Episode 13 - The Reason for Being*
The episode opens with Agito dreaming about her past. She's an ancient Belkan Unison Device, but she doesn't remember where she came from — her earliest memories are of being an experimental subject in a science lab. She ended up being rescued by Zest and Lutecia, who took her in. Waking up, Agito thinks about her recent fight against Rein (also a Unison Device), and blames her for stirring up these memories.
In the morning, Signum and Nanoha drive to the Saint Church hospital where the little girl they rescued is being looked after. Sister Schach Nouera, a senior member of the Church Knights and aide to Carim, tells them that the girl has just gone missing from her room. She also informs them that their examination has confirmed the girl is the product of artificial genetics. The three of them split up to search the area, and Nanoha soon finds the girl wandering around in the gardens outside. She is confused and frightened, but Nanoha is able to calm her down. The girl doesn't appear to know or remember very much, except that her name is Vivio and she can't find her mother. Nanoha says that she'll help look for her.
Back at Riot Force Six, Hayate tells Fate that TSAB Ground Forces HQ is planning an inspection of their unit. After contemplating this unwelcome development, Fate asks Hayate to tell her the true reason that Riot Force Six was established. Hayate agrees, saying that Fate and Nanoha should accompany her to Saint Church headquarters to discuss the issue with Carim and Chrono.
Going to look for Nanoha, they discover that she has returned from the hospital with Vivio in tow, who now won't let her go. Fate, having more experience with small children, manages to pacify Vivio and persuades her to let Erio and Caro babysit while Nanoha goes out. As they leave for the Saint Church, Nanoha wonders what they can do with Vivio in the longer term.
Meanwhile, Subaru and Teana are writing up their reports of the recent battle against the Numbers. Subaru, looking at the data they captured, realizes that the Numbers weren't using magic but a different type of energy entirely. She considers, unhappily, what that implies; Teana, however, interrupts her, pointing out that their job is just to report the facts and let the senior staff draw any necessary conclusions. She also adds that, true or not, it's nothing Subaru needs to worry about. Subaru seems reassured, and thanks Tea.
At Saint Church headquarters, Carim and Chrono meet with Hayate, Nanoha and Fate. Chrono notes that the official purpose of Riot Force Six is to deal with Relics and other Lost Logia, as well as to test the general usefulness of small and highly mobile units. However, it was established for another reason as well, one which is not public knowledge. It relates to Carim's special ability, Propheitenschriften: once a year, Carim can foresee the future in a limited fashion, and record her predictions in the form of cryptic poems written in Ancient Belkan. They are difficult to interpret and therefore of limited use, but both the Saint Church and the TSAB Dimensional Navy take them reasonably seriously. And, for the past few years, Carim's prophecies have been describing one particular event:
- In the land where ancient crystals and infinite greed gather and intertwine,
The wings shall revive from the holy land beneath the dead king.
The dead shall dance, and the tower of law in the central lands shall burn to the ground,
And thence the ship of law that guards the many seas shall be torn apart.
Carim believes what this means is that Lost Logia will bring about the destruction of TSAB Ground Forces HQ, followed by the collapse of the TSAB system itself. Since the Ground Forces are jealously protective of their jurisdiction, and generally hold Carim's prophecies in contempt, the Navy and TSAB Central HQ have arranged to put Riot Force Six into a position where it can try to prevent this outcome.
At Ground Forces HQ, Regius and Auris discuss the upcoming inspection of Riot Force Six. Auris notes that Hayate's unit is an unusual mixture of personal friends, relatives, and new recruits — which suggests that it may have been designed to be expendable. Regius says that he won't let the Dimensional Navy or the Saint Church interfere with the operation of the Ground Forces, and tells Auris to be on the lookout for anything they can use to discredit them. He also mentions that he has the High Council on his side.
Returning to base that evening, Hayate apologizes to Fate and Nanoha for putting them in a situation that might become dangerous. Later, alone in her office, she thinks about what happened with the Book of Darkness, and the original Reinforce. She resolves to continue her life with one purpose: to protect others from sadness or regret.
Tropes
- Call-Back: In the final scene, Hayate remembers the events of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's, with a few brief Flashback images.
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Continuity Lockout: In general, this season has been pretty good about averting it up to this point. Anyone who hasn't watched A's, however, may be a bit confused by some of Hayate's reminiscing during the last scene. - Don't Call Me "Sir": A variation. Carim tells everyone to act as if they were off duty during the briefing on her prophecy, having been amused by seeing the Harlaown siblings stoically address each other by rank.
- Finale Title Drop: Played with: the final line of the episode is "This is my purpose, my reason for being." The wording is not exactly the same but it clearly ties the episode's theme back to the title. This theme recurs multiple times over the course of the episode:
- Agito is searching for her very reason for existing.
- Several characters wonder who created Vivio, and for what purpose.
- Fate and Nanoha are finally told of the reason for Riot Force Six's existence.
- Regius believes his purpose, and the justification for everything he does, is to preserve law and order on Mid-Childa.
- Hayate believes her purpose is to prevent future tragedies like the ones in her own past.
- Foreshadowing: Loads of it:
- Schach confirms that Vivio was artificially created for some unknown purpose, and also mentions that she has strong inherent magic.
- Erio realizes that Vivio must have been cloned using memory-transfer technology, since her mind and personality are too highly developed for someone who was simply grown as a blank slate.
- Subaru obviously recognizes the type of powers used by the Numbers, and it worries her a lot. Teana also cuts her off before she can finish her train of thought.
- Carim's prophecy is an in-universe example.
- Vagueness Is Coming: Carim's prophecy. Lampshaded by the characters, although they do manage to make some reasonable guesses as to what parts of it might mean. They turn out to be about half right.
