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Chapter One: A Glimpse Of The Past

Fate Testarossa, the best known name in the entire school. Everyone knows her as the track star of Uminari. She has broken all of the school's sprint records and she's only in her first year. Needless to say, everybody was awed by her skills. However, despite all this praise and love, the blonde was remarkably modest and quiet. People seem to make her uncomfortable and she went out of her way to remain alone. Groups would swarm around her in the hallways like vultures, all wanting to know the secret to her skill. Unbeknownst to everyone else, violet eyes were also locked onto the tall athlete. There was something so… Sad in her deep burgundy eyes. There always seemed to be something upsetting her, maybe a twinge of loneliness. Nanoha sighed, closing her eyes and leaning back in her chair. She had known Fate ever since the girl had first moved to Uminari when she was ten. Sure, they had become friends of sorts, but Fate-chan was such an enigma. She never spoke much of her family, or even her past before coming to Uminari. Despite their frequent talks, Nanoha knew next to nothing about the blonde. The screeching of the chair behind her pulled her out of her stupor. The brunette turned, expecting to be met with the green eyes of her blonde haired best friend. The lonely ones she was faced with surprised her. Fate simply smiled, looking slightly uncomfortable with the sudden attention. Nanoha frowned, that smile seemed so… Forced. It always has. The blonde noticed the sudden darkness crossing the other teenager's features and nervously fidgeted.

"D-do you not want me to sit here?" The soft, sullen voice rang in the brunette's ears. Nanoha quickly straightened up, shaking her hands back in forth in a jittery motion. She hadn't meant to make the poor girl nervous.

"No! You're fine! You can sit there if you'd like." The smaller girl awkwardly giggled, scratching her cheek. "I was just surprised you would sit by me." She added dejectedly, despite having friends, Nanoha never really felt important or special. Fate tilted her head to the side, not understanding the girl in front of her.

"Do you think there something wrong with you?" Violet eyes widened and looked up at her longtime friend. Though there was no harshness in her voice, the statement still caused her chest to constrict. She knew without a doubt the answer to that question.

"Maybe." Liar! The brunette's mind criticized. The blonde opened her mouth before snapping it back shut. Dark ruby eyes scrutinized the figure in front of her, her mind running rampant. Her friendship with Nanoha had always been light-hearted jokes, not once had she seen the girl so serious and down.

"I think you are too hard on yourself. There's nothing wrong with you." Nanoha blinked, that wasn't something she had expected. The look of pure honesty on the blonde's face caused her to smile brightly.

"Thank you, Fate-chan." The athlete stared at the fifteen year old in front of her, not knowing what to make of the seemingly bipolar girl. It didn't take long for heat to fill Fate's cheeks and for her gaze to fall to the floor. Nanoha took in the other girl's reaction. "Fate-chan is so cute." That caused the red to travel almost up to her ears. The color almost matched her eyes.

"Mou, Nanoha, stop teasing me." This was not the first time Nanoha had poked some fun at the blonde. The moment the brunette had discovered her friend's adorable reactions Fate knew she would never get a moments peace. Little did she know, the brunette thought the pink dusting her cheeks suited her rather well. No one would expect the star of the school to be so easily flustered, it was something only Nanoha was allowed to see. It was like a secret they kept between themselves, mostly because Fate was so antisocial and Nanoha didn't want to cause her friend too much trouble. The bell ringing brought the brunette out of her daze and she quickly faced forward, ready to begin class. Nanoha was never one to pay much attention during class, she would always doodle or simply daydream. Her mother often scolded her, always telling her to get her head out of the clouds. Purplish-blue eyes rolled, it wasn't like she got low scores or anything. There was only one reason she zoned out so much and she would never admit it. Deep down she liked when her mom would lecture her. It gave her some of the attention she craved. Her family was pretty well off due to their bakery and dojo, but that left her alone most of the time. Her parents were always off cooking, while her brother and sister basically lived at the dojo. With a slight sigh, her thoughts went back to her talk with Fate before class. Did Nanoha really think there was something wrong with herself? She had said maybe, but in reality, she wanted to say yes. That had to be the reason no boys wanted to date her and her family seemed so distant. Sure, she was lonely, but what about Fate? That girl only had one friend and was always out running alone. Did she ever feel isolated like the brunette? A sharp jab came from her right and her glazed eyes focused onto Alisa. The blonde seemed agitated and moved her green eyes to openly glare at Fate. Nanoha fixed her with a stern look, silently telling her to be nice. Suzuka watched the two from her spot next to Alisa. They always argued in some way, though the purple haired girl preferred this soundless fighting. Her eyes glanced over at Fate, who had seemed to notice the heated battle raging between the two in front of her.

"Takamachi, Bannings, perhaps you two should avert your attention away from each other and back to the board." The strong male voice swept through the room, effectively ending the mute squabble. A few students chuckled at the duo's expense and Nanoha shrunk in her seat. The class passed without a hitch after that and soon the bell for lunch was ringing.

"Hey, Fate-chan. Do you want to eat with us on the roof?" The blonde about jumped out of her seat at the sudden voice. Red eyes shifted from Nanoha to Alisa, trying to decipher both of their looks. Nanoha seemed genuinely curious and excited, whereas Alisa seemed annoyed. She was about to deny the offer when she made the mistake of looking into the puppy dog eyes the brunette was using. With the added effect of her twin ponytails, the girl truly did resemble a small puppy. With a small nod, she followed her friend up to the roof. The view was more than she expected, looking over the entire campus and some of the town. She could make out a few people walking and a few vehicles. The town never seemed as small as it did at that moment. A subtle breeze blew her bangs around and her long, barely tied hair fluttered in the slight wind. The ambiance was very calming and relaxing. When her eyes caught with Alisa's her serene atmosphere was immediately replaced with the need to run away. The short blonde looked like she was fuming, her green eyes narrow and accusing. With slow movements, Fate carefully moved away to sit on the ground next to the fence. Nanoha followed her actions with a frown. Why was the runner distancing herself so much? Light purple eyes scanned over her friends, not surprised to see Alisa's smirk.

"Mou, Alisa-chan, why can't you be nice to her?" Nanoha glared at her friend before joining Fate next to the fence. The athlete looked up, not expecting someone to sit with her. She had to admit, having the brunette choose her over her other friends made the runner's heart soar. She never thought the small girl was capable of doing something like that.

"Nanoha, are you sure you want to sit with me instead?" Ruby eyes looked between the two newly formed groups with a small grimace. She didn't want to cause any problems. The girl being questioned simply smiled and nodded before taking a bite out of her lunch. Fate grinned softly before looking hesitantly at her own box of lunch. Her mother wasn't one to make her food, so the fact she had given Fate lunch today confused the blonde. Slowly, almost scared, she opened the box, not surprised to find it was empty. This sort of thing was a common occurrence. She closed her eyes and shook her head before glancing over at Nanoha who was looking at her strangely.

"Fate-chan, did you accidentally grab the wrong box?" The blonde nodded slowly, praising Kami that the brown haired girl had given her an excuse for her lack of lunch. "Then we can share!" Burgundy eyes widened and she shook her head, desperately not wanting to burden Nanoha further.

"No, I-I couldn't take your food. Besides, I'm used to not eating lunch." Her mother never gave her much in terms of money or food. But that was because Precia was so busy with work, Fate reasoned with herself. The brunette didn't like that answer and simply picked up some of her noodles, offering them to her friend.

"Say ahn." A bright red broke out across the athlete's face. This girl sure did know how to embarrass her. "Come on Fate-chan." The sweet smile directed at her was too much and she couldn't help but listen to her incredibly kind commander. The rest of lunch was spent that way, the two of them sharing a lunch and the other duo watching them.

"T-thank you Nanoha. You didn't have to do that." Nanoha waved it off, simply smiling at her friend. With Fate around, she didn't feel so lonely. The brunette wanted to keep her close, no one else had ever made her feel so needed before.

"Don't worry about it, we're friends right?" Dark eyes widened slightly at that sentence. Friends? Fate had never had a friend before. A small smile spread on the blonde's face.

"Yeah, we are." Perhaps both of these lone girls could find solace in one another. Fate didn't know much about friendships, but perhaps this would work out. That afternoon, Nanoha followed Fate out to the track to see just how fast the girl could run. The brunette was sitting against the metal bleachers thoughtfully, watching as her friend stretched out. Donned in maroon running shorts, a simple black tank top, and her lucky yellow and black shoes, Fate looked stunning. Her long hair was tied up in twin ponytails, stopping halfway down her back. Nanoha noticed that she seemed more at ease. She looked tranquil and collected on the black asphalt, like it brought her back to a different time. This realization made Nanoha curious, was running really able to do that to someone? With a slight smile she watched as her friend did a warm-up lap with the rest of the team. The blonde's speed was surprising and definitely second to none. Smaller groups were made and they all broke off in different directions. When Nanoha found the blonde she was looking for, her eyes went wide, said girl was running with upper classmen only. Violet eyes watched nervously as the sprinters lined up, shrinking down into their starting stance. Suddenly a pair of burgundy eyes found hers and the teen found it hard to breath. There was something in those eyes, something almost desperate. A splitting crack echoed in the field and the runners bolted from the line. That was all it took for their little moment to be over. Fate easily surpassed all the others, quickly making her way to the finish line. The girl didn't even look winded. Once more red eyes sought out the ones that had been watching her. A small grin spread when the blonde realized that Nanoha was impressed. Maybe that meant her mother would be too? Precia would be attending the next meet; she always came to the meets that were in Uminari, a fact that both elated and unnerved Fate. Her mother was hard to impress or even satisfy. If her mom was upset, she would definitely feel the effects. Time flew by and before Nanoha realized it, the practice ended. Nanoha raced down the stairs to meet her winded friend. Little beads of sweat ran down Fate's forehead, her shirt sticking to her in all the right places. The brunette shook her head, where did that thought come from?

"That was amazing!" Nanoha beamed, showing her amazement. "No wonder why everyone follows you around! You have yourself another fan, Fate-chan." The blonde's reaction was immediate, her face flushing brightly and her eyes averting. A light laugh carried over the wind and Fate looked into the eyes of her tormentor.

"Mou, Nanohaaa, why do you do that?" The usually soft spoken girl whined, causing the brunette to immediately quiet. This was a new side of the blonde. It wasn't very often she would show any emotion.

"Because Fate-chan is so adorable." Was the simple response. That line caused the heat to once more flare on the poor girl's cheeks. That was not the answer she had expected, though she should have. Nanoha was always saying things that could be misconstrued as flirting. Fate didn't mind, it made her heart feel lighter. "You're really a great runner." The unexpected comment caused a minute smile to the blonde's face. The brunette's compliments made her feel better, like she could do anything she wanted to.

"Thanks. Let's go, I should probably get you home." Fate offered the shorter brunette her hand, trying to appear friendly. A soft hand touched hers and Fate immediately looked at the brown-haired girl. Had Nanoha felt that, the odd feeling that was currently running through the blonde's veins? The moment Nanoha's feet touched the ground, the athlete went to let go of the diminutive hand; however, the other girl intertwined their fingers, looking rather comfortable with this contact. Was this normal behavior for friends? Fate eyed the hand currently residing in her own, she supposed it didn't bother her. In fact, part of her liked the warmth provided. With an imperceptible shrug, the two began their walk towards the brunette's house. The shorter of the two couldn't help but notice the other's posture, she seemed oddly spritely for a girl that had just ran for two and a half hours.

"Hey Fate-chan?" The blonde glanced over, showing that the other teen had her attention.

"Mm?" Fate hummed, not wishing to break the tranquility of the evening around them. The other seemed totally unaffected by the stillness surrounding them, and continued talking in her peppy voice.

"Why do you run so often?" The tall blonde shrugged slightly, thinking of a possible answer. She couldn't very well tell Nanoha that it was the only way to her mother's heart.

"I just like to. I've always wanted to be fast. And my sister ran too. We used to jog together." Deep red eyes widened, she hadn't meant to say something about Alicia. It was true her older twin loved running, something Fate herself had never understood. She preferred reading and books, the only reason she even started to run was to spend time with her sister. Well that's how it used to be. Blonde hair shook as she cleared her thoughts, there was no reason to go into those kinds of things.

"I didn't know you had a sister Fate-chan." Innocent eyes looked up at her, showing that the girl was genuinely curious and surprised. Fate smiled, thinking of her older sister. Alicia really was something else.

"Yeah, my older twin actually. I was taller than her so people always assumed I was Alicia. The only way people kept us straight was our eye colors." Nanoha smiled, happy to finally learn something about Fate's life. The girl was not dense, she did notice the use of past tense, perhaps something had happened? Regardless, the sprinter didn't seem too apt to share.

"I bet you two got into lots of trouble." The brunette let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding when a small smile graced her friend's lips. The way the athlete never seemed to have a real, truly happy smile upset Nanoha. It was always minor or faked, she wanted nothing more than to see Fate truly happy.

"We did. Our neighbors didn't like how energetic we were. Always climbing trees and such. And of course mother was angry when Alicia fell out and broke her arm." A cloud seemed to pass over Fate's features, no doubt reliving some old memory. The hand in hers pulled her to a stop.

"This is my house, would you like to stay for dinner? Maybe we could talk some more." The blonde inwardly grimaced at the invitation. Not because she didn't want to be in Nanoha's company, she was just nervous that she would be unable to control herself from telling the girl more about her home life.

"I can't, my mother is probably waiting for me." The violet eyed girl watched as her friend went to leave sadly, wanting nothing more than for her friend to stay. She had just begun opening up, and the brunette feared the girl would revert back to her quiet self. With sudden ardor, Nanoha flung herself at the taller teen, wrapping her into a hug.

"You know I'm here for you, right Fate-chan?" The sugary sweet question made the blonde hesitate. No one had showed her such attention before. She began to feel guilty for blowing off her friend's invitation. Angry glowing purple eyes pierced into her thoughts and a familiar shudder ran through her. There was no way her mother would approve of dinner at a friend's.

"Nanoha." She couldn't find anything to say and settled for squeezing the girl against her chest. The other teen cuddled closer, enjoying the safe feeling she got from the blonde. They parted after a few moments. "See you tomorrow." With a small wave, Fate began her trek home.

"Bye Fate-chan!" Nanoha called after her, waving her arm back and forth until the blonde was out of sight. The ruby eyed girl walked into her home as stealthily as possible, her nose taking in the delicious aroma of ham.

"It's time for dinner." The ominous voice made the girl jump, nervously turning to the sound of her mother's voice. She had been caught.

"Sorry I'm late, practice ran over." Truth be told, she had gotten lost on her way home after dropping off the brunette, but that was not something her mother needed to know. The two sat at the table, eating the meal Linith had made. Linith was the cook and occasionally Fate's tutor when Precia deemed it necessary. The fact that Precia currently sat across from her made Fate slightly tense, her mother never ate with her or acknowledged her unless she was in trouble. Supper went off without a hitch and as the blonde went to her room she was stopped by the firm voice of her mother.

"I know you lied, Fate." That was her only warning before her mother's trusty whip lashed against her left arm. Fate bit her lip to suppress the cry she almost let out. The second one landed slightly lower, stinging as it connected with sensitive skin. "Do you want to tell me where you were? I know you weren't out running. How could you do something like that to your sister?" Burgundy eyes widened, she did promise Alicia she would become the fastest person in all of Japan. Was having friends breaking that vow? "You disappoint me Fate." The blonde slouched over, she was such a disappointment to her mother. She had to do better, for her mother and Alicia. Maybe if she kept her promise to her twin then her mother would be happy again.

"I was taking a friend home." The blonde's quiet voice cut through the silence. A chuckle erupted from her mother. The sound sent chills down the teen's spine.

"A friend? Fate please, nobody will ever care about someone like you. Nobody but Alicia." The blonde felt tears fill her eyes. Nobody but Alicia. Was Precia implying that even she didn't care about her own daughter? A loud snap echoed through the corridor, the weapon ripping through the skin on the teenager's arm. This time the girl couldn't control herself and let out a scream of pain. Blood ran from the freshly made wound, rolling down her arm and onto the floor below.

"Think about what your friend would think if they knew that you killed your sister. I'm the only one who accepts you. You have to do better, for me." Precia added softly, seemingly a whole different person. With no words spoken, the blonde went to her bedroom. She was greeted by the orange form of her dog, Arf. She had found Arf when she was just a little puppy in the back yard. Now the dog was completely attached to Fate, sometimes following her master to school. A hand came to rest on the dog's head, scratching the spot behind its ears. A low whine sounded and sad blue eyes landed on her arm. Fate noticed the blood trickling from the freshly made wound. With memorized movements, she walked to her desk, her hands searching the drawers for a first aid kit. Gingerly, the blonde found and wrapped a bandage around her injury. Mother punishes you because she knows you can do better. That was what her mind always said. She could be more like Alicia, more like the daughter her mother wanted her to be. She would do anything to make Precia smile. Fate had single handedly taken Alicia from her, and that hurt a lot more than any strike from a whip ever could.