"Are we almost there?"
"I think... Let me check." Asuna took out her map. "Ugh, I can't read this stupid thing!"
A group of five people were wandering, almost lost, in the forest: Yue, Nodoka, Konoka, Negi, and Asuna. Yue grabbed the map.
"Uh... You're kind of looking at it upside down. Maybe I should keep the map from now on. Let's see... Just a little further north and we should reach our last landmark. A cave in the side of the mountain up ahead." Asuna yawned and ran up next to Konoka. "So what are we doing again?"
"We're trying to find the place where they took Setsuna."
"How did you find out where they took her?"
"I found it looking through our room. It isn't on an exact place on this map, but I know where to go."
They had already traveled very far to get here. They've been traveling for a day now, and used what forms of transportation they had available to them. As they walked on, Konoka remembered what happened a few days before.
Flashback...
Setsuna Sakurazaki and Konoka Konoe were in their dorm room. Setsuna stepped out of the bathroom, clean and dressed. Konoka giggled. "Aren't we all nice and pretty today?" Setsuna just blushed and started putting her textbooks in her backpack. She then stood up and turned away to leave. "Gotta go." Konoka, however, thought otherwise. She grabbed Setsuna's arm and pulled her backwards, forcing Setsuna to sit next to her. "Class doesn't start for about another hour, silly. Why are you in such a hurry to leave?"
"Well, I, uh..."
"Never mind... Se-chan, I don't get it. We're in college now, and you're still avoiding conversation."
"But... There isn't much to talk about, ojou-sama..."
"I told you, don't call me that! Call me Kono-chan, like you used to."
"Sorry Kono-chan."
Konoka pouted and layed back on her bed. She sighed. "I miss our junior high school days. When we first met Negi-kun and life got... weird."
Setsuna, seeing no escape now, put her backpack down. "Huh?"
"It's just that, we got way too used to all the weird things that kept happening every day. After it all stopped, life got boring."
Konoka sighed again and sat up. She leaned against Setsuna. "You also talked to me more." Setsuna just stared at her.
"Ojou-sama."
"Kono-chan."
"K-Kono-chan, you remember that time in Kyoto? When you were captured by the Hoganji Faction?"
"Oh yeah! That was scary. I also got to see you're wings!"
"Yeah... So, you really didn't think I looked weird or ugly?"
"What? No way! I thought you looked awesome. Like an angel."
Setsuna blushed. "Really?"
"Of course. Like my guardian angel." Setsuna didn't reply. She stared at the floor for a while. Suddenly, something crashed through the dorm wall. Konoka screamed, and Setsuna grabbed her sword, Yunagi, and stood in front of her. When the dust cleared, Three armored men with spears and black wings stood in front of the girls. The one in the middle stepped forward.
"Are one of you Setsuna Sakurazaki?"
Setsuna reluctantly stepped forward. Konoka looked at her. "Se-chan, who are these people?"
Setsuna remained silent. She stared at them with expressionless eyes.
"What do you want?"
"We were sent here to retrieve you and bring you back to our tribe."
"The bird tribe?"
They nodded.
"Why? What do they want with an exiled member?"
"It isn't our choice to make, girl."
Setsuna didn't say anything.
"Drop your weapon and come with us."
Setsuna sighed. She put both hands in the air and dropped her sword. One man seized the sword. Another grabbed her wrists and bound her hands together. Konoka stepped forward. "Wait a minute," The one with her sword pointed his spear at her. Setsuna spoke up."Don't, Konoka. I must do this. I was afraid this might happen but I never told you, and I'm sorry for that."
End Flashback
Konoka shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. When she looked, she noticed that they were getting close to the location. She could see the cave up ahead.
'I'm sorry for defying you, Se-chan, but I can't let them hurt you.'
