Shiroki: hey it's me again! and a new story! =D

Asuna: oi oi! what about the other one?

Shiroki: uumm... ... aaa...

Setsuna: she's lazy as usual

Shiroki: I'm not lazy!... ¬¬... oh whatever let's just start with this

Asuna: hold on! ... where's Konoka? *everyone looks at Setsuna*

Setsuna: ... what are you looking at me? ...

Shiroki: mmm ... actually I haven't seen Konoka-san since last night...

Asuna/Shiroki: Setsuna-san....

Setsuna: uumm... I-I'm going to my room -.-


Chapter 1: We are one big family

It was only a few days left for the day that everyone was waiting for, Christmas. People from all around the world were getting ready for that day, and Japan was not the exception. The people who were the most excited from Japan were the students of Mahora Academy.

Since there was just a week left for Christmas the headmaster decided to cancel the classes so that the students could go home and spend Christmas with their families or maybe if they wanted to, they could stay at school and celebrate with their friends and teachers. Some students chose to go home but some others, and when I say 'others' I'm referring to the girls from 3-A, decided to stay at school and celebrate together.

"Are you sure you want to stay here?" asked the little teacher, Negi Springfield, to his closer students and friends as they walked to their rooms.

"Of course, Negi-kun!" Konoe Konoka, one of his roommates, said smiling "we've planning this all year"

"She's right, Negi… so don't ruin it, okay?" said Kagurazaka Asuna, his other roommate, and gave him a soft hit on the head

"You're mean Asuna-san! That's not my intention… it's just that…" Negi hesitated in the middle of the sentence but then continued "I thought you wanted to spend time with your parents and family" Negi looked at the floor feeling a little guilty.

He and Konoka were still walking until they realized that their two other friends had stopped "eh' what's the matter? Asuna-san, Setsuna-san?"

"Excuse me, I have to go" Setsuna spoke and then bowed politely

"eh? Secchan? What's wrong?" Konoka asked as she approached to her friend

"It's nothing Ojousama, I have to patrol. If I'm late Tatsumiya would 'put it on my bill'" Setsuna replied with a weak smile.

"Mou… fine, but remember to go to my room after that, okay?" Konoka said with a smile

"Hai" answered the swordswoman and then left

"A-Asuna-san?" Negi called her nervously, he had a feeling that he had said something that hurt Asuna and maybe Setsuna too "a-ah Asu-"

"Baka!" Asuna yelled and hit him on the head, small tears fell from the read-headed girl's eyes but that was only noticed by Konoka because Negi was rubbing the spot which was hit by Asuna.

"W-what did I do?" Negi asked her but his friend didn't answer and just kept walking to her room "wuah! What did I do? What did I do?" Negi asked over and over again, obviously he didn't like when Asuna was mad r sad because of something he had done "Konoka-san! You gotta help me, please!"

"Easy, Negi-kun, I'd help you even if you don't ask for it" Konoka told him with a smile. She suggested that it would be better to go to their room so that she can talk to Asuna.


Meanwhile in the surroundings of Mahora, Setsuna was taking a walk to make that the anti-demon barrier was activated and working well. As she walked and checked the hidden charms, she started to think on what Negi had said before, about that it's better to spend Christmas with their family.

"I'm sure that wasn't on purpose, Negi-sensei is not that kind of person…" Setsuna said mentally "but still… it hurts a little, everyone have someone special who is waiting for a day to see each other again… but Asuna-san and me," She said to herself as she stopped in front of a tree "well she has Tahakata-sensei, he's like a father for her…. And what about me?" she asked, and thought for a while then suddenly the clear picture of her beloved friend Konoka appeared in her mind, Setsuna blushed at the sudden thoughts of hers "w-what am I thinking?!"

"Eyes to the front, Setsuna" a very familiar voice said from behind "you're kinda distracted today, aren't you?"

"Tatsumiya… why would you say that?" Setsuna turned and asked

"You were late this afternoon… you usually tell me when you need to be late" Mana said as she put her gun on her shoulder "so, how are things?"

"Everything is fine… I'm just a little sleepy," Setsuna answered to avoid being questioned anymore "let's go, we have work to do" she said seriously while she walked and gestured Mana to follow her.

"Now that's what I like," said Mana and turned around "ah! And since your tardiness is because you were sleepy I'll put it on your bill, okay?"

"A-ah… sure" said Setsuna with a drop (anime-style) falling down her head "that's what I thought"


Some hours later in the room shared by Asuna, Konoka and Negi, Konoka was making dinner in the kitchen as Asuna read a magazine on her bed and Negi pretended to be busy with some reports but he was actually thinking on what could he had done wrong to make Asuna angry… and how to solve it.

"Asuna! Can you help for a moment, please?" Konoka called her from the kitchen, and Asuna immediately went there "Ah… can you pass me the salt? My hands are busy here" Konoka asked her, Asuna opened the larder, took out the salt and gave it to Konoka "Thanks" the brunette told her with a smile, Asuna smiled to her too but was a very weak smile… more than weak, it was sad "You know," Konoka started "Negi-kun didn't do it on purpose, he's just a kid… sometimes he doesn't realized what he says"

"He may be just a kid but he's also our teacher… he needs to pay attention on what he say and to whom…" Asuna answered and lowered her head "that idiot…" she murmured to herself but Konoka heard it clearly, Asuna was hurt and she knew it

"Negi-kun is worried about you," Konoka said and Asuna looked at her revealing tears on her eyes "he doesn't like it when you are sad or angry… and you know he didn't mean to say it… why don't you guys make up?"

"It's not that simple…" Asuna told her, it wasn't her style to get angry at someone and then just forget it.

"Of course it is! It's enough with a simple 'I forgive you'" Konoka replied and smiled, her innocence made her friend laugh; Konoka had always had that kind of effect on people.

"Hahaha… the way you face things is funny… hahaha!" Asuna said as she laughed "I guess you're right… I shouldn't be so hard on him… hehe! That's what I hate kids" the red-headed girl said as she turned around and walked out of the kitchen to talk to Negi "Oh and by the way… since you already helped me… why don't you and see how is Setsuna-san?" those were the last words Asuna said before leaving the kitchen.

"She's right… Secchan… she's hurt too, I can feel it" Konoka thought and after a while she took off the apron, grabbed a jacket and went out to look for her friend.


"Phew! That was the last one!" said Mana as she put her gun down after shooting the last of the demons that, minutes before, entered the campus. Setsuna was in front of her, with her back facing Mana, she still had her sword unsheathed… she was way too lost in her own thoughts to hear her.

"Setsuna?" Mana called her again, louder that before.

"eh? Are we done?" Setsuna asked and turned around to face Mana

"Yeah we are done… hey are you sure you are okay?" Mana asked her, she was a little worried

"Yeah I'm fine… we should get going, it's kinda late" Setsuna said immediately to change the topic of their conversation

"Oh… do you have any plans?" Mana took this chance to tease her, she really enjoy it! "Are you going out? A date maybe?" Setsuna tried not to pay attention to her but it was futile, her cheeks were starting to change its color to red "Who could it be? … oh don't tell you finally ask-"

"Tatsumiya! It's not a date!" Setsuna yelled, she was really pissed "I promised to Ojousama that I'd go to her room tonight" she explained … she shouldn't have.

"Wow! You haven't even gone on a date with her and you're sleeping with her already… you move fast, heh? Mana couldn't stop teasing her, Setsuna's cheeks were completely flushed, she was very embarrassed by what her friend said… she even tried to say something but she couldn't articulate any word "hahaha! Relax, it's just a joke"

"Well… you don't have a good sense of humor," Setsuna finally said and turn to leave "see you tomorrow"


"Mou… I went out so fast that I forgot my cell phone… now I don't know where is Secchan!" said Konoka in her mind as she searched in the surroundings of Mahora where Setsuna usually uses to patrol. She walked during 15 minutes more and then decided to rest for a while, for her surprise she had ended up in the World Tree (A/N: don't ask me how she didn't notice that huge tree XD)

She rested her back on the trunk of the big tree, she couldn't sit on the ground because it was covered by snow, and remained there thinking on where on earth Setsuna could be "Secchan where are you?"

"Ojousama?" Konoka heard a voice … no, she heard the voice that makes her heart beats faster than usual every time she listen to it. She looked up to the tree and smiled to see Setsuna sat in one of the branches. "What are you doing here, Ojousama?" Setsuna asked her after jumping and landing right in front of Konoka.

"I couldn't wait to see you and I decided to look for you," Konoka explained smiling, and of course Setsuna blushed by the stamen "and what did I tell you about that name?"

"Ah g-gomen k-k-ko…" Setsuna was blushing really hard, she was so embarrassed that couldn't speak clearly "aamm … w-we should go now, it's getting colder" Setsuna proposed and started to walk but stopped when Konoka gave her a hug "Ojou-K-K-Kono-chan! W-what-"

"I thought you may need one of my hugs," Konoka said cutely making Setsuna blushed even more (A/N: omg! Is that even possible?! o.O) "ne Secchan… I'm gonna ask you something and I want you to tell me the truth, okay?" Konoka said as she rested her head on Setsuna's chest

"This morning… what Negi-kun said… it hurt, didn't it?" Konoka asked her and Setsuna's eyes widened in surprise, she thought she had hidden it from her but it looked like it wasn't like that. The same happened everytime Setsuna tried to hide what she feels or thinks, Konoka always knew it somehow.

"I-I don't know what you are talking about, Ojousama" Setsuna denied it even when she knew it was useless

"Mou secchan! Be honest with me! I know that it hurt you… but…" Konoka hugged her more and more by every word she was saying "you don't have to feel sad… everyone here is one big family… Asuna, Nei-kun… every grandpa treats you like his own daughter" Konoka's head was still on her friend's chest without looking at her, but she then felt something that makes her look up.

Tears were falling down from the mighty swordswoman's eyes, she was crying like a baby. Konoka's words always had a very significant meaning to her, and even more now "She's right

I was such a fool for dwelling on my past instead of living the present" thought Setsuna still shedding some more tears, until she felt a warm hand on her right cheek.

"It's okay secchan," Konoka said warmly to her as she wiped away her tears with her thumb "it's curious… when we were little you used to comfort me when I was sad"

"Kono-chan…" Setsuna said, she was a little surprise by what she heard, it was right … every time that Konoka was sad and down, Setsuna always made her feel better and smile "thanks, Kono-chan" Setsuna said and hugged Konoka, who blushed a little by the sudden and unusual action of her friend.

"Hehe… now we're even" Konoka joked. Both girls stayed in silence still in the hug, neither of them dare to move and break the embrace; actually, they didn't really want to. Setsuna rarely hugs Konoka spontaneously like now, that's why Konoka had to enjoy this opportunity.

"I wish I could hold her like this every day" Setsuna thought, she believed that it may bother Konoka in some way and that's why she avoid any physical contact with her, not mentioning that it may reveal her feeling for the brunette. Without even realizing Setsuna sighed and then said "why do you always make me feel this way?"

"Feel how, secchan?" Konoka asked her, she was blushing by what her friend had said… though she really didn't know what she had meant; Konoka thought it looked like a confession.

"Eh? Ah! Damn, I said it aloud!" Setsuna murmured and pulled Konoka away from her a litte, her face started to blush again "i-it's c-complicated," Setsuna said, her heart was beating like crazy, she felt it was the right moment to confess her feeling for Konoka but… was she really that brave? "i-it's j-just t-t-that… uumm you see… uumm" she tried but it was useless, she wasn't ready for such a big step "f-forget it… it's nothing"

"mmm… hehe… don't worry secchan, I love you too(*)" Konoka said and then giggled, and Setsuna blushed madly, did Konoka really mean what she just said? Could it be that her princess feels the same as Setsuna? Or she meant 'love' as in friendship? Setsuna was confused but she knew that if she thought about it too much, it may end up really bad.


(*) : Remember that in Japanese the word "suki" or "daisuki" ("dai" means "big" or "a lot") are same as love/like... So I made Konoka say something like "Secchan daaaaiisuki~" or something like that, and Setsuna is not really sure about what kind of "suki" she's referrering.

Shiroki: and that's it! ...

Asuna: What?! Am I gonna apologize to the brat?!

Negi: ah A-asuna... I'm right here

Shiroki: yeah! both of you should apologize! =D

Asuna: hm! ... we'll do that later... by the way, Setsuna-san is not back yet, isn't she?

Shiroki: nope... and I don't think she will...

Negi: I don't get it... Asuna-san, why Setsuna-san won't be back? and Where is Konoka-san? Did something happen to them?

Asuna: a-ah... you're too young for(please say/write yes! XD)... this is jst a short Christmas story, and I know it's kinda early for Christmas but, really, if I don't post it now... I won't do it later -.-... I hope you liked it, next chapter will be upload soon...like in two or three days (O.O OMG! that's a record) yeah I know... anyway! reviews please ... *bows* see you next time!