Episode 08 - A Sad Resolve, A Courageous Choice
Fate has been moved aboard the Arthra, still unconscious from having her linker core drained. Lindy and her senior staff meet with Nanoha, Arf, and Lieselotte to discuss the battle. Amy reports that immediately after Nanoha left to confront Vita, the computer systems at their base were somehow hacked and shut down, preventing her from sending reinforcements. Lindy is worried that someone could break into a high-security TSAB system, and decides to transfer operations back to the Arthra, whose upgrades are now complete.
Early next morning, the Wolkenritter discuss the mysterious masked man who's been helping them, suspecting that he wants the Book of Darkness completed for reasons of his own. Vita, looking uneasy, asks if Hayate will really be happy when the Book is completed, adding that she feels as if they're forgetting something important. As they talk, they hear a crash from Hayate's bedroom; rushing in, they find her collapsed on the floor, clutching her chest.
On the Arthra, Fate wakes up to find Lindy sitting next to her and Arf asleep on the side of the bed. Lindy explains what happened, assuring Fate that she'll recover just as Nanoha did. As Lindy talks, she reflexively puts a hand on Fate's, causing the latter to blush in surprise. Lindy immediately apologizes, but Fate appears touched by the gesture.
Meanwhile, at the hospital, Hayate is trying in vain to convince Dr Ishida and the Wolkenritter that she's fine. They elect to keep her in the hospital for a few days to monitor her. Hayate isn't happy about this, but asks Shamal to let Suzuka know. After everyone leaves the room, Hayate clutches at her chest again, in obvious pain.
Assisted by the Liese twins, Yuuno has managed to find various ancient records on the Book of Darkness, and reports their findings to Chrono and Amy. It seems the Book's true name is actually the "Tome of the Night Sky", and its original purpose was simply to gather magical knowledge from all known worlds. Somewhere along the way, somebody modified its programming, twisting it into its current state. If it doesn't absorb any magic for a certain length of time, it will start eating into its own master's life force... but if its pages are completed, it immediately runs out of control, burning up its master's power in a rampage of destruction. This explains why none of its masters has ever survived for long after the Book is completed. Unfortunately, Yuuno says, stopping the Book before it's completed is probably impossible, as its administrative functions won't be accessible until then — and trying to seal or destroy it from outside will simply cause it to absorb its master completely and reincarnate somewhere else.
Chrono then moves the conversation to the mysterious masked man. Whoever he is, his abilities are formidable, given the ease with which he neutralized Nanoha's attack, then managed to transfer to the desert world mere moments later and take Fate by surprise. Chrono and Lotte both say that such feats are well beyond their own abilities.
Fate has now been discharged, although she is unable to use magic yet. She and Nanoha go to school, where Suzuka tells them about Hayate's hospitalization. Alisa suggests they go and visit Hayate after school, noting that it's a good chance for herself, Nanoha and Fate to finally meet her. Suzuka sends Shamal an email to ask for permission, and attaches a picture of the four of them holding up a "get well" sign. Shamal, shocked to recognize Nanoha and Fate, contacts Signum in a panic. Signum, who is hunting linker cores off-world, tells her it should be fine as long as the Wolkenritter stay out of sight.
Suzuka takes Nanoha, Fate and Alisa to visit Hayate, who is pleased to meet them and happy to have visitors. Shamal tries watching them discreetly from outside, but Dr Ishida comes by and takes her aside to talk. Ishida says that Hayate seems much happier ever since Shamal and the others came to live with her. She asks Shamal to continue supporting her until they can find a way to reverse Hayate's illness. After Nanoha and company have gone, Shamal returns to Hayate's room. Noting the date, Hayate says she hopes she can be discharged soon, as she's looking forward to spending her first Christmas with the Wolkenritter.
After leaving, Shamal tells Signum that, given the rate at which the Book of Darkness is consuming her energy, Hayate won't last more than another month at most. Meanwhile, Vita, who is hunting magical beasts on another world, is feeling more and more uneasy, as if her memory is trying to tell her that something is very wrong.
In his office, Admiral Graham is looking through some data on the Book of Darkness when the Liese twins come in to report that things are progressing well. He tells them he's sorry for getting them involved in this business, but they assure him that everything will be fine. The "Durandal" is ready, and this time they'll surely succeed in sealing the Book of Darkness for good.
Tropes
- …But He Sounds Handsome: More than once, Lieselotte remarks on the seemingly-incredible abilities of both the unknown hacker and the mysterious masked man. In a slight twist on the trope, this actually serves to draw everyone's attention away from the truth, namely that (a) the hacking was an inside job, and (b) there is more than one masked man.
- Conspicuous Trenchcoat: While Nanoha and friends are visiting Hayate, Shamal attempts to keep a covert eye on them from just outside — wearing a laughably ineffectual trenchcoat and shades. Dr Ishida comes by and doesn't even realize Shamal is trying to be incognito.
- Exact Words: Lotte ruefully says she wouldn't be capable of the kind of long-range magic demonstrated by the masked man, nor (implicitly) could she move herself from one world to another that quickly. This is technically true, given that it would have been Aria — the magic specialist — who fought Nanoha, and Lotte who attacked Fate on the desert world.
- Hates Being Touched: Played with: while comforting her, Lindy reflexively puts one hand on Fate's. Fate freezes in place, staring at their hands and blushing. Lindy immediately apologizes, worried that this trope is in effect, although Fate hastily says that's not the case. When Lindy leaves the room a moment later, Fate looks down at her hand and smiles shyly. Significantly, it's not being touched per se that startles Fate — she's come into contact with other people often enough, including moments earlier when Lindy helped her to sit up — it's the maternal affection implicit in that specific gesture which she doesn't know how to process.
- Rewatch Bonus: In retrospect, one can see that Lieselotte does a very good job of subtly steering the conversation away from Admiral Graham's actions on multiple occasions. When the group is discussing how their systems were hacked, she plants the idea of an outside organization (thus diverting attention from the possibility of an inside job); later, she plays up the (apparently) impressive abilities of the masked man in order to steer everyone away from the idea that 'he' might be more than one person.
