A crash of shattered glass.
'What was that?' she thought, a cool breeze flowed across her, playing with her long, brown hair. Konoka say down then, in taking the cool air in a sleepy yawn.
'I'm tired now…' she thought as she began to close her eyes and the conscious realm started to fade before her.
"Konoka!"
She heard a familiar voice ring as the image of her beloved took its mark in her mind.
"Don't worry… Secchan… I'll see you in the morning." Konoka said to the raven-haired samurai. The last image she saw before slipping into unconsciousness was Setsuna shaking her head and an unfamiliar liquid welled in her eyes.
"Konoka!!"
She heard last, as her eyes closed upon the realm of which she knew.
Starlight Field
Konoka awoke opening her eyes to the chatter of children and a dreary looking day. Standing she thought herself a bit too small for normal, but she decided to explore anyway. As she walked she noticed hat she'd awoken near a dry river bed where many small stone towers were built.
She knelt to look at one; reaching out her hand to touch the small tower. She stopped as she felt a presence behind her and turned to find a little boy looking at her with a cross expression. "Hey, kid, you better not knock that down, or you're no better than those damned souls that haunt us at night." The boy said crossing his arms.
"I wasn't going to… and what do you mean 'damned souls'? Where are we… and where is Secchan?" Konoka said looking at her alien surroundings. "Oh, so you're new here… Your shine is much brighter than the others…so I thought you'd been here for a while. Come with me… I'll take you to lord Jizô." The boy said outstretching his hand.
Konoka went to grab for it, but recoiled when she saw the size of her hand compared to this little boy's hand: it was as big, or bigger than hers. "W-why do I—?"she left her question unfinished. "Lord Jizo will explain it all. Come…" he too left his sentence unfinished, until Konoka finished it for him.
"Konoe Konoka." She said; he shook his head. "Konoka, we have no surnames here. You are just Konoka, as I am just Taro, and anyone else is just themselves." He said then walked on once Konoka had gotten up to follow him.
As Konoka walked with Taro she heard a jovial voice serenading a song that seemed to be aimed toward a young audience. "Lord Jizo!" Taro said upon the sight of a large Buddha-looking man, and the large man stopped singing to the small group of children and bade them to go build their daily towers.
"What have we here?" the large man said looking Konoka over. "A fine soul you have, my child. Tell me, are you our new arrival I sensed this morning?" Konoka stood looking up at the man. "Sir, why am I like this?" Konoka said stretching out her tiny hand. "Where am I?" she finished her inquiry.
The Jovial Jizo looked on at the child Konoka had become. "You, child, are in the realm called Sai-no-Kawara. This is the place where all children, and women who've never married come after death." He said, and Konoka felt her heart stink into the very recesses of her soul.
'Dead?'
"But…h--how could that be?" she asked. The lord Jizo looked upon her with sorrow and brought her to the dry river bed. "My child, collect your stones to make a tower: one for your father, one for your mother, and one for any other who's love you share." He said bending down to collect a stone from the river bed.
"I have a slight feeling; there is a reason for you to be recrafted. Otherwise, thou would've gone to the celestial plain were the great Amaterasu waits." Jizo finished, placing the stone he'd picked up in her tiny hand, "Your purification starts here." He added as he walked back to view the rest of the children.
"Like this, Konoka." Taro said crafting a tower and kneeled at it for a minute of so. "Thank you, Taro." Konoka said following suit. "You're lucky, Konoka…" the boy said. "How is that?" Konoka asked with skepticism in her voice at the irony of how someone dead could be lucky.
"You remember… that's something none of us are able to do." He said kneeling to prey again. "Really?" Konoka asked kneeling to prey too. After the two of them began to collect another bout of stones, Taro asked: "So, Konoka, who's this 'Secchan' person?" He was slightly taken aback by the light blush that spread across he young girl's countenance.
"Secchan… is very important to me…" Konoka said meticulously Placing the final rock on top of her final tower. "This one…" she said before kneeling to prey. "…Is for her." Konoka finished, as she closed her eyes and thought of the person dearest to her.
After a while of building and preying all the children came to greet Konoka. "H-hello…" Konoka said, slightly embarrassed by the viewing eyes staring in wonder at her. "She's not an animal on display!" Taro said, hinting that the children need not to stare at her so vigorously, and they all glanced away.
"You're all so… happy…" Konoka said. "Why do you say that?" Taro replied. "Right now… it's like I can feel… a radiant happiness glowing off of you… but, I'm sad… is it because I remember?" Konoka asked and Taro shrugged. "I'm sorry, Konoka… but I'm just a kid." Konoka shook her head.
"Sorry… I forget that most of you are… You see, when I… died… I was eighteen… so, I don't realize that you're… not expected to know what I do." Konoka said. Then a large warm hand encircled her shoulder. "Lord Jizo…" Konoka said, looking over at the jovial man. "My child, you seem terribly distracted." He said to the little Konoka.
"Oh, you see, sir, I told my dearest friend that I'd see her in the morning… but… I've left her.
She's been through many death-defying experiences… and she told me that she lives only for me… she's never left me… and now look what I'd done for her in return." Konoka said looking down, dejected.
"So, you wish to see her again… it is close now… I feel as thought your body has not died yet… you came upon an untimely death… and someone tried to prevent it enough… go to the one you wish to give a nice farewell to and tell her to visit my cave, Kyu-Kukedo-San." Jizo said. Konoka nodded and waited for nightfall in the living realm.
Upon nightfall Konoka visited Setsuna's dreams. Setsuna laid asleep, a stain of across her visage. Konoka looked over her figure and finally shook her awake, or at least in her dreams. Setsuna awoke with a start to the face of Konoka. "Ko—Kono-chan…" Setsuna said breaking odd into sobs and embraced the little girl.
"How are you here? Why are you a child?" Setsuna said; Konoka pulled back from the embrace, and looked at Setsuna with a sad smile. Konoka then explained: "Secchan, I'm… dead… and since I've never married… I was sent to the realm of Sai-no-Kawara." Setsuna nodded, trying to understand.
"The lord of this realm, Jizo, said that I would be recrafted soon, and said that my body is still alive… the only way I can be recrafted is to have my body brought to the cave called the Kyu-Kukedo-San when Emma-O decides it's time to be recrafted. The Lord Jizo told me to ask you to bring me there" Konoka finished.
"But Konoka! Your body is under guard in Kyoto…" Setsuna said, a dejected look crossed her face. "I have to go now. Please, I want to be back with you… and I want to know… the truth, about… a lot of things… so please, take me there." Konoka finished, vanishing afterward; Setsuna awoke with a start, looked around, and jumped up to get Asakura Kazumi, so she could find this 'Kyu-Kukedo-San'.
"Did you tell her?" Jizo asked once Konoka opened her eyes once again. "Yes, I just hope she sees it as something other than a dream." Konoka said standing. "I guess we'll see. Come along, my child, we have an appointment with lord Emma-O." Jizo said placing his hand on the small Konoka's shoulder.
"Bye Taro, I'll never forget you! I hope we see each other again when you're recrafted!" Konoka said to the little boy who waved back.
Konoka walked close to Jizo in the dark world where Emma-O ruled. "Konoe Konoka!" a voice bellowed, causing Konoka to jump, and begin to tremble. "My lord, you're causing this poor child to tremble." Jizo said with a hearty laugh. "Oh, forgive me, young one, I just speak as such! You've earned your recrafting… Now we wait for your body. Though, if it's not here in a few days, your light will extinguished, and your recrafting will disperse." He finished.
"Kneel and prey, young one, for your loved one to save you!" Jizo said kneeling with Konoka as they clasped their hands together in unison. 'Secchan, please hurry!'
Setsuna knocked frantically on Asakura Kazumi's room door. "Asakura! Open up!" she shouted; the latch clicked and a disheveled Kazumi appeared. "Setsuna… What do you want?" Kazumi questioned with a yawn. "You have to help me with something, and we have to do it quickly, or she'll die forever!" Setsuna said pleading. "Come in and tell me." Kazumi said opening the door all the way so Setsuna could come in.
"Can I use your laptop?" Setsuna asked setting on the couch in Kazumi's room. "Here." Asakura said handing the compact computer to the raven-haired girl; then went and started brewing some coffee.
After a bit of setting in silence interrupted every once in a while by mouse clicks, Setsuna shouted "Found it! Asakura lets go! I need your help." Setsuna said placing the small computer on the table. "Where? You've yet to tell me what's going on!" Kazumi shouted placing her hand on the table.
"Fine." Setsuna said, and began explaining everything: her dream, Konoka; the situation at hand. "Setsuna! That was a dream, brought on by a longing memory of Konoka!" Kazumi shouted at the frantic samurai woman.
"No! It was real! I know it was!" Setsuna shouted back. "Even if that's the case, Setsuna, her body is in Kyoto with her father! And what if this 'vision' isn't really a vision! You'll be condemned forever!" Asakura finished. "It's a chance I'm willing to take. If Konoka really is alive, and there's only one chance to revive her… I'll spend my entire life in exile to bring her back. But I need your information gathering expertise for it. I need you Kazumi, please?" Setsuna pleaded, involuntarily tearing up in the process.
"Dammit, Setsuna! You're lucky I like you… But if we get caught, I'm gonna say I had some command, zombie… THING on me!" Kazumi said looking away, missing the only genuine friendly smile Setsuna had ever given the eccentric redhead reporter.
After Kazumi got ready, she turned to Setsuna. "How're we gonna get there?" she asked; Setsuna walked toward a window in the red head's room and gazed out of the window. "What?" Asakura asked peering out of the now open window. "Hold on tight." Setsuna said while picking Kazumi up and jumping out the window, only to have her wings explode from her back in a white flurry.
Asakura held on tight as she felt the air around her blow through her hair. "You can open you eyes now." She heard from the other girl and slightly cracked and eye. "Oh, wow." She gasped, finally opening both of her eyes, and loosened her strangle hold on Setsuna. "We must hurry!" Setsuna shouted, flying towards the south.
"What the hell are you?" Asakura finally said after a few minutes. "A half demon… You're the only person, other than Konoka, that's flown with me… It's kinda weird." Setsuna said shaking her hair out of her eyes. "Well, lets hurry, Setsuna. The wind's in out favor!" Kazumi shouted shielding her eyes from the new blast of cool air.
It took at least two hours until the girls arrived at the home of the Konoe familt, to commit the biggest crime of their lives. "I would think her body would be in a central place… near a garden… or her father…" Kazumi said, her analytical mind now taking over. "Right let's go." Setsuna said, going the inner garden that she was so familiar with in her youth.
Upon reaching the inner garden, Setsuna scoped out the surrounding rooms, and, as Kazumi had predicted, Konoka's body lay in the largest central room; looking as though she were pleasantly asleep. "Look, Asakura, she's warm. Have you ever seen someone dead that was warm?" Setsuna said smoothing Konoka's bangs out of her closed eyes.
"We got her body… Let's go." Asakura whispered and began to walk backward until she hit a hard, warm wall; it turns out her second observation was right too, Eishun stood behind her looking over the two girls. "Damn!" Asakura breathed, taking the word out of Setsuna's mind.
"What are you two here for?" He asked in his normal, calm voice. "Sir! It was my idea! She's under a spell… I… uh… I ha—"
"Had a premonition?" Eishun asked, cutting Setsuna off. "Yes, sir… I need to go to the Kyu-Kukedo-San, so she can be recrafted in her body." Setsuna said in a pleading voice. "Asakura-kun, I know you're not charmed. Why don't you wait here? Setsuna-kin can't carry the both of you." Eishun said placing his large hand over Kazumi's shoulder.
"Y-yes, Sir!" she said watching Setsuna pick up Konoka's limp, dead body. "I won't be long." Setsuna whispered with valor burning in her eyes, as though her very soul were burning to save the brown haired girl in her arms. Then she shot off faster than she ever had. 'Just hold on, Kono-chan.' Setsuna landed at the cave she'd researched and laid Konoka's body on the ground, and sat next to her as she closed her eyes.
Konoka opened her eyes at the touch of a large hand on her head. "It's time, little one. It seems your friend pulled through for you." Emma-O said, allowing her to stand. "Farewell… Next time I see you, I hope to send your beautiful soul to Lady Amaterasu." He said, and led her over to a fountain.
"The Fountain of Jizo… Drink from it deeply and return to your body." He finished his last words and walked away, allowing Konoka to drink alone. Once she finished her ladle she sat it back in the water; then stepped back. A sudden bout of dizziness over took her tiny form, and she fell to the ground, unconscious.
Konoka quickly sat up as her eyes opened to a black room. "Am… am… I alive?" she said weakly to herself, and laid back, shifting; trying to relieve a large weight she felt on herself. But this weight prohibited her to move. 'A Body!?' she thought, horrified, then she noticed a tuft of familiar raven hair. "… Se… Secchan?" she murmured. A groan sounded from the mass laying next to her and Setsuna shifted her arm across Konoka's waist. "Secchan…" Konoka said more warmly stroking the light, feathery, raven hair that adorned the crown of her best friend.
Setsuna groaned once more, and lifted her head unaware of he girl who was now conscious under her. Konoka couldn't help it when a small giggle erupted from the mass underneath her. She sat back quickly, a red glow striking a dark path across her face. "Konoka…" she said, setting back and bringing her hands to Konoka's shoulders, setting her up. The playful brunette smiled a wonderful smile at her savior. "I'm glad, you're superstitious." She said.
Setsuna sat longer, not answering her charge; she had to let it sink in a bit before she was able to accept it. "No…" the raven haired girl finally spoke. "You're lucky Eishun-sama is superstitious." She said finally earning a laugh from the girl in front of her. Setsuna leaned forward and brought the arms that where on the ledge that was Konoka's shoulder around to form a small, slightly awkward embrace, which lasted for less than a minute.
"Sorry." Setsuna said, quickly letting go. "For what?" the brown haired girl asked turning to wrap her arms around the stronger girl. An infectious smile drifted from Konoka's face to Setsuna's. "I… I can't believe you're back…" Setsuna said in a barely audible whisper. "Neither can I." Konoka admitted, picking up Setsuna's hand to make sure it was real. "Is it real?" Konoka simply asked, holding on to the hope that it was true.
Setsuna sat a moment, thinking how to prove the reality of this moment to Konoka and herself. She breathed in a deep breath. "Let's see." She said without exhaling; then leaned in, pressing her warm lips against Konoka's slightly cool and pail ones. Konoka froze a moment, then relaxed, knowing that only the real Setsuna could think of something like this.
When the moment ceased Setsuna placed her forehead on Konoka's. "I'm so happy this is real." Konoka said. Setsuna sat quietly, the darkness shrouding her eyes, along with her bangs that had fallen from her ponytail. "Se… Secchan?" Konoka said quietly moving to view the countenance of her friend, and noticed she was trembling.
A sound unfamiliar to the brunette echoed through the cave that they were shrouded in. It took a minute for Konoka to realize that it was a sob, coming from the girl across from her; this sent a shutter down her spine. Setsuna never cried, that was for sure, and Konoka was worried that she'd hurt her worse than she'd imagined.
"Secchan… I'm alright, I'm alive; it's not a dream. Please don't worry anymore…" Konoka said in a hushed voice, and began stroking the smooth raven hair of her friend; embracing the poor girl, Konoka whispered words of comfort. "Are you angry?" Konoka whispered after a moment, burying her face in the cherry blossom scented hair before her.
A choked, muffled relative to the word 'no' resonated from Setsuna. "I'm sorry I left you… you've never left me, no matter how hard the battle for life has been for you." Konoka said even more quietly, and tightened her embrace around the other girl. "I'm just glad you're back." Setsuna said, lifting her head and swiftly placing another kiss upon Konoka's sweet lips.
Setsuna stood and helped the brunette up. "Why are you so glad?" Konoka said, grasping her protector's hand and stood, only to fall, and be caught again by Setsuna's iron grasp. "Because, silly." Setsuna said, without a trace of blush adorning her face and looking angelic as the sun began to block out the starlight field. "I wouldn't have been able to tell you that…" Setsuna stopped again, a small trace of blush faltered across her face.
"I love you." She said finally, lifting Konoka up into her arms, and ran into a jump allowing her wings to plume from her back. "Your father missed you. Actually I thought I might face the death penalty for taking you." Setsuna said with a crooked smile. Konoka laughed that sounded like chimes in the wind. "I'm glad he understood."
After a while of flying the Konoe residence came into sight. "None of this would've been possible if not for Kazumi." Setsuna said softly, a warm smile for her new found friend spread across her face. "Secchan…" Konoka said, looking off to the sunrise. "Yes?" Setsuna said, looking down at the girl in her arms. "I love you too." Konoka said with a smile, and leaned forward to press her lips against her protectors.
"Well, I'm glad…"
END