incident and he was still upset with her.  But more than that, Washu had been ashamed of herself.

As were the others.

Benjamin’s scathing indictment that they stood by and did nothing to help him was an uncomfortable truth.  The reasons varied, for certain.  But the point was that he was absolutely right.  Even as Benjamin grew more and more visibly agitated and stressed.  He had been dropping all kinds of hints, and was yet still ignored.

Washu had no idea why they had let it get that far.  It was not like them.  Or at least, not like her.  Or Noike, for that matter.  She would have put a quick end to the situation, but for reasons beyond the woman’s reckoning, she never saw the need for it.

And now there had been this situation with Nanoha and the Goblin King.

Very strange, this, she thought to herself.  It was like someone was manipulating them.  Just like how Mii, Ami, and Rob had been manipulated.  And that raised an even more troubling question: what if it was the same case with Benjamin, Nanoha, and Fate?

That was worrying.  Rob did not have Benjamin’s foibles.  He didn’t suffer greatly from severing that connection between himself, Ami, and Mii.  But Benjamin was… Well, there was no easy way to say it: Benjamin was fragile, but for good reason.  And despite their age, this unwavering love they were giving the man was exactly what he needed in the aftermath of what Teletha had done to him.  Washu didn’t even want to consider the possibility because of what it might do to Benjamin.  His psyche was already brutalized.  Any more might send him careening over the edge.

But just now?  It was clear that someone or something was pulling their strings.  However, Benjamin had not been fooled this time.  He caught it in the act and brought things to a screeching halt before something very hard to undo could happen.

Very, very curious, that.  Could it be that the manipulation was magical in nature, and thus Ben’s antimagic ability thwarted it?

In the meantime, Ben continued, unaware of Washu’s musings.

“Noike has the skills, but that’d be a gross misuse of her talents.  And she’s already spending a lot of time with Teletha working out scenarios.  Tenchi has neither the skill nor experience.”

“You may be approaching this the wrong way,” said Washu, setting aside her previous train of thought.  “An artificial assistant would probably suffice.”

“What, like an Intelligent Device?” asked Ben, catching on to what she was getting at.  “But it wouldn’t work with my AMF.”

“Who says that it has to be magitech?” replied Washu breezily.  “It can still be based on the same concepts and ideas as Midchildan devices, but made with my technology.”

“Okay, there is that,” admitted Benjamin.  “But anyhow…  yeah.  Food, then sleep.  We can talk more about this later.”

“There is one other thing we need to do tonight after we make our plans,” said Washu.

Ben raised an eyebrow.  “What’s that?”

“We need to get you properly trained in the weaponized uses of your antimatter organ.”

“Won’t that take a while?” asked Ben.

“Not really.  We’ll do the hard part the same way we did your language packs.  And while we’re at it, we’ll implant some combat skills as well.  Your abilities with a firearm are good, but that’s not going to cut it with adversaries like the Wolkenritter.  Fortunately, though, you now have the physical strength to face them on even footing.”

Ben nodded.  “Alright then.  You have no argument from me.”

---

Two hours later, Benjamin was awake and feeling a bit better.  He was definitely still bothered by the events that had transpired earlier, but that was something that had to wait for the time being.

They had a mission to plan out.

[robkelk]

“WHAT!?” cried out Alyssa. “BUT… Your brother!? And your sister!?”

They're royalty. If you really want to be scandalized, look up Egyptian Middle Kingdom Pharaonic marriages some time.

He would only give the cosplay a pass if Fate wore spats under it.

The way Mikoto wears them under her school uniform skirt.

nearly two months since The Incident

This says the story is taking place in mid-November, if The Incident is the one between Ben and Tessa described in the story where Kurz and Melissa are rescued from Camp Bullis...

Very strange, this, she thought to herself. It was like someone was manipulating them. Just like how Mii, Ami, and Rob had been manipulated.

... but this says the story is taking place in late-December at the earliest.

Thus, one must assume that there is a different incident that's The Incident.

[Black Aeronaut]

Ah, I forgot that was in December! I'll take another look at the timeline and apply some fixes.

[Black Aeronaut]

For whatever reason, my brain is only just now getting around to thinking about your other comments...

“WHAT!?” cried out Alyssa.  “BUT…  Your brother!?  And your sister!?”

They're royalty. If you really want to be scandalized, look up Egyptian Middle Kingdom Pharaonic marriages some time.

Heh.  She's American.  Granted, one that attended school in Japan.  I don't think they got that deep into Ancient Egypt. 

He would only give the cosplay a pass if Fate wore spats under it.

The way Mikoto wears them under her school uniform skirt.

And Benjamin hardly blames her in the least.  He would almost say she's genre savvy for that...  Almost. 

nearly two months since The Incident

This says the story is taking place in mid-November, if The Incident is the one between Ben and Tessa described in the story where Kurz and Melissa are rescued from Camp Bullis...

The Incident here is actually the falling out Ben had with Teletha.  She made the horrible mistake of continuously using him as a sounding board for how she should handle the relationship between herself, Sousuke, and Kaname because Ben knows and understands her...

...And all while completely disregarding the very well known fact that Ben has feelings for her.

No worries.  It doesn't happen too long after that particular story.  Droselmyer has been working on these guys for MAXIMUM DRAMA.