Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me

Copyrighting not intended

No words could describe the scene that day. The heavy atmosphere in the air as Mahora counted their losses. They has lost a great deal of people, including Konoka. Despite winning the war, everyone felt more defeated than elated, their losses overpowering the joy. Even Konoemon was struggling to deal with the loss of not only his granddaughter but the other students that perished in the final battle, yet he pulled himself together just enough to oversee the events after the battle.

His son, Eishun, wasn't able to keep it together as well. After witnessing the loss of his daughter and the mental breakdown of her protector, he quietly retreated to his room for some space, for some time alone to grieve.

Even the dark mage Evangeline had withdrawn from sight, but although she felt the pain of loss, she did not grieve. She had seen too much death in her lifetime. Instead she focused all her efforts on what remained of Setsuna's body, trying hard to save the young half breed. After Setsuna's transformation, she went on a murderous rampage, decimating everything around her, leaving no trace of the shadow demons and leveling the ground they stood on. When she was done, drenched in the acidic substance, she fell still at the very spot where the vortex demon had stood, the very spot where Konoka disappeared from the world. Her once pure white wings, now blistering from the goo withdrew into her body, her talons vanishing as well. The whole scene took only 12 minutes, from start til end.

Without missing a beat, Chachamaru brought Setsuna's body back on Evangeline's orders. As Evangeline examined the fatal injuries, the students began to crowd around, all wanting to know what was the fate of the hanyou that single-handedly protected Mahora from the rest of the horde. Neji yelled at them angrily, losing his temper for the very first time, sending most of the students away, leaving only those who truly cared for Setsuna's well-being. It was only a couple of students, but Negi could see the change in their eyes. Like they finally saw Setsuna as a human being, not a monster.

Setsuna was barely breathing, her body battered and destroyed from her outburst, and it didn't seem like she was trying all that hard to stay alive. It was almost as if she had given up. It was no surprise when Evangeline whisked Setsuna to a private dimension, presumably to attempt to save her life and to get away from the prying eyes of the crowd.

And so, the days flew by quickly, the Magical world quickly recovering from the demon onslaught. It took a long time, but everyone soon moved on, all but one.

"Is she there again?" Ayaka sighed, staring out the window.

"Where else would she go?" her fiancee shook her head. "It's been so tough on her these past few months."

"What could she hope to accomplish?" Ayaka continued "If she's not in the library she's out there, her face buried into books."

"She said Konoka still lives." Asuna rubbed her temples "She's just trying to get her back."

"Isn't that just wishful thinking? I mean we all saw Konoka disappear." Ayaka replied "I would like nothing more than to see Konoka alive again, but right now, don't you think its just false hope? That Setsuna is just denying the facts?"

"She seemed so confident. Like she hadn't lost hope. Her eyes. I've never seen them so determined before." Asuna played with her engagement ring.

Asuna was speaking about the time when Setsuna woke up 6 months ago, 2 months after the end of the war. Instead of falling back into a rampage like Evangeline feared, Setsuna took to the library, pulling out all sort of different books, til the point where she forgot to eat or sleep.

"She's alive." Setsuna spoke, her eyes brimming with confidence. "Ojou-sama is still alive. I can feel it. She's waiting to be saved. She's waiting for me to come get her."

After that, everyone left Setsuna on her own, occasionally bringing her food or reminding her to take care of herself.

"Any luck?" Ayaka turned to face Nodaka, who was walking out of the library with a stack of books in her hands.

Shaking her head sadly, she replied "I don't know. It doesn't seem like Setsuna-san is any closer to finding Konoka-san. If Konoka-san is still alive."

"Are those books for her?" Asuna pointed to the dusty books in Nodaka's arms.

"Yeah. I was just about to bring them to her."

"Let me do it." Asuna took the books from Nodaka effortlessly, balancing the numerous books in her arms.

"Thank you." Nodoka mumbled a word of thanks and rushed back into the library, probably to fetch more books for Setsuna.

Giving her fiancee a quick kiss goodbye, Asuna made her way down to the field, weaving through the makeshift corridors as the engineers tried to rebuild the school the best they could. A couple of students greeted her as she walked by, Asuna returning their greeting with a curt nod. It wasn't long before she was out in the fresh air, the sun shining brightly into her eyes.

"Yo, Setsuna. I brought you more books." Asuna called out as cheerfully as she could.

"Just.. leave them... somewhere..." Setsuna replied, clearly distracted by the book she was rapidly flipping through.

"You know it would do you some good to actually enjoy the weather out here." Asuna pulled the book from Setsuna's grasp.

"Hey!" Setsuna blurted out "Oh.. Asuna. It's you."

"Of course its me you nitwit." Asuna plopped herself down beside the hanyou. "Who else would be dumb enough to be out here with you."

Setsuna gave her companion a wry smile, before letting out a sigh. "I'm sorry. It's just... I know she's out there. I can't explain it. I just... keep hoping that if I wished hard enough, maybe one day I'll be able to bring her back, maybe a miracle will happen."

"Maybe it will, but if you don't eat something soon, you won't live to see that day." Asuna tossed a small bento box at Setsuna, who caught it expertly.

She mumbled a word of thanks before swallowing the meal in the box. Setsuna just didn't realized how hungry she was. Had it not been for Asuna and the others, she might have starved to death long ago.

"So... have you discovered anything?" Asuna asked casually, playing with a blade of grass by her feet.

"Nothing much."Setsuna shook her head sadly "Most of the book don't have information on that particular type of demon, and those that do, well.. they're all in ancient text so it takes a while for me to decipher it. So far all I've gotten is that the vortex leads to another dimension, its where all the smaller shadow demons supposedly spawn before they arrive in our world, but that's about it."

"Well.. I can't help much, but I'm here to support you all the way" Asuna gave an apologetic smile.

"Thanks. It means a lot " Setsuna replied. "When's your wedding by the way?"

Asuna frowned a little "Well we haven't really decided. Ayaka's been real picky about the dates. I don't know why its such a big deal, I think we should just choose a nice sunny day and get it done."

Setsuna just nodded, not really knowing how to continue. She had never been a very social person, and she sure wasn't going to start now. As much as she treasured her friends, Setsuna liked her alone time, although she had been enjoying that time a lot less, her mind constantly filled with Konoka. Sighing, Setsuna laid down back on the grass, right next to Asuna who had laid down just moments before her. They both laid in silence, just enjoying each other's company.

Thinking back, Setsuna wondered how she managed to stay rational after she woke up from her 2 month long coma. Everyone was just shocked initially, not expecting her to waken so soon, or to even wake up from the state she was in. Then they panicked after she asked for the events leading up to her condition, having temporarily lost her memory due to the immense strain her body underwent. Yet, it was like something in her already knew, for Setsuna didn't freak out like everyone thought she would. She merely requested for a couple of days alone in her room, not even coming out for meals. Maybe she had expended all her rage and grief during those short 12 minutes, or maybe she was still in denial, Setsuna honestly didn't know.

During those few days, Setsuna tried to sort out her feelings, her mind, eventually reaching a state where she felt Konoka's presence. Initially, the young hanyou pushed it off as a figments of her imagination, her grief and despair playing tricks on her senses, but that wasn't the case. The feeling would come and go as it pleased, often a couple times a day. It started off as a feeling, a presence. It soon escalated to the feeling of Konoka's hand intertwined with hers, the sound of Konoka calling her name and many more. Each encounter lasted mere seconds, but it was eventually enough to convince Setsuna that Konoka was alive and trying to communicate with her.

Asuna thought she was in depression, Evangeline brushed it off as a side effect from the shock and Neji would only nod and listen but Setsuna knew he too didn't believe her. No one did. She was the only one who would hear Konoka's voice, feel her touch. Truthfully speaking, Setsuna was a little freaked out, as if a ghost was following her, but this eventually changed into the urge to find a way to bring Konoka back from where ever she was, which led to the intensive research over the past 6 months.

Sec-chan~

Setsuna shot up like a bolt, her eyes flying open, looking around wildly. Asuna sat up too, startled by Setsuna's sudden movement.

I'm right here.

"Ojou-sama." Setsuna muttered, standing up, trying to locate the direction of Konoka's voice

"Setsuna!" Asuna grasped her arms firmly "Snap out of it!"

It wasn't the first time Setsuna had gone into a trance, or a fit as Asuna called it. The orange-haired girl believed it was merely an extreme illusion conjured up by Setsuna's mind that was unable to accept Konoka's death. Each time, Asuna had tried to snap Setsuna out of it, but it was getting more and more difficult to in recent times.

"Let go of me Asuna!" Setsuna almost growled "I'm almost there."

"Snap out of it!" Asuna shook Setsuna firmly " She's gone! You might not want to accept it and its probably damn hard to, but Konoka is never coming back!"

Save me. Sec-chan

Normally, Setsuna would settle down after Asuna grabbed her, Konoka's voice fading from her mind, but this time, this time was different. Konoka's presence lingered strongly,much stronger than before. The spot where she was disappeared had always been where Setsuna felt the strongest connection, but none as strong as today.

I don't want to be here anymore

Setsuna ripped herself from Asuna's grasp, ignoring the stab of pain as Asuna's nails left nasty scratch marks on her skin. She ran among the book piles laying on the grass, kicking several books as she went.

"Setsuna!"

Setsuna could hear Asuna's voice calling her, but she pushed it to the back of her mind, consciously focusing everything she had to get a grasp on Konoka' s presence.

Sec-chan. Hurry.

"Ojou-sama!" Setsuna spoke hurriedly, her eyes frantically searching for anything that would give her a clue "Where are you?"

Help me Sec-chan.

As the sounds of Konoka's voice got more distressed, the more panicked Setsuna felt. It was like Konoka was right there with her, but she had no idea where. A slight movement caught the corner of her eye as she turned, catching a glimpse of a flickering piece of what seemed to be cloth, just fading in and out of existence.

"Ojou-sama. Is that you." Setsuna squinted, trying to focus everything she had on that small piece of fabric.

I can't. I'm so tired.

"No! Stay with me!" Setsuna called out frantically "I'm here. I'm right here. Just hold on a bit longer."

Sec-chan...

It was brief, but Setsuna was sure she saw it. The sun shone into her eyes, temporarily blinding her, but just before that she managed to catch Konoka standing before her, hand outstretched. She was semi-transparent as though she was a ghost but her presence was as strong as anyone else.

Save me, Sec-chan. Please

Setsuna lunged forward blindly, squinting against the light as she tried to grasp Konoka's semi-transparent hand. For a bystander like Asuna, it looks like Setsuna had finally lost it, blindly reaching for something that wasn't there. For a moment, blinded by the light, Setsuna thought she was going crazy too, having realized what she was doing, but all those thoughts faded away as her hand wrapped around something soft, almost like silk.

The longer she clung to it, the more solid it felt, and even though Setsuna had no idea what she was grabbing, every inch of her being screamed not to let go. And so she hung on. The wind began to pick up, echoing into the distance with a resounding roar, drowning out the voice of Asuna, who was calling from some distance away

Something began to pull her forward, and naturally, Setsuna began to pull backwards, fighting against the force.

Sec-chan!

Setsuna felt a grip on her hand, pulling her back. She tuned to see Asuna right beside her, and almost wanted to yell at Asuna for trying to ruin what she was doing, but soon realized Asuna wasn't pulling her away, instead she was pulling with her. With both their strength, they managed to pull back much easier, their eyes never meeting what Setsuna was holding on to. In an excessive burst of light, and a sudden lax in tension, Setsuna and Asuna both flew back, losing their balance, falling back onto the ground. Something light landed on the two of them, pinning them to the ground.

I've done my job human. Now its time to do yours. Don't mess up.

Exhausted from the effort she had just exerted, Setsuna had no real way to counteract the voice echoing in her mind, not that she would have known how to answer in the first place. Opening her eyes, Setsuna smiled brightly, tears coming to her eyes.

"I.."

There was no time for words, as the chocolate haired mage captured her lips, pouring every ounce of emotion into it. Pulling back, Konoka let out a teary grin

"I knew you could do it Sec-chan!"

"Ojou-sama..." Setsuna murmured, pulling the taller girl into a tight embrace.

While the two lovers reunited, Asuna could only sit there dumbfounded as her fiancee came running over, Negi in tow.

"Asuna! Are you alright? What is... KONOKA!" Ayaka exclaimed loudly as she laid eyes on the mage straddling the swordsman.

There was no time to be embarrassed as Konoka leapt from Setsuna's lap and jumped onto Ayaka, smiling the whole time.

"Konoka-san?! But how?" Negi exclaimed loudly, receiving his hug from Konoka

"Sec-chan saved me. Like always" Konoka replied smiling.

Everyone turned to Setsuna, who merely shrugged, she herself unsure of what had just transpired. Konoka bounded back to Setsuna's sde, wasting no time in claiming Setsuna's arm as her own as she pulled Setsuna back towards the school.

"Come on Sec-chan! I need to see Jii-chan and Otou-san!"

"KONOKA?!" Asuna exclaimed, her mind finally comprehending what was before her. "Wait.. what just happened? How did you get here? What is going on?"

It took a while before she realized Konoka was running off into the distance, catching attention where ever she went.

"We were hoping you could tell us what happened." Ayaka raised an eyebrow "You did see everything didn't you?"

"There was light!" Asuna exclaimed "And wind. And a pulling force, and we pulled and Konoka popped out!"

Ayaka and Negi stared at her for a while, trying to understand Asuna's gibberish as she tried to animatedly depict the scenario.

"I think you hit your head harder than I thought." Ayaka shook her head with a sigh "Come on, baka. Sit down for a moment."

While Asuna protested, Konoka was busy dragging a still dazed Setsuna through the halls, earning shrieks from every student they passed, each one not believing their eyes.

"Jii-chan!" Konoka threw open the doors to the deans office, pulling Setsuna in as if it was just another day

The old dean looked up from his paperwork, his eyes reflecting confusion as he laid eye on the grand-daughter her had believed to be dead. He slowly stood up, as if moving quickly would cause this unbelievable scene to disappear. He ran his fingers through her hair as he reached her, his lips twitching into a smile.

"Konoka... Oh my... Konoka... Its really you."

The dean enveloped Konoka in a tight hug, tears coming to his eyes. Konoka smiled brightly, tears in her eyes as well. As they two reunited, Setsuna smiled, quietly leaving the room, closing the door behind her.

"How is this possible?!" The dean exclaimed, now curious about how Konoka had survived "I..We thought you were dead!"

"I don't really know exactly" Konoka replied "I just.."

She was interrupted by the door slamming open once more. Konoka and Konoemon turned, wondering who would burst into the dean's office so rudely. By the door was Eishun. Clearly he had rushed over the moment he had heard the news, Setsuna standing behind him. He began to cry at the sight of his daughter, rushing forward and scooping her into a tight embrace, his tears flowing.

As Eishun reunited with Konoka, Setsuna took in the sight with a smile, moving to close the door to give the three some privacy. Instead, she was stopped by Konoemon's gaze as he gestured for her to enter the room as well. She politely shook her head, not wanting to interrupt their reunion. Konoemon frowned slightly and insisted she join them, his eyes leaving no room for negotiations. Flushing, Setsuna stepped in and closed the door behind her. Standing with her back against the door.

"But how..." Eishun asked the same question, his eyes still glistening with happy tears. "We thought we had lost you forever."

"I know." Konoka replied quietly, her eyes suddenly sad "I could see everything.

"Whatever do you mean?" Konoemon asked, stroking his long white beard.

"Its a long story." Konoka smiled.

Once everyone was seated, Konoka began her long tale.

"I've been sort of stuck as a soul. I could see and hear everyone, but no one could see or hear me. I was scared, but I learnt that I could somehow communicate with Sec-chan for brief moments. I'm glad she didn't just brush them off."

"The feelings were too strong, too real. I just couldn't brush them off." Setsuna flushed "I'm glad I didn't ignore them too."

"Honestly, I don't remember much after jumping into the vortex " Konoka spoke, her fingers lazily playing with Setsuna's. "I remember waking up, but I couldn't see anything. It was pitch black. I wandered around for a while, thinking I was dead or something. Then...I learnt a lot of things. A lot of things that I should have known."

Konoka stopped for a moment, biting her lip "Why didn't any of you tell me?"

"What are you talking about?" Konoemon asked curiously, although the glint in his eyes gave away the fact that he had an idea.

"That incident that happened 14 years ago." Konoka lifted her gaze to meet her grandfather's, then her father's "You lied to me."

"We didn't lie to you." Eishun stressed "We were just..."

"Then why didn't you tell me that this arm.."Konoka thrust out her right arm "This arm belongs to Sec-chan."

At this fact, Eishun and Konoemon exchanged glances. It had finally come to this, this was the day they were dreading. Yet after thinking they had lost Konoka forever, they couldn't help but her glad that they still had this chance.

"And you!" Konoka turned her attention to Setsuna, who was trying her best to shy away from the heated mage. "You stupid baka! Why did you do that! Why didn't you tell me!"

The poor hanyou avoided eyes contact and tried her best to shy away from the heated mage, but was stopped by Konoka's grip on her wrist.

"How did you find out?" Konoemon sighed, knowing that it was time to address the issue.

"Because!" Konoka exclaimed loudly, before her voice went soft "YokaiSetsuna told me."

"Yo..YokaiSetsuna?" Setsuna repeated, as if in disbelief.

Since they had merged, Setsuna hadn't felt her other form's presence in the slightest. She had pushed it to the back of her mind, seeing as she still had control over her wings.

"It must be the demon blood then." Eishun sighed once more

"Demon blood? Ojou-sama doesn't have..." Setsuna trailed off as she realized what was going on.

"What happened that day. Really." Konoka asked "I know YokaiSetsuna's appearance had something to do with that incident, but she didn't tell me any specific details."

Setsuna opened her mouth to respond, but was stopped by Konoemon.

"I guess its time we told you the full story." the old dean sighed once more, starting the story "You should remember what happened that day. Rogue factions in the Magic council started an uprising. It caught everyone by surprise, and by chance, you and Setsuna happened to be in the building at that time..."

-Flashback-

"Eishun, get them somewhere safe!" Konoemon ordered his son-in-law, defending himself as another rogue soldier attacked.

"Come on. Setsuna, Konoka!" Eishun hurriedly ushered the two young kids with him into a side room. "Stay here until I come get you alright?"

Konoka clung on to her father's arm, afraid and unwilling to let go.

"Don't worry. Setsuna is here. She'll protect you, won't she?" Eishun smiled at his daughter and her protector.

The young apprentice nodded her head firmly, her small hand gripping the hilt of a tanto by her side. It was a tiny weapon, but it served as a full sword for the young girl in training.

Once Eishun left, Konoka clung to Setsuna, who bravely tried to comfort her charge, keeping alert for any signs of danger approaching them.

"Daijoubu!" Setsuna spoke brightly "Eishun-sama is strong. He won't be beaten easily. After all, he is Kono-chan's dad!"

"Hontou?" Konoka asked, her eyes shimmering slightly with tears

"Yeah! Eishun-sama teaches magic. Of course he is strong!" Setsuna grinned

With that reassurance, Konoka smiled, and quickly became her bubbly self again. The young mage was restless despite the dangers outside, and kept pestering Setsuna to play with her. Setsuna protested, but was quickly pulled into a game by the persistent young heir.

Several times, the hanyou stopped, her brows furrowed as she thought she sensed danger, but that feeling left as quickly as it had come, and Setsuna' inexperience led to the fatal decision to ignore her gut feeling. Quiet and deadly, the assassin swooped down from the ceiling, catching both girls by surprise. Setsuna's reflexes kicked in, shoving her charge out of the way as the assassin dropped down on to them.

Setsuna was young and inexperienced, clearly no match for the assassin she faced. She gasped as the blade of her enemy sliced into her shoulder, digging deep into her flesh. She stumbled back into Konoka, bleeding horribly from her arm, the wound rendering her sword arm almost useless. The assassin smirked as he approached the two girls, his eyes glinting with evil.

"Let's get you out of the way, princess"

He grabbed Konoka by the collar and tossed her to the side, ignoring the frightened cries, then turning his attention to the fallen guard.

"Now. Getting rid of the trash"

He raised his blade, the metal coated in blood. Weakened, Setsuna closed her eyes and waited for the final blow, no longer having the energy to fight. Warm liquid spurted across her face, her shoulder throbbing painfully.

"Shit!"

Upon hearing the curse, Setsuna opened her eyes, her vision red from the blood dripping down her face. What she saw next would haunt her for the rest of her life. Konoka was lying in front of her in a pool of her own blood that was gushing from the massive wound in her shoulder.

"Kono-chan!" Setsuna freaked out, realizing the blood on her face was not her own

Konoka had leaped in front of her friend, taking the fatal blow and her right arm had been completely separated from her torso. In a raging frenzy, Setsuna grabbed her fallen blade, and leaped forward, completely ignoring the burning pain in her shoulder as she pushed herself to swing her tanto. Caught off guard, the assassin stumbled back, Setsuna's tanto catching him just under his ribs. He swore before giving the small guard a swift kick, sending her flying into a corner. He growled as he cornered her, kicking her weapon out of her reach.

"Stupid pest" He spat, once again raising his weapon

"Konoka! Setsuna!" Eishun and Konoemon burst in, visibly worried. Eishun casted a quick spell, so quick that the nimble assassin couldn't avoid, killing him instantly. Eishun rushed over to the young guard as Konoemon moved towards Konoka.

"Eishun-sama... Konoemon-sama.." Setsuna sobbed, her voice shaking.

She collapsed from the blood loss and shock, Eishun catching her small body in time "I'm sorry. I couldn't protect Kono-chan."

Eishun was at a loss for words, and could only look on as his father-in-law checked for vitals.

"She's alive" Konoemon breathed a sigh of relief "but - "

A sudden wave of magic knocked them all back as the magic in Konoka's body began to spill out into the room.

"She's going into shock!" Konoemon rushed forward, trying to contain the magical energy in the small body

"What's happening?!" Eishun yelled in worry, his voice cracking with fear

"Konoka always had an extraordinary amount of magic, more than most." Konoemon started "She's losing control over her magic due to shock and the loss of a limb. If we don't find a way to stop this, she's doing to die!"

"What! I've never seen anything like this before!" Eishun was panicking, his mind in a whirl.

"Konoka is young and has yet to learn to control her magic." Konoemon frowned deeply "Losing her arm has only increased the lack of control she had over her magic."

"Then we'll need to reattach her arm! Where is it!" Eishun looked around frantically, his eyes not seeing what he was looking for. "Is there no other way?!"

"At her young age, there is nothing more we can do now." Konoemon shook his head sadly "Even if she survives this, there is no way for her to ever use magic again. Even then, there might be permanent damage to her body and mind."

"We can't just let her die!" Eishun was crying "I can't lose her. She's all I've got."

"Can.. you use mine?"

"Wha... Setsuna." Eishun looked at the young guardian with tear-filled eyes "What are you saying?"

"Can we use my arm instead? To save Kono-chan?" Setsuna asked innocently, yet she knew the weight behind her words.

"No. I won't let you do that." Eishun shook his head vigorously

"It's the only way, Eishun!" Konoemon spoke up, his voice shaking from the strain he was exerting "I don't like it either, but at this rate, Konoka will die! Not only that, her out of control magic will destroy anything in the vicinity! Lives are at stake!"

"Setsuna is a hanyou! The repercussions of using her arm is unthinkable. We don't know how it'll affect Konoka!"

"Do we have a choice? It's either watch her die or let Setsuna save her!"

"Please." Setsuna approached Eishun slowly "I want to save Kono-chan."

Eishun looked at the young girl in front of him, her eyes determined, showing no fear.

"I don't use magic. I can afford to lose an arm" Setsuna cracked a smile

Pulling Setsuna into a tight hug, Eishun hung his head. "I'm so sorry Setsuna. I really don't want to do this but..."

Seeing Setsuna smiling despite the odds broke Eishun's heart further as he drew his sword.

"This is going to hurt. A lot." Eishun spoke to the young girl.

"It's ok. If this can save Kono-chan, I don't mind. Its falling off anyway" Setsuna tried to laugh it off.

"Eishun!"

Hearing his father-in-law's voice told Eishun that he was running out of time. He took one last look at the selfless guard he had hired, and brought his sword down, slicing through whatever was left holding Setsuna's arm to her body. Her piercing shriek filled the room as Setsuna felt the blade pass though her already painful wound, a burning pain exploding in her shoulder as what little flesh and muscle that held her arm in place was severed.

She was vaguely aware of the sensation of being healed, but the sharp pain had jolted her mind into unconsciousness, only feeling the slight tingle of the healing spell before she sank into darkness.

-Flashback End-

"It was a good two weeks before you woke up" Konoemon finished up "And when you did, we told you that your arm was badly injured, that's why you couldn't move it. We twisted the truth a little, telling you Setsuna lost her arm protecting you."

Konoka didn't know how to react to the news she had just received. She looked at Setsuna, who has an equally shocked look on her face.

"Don't you remember this Sec-chan?"

"Not.. with such detail." Setsuna shook her head. "I only remember giving my arm to save your life. What happened before that is a big blur."

Konoka began to tear "I'm sorry Sec-chan, I didn't know that you did something like that for me."

"I don't even remember any of it" Setsuna laughed sadly, absent-mindedly rubbing her gauntlet.

The young mage snaked her arms around Setsuna's waist, resting her head on her shoulder "I hate you. I hate that you've always been protecting me. Even when you can't protect yourself."

Setsuna remained silent, not knowing what to say. She had always wondered what had truly transpired that time. The whole time she had been learning how to work with a metal appendage, her mind had thought of all the thing that could have happened, most of the scenarios weren't good. It felt bittersweet to know the truth, knowing that Konoka had only lost her arm to save her.

"Maybe this is why." Eishun spoke "Evangeline said there was something missing, something that was preventing her from figuring out what was wrong with you. Maybe Konoka having your arm was the reason. Because your arm still lives on with her. It's not dead."

"We should go back to Evangeline-san and tell her. Maybe she can figure something out with this information!" Konoka's eyes' twinkled

"I don't know." Setsuna sighed "I don't think YokaiSetsuna would be posing a problem anymore."

"Well it never hurts to take a look" Konoka kissed Setsuna on the cheek "Just to be safe."

"You know, this is the perfect time." Konoemon stood up slowly, making his way to his desk after seeing the small affectionate gesture from Konoka.

He pulled out a stack of documents, before shuffling over and handing it to Konoka. "Here."

Puzzled, Konoka took the papers, her eyes widening as she saw the neatly printed font on the front "Where did you get this? How?"

"I had this sitting in my desk for a long time" Konoemon's eyes twinkled "I think its time."

In Konoka's hands was the paperwork needed for a pactio. Everything had been signed and approved by Konoemon. All that was left was to fill in Setsuna's name and get both their signatures.

"This is..." Setsuna spoke softly

"Your pactio documents. We have always been waiting for the time you would form a pactio together." Eishun look at his father-in-law before turning back to his daughter and her girlfriend "You do want a pactio together right?"

"Of course!" Konoka nodded without hesitation "More than anything"

Setsuna just nodded, her mind still reeling from everything.

Then it was settled. Eishun drew a pactio circle on the ground, one that signifies the permanent bond between the two. Konoka and Setsuna stood in the center, foreheads almost touching.

"So many things have happened Sec-chan" Konoka whispered softly, hands intertwined with Setsuna's "I'm just so glad that I could be here once more. With you."

"Kono-chan" Setsuna smiled "You saved me. In more ways than one, I can't thank you enough. This might sound really really cheesy, but without you, I don't think I would have made it this far."

"Sec-chan." Konoka started but was stopped by Setsuna's grip tightening

"Let me finish." Setsuna breathed deeply, calming her nerves "You were my sole purpose in life, you gave me a reason to keep going. Losing you these past 6 months has been hell. I don't ever want to experience that feeling again. I just can't"

"I won't leave Sec-chan. You know that." Konoka brushed a strand of hair away from Setsuna's pale face. "I'll always be right beside you."

"I don't want to wait anymore. I don't want to wait for something else to tear us apart." Setsuna squeezed her eyes shut, pouring out her emotions in one go "After everything that we've been through, everything these past few years and especially these few months, I want to do this. I can't wait any longer and I'm going to take this chance"

Setsuna took another deep breath, her bright blue eyes opening to look at Konoka straight in the eye "You are my everything. You are my entire world. Without you, I would be incomplete. You saved me from the deepest, darkest parts of myself, always the light to guide be back. Konoe Konoka, I love you with every fiber of my being. And despite all the ups and downs we have gone through-"

"Sec-chan." Konoka gasped as Setsuna fell onto her knee in front of her, tears springing into her eyes

"Konoe Konoka. Would you give me the honor to be with you for all eternity. I don't have a ring, but will you marry me?"

"Yes!" Konoka almost shouted, pulling Setsuna up and sealing the deal with a kiss.

The light from their pactio was so bright and so intense that it blinded the two men in the room. The pactio sealed the two's fate together as meister and magi, but also sealed the start of a beautiful budding relationship. Eishun began to tear at this joyous occasion, ignoring the fact that his daughter had just agreed to a proposal from a girl, a proposal he had no idea was going to happen, but he wouldn't have it any other way. Setsuna was the only one for his daughter, he had known since the very first day they got together as an official couple.

It was no surprise that a double wedding ensued, with Asuna and Ayaka insisting on their two friends' getting together on the same day as them. It was a joyous occasion for all, even Saitou attended the wedding, congratulating Setsuna on her marriage to Konoka. And though it was an impromptu decision to have their wedding together with Asuna and Ayaka, Konoka and Setsuna didn't care.

They were together and no matter what may happen in the future, they know that they would be facing it side-by-side

Oh my god. That is it for this story! I know the ending was extremely rushed, but I don't want to drag this story on for another chapter and keep you guys waiting. If you enjoyed this story then awesome, I have lots to improve on and I would appreciate any feedback and critique.

Thank you all for sticking to the end even though I have taken wayyy to long to finish this.

I love all of you and please keep this beautiful fandom alive!