*Setsuna here. I'm editind this story, so if this isn't your first time reading and you're wondering why it looks different, well that's why. Forgive all my mistake, I wrote this story four years ago and rushed through it. Sad that I'm just now fixing it, lol. Meanwhile, don't you just love this couple. Also, I've created a community for these two. If you like stories about them, come join. This fanfic is a SPOILER, so please don't read if you haven't seen past episode 22 of the first season, which by now, you should have.

Summary: Ayaka gets some devastating news about Asuna but she might get a second chance to tell her how she feels.

Also, Iinchou means Class rep, sensei means teacher, Oujou-sama means princess. Without further ado...

Ichiban Taisetsu

Asuna Kagurazaka and Ayaka Yukihiro

by: Setsuna Revolution

Ch. 1: Tears and Realizations

Ayaka Yukihiro cried quietly in her room. She couldn't believe this was happening, anything but this, ' If only I would've been with her, I could've prevented this,' she thought, burying her face farther in her knees, as if to stop the onslaught of tears forcing their way out.

She was sitting, crounched down on her bed with her knees brought up to her chin. She had been in this position as long as she could remember- it could've been a day or just a few hours, time was something far away from her mind.

The sun was setting in sky, and each hour it was closer to night, the more dreadful the darkening room became. Her blonde hair was sticking to her face and knees, from the tears she shed and all the sweating she was doing, she was still wearing her school uniform from yesterday, after hearing the news of her best friend's death she just broke down and couldn't control it anymore.

She didn't move much from her feetle position sitting on her bottom bunk in the room she shared with two of her fellow classmates. The covers were draped lazily around her knees and her back was propped uncomfortably against the wall. ' I knew there was something wrong with her; I could've done something about it!' she yelled in her mind.'

"That's enough, " she mumbled, "I have got to pull myself together. "

She took a long breath and and rose her head up, she rubbed her puffy eyes and tried to focus on the wall to get her vision back to normal. Then the dorm room door opened and a tall girl with brown hair walked in and turned on the lightswitch.

"Iinchou...," the girl paused, "Ayaka-san, it's time for dinner, we're eating in the cafeteria today, do feel up to it?"

Ayaka squinted and blinked to adjust to the lumanating glow flooding her once dull room. She took a deep sigh..

"Yeah, I might just do that, thank you, Chizuru-san."

Chizuru gave a faint smile and turned on her heel, shutting the door slowly on her way out. Ayaka stood up, and brushed off her school uniform. 'I better change,' she thought, as she picked out a more comfortable shirt and skirt.

xXxXxXxXx

Dinner ended quickly, it was not the cheerful and upbeat, albeit slightly odd environment they were accustomed to. Most everyone simply remained quiet and kept to themselves. Asuna's empty chair like an elephant in the room.

When Ayaka could find the quietness no longer relaxing, she found herself walking the hallways. She felt a little better after changing her clothes, pulling back her waist length blonde hair, and most importantly washing her face. She was now commencing a search for a certain child teacher of theirs.

"Where is he?" she whispered, she thought about the ten year-old protegy. She pictured him on a normal basis happy and cheerful, running around without a care, but not today. Today he was no where to be found.

It made perfect sense, they did room together, after all, and from what she had learned about Asuna's untimely demise; Negi was the last to see her alive, it stood to reason that he'd be the most upset. Ayaka felt her eyes beginning to sting and she wiped away the tears with the back of her hand.

' I need to stop, crying won't bring her back, no matter how much I do cry,' she thought. 'If that monkey could see me now, she would probably be enjoying a good laugh at my expense.'

She continued walking until something caught her eye, it was a name plate outside of the dorm room that read: Asuna Kagurazaka, Konoka Konoe, and then a piece of paper was taped under it that read: Negi Springfield, written in Asuna's handwriting.

She knocked on the door, hoping for Negi, but not really expecting anyone, she wanted to try to talk about Asuna's final hours with him, in hopes of better understanding how someone can just up and die, she wanted to know the truth.

She traced Asuna's name with her finger as she heard footsteps approaching from the opposite side. Was he really in the room the whole time? She prepared to properly greet him as the door creaked open and...

"Sakurazaki-san," Ayaka said suprisingly, "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought this was Negi-sensei's room, I must have come to the wrong door," she laughed nervously, knowing full well that she had come to the right door.

"No, Iinchou-san, you're right," said the short, raven-haired swordsman, "This is Negi-sensei's room, I'm taking care of Ojou-sama. She has been crying since before we arrived, telling me not to leave her side."

Setsuna gave a weary smile and returned to the couch where her princess lay and sat carefully, pulling the cover over the sleeping mage. The princess buried her face into Setsuna's lap, mumbling her childhood friend's name in her sleep.

"Seems she wore herself down," the swordswoman added, brushing stray strands from the girl's tear-stained face. Konoka whimpered at the touch. "It's okay, rest now."

Ayaka stared in amazement at how far their relationship had come in such a short time. Suddenly feeling intrusive, she turned toward the door. "You guys have such a beautiful relationship, I envy it, and you Sakurazaki-san, I wish I could've been like with us," Ayaka smiled, thinking of her best friend, before graciously exiting the door, leaving behind a puzzled, but smiling Setsuna.

xXxXxXxXx

Ayaka ran as fast as she could through the hallways, towards the exit, she thought she probably could have even given Asuna a run for her money. She let her legs do the leading and by the time she had to stop to catch her breath and realized she ran all the way to the World Tree. She stared at the gorgeous tree, it's scary aura suddenly inviting. She told herself she would never come here because this was the last place Asuna was seen alive.

Ayaka paced around the tree, then sat down under the huge covering, she hunched down and brought her knees up to her chin much like when she was sitting on her bed. She realized then that she was crying more than ever now, but she didn't bother to wipe the stinging tears away. She let them fall freely and sat under the protection of the branches letting the cool breeze and pretty night calm her.

'I know why I'm here,' she realized slowly, 'I know why I'm crying, not because I'm envious of Sakurazaki-san, and now I know it is not because I can't find Negi-sensei...' She glanced up at the branches swaying curiously over her head. The place where her best friend took her last breath. What did she think about? How did she feel? Did she have any regrets? Ayaka couldn't help these thoughts as she grieved in silent anguish, hoping that by some chance a miracle could occur.

"It's because I'm in love with you, Asuna," she smiled. Her words, unheard, disappearing into the chilly night's air.

A/N: So after editing, I honestly didn't think I spent as much time as I did. Well, I changed some things up. Sorry for not doing this originally. I had been putting it off, since the idea of reading these stories so many years after the fact, scared me slightly. Alrighty, enjoy this yet again, I'm going to go edit the other chapters. Bye.