Endings and Beginnings
Part Five
Setsuna Sakurazaki waited by the warp gate to the city state of Ariade, her long black hair flowing in the wind. She was dressed comfortably, with a white blouse and black pants that showed her curves without clinging too much. She was there waiting for a guest to arrive, a old friend vacationing from Earth.
With a shimmer of light the tall, busy girl materialized, her dusky skin looking like smooth cocoa in the sunlight. Mana Tatsumiya strode out of the gate as her long hair flowed around her, twin pistols belted at her sides.
"Mana," Setsuna called as she walked to meet her, "it's good to see you."
Mana smiled slightly as she shook Setsuna's hand, "It's been a while." The two women followed the walkway from the warp gate, Mana's brown-black hair shining as she added, "How have you been doing?"
"Curious?" Setsuna asked as they went inside the halls of the school's outer section.
"Our classmates are wondering," Mana winked, not conceding she might have been worried about her old roommate, "you haven't written us much."
Setsuna blushed a bit as they entered a pleasant courtyard, a fountain bubbling away inside as she said, "I thought Negi would pass any news along..."
Mana laughed as they sat down on the fountain's edge, "He did, but I'm sure we wanted to hear from you, too."
"All right," Setsuna laughed, "I'll talk."
Setsuna proceeded to sketch in the history of her and Asuna's trip to this world even as Mana told her what was happening on Earth. Setsuna chronicled their arrival in Mundus Magica, their first bounty hunting jobs and their first contract in Ariade that eventually lead both her and Asuna to accept a request to stay in the city for the time being.
Mana listened attentatively, then sketched in the lives of the nearly 30 students they had once known. Yue had been hit hard by Negi marrying another girl, and to the surprise of much of the students had turned to Nodoka! Apparently Yue had been drawn to the scholarly girl even before Setsuna had left, but Negi marrying Konoka had served as a trigger.
"And Chachamaru and Chisame, of all people?" Setsuna blinked.
"They were spending a lot of time together before, too," Mana noted, reminding her of the time before their first trip to this world, "and you have to admit Chachamaru has always been fond of her."
Setsuna laughed softly, "Chachamaru would keep dragging Chisame to our meetings until Chisame just stopped protesting."
"It was kind of cute," Mana agreed. The two got up, Mana stretching as they walked off. She gave Setsuna a thoughtful look, "I notice you didn't go into too much personal detail. Still moping over Konoka?"
Setsuna blushed, "It's... a bit more complicated than that."
Mana raised a eyebrow, "Oh?"
"Have you met this school's headmistress, Naoko Konoe?" Setsuna quietly asked, leading her through the halls to the two bedroom suite she shared with Asuna.
"Yeah, I..." Mana blinked, "I think I see."
"Yeah," Setsuna knocked to make sure she wasn't disturbing Asuna, "I like her... a great deal. But I'm not sure if I'm just transferring my feelings from Konoka to a woman who closely resembles her, Naoko."
The two women headed inside as Mana asked, "Well, what is it you like about Naoko?"
"Her intelligence," Setsuna answered promptly, both of them sitting down at the diningroom tableas she added, "along with her sense of humor. She makes me think, then has me laughing too."
"Heh," Mana smiled slightly, "now while Konoka might make you laugh, I don't recall anyone complimenting her on her brains."
"She was not dumb," Setsuna scowled.
Mana waved that off, "You know what I mean."
Setsuna nodded a bit as she conceded, "Yes, I do."
There was a brisk knock on the door then Asuna Kagurazaka sailed in, her long orange hair tied up in two ponytails. "Still wearing the bells?" Mana noted, hearing the ringing of Asuna's hair bands.
"I like them," Asuna smiled, "even if I'm not chasing Takahata-sensei anymore." She almost looked like she wanted to hug Mana, but restrained herself as she said, "It's really good to see you again."
Mana smiled back a bit more reservedly than she did around Setsuna, "You, too."
"She's told you about Naoko?" Asuna asked as she set a school bag down, the canvas sack loaded with various books.
"Asuna!" Setsuna blushed.
"Probably enough," Mana agreed, "what do you think?"
"I had my doubts at first," Asuna admitted, "but it's been a few months, and I think Naoko really likes Setsuna."
Setsuna looked at Asuna in surprise, "You haven't said anything."
"You never asked," Asuna shrugged. She took a seat in a chair across from the ones they were sitting in, "Besides, I didn't want to influence you."
"Friendly like," Mana asked curiously, "or romantic like?"
"Romantic," Asuna answered confidently.
Setsuna blushed as she looked at Asuna, "How can you be so sure?"
Asuna rolled her eyes as she looked at Mana, "How can such a great swordswoman be so clueless about personal things?"
"It's a gift," Mana said deadpan.
"Yes, she's interested in you," Asuna turned to Setsuna and said firmly, "in fact, if she was any more interested, she's be kidnaping you and having her way with you."
"She would never," Setsuna blushed.
Mana looked amused, "Well, if you gave the lady some encouragement she might..."
"Setsuna, just in talking with her I think she'd really like to go out with you," Asuna said seriously. A smile teased her lips, "I heard about that dinner you two shared for days afterward, she was that happy."
Setsuna smiled fondly, "I enjoyed it too."
"So much so they've been having dinner together every week," Asuna told Mana, "and you wouldn't believe the excuses Naoko makes up to get Setsuna to go out with her."
Mana snickered, "Yup, she's chasing you Setsuna." She looked at Setsuna thoughtfully, "Have you asked her out yet?"
"It wouldn't be proper," Setsuna looked embarrassed.
Asuna groaned, "Setsuna. You two are friends. There's no reason you can't ask her to go out to dinner!"
"But she's the headmistress...," Setsuna stammered.
Mana looked at her thoughtfully, "And you're a famous Shinmei school swordswoman trained by a legend and developing your own reputation."
"Huh?" both Asuna and Setsuna looked at her in surprise.
Mana smiled as she sat back, "When I crossed over to Mundus Magica, you two were the topic of all the hottest rumors. You two are defeating legendary monsters, hunting dragons and are even hosted in the famous school at Ariade," she told them.
"I hadn't thought there'd be rumors spreading," Asuna confessed.
"Yes," Mana nodded, "you two were becoming well known on your first visit, and this has just cemented it." She looked over at Setsuna, "You're becoming a hero, maybe even on the same level as Nagi Springfield one day."
"No, no," Setsuna stammered again, shaking her head.
Asuna was nodding thoughtfully as she quietly said, "No false modesty, Setsuna. You really are good."
"And there's no reason you can't ask Naoko out," Mana said firmly.
A swift knocking on the door distracted them as Collet Rallendoll stuck her head in and cheerfully called, "Hello!" As Asuna waved her in the dusky skinned girl entered, her dog's ears sticking up curiously from her brown hair.
Setsuna politely introduced them, then she looked at Collet shyly. "Could I ask a question?" she asked.
"Sure," Collet said as she bounced into a seat.
"Would I," Setsuna's cheeks went red, "be breaking any rules if I asked the headmistress to join me for dinner?"
"Not at all," Collet said without hesitation, "in fact, as you're not a student and not on staff, you're one of the few who can."
"Huh," Setsuna looked like she was digesting that fact, "thank you."
To be continued...