Konoka Setsuna One Shot, an idea that came to me at 2:46 AM.
Training.
Setsuna adopted her stance, orienting her right side toward Konoka, and extending her right arm out, while keeping her left arm in toward her body, palm facing Konoka, at her waist. Setsuna slowly twisted her right hand so that her palm was facing the ceiling, and nodded at Konoka.
"When you are ready."
Konoka nodded, and copied Setsuna's stance, staring her directly in the eye. "Come for me." Was her only reply.
It had been a long time now since Negi had first come to teach, and now, halfway through the second semester, Setsuna had been asked by Konoka for fighting lessons.
At first, Setsuna wondered why Konoka didn't ask Ku for training, or Evangeline, but she was swayed by Konoka's response.
"I only want you to teach me, Se-chan." Was her answer. "And it gives me more time to spend with you also."
Setsuna had agreed one month previous, and now, like Konoka's magic, her skill at many forms of martial arts was increasing rapidly.
"Today," Setsuna said, holding her position, "Our goal is to explore and practice flow, and grace." She said. "Not neccessarily power or speed, but it is the beauty and perfection with which you pull off your moves that is important today." She said.
Konoka nodded again, and shifted her right foot out further, lowering her head, and relaxing the muscles in her arms.
Konoka's outfit was a complete copy of Setsuna's, and consisted of a hakama, and a shirt that was cut off a few inches above her belly button, and sleeveless. The only difference was Konoka's was pure white, while Setsuna had opted for black.
Setsuna closed the distance between them with a single step, and she saw Konoka's left arm come up, an almost automatic defensive reaction. In response, Setsuna threw her extended right arm up, sliding against Konoka's wrist, and breaking her block. As she extended her left hand, her open palm aimed for Konoka's right shoulder, she twisted her right hand around, and got a grip on Konoka's left wrist. Konoka mirrored Setsuna's earlier movement, and brought her right arm up, and blocked Setsuna's open palm. Setsuna stepped in toward Konoka with her right leg, and swiped it behind Konoka, fluidly, effortlessly. Konoka stepped back, knowing that Setsuna's right hand would come to push her back, tripping her. She stumbled, but did not fall, and recovered, throwing her own left open palm toward Setsuna's face. Setsuna let go of Konoka's right wrist, and came down from above, easily pushing Konoka's attack down, away from her face. Konoka rolled her wrist, and grabbed Setsuna's wrist, smoothly pulling her arm up.
Konoka took a step in toward Setsuna, and aimed her left palm for Setsuna's right shoulder. Setsuna countered, still unable to free her left wrist, and used her right to push the hand away, counter-attacking with a strike to the shoulder.
This time, Konoka couldn't avoid it, and with less strength than it would take to push open a door, with less speed than it would take to raise your hand to ask a question in class, Setsuna applied physics and conservation of energy to her hit, almost gently pushing on Konoka's shoulder.
Konoka rolled with the hit, knowing that if she didn't, she could have a broken collar bone for sure. Setsuna had already taught her many things, among them the concept of the one inch punch. While in reality it's uses were limited, if it were applied with Chi or Ki, it could become deadly. To the unaware observer, it might appear that Setsuna had hit Konoka with a gentle, almost timid shove, it were in reality a magically loaded, perfectly smooth and fluid punch.
They broke bonds, and took a step apart, neither breathing heavily, or feeling as if they had exerted more energy than it had taken to walk from one end of the classroom to the other.
"Hmm, although you were hit in the end, your moves are progressing, taking on flow, and you are swiftly grasping the idea of performing complex motions with both hands, at the same time." Setsuna said. "Shall we take it up a notch?"
Konoka nodded, and took the initiative, stepping forward and throwing a sharp right. Setsuna stepped into the punch, and brought her arm up, blocking it from the inside and throwing it upward and outward, rendering it useless. At the same time, Setsuna brought her closed fist up from her waist, opening her palm at the last second to impact Konoka's left shoulder.
Konoka exhaled sharply at the hit, but said nothing, stumbling backward once more. Setsuna advanced, ducking low and striking Konoka in the stomach with her elbow. This time Konoka could not hold back the groan of pain, but still, Setsuna continued onward.
Konoka tried to focus on Setsuna's movements, but Setsuna was slowly speeding up, and adding more, unknown hand movements to her attack that seemed to leave her defenseless, with no avenue for attack.
"Do you give up, Konoka-Ojou-Sama?" Setsuna asked, easily turning down an attack from her, while countering with her own.
Konoka shook her head. "No, please continue."
Setsuna nodded, and stepped forward, forcing Konoka backward. Konoka threw a right again, and Setsuna, instead of turning it down or away, deflecting the attack, merely grabbed Konoka's fist, halting her.
"Prepare thyself."
Konoka's eyes widened as Setsuna brought her closed fist up from her waist, a favorite attack of the girl, and Konoka wondered how to counter it. She wasn't "inside" enough to turn it outward, and was too fast for her to turn it down...wasn't it?
Konoka tried, bringing her left arm down onto Setsuna's wrist. Setsuna grinned, and broke the lock on her wrist, letting Konoka's hand slide down the curve of her hand, and onto her forearm. Setsuna, punching ability now ruined because of her unlocked wrist, uncurled her wrist, and Konoka was powerless to stop her attack.
Konoka's hand slid down her wrist, to stop at the crook of her elbow, and now, Setsuna was inside her zone. Konoka squeezed her eyes closed, and prepared for the impact that was about to come.
It came. Setsuna's open palm came under Konoka's block, and impacted her chin, throwing her head back and lifting Konoka a full three inches off the ground.
Setsuna winced as she saw blood splash over Konoka's chin, from a split lip, but she didn't halt her attack, knowing that she wouldn't be doing Konoka justice by stopping.
It would actually be an insult to Konoka, as if she wasn't strong enough to take the hit, when they both knew she could.
When Konoka's feet hit the floor, she staggered back, wincing in pain. Still Setsuna advanced, placing hit after hit on the girl's body, making each more aggressive and powerful than the last.
Finally, Setsuna countered a punch from Konoka, and was surprised when Konoka swiftly turned it into a lock. Setsuna, before Konoka's fingers had fully closed around her wrist, smoothly countered the lock with a lock of her own, turning Konoka's wrist down, and to the outside, rendering it impossible to move from such a position, and painful to move. Setsuna attacked with her right arm, and was surprised at the speed with which Konoka ducked the blow, using her free arm to come down on the wrist holding Konoka's other arm. Setsuna winced, and felt her wrist unlock, or "break", and Konoka swiftly twisted out of the lock, turning the lock on Setsuna. Konoka then yanked on the arm as hard as she could, and Setsuna was pitched forward by the unexpected movement. Konoka, now reacting out of pure adrenaline, raised her left shoulder, and gritted her teeth as she smashed her shoulder into Setsuna's face. Setsuna tried to reel back, but she was held tight by Konoka's lock. Once her shoulder impacted Setsuna's face, she ducked low, and delivered a second impact with her left elbow, to the side of Setsuna's face.
Konoka finally let go of Setsuna, and by now was breathing heavily, the fight taking it's toll.
Setsuna saw Konoka's worn out condition, and nodded. "The next strike shall be the last." She said. Konoka's eyes widened, and she felt the pit of her stomach roiling. She had come to fear those words from Setsuna, for they meant two things. One was the end of the training session, while the other was the extreme pain that came from the different ways that Setsuna decided to end the matches.
Konoka attacked with both hands, desperate to throw off Setsuna's attack, and aimed for her face, staggering her left hand behind her right by a half second. Setsuna brought her hands together prayer style at her waist, then forced them up, between Konoka's arms, then easily pushed aside the punches, turning them to the "outside."
Setsuna, with Konoka's defense near zero, and her offense non-existent, stepped forward with her right foot, and thrust straight out with her arms, opening her palms toward Konoka.
Both Setsuna's open palm strikes hit Konoka in the chest, and she was sent backward by the force, hitting up against the gym wall, then slowly sinking down, moaning.
Setsuna's eyes widened, and she dashed forward, sliding her arms under Konoka's armpits, helping her to her feet.
"Hey, are you okay Ojou-Sama?" She asked, worriedly.
Konoka raised her head, and smiled at Setsuna.
"I-I'm fine, I think." She said, her voice shaky. As she raised her hands to press against her beating heart, Setsuna noticed that both her hands were shaking badly.
It's nervous shock. Setsuna thought. It happens when the body is placed in a situation where it will recieve pain if it fails to react quickly, and by making multiple fast movements, and recieving a few wounds, she's brought it onto herself.
Setsuna's own hands were still, but she noticed that they had started to shake after she had gotten elbowed in the side of the face. Once she recoved though, they quickly stopped.
Setsuna held Konoka up against the wall, until she could support her own weight.
"Th-Thank you, Se-chan." Konoka said, her voice still shaky.
Setsuna eyed her. "For what?" She asked.
Konoka smiled, wiping blood off her chin. "For taking time everyday and training me." She said. Setsuna smiled. "There's no problem there, Konoka-Ojou-Sama." She said.
Konoka smiled. "Thank you."
Setsuna noticed that her lip was still bleeding, and she stared at it. "Ah, Konoka..."
"Hahn?" She asked, her mouth sore. "Your lip is still bleeding." She said. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have hit you so hard."
Konoka shook her head. "No, honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way." She said. Setsuna looked at her. "Why's that?" She asked.
Konoka smiled. "Because if I want to get strong and catch up to you, then I have to take strong hits." She said. "And catching up to you, and finally becoming useful, and not being a burden is the only thing I can aim for." She said.
Setsuna stared at her. "Konoka..."
Konoka wiped some tears out of the corners of her eyes, and smiled. "I'm sorry, Se--"
She was cut off as Setsuna shook her head, leaning in and placing a gentle kiss on her lips. It was but a timid one, and didn't last more than a few seconds, but it was the result of weeks of nervous wondering and thinking.
Konoka, surprised at Setsuna's boldness, blushed.
"Ahh, Se-chan!" She said. "What was that?"
Setsuna looked down at the floor. "You're right, Ojou-Sama." She said, embarrassed. "That was wrong of me."
"It sure was!" Konoka said. Setsuna felt embarrassment burning through her, and she moved away from Konoka. "I'm reall-"
This time it was her turn to be cut off, as Konoka leaned in, placing her hands on Setsuna's shoulders.
"Everyone knows that you kiss like this..." She said, leaning in and placing her lips on Setsuna's. A few seconds later, Setsuna responded, and Konoka deepened the kiss, blushing dark, her embarrassment obvious. Setsuna slowly raised her hands from her sides, and placed them on Konoka's waist, not believing what was happening.
The feel of Konoka's lips against hers was soft, the touch of Konoka's hands on her bare shoulders almost ticklish, the sound of Konoka's pleasured moan in her ears, the press of Konoka's chest against her own.
Then, before she knew what had even happened, it was over, and Konoka was looking deep into her eyes, the depth and emotion her own eyes were showing was surprising.
"K-Konokaaa...?"
Konoka smiled. "You're such a dummy, Setsuna." She said. "You know so many cool fighting moves, but you can't even kiss!"
Setsuna smiled. "H-Hai! Then perhaps, I'll have you train me on that..."
Konoka hummed happily. "Why don't we get started right now...?"