It took some time, but eventually the tears stopped coming. Misao sat a while longer, letting the cool night air dry the telltale tracks down her cheeks. She wasn't precisely ashamed to have been crying, but she was so much stronger than that. She hated the reminder that while she had the heart of an Oniwabanshu Okashira, it still resided in the body of a sixteen year old girl, and one who'd lost a dear friend at that.
Tears finally dry, she turned her red rimmed eyes towards the night sky. There was much yet to be done, both to fill Kaoru-san's wishes for the diary and to reclaim Himura from his newest self-imposed penitence. She didn't have time for weakness or delicacy.
Fortunately, she was stronger than that.
A/N: Challenge drabble written for Numisma, set during chapter 209 of the Manga.