Ko-chan’s Chronicles

"Are you sure about this? Just a few weeks ago you were still teasing her non-stop every day." Hinari looked worried as Matsuko sat at her desk.

"I am. She's made her desires quite clear. She wants to walk beside me, as an equal. I want to respect that." Matsuko smiled softly, as if remembering something important.

"But ever since you met you've been playing these games. Can you really give them up?" Hinari seemed incredulous.

"For her, I'll do anything, even give up on teasing and games." Matsuko looked out the window.

Hinari smiled softly. "You've changed quite a lot, Mistress. Even though you spent so much time on your previous plans, you're giving them up so easily."

Matsuko laughed. "That's the way of the world. Priorities change. We will just wear normal dresses like normal people do. I'm sure she will be dazzling in whatever she wears."

Hinari nodded. "I'll inform Naruyo. She'll let you know when it's ready to be fitted."

Matsuko looked back at Hinari. "Thank you, Hinari. For everything."

Hinari bowed. "Of course. Any time, Mistress."

Matsuko frowned. "There's no need to call me that when we are alone. Even though we got linked by contract back then, I still think of you as my closest friend."

Hinari smiled. "As you wish, Ma-chan." She left the room.

* * *

"Wow, Naruyo! It's so beautiful! I can't wait to see us both later today!" I looked at the dress hanging on the form from every direction.

Naruyo smiled. "Bride must be beautiful. Law of universe."

Then I noticed the other dress form, holding a pure white tutu filled with silk, and with tiny flowers attached at the waist. "And this is?"

Matsuko smiled. "That one's mine. Since we made you a dress following my style, I thought maybe I could wear one matching your style. After all, we are about to be partners for life."

I smiled and hugged Matsuko. "They're both amazing! I can't wait!"

I thought for a second before I asked. "But I'm a little surprised. I don't see a single lock or buckle. I was sure you'd make me something filled with them."

Matsuko smiled warmly as she rubbed my hair. "You wanted to walk next to me, didn't you? I don't need locks and buckles to keep you near me anymore."

Matsuko laughed. "You've slipped the leash for good this time, Ko-chan, how does it feel?"

I remembered all the games Matsuko and I played over the last year. Was I really ready to let all of that go? It was when I was trying to sort my thoughts out that I suddenly spoke out my innermost feelings once more.

"But, I don't want to slip the leash! I want to keep playing with My Lady!" As soon as the words came out, I felt something change. The WORLD changed.

I felt like everything became transparent and I could see out into the starry void. The vortex in my chest started to reverse and I felt an incredible energy starting to fill my body. My head started to hurt again, just like when I was in the storm.

Matsuko was the first to realize what was going on and grabbed me into a princess carry and jumped out the window. "Naruyo, find the ancestor, hurry!"

"No need. I am here. You can sense a disturbance of this level from a thousand miles away." The ancestor appeared next to where Matsuko landed in the courtyard.

Matsuko laid me on the ground and looked at the ancestor anxiously. "What's happening to her?"

The ancestor smiled. "It's only been a few weeks, and the girl has already found her path. If I told the rest of the ancestors, would they cough up blood on the spot?"

"Her path?" Matsuko had an idea from the name, but wanted more details.

The ancestor watched Kogamo as she spoke. "After becoming a goddess, your next step is to find the true path of your soul. No one can determine their own path, they must find the one most suited to them. To think she did it so quickly."

Matsuko's face twitched. "So Ko-chan's true path was... how incredible..."

I groaned on the floor "...I knew it... My Lady was always leading me down the right path."

The ancestor turned serious. "Kogamo. You've already reversed your vortex. You must gather as much energy of the universe as you can and focus it into your new Divine Relic. The more you can gather, the farther you will walk in the future."

I nodded and sat up and started to focus. I could feel the incredible energy flooding in from all sides. I started to force it all into one spot.

As more and more energy gathered in one point, I could feel it start to gain its own gravity. This gravity caused the energy to flow in even faster, and soon I could not control it all at once. It started to leak out, and the unique connection I had with Matsuko siphoned it away.

Matsuko's body started to glow with black starlight, causing the ancestor's face to twitch. "You girls are at it again. Hurry and control this energy, Matsuko, or you will explode too!"

Matsuko's face was already starting to sweat and she sat down and focused too.

The energy was drawing in observers from nearby areas, but no one attempted to cause a scene. This advancement was sanctioned by the heavens, and they would not brook any interference.

I suddenly felt full. Any more would cause me to explode. I couldn't send more to Matsuko either, out of fear of injuring her. I started to panic.

"This is it, Kogamo. Collapse all this energy and crystallize it!" The ancestor's command snapped me out of my panic.

I tried to imagine a crystal made of power, but, like it had its own will, the energy formed into a rectangular object. As the features became more defined, I recognized it as a book of some sort. A tome engraved with golden runes, and shut tightly with a clasp that had a golden keyhole on it.

After the tome was completely formed, an ornate key started to form in the lock, made completely of black starlight. When it was completed, it slowly removed itself from the lock and floated towards the connection to Matsuko.

The key arrived, and sank into Matsuko's spirit body, dissolving itself into specks of magic and fading away. Around the tiny Matsuko's neck appeared a tiny key on a string, twinkling with starlight.

The energy being drawn in seemed to have lost its suction in an instant and started to dissipate into the nearby atmosphere.

The magical feeling of seeing the cosmos faded away and my awareness returned to the current surroundings.

The ancestor smiled. "Congratulations, Young Miss, you've taken the first step onto your path. I'll leave you two to yourselves for now. I should report back to the other ancestors." She slammed her staff and disappeared.

I looked over at Matsuko who was still glowing with starlight and became worried. I ran over in front of her and sat down, trying to think of how to help.

She held out her hand and rubbed my head. "I'm fine, Ko-chan. I've received quite a present from you this time, after all. In more ways than one."

I wiped the tears starting to form out of my eyes. "I'm glad.. If something happened..." I hugged her tightly and we just stayed like that for a while.

* * *

Naruyo was watching from the window when we returned to the room. "Grand scene. New power gained?"

I thought... Did I gain a new power? "Um... I don't feel any new power. Instead it feels like...AH! I c-can't feel that power! The one I used before! My Lady, what do I do!?!"

Matsuko smiled, holding up her hand, which started glowing with black starlight. "How about now, can you feel it?"

"Ah! It came back, I can feel my power again... wait! It faded away, what's going on?!" My mood soared and dropped like a roller coaster.

Matsuko laughed. "So that's how it is. What an incredible turn of events." I turned and looked at Matsuko, and I saw the same face I saw every time she was about to spring some new game on me.

Matsuko turned to Naruyo. "We're going back to my original plan. Get it ready."

Naruyo smiled happily. "Everything is prepared. Timeline is corrected."

"Wait! What is the original plan? What is happening!" I pulled on Matsuko's sleeve, begging for answers."

She put an arm around my waist and hugged me tight. "It seems, Ko-chan, that you can only use your new power when I allow you to. Do you think you can escape me this time? We are going to have so much fun from now on!"

"Ah, wait, no, this, I didn't, why is it like this!!" I struggled against her arm as I tried to wrap my head around what just happened.

She picked me up and squeezed me a little. "Don't worry, I've been dying to show you some new toys I had designed for you. I'm sure you're going to love them~"

I felt like I was sliding down a pit, and this time, there was no escape.