DISCLAIMER: I don't own Negima.
In the familiar woods at the edge of Mahora campus, Shisca sat in the hollow of the tree she and Konoka had shared lunch in. Her eyes may have been hidden but her lips that could not smile told of her sadness. She whispered sadly, "Jyaya."
A small noise outside caught her attention. She placed her trusted friend and weapon, Kyouryou, beside her. She crawled out and came face to face with a tear-stricken Konoka. The crying girl was doubled over, her breath was hitching and it looked like she had just run a mile. "Konoka-ojou-sama?", Shisca solemnly called out.
The middle-school girl took one look at the guardian before throwing herself into the guardian's arms. "Shisca-chan!", Konoka cried. "I-I-I…", Konoka continued to bawl out. The heiress mind was muddled, no matter how much she wanted to say something there was definitely nothing that would make sense.
Shisca smiled as she held her charge tightly. "It's alright. I am here. Everything is alright. Konoka-ojou-sama.". The two of them stood like that for a couple of moments. Slowly but surely, the Konoe heiress' tears began to dry as her sobs came less. "Are you well enough to speak now?", Shisca gently asked the girl.
Konoka nodded, "Uh huh.".
"Let's sit down for a bit.", Shisca offered. The guardian sat down on the grass in a seiza position. Konoka stared at her for a bit. Shisca's smile turned into a half giggle as she patted the patch of green beside her, "Come on.".
Konoka flushed and sat down beside the girl. The heiress smoothed her skirt beneath her and sat down with her chin resting on her knees. She wrapped her arms about her knees and pulled them closer. She looked over at Shisca and quickly looked away again. "It's not fair.", Konoka murmured.
The guardian tipped her head a bit to the side. "What's not fair?", Shisca asked the clearly distraught girl.
"Everything, being weak, being useless, being a bother, being unable to hold seiza for a long time.", Konoka muttered.
Shisca didn't know whether to laugh or frown at what the heiress said. "I think I can understand what you feel, though I'm not so sure about the seiza.", Shisca confessed.
"Well, Shisca-chan is strong that she can fight Asuna. Shisca-chan can be useful because she can beat her enemies. Shisca-chan isn't a bother because she can defend herself. And finally, Shisca-chan was pretty when she sat down awhile ago.", Konoka admitted with a red face. It was a mix of both her hysterics and the truth. Shisca did look very much like a forest nymph when she sat down on the grass as the sun lit up against her peach hued skin. "I don't know what I'm talking about.", Konoka buried her warm face against her sleeve covered arms.
"Well", Shisca began. "I'm glad that Konoka-ojou-sama is sharing her thoughts with me. That's why I want her to know what I'm thinking as well. I think that Konoka-ojou-sama is a very strong person because even though people around her are suffering she can still smile for them. I think that Konoka-ojou-sama is useful because she can cook such wonderful food.", the guardian paused when she noticed the girl beside her seemed to loosen up. She smiled before continuing loudly, "I think Konoka-ojou-sama is bothered by me because I always make her worry. In the end, I think Konoka-ojou-sama is fortunate that she doesn't have the habit of sitting in seiza since it's not very pleasant.". Konoka's shoulders began to shake. Shisca watched the Konoe heiress before she began to laugh. In the end, both laughed out loud.
"I guess it really does hurt, sitting in seiza.", Konoka laughed while wiping tears from her eyes.
"Yes it does.", Shisca tried in vain to suppress her laughter.
The laughter died as the silliness began to fade off. Konoka looked over at her new guardian. "Hey Shisca-chan?"
"Yes Konoka-ojou-sama?"
"Did you really mean everything you said?"
"Yes Konoka-ojou-sama."
"You're nice."
"Yes Konoka-ojou-sama."
"I think I like being around you. It calms me."
"Yes Konoka-ojou-sama."
The Konoe heiress pouted at her guardian. Shisca was looking away with a playful smile on her face. An equally devious smile came onto Konoka's face when she asked, "Can I kiss you?"
"Yes Konoka-ojou-sama.", came the automatic reply.
"Then here I come!", the heiress tackled her guardian. She clamped onto the other girl who tried to struggle away in between giggles.
"Okay, okay, that's enough.", Shisca laughed as she held a kissy-faced Konoka at bay. The two teen-agers finally pried away from each other and sat down on the messed up grass again. "I'm glad you're feeling better again Konoka-ojou-sama.", Shisca warmly regarded the girl who had been crying just minutes ago.
Konoka shook her head, "No, I should thank you Shisca-chan. This is only the third day we've known each other and I am here laying my problems on you.". Konoka hid her face in shame. "I don't want to think that I can just dump my problems onto you thinking that you won't mind since you're supposed to be my guardian, but I don't want to give you my problems either since we just became friends and everything. Aren't I the worst?"
"Mmm…", Shisca agreed, "definitely the worst.". Konoka felt a pang of sadness at the thought that her new friend thought so badly of her now. Shisca continued, "Only the worst friend could forget something that a friend confessed to them only moments ago."
"Eh?", Konoka looked at the guardian in confusion.
"Like I said", Shisca kneeled before Konoka. "I feel like I'm a bother to Konoka-ojou-sama when she's worried about me, so don't. Your happiness is my happiness, your sadness is my sadness, your dreams are my dreams, your worries are my worries, not as a servant but as a friend. Okay?", she placed her arms on the her mistress' shoulders.
"Okay, Shisca-chan.", Konoka smiled.
"And I almost forgot.", Shisca said coyly. "I think Konoka-ojou-sama is pretty even if she doesn't sit in seiza. And here is the kiss I promised". Shisca gave Konoka a peck on the forehead before standing up to take Kyouryou in her hands. "I have some business to take care of now. Let's talk again sometime.", with that the guardian girl left.
Konoka just sat their, staring in awe. That girl was nice. "Very nice", Konoka blushed as she buried her face in both arms.
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Foot steps lightly tapped against the dirt ground. Shisca who had just left Konoka in the forest was making her way along the road. She seemed to be serious as her dainty knuckles tightened over Kyouryou. She stopped before someone, her destination. It was a girl with black-hair that dangled just above her shoulders but against the light it shone blue. She had icy blue gray eyes that stared down the guardian.
"You've come armed.", noted the girl.
Shisca met her eyes through a small peek in her bangs. "So have you.", she returned. The girl before her was wearing a winter jacket with high collar that went up to her nose, a ski mask that covered her head, skirt that reached below the knees and long socks along with boots, but there seemed to be no sign of weapons. That was unless you missed he glint of steel in her gloved hands.
"Misaya was right. You haven't lost your edge at all.", the girl's amusement evident in her tone. "Shall we start?", she spread out her hands. Shisca made no move to get ready. "Move.", the girl commanded. She held up her palms as sparkling lights flew gently out of her hands.
Shisca immediately snapped to attention, swinging Kyouryou. For every swing she made, a small sound of metal against lacquer followed. "You've improved, Mizuno.", Shisca quietly noted. She reached a hand out to pull a smoking needle from her right abdomen. It was extremely thin at about a quarter of a millimeter.
"I should be the one impressed.", Mizuno held up her hands glinting with smoking needles. If any normal person would take note of the smoke however, they would wonder why it was flowing down. "The frost on my needles should've numbed your senses.", the girl threw another batch.
Shisca moved once more and intercepted the needles with Kyouryou. "Don't get ahead of yourself. I said you have improved but know well, you've yet to be able to beat me.", Shisca threatened calmly.
"I'll show you!", Mizuno threw a hail of needles.
Shisca looked on with emotionless onyx eyes. "Then I accept.", Shisca answered as she brought her weapon before her. Holding it horizontally, she pulled off the pink ribbon that held the spear's scabbard on. The intense rush of ki filled Shisca's senses as the needles slowed in her now sakura eyes. She easily sidestepped them with new found speed. Without so much as a word, she disappeared. Before Mizuno knew what was happening, the changed girl was already before her with Kyouryou rising from below.
Mizuno spun away from the attack. She dodged it with full intent on throwing a counter with her needles. She let them fly but the force of the follow up blew away the needles. "What are you doing?", Shisca questioned idly from behind with the spear tip at Mizuno's neck. "Don't tell me you've forgotten my Hunting Fang."
"Tch, a strike so powerful that you cut through the wind and turn it into an enveloping shield.", the winter clad girl cursed.
"That's right.", Shisca pulled her blade away. "Cease this foolishness. I don't want to kill you."
"As you did my parents!?", Mizuno demanded. She whirled about to face the Fuuga. "Tell me dog! What profit was there for you when you murdered them?"
"I only fulfilled a promise.", Shisca solemnly admitted.
The winter clad girl balled her fists tight enough that the needles began to press against the gloves. "What promise would drive you to stain yourself with the blood of the fore-bearers of your friends?". Shisca remained silent at that which angered Mizuno further. "Such a promise", Mizuno seethed, "Is a meaningless one!". She threw another handful of needles at Shisca who merely twirled Kyouryou between her finger in order to block the needles. When the attacks stopped, Shisca cleared away the dirt the attack had kicked up.
There was no sign of the frost using warrior anymore. "Fuuga Shizuka!", Mizuno's voice echoed in the air. "We of the next generation will never forgive what you have done. I swear upon my clan of Gurandou that I will kill you!".
Shisca sheathed her spear and wrapped it once more with the pink ribbon. "Jyaya as well when she attacked Sakurazaki-senpai. They all really have come to this place.", the guardian sadly told herself.
"Shisca-chan!", a familiar voice reached the guardian's ear. The girl tipped her head to the side. She focused on the sound. "Shisca-chan! Wait up-aru!", the voice huffily commanded. The guardian smiled, there was only one person she knew who talked like that.
"Ku-san", she turned towards the direction of the road. Shisca felt a large sweatdrop gather as she watched the dust cloud in the distance.
"SHI! S! CA!", Ku Fei screamed with a flying glomp. "Did you see what just happened? There were two people fighting and then I saw and then there was this sandstorm that was kicked up like a sand tsunami and then and then and then… uh… what happened then-aruuu?", Ku thought to herself.
Shisca somehow stood upright through the ordeal that was Ku Fei's greeting and according to her words, she had neither heard nor seen anything of import. The guardian smiled, "I'm sorry. I just got here myself."
"Aww I see.", Ku pouted. "I felt this really strong ki go boom! Then it suddenly disappeared so I had trouble following it. I ran all the way towards here from training grounds. From distance I saw two figures fighting but not clear enough. One of them I could tell was really strong-aru!", the spectacle of watching Ku Fei explain herself was very cute as Shisca had decided. After all, along with the expressions and cute speech came the overly dramatic actions. "So", Ku began. "What Shisca-chan doing here?-aru.".
The guardian smiled. "Nothing, I just thought that the sun looked lovely for a walk."
"Ooh, you're right.", Ku Fei agreed as she looked at the sun.
Shisca was glad that there were people like Ku at the school. The other clans were not going to remain idle, the school will need all the strength they could muster if they were to keep control of the chaos that she had come to prevent.
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"I got it Eva-chan.", Asakura came into the vampiress' private chambers without so much as a knock.
Eva looked up from her face buried in the pillow. "It's you.", Eva noted while leisurely rubbing the lethargy out of her eyes.
The famed reporter of Mahora and Ala Alba's most trusted spy stepped forward with a cocky grin on her face. "Hmm, was I disturbing your peaceful slumber?", Kazumi asked with a teasing grin.
Eva just shot her one the best glares the vampires could come up with after a nice 48-hour nap. "Just get on with it. You said you have the information I need?", the dark evangel said seriously as she removed her sleeping garments.
"And a little bit extra to boot. An extra I'm sure you'll just love"
Eva paused from her redressing. "Really?", she turned her head slightly to meet the reporter's.
"It's an Asakura scoop. Of course it is.", Kazumi's grin turned to one of pride.
"The report then.", Eva signaled for the girl to begin whilst she finished her business.
Asakura opened her ever trusty notebook. She began after a few coughs, "It seems that last night's incident left no witnesses. The Tatsumiya shrine is usually isolated except for the maintenance staff and the Tatsumiya's themselves right after sun down. An exorcism was supposed to take place for some unusually riled up spirits. The exorcists assigned were Mana Tatsumiya and Setsuna Sakurazaki. At the promised hour of the operation Mana Tatsumiya was picked off by an unknown enemy, Setsuna Sakurazaki soon followed after breaking down the shrine gates."
"We know that much already.", Eva cut in.
"Well this is where it gets interesting.", Kazumi licked her lips. "After a careful survey of the area, we discovered signs of conflict between opponents wielding a short sword, probably of western make and a spear whose slash marks resemble that of a yari.". The reporter closed the book. "Who do we know uses a spear within this school?"
"What are you suggesting?", the vampiress questioned.
"You know what I'm talking about Eva. I can see it all over your face the second I mentioned spear.", Kazumi spoke haughtily.
"Fuuga Shizuka", was the simple reply.
Kazumi snapped her fingers, "Bingo!"
"That is an unsafe assumption which I shall not take Asakura but a rather sound one. A safe assumption I will take however, is that we have yet to identify who between those two, was the third party."
"Tsk, tsk tsk. You have too little faith in me Eva. I've yet to deliver that extra I promised.", Kazumi brandished her finger annoyingly.
"Fine. Then be done with it.", Evangeline huffed in irritation as she sat down her throne like chair, after dressing up in a frilly gothic lolita dress.
"As you wish.", Asakura smiled. She summoned out one of her Oculus Corvinus golems which began to act like a projector to stream out footage of a fight. "Sorry for the poor quality, but as of now this was the best I could do since I had to be too far for them to sense. I actually had to use maximum zoom range", Asakura laughed.
Eva didn't look like she cared at all when she said, "Let it go."
The video showed a girl wearing something one would during winter who was throwing needles, fighting against a familiar girl. Eva couldn't recognize the girl completely but the weapon was unmistakable. It was Shisca's Kyouryou from the black lacquer body down to the violet ribbons that tied around its handle. The way the Shisca in this film looked and moved were completely different from the normal Shisca that she knew. This one, though having childish ribbons tied around her hair in small side twin-tails with extra ribbon dangling all over, moved with precision and focus. She didn't make any wide moves, focusing more on conserving energy and then banking on a one strike kill, much like a sniper. Cold, determined, patient and most important of all, a killer. Eva was even more surprised when Shisca performed a thrust strike that made a barrier of wind around her from the sheer force exerted on the wind. Kazumi cut off the video, much to the dark evangel's chagrin. "So what do you think?".
"Hmm…", the vampires tried to act as if it didn't affect her one bit but this was different. She knew that move. If she was correct then something must be wrong with the magic society within Japan. "Kazumi.", she commanded.
"What is it honorary adviser?", the reporter smirked.
"Well done.", Eva said in a way that made it sound like the words could kill her if she ever uttered them again. "I want you to do a full background check on Shisca. Dig as deep as you can go."
"Why? I thought you weren't interested in her?", Asakura chuckled.
Evangeline A.K. McDowell did not share the humor. "We're going to get ourselves a new member.", she simply stated.
It provoked another face-splitting grin from Kazumi before she left with a salute of, "Aye aye captain."
Evangeline went for her wine. If she was going to think on this, it would be better to do it drunk than sober. If not, she was sure that the gravity of the situation would impair her judgement. She had been right, that girl was a sword that had yet to be drawn. What she didn't expect was that it was the same sword that had nearly slain her a couple centuries ago. It was a sword that held the mark of Fuuga.
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That night Konoka was sitting at her desk in the room she, Asuna and Negi all shared. "Ne~ Asuna" , Konoka called the busy girl's attention.
"What is it Konoka? I'm doing homework here!", she replied in half irritation. The other half was clearly panic as she tried to make sense of her algebra homework. Though inside she was wondering if the girl was still thinking of what that chibi-vampire said. When she and Negi met up with Konoka though, the girl looked absolutely fine, maybe even happier than she had been before hearing about Setsuna's condition. There was something that had changed too but Asuna wasn't quite sure what.
"Well, I was wondering what would it feel like to be kissed by a girl.", Konoka said innocently.
The statement almost made Asuna get a heart attack. "Kami! Konoka don't joke like that to me!", the gosururi warrior spluttered while holding the spot over her heart. "Besides", Asuna continued working while a furious blush burned her cheeks. "You've already kissed a lot of girls right? You're always playing that joke.".
Konoka sighed. "I guess.", she muttered while working on something. Said something was beginning to catch Asuna's interest. The warrior girl already knew Konoka had long finished the homework they had been given that day but for the past hour and a half, she had been painstakingly working on whatever she was making. Asuna decided that it wouldn't hurt to take a little peek. That was until Konoka snapped her head back with a face scrunched up in thought. "But it really feels different when it's somebody else who wants to kiss you!", the Konoe heiress whined.
"Wha!?", Asuna sat their both surprised and dumbstruck.
"I just can't take this.", Konoka pouted. She set herself down on her desk with her features getting more and more childishly irritated with every passing moment.
"You just can't take what?", Asuna asked her roommate with much trepidation. She was sure that it was going to be something worth regretting but still, curiosity right?
"I can't take not knowing.", Konoka continued her pout.
'Well, curiosity it is.', Asuna sweatdropped. "Not knowing…", Asuna hinted for her roommate to continue.
"What it feels like to be kissed!", Konoka flailed her arms childishly. "It's not fair, it's not fair, it's not fair!", Konoka continued to cry out in an immature tantrum. She was still thinking when Shisca had kissed her on the forehead. When she tackled Shisca, she had full intention to give the girl a nice wet one on the lips. But when Shisca suddenly took her up on it, the one supposed to do the kissing was now the one being kissed. Konoka had fully expected it to be lips to lips as she had planned but it was only a peck on her forehead. In short, she felt cheated. At first there wasn't a problem. Then as the day wore on she began to wonder what it would've felt like if it was as she had planned. The guardians lips were soft, the lingering feeling on her forehead told the whole experience to her mind over and over again. Finally, it became an all out obsession to her. She had to get that kiss!
"Then what are you going to do? Go up and ask for one?", Asuna asked with a skeptical look on her face and tone in her tongue.
The kiss obsessed girl gave her a disapproving look. "Of course not.", she scolded.
"Nice to know your still sane.", Asuna smiled.
"How can it be them wanting to kiss me if I asked them to kiss me? That's common sense!", Konoka huffed.
Asuna mentally cried to herself complete with a mental box of tissues, 'No it's not!'. "Well making a guy kiss you can be easy.", Asuna tried to reason with her friend. "But making a girl kiss you is impossible. There aren't many girls that want to kiss other girls and if we're talking about a specific girl then I doubt she'll be willing to do it just for kicks. Heck the only way I know how is to make a girl fall in love with you.", Asuna ranted off.
Konoka stared at Asuna with eyes open wide. The aforementioned girl just knew she just said something that she would regret. "That's it! All I have to do is make her fall in love with me!", Konoka glomped her genius friend. "Thank you Asuna! You can help me along the way can't you?".
Asuna could not answer, her soul had already departed and was half-way to heaven.
On Konoka's table was a notebook with some words written on it:
Konoka's list of what to do from now on:
1. Work hard.
2. Always smile.
3. Make lunch
The wind blew the pages and exposed the other pages of the notebook. They were new recipes and detailed drawings for bento. Oddly enough, the recipes which at least spanned a quarter of the notebook were all dated as to their creation. The earliest created was just dated yesterday.
TRANSLATIONS:
Seiza- The traditional and formal way that japanese sit. They rest on their ankles with only their toes and knees to support them but most of the weight is focused on the haunches. The thing that makes this way of sitting difficult would be that your back has to be straight which forces more stress on your toes and ankles.
"Tell me dog! What profit was there for you when you murdered them?"- This line of Mizuno when she refers to Shisca as a dog is not because of the fact that it may seem synonimous to the term fopr female dog but because of her surname. Fuuga literally translates to "wind fang". Fangs are most usually associated with animals and given Shisca's loyalties as body guard to the Konoe it denotes dog like qualities.