A/N: Since I have a little time (haven't had much homework yet), and because I received such wonderful comments and inspiration, I am updating early!!! Thank You everyone, for kindly supporting this humble writer and these mediocre fan fiction works. bows
Note: Special Challenge!!!! Not including the ones that hint of Setsuna being a girl, I have hidden more than eight clues/oddities throughout this story (including in this new chapter as well) that will point out two-interrelated secrets holding the heart of importance in this story. If you happen to notice something out of the ordinary, or that you think will help point to the secret, please leave a review! I will answer all review questions (without spoiling). If there are enough people interested in this Detective Challenge, the person who notices the most oddities and/or figures out the secret will receive a KonoSetu Oneshot dedicated to them on any topic/genre they wish for me to write in.
Here are Two examples of Oddities noticed by a few people:
1.) Black Feathers- first mentioned by Aiiro-chan in a review for Ch. 3
2.) Evangeline noticing something- first mentioned by yashan-kun
Good luck, and have fun!
Explanations for Chapter Six:
After they are both washed ashore, Setsuna wakes up confused but free from her uncontrolled self. She notices how beautiful Konoka is as Konoka looks at her, and they lean in, about to kiss. They close their eyes, expecting their lips to touch, but ChibiSetsuna's sudden laugh surprises them. They open their eyes to realize that they have kissed ChibiSetsuna. As Konoka leaned in, ChibiSetsuna had slipped right between her and Setsuna…resulting in them kissing both of the Chibi's cheeks.
Afterwards, they set off along the river to find a way back to the temple. Setsuna notices Konoka shivering and decides to go towards the forest to gather some wood for a fire. On the way, however, they came upon a group of crow demons holding some people captive. Setsuna told ChibiSetsuna to remain hidden, while Konoka follows her into the demon's camp.
They managed to knock a demon unconscious, and Setsuna disguises as a Lead (high level) demon, wearing his clothes and drawing a mark on her face. They walk deeper into camp, until a guard demon stops them. Forced to act, Setsuna pretends that Konoka is her captive, kissing her and ripping her shirt collar. The demon is tricked into telling Setsuna who the captives are. Setsuna and Konoka continue on in their attempt to free the captives, but the guard demon soon realizes that he was fooled and alerts the camp.
Setsuna and Konoka were chased by the demons, with Setsuna holding them off for a while until the bleeding from her injuries (from Ch. 5) became too much for her to handle, and she fell unconscious. Konoka held on to her, as the demons surrounded them both…
Reviews for Chapter Six and Special Thanks To:
yashan-kun: I am deeply sorry about the shortness. I hope the quick update helped. I will try to make chapters longer next time. Thank You for the review!
WingedWolf24: Thank You for the review! I will try to update as soon as possible.
Agent-Ayu: hehe…I am very sorry about the cliffy. Does the quick update help? Thank You for the review!
Ryuu: . Thanks for the review! Hehe…"Kono-chan" is beginning to be used more often! Beware of the shift...Sorry I didn't have time to make it longer…but I will try to update soon…Please update Ch 4 of your fic soon! I am very curious!
a person writng a review: Sorry I didn't get to much KonoSetsu goodness this time. I will have a lot next time!!! . Thanks for the review! Eva noticed something very important, by the way…there are many secrets hidden….I will reveal it soon!
The Shiny Sword: Thanks for the review! I will try to update as soon as I can! (with consideration to the quality so it wouldn't be rushed, of course) .
Dobbychan: Thank You for the review. It makes me very happy to know that you wrote a long one…and was also quite sorry because of the accident that it was cut…however…Thank You!!! You have given me a lot of inspiration with such kind words.
Hirai Neon: hehe…Konoka is starting to fall for Secchan…very deeply…in fact. Thanks for the review!
Icha-kun: Thank You for the review! Don't worry, your English is fine. It takes practice…. I'm practicing, too! I hope I don't disappoint, and will hear from you again….
Review for chapter three and four:
kikyo4ever: Thank You for both of your reviews! I am grateful for such comments.
Disclaimer: I do not own Negima nor Love Hina. They both belong to Ken Akamatsu.
Notes: Setsuna's thoughts are in italics. Konoka's thoughts are in /italics/
Chapter Seven: Thirteen Captives (and an ermine) .
The half-demon's head lay against her left shoulder, as she held the demon tightly in her arms. She waited for Setsuna to awaken, until her left arm became numb with lack of circulation. Yet she dared not to move, as if one small shift of her position might shatter the unconscious demon beside her. She decided to settle by holding the demon even tighter.
"Konoka, you can lay him down. He'll be fine…After all, his injuries have all been healed. But you…"
She shook her head, and smiled as she glanced into the worried eyes before her.
"Thanks, Akira. I'm okay."
Konoka looked from the demon in her arms, to the clamor at the far end of the cage, then turned back to the Mahora Warrior standing before her.
"I'm fine, really. I just want to be sure that he is okay."
"But you-!"
Konoka shook her head, and the girl before her became silent.
Akira sighed.
"I just hope that you don't exert yourself too much. We have all sworn to protect you…and I know that all twenty of us would be devastated if anything happens to you."
Konoka smiled softly as she looked at the dark-haired girl, then at the nine warriors causing all the ruckus behind her.
"I had wondered why it took the ten of you so long to get back to the temple. Asuna and the rest have come back more than a day ago. When I heard that you were captured, I was so worried that you all might be hurt. I just didn't expect that Secchan would be hurt, too."
Konoka absent mindedly stroked the half-demon's hair, turning towards the demon and tilting her head against Setsuna's. She lay her cheek against Setsuna's hair, hiding the teary look of her eyes.
Whether the other girl caught the sight or not, she made no indication. Akira reached towards an empty hip flask tied to the belt of her warrior uniform, and layed her hand upon the cap.
The flask began to glow, and water appeared inside.
"Here. I may not be of much help for us to get out of here, but the least I can do is help you take care of your friend. The water should help strengthen him."
Konoka reached for the flask, nodding gratefully to the girl before her. Her hands missed the flask, however, and Akira moved the hand holding the flask towards the princess's head and gave her a soft tap.
Konoka blinked, surprised, and raised her head to look at the warrior in front of her.
Akira smiled. "Stop acting so gloomy, Konoka. It seems out of character for you."
Konoka was silent, but broke into a sweat smile.
"Yeah. Thanks."
"That's more like the Konoka we all know."
Akira turned, as if headed towards the other end of the cage where the other warriors were, but stopped when her back was to the princess.
"You're in love with him, aren't you?" she whispered. "They say that the moment a girl falls in love is when she learns how to cry. When she learns how to smile a bittersweet smile, and display a longing look in her eyes. I think I've seen it in yours."
Konoka looked at Akira, eyes wide.
/Do I …love…Secchan?/
Konoka reached one hand to touch the face of the demon leaning on the shoulder, a soft smile on her lips.
"I don't know. But I know that he is important to me. More important than I can ever put into words."
The woman warrior walked away without glancing back, and Konoka clutched the flask in her hand tighter.
/I don't know. I don't know if I love him or not. /
She removed the hand on the demon's face, and brought her fingers to her lips.
/That time…when he kissed me…no. Those times…when I felt his lips upon mine…the world had begun to disappear…and I was left breathless…in a paradise with only the two of us…only two.../
She raised the flask to the demon's parched lips, attempting to pour some water into the unconscious demon's dry mouth, yet the water slid right across Setsuna's lips, unable to enter.
Konoka frowned.
/After losing so much blood, he wouldn't be able to properly heal without enough water. Hmmm. Wouldn't be too bad…if I…/
The princess giggled at her thought, and carried the flask to her own mouth, taking a tiny sip.
She turned towards the half-demon, and pressed her lips onto the demon's.
Setsuna began to stir upon the contact, as if responding to the princess. Slowly, the demon opened her eyes, her dizzy mind barely registering the fact that a soft pair of lips were on hers, and a hand that once held a flask now lay around her waist, the flask having been forgotten as it was set on the floor minutes ago.
Her half- opened eyes drifted upwards, suddenly coming upon the site of a pair of chocolate ones so close to hers.
"K-Kono-chan!"
The half-demon jumped out of the princess's grasp and stood up, a dark blush adorning her face.
Konoka giggled, bending her head down to hide a blush of her own.
/For a moment there…after he said 'Kono-chan', I felt as if my heart had suddenly jumped….jumped so far away that it left me falling/
Setsuna covered her mouth with her hands, as her mind came to register what had been spoken from her lips.
Why did I call her that?
Taking a deep breath, Setsuna calmed herself, and began to notice her surroundings. She stood inside a huge cage made of unknown metal, with the demon camp outside. She could see nearly a dozen crow demons taking guard around the cage, eyeing her wearily.
Abruptly, memories began to return to her, of the situation the princess and herself had been in before she lost conscious. She turned back towards Konoka, looking at the little mistress as carefully as she could, searching for any signs of wounds or injuries.
"What happened? Were you hurt? Did they do anything to you? How did we get here? Wh-"
Konoka laughed once more, laying a hand on the demon's shoulders.
"I don't look hurt, do I?"
Setsuna examined the princess again, to find no trace of any injuries on her. The demon heir shook her head.
"No. But-"
Konoka's sweat smile silenced her, and the demon found herself speechless as Konoka began to explain.
There is something odd in her eyes. Something… a look that I have never seen before.
"After you fainted,-"
Another voice chimed in.
"The demons forced you two into this cage with us-"
And then another.
"-to wait until they can find ways to roast us."
Setsuna looked towards the direction of the voices, to see nearly a dozen people walk towards them.
She identified the two voices as coming from two little girls, evidently twins.
A red-haired girl circled her, asking questions as she examined the half-demon.
"Ah, so the mysterious hero awakes! Hehe…I was waiting for you to wake up. What's your story, anything-"
"Kazumi! This is not the time to do your reporting!"
A silver haired girl patted Kazumi on the back, and Kazumi laughed, holding a hand behind her head as if in embarrassment.
"Gomen, Sayo-chan. You know what they say, old traits are hard to change."
Setsuna turned to Konoka, a curious look in the half-demon's eyes.
Konoka giggled, understanding the silent question.
"Secchan. This is the rest of the Mahora Warriors. Ten of the twenty friends that I grew up with and who for years have protected me."
She introduced the ten warriors to Setsuna, one by one.
When they finished, the warriors shifted apart to reveal a boy of around ten years of age, holding a large staff in his hand.
A tall, beautiful girl whom Setsuna came to recognize by Konoka's introduction as Ayaka, held the young boy in a tight possesive grasp.
"Ah. That's Negi-kun, the Thousand Master's son. Jii-san sent my friends here to take him back to the temple, but they were attacked on the way."
"Don't forget me, Ane-chan. Chamo-kun, at your service."
Setsuna peered curiously as the voice had seemed to come from nowhere…
"over here, Aniki."
…. until she saw an ermine sitting on the young boy's shoulder.
-----------
"So…you've tried spells, and weapon attacks…but none could work on the cage?"
Negi nodded.
"Even Sayo-chan, who had learned a special technique to pass between barriers, could not go through the cage. There seems to be a barrier of some sort. Even though the bars are spaced and we could stick our hand out, we can't pass through the bars. Chamo-kun couldn't pass, either."
Setsuna frowned, sliding her hands through the spaces between the bars.
I would be able to break through using the power of my uncontrolled form, but then I'd run the risk of hurting them…
"Would your spells work in here?…I mean, if we were to use it on something other than the cage?"
Negi pondered for a bit, then nodded once more. "Yes."
Setsuna smiled upon the knowledge, then sent a call for ChibiSetsuna through mind link.
ChibiSetsuna immediately appeared with a loud Pop!, emerging from a nearby tree, hidden from the view of the guard demons standing a small distance away.
"Chibi! Would you mind turning back for me?"
The thirteen people (and an ermine) watched, as ChibiSetsuna turned back into paper.
"We'll need more help than just this. Negi-kun, do you have any spells that would allow you to replicate this talisman? I usually wouldn't have gone to such trouble to use a spell to replicate, but I'd run out of them earlier during one of the fights."
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Thirteen Chibis, one of each people present, lined up along the side outside the cage.
The ten Mahora Warriors and the son of the Thousand Master stood in one end of the cage, hollering and provoking the guard demons so that none of them would notice the Chibis while Setsuna gave out directions to them.
"Split up. Cause as much trouble as you can to create confusion among them. Try to find the key that opens this cage. It should be in the possession of the leader of these group of demons. Choose two of you, to go find reinforcements. Alert the other Mahora Warriors, or go to the temple to find someone to help."
As the group of Chibis nodded, Setsuna turned towards ChibiSetsuna.
"Chibi! Since you are the most experienced out of all of them, I leave you in charge. Communicate with me by mind link of anything goes wrong."
Setsuna waited for ChibiSetsuna to answer, but the Chibi made no move, standing still and silent.
"Chibi! Are you listening-!"
Suddenly ChibiSetsuna sprang into action, a tiny blush glowing on her face as she flew in circles.
"She's…she's so cute!! Kawaiiiiiiii!!!!" The miniature form of Setsuna sang.
ChibiSetsuna flew towards the miniature representation of Konoka, giving her a huge glomp, and knocking them both down in the process.
ChibiKonoka blushed.
As Setsuna slumped in desperation, Konoka stood behind her, giggling.
At a time like this…at a vital time like this…when we have all been captured…and she could still giggle at ChibiSetsuna's antics…
"Ne, Secchan! Looks like the personalities of our Chibis are reversed!"
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End.
A/N: Gomen, Gomen. I didn't have time to continue with the Chibi stories. I hope you like this chapter! More Chibi Mania next chapter for sure!
Thank You for reading. I am deeply sorry for ending so soon, but school is really taking up much of my time. I will try to update again as soon as possible.
Oh! And I'll Update Double Existence soon, so hope to see you then!
Next Chapter on Half of a Soul: Chibi Wars
Setsuna has awoken, but the group are still trapped and are counting on their chibis to fight for them. ChibiSetsuna seems to have a slight crush on ChibiKonoka... and what may Chibi Konoka be planning? Is she really as innocent as she seems? Will they be able to succeed, despite the Chibis' tendencies to get distracted? And what is happening at the temple?