Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Negima Franchise. But I do own the folklore/story/whichever that Konoka will state later. And uhh... KonoSetsu... umm.. Enjoy? ; v ;

"The last thing I'd want to see is a flash of your sad face everytime I swing down my sword, Ojousama." - Sakurazaki Setsuna

"Secchan, did you know why the crows are black?" Konoka asked as she gleefully looked up at the sky, standing at the middle of the open air bath, surrounded by rocks and a waterfall.

White Dove Crow

~Risa Arakawa~

"N-No. Why are they black, Ojousama?" the swordswoman answered, the permablush she has still on her cheeks.

With the thick and cold fog everywhere, Setsuna sat by the rocks, wrapped by her wings hiding her masculine body in shyness of being seen by her Ojousama. She faced the chocolate haired female, dipped her feet under the warm water, trying her best not to check out the said female. Water always ran from the sky, due to the nature of the waterfalls beside them; it seemed like the open-aired bath was a big shower room.

"A long long time ago, there was a White Crow and a Black Dove. The White Crow was a servant to a Princess. It was very loyal and did everything the Princess told it to do, until one day, that Princess died, leaving the White Crow without a master." Konoka started as she slowly walked towards Setsuna, her feet making soft water splashing sounds. "The White Crow went to the city and started helping the townspeople. Helping children when their balloons get caught up on trees, pecking on branches of trees to have fruits fall down for the villagers, catching small fishes and everything else, until one day, the White Crow met a Black Dove."

The blushing mess of a Shinmeiryuu continued staring at her feet until she could see Konoka's feet near her own. The chocolate haired female continued her story, "The Black Dove was a pawn of the witch who killed the Princess. The White Crow grew with anger, and soon its heart was filled with revenge. However it did not let it cover its heart. Until... the Black Dove attacked the White Crow, who fought back for the sake of the villagers. The White Crow won, but stained its wings with the black feathers of the dove. Not being able to carry on the weight of having a family member killed by its own kind, the White Crow took on the feathers of the Black Dove in order to make it appear as though it had died in the battle."

Konoka leaned down to peer at Setsuna's face, droplets of water, trailing down the valley of her breasts and her brown hair clinging tightly to her body curves. "The now Black Crow continued its job to help the villagers, making it seem like the Black Dove had a change of heart. And thus, the start of the Crow and Doves." Setsuna quickly looked upwards to avoid the gaze of her ojousama, followed by a quick reflex to stand up and turn away to face her back on Konoka.

"Wh-what is your p-point, Konoka-Ojousama...?" She asked as she opened her wings and softly flapped them, shrugging off some of the water that kept on falling down.

"What I'm saying is a white crow turned black protecting something it loves. However, whether it may be black or white, it is all the same. The fact that crows used to be white and brought nothing but luck and happiness to its people is a fact enough, for you..." Konoka walked closer to Setsuna until they were only two steps away from each other. "To stop hating yourself."

"But, I did not live during that time. In this time, my wings are considered nothing but misfortune, Ojousama." In utmost stubbornness, the swordswoman explained.

Soft rippling of the water could be heard as foot steps neared, accompainied by bamboo decorations making soft thunking sounds repeatedly. With the quiet showering of the water fall, Konoka called for her protector's name. "Secchan..."

She stretched her arms forward, and touched the root of Setsuna's wings attached to her back and softly carressed them. She trailed her right hand to the swordswoman's right wing and started mending its feathers. Her left hand slid down to that white luscious skin, wrapping slowly around the shorter female's waist. "O...Ojousama..."

Konoka slowly pressed on Setsuna's back as her right hand continued to mend her wings. "Ever since we've been together... you've done nothing but bring me happiness and luck, Secchan..."

"B-But... o-ojousama..." Setsuna uttered, heat surging to her face once more, closing her eyes due to the sensation from her wings.

"Geez, how many times have I told you?" Konoka said, planting a soft kiss on Setsuna's nape and nuzzling her nose on it up to her jaw. "Ko-no-cha-n~"

"K-K-K-K-Ko-Kono...chan..." with a weak voice the dark blue haired female answered. Arching her head to her right side to give Konoka more access to her neck, Setsuna braced herself in a tight self-hug to stop her mouth from moaning.

Konoka's right hand slowly mended feathers, her fingertips slowly caressing, softly rubbing Setsuna's right wing. Her hand snaked around Setsuna'stomach, tracing down the soft mounds of muscle.

"When I met you again, you saved me." The priestess whispered on the protector's left hear. Setsuna's left unmended wing kept on moving. Flapping sofly, its ends kept on twitching. "Ah, Secchan.. could it be..." Right hand fingers fiddled with a feather. "Your wings are ticklish?" Konoka teased, slightl ybreathing on the Shinmeiryuu swordswoman's nape.

"A-a... O-o-o-o-of course n-n-n-not! Ojou—Kono-chan!" Stammering, her hands moved everywhere in an excuse to protect her Ojousama from seeing her obviously red face.

"O-h-re-a-ll-y-now?" Konoka whispered all so huskily and sexily. She finished mending the right wing and replaced the hand on the stomach with her right, using her left hand to mend the completely untouched left wing.

Setsuna's right wing softly flapped forward trying to get rid of the ticklish sensations Konoka had left. She trembled a bit under Konoka's touch. The priestess' fingers skillfully mended the left wing as the other bundle of feathers kept on twitching and occassionally flapping out.

"Look, Secchan, your right wing is doing the same thing!" Konoka said as she giggled. Hearing a throat-stuck gasp from the samurai, she confirmed that her Secchan was indeed ticklish on the wings. "You don't have to deny it~" She bursted into soft laughter. Her pressed body on Setsuna kept on rubbing at her back.

"But Ojousama! I mean Konochan! I really am not ti-tickli—" She tried saying in an effort, " i-i-i-s-ish... at all!" She reached her hands up to her face to cover her mouth.

"Secchan, you liar..." Chocolate colored hair brushed towards the dark blue haired female's waist as surprisingly two hands started mending her left wing at the same time. "I'm really happy right now, see? What's so... unfortunate about this...?"

"Konochan..." Unable to think of a retort, Setsuna's mind completely focused on the tingling sensation from her wings said.

"Tickle, tickle~" The mage said as her hands still continued on attacking the wing, making the swordswoman uncontrollably tremble. Again the right wing started closing and opening as a sensation, and its ends twitching. "Secchan..." Konoka called to her, this time wrapping both her arms around the samurai's waist, resting her head on her shoulder.

Silence engulfed them, a comfortable quietness that felt like nothing needs to be spoken. Waiting for the tingling sensation to be gone, Setsuna breathed a sigh of relief as she felt the attack stop. She completely shook off the water from her wings and answered to her Princess' call. "Y-yes... Ojousama?"

"Geez, that ojousama again. What a mood ruiner, mou." Konoka sighed and slid her palms down the hanyou's stomach. "Secchan... do you remember how many times you have used your wings to save me? To save us?"

The shorter female moved her head left and right.

"Have it ever brought us misfortune?"

The female shook her head again.

"Do you think that it brings misfortune now?"

The white winged half human crow... shook her head.

"Good. Secchan... can you face me?" Loosening her hug on the shorter female's body, Sakurazaki Setsuna turned around to face her Ojousama. A decision, she is sure, she will never regret.

Konoka leaned down and cupped Setsuna's face with her hands, making their lips crash together in a soft gesture. The samurai put her palms on Konoka's shoulder and attempted to push her away in distraught panic, but found her hands captured as well and softly led around her back.

"Kono-chan... we shouldn't be..."

"Secchan..." Konoka wrapped her arms tightly around Setsuna's waist, and hung her head on the protector's shoulder. "For whoever you are... a bird tribe exilee, a protector, a bodyguard, merely an apprentice, Setsuna... you've done a lot of things for me."

The dark blue haired female, felt a few warm water drops, touch her back. She knew this wasn't from the constant shower from the waterfalls... she knew... it was her beloved Konoka's...

...tears.

"We've been apart for a long time... you tried your best to train, and become an expert in Shinmeiryuu. You practiced and hid yourself in the shadows to secretly protect me. You don't... you don't know how lonely I've been. How... How I longed for just you and I to be together again." Konoka said as she bit her lower lip, her eyes closed. "I... love you for who you are... Secchan. I don't care, whatever they say. You've protected me... I want to return it too. I want to return your kindness... your protection... even if the smallest thing I could do... from behind you, is heal you, support you... and love you. Give you the love that your family had exiled from you."

Setsuna looked over at the sight behind Konoka, gripping her right fist tightly, leaning down the bridge of her nose to the Priestess' shoulder.

"Kono-chan... I'm sorry I left you for a long time. I'm sorry... that I chose a stupid idea of being apart from you. I had seriously thought that being with me caused you misfortune—thus almost getting drowned in the river, I—"

Konoka hugged her tighter, "You aren't a misfortune to me, Secchan!" Setsuna opened her fist, and rubbed the mage's back up and down, mentioning soft 'Shh... shh..'sounds. Konoka sobbed.

"I thought if I went away from you, everything would be fine," Setsuna said and breathed in, completely taking in Konoka's scent as the water around them made comforting noises. "I was wrong, Kono-chan. I was wrong. I know now... that that wasn't the wisest decision. I am such a stupid child. Kono-chan... I felt lonely too." She felt a tear escape her eye.

Konoka rubbed her face on Setsuna's back and hugged her tighter, loosening her grip again later. "When we were apart, watching you from afar, secretly guarding you... I felt lonely too, Kono-chan. However, even if it was all danger, I am so glad that we met Negi-sensei, that... I had a chance to save you... and be reunited again. Kono-chan... I love you too."

"Finally... that ice wall... Secchan..." Konoka thought as her tears started streaming more, uncontrollably, as she sobbed in Setsuna's arms.

The both of them pulled apart and briefly stared at each other. Setsuna brought up her hands and wiped away her tears, giving her a warm smile. They leaned in forward together for another kiss...

"A-Ah~ That was so tiring!" Asuna's voice rang around the bath. "Say, Paru, have you seen Konoka and Setsuna-san?"

"Didn't they get into the bath earlier than us—ah look there they are." Paru said as her ahoge rose like antennae, pointing at our oblivious couple.

Setsuna had her wings out in the open and was mending them by herself as she sat on a rock whilst Konoka, around five steps away from her, soaked in the bath.

"That was surprising..." Setsuna thought as she mended her wings again, her brows brought together and her back turned against them.

"Secchan... I didn't know you were so jumpy." Konoka told her as she saw the female blush from white to red. She chuckled.

"Wh-wh-wha—Y-You too, Kono-cha—" She glances at Asuna, Paru and everyone else... "Ojousama! You-you're so fast at turning away!"

"I do not know what you're talking about at all, ehe~" Konoka said as she crossed her arms over her head and stretched, making sure Setsuna would lay eyes on her definitely toned armpit, and her chocolate hair sprawled all around her body.

Setsuna flushed red harder.

"Setsuna-san! Konoka!" Asuna called to them as they got nearer. "Ahh~ This is such a nice bath." Asuna said as she jumped in the middle, completely splashing them water.

"Asuna-san! You monkey! That is bad manners!" Ayaka said as she pointed at the orange haired female just as everyone including Makie and the Narutaki twins dove into the bath. "You three as well! Geez!"

Konoka smiled. Setsuna shrugged. Even the previous peaceful bath got clouded with lively noises, the two found peace in each others' gazes and grinned.

Even if they were to be parted, far from the other... Neither would forget the feelings they once had and have now regained with more trust to count. They realized that the only thing that matters is that their hearts are connected no matter how much they might get separated. Bound to fight harder battles, brawls that neither can escape, both only had one thing in mind, one thing that neither would forget.

"I'll protect you too."

-END-

A/N: Hello everyone, this is my first Negima fanfic. And it would remain as a oneshot as to... yeah a oneshot. Please be gentle! *nudges you to the review button* Also, I would like to say thank you to Divine Vengeance for proof reading this piece of work. And thank YOU for reading it! Reviews would be very, very appreciated! I hope you enjoyed! Well then, as to whichever my signatures are, Risa Arakawa is now, taking off!