Me: yo! I'm back! =D
Asuna: finally! ... so ... how did your exams go?
Me: ...(freezes)
Asuna: uumm... e-etto... s-so... about the story...
Me: ah yeah! I finished chapter 3 ! ...
Konoka: let's see it!!
Asuna: wuah! when did she-! ... oh whatever just start...
Chapter 03: Guardian
The sun was starting to rise; usually, by now, the Ala Alba's members start their training… but they spent all the night celebrating the newcomers' entry; each one of them were too tired to train now, everyone except one.
Setsuna was up since 5:30 am, though it was too late for her, she was training at the resort. She thought she was alone but…
"Well well, full of energy, eh, Sakurazaki?" Eva said but Setsuna didn't even bother to turn and continued training "so tell me… why did you suddenly change your mind?"
"Betsu ni (it was nothing/ nothing really)" Setsuna said "I just wanted to test my own strength"
"oh really?" Evangeline said skeptically "you know, I heard that the princess will choose one of us to be her knight"
"oh, sou?" Setsuna pretended not to know about it, she was good at lying "I didn't know that"
Eva smirked, even when Setsuna was a good liar, she didn't believe her "now you know," she said "well, I'm going back to sleep; I'll contact you if there's a mission or something"
After Evangeline was gone and Setsuna made sure that there wasn't anyone else around, she sighed "that was close…"
A few hours later, the king was at his throne waiting for someone while remembering a conversation he had with his daughter last night.
Flashback:
"Hey daddy," Konoka said "you look happy, what happened?"
"hehe very observant!" he smiled "I'm just happy that my apprentice decided to join Ala Alba, she's really hard to convince"
"Oh! You mean Sakurazaki Setsuna?" Konoka asked and her father nodded "that's so great!"
"indeed," Esihun said and then realized something "mmm… do you know each other?"
"a little" she lied; she had to, she couldn't just say 'of course, she my childhood friend who I met when I went out of the castle but she can't remember me' "hey daddy… could she be my guardian?"
"mmm… are you sure? She just entered" Eishun told her "why not Negi-kun?"
"mou daddy," Konoka pouted "you promised me that I'd be the one choosing this time, remember?"
"gomen gomen," Eishun chuckled "so, why her?"
"I heard she's really strong… and she looks like a good person" Konoka answered smiling
Eishun sighed defeated, he couldn't win against his daughter's smile, besides it was all true "ok, I'll bring her tomorrow" he said and Konoka hugged him
"Thanks!!"
End of Flashback
"Esihun-sama," one of the guards called him "someone's is here to see you"
"Oh, let her enter" he said " Setsuna-kun, sorry to interrupt your morning"
"iie, it's not a problem" she said and bowed
"Well, the reason I called you here was that… my daughter has chosen you as her guardian" he said.
"e-eh? M-me? But I…" Setsuna tried to make up an excuse but she was too nervous and shocked to think.
"is something wrong?" Esihun asked worriedly
"ah! I-iie"
"so, do you agree?" he asked
"…" Setsuna thought for a while "yes, sir" she said solemnly "I'll protect her from any danger, even if I have to give my own life!"
"so loyal… good choice, Konoka" Eishun smiled "it's settled then… come on, let's go" he stood up and Setsuna followed him
"where are we going, sir?" Setsuna asked
"Oh! To see my daughter of course" he said making Setsuna got more nervous "her magic class should be over now" he said and stopped in front of a door "here it is" he was about to knock, but before his hand could reach the door, someone opened it from inside.
"oh, good morning daddy" Konoka said and then noticed the person next to him "secchan!" she said mentally "good morning, Setsuna-san" she said smiling to her, Setsuna bowed to hide her blush.
"Konoka, good timing" Eishun said "I was about to tell you that Setsuna-kun accepted"
"Hontou!?" Konoka looked at Eishun who nodded, she then looked at Setsuna who looked away
"Well, I have work to do" Eishun said "Setsuna-kun, I leave my daughter in your hands"
"H-hai! I won't disappoint you" she said, Eishun smiled and left "Yoshi!(A/N:still not sure about spelling -.-) I have to do my best to-" Setsuna stopped talking to herself when she felt Konoka hugging her "p-p-princess! W-what are you doing?"
"Sorry, I'm just too happy" she said "so, what do we do now?"
"Whatever you wish" Setsuna said politely
"mmm" Konoka thought "let's just take a walk around the castle" she proposed and Setsuna nodded; they went to the big garden, Konoka thought that Setsuna might remember something if they spend more time there. But it looked like it wasn't working, so she tried something else.
"Let's go to the tree house!" Konoka said suddenly and ran in its direction
"Ah! Wait ojousama! You may trip!" Setsuna told her, and… guess what happened… yes, Konoka tripped but Setsuna managed to catch her before she hit the ground.
"Are you ok, ojousama?" Setsuna asked worriedly while helping her to stand up
"hai, thanks" Konoka smiled "let's go" Konoka was ready to run again but Setsuna stopped her
"no running this time" she said and Konoka pouted
"you're no fun" Konoka said and Setsuna chuckled
"it's for your sake, ojousama"
"mmm ok, I won't run… with one condition," Konoka said and smiled, Setsuna remained in silence and gulped unconsciously "stop calling me 'ojousama', okay?"
"Eh? B-but then…"
"Kono-chan," Konoka said smiling "call me 'Kono-chan'"
"B-b-b-but that's too informal! I-I can't…" Setsuna replied
"Well then… let's go!" Konoka said and started to run
"wuah!m-matte!" Setsuna chased after her "damn it! She's fast… but not fast enough" Setsuna said to herself and hurried… in a few second she was right behind Konoka and…
"Gotcha!" Setsuna hugged Konoka from behind; of course, it wasn't her intention but there wasn't any other way to stop her without hurting her. The princess couldn't help but blush at the sudden embrace.
"no more running," Setsuna said in a serious way while pulling away "Kono-chan" she smiled and Konoka smiled too
"it wasn't that difficult, was it?" Konoka asked cutely which made Setsuna blush and look away to hide it; unfortunately for the swordswoman, Konoka saw it and giggled "let´s go" Konoka sid and started walking.
Konoka sighed happily calling Setsuna's attention; they were already in the house "don't you like here?" Konoka asked "it's so quite and peaceful"
"Yeah, it is" Setsuna replied "this feeling again… what the hell is it!?"
"Can I ask you something?" Konoka asked her and Setsuna nodded "why did you entered the Shinmeiryuu school?"
"I wanted to become stronger," Setsuna answered "I still want that"
"What for?" Konoka asked
"To be able to protect the people who are important to me" Setsuna said without thinking "uh? What did I just say?"
"Important people… you mean… your family?" Konoka kept asking
"I don't have any," Setsuna answered "my parents died when I was 5"
"Oh sorry about it" Konoka said "I didn't know that… she never mentioned it before"
"It's ok," the warrior replied "I don't really remember them"
"Mmm…" Konoka thought for a while "what do you remember about you past?" she asked
"Now that I think about it," Setsuna started "I can't remember many things… only that I trained every day… and…" Setsuna doubted for a moment "uumm just that"
"Ok," Konoka said "now it's your turn" she told Setsuna who looked confused, Konoka giggled "to ask me questions"
"Oh!" Setsuna understood and thought for a moment "ah! I heard that you could be even more powerful than the Thousand master, is that true?"
"mmm, I think daddy mentioned something like that before," Konoka answered "but I'm still learning"
"soka" Setsuna said "uumm… have you ever left the palace?"
"hehe just once, when I was 5" Konoka replied "but, I was almost kidnapped by a man," she said and Setsuna surprised "fortunately someone saved me"
"Why did you left when you were only 5!?" Setsuna asked; she was obviously worried.
"Overprotective as always, secchan" Konoka said to herself and giggled "I was too bored here… since I didn't have any friends…"
"Huh? You didn't?" Setsuna asked and Konoka shook her head
"Dad and gramps always kept me in the castle, that way I'd be safe" Konoka explained
"Well, that's true" Setsuna said and Konoka laughed "so…eh… the one who saved you was…"
"hehe, she was a 6 years old girl" Konoka said, wishing that Setsuna remembered something
"What!?"
"hehe, that man was also shocked" Konoka said
"So, where is she now?"
Konoka sighed sadly "we lost contact 2 years later… she was a good person, very caring though she didn't want to admit it" she said "I wonder if she remembers me…"
"I'm sure she does," Setsuna said without looking at her "it's difficult to forget someone like you"
Konoka smiled "thanks"
"So, is anything else you'd like to do?" Setsuna asked
"mmm…" Konoka thought for a while "actually…"
"baka, baka, baka…" Setsuna cursed herself a hundred times as she escorted Konoka through a forest, not so far from the castle "o-ojousama, are you sure this is okay?"
"Don't worry," Konoka told her "dad won't know we left the castle, and what did I told you about calling me 'ojousama'?"
"Uh, h-hai k-kono-chan" Setsuna said with a flush on her face and sighed. You may be wondering something like: 'What the hell is happening?' well… Konoka had asked Setsuna if she could take her to the Shinmeiryuu School, of course Setsuna refused because it'd be dangerous…. But in the end Setsuna accepted even when she knew that she'd regret about this later (which means now).
"There it is" Setsuna said pointing at a big and well hidden building
"woah… so this is where you trained every day?" Konoka asked
"Actually this are the dorms," Setsuna replied "our training field is the world" Konoka was now confused "I'll explain," she said and Konoka sat of a nearby rock "when we enter to the Shinmeiryuu a tutor is assigned to each one of us; he or she decides when to 'test' us" Setsuna explained and Konoka listened carefully "the test consists on a survival trip, it may take years to complete it, depending on the tutor"
"That sounds difficult," Konoka said "when did you take the test?"
"when I was 6, it took me 2 years to finish it …I guess," Setsuna answered and Konoka's eyes widen "I can't remember very well but my tutor appeared one day and she told me that I had passed…"
"sugoi, you're like a prodigy!" Konoka said and Setsuna blushed a little "what happens next?"
"after the 1st test, we train in teams" Setsuna continued "that's when I met Asuna-san"
"mmm, talking about the past, Setsuna-sempai?" a voice came from the trees, a blonde girl with big circular glasses appeared and smiled "it's been a long time, ne?" she then looked at Konoka "ara? You found a girlfriend, what a shame"
Setsuna glared at this girl and grabbed her sword "what are you doing here, Tsukiyomi?"
"mou, what's with that scary face, sempai?" she said "can't I just come and see my old school?"
"tch! You are our enemy now" Setsuna said coldly
"mmm… true" Tsukiyomi said
"Go away while you can," Setsuna told her and then smirked "you wouldn't want all the squads after you, would you?"
"hehe that'd be fun" Tsukiyomi said and her gaze returned to Konoka "mmm…"
Konoka felt uncomfortable which Setsuna noticed, so she stood in front of the princess stopping Tsukiyomi's scrutiny "what?" Setsuna asked
"Just inspecting," she said and Setsuna raised an eyebrow "I have to see how good my rival is"
"R-rival.." Setsuna repeated blushing, not only of embarrassment but also of rage "oi! She's not my girlfriend!"
"oh you're so easy to tease sempai" Tsukiyomi laughed
"tch, go away or I'll chase you myself!" Setsuna threatened her while taking her sword out
"hai hai, I wouldn't want someone like myself chasing after me" tsukiyomi said, her voice sounded darker now, Setsuna clenched her fits "I'm leaving, I'm leaving…but," she turned "it doesn't mean that 'you' will" she begin to walk away "it was nice to meet you, Ouhime-sama" she then disappeared
"She knew!?... kuso; that was too dangerous," Setsuna thought and sighed "we could've started a fight"
"uumm, who was her?" Konoka asked out of the blue
"Her name is Tsukiyomi, she was a Shinmeiryuu student before but," Setsuna paused "she was exiled"
"Why? What happened?"
"She was consumed by… by her inner demon" Setsuna explained and looked away
Flashback:
Three 15 years old girls, Shinmeiryuu students, where hidden in the forest; they were supposed to ambush a group of soldiers from another country and capture them.
The intruders were taken by surprise when the girls surrounded them; the soldiers knew these girls were from the Shinmeiryuu, and were afraid of them, but either way they fought.
"Surrender now!" Asuna said while beating down the last soldier, he didn't say anything and smirked; suddenly, out of the blue, three more soldiers appeared from the threes and charged against Asuna.
"Asuna-san!" Setsuna shouted; Asuna prepeared for their attacks but instead of receiving them, she heard the sound of swords crossing.
"It's not like you letting your guard down, Asuna-sempai" Tsukiyomi said and the soldiers jumped to distance themselves from the girls "be careful, they are different from the others"
They were really strong; it took several minutes to defeat just one of them.
"One down…" Setsuna said mentally as she panted, she then turned to Asuna who had just defeated another one "great… now…" Setsuna looked at Tsukiyomi, she noticed there was something wrong with her, her fighting style was… wilder. Some second later the soldier hit a tree and fell to the ground begging for his life.
"enough, Tsukiyomi" Setsuna said and approached; but Tsukiyomi didn't listened to her and was about to give the soldier the final blow but Setsuna managed to grabbed her by the wrist before it happened "I said enough!"
End of Flashback
"After that day, she became even more wilder… until she…" Setsuna sighed sadly "she killed one of the students while training"
"That's why she was exiled…" Konoka said and Setsuna nodded "but, it was her inner demon, wasn't it? Maybe it could be sealed"
"hai, the elders tried it but failed" Setsuna said and looked at the sky with sad eyes
"Ne, what are you thinking?" Konoka asked her, Setsuna sighed
"It's just that… I could be like her right now" Setsuna answered "Konoka-ojousama I must ask you to reconsider your choice of me being your guardian… please… I don't wanna hurt you"
"E-eh? Hurt me? What are you talking about?"
"I…I'm… I'm a hanyou" Setsuna said looking at the ground "I'm like Tsukiyomi when I lose control…maybe worse"
Konoka was in shock; she didn't know what to say "Secchan…"
Setsuna sighed and stood up "let's go, ojousama, it's not safe here"
"You're wrong!" Konoka said and Setsuna turned around confused "you're not like her… you are a good person, gentle and caring… there's no way you're like her, even if you're a half-demon" Konoka said and smiled "you can suppress those instincts and that's because of your feelings… you are human, secchan"
"ojousama…" Setsuna said quietly and smiled "you may be right"
"I am," Konoka giggled and stood "let's go back now"
That same day, at night, at the top of a cliff from where a forest could be seen, our main swordswoman was sat looking at the moon.
"Why? She looks so familiar but…" Setsuna thought and then held her head in her hands; it hurt her for some reason "I can't remember… damn it!"
"I knew I'd found you here" Asuna said while approaching "you only come here, where you received Yuunagi, when something is bothering you, so… what is it?"
"heh I can't hide anything from you," Setsuna said while Asuna sat down next to her friend "it's about Konoka-ojousama, I think I met her before but I can't remember…"
"mmm… what do you remember?" Asuna asked
"Almost nothing" Setsuna sighed "actually; when I try to remember, my head starts to hurt"
"Maybe a spell?" Asuna asked, they both thought about it for a while "I have an idea!"
"I think I heard about something like that" Negi said. Asuna's idea was to ask Negi to recover Setsuna's memory "I'm not sure if I could, but I'll try my best"
They went to Eva's resort "stand here, Setsuna-san" he pointed and then began to cast very long spell, a huge circle appeared under Setsuna and started to shine.
"what the-" Setsuna said mentally; suddenly, all her memories appeared in front of her eyes, all at once "this…" it was when she understood why she couldn't remember anything, why did Konoka look so familiar to her and why she wanted to become stronger.
A few seconds later the circle disappeared and Setsuna fell on one of her knees.
"Setsuna-san!" Asuna and Negi called "are you ok?"
"I…I can remember…everything" Setsuna said
Me: and ...done!
Konoka: secchan remembers! secchan remembers!
Asuna: haha.. good work...
Me: Un.n ... hey I haven't seen sakurazaki for a while, where is she?
Asuna: hiding...
Me: mm oh! I got it...
Konoka: mou I wanna see secchan!! I miss her
Me: mmm hehe ... I have a plan for next chapter don't worry Konoe-san!
Asuna: oh yeah.. about next chapter... aren't you supposed to upload it now?
Me: eh.. but... but-- T_T ... I had exams... and I...
Asuna: you didn't finish it
Me: nup Un.n (Asuna hits me) ... ouch... well, thanks to raiet,Nini62223,setsuna-kun,BatterieszX,Demon Cat08,Dana Kishimoto,darkangel2391 for the reviews.. and sorry for not uploading chapter 4... I haven't finish it T.T ... I'll upload it as soon as possible Un.n...
(Sorry, I deleted the preview because... well I had another idea XD... )