Part 1: Two Ducks and a Lemon (not that kind you perverts!)
Two years have passed...
Setsuna walks silently beside the carriage where Konoka sits, vigilantly watching the forest around for any sign of attack, but... no matter how hard she concentrates, her mind keeps trying to go back to last night...
"Dear..." Okashi sighed, "I know that I told you I wouldn't do this to you... that the very thought appalled me, but..."
"I understand, Otousama..." Konoka sighed herself, "The way things are going, it's the only way to stop a war from erupting... with anyone else, it would be nothing but a rout, but they are as strong as we, so the war would be long and too many lives would be shed..."
"I'm... sorry..." Was all he could reply; he noted that behind his daughter, her protector stood as still as stone, one hand on her blade, face a cold mask that revealed nothing, eyes subtly avoiding every chance to meet them so that they could not reveal her emotions. Two years ago, after the ceremony, that mask had dropped into place without a single clue as to why. He suspected it had something to do with his Shinmeiryuu liaison, which had disappeared that night and not come back, but with no idea what had happened, he couldn't figure out how to approach Setsuna to draw her out of her personal fortress of ice. Careful questions were rebuffed without effort, and her eyes were careful never to meet his and reveal her emotions.
He knew this was hurting Konoka; she had begun acting like she had after her mother's death once she had failed to bring Setsuna back in the first six months. She ate little, spoke in a voice more suitable for a frightened animal, and sat in her room crying when she thought no one would know. Setsuna seemed oblivious, though after this became obvious her body language became silent, controlled to give away nothing. He knew she was shutting herself off from her charge, but couldn't in the least fathom why. It was beginning to piss him off.
"Setsuna," He started after a few moments of silence, his voice cold, "I've sent out for a few extra bodyguards. They'll be in the courtyard this afternoon; pick as many as you think you might need for this trip and as many of my men as you think will be needed. You'll leave tomorrow morning." As his eyes left Setsuna and returned to his daughter, they softened with sorrow and asked for forgiveness, and it was given in an instant. Setsuna nodded and turned around to follow Konoka out of the room.
Every time Setsuna thought her heart was so shredded that nothing could tear it more, something happened that ripped off another slice. Konoka was getting married tomorrow... to a man... no, a boy neither of them had ever met. It was unavoidable, and she hated it. Her eyes were ice, her body stone, but she could not keep herself in the dark about her feelings for her princess...
Not my princess... she shook her head, trying to correct her misthought, it is her duty to the people, and she must fulfill it, however much neither of us like it... she sighed silently, her mind turning back to the events later that day, which were more confusing by the hour.
Setsuna stared... or glared, more like it, at the line of mercenary swordsmen and women. About half were old and battle-scarred, and the other half looked young but somewhat experienced. Then her gaze fell on two that looked completely and totally green; excellent for a demonstration of authority to keep whoever she selected in line.
"Hello, and what might your name be," She asked the one that was more strangely dressed, wearing what looked like a short sleeved shirt with bobbed shoulders and an intricate pattern on the chest that crossed down onto her stomach and presumably onto her back, as well as a pair of loose trousers made of some flimsy material that looked like they were more suited to sleep in. And her hair was blonde and made to stick up off of her head somehow.
"Kuu Fei, at your service!" She spoke in an extremely cheerful manner, and bowed, "This here's my partner in crime!" She jerked a thumb at the pink-haired girl beside her, who was dressed like a carriage driver, in plain brown with a flat hat and a whip at her side.
"Makie, pleased to meet you." She was a bit more sedate, but only a bit. She bowed as well, but more respectfully and less bouncy.
"Well, Kuu Fei, Makie, where are your weapons? Leave them at home?" She raised an eyebrow and gave them a sneering eye. For some reason, they looked at each-other and giggled. Giggling mercenaries? Now there's a concept... Setsuna thought, wondering what was funny.
"We got our weapons with us, but if you really wanna see them, you hafta attack us." Kuu Fei explained.
"Oh?" Setsuna said with a note of sarcasm, "Wait here a moment," she said back at them as she turned and stepped over to the nearby training hall to borrow a bokken, "Are you sure you want me to attack you?" She asked, attempting to call this little girl's bluff. Really, she couldn't be any older than Setsuna, was shorter by about three inches, and her demeanor and eyes said she had never even been in a real fight. The pink-haired girl looked more mature, but didn't seem like the fighting kind either.
"Yep, just hit me with your stick, if you think you can." Setsuna noticed the barest shift in Kuu Fei's stance, but it didn't appear even slightly like anything you would use in a fight. Resolving to give this little girl a bruise to remember her by, Setsuna brought the back end of the bokken to her right shoulder and drove it forward to strike Kuu Fei's left shoulder. But it never made it. Setsuna barely had time to register that her bokken had been intercepted when she felt a pair of arms slip under her shoulders and a pair of hands lock behind her head.
"Wha?" Setsuna commented intelligently, waving her arms a bit from their held position, but stopping quickly when she realized that swinging them forward any at all made her neck hurt.
"A Full Nelson, most effective at subduing an enemy without killing them or embarrassing someone that underestimates you. Ineffective on those smaller than you that are fairly flexible, but anyone larger will break their own necks before they escape." Makie commented, answering the question and grinning, "This means you."
"Right... martial artist," Setsuna said under her breath a bit, "I yield this match to you, but it won't happen again." She stood up after the dark-skinned girl let her out of the hold, and stretched her shoulders a bit, "How good are you, exactly? I'm not a very good judge of unarmed combat skill."
"I... don't know..." Kuu Fei answered with a silly ponderous expression (one finger on the chin, nothing of eyes but the pupils.)
"Well, you don't look like you're from around here, so what's the toughest monster you've fought?" Setsuna asked.
"Uhhh... what was it called again? It was big and purple and it had horns and a mane..."
"A... behemoth...? You've beaten a behemoth? How?" Setsuna replied, shocked.
"I... ran away!" Cue 'The Wave' effect on the line of mercenaries as each of them hears what she said and facefaults. Setsuna barely restrains herself from copying them.
"Overconfident you're not, that's good." She said wryly, "But what have you beaten?"
"Everything between here, the westernmost point of the continent and the barbarian lands; I can't list everything we've run across, but the only thing that's ever given us real trouble is minor demons. You know, the big but stupid ones?" Makie interjects, "And most of those were elemental and we usually just ran away if we didn't have help."
Setsuna is silent for a minute, "How old are you two?" she finally asks Makie, her tone incredulous.
"We're both fifteen. We haven't stayed in one area for more than a week in the last year, if you're wondering how we got here from Polom at our ages." She answered.
"Polom... big port town on the west coast, right? That's where you two are from?"
"I was born there and I lived there most of my life, but Kuu Fei came by ship from... somewhere. She's not the best at explaining things, if you can't tell. She got in trouble with the local authorities for annoying one of the local to-dos and ended up dragging me along as an accomplice."
"And you aren't mad at her for taking you away from your home town?" Makie looked over at Kuu Fei, who was still attempting to describe monsters she'd beaten to thin air.
"Only while running for my life or sleeping on a rock; otherwise, it's been a pretty fun trip... mostly..." She narrows her eyes and glares at Kuu Fei, then suddenly pulls the whip, which is much longer than it looked on her belt, and snaps that hand out towards her; the heavy grip end strikes her right between the eyes before being yanked back into Makie's hand. Kuu Fei goes googly-eyed for a moment before popping (literally) back up, "in any case, I think you need to get working on testing the others. Kuu Fei and I work as a team, so I think you're done with us."
"Right, yes..." Setsuna said, trying not to sweatdrop, "Well then, I think these two have set the bar." She raises her voice, "They'll be the ones to beat if you want to even be considered for the position. Gather in the training hall and find a training version of whatever weapon you use unless it's naturally non-lethal. I'll ask for someone to step forward once you're all ready, and it'll be a three-strike match."
"Two on one? That's hardly fair." One of the younger ones yelled out.
"Well, if you're scared that you'll be beaten by two little girls, then you have ten minutes to find your weapon and make a deal with somebody else so you can have a second as well. But each person has to get three hits, including them, making it six, or nine if you want to gang up on two little girls that badly."
"I have trouble taking orders from a little girl that thinks she has enough skill to tell who the strongest of us is based on her own," Rang out a voice cold with contempt. Setsuna looked at him and felt like laughing; he radiated contempt and confidence, could be mistaken for a girl if it weren't for the armor, and carried a broadsword.
"Regardless of your strength..." Setsuna started, her voice dangerous as she dropped the bokken and put her hand on Yuunagi, "Opinions like that..." In a flash of movement too quick for the untrained eye to see, Setsuna was suddenly on the other side of the line and the uppity merc was arcing through the air toward the outer wall, "We don't need." She finished as she slid Yuunagi back into its sheath.
"Any more questions?" She asked with fake pleasantness, moving on before anyone had time to speak up, "Good, you have your orders, so go." There were some 'looks' exchanged between mercenaries, she was sure, but she ignored them and entered the practice room, sitting down at the front in a meditation position to wait. Exactly ten minutes later, she opened her eyes and found about half of the mercenaries milling about in front of her, talking amongst themselves. As she'd thought; some had been put off by their chooser, and more than she'd expected at first because they could tell from her little display the standard she set, and knew they couldn't meet it. That was good; this little contest would go by quicker with only candidates that came near the level she was looking for. She quickly spotted Kuu Fei, talking with one of the local unarmed specialists, Makie standing beside and apparently translating.
"All right then, Kuu Fei, Makie, to the front, everyone else, form ranks, sit next to your second if you have one." As soon as the stage was set, she spoke again, "This will be a set of three-strike matches, anyone that uses a lethal weapon will be disposed of immediately, a knockout or a submission hold will count as a win, but don't take it too far. Who wants to be the first challenger?"
"I shall take that honor." Said a middle-aged man with a practice rapier in hand and what appeared to be a custom-designed rapier at his belt, made in a wavy design and with an edge, unlike a typical rapier, "I believe you can call the strikes from seeing the design of my blade." He undid the loop that kept his sword attached and let it fall to the floor so it wouldn't be in his way, then stepped forward in what appeared to be a traditional fencing stance, left hand on his hip and blade held forward with the other.
"Take it away, Makie-chan!" Kuu Fei said, sitting down next to Setsuna as Makie uncoiled her whip and stepped forward.
"Oh, you're going to let her fight alone?" Setsuna asked.
"Yup! She can take care of this one, and you wanna see how well both of us fight, right?" Kuu Fei said, watching eagerly. Setsuna nodded to herself, making a mental note that this martial artist was more intelligent than she seemed at first, and resolved not to be thrown off by the fact that she hadn't mastered the language she was speaking.
"All right. Two rules: nothing lethal and nothing too explosive, unless you want the cost of this training hall coming out of your pay. Ready?"
The man bowed gracefully with a flourish, while Makie returned a traditional eastern bow, "Gomen nasai," She said as she bowed, "in advance, for humiliating you."
"Heh, you sound sincere. Don't worry, I won't put any bruises on that pretty face of yours." He returned.
"Begin!" Setsuna called. The fight was over in moments. Makie made a strong strike towards his left foot in an attempt to pull him off of his balance and end the fight quickly, but he was anticipating and blocked it with the tip of his sword, intending to pull back on her trapped whip and jerk her off balance for the finishing thrust, only to find himself outguessed as the whip's extra length wrapped around both his foot and his blade, making him stick himself in the foot before the sword slipped out of the loop and his foot was caught and jerked up into the air. After that, it was only a matter of the time it took him to fall before Makie had him hog-tied, his sword useless in one hand.
"Win by submission, next!" Setsuna called, watching as several mercs winced and discreetly left the room.
One hour later, the training hall was empty of everyone except for Setsuna, Kuu Fei and Makie.
"It's either frightening or pitiful that we're stronger than any of the other mercenaries in the area, isn't it?" Makie asked Kuu Fei jokingly.
"Uhhhh..." was the confused response.
"Well, it looks like you two have the job. It's only a day trip, so you'll receive your pay once it's done, be here and ready at dawn." Setsuna said, giving them a nod and turning away to reenter the castle.
"Uhm..." She heard from behind, "You wouldn't happen to have any guest rooms free, would you?" Setsuna turned around to look at Makie curiously, "Well, it's kinda late, and I'm sure the lodging around town is pretty full, what with all the mercs we just outdid needing a place to stay, and..."
"You're broke, aren't you?" Setsuna broke in wryly.
"Ehehehe..." Makie put one hand on the back of her head in an expression of guilt.
"Fine," Setsuna sighed, "The standing guard barracks are that way, tell them I sent you and ask for Jerald; he'll pick out a set of bunks for you. Oh, and remind him to tell the cook to fix two more meals worth tonight. If anybody gives you any trouble, just tell them that you've beaten me in a match. Even if it was a cheap trick and I was underestimating you badly. I'll see you in the morning."
And then came the real kicker of the day... she glanced at the buggy and kept an expression of pain from crossing her face.
"Ojou-sama, all the preparations are made. Do you require anything else of me before you retire for the night?"
"No." Konoka answered simply, not even turning her head.
"Then I will leave you to rest." Setsuna bowed and turned to leave. She was out the door, standing in the hallway, and the door was shut when she heard it:
"Oath breaker..." like a whisper on the wind, yet she heard it clearly, and it confused her. What oath had she broken? She was standing by ojou-sama's side and protecting her, and she thought that was all she had sworn to do... so why did she feel so terrible? She sat down next to the door to contemplate this and other things as the crying from within tore her heart to shreds once again.
End Chapter 3, Part 1
'Girl from Ipanema(sp?)' plays
Part 2: Insights, Assumptions, and Foreplay
"You're acting cheerful today." Yue said in her usual disinterested tone, "See something good in your future?" Her compatriot turned the usual blank stare in her direction, but Yue could see straight through the deception, as well as the shield around her mind that no one else could even tell was there.
"Don't worry, Nodoka, I won't say anything. I will miss you though. It's been nice having someone else to do drudge-work with." Yue continued as she scrubbed a particularly nasty stain off the golden goblet of their 'benefactor', lamenting once again to herself the stupidity of using gold for dishes while cleaning food out of the teeth marks around the rim.
"When. How much." Nodoka asked in her usual blank tone, though Yue could sense the storm of anxiety within her.
"Since we met and I looked. Only faces and vague meaning. I don't know the meaning of the capital either." She paused, "It is about time for you to get ready, isn't it? I'll get the rest here." Nodoka said no words as she left, but her friend almost smiled as she sensed the gratitude. A few moments later, one of the Master Seers stepped in to inspect the job being done by the apprentice. Just before, Nodoka had said she was about to be summoned by the Most Enlightened, and he had let her go, knowing they would catch it if she was lying, and that the other apprentice could finish the job, but decided to check in anyway. He was rather startled to find her missing, the dishes only half-washed; she couldn't have gotten out without alerting him, and a quick footstep trace of the past lead to the sink and disappeared. To all his looking, it seemed as though she had disappeared into thin air.
"Look, I don't know who you think you are, but no one comes into my audience chamber without an invitation or even permission and asks for visions of the future. It's for me to know and you to find out."
"But we don't want to know, we just want you to point us in the right direction!" A youthful and somewhat angry female voice came from the ornate doors in front of Nodoka, who waited patiently with a blank stare, the guards at the door eyeing her nervously.
"Very well... One of our apprentices has had a foggy vision of some odd happenings to the east." Might as well get rid of two annoyances at once... said and thought the Most Enlightened, "I'll send her with you so that when her vision clears she can direct you closer to whatever it is." Inside, he motioned to the side and a servant walked up from there, "Go fetch..."
"You summoned me, sir?" Nodoka interrupted as she stepped into the room, dressed in travel gear and with a pack ready. The only response from the Most Enlightened was an astonished blink. His guests, however, turned around with total shock on their faces, as expected of anyone unused to those with Sight casually demonstrating it.
On the right was a girl of middling age with red hair tied into two ponytails with belled ornaments, wearing medium-weight armor above and what seemed to be a long red skirt (Nodoka realized a moment later that it was tanned ice-demon hide), and classical knight's steel footwear. To top it off, she had a Hamanotsurugi strapped to her back with an odd clasping system made so that she could draw the humungous weapon without having an arm span twice as long as she was tall. Her face was angular, but baby-fat soft, which, if none of the other clued you in, indicated that she was from the barbarian tribes to the north. Her left eye was blue, and the right was green, which said that she could be part of the Kagurazaka clan, who were known to have some non-human heritage, and both eyes radiated annoyance at herself for being caught... once the shock had passed, anyway.
On the left stood a young boy in a simple traveler's cloak leaning on a walking staff at least half-again his height which was wrapped in bandages. His hair was reddish-brown, and a bit brighter on top of his head than below, giving it an odd tiered look, with it tied into a small ponytail in the back. His eyes were brown, with tiny spectacles resting just below them on his nose, and had a look of wisdom and maturity that disagreed with his physical age; his look was speculative, obviously curious over this girl that could see the future and the fabric of the cosmos... or so it was said of seers.
"Yes, this apprentice claims to have seen something odd in the vicinity of the Misty Marsh to the east. We don't usually do anything about such hazy visions, but she's been so insistent, would you mind taking her there and setting her fears to rest?" Said the Most Enlightened after quickly composing himself, so as not to appear less than all-knowing in front of guests.
"What are you-" the girl turned around and began speaking, the anger in her voice rising, but she was interrupted by the boy, whose eyes had not moved from Nodoka.
"We'll do it."
"What? Negi, he's...!"
"Don't worry Asuna, I have a good feeling about this." The boy named Negi said, speaking as soothingly as possible, probably to keep the girl from exploding, "And besides, I believe that none of us are all that welcome here." He turned to face the Most Enlightened and with a graceful bow said, "Good day." Before turning and leaving the room, a confused Asuna scurrying after while Nodoka quickly followed.
Once the doors were shut, the Most Enlightened's assistant stepped forward and spoke, "Why did you allow them to treat you with such disrespect? You would have destroyed the minds of anyone else that treated you that way."
"Two things. First, never question my judgment again. Second, the boy is the last of the Central Mages, and the girl is a Perfect of the Kagurazaka clan, and they were bonded."
"Oh. My deepest apologies sir, my only excuse is that I do not match your wisdom. Do they bear watching?"
"No need. That girl will go right along with what I said, and even they can't get to the center of the Marsh without a Blood Mage assisting their passage. They'll be dead within the week."
"Negi-bozou!" Asuna said angrily as she grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up to face her. Up until a moment ago, he'd been walking through the street, a sage expression on his face, the two girls following behind, one blankly silent, the other grumbling and attempting to puzzle out something, "Explain to me what happened back there. Now."
"Explain what?" He asked, sounding sincerely curious, then, a moment later, he snapped his fingers, "Ah! Asuna-chan doesn't understand what happened! I always seem to forget that you don't get things as quickly as I do." Negi suddenly noticed the heat on his face and, realizing what it meant, began to quickly speak, "Well, he obviously didn't like us, and was lying quite a bit, if I was reading his body language right. He probably meant for our companion to lead us into the Marsh so that we'd all three die there, since I get the impression that he doesn't like her very much either... or rather, he's contemptuous in the extreme. But his surprise was authentic, so I guessed that she knew something that even he didn't, so I thought we'd all just get away from here and figure out what to do elsewhere. Did I do something wrong, Asuna-chan?"
"Nothing this time, but next time don't keep walking and try to look cool for so long. Got it, Negi-bozou?" She replied, dropping him hard on the ground.
"Hai, Asuna-chan, I will stop to explain the situation." He stood up, rubbing his pride a bit, "And while we're stopped, could you tell us your name, friend?" Nodoka had been watching with some confusion, not entirely sure what was going on, but when she heard the word 'friend,' she felt something in her chest rise, a little ball of warmth that was somehow familiar, but disturbing as well.
"Uh, um, Nodoka." She stuttered out.
"Well, Nodoka-chan, what shall we do?" Cue the calm, happy smile that makes the hearts of otherworld 3-A go all aflutter, and then... enter Asuna. Negi pries his face out of the ground with a pained expression.
"Quit trying to be cool. And don't be so familiar with someone we hardly know." Asuna suddenly felt like she was being watched, and turned to Nodoka, "No offense intended, but it's only been a few minutes since we've met. Oh, we haven't even properly introduced ourselves yet. I'm Asuna. The brat is Negi."
"Asuna-chaaaan, why did you have to hit me so hard?" Negi complained, picking dirt out of his teeth.
"It's for your own good." She said, mussing his hair. Nodoka watched curiously, wondering if these two had more of a relationship than was obvious at first. After a moment, Negi finally managed to compose himself.
"So, anyways, Nodoka, do you really know of some evil that we might exterminate?"
"Yes. The place is as said."
"It's not...?" Negi started.
"No. It is not the Demon, but something else. It is otherworldly, more evil and less human. I cannot See much, but it seems to be both more and less powerful than the one you seek to train yourself to fight."
"How did you...?"
"Just observation. I do not pry into the past of those that might resent it, though it is impossible to turn a blind eye to what you are."
"Ah, so you know that...?" Negi scratched the side of his face with one finger.
"Quit dithering Negi. If we're headed into the Marsh, we need to be prepared." Asuna interrupted, grabbing Negi by the collar and dragging him away. Nodoka follows, seeming a bit unsure.
A few hours later, with the sun nearing the horizon, three people walked into one of the seedier inns of the city, and even in this no-questions-asked establishment, immediately received all attention. The first through the door was a young girl with a giant blade and a pack that must have weighed upwards of a hundred pounds strapped to her back. This wouldn't have been all that out of place if not for the fact that she wasn't even straining to stand upright. The second through was a young boy in a travelers cloak, with a staff that was much too large for him. The third through was a girl that looked about as old as the other, and her appearance caused everyone else to immediately find something more interesting to look at. 'This pattern of cracks on the ceiling is interesting' or 'I wonder how much ale froth I would have to drink to make myself sick.' Asuna and Negi blink at the transition. After a moment, they shrug it off and step to the bar.
"Excuse me sir," Negi said, attempting to get the pudgy innkeeper's attention, "How much would a room with one bed be for the night?" It took approximately three seconds for the innkeeper to turn, look, get an incredulous expression, and for Asuna to register the words and hit Negi over the head with a stick labeled 'reserved for Negi-thwacking'.
"Baka! We have money today, remember?" She said as Negi pried his face out of the floor.
"Oh yes, I remember, that dra-mmmgph!" He tried to say, but it was hard to speak through the second mouthful of dirt, "Perhaps you should make the arrangements tonight Asuna-chan."
"Yes, before your foot hits your stomach, that might be a good idea." She said, stepping up, "How much is it for one room with two beds and one with one?"
"Ahhhh..." The innkeeper stumbled, wondering why all the weird people came to his inn, "Eight silver, but... wait, five. The Enlightened One stays for free, as always." He said a bit nervously.
"Hmmm..." Asuna said, appearing to be thinking. She lifted one arm and took a sniff, then grabbed Negi by the collar and lifted him up to her level and sniffed again, then made a face, "If that's the case, how much extra for a tub? We can get the water ourselves."
"Ahhh, just one."
"Good, Negi, pay him." Asuna stepped aside, allowing Negi to place one large gold coin on the bar, marked with the crossed sword and bow of the barbarian tribes, "And don't stiff us on the change, if you know what's good for you." The innkeeper nodded and his eyes tracked to the side momentarily before he snatched up the coin and dropped a gold coin of the local type where the other had rested a moment ago, along with two large keys.
"Second floor, southeast corner, marked one and two." The innkeeper explained, the nervous edge to his voice greater than before.
"Ahhhh..." Asuna said, stretching her arms as she stepped toward the stairs, "That hot water is going to feel sooo good... I feel like I haven't bathed in weeks."
"Nine days, to be exact." Negi said, snatching up the keys and the gold and following her, Nodoka trailing behind silently.
Nodoka lied on the hard straw mattress, eyes closed, countenance relaxed, wondering just what kind of people she had gotten herself mixed up with. Certainly, it was inevitable, it was fate, but why would fate have her end up with two such people? And for how long? In what capacity? The answers escaped her, and she sighed silently. A week ago, she had received a vision; an image and a feeling. Her first sight of them, standing in the audience hall, and the feeling, almost an emotion, that she would be With them. When she tried to translate the feeling into words, the capital W had confused her, but she knew it was significant... but what did it all mean?
Her thoughts were interrupted by loud thumping noises from the room next door, noises that had been repeating themselves for the better part of an hour, and she blushed within her mind as the more instinctive animal part of her brain attempted to supply images of what might be going on with the young boy and his female companion. Just what kind of relationship did those two have?
"Negi-bozou! Get your butt back here this minute!" Asuna yelled, rebounding off the wall as the little brat dodged her once again.
"But, Asuna-chaaaan!"
"No excuses!" She said, diving for him once again and missing, "You stink, and you're going to get a bath, end of story!"
End Chapter 3, Part 2
Strauss' 'Also Sprach Zarathustra' AKA Sunrise, AKA the Space Odessy music plays while a giant Kamo-kun face rises on the moon
AN, part 1: And so you see the results of Setsuna's resolution. It's worse than the original, isn't it though? She's there, but she's not. Brrrr... Note that right at the end there is where a guy would shake his head, roll his eyes, and mutter 'women...' not that Setsuna has any more of a clue in this case... Anyway, on a lighter note, the comic relief, Kuu Fei and Makie-chan; I chose them because I needed some extra fighters on this side. I originally thought about using Kuu Fei and Yue (the wandering witch) but because of a certain development I created in the world, that idea had to be scrapped and I filled in with Makie-chan... of course, now it seems that that'll develop into a whole side-story later on... but not at the moment. And the title and the finisher for part 1? Two Ducks is Kuu and Makie, which should be obvious... and I hear the collective sigh of relief from anyone who was worried about time travel being involved... and the lemon is something that 'leaves a sour taste in your mouth' like the serious part of that part does with me. And girl from Ipanema is elevator music, which seemed appropriate for most of that part.
In case anyone wants to know, I dug into my Bag O' Random Fighters and pulled out Raphael of Soul Calibur II for the fighter. On the same note, my mental bestiary also draws from various places, the Final Fantasy series among them, hence the Behemoth; since I tend to think of there first, most RMRs (Random Monster References) will come from there, but the prominent enemies will be of my own creation or from the original, and any important monster (I.E. The Jachyra I intend to use in the other half of the story) will have a definite form and purpose.
AN, part 2: Asuna's 'middling age' is described so because of the medieval maturity standard, IE. You're an adult as soon as you're past puberty and act like it. Misty Marsh... I ain't even gonna try to count the number of stories with one of those, but it's a pretty standard fixture in fantasy realms, and quite convenient for a later plot-point, as well as a major fixture in the story itself.
Nodoka will start speaking up next chapter, and the reason why she's been so quiet will be revealed as well... well, sort of, anyway. Money details... it'll be explained later, when it actually matters. As you'll notice, Negi does have the occasional tendency to insert his foot into his mouth and slide it all the way up to the kneecap; I may have exaggerated this a bit, but I'm not sure. The part title... Insights, Assumptions, those two should be fairly obvious as to the meaning. Foreplay... well, that little bit about the bath at the end inspired that, and it does make it match the title of part one a bit... the closer... if you haven't heard that music, you've probably been living under a rock, because it is one of the most re-used tunes of all time. The rest... is just silly.
Two times the story, two times the author's notes, yaaaaaaa-mGHPH! a flash of giant hammer, then a blue screen