Kailor: Check the reviews my friends! I've got fangirls lmao! Friend me on facebook so we can chat, me lovely readers!

Nuriko: Hey, Naruto. Who were you on the phone with in that other chapter?

Naruto: Your mom.

Nuriko: Good one. Real original. But you might want to save your breath. You're gonna need it to blow up your date.

Rikku: -spits out orange juice, laughing-

Su: What's that mean?

Everyone: ...

Kailor: P.S. everybody, Oyama and Maicho News? Go ahead and flip through the first book again. Those are the real names used :)

The rain had become a downpour by the time they decided to call it a night.

"Odd," Ayaka said, staring out at the squall. "The weather report didn't say anything about a storm tonight. You'd think one this big would show up on somebody's radar."

"Eh, it happens." Asuna shrugged her jacket higher and popped the collar up. "Where's your fancy shmancy car now? You could give us all a ride home!"

"I walked here, just like the rest of you!"

"Oh god, did daddy go bankrupt or something? THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT IS ENDING!"

"Shove off, monkey!"

"Bite me, pedophile!"

"Girls, girls," Negi attempted to pacify the quarreling classmates, but they ignored him. A minute later both of them were face first in a puddle and still fighting.

Konoka rolled her eyes and bumped Setsuna's arm. "Let's leave those two to it. You didn't bring a jacket?"

"I didn't think to grab one," Setsuna replied, shrugging.

"Well, come on then. Get under here." Konoka slid her jacket off and held it over her head, leaving room for Setsuna to duck under with her.

Her heart pounded as she stepped under the jacket. It was her sixteenth birthday. Was tonight the night? Wouldn't she have remembered it being on her birthday? Then again, she was really 107 years old. Whatever Chao had blown into her face had cleared her memory, but not completely. Was it tonight? Wait, what if she'd already changed history just by coming out tonight? Would the moment ever come now? If it did, would it be the same? Was tonight not really supposed to be the night, but going to be the night anyways now?

Ugh, all the questions!

The healer and swordsman hurried through the rain, diving into alleys and under store awnings as often as possible. Konoka would take those opportunities to wring out her jacket and Setsuna would do the same to her pants legs. Finally the dorms emerged from the sheets of rain and they raced into the foyer together, spraying water across the tiles and shrieking as the air conditioning attacked their skin. Setsuna stepped away and shook herself like a dog. Konoka gasped as the cold droplets assaulted her. "Setsuna!"

"Oops, my bad!" She dodged as Konoka swung the sopping wet jacket at her.

Laughing, she took off for the stairs and Konoka chased after, still swinging the jacket. Her shoes squeaked and slid beneath her, but she got to her door first and had it unlocked and half open before the healer crashed into her. They tumbled through the opening, laughing and groaning in pain. Setsuna rolled out from under Konoka, rubbing the shoulder she'd landed on. "Ow, are you trying to kill me?"

"Nah," Konoka giggled. "Just maim and/or dismember in any way possible."

"Well, that's so much better." She left the laughing healer on the floor and rolled to her feet, grabbing her sword and a thick black sweater. "I've got to get to Evangeline's place."

"In this weather? Can't you cancel for tonight?"

"It's not that bad," Setsuna said. Really she just wanted to swing a sword again. It had been years since she'd had the strength to even draw a blade.

And another part of her was secretly hoping tonight was the night and that it would still play out just as it had befo- wait...how did it play out exactly? What had Konoka said that had signalled the moment to confess? If she could just remember she could think of something to say back! She'd be more prepared! Crap!

"Well, I'll walk you out then." Konoka held up a hand, allowing the swordsman to hoist her up off the floor.

Oh god, was it tonight?

The storm had become a tempest and lightning flashed just as they stepped out of the foyer. Konoka hung back, just inside the doorway to avoid the lashing rain. Setsuna pulled on her sweater and tied her sword to her belt. It would be a lot harder to fly in this weather than to run. This disappointed her to an extent because she really wanted to test her memory of flying, but at the same time she was thrilled at the chance to run clear across campus again. Though it had only been hours since her last sprinting session, she already craved that aching burn in her muscles. She turned to bid Konoka a goodnight, already feeling heat rush to her cheeks. Her stomach was churning with anxiety and she knew this was it. This was either going to be the moment or not. And she hadn't remembered exactly what Konoka's words were that night...

What was Konoka going to say?

What was Setsuna going to reply?

Konoka, as if sensing the awkward tension in the air, stepped back a little into the shadow of the foyer. "Be careful, Setsuna. If your phone survives the trip to Eva's, text me when you get there."

Oh, good point. She pulled out her phone, making sure it wasn't soaked and handed it to Konoka. "Better idea. You keep mine and I'll have Eva text you."

Konoka laughed and tucked the phone into her back pocket. "That works too."

For another painful moment, Setsuna stood there, rocking back and forth on her heels.

Why didn't she just come out and say it? Why did Konoka have to initiate the moment? She could do it! She'd had a whole other lifetime to think about saying it! Say it!

She opened her mouth.

"Well, you better hurry along before Eva comes looking for you. She hates being kept waiting, you know." Konoka remarked, moving another inch away.

Setsuna closed her mouth, silently relieved. She nodded and turned to leave.

"Night!" Konoka called after her. "Have fun! Love you!"

There.

Setsuna froze. That was it. That's what Konoka had said. That simple "love you" had been what sparked the moment. This was it.

Just like before, the words hung in the air between them. They dangled like a fish on a line, gasping for life that only she could give them. The way Konoka had said them was so innocent, but the weight of those words again pressed against her lungs, stealing away her breath. They meant something and all Setsuna had to do was acknowledge that fact. Give the fish water... Say it back... Say it...

She pivoted back to face the healer.

Konoka was still half-cloaked in the threshold's shadow, her arms wrapped around herself as if those tiny limbs could hold off the cold. The little part of her face that Setsuna could see was red and her teeth were worrying at her lip, pulling on the soft skin.

Like she really was sixteen again, Setsuna glanced away, embarrassed by the openly hopeful expression on the healer's face.

Say it... Say something...

Like an echo from her past, she heard herself say, "Ah, goodnight to you too." And she turned and dashed into the rain.

NO!

She'd come back to change that moment! Her whole life she'd spent wishing she'd said ANYTHING but those words! Now she'd really had that chance and she'd run AGAIN! The rain slapped hard against her face and she welcomed the pain, her entire body screaming at her. After all those years dreaming of making things right, of doing things over, she'd thrown it all away for a second time! Just like before, she'd choked on the words, stumbled over the intensely warm feeling in her chest, and fallen face first into CRAP!

She stopped running. The rain smacked against her sword case, making a pulsating beat that suddenly became the sound of her own heart pounding against her rib cage.

She'd lived an entire lifetime and was still making the same stupid mistakes.

What if she went back and told Konoka the truth and found out the words really didn't mean what she wanted them to? Had she endured an entire lifetime beating herself up over a single moment, only to find out it was never real? What if-

"It gives you the chance to relive your life. With this, you can change your history."

Chao's words rang in her ears as clearly as if her old classmate were standing right beside her.

That's right. She'd come back here to change her history. Change it...not repeat it. So what if Konoka hadn't meant it that way? She'd already lived one life without telling Konoka the truth and she couldn't do it again.

She wouldn't do it again.

She turned and bolted back the way she'd come.

The dorm foyer looked empty as it came into view again. How long had it been since she'd left? A few minutes? Where could Konoka have gone?

Something moved in the doorway.

"Setsuna?" Konoka appeared, blinking furiously to try and hide the moisture in her eyes. "Did you forget something?"

Her voice cracked on the last word and Setsuna felt like she'd been punched in the gut by Rakan. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. The thought that she'd made Konoka cry made her physically ill. Her feet moved apart to steady her as the world gave a tilted jerk.

"Setsuna?" Worry was now in Konoka's voice. "Are you okay?"

She opened her eyes. The healer had stepped out into the rain, squinting against the driving waterdrops. Her dark hair was plastered to her head and back and she was hugging herself even tighter than before. Rain rolled down her face and Setsuna wondered for a moment how much of it was salty. "I did forget something," Setsuna choked out.

"What?"

"How stupid a sixteen year old can be."

Before Konoka could respond, Setsuna closed the distance between them and kissed her.