Gradual Changes : Newer Bits of Life

by OkashiraShinomori

Sequel to Tears of an Angel, written by BOTH OkashiraShinomori and Chou Nuriko ChibiSecchan. On a stroke of unexpected fortune, Konoe Eishun has granted his daughter permission to attend a school for the magical arts. Setsuna, of course, is going along at

2. Preparations Must Be Made

Disclaimer: If Negima can be brought by GPAs, we'll never have enough to pay. So, sadly, Negima is still Akamatsu's.

OkashiraShinomori: After a great many corrections, we can present you chapter two!

ChibiSecchan: With incorrect context, broken Trillian and numerous "teh"s in these pages too.

OkashiraShinomori: ((Shudders.)) This chapter has definitely had to have the most work done to it, and the most time spent getting frustrated over it.

ChibiSecchan: Plus I have to put up with my GPA...((Kick transcript))

OkashiraShinomori: ((Nods.)) We're really having trouble keeping things together around here long enough to do any writing, it seems.

ChibiSecchan: At the end, we've got something. I guess that's all that matters.

Gradual Changes Book 1 - Newer Bits of Life

Chapter 02

Preparations Must Be Made

By OkashiraShinomori and ChibiSecchan

Beta reading by Shinmeiryuu and Spiritmage

"Across the room, Setsuna fought one of her toughest battles to date."

Konoka peered, wide-eyed, at the small store-front before her. It was one she frequented when she could, being a favorite of hers for its occult stock. Previously, such things had been merely a fascinating hobby, nothing more. Lately when she had visited the shop, it had been with skepticism of its wares' actual magical potential. Now she would see through yet another pair of eyes. A pair that had to come to terms with the fact that the owner, the staff, and several of the customers were innately magical as she herself was.

Setsuna watched her girlfriend curiously, finding the awe with which she watched the shop amusing in an innocent way. She's really got a lot to learn about the magical world. With a small smile, she placed a hand in the small of the Konoe heir's back and applied gentle pressure, "Shall we go in, Kono-chan?"

Konoka looked back at her knight and blinked, slightly flustered at being caught so deep in her thoughts. "Uh..." she blinked again and her gaze refocused, "yeah let's go!" She skipped up the curb and on through the open doors, breathing deeply of the ever-present incense.

"Welcome, Konoka-san," the voice of an elderly woman called from behind the counter. Her long graying hair was tied up into something of a messy bun, stray wisps hanging down in front of her withered but smiling face. She stepped spryly from behind the counter, hobbling quickly towards one of her favorite customers. "Have you been well?"

Konoka nodded dutifully, frowning slightly at the title. However, in light of recent facts becoming known to her, she supposed it was understandable. "I've been quite well, Hanagawa-san. You?"

The woman waved the question off as if it were of negligible importance. "I'm still here, and that's good enough for me." A small smile wrinkling her face further, she peered over Konoka's shoulder at her athletic companion. "And who might this be?"

Setsuna bowed stiffly, trying to make sure Yuunagi knocked nothing from the shelves. "My name is Sakurazaki Setsuna. I am a student of Mahora Academy's girl's middle school, and Kono-chan's," her cheeks began to heat up, "girlfriend," until they rivaled the surface of the sun. Normally she would not have so easily digressed such, but Konoka had confided in her previously that the elderly woman was considered to be an aunt by her.

Hanagawa's smile widened further as she looked Setsuna up and down. "I thought so. You're just the way Konoka-san described you." Setsuna looked up in some surprise, a question in her eyes. "Oh yes, she's spoken of you. Won't stop, as a matter of fact," she finished with a chuckle. At this, even Konoka blushed a bit.

With a different kind of smile, she turned back tot he young mage. "Now, what can I do for you, Konoka-san? We've just received a new shipment of tarot cards yesterday morning. I know you must have five sets or more," she laughed, "but the backs of these are really quite remarkable."

Setsuna's chosen charge raised her hands in a halting manner, waiting for the shopkeeper to stop talking before she explained. "Actually, Hanagawa-san, I'm here for school supplies."

The elderly woman's face went blank, then she cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "Here, Konoka-san?" She placed a finger to her chin thoughtfully and allowed her gaze to drift to the ceiling as if a list of her inventory was written there. "I have paper and pens and such, I'm sure, but nothing else I think you'll find useful."

"Actually, I think you have exactly what we need." Her knowing smile prompted a flatly confused look from the shopkeeper, and Konoka's assuredness of the woman being a mage wavered slightly. Too late to back out though... Konoka pulled a paper from the pocket of her gray, hooded jacket and unfolded it, scouring it quickly. "Do you have two blank spell books, a mana gauge, and a beginner's wand?"

Stunned silence filled the shop momentarily, and its three occupants merely stared at each other, two expectantly and one confused. Hanagawa cleared her throat and broke the silence, "I was under the impression that you were never to know of your magic, Konoka-san. I was told by your grandfather that it was your father's desire. Seeing as how you frequent this shop, they wanted to be sure I let nothing slip..." She frowned slightly. I could be in very deep trouble if it's my fault she knows... The woman sidled up next to Konoka. "Uh...I didn't do anything to clue you in, did I?"

Konoka blinked, then shook her head. "Oh no. Something else entirely, Hanagawa-san." She smiled comfortingly at the woman, who slumped in obvious relief.

"Oh good," she smiled up at Konoka. "Your grandfather'd have my head if it was my fault." Konoka chuckled at the comment, finding it difficult to imagine the seemingly frail old man doing anything of the sort. He was not the sort that was prone to violence.

After Hanagawa had recollected herself, she motioned for Konoka to follow here and bustled off. "Please follow me, girls." She cast a glance over her shoulder, "Sakurazaki-san, will you be needing any school supplies?"

Setsuna pulled her own list out of her denim skirt pocket and read through it quickly. "It seems I need a beginner's wand, a mana gauge, and a unicorn hair calligraphy brush." THAT'S gonna be expensive...

Hanagawa ushered them into a room at the back of the occult goods store. It wasn't as large as the main room, but it seemed to contain less items as well. Rather than the nice wooden shelves from earlier, bare metal ones stood, looking somewhat skeletal. Upon them sat plain card-board boxes, some sealed, some not. Setsuna and Konoka both furrowed their brows at seeing where they'd been led, and cast curious glances at he shorter woman.

With a wink at the couple, she uttered a word, and grinned as the card-board boxes seemed to dissolve. Across the room, seemingly ordinary, and rather dusty, items dissolved, leaving much more interesting things in their places. Many of the shelves where lined with books, most of which were blank on both the cover and the spine. Others seemed normal enough, although Konoka was certain that the titles would prove far more interesting. Along the back wall, a locked case seemed to contain basic practice wands and pieces of jewelry, no doubt with an enchantment of some sort on them. Boxes of different shapes and sizes where stacked along the remaining shelves, with an example of their contents on display atop the stack.

"While I'm getting that brush, you two can go ahead and browse the wands and books Anything without a title will suit your needs." With an ushering hand gesture, she stepped through another doorway into what was, apparently, a real storage room.

Once she was out of sight, Konoka looked up at Setsuna, excitement gleaming in her soft eyes. "That was awesome, Secchan! I had no idea it was all fake!" She turned her gaze back to the room around her, as if still in disbelief. "Just think, if this is hidden, what else is hidden? Anything could be anywhere!"

With a private grin, Setsuna quelled the urge to reach out and ruffle Konoka's hair as one would a child's. "This is just the tip of the iceberg. We've got stuff like this all over Mahora." The cute look of disbelief that followed the statement managed to force a chuckle from the swordswoman. "You'll see when you get to our new school. I think you're really gonna enjoy it."

"Stop talking about it! I'm excited enough as it is," she giggled, playfully pushing Setsuna towards the locked cases. Setsuna resisted just enough to ensure she wasn't moved, a satisfied smile on her face. Konoka pushed again, but to no avail. An idea occurred to the swordswoman, and a sly grin spread across her countenance. Konoka leaned her shoulder to the task, only to feel Setsuna spin to the side

With a yelp, Konoka nearly fell through the glass cases before them. Laughing softly, Setsuna followed, laughing harder when made a playful lunge at her. Setsuna pointed at the case of wands as she dodged her now giggling love again. "Let's just choose wands, shall we?" Still chuckling to herself, Konoka turned her gaze on the twenty or thirty simplistic looking practice wands.

They were rather lame as wands go, mainly consisting of a rod topped with an astronomical symbol of some sorts, looking for all the world like the kind of wand one would see on a children's show. That fact was no damper on the young healer's enthusiasm, however. She appeared to be critically examining each of them, as if it were a life and death decision between which to pick. Setsuna's gaze was hardly as interested. She figured herself more fit for combat than magic, and had no intention of wasting any time choosing a wand. She pointed lazily through the case, "I guess I'll take that one."

Konoka followed her gesture and saw that she was indicating a plain wand topped with a shining silver crescent moon. Konoka giggled and pointed at her choice beside Setsuna's, "How convenient." Her own wand was, at its base, identical to Setsuna's except that the silver moon had been replaced with a golden sun.

"That does seem rather appropriate," Setsuna grinned at the shorter girl.

"Not to say we're as different as night and day," Konoka giggled, then considered the statement. "Although I guess we are." She giggled again, and Setsuna frowned slightly, but dismissed it.

Opposites attract, right? She wandered over to one of the nearer bookshelves, scanning the covers in a bored fashion as she didn't need to get one for herself. As she expected, her Kono-chan followed quickly, doing as her knight was. As Konoka browsed, silence fell except for the noise of Hanagawa rummaging around in the back room.

The shorter of the two girls let out a quiet exclamation and pulled a book from the shelves. The cover was of black velvet with scrawling silver metalwork across it. As she gently opened the cover, she saw that the impossibly white, gold-edged pages were crisp and ready for ink. She flipped through a couple pages, then re-closed it, running one hand over the spine in something of an awed caress. "I really like this one, don't you, Secchan?" She held the book out her girlfriend, her gaze seeking approval.

After giving the book the same run-through that Konoka had, Setsuna handed it back with a nod. "Looks good. I love the velvet." Beaming, Konoka took the book back and tucked it happily under one arm, not bothering to examine the price that sat below the books on the shelf. She eagerly looked through the shelves and quickly plucked a book quite similar to the one she had, although the velvet was a sky blue, rather than black.

"Here you are, Sakurazaki-san. One unicorn hair brush." Konoka jumped, nearly dropping her books, as the now amiable silence was broken by Hanagawa's wizened voice.

"Thank you," Setsuna bowed her head as she gingerly took the long box from the shopkeeper. As her sharp eyes caught the price on the end of the box, she couldn't help but cringe slightly. Good thing I have just a few things on my list...

"Now," Hanagawa clasped her hands before her and flicked her gaze between the two girls," have you two chosen your wands?" An affirmative nod from Konoka initiated a small smile from the woman. "Good, good. Which are they?"

Stepping nearer the case, Setsuna pointed at her silver wand. "That one, with the half moon, and the one to it's left."

She blushed darkly as Hanagawa chuckled, "A matching set; how cute." With a few muttered words and the turn of an ornate key she had produced from her pocket as if by magic, she slid the front of the case open and pulled matching boxes from beneath the individual wands, opening them briefly to make sure they were the correct ones. Rather than hand them over, she placed them onto the countertop and turned briefly back to the girls. "And you said you each needed a mana gauge?"

They nodded silently, only to get the same in return before she politely brushed past them, heading for a display near the back of the room. With a glance at each other, they followed the spry older woman, each keeping careful hold of their packages. Humming to herself, she began picking through a box of what appeared to be stopwatches. She held one up closer to her face and pressed a button. She stopped humming and furrowed her brow at the little device. She continued to press buttons on the things, apparently not to the desired effect, until she was muttering quite darkly under her breath. With a final frustrated glare, she dropped the thing back from whence it came and turned back to the half-amused, half-confused girls, plastering a smile back onto her face.

"Just for you, Konoka-san, I'll make a special deal." She strode quickly around a freestanding shelving unit, motioning for them to follow her. The shopkeeper walked quickly behind the counter and, bending, withdrew a box from beneath the countertop. She gently deposited it on the spacious surface and opened it. "Here you are." From within the box she produced two pendant-like things, which she handed to her prospective customers.

The items were a dark blue and somewhat oval shaped, although what appeared to be a small pair of angelic wings adorned the top. Between them where the pure white chain connected itself was a small, well-disguised button. Somewhat blindly, Konoka pushed the button."

"Wow!" she squealed in delight. The intricately carved front of the pendant seemed to dissolve, revealing a small, high-resolution digital screen, currently displaying the time and date. She clicked the button again, and the display changed instantly to a circular gauge, displaying the numbers 1 through 100 with a digital red needle currently resting at 99.

"That's the mana gauge. It'll display how much magical energy you have remaining. After casting a spell, it will also tell you how much energy was expended in the casting." The girls both nodded, and Setsuna clicked her own gauge one screen further.

"Huh?" A red rectangle was displayed, "Inactive" flashing within it in bold white letters.

Hanagawa peered over the counter at Setsuna's gauge. "That is the third and final function. Because this is a combination of magic and technology, it has far wider capabilities than an object of only one orientation. It has the ability to erect a very basic magic shield around you. It will drain your energy in the process, but it won't require you to concentrate to maintain it. Just tap the rectangle."

Somewhat hesitantly, Setsuna did so. With an odd sort of chirp, the rectangle flashed green and displayed "Active." "You now have an extremely basic magic shield covering you." As if to prove her point, Hanagawa quickly pulled a decorative fan from within her obi, and with a muttered word, sent a stream of water at the swordswoman. Setsuna began to step back instinctively, but stopped when the water seemed to hit an invisible barrier. It exploded across the shield's surface, bouncing off and running down the magical protection.

Konoka squealed when some of the water splashed onto her, but continued to watch Setsuna delightedly. She quickly activated her own shield, and yelped as a crackling filled the air. A wall of blue energy stood between the two girls. In an instant, Setsuna leapt backwards, and the wall dissipated instantly.

"Ah yes, that happens when two shields come in contact. Basic ones, anyway. Since they're both magical, they try to shield against the other and, well, you saw the result." She waved her hand dismissively with a small laugh. "Two weeks into the school year, and you should be able to produce a more refined shield than that."

Konoka perked up slightly. "How refined can a shield be?" Her eyes were trained hungrily on the woman, seeking information on what would be a subject of study.

With something of a sly grin, Hanagawa fiddled with the fan that was apparently her magical focus. "I wouldn't know. I never completed the course when I was in Gerhardt." She noticed the question in Konoka's eyes and continued. "I was an exchange student, you see. Gerhardt School of Magic is a German school. Their magic is slightly different from other western magic. It consists of more geomancy than anything, but it's otherwise the same." Silence descended for a few seconds until a question occurred to the older mage.

"What school are you two attending?"

Both students cast her blank looks, then looked at each other, then back at her, each almost completely mirrored by the other. As Setsuna shrugged, Konoka frowned slightly, answering, "I don't know, actually. It, uh, hadn't occurred to me to look."

She dug through her pocket again for the list, and scanned it curiously when she finally produced it with a triumphant noise. Her mouth formed a small "o" of recognition as she read the header. "It's the Asian Academy of the Arcane." A low whistle stopped her before she could continue.

"Now that's impressive, girls."

"Why's that?" Setsuna asked, the first she'd spoken in the past few minutes.

"Do you know of the Meldiana School of Magic?"

"Yes, that's where Negi-sensei was taught," clarified the swordswoman, wondering how the two schools were apparently related.

As she spoke, Hanagawa began filing receipts and opening rolls of coins into the cash drawer. "They're sister schools, and some of the highest respected magic schools the world around. Both your father and grandfather went there, Konoka-san," her gaze was expectant, "and graduated with honors."

Both girls picked up on the underlying message, and Setsuna realized that Konoka had more pressure on her even than before. Simply being the heiress of the Kansai Magic Association was difficult enough, but she had to learn under the shadow of her father and grandfather as well.

Konoka gulped and fiddled absently with her mana gauge, flipping through the various screens. Her loving knight stepped closer, but remained silent. "What kinds of honors, Hanagawa-san?"

Realizing her error, Hanagawa hesitated to answer, but saw no way to worm out of it. "Well," she looked down at her withered hands, uncomfortable at having to put such a load on the sweet girl's shoulders, "they were both Valedictorian of their year, and your grandfather even improved several of the courses. Your father's sword skill was well known as well."

Konoka was silent for a moment, and Setsuna could sense her good mood quickly draining away. "That's...an awful lot to live up to..."

Blushing very slightly in the presence of Hanagawa, Setsuna laid her hand supportively on Konoka's shoulder and squeezed gently. "You don't have to "live up" to anything, Kono-chan. You are not your father or grandfather; you're you. It's unfair to expect anything more from you just because of them." Setsuna tried to lighten the mood, not something she was particularly good at, but was willing to try for Konoka, "But I know you could do better than either of them without trying."

Konoka smiled feebly at her Secchan, then broke eye contact when she dipped her head to remove the pendant. She placed it atop her books and slid them across the counter. Silently, Hanagawa began to ring up the purchases, regretting her comments, as Setsuna also placed her prospective purchases closer.

The swordswoman's mood, already dampened by her love's, only worsened as the digital display of the total climbed ever higher. It seemed the mana gauges alone where 7,500 Yen each, not to mention the 10,000 Yen wands, easily the largest of the purchases thus far. Setsuna was hard put to keep her jaw locked in place when her brush flashed on screen at 26,900 Yen. When all was said and done, Setsuna' purchases easily outweighed Konoka's and she had already begun counting how many months it would be that her paycheck would go to pay for these when her Kono-chan pulled a thick roll of money from her skirt pocket.

At this, Setsuna was unable to hold back, and gaped openly. "You've had that much money with you all this time!"

Konoka nodded innocently, handing the money across the counter, not bothering to count out the actual amount. Hanagawa took the roll with slightly wide eyes and a very small bow. "Gramps said it'd be okay with me 'cause you're here." She sounded as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and Setsuna went silent, then smiled in appreciation.

Nice to know he trusts me with his granddaughter and large amounts of money, she thought with a touch of amusement.

Hanagawa quickly separated the bills and arrayed them within her hand, dropping several coins into a plastic container on the counter. "Your change is 55,100 Yen." Her slightly withered fingers glided across the bills, proving the amount as was customary.　Slightly awed at the amount of money she was giving a fifteen year old, she handed it back to the young healer, who took it casually and slipped it into her pocket, out of sight, and apparently out of mind.

Now even more on edge, Setsuna had to force herself not to prowl around the room checking to be sure that all was secure. She wasn't, however, able to suppress the urge to keep her hand from resting cautiously on Yuunagi's hilt. She knew it illogical, but it suddenly seemed as if people would be looking more closely at her willing charge, looking for a victim. Such thoughts were untrue, but when the person in question is a person that one cares deeply for, logic doesn't always prevail.

Setsuna stiffened when Konoka's small hand alighted on her arm. The smaller girl giggled, "You don't have to get all worried, Secchan." She playfully screwed her face into one of low-key disgust. "You're no fun when you're all worried and serious."

Not certain why, Setsuna blushed and allowed her hand to return to her side. "Er...sorry, Kono-chan." She attempted a smile, hoping it would help to dispel her sudden surge of protective instinct.

Konoka grinned happily, either having recovered her mood, or improving her skills as an actress.

"Here you are, Konoka-san," Hanagawa's voice broke into what had rapidly been becoming their own little world, and with a blink Setsuna turned back to the counter. Several cloth bags sat on the counter, some showing signs of containing oddly shaped objects. Before Konoka could make a move to do so, Setsuna swept the bags up, holding them easily in one hand.

Hanagawa picked up her fan and began to walk towards the doorway. "Thank you for your patronage, Konoka-san, and good luck at A3; I know you'll enjoy it." She smiled at the couple as they strode by. With an energetic wave at the older woman, Konoka all but bounced through the normal part of the shop into the street, her excitement quite obvious.

Setsuna took the distance at a more normal pace, casually swinging the bags at her side. "Are we a little happy, Kono-chan?"

"Yes!" Konoka exclaimed with a short jump. She wrapped her arms around Secchan's left, bringing to life, once again, the blush she loved so much.

Setsuna was unable to stop the cursory self-conscious glance around the area as Konoka hugged her arm happily. She immediately cursed herself mentally for the action. To many, it would look like a sign of shame, as if she didn't like that Konoka's affection for her was known, but that wasn't the case at all. As if to prove, even if only to herself, that she was indeed proud of her relationship with her Kono-chan, her left hand sought one of Konoka's, and she squeezed gently, smiling down at her love.

Konoka was still for a moment, surprised at Setsuna's small display of affection. She didn't realize its significance, but still loved the gesture. Deciding to use it for all it's worth, she nuzzled Setsuna's shoulder, closing her eyes happily. Setsuna blushed further, succeeding in not looking around warily. She squeezed her hand again, and they started off down the street, almost ignorant of the rest of the world.

After a few moments of silent comfortable companionship, Konoka struck up a conversation that was long in coming. "We've only got a few days left, Secchan. Then we have to tell everyone goodbye." She hugged Setsuna's arm tighter and buried her face in Setsuna's shoulder.

Setsuna nodded, turning her thoughts to that subject. Normally, being moved like that wouldn't be a problem. Setsuna's single-minded training hadn't afforded her any friends previously. Even among her teachers within the Shinmeiryuu, she had no friends. As a rule, they weren't to show affection to any of their students, but as in anything, some people have an instant connection, and friendships only naturally spring up. That hadn't been true for Setsuna, but she convinced herself that such was not necessary. She had her training to occupy her time, and thoughts of her high-born friend to occupy her mind.

Now she had at least three friends to say goodbye to, none of whom would be particularly easy for her. She squeezed Konoka's hand again, "They'll understand, I'm sure." She attempted a chuckle," They'll probably be jealous, you know."

Konoka smiled into her knight's shirt, "Yeah, that's probably true, Secchan." She was silent for a moment. "It's still going to be tough though..."

"Yeah." Setsuna looked down at Konoka, a playful mock-glare on her face. "It's all your fault, Kono-chan."

Konoka looked up, distressed at Setsuna's strong words. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be friends with Negi-sensei and Asuna-san." Konoka smiled, sensing the implied jest.

Secchan is in a good mood today. She sighed and the two turned a corner, threading through the crowd of people waiting for the signal that they could cross the street. "What're you gonna tell everyone who doesn't know about magic? I don't wanna lie, but..."

"Well then, don't lie." She shrugged and kept her eyes forward rather than look down at Konoka's questioning gaze. "Just say we're transferring to a private school for specialized training."

A half-hearted noise of assent marked Konoka's agreement, although it was obvious that discomfort lingered still. Setsuna reassuringly entangled her fingers with Konoka's and drew the slighter girl closer. "It'll be fine, Kono-chan." She smiled in spite of herself. Usually it's Kono-chan comforting me, not I her.

Her face once again buried against Setsuna's shoulder, Konoka's grip tightened on her arm, her free hand trailing lightly along her arm to rest on the back of her upper arm. Setsuna blushed when she saw an elderly man raise a curious eyebrow at the two. Her step, and thusly Konoka's, quickened, only to stop abruptly but a few meters away. Konoka lifter her head to see why they'd stopped.

"How does ice-cream sound, Kono-chan?"

Konoka's delighted squeal of approval brought a grin and a flush to Setsuna's face. "What flavor? Chocolate, I suppose?" She laughed quietly when Konoka nodded vigorously.

The couple stepped up to the stand-alone ice cream vendor, finding themselves rather fortunate when the man in front of them immediately finished his purchase and strode off, happily nursing a milkshake. "How can I help you girls?" The employee, a young man, likely of high school age, grinned at the two of them.

Konoka immediately replied with a happy "Two double chocolate ice cream cones!" She shut her mouth and cast an apologetic look at Setsuna when she remembered which one of them was paying. The taller girl nodded her consent, sending her hair gathered to one side to flip about somewhat.

"Coming right up, ladies." Before turning his back to the ice cream dispenser, he winked at Konoka, his gaze not even traveling over the swordswoman.

The Konoe heir stepped back, almost as if hiding behind her knight, an uncomfortable feeling pervading her. Glaring, Setsuna stepped up to take her place, quickly sitting the money on the counter. The attendant turned around, holding the heaping cones in his hands, a cocky smile on his face, only to encounter Setsuna's cold glare. In his surprise, he nearly dropped one of the cones, the delicious brown substance shifted about unstably.

"Eh...here you are..." As if he thought the dark-haired young woman would bite him, he gingerly handed the snacks to her. In a last-ditch effort to salvage his damaged ego, he attempted to resurrect his hopeful, cocky grin.

"Thank you." Behind her, Konoka shuddered at the sound of her voice. She had only heard that tone once, and at the time she had been in a magic induced haze. The low sound sent chills up her spine and through her heart. Instinctively, she clasped her small fist around the loose material of the back of Setsuna's shirt, stepping slightly closer, hoping for some reassuring sign that her Secchan's feelings were unchanged, despite knowing it was not directed at her.

His expression changing to one of out-and-out fright, the poor attendant actually stepped back from the counter, taking the money in shaking hands. "C-come again, ladies..."

Setsuna cast her hardest glare at the young man and spun gently around, mindful of Konoka's grip on her shirt. With a pleasant smile, she handed the girl the larger of the two cold snacks. "Bom apecheat, Kono-chan."

The slightly younger girl blinked, processing her girlfriend's foreign phrasing, then burst out laughing. "That's 'bon appetite,' Secchan," she corrected through her laughter as she took the proffered treat.

Now smiling genuinely, Setsuna licked at the delicious substance so loved by the two of them. She found that although their employment policy left a lot to be desired, the product itself was quite good. A pleased sound from deep in Konoka's throat seemed to suggest that the feeling was mutual.

As if on an unspoken cue, the duo began to stroll once again down the moderately crowded street, Konoka sticking by Setsuna unconsciously, drawn to her as a moth to flame. She sidled up next to her more than willing protector and butted her shoulder with her forehead. Both eyebrows raised in confusion, Setsuna looked down at her.

Konoka couldn't contain her giggle upon seeing the ice cream "mustache" that decorated Setsuna's upper lip. She immediately knew how she wanted to clean the excess chocolate off, but had no wish to inflict the extreme discomfort on her skittish love. Rather she opted to simply enjoy the moment. She giggled again and looked off across the street, pretending for a short moment that her Secchan didn't exist. Her expression still one of confusion, the hanyou returned her attention to her ice cream.

"Kono-chan, have you ever been to this store with our uniforms before?"

"Mmm..." she shook her head, "Nope, Secchan." She switched her ice cream to her other hand and yanked a disorganized assortment of papers from her pocket. The two stopped and stepped up against a wall as Konoka began awkwardly sorting through the sheets one-handed, finally producing a sheet with a hastily written address.

So we've just been wandering around? Setsuna allowed a slightly irked expression to tug on her normally emotionless features. She bit into the stiff structure of the cone itself as Konoka stuck the corner of the rest of the papers in her mouth to hold them, then flipped her hand-written note around so she could read it.

She said something, but due to the papers, Setsuna heard only a cute muffled sound. With a shadow of a wry smile, the swordswoman reached out and plucked the papers from her mouth. Konoka licked her lips and reiterated, "We're pretty close, Secchan."

Setsuna popped the remainder of her ice cream into her mouth and nodded in understanding. "May I?" She held out her hand for the paper, then flicked her eyes to the surrounding street sighs. "Hmph. We are pretty close." She looked again at the sheet. "Two blocks too far West." Konoka hurriedly finished her cone as Setsuna observed the roads, looking for the least busy route. When Konoka's papers had returned to the pocket and Setsuna's upper lip had been freed from chocolate, the two were lucky enough to find the crossing light in their favor. With Setsuna guiding them, the two shortly came upon the store.

The hanyou eyed it with a cautious gaze, not at all liking the looks of it. Its appearance was outwardly rather like any building built back in the Meiji era, mostly of wood construct, although it was in better condition than most of its apparent age would be. The wood, although graying with age, was unusually dense, and showed little sign of wear. The difference was in the feel of the building. Setsuna shivered upon trying to match the feel with others she knew. It's got an aura like the school's...and Kono-chan's home...Why does a shop need that kind of power? Her grip on Yuunagi's hardwood hilt tightened, drawing strength from its silent support.

"What an old building." Setsuna twitched slightly at Konoka's voice, completely brought out of the thoughtful mood the atmosphere had induced. "I don't like it."

Maybe she senses the aura too... In an attempt to appear as if she were waylaying Konoka's discomfort, Setsuna double-checked the address against Konoka's sheet. "Well, it's the right place..." With a defeated sigh, she tucked the paper safely in a pocket and stepped up to the aged building, holding wide the cloth divider in the doorway for Konoka.

A look of trepidation on her cute features, the mage stepped through the doorway, easily slipped her shoes off and the provided slippers on. She wriggled her toes within the cloth confinement and found to her annoyance that they were a size too big. She glared down at the footwear, and as Setsuna stepped up onto the raised wooden floor, also in slippers, she raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"

A pout greeted her gaze, "They're too big."

Setsuna chortled quietly at the contrast between a few seconds ago and her love's new problem. She tugged at Konoka's hand, a more open gesture than normal, "C'mon, let's get this over with." Her shoes making loud slapping noises, Konoka followed obediently through the shop. It was a little hard to get used to seeing gleaming metal racks of clothes in such an environment, as such a building would normally have been sparsely decorated at the time of its creation. From the low ceiling hung various ads, most of which were out of date, about sales the shop was having.

The couple threaded their way through the clothes, Konoka occasionally slowing down to check out a shirt or some such, only to be playfully pulled ahead again by Setsuna. Near the west wall, they found a counter-top with a distinctly out of place PC at the far end. With a droll expression, a girl their age lazily tapped at the keyboard, her uninterested gaze flicking to a pad of paper beside the mouse at regular intervals.

Setsuna didn't notice when Konoka hung back as she stepped up to the counter. "Excuse me, we need uniforms."

"Welcome." Her voice held a cultured lilt to it, despite the absolute boredom evident in it. "I'm afraid you'll have to wait for my mother before you get any uniforms."

With a frown, Setsuna decided instantly that the girl was not only from Kyoto, as evidenced by her accent, but was also very rude. "And how long will that be?"

Cold brown eyes locked with her own and the tapping of the keyboard ceased. "If I knew, I'd've told you." As Setsuna's frown deepened, the girl's eyes strayed to Konoka, then widened. Setsuna turned on her heel at hearing Konoka's accompanying gasp.

"Kumiko?" Konoka stepped nearer to Setsuna, setting one hand on her shoulder, the other gripping her sleeve. Setsuna's now faintly blushing gaze returned to the girl that Konoka apparently recognized.

The long-haired girl stepped back from the counter, her jaw slightly slack. "Konoka?" Along with her voice, her entire demeanor had changed.

At this, Setsuna blinked. Konoka? That presumptuous little...to call Kono-chan so blatantly upon just meeting... Without her volition, Yuunagi slid several centimeters from its sheath, the swirling pattern of its sharpened edge gleaming in the ambient light.

"I...do you live in the Mahora district?" the girl asked, something akin to a hopeful spark in her eyes. As if the situation seemed sane once more, she stepped up to the counter, bracing herself against its polished surface.

Konoka nodded silently, her grip tightening on Setsuna's sleeve. The swordswoman frowned slightly more, unable to discern exactly what her Kono-chan was feeling. She acts uncomfortable, to be sure, but is she...excited? She found that the two feelings created quite the interesting dilemma as to what should be done. Deciding to go with instinct, she stepped slightly nearer the counter, her gaze hardening.

"What right have you to inquire into Ojousama's life?" The title fell from her tongue with an odd weight. It had been a while since she'd referred to her as such.

Kumiko cocked an eyebrow, her surprised gaze once more becoming one of disdain. "More right than you, I'd expect."

Setsuna's eyes became as onyx and she tightened her grip on Yuunagi's hilt, drawing it a bit further. "I find that extremely doubtful. I am Kono-chan's, er..." her face grew crimson and she stumbled for words, "I'm Kono-chan's bodyguard and best friend, and you are a complete stranger."

The rather profound blush on the sword-bearing girl's face piqued Kumiko's interest, but she was unable to dispute it, having been separated from Konoka for so long. Her eyes widened in some small amount of shock at the revelation, then narrowed in anger. "A 'complete stranger,' am I? Konoka, please tell this...please tell her," she restated herself out of sheer manners, "who I am."

Konoka tugged gently on Setsuna's sleeve, her pleading gaze not quite enough to convince the taller girl to relax. "Please, Secchan. Kumiko's a friend." She nodded at the brief look of disbelief that crossed her face. "Right before I met you, Kumiko came to live with us. We didn't get along very well at first, then I met you and almost forgot about Kumiko. But whenever you were called away for more training or something, we became friends." Her soft gaze shifted to the other girl. "For some reason, I don't think the two of you ever met."

Kumiko managed, with some difficulty, to contain her utter surprise and disgust. "Wait, wait, wait. What's your name?" Her demand was directed at Setsuna.

"Sakurazaki Setsuna." Her voice, loud and clear, rang through the store, and Kumiko outwardly winced, her jaw dropping again.

She stepped back once more, fear and disgust displayed outwardly on her features. As both girls on the other side of the counter started in surprise at her strong reaction, she recovered herself and drew a deep breath. "I am Kuroshima Kumiko."

Uncomfortable silence fell among the three. Konoka shifted her weight from one foot to the other, watching her love and a person she'd forgotten about completely glower at each other. I wonder why they don't' like each other...I don't remember Kumiko being this mean before. She whimpered, and Setsuna instantly fell back to her side, although her eyes remained fixed on the other girl.

Setsuna mentally berated herself for showing such animosity towards one whom Kono-chan considered a friend. Something about the girl's attitude and her general reactions to her name set her on edge immediately. At least, Setsuna conceded, she's civil with Kono-chan. Her eyes narrowed further and a before un-felt feeling arose at another of her thoughts. Although I'd prefer they didn't interact all.

She sighed and forced her body to relax. Konoka jumped slightly when a dull clank, the sheathing of Yuunagi, rang out. Setsuna's eyes softened, almost to their usual seemingly emotionless state. "It is a pleasure to meet a former friend of Kono-chan's." Setsuna waited with baited breath for Konoka to refute her choice of "former." It never came.

Kumiko's left eye twitched at the swordswoman's words. How DARE she speak that way to me... She smiled at the couple, then said with genuine hopefulness, "But if you're going to A3 like me, Konoka, we can be friends again."

"How did you know we're attending A3?" Konoka couldn't help but think of her class at Mahora Academy upon saying the abbreviated name of her and Setsuna's new school.

The girl blinked. "So you aregoing?" She was completely ignoring Setsuna now. "Is it your first year?"

"Yup!" Konoka's voice rose in excitement. She slipped her arm through Setsuna's left and rested her head on her upper arm as if sensing her love's sudden distress. "We're both goin'."

Forcing her unease at such publicly displayed affection down, Setsuna kissed the top of Konoka's head, blushing darker than a sunset. "Indeed we are." She fired her hardest expression at the girl whom she had an immediate dislike for.

She stil managed to ignore the hanyou's cold expression. "That's great! It's my first year too!"

Konoka felt Setsuna stiffen again, and her soft eyes flicked momentarily to her face. The discomfort and pure aggression etched there puzzled the kind girl, but she resolved not to bring it up until the two were alone. She did find it slightly irksome that Setsuna hadn't yet given Kumiko a chance, and seemed to dislike her immediately.

As a sigh of confusion escaped her unintentionally, a door a ways down the wall burst open, admitting a middle aged woman into the room. All three girls jumped in surprise at the racket produced by the sturdy glass pane door. "Dammit, Kumiko, where did you put that roll of emerald silk?" She fixed a fiery expression on the girl, who quailed visibly at the outburst.

The woman's roving eyes traveled next to the two girls on the other side of the counter. "Ack! Customers!" She bowed repeatedly, her voice taking on a strained tone. "Please forgive my sudden outburst, ladies. If my daughter," she fixed another glare on Kumiko, "was more organized, you would not have seen that."

Setsuna stared hard at he woman, trying to read her. Kumiko's behavior would be slightly more acceptable if she had to deal with one who seemed to have violently loud tendencies. Like mother, like daughter...

"No no no, it's fine, Kuroshima-san." Konoka fielded a helpful smile while waving off the apology with her free hand.

The woman stopped mid-bow and craned her neck back to look at Konoka. "Do you know me, miss?" Before Konoka could answer, the eldest of the four gasped slightly and straightened quickly. Setsuna couldn't' help but wince when she heard her back pop in protest. "Konoka-ojousama?"

Konoka nodded vigorously. "I...er...that is..." Her face flushed and she looked between Konoka and her daughter. In the midst of her search for words, her gaze came to rest on the girl her former charge was attached to. Her eyes widened yet more. "You!"

Somewhat confused, Setsuna looked down at her friend, then back at the woman she didn't think she knew. "Um...yes?"

"It IS you!" Kuroshima was visibly keeping herself from stalking across the floor. Her knuckles were white due to the strength with which she clenched her fists.

With a quiet whimper, Konoka shrunk closer to Setsuna's side, thoroughly confused. The woman before them had, to her memory, never been so temperamental. Years in the past she had been one who'd cared for Konoka. She had considered her to be like an aunt; almost family. Konoka couldn't even remember a time the woman had raised her voice, let alone shouted with such hatred. Despite her long history with the elder Kuroshima, she felt a cold knot of dislike growing in the pit of her stomach.

Setsuna sighed. What does this family have against me? I don't remember either of them! Clearing her throat first, Setsuna spoke out. "If you don't want me here, I'm sure we can find another shop to suit our needs." She ferverently hoped the women wouldn't see through the bluff, as they really didn't have any other options.

A snarl formed on Kuroshima's lips, and her daughter took an unconscious step backwards. "There's no need for that, I assure you." She forced herself to bow stiffly and stepped to the side, motioning the two into the door she'd entered through. Walking quickly, Setsuna strode through and into the hallway, her Kono-chan securely at her side.

I REALLY don't like this. She narrowed her eyes. Surely there's someone else who could supply A3's uniform... A thought occurred to her. If the headmaster personally knows every mage in the area, he knows about this woman. He could have at least warned us. She clenched her fist by Yuunagi's hilt. I've got some questions for him...

Kuroshima motioned sharply for her daughter and turned toward her reluctant customers. "Lock the door and get the measuring tape." Her command hung in the air as the door rattled closed.

Kumiko sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Yes, mother." Her voice lacked the strength she'd displayed before her old friend.

"Please stand on that platform, Konoka-ojousama." Kuroshima had managed to take control of her voice again. Setsuna found the new dulcet tones to be just as unnerving as her un-guarded hatred.

Konoka looked up at Setsuna as if seeking permission. Setsuna nodded and after a quick glance to see that no-one was watching, kissed her nose and ventured a smile, the light blush on her cheeks coercing a giggle from the marginally younger girl. Somewhat reassured, she stepped up onto the platform, setting her slippers, gratefully, at the edge.

The room they now stood in was probably half the size of the main room, not figuring in its lower ceiling. Outfits hung on the walls, most of which appeared to be uniforms or rather expensive suits, although the occasional kimono brought a splash of tradition to the display. Setsuna noticed the Mahora series of uniforms on display at one edge of the room.

Kuroshima busied herself poking through drawers in the back, pulling things whose purpose Konoka, even from her vantage point, was unable to discern. then throwing them back in. With a mumbled exclamation, she pulled a cloth sphere from the drawer. In it were probably several hundred small gleaming needles.

"Excuse me." Setsuna jumped and nearly drew her sword before recognizing the voice. A wry thought traversed her mind in the fraction of a second that she hesitated. Maybe I can just come close to hitting her... The image of Yuunagi's blade pressed against the girl's neck shocked Setsuna with its agreeability. Her grip tightened on Yuunagi, the only expression of anger, both at herself and Kumiko, that she would allow. Reluctantly, she stepped out of the way. What's wrong with me? I shouldn't want to KILL the girl...

Kumiko shot her a glare to match the snarl, though her previous fire was absent, before brushing past her. Setsuna pondered the difference in her attitude, then shrugged it off and leaned against the doorframe.

Kuroshima stepped up to the platform, the thing of pins clasped firmly in her mouth. "Please step a little closer, Konoka-ojousama." Her hands beckoned her with a snapping motion, and rather reluctantly, Konoka stepped within reach of her. The woman snatched the measuring tape from her daughter and wrapped it around her young customer's waist, her hands manipulating the strip of a measuring instrument with practiced ease. She sighed. "Please undress, Konoka-ojousama."

Simultaneously, the couple opened their mouths, a loud "WHAT?" echoing throughout the room. For the first time, Konoka's face was as red as her beloved's, nearly generating heat enough to negate the use of a furnace. "B-but...right here?" Her nervous gaze flicked to Setsuna, who was staring at the floor, crimson faced, back tot he seamstress, who nodded impatiently. "Is that really necessary? I mean...the fit doesn't have to be perfect, does it?"

A small smile crept across Kuroshima's face. This should be interesting... She nodded. "Yes, it is quite necessary. If it's not perfect, you will look bad at...wherever you're going. What uniforms do you need, exactly?"

Still under some shock, neither of the girls answered, so Kumiko finally piped up and informed her mother that they would all three be attending the same school. A note of disdain in her voice, the girl's mother continued, "Ah, of course. Exactly what one would expect of Kono-ojousama. But her..." She cast her gaze at the swordswoman for an instant, then shrugged. "Regardless, I need you to strip."

Something of an "eep" issued from the chocolate haired girl, and Setsuna stepped forward, inwardly trying to quell her blush. "Um...should I step outside for a bit?"

"Oh no, that's not necessary." Although Setsuna figured her smile and tone were meant to seem kind, sadistic seemed a more accurate description. "Besides, we're all women here. No harm."

Kuroshima was hard put to contain her chuckle when the half-demon's face reached a darker tint. Setsuna muttered something unintelligible and stepped back to the wall, her face tilted down and to the left, using her bangs as a shield of sorts.

The seamstress returned her attention to Konoka. "I'm afraid I have appointments in the future, so if you would please undress..." A note of impatience broke her control of her voice.

"O-okay..." Konoka's soft voice was more subdued than usual. With a defeated sigh, she pulled her shirt over her head. She shivered when the cold air suddenly hit her now dark red skin. She was quite thankful she had chosen a plain white bra that morning. She hesitated, looking back at Kuroshima who motioned her on with a bland expression.

Across the room, Setsuna fought one of her toughest battles to date. I CAN'T look! It's not proper! she all but screamed to herself. She had thought she could control herself, but the rustle of clothing and Konoka's innocent gasp from the cold threatened to destroy her tenuous control. She squirmed in place, clamping her eyes shut, trying to divert her thoughts by concentrating on the next series of katas, or forms, that she was to learn as a student of Shinmeiryuu.

The sound of a zipper following the path created for it caused, against her conscious permission, Setsuna's eyes to open, focusing on the pattern of the hard wood floor. Her gaze drifted to the right, and to varying degrees of glee and self-loathing, she found that her bangs did not sufficiently block her view. Her heart beat quickened as she saw, quite clearly, the girl she loved nervously work her skirt down off her hips and, bending over, step out of it. The thought I should NOT be doing this! blared like a fog horn in the swordswoman's mind as her dark eyes traversed the mages long legs, starting at her feet, and making their way up to the cotton covered curve that was her rear.

A warmth began to disperse through her body that was not an effect of her monstrous blush as she allowed her wandering eyes to memorize every detail before her, all the while chastising herself for ogling the girl she loved. After several long moments, she managed to tear her gaze from the perfection embodied in her field of vision, a scowl darkened her face. Dammit! It's not right to stare at her like that! She repressed an urge to kick the wall, as that would surely have had an extra charge tacked onto their bill. She's not a...a...a thing to be stared at for pleasure! She blushed as she realized that was exactly the reason she'd been doing so.

It was only logical that seeing her love in such a state of undress would excite her, but to Setsuna it was a mark of failure. Failure to be better than the rest, failure to take control over her raw emotion, even one so powerful as lust. She cringed. Lust...how pathetic...I don't lust after her, I love her! She trembled slightly from the inner conflict. Hitting the wall, she felt, would have greatly eased her mood.

Despite her best efforts, her gaze flicked back to Konoka's angelic form. The tension that had been building within her eased then redoubled in strength. Forcing her body to do so, she turned towards the wall, her back to Konoka. A cold, yet familiar, feeling of defeat and self-loathing replaced the pleasant warmth that she'd generated from her rare glimpse of her Kono-chan's body. Had she described herself, she would have used the word "scum," hatred dripping from her voice as she said it. Konoka deserves better than some... she cringed again pervert.

Kumiko observed the half-demon with something of a grin, enjoying what she thought was mere embarrassment. She turned her bemused gaze on her past friend and smiled appreciatively. I don't blame her, really. Konoka is pretty cute. With a jump, she wrote down the number her mother shouted on a small, ever-present notebook. The process of measurement taking and recording proceeded for nearly ten minutes. Setsuna managed to stay her course and didn't again look back to the girl on the platform. For the most part, Konoka avoided looking at Setsuna, afraid she might meet her gaze. Curiosity got the best of her, and she looked over her shoulder.

A pained look traversed her face when she saw that her Secchan was ignoring her so completely. Out of reflex, she started to reach out for her, opening her mouth to say something when Kuroshima firmly pulled her arm back down to measure the width of her shoulders. Secchan... She rubbed her left shin against the back of her other leg uncomfortably. Is...there something wrong?

She had never had reason to doubt her looks before, as she had never particularly cared. She had, of course, always been complimented on her looks, usually by people of some import, but they were the sort that made it difficult to discern how genuine the person was. Even more self-consciously than before, she hugged herself tightly, covering her breasts in a renewed burst of modesty. What if...Secchan doesn't like the way I look... A little voice in the back of her mind berated her for thinking she could be so shallow, her sudden illogical, but not misplaced, worry drowned it out. "Secchan..."

Kuroshima looked up at her customer, followed her gaze and glared, remembering she'd soon be fitting that girl as well. Oh how the mighty have fallen that I would be serving one like her. She stepped back, and with a snap of her tape, drew both Konoka's and Kumiko's attention. "Show me those numbers, Kumiko." She took the pad from her daughter, not showing a sign of gratitude in return. "Hmm..." She looked the measurements, then Konoka over with a cursory eye. "I think we may have a few A3 uniforms close enough to these specifications that we can alter them right here..."

She looked back at Setsuna, an unreadable expression on her face, then at what was apparently a work room. She jerked her thumb towards it. "Kumiko." Her daughter looked up. "Come. With both of us, we'll get it done quicker." The woman whose hair was just starting to gray sat her measuring tape at he edge of the platform and all but stalked towards the doorway, her daughter tagging along close at hand.

For several seconds, Konoka stared after them, waiting, for her girlfriend's sake, until they were out of presumed ear-shot. When she was satisfied, she turned hesitantly back to her silent protectress. "Secchan?"

No reply came, though the raven-haired girl shifted her weight uncomfortably. A worried frown creased her brow and she bent over to retrieve her clothes. Taking as little time as possible, she slipped back into her skirt and top, then stepped back down into her uncomfortably large slippers. She stepped quietly up to Setsuna, and with only a moment's hesitation, tapped her shoulder. "Secchan?"

"Yes?" Her voice was unreadable and she didn't turn to look at her. Konoka moved a little to the side, hoping to catch her eye, but Setsuna only turned away. The mage bit her lower lip worriedly and rested her hand on her love's shoulder.

"Secchan, what's wrong? Did...did I do something?" Konoka felt Setsuna tense up, and berated herself for not getting to the point. After several seconds of worrisome silence, Setsuna replied.

"No, you didn't do anything." She made a noise as if she was unsure of how to continue. "As usual, the flaw lies in me."

Konoka blinked, now rather thoroughly confused. "What?" With gentle hands, she turned her girlfriend around to face her, though she did not meet her eyes. "I don't understand..."

Sighing, Setsuna gestured vaguely at the platform Konoka had been standing atop earlier. "When you were up there," she choked a bit and blushed, despite the gravity of the situation, "in a particular state of undress, I..." she trailed off, her girlfriend cringed at he amount of shame evident in the swordswoman's voice. "I was practically staring; like some kind of dammed pervert." Her voice rose with her own anger, enough to make Konoka flinch away from her.

Setsuna's love whimpered and clasped her hands before her chest, finally seeing what was worrying her. She reached out and gently lifted Setsuna's chin, their dark eyes finally meeting. Konoka smiled upon seeing the tumultuous emotions. "I'm sorry..."

Secchan... Konoka couldn't help but laugh. Secchan...you're just too perfect... It dawned on her once again precisely how lucky she was to have found such an example of perfection. One who cared about her so much that she had blinded herself to logic. One who's love for her transcended the pursuit of her own happiness. Still giggling, she stood for an instant on her tip-toes and kissed her angel. Although brief, the contact left both their lips burning.

Konoka stepped back slightly, blushing when she normally wouldn't've. "Secchan...I...um..." She averted her gaze from that of the infinitely confused girl before her, surprised at how difficult it was to say what she wanted. "I'm...glad that you were...were watching me." She coughed discretely.

What? Setsuna mind ground to a halt at this revelation. That...doesn't make sense... Hesitantly, she raised her hand in something of a halting motion. "I think I missed something."

Trying to alleviate her own embarrassment, Konoka laughed nervously and finally met Setsuna's gaze. "It...it feels good to know that you like...the way I look. I'm happy, Secchan."

Setsuna's face remained blank as she processed this, weighing the likelihood of such a thing with the current situation. She managed to clear her eyes of emotion and gazed hard at Konoka, needing to know the truth for her own well being. "Really?"

The girl grinned and nodded. "Of course." She stepped closer to her. "It's nice to know that you think I'm pretty enough to stare at."

For a few seconds, Setsuna only blushed, and Konoka thought she had perhaps figured the situation wrong. A moment later she knew she was correct. Setsuna swept her up in a tight hug, holding her against her possessively and placed a kiss on her forehead, then nuzzled the top of her head, breathing deeply of her scent. "You're absolutely beautiful, Kono-chan. 'Pretty' doesn't even begin to describe you," she murmured into her hair.

Konoka opened her mouth to reply, but stopped suddenly. Setsuna's head rose from atop her own, she felt her chest tighten, and then felt an odd emptiness as Setsuna was no longer in her arms. Before she quite knew what had happened she heard the sliding door rattle closed. She turned to see Kuroshima standing in the doorway to the room, her face holding a surprised look, and it was with a flash of worry that she realized Setsuna had fled. Oh no...

She turned around, pushing any thoughts of Kuroshima, Kumiko, or uniforms out of her mind. Quickly she pulled the door open. "Secchan!" she called into the hallway. At the other end she saw the tail end of Yuunagi's sheath pass through the doorway before the other door closed. "Please wait!" She took off into the hallway, her slippers slapping loudly on the polished floor.

Konoka slowed as she reached the door, a little afraid that Setsuna had already left he store. She was an extremely fast runner. Taking a deep, hesitant breath, she pushed the door open and stuck her head into the main area. "Secchan?"

"Sorry, Kono-chan." The Konoe heir nearly fell through the nearby paper wall. Not three inches from her was the sheepish face of Sakurazaki Setsuna. "I'm still not used to being so..." her cheeks colored over a bit when she could think of only one word, "intimate in public."

With a smile, Konoka waved off the apology. "Don't worry about it, Secchan." She giggled again. "It's cute."

Before Setsuna could protest, the voice that was starting to get on even Konoka's nerves again broke into their peaceful reverie. "Excuse me, but I believe I mentioned that I am on a set schedule..." A note of disgust was present in her voice, and there was clearly no effort made to mask it.

Konoka noted her girlfriend's fist clench and her jaw tighten and this time found herself in complete agreement. From birth, however, a very caring and diplomatic set of manners had been presented to her, and she knew it was best to apologize and move on with the process. "Yes, of course, Kuroshima-san." She nodded and took Setsuna's hand, brushing past the older woman into the hallway.

When all four of them were once again gathered in the room, Kuroshima presented Konoka with three boxes, each containing one uniform. "For each of you," she pointedly did not look at the hanyou, "the price is ¥12,000."

"You'll get your money once you've finished with Secchan."

Setsuna blushed. How...defiant sounding of her. She smiled a bit, happy that the woman's inexplicable hatred for her was getting on Konoka's nerves, invoking a definite reaction.

Konoka smiled in some satisfaction when she saw Kuroshima's eye twitch. She knew she couldn't refute it. "Of course, Konoka-ojousama." She sat the boxes on the edge of the platform and gritted her teeth. "Sakurazaki-sama, if you would." Her arm, taut with apparently tremendous effort, motioned the swordswoman toward the platform.

The daughter of Konoe Eishun bit back a vehement retort, noting the acid in Kuroshima's tone. What does she have against Secchan? Tears began to well up at the edges of her eyes at the unfairness of it all.. She blinked them away, somewhat confused by her own change of moods. Why is it suddenly bothering me so much now? Even more on her mind was why it didn't bother her earlier. This is not the time or place. She shook her head and walked to where Setsuna had been standing.

As they passed each other, Setsuna saw conflict as strong and confusing as her own had been in the eyes of her love. She sighed. If it's not one of us, it's the other... Her instinct was to comfort the girl who held her heart, but it would be best to simply wait until they were out of the accursed shop. Rather than torture herself with thoughts of Konoka's pain, she turned her thoughts to her own.

She stepped up onto the platform and crossed to the center, though she still hung back from the seamstress. Now that she was closer, she saw that the familial resemblance between the elder Kuroshima and her daughter was actually rather stronger than she'd initially thought. They both wore their brown hair long, longer than Konoka's, though Kumiko's mother's was graying prematurely at the edges, giving her something of a distinguished look. Neither were particularly tall nor especially short, Setsuna coming just to Kuroshima's nose. The largest difference was in their eyes. Both were an auburn hue, though Kumiko's shone with youthful vigor and naiveté while her mother's were dull and cold, seeming to reflect her view of the world.

"Please undress, Sakurazaki-sama." Doing her best not to blush and failing miserably, Setsuna unbuttoned her shirt and shrugged it off. In contrast to Konoka's plain white underclothes, Setsuna had chosen a black bra and, as yet unseen, black underwear. It was with great reluctance that she slipped out of the rest of her clothes. She rubbed her left arm self-consciously, feeling all eyes in the room on her.

The elevated girl looked over nervously at Konoka, nearly falling to the floor as all her blood rushed to the surface of her skin and out of her extremities. The innocent looking girl's dark eyes were watching her intently, seeming to drink in the sight. Wow...she's right. It does feel kinda nice to be looked at. By her, anyway. Following Konoka's gaze, she raised an eyebrow and better covered her lower body with her left hand. That warm feeling began to well up within her once more.

"Sakurazaki-sama!" Setsuna's gaze snapped back to Kuroshima. Judging by her tone, it was not the first time she'd attempted to get her attention. "Would you please step closer?" It was not a question.

With a grimace, the swordswoman did so reluctantly. She stood, unmoving, as the woman wrapped the tape around her waist. She withheld a yelp when Kuroshima purposefully tightened the tape, its plastic edge biting into her skin painfully. She clamped her mouth shut, not wanting to further bother Konoka with the apparent grudge harbored for her by the older woman.

As she had done before, she called out Setsuna's measurements, some of which she wasn't fond of, to Kumiko, who recorded them. Setsuna's eyes glared holes through the top of Kumiko's head when she giggled at one in particular. For fifteen long minutes, Setsuna squirmed about, becoming increasingly angry at the vindictive woman who seemed intent on inflicting as much discomfort on her as possible.

Her back to the wall, Konoka gazed contentedly at Setsuna, her anger starting to drain away. Black is her color... She flushed visibly, both at her thoughts and at a particularly suggestive accidental jerk on Setsuna's part. The same warmth that had the hanyou so fascinated had taken shelter in Konoka, who knew the feeling better, as well. She half closed her eyes and settled back against the wall to wait.

Setsuna yelped and Konoka was drawn from what had become wandering thoughts back to the store. To a pang of disappointment, she saw that Setsuna now wore the azure skirt of A3, her arms out to the side while Kuroshima knelt before her, using pins to adjust the waist of the article. Her eyes caught her girlfriend's, and she saw her flick her gaze down to the top of the seamstress' head and clench her hand into a fist. Konoka wanted both to chuckle and shake her head in sympathy. Although both of them were superseded by the urge to run up and hug her, probably induced by the unanswered warmth that she felt upon seeing her Secchan. Had she thought about it, she might have decided lust as powerful, or more so, than Setsuna's previous lust, was shameful and a sign of weakness as the swordswoman had done. She chose, though, simply to enjoy the pleasant tingle.

As the actual fitting process progressed, Setsuna got steadily angrier. It was obvious, to her at least, taht Kuroshima was taking great pleasure in "misjudging" the length of the pins, inflicting many a minor stab on the quiet girl. Her daughter had better be on damn good behavior over the school year or she may end up with no-one to watch the counter during summer break... She took a deep breath and calmed herself. What is it about me that she dislikes so much? For the life of her, she couldn't remember the woman, let alone know what she'd done in the past to anger her.

It was quite a frustrating position, but all she could do was resign herself to the position of pincushion and mannequin until the sado-masochist was finished. Several times she noticed Konoka's appreciative gaze on her, brightening both her mood and her face. After accruing nearly fifty tiny injuries, Kuroshima stood, pin cushion still in her mouth, and proclaimed the uniform complete. Setsuna looked down at herself and was surprised by how much she liked the change of uniform. The dominant color was a deep azure. The buttons along the front of the coat were silver, as was the scrawling trim along the cuffs and the hem of the skirt. The now familiar emblem of A3 was emblazoned on the left breast pocket and the right sleeve.

The material, Setsuna noticed, was exceedingly light but very comfortable. It had a curious shine even under the store's fluorescent lighting. She spun a little bit, frowning when the skirt billowed more than the heavier material of Mahora's uniform had allowed. Only a mangaka would create clothes so flimsy...she sighed. Although the thought that Konoka would be wearing the same thing helped to better her opinion of the new accoutrements.

"Take it off carefully and give the uniform to me." Not wanting to undergo the fitting process again, Setsuna took an agonizingly long time disrobing, bringing her blush back to its former luster very quickly. Thus it was seemingly instantaneous that she was back in her normal clothes and standing beside Konoka, Yuunagi now at her back.

Handing the uniform to Kumiko, Kuroshima ordered her to finalize it, and replicate it for two more. "The process," she informed the couple, "will take nearly half an hour." In response to Konoka's question of what they could do until then, Kuroshima grudgingly led them to an even smaller room, in which a traditional style table stood. Konoka and Setsuna sat down along one side, the swordswoman quickly abandoning seiza. As she sat back and crossed her legs in front of her, her knee briefly brushed against Konoka's. The contact sent sparks from her skin to the core of her body, despite the touch's simplicity, and she flushed, instead opting to stretch her legs out under the table.

Kuroshima bustled about, preparing green tea as was something of an old custom. A palpable silence fell, and Setsuna found herself resenting the older woman's presence yet more. She looked sideways at Konoka and caught the other girl doing the same. They both blushed and turned away from each other, and Setsuna found herself marveling at the difference in their behavior as compared to that morning. There was a new feeling of giddiness, of elation, that hadn't been as pronounced earlier.

Setsuna couldn't help the broad smile that crossed her face. The powerful new emotion, she decided, was one she didn't wish to be without. With a glance at Kuroshima's back, she silently leaned over and placed a kiss, so soft and quick that it's happening seemed questionable, on Konoka's cheek. The chocolate haired girl raised a hand to the cheek in surprised and turned to look at Setsuna. Rather than look away, the swordswoman met her eyes, feeling her face light up, although she wasn't sure why.

With a grin, Setsuna turned back to face the table properly, readjusting Yuunagi and the bags of school supplies. Konoka watched her love, quite contented despite the earlier happenings of the day. It was with a great reluctance that she removed her soft gaze from the form of the hanyou to accept the mug of hot tea from the seamstress. "Thank you, Kuroshima-san." She did not specify, however, what she was thanking her for.

With a grunt, Kuroshima Kumiko pulled a third Asian Academy of the Arcane uniform from a stack of thirty or forty. "Those two really are close..." Since starting to fit Konoka, Kumiko had instantly picked up on the silent communication between the two. The sort of communication shared only by people as close to each other in mind and heart as they were in body.

Their relationship was most confusing to the young girl. The first and most vehement thing she had against it was the Sakurazaki girl herself. The hanyou may not have known Kumiko, but Kumiko knew her. The majority of the staff, Kuroshima Yumi, her mother, included, were informed of the arrival of their charge's newest bodyguard to be. The reaction had been mixed, but when the master of the house, Konoe Eishun, commanded, his will was done. Kumiko had been with her mother when they were informed, clinging to the wide leg of her hakama. At the time she'd only known there'd be another little girl around, although she could tell there was supposedly something different about her from the way the adults had acted.

"Mommy, why don't you like Sakurazaki-san? I thought you hadn't even met her yet," she asked that night while her mother was preparing their simple supper that evening.

The youthful woman withheld her response until she was sitting down as well, their bowls of rice, miso soup, and plates of tonkatsu arrayed before them. She had steepled her fingers, elbows on the table, and fixed her daughter with a serious gaze. "Sakurazaki-san is a hanyou; she's half demon." She gave this several seconds to sink in, but the significance didn't seem to dawn on the young girl. She sighed. "One of her parents was not human. One of her parents was a monster. A monster that Konoe-sama," her eyes brightened at this, "fought bravely against in the war."

Kumiko had drawn in a breath of surprise at that. "A monster!" she'd nearly shrieked, fear evident in both her eyes and voice. She clasped her hands in her lap and watched her mother intently, hoping she'd continue.

The elder Kuroshima picked up her amber colored chopsticks, holding them easily. "The girl's blood is forever stained with the black blood of an unholy being, and yet the Shinmeiryuu see fit to trust Konoe-sama's daughter to her." She absently swirled her chopsticks about in the salty soup before her. "Of course, I've always had my suspicions about how genuine the Shinmeiryuu are in their agreement with Konoe-sama..."

At this point, Kumiko had turned tuned her mother out, more than used to her political rants, and focused on her own thoughts. She'd only met the Konoe heir once, not long after she and her mother had come to the Konoe household. She seemed like a nice person, though a little too cheerful for Kumiko's tastes. A sense of pity had weighed on her when she thought of the poor girl being subjected to the presence of a monster.

Kumiko sipped at her miso soup, contemplating the girl's less than enviable position. I wonder if she knows that Sakurazaki-san's a monster... She shook her head and started in on the rice. I wonder what she looks like. Does she LOOK like a monster? She chewed thoughtfully and vowed to find out.

On the day the Shinmeiryuu girl had arrived, Kumiko had been nearby, watching in wide-eyed anticipation for fangs and claws, but was disappointed when she turned out to be merely another girl, although she had an odd way of exuding strength, possibly because of her training, or perhaps her heritage.

Kumiko returned from her memories upon accidentally pricking her finger in her inattentiveness. She focused more clearly on her task and original train of thought. The first thing she found un-plumb-able about the relationship was the hanyou herself, and the second was basically the same.

Sakurazaki Setsuna was a girl, as was Konoe Konoka. Kumiko knew such relationships existed, of course, but she'd never really given them much thought other than, "Wow, really? Weird." It surprised, nearly shocked, her that the highborn heir of both the Kansai and Kantou Magic Associations would be that way. Normally, people of power or assured power deviated from the current concept of normal as little as possible in order to maintain their reputation with the majority of the public. Konoka was either extremely courageous, knew nothing of the power and responsibility in her future, or didn't care.

On a different level entirely, Kumiko didn't really have a problem with Konoka's preference to girls, although it was a little disconcerting to think that the girl she'd palled around with some when they were younger could have been thinking about and evaluating her as a possible consort. She dismissed the though with a snort. Who considered such things at that age in the first place?

After a moment's consideration, she placed all thoughts of Konoka's relationship, its ramifications, and Sakurazaki Setsuna out of her mind. She truly hoped to be befriend the girl once more, and being leery of her "checking her out," for lack of a better term, would only impede that. Her mood brightening, she took to humming softly as she modified the skirt before her.

The thirty minutes that the couple waited passed quickly enough. Fishing for a reason behind her hatred, Setsuna attempted conversation with the stoic woman. Granted, conversation was not her strong point, but even trying her best, Setsuna managed to only pry vague short answers from her. Most of the questions dealt with her employment by the Konoe household and her connections to Konoka, who, realizing what Setsuna was doing, remained silent throughout.

Setsuna sighed, not willing to admit defeat but seeing no other alternative, she sat back, somewhat bracing herself with her hands. The woman's locked up tighter than a steel drum. She chuckled. I wonder if she's some kind of spy or something. With a wry grin, she didn't totally dismiss the thought. Anything seemed possible with this woman.

Silence fell, and Konoka sipped at the cold dregs of her tea, the green powder having separated from the once hot water. She made a face and slid it towards the middle of the table. Kuroshima Yumi narrowed her eyes at the gesture of dislike but remained silent. All got quiet once again, and under the seamstress' glare, Konoka scooted closer to Setsuna slightly.

For several moments, the only noise was that of their breath, Setsuna's perfectly regulated, Konoka's somewhat shallower than normal, and Kuroshima's slightly quickened, perhaps in suppressed anger. After a time, a shadow appeared in the wooden doorway, her gaze seeking that of her mother's. "They're done." She held up a stack of three boxes indistinguishable from those presented to the chocolate haired girl earlier.

"About time." As the older woman stood, Konoka cringed in sympathy of the harsh words. "Are you certain they're to the specifications?"

Kumiko resisted the urge to roll her yes, knowing it would end badly for her if she did. "Yes, mother, I'm sure. I measured twice before stitching, then once afterward, just as you've stressed."

Rounding the table, Yumi took the boxes from her and strode into the other room. With a glance between the three of them, Setsuna stood, helping Konoka to her feet, then the couple followed Kumiko into the other room with her mother.

Kuroshima abruptly appeared before Setsuna, two large plastic bags in her hands. "Here are your purchases." She pressed them into Setsuna's single free hand. She recoiled slightly when her fingers brushed the hanyou's hand. Recovering her neutral expression instantly, she turned to Konoka. "Your total is ¥24,300, Konoe-sama."

The young mage blinked several times and remained silent for a moment at her forwardness. Even if she didn't always like it, she was usually shown a higher level of respect than most others, and Kuroshima Yumi's nearly brusque behavior gave her cause to pause. "Um..." she blinked and returned to her normal self, "okay, Kuroshima-san."

She pulled her wad of money from her shirt pocket, stifling a grin when the older woman's eyes widened, probably in jealousy. With a delicious deliberateness, she counted through the bills, starting at the largest first to underline her position above Kuroshima. She figured taking pleasure in doing so was a character fallacy, but in light of the injustices done Setsuna, it seemed permissible. "Here you are, Kuroshima-san." Smiling brightly, Konoka handed the several bills and few coins to Kuroshima who clasped them tightly.

"Thank you for your patronage." In that instance, her entire demeanor shifted. It was as if the couple was no longer present; her business was done. She spun on her heel, tucking the payment into a pocket in her business slacks. Kumiko looked between the three of them again and decided it was probably best to do as her mother did for the most part. She didn't want to be totally cold though. She smiled at the young mage, "See ya soon, Konoka!"

Slipping her remaining money to safety, Konoka grinned back at her, "I can't wait!" With a brisk wave, she quickly crossed the room to where her now recomposed companion held the door open for her. She smiled at Setsuna in thanks as she passed, getting an extremely short bow in response.

Setsuna decided to try, for Konoka's sake, politeness once more. "Goodbye." Kumiko paused in her cleaning but did not turn to face her, and Yumi ignored her entirely. With a shrug, she stepped into the hallway and slid the door closed.

Kuroshima stopped in the middle of moving a box and looked up in realization. "Kumiko, go unlock the door."

"Oh!" She put down the broom she'd picked up but seconds before. "Sure thing, mother." In truth, she was glad to have the chance to speak to her old friend without the over-bearing presence of her mother. With an obvious bounce in her step, she left the room hurriedly.

When she was sure she was gone, Kuroshima Yumi lowered herself to the edge of the raised platform, her eyes trained on the door. "Odd that such a perfect chance would present itself just when I had resigned myself to a world without Eishun-sama...I finally have a way to get to him." In an odd way, she was glad that Konoka had made herself known.

Using her to get to Eishun was ironic. The young girl embodied all that Yumi despised. Her face was hauntingly similar to Konoe Michiko, the woman who had, even in death, kept the head of the Kansai Magic Association beyond her grasp.

Yumi clenched her fist and looked down at the floor. There was much to plan if she were to both destroy the Konoe child and draw Eishun to herself.

Footnotes:

Hanyou – Literally, half-demon.

Meiji era –Time period directly after the beginning of mass-Westernization. Started in the 1880s.

Mangaka – A manga (Japanese comic) artist

Hakama – The traditional pants worn by many different people.

Tonkatsu –Breaded pork generally served over rice.

Shinmeiryuu – A secretive sword school from the mountains of Kyoto, it's the style that Setsuna practices.