Back to you

Back to you (one-shot)

-o-o-o-o-o-

Blade clashes against blade. Sparks fly as they grind against each other, each trying to outweigh the other. Then, like two magnets of the same charge put together, they separate as their owners jumped to the opposite direction, each visibly breathing heavily as they watched each other.

Her grip on the sword tightened as she readied herself. Dark orbs, sharp with years of experience, watched as her opponent took her stance. In a moment her opponent would attack and she'll be ready for that.

Her opponent flung herself at her, bells jingling along as a blur of red went for her left. She readied herself, her stance rigid waiting for the strike, when her opponent disappeared.

Instant movement. But to where?

Her ears perked at the sound of grass crunching to her left. She turned blocking the kick aimed at her chest just in time. Then, much to her surprise, her opponent twisted herself, her free foot aiming for her face. Raising her free arm she managed to block that attack as well. Her opponent flipped backwards then disappeared yet again, only to reappear to her right, sword ready for the death strike.

With deft ease she tilted her sword to the right, deflecting the blow. With a flick of her wrist she let the weight of the opposing sword glide down the length of her sword, disrupting its owner's sense of balance, before twisting around bringing her armed hand over for the blow she hoped her opponent would be able to block.

There was resistance accompanied by the loud clang as metal met metal and she let out the breath she was holding. Pushing against her sword she jumped back, already at a defensive stance, calculating eyes returning to the panting red head opposite of her.

"Time." The red head gasp out as she plunged the tip of her blade through the ground. "That was sure one heck of a work out. I'm bushed." She took a deep breath, plopping herself on the cool ground. Setsuna smiled proudly at her sparring partner as she sheathed her nodachi. "That was amazing! Asuna-san you've improved with the way you handle the blade. Very impressive."

Asuna scoffed. Eyeing Setsuna wearily she shrugged "You're just saying that, besides that last counter nearly got me."

"I knew you'd block it." Again Asuna scoffed.

Setsuna's smile suddenly disappeared as her ears perked at the sound of ruffling by the thick bushes. Her hand automatically unsheathed her blade as she jumped into a defensive position, waiting for whatever might come out of the shrubbery. Asuna seems to have the same thought as she too grabbed her sword and stood a bit to the side, ready to give Setsuna her support if needed.

The second the intruder burst out form the dense shrubbery Setsuna's grip lax as she ran to the brunets side, shock clearly written on her face.

"Ojou-sama! What are you doing here?" She reached up to the brunet's head plucking the stray leaves that had stuck to her hair. Konoka smiled at her then to Asuna as she lifted the basket that Setsuna had failed to notice.

"Well…" she droned "I brought you guys lunch. You've both been gone since this morning, and I got a little bored back at the dorm so I thought I'd make you some sandwiches." At the mention of food Asuna flung herself at Konoka thanking the Gods for her good fortune to have Konoka as her friend. Konoka laughed good naturedly at her friend's goofiness as she patted Asuna's head.

Setsuna smiled at the two as they looked for a good place to lay out the blanket and the baskets contents. All the while Asuna filled Konoka in on what they were doing the whole morning and Konoka contentedly listened to every word she said, laughing and nodding at the right moments.

-o-o-o-o-

Asuna happily munched into her tuna sandwich which already half was gone "Konoka, I don't care what anybody else thinks but, damn, this is one of the best sandwiches I've ever eaten."

"That's only because you barely ate your breakfast." Konoka humbly put in. Setsuna smiled as she recalled how Asuna woke up late that morning prompting her to eat lesser than what she would normally eat for breakfast before scrambling for the door, frantically texting her employer that she was on her way.

After setting three plastic cups on a level plane Konoka pulled out a thermos from the basket and proceeded to fill each cup with the cool orange juice. Putting the thermos aside she passed one to Asuna and the other to Setsuna.

"No seriously Konoka, I've eaten a lot of sandwiches in my life and I've never come across anything like this. What'd you put in here?" Konoka couldn't help but giggle at the praises Asuna showered her with.

"You know what, never mind. Ei, Setsuna-san, say something will you."

"Oh Asuna…" Konoka started blushing slightly.

"Actually this really is very tasty." Setsuna piped up taking another bite from her sandwich. From her peripheral vision Setsuna could see Konoka staring at her, as if silently asking her 'really?'. Putting her sandwich down Setsuna turned to face Konoka, grinning in a way that said 'now-what-would-make-you-think-I'd-lie-to-you'. Konoka, caught staring, uncharacteristically blushed darker and looked away, a small smile playing at her lips.

"Man… Konoka, I envy the guy you'll end up with." Asuna suddenly piped up after finishing her cup of juice.

"Huh?"

"Is it because he'll get to eat Konoka ojou-sama's cooking every day for the rest of his life?" Asuna grinned, stuffing the remaining sandwich in her mouth before reaching for another slice. Setsuna shook her head and took a sip from her cup.

"Aw, don't worry I'll be glad to cook anytime for you Sechan." Setsuna suddenly inhaled upon hearing the comment. Dropping her cup her eyes suddenly got as big as saucers and she started to cough madly, trying to get the liquid out of her air pipes. Konoka immediately scooted closer to Setsuna her hand going to her back, rubbing it, coaxing her to expel the unwanted fluid. All the while Asuna merely laughed, nearly chocking herself with the food in her mouth.

"I don't know… Maybe I should just stick with Sechan." Konoka cheerfully supplied as soon as Setsuna stopped coughing. Before Setsuna could speak however Konoka had wrapped her arm over her waist, bringing her in for a hug. "After all there's no one else I love more than Sechan."

-o-o-o-o-

Sakurazaki Setsuna, 20 year old college student, awoke, much to her dismay, to the cold draft caressing her exposed legs. Her dark eyes gradually opened, quickly noting the lightness of her room. A quick glance to her bed table confirmed her suspicion. Still laying on her chest she lazily pulled her alarm clock off the table, it read 9:18, and turned it around to inspect the alarm switch.

It was off.

"Great…" she groaned burying her head onto her pillow. She blindly tried to put the clock back on its perch, letting go when she though it was alright only to hear an irritating clang as it ended up on the floor instead. Groaning yet again she roll over her bed so she could lay on her back and get the feeling back to her numb arm, the clock can wait till later.

It was already late in the morning, what difference would it make if she idled for just a few more minutes? It's not like anyone was waiting for her.

Right?

Still on the bed Setsuna tried to recall if she had made any plans for that day.

School?

No it was Sunday.

Work?

She had the day off.

Dates?

Yeah right. Guys never really caught her attention. Same thing goes for the girls. The only one she ever had a fancy for hadn't even contacted her for years.

Friends?

Setsuna rolled over to her side, suddenly remembering the year book she was looking at the night before. Throwing the covers off she looked around her mattress and under her pillow, remembering how she had nodded off reminiscing of her past as she skimmed through the pictures of her class.

Frustrated she got off her bed, cursing when she accidentally stepped on her clock, before pulling her discarded blanket off the floor and pulled it over her messy bed. Only then did she find the book, half hidden beneath her bed, miraculously still opened where she left it.

Picking it up a small smile flittered across her features as she longingly gazed at the picture of a brunet smiling up at her. Unconsciously her finger started to trace the outline of her face.

Setsuna closed her eyes trying to remember the last time she saw Konoka. Trying to remember how light her laugh sounded, how her eyes always glittered with unspoken happiness. She loved that about her, no, she loved everything about her. At one point in time no one could have pried her of Konoka's side, but now…

But now…

"I could only wish you were here." Setsuna mumbled.

Giving the picture one last glance Setsuna gently closed the book and laid it onto her bed. Raising her arms over her head she stretched, getting the kinks out of her back, and stifled the yawn that threatened to escape. Her hand lazily rubbed the back of her neck as she made her way to the tiny kitchen.

Going over the fridge she took out a pack of bread and a carton of milk. Putting them on the counter she pulled out two pieces of bread and stuck them in the toaster and switched on the coffee maker. Making her way back to the fridge she reached up the cupboard for a mug and then back to fridge door where the eggs were supposed to be. Not.

Setsuna's squeezed her eyes shut as she closed the fridge door and reopened it. Looking back at the egg rack confirmed it to be devoid of the things it was supposed to hold.

"Funny… I remember there was at least three left last night…" Setsuna's gaze ran over to the open door of her roommate then back to the fridge. Shutting the door close she caught site of the sticky note with the familiar hurried scribble of her roomie. How she missed that before she blamed it on sleepiness.

Took the last couple of eggs
I'll buy more after cooking class
hope you don't mind
-Asuna

"I should have known." Setsuna mumbled to herself as she procured a jar of strawberry jam from the top of the fridge and proceeded to finish making her breakfast.

Asuna, try as she may, could never quite make a decent meal even after all those years. She would either burn it or it'll come out looking as if it got chewed and spit out then arranged on a plate. It was no help at all that she ended up staying with Setsuna. Sure Setsuna knew how to cook but her culinary knowledge was limited to frying, cooking rice and boiling water.

"Besides" Setsuna once said "It's probably because you always leave the food on the fire and go off to do something else and end up forgetting about it. And you almost always deviate from the cookbook's instruction." To which Asuna replied by sticking her tongue out and ordering take out.

In the end Asuna went ahead and took cooking classes for the sake of expanding their daily meals and to put an end to all the scrubbing blackened pieces of food off the pan, that and probably because she got tired of eating canned foods and take-out.

Setsuna could still remember the day Asuna showed up on her doorstep. How she knew Setsuna's where about was a mystery, though Setsuna had an inkling who told Asuna but she didn't have enough evidence to be sure. To say that Setsuna was surprised was an understatement, especially when Asuna came in acting like she had just came back after a trip, which she probably did seeing as Asuna, to her knowledge, was supposedly staying in Kyoto. For Setsuna to kick Asuna out when she travelled all the way to Tokyo was just mean and besides Setsuna did start to miss the red-head.

It turns out that Asuna had transferred to the same school as Setsuna, though she did take a different course. Over the year Asuna had never tried to look for another place to stay, Setsuna didn't mind as her apartment was a two bed room type. Plus the both of them agreed to split the bill which was quite convenient for Setsuna's thinning wallet. The apartment was near their school, it was spacious and was quite decent to boot. Setsuna had taken a liking to the place and was very grateful she didn't have to leave.

The loud clang of the toaster popping snapped Setsuna out of her musing. Pulling out the toast she smeared the surface with the sweet flavour of strawberry. Setting it on the plate she took the other one and did the same thing. After pouring a bit of milk on her now hot cup of coffee she then started to clean up after herself before returning to the dining table to enjoy her breakfast.

"Itadakemasu" she mumbled before taking a bite out of her toast.

It wasn't as great as Konoka's but at least it was good and edible.

Konoka.

Setsuna whispered her name, feeling the familiar way it easily slipped past her lips, trying to see if it still felt the same as it did a few years back.

It did.

Her eyes then flashed over to the answering machine. Noticing the steadily blinking light Setsuna arose from her seat, a piece of toast hanging on her lips as she absent-mindedly chewed off the corners. Hitting the play button the machine replayed the messages from the day before to that made in the morning; following the time line the calls were made accordingly.

After the second message Setsuna got bored of listening and was ready to end the playback when an all too familiar voice came on. As if hit by a petrifying spell Setsuna froze her actions, her finger hovering just a few centimetre above the stop button. Her widened eyes fixated upon the machine as she listened intently to the recording.

As the recording clicked to an end Setsuna roughly pulled the machine and hit the replay button, quickly skipping the other two messages, her toast lay forgotten by her feet. She sunk to the floor as she listened again to the recording, still in a state of disbelief. Without her awareness her tears freely slid down her cheeks, the machine held protectively at her chest as she replayed the message again.

Konoka ojou-sama… Kono-chan…

-o-o-o-o-

Breep..

Breep..

God how long is this going to take? Pick up already. The brunet thought as she fidgeted a bit, her left hand nervously pulling at the edge of her multi patterned winter button up cardigan, her eyes consistently going over to the clock then to the train and to the bag by her feet then back again. She pursed her lips as she continued to wait for the person at the other end to pick up.

"Hello?" Finally!

"Ah, hello? Se-"

"I'm sorry but I'm not in at the moment. Leave me a message after the beep and I'll call back later. Beep…"

The brunet pouted as she sent a semi-glare at her cell phone, slightly irked. But it wasn't the time and place to go wild over the devil of a phone she had. Instead she took a calming breath and started "H-hello?" she winced at how her voice cracked. Shaking her head she coughed a bit in her hand before continuing "Hello? Sechan?" Better.

"It's me, Konoka." A pause "But I think you know that already… well… I'm actually here at Kyoto right now. I just came back two days ago… um… I'm sorry I wasn't able to contact you these last two years, any form of communication from the school to the outside world wasn't allowed and vice versa so…" Come on Konoka, you can do this "Actually I'm boarding the next train for Tokyo. Daddy said that you went there to study and… Asuna's also with you right?"

Konoka glanced over to the clock, less than two minutes left. "Um… Anyway I'll be there a bit later. Maybe at around… twelve? Yeah… So could you… could you come see me?" One minute. "Well, I got to go before the train leaves me. Ehe…" Konoka stopped, the smile on her face faltered as she breathed deeply "Sechan, I've really missed you… I really want to see you again so please."

Just as Konoka shut off her phone the intercom crackled to life announcing the departure for the Tokyo bound train. Hefting her duffle bag over her shoulder Konoka made her way towards the open doors smiling at the attendant as she passed by and getting one in return. She silently made her way towards her designated seat. Unable to lift her bag above her head she instead slipped it under her chair before taking her seat. Turning to the window she watched as the place she grew up in, filled with memories of her fun past, gradually shrunk out of sight.

-o-o-o-o-

Setsuna rubbed the stay tears away from her face, one hand still securely cradling the machine to her chest. Sniffling loudly she shakily stood up, putting the machine back where it was originally perched. Bending over she took the fallen toast, not missing the stain it left on the carpet. She sighed, it was going to take a while to get that out.

Dragging her feet across the floor she dropped the bread in the bin by the bathroom door before entering the said room. She shivered a bit as her bare feet touched the cold tile floor.

"Maybe I should get one of those suction pad mats for the bathroom." She mumbled to herself.

Going over to the sink she idly brushed her teeth finishing off by washing her face before looking at the mirror image of herself. Her eye bags were a bit more prominent, her eyes were red from the crying she done and her hair was a bit of a mess, aside from that she pretty much look the same as she always has. She frowned.

Other people would give just about anything to look young forever, but to Setsuna she would gladly exchange all her material things just to actually look like a 20 year old instead of the high school girl look alike she was currently having a glaring contest with.

Turning away from the mirror she leaned to the side, her arm stretched out onto the sink as a means of support. Her free hand coming up to her face she sighed heavily. It was then that her sharp eyes picked up something twinkling on the floor, just behind the toilet.

Curious she knelt down blindly reaching for whatever it was there. She felt something familiarly cold against her fingertip, putting a bit of pressure on it she pulled back, hissing when whatever it was punctured her finger. Not one to give up Setsuna ignored the pain on her finger and tried again, this time successfully pulling it out.

A razor, an old one at that. How it got there was a mystery and Setsuna didn't quite care to give it another thought. She grimaced at the site of her blood half covering the metal piece. Placing the confounded razor on the sink she let the water run over her bleeding finger, recoiling when the pain shot up her arm.

She cursed, slightly flailing her injured hand about. Glaring daggers at the blood freely flowing from her cut she roughly pulled the medicine cabinet open. Quickly scanning the contents she pulled out a bottle of antiseptic and began nursing her cut.

Returning the bottle back to the cabinet and chucking the useless razor in the nearby trash bin she tiredly emerged from the bathroom in search for band aids. Remembering that Asuna had a pack lying around somewhere in the kitchen cabinets, she decidedly made her way there.

It was then that her eyes caught sight of the clock that hung at the division of the small kitchen/dining room from the rest of the living room.

11:44

Cursing under her breath Setsuna scrambled over to her room, hastily pulling the alarm clock from the foot of the bed.

"Oh God, don't tell me it ran out of power last night..." she groaned letting the clock fall from her fingers, briefly glaring at it as it innocently bounced on her bed, before wrenching her drawer open and taking whatever clothes were on top. As she dressed she had mentally calculated how many minutes it would take from her apartment to the station and which transportation would be faster.

After slipping on a white printed shirt, jeans and socks and quickly attending to her still stinging finger Setsuna hurriedly scribbled a note for Asuna and plastered it onto the fridge. Grabbing her wallet and keys from her study table, and her black and red jacket off the chair, she was off running at a speed that would put a marathon champion to shame.

Taking the stairs two at a time, jumping over barriers and avoiding near collisions with other people, bikes and cars were things Setsuna thought she wouldn't ever do again after Konoka left to study magic, but there she was, doing the exact same things all over again. Her heart was beating wildly at her chest, her muscles ached but she pushed on. Konoka was near, she was coming and that's all that mattered.

She's back and that's all the motivation she needed.

Skidding to a halt at the busy street Setsuna hailed a cab and nearly pulled the door off its hinges as she gave the driver her destination.

Just wait Kono-chan, I'm coming…

-o-o-o-o-

Konoka startled awake as her head slipped off from her hand perched on the armrest. When she closed her eyes she could quite place, but she did remember the blurring figures of the rice field before everything turned pitch black.

Looking out the window she could make out the distinctive outlines of the tall buildings of Tokyo a bit farther off which only meant she was that much closer to the city. In a little while she would be able to meet up with Setsuna again.

A smile started to play at the corners of her lips as she relaxed back into her chair. For the remainder of the ride Konoka contentedly sat back and enjoyed the beautiful scenery the mountains had to offer before it would be replaced with the Tokyo streets and buildings.

It's been awhile since the last time she saw the beauty of earth's nature. True the nature of the magical world was quite a sight to behold but it didn't quite have the lulling effect Konoka usually got from the nature earth had to provide. One could say it was a lot more peaceful compared to that of the magical world. Or at least it was a lot less dangerous, after all a snake is a lot easier to deal with than a territorial dragon. But that wasn't the case for Konoka. Maybe it was because she was born in the earth land that she had a deeper connection with its nature. Something not even magic can quite explain.

A few minutes later the intercom crackled, pulling Konoka away from her daze, to announce their arrival at the station. True enough as Konoka turned to look out the window gone was the lush green mountain scenery. Instead buildings rose where large trees were supposed to be. Konoka frowned already missing the nature.

"Maybe we should take a trip to the mountain sometime later." Konoka mumbled her smile coming back full force. "Yeah I'd like that."

As soon as the train stopped Konoka stood up from her seat, her bag already at hand, and easily merged with the stream of people making their way past the train's door. Snaking around the large crowd Konoka gradually made her way towards the exit, compulsively checking her watch for the time, as if it would slow down every time she glared at her little wrist watch.

It was a little past noon and Konoka couldn't contain her excitement any longer. Two years away from her beloved Setsuna was all she could take. She loved the girl so dearly it broke her heart when she found out that communications outside the school was prohibited. She was tempted to forget about the magical stuff and head home but the thought of the girl looking depressed on the count that she left her studies just to be with her held her back. She promised to herself that she was going to finish her studies and make Setsuna proud. And so she did.

After a good while of squeezing between people and murmuring apologies Konoka finally pushed her way past the swinging doors of the exit. Little droplets of perspiration slid down her face as she breathed in the cool air of the autumn afternoon instead of the stuffy hot air from inside the station. Feeling a little too warm Konoka unbuttoned the first half of her cardigan, sighing in relief as the cool air started to seep into her cotton shirt.

Pulling out a handkerchief from her back pocket she dried off the perspiration from her face before putting it away. Unable to find a mirror or a restroom within the vicinity she opted to pat her hair down in case any had gone astray. Satisfied she picked up her bag and walked farther to the front of the station.

The streets were much more crowded than inside the station but it was wider and significantly cooler thanks to the autumn wind. A couple of trees were planted off to the side, but they were mostly for show than anything, unlike those from back at her hometown. The buildings were a lot taller up close than when she saw them from the train, it was completely different from those in Kyoto, but of course Konoka knew this already, after all Mahora was just a couple of rides way.

Konoka unconsciously smiled as a random memory played itself in her mind, back when she was still in middle school along with the rest of her rambunctious classmates. They almost always did find a way to turn a normal day into a party, no matter what the situation. Every day was always a jubilant day for Konoka, especially every morning as Setsuna would always fetch her from her room, and after class when they could go and do whatever they pleased, most of the time. Even as they graduated high school Konoka never had a day that didn't have Setsuna in it, not since they returned from the magical world. Konoka giggled as she recalled how cute her guardian looked whenever she blushed.

Speaking of which where is she? Konoka thought as she craned her neck trying to find her guardian amongst the hundreds of people milling about. Self-consciously she checked her watch, a small frown quickly forming on her face as she noted the time.

12:10

Sechan…

-o-o-o-o-

Setsuna growled under her breath as she glared at the long string of cars in front of her cab. Why, of all days, does this have to happen to her today? She gritted her teeth mentally cursing her rotten fate as her hands unconsciously gripped the edges of the leather seat.

"There must have been an accident a little bit ahead." The driver mumbled as he punched his horn again. Setsuna didn't say anything. Instead she just continued to glare at the cars ahead, mentally willing them to move faster.

After a minute she growled again. This was going nowhere and she was losing precious time. "Excuse me, what time is it?"

The driver looked back at her from his rear view mirror, cocking his brow a bit. "Are you in a hurry ma'am?"

Setsuna's eye twitched in annoyance, she could feel her nail digging through the leather of the car seat and had to remind herself to relax. Resisting the urge to hit the man she recomposed herself, answering him in the most controlled voice she could muster. "Yes, I'm in a tight schedule. So if you please."

Nodding his head the driver pulled up the sleeve of his red jacket revealing a worn-out watch strapped to his writs by what looked to be velco. "Hm… It's already 12:20. When do you need to get there?"

"Tw-twenty… after twelve?" Setsuna cursed ignoring the driver's question. Konoka had arrived twenty minutes earlier. She's probably cold and worried. She needed to get to the station and fast, but with how things were at that moment…

Sighing in defeat Setsuna pulled out her wallet from her back pocket. Quickly leafing through her wallet she handed the driver a few hundred yen and hurriedly thanked him before jumping out of the cab. Fortunately the station was just a couple more blocks ahead. She could get there in five minutes on foot, if she ran.

I'm almost there.

-o-o-o-o-

Konoka sighed. It wasn't like Setsuna to be late. The girl was always prompt, always arriving at the exact time or a couple of minutes earlier. So after twenty-four minutes and still no Setsuna in sight Konoka started to worry.

Pulling out her cell phone she dialled Setsuna's home number. After a few rings the machine picked up again. Konoka sighed. Figures, no one was picking up. If she wasn't so worried she probably would have screamed in irritation by then.

Why neither Setsuna nor Asuna carry a cellular phone with them she could never understand. Setsuna, after all the things she's done over the years for her grandfather, was supposed to have a cell phone with her as it was only natural in her case, but she never even thought to purchase one. Asuna on the other hand, after breaking hers due to a little accident, had never gone around buying another one. Those two really were two peas in a pod.

Konoka shook her head. Honestly her two best friends can be so troublesome at times. On this line of though she wondered how, after two year away from those two, they survived on their own. She grimaced as multiple scenarios played in her mind, most of which aren't things she should be happy about.

Pushing the thoughts into the deeper recess of her mind she tried calling again, and again got the same results. She pursed her lips as she shut her phone, slipping it back in the warm pockets of her jeans.

Maybe Sechan doesn't want to see me anymore…

Konoka frowned. No she couldn't think like that, Setsuna would never hate her. It wasn't her fault that she couldn't contact the girl. It was just that the school forbade contact with the outside world, for reasons unknown to Konoka. She wouldn't be mad, right?

Konoka unconsciously bit her lower lip, silently thinking whether she should have actually made contact with either of the two before getting on the train. She didn't even know whether those two actually stayed in their apartment or not.

Well knowing Asuna she's probably sound asleep since it was Sunday after all, she's always made a point not to wake her early during Sundays. But that was a couple of years ago, and people do change.

"An… What do I do now?" Konoka worriedly mumbled. Her grip on her duffle bag tightened in agitation as she scanned the crowed once again. Still nothing.

Maybe I should just find a hotel. She thought as she began to merge with the crowd. The frigid air was starting to get to her and she didn't really want to go home just yet, at least not until she had a talk with Setsuna. Now all she needed to do was find either Setsuna or Asuna.

She stopped, her heart wildly pounded at her chest and she could feel the heat coming up her face. Her grip on her bag loosened and it dropped to the floor with a soft thud. Her feet started to move on their own accord, slowly making her way past people. Her eyes focused on one person and one person only, a large smile on her face.

Sechan.

-o-o-o-o-

"I'm sorry!" Setsuna quickly apologized as she collided with a man, unintentionally spilling his coffee all over the floor. Returning her gaze back to the front she managed to avoid another collision as she side-stepped a woman, whose face was hidden behind a stack of boxes and papers.

So far that man was the third she had accidentally crashed into. Thankfully she hasn't done any major damages, yet. There was still a block to go, and in that span of four minutes she has already got someone to spill his coffee, flung one off his bike and almost got another run over by a car.

Two years without her usual morning exercise really broke her form. She was already panting like crazy, desperately trying to avoid any more accidents as she snaked through the packed town. Her legs felt like they were burning, she could practically feel her heartbeat crazily pound away at her chest. She was not in her best from, she knew that, but the thought of seeing Konoka again pushed her further.

She turned a corner; she could see the station already. People were milling about, but what else could one expect there in the city. It was always crowded. Not even one corner was left unoccupied, no matter how much you looked for one. Okay that was overly exaggerated, but the streets are relatively crowded.

Setsuna slowed her pace, now fully feeling the burn of her legs. She leaned over, her hands steadying her on her slightly wobbly knees as she tried to get her breathing back to normal. Taking in huge gulps of air she wiped the perspiration of her forehead. Her sharp eyes darted back and forth, searching the crowd for the not so young Konoe heiress.

Forcing herself past the crowd she gradually made her way to the inner part of the stations entrance, stopping just short from the turnstile. There Setsuna tried to look for a familiar chocolate-brown hair, almost tip-toeing just so she could see past the stream of people.

"Tch… why is it that there are always a lot of people here." She backed up, stopping to watch her reflection from the tampered glass in earnest. Who was she kidding? It was already half an hour past twelve. Who would wait that long in the station? Setsuna hung her head, mentally berating herself. Biting her lower lip she slowly began backing up, her hands tuck in her pockets and her shoulder sagged in defeat.

Giving the station one last glance she turned around. Her eyes downcast she began dragging her feet across the pavement, as if she was carrying a heavy weight on her shoulders.

"Setsuna?" Setsuna froze in her tracks.

"Sechan…" Slowly Setsuna turned around.

"Ko-Kono… ka?" Konoka grinned widely. She has, Setsuna immediately noticed, grown in the span of two years they've been separated, noticeably around the waist and chest area. Setsuna blushed at where her train of though was taking her.

Shaking her head she took a deep breath her eyes levelled with Konoka's. They were as brilliant as ever, still shining with untold happiness. Setsuna's breath caught in her throat, she felt like she was reliving their school days in Mahora.

She opened her mouth, nothing would come out. Not knowing what to do next she juts out her hand, shyly looking away. Konoka giggled as she watched her protector act goofily. Grabbing her outstretched arm in one hand she pulled at it a little, her other arm coming around Setsuna's waist pulling her in for a hug.

"Kono…"

"I've missed you Sechan." Konoka settled her chin at Setsuna's shoulder. Discreetly she took a deep breath, taking in the smell of vanilla and cinnamon from Setsuna's shampoo. Her smile grew wider when she felt Setsuna's warm arms coming around her back, returning her hug.

"I- I've missed you too." Setsuna's grip tightened, not enough to hurt Konoka, just enough to prove to herself that it was real. Even though she would never admit it out loud she missed hugging Konoka like that. The warm of Konoka's body pressed against her own made her feel at ease, no matter what the situation may be.

Gingerly Setsuna began disentangling herself from Konoka, holding her gently but firmly by the shoulders.

"Um... Kono-cha-" Her stomach rumbled loudly and Setsuna blushed remembering that she hasn't eaten much since she woke up. She grinned sheepishly as she hear the light giggle emitting from the object of her affection "I don't know about you but I'm getting hungry" Her grin widened as she watched Konoka looking at her intriguingly. "Would you like to go get something to eat? My treat."

Konoka was silent for a while, acting as if she was thinking whether to accept Setsuna's offer or not. "Well..." she reached up for one of Setsuna's hands, pulling it down she instantly linked their arms together "I guess it's a date."