Setsuna missed Konoka's next comment when she looked at the sky expectantly waiting for the inevitable lightning that would hit her.

"I'm sorry Ojou-Kono-chan... what was that last comment?" Setsuna mused, still staring intently toward the heavens.

"Forget it. You're not even trying to listen." Konoka turned to continue down the street but only managed a half-turn and produced a small gasp of pain from her raven-haired friend. Konoka sighed. She was starting to get a wind of their current situation.

"Can we just...sit down for a bit?" Konoka said as she picked up her purchases. Setsuna quickly moved to relieve Konoka of the heavy bags, but Konoka angrily moved them out of her reach.

"Why do you always try to help me when I don't need it? You don't even think I can handle a couple of bags?" she huffed as she lifted a knee to catch a falling bag.

"B-but... Ojousama-" Setsuna stuttered, unable to conclude the reason for her friend's sudden change of mood.

Before Setsuna had enough time to correct her mistake, Konoka whirled around and her face came menacingly close to Setsuna's.

"Kono-chan." She hissed.

Setsuna opened her mouth and gaped at her usually even-tempered friend. Hearing no reconciliation, Konoka half-trudged over to the nearest bench while Setsuna quietly followed. Konoka plopped herself down loudly and purposely looked at anything but Setsuna. The Shinmeiryu sat down as quietly as she could and stared at the ground. They sat in silence.

When her temper had cooled a bit, Konoka stole a glance at Setsuna and was startled to see tears falling into her friend's lap.

"S-Secchan?" Konoka said weakly as she edged a bit closer, slightly afraid as guilt stabbed at her heart.

"I-I'm sorry... K-Kono-chan. I never meant to make you angry..." Setsuna's voice shook with emotion as a couple more tears slid down her cheeks. Konoka gently pulled her friend closer-as if her friend might break apart if she didn't.

For the first time, Setsuna submitted to the overflow of emotions that she had held back for so long. Her sobs racked her body and her tears blurred her vision, but she was aware of Konoka's arm around her shoulders and felt comforted.

After a long while, Setsuna's sobs subsided but she allowed herself to continue being enveloped by the warmth from her friend's gentle embrace. What slightly bothered her was the fact that she didn't care if anyone say her lose her usually carefully watched self-control and cool attitude. She didn't care. It just felt so good to let it all go. When was the last time she had ever been held like this? Maybe never. When she was young, all she remembered was her Shinmeiryu training and self-independence. She finally knew how good if felt to just release the hold on the burdens that she had tied down onto her heart for so long. Just simply being held and knowing a kind of support she had never experienced filled her with a warmth that she could not explain. But what she did know was that she felt as if something she had been missing finally found its way back to her.