A.N: I should really get an editor god. Argh. I made a mistake in the previous chapter. The part where it says Setsuna choked on water and she's looking at Konoka over the rim of the glass. That was unedited mistake of mine while I was writing it
"You can back out now you know," Setsuna told her, peering at her over the rim of the glass. "You don't have to do this."
"Aw are you worried about me?" Konoka grinned at her, teasing.
Setsuna choked on the water, spending the next few minutes ungracefully coughing and spluttering.
"N-No I just don't want any trouble," She said.
Konoka just continued to grin, her eyes twinkling with glee.
"Just…just be careful," Setsuna said salvaging whatever dignity she had left.
"Oh I will," Konoka said sweetly.
Edited version:
Watching her go Setsuna took one look at the cannon that was standing by Ayaka's side, then at Ayaka who was frowning at the cannon to Konoka then ran after Konoka.
"You can back out now you know. We can find something else for you to do," Setsuna told her, "You don't have to do this."
"Aw are you worried about me?" Konoka grinned at her, teasing. "It's just holding an itsy bitsy mirror."
"You might get hit by a firework," Setsuna said. "Why did you want me to come anyway? You seemed confident before."
"I just…Ayaka made me nervous with the way she was looking at me," Konoka said.
Setsuna looked at Ayaka then back at Konoka, puzzled, "But there's nothing to be scared of with Ayaka. She's harmless."
Ayaka was still glaring at them.
"Um I'll be ok I guess," Konoka said, blinking.
Setsuna hesitated but Konoka nudged her gently with her hand. Setsuna stumbled back out into the main area. For an ordinary gypsy girl she was strong. Konoka flashed her a sweet smile. Setsuna's stomach felt funny again….
Forgive me, this fic's kind of been…difficult with scenes and plot-lines. Fun but difficult =_=.
Konoka had the book with her the next morning at breakfast when they were in one of the parlour rooms on the third floor where everyone was eating. "Everyone" consisted of Haruna, Yue, Nodoka, Ayaka, Makie, Yuuna and the twins along with Setsuna and herself. Jack was nowhere to be seen as usual. Al and Nekane still hadn't come back from the meeting yet. Setsuna never ate breakfast. She didn't need food to survive. It was really weird but that was always how it'd been ever since she was a baby. She'd put it down to the moon spirits blessing her. Setsuna smiled bitterly to herself. If only they'd blessed her with an indestructible heart. Setsuna was sitting next to Konoka who was sitting next to Nodoka who as usual, had a book in front of her. She'd read it before. It was something about a knight who had given his soul, his heart and body for a dying princess he loved but later on was saved by the princess with a simple kiss. Setsuna snorted. She had stopped believing in fairy-tales a long time ago. Konoka had a stack of pancakes in front of her, courtesy of Haruna who had plopped down in the seat opposite her with her sketch-pad in hand and a round, white-feathered quill in the other. Setsuna could already see half-finished drawings of clothes for the show filling it up. They were all just one line or two away from being finished. Finished and commanded to be brought to life by Haruna.
"Haruna," Setsuna said apprehensively, sipping on a glass of water. "We don't need any more costumes."
"Doesn't hurt to change," Haruna said brightly.
"I think they look pretty," Konoka chimed in. She had a book open in front of her too, the one Setsuna had given her. Looking at Setsuna with a devilish grin she said, "I wouldn't mind closing the show in a sea shell with a bikini."
Setsuna choked, spitting water everywhere and wheezed, "Ko-Konoka!"
Konoka just looked at her innocently, "What do you think?"
Setsuna didn't answer, in the middle of a coughing fit.
"Konoka!" The twins rushed up to her, their mouths filled with food. "That was so cool what you did yesterday!"
"Thanks," Konoka seemed pleased.
"I mean you were like this," Fuuka demonstrated with a spin.
"Yeah! Then you were like this!" Fumika leapt across the air in a perfect arabesque, feet out and posture perfect.
Maybe a little too perfect. She landed on Setsuna's feet making her yelp in pain.
"Fumika!"
"Oops, sorry," Fumika said, looking at her apologetically.
Her sister was still doing spins. As she started to get more and more excited she got faster and faster, a blur.
"Easy," Setsuna took Fuuka's shoulder, steadying her.
Fuuka laughed, an innocent child-like laughter that sounded light as the wind. She stumbled, dizzy, "So cool!"
"Come on let's go find Ike!" Fumika tugged her sister, impish delight in her eyes.
After a unanimous vote everyone had agreed that the griffon be allowed to roam free wherever he pleased as long as he didn't cause any damage or anything. Konoka promised she'd keep an eye on him.
"Kay, bye Konoka!" Fuuka said waving at Konoka and allowing herself to be dragged away by her sister.
Setsuna watched them go, amused and surprised at the same time. She had no idea that Fuuka could move that fast. Fumika everyone knew had always been good with dancing and acrobatics but in that moment she'd seemed like she'd been suspended in air, frozen in a frame that spread for eternity. Before she'd stepped on Setsuna's foot that is.
"Those two are very peculiar…" Yue was watching them go too, contemplating.
Konoka had a strange expression on her face. When she caught Setsuna's eye she looked away her eyes falling on the picture Haruna was erasing with the quill. It was a water-colour picture of a witch with a sword.
"What are you doing Haruna?" Konoka asked curiously.
"I have to use special quills to erase pictures I've already drawn," Haruna said.
"But earlier this week when that faery attacked you," Konoka started. "Setsuna killed it by stabbing it with your sword."
"They're paper creations," Setsuna said. "So they're able to be killed using an ordinary weapon. The easiest way is to burn them."
"Why didn't you do that?"
"I didn't think about it," Setsuna said.
"What faery?" Haruna said, looking from one to the other.
"One of your faeries," Setsuna looked at her, "The one that likes to attack people while they're showering or in the bathroom."
"Oooooooh you mean Lord Rexington," Haruna said.
"Lord?" Konoka echoed, giving her a weird look.
The others around the table gave no reaction.
"It makes it easier for me to remember who each faery is," Haruna said. She clicked her fingers and a sketch-pad appeared in front of her. She opened it, revealing a drawn picture of the one that had attacked Konoka. She declared, "This is Lord Rexington."
"You mean Lord Pervington," Yue said with a completely straight face.
Setsuna twitched, jerking. Konoka just giggled. It was like she was used to being the target of pervertedness.
"No," Haruna frowned and turned over a page. Beaming she jabbed at the page enthusiastically, glasses gleaming, "THIS is Lord Pervington!"
Beside her Konoka frowned, "Why does Lord Pervington look like baby Cupid?"
"Artistic style," Haruna winked at her.
The idea of a golden-haired chubby baby in diapers with a sling of arrows and a cross-bow as Lord Pervington was unnerving to say the least. Setsuna still remembered when Haruna had brought it to life. It'd gone around shooting everyone in the butt with pink heart-tipped arrows, ones that'd worked and made everyone fall in love with one another. Luckily the arrows hadn't hit Setsuna or Al. They'd gotten everyone under control.
"Show her the Masquerade," Setsuna said.
Haruna flipped the pages to where she'd drawn a band of what looked to be gypsies with elfish ears and loose-fitting bluish clothes with bandanas and head-bands. Most of them were wearing jewellery while others were carrying swords or scimitars. They had no footwear. Konoka glanced at Setsuna who also had no footwear and was wearing loose-fitting clothes. It was exactly the same. With the silk vest, linen shirt with rumpled, cuffed sleeves and beige trousers.
"I still wear what I wore when I spent time with the gypsies sometimes," Setsuna explained.
"Hmmm," Was all Konoka said and returned her attention to the sketch-book.
"These guys are the Masquerade," Haruna said with a dramatic flourish.
"What do they do?" Konoka asked.
"Gymnastics," Haruna snickered. "With Makie. They're really flexible."
Setsuna glanced at Konoka out of the corner of her eye. Konoka didn't react.
"Why do you always have to turn the most innocent of things into something perverted?" Yue asked, glancing up from her book to look disapprovingly at her friend.
"It only sounds perverted to people who already have their minds in the gutter," Haruna smirked.
Yue raised an eyebrow at her then murmured, "I'm surprised I haven't lost my mind hanging around you."
Haruna leaned across the table to ruffle Yue's hair, grinning, "There's always time."
Yue ignored her. Haruna just laughed, settling back in her seat and procured her quill, flipping the pages back to the witch.
"But really, your acrobatics was something," Haruna said conversationally to Konoka, eyes twinkling. "It was almost inhuman."
Konoka, who'd been flipping the page of the book, fumbled with it. Haruna stopped erasing, looking at Konoka questioningly.
"Paper-cut," Konoka mumbled, sucking her thumb.
"You should be more careful," Setsuna told her.
Konoka stuck her tongue out at Setsuna, "I'm tough enough."
Setsuna felt a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
Boom. Something shook the ceiling making plaster rain down from the ceiling.
"The twins," Setsuna said as childish laughter ricocheted through the air, rebounding off the walls.
"I'd better go stop them," Yue sighed, standing and slamming her book shut.
"I don't get it what's happening?" Konoka asked.
"They got into her alchemy potions," Setsuna said.
She slid off her chair, "I'll go with Yue for backup."
"Why would you need backup?"
"You don't know them like we do," Setsuna said wryly.
Another explosion rocked the air making the tables rattle. Ayaka, who had been eating some cereal nearby from a bowl, cried out in outrage as the bowl jumped making the milk splash onto her face. Beside her Yuuna, who was drinking some cola, laughed. Yue was already heading towards the parlour doors. Setsuna followed her.
"Wait for me!" Konoka called, running after her.
Setsuna jumped, startled as Konoka latched herself onto her arm. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jack, who was leaning against the counter bar with Al, watching them with a wolfish grin like he knew something she didn't. Jack raised a pitcher made out of mist to Setsuna, laughing to himself and drank from it. Setsuna caught a glimpse of his expression. He looked like he was enjoying the best joke of all time. As they went into the hallway, down towards the stairs at the end she was still thinking about that when there was a noise of what sounded like a bunch of glass shattering against the floor. Yue broke into a run straight past the elevators. It was a good thing they were on the second last floor. It was only one flight of stairs up to Yue's room.
"I thought they were going to go find Ike," Setsuna muttered as she hurried after Yue.
Konoka had let go of Setsuna. Yue had already disappeared up the stairs but Setsuna gripped the railing, lunging over and spread out of her wings, catching the wind and landed on the top of the stairs. To her surprise Konoka was just as fast. When Setsuna turned to look for her she yelped as the girl popped up out of nowhere like she'd teleported, stumbling backwards.
"H-How did you get up here so-?"
"I'm fast," Konoka grinned at her. She nudged Setsuna, pushing her gently, "Come on."
They ran down the hallway towards an open door that was marked "Alchemy Lab". Icarus flew out, shaking his head and making a weird strangled squawking noise. He sneezed and blue smoke spurted from his beak.
"Ike!" Konoka cried, running over to him. She hugged him around the neck, stroking his neck, "What happened?"
The griffon cawed and Setsuna heard it as Twins-evil...in there!
He sounded like he was gagging. Setsuna looked at the open doorway, considering. A white humanoid light shot out, hitting the wall. Setsuna blinked. That looked like Fuuka. Then it shot off the wall, shooting into the room.
"Fuuka no!" That was Yue.
Taking a deep breath Setsuna ran into the room. She skidded on something wet and soft, hitting her hips on the edge of the table. Whimpering Setsuna held table. This was not her day. Fuuka was ricocheting off the walls as a human pocket-rocket made of white light, five vials in her hands full of pink liquid. Yue was at the cupboard where she kept all her vials with her potions. The door was open and three vials had already fallen out. Fumika was bouncing off the walls, her form opaque white. Fuuka zipped past Setsuna, screeching to a halt as Konoka stepped into the room. Fuuka swerved to the right, careening upwards with a maniacal laugh.
"Yue what's going on?" Setsuna had to raise her voice to be heard over the laughter and noise of the twins hitting things and making them rattle.
"They drank some of the emotions," Yue said, frowning. She was gathering up dozens of broken vials in her hands, "Icarus was inside as well."
"Those are emotions?" Konoka gaped at her.
Yue nodded.
"How did Icarus even get in here?" Setsuna asked, glancing at the windows. They were way too small to fit the griffon.
"Haruna left the back door open," Konoka said.
"Fumika catch!" Fuuka giggled, throwing a vial full of pink stuff in it.
Fumika missed, fingers scraping it. It dropped the floor, breaking and pink smoke drifted out near Setsuna's feet. Fuuka threw another one. Setsuna ducked as it flew towards her with the label love written on it in neat, black hand-writing. Yue's hand snapped up, snatching it out of mid-air. The twins were streaks of white light, their laughter echoing around the room like a song. They bounced off the walls, whooping. One of them knocked into the cabinet shelves, sending it toppling over with a crash. Vials broke and emotions poured out like champagne out of a wine bottle. There was red smoke, blue and green, yellow, pink even black. Half a dozen emotions shot out in a corkscrew smog filling the air with hundreds of vapour images that appeared for seconds then dissolved and reformed. In pink there were images of couples kissing underneath mistletoe, figures twisting around each other and melting into one, bow-shaped lips that mouthed the words "I love you". In red images of blood spatters, bloodied fists, demons trading blows with one another violently. For blue and green images of beaches with gentle waters, with water lapping at feet, tears and an expense of lush forests, tropical jungles and green exotic plants. The smoke dispersed into green, blue, pink, red, yellow and black orbs that floated into the air. Setsuna was staring at the pink lips that were swimming around her in swirls. She slowly reached out, fingers brushing it and shivered as tingles shot through her hand.
"Don't touch anything," Yue said sharply, slapping Setsuna's hand away.
Setsuna's eyes lingered on it. She could see Konoka's face in there. It was beckoning her. Mesmorized, Setsuna moved closer. Then it exploded into pink orbs like the rest.
"That was...odd," Yue said, looking at Konoka in mild amusement. "Konoka's face shouldn't have been in there."
"Wahoo hoooooo!" Fuuka zipped down, bowling into Setsuna and knocking her off her feet.
Groaning Setsuna sat up with Fuuka bouncing up and down on her, face rapt and eyes large. White magic was dripping off her.
"Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod thatwassoawesomecanwedothata gain?" Fuuka squealed.
"Fuuka...please...stop...moving," Setsuna pleaded, wincing.
Fumika soared past. Konoka grabbed the girl by the back of her collar pulling her in and said affectionately, "Gotcha!"
"What were you saying about Konoka's face?" Setsuna asked Yue, hitting the side of her head with the palm of her hand. Her ears were ringing.
"It shouldn't have been in there," Yue repeated.
"There's a lot of magic in the air," Konoka shrugged. "It's probably a side effect."
"Perhaps," Yue said.
Fumika scrambled off Setsuna, giggling. Setsuna stumbled to her feet. The air was still thick with emotions. Setsuna could feel them. Which was the weirdest thing she'd ever felt in her life. It was messing with her thoughts. She suddenly felt giddy, then sad then blind rage. Konoka took her hand. Setsuna looked up at her. Konoka was looking at her in concern, unaffected. She brushed Setsuna's eyes.
"What's wrong with her Yue?"
Setsuna's eyes were starting to water. It was like someone had turned her world into a kaleidoscope with attention to detail. Everything was hyper-focused. Every sense was magnified by tenfold. She could see the individual strands of hair, chocolate brown, smell the fruit essence of the shampoo she'd used in her hair she used, smell scented oil coming from her and something rich and perfume. She could hear each beat of her heart in steady rhythm. She could feel her aura, nurturing and warm and so unnaturally loving and pure. It was so bright it filled the entire room. When her fingers touched Konoka's skin it sent electricity coursing through her, making her shudder in delight.
"I...don't know. This is new," Yue said after a long pause.
Then the orbs broke down into silvers of light and winked out altogether. Setsuna felt like she'd woken up from a dream. Konoka was looking at her strangely. Setsuna just sighed in content languishing in the magic. It'd felt good, those emotions.
"Setsuna? What just happened?" Yue asked.
"I..." Setsuna said still in a daze. "I don't know. I could see everything. Hear Konoka's heart beat like it was my own... "
"You had a reaction to the magic," Yue concluded. "It sounds like you reacted to love the most...which is curious in itself."
"Love is the strongest emotion anyone can have," Konoka said softly. She still hadn't let go of Setsuna's hand.
"If you love me can you put me down?" A small voice asked.
Konoka looked down at the twin she was still holding in her free hand, alarmed then laughed, "Sorry Fumika-chan."
She let her go. Fumika dropped to the ground, energy gone. She looked disappointed. Fuuka was swaying on the spot, laughing like a maniac.
"Why is it curious?" Konoka asked Yue.
"Well I extracted the emotion from Nekane. Since it came from her it should only have impacted her and possibly Al because both of them are filled with magic. They're vessels for magic so even the tiniest drop has great effects on them but Setsuna isn't. She is a bird demon and not even a born gypsy," Yue said slowly. "The amount I managed to extract from Nekane wasn't even enough to fill an inch of a bottle-cap let alone have that kind of effect on Setsuna. She doesn't have any innate magic so it's strange...and your face shouldn't have appeared."
"It's probably because there's a lot of magic. And maybe it's because of me. I'm a born gypsy after all," Konoka suggested.
"Hmmm," Yue just said. She knelt down, picking up the vials scattered on the floor that weren't broken, "If the four of you will please leave I have to clean this up. I'll do some experiments on this to see if I can figure out the cause of what just happened."
"Of course Yue," Konoka said smoothly. Taking Setsuna's hand she tugged her towards the open door and called to the twins, "Come on you two!"
Setsuna looked at Konoka, dazed. Konoka just smiled at her, her eyes like rich pools of dark chocolate.
And Setsuna could still see the remnants of white magic cloaking Konoka in a fine layer. Like the cape of a Queen.
NegimaFan: I'm glad :D
KeeperAki: All in due time ;]. There's a very good reason for Konoka's mysteriousness hehe.