BROKEN WINGS-A NEGIMA/LOVE HINA CROSSOVER
The characters in this story are not related to me but to their respective creators.
Act 4-Aftermath
"Where am I?'
Setsuna looked around her surroundings and she is standing in a field. The field was filled with many flowers, red, white, yellow, different shapes and sizes. The sky was blue like the deep sea.
Setsuna walked slowly along the field. Her heart was filled with a sense of calmness. She felt not a care in the world.
Then she heard a song. She listens to the vocals. It was beautiful but yet it was sad. Setsuna walked toward the vocal's direction and there she was.
A long haired person was sitting alone among the flowers. Setsuna approached her slowly, hoping to catch a glimpse of the person.
"Excuse me?" Setsuna asked in a soft voice.
The person stopped her singing and turned around. It was an older looking lady. Her skin was fair and her hair was long and smooth. Her eyes looked just like Setsuna. Big and sharp.
"Where is this place?" Setsuna was puzzled by this lady's appearance which confessed her more.
Suddenly Setsuna couldn't move and the sky turned from sky blue to crimson red and black crows suddenly covered the sky! Setsuna looked up and saw a dark figure with a pair of black feather wings was hovering above them.
"Who are you?" Setsuna looked upon the figure and with one swoop, the figure went down and carried the woman infront of Setsuna!
Setsuna could not move and can only see the figure carried the woman up to the sky further away from her.
She screamed "Come back! Come back!"
But the figure did not stop and slowly it was further away from Setsuna till she couldn't see it anymore.Setsuna went down on her knees and cried alone in this dark field.
Then a voice called out to her.
"Setsuna! Setsuna! Wake up!"
Setsuna opened her eyes and she saw herself in a room facing the high ceiling. She turned around and Tsuruko was next to her. Tsuruko gently touched Setuna's forehead and Setsuna was bursting in tears.
"It's all right, dear. You just having a nightmare." Tsuruko calmed the young girl down.
"But, Tsuruko Nee-Chan..it was horrible! I saw a creature that has black wings and it took away a woman! There's nothing I can do!" Setsuna cried in Tsuruko's arms.
Tsuruko continued to stroke Setsuna's hair and tried to calm her down. "Don't worry. I am right here with you." You just relax and go back to rest. I wil be right beside you all the way.
Setusna calmed down and lay down on the bed. Tsuruko looked at her and she started to hum a lullaby to Setsuna.
Within minutes, Setsuna fell into a deep sleep again.
Tsuruko stood up and went out of the room. She signed herself and saw Motoko standing infront of her. Motoko looked at her sister
"She is having that same nightmare again?"
"Yes. I don't know how to explain to her. It's been two day since that incident at Konoe Sama's mansion but she still not being herself.'
Motoko wondered what happened that night at the mansion. Yukari is a spy and was sent to kidnap Konoka but her plot failed not because she was there but Setsuna defeated Yukari. Motoko could swear that Setsuna has feathered wings behind her back and somehow or rather, the wings shrunk back into Setsuna's body.
Motoko carried the two girls and watch over the whole night tills the next morning, when Tsuruko and the others returned. They were shocked that such an incident occurred but were glad that the girls are all right.
"Nee-Chan, you told me before that Setsuna was adopted but you didn't told me that she has wings behind her back! What's going on?" A confuseed Motoko questioned Tsuruko who stood outside the garden of their home.
Tsuruko looked up at the dull moon in the sky and smiled at Motoko. "Don't worry...I will tell you and Setsuna when the time come. Go and rest."
Motoko looked at her sister and she knows that she can't probe into it anymore. She turned around and went straight to her room. Tsuruko stare blankly at the dull moon and mumbled to herself.
"Maybe it's time..." and she walked back to her room.
Setsuna woke up and could hear the chirping of birds outside the window. She looked at the alarm clock that was next to her. It was almost noon. She couldn't remember how long she passed out but that nigtmare was too horrible to think about it.
Setsuna slowly got out of her bed and went out of her room. She walked slowly along the hall. It was quiet that the chirping of crickets could be heard too. She heard some voices coming from the main hall. She approached the door and sidled it opens.
She saw Tsuruko and Motoko having a cup of tea. The sisters saw Setsuna outside the door.
"Setsuna! You're awake!" Motoko approached the young girl.
She gave a pat on her head and Setsuna hugged the younger Aoyama Sister.
"How do you feel? Are you hungry?" Tsuruko asked Setsuna who looks like she lost something important and found it back again.
Setsuna give a nod. Tsuruko smiled and spoke "Motoko, take Setsuna for a bath. I'll prepare some food for her. "
"Okay, Nee-Chan. Come, Setsuna. Let's go and clean you up."
Motoko took Setsuna by the hand and entered the hallway.
Moments later in the bathroom, a naked Setsuna sat on a stool while Motoko is wearing a towel, cleaning her back with a sponge. Setsuna remained quiet, feeling the wetness from the sponge. Motoko looked at her back.
There were no traces of feathers or scars behind her back. Her fair baby skin was still smooth as ever. "How do you feel, Setsuna?
Motoko asked her.
"It's like a roller coaster ride..one moment, we were enjoying ourselves at Konoka's home and the next was Yukari tried to take away Konoka..." Setsuna answered her slowly while Motoko continued to wash her back.
"Well, at least Konoka Ojou Sama is all right. She wanted to visit you but her father refused." Motoko scope a pail of water and poured on Setsuna's small body.
"What's going on, Motoko Nee-Chan?" Why is Yukari after Konoka Ojou Sama? Setsuna questioned in doubt.
"I don't know yet...by the way, did you remember anything when Yukari tried to kidnapped Konoka? Motoko asked.
Setsuna thought for a while. All she could remember was Yukari blasted her with a beam and she crashed to the wall. She wanted to get up but she is too weak. Then she heard a voice.
A voice who asked her does she wanted power.
A voice asking her to release her anger.
Then her world went blank.
"Setsuna?"
Setsuna looked at Motoko as she dried her body with a towel.
"Well, do you remember anything?" Motoko asked her again.
Setsuna answered back softly "No".
The two girls came out of the bathroom and started wearing back their clothes on. Setsuna wore a white shirt with black shorts while Motoko wore her usual white gear and red skirt. Both walked along the corridor and entered the dinner room. The table was arranged with a small bowl and a spoon.
Tsuruko entered the room and was carrying a slightly bigger bowl. She placed the bowl that was filled with hot, piping porridge on the table.
"Oh! Setsuna! Come and have some porridge! You must be starving." Tsuruko saw the two girls that just entered the room.
Setsuna sat down infront of the table with Motoko besides her. Tsuruko started to pour some of the porridge onto the small bowl.
"Thank you, Tsuruko Nee-Chan." Setsuna took the bowl of porridge and started to eat with the spoon. She slowly chewed the porridge in her mouth and looked at Tsuruko and Motoko.
Both sisters looked and smiled, as they know that Setsuna is being herself again.
"Is it nice, Setsuna?" Tsuruko asked.
Setsuna smiled and answered "It's nice, Tsuruko Nee-Chan."
"Have some more, Setsuna. You need to regain your strength." Motoko replied.
Setsuna took another spoonful of porridge and swallowed it. She asked "Tsuruko Nee-Chan, will Konoka Ojou Sama still be my friend?"
Tsuruko wondering why she asked this question and replied " What make you ask that question, Setsuna?"
"Tsuruko Nee-Chan...you told me before that no matter what happened, I must protect Konoka Ojou Sama...but I failed!" Setsuna placed her spoon on the table and started to cry. Motoko put her arms around Setsuna and trying to clear her tears away.
"It's not your fault, Setsuna. You did saved Konoka Ojou Sama." Motoko spoke.
"But Yukari kidnapped her infront of me and there's nothing I could do! How could I have save her?" Setsuna answered with anger and regret.
Tsuruko smiled and calmly answered "All of your questions will be answered, Setsuna. But right now, eat your porridge and I will tell you everything. That's a promise."
Setsuna listen Tsuruko's answer and gave a small nod telling them she will do anything to know what's going on. She took the spoon and scoped a mouthful of porridge into her mouth.
Twenty minutes later, Setsuna and Motoko sat at the living room with the wind chime hanging at the window ringing its chime. The crickets outside the garden could be heard and the girls waited patiently for Tsuruko.
Tsuruko entered the room carrying a small grey box and sat in front of them. Tsuruko opened the box and took out a blue cloth, a small sword and a piece of paper. She placed the three items in front of Setsuna and spoke.
"Setsuna...I told you before that you are given away by your parents to us. Well, the truth is...we never met your parents before."
Setsuna was startled and want to ask why? Tsuruko continued.
"I want you to keep calm on what I am about to tell you." Tsuruko showed the blue cloth to Setsuna. "This is how I found you."
Setsuna was puzzled but remained calm.
"Six years ago, I was doing an extermination at the northern parts of Kyoto near the mountains when I came across a river. I heard a cry and found something floating on a log. I caught hold of it and found you. You were wrapped up in this blue cloth. You are the most beautiful baby and somehow I was attached by you."
Tsuruko then presented the small sword and the piece of paper to Setsuna. Setsuna held the sword and read the contents of the paper.
"I believe that the contents was written by your biological mother and in it she want you to live a normal life but if you came to know of who you really are...I am...supposed to be the guardian to pass this letter and the sword to you." Tsuruko spoke with a bit sadness.
"What happened to my parents?" Setsuna questioned anxiously.
Tsuruko answered "Well, I did try to find out who your parents were. Months later, I went back to the same place where I first found you. I searched around the nearby forests and mountains and finally..."
Tsuruko paused and continued "I found a village or what was left of it."
"Left of it?" Motoko queried.
"The village was totally destroyed and there were no survivors. I asked the next village which was five miles away and they told me something terrible." Tsuruko's voice was filled with sadness.
Setsuna listened with a sense of dread and held onto Motoko's left hand.
Tsuruko continued " The villagers told me that a demon came and was searching for his child in the village. The demon was furious when he couldn't find his child. He wiped out the village, leaving no survivors. The villagers claimed that they heard a rumor that the demon fell in love with the village chief's daughter and she beared a child for the demon. But the child was supposedly killed and the mother was locked away by her father."
Motoko asked, "What has this demon got to do with Setsuna?
Tsuruko looked at Setsuna and answered "Because the demon described by the villagers was a creature who looked like a human with feathers wings behind it's back.
Setsuna and Motoko were shocked. Motoko remembered seeing feathers wings appearing behind Setsuna's back when they are trying to stop Yukari. Setsuna could not utter a word...She could not believe what Tsuruko just say.
"I...I am...I am a demon?" Setsuna questions herself.
She looked at her own hands and began to tremble. Her mind was confused and a voice in her head keep saying the same thing over and over again...
"Demon."
"I am a demon...I am a demon...I AM A DEMON!" Setsuna screamed out and her voice shocked the air!
Then Setsuna felt something. Her body was burning and her back was in pain! She could feel that something is coming out her back. She felt it before when trying to save Konoka and now it is happening all over again!
Suddenly, feathers wings sprung out of her back like a peacock spreading its wings...
Motoko and Tsuruko could only watch in shock what happened to Setsuna. Setsuna looked at herself and was shocked by her own appearance.
"I am scared...Help me, Tsuruko Nee-Chan, Motoko Nee-Chan!" Setsuna was shaken and was crying in pain.
Tsuruko approached Setsuna and gently touched her wings. She smiled and hugged Setsuna in her arms.
"You are not a demon." Setsuna could not explain Tsuruko's actions but she wished that all of which were not true.
"When I found out who you really are...I wished that all of these are not true...I wish that you are just a normal girl. A normal girl who want to live a normal life." Tsuruko tries to calm down the now hysterical Setsuna.
"Despite of who you really are, you are still our Setsuna. You are part of family and I will treat you like family." Tsuruko answered gently.
"I am with you, Setsuna!" Motoko held Setsuna's hands firmly and looked at her sincerely. "You are the best baby sister a girl will ever have!''
Setsuna questioned 'What about Nee-Chan's parents?
"Don't worry. The only other person who know your secret is Konoe Sama and he promise not to reveal to anyone." Tsuruko answered back while gently stroking Setsuna's hair.
Setsuna cried out in tears and hugged the two sisters.
An hour later, Setsuna's wings shrunk back into her body and Motoko brought her back to her room to rest. Somehow, Setsuna is unable to control the wings and the two Aoyama sisters decided to guide her on her new powers first thing tomorrow.
Motoko came out of Setsuna's room and Tsuruko was looking at the blue sky in the garden.
Motoko approached Tsuruko. "Nee Chan...you shouldn't have told Setsuna about her past. She might not be able to take it at her age.'
Tsuruko smiled and spoke "She might be young but Setsuna is actually more strong willed than you think."
Motoko give a sign and spoke "So, what about Otou-Sama and Okaa-Sama? We can keep Setsuna's secret now but sooner or later..."
Tsuruko just smiled "I'll deal with them when that time come. Right now, Setsuna needs us. She is very confused now and need our support."
Tsuruko knew in her heart that her parents will kick Setsuna out of the Aoyama Clan if they ever knew the truth. Already, her father, Sanshiro objected having Setsuna in the family, as she is a complete stranger. It was the sheer determination of Tsuruko and the encouragement of Kenji that actually made Setsuna stayed.
But there was a condition. Setsuna was not allowed to have the Aoyama family name.
But Tsuruko didn't care and she had explained to Setsuna that it is not the family name that is important but who she was.
"Be strong, Setsuna...I could see that your path in life will not be an easy one and I hoped that you'll choose the right path in life." Tsuruko peaked at a sleeping Setsuna and say a little prayer for her well being.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Author's notes: A lot of tears in this one. Well, I hope everyone will like it. The next few chapters will be fast forward a few years later. Hope u will like it. See U!