Negima FanFiction Discussion

[deathcurse]

Originally Posted by isagrimorie

That was, wow, that was really painful to read in a good way. But still angst! I didn't expect angst at this time of day! I'm glad Asuna's there to slap some sense into Setsuna... except it seems she didn't slap sense back to Setsuna hard enough.

Sorry for the surprise angst , but still, you should have expected that from me ....

It's unfortunate that I couldn't quite squeeze in the plot-plot in the prologue, but I chose instead to set up the relationship-plot . I debated making it a one-shot instead, but I don't think that it would give either Konoka or Setsuna justice in explaining their decisions unless I went into a full story as to why they made the decisions that they did....

Thanks for the comments!

[RadiantBeam]

Originally Posted by deathcurse

The prologue to an eventual KonoSetsu multi-chapter story...

No matter where Konoka went, Setsuna would always be her guardian...after all, duty always won over love. Even if that duty meant marrying into a family to protect the world's wards against destruction and watching the one you love give herself to another.

Love and Duty Come in Chains

Spoiler for Love and Duty Come in Chains, prologue:

Love and Duty Come in Chains

“I do.”

Those two words turned everything that had been hazily dreaded into something true.

“I do.”

There. It’s done. Setsuna closed her eyes. Even so, she couldn’t watch.

She couldn’t watch Konoka kiss that man. It was her one moment of weakness. She won’t have another.

She couldn’t, not for Konoka’s sake.

--

“If anyone present can show just cause as to why this couple may not be legally joined together, you should now declare it, or hereafter hold your peace.”

Setsuna kept her eyes open when Konoka looked at her. She stared straight back into Konoka’s searching, deep eyes in that pause. Stared, then looked away, silent.

Konoka didn’t look at Setsuna again.

--

“Kyo Wallward and Konoka Konoe, I pronounce you husband and wife, uniting the House of Wallward and Konoe in holy matrimony.”

“Together, may you find the strength to destroy the evils that plague our world and your Houses.”

How wonderful, Setsuna thought as she watched the married couple walk down the aisle surrounded by the Wallward guards towards the church door, that Konoka could manage to fulfill her duty to her family and yet still find a man who she genuinely cared about.

How wonderful.

--

“Setsuna, if you accept, I have another job for you.”

“I will, Headmaster.”

“I haven’t told you what it is yet.”

“What job I do doesn’t matter to me. I live to serve.”

Konoemon grunted, his white brows furrowing until they met above his nose as he peered at Setsuna, a painfully understanding quality in his stare. “As head of the Konoe family, I’m assigning you to guard our family heir. You are removed from the employ of Mahora Academy. Now, you are an employee of the Konoe.”

“Yes, sir.”

The old man watched her, then slid an officially sealed envelope across his desk. “This is my letter to the Wallward House, telling them that you are my employee and not theirs.”

“Yes, sir.”

“So they cannot ever dismiss you from Konoka’s service.”

Setsuna paused, her red eyes flashing over with a brief emotion before returning to their cool glassiness. “Yes, sir.”

“You will be her personal guardian. Even against her own desires or inclinations, you must protect Konoka at all costs. Let the Wallwards mumble about the Konoe dishonouring them, I don’t care. Your only duty is Konoka.” Konoemon stopped speaking and watched her. “Do you have any objections to your duty?”

Setsuna rose and put her fists together, Yuunagi held out horizontally before her as she bowed deeply.

“No, sir.”

--

“Se—Setsuna-san, I will be going out this afternoon to inspect the wards again.”

“Yes, ojou-sama.” Setsuna bowed, her black hair falling forward in a dark wave, blending into the black of her suit. She still dyed it, even though she had forgone the contact lenses ever since…ever since. “I will arrange for your security detail.”

“Alright,” Konoka said quietly.

She had stopped asking Setsuna to call her Kono-chan. It surprised Setsuna how much it hurt, each time she said the title, and not hear Konoka protest. Ridiculous, she knew, since she was the one who always insisted on it in the past. Her constant refusals never hurt until Konoka stopped asking. But it still sent a jolt through her heart, and she wished that she could blurt it out. It wouldn’t be that hard. Kono-chan. Kono-chan.

In the end, she couldn’t. Now…she wasn’t sure anymore why she couldn’t. Because it wasn’t the proper thing to do. It wasn’t the right thing to do.

Setsuna no longer cared why.

Because it was too late.

--

“Why are you doing this? Do you have some masochistic warrior thing, or are you just too much of a coward to fight for her?” Asuna slapped her, hard. Setsuna let her, not that she was admitting to the masochistic comment but because she deserved it. And Asuna had every right to be angry. She was the one who heard Konoka crying every night, after all.

“How can you just let her go?”

“Because he does make her happy.”

“She loves you!”

Setsuna laughed hollowly.

“I know.”

--

By the time Setsuna realized that she could have fought, that she could have tried for both their happiness, it was too late.

To the side, a servant bowed. “Lady Wallward, shall I fetch—”

“There’s no need. Setsuna-san will take care of me—of my security. All decisions will be in her hands.”

“But…very well, my lady.”

Konoka found and captured Setsuna’s gaze easily, her brown eyes still entirely trusting but missing that innocent, happy aura. “I trust her with my everything.”

--

“Secchan? Can…can you please stay with me? Stay with me, forever.”

“I promise.”

“B…Because I don’t think that I’m strong enough to do it on my own. I want my friend to be there with me, because…you make me stronger, Secchan.”

“I promise that I’ll always protect you.”

--

Despite anything Mana or Asuna said to her later, Setsuna didn’t lie then. Because she promised to protect Konoka’s body, her life and those of anyone else Konoka cared about. She never promised to protect Konoka’s heart. Because Setsuna knew.

She knew that she would be the one breaking it.

--

Konoka’s voice cut through Setsuna’s thoughts to capture her attention immediately. “Is something wrong, S—Setsuna-san?” One of her hands dropped, as if she had raised it towards Setsuna’s shoulder then let it fall short, empty.

Setsuna bowed her head, letting her loose hair fall to shield her face.

Everything.

“Nothing, Ojou-sama.”

... Ouch.

So you finally posted this, huh? It looks great. I knew you had some big plans for it, so I'm glad to see you got it started and off the ground. And what a start it is! Angst! Konoka in a marriage of convinience! Asuna furious! Setsuna emotionless! And it's just the prologue!

I look forward to the next chapter.

[al103]

Originally Posted by Sin Ansem

Out of curiosity, explain "serious case of stupids". I only have an inkling of what it might be, but...

Besides how story started? Putting all boys in class with girls is one good example - and author didn't even try to why they were not put in Mahora Jr.High BOYS school that is also present on campus, like Mahora Elementary where Kotaro ended in and whole other bunch of schools. I could provide other examples but I need to re-read fic for that and I simply don't want to do it...

[Merctrin]

Originally Posted by deathcurse

The prologue to an eventual KonoSetsu multi-chapter story...

No matter where Konoka went, Setsuna would always be her guardian...after all, duty always won over love. Even if that duty meant marrying into a family to protect the world's wards against destruction and watching the one you love give herself to another.

Love and Duty Come in Chains

Spoiler for Love and Duty Come in Chains, prologue:

Love and Duty Come in Chains

“I do.”

Those two words turned everything that had been hazily dreaded into something true.

“I do.”

There. It’s done. Setsuna closed her eyes. Even so, she couldn’t watch.

She couldn’t watch Konoka kiss that man. It was her one moment of weakness. She won’t have another.

She couldn’t, not for Konoka’s sake.

--

“If anyone present can show just cause as to why this couple may not be legally joined together, you should now declare it, or hereafter hold your peace.”

Setsuna kept her eyes open when Konoka looked at her. She stared straight back into Konoka’s searching, deep eyes in that pause. Stared, then looked away, silent.

Konoka didn’t look at Setsuna again.

--

“Kyo Wallward and Konoka Konoe, I pronounce you husband and wife, uniting the House of Wallward and Konoe in holy matrimony.”

“Together, may you find the strength to destroy the evils that plague our world and your Houses.”

How wonderful, Setsuna thought as she watched the married couple walk down the aisle surrounded by the Wallward guards towards the church door, that Konoka could manage to fulfill her duty to her family and yet still find a man who she genuinely cared about.

How wonderful.

--

“Setsuna, if you accept, I have another job for you.”

“I will, Headmaster.”

“I haven’t told you what it is yet.”

“What job I do doesn’t matter to me. I live to serve.”

Konoemon grunted, his white brows furrowing until they met above his nose as he peered at Setsuna, a painfully understanding quality in his stare. “As head of the Konoe family, I’m assigning you to guard our family heir. You are removed from the employ of Mahora Academy. Now, you are an employee of the Konoe.”

“Yes, sir.”

The old man watched her, then slid an officially sealed envelope across his desk. “This is my letter to the Wallward House, telling them that you are my employee and not theirs.”

“Yes, sir.”

“So they cannot ever dismiss you from Konoka’s service.”

Setsuna paused, her red eyes flashing over with a brief emotion before returning to their cool glassiness. “Yes, sir.”

“You will be her personal guardian. Even against her own desires or inclinations, you must protect Konoka at all costs. Let the Wallwards mumble about the Konoe dishonouring them, I don’t care. Your only duty is Konoka.” Konoemon stopped speaking and watched her. “Do you have any objections to your duty?”

Setsuna rose and put her fists together, Yuunagi held out horizontally before her as she bowed deeply.

“No, sir.”

--

“Se—Setsuna-san, I will be going out this afternoon to inspect the wards again.”

“Yes, ojou-sama.” Setsuna bowed, her black hair falling forward in a dark wave, blending into the black of her suit. She still dyed it, even though she had forgone the contact lenses ever since…ever since. “I will arrange for your security detail.”

“Alright,” Konoka said quietly.

She had stopped asking Setsuna to call her Kono-chan. It surprised Setsuna how much it hurt, each time she said the title, and not hear Konoka protest. Ridiculous, she knew, since she was the one who always insisted on it in the past. Her constant refusals never hurt until Konoka stopped asking. But it still sent a jolt through her heart, and she wished that she could blurt it out. It wouldn’t be that hard. Kono-chan. Kono-chan.

In the end, she couldn’t. Now…she wasn’t sure anymore why she couldn’t. Because it wasn’t the proper thing to do. It wasn’t the right thing to do.

Setsuna no longer cared why.

Because it was too late.

--

“Why are you doing this? Do you have some masochistic warrior thing, or are you just too much of a coward to fight for her?” Asuna slapped her, hard. Setsuna let her, not that she was admitting to the masochistic comment but because she deserved it. And Asuna had every right to be angry. She was the one who heard Konoka crying every night, after all.

“How can you just let her go?”

“Because he does make her happy.”

“She loves you!”

Setsuna laughed hollowly.

“I know.”

--

By the time Setsuna realized that she could have fought, that she could have tried for both their happiness, it was too late.

To the side, a servant bowed. “Lady Wallward, shall I fetch—”

“There’s no need. Setsuna-san will take care of me—of my security. All decisions will be in her hands.”

“But…very well, my lady.”

Konoka found and captured Setsuna’s gaze easily, her brown eyes still entirely trusting but missing that innocent, happy aura. “I trust her with my everything.”

--

“Secchan? Can…can you please stay with me? Stay with me, forever.”

“I promise.”

“B…Because I don’t think that I’m strong enough to do it on my own. I want my friend to be there with me, because…you make me stronger, Secchan.”

“I promise that I’ll always protect you.”

--

Despite anything Mana or Asuna said to her later, Setsuna didn’t lie then. Because she promised to protect Konoka’s body, her life and those of anyone else Konoka cared about. She never promised to protect Konoka’s heart. Because Setsuna knew.

She knew that she would be the one breaking it.

--

Konoka’s voice cut through Setsuna’s thoughts to capture her attention immediately. “Is something wrong, S—Setsuna-san?” One of her hands dropped, as if she had raised it towards Setsuna’s shoulder then let it fall short, empty.

Setsuna bowed her head, letting her loose hair fall to shield her face.

Everything.

“Nothing, Ojou-sama.”

I'll second that ouch. I mean, that's just painful.

As a general rule, I try to avoid stories where Setsuna holds on too hard to her duty and fear to keep Konoka from ending up married to someone else because really, there's no way to ease in gently to that. Pure angst straight away. But I'm also addicted to this kind of frustrating conflict, so I'll be waiting for the next chapter with bated breath, and much thanks for the prologue!

[deathcurse]

Originally Posted by RadiantBeam

... Ouch.

So you finally posted this, huh? It looks great. I knew you had some big plans for it, so I'm glad to see you got it started and off the ground. And what a start it is! Angst! Konoka in a marriage of convinience! Asuna furious! Setsuna emotionless! And it's just the prologue!

I look forward to the next chapter.

Thanks . I debated opening with more plot, but I had most of this done up already and it just seemed to work for me, so I decided to introduce the set-up of the characters first and only slide in hints about the plot in the prologue.

Of course, it will all get worse before it gets better....

Originally Posted by Merctrin

I'll second that ouch. I mean, that's just painful.

As a general rule, I try to avoid stories where Setsuna holds on too hard to her duty and fear to keep Konoka from ending up married to someone else because really, there's no way to ease in gently to that. Pure angst straight away. But I'm also addicted to this kind of frustrating conflict, so I'll be waiting for the next chapter with bated breath, and much thanks for the prologue!

I'll be struggling to balance the angst with the character development , but I always wanted to read a story where Setsuna and Konoka struggle with being so close to each other, still love each other, yet they can't be together, for legitimate and mature reasons....and since I had a hard time finding fics that matched this curiosity, I started thinking up of one myself and soon I had a plot bunny!

Very glad that you took a chance on this, and that you like it! ^^

[RadiantBeam]

Originally Posted by deathcurse

Of course, it will all get worse before it gets better....

Liar! You always say that!

[Merctrin]

A Tsukuyomi/Setsuna story that takes place in the same continuity as this one. ...That kind of makes it a prequel, so reading it would be a good idea. It doesn't matter much for this first part, though, so feel free to ignore if you aren't interested.

This is just the prologue, and there will be multiple chapters assuming I ever get around to finishing it. It takes place shortly after the current arc, and I'm pretty sure that some future chapter will prove that it's AU, but for now I will happily embrace my delusion that something like this could possibly happen.

Spoiler for Taken Day by Day:

Killing was fun.


This was one of the great truths Tsukuyomi had come to accept during her time alive. Teachers and victims could say whatever they wanted about it being wrong and immoral, and maybe they were even right. But they would still leave that essential part out:


It was fun.


Not only was it fun, it was the most exhilarating hobby anyone could ever hope to take up. Nothing could possibly compare to slicing through someone’s body and feeling the spray of their blood splashing over you as you watched the life leave your victims’ eyes; the sensation of their final heartbeat pounding through your weapon.


At first, it was just about the blood and its heat. In the cold world Tsukuyomi inhabited, blood was the only thing that made her feel warm enough to be counted as alive. But then she found the Shinmei School, and learned how to fight properly—a way to enhance the pleasure of killing.


There was nothing like killing, but there was also nothing like dueling a strong opponent and snuffing the life out of him. Or her. She did tend to prefer what the flesh of women had to offer.


Before she knew how to properly wield her weapons, the killing had lacked the intimacy it so rightly deserved. In one parried blow, she could understand more about what drove her victim than a thousand stabs to the torso could have told her.


She still didn’t really get what it was that she was understanding, or why it mattered, but the end result was that she now felt a connection to her victims that she was free to slice to pieces. She would say that the moment when that bond was severed was what she lived for, but that wasn’t true, because not all deaths involved blood—and that was what she lived for.


What really made killing fun—well, one of the more curious aspects of it—was the way people’s eyes darkened the instant before their last heartbeat.


It was so funny. Even the warriors who swore that they’d fight until their last breath had that happen to them. Even the people who were holding onto memories of loved ones so desperately in an attempt to make their last moments peaceful—


Okay, so that part wasn’t really funny.


It was downright laughable that some people thought they could make their bodies shutting down feel more peaceful than it already was, but for some reason Tsukuyomi couldn’t bring herself to laugh about thinking of loved ones anymore. It seemed… wrong.


A few years ago, it still would have been funny, but things had—changed since then.


No one ever held on to their supposedly indomitable will on that last heartbeat; that was what made their eyes darken. In that final moment, they understood that it was finally the end.


So they gave up.


It was a very special moment, and with the best victims, she was the only one who would ever see that weakness in them. In that one moment, they truly surrendered the fight to her. And it would only ever happen once.


For months now (longer if she wanted to be picky, but in the beginning, it wasn’t personal), she’d only wanted to share that moment with one person.


The person who, if there hadn’t been any outside interference, she would have died thinking of.


Romanticism had never really been Tsukuyomi’s forte. To think of things like that and not have it be silly, didn’t it have to be focused around something—someone—you cared about for longer than a couple of seconds?


…Of course, that explained things rather neatly.


Sakurazaki Setsuna wasn’t just a passing interest—she’d managed to completely capture Tsukuyomi’s attention.


So maybe her last thoughts—which ended up not being her last thoughts at all—being so sappy wasn’t that strange. Setsuna always managed to make things special and different.


And confusing. Very, very confusing.


Now that Tsukuyomi wasn’t dying or in a hospital bed brooding about how she should have died, she was starting to wonder why one of her many supposedly-final thoughts about Setsuna had contained so much relief.


At the very end of it, after they both fought a battle they could be proud of, Tsukuyomi had been overwhelmed with happiness because—


Well—


Setsuna was still alive.


That apparently counted for a lot.


Confusing. For as long as they’d been fighting, Tsukuyomi had wanted to have a part in Setsuna’s death. Even during their final fight, she’d wanted to kill the half-demon. Badly. She’d wanted the thrill that came with killing to join with the delight she felt around Setsuna.


She didn’t think there could be any doubt that that would have given her pleasure unlike anything she’d ever known. Her fantasies had only ever given her a small taste when it came to imagining killing Setsuna.


And then Setsuna lived, and she’d been about to die, and… Tsukuyomi had decided to be happy about that turn of events for no particular reason that she could figure out. The lovely view of the blood dripping down Setsuna’s arm shouldn’t have been enough to cause that level of euphoria, right? Killing was what was fun. She’d always been under the impression that dying was significantly less fun.


But Setsuna was alive. Maybe that had something to do with it. Life could be fun sometimes too, even if it was a little dull without death somewhere in the mix.


…


It wasn’t like they didn’t have time to figure things out. Tsukuyomi thought it might just be confusing Setsuna too. They could work it out together.


After all, weren’t roommates supposed to help each other with strange things like feelings?

Spoiler for Notes:

So like I already said, this is a Tsukuyomi/Setsuna fic. There will also be quite a bit of KonoSetsu, but that's not the main pairing. The basic idea is that Tsukuyomi gets sent to Mahora for her involvement in Fate's (failed) plans, and Setsuna is assigned to be her, ah, jailer. And then... well, it's a SetsuYomi story. Expect insanity.

Thanks for reading!

[deathcurse]

Originally Posted by RadiantBeam

Liar! You always say that!

But it always does!

Originally Posted by Merctrin

A Tsukuyomi/Setsuna story that takes place in the same continuity as this one. ...That kind of makes it a prequel, so reading it would be a good idea. It doesn't matter much for this first part, though, so feel free to ignore if you aren't interested.

This is just the prologue, and there will be multiple chapters assuming I ever get around to finishing it. It takes place shortly after the current arc, and I'm pretty sure that some future chapter will prove that it's AU, but for now I will happily embrace my delusion that something like this could possibly happen.

Spoiler for Taken Day by Day:

Killing was fun.


This was one of the great truths Tsukuyomi had come to accept during her time alive. Teachers and victims could say whatever they wanted about it being wrong and immoral, and maybe they were even right. But they would still leave that essential part out:


It was fun.


Not only was it fun, it was the most exhilarating hobby anyone could ever hope to take up. Nothing could possibly compare to slicing through someone’s body and feeling the spray of their blood splashing over you as you watched the life leave your victims’ eyes; the sensation of their final heartbeat pounding through your weapon.


At first, it was just about the blood and its heat. In the cold world Tsukuyomi inhabited, blood was the only thing that made her feel warm enough to be counted as alive. But then she found the Shinmei School, and learned how to fight properly—a way to enhance the pleasure of killing.


There was nothing like killing, but there was also nothing like dueling a strong opponent and snuffing the life out of him. Or her. She did tend to prefer what the flesh of women had to offer.


Before she knew how to properly wield her weapons, the killing had lacked the intimacy it so rightly deserved. In one parried blow, she could understand more about what drove her victim than a thousand stabs to the torso could have told her.


She still didn’t really get what it was that she was understanding, or why it mattered, but the end result was that she now felt a connection to her victims that she was free to slice to pieces. She would say that the moment when that bond was severed was what she lived for, but that wasn’t true, because not all deaths involved blood—and that was what she lived for.


What really made killing fun—well, one of the more curious aspects of it—was the way people’s eyes darkened the instant before their last heartbeat.


It was so funny. Even the warriors who swore that they’d fight until their last breath had that happen to them. Even the people who were holding onto memories of loved ones so desperately in an attempt to make their last moments peaceful—


Okay, so that part wasn’t really funny.


It was downright laughable that some people thought they could make their bodies shutting down feel more peaceful than it already was, but for some reason Tsukuyomi couldn’t bring herself to laugh about thinking of loved ones anymore. It seemed… wrong.


A few years ago, it still would have been funny, but things had—changed since then.


No one ever held on to their supposedly indomitable will on that last heartbeat; that was what made their eyes darken. In that final moment, they understood that it was finally the end.


So they gave up.


It was a very special moment, and with the best victims, she was the only one who would ever see that weakness in them. In that one moment, they truly surrendered the fight to her. And it would only ever happen once.


For months now (longer if she wanted to be picky, but in the beginning, it wasn’t personal), she’d only wanted to share that moment with one person.


The person who, if there hadn’t been any outside interference, she would have died thinking of.


Romanticism had never really been Tsukuyomi’s forte. To think of things like that and not have it be silly, didn’t it have to be focused around something—someone—you cared about for longer than a couple of seconds?


…Of course, that explained things rather neatly.


Sakurazaki Setsuna wasn’t just a passing interest—she’d managed to completely capture Tsukuyomi’s attention.


So maybe her last thoughts—which ended up not being her last thoughts at all—being so sappy wasn’t that strange. Setsuna always managed to make things special and different.


And confusing. Very, very confusing.


Now that Tsukuyomi wasn’t dying or in a hospital bed brooding about how she should have died, she was starting to wonder why one of her many supposedly-final thoughts about Setsuna had contained so much relief.
At the very end of it, after they both fought a battle they could be proud of, Tsukuyomi had been overwhelmed with happiness because—


Well—


Setsuna was still alive.


That apparently counted for a lot.


Confusing. For as long as they’d been fighting, Tsukuyomi had wanted to have a part in Setsuna’s death. Even during their final fight, she’d wanted to kill the half-demon. Badly. She’d wanted the thrill that came with killing to join with the delight she felt around Setsuna.


She didn’t think there could be any doubt that that would have given her pleasure unlike anything she’d ever known. Her fantasies had only ever given her a small taste when it came to imagining killing Setsuna.


And then Setsuna lived, and she’d been about to die, and… Tsukuyomi had decided to be happy about that turn of events for no particular reason that she could figure out. The lovely view of the blood dripping down Setsuna’s arm shouldn’t have been enough to cause that level of euphoria, right? Killing was what was fun. She’d always been under the impression that dying was significantly less fun.


But Setsuna was alive. Maybe that had something to do with it. Life could be fun sometimes too, even if it was a little dull without death somewhere in the mix.


…


It wasn’t like they didn’t have time to figure things out. Tsukuyomi thought it might just be confusing Setsuna too. They could work it out together.


After all, weren’t roommates supposed to help each other with strange things like feelings?

Spoiler for Notes:

So like I already said, this is a Tsukuyomi/Setsuna fic. There will also be quite a bit of KonoSetsu, but that's not the main pairing. The basic idea is that Tsukuyomi gets sent to Mahora for her involvement in Fate's (failed) plans, and Setsuna is assigned to be her, ah, jailer. And then... well, it's a SetsuYomi story. Expect insanity.

Thanks for reading!

Oooh, I love psycho characters , they're so fun to read about....as readers, we automatically assume the worst of them, so every tossaway statement is jumped upon and viewed as something ominous..."She did tend to prefer what the flesh of women had to offer"...."That apparently counted for a lot"....

I'm a KonoSetsu fan, but I still enjoyed Tsukuyomi's oddly logical fascination for Setsuna depicted here, as much as her twisted love also made sense to me for a moment (a moment which I quickly scrubbed out of my mind )....

Great depiction of Tsukuyomi, I enjoyed it! ^^

[deathcurse]

Ah, a few details first that I didn't mention before...this story takes place when Konoka, Setsuna and the gang are 21, and follows mostly the manga canon, although parts of the magical world arc may be ignored .

Here's the prologue again, and Chapter 1!

Love and Duty Come in Chains

Spoiler for Love and Duty Come in Chains, prologue:

Prologue

“I do.”

Those two words turned everything that had been hazily dreaded into something true.

“I do.”

There. It’s done. Setsuna closed her eyes. Even so, she couldn’t watch.

She couldn’t watch Konoka kiss that man. It was her one moment of weakness. She won’t have another.

She couldn’t, not for Konoka’s sake.

--

“If anyone present can show just cause as to why this couple may not be legally joined together, you should now declare it, or hereafter hold your peace.”

Setsuna kept her eyes open when Konoka looked at her. She stared straight back into Konoka’s searching, deep eyes in that pause. Stared, then looked away, silent.

Konoka didn’t look at Setsuna again.

--

“Kyo Wallward and Konoka Konoe, I pronounce you husband and wife, uniting the House of Wallward and Konoe in holy matrimony.”

“Together, may you find the strength to destroy the evils that plague our world and your Houses.”

How wonderful, Setsuna thought as she watched the married couple walk down the aisle surrounded by the Wallward guards towards the church door, that Konoka could manage to fulfill her duty to her family and yet still find a man who she genuinely cared about.

How wonderful.

--

“Setsuna, if you accept, I have another job for you.”

“I will, Headmaster.”

“I haven’t told you what it is yet.”

“What job I do doesn’t matter to me. I live to serve.”

Konoemon grunted, his white brows furrowing until they met above his nose as he peered at Setsuna, a painfully understanding quality in his stare. “As head of the Konoe family, I’m assigning you to guard our family heir. You are removed from the employ of Mahora Academy. Now, you are an employee of the Konoe.”

“Yes, sir.”

The old man watched her, then slid an officially sealed envelope across his desk. “This is my letter to the Wallward House, telling them that you are my employee and not theirs.”

“Yes, sir.”

“So they cannot ever dismiss you from Konoka’s service.”

Setsuna paused, her red eyes flashing over with a brief emotion before returning to their cool glassiness. “Yes, sir.”

“You will be her personal guardian. Even against her own desires or inclinations, you must protect Konoka at all costs. Let the Wallwards mumble about the Konoe dishonouring them, I don’t care. Your only duty is Konoka.” Konoemon stopped speaking and watched her. “Do you have any objections to your duty?”

Setsuna rose and put her fists together, Yuunagi held out horizontally before her as she bowed deeply.

“No, sir.”

--

“Se—Setsuna-san, I will be going out this afternoon to inspect the wards again.”

“Yes, ojou-sama.” Setsuna bowed, her black hair falling forward in a dark wave, blending into the black of her suit. She still dyed it, even though she had forgone the contact lenses ever since…ever since. “I will arrange for your security detail.”

“Alright,” Konoka said quietly.

She had stopped asking Setsuna to call her Kono-chan. It surprised Setsuna how much it hurt, each time she said the title, and not hear Konoka protest. Ridiculous, she knew, since she was the one who always insisted on it in the past. Her constant refusals never hurt until Konoka stopped asking. But it still sent a jolt through her heart, and she wished that she could blurt it out. It wouldn’t be that hard. Kono-chan. Kono-chan.

In the end, she couldn’t. Now…she wasn’t sure anymore why she couldn’t. Because it wasn’t the proper thing to do. It wasn’t the right thing to do.

Setsuna no longer cared why.

Because it was too late.

--

“Why are you doing this? Do you have some masochistic warrior thing, or are you just too much of a coward to fight for her?” Asuna slapped her, hard. Setsuna let her, not that she was admitting to the masochistic comment but because she deserved it. And Asuna had every right to be angry. She was the one who heard Konoka crying every night, after all.

“How can you just let her go?”

“Because he does make her happy.”

“She loves you!”

Setsuna laughed hollowly.

“I know.”

--

By the time Setsuna realized that she could have fought, that she could have tried for both their happiness, it was too late.

To the side, a servant bowed. “Lady Wallward, shall I fetch—”

“There’s no need. Setsuna-san will take care of me—of my security. All decisions will be in her hands.”

“But…very well, my lady.”

Konoka found and captured Setsuna’s gaze easily, her brown eyes still entirely trusting but missing that innocent, happy aura. “I trust her with my everything.”

--

“Secchan? Can…can you please stay with me? Stay with me, forever.”

“I promise.”

“B…Because I don’t think that I’m strong enough to do it on my own. I want my friend to be there with me, because…you make me stronger, Secchan.”

“I promise that I’ll always protect you.”

--

Despite anything Mana or Asuna said to her later, Setsuna didn’t lie then. Because she promised to protect Konoka’s body, her life and those of anyone else Konoka cared about. She never promised to protect Konoka’s heart. Because Setsuna knew.

She knew that she would be the one breaking it.

--

Konoka’s voice cut through Setsuna’s thoughts to capture her attention immediately. “Is something wrong, S—Setsuna-san?” One of her hands dropped, as if she had raised it towards Setsuna’s shoulder then let it fall short, empty.

Setsuna bowed her head, letting her loose hair fall to shield her face.

Everything.

“Nothing, Ojou-sama.”

Spoiler for Chapter 1:

Chapter 1
Konoe-Wallward House, Kyoto
May 2, 2010

“Asuna,” Konoka called, bringing her fans together before her chest. “I’m trying the second variation of Divine Wind Restore, on Target #3.”

Her friend nodded, shuffling her chair over the packed dirt lazily. “Good to go,” Asuna yawned, waving a hand idly. Konoka didn’t blame her for being bored—Asuna had waited for the hour that it took for Konoka to set up this particular trial, and she had gone through four trials earlier in the afternoon. Even the stoic Mana, standing to the side, thumbs hooked into her gun belt, actually looked visibly bored, although her sharp eyes never stopped scanning their surroundings keenly.

“You know, you really could have brought a manga or something to read,” Konoka called out, judging the distance between her and her target. “It’s really okay with me.” She wanted to call out to Mana and…to Mana and tell her that she could really sit down and still guard her at the same time. But Konoka didn’t feel comfortable trying to convince the mercenary Mana to relax.

How cruel of you…you never would have hesitated with Set-chan.

Ah, part of her mind whispered, but now you do.

“How unprofessional that would seem!” Asuna shouted back, smiling as she reclined in her chair next to Target #3. “I’m under employ by the noble Konoe family, you know!”

“Asuna…” Konoka hated it whenever Asuna brought that up. That Asuna would even joke about being just an employee of her family. She didn’t like any reminders that her friends were hired by her grandfather…that they were paid by her family.

Asuna narrowed her eyes, glints of blue and green flashing at Konoka from across the range, then she raised an eyebrow. “Come on, Konoka, give it your best shot. I’m here with my bucket of water ready.” Playfully, she held up her bare, empty hands, ready for magic-cancelling.

A light emanated from Konoka’s body, causing her robes to flutter and her hair to blow back as she concentrated on completing the spell. Konoka didn’t really expect this spell to fix the problem her family had been working on for the past six months—but still, she hoped that at the very least, it could fix the instability in the physical structure of the Koyane Wards. That physical instability was more alarming at the moment than the weakening magical properties of the wards, since at least it would take an incredibly powerful mage or demon to pre-maturely break the magical wards. But at the moment, nearly any mildly powerful creature could break the stones that the wards were carved on, releasing ancient demons into the world.

The Fujiwara Clan had sealed those demons away in the past, and until last Halloween, the Koyane Wards had stood strong and invincible on the gateway to the demonic dimension the oni were imprisoned in. Indeed, the wards were so secure nearly everyone had forgotten about them, and even Konoka had only found out that her family was charged with the responsibility of protecting the wards six months ago.

Six months ago, when the age-long wards began to inexplicably fail.

And now it was up to her and Kyo to fix them. It was why the Konoe and the Wallwards united their families, after all.

Konoka took a breath, putting all of that out of her mind. Right now, she had to concentrate on her spellwork. Evangeline’s voice echoed in her head, Watch what you’re doing, stupid girl! Do you want to blow up half of Japan? Konoka could imagine her saying, and she giggled before steeling herself.

The incantations came nearly automatically; she had rehearsed this spell so many times before. Konoka’s eyes snapped open, and she carefully enunciated the last part of her new spell, a variation of the original healing scripture before snapping her fans forward to release her magic.

“Now!” She cried in warning to Asuna.

An explosion of rainbow light shot from Konoka towards the target, colliding with it and wrapping around the stone in coloured sheets that pulsed with white glows. Konoka ran over, squinting to see the effect of her spell on the cracked stone.

“It’s working!” Asuna shouted in excitement, watching the stone glow and the cracks slowly receding along its surface.

Leaning forward, Konoka was about to inspect her spell closer when a small movement in the corner of her eye distracted her. Mana had moved in closer the moment Konoka had approached her new spell, but that wasn’t what Konoka had noticed. She was so used to people moving around her that she didn’t even notice anymore. No, there was only one person who never ceased to catch her eye.

Konoka wondered with startling pique if she should feel happy that Setsuna cared about her to worry, or if she should be annoyed that her best friend didn’t have faith in Konoka’s invented spells. Asuna had explained to Konoka the concept of a near and distant guard, and despite the logic of her and Mana’s skill sets, Setsuna would always be the one patrolling in the distance, avoiding contact. Her childhood friend would only ever close in if she felt like Konoka would be in danger.

If it wasn’t a spell that she had cast herself, Konoka would unquestioningly have been touched.

“It can’t just heal the stone, it has to sustain the change,” Konoka commented aloud, forcing herself to turn her attention back to her experiment. “I tried to add in a looping component to the healing magic, so that it won’t—”

Suddenly, the stone pulsed, and Konoka leapt back as it started to vibrate ominously, shimmering with chaotic light.

“Get back!” She heard Mana shout, and things happened so fast they blurred together in Konoka’s vision.

Asuna sprang from her chair and dove for the target stone, her hands outstretched to cancel out the spell.

Something slammed into Konoka from behind, catching her up in strong arms and pivoting her out of the way until she was entirely shielded from the blast zone.

A soft clunk sounded, and Konoka blinked, seeing the stone roll across the ground before crumbling anticlimactically into a small pile of gravel. Harsh breathing sounded in her ear, and Konoka instinctively tucked her cheek into her would-be saviour’s shoulder. Her hands rose to touch a tense wrist before Konoka was suddenly released, making her stumble slightly in surprise.

“My apologies, Ojou-sama,” Setsuna’s quiet voice sounded from behind her. Konoka turned around to see Setsuna bent into a low bow before she straightened, her red eyes startling Konoka as they always did. It wasn’t like Konoka cared about their colour! Set-chan was Set-chan…But her Set-chan’s eyes were always so cold and sad and tired now.

“It’s…it’s nothing, Set…” Konoka paused, and took a breath. “Setsuna-san. Thank you for protecting me, in case Asuna didn’t reach the spell in time.”

Setsuna only bowed again, silently, before making her way back out to her previous position. Konoka watched her go, knowing that her disappointment was clear on her face and thankful that only her friends were there to see. It was hard to watch her dearest friend all day and yet fake indifference around the distant Setsuna and her husband’s servants…

“Um, Konoka?” Asuna reminded her gently. “Your spell?”

“Yes,” Konoka said, distractedly. “I think I overdid it…the Koyane wards are much stronger than my test targets and they’ll likely be able to handle the healing loop…but I can’t be sure. I’ll have to do some more reading on it…”

“Konoka-san?” Mana spoke up now. “My shift ends in ten minutes. May I suggest that you relocate to within the house, to ensure your security?”

Glancing at her, Konoka caught Mana’s eyes flicking sideways at Setsuna, then back at her with a slightly pleading expression. It took Konoka a moment to realize the hint. That’s right…Set-chan had been guarding me since this morning. She probably hasn’t eaten all day.

“That sounds like a good idea,” Asuna jumped in decisively. “Konoka, let’s go to my room and discuss tomorrow’s plans like planned?”

“Huh?” Konoka blinked, blushing as she accidentally gave away her utter lack of foreknowledge of that plan. But it’s not like Mana or Setsuna would have fallen for that lame excuse anyways, so no harm done in the long run… “Sure. Mana-san, can you tell Set-chan that I’ll be safe with Asuna in her room, and that both of you should get a paid night off?”

Agreeable as always when it came to money, Mana nodded. “I’ll let Setsuna know.”

Take care of her for me, Konoka wanted to tell Mana, but she held her tongue.

Asuna didn’t have the same hesitation in speaking once they were in her room with the door closed and out of earshot. “Konoka, you have to just talk with her.”

“I talk with her lots every day,” Konoka answered obstinately, flopping unlady-like onto Asuna’s bed. She tugged at the collar of her formal kimono, having let her Magister robes fade away.

Asuna glared at her, then sighed, sitting backwards on a chair and leaning her chin on the backrest. “Well, how are you feeling? I know that today didn’t go as you hoped…”

“Can we please do something else?” Konoka pleaded, smiling weakly. She knew that the moment Kyo came home, it was back to discussions about the wards, or more about their new household details…and Konoka dreaded either.

Her old roommate laughed, bending over to scoop something up. “Want to play Mario Kart?” Asuna grinned, passing Konoka one of the controls.

Brightening, Konoka giggled, tying back her kimono sleeves so that she could move easier. “I hope you’ve been practising!” She teased.

Asuna hit the player box, letting the powering up music be her answer as she grinned wickedly. Soon they were both seated on the bed, furiously trying to force the other off the side of the track. Asuna’s room was soundproofed—Konoka had no idea why, while Asuna and Mana had a snarky debate over whether it was a subtle insult or a compliment to Asuna’s job as Konoka’s secretary and research partner—and so they could play the game music as loud as they wanted to.

“Anyone going to come looking for you?” Asuna asked as she crashed into Konoka’s Mario character, her thumbs mashing on her controller.

“I told Ethan-san that I would be researching all day, and to not be disturbed unless it was something important,” Konoka replied as she quickly sent a row of bananas onto the track behind her, which Asuna began swerving around. The Wallward servant was Kyo’s old friend and was excellent at keeping things in the large house running but terrible at making new decisions. Ethan would always need to check every change in routine with her personally, interrupting Konoka during the day often. Konoka liked him though, even if he seemed to hate Setsuna for some reason. “I’ve only really started researching the new healing spells this week, since we had to set up the house and all, so they won’t think it’s weird.”

“Ha!” Asuna cried out triumphantly as she hit Konoka with a Koopa shell and cut past her around a bend. “So! How have the last few weeks been for you? I’m sorry I didn’t call, it’s unbearably tiring to sort out all the paperwork details of your life so that you can move cities…you’re lucky that you don’t have to deal with it yourself!”

“I wouldn’t have to deal with it anyway, Asuna,” Konoka said in amusement as she struggled to catch up, using one of her speed mushrooms to try and narrow the distance. “I grew up in Kyoto, remember?”

“Oh yeah. Okay, I’ve been here three days, and I have to say…does everyone act better-than-thou around here?”

“Asuna!” protested Konoka. “I’m sure that they don’t mean it that way…the Wallwards are a little more…aware of status than we are. It’s not surprising, since they’re a pretty new family. Are they bothering you? Should I talk to Ethan-san about it?”

“Ah, don’t do that!” Asuna said hastily, and her distraction cost her the lead as Konoka passed her. “Crap! No, I can live with it…they don’t seem to take me very seriously though, and that pisses me off. I guess I’ll just have to show them that I can do my job.”

“You’ll be great, don’t worry!” Konoka let out a happy giggle when she crossed the finish line first. She immediately hit the start button to play again. “There’s a great training yard here, and the library is just amazing! Kyo brought a lot of his personal library here, and I’m amazed at some of the books that he has. He told me that he has more on an electronic database, but I haven’t had a chance to look yet.”

Asuna glanced at the door nervously, even though she knew that no one could overhear them, and Konoka bit back a sigh, knowing the type of question that her friend was about to ask. “So, how’s he treating you?”

Konoka hated being right about that kind of thing.

Set-chan isn’t here…you can tell the truth, Konoka reminded herself. It wasn’t that she wanted to lie when Setsuna could hear her, or that she had to lie…Konoka just could never feel comfortable talking about Kyo when Setsuna was in earshot.

“He’s okay…we didn’t have a honeymoon or anything since he wanted to get to work on the wards as soon as possible.” Konoka shrugged, feeling torn between disappointment and relief. “It’s all…really confusing.”

Asuna bumped her knee with hers sympathetically. “What’s confusing?”

“Just…I do like him.” She hung her head, biting back tears. Her Mario lost momentum and crashed into the side of the track, stopping while all the other characters whizzed by. Asuna hit pause and turned around, concerned.

Konoka bit her lip, shivering slightly. She smiled though, setting her game controller down carefully to hide her trembling. “He’s a nice guy. He’s really devoted to helping us out with the wards, and if I ask him for something he’s really good at doing it for me. We like talking about books together.” She trailed off, realizing how banal she sounded.

“Ah,” Asuna said quietly, sadly, understandingly. Konoka knew that her friend could fill in the gaps herself.

But he’s not Set-chan.

But I don’t love him.

[isagrimorie]

Originally Posted by deathcurse

Ah, a few details first that I didn't mention before...this story takes place when Konoka, Setsuna and the gang are 21, and follows mostly the manga canon, although parts of the magical world arc may be ignored .

Here's the prologue again, and Chapter 1!

Love and Duty Come in Chains

Spoiler for Love and Duty Come in Chains, prologue:

Prologue

“I do.”

Those two words turned everything that had been hazily dreaded into something true.

“I do.”

There. It’s done. Setsuna closed her eyes. Even so, she couldn’t watch.

She couldn’t watch Konoka kiss that man. It was her one moment of weakness. She won’t have another.

She couldn’t, not for Konoka’s sake.

--

“If anyone present can show just cause as to why this couple may not be legally joined together, you should now declare it, or hereafter hold your peace.”

Setsuna kept her eyes open when Konoka looked at her. She stared straight back into Konoka’s searching, deep eyes in that pause. Stared, then looked away, silent.

Konoka didn’t look at Setsuna again.

--

“Kyo Wallward and Konoka Konoe, I pronounce you husband and wife, uniting the House of Wallward and Konoe in holy matrimony.”

“Together, may you find the strength to destroy the evils that plague our world and your Houses.”

How wonderful, Setsuna thought as she watched the married couple walk down the aisle surrounded by the Wallward guards towards the church door, that Konoka could manage to fulfill her duty to her family and yet still find a man who she genuinely cared about.

How wonderful.

--

“Setsuna, if you accept, I have another job for you.”

“I will, Headmaster.”

“I haven’t told you what it is yet.”

“What job I do doesn’t matter to me. I live to serve.”

Konoemon grunted, his white brows furrowing until they met above his nose as he peered at Setsuna, a painfully understanding quality in his stare. “As head of the Konoe family, I’m assigning you to guard our family heir. You are removed from the employ of Mahora Academy. Now, you are an employee of the Konoe.”

“Yes, sir.”

The old man watched her, then slid an officially sealed envelope across his desk. “This is my letter to the Wallward House, telling them that you are my employee and not theirs.”

“Yes, sir.”

“So they cannot ever dismiss you from Konoka’s service.”

Setsuna paused, her red eyes flashing over with a brief emotion before returning to their cool glassiness. “Yes, sir.”

“You will be her personal guardian. Even against her own desires or inclinations, you must protect Konoka at all costs. Let the Wallwards mumble about the Konoe dishonouring them, I don’t care. Your only duty is Konoka.” Konoemon stopped speaking and watched her. “Do you have any objections to your duty?”

Setsuna rose and put her fists together, Yuunagi held out horizontally before her as she bowed deeply.

“No, sir.”

--

“Se—Setsuna-san, I will be going out this afternoon to inspect the wards again.”

“Yes, ojou-sama.” Setsuna bowed, her black hair falling forward in a dark wave, blending into the black of her suit. She still dyed it, even though she had forgone the contact lenses ever since…ever since. “I will arrange for your security detail.”

“Alright,” Konoka said quietly.

She had stopped asking Setsuna to call her Kono-chan. It surprised Setsuna how much it hurt, each time she said the title, and not hear Konoka protest. Ridiculous, she knew, since she was the one who always insisted on it in the past. Her constant refusals never hurt until Konoka stopped asking. But it still sent a jolt through her heart, and she wished that she could blurt it out. It wouldn’t be that hard. Kono-chan. Kono-chan.

In the end, she couldn’t. Now…she wasn’t sure anymore why she couldn’t. Because it wasn’t the proper thing to do. It wasn’t the right thing to do.

Setsuna no longer cared why.

Because it was too late.

--

“Why are you doing this? Do you have some masochistic warrior thing, or are you just too much of a coward to fight for her?” Asuna slapped her, hard. Setsuna let her, not that she was admitting to the masochistic comment but because she deserved it. And Asuna had every right to be angry. She was the one who heard Konoka crying every night, after all.

“How can you just let her go?”

“Because he does make her happy.”

“She loves you!”

Setsuna laughed hollowly.

“I know.”

--

By the time Setsuna realized that she could have fought, that she could have tried for both their happiness, it was too late.

To the side, a servant bowed. “Lady Wallward, shall I fetch—”

“There’s no need. Setsuna-san will take care of me—of my security. All decisions will be in her hands.”

“But…very well, my lady.”

Konoka found and captured Setsuna’s gaze easily, her brown eyes still entirely trusting but missing that innocent, happy aura. “I trust her with my everything.”

--

“Secchan? Can…can you please stay with me? Stay with me, forever.”

“I promise.”

“B…Because I don’t think that I’m strong enough to do it on my own. I want my friend to be there with me, because…you make me stronger, Secchan.”

“I promise that I’ll always protect you.”

--

Despite anything Mana or Asuna said to her later, Setsuna didn’t lie then. Because she promised to protect Konoka’s body, her life and those of anyone else Konoka cared about. She never promised to protect Konoka’s heart. Because Setsuna knew.

She knew that she would be the one breaking it.

--

Konoka’s voice cut through Setsuna’s thoughts to capture her attention immediately. “Is something wrong, S—Setsuna-san?” One of her hands dropped, as if she had raised it towards Setsuna’s shoulder then let it fall short, empty.

Setsuna bowed her head, letting her loose hair fall to shield her face.

Everything.

“Nothing, Ojou-sama.”

Spoiler for Chapter 1:

Chapter 1
Konoe-Wallward House, Kyoto
May 2, 2010

“Asuna,” Konoka called, bringing her fans together before her chest. “I’m trying the second variation of Divine Wind Restore, on Target #3.”

Her friend nodded, shuffling her chair over the packed dirt lazily. “Good to go,” Asuna yawned, waving a hand idly. Konoka didn’t blame her for being bored—Asuna had waited for the hour that it took for Konoka to set up this particular trial, and she had gone through four trials earlier in the afternoon. Even the stoic Mana, standing to the side, thumbs hooked into her gun belt, actually looked visibly bored, although her sharp eyes never stopped scanning their surroundings keenly.

“You know, you really could have brought a manga or something to read,” Konoka called out, judging the distance between her and her target. “It’s really okay with me.” She wanted to call out to Mana and…to Mana and tell her that she could really sit down and still guard her at the same time. But Konoka didn’t feel comfortable trying to convince the mercenary Mana to relax.

How cruel of you…you never would have hesitated with Set-chan.

Ah, part of her mind whispered, but now you do.

“How unprofessional that would seem!” Asuna shouted back, smiling as she reclined in her chair next to Target #3. “I’m under employ by the noble Konoe family, you know!”

“Asuna…” Konoka hated it whenever Asuna brought that up. That Asuna would even joke about being just an employee of her family. She didn’t like any reminders that her friends were hired by her grandfather…that they were paid by her family.

Asuna narrowed her eyes, glints of blue and green flashing at Konoka from across the range, then she raised an eyebrow. “Come on, Konoka, give it your best shot. I’m here with my bucket of water ready.” Playfully, she held up her bare, empty hands, ready for magic-cancelling.

A light emanated from Konoka’s body, causing her robes to flutter and her hair to blow back as she concentrated on completing the spell. Konoka didn’t really expect this spell to fix the problem her family had been working on for the past six months—but still, she hoped that at the very least, it could fix the instability in the physical structure of the Koyane Wards. That physical instability was more alarming at the moment than the weakening magical properties of the wards, since at least it would take an incredibly powerful mage or demon to pre-maturely break the magical wards. But at the moment, nearly any mildly powerful creature could break the stones that the wards were carved on, releasing ancient demons into the world.

The Fujiwara Clan had sealed those demons away in the past, and until last Halloween, the Koyane Wards had stood strong and invincible on the gateway to the demonic dimension the oni were imprisoned in. Indeed, the wards were so secure nearly everyone had forgotten about them, and even Konoka had only found out that her family was charged with the responsibility of protecting the wards six months ago.

Six months ago, when the age-long wards began to inexplicably fail.

And now it was up to her and Kyo to fix them. It was why the Konoe and the Wallwards united their families, after all.

Konoka took a breath, putting all of that out of her mind. Right now, she had to concentrate on her spellwork. Evangeline’s voice echoed in her head, Watch what you’re doing, stupid girl! Do you want to blow up half of Japan? Konoka could imagine her saying, and she giggled before steeling herself.

The incantations came nearly automatically; she had rehearsed this spell so many times before. Konoka’s eyes snapped open, and she carefully enunciated the last part of her new spell, a variation of the original healing scripture before snapping her fans forward to release her magic.

“Now!” She cried in warning to Asuna.

An explosion of rainbow light shot from Konoka towards the target, colliding with it and wrapping around the stone in coloured sheets that pulsed with white glows. Konoka ran over, squinting to see the effect of her spell on the cracked stone.

“It’s working!” Asuna shouted in excitement, watching the stone glow and the cracks slowly receding along its surface.

Leaning forward, Konoka was about to inspect her spell closer when a small movement in the corner of her eye distracted her. Mana had moved in closer the moment Konoka had approached her new spell, but that wasn’t what Konoka had noticed. She was so used to people moving around her that she didn’t even notice anymore. No, there was only one person who never ceased to catch her eye.

Konoka wondered with startling pique if she should feel happy that Setsuna cared about her to worry, or if she should be annoyed that her best friend didn’t have faith in Konoka’s invented spells. Asuna had explained to Konoka the concept of a near and distant guard, and despite the logic of her and Mana’s skill sets, Setsuna would always be the one patrolling in the distance, avoiding contact. Her childhood friend would only ever close in if she felt like Konoka would be in danger.

If it wasn’t a spell that she had cast herself, Konoka would unquestioningly have been touched.

“It can’t just heal the stone, it has to sustain the change,” Konoka commented aloud, forcing herself to turn her attention back to her experiment. “I tried to add in a looping component to the healing magic, so that it won’t—”

Suddenly, the stone pulsed, and Konoka leapt back as it started to vibrate ominously, shimmering with chaotic light.

“Get back!” She heard Mana shout, and things happened so fast they blurred together in Konoka’s vision.

Asuna sprang from her chair and dove for the target stone, her hands outstretched to cancel out the spell.

Something slammed into Konoka from behind, catching her up in strong arms and pivoting her out of the way until she was entirely shielded from the blast zone.

A soft clunk sounded, and Konoka blinked, seeing the stone roll across the ground before crumbling anticlimactically into a small pile of gravel. Harsh breathing sounded in her ear, and Konoka instinctively tucked her cheek into her would-be saviour’s shoulder. Her hands rose to touch a tense wrist before Konoka was suddenly released, making her stumble slightly in surprise.

“My apologies, Ojou-sama,” Setsuna’s quiet voice sounded from behind her. Konoka turned around to see Setsuna bent into a low bow before she straightened, her red eyes startling Konoka as they always did. It wasn’t like Konoka cared about their colour! Set-chan was Set-chan…But her Set-chan’s eyes were always so cold and sad and tired now.

“It’s…it’s nothing, Set…” Konoka paused, and took a breath. “Setsuna-san. Thank you for protecting me, in case Asuna didn’t reach the spell in time.”

Setsuna only bowed again, silently, before making her way back out to her previous position. Konoka watched her go, knowing that her disappointment was clear on her face and thankful that only her friends were there to see. It was hard to watch her dearest friend all day and yet fake indifference around the distant Setsuna and her husband’s servants…

“Um, Konoka?” Asuna reminded her gently. “Your spell?”

“Yes,” Konoka said, distractedly. “I think I overdid it…the Koyane wards are much stronger than my test targets and they’ll likely be able to handle the healing loop…but I can’t be sure. I’ll have to do some more reading on it…”

“Konoka-san?” Mana spoke up now. “My shift ends in ten minutes. May I suggest that you relocate to within the house, to ensure your security?”

Glancing at her, Konoka caught Mana’s eyes flicking sideways at Setsuna, then back at her with a slightly pleading expression. It took Konoka a moment to realize the hint. That’s right…Set-chan had been guarding me since this morning. She probably hasn’t eaten all day.

“That sounds like a good idea,” Asuna jumped in decisively. “Konoka, let’s go to my room and discuss tomorrow’s plans like planned?”

“Huh?” Konoka blinked, blushing as she accidentally gave away her utter lack of foreknowledge of that plan. But it’s not like Mana or Setsuna would have fallen for that lame excuse anyways, so no harm done in the long run… “Sure. Mana-san, can you tell Set-chan that I’ll be safe with Asuna in her room, and that both of you should get a paid night off?”

Agreeable as always when it came to money, Mana nodded. “I’ll let Setsuna know.”

Take care of her for me, Konoka wanted to tell Mana, but she held her tongue.

Asuna didn’t have the same hesitation in speaking once they were in her room with the door closed and out of earshot. “Konoka, you have to just talk with her.”

“I talk with her lots every day,” Konoka answered obstinately, flopping unlady-like onto Asuna’s bed. She tugged at the collar of her formal kimono, having let her Magister robes fade away.

Asuna glared at her, then sighed, sitting backwards on a chair and leaning her chin on the backrest. “Well, how are you feeling? I know that today didn’t go as you hoped…”

“Can we please do something else?” Konoka pleaded, smiling weakly. She knew that the moment Kyo came home, it was back to discussions about the wards, or more about their new household details…and Konoka dreaded either.

Her old roommate laughed, bending over to scoop something up. “Want to play Mario Kart?” Asuna grinned, passing Konoka one of the controls.

Brightening, Konoka giggled, tying back her kimono sleeves so that she could move easier. “I hope you’ve been practising!” She teased.

Asuna hit the player box, letting the powering up music be her answer as she grinned wickedly. Soon they were both seated on the bed, furiously trying to force the other off the side of the track. Asuna’s room was soundproofed—Konoka had no idea why, while Asuna and Mana had a snarky debate over whether it was a subtle insult or a compliment to Asuna’s job as Konoka’s secretary and research partner—and so they could play the game music as loud as they wanted to.

“Anyone going to come looking for you?” Asuna asked as she crashed into Konoka’s Mario character, her thumbs mashing on her controller.

“I told Ethan-san that I would be researching all day, and to not be disturbed unless it was something important,” Konoka replied as she quickly sent a row of bananas onto the track behind her, which Asuna began swerving around. The Wallward servant was Kyo’s old friend and was excellent at keeping things in the large house running but terrible at making new decisions. Ethan would always need to check every change in routine with her personally, interrupting Konoka during the day often. Konoka liked him though, even if he seemed to hate Setsuna for some reason. “I’ve only really started researching the new healing spells this week, since we had to set up the house and all, so they won’t think it’s weird.”

“Ha!” Asuna cried out triumphantly as she hit Konoka with a Koopa shell and cut past her around a bend. “So! How have the last few weeks been for you? I’m sorry I didn’t call, it’s unbearably tiring to sort out all the paperwork details of your life so that you can move cities…you’re lucky that you don’t have to deal with it yourself!”

“I wouldn’t have to deal with it anyway, Asuna,” Konoka said in amusement as she struggled to catch up, using one of her speed mushrooms to try and narrow the distance. “I grew up in Kyoto, remember?”

“Oh yeah. Okay, I’ve been here three days, and I have to say…does everyone act better-than-thou around here?”

“Asuna!” protested Konoka. “I’m sure that they don’t mean it that way…the Wallwards are a little more…aware of status than we are. It’s not surprising, since they’re a pretty new family. Are they bothering you? Should I talk to Ethan-san about it?”

“Ah, don’t do that!” Asuna said hastily, and her distraction cost her the lead as Konoka passed her. “Crap! No, I can live with it…they don’t seem to take me very seriously though, and that pisses me off. I guess I’ll just have to show them that I can do my job.”

“You’ll be great, don’t worry!” Konoka let out a happy giggle when she crossed the finish line first. She immediately hit the start button to play again. “There’s a great training yard here, and the library is just amazing! Kyo brought a lot of his personal library here, and I’m amazed at some of the books that he has. He told me that he has more on an electronic database, but I haven’t had a chance to look yet.”

Asuna glanced at the door nervously, even though she knew that no one could overhear them, and Konoka bit back a sigh, knowing the type of question that her friend was about to ask. “So, how’s he treating you?”

Konoka hated being right about that kind of thing.

Set-chan isn’t here…you can tell the truth, Konoka reminded herself. It wasn’t that she wanted to lie when Setsuna could hear her, or that she had to lie…Konoka just could never feel comfortable talking about Kyo when Setsuna was in earshot.

“He’s okay…we didn’t have a honeymoon or anything since he wanted to get to work on the wards as soon as possible.” Konoka shrugged, feeling torn between disappointment and relief. “It’s all…really confusing.”

Asuna bumped her knee with hers sympathetically. “What’s confusing?”

“Just…I do like him.” She hung her head, biting back tears. Her Mario lost momentum and crashed into the side of the track, stopping while all the other characters whizzed by. Asuna hit pause and turned around, concerned.

Konoka bit her lip, shivering slightly. She smiled though, setting her game controller down carefully to hide her trembling. “He’s a nice guy. He’s really devoted to helping us out with the wards, and if I ask him for something he’s really good at doing it for me. We like talking about books together.” She trailed off, realizing how banal she sounded.

“Ah,” Asuna said quietly, sadly, understandingly. Konoka knew that her friend could fill in the gaps herself.

But he’s not Set-chan.

But I don’t love him.

I really like the first chapter, especially after the angst of the prologue... its not that this didn't have some pain but its like there is some easing of it and I like how you added in the talk between Asuna and Konoka showing their friendship and sometimes you need a friend like Asuna, someone who's willing to talk with you without pressure but still willing to talk some sense to you or, if you can take it, shake it into your stubborn head.

Mana was also a bonus, anytime there's a Mana I celebrate, she is such an awesome no nonsense character. All the drama is just white noise to her, she has a job to do and she'll do it really well.

[Merctrin]

Originally Posted by deathcurse

Ah, a few details first that I didn't mention before...this story takes place when Konoka, Setsuna and the gang are 21, and follows mostly the manga canon, although parts of the magical world arc may be ignored .

Here's the prologue again, and Chapter 1!

Love and Duty Come in Chains

Spoiler for Love and Duty Come in Chains, prologue:

Prologue

“I do.”

Those two words turned everything that had been hazily dreaded into something true.

“I do.”

There. It’s done. Setsuna closed her eyes. Even so, she couldn’t watch.

She couldn’t watch Konoka kiss that man. It was her one moment of weakness. She won’t have another.

She couldn’t, not for Konoka’s sake.

--

“If anyone present can show just cause as to why this couple may not be legally joined together, you should now declare it, or hereafter hold your peace.”

Setsuna kept her eyes open when Konoka looked at her. She stared straight back into Konoka’s searching, deep eyes in that pause. Stared, then looked away, silent.

Konoka didn’t look at Setsuna again.

--

“Kyo Wallward and Konoka Konoe, I pronounce you husband and wife, uniting the House of Wallward and Konoe in holy matrimony.”

“Together, may you find the strength to destroy the evils that plague our world and your Houses.”

How wonderful, Setsuna thought as she watched the married couple walk down the aisle surrounded by the Wallward guards towards the church door, that Konoka could manage to fulfill her duty to her family and yet still find a man who she genuinely cared about.

How wonderful.

--

“Setsuna, if you accept, I have another job for you.”

“I will, Headmaster.”

“I haven’t told you what it is yet.”

“What job I do doesn’t matter to me. I live to serve.”

Konoemon grunted, his white brows furrowing until they met above his nose as he peered at Setsuna, a painfully understanding quality in his stare. “As head of the Konoe family, I’m assigning you to guard our family heir. You are removed from the employ of Mahora Academy. Now, you are an employee of the Konoe.”

“Yes, sir.”

The old man watched her, then slid an officially sealed envelope across his desk. “This is my letter to the Wallward House, telling them that you are my employee and not theirs.”

“Yes, sir.”

“So they cannot ever dismiss you from Konoka’s service.”

Setsuna paused, her red eyes flashing over with a brief emotion before returning to their cool glassiness. “Yes, sir.”

“You will be her personal guardian. Even against her own desires or inclinations, you must protect Konoka at all costs. Let the Wallwards mumble about the Konoe dishonouring them, I don’t care. Your only duty is Konoka.” Konoemon stopped speaking and watched her. “Do you have any objections to your duty?”

Setsuna rose and put her fists together, Yuunagi held out horizontally before her as she bowed deeply.

“No, sir.”

--

“Se—Setsuna-san, I will be going out this afternoon to inspect the wards again.”

“Yes, ojou-sama.” Setsuna bowed, her black hair falling forward in a dark wave, blending into the black of her suit. She still dyed it, even though she had forgone the contact lenses ever since…ever since. “I will arrange for your security detail.”

“Alright,” Konoka said quietly.

She had stopped asking Setsuna to call her Kono-chan. It surprised Setsuna how much it hurt, each time she said the title, and not hear Konoka protest. Ridiculous, she knew, since she was the one who always insisted on it in the past. Her constant refusals never hurt until Konoka stopped asking. But it still sent a jolt through her heart, and she wished that she could blurt it out. It wouldn’t be that hard. Kono-chan. Kono-chan.

In the end, she couldn’t. Now…she wasn’t sure anymore why she couldn’t. Because it wasn’t the proper thing to do. It wasn’t the right thing to do.

Setsuna no longer cared why.

Because it was too late.

--

“Why are you doing this? Do you have some masochistic warrior thing, or are you just too much of a coward to fight for her?” Asuna slapped her, hard. Setsuna let her, not that she was admitting to the masochistic comment but because she deserved it. And Asuna had every right to be angry. She was the one who heard Konoka crying every night, after all.

“How can you just let her go?”

“Because he does make her happy.”

“She loves you!”

Setsuna laughed hollowly.

“I know.”

--

By the time Setsuna realized that she could have fought, that she could have tried for both their happiness, it was too late.

To the side, a servant bowed. “Lady Wallward, shall I fetch—”

“There’s no need. Setsuna-san will take care of me—of my security. All decisions will be in her hands.”

“But…very well, my lady.”

Konoka found and captured Setsuna’s gaze easily, her brown eyes still entirely trusting but missing that innocent, happy aura. “I trust her with my everything.”

--

“Secchan? Can…can you please stay with me? Stay with me, forever.”

“I promise.”

“B…Because I don’t think that I’m strong enough to do it on my own. I want my friend to be there with me, because…you make me stronger, Secchan.”

“I promise that I’ll always protect you.”

--

Despite anything Mana or Asuna said to her later, Setsuna didn’t lie then. Because she promised to protect Konoka’s body, her life and those of anyone else Konoka cared about. She never promised to protect Konoka’s heart. Because Setsuna knew.

She knew that she would be the one breaking it.

--

Konoka’s voice cut through Setsuna’s thoughts to capture her attention immediately. “Is something wrong, S—Setsuna-san?” One of her hands dropped, as if she had raised it towards Setsuna’s shoulder then let it fall short, empty.

Setsuna bowed her head, letting her loose hair fall to shield her face.

Everything.

“Nothing, Ojou-sama.”

Spoiler for Chapter 1:

Chapter 1
Konoe-Wallward House, Kyoto
May 2, 2010

“Asuna,” Konoka called, bringing her fans together before her chest. “I’m trying the second variation of Divine Wind Restore, on Target #3.”

Her friend nodded, shuffling her chair over the packed dirt lazily. “Good to go,” Asuna yawned, waving a hand idly. Konoka didn’t blame her for being bored—Asuna had waited for the hour that it took for Konoka to set up this particular trial, and she had gone through four trials earlier in the afternoon. Even the stoic Mana, standing to the side, thumbs hooked into her gun belt, actually looked visibly bored, although her sharp eyes never stopped scanning their surroundings keenly.

“You know, you really could have brought a manga or something to read,” Konoka called out, judging the distance between her and her target. “It’s really okay with me.” She wanted to call out to Mana and…to Mana and tell her that she could really sit down and still guard her at the same time. But Konoka didn’t feel comfortable trying to convince the mercenary Mana to relax.

How cruel of you…you never would have hesitated with Set-chan.

Ah, part of her mind whispered, but now you do.

“How unprofessional that would seem!” Asuna shouted back, smiling as she reclined in her chair next to Target #3. “I’m under employ by the noble Konoe family, you know!”

“Asuna…” Konoka hated it whenever Asuna brought that up. That Asuna would even joke about being just an employee of her family. She didn’t like any reminders that her friends were hired by her grandfather…that they were paid by her family.

Asuna narrowed her eyes, glints of blue and green flashing at Konoka from across the range, then she raised an eyebrow. “Come on, Konoka, give it your best shot. I’m here with my bucket of water ready.” Playfully, she held up her bare, empty hands, ready for magic-cancelling.

A light emanated from Konoka’s body, causing her robes to flutter and her hair to blow back as she concentrated on completing the spell. Konoka didn’t really expect this spell to fix the problem her family had been working on for the past six months—but still, she hoped that at the very least, it could fix the instability in the physical structure of the Koyane Wards. That physical instability was more alarming at the moment than the weakening magical properties of the wards, since at least it would take an incredibly powerful mage or demon to pre-maturely break the magical wards. But at the moment, nearly any mildly powerful creature could break the stones that the wards were carved on, releasing ancient demons into the world.

The Fujiwara Clan had sealed those demons away in the past, and until last Halloween, the Koyane Wards had stood strong and invincible on the gateway to the demonic dimension the oni were imprisoned in. Indeed, the wards were so secure nearly everyone had forgotten about them, and even Konoka had only found out that her family was charged with the responsibility of protecting the wards six months ago.

Six months ago, when the age-long wards began to inexplicably fail.

And now it was up to her and Kyo to fix them. It was why the Konoe and the Wallwards united their families, after all.

Konoka took a breath, putting all of that out of her mind. Right now, she had to concentrate on her spellwork. Evangeline’s voice echoed in her head, Watch what you’re doing, stupid girl! Do you want to blow up half of Japan? Konoka could imagine her saying, and she giggled before steeling herself.

The incantations came nearly automatically; she had rehearsed this spell so many times before. Konoka’s eyes snapped open, and she carefully enunciated the last part of her new spell, a variation of the original healing scripture before snapping her fans forward to release her magic.

“Now!” She cried in warning to Asuna.

An explosion of rainbow light shot from Konoka towards the target, colliding with it and wrapping around the stone in coloured sheets that pulsed with white glows. Konoka ran over, squinting to see the effect of her spell on the cracked stone.

“It’s working!” Asuna shouted in excitement, watching the stone glow and the cracks slowly receding along its surface.

Leaning forward, Konoka was about to inspect her spell closer when a small movement in the corner of her eye distracted her. Mana had moved in closer the moment Konoka had approached her new spell, but that wasn’t what Konoka had noticed. She was so used to people moving around her that she didn’t even notice anymore. No, there was only one person who never ceased to catch her eye.

Konoka wondered with startling pique if she should feel happy that Setsuna cared about her to worry, or if she should be annoyed that her best friend didn’t have faith in Konoka’s invented spells. Asuna had explained to Konoka the concept of a near and distant guard, and despite the logic of her and Mana’s skill sets, Setsuna would always be the one patrolling in the distance, avoiding contact. Her childhood friend would only ever close in if she felt like Konoka would be in danger.

If it wasn’t a spell that she had cast herself, Konoka would unquestioningly have been touched.

“It can’t just heal the stone, it has to sustain the change,” Konoka commented aloud, forcing herself to turn her attention back to her experiment. “I tried to add in a looping component to the healing magic, so that it won’t—”

Suddenly, the stone pulsed, and Konoka leapt back as it started to vibrate ominously, shimmering with chaotic light.

“Get back!” She heard Mana shout, and things happened so fast they blurred together in Konoka’s vision.

Asuna sprang from her chair and dove for the target stone, her hands outstretched to cancel out the spell.

Something slammed into Konoka from behind, catching her up in strong arms and pivoting her out of the way until she was entirely shielded from the blast zone.

A soft clunk sounded, and Konoka blinked, seeing the stone roll across the ground before crumbling anticlimactically into a small pile of gravel. Harsh breathing sounded in her ear, and Konoka instinctively tucked her cheek into her would-be saviour’s shoulder. Her hands rose to touch a tense wrist before Konoka was suddenly released, making her stumble slightly in surprise.

“My apologies, Ojou-sama,” Setsuna’s quiet voice sounded from behind her. Konoka turned around to see Setsuna bent into a low bow before she straightened, her red eyes startling Konoka as they always did. It wasn’t like Konoka cared about their colour! Set-chan was Set-chan…But her Set-chan’s eyes were always so cold and sad and tired now.

“It’s…it’s nothing, Set…” Konoka paused, and took a breath. “Setsuna-san. Thank you for protecting me, in case Asuna didn’t reach the spell in time.”

Setsuna only bowed again, silently, before making her way back out to her previous position. Konoka watched her go, knowing that her disappointment was clear on her face and thankful that only her friends were there to see. It was hard to watch her dearest friend all day and yet fake indifference around the distant Setsuna and her husband’s servants…

“Um, Konoka?” Asuna reminded her gently. “Your spell?”

“Yes,” Konoka said, distractedly. “I think I overdid it…the Koyane wards are much stronger than my test targets and they’ll likely be able to handle the healing loop…but I can’t be sure. I’ll have to do some more reading on it…”

“Konoka-san?” Mana spoke up now. “My shift ends in ten minutes. May I suggest that you relocate to within the house, to ensure your security?”

Glancing at her, Konoka caught Mana’s eyes flicking sideways at Setsuna, then back at her with a slightly pleading expression. It took Konoka a moment to realize the hint. That’s right…Set-chan had been guarding me since this morning. She probably hasn’t eaten all day.

“That sounds like a good idea,” Asuna jumped in decisively. “Konoka, let’s go to my room and discuss tomorrow’s plans like planned?”

“Huh?” Konoka blinked, blushing as she accidentally gave away her utter lack of foreknowledge of that plan. But it’s not like Mana or Setsuna would have fallen for that lame excuse anyways, so no harm done in the long run… “Sure. Mana-san, can you tell Set-chan that I’ll be safe with Asuna in her room, and that both of you should get a paid night off?”

Agreeable as always when it came to money, Mana nodded. “I’ll let Setsuna know.”

Take care of her for me, Konoka wanted to tell Mana, but she held her tongue.

Asuna didn’t have the same hesitation in speaking once they were in her room with the door closed and out of earshot. “Konoka, you have to just talk with her.”

“I talk with her lots every day,” Konoka answered obstinately, flopping unlady-like onto Asuna’s bed. She tugged at the collar of her formal kimono, having let her Magister robes fade away.

Asuna glared at her, then sighed, sitting backwards on a chair and leaning her chin on the backrest. “Well, how are you feeling? I know that today didn’t go as you hoped…”

“Can we please do something else?” Konoka pleaded, smiling weakly. She knew that the moment Kyo came home, it was back to discussions about the wards, or more about their new household details…and Konoka dreaded either.

Her old roommate laughed, bending over to scoop something up. “Want to play Mario Kart?” Asuna grinned, passing Konoka one of the controls.

Brightening, Konoka giggled, tying back her kimono sleeves so that she could move easier. “I hope you’ve been practising!” She teased.

Asuna hit the player box, letting the powering up music be her answer as she grinned wickedly. Soon they were both seated on the bed, furiously trying to force the other off the side of the track. Asuna’s room was soundproofed—Konoka had no idea why, while Asuna and Mana had a snarky debate over whether it was a subtle insult or a compliment to Asuna’s job as Konoka’s secretary and research partner—and so they could play the game music as loud as they wanted to.

“Anyone going to come looking for you?” Asuna asked as she crashed into Konoka’s Mario character, her thumbs mashing on her controller.

“I told Ethan-san that I would be researching all day, and to not be disturbed unless it was something important,” Konoka replied as she quickly sent a row of bananas onto the track behind her, which Asuna began swerving around. The Wallward servant was Kyo’s old friend and was excellent at keeping things in the large house running but terrible at making new decisions. Ethan would always need to check every change in routine with her personally, interrupting Konoka during the day often. Konoka liked him though, even if he seemed to hate Setsuna for some reason. “I’ve only really started researching the new healing spells this week, since we had to set up the house and all, so they won’t think it’s weird.”

“Ha!” Asuna cried out triumphantly as she hit Konoka with a Koopa shell and cut past her around a bend. “So! How have the last few weeks been for you? I’m sorry I didn’t call, it’s unbearably tiring to sort out all the paperwork details of your life so that you can move cities…you’re lucky that you don’t have to deal with it yourself!”

“I wouldn’t have to deal with it anyway, Asuna,” Konoka said in amusement as she struggled to catch up, using one of her speed mushrooms to try and narrow the distance. “I grew up in Kyoto, remember?”

“Oh yeah. Okay, I’ve been here three days, and I have to say…does everyone act better-than-thou around here?”

“Asuna!” protested Konoka. “I’m sure that they don’t mean it that way…the Wallwards are a little more…aware of status than we are. It’s not surprising, since they’re a pretty new family. Are they bothering you? Should I talk to Ethan-san about it?”

“Ah, don’t do that!” Asuna said hastily, and her distraction cost her the lead as Konoka passed her. “Crap! No, I can live with it…they don’t seem to take me very seriously though, and that pisses me off. I guess I’ll just have to show them that I can do my job.”

“You’ll be great, don’t worry!” Konoka let out a happy giggle when she crossed the finish line first. She immediately hit the start button to play again. “There’s a great training yard here, and the library is just amazing! Kyo brought a lot of his personal library here, and I’m amazed at some of the books that he has. He told me that he has more on an electronic database, but I haven’t had a chance to look yet.”

Asuna glanced at the door nervously, even though she knew that no one could overhear them, and Konoka bit back a sigh, knowing the type of question that her friend was about to ask. “So, how’s he treating you?”

Konoka hated being right about that kind of thing.

Set-chan isn’t here…you can tell the truth, Konoka reminded herself. It wasn’t that she wanted to lie when Setsuna could hear her, or that she had to lie…Konoka just could never feel comfortable talking about Kyo when Setsuna was in earshot.

“He’s okay…we didn’t have a honeymoon or anything since he wanted to get to work on the wards as soon as possible.” Konoka shrugged, feeling torn between disappointment and relief. “It’s all…really confusing.”

Asuna bumped her knee with hers sympathetically. “What’s confusing?”

“Just…I do like him.” She hung her head, biting back tears. Her Mario lost momentum and crashed into the side of the track, stopping while all the other characters whizzed by. Asuna hit pause and turned around, concerned.

Konoka bit her lip, shivering slightly. She smiled though, setting her game controller down carefully to hide her trembling. “He’s a nice guy. He’s really devoted to helping us out with the wards, and if I ask him for something he’s really good at doing it for me. We like talking about books together.” She trailed off, realizing how banal she sounded.

“Ah,” Asuna said quietly, sadly, understandingly. Konoka knew that her friend could fill in the gaps herself.

But he’s not Set-chan.

But I don’t love him.

Somehow, I'm relieved that Konoka still calls Setsuna, Set-chan, even if it's just in her head and when she's not talking directly to Setsuna. In the prologue it seemed sort of obvious that she was still getting used to not using the nickname, and all sorts of horrible reasons for that popped into my head, and... Ahem, yeah. It just seems wrong for Konoka to call her Setsuna-san.

Also yay, Asuna and Mana! Comforting to know that even if Setsuna is being distant, Konoka's not without friends. ...And I like the idea of Mana looking after Setsuna. Someone has to.

Curious about why Ethan hates Setsuna and I'm kinda wanting to see Kyo now, just to get a better idea of what his relationship with Konoka is really like. Thankfully he seems nice enough.

What fun this is. And a speedy update, too. That's always nice.

Now to sit back and wait impatiently for the next chapter.

[RadiantBeam]

Originally Posted by Merctrin

A Tsukuyomi/Setsuna story that takes place in the same continuity as this one. ...That kind of makes it a prequel, so reading it would be a good idea. It doesn't matter much for this first part, though, so feel free to ignore if you aren't interested.

This is just the prologue, and there will be multiple chapters assuming I ever get around to finishing it. It takes place shortly after the current arc, and I'm pretty sure that some future chapter will prove that it's AU, but for now I will happily embrace my delusion that something like this could possibly happen.

Spoiler for Taken Day by Day:

Killing was fun.


This was one of the great truths Tsukuyomi had come to accept during her time alive. Teachers and victims could say whatever they wanted about it being wrong and immoral, and maybe they were even right. But they would still leave that essential part out:


It was fun.


Not only was it fun, it was the most exhilarating hobby anyone could ever hope to take up. Nothing could possibly compare to slicing through someone’s body and feeling the spray of their blood splashing over you as you watched the life leave your victims’ eyes; the sensation of their final heartbeat pounding through your weapon.


At first, it was just about the blood and its heat. In the cold world Tsukuyomi inhabited, blood was the only thing that made her feel warm enough to be counted as alive. But then she found the Shinmei School, and learned how to fight properly—a way to enhance the pleasure of killing.


There was nothing like killing, but there was also nothing like dueling a strong opponent and snuffing the life out of him. Or her. She did tend to prefer what the flesh of women had to offer.


Before she knew how to properly wield her weapons, the killing had lacked the intimacy it so rightly deserved. In one parried blow, she could understand more about what drove her victim than a thousand stabs to the torso could have told her.


She still didn’t really get what it was that she was understanding, or why it mattered, but the end result was that she now felt a connection to her victims that she was free to slice to pieces. She would say that the moment when that bond was severed was what she lived for, but that wasn’t true, because not all deaths involved blood—and that was what she lived for.


What really made killing fun—well, one of the more curious aspects of it—was the way people’s eyes darkened the instant before their last heartbeat.


It was so funny. Even the warriors who swore that they’d fight until their last breath had that happen to them. Even the people who were holding onto memories of loved ones so desperately in an attempt to make their last moments peaceful—


Okay, so that part wasn’t really funny.


It was downright laughable that some people thought they could make their bodies shutting down feel more peaceful than it already was, but for some reason Tsukuyomi couldn’t bring herself to laugh about thinking of loved ones anymore. It seemed… wrong.


A few years ago, it still would have been funny, but things had—changed since then.


No one ever held on to their supposedly indomitable will on that last heartbeat; that was what made their eyes darken. In that final moment, they understood that it was finally the end.


So they gave up.


It was a very special moment, and with the best victims, she was the only one who would ever see that weakness in them. In that one moment, they truly surrendered the fight to her. And it would only ever happen once.


For months now (longer if she wanted to be picky, but in the beginning, it wasn’t personal), she’d only wanted to share that moment with one person.


The person who, if there hadn’t been any outside interference, she would have died thinking of.


Romanticism had never really been Tsukuyomi’s forte. To think of things like that and not have it be silly, didn’t it have to be focused around something—someone—you cared about for longer than a couple of seconds?


…Of course, that explained things rather neatly.


Sakurazaki Setsuna wasn’t just a passing interest—she’d managed to completely capture Tsukuyomi’s attention.


So maybe her last thoughts—which ended up not being her last thoughts at all—being so sappy wasn’t that strange. Setsuna always managed to make things special and different.


And confusing. Very, very confusing.


Now that Tsukuyomi wasn’t dying or in a hospital bed brooding about how she should have died, she was starting to wonder why one of her many supposedly-final thoughts about Setsuna had contained so much relief.


At the very end of it, after they both fought a battle they could be proud of, Tsukuyomi had been overwhelmed with happiness because—


Well—


Setsuna was still alive.


That apparently counted for a lot.


Confusing. For as long as they’d been fighting, Tsukuyomi had wanted to have a part in Setsuna’s death. Even during their final fight, she’d wanted to kill the half-demon. Badly. She’d wanted the thrill that came with killing to join with the delight she felt around Setsuna.


She didn’t think there could be any doubt that that would have given her pleasure unlike anything she’d ever known. Her fantasies had only ever given her a small taste when it came to imagining killing Setsuna.


And then Setsuna lived, and she’d been about to die, and… Tsukuyomi had decided to be happy about that turn of events for no particular reason that she could figure out. The lovely view of the blood dripping down Setsuna’s arm shouldn’t have been enough to cause that level of euphoria, right? Killing was what was fun. She’d always been under the impression that dying was significantly less fun.


But Setsuna was alive. Maybe that had something to do with it. Life could be fun sometimes too, even if it was a little dull without death somewhere in the mix.


…


It wasn’t like they didn’t have time to figure things out. Tsukuyomi thought it might just be confusing Setsuna too. They could work it out together.


After all, weren’t roommates supposed to help each other with strange things like feelings?

Spoiler for Notes:

So like I already said, this is a Tsukuyomi/Setsuna fic. There will also be quite a bit of KonoSetsu, but that's not the main pairing. The basic idea is that Tsukuyomi gets sent to Mahora for her involvement in Fate's (failed) plans, and Setsuna is assigned to be her, ah, jailer. And then... well, it's a SetsuYomi story. Expect insanity.

Thanks for reading!

...

Did.... did you just make me feel sorry for Tsukuyomi? Did you just make me start to understand how her mind works, at least a little bit, in regards to Setsuna?

...

Holy hell, you did. That is awesome!

More please?

Originally Posted by deathcurse

Ah, a few details first that I didn't mention before...this story takes place when Konoka, Setsuna and the gang are 21, and follows mostly the manga canon, although parts of the magical world arc may be ignored .

Here's the prologue again, and Chapter 1!

Love and Duty Come in Chains

Spoiler for Love and Duty Come in Chains, prologue:

Prologue

“I do.”

Those two words turned everything that had been hazily dreaded into something true.

“I do.”

There. It’s done. Setsuna closed her eyes. Even so, she couldn’t watch.

She couldn’t watch Konoka kiss that man. It was her one moment of weakness. She won’t have another.

She couldn’t, not for Konoka’s sake.

--

“If anyone present can show just cause as to why this couple may not be legally joined together, you should now declare it, or hereafter hold your peace.”

Setsuna kept her eyes open when Konoka looked at her. She stared straight back into Konoka’s searching, deep eyes in that pause. Stared, then looked away, silent.

Konoka didn’t look at Setsuna again.

--

“Kyo Wallward and Konoka Konoe, I pronounce you husband and wife, uniting the House of Wallward and Konoe in holy matrimony.”

“Together, may you find the strength to destroy the evils that plague our world and your Houses.”

How wonderful, Setsuna thought as she watched the married couple walk down the aisle surrounded by the Wallward guards towards the church door, that Konoka could manage to fulfill her duty to her family and yet still find a man who she genuinely cared about.

How wonderful.

--

“Setsuna, if you accept, I have another job for you.”

“I will, Headmaster.”

“I haven’t told you what it is yet.”

“What job I do doesn’t matter to me. I live to serve.”

Konoemon grunted, his white brows furrowing until they met above his nose as he peered at Setsuna, a painfully understanding quality in his stare. “As head of the Konoe family, I’m assigning you to guard our family heir. You are removed from the employ of Mahora Academy. Now, you are an employee of the Konoe.”

“Yes, sir.”

The old man watched her, then slid an officially sealed envelope across his desk. “This is my letter to the Wallward House, telling them that you are my employee and not theirs.”

“Yes, sir.”

“So they cannot ever dismiss you from Konoka’s service.”

Setsuna paused, her red eyes flashing over with a brief emotion before returning to their cool glassiness. “Yes, sir.”

“You will be her personal guardian. Even against her own desires or inclinations, you must protect Konoka at all costs. Let the Wallwards mumble about the Konoe dishonouring them, I don’t care. Your only duty is Konoka.” Konoemon stopped speaking and watched her. “Do you have any objections to your duty?”

Setsuna rose and put her fists together, Yuunagi held out horizontally before her as she bowed deeply.

“No, sir.”

--

“Se—Setsuna-san, I will be going out this afternoon to inspect the wards again.”

“Yes, ojou-sama.” Setsuna bowed, her black hair falling forward in a dark wave, blending into the black of her suit. She still dyed it, even though she had forgone the contact lenses ever since…ever since. “I will arrange for your security detail.”

“Alright,” Konoka said quietly.

She had stopped asking Setsuna to call her Kono-chan. It surprised Setsuna how much it hurt, each time she said the title, and not hear Konoka protest. Ridiculous, she knew, since she was the one who always insisted on it in the past. Her constant refusals never hurt until Konoka stopped asking. But it still sent a jolt through her heart, and she wished that she could blurt it out. It wouldn’t be that hard. Kono-chan. Kono-chan.

In the end, she couldn’t. Now…she wasn’t sure anymore why she couldn’t. Because it wasn’t the proper thing to do. It wasn’t the right thing to do.

Setsuna no longer cared why.

Because it was too late.

--

“Why are you doing this? Do you have some masochistic warrior thing, or are you just too much of a coward to fight for her?” Asuna slapped her, hard. Setsuna let her, not that she was admitting to the masochistic comment but because she deserved it. And Asuna had every right to be angry. She was the one who heard Konoka crying every night, after all.

“How can you just let her go?”

“Because he does make her happy.”

“She loves you!”

Setsuna laughed hollowly.

“I know.”

--

By the time Setsuna realized that she could have fought, that she could have tried for both their happiness, it was too late.

To the side, a servant bowed. “Lady Wallward, shall I fetch—”

“There’s no need. Setsuna-san will take care of me—of my security. All decisions will be in her hands.”

“But…very well, my lady.”

Konoka found and captured Setsuna’s gaze easily, her brown eyes still entirely trusting but missing that innocent, happy aura. “I trust her with my everything.”

--

“Secchan? Can…can you please stay with me? Stay with me, forever.”

“I promise.”

“B…Because I don’t think that I’m strong enough to do it on my own. I want my friend to be there with me, because…you make me stronger, Secchan.”

“I promise that I’ll always protect you.”

--

Despite anything Mana or Asuna said to her later, Setsuna didn’t lie then. Because she promised to protect Konoka’s body, her life and those of anyone else Konoka cared about. She never promised to protect Konoka’s heart. Because Setsuna knew.

She knew that she would be the one breaking it.

--

Konoka’s voice cut through Setsuna’s thoughts to capture her attention immediately. “Is something wrong, S—Setsuna-san?” One of her hands dropped, as if she had raised it towards Setsuna’s shoulder then let it fall short, empty.

Setsuna bowed her head, letting her loose hair fall to shield her face.

Everything.

“Nothing, Ojou-sama.”

Spoiler for Chapter 1:

Chapter 1
Konoe-Wallward House, Kyoto
May 2, 2010

“Asuna,” Konoka called, bringing her fans together before her chest. “I’m trying the second variation of Divine Wind Restore, on Target #3.”

Her friend nodded, shuffling her chair over the packed dirt lazily. “Good to go,” Asuna yawned, waving a hand idly. Konoka didn’t blame her for being bored—Asuna had waited for the hour that it took for Konoka to set up this particular trial, and she had gone through four trials earlier in the afternoon. Even the stoic Mana, standing to the side, thumbs hooked into her gun belt, actually looked visibly bored, although her sharp eyes never stopped scanning their surroundings keenly.

“You know, you really could have brought a manga or something to read,” Konoka called out, judging the distance between her and her target. “It’s really okay with me.” She wanted to call out to Mana and…to Mana and tell her that she could really sit down and still guard her at the same time. But Konoka didn’t feel comfortable trying to convince the mercenary Mana to relax.

How cruel of you…you never would have hesitated with Set-chan.

Ah, part of her mind whispered, but now you do.

“How unprofessional that would seem!” Asuna shouted back, smiling as she reclined in her chair next to Target #3. “I’m under employ by the noble Konoe family, you know!”

“Asuna…” Konoka hated it whenever Asuna brought that up. That Asuna would even joke about being just an employee of her family. She didn’t like any reminders that her friends were hired by her grandfather…that they were paid by her family.

Asuna narrowed her eyes, glints of blue and green flashing at Konoka from across the range, then she raised an eyebrow. “Come on, Konoka, give it your best shot. I’m here with my bucket of water ready.” Playfully, she held up her bare, empty hands, ready for magic-cancelling.

A light emanated from Konoka’s body, causing her robes to flutter and her hair to blow back as she concentrated on completing the spell. Konoka didn’t really expect this spell to fix the problem her family had been working on for the past six months—but still, she hoped that at the very least, it could fix the instability in the physical structure of the Koyane Wards. That physical instability was more alarming at the moment than the weakening magical properties of the wards, since at least it would take an incredibly powerful mage or demon to pre-maturely break the magical wards. But at the moment, nearly any mildly powerful creature could break the stones that the wards were carved on, releasing ancient demons into the world.

The Fujiwara Clan had sealed those demons away in the past, and until last Halloween, the Koyane Wards had stood strong and invincible on the gateway to the demonic dimension the oni were imprisoned in. Indeed, the wards were so secure nearly everyone had forgotten about them, and even Konoka had only found out that her family was charged with the responsibility of protecting the wards six months ago.

Six months ago, when the age-long wards began to inexplicably fail.

And now it was up to her and Kyo to fix them. It was why the Konoe and the Wallwards united their families, after all.

Konoka took a breath, putting all of that out of her mind. Right now, she had to concentrate on her spellwork. Evangeline’s voice echoed in her head, Watch what you’re doing, stupid girl! Do you want to blow up half of Japan? Konoka could imagine her saying, and she giggled before steeling herself.

The incantations came nearly automatically; she had rehearsed this spell so many times before. Konoka’s eyes snapped open, and she carefully enunciated the last part of her new spell, a variation of the original healing scripture before snapping her fans forward to release her magic.

“Now!” She cried in warning to Asuna.

An explosion of rainbow light shot from Konoka towards the target, colliding with it and wrapping around the stone in coloured sheets that pulsed with white glows. Konoka ran over, squinting to see the effect of her spell on the cracked stone.

“It’s working!” Asuna shouted in excitement, watching the stone glow and the cracks slowly receding along its surface.

Leaning forward, Konoka was about to inspect her spell closer when a small movement in the corner of her eye distracted her. Mana had moved in closer the moment Konoka had approached her new spell, but that wasn’t what Konoka had noticed. She was so used to people moving around her that she didn’t even notice anymore. No, there was only one person who never ceased to catch her eye.

Konoka wondered with startling pique if she should feel happy that Setsuna cared about her to worry, or if she should be annoyed that her best friend didn’t have faith in Konoka’s invented spells. Asuna had explained to Konoka the concept of a near and distant guard, and despite the logic of her and Mana’s skill sets, Setsuna would always be the one patrolling in the distance, avoiding contact. Her childhood friend would only ever close in if she felt like Konoka would be in danger.

If it wasn’t a spell that she had cast herself, Konoka would unquestioningly have been touched.

“It can’t just heal the stone, it has to sustain the change,” Konoka commented aloud, forcing herself to turn her attention back to her experiment. “I tried to add in a looping component to the healing magic, so that it won’t—”

Suddenly, the stone pulsed, and Konoka leapt back as it started to vibrate ominously, shimmering with chaotic light.

“Get back!” She heard Mana shout, and things happened so fast they blurred together in Konoka’s vision.

Asuna sprang from her chair and dove for the target stone, her hands outstretched to cancel out the spell.

Something slammed into Konoka from behind, catching her up in strong arms and pivoting her out of the way until she was entirely shielded from the blast zone.

A soft clunk sounded, and Konoka blinked, seeing the stone roll across the ground before crumbling anticlimactically into a small pile of gravel. Harsh breathing sounded in her ear, and Konoka instinctively tucked her cheek into her would-be saviour’s shoulder. Her hands rose to touch a tense wrist before Konoka was suddenly released, making her stumble slightly in surprise.

“My apologies, Ojou-sama,” Setsuna’s quiet voice sounded from behind her. Konoka turned around to see Setsuna bent into a low bow before she straightened, her red eyes startling Konoka as they always did. It wasn’t like Konoka cared about their colour! Set-chan was Set-chan…But her Set-chan’s eyes were always so cold and sad and tired now.

“It’s…it’s nothing, Set…” Konoka paused, and took a breath. “Setsuna-san. Thank you for protecting me, in case Asuna didn’t reach the spell in time.”

Setsuna only bowed again, silently, before making her way back out to her previous position. Konoka watched her go, knowing that her disappointment was clear on her face and thankful that only her friends were there to see. It was hard to watch her dearest friend all day and yet fake indifference around the distant Setsuna and her husband’s servants…

“Um, Konoka?” Asuna reminded her gently. “Your spell?”

“Yes,” Konoka said, distractedly. “I think I overdid it…the Koyane wards are much stronger than my test targets and they’ll likely be able to handle the healing loop…but I can’t be sure. I’ll have to do some more reading on it…”

“Konoka-san?” Mana spoke up now. “My shift ends in ten minutes. May I suggest that you relocate to within the house, to ensure your security?”

Glancing at her, Konoka caught Mana’s eyes flicking sideways at Setsuna, then back at her with a slightly pleading expression. It took Konoka a moment to realize the hint. That’s right…Set-chan had been guarding me since this morning. She probably hasn’t eaten all day.

“That sounds like a good idea,” Asuna jumped in decisively. “Konoka, let’s go to my room and discuss tomorrow’s plans like planned?”

“Huh?” Konoka blinked, blushing as she accidentally gave away her utter lack of foreknowledge of that plan. But it’s not like Mana or Setsuna would have fallen for that lame excuse anyways, so no harm done in the long run… “Sure. Mana-san, can you tell Set-chan that I’ll be safe with Asuna in her room, and that both of you should get a paid night off?”

Agreeable as always when it came to money, Mana nodded. “I’ll let Setsuna know.”

Take care of her for me, Konoka wanted to tell Mana, but she held her tongue.

Asuna didn’t have the same hesitation in speaking once they were in her room with the door closed and out of earshot. “Konoka, you have to just talk with her.”

“I talk with her lots every day,” Konoka answered obstinately, flopping unlady-like onto Asuna’s bed. She tugged at the collar of her formal kimono, having let her Magister robes fade away.

Asuna glared at her, then sighed, sitting backwards on a chair and leaning her chin on the backrest. “Well, how are you feeling? I know that today didn’t go as you hoped…”

“Can we please do something else?” Konoka pleaded, smiling weakly. She knew that the moment Kyo came home, it was back to discussions about the wards, or more about their new household details…and Konoka dreaded either.

Her old roommate laughed, bending over to scoop something up. “Want to play Mario Kart?” Asuna grinned, passing Konoka one of the controls.

Brightening, Konoka giggled, tying back her kimono sleeves so that she could move easier. “I hope you’ve been practising!” She teased.

Asuna hit the player box, letting the powering up music be her answer as she grinned wickedly. Soon they were both seated on the bed, furiously trying to force the other off the side of the track. Asuna’s room was soundproofed—Konoka had no idea why, while Asuna and Mana had a snarky debate over whether it was a subtle insult or a compliment to Asuna’s job as Konoka’s secretary and research partner—and so they could play the game music as loud as they wanted to.

“Anyone going to come looking for you?” Asuna asked as she crashed into Konoka’s Mario character, her thumbs mashing on her controller.

“I told Ethan-san that I would be researching all day, and to not be disturbed unless it was something important,” Konoka replied as she quickly sent a row of bananas onto the track behind her, which Asuna began swerving around. The Wallward servant was Kyo’s old friend and was excellent at keeping things in the large house running but terrible at making new decisions. Ethan would always need to check every change in routine with her personally, interrupting Konoka during the day often. Konoka liked him though, even if he seemed to hate Setsuna for some reason. “I’ve only really started researching the new healing spells this week, since we had to set up the house and all, so they won’t think it’s weird.”

“Ha!” Asuna cried out triumphantly as she hit Konoka with a Koopa shell and cut past her around a bend. “So! How have the last few weeks been for you? I’m sorry I didn’t call, it’s unbearably tiring to sort out all the paperwork details of your life so that you can move cities…you’re lucky that you don’t have to deal with it yourself!”

“I wouldn’t have to deal with it anyway, Asuna,” Konoka said in amusement as she struggled to catch up, using one of her speed mushrooms to try and narrow the distance. “I grew up in Kyoto, remember?”

“Oh yeah. Okay, I’ve been here three days, and I have to say…does everyone act better-than-thou around here?”

“Asuna!” protested Konoka. “I’m sure that they don’t mean it that way…the Wallwards are a little more…aware of status than we are. It’s not surprising, since they’re a pretty new family. Are they bothering you? Should I talk to Ethan-san about it?”

“Ah, don’t do that!” Asuna said hastily, and her distraction cost her the lead as Konoka passed her. “Crap! No, I can live with it…they don’t seem to take me very seriously though, and that pisses me off. I guess I’ll just have to show them that I can do my job.”

“You’ll be great, don’t worry!” Konoka let out a happy giggle when she crossed the finish line first. She immediately hit the start button to play again. “There’s a great training yard here, and the library is just amazing! Kyo brought a lot of his personal library here, and I’m amazed at some of the books that he has. He told me that he has more on an electronic database, but I haven’t had a chance to look yet.”

Asuna glanced at the door nervously, even though she knew that no one could overhear them, and Konoka bit back a sigh, knowing the type of question that her friend was about to ask. “So, how’s he treating you?”

Konoka hated being right about that kind of thing.

Set-chan isn’t here…you can tell the truth, Konoka reminded herself. It wasn’t that she wanted to lie when Setsuna could hear her, or that she had to lie…Konoka just could never feel comfortable talking about Kyo when Setsuna was in earshot.

“He’s okay…we didn’t have a honeymoon or anything since he wanted to get to work on the wards as soon as possible.” Konoka shrugged, feeling torn between disappointment and relief. “It’s all…really confusing.”

Asuna bumped her knee with hers sympathetically. “What’s confusing?”

“Just…I do like him.” She hung her head, biting back tears. Her Mario lost momentum and crashed into the side of the track, stopping while all the other characters whizzed by. Asuna hit pause and turned around, concerned.

Konoka bit her lip, shivering slightly. She smiled though, setting her game controller down carefully to hide her trembling. “He’s a nice guy. He’s really devoted to helping us out with the wards, and if I ask him for something he’s really good at doing it for me. We like talking about books together.” She trailed off, realizing how banal she sounded.

“Ah,” Asuna said quietly, sadly, understandingly. Konoka knew that her friend could fill in the gaps herself.

But he’s not Set-chan.

But I don’t love him.

Oh, boy.

Nice to see you worked in some of the concepts we discussed last night, though I still say you need to give the guy more characterization so it isn't a completely one-sided love triangle. On top of that, though, I loved this; Mana and Asuna were awesome to see, Asuna and Konoka playing Mario Kart was hilarious, and the last three lines just ache.

[deathcurse]

Originally Posted by isagrimorie

I really like the first chapter, especially after the angst of the prologue... its not that this didn't have some pain but its like there is some easing of it and I like how you added in the talk between Asuna and Konoka showing their friendship and sometimes you need a friend like Asuna, someone who's willing to talk with you without pressure but still willing to talk some sense to you or, if you can take it, shake it into your stubborn head.

Mana was also a bonus, anytime there's a Mana I celebrate, she is such an awesome no nonsense character. All the drama is just white noise to her, she has a job to do and she'll do it really well.

Yeah, I don't think that I could sustain the angst of the prologue for many chapters! I tried to cram a bunch of plot-related stuff in the first chapter, but I had to do some world-creating as well, so hopefully more will be answered in Chapter 2 .

Mana is awesome . Does her stuff, punches in her clock, and asks for overtime pay if she's been asked to work overtime ...

Originally Posted by Merctrin

Somehow, I'm relieved that Konoka still calls Setsuna, Set-chan, even if it's just in her head and when she's not talking directly to Setsuna. In the prologue it seemed sort of obvious that she was still getting used to not using the nickname, and all sorts of horrible reasons for that popped into my head, and... Ahem, yeah. It just seems wrong for Konoka to call her Setsuna-san.

Also yay, Asuna and Mana! Comforting to know that even if Setsuna is being distant, Konoka's not without friends. ...And I like the idea of Mana looking after Setsuna. Someone has to.

Curious about why Ethan hates Setsuna and I'm kinda wanting to see Kyo now, just to get a better idea of what his relationship with Konoka is really like. Thankfully he seems nice enough.

What fun this is. And a speedy update, too. That's always nice.

Now to sit back and wait impatiently for the next chapter.

It was so weird to write Konoka saying "Setsuna-san" , I actually had trouble typing it down since I kept cutting myself off after the "t" .

My original concept didn't include Asuna, but the thought of poor Konoka on her own had me add Asuna to the story . Hopefully I can capture Mana and Setsuna's odd friendship/working dynamic in later chapters!

Wow, one week is speedy?

Originally Posted by RadiantBeam

Oh, boy.

Nice to see you worked in some of the concepts we discussed last night, though I still say you need to give the guy more characterization so it isn't a completely one-sided love triangle. On top of that, though, I loved this; Mana and Asuna were awesome to see, Asuna and Konoka playing Mario Kart was hilarious, and the last three lines just ache.

Well, you should have expected it ....

Yeah, I'll definitely go in Kyo more, but he's not that important at this point in the story, which is still getting all the background mess off the ground...this means I'll actually have to create a personality for the man!

Asuna and Konoka playing Mario Kart was the only idea I had for this chapter , and I wanted them to have a serious conversation while doing something so random . Poor Konoka won't get many chances to relax once the story kicks off...

Thanks to all of you for reading! ^^

[isagrimorie]

Originally Posted by Merctrin

A Tsukuyomi/Setsuna story that takes place in the same continuity as this one. ...That kind of makes it a prequel, so reading it would be a good idea. It doesn't matter much for this first part, though, so feel free to ignore if you aren't interested.

This is just the prologue, and there will be multiple chapters assuming I ever get around to finishing it. It takes place shortly after the current arc, and I'm pretty sure that some future chapter will prove that it's AU, but for now I will happily embrace my delusion that something like this could possibly happen.

Spoiler for Taken Day by Day:

Killing was fun.


This was one of the great truths Tsukuyomi had come to accept during her time alive. Teachers and victims could say whatever they wanted about it being wrong and immoral, and maybe they were even right. But they would still leave that essential part out:


It was fun.


Not only was it fun, it was the most exhilarating hobby anyone could ever hope to take up. Nothing could possibly compare to slicing through someone’s body and feeling the spray of their blood splashing over you as you watched the life leave your victims’ eyes; the sensation of their final heartbeat pounding through your weapon.


At first, it was just about the blood and its heat. In the cold world Tsukuyomi inhabited, blood was the only thing that made her feel warm enough to be counted as alive. But then she found the Shinmei School, and learned how to fight properly—a way to enhance the pleasure of killing.


There was nothing like killing, but there was also nothing like dueling a strong opponent and snuffing the life out of him. Or her. She did tend to prefer what the flesh of women had to offer.


Before she knew how to properly wield her weapons, the killing had lacked the intimacy it so rightly deserved. In one parried blow, she could understand more about what drove her victim than a thousand stabs to the torso could have told her.


She still didn’t really get what it was that she was understanding, or why it mattered, but the end result was that she now felt a connection to her victims that she was free to slice to pieces. She would say that the moment when that bond was severed was what she lived for, but that wasn’t true, because not all deaths involved blood—and that was what she lived for.


What really made killing fun—well, one of the more curious aspects of it—was the way people’s eyes darkened the instant before their last heartbeat.


It was so funny. Even the warriors who swore that they’d fight until their last breath had that happen to them. Even the people who were holding onto memories of loved ones so desperately in an attempt to make their last moments peaceful—


Okay, so that part wasn’t really funny.


It was downright laughable that some people thought they could make their bodies shutting down feel more peaceful than it already was, but for some reason Tsukuyomi couldn’t bring herself to laugh about thinking of loved ones anymore. It seemed… wrong.


A few years ago, it still would have been funny, but things had—changed since then.


No one ever held on to their supposedly indomitable will on that last heartbeat; that was what made their eyes darken. In that final moment, they understood that it was finally the end.


So they gave up.


It was a very special moment, and with the best victims, she was the only one who would ever see that weakness in them. In that one moment, they truly surrendered the fight to her. And it would only ever happen once.


For months now (longer if she wanted to be picky, but in the beginning, it wasn’t personal), she’d only wanted to share that moment with one person.


The person who, if there hadn’t been any outside interference, she would have died thinking of.


Romanticism had never really been Tsukuyomi’s forte. To think of things like that and not have it be silly, didn’t it have to be focused around something—someone—you cared about for longer than a couple of seconds?


…Of course, that explained things rather neatly.


Sakurazaki Setsuna wasn’t just a passing interest—she’d managed to completely capture Tsukuyomi’s attention.


So maybe her last thoughts—which ended up not being her last thoughts at all—being so sappy wasn’t that strange. Setsuna always managed to make things special and different.


And confusing. Very, very confusing.


Now that Tsukuyomi wasn’t dying or in a hospital bed brooding about how she should have died, she was starting to wonder why one of her many supposedly-final thoughts about Setsuna had contained so much relief.


At the very end of it, after they both fought a battle they could be proud of, Tsukuyomi had been overwhelmed with happiness because—


Well—


Setsuna was still alive.


That apparently counted for a lot.


Confusing. For as long as they’d been fighting, Tsukuyomi had wanted to have a part in Setsuna’s death. Even during their final fight, she’d wanted to kill the half-demon. Badly. She’d wanted the thrill that came with killing to join with the delight she felt around Setsuna.


She didn’t think there could be any doubt that that would have given her pleasure unlike anything she’d ever known. Her fantasies had only ever given her a small taste when it came to imagining killing Setsuna.


And then Setsuna lived, and she’d been about to die, and… Tsukuyomi had decided to be happy about that turn of events for no particular reason that she could figure out. The lovely view of the blood dripping down Setsuna’s arm shouldn’t have been enough to cause that level of euphoria, right? Killing was what was fun. She’d always been under the impression that dying was significantly less fun.


But Setsuna was alive. Maybe that had something to do with it. Life could be fun sometimes too, even if it was a little dull without death somewhere in the mix.


…


It wasn’t like they didn’t have time to figure things out. Tsukuyomi thought it might just be confusing Setsuna too. They could work it out together.


After all, weren’t roommates supposed to help each other with strange things like feelings?

Spoiler for Notes:

So like I already said, this is a Tsukuyomi/Setsuna fic. There will also be quite a bit of KonoSetsu, but that's not the main pairing. The basic idea is that Tsukuyomi gets sent to Mahora for her involvement in Fate's (failed) plans, and Setsuna is assigned to be her, ah, jailer. And then... well, it's a SetsuYomi story. Expect insanity.

Thanks for reading!

I started reading your Tsukuyomi story out of curiosity and was surprised by how much I'm intrigued by it. Your Tskukyomi is just a right mix of crazy... and crazier (if that makes sense!). Tsukuyomi is not a nice person and probably a far more disturbing sort of evil than Eva-- then again, we're not really shown that side of Eva since she's supposedly grown out of thirsting for blood.

I'm really curious how Tsukuyomi will mix with 3/A, I'm sure most of the core Ala Alba are none too happy to be sharing a class room with someone like Tsukuyomi.

Originally Posted by deathcurse

Asuna and Konoka playing Mario Kart was the only idea I had for this chapter , and I wanted them to have a serious conversation while doing something so random . Poor Konoka won't get many chances to relax once the story kicks off...

Thanks to all of you for reading! ^^

Asuna and Konoka playing Mario Kart was an inspired idea, I really liked it. Its something I can see doing to unwind and/or holding this kind of discussion. Mana taking care of Setsuna in her own way is very much like her. I love how she does things with little to no fanfare.

[deathcurse]

WARNING: Spoiler for chapter 277 of the manga...and tragedy warning!

Spoiler for Truth and Dying:

Truth and Dying

“CLASS REP!”

I couldn’t remember if I had screamed, but I definitely heard Yue shouting my name as my knees gave out. Ruining my uniform was definitely worth it when I fell forward and felt Yue catch me, her arms wrapped tightly against me to keep me from hitting the ground.

Emily, I thought to myself wryly, you must be hurt bad…to delude yourself into thinking that this counts as a hug from the girl you love.

I heard Bea shouting “Ojou-sama!” in the distance, along with the more alarming sound of the black metallic droid’s laser charging up again for a second shot.

Desperately, I grabbed at Yue’s arm but she was faster, throwing both of us back and defiantly shielding me with her body. It shouldn’t be that way…I’m the one who’s supposed to be protecting her…I’m the class representative.

I’m the older one, the more experienced one…but Yue’s more powerful than I am, I know it. I think I’ve known it since I first saw her, and so I lied all the harder because I was scared that she was better than I was. If it was one thing my family has taught me well, it was how to never tell the truth about the things that matter most to you.

The gunslinger destroyed the droid, the explosion slamming Yue into me as bits of shrapnel sprayed into the air.

Yue held me so tightly against her I could feel her pounding heartbeat echoing into my body.

I remembered Yue saving my life from the griffin dragon, and how she seemed so beautiful and so sure in being the hero. Every time she felt strongly about something I could see her expression change so candidly, as if she wasn’t used to being honest and expressive about her emotions. Such the opposite of myself—I hid myself under shallow tantrums and boasting so well that only Beatrice could read what I really felt underneath. In that instant when Yue called upon her Artefact and faced down the dragon with that powerful confidence on her face, I knew that I had fallen in love.

Fallen in love with a human girl, who was a near stranger to me, who was my rival…this utterly unsuitable girl who had captured my interest no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise. Ayase Yue.

“Yue-san…” I whispered, lost somewhere between the past and the present.

“Class rep! Are you alright?” Yue cried out, pulling away to look at my face.

It took me a moment to answer—very immaturely, I was torn between dejection that she was no longer pressed up against me, and delight that I could see her lovely face. Her hands on my waist were hot through my uniform, and I forced my eyes to open to look at her squarely, trying to smile.

“Ahah…it was only a scratch…it doesn’t even hurt…” I lied. Without looking, I knew that the blast had burned me badly, but the pain didn’t matter as much as the knowledge that Yue was unhurt and the fact that she was still holding me, the closest we’ve been together since our battle with the dragon.

“No…you’re just not feeling the pain out of shock!” Yue exclaimed, still so smart and logical even when there was pandemonium around us. I’ve never seen her so frantic, so troubled…more often I was the one fretting and shouting about something while she only gave me a bored expression in return (something that only fondly infuriated me more when I was mid-rant). But I was oddly calm now, simply smiling back at her while lying through my teeth.

My mother showed me how to lie to the ones you love. She would come home late at night, and lie to me with such an honest face that I would believe her, even when I had grown out of childhood. The only thing she said to me when I came to her crying one day was, “You shouldn’t have told her what you really felt. When people know your truths, they can turn your own heart on you. And there would be nothing you can do to stop them.”

Thank you mother, for making me into someone who can lie without thinking, who won the admiration of all my classmates for being noble, haughty and mysterious…for being the fantasy that they all wanted me to be. I didn’t hate myself, but I always knew that I wasn’t someone to be admired. I wasn’t the kind of person who burned with bravery and painful honesty, someone who unknowingly was the best of all of us.

The kind of person I knew to treasure…

Yue stared at me, shocked, her eyes wide and searching. “Why?! Why would you put yourself in danger to protect the likes of me?”

What a silly girl…

This wonderful, brave and clever girl…

“Well, if you will always be such a dullard…” I managed to say, feeling a soft, affectionate smile come onto my lips. Sweat dripped down my face—Yue was right, shock had blocked most of the pain… “Honestly…” The words came out of me unaltered, each word painful and raw and lined with honest emotion. “What am I going to do with you…?”

It was almost funny, how only at the end of my life could I finally manage to be truthful.

From the amazed blush on Yue’s face, I knew that she could hear the subtext in my voice. Those bright eyes glittered with awe and shock as she stared at me, a stunned whisper escaping from her open mouth. “Class rep…”

I wish she could say my name. Hers was so beautiful on my tongue…

A hot flash shot through both of us, and I gasped, feeling my head snap back. Yue’s amazement turned into surprise, then dawning horror.

I saw glowing petals drift into my field of vision…the same kind of petals that had filled the room earlier when the droids first attacked. Anguish filled my heart until I realized that only I was getting ripped apart, and not Yue—then I could let my tension slip away for the last time.

As long as she was safe, my last moments could be full of all the love I had for her and not dreadful fear that I couldn’t be there to protect her anymore.

Yue was cupping my face desperately, shaking, her face pale and full of the same anguish that I no longer felt. “Cl…”

I had to hear her name on my lips one last time. “Yu…” The buzzing agony had spread up my chest and neck, cutting off my breath. All I could feel were her hands on my cheeks and see the tragic dismay in her violet eyes.

I love her.

My eyes closed, and I felt something warm brush against my lips before everything faded away into soft darkness.

Spoiler for Author's Note:

Emily's death in Chapter 277 broke my heart, and this was before I even knew anything about her. And I just knew that I had to write something about it...

Translations were taken from onemanga.com.

I made up a lot of Emily's family details, since as far as I know there's nothing to contradict it...I wanted to give Emily a reason for acting in such a tsundere manner towards Yue in the beginning, and yet there was such a tender scene when she died.

[RadiantBeam]

Originally Posted by deathcurse

WARNING: Spoiler for chapter 277 of the manga...and tragedy warning!

Spoiler for Truth and Dying:

Truth and Dying

“CLASS REP!”

I couldn’t remember if I had screamed, but I definitely heard Yue shouting my name as my knees gave out. Ruining my uniform was definitely worth it when I fell forward and felt Yue catch me, her arms wrapped tightly against me to keep me from hitting the ground.

Emily, I thought to myself wryly, you must be hurt bad…to delude yourself into thinking that this counts as a hug from the girl you love.

I heard Bea shouting “Ojou-sama!” in the distance, along with the more alarming sound of the black metallic droid’s laser charging up again for a second shot.

Desperately, I grabbed at Yue’s arm but she was faster, throwing both of us back and defiantly shielding me with her body. It shouldn’t be that way…I’m the one who’s supposed to be protecting her…I’m the class representative.

I’m the older one, the more experienced one…but Yue’s more powerful than I am, I know it. I think I’ve known it since I first saw her, and so I lied all the harder because I was scared that she was better than I was. If it was one thing my family has taught me well, it was how to never tell the truth about the things that matter most to you.

The gunslinger destroyed the droid, the explosion slamming Yue into me as bits of shrapnel sprayed into the air.

Yue held me so tightly against her I could feel her pounding heartbeat echoing into my body.

I remembered Yue saving my life from the griffin dragon, and how she seemed so beautiful and so sure in being the hero. Every time she felt strongly about something I could see her expression change so candidly, as if she wasn’t used to being honest and expressive about her emotions. Such the opposite of myself—I hid myself under shallow tantrums and boasting so well that only Beatrice could read what I really felt underneath. In that instant when Yue called upon her Artefact and faced down the dragon with that powerful confidence on her face, I knew that I had fallen in love.

Fallen in love with a human girl, who was a near stranger to me, who was my rival…this utterly unsuitable girl who had captured my interest no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise. Ayase Yue.

“Yue-san…” I whispered, lost somewhere between the past and the present.

“Class rep! Are you alright?” Yue cried out, pulling away to look at my face.

It took me a moment to answer—very immaturely, I was torn between dejection that she was no longer pressed up against me, and delight that I could see her lovely face. Her hands on my waist were hot through my uniform, and I forced my eyes to open to look at her squarely, trying to smile.

“Ahah…it was only a scratch…it doesn’t even hurt…” I lied. Without looking, I knew that the blast had burned me badly, but the pain didn’t matter as much as the knowledge that Yue was unhurt and the fact that she was still holding me, the closest we’ve been together since our battle with the dragon.

“No…you’re just not feeling the pain out of shock!” Yue exclaimed, still so smart and logical even when there was pandemonium around us. I’ve never seen her so frantic, so troubled…more often I was the one fretting and shouting about something while she only gave me a bored expression in return (something that only fondly infuriated me more when I was mid-rant). But I was oddly calm now, simply smiling back at her while lying through my teeth.

My mother showed me how to lie to the ones you love. She would come home late at night, and lie to me with such an honest face that I would believe her, even when I had grown out of childhood. The only thing she said to me when I came to her crying one day was, “You shouldn’t have told her what you really felt. When people know your truths, they can turn your own heart on you. And there would be nothing you can do to stop them.”

Thank you mother, for making me into someone who can lie without thinking, who won the admiration of all my classmates for being noble, haughty and mysterious…for being the fantasy that they all wanted me to be. I didn’t hate myself, but I always knew that I wasn’t someone to be admired. I wasn’t the kind of person who burned with bravery and painful honesty, someone who unknowingly was the best of all of us.

The kind of person I knew to treasure…

Yue stared at me, shocked, her eyes wide and searching. “Why?! Why would you put yourself in danger to protect the likes of me?”

What a silly girl…

This wonderful, brave and clever girl…

“Well, if you will always be such a dullard…” I managed to say, feeling a soft, affectionate smile come onto my lips. Sweat dripped down my face—Yue was right, shock had blocked most of the pain… “Honestly…” The words came out of me unaltered, each word painful and raw and lined with honest emotion. “What am I going to do with you…?”

It was almost funny, how only at the end of my life could I finally manage to be truthful.

From the amazed blush on Yue’s face, I knew that she could hear the subtext in my voice. Those bright eyes glittered with awe and shock as she stared at me, a stunned whisper escaping from her open mouth. “Class rep…”

I wish she could say my name. Hers was so beautiful on my tongue…

A hot flash shot through both of us, and I gasped, feeling my head snap back. Yue’s amazement turned into surprise, then dawning horror.

I saw glowing petals drift into my field of vision…the same kind of petals that had filled the room earlier when the droids first attacked. Anguish filled my heart until I realized that only I was getting ripped apart, and not Yue—then I could let my tension slip away for the last time.

As long as she was safe, my last moments could be full of all the love I had for her and not dreadful fear that I couldn’t be there to protect her anymore.

Yue was cupping my face desperately, shaking, her face pale and full of the same anguish that I no longer felt. “Cl…”

I had to hear her name on my lips one last time. “Yu…” The buzzing agony had spread up my chest and neck, cutting off my breath. All I could feel were her hands on my cheeks and see the tragic dismay in her violet eyes.

I love her.

My eyes closed, and I felt something warm brush against my lips before everything faded away into soft darkness.

Spoiler for Author's Note:

Emily's death in Chapter 277 broke my heart, and this was before I even knew anything about her. And I just knew that I had to write something about it...

Translations were taken from onemanga.com.

I made up a lot of Emily's family details, since as far as I know there's nothing to contradict it...I wanted to give Emily a reason for acting in such a tsundere manner towards Yue in the beginning, and yet there was such a tender scene when she died.

...

Dammit, I read the warning and still....

Of course, now you realize I'm feeling the urge to do a happy fluff fic in response, right? Right?!

Seriously, Emily/Yue doesn't get enough love.

[Merctrin]

Originally Posted by deathcurse

WARNING: Spoiler for chapter 277 of the manga...and tragedy warning!

Spoiler for Truth and Dying:

Truth and Dying

“CLASS REP!”

I couldn’t remember if I had screamed, but I definitely heard Yue shouting my name as my knees gave out. Ruining my uniform was definitely worth it when I fell forward and felt Yue catch me, her arms wrapped tightly against me to keep me from hitting the ground.

Emily, I thought to myself wryly, you must be hurt bad…to delude yourself into thinking that this counts as a hug from the girl you love.

I heard Bea shouting “Ojou-sama!” in the distance, along with the more alarming sound of the black metallic droid’s laser charging up again for a second shot.

Desperately, I grabbed at Yue’s arm but she was faster, throwing both of us back and defiantly shielding me with her body. It shouldn’t be that way…I’m the one who’s supposed to be protecting her…I’m the class representative.

I’m the older one, the more experienced one…but Yue’s more powerful than I am, I know it. I think I’ve known it since I first saw her, and so I lied all the harder because I was scared that she was better than I was. If it was one thing my family has taught me well, it was how to never tell the truth about the things that matter most to you.

The gunslinger destroyed the droid, the explosion slamming Yue into me as bits of shrapnel sprayed into the air.

Yue held me so tightly against her I could feel her pounding heartbeat echoing into my body.

I remembered Yue saving my life from the griffin dragon, and how she seemed so beautiful and so sure in being the hero. Every time she felt strongly about something I could see her expression change so candidly, as if she wasn’t used to being honest and expressive about her emotions. Such the opposite of myself—I hid myself under shallow tantrums and boasting so well that only Beatrice could read what I really felt underneath. In that instant when Yue called upon her Artefact and faced down the dragon with that powerful confidence on her face, I knew that I had fallen in love.

Fallen in love with a human girl, who was a near stranger to me, who was my rival…this utterly unsuitable girl who had captured my interest no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise. Ayase Yue.

“Yue-san…” I whispered, lost somewhere between the past and the present.

“Class rep! Are you alright?” Yue cried out, pulling away to look at my face.

It took me a moment to answer—very immaturely, I was torn between dejection that she was no longer pressed up against me, and delight that I could see her lovely face. Her hands on my waist were hot through my uniform, and I forced my eyes to open to look at her squarely, trying to smile.

“Ahah…it was only a scratch…it doesn’t even hurt…” I lied. Without looking, I knew that the blast had burned me badly, but the pain didn’t matter as much as the knowledge that Yue was unhurt and the fact that she was still holding me, the closest we’ve been together since our battle with the dragon.

“No…you’re just not feeling the pain out of shock!” Yue exclaimed, still so smart and logical even when there was pandemonium around us. I’ve never seen her so frantic, so troubled…more often I was the one fretting and shouting about something while she only gave me a bored expression in return (something that only fondly infuriated me more when I was mid-rant). But I was oddly calm now, simply smiling back at her while lying through my teeth.

My mother showed me how to lie to the ones you love. She would come home late at night, and lie to me with such an honest face that I would believe her, even when I had grown out of childhood. The only thing she said to me when I came to her crying one day was, “You shouldn’t have told her what you really felt. When people know your truths, they can turn your own heart on you. And there would be nothing you can do to stop them.”

Thank you mother, for making me into someone who can lie without thinking, who won the admiration of all my classmates for being noble, haughty and mysterious…for being the fantasy that they all wanted me to be. I didn’t hate myself, but I always knew that I wasn’t someone to be admired. I wasn’t the kind of person who burned with bravery and painful honesty, someone who unknowingly was the best of all of us.

The kind of person I knew to treasure…

Yue stared at me, shocked, her eyes wide and searching. “Why?! Why would you put yourself in danger to protect the likes of me?”

What a silly girl…

This wonderful, brave and clever girl…

“Well, if you will always be such a dullard…” I managed to say, feeling a soft, affectionate smile come onto my lips. Sweat dripped down my face—Yue was right, shock had blocked most of the pain… “Honestly…” The words came out of me unaltered, each word painful and raw and lined with honest emotion. “What am I going to do with you…?”

It was almost funny, how only at the end of my life could I finally manage to be truthful.

From the amazed blush on Yue’s face, I knew that she could hear the subtext in my voice. Those bright eyes glittered with awe and shock as she stared at me, a stunned whisper escaping from her open mouth. “Class rep…”

I wish she could say my name. Hers was so beautiful on my tongue…

A hot flash shot through both of us, and I gasped, feeling my head snap back. Yue’s amazement turned into surprise, then dawning horror.

I saw glowing petals drift into my field of vision…the same kind of petals that had filled the room earlier when the droids first attacked. Anguish filled my heart until I realized that only I was getting ripped apart, and not Yue—then I could let my tension slip away for the last time.

As long as she was safe, my last moments could be full of all the love I had for her and not dreadful fear that I couldn’t be there to protect her anymore.

Yue was cupping my face desperately, shaking, her face pale and full of the same anguish that I no longer felt. “Cl…”

I had to hear her name on my lips one last time. “Yu…” The buzzing agony had spread up my chest and neck, cutting off my breath. All I could feel were her hands on my cheeks and see the tragic dismay in her violet eyes.

I love her.

My eyes closed, and I felt something warm brush against my lips before everything faded away into soft darkness.

Spoiler for Author's Note:

Emily's death in Chapter 277 broke my heart, and this was before I even knew anything about her. And I just knew that I had to write something about it...

Translations were taken from onemanga.com.

I made up a lot of Emily's family details, since as far as I know there's nothing to contradict it...I wanted to give Emily a reason for acting in such a tsundere manner towards Yue in the beginning, and yet there was such a tender scene when she died.

...Emily/Yue.

YAY! This pairing doesn't get anything close to the amount of love it deserves. And that death scene was just begging for a fic, but no one did anything with it, but now there is a fic and there can be much rejoicing!

Needless to say, this was much loved. Angsty of course, but still great. It has me wondering when Emily will get revived in the manga. Reunion scenes are always so much fun.

[deathcurse]

Originally Posted by RadiantBeam

...

Dammit, I read the warning and still....

Of course, now you realize I'm feeling the urge to do a happy fluff fic in response, right? Right?!

Seriously, Emily/Yue doesn't get enough love.

*pat pat* There there , remember, these are 2D fictional characters!

Hehe, it's awkward of me to say, but if I made you upset, then I did my job right.....

.....DO IT!!!! Happy fluff fic to counter the tragic one....

Originally Posted by Merctrin

...Emily/Yue.

YAY! This pairing doesn't get anything close to the amount of love it deserves. And that death scene was just begging for a fic, but no one did anything with it, but now there is a fic and there can be much rejoicing!

Needless to say, this was much loved. Angsty of course, but still great. It has me wondering when Emily will get revived in the manga. Reunion scenes are always so much fun.

That death scene was amazing, I had never heard of Emily before and the first scene I read about her was that death scene....and it broke my heart . From that moment, I knew that I was an Emily/Yue fan .... The chapter was so emotional.

I couldn't believe that they'd really kill her off like that....I'm also hoping for a revival! It's actually a minor plot-bunny that's hopping around inside my head....

Glad you guys liked it!

EDIT: I just posted the prologue to Love and Duty Come in Chains on Fanfiction.net ^^.

[isagrimorie]

Originally Posted by deathcurse

WARNING: Spoiler for chapter 277 of the manga...and tragedy warning!

Spoiler for Truth and Dying:

Truth and Dying

“CLASS REP!”

I couldn’t remember if I had screamed, but I definitely heard Yue shouting my name as my knees gave out. Ruining my uniform was definitely worth it when I fell forward and felt Yue catch me, her arms wrapped tightly against me to keep me from hitting the ground.

Emily, I thought to myself wryly, you must be hurt bad…to delude yourself into thinking that this counts as a hug from the girl you love.

I heard Bea shouting “Ojou-sama!” in the distance, along with the more alarming sound of the black metallic droid’s laser charging up again for a second shot.

Desperately, I grabbed at Yue’s arm but she was faster, throwing both of us back and defiantly shielding me with her body. It shouldn’t be that way…I’m the one who’s supposed to be protecting her…I’m the class representative.

I’m the older one, the more experienced one…but Yue’s more powerful than I am, I know it. I think I’ve known it since I first saw her, and so I lied all the harder because I was scared that she was better than I was. If it was one thing my family has taught me well, it was how to never tell the truth about the things that matter most to you.

The gunslinger destroyed the droid, the explosion slamming Yue into me as bits of shrapnel sprayed into the air.

Yue held me so tightly against her I could feel her pounding heartbeat echoing into my body.

I remembered Yue saving my life from the griffin dragon, and how she seemed so beautiful and so sure in being the hero. Every time she felt strongly about something I could see her expression change so candidly, as if she wasn’t used to being honest and expressive about her emotions. Such the opposite of myself—I hid myself under shallow tantrums and boasting so well that only Beatrice could read what I really felt underneath. In that instant when Yue called upon her Artefact and faced down the dragon with that powerful confidence on her face, I knew that I had fallen in love.

Fallen in love with a human girl, who was a near stranger to me, who was my rival…this utterly unsuitable girl who had captured my interest no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise. Ayase Yue.

“Yue-san…” I whispered, lost somewhere between the past and the present.

“Class rep! Are you alright?” Yue cried out, pulling away to look at my face.

It took me a moment to answer—very immaturely, I was torn between dejection that she was no longer pressed up against me, and delight that I could see her lovely face. Her hands on my waist were hot through my uniform, and I forced my eyes to open to look at her squarely, trying to smile.

“Ahah…it was only a scratch…it doesn’t even hurt…” I lied. Without looking, I knew that the blast had burned me badly, but the pain didn’t matter as much as the knowledge that Yue was unhurt and the fact that she was still holding me, the closest we’ve been together since our battle with the dragon.

“No…you’re just not feeling the pain out of shock!” Yue exclaimed, still so smart and logical even when there was pandemonium around us. I’ve never seen her so frantic, so troubled…more often I was the one fretting and shouting about something while she only gave me a bored expression in return (something that only fondly infuriated me more when I was mid-rant). But I was oddly calm now, simply smiling back at her while lying through my teeth.

My mother showed me how to lie to the ones you love. She would come home late at night, and lie to me with such an honest face that I would believe her, even when I had grown out of childhood. The only thing she said to me when I came to her crying one day was, “You shouldn’t have told her what you really felt. When people know your truths, they can turn your own heart on you. And there would be nothing you can do to stop them.”

Thank you mother, for making me into someone who can lie without thinking, who won the admiration of all my classmates for being noble, haughty and mysterious…for being the fantasy that they all wanted me to be. I didn’t hate myself, but I always knew that I wasn’t someone to be admired. I wasn’t the kind of person who burned with bravery and painful honesty, someone who unknowingly was the best of all of us.

The kind of person I knew to treasure…

Yue stared at me, shocked, her eyes wide and searching. “Why?! Why would you put yourself in danger to protect the likes of me?”

What a silly girl…

This wonderful, brave and clever girl…

“Well, if you will always be such a dullard…” I managed to say, feeling a soft, affectionate smile come onto my lips. Sweat dripped down my face—Yue was right, shock had blocked most of the pain… “Honestly…” The words came out of me unaltered, each word painful and raw and lined with honest emotion. “What am I going to do with you…?”

It was almost funny, how only at the end of my life could I finally manage to be truthful.

From the amazed blush on Yue’s face, I knew that she could hear the subtext in my voice. Those bright eyes glittered with awe and shock as she stared at me, a stunned whisper escaping from her open mouth. “Class rep…”

I wish she could say my name. Hers was so beautiful on my tongue…

A hot flash shot through both of us, and I gasped, feeling my head snap back. Yue’s amazement turned into surprise, then dawning horror.

I saw glowing petals drift into my field of vision…the same kind of petals that had filled the room earlier when the droids first attacked. Anguish filled my heart until I realized that only I was getting ripped apart, and not Yue—then I could let my tension slip away for the last time.

As long as she was safe, my last moments could be full of all the love I had for her and not dreadful fear that I couldn’t be there to protect her anymore.

Yue was cupping my face desperately, shaking, her face pale and full of the same anguish that I no longer felt. “Cl…”

I had to hear her name on my lips one last time. “Yu…” The buzzing agony had spread up my chest and neck, cutting off my breath. All I could feel were her hands on my cheeks and see the tragic dismay in her violet eyes.

I love her.

My eyes closed, and I felt something warm brush against my lips before everything faded away into soft darkness.

Spoiler for Author's Note:

Emily's death in Chapter 277 broke my heart, and this was before I even knew anything about her. And I just knew that I had to write something about it...

Translations were taken from onemanga.com.

I made up a lot of Emily's family details, since as far as I know there's nothing to contradict it...I wanted to give Emily a reason for acting in such a tsundere manner towards Yue in the beginning, and yet there was such a tender scene when she died.

Emily!!! I'm really surprised by the lack of Emily and Yue in fandom too. Isn't this the kind of stuff people eat up? Where was the fic, people?

I'm so glad you wrote this and of course the story would grab my still beating heart from my chest and crush it!

[Random Wanderer]

Originally Posted by deathcurse

WARNING: Spoiler for chapter 277 of the manga...and tragedy warning!

Spoiler for Truth and Dying:

Truth and Dying

“CLASS REP!”

I couldn’t remember if I had screamed, but I definitely heard Yue shouting my name as my knees gave out. Ruining my uniform was definitely worth it when I fell forward and felt Yue catch me, her arms wrapped tightly against me to keep me from hitting the ground.

Emily, I thought to myself wryly, you must be hurt bad…to delude yourself into thinking that this counts as a hug from the girl you love.

I heard Bea shouting “Ojou-sama!” in the distance, along with the more alarming sound of the black metallic droid’s laser charging up again for a second shot.

Desperately, I grabbed at Yue’s arm but she was faster, throwing both of us back and defiantly shielding me with her body. It shouldn’t be that way…I’m the one who’s supposed to be protecting her…I’m the class representative.

I’m the older one, the more experienced one…but Yue’s more powerful than I am, I know it. I think I’ve known it since I first saw her, and so I lied all the harder because I was scared that she was better than I was. If it was one thing my family has taught me well, it was how to never tell the truth about the things that matter most to you.

The gunslinger destroyed the droid, the explosion slamming Yue into me as bits of shrapnel sprayed into the air.

Yue held me so tightly against her I could feel her pounding heartbeat echoing into my body.

I remembered Yue saving my life from the griffin dragon, and how she seemed so beautiful and so sure in being the hero. Every time she felt strongly about something I could see her expression change so candidly, as if she wasn’t used to being honest and expressive about her emotions. Such the opposite of myself—I hid myself under shallow tantrums and boasting so well that only Beatrice could read what I really felt underneath. In that instant when Yue called upon her Artefact and faced down the dragon with that powerful confidence on her face, I knew that I had fallen in love.

Fallen in love with a human girl, who was a near stranger to me, who was my rival…this utterly unsuitable girl who had captured my interest no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise. Ayase Yue.

“Yue-san…” I whispered, lost somewhere between the past and the present.

“Class rep! Are you alright?” Yue cried out, pulling away to look at my face.

It took me a moment to answer—very immaturely, I was torn between dejection that she was no longer pressed up against me, and delight that I could see her lovely face. Her hands on my waist were hot through my uniform, and I forced my eyes to open to look at her squarely, trying to smile.

“Ahah…it was only a scratch…it doesn’t even hurt…” I lied. Without looking, I knew that the blast had burned me badly, but the pain didn’t matter as much as the knowledge that Yue was unhurt and the fact that she was still holding me, the closest we’ve been together since our battle with the dragon.

“No…you’re just not feeling the pain out of shock!” Yue exclaimed, still so smart and logical even when there was pandemonium around us. I’ve never seen her so frantic, so troubled…more often I was the one fretting and shouting about something while she only gave me a bored expression in return (something that only fondly infuriated me more when I was mid-rant). But I was oddly calm now, simply smiling back at her while lying through my teeth.

My mother showed me how to lie to the ones you love. She would come home late at night, and lie to me with such an honest face that I would believe her, even when I had grown out of childhood. The only thing she said to me when I came to her crying one day was, “You shouldn’t have told her what you really felt. When people know your truths, they can turn your own heart on you. And there would be nothing you can do to stop them.”

Thank you mother, for making me into someone who can lie without thinking, who won the admiration of all my classmates for being noble, haughty and mysterious…for being the fantasy that they all wanted me to be. I didn’t hate myself, but I always knew that I wasn’t someone to be admired. I wasn’t the kind of person who burned with bravery and painful honesty, someone who unknowingly was the best of all of us.

The kind of person I knew to treasure…

Yue stared at me, shocked, her eyes wide and searching. “Why?! Why would you put yourself in danger to protect the likes of me?”

What a silly girl…

This wonderful, brave and clever girl…

“Well, if you will always be such a dullard…” I managed to say, feeling a soft, affectionate smile come onto my lips. Sweat dripped down my face—Yue was right, shock had blocked most of the pain… “Honestly…” The words came out of me unaltered, each word painful and raw and lined with honest emotion. “What am I going to do with you…?”

It was almost funny, how only at the end of my life could I finally manage to be truthful.

From the amazed blush on Yue’s face, I knew that she could hear the subtext in my voice. Those bright eyes glittered with awe and shock as she stared at me, a stunned whisper escaping from her open mouth. “Class rep…”

I wish she could say my name. Hers was so beautiful on my tongue…

A hot flash shot through both of us, and I gasped, feeling my head snap back. Yue’s amazement turned into surprise, then dawning horror.

I saw glowing petals drift into my field of vision…the same kind of petals that had filled the room earlier when the droids first attacked. Anguish filled my heart until I realized that only I was getting ripped apart, and not Yue—then I could let my tension slip away for the last time.

As long as she was safe, my last moments could be full of all the love I had for her and not dreadful fear that I couldn’t be there to protect her anymore.

Yue was cupping my face desperately, shaking, her face pale and full of the same anguish that I no longer felt. “Cl…”

I had to hear her name on my lips one last time. “Yu…” The buzzing agony had spread up my chest and neck, cutting off my breath. All I could feel were her hands on my cheeks and see the tragic dismay in her violet eyes.

I love her.

My eyes closed, and I felt something warm brush against my lips before everything faded away into soft darkness.

Spoiler for Author's Note:

Emily's death in Chapter 277 broke my heart, and this was before I even knew anything about her. And I just knew that I had to write something about it...

Translations were taken from onemanga.com.

I made up a lot of Emily's family details, since as far as I know there's nothing to contradict it...I wanted to give Emily a reason for acting in such a tsundere manner towards Yue in the beginning, and yet there was such a tender scene when she died.

Emily...

If Akamatsu doesn't bring her back properly, I swear I'll track him down and kick him in the shins.