It's a Lucky Life

One shot time! I think the source of my inspiration will become obvious soon if it isn't already. Enjoy please and let me know what you think!

Konata

Konata stood on the stool, the rope cutting into her neck. All she had to do was twist her feet in a certain way and the stool would drop out from under her. The rope around her neck would suspend her above the ground and it would only be a short three minutes before she would be free of suffering. The thought gave her a morbid sense of pleasure and comfort. She thought back to the reason for her depression.

Yesterday

"I can't be near you Konata!" The girl Konata so loved screamed in fury.

"Kagami, I swear we were drunk, there's nothing going on between me and Tsukasa!" Konata pleaded. "I would never cheat on you!" Konata shouted.

"How can I believe you, you little..." Kagami bit back her words.

"Kagami, why would I do that to you? I could nev-" Konata pleaded, but was cut off as a searing pain could be felt in her jaw. As she landed on the ground, she realized that Kagami had just slapped her with such force, Konata was now sprawled on the ground.

"Shut up you whore! I ha-hate you! I want you out of this house and OUT OF MY LIFE!" Kagami screamed. Konata picked herself off the floor, tears streaming down her face and stinging the mark on cheek. She muttered an incoherent apology and scrambled out of the house. Kagami stood, barely able to catch breath as she realized what she had done. The tears that had been pouring down her face had tripled since Konata had told her how she had gone out with Tsukasa and gotten drunk, waking up the next morning naked and next to each other in bed. Kagami fell to the floor, brought her knees up to her chest, hugged them, and cried harder.

Konata

Konata's eyes were closed in a vain attempt to keep tears from leaking down her face at the memory of losing the one who was most important to her. She had known she and Kagami had hit a bit of a rough patch in their relationship, but she had never meant for something like that to happen, nor for Kagami to throw away their entire relationship over one drunken mistake she had made. Plus, Tsukasa must be telling Miyuki about what happened between them. Konata couldn't think of how Miyuki would react to hearing her lover's drunk escapade, but it couldn't be good.

I... I just mess up everyone's life... I... I would be better off leaving all of them alone... It would be better for everyone if I were just gone... Konata cried. She was determined. She kicked the stool out from under her, finally allowing the cold embrace of death to take her. Konata's lungs burned as she started to suffocate. As she started to black out, she heard an angelic voice.

My poor baby... An image of her mother started to appear in front of Konata. She had a look of such unfathomable sorrow, it muddled Konata's mind for an instant. You can't really think that, can you? The woman asked.

But I just screw up at everything! Konata argued with her mother, a weird clarity brought to her mind. Oddly, she wasn't wondering about the fact that the two were talking. It would just be better if I had never been born!

No, dear. You have no idea the amount of good your life has done. Kanata smiled sadly.

No way! Konata cried even more. Kanata seemed to approach her, though floating above the ground so they were level. She put a hand to Konata's temple.

You wish you had never been born? Kanata muttered sadly.

Yeah! Then I could never ruin my friend's lives! Konata said. Kanata sighed.

Very well. I suppose the least I can do is show you. She said. The world suddenly swirled around her, appearing to move at a dizzying pace. She finally found herself next to her mother, in the same room, but without the rope around her neck. Kanata seemed much more... tangible. "Well? What do you want to see?" Kanata asked.

"What do you mean?" Konata asked in reply.

"You said everyone's lives would be better without you. This is a world where you weren't born. Who's life do you want to see first?" Kanata asked. Konata thought.

I... I don't know if I could handle seeing Kagami again so soon, whether she noticed me or not... This is all crazy... Maybe dad? Konata thought. "Can you take me to see dad?" Konata asked.

"Yes. Let's go." Kanata said as the world spun. They were suddenly outside Sojiro's house. "Go in." Kanata said.

"Aren't you coming too?" Konata asked.

"No, I... I can't..." Kanata turned away. "This isn't something I want to see." She said, a tone of sadness plaguing her voice.

"...Alright then." Konata thought she could understand. So she went up and tried to knock on the door. Her fist passed through it. Realizing she was intangible to real things, she just walked through the door. She saw, in the living room, Sojiro with his hand on the back of... Konata? I thought this was where I wasn't born... Konata wondered. She walked around the couch to see it was not her, but Kanata. However, Kanata didn't look like the woman outside. She looked like an empty husk that joy had long since abandoned. "What... What happened?" Konata asked, though she knew they couldn't hear her. However, Sojiro asked his wife something, as if in response to Konata's query.

"Kanata, it's been years. I told you it was necessary!" Sojiro said.

"I would have rather our little girl been born, you know that!" Kanata cried.

"But if you hadn't had an abortion, you would have died Kanata! Don't forget that!" Sojiro said.

"I never did, and I didn't want an abortion!" Kanata screamed.

"It was for your own good!" Sojiro shouted. At this point, Konata didn't even recognize her father. She wished Yui would come in from the other room and arrest whoever the hell was impersonating her father. She couldn't take it anymore. She ran out of the house to meet Kanata there.

"Have you seen enough of here?" Kanata asked.

"Mama, did you... did you die because of me?" Konata asked, a feeling of dread filling her.

"Konata. Don't concern yourself with that. I was already sick. And it's a sacrifice I would gladly make again if ever the need arose." Kanata said, silencing Konata, who still felt horrible. "What else?" Kanata asked.

"Um... Where's Yui? Why isn't she cheering them up in there? Usually she's around here, right?" Konata asked, hoping against hope that Kanata could give some form of confirmation that the bubbly officer had stayed the same or gotten better. Alas, none came.

"Yui is at therapy right now." Kanata said simply. Konata's eyes widened.

"Therapy? What for?" She shouted.

"You were never around. Because of that, Sou-kun's now grim demeanor, and Yutaka-" Kanata started.

"What's happened to Yu-chan?" Konata asked, pleading that she was alright.

"I'll get to that later. Shall we see Yui?" Kanata asked. Konata nodded. They were off. Suddenly, Konata could see Yui, sitting on a couch. "Listen."

"-And uncle and aunt aren't any help. They're always so depressing. I guess it rubbed off." Yui said. "Then the whole deal with Yutaka..." Yui's voice cracked as tears formed in her eyes. "The only real reason I could bear life was because of my husband..." Yui gave a loving look to said man, who was currently sitting next to her. "And he was never around. I guess it just got to be too much..." Yui explained to the therapist.

"And that's why you tried to take your own life?" Said therapist asked. Yui gave no verbal answer, but only nodded.

"Yui's husband was forced to quit his job to see his wife and help her recover." Kanata said. Konata was horrified.

"No... No, No, No, they're supposed to be happy! Yu-chan, what about Yu-chan?" Konata asked desperately. Kanata shook her head.

"To the hospital." She said somberly. Fear gripped Konata as they whirled to the hospital to see Yutaka in a bed. "As she can't explain herself, I suppose it falls to me." Kanata sighed.

"Please tell me how my not being here could cause THIS!" Konata pleaded.

"Without the cheerful disposition you held when you met her, and the absence of Yui's, Yutaka never had anyone to cheer her up when she got ill. She never made any friends and, thus, never truly applied herself. She failed the test for Ryoo miserably and flunked every other decent high school, which only exacerbated her condition. The depression from her lack of friends, her constant illness, and now her failure to get into a competent school has caused Yutaka to lose the will to live. She's currently hospitalized, has slipped into a coma, and is now on life support." Kanata explained. Konata backed away in horror.

"... My.. entire family..." Konata muttered.

"It doesn't stop there." Kanata said. Konata turned and stared without seeing.

"It doesn't?" She asked dazedly.

"Let's continue." Kanata beckoned. Konata felt the world dissolve once more. She saw a girl with short lavender hair crying in her bed.

"Why? Why do they ALWAYS have to compare me to Kagami?" Tsukasa screamed into her pillow. "I'm just not smart like her! I never was!" Tsukasa cried. A knock came at the door.

"Tsukasa, come on! Let's... do something!" Matsuri called from the other side of the door. Tsukasa suddenly looked a bit hopeful.

"What is it?" She asked.

"A movie! How about a horror?" Matsuri asked. Tsukasa's look changed to one of anger.

"I told you I don't like those!" Tsukasa shouted.

"Come on, give it another try!" Matsuri shouted. "It's not like you're doing anything important in there!" She shouted. While it was true, the assumption was enough to infuriate Tsukasa.

"Shut up and go away!" She yelled, covering her face with her pillow again.

"Fine... bitch." Matsuri muttered as she left the door. Tsukasa started to cry again.

"This... This isn't Tsukasa! What the hell?" Konata asked.

"It is. Or it would be had you never existed. Tsukasa is alone. Her sisters try to talk and have fun with her, but none of them share any of her interests and can't understand why she doesn't excel like her sister does. The comparison depresses Tsukasa and angers her all the more. That burning anger and hatred has turned the once lovable airhead into the girl you see now." Kanata explained. Konata had one argument.

"What about Kagami? I know she wouldn't abandon her sister like that, I just know she couldn't!" Konata protested.

"Well..." Kanata started. Konata thought a moment.

"Show me Kagami." She demanded.

"Are you sure you can handle it?" Kanata asked.

"Show her to me. I have to know what happened to her." She said.

"Very well." Kanata sighed. The world turned again. There was the Tsundere, hunched over her desk in a dark room with nothing for illumination but the flicker of her desk lamp.

"Kagami?" Konata asked. "What's going on?" She asked her mother.

"In this universe, since you haven't distracted her, Kagami is a genius. One that shows promise the likes of which haven't been seen for a long time." Kanata explained.

"So she IS better off without me!" Konata exclaimed. Kanata sighed and shook her head.

"No. She isn't." She said. Konata examined the girl closer to see bags under the bags of her eyes. "Without you, she has no joy or happiness in her life, only work. Without you, she was encouraged to work her best and never stop. She turned away from Tsukasa." Kanata explained.

"What about Misakichi?" Konata interrupted. "I know she can be annoying, but she had to have cheered Kagami up!" Konata protested. Kanata shook her head again.

"She tried. However, as work became progressively more important for Kagami, she started to shun her friends and push them away. She's receded completely into herself, at this moment mumbling about the next equation obsessively. I didn't think you could bear it, so you can't hear. She is the epitome of a boring business woman. Or she would be if..." Kanata trailed off. A dread like no other caught Konata's insides and wrung them like one would to dry a cloth.

"If what?" Konata asked.

"Kagami hasn't slept in days. The constant pressure put on her by being the most promising will run her into the ground. Eventually, she won't be able to keep up with the strain of all the weight being put on her. If things continue like this... And they will... Kagami is..." Kanata stopped again, unsure of if she should continue.

"WHAT?" Konata screamed.

"Going to die." Kanata finished, seeing no other alternative. Konata backed up like she had been struck. However, this blow was much worse then what she had sustained from Kagami earlier. She felt as if her world were crumbling down. "Shall we go to see Miy-"

"No." Konata interrupted. "I can't... I can't see anymore." She muttered in sorrow. "I see now. I see that my life is valuable. Please. Let me live again." Konata pleaded with her mother. Kanata smiled as indescribable relief washed over her. Her daughter's will to live was restored.

"Thank you Konata." She hugged her daughter. Kanata tilted her daughter's head up and kissed her on the lips, breathing into her. Konata was confused as the vision of Kanata distorted. The hair turned lavender, but remained it's approximate length. Konata saw the face before her was no longer one belonging to her mother, but that of Kagami's.

"KONATA!" Kagami hugged the blunette with startling force.

"Kagami... I'm so sor-" Konata was cut off by a kiss from her lover.

"Konata, I don't care about that anymore, how could you be so stupid as to try and kill yourself?" Kagami shouted. Konata realized that she was being scolded, but didn't mind it at all.

"You said you wanted me out of your life." Konata reminded the Tsundere.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean any of it. No matter what happens, I'll always love you Konata." Kagami hugged the Otaku as closely as possible. Konata returned the gesture.

"Ditto Kagamin." She smiled. They broke the hug and looked into each other's eyes for a moment. Kagami suddenly took a hand from behind Konata.

"But don't you ever. Cheat on me. Again." Kagami poked Konata violently on each period. Konata answered with a kiss and Kagami knew she had no intention of ever letting it happen again. It was then that Konata looked directly into Kagami's eyes and studied them. They were devoid of baggage, but almost flooded with tears.

"Kagami... Are you glad you know me?" Konata asked. Kagami got a confused look about her.

"Isn't it obvious? Konata, I would be so depressed if I hadn't met you!" Kagami said. Konata sighed.

You don't know the half of it. I'm glad you think that though... Konata smiled in her mind. She hugged Kagami with all her might again, but not before the Tsundere noticed something.

"Konata, why are you crying?" Kagami asked.

"Kagami, will you stay with me... forever?" Konata asked. Kagami sighed and smiled.

"Of course. Silly." Kagami smiled and she leaned her forehead against her Otaku's. For some reason, she always considered it as intimate an action as kissing and she knew Konata felt the same. The only difference was you didn't need to break for air. "Tsukasa told Miyuki."

"And what happened?" Konata asked.

"Miyuki understood that Tsukasa was drunk and didn't mean to do it. I won't say her trust wasn't shaken a bit, but she didn't make nearly as stupid a mistake as I made." Kagami answered with a calmly sad tone.

"I'm so glad their relationship wasn't ruined..." Konata smiled.

"Me too... Konata?" Kagami said as if she realized some great truth.

"Hm~?" Konata asked sleepily. The close proximity to her love and her closed eyes were making her tired.

"We're still on the floor." Kagami informed.

"...Oh."

Aftersection

So what did you guys think? This one took about 5-8 hours to write out. Please review and tell me if it was any good!