bows deeply thank you all for the great reviews. The more indepth they are the better! Now for a response to the reviews:
PaintedTyrant: Your very welcome for the fic, it's my pleasure believe me.I shall do what I can to make sure you havn't misplaced your eternal devotion lol.
Tiger Dauthi: thank you for the lovly compliments! I'm very glad you like the story so far. I shall try to work on word choice a bit nods, if you notice anything else that could help my writings please don't hesitate to point it out!
Himitsu desu yo: Whee! This is the longest review i've ever gotton and it made me very happy! scratches head a bit to fast huh? Well i'll see what i can do about that, tho I'm not sure what to do to "slow it down" as it where. But I shall try! nods Thank you for all the lovly compliments, and I'm glad you like the Merlin line!
Homura: I hope it lives up to your expectations! lol
OkashiraShinomori: You finally read it! Tis about time lol, it's been on the forum for weeks! I have a few beta-readers already, but that dosn't mean I can't have another! MidiNaruto is one, but he's been gone for so long, I don't want to bother him...
RedPBass: Thank! Of course I'm gonna continue! I gotta get to the KonoSetsu goodness. winks
Thanks again everyone for the great reviews, and I hope you continue to leave them!
Standard disclaimer applies
Konoka stretched lazily in her bed and nuzzled the blanket that was pressed against her cheek. Her mind, still awakening from her sleep, hazily registered the fact that the blanket smelled good, and it reminded her of something. She took a deep breath, inhaling the scent and a smile formed on her lips, though she had no idea why the scent made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. Konoka opened her eyes and yawned, propping herself up on her elbow, and glancing down at the blanket. She frowned. That wasn't a blanket, that was….a vest, the school uniform vest. Konoka blinked several times as she sat up straight, and then looked down at herself. Why was she sleeping in her clothes? What was…?
"Konoka-san! You're awake!" Negi cried happily as he set down a plate onto the table.
"Good morning Negi-kun." Konoka yawned again and shook her head to try to clear it. "Why are you setting the table?" Negi grinned,
"I made breakfast today! Asuna got up extra early so that she could finish her paper route and get back here a little earlier. She should be coming back anytime now actually. I didn't want to wake you so I went ahead and made breakfast." Konoka smiled back at Negi.
"Aww, thanks Negi-kun, that was very sweet of you." As Negi continued to set the table, Konoka rubbed her eyes and went back to trying to figure out why she had slept in her school uniform. What was she doing yesterday that would leave her so tired as too….Suddenly it all came flooding back to her, and the good mood Konoka normally woke up with vanished. She flopped back down onto her bed and buried her face in her pillow. Married. She was going to be married.
Secchan must have brought me back here. Konoka thought, as she raised her head off her pillow. Her eyes trailed over to the vest she had been sleeping with, and she smiled a little even as she felt her face flush. She snatched it up and buried her face in it and the pillow, seeking the comfort it seemed to bring. Konoka didn't think about why a piece of Setsuna's clothing seemed to soothe her, but only wondered sadly if Setsuna would still be around when she was married off.
"Konoka-san?" Negi asked tentatively as he walked over to her bed. He reached out and touched her shoulder, a worried frown on his face. Konoka had seemed like her usual cheerful self just a few moments before, but when Negi had looked again, she had her face pressed into her pillow, lying limp on the bed. Konoka didn't respond and Negi was about to shake her a little when he heard the door open and close. He glanced over his shoulder at Asuna and Chamo, who had accompanied her on her newspaper-distributing route. Asuna hurried over and knelt besides Negi, Chamo hopping off her shoulder to land on Konoka's.
"Konoka? Hey, Konoka!" Asuna said, reaching out and gave the other girl's shoulder a shake. Konoka rolled over; ignoring Chamo's startled protest as he had to scramble to keep from being squashed. She stared up at the bottom of Asuna's bunk and sighed heavily. Asuna and Negi looked at each other, and then back at Konoka.
"Okay Konoka, enough is enough!" Asuna poked Konoka in the stomach, causing Konoka to exclaim in surprise and sit up.
"What is going on? We were worried sick about you last night, and then Setsuna-san shows up and tucks you in like it's the most natural thing in the world and refuses to tell us what happened to you. So!" Asuna plunked down on the bed next to Konoka and glared at her. "You better start talking." Negi climbed up onto the bed and sat down on the other side of Konoka.
"Maybe we can help. As your teacher, it's my job to try and help my students when they're troubled!" Chamo poked his head out from under Konoka's hair and peered up at her.
"Yeah, Konoka-neesan! It can't be that bad!"
"I'm getting married."
There was silence as Asuna, Negi, and Chamo stared at Konoka, stunned, then they all started to talk at once.
"He found you a fiancé?"
"Who is he?"
"When's the honeymoon?" Bam! Chamo hit the wall on the other side of the room, and Asuna turned back to Konoka.
"Don't worry." Konoka patted Asuna's hand and smiled down at Negi, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "It's not for another four or six years. And he's a nice guy. I'm sure…." Konoka trailed off as her gaze slid back to the wall. "I'm sure we'll be okay."
Asuna jumped off the bed and bent down to grip Konoka's shoulders.
"Konoka! Don't tell me you're just going to accept this! There's got to be something we can do!"
"That's right!" Negi got to his feet and looked at Konoka in earnest, "I'll talk to the headmaster, maybe I can convince him-" Konoka held up her hand to cut Negi off, then gently pushed Asuna away so that she could stand up.
"Guys, it's alright. Really. I was upset yesterday, but there isn't anything anyone can do to change it. Now come on!" She walked over to the table and sat down. She clapped her hands together and smiled up at Asuna and Negi, her voice filled with false cheer, "We're letting this wonderful breakfast that Negi-kun made get cold!"
Negi sighed and went over to the little oven, while Asuna frowned at Konoka's back. She could hear the sadness that Konoka was desperately trying to hide, but she couldn't think of anything to do about it. So she decided to ignore it, for now.
"Rise!" Nodoka called out, "Bow!" All the students rose from their chairs and bowed at Negi who grinned at them.
"Thanks class. I never get tired of that…" He picked up a text book and opened it up.
"Now if everyone could turn to page 117…"
Konoka absently grabbed her textbook, but her eyes were on the empty desk in front of her. Setsuna hadn't shown up at her dorm today to go with them to school, nor had she met them at the train stop. She glanced over at her bag that held Setsuna's vest, which Konoka had carefully washed and folded. Where could she be? Konoka frowned in thought as she started at the page Negi was reading from. As far as Konoka could remember, Setsuna had never missed a day of school in her life.
Could she be sick? She didn't look sick yesterday…Suddenly Konoka had a thought that made her blood run cold. What if that since she was getting married, Setsuna wouldn't be around to protect her anymore?
That's ridiculous! Konoka thought as she bit her lip, Grandpa wouldn't get rid of Secchan because he found me a fiancé would he? She's still got to protect me! At least until I actually get married! The thought of never seeing Setsuna again hurt Konoka just as much as when her grandfather told her he had found her a husband.
"Konoka-san? Are you alright?" Konoka jerked out of her thoughts and realized that Negi had stopped his lecture and the entire class was staring at her. She looked down and saw that she was gripping the book so hard she had ripped the page in two.
"I'm sorry! I just had a bit of a stomach ache is all. I'm fine now!" Konoka replied brightly and let go of the book. She placed her hands in her lap, under her desk, so that no one would see them clench into fists. Negi and Asuna exchanged looks, and Asuna mouthed to Negi,
"Continue the lesson!"
"So class! Who can translate this passage?" Negi quickly hurried on, and the rest of the students went back to trying to avoid Negi's gaze. Asuna reached over and gave Konoka a quick hug and Konoka smiled briefly at her, and then put all her energy into concentrating on the lesson.
The bell rang signifying the end of the day, and there was still no sign of Setsuna. Konoka couldn't take it anymore. She quickly gathered up her books and almost sprinted from the classroom, one destination in mind. There had to be a practical reason why Setsuna hadn't come to class. Maybe she was sick, or had sprained an ankle, or was out training, or had gotten captured, or was being tortured, or-
"KONOKA!" a voice shouted from behind her. Konoka shrieked and dropped her books, stumbling in surprise.
"Look out Konoka-san!" Negi shouted and tried to catch her but tripped over his wand. They both ended up on the ground, with Konoka sprawled on top of him, his face shoved between her breasts.
"Gaah! Sorry Konoka-san!" Negi cried and scrambled away as Asuna helped her up, Chamo on her shoulder.
"Sorry about that Konoka, but I had called you like, twenty times. Why'd you take off like that? We had to run you down!" Asuna grumbled, irritated. Konoka shook her head to clear it and took her book bag from Negi, who had picked it up for her.
"Thanks, Negi-kun" she said automatically, and then bit her lip, looking between Asuna and Negi.
"Do you guys know where Secchan is? She never showed up, and I'm worried she might be sick…or something…" she trailed off as Negi and Asuna traded glances. Asuna frowned at her.
"You mean you don't know?" Asuna asked, baffled.
"Don't know what?" Konoka took a step toward Asuna.
"Where Setsuna-san went? We figured it would have something to do with…you know…" Asuna waggled her fingers at Konoka and hummed a wedding song. Konoka felt all the blood drain from her face. Negi stepped up and took Konoka's hand,
"Konoka-san, last night, after Setsuna-san brought you back, she asked us to watch after you. She said she had something she needed to do, and she wasn't sure how long it would take. Asuna-san, Chamo-kun, and I assumed that since you were out so late, and that something obviously was upsetting you, that Setsuna left to take care of it. She didn't tell you?" Konoka shook her head frantically,
"But there's nothing she can do! Unless," Konoka broke off and swallowed then hurried on, "You don't think Grandpa would send her away do you?" Konoka's voice went high and she felt something constrict in her chest.
"Whoa, now Konoka-neesan. Let's not be too hasty here. It's entirely possible that your overreacting and everything's alright" Chamo stated, transferring from Asuna's shoulder to Konoka's. Asuna nodded and took Konoka's other hand.
"For once, that vermin ermine is right. Look, let's go to Setsuna-san's dorm room. Maybe she left a note or something. Heck, she could be there herself."
Konoka nodded in agreement, "That's exactly where I was headed."
Asuna grinned and tugged her hand, "Let's get going then."
Setsuna looked around her dorm room and did one last mental check. Everything she had was packed in the duffel bag at her feet: a few changes of clothes and her sword polishing and sharpening kit. Her sword was in its sheath and strapped on her back like normal.
She had made it so that all the shikigami around the dormitory would alert either Asuna or Negi, instead of herself, should something happen. THAT had taken a good part of the day, but it was worth it, for the more secure the dormitory was, the more secure Konoka would be.
Lastly, she patted the shirt pocket of her school uniform and felt the comforting crinkle of the paper there. Everything was done. That left her with the rest of today and tomorrow to get to the duel site, which was just fine. She would have some time to meditate and get herself prepared. With a final glance around the room, Setsuna scooped up the duffle bag and slipped it over her shoulder, then turned and pulled open the door. She stepped out and gently shut it behind her and left without one glance back.
Konoka bit her lip as Asuna knocked on Setsuna's dorm room door. When no one answered, Asuna tried the knob, but the room was locked.
"Hold on." Negi said, and stepped in front. He held one hand out to the door knob, the other clutched his wand. Closing his eyes, he mumbled something, and the lock popped open with a loud click!
"Nice job Aniki!" Chamo cried from his shoulder and Negi grinned a little sheepishly, "I don't know how many times I would have been locked out of the dorm rooms without this spell."
"Secchan?" Konoka cried as she burst into the room. But she was only greeted with emptiness. Konoka looked around, wide eyed, searching for any signs that Secchan was here, or was coming back. But all her possessions were gone, as if they never had been there.
"Oh Konoka…" Asuna stepped up besides her and slipped an arm around her shoulders, "I'm sure she'll be back. You know how seriously Setsuna-san takes her duty to protect you. I doubt she'd trust me and Negi with the job for very long." She tried to put a note of teasing in her voice, but Konoka only stared lifelessly at the empty desk.
"Even all her clothes are gone" Negi stated as he peered in a dresser drawer.
"Negi, you idiot! Shut up!" Asuna hissed and Negi clamped a hand over his mouth in chagrin.
"THERE YOU ARE!" Asuna and Negi both jumped in surprise and turned to see Ayaka clutching the entrance to the doorway for support. Her face was flushed and she was panting hard.
"God Asuna! What were you doing? RUNNING A MARATHON? I had to run all the way from the school to try and get you!" Asuna snorted,
"Little out of shape, are we Class Rep?" Ayaka's eyes flashed and she opened her mouth to give Asuna what was coming to her, when Negi hastily intervened.
"We're sorry Class Rep-san! If we had any idea you were looking for Asuna-san, we would have stopped and waited for you." The anger in Ayaka's eyes quickly melted away and the flush on her face was no longer from exhaustion.
"It's alright Negi-sensei" Ayaka replied adoringly, "I know YOU would have stopped. YOU have all the manners befitting an English gentleman and know exactly how a lady should be treated. We of the more, cultured class, know that we must make allowances for certain ruffians." Asuna rolled her eyes.
"Did you want something Rep?" She asked exasperated. Ayaka pried her eyes away from Negi's and glared at Asuna.
"I have an important message from the Headmaster. He wants to speak to Konoka immediately."
Asuna growled under her breathe, "I just bet he does." Then she started in surprise as Konoka moved past her. Asuna reached out and grabbed Konoka's arm.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Konoka turned around and Asuna was stunned at the fire in her eyes.
"I'm going to see my grandfather, and demand that he bring Secchan back!" She cried, anger swirling in her normally cheerful brown eyes.
"Not without us you're not" Asuna retorted, and Negi nodded,
"Right. We'll figure out what's going on. As a teacher, I have a right to know where my students are. Come on!" Asuna and Konoka nodded and rushed out, while Negi bowed to Ayaka,
"Thanks, for the message Class Rep-san. Don't forget to do your homework!" And he ran after the two girls while Ayaka stared after in bemusement, and then shook her head.
"I don't want to know."
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