Tears welled up in Konoka's brown orbs as she re-read the letter sent by Setsuna and Keiko. Luckily, her daughter was away on a date with her girlfriend so she wouldn't be able to freak out at seeing her mother falling on her knees and crying like a baby.
She found herself confused with her own feelings. A mix of shock, happiness, disbelief, and just a bit of bittersweetness washed over her. She just couldn't believe what was happening; what could happen, should she decide to accept Setsuna's offer.
Her best friend's generosity had no boundaries, it seemed. Konoka really felt blessed to have met Setsuna, and getting to know Evangeline to a deeper level. They had done so much for her already, especially after she kicked her ex husband and became a single mother and leader of the Association. Setsuna and Evangeline had taken well to their roles of aunts, teaching Naomi as much as they could. Poor Setsuna had to take in the role of a pseudo-uncle, much to her disconformity. Still, she managed to be there like Fujimoto had never been, even with her scarce visits.
Evangeline, on the other hand, had surprised them all by letting Naomi see sides of herself few people had the chance to. She was the one who had sat down with Naomi and explained in gentle detail that Setsuna and her were not angels or fairies or trolls for that matter (They had no idea how she came up with that). It was a good thing that Naomi was pretty mature for her eight years when she told her.
Konoka snapped out of her stupor and glanced one more time at the letter before standing up and placing it carefully on top of her desk. She took deep, relaxing breaths as her head started thinking about the different possibilities.
It was hard and at the same time it wasn't, that's why it was so damn confusing to begin with. Because no matter how good were Setsuna's intentions, it still felt like charity. And Konoka was a very proud person.
Deciding that it was too soon to come up with a sound decision in her shaken up state she went to her room and promptly passed out on her bed, suddenly realizing how lonely she truly was.
"Miss Konoe, the meeting starts in thirty minutes." Her assistant warned her in his monotonous tone. "After that, you have another meeting with your lawyer to discuss your will." Konoka winced lightly. She knew that it was a requirement to take a look at her will every year or so, but no one really liked to think about their death. Sure, it was human. That still didn't mean that she was happy with the thought of actually dying when she hadn't done anything productive in her life. She deserved to be happy, and while Naomi was the light of her life, she wouldn't always be there for her. A bird leaving the nest and all.
"Thank you..." She hesitated, not remembering the name. "Thank you." She caught the flash of annoyment in his eyes, but didn't give it any importance.
"Ah, Miss Konoka!" She shuddered, recognizing the nasal voice.
She turned to her ex father-in-law and smiled sweetly. "Good day to you." She hoped that her cold tone would give away her bad mood, knowing very well that it was futile to even think so. The old man laughed joyously and Konoka watched horrified as bits of food flew to the floor, not too far from her feet.
"Gorgeous as always." He leered a bit. It was too bad he was a good feet away from the brunette. She would have done anything to throttle him on the spot and claim momentary insanity in court. If they were able to find his body.
"What can I help you with?" The man took a rather cocky step forward.
"I was wondering if you'd want to have tea with my family this afternoon?" He looked hopeful, but Konoka saw right through his act. He had been wanting to get her and her ex husband together for forever now. He was the one who came crawling to her when she dumped the divorce papers on her ex's messy desk. He was the one that didn't care about is granddaughter and only came to her for money -which she never gave away. And he was one of the most vile, disgusting creatures Konoka had to see on a daily basis.
"I am so sorry!" Konoka gave a fake gasp. "I have little time to socialize. I've been quite busy lately." She smiled pleasantly at him. The man was relentless though.
"Nonsense! I'm sure a woman such as yourself could make some time for family." The nerve of the man! Konoka couldn't believe people some days. "Little Naomi could come too, if she pleases. Just tell her not to bring her fae... friend." Until that day Konoka hadn't thought there was such a thing as a polite sneer.
"I cannot do that. As for Naomi and her girlfriend, they are a pack. One comes with the other." Konoka didn't mask her own sneer. "Of course, if you actually took the time to get to know her you'd know this. Have a good day, sir." She spat.
She ignored his shouts of indignation as she strouted away.
"Have you changed your mind?" Konoka sighed. She truly hated the procedures her lawyer put her through.
"No, I haven't." He squinted his eyes at her, trying to find a lie that was not there.
"...Alright. Any health problems lately? Headaches? Dizziness?" Konoka lifted her eyebrow.
"That sounds oddly like a pregnancy." He blushed, his face changing into an awkward grimace. He was annoying, sure, but he was an honest man and, in a way, pretty naive and innocent. Konoka liked that about him. He was refreshing.
"Are you pregnant?" Konoka sighed again. She slumped on her chair.
"How could I? For one, you need two people to conceive. Secondly, my magic cancelled my ability to reproduce." Her lawyer nodded his head, his gaze far away, as in thought.
"Well, maybe you should reconsider about that." Konoka slammed her palm on the desk, startling the man. She looked positively irked.
"Are you actually suggesting that we have sex?" The man's eyes bulged out comically.
"No!" He flailed his arms. "That's not it! I was just thinking of your friends. Sakurazaki and McDowell-san. They could help with that." That was the moment Konoka freaked out for sure. She just stared at him with her mouth hanging open.
"Why are we even talking about this?!" She all but shirked. "Why would I need to be pregnant? Please answer me because I'm just a second away from firing you for insanity." The man didn't lose his composure this time. He merely looked at her in what could only be described as a mixture between pity and sadness. Konoka hated that.
"It's just that... you look so lonely." Konoka's heart dropped.
Was this really how she looked? What this how she would look for the rest of her life? Lonely?
"And then a horrible image of me and fifty cats came to my mind!" Konoka screamed into Asuna's ear. Negi patted her back hesitantly from the other side. The brunette cleaned her nose with her sleeve.
"And you flipped your shit." Asuna nodded her head, having heard the story on the phone already. "Why don't you go with Setsuna and Eva-chan, then? I for one wouldn't think about it twice. A house near a cascade in the middle of a town that could only be described as Paradise? Sign me in." Konoka sniffed again, then leaned against Asuna's chest.
"It's just... Set-chan has done so much with her life. She has a beautiful house, a loyal wife, the cutest little daughters, a job she loves, and so much more." Konoka looked down in shame. "I am utterly jealous of her and her accomplishments. I fear that I won't be happy nor let them be happy if I suddenly move there. It's like the image of the fifty cats but with the perfect neighbor crossing the street to gloat about their achievements and rub it in your face unknowingly, of course."
"Oh, Konoka." Asuna hugged the brunette close. "I didn't know you felt like this. You should have just said something, damnit!" She scolded.
"I couldn't. I didn't want to burden you guys with my problems. It seemed selfish." Asuna flicked her forehead lightly.
"Stop right there, miss." Asuna threw Negi a glance. "Out. I gotta talk to my best buddy here."
"But!"
"Out, out, out!" He was running away before she finished the third time. Konoka chuckled.
"Nothing changes around here, huh?" Asuna shrugged with a smirk.
"Now, we were talking about how much of an idiot you are being..."
Konoka heard the distinctive voice of laughter coming through the windows. She smiled warmly to herself. At first she had obviously had her doubts about her daughter and Shunra (mostly Shunra, really), considering how the other woman had met Setsuna and what she used to do for a living. But Konoka learned not to judge a book by its cover, so she gave the woman a chance. And she proved herself more than worth her daughter's time and love.
Now, as she approached the main gates to the mansion, she couldn't help but glance around the garden and remember the old days she had spent with her daughter at the very same place. Playing tag. Teaching her magic spells. Bubble battles. Snow fights. Camping.
She had devoted her life to her daughter and her job and, without her notice, time flew by; she grew old. The occasional backache appeared now. She was easily worn out and her smile had lost part of its charm. Her eyes were smaller and duller, surrounded by small wrinkles, occasionally called wisdom marks by Shunra. Her usually giddy smile was replaced by a calm, warmer one.
Looking around her, she realised that, as Asuna had said, her time had been all but wasted. She had build her own memories. And though bittersweet, she wouldn't replace them for a thing. She wouldn't go back in time to change anything, not even when she let Setsuna go. In fact, she would go back to that exact same moment when they departed and congratulate them for being so brave about their feelings.
She twisted her key and went into her house, the sound of laughter fading lightly as she approached the living room where she found her daughter and Shunra.
"We need to talk." When your mother says that, you are trained to freak out. But Naomi knew her mother best, and the gigantic smile on her face told her that she wasn't in any trouble.
Konoka sat on her desk, contemplating the letter in her hands with her reading glasses. She smiled happily. This was her chance at a new life.
Set-chan,
How fast can I move in?
Love,
Kono-chan.
She kissed the envelope with the most care and sent it away with a flick of her wrist. Magic did come in handy sometimes.
Living near the Sakurazaki-McDowell's proved to be a challenge as well as the funniest thing ever. She had seen them interact in the past, but it was brief and the girls were usually asleep or in school when they did. Their timetables had been a bitch to them.
Now, a year after she officially moved into her small cottage near the cascade, she found herself babysitting Izzy and Keiko.
Keiko was the splitting image of her mother, both physically and mentally. At the tender age of eleven -almost twelve- she was cunningly smart, had the devil's smirk and was fiercely protective of her family. That was all Eva, no doubt about it. However, she shared some interesting traits with Setsuna; like her obviously soft spot for the brunette, her warm red eyes, and her nervousness whenever she met someone she actually liked for a change.
Konoka looked down at the three year old who was pulling at her kimono and pointing at the papers and pencils lying on her table.
Isabella, or Izzy... Now, she was as interesting as her sister. She was an odd combination of both mothers, with her raven hair and blue eyes that bought you on the spot, and those dimples... She was usually calm and collected, but if ticked off, she'd have the meaniest rants. That's usually when Keiko came into the picture and started kicking asses.
Her wings were black as well, though definitely smaller than Keiko's due to her youth. Konoka remembered the first time she had seen both girls' wings and asked Setsuna about them, seeing as she had white hair and wings herself. The samurai had informed her that being an albino crow-demon was the rarest thing that could happen, so if any daughter of hers turned to be an albino like her she would be a damn miracle. It was in the genetics, but is usually skipped a couple hundred generations.
"Oh, yeah? You can shove those horrible Yeti lips up your own-" Konoka panicked as Keiko cussed at one of her classmates. She had no idea why Shion thought it would be a good idea to invite a few of them. Obviously Keiko disliked all of them but the shy girl called Valerie and the slightly obnoxious boy called Brooke.
"Keiko!" Just as Konoka was about to cut her off, Evangeline beat her to it. The blonde marched into the field, fuming at her daughter's foul language. Konoka giggled. Had she forgotten what she was like before she had the girls? She would tease her about it later on. Maybe even rope Setsuna and Shion.
"What? He wanted to kiss Val!" She crossed her arms and scowled at the boy she had cussed. It was then that Konoka noticed the protective stance in front of the shy blonde girl.
"Is that true?" Evangeline lifted an unimpressed eyebrow. The last thing she wanted to deal with after her walk in town was a little boy crush and her daughter's drama.
"I- I-" The boy almost burst into tears. "Keiko is being mean! And she kisses Val all the time at school!" Every adult head snapped at the blushing girl, who shuffled her foot so hard into the ground it made a small dent.
All of sudden they heard a small, almost pathetic, sniff from behind them.
"Mom!" Keiko was utterly horrified. Of all the people, her mother was there to hear about her little (huge) crush on Valerie and the kisses -pecks, actually- they had shared at school, away from the prying adult eyes of the teachers who would undoubtedly tell on them.
"My baby." Setsuna looked between Evangeline and Keiko, not sure about what to do. The blonde vampire sighed as she rubbed her forehead in frustration.
"Konoka, please watch after the kids as I take my wife away before she collapses." Setsuna was dragged away immediately as she started tearing up. Keiko watched them go, feeling the embarrassment turn into guilt.
Then, as the proud daughter of Evangeline Sakurazaki-McDowell, she transformed all the guilt into sheer anger as she glared at the snitch of a boy who had dared embarrass her in front of all her family and friends. But above all, he had involved Valerie, who now looked like she was about to faint in Brooke's arms. She didn't like putting the blonde in such position, and she certainly didn't like her falling into anyone's arms but hers, no matter how nice and cool Brooke was.
She behaved for the rest of the afternoon, and when all the parents came looking for their children, she watched the boy go with a malicious smirk.
She would get him at school.
Konoka watched from afar, amused and scared at the same time.
"Happy birthday, Konoka!"
All of her friends and close relatives were there, slightly cramped in her modest-sized cottage. And this was everything she had dreamed about her whole life.
Hitting forty-five was no different than the next number, except maybe for menopause. She was still eagerly waiting for it, though she never knew what would happen with her magic. She envied Evangeline, who had long ago confessed not to have her period and still being able to reproduce. Something with frozen, fertile eggs or something. Konoka didn't really understand a lot. And then there was Setsuna, who had, sadly, lost her ability to have children on her own. The many battles had left scars inside her body, and though she still had some eggs left, she couldn't grow a baby inside her. Fortunately they could still have children, thanks to Evangeline's magic and their shared determination.
So, in the end, Konoka loved and envied both of them for their strength. She just wished that she could have that someday. Someone to grow old with -even though Evangeline couldn't die and Setsuna was aging less and less with the years.
So that's how she found herself, at forty-five, in front of her best friends' house, biting on her lower lip nervously and shaking like a leaf.
"Konoka? I thought you'd be asleep by now. You had a long day after all." Setsuna leaned against the doorframe, slightly preoccupied as she noticed Konoka's state.
"I- No, I wanted to speak with Eva, please?" Setsuna nodded and let the brunette inside the house, warning her against waking the girls up.
"Love?" Evangeline walked out of their bedroom, stretching out her bare limps as Konoka turned around. She had completely forgotten that Eva slept naked. "Oh, Konoka. What is it?" She asked nonchalantly.
"I want to have a baby." Obviously, she didn't mean to blurt it out quite like that. Somewhere in the way, she had actually come up with a nice speech, but her mind forgot everything.
"...Huh?" Setsuna's weight hit the couch. Evangeline just stared, her eyes slightly bigger.
"That came out wrong, didn't it?"
"I think that was exactly what you meant." Evangeline grounded out as she too sat on the couch, her left arm wrapping around Setsuna's waist instantly. "I think we will have to talk when my wife looks less... broken." Konoka glanced at the samurai for a second. She was still rootted to her spot, staring into nothing as they spoke.
She nodded, "That seems like the best option."
Evangeline was positively crazy. Nuts.
Because, of course Konoka understood that you needed two people to make a baby. And since Konoka couldn't find someone to make magical babies with her, she went to Eva for advice on the procedures and the best option in a donor -female or male didn't matter, so it shouldn't have been that hard-, and she trusted the blonde with her heart. Being the creator of a same-sex inter-species baby-maker spell was a plus as well.
But actually offering up her own wife to be the donor?
As she said before: crazy.
Sure, Setsuna had been -or she thought so- the love of her life at some point, right after she kicked her useless husband out, and before she forced herself to forget about her after seeing her and Eva together.
But now, with her pounding heart and her sweating hands?
She was old enough to spot a crush from a mile away.
Forty-five-year-old Konoka Konoe crushing on forty-five-year-old-seeming-twenty-fucking-three Setsuna Sakurazaki.
Just great.
"Lets say that we both agree to this-" Evangeline looked up from her newspaper, a smile perched on her lips.
"Setsuna already agreed." Konoka did not ask how she had done that. Still, she as impressed.
"Okay. Assuming I do accept this-" She ignored Eva's amused smirk. "What do I have to do?" Evangeline set the paper aside as she crossed her model-like legs. Konoka couldn't believe she had gone through two babies.
"First of all, we need to check what's going on with your body. You've mentioned that you don't get your period, and yet you haven't got menopause. Obviously your magic is messing you up. Think of it like being on the pill. It fucks you up." Konoka nodded.
"Now, after making sure your body will be a nice recipient for a baby, we need to make sure that you and my wife are compatible. Genetically speaking, of course." Evangeline winked. Again, Konoka ignored her. "And since I already know that you two are compatible, I'll just skip this part and explain the more... explicit part of this." Konoka tensed. She didn't like this one bit.
"I have investigated same sex reproduction for a long time now. I tried to find new ways, but... well, I couldn't." She shrugged. "Genetics are a bitch." She explained. "Konoka, there is no other way to say this, so please sit down on the couch before you faint and hit your head somewhere and I have to clean up your blood stains from the carpet." Konoka did not point out that there was no carpet, but she obeyed. Better listen to the doctor.
"Konoka," Evangeline looked at her seriously. "To conceive a child with Setsuna through magic means requires certain... physical contact."
True to Evangeline's warning, Konoka fainted on the spot, fortunately avoiding any hard surface.
After many awkward meetings between Setsuna and Konoka, Evangeline finally helped Konoka learn the spell used to conceive and set a date for their first encounter. It seemed that they would have to try at least a couple of times before the Konoe got her wish.
On the first encounter, they had a shared fear of old feelings resurfacing, but as soon as their naked bodies touched, oddly enough, they didn't feel any kind of pull. Many years ago, it would have been a passionate encounter, no doubt. But now, it felt as if they were just looking after the other, each in their own way. Setsuna with her soft caresses and sweet nothings, and Konoka reciprocating as much as she could. Setsuna was her first time with a girl, so she was still insecure about what to do; what to touch and what not to.
On their second encounter, Setsuna managed to seal the deal. It was a particular push that sent the brunette into space and made her see the stars. And it was that push that finally stopped their slightly awkward bed times.
Konoka got pregnant with twins.
"I didn't know they ran in my family!" Setsuna defended herself when confronted by an embarrassed yet thrilled-looking Konoka.
Evangeline lifted a perfect eyebrow and crossed her arms, "You better pray that if we decide to have any more we don't get a double treat."
Konoka was still marvelled by Evangeline's thinking. She had casually waved the matter off. The brunette just couldn't understand, so she confronted her once day, when they had privacy.
"Why did you let us do that?" Eva smiled at her as she drank her tea.
"I saw you looking at her longingly for a long time now." She cut the brunette off before she could protest. "Don't worry about it. I knew for a fact that you loved her with all your heart. And that is exactly the reason why I let you do that. Because I know that your feelings towards Setsuna are not those of a lover, but more like a sister."
"Setsuna loves me, and I love Setsuna. We trust each other and that's why our relationship is steady and we sometimes look like newlyweds. We don't go behind our backs, and I'm sure that's partially because we can kick each other's asses." The Konoe teared up. "I saw you grow, Konoe. It was quite the change, going from clumsy, naive high school girl to leader, mother and protector."
"And yet, you lacked the most important thing; something I found not that long ago in my wife." Evangeline sighed almost happily. "I'm not so sure you will find what we have, but the happiest you've been these past years... I see that when you see Naomi, and sometimes us. But mostly Naomi."
"So there you go, Konoe. That's my reason." Konoka didn't know what to say, so she just settled for the next best thing when she found she couldn't speak. She hugged the blonde tightly.
Unlike Naomi's birth, the twins' was almost too easy. Evangeline had told her it was because her muscles were not as tight as when she was younger. There was just no way that wasn't a sexual innuendo, so she ignored the vampire between her legs as she helped her through the process again.
Konoe Evelyn and Konoe Sasha were the most precious little things, both having had a reasonable weight and size at eight months and a half. It didn't take long for the vampire and her wife to notice the similarities in the names. Konoka didn't even have to suggest them to be the godmothers, that was a given fact.
During the first months of pregnancy, Naomi had flipped. It was understandable. She hadn't even thought her mother could still reproduce. And now she had two younger sister, at twenty-five, and she was planning to marry Shunra in the near future and have her own children. How was she supposed to explain to them that their aunts were about five or so years older than them? Still, she supported her mother through awkward visits to see their health and even more awkward moments where the older Konoe asked her about her weight, because apparently Setsuna would escape as soon as the question popped up.
Evangeline had warned them that they could only have daughters. Something or another about chromosomes. It didn't matter anyway. Konoka was, in fact, thrilled that she wouldn't have to be wondering what the sex was, so she had more time to buy them the cutest dresses she could find.
Setsuna, Eva and the girls had been constant in her life, occasionally dropping at her house to ask if she needed anything. Setsuna more than anything, since she was the other mother, so to speak. It was kind of cute to see in person how nervous the half-demon got around her and the babies.
With her friends and family in mind, Konoka glanced down at the double crib she was leaning on. Her two little girls slept peacefully, with Evelyn's hand over Sasha's in a light grip. To this day, there was no time in which the girls wouldn't have some sort of contact with the other, even if it was the occasional hair pulling and baby punch.
"They got your touchy-feeling trait." Setsuna had one commented in a playful manner. Konoka merely laughed as she watched her daughters interact with each other.
"They got your stubborn streak." The samurai smirked.
"They both have brown eyes and hair." Konoka smirked back.
"Sasha has your nose and a tint of red in her eyes." Setsuna glanced at the eldest by a minute, and squinted her eyes, only to realize it was true. She was awed.
"Well, Eve has your ears and pout." Konoka knew that someday, somehow, that pout would get back at her. She just didn't imagine it would be like this.
"Will they have wings?" She asked as she leaned on Setsuna's shoulder. She really was touchy feeling...
"I don't know. You have to wait a bit more for that. If they do, they are supposed to start showing after their first year or so. But, since they are a quarter demon and daughters of the biggest magic vessel in the world." Setsuna shrugged. "You can never know."
"I wish they do have them." Setsuna peeked at her curiously, but Konoka was still entranced with the twins.
"Why?" The samurai tilted her head. If they had wings, some day in the future they'd realize that their aunt Setsuna and cousins also had them, which could only lead to more awkward explanations and maybe even problems.
"You know? I always wished I could fly like you." She didn't let Setsuna protest. "Not like those rides you take me on once in a while. I meant having wings like you do. Being able to beat them and feel the wind on them." Setsuna nodded. Yes, she had known about Konoka's desire since they were teens.
"But now I don't need them. You made my dreams come true, Set-chan." Konoka leaned up and kissed the samurai's cheeks. "Thank you." Setsuna smiled at her.
They spent the rest of the afternoon watching the girls sleep.
People like to say, as if it were obvious, that life is hard to define. This is misleading. Life has many faces, but it is not undefinable.
Life is happiness.
Life is sadness.
Life is reminiscence.
Life is a gift, a mystery and a puzzle.
Life is all about learning, falling and succeeding.
Life is waking up early to take a cup of coffee with those people you cherish the most.
Life is taking five minutes of your time to talk with them; ask how things are going with their lives.
And life is short.
Konoe Konoka's death was not unexpected, and yet, it was the most devastating one in their lives.
She died at the age of sixty-seven, leaving nothing but good memories of her behind.
She had become an accomplished woman. They wrote books about her deeds and sacrifices, about how many she had saved.
Konoe Konoka died a happy woman. She would often say that it was all thanks to her family, the ones who had been with her from the beginning. She would hug and kiss her daughters as much as she could, because she knew that life was short and unpredictable. She would often say so.
During her last moments, Konoka was surrounded by everyone she loved. There were so many of them, some had to stay and watch her through the windows with teary eyes and throat-ripping sobs. Her daughters and granddaughters were the ones who held her hands throughout the last stage of her illness. Evangeline was the one who tended to her along Keiko and Valerie, as Isabella did her best to distract their two-year-old with the help of her boyfriend, Sam.
And Setsuna...
Well, Setsuna couldn't handle seeing her in her last moments. They could all swear the samurai felt her best friend give her last ragging breath, as they all heard the scream of anguish coming from the bottom of the cascade. It was heart-wrenching to see the usually strong woman fall apart. And soon after, she was followed by the faint cries of Evangeline, who could just not stand it anymore.
Life was certainly too short to have enough of one Konoka Konoe.
But, she died a happy woman, an accomplished woman.
And the last thing Setsuna would remember, with no small amount of fondness, was the soft smile that graced Konoka's lips as she finally got that Peace she always wanted, right at the end of the line.
I think I overdid it a little with this one. I never really killed anyone, and I'm feeling like crap about it, but it was about time I stepped up and did something like this. It will only help me improve with my skills.
Again, sorry for all the angst, though in my defense, the title said it all -implicitly.
The series goes like this:
A Fresh Start
A Fresh Start: Wedding of Hell
A Fresh Start: Keiko's Adventures
A Fresh Start: Konoka's Peace
A Fresh Start: Konoka's Goodbye (turn the page)
Shoot... I just realised I uploaded the drabble xD
Now edited (more or less).