Fragile Strings of the Heart

After the unfortunate scene in the baths, Nodoka hadn't spoken to anyone. She was quiet and withdrawn. The only time she had left her bed was to get sick in the bathroom.

"What do you think is the matter with her?" Haruna asked Yue. They were sitting at the table, both gazing over at Nodoka, who was lying in her bed facing the wall.

"She's heartbroken…" Yue replied quietly, her own heart aching for her friend.

"Do you think Setsuna-"

"No," Yue interrupted before Haruna could continue. "Setsuna wouldn't do something so horrible to Nodoka, at least not on purpose. I feel like something happened that we aren't seeing."

"Like what?"

"I don't know," The small blue-haired girl sipped her juice-box in thought. She was even more orally-fixated than usual in her worry for Nodoka. Something in her wanted to go to the other girl and just hold her, just tell her that everything would be okay. Yue shook her head as a light blush crossed her face.

"Whatsa matter Yue?" Haruna questioned, concerned.

"N-Nothing! I'm just… wo-worried about Nodoka… is all," she went back to her juice to avoid replying further. Haruna's eyes narrowed critically.

"How worried?" she asked Yue.

"She's my friend! I'm supposed to care about her… aren't I?" Yue blushed further and gazed down at her lap.

"Your lack of certainty tells me that something may have changed for you in the way you think of Nodoka."

"It has not!" Yue exclaimed, her voice cracking slightly. "I just… I want her to be happy…" Her voice turned to a whisper as her eyes looked far away.

"Uh-huh… and her being happy means that you aren't happy. You don't really want her to go out with Setsuna, do you?"

"I-I do! But…" Yue hesitated. She put the straw back in her mouth, only to realize that the box was empty. With no way to escape an answer now, she had no choice.

"Y-You're right, Haruna. I don't want Nodoka t go out with Setsuna. I'm happy that she isn't, but I'm sad that she's upset. I-I like her, Haruna, and now I'm just so confused…" Yue put her head in her hands, but she looked up when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Why don't you tell her?" the green-haired girl beside her suggested.

"What? No! No I can't! She'll be so sad, and she'll feel guilty! I don't want to do that to Nodoka! She's lost to much already… I just want… I want her to love someone who'll love her in return…"

"But you'll love her, won't you Yue?" Haruna scooted close and hugged the much smaller girl. "You can give her exactly what you want her to have. You just have to be brave."

Yue felt her eyes water. Her face was pressed into Haruna's shoulder, and she wrapped her arms around her and cried.

"But what if she says no?" Yue asked, afraid.

"She won't…" Haruna assured her.

"But-but how do you know?" Yue sat up and sniffed, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. Haruna just took her by the shoulders and spun her around. Yue gasped.

There, standing with a blush crossing her face and her hands clasped shyly behind her back, was Nodoka. Her eyes were tear-stained, but a small smile was playing itself across her lips.

"Is-is all that true, Yue?" Nodoka's voice sounded quiet and husky from her hours of crying.

"Um…" Yue blushed heavily and fiddled with her skirt. "Y-yeah, it is…"

"Well, thank you. It makes me happy to know you love me." Nodoka stepped closer and took Yue's hand, pulling her to her feet. Haruna smiled to herself and quietly sneaked out of the room, pushing the door shut with barely a noise behind her.

"I'm… glad I could make you happy. It was cruel of Setsuna to do that to y-" Yue stopped when Nodoka put a finger to her lips.

"I-it wasn't Setsuna's fault…" Nodoka sighed, frowning as she looked at the floor. Then she raised her head back up to look at Yue. "It was just an accident, a misunderstanding, and she knows that. She has Konoka, and now I have…" Nodoka's voice became to quiet to hear. Yue leaned close, breathless to know what she said.

"What? What do you-" she stopped. Nodoka removed her finger from Yue's mouth and replaced it with her lips. Yue gasped silently, her breath stolen by Nodoka.

"Nodoka I-I…" Yue stuttered after the kiss ended.

"Sh. It's okay. I know." Nodoka hugged the shorter girl to her, and Yue returned the embrace, sighing in content.

Kazumi was lying on her bed with her arm over her face. She had been their for a few hours and hadn't moved. She shared much the same predicament as Nodoka had; feeling the guilt of something she had done wrong. The problem was, she didn't have the luxury of telling herself that it was an accident.

"God, I'm so stupid!" Kazumi pounded her fist on the bed and sighed. "Why did I do that? I should've just told her and left it at that. Why can't I control myself? Now she'll never trust me again…"

Above her, Sayo floated on her stomach, looking down at the distraught reporter in sympathy.

"I know how you feel…" Sayo whispered. "To see the one you love with someone else. It hurts me every day, every time I see them together…" her voice became thick with tears.

"What? What was that?" Kazumi sat bolt upright and looked around, panicking. "Is someone there?"

Sayo covered her mouth with her hands and floated down to the floor. She didn't think that Kazumi would've been able to hear her. She then decided to do something completely stupid and rash; Sayo showed herself to Kazumi.

The red-headed girl jumped backwards with a shriek. She fell against her desk across the bed from Sayo and slowly stood up, panting.

"Wh-Who are you? How did you get in here and where did you just come from?"

"My name's Sayo and… I'm a ghost. But don't worry! I won't hurt you, I promise! I just, I thought maybe you would understand how I feel right now. You see I… I like Setsuna too and… for obvious reasons, we can't be together…" Sayo sat down on the edge of Kazumi's bed and dropped her face in her hands.

Kazumi hesitantly stepped closer, waving her hand around Sayo to look for wires or projectors.

"This isn't a trick? You're a real ghost?"

Sayo looked up sadly and nodded.

"That's so cool! This could be a great story! Do you mind if I take some pictures of you?"

Sayo blinked. She had expected shock, awe, fear, anything but this excited flurry coming from the busty red-haired girl at this moment.

"I-I guess," Sayo blushed self-consciously, and she decided she was beginning to like this girl.

Negi found several more clumps of darkness, and he dispelled them all.

"This darkness is strangely thick and sentient. This must be the Star Crystal's work, but who's heart is so pained to summon these things?" He wiped the sweat off is forehead with his sleeve.

"It doesn't matter. I have to find out who's behind this and keep my students safe. I will do whatever it takes to ensure their well-being, even if it endangers my own."

As Negi finished speaking, he heard a strange noise behind him. It sounded like a shrieking girl, and he spun around to a see a strange figure. It looked like a flower with a face and feet, but leaves for arms. It was smaller than a child and floated in the air.

"A fairy?" the young wizard questioned. "But where did it come from?"

Before he had time to think further though, several dozen roots shot out of the ground and wrapped around his legs. Negi swung his staff at the roots, but its blunt head was useless.

"Incendio!" Negi shouted, fire shooting from his staff. The roots burned and withered, but more shot out in their place.

I can't do this alone! Negi thought urgently. But who can I call?

Without a second thought, Negi leaped on his staff and flew towards Ayaka's mansion, where he new he could find at least two of his ministras; Asuna and Ayaka. The plants clung tightly to his staff, but he tore free, the fairy following dangerously close in pursuit.

The fairy attacks! And Nodoka has found someone after all. Will she be happy? Or will her want for Setsuna overule her judgement? The darkness is spreading and Negi needs help! Can his partners aid him in defeating the fairy? Find out in the upcoming chapters of Fragile Strings! HayabusaOkami~