Episode 8 - It's a Really Big Crisis!?
The inter-dimensional cruiser Arthra approaches Earth just as Nanoha and Fate face off over the Jewel Seed. Transferring to their location, Chrono interposes himself between the pair and orders them to explain themselves. Both of the girls, as well as their companions, are stunned, but Arf recovers her wits first. She launches an attack at Chrono, giving Fate cover to escape. Fate tries to grab the Jewel Seed, but Chrono blasts her to the ground with his staff. He prepares to fire again, but Nanoha blocks him and begs him to stop. He hesitates, giving Arf time to grab the injured Fate and vanish.
Lindy orders Chrono to bring Nanoha and Yuuno back to the Arthra for debriefing. They teleport onto the ship, rather to Nanoha's bewilderment. Yuuno quickly explains that the Time-Space Administration Bureau is responsible for supervising inter-dimensional affairs between hundreds of known worlds. Chrono advises Nanoha to release her barrier jacket, and tells Yuuno he should return to his true form. Saying he's been a ferret for so long he's stopped thinking about it, Yuuno — to Nanoha's considerable shock — transforms into a human boy. Seeing her reaction, he belatedly realizes she's never seen his true form before, and starts to stammer apologies until Chrono tells them the captain is waiting.
In a large room done up as a Japanese garden, they meet with Lindy and explain the situation. Lindy reveals that the Jewel Seeds are a class of artifact known as "Lost Logia" — powerful relics of an ancient world whose magic and technology were so advanced it ultimately destroyed itself. The Jewel Seeds specifically are crystallized dimensional energy, and have the potential to cause a catastrophic dimensional breach if activated in combination. Because of the threat they pose, she says the TSAB will be taking over the operation to recover them, effective immediately.
Acknowledging that this is a lot to take in, Lindy sends Yuuno and Nanoha home and suggests they talk again the next day. Meanwhile, Chrono goes to see Lindy's aide, Amy, who is analyzing recordings of the battle between Fate and Nanoha. Amy notes that both girls have immense levels of magical power, although Chrono says there's more to magic than raw strength. Lindy, joining them, wonders about Fate's motivation, saying she looks young enough to still be relying on her mother's love...
Treating Fate's wounds, Arf says that with the TSAB now involved, they have no hope of completing their mission. She implores Fate to leave her mother and run away to somewhere neither the Bureau nor Precia can find them. However, Fate says she has to fulfill her mother's wish, for her own sake. Arf says that if those are her true feelings, she'll stand by Fate no matter what.
Yuuno contacts Lindy and asks if he and Nanoha can help the TSAB in hunting the remaining Jewel Seeds. Lindy accepts, on condition that they put themselves under her command and agree to obey all instructions. Nanoha then sits down with her mother and gives her an edited summary of the situation (removing all references to magic and to Yuuno's true nature). She says that it might be dangerous, but she wants to finish what she started — and above all, to try and reach out to Fate. Momoko tells Nanoha she'll always worry about her, but gives permission for her to go.
Nanoha heads off with Yuuno, telling herself she's committed to this path and that it's what she wants to do. Meanwhile, Fate and Arf prepare to head out again, determined to complete their mission. And, in the Garden of Time, Precia contemplates her four Jewel Seeds and mentally urges Fate to hurry: the promised land, Alhazard, is waiting for them...
Tropes
- Big Good: Lindy assumes the role as of this episode.
- Fee Fi Faux Pas: Lindy welcomes Nanoha and Yuuno in a room set up like a Japanese garden and serves them green tea in traditional style. She then puts sugar in hers.* Nanoha does a slight double take at this, but is too polite to say anything. Parodied a few minutes later in the eyecatch, where she does the same thing and Nanoha's expression is much more over the top.
- Foreshadowing: Lindy tells Nanoha and Yuuno that multiple Jewel Seeds activated together are capable of causing a catastrophic dimensional breach. That will turn out to be exactly what Precia plans to do with them.
- Good Is Not Soft: When Fate tries to grab the Jewel Seed away from Chrono, he immediately blasts her, leaving her barely conscious and visibly bleeding.
- You Didn't Ask: Yuuno never bothered to mention to Nanoha that he's actually a shapeshifted human, apparently because he mistakenly thought she knew.
