Me: hey! it's me again! .. so how long has it been?
Asuna: almost two weeks u.u
Me: sorry about that... I couldn't finish on time T_T... but this is my longest chapter ever! :D
Setsuna: good for you
Konoka: secchan you're so kind!
Setsuna: *blushes*
Asuna: oohh what's with that change of attitude
Me: He-He-He... looks like some people have read the chapter before, eh?
Asuna: I don't get it -.-
Me: you don't have to! just read the chapter :D
Chapter 10: The trip, part III
(A/N: oh yeah, the first 4 paragraphs are a summary from Chapter 9... you can skip it if you want)
Several hours ago our friends arrived to their destination in the middle of the forest, it was Hotaru's idea to spend some days camping. They were all having fun playing in the lake, except for Setsuna. She preferred to have a walk around the area, she started wandering around the forest until she reached a waterfall and near it, a cabin.
Setsuna used to live there with her father after her mother died, she stayed there a very long time remembering the good old times with her family, but then she realized it was getting late and decided to go back to the camp.
As she went nearer the camp she felt a dark presence following her, suddenly demons appeared out of nowhere, and of course Setsuna knew they were coming. She was able to defeat them all easily, though she couldn't get any information from them.
When she reached the camp, she told her friends about the demons and they decided to take turns to patrol at night. But before they could choose who will go first, Negi noticed that Setsuna was not looking very well and suggested her to rest while he and Asuna took care of the patrols. Setsuna couldn't refuse, she wasn't feeling good, so she went in the (big) girls-tent with her ojousama and they both feel asleep quickly.
(A/N: Here starts the real chapter XD)
Now, in the middle of the camp Negi lighted a bonfire to warm himself, he was alone in the camp because everybody else were getting ready to sleep or sleeping already.
"I wonder if Setsuna-san is okay…" he said and sighed
"I'm sure she is" Asuna told him as she went out of the girls-tent where she had found Setsuna and Konoka sleeping deeply in each other's arms.
"Asuna-san, you scared me" he said and Asuna laughed as she sat down next to him
"And you call yourself an Ala Alba member?" she mocked, and then she saw Priscillia who was coming out from the boys-tent "oh Priscillia-chan! I could swear I saw you sleeping in the tent"
"eh? He-hehe… I was there a while ago, but I had to talk to ojisama so…" Priscillia was saying but she stopped when Asuna stared at her with a smirk on her face "uumm… why are you staring at me?" she asked nervously
"So! You were all alone with you charming ojisama, eh?" Asuna teased her and the shy girl blushed
"W-wha… w-well I-I was… b-but"
"Asuna-san! Don't tease her like that!" Negi scolded the red-headed girl before she could continue
"hehehe gomen Priscillia-chan" Asuna told her smiling
"N-no problem…" Priscillia replied still blushing "uumm I-I'm going to sleep now… G-good night"
"Ah! I'm coming too! G'night Negi," Asuna said as she stood up "wake me up when you feel tired, ok?" she told him and patted his head
"hai!" he answered with a smile, Asuna then turned to leave "Good night Asuna-san, Priscillia-san"
Meanwhile inside the girls-tent, Setsuna was sleeping peacefully in Konoka's arms, she felt safe and happy, but… was she really sleeping well?
In her dreams she saw herself in a long straight road but then the road divided in two, to her right was Konoka and to her left, Priscillia.
"Let's go, Secchan" Konoka told her
"This way, Setsuna-san" Priscillia then said
Normally, Setsuna would follow her ojousama with no complains but why was she hesitating now? She knew it was just a dream, but did it have a meaning? Did she really feel something for both girls? All those questions with no answer were bothering her and made her wake up.
When she opened her eyes she realized that her arms were around Konoka's waist and hers were around Setsuna's neck. She blushed and froze; she didn't want to make any move that could wake up the princess or her other friend, Priscillia, who was asleep already.
"uh? Asuna-san is not here…" she thought and decided to check outside, so she carefully let go of Konoka. Before going out of the tent she took a last glance to her sleeping princess and smiled.
Setsuna approached to Asuna who was sat in front of the bonfire, when she reached her friend she noticed that she was dozing off and chuckled at the scene. Setsuna's laughter made Asuna jumped in surprise; she thought it was an enemy.
"Who's there?!" Asuna said and then realized that Setsuna was standing in front of her laughing "S-Setsuna-san! Don't scare me like that!"
"Hehehe my bad, you should go to sleep, I'll take care of the patrol" Setsuna told her
"Are you feeling okay?" Asuna asked worried and Setsuna nodded "mmm … well… If you say so…"
"I'm okay, really" Setsuna told her
"Okay… but if you faint or something, don't blame me! Konoka won't let me alone if that happens" Asuna said and yawned
"eh? O-Ojousama would…?" Setsuna said in disbelief, her cheeks turned pink when she heard that name
"Of course she will!" Asuna told her "Remember that time when you and that tanned girl came badly injured?" she asked and Setsuna nodded "Konoka was saying 'Asuna we have to do something' or 'let's go see how's secchan' … mataku! She wouldn't leave me alone," Asuna said and then sighed "don't make her worry, okay?"
"Um h-hai" Setsuna answered, she was still blushing and surprised too. She knew something like that happened that time but she didn't expect it was like that.
"G'night then…" Asuna said and went to the girls-tent leaving Setsuna alone.
It was almost 4 am, an hour had passed since Asuna went to sleep. Setsuna was bored and decided to practice with her sword. Though, her time alone was interrupted when she felt a presence, it was different from demons… it was like a sad but at the same time warm presence.
"Show yourself" Setsuna commanded, even when that presence didn't feel dangerous Setsuna didn't trust it
"U-uum S-Setsuna-san?" a very familiar voice called her name
"Priscillia-san?" Setsuna asked when she recognized that voice "that presence… was it Priscillia?" she couldn't believe it, at least the sad part, Priscillia was always cheerful and smiling to everyone "ah w-what are you doing here? I thought you were sleeping"
"I was… but I had something to talk about to you, remember?" Priscillia told her as she approached to the swordswoman
"eh? Oh y-yeah! … so um… what was it?" Setsuna asked nervously
"Let's have a walk first" Priscillia told her
"But what if demons or thieves come?" Setsuna said refusing
"You put charm in the tents, right?" Priscillia asked her and Setsuna nodded "then there's no problem!"
"Uum… o-okay, let's go" Setsuna said and started to walk to the forest and Priscillia followed her. Neither of them noticed that a certain red-headed girl was watching them from the tent.
"Should I follow them?" Asuna asked herself and then looked at Konoka "mou… I can't leave Konoka alone, Setsuna-san may kill me…kuso!"
Setsuna and Priscillia walked along the lake's shore so as not lose sight of the camp; they walked in silence until Priscillia broke the ice.
"I guess we are far enough," she said and stopped, they were now in the other side of the lake "let's sit, okay?" she told her smiling and sat down, Setsuna nodded nervously and sat next to her.
"So… what did you wanna talk about?" Setsuna asked her
Priscillia sighed and looked at her "I just hope you don't get angry at me…"
"Angry? Why would I get angry at her?" Setsuna asked mentally to herself before Priscillia spoke again.
"Setsuna-san… you… you are not human, are you?" Priscillia said it quickly
"Oh that!" Setsuna said in her mind and looked away, she stared the lake's surface looking her own reflection, she sighed before answering "how did you know?" her voice changed, it was a cold one now.
"Uum… let's save that for later… why didn't you tell me about that?" Priscillia asked her with a sweet voice
"I-It's not something I can talk about…" Setsuna told her "I… I don't like being like this" she said and lay back to look at the sky
"Show me," Priscillia told her out of the blue "show me your true form" she said and lay back too
"No, you'll be scared" Setsuna refused but Priscillia insisted
"I won't ever be scare of you… you are my friend" Priscillia said with a warm smile, and for some reason Setsuna accepted… it was like an inner voice telling her to do it.
"Fine… but let's go to the forest, I don't want anyone to see me" Setsuna told her and stood up, Priscillia stood up too and followed her to the forest.
They were now very deep in the forest so that anyone except from Priscillia could see Setsuna in her true form. Setsuna sighed, she was ready to transform but Priscillia stopped her.
"Hold on! Before you show me your true self… has anyone see you like that before?" Priscillia asked cutely
"Uum… no…" Setsuna answered "though Ojousama knows that I'm a hanyou"
"Great! It'll be like our little secret" Priscillia said smiling
Setsuna blushed and looked away before closing her eyes and started to transform. A white light covered her body, a pair of white wing came out of her back and her hair turned white, when the light disappeared Setsuna opened her eyes… golden eyes now.
Setsuna looked away again "this is me… you can run now" she said after looking at Priscillia's startled face, to her surprise Priscillia took both of her hands.
"I won't run away from you," Priscillia said looking at Setsuna's golden eyes, she like them and could stopped looking at them "ne… Setsuna-san… does the princess know about this?" the girl asked her and Setsuna nodded nervously "Have she seen you?" she asked again but Setsuna didn't answered. Both girls stayed in silence holding hands for a while until Priscillia spoke again.
"What do you like about her?" she asked out of the blue, Setsuna's eyes widened, she didn't know what to answer so she didn't say anything "She's from royalty, you know? She wouldn't… be with you forever…" Priscillia said and, for some reason, Setsuna agreed with her.
"Ojousama… is she going to leave me? No! Impossible ... it can't be!" Setsuna thoughts were confused as she listened what Priscillia was saying
"She will marry someone else… and when that happens… you'll be left alone," Priscillia added and noticed tears coming out from Setsuna's eyes, she touched Setsuna's face and wiped her tears away "but I'll always be with you"
"Priscillia…-chan…" Setsuna muttered as she lean closer to Priscillia's face "she will stay with me forever…" she said in her mind, her lips were inches away from Priscillia's "wait no! What are you doing?!" an inner voice yelled and she stopped "remember! You swore loyalty to the princess… in all sense! ... You love Kono-chan!" her inner voice made her realized what she was about to do.
"S-Setsuna-san? Why did-?" Priscillia tried to ask her
"Sorry, Priscillia-san… but what you say is wrong!" Setsuna told her, Priscillia's eyes widened in surprise "well… maybe… maybe she'd left me for someone else, maybe I'm not good enough for her… but… but I… I love her! And those feeling won't ever change!" Setsuna told her and let go of her hands "I-I'm sorry if I can't return those feelings to you" she muttered and lowered her head, and then instead of hear a crying or something like that, she heard a giggled coming from Priscillia "w-what's so funny?"
Priscillia sighed and looked away "I'm sorry… to make you feel like that," she said but Setsuna didn't understand "I'm sure you'll hate me if I explain it to you… but I guess that's what I deserve…" Priscillia started and make Setsuna more confused than before, before continue the maid sighed again "I… I can control demons" she said it, Setsuna was in shock, she couldn't believe what she heard.
"Ehehe! G-good one" Setsuna said, she still couldn't believe it
"Is no joke… what you felt, thought and did was all because of me… I-I'm sorry" Priscillia said looking at the ground
"B-but, w-why would you do that?" Setsuna asked her nervously
"Uumm… I-I thought t-that if you liked me... t-then ojisama c-could spend more time with the princess and-" Priscillia muttered but Setsuna interrupted her
"Argh! That prince! He told you to do this, didn't he?!" Setsuna asked her, she was really angry now
"N-No! I-I did this b-because I thought that this way wouldn't be painful for you or the prince or the princess" Priscillia said immediately to defend her prince
"What about you? Isn't it painful to see the one you love with someone else?" Setsuna asked her, she knew that Priscillia liked Hotaru just like Setsuna liked Konoka
"I…I … I don't deserve to be love by the prince… that's why-"
"Screw that!" Setsuna yelled "You love him! So you have to fight for him!"
"Setsuna-san…" Priscillia lowered her head "b-but…"
"Don't be so negative, you two are childhood friends, right?" Setsuna told her and then Priscillia remembered all those times when the prince had smiled at her and always told her that 'we are friends, Priscillia'
"Y-yeah… yeah, I-I'll do my best… arigatou, Setsuna-san" Priscillia said looking at her. Setsuna nodded and smiled.
"Now that everything is clear… I have something to ask you," Setsuna said with a different kind of voice, it wasn't the warm voice that minutes before had told Priscillia not to give up, this voice was a colder one "just like I'm not human… you are not a normal maid, are you?"
Priscillia's eyes widened in surprised, has she been discovered? "w-what do you mean?"
"Don't deny it, I can see it in your eyes" Setsuna said as she looked straight in Priscillia's eyes
The 'maid' sighed "You got me… No, I'm not a normal maid"
"So… who are you really?"
"Just like you are from of Ala Alba, I'm also part of group that is in charge of ojisama's well-being… we're like bodyguards dressed in maids' outfit"
"So you are like a secret organization?" Setsuna asked raising an eyebrow
"mmm well yes, actually the prince doesn't know about it… and I'm not supposed to be telling you this" Priscillia told her
"I won't tell anyone, I promise" Setsuna assured her "I just wanted if you were a threat to ojousama"
"Hey! I feel like I'm being underestimated!" Priscillia said pouting and made Setsuna laugh
"Hehe… we'll see who's the best bodyguard later," Setsuna told her and the same white light covered her body, she was back to normal "let's go back… it's almost dawn" Setsuna said and both started to walk to the camp.
"Ah! What a good day!" Hotaru said stretching his arms as he came out from the boys-tent, Negi followed him.
"Sure it is" Negi said and then smelled something "mmm something smells good!"
"Mou… you're so noisy!" Asuna said as she came out of the girls-tent and then saw that someone was making breakfast "wuah! Konoka! When did you get up?"
"eh? Hehe… a while ago… breakfast is almost ready, so go wash your faces all of you" Konoka told them, she looked like everyone's mom
"Hai!" her friends said at the same time and went to the lake to wash their faces, but Asuna was stopped by Konoka
"Ah Asuna… have you seen secchan?" Konoka asked her "she wasn't in the tent when I woke up"
"Setsuna-san? Mmm…"Asuna thought for a while "Wuah! What should I do? I can't tell her that she went to the forest with Priscillia-chan! She'll be like crazy! Mou!" Asuna blamed herself mentally for seeing what she saw before "she must be patrolling around the forest" she said and sighed
"Oh Priscillia!"the two girls heard Hotaru called his maid "Where have you-? Oh Sakurazaki-san…" he said when he noticed her "mmm where have you two been?"
"Patrolling" Setsuna answered immediately, not wanting to start a conversation with the prince
"Sakurazaki-san! You should get Priscillia involved in those dangerous things!" Hotaru scolded her
"Oh if he just knew…" Setsuna rolled her eyes and then whispered to Priscillia "see? He's worried about you" which make the maid blushed
"S-Setsuna-san!" Priscillia complained and then whispered back "look! The princess is waiting for you" it was time for Priscillia to take revenge and started teasing the hanyou, Setsuna blushed when she noticed that Konoka was looking at her.
"Pay attention to me, Sakurazaki-san!" Hotaru said pouting, he probably got into that habit because of Konoka "oh well, it doesn't matter… Priscillia you are not hurt, are you?" Hotaru approached to her, and Setsuna decided to leave the two alone.
"Secchan, where were you?" Konoka asked her worriedly
"J-Just doing some patrolling… o-ojousama" Setsuna answered blushing, and then she blushed more when she felt the princess body pressed against hers
"Why did you take Priscillia-chan with you?" Konoka asked her, Setsuna noticed a bit of jealousy in Konoka's voice "If you wanted company, I'd have gone with you"
"I-It's not like that… uumm… s-she couldn't sleep… a-and insisted to f-followed me," Setsuna said blushing a little, she couldn't come up with a better excuse "um… i-if you want w-we can go for a walk today…"
"Really?" Konoka's face brightened up and Setsuna nodded "yay! But… just the two of us, okay?" Konoka broke the embrace and asked her cutely
"O-O-Okay" Setsuna accepted
Their breakfast was done after their little meeting, everyone was amazed by Konoka's cooking, it was really delicious they didn't know that a princess could cook so well´. After eating breakfast and flattering Konoka's food they started to think what could they do for the rest of the day, they had already played in the lake so they only thing that was left was…
"Explore! Let's go to explore!" Hotaru suggested
"Doesn't it sound dangerous?" Negi replied "I mean, yesterday Setsuna-san was attacked by demons"
"Negi has a point… what do you say, Setsuna-san?" Asuna asked
"I think it's a good idea" Setsuna unexpectedly said and everyone stared at her "What?"
"Thanks Sakurazaki-san! I thought you were a bad person but you're not!" Hotaru said
"Setsuna-san, what's gotten into you?" Asuna told her "Weren't you the one who was against camping in the first place?!"
"I know I know… but… let's just relax a while… and if anything happen, you, Negi-san and I will be there" Setsuna answered very carefree
"mmm if you say so…"
"Great! Then let's divide into groups!" Hotaru said and Asuna punched him
"That'd be even more dangerous, baka!" she told him
"I think it's a good idea," Setsuna spoke making Asuna's jaw dropped and Hotaru's cried in happiness "let's split into pairs" she said and Hotaru immediately ran to Konoka's side but she turn to Setsuna
"Secchan you'll come with me!" Konoka said cheerfully and grabbed her arm
"h-hai… mmm … Asuna-san could you-"
"I'll go with Priscillia-chan… I'd rather go with her than with Hotaru" Asuna said
"Then I'll go with Hotaru-kun" Negi said. Apparently, they're all happy with those choices but Priscillia wanted to go with Hotaru, Hotaru wanted to go with Konoka, Konoka… well Konoka was happy with Setsuna, Asuna didn't really like the idea at all but she had questions to ask to Priscillia… and Negi… well, he is Negi.
"Ojousama, Priscilli-san and Negi-san will be in charge of communication if anything goes wrong, okay?" Setsuna said and three mentioned people nodded "okay then… let's split, we'll return to the camp in…" Setsuna said but was interrupted by Konoka
"Two hours," the princess said "see you then!" she grabbed Setsuna's arm and leaded her to the forest
"Konoka-chan…" Hotaru muttered with tears in his eyes (A/N: this face …T_T) as Negi took him to the opposite direction. Asuna and Priscillia then took another way to the forest.
(Asuna/Priscillia team)
The girls took a long road that leaded them to another lake, though it was smaller than the one they knew. Around that lake a lot of little animals, like bunnies, were drinking water, Priscillia approached to them and fortunately they didn't run away.
"Oh he's so cute" Priscillia said as she took a white bunny in her arms and show it to Asuna
"Yeah he is really cute!" Asuna said and pet the bunny "argh! No No No! Focus! I have to ask her some questions!"
"By the way, Priscillia-chan…I need to ask you something… and be very sincere okay?" Asuna told her and the maid nodded while still playing with the bunny "Do you like Setsuna-san?"
"What?! No!" Priscillia said immediately
"Then why are you trying to separate her from Konoka, eh?" Asuna asked her louder
"Oh great… I'm in troubles"
(Konoka/Setsuna team)
Setsuna escorted the princess around the forest, they were just wandered with no real destination but somehow they ended up discovering a waterfall. Actually Setsuna knew that waterfall; she had been there the day before.
"Woah! It's huge!" Konoka said admiring the size of the waterfall, then her eyes spotted a small cabin near it "Secchan look!" she said pointing the small building "Do you think someone live there?"
"Uumm… actually, ojousama… I-"
"Kono-chan… I told you to call me that when we're alone" Konoka said as she pouted cutely
"K-Kono-chan… I… I know that place," Setsuna said "I… I lived there with my father when I was a child, before meeting you"
"Oh… then I guess it wouldn't be a problem to go in, right?" Konoka told her
"I-I guess not" Setsuna said and before she could add anything else Konoka took her hand and leaded her to the cabin
"Kono-chan you'll get dirty, there's dust all over the place" Setsuna warned her before stepping inside
"It's okay, I don't mind get dirty … this is a trip, let's relax!" Konoka told her reminding what Setsuna had said minutes ago at the camp "Let's go to your room secchan!" she asked her friend and she had no other choice but to leaded her to her room
"Here we are…" Setsuna said letting Konoka go inside first "It's really small compared to your room"
"I love it!" Konoka said turning around to see Setsuna "I like cozy rooms… it makes me feel safe, especially when I'm with you" Konoka said as she approached to her and slowly put her arms around Setsuna's neck
"K-K-Kono-chan…" Setsuna muttered and unconsciously started to put her arms around Konoka's waist, both of them lean in closer to the other's face "Am I… Is she…" Setsuna tried to understand what was going to happen, but her mind failed when she felt the warm lips of her princess kissing her. Before she could react and kiss back, Konoka pulled away.
"Ko-Kono-chan?"
"I-I'm sorry… I-I don't know why I did that…I-" Konoka muttered but stopped when Setsuna gently took her chin so that they could see their eyes.
"Why did you stop?" Setsuna asked with a warm smile and kissed her, Konoka melt in the kiss and wrap her arms around her beloved guardian. After some minutes they broke the kiss so that they could catch some air.
"Secchan…" Konoka whispered blushing
"I love you, Kono-chan" Setsuna told her blushing too "I have always loved you, since we were kids even we sometime I didn't show it… I really cared about you"
"I know that, silly… and," Konoka said and gave her a quick kiss on the lips "I love you too"
Me: there! XD
Asuna: Oh! now I understand...
Setsuna/Konoka: *blush*
Me: hehehe! oh oh oh! I have an announcement!
Everyone: what?!
Me: I'm gonna change my writing style :b
Asuna: u.u
Me: what? ...
Setsuna: so... how will be your writing now?
Me: First person... like Setsuna's POV :b
Setsuna: oh great u.u
Me: but I don't know if I should finish this story first before changing my style... that's why I started a poll XD...
Konoka: Good idea! ... I say that you should change your style right now!
Setsuna: o-ojousama... she could confused the readers if she does that
Konoka: mou... but she's better when she writes in first person... and what did I told you about calling me Ojousama? -.-
Setsuna: g-gomen K-K-Kono-chan *blushes*
Asuna: guys... can we focus please?!
Me: My bad... anyway, thanks to chocolate-chan, Kirstie Anne, LoneWolfx03, BatterieszX, setchan-1995, Lance58, blue moon017, Secchan-Ale and PureWiings who left reviews XD ...mmm what else... oh! another annoucement!
Asuna: what is it now?
Me: the end is coming! *evil laugh* ... and no, I'm not talking about 2012 XD... I'm planning to write 2 (maybe one o.O) more chapter... Next Chapter! The bad guy will be revealed! *evil laugh* ... any guesses?
Setsuna: Hotaru! Hotaru! IS HOTARU!
Hotaru: I haven't done anything -.- ...
Me: *evil laugh* you won't expect it ... anyway! XD ... I must leave now... so, don't forget review and ... vote in my poll please! XD ... there'll a week to vote, that way I can fix next chapter -.- XD... see ya...in two week! ...hopefully -.- ^^
