"We're home, everyone!"
"Welcome home," Signum called, nodding.
Zafira waved, as well. But then he blinked.
Naruko looked just the same as always, but Shamal seemed amused and Vita was flushed, almost like she was… embarrassed about something. What could it possibly be..? "Did something happen?" he asked, somewhat expectant.
"Vita-chan beat up Kiba-kun for no reason, so she's being punished," Naruko said, nodding.
"Do I want to know?" Zafira asked.
"Trust me, you don't," Shamal said, shaking her head but also making a hand gesture. It was a simple message. I'll tell you later.
Zafira shrugged. "If you say so."
"Where are our guests? I'd imagined you two would be keeping an eye on them…"
"Currently in the bath," Signum said, "and while we are keeping an eye on them, they're trustworthy enough that—"
"Oh, that's great! I was supposed to get one, too!" Naruko said. "I'm all sweaty and I've got hospital smell on me," she added, nodding sagely.
"Mistress, you can't crash someone else's bath, that's private," Shamal chastised.
"But I do it with you guys all the time," Naruko reasoned. "Besides, it's boring to take a bath alone," she added.
"We're a special case, Mistress, the same rules that apply to us don't apply to everyone else," Zafira said, shaking his head. "You can do whatever you want with us, but others might be offended if you were to, say, interrupt them in the bath."
"So I'm gonna have to wait?" Naruko asked, tilting her head. "That sucks. I really want to get rid of the hospital smell from my hair. Okay, then, Vita-chan you'll come with me. You smell horrible too," she said. "Actually, all of you do. When's the last time you all washed yourselves?"
"We have been… busy, this past week," Shamal admitted, evenly.
"…Okay, this is a hyg… hyd…"
"Hygienic," Signum supplied.
"Yes, right, cleanliness," Naruko said, waving her hand, "emergency!"
"Naruko-chan, you're home again," Nanoha's voice came by, as both she and Fate wandered into the main hall, both with their hair looking somewhat wet, clearly noting that they had just come out of the bath. They were both wearing some of Naruko's clothes, clearly the only clothes in their size in the house, as Vita was a tad too small for her clothes to fit them. "How did the hospital visit go?"
"I dunno, they didn't tell me anything," Naruko said, shrugging.
"Isn't that… bad?" Fate asked, tilting her head.
"Eh, even if they told me everything, I'd probably forget immediately after. It's not like I care that much, after all… healthy, sick, it doesn't make a difference," Naruko said, smiling.
"The majority of her studies need to go to the lab for further analysis, but if it makes you feel better, for the most part she's never been healthier than she is nowadays," Shamal said, smiling at the two outsiders.
"Speaking about health, you all! Bath, now!" Naruko said, gesturing widely with her arms, as if to call all of them at once. "Don't make me say it twice," she added.
"Yes, Mistress," the Wolkenritter chorused, and they all got up from their seats, even though Shamal and Vita had just managed to sit down.
"I'm really sorry I can't stay and chat, but I smell like a hospital," Naruko said. "Even though I only spent a few hours there. I smell like I'd been there a week!" she said, shaking her head. "But you've got the house all to yourselves for… an hour or two."
"Your furo is pretty big, but," Nanoha began, looking somewhat confused, "I don't think it would fit five people…"
"We actually have more than one bathroom. Manor, remember? The guest rooms' is a bit smaller. The one on the second floor is a great deal bigger," Naruko said, shaking her head. "It seems like whoever owned this house before me had a very big family," Naruko explained.
"This was once a clan compound," Signum corrected, "and as such, it is designed to be able to house a small clan, rather than a single family. The left wing is identical to the right wing, and possesses its own kitchen facilities," she added.
"Your house's really big… you must be very rich," Fate said, somewhat impressed.
"We get by," Naruko said, shrugging. "Anyway, like I said, we'll be back in, like, an hour."
The Wolkenritter and Naruko left, headed upstairs to the bigger bathroom.
"Nanoha… why are all of our non-bureau friends rich?" Fate asked, looking somewhat confused.
"I don't even go out looking for them… it just happens," Nanoha said, shrugging.
After the Wolkenritter, Nanoha, Fate and Naruko had gotten used to what amounted to a different routine for their everyday life, the TSAB had finally gotten their crap together and had sent out an envoy, composed of exactly three people.
Admiral Harlaown, Jiraiya of Konoha and one Yuuno Scrya.
"Just a question. Why aren't Arf and Chrono coming?" Fate asked, somewhat confused.
"One of them is your familiar and the other your brother," Lindy explained. "While I'm necessary as I am the highest ranking officer, Chrono and Arf were judged too deeply connected to the situation. My experience was judged as enough to be able to put aside my personal feelings," she said, shaking her head, "it's unimportant, they're observing the conversation as we speak."
"Very well. I should warn you to come unarmed. They really don't react well to that," Nanoha said, shaking her head, chuckling a little. "And we could've avoided so many problems…"
"Speaking about being armed… Raising Heart and Bardiche are insisting on a certain set of modifications to be made to them. It appears that they managed to analyze the Belkan devices, and are using them as the basis for a modification to make them both sturdier and more powerful. We have to order some of the parts, but we can get them from a few supply ships that should be close by," Lindy informed. "I thought I'd run it by you."
"We should probably ask Signum and the others… after all we'd be copying their devices to make ours stronger," Fate asked, frowning a little.
Nanoha nodded. "Just copying them without asking doesn't seem right."
"Very well, that is up to you," Lindy said, shaking her head. "However, the sooner you ask—"
"They said it's okay," Nanoha interrupted, then both Fate and Lindy seemed a bit taken aback. "What? Telepathy, remember?" she asked. "Anyway, they say it's okay. More than that, they're looking forward to fighting us with our devices at an equal level."
"All of them?" Fate asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Just Signum and Vita," Nanoha corrected. "Vita seemed… distracted, though, and everyone kept giggling for some reason."
Lindy blushed a little, before shaking her head, almost as if trying to shake the blush off her face. "Very well, then, I shall tell the engineers to begin with the modifications. If the parts get here on schedule, your devices will be ready in three days. If so, then we'll hit two targets with one spell and deliver your devices when we're coming around to try the diplomatic route."
"Sounds great. I can't wait to hold Raising Heart again," Nanoha said, smiling.
Fate nodded. "They have endured a lot for us, and want to improve…"
"Few intelligent devices develop such bonds with their masters," Lindy commented. "You two really are very lucky, in that regard."
"Yes, we are," Nanoha said.
"Very well, then, I'll be contacting you soon. Until then, please rest and relax, right now, your situation is no different from having paid leave," Lindy commented.
"I'm almost sad we'll have to get back to school soon…" Nanoha commented, dryly.