Problems In Kyoto
"Ah! How much longer?" I looked back to see if everyone was doing fine. Star and Emily were the ones complaining. The path leading to Konoka's home was quite the long one. Then there's that fact I brought my friends from home along for the ride with an angry Setsuna in tow. It's not like I wanted to make this decision, but my job is to protect and make Konoka happy.
I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned to my side to see it was Negi. He seemed quite hesitative. "Something wrong, Negi-sensei?"
"Ah, well…I don't know if this such a good plan." I laughed a bit as I looked back towards the path.
"Don't worry, I'm sure Eishun-sama is going to be all right with this. He entrusted Konoka-ojou-chan to Setsuna, now that those two are together it should be better, don't you think? Setsuna can never leave her side now." Negi's eyes widened as he looked out towards the path.
"You're right, Setsuna can never leave Konoka, but somehow I don't have a good feeling about this Sammy-kun. Somehow I feel like we're just burying ourselves into a deeper problem." I looked at him a little perplexed.
"What, do you think the Association is going to come after Konoka after so long?" He shrugged while still staring down the path.
"I don't know, there be a possibility. We may have taken out some of their people, but it doesn't mean they don't have more people to come back and try." That's when someone wrapped his or her arms around my shoulder and Negi's.
"What'cha guys talking about," said Asuna she popped her head between us. Both Negi and I started sputtering meaningless words. "Hm, that's not suspicious at all."
I shook my head while looking at her. "It's n-nothing Asuna, just good old Negi and me doing some partner bonding, ha-ha-ha," I looked at Negi to see if he knew what I was doing. He eventually got it and nodded his head while laughing.
"Ah-ha-ha, yes! We're merely just getting to know each other. Sam was just telling me about her past!" I felt my eyes widen a bit after he said. Asuna looked back to me as if waiting to hear me continue my story. I chuckled a bit before trying to think of something.
"I heard you say something about Konoka," she said as she let us go and walked in the middle. Crap, she heard me say her name…I have to think of something that involves Konoka and my past, oh no, I have tell them about that. It's not like I have choice.
"I was going to tell Negi, how Konoka and I really met." I heard some footsteps run up to me. Of course it was my charge seeing what her name was involved with.
"What about me?" Setsuna stood by her side not even giving me a glance. I nodded at Konoka while turning back.
"Remember how we first met?" She tilted her head while staring at me.
"Ah, in grandfather's office, right?" I shook my head.
"We met when you, me, and Setsuna were younger. At your home…my parents were meeting up with your father and mother to speak about something, since I was brought along they told me to play and get along with the both you." Konoka and Setsuna looked at each other in confusion. "You two don't remember, but I'll show my memory later when we arrive."
"Oh, what!" All five of us stopped from hearing the sudden scream behind us. I turned back to see Star was on the phone. Everyone from home surrounded her as she talked on the phone. "Guys! Ben's back home! We need to go back now!" She started jumping up and down while grabbing on the Angel's shoulders. Angel nodded while laughing at her sister's reaction.
"Ha, you're happy to see your boyfriend, aren't you?" Star nodded as Scott got out his gadget. They all looked over to me.
Scott nodded his head while setting it up, "Looks like we're going to go back for a bit. Sorry Sam."
I shook my head while walking over. "Don't worry, it's better you guys go see him." They all nodded while they started to disappear. Angel and Star held on to Kasey. They must want to take her home after so long. I noticed Angel was looking hesitative. Before they were finally ready to leave, she let go.
"Sorry guys, but I'm staying this time." Star seemed surprised while happy.
"Ah, I see sis. Go get your love!" Before I knew it they were gone. Angel stood there with a dark blush, as she was shocked from her sister's words.
"Star…why did you say that?" She turned around while walking over next to Negi. "Don't if I join you guys, right?" We all shook our heads as we kept walking. I looked back towards Konoka.
"How much further?" Konoka laughed as she stopped walking while looking ahead.
"We're here." I looked in front of me to see this huge temple. I felt my jaw drop while these women came out of nowhere to greet Konoka back home. Asuna tapped my shoulder while laughing a bit.
"Same reaction I had my first time. Though you said you've been here?" I nodded my head while walking towards the temple.
"Yes, but that was long ago! I don't really remember how the front looked like. I just remember how it looked on the inside." She laughed even more as she pushed me into Konoka's house. The women were greeting Konoka and Setsuna, they kept asking them question about how things were going.
Asuna, Negi, and I were laughing a bit from seeing that. Until I noticed someone missing, that person was Angel. I looked around only to see she was being practically served by those women. My head fell as she was calmly shutting all their offers down. "A-Ang?"
"Y-yeah?"
"Why are they doing that?" She laughed while walking over to me, more like hide behind me.
"I don't know," she whispered sounding really scared.
"That's because you're Lawrence's daughter." We all turned around to see Eishun walking down the steps.
"Daddy!" Konoka ran over to him as he happily held her. He seemed surprised while happy to see us all here. Setsuna stumbled while getting on her knees.
"Eishun-sama, it's great to see you again." He laughed as he walked over to Setsuna. He patted her head while having a small smile.
"Setsuna-kun, come on now. Get up, there's no need to greet me like that." Setsuna blushed a bit while getting up quickly. Eishun then looked over to me. "Sammy-kun, you're here as well. Along with Negi and Asuna. And even Lawrence's daughter."
I walked up to him while I let go of Angel. Once I was in front of him, I bowed as low as I could go. "There's actually a reason why we're here, Eishun-sama." He laughed a little bit more.
"No need to be so formal. Though the reason you're all here must be a big one if you came here all of a sudden." I got up slowly while still looking down.
"Well, you see…I'm not going to escort Konoka to omais anymore." He seemed quite shocked as he blinked a couple of times. Setsuna started shaking while falling to her knees again while it seemed like her soul was leaving her body. Konoka tried snapping her out of it. Oh…I probably shouldn't have said that. I have to explain this fast!
"Eishun-sama, no disrespect from what I just said, but I just can't do that. Konoka already has someone she loves, very much. And they love her back probably even more than any normal human being can." That's when I noticed; he understood what I was saying. He closed his eyes while he placed his hand on my shoulder. Huh?
"I understand. Though…I'd like to meet this person who loves my daughter." I felt the sweat dropping down my head. I didn't think this far. I don't even know if Setsuna will even tell him. I looked over to see Setsuna she was practically convulsing on the floor. Okay, she's just stuttering like crazy.
Konoka walked over to me while having this huge blush on her face. "Daddy, you've already met this person." Eishun's smile got wider as he placed his other hand on her shoulder.
"I see, Sam," I looked up to see he was in a very happy, but weird mood. "Are you the one dating my daughter?" I froze from the shock as I felt Konoka sputtering up as she tried to explain how it wasn't me.
"No, Eishun-sama. I am." Konoka and I looked up only to see Setsuna standing there looking braver than she ever did before. Eishun lost his smile for a bit before he turned towards her.
"Ah, that makes more sense. Setsuna-kun, I'm happy you're the one making my daughter happy." Setsuna's face lit up as looked at him in awe. That's when he got a little bit more serious. "Though, I need you to prove to me that you be loyal and make my daughter happy." She jumped to her feet while nodding.
"A-anything!" He nodded while grabbing my shoulder again. He then pushed me in between the both of them.
"Promise me…and her you'll always stay by her side, not just as her protector, but more." Setsuna nodded her head while smiling big. Konoka walked up next her while entwining their hands together. Konoka looked up to her father while having some slight tears in her eyes.
"Daddy, thank you. You too Sammy." I scratched the back of my head while.
"It was nothing, he-he." Eishun nodded his head while some of the maids came to tell him that dinner was ready.
"How about we celebrate with dinner?" Everyone agreed as we all followed him towards the dining room. I walked a little bit slower as I watched everyone in front of me.
Eishun was talking with Negi along with praising Setsuna some more. She seemed quite surprised while embarrassed. Konoka, Asuna, and Angel were all giggling while talking about how Eishun thought I was the one who liked her. I was simply thinking of the feeling I was getting off this place.
Somehow this feeling I'm getting feels familiar. As if someone is watching us too. That person…I have to know this person since I could them. Though just who and where exactly are they? That's when a surge of power passed through me. "Gah!"
I fell to the ground while catching myself with my hands. I knew everyone gathered around me, but I was paying attention to something else. This power…who is it and why can I sense them? Negi helped me up as I was still trying to figure out who this person was.
Negi patted my back while looking worried. "Sammy! What's wrong?" I shook my head while looking up towards Konoka. She was standing next to her father with one of the butlers standing behind her. Wait, there weren't butlers here before!
"Konoka, duck!" I leaped forward while having my arms out. Konoka did what I said while Eishun stepped to the side. That's when I had my hands around this guy's neck as we were on the floor. "Who are you," I growled.
"Ha, it's none of your concern…yet." That when he twisted my hands so my grip loosed and he placed her feet to my sides. Then I was sent up in the air into the ceiling.
"A-ah!" I was bounced right off back towards him, though he quickly got up only to kick me to the side. Unluckily for me, Setsuna was about to attack him so I ended up blocking her way. We both slid on the floor while groaning a bit from the pain. "Sorry Setsu."
The man who was disguised in the butler uniform just laughed. "Ha, looks like the wolf is no more. I thought you were just messing with me." I slowly looked up to see he was glaring me down. That's when his face and hair started to change. His face got paler, black plain hair turned light brown, brown eyes turned a dark green with a little brighter glow around the pupil, and a sinister smile.
"B-Ben? You were suppose to be home...why? What happened?" He laughed almost insanely while looking up.
"You know what to me Sam? When I tried going home, the darkness got to me. It showed me the power I could have. I know now why Eclipse went insane with this stuff, it's amazing then there's magic the Association showed me how to use." I shook my head.
"Ben…no! The Association isn't good! We came back human, we didn't want this anymore, remember?" He laughed a little more until he took some steps closer. I got up while picking up Setsuna with me. " Get Konoka out of here." She nodded her head while running over to her. Ben then vanished in a split second only to appear near Konoka. I ran over to him and pushed him out of the way.
"Setsuna," I screamed, "Go! Everyone else hide somewhere safe." Angel shook her head as she tried to get near me. Negi held her back along with Asuna. "I know what I'm doing!"
Asuna looked at me for a few second with that worried look in her eyes. "Sam…"
"Go!" She nodded her head while running off towards one of the rooms. Ben shook his head while chuckling.
"Now, now Sam, you think I came here alone?" He grabbed both my arms and out them behind my back. "Well, now I won't be. Darkness, conjure me a friend." That's when a spike went through my heart. I was gasping for air. N-no. I don't want to go back to this!
"Ah!" I screamed out in pain as the darkness grew bigger and bigger around my body. Ben let me go while I fell to the floor. Whatever the darkness was doing to me, it felt like it was ripping me apart. I grabbed the spike that was in my chest. There was only thing I could think of before this thing overwhelmed me. I started pulling it out of me.
"Ha, that's not going to help."
"Like hell it won't! Gah," was what I screamed as I slowly pulled it out of me. When I did, I threw it away from me. Though I saw something scary happen to the spike. It began to turn into someone. It's body looked like that of a girls, long black hair reached around her waist, light red eyes with some gold in the middle it all, and she had my face. "Oh my…"
She looked around while standing there naked. Ben walked over to her while making a cloak come out of nowhere. She placed it around herself while looking down at me. She walked over to me while frowning a bit. "W-what? Where am I?" Ben patted her shoulder while walking over to me.
I looked down to see there wasn't a wound in my chest. "I see now, you aren't him. They just made out of him. A fake." He laughed while coming closer to me. That's when he kicked me square in the face. I rolled over to me other side while grunting in pain.
"Ha, I'm not a fake. I'm his other half. The one he tried to let go off." I rolled back to see the other me staring back. She seemed quite confused. He looked towards her then back to me. "She'll understand everything later."
"She's...the me I never wanted to become?" He nodded.
"You're real half. Sam," he called out to her. She nodded while coming over to me. "She's the one who hid you away. Don't you want revenge? Since she sealed you away like some nuisance." She nodded her head while looking scared.
"I understand what I need to do." She hugged the other Ben while burying her head in his chest. "Me or her, right?"
He nodded his head, "Right. Now, we're just here for a warning. We'll come back for Konoka later. When you're worth fighting." He then held on to the other me as the started to vanish. Before I knew it, they were gone.
I stayed there in the middle of Konoka's house while I felt the pain get worse. "I should be happy that wound wasn't really real." I could hear footsteps coming back towards me.
"Sammy-kun!" I tried looking up only to see it was Negi with the other two worrying over me. Angel came over to me as she placed her hands on my stomach. That's when they started to glow. I started to feel better while Asuna shook me up.
"Are you okay, where's Ben?" I shook my head while trying to catch my breath.
"That wasn't Ben…I wish it was now though." Asuna seemed confused as she placed my head on her legs as cushion. "He's a fake. Well, his other side. And he made another me too. Negi, we were right. The Association came back for her and they thought it out really well."
"How? By having another Ben and you?" I nodded my head.
"They could use those two to trick the rest of you. To trick…Konoka! Where is she? Where'd Setsuna take her?" Negi shrugged while Asuna seemed worried.
"Konoka's old room. That's probably where they are." I grabbed her hand while feeling my strength coming back to me. I got up while thanking Angel. I looked over to Negi.
"We need to go find them. Let's go Negi! The other me, is probably trying to fool them as we speak. You two go find Eishun-sama, I saw him run off somewhere before I could really see where he was going." Asuna nodded before she left though she spoke up.
"Sam are you sure you don't want," I interrupted her while stopping in my tracks.
"No, Negi and I got this. Don't worry!" I grabbed onto to Negi's hand as we both ran down the hallway. "Do you sense it?" He nodded his head while we ran.
"It feels like the old you. Back when you had your powers, but how did this all happen exactly?" I sighed in a bit of frustration.
"Explanation later, help Konoka now!" He nodded while we got to one of the door. I let go of Negi's hand while I grabbed on to the handle. I heard Konoka freaking out a bit with Setsuna grunting in some pain, so I quickly slid open the door as I jumped in.
"Kono-chan, watch out!" Setsuna grabbed her sword only for it to scrap my shoulder.
"O-ow!" I fell back while grabbing on to my right shoulder. There was a lot of blood coming out. Negi ran in next to me. I looked up to Setsuna. "I'm the real one by the way, just thought I should let you know."
Setsuna stood up from the side of the bed she was resting on while holding on to her side. There was a wound there on her too. It looked pretty deep. "Sorry, I thought…wait there's a fake you?" I nodded my head.
"Yep, the Association is back for her. And they really thought out everything." Konoka got down from her bed.
"Did they get the other you by putting some darkness in you?" I nodded my head. "Oh, Secchan…" I looked over slowly to Setsuna to see she was staring at her wound.
"Don't tell me, did the other me," Setsuna nodded her head while looking up to me.
"She was going for Konoka, but she got me instead when I jumped in front of her. So, is there going to be another me roaming around?" I shrugged while pressing down on my shoulder.
"I don't know, maybe, so we all have to be careful with who we trust now. Looks like you and me have to wear something so we can tell ourselves apart from them. Though did the other me really look just like me, because when I saw her she looked like the old me." Setsuna nodded her head while Konoka looked at her wound.
Konoka looked over to me, "She did this shape shifting thing, but it looked like she can only do is make herself be like you though." I nodded my head. Konoka had healed Setsuna and then walked over to me.
"Thank you." She nodded while the wound went away. "You weren't hurt, right?" She shook her head again.
"No, I don't think they'd hurt or much less make a clone." I nodded my head. Ha, she does think through it nowadays. Though there's going to be a point where Setsuna and I aren't going to be around, maybe I should…eh I'll tell them later of my idea.
"Now," she began while sounding like her cheery self, "how about we all just go have dinner?" I nodded my head while getting up. Setsuna and Negi agreed as well. As we walked towards the dining room, Konoka tapped my shoulder. "So about how we really met…"
I laughed a bit while looking over to her. "If you'd like I'll show you later after dinner. You can just use that spell you used last time we went through my memories." Konoka nodded while running over along side to Setsuna. Negi came over to my side.
"Back there, were you thinking about training Konoka in order for her to fight back?" I nodded my head while looking at him surprisingly. He laughed a bit. "We are partners, remember?"
"Ha, right. But Setsuna would never allow it. Then there's something else I've been thinking about."
"What is it?"
"I think I need to get my powers back."
Looks like the Association is back for Konoka, what else will they do in order to get her? Has there really been another half of Setsuna made? Seems like Sammy and Negi sure are closer now and Asuna seems worried about her, right? Then there's the point to where Sam wants to go back to her old self, how will things turn out? You'll have to wait and see in the next chapter of Let's Start Again!
WH: Hey there everyone! This sure was long one, huh?
Lucky: I had to sit here to help you out again.
WH: So I wanted a break, sue me!
Sammy: I do really not like where this is going! Ah, I just wanted a break too!
Setsuna: Like we said, we don't have ordinary lives.
Asuna: Hmmmm...
Sammy: Something wrong Asuna?
Asuna: Nothing, nothing at all.
Lucky: That usually means something is!
Sammy: Asuna! (Tries to hug her)
Asuna: Ah, get off! (Runs off)
Sammy: A-Asuna…T-T
WH: (Pats Sammy's back) Everything will be okay, just wait.
Setsuna: Make sure to read, review, and answer the polls! And if any of you would like to see how Sammy looks, just go to deviantart and look up Sammy Rose or Wolfhanyo. Until next time everyone.