'R' Lone Prayer

Chapter 8

At the Takamachi residence, Nanoha slowly walks down from the stairs and into the bathroom, looking at her mirror reflection.

Nanoha: (I've been thinking all this time.)

She thought as she washes her face and drying with her towel. Images of her encounter with Fate kept playing all over her head.

Nanoha: (About the girl who I'm sure is close to me in age, and has deep, pretty eyes. I'm sure that we'll have another fight if we see each other again.)

Her thoughts were then shifted to the image of Novena, her best friend who hasn't smile even once but his or her intentions are purely genuine and heartwarming but that one scene where she bare witness him fighting with Fate and her familiar at full power kept playing and the image of when she shot him with a divine buster spell, hoping to stop Novena from killing Fate resulted the destruction of his quarter right half side of his body. It is the one nightmarish scene that would forever haunt her in her sleep.

Nanoha: (How would... I ever bring myself to face Novena...)

----- Time Skip, Seishou Elementary School, Lunch Break -----

Arisa: That's enough!

Arisa's voice roared within the classroom as she slams both her hands on Nanoha's school table. This caused Nanoha and everyone to stare at her sudden outburst.

Arisa: Ever since that day, you always space out when we're talking!

Nanoha: I'm sorry, Arisa-chan.

Arisa: Don't apologize! I know you're worried about Novena ever since that day but if talking to us is that boring, you can just sit by yourself and space out as much as you want! Let's go, Suzuka!

Arisa immediately walks out of the classroom.

Suzuka: Arisa-chan... Ah, Nanoha-chan...

Nanoha looks at her friend while bringing up a forced smile on her face.

Nanoha: It's all right, Suzuka-chan. That was all my fault, anyway.

Suzuka: I don't think that's the case. I think Arisa said more than she should have too. I'll go talk to her for a bit.

Nanoha: I'm sorry...

Suzuka quickly rushes to Arisa, leaving Nanoha all by herself.

Nanoha: I made her mad. I'm sorry, Arisa-chan.

Meanwhile Suzuka is out looking for her blonde friend and she found her just down the stairs.

Suzuka: Arisa-chan...

Arisa: What is it?

Suzuka: I kind of understand why you're so angry, but you shouldn't have gotten that mad.

Arisa: I mean, it irritates me! It's plain obvious that she's worried about something other than Novena's well-being. It's plain obvious that she's in trouble! But no matter what we ask her, she won't tell us anything! She's lying, saying she's not confused or worried!

Suzuka: No matter how good friends we are, there are things that we can't tell each other. If it's something that Nanoha wants to keep a secret, I think all we can do is wait for her to tell us.

Arisa: I'm telling you, that's what irritates me! I want to be of help to her, even if only by a little bit! I don't care what it's about. I may not be able to do anything. But at least we can think it through with her! At least Novena is rather casually open about themselves despite not being able to speak at all.

Suzuka: Arisa-chan, you really do care about Nanoha a lot.

Arisa: Of course I do!

??????: U-Um.. am I intruding on something?