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“Kanade… is it really you?”
“Yo Tsubasa! Sorry I’m late for the ride.”
Even after she bravely claimed in front of Fudo that the spirit of Kanade flows through her, Tsubasa would be lying if she said she didn’t miss her. The memories of their time together have always been sufficient, but the most recent events have pushed her to look back at their final moment together, they day Kanade sacrificed herself to save Hibiki.
“I failed, I couldn’t save her like you did... I’m not as strong as you, I’m sorry Kanade.”
Thanks to Maria she has found some peace, but now that Kanade is right in front of her, those thoughts linger her mind again. The screams of the people, the face of the innocent girl that was brutally murdered by Millaarc, the feeling of utter defeat, it’s all coming back.
“What’s with the long face? I thought you would be more excited to see me again.”
“It’s not that! Kanade, I…”
“You don’t have to say anything, I saw what happened.”
“Huh?”
“At the concert.”
Tsubasa was utterly shocked at the revelation, the fact that Kanade was already aware of those events only distressed her more.
“I know what you are going to say, so before you do…” Kanade gently approached her with opened arms, but Tsubasa was quick to push her away.
“No… you said you saw me right? How can you be so calm then? I’m weak! I couldn’t live up to your expectations, to your legacy! I let all those people die on my watch, that girl… if only I was strong like you, then maybe she…"
Just like old times, Kanade interrupted Tsubasa with flick to the head, a soft and gentle one, unlike the rather strong and assertive flicks Maria delivers.
“Expectations? Legacy? What are you talking about.” Kanade laughed, as she always did to cheer Tsubasa up whenever she got serious.
“But…”
“I guess there’s still a little bit of crybaby in you.” now with a more melancholic tone, Kanade embraced Tsubasa in a hug.
“You need to stop worrying about the past, you can go anywhere if you notice the bright future ahead of you. But if you are so worried about what I think, then know that I’ve been watching you all this time, and I’m very proud. Our dreams and goals as zwei wing don’t stop because I’m no longer here, and you are not alone, so please keep doing what you love, ok?”
It was only after feeling Kanade’s warmth that Tsubasa realized this was real, her mind wasn’t playing tricks anymore. Her arms, kindly clenching her; her perfectly toned back, which Tsubasa was holding tight; she was there, she was real. Tsubasa broke into tears, ecstatic for the moment, and relieved thanks to Kanade’s words. She slowly calmed down, and then they stood there, enveloped in a hug that felt eternal.
“Are you feeling better now?”
“Yes. Thank you Kanade, I won’t hesitate anymore.”
“That’s the spirit! It’s like you said: pride always returns, it rises up from within the flames! You are so cool, I don’t know why you worry so much!” Kanade hugged her by the shoulder, cheerful as ever, and Tsubasa’s blush turned her face all red.
“H-How do you know exactly what I said!”
“Because it was an awesome moment, we fell off our chairs! who would have thought you two would sing that song again!”
“Wait Kanade slow down, what are you talking about?”
“I told you already, I’ve been watching you all the time.”
“But I didn’t think you meant it literally! And what do you mean by we?”
“Serena, we’ve been living together ever since I died.”
“Serena! As in Maria's sister?"
“Yeah! she found me laying on the ground after I arrived to heaven. She took me to her place, helped me clean up and even cooked me a delicious meal. She is like an angel.”
To say Tsubasa was dumbfounded would be an understatement. Sure this meeting itself has been unbelievable, but the last thing she expected to hear it that her ex-partner is living together with her current partner’s little sister.
“I know it sounds confusing, so come on, let’s go talk to them. Serena is better at explaining this kind of stuff anyway, and I’ve been waiting so long to meet Maria.”
“Maria? I’m surprised you want to meet her, are you a fan of her music?”
“Really Tsubasa?
“What? Are you not a fan of her music?”
“OF COURSE I AM A FAN OF MARIA’S MUSIC! HAHA, YOU ARE A FUNNY ONE TSUBASA!”
“What’s with you all of a sudden?”
“Are you trying to get me in trouble! You know what Serena would do if I speak ill of her sister?"
“I really doubt she even heard me.”
Kanade took a cautious glance at Serena’s direction, but the two sisters were fondly hugging each other, completely unaware of everything else.
“What would she do to you anyways?” a little giggle escaped Tsubasa, she couldn’t recall any instance in which Kanade acted like that, so it really made her wonder what kind of relationship she developed with Maria’s sister.
“That’s why I said we should go talk to them. Come on, I want to meet your new girlfriend!”
“G-G-Girlfriend? We are nothing of the sort!”
“You know you can’t lie to me.”
“I-I can assure you our relationship is strictly friendly and professional.”
“Then why do you call her by first name and not by surname like all your other friendly and professional relationships?”
“That’s only for practical purposes! her surname is difficult to pronounce.”
“Like hell is it! Look, CA-DEN-ZAV-NA, pretty easy if you ask me, and I’m sure you can do it too.”
“W-Well, not all of us are as eloquent as you.”
“Ok Tsubasa, I’ll play along with you lie. If you two are not dating, that means she is fair game right?”
“E-Excuse me?”
“Look if you are not kissing her I will. My time here is limited, I want to take some good memories with me, and I’m not gonna lie, she is pretty damn hot.”
“Kanade! W-Whatever, they are waiting for us.”
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"Maria nee-san, it's been a while, hasn't it? You've grown into such a pretty woman."
Despite Maria's best effort to articulate any semblance of a sentence, the words just wouldn't come out of her mouth. She tried to reach her, to feel her once again, but she was afraid she would vanish.
"Don't be scared, let me show you that I'm real." Serena grabbed Maria's hand and placed it on her cheek
Like a light dissipating darkness, Maria's worries disappeared the moment she touched Serena, and she immediately gave her a tender hug; with each passing second, her grip got stronger, like she intended to never let go of her.”
"Maria nee-san you are squeezing me."
"I've missed you so much, stay like this with me forever, please."
"We both know that's not possible, so let’s live the most out of this moment, for as long as we can."
Few minutes passed, and Maria let go of Serena, knowing that this sensation is something she would never forget. With her mind at ease, she took a better look at Serena.
"You haven't changed at all."
"I was hoping I would grow just like you, but heaven works in a different way. You on the other hand have changed so much, but you are as strong and reliable as ever."
"It's all thanks to you Serena, I borrowed so much strength from you.”
“My only wish was for my love to intersect with your songs, so thank you Maria nee-san, for making my dream come true.”
A few years ago, Maria wouldn’t have been able to face Serena like this, but long gone are the days of self loathing because of past mistakes, of doubting herself. She hasn’t forgotten, but she has the courage to stand with pride and move forward; she fights for the present and future, to be a light for her friends, for Tsubasa.
“Serena, when you mentioned heaven, what exactly did you mean?”
“After I stopped the Nephilim, a weird sensation of peace flowed through me, like I was going into a deep slumber. I woke up in a big and beautiful flower field, like the one we used to visit when we were kids, and I’ve been living there since then, watching you all along.”
“Like an afterlife… so you have been by yourself all this time?”
“I was for a while, but one day Kanade nee-san arrived, and it has been so much fun since then!”
“Kanade… nee-san?”
“Yeah!”
“Nee-san?”
Serena kept nodding in a seemingly innocent way, but she got the reaction she was hoping for. She was the most playful of the two, and since Maria was always so easy to fluster, she used to tease her all the time.
“Nee-san…”
“You are still my favorite, you don’t need to feel jealous.”
“I’m not jealous! I’m just surprised, I didn’t think you would be living with Kanade… wait! Tsubasa’s partner?"
“See, you were jealous. It took you this long to realize who I was talking about.”
“I’m telling you that’s not it! ...You really haven’t changed.” Maria tenderly smiled, overflown with nostalgic memories of the many times they interacted like this.
“Hehe, neither have you.”
The fun-loving nature of their relationship is not something they have been able to emulate. Maria developed more of a motherly, protective relationship with Kirika and Shirabe, and oddly enough, so has Serena with Kanade, not the same degree, but Kanade’s carefree personality often brings that motherly nature out of Serena.
“You got yourself not one but two cute little sisters! They’ve grown so much as well, can I see them?”
“Of course. I’ve told them so much about you, they’ll be very happy to see you.”
“Great! but first… I want to meet her. ”
“Who?”
“You know… her." Serena eagerly pointed at Tsubasa
“Tsubasa? I didn’t think you would be so excited to meet her.”
“Why wouldn’t I? I want to meet the girl that stole your heart, the one you feel in love with at first sight, she who occupies all your thoughts, your stage partner who you want to sing all…” This time, Serena didn’t get the response she expected. Rather than getting embarrassed and interrupting her sister, a sentimental Maria just listened, getting more and more emotional as Serena kept describing exactly how she felt
“You are right, I love her. Even when I was foolishly playing the villain, singing with her for the first time was the most thrilling experience of my life, and fighting against her only made me admire her more. She is kind, brave, strong, reliable, but she is also messy, disorganized, stubborn, and I love everything about her.”
“Maria nee-san… you have to tell her how you feel!”
“No, not yet anyways… you know what she’s been through, right? For now, I want to be by her side, help her regain her love for music, because that’s when she is at her happiest, singing in front of all the people that admire her.”
“Maybe those feelings are what she needs to hear, don’t you think?”
Before she could begin to consider the question, and excited Kanade and bashful Tsubasa made their way towards them. She could think about it later, for now, she wanted to meet Kanade and hopefully learn more about the kind of life she lives with her sister.
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“Tsubasa-san… I can’t believe I have the opportunity to meet one of my favorite celebrities, I love your music so much!”
Maria was always so eager to talk about Serena, so Tsubasa had a pretty good image of her: well-mannered, gentle, selfless, and a very warm person to be around. She was taken aback by Serena’s energetic introduction, but her words felt genuine. How long has it been since someone praised her music? She had almost forgotten how good it felt.
“I appreciate your kind words, they mean a lot to me. Your sister always speaks with so much love about you, it’s an honor to meet you.”
“Thank you for taking care of her, and helping her find happiness in her life. She may not admit it yet, but she loves singing with you.”
“The sentiment is mutual, I’m very happy I can share the stage with her. I should thank you as well, for looking after Kanade, I hope she hasn’t given you much trouble.”
“Not at all, Kanade nee-san is a bit troublesome at times, but living with her is very fun.”
“Nee-san? Your relationship is closer than I thought.”
“We should talk more about us, all of this probably sounds strange to the both of you. Kanade nee-san, are you done talking to…”
“Kanade!”
Staying true to her early words, Kanade already had Maria pinned against the wall, kabedon style. Tsubasa’s initial mild astonishment was quickly replaced by a rising sensation of arousal. As she was reminiscent of the many times she had been in that position, seeing Kanade once again impose her will but this time against a helpless Maria made her heart race in a way she had never experienced before.
“Seriously Tsubasa, how can you resist her? if you don’t stop me I...
Kanade didn’t lie to Tsubasa earlier when she said she found Maria very attractive, but seeing her in person turned out to me more enchanting than she anticipated. Her initial intention was to make Tsubasa jealous, but one gaze into Maria’s cyan eyes made her mind go completely blank, her focus was entirely set on the beauty in front of her; however, as surprising as her reaction was, she was in no way ready for how Maria would act.
Kanade was the kind of person that can cheer anyone and it was impossible to say no to her, that’s what Maria thought based on the few times Tsubasa talked about her, and despite how hard it was to make her open up, once she did, she always looked so relaxed, like all her problems dissipated in an instant.
As it turns out, it wouldn’t take long for Maria to realize her assumptions were true. Once Kanade pinned her against the wall she offered no resistance, not only was she way more good-looking and charismatic than she thought, but the manner in which she took the initiative with so much confidence made her all the more irresistible; she knew it was impossible, but she has always wished for Tsubasa to act like this.
Kanade was stunned by how provocative Maria was, her body language was inviting her to do whatever she desired. She started to hesitate, and slowly began to pull her right hand back, but Maria was quick to grab her wrist and place her hand exactly where it was.
Who was really in control anymore?
It doesn’t matter.
Maria wants to do it.
Kanade is not going to back away now.
Tsubasa doesn’t know whether she wants to be in Kanade’s position or Maria’s, but she was certain of one thing: she wanted to see this happen too.
Kanade softly moved her hand from the wall to Maria’s face, meeting her delicate skin for the first time.
Maria closed her eyes, feeling the warm touch of Kanade’s hand.
Tsubasa contained her urged to scream “just kiss already!”
Kanade’s lips made her way to Maria, and then…
“STOOOP!”
Serena tightly hugged Kanade from behind with the biggest pout on her face.
“Kanade nee-san is mine! You already have Tsubasa-san!
“HUH?!”
Suddenly it felt like the 3 of them were snapped back to reality. It was all foggy, like they had just woken up from a dream. Before they could even attempt to make sense of what just happen, they tried to calm Serena, who was sticked to Kanade and refused to stop hugging her.
Kanade, with Serena still clinging to her, walked away to explain her in private that it was all part of a plan to make Tsubasa jealous. Serena wasn’t convinced at first, noting how much into it Kanade looked, she tried to reply back, but her memory was still unclear, so all she could do was apologize.
Finally, after much begging, Serena forgave Kanade and the two of them returned to Tsubasa and Maria, who were rather surprised by the scene they just witnessed.
“What’s with you two?” a slightly embarrassed Kanade asked.
“I’m sorry Kanade, it’s just… I never thought I would see you beg anyone for anything. I must thank you Serena, it was quite a joyful scene to see.” That was Tsubasa’s way to make fun of Kanade, but she genuinely enjoyed seeing a new facet of her former partner.
“I understand how you feel Kanade-san” Maria placed her hand on Kanade’s shoulder, evoking the moments she was on the same side of the apology. “My sister has her mischievous ways to make others apologize to her. What did you do this time Serena?”
“Knowing Kanade, there are only two ways make her yield like that, both of which I wasn’t very good at…”
“And what would those be?” Maria inquired.
“One would be cooking.”
“Oh yeah you are pretty bad at it.”
“I-I’m not that bad!” Everyone then proceeded to stare incredulously at Tsubasa
“Ok I’m pretty bad at cooking.”
“Is that what it was Serena?”
“Yes!” and excited Kanade replied instead “Your little sister is one hell of a cook, she makes the most delicious food I’ve ever tasted!”
“Before Kanade nee-san arrived there wasn’t much to do so I spent most of the time learning how to cook.”
“Really? I’m glad you became a wonderful cook.”
Their days at the FIS were far from easy, everything about their unwilling stay there aside from being together was unpleasant, and that included the food. One day, Serena promised her sister she would learn how to cook to prepare her favorite meal once they got out of there. Perhaps to not ruin the mood, Maria purposely avoided bringing it up, but she didn’t forget, and she was sure neither did Serena; before she was overwhelmed by emotions of what could have been, she changed the topic.
“So, what’s the other way, Tsubasa?
“Se…”
“AHHH OK TSUBASA!” Maria rushed to cover Serena’s ears. “What’s wrong with you! how can you say that so nonchalantly?”
“Well you asked me a question and I was going to answer it.”
“Be a little more mindful, there’s a child here!”
“Is she good at that or is it as bad as her cooking?” Kanade’s question didn’t help Maria’s flustered state
“H-How am I supposed to know!”
“Come on, you really haven’t done it?”
“Can we not have this conversation when my sister is right here!”
“Haha relax, she already knows about it.”
“WHAT!”
“One day she asked me, when are Tsubasa-san and Maria nee-san going to do the thing adults do when they love each other? I told her that you two probably did it already, because it’s not like we can see you all the time.”
It took all of Maria’s strength to not faint from all the embarrassment, but she couldn’t stop herself from falling on her knees. She wasn’t covering Serena's ears anymore, and didn’t even realize it.
“Sorry Serena” Tsubasa took over Maria’s protective role. “But it’s better for Maria if she thinks you didn’t hear anything.”
“I’ll pretend I didn’t listen Tsubasa-san.”
“F-For the record... we have not done that thing adults do when they love each other…” Tsubasa somehow felt the need to clarify that.
“So you haven’t kissed?”
“Eh? N-No, we haven’t.” Tsubasa let out a big sigh of relief, almost as if Serena was her little sister.
“But you do love her, right?”
“You ask a lot of questions you know?” Tsubasa playfully squished Serena’s cheeks “But yes, I do love her.”
“That was surprisingly honest of you Tsubasa-san.”
“Gah...!” Tsubasa squished Serena’s cheeks again, astonished by the sassiness of the younger Cadenzavna sister. “But it’s odd, I feel like I can be completely honest with you, I guess it’s because you are her sister.”
“You should tell her too!”
“But what if she doesn’t feel the same way…”
“Kanade nee-san is right, you are so oblivious.”
“Maybe with your blessing I’ll muster up the courage to be honest for once.”
As they exchanged smiles, Tsubasa noticed Serena was starting to vanish, her hands were unable to grab her cheeks anymore; Maria noticed the same while Kanade was trying to cheer her up.
“I guess this means our time here is done.” Kanade laughed
“We have to go, sorry we couldn’t explain more about our situation...”
“Don’t worry Serena, knowing you two are together and doing well is all we needed.” Maria gave her little sister one last hug while she still could. “I’m very happy I had the chance to see you again. I'll continue to live my all, I love you.”
“I love you too, Maria nee-san.”
“No more crying ok? Go out there and keep living your dreams.”
“No Kanade, our dreams. Thank you, please continue to watch over me."
“Always, goodbye Tsubasa.”
Kanade gave her one last kiss in the forehead. She grabbed Serena’s hand and together waved goodbye, but before they completely vanished, Tsubasa winked at Serena. Despite having to say goodbye again, they were at peace, this reunion was more than they could have ever hoped for, and the fact that their loved ones somehow ended up meeting and living together only made them happier.
“Tsubasa, I…” Maria’s attempt to break the silence was quickly interrupted by a fierce and passionate kiss by Tsubasa. She didn’t have time to be surprised, she had been waiting for this moment, so she caved to her feelings as well. Any hesitation Tsubasa had was erased by Maria’s equally intense response, and so the two finally had their long awaited first kiss.”
“You sure took your time, didn't you? I was starting to wonder what else would I have to do for you to kiss me.” Maria said teasingly, thrilled by what just happened.
“Maybe if you were as honest as your sister we could have done this already.”
“Shut up and kiss me again.”
Maria pulled Tsubasa right back into a kiss, the one of many more to come. Now that they have properly closed out a couple of chapters in their life that ended abruptly, they can move forward and look towards the future, and that future starts with the two of them together, for the rest of their lives.
“See? I told you my plan would work. Look at them, they are finally honest with each other!”
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s all thanks to me. If anything, your plan almost made it worse.”
“Ahaha, I guess I overdid it... you are not still mad, are you?”
“I almost forgot about it, but since you brought it back, I guess I’m still a little mad.”
“You leave me no choice then!”
There is one thing that Serena loves more than anything, and always gets her in a good mood: a piggyback ride. Kanade’s height and broad shoulders made her the perfect partner for that. She grabbed Serena and placed her on her back; Serena also loved to rest her head on Kanade’s long and fluffy hair.
“So, what are you making for dinner tonight?”
“How about some beef stroganoff?”
“Ah! Like the one Hibiki and her friends made?
“Yeah but… properly cooked.”
Kanade and Serena continued their way back home, excited to watch what the future holds for everyone, and patiently waiting for the day Tsubasa and Maria can journey into the great sky, so the can properly reunite, forever.