Warning: Pandora Hearts.

Chapter Three: Collective of Chains

Nanoha remembered walking down many long corridors. Her legs were smaller and she was holding something, something very heavy, but it was important that she continue to walk until something told her to stop, or she reached her destination, wherever that might be.

The hallways were chilly, and moonlight was no longer brightening the windows. Everything was pale and cold. There was chaos, she had thought, a lot of noise, but it was far behind her like it was in a ballroom somewhere. Maybe people were supposed to be dancing. She hadn't heard anything like dancing.

She had been much smaller, she knew, her hands were tiny and arms already exhausted. Her mind was certain that it had been so long ago that this had happened, but she couldn't... She couldn't put why into words.

The bundle had shifted and she had smiled at it. She had promised.

She had promised to protect them forever and a day, no matter how red they became.

But that had been so long ago and now Nanoha was half-sure it was a nightmare she had made up to comfort herself. Vivio certainly didn't remember anything.

Getting both girls able to sit up took a lot of pillows but it was worth it to see the strange girl Fate devour the food with the barest attempt at manners. She must have been starving. Though she had been in a pod for who knows how long, she had to be.

Nanoha ate too, but by contrast, she ate less, feeding little Vivio every few bites. Arisa would scold her later. Vivio was a growing, impressionable girl after all, unlike them. She would learn all the wrong things if continuously left to Nanoha.

Suzuka was out placating the maids, which was good because if Arisa had to hear anyone else whisper about Nanoha again in the next hour, they were getting fired, no questions asked. She was self-reliant enough to not need them all.

Arisa kept her hands on her hips, smirking every once in a while at the crumbs appearing on the blanket.

"So," she said, staring into their eyes on at a time. The new girl looked at her like an owl, while Nanoha only raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. One hand was nestled in Vivio's hair, the girl's red and green eyes drooping clothes.

"Thank you for the food," the girl said quickly, red eyes bright and warm. Arisa blinked twice.

"You're-uh…" Arisa, like most, did not know how to handle gratitude that earnest and well-meaning, like it wasn't something a decent person would do. "You're welcome!" She finally decided on, looking as proud as ever. "In thanks for that though, you can tell us why you were down there and everything if you know."

Nanoha looked up and over while the other girl's face slowly set into a line.

"I'm sorry," she began. Her fingers folded together into the sheet. "I don't know much and I also don't know who you are or when this is… what I know may not even be relevant or…"

"I'm Arisa Bannings." Arisa, in true style, cut her off. "And this is Takamachi Nanoha and Vivio. Nanoha there found you in that pod thing, which you're lucky we can't get into yet. But there was a giant light show and I-" She pointed for emphasis at nowhere in particular. "Consider you very suspicious. So who are you, what were you doing? Suzuka and I are from families who have power. They can help."

"Also is this your ferret?" Nanoha leaned to reach under the pillow. There was a strangled squeak as her hands carefully revealed the most unferret looking ferret Arisa had ever seen sitting on her hands and partially on Vivio's sleeping head. It blinked big green eyes at them.

"Oh." The girl's face contorted between something like a smile and something other, much sadder. "You're one of the four great families. That's… that's useful. That…" She paused as if she was thinking. "That is just enough actually for me to… discuss." She bowed her head. "My name is Fate Testarossa. I was placed in that pod to survive a calamity that would soon arrive. My mother… she determined that I must protect something from the chains of the Abyss."

"You mean the jail for souls from legends?" Arisa said, her strawberry blonde eyebrows both going up.

Fate's red eyes rested on Arisa's face, almost guileless in how serious they were. "The Abyss is quite real. I'm surprised this place is intact.."

"Collapse?" Nanoha repeated. Her head had begun to hurt, but she attributed that to the fact that she had passed out today and fed the ferret some meat and tomato. "There was an accident here, right?"

"No, not here." Arisa tapped her foot to think. Nanoha maintained a smile, mostly because Arisa didn't know that pose made her look exactly like her mother - a pang of homesickness struck her chest - and Nanoha wasn't going to remind her. "There used to be a city called Uminari down by the ocean. Our great grandparents lived there back in the day before it got cratered."

Fate frowned and nodded. "I see… that must have been due to the chaos of the abyss. Then how… how would I have gotten here from there…" For a moment, her eyes glazed over for a moment and then she shook her head. "No, never mind, thank you." Her stiff voice was still sincere if only a little. "Did you see a strange, large creature when you were there?" She looked at Nanoha as she spoke, who shook her head no.

"Just this." She held up the ferret again. If Arisa didn't know ferrets could not pout, she could have sworn this one had figured out how.

Fate chewed on her lip. "I see…"

The room was quiet, Arisa looking thoroughly disgruntled.

"Um…" Nanoha broke the silence as she raised her hand. "Could you, uhm, explain this, Fate-chan?" The red gem in her hand flickered pink and shone.

Fate turned pale, well, paler. "It… it's responding to you?"

As if it could hear, the gem floated up on Nanoha's hand. "My master has been identified. Chain set."

The ferret squeaked and scrambled over to Fate, who let him climb to her shoulder and rest there. Fate was shaking her head. "Amazing…"

"What is?" Arisa demanded as Suzuka finally returned to the room, a tea kettle on a tray in hand.

Fate's inscrutable expression was now full of joy and wonder. "There's still magic in this world. This is incredible." She moved to shift from the bed and grabbed both of Nanoha's hands. "I…, please. Will you help me? I think I understand everything now… and I need your help."

Nanoha nodded without hesitation without seeming to know why. And that was fine really. The more she looked into those red eyes, the more she needed, needed to help.

Maybe it would help her find some answers.