Sen returned to her house with more unanswered questions, so she sat at the table and stared at the wall. Her palms were red from the tension she had kept bottled up during the argument. Her skin was sore from where the nails had bit into the flesh, leaving little half moon indentions filled with blood.

After shuffling into her bedroom, she pulled her blinds closed and lay in her bed, unaware of the time passing. Her stomach growls went ignored as the sight of Mina's glassy stare replayed in her mind. She couldn't sleep without dreaming of Mina, and her waking thoughts were plagued by doubts. She lay awake, staring blankly at the ceiling while tears leaked from her eyes.

Sora had been knocking on her window for a minute before she realized he was there. She pulled herself from her reverie slowly, her body aching from however long she had been immobile. She had no idea how long she had been in bed. Time ran together whenever it was all spent crying or sleeping.

She let him in without a word and then they sat at the kitchen table together. He looked around the dark house and sadly sighed before saying, "I came by to check on you."

She thanked him.

Her brother's gentle stare dug into her as he told her, "I'm worried about you, Sen."

"I'm okay," she lied. The last thing she needed was her brother worrying about her. She didn't want to cause Sora any extra heartache.

The brown haired man's head cocked and he pursed his lips as he spoke, "Sen... Lying to me doesn't make this any easier for you. You can talk to me, you know."

"I know," she replied. "When I have something to say, I'll let you know. But right now, I just need to be alone."

Sora's face was cast down at the table and Sen noticed tears brimming in his pretty white eyes. Her heart began pounding in worry and she asked Sora what was wrong with him.

The man looked up to her and pleaded, "You may not need me, but I need you. I need you to keep me grounded, Sen. You're my best friend. I can't..." he paused and let his shoulders fall. "I can't lose you too. Especially not while you're still breathing."

His words sliced into her. Her mouth was parted as if she wanted to speak; however, there was little she could think to say.

Sora then told her that she had been locked away in her house for days. He said that Hashirama and Mito had checked on her, and that even Madara had come by to ask Sora how she was a few times. She was shocked to hear she had been isolated for that long, but in the end it didn't really surprise her. Sora draped his hand over hers and said that both him and Madara wanted to see her smile again.

Tears sprung to her eyes as she quietly asked, "How can I be happy again, Sora? Live in denial?"

"Understanding that this isn't your fault is the first step to being happy again."

"Yeah," she murmured mindlessly.

"Sen..."

The girl's mind drifted far away to the lilac trees where she and Mina had spent that lovely, carefree day. A tear slipped down Sen's cheek quietly as she told Sora, "I guess it's time we talk."

He nodded thankfully and she took his hand before transporting them to the grove of lilacs. The scene was sparse, as the pale yellow flowers had all fallen away, leaving only the bare branches on display. Sora looked around, unsure of why his sister had brought him to a grove of barren trees.

All she could think about was the elder Hyuga girl as she walked through the rows silently. She remembered how happy Mina had looked as they ran through the forest. Her chestnut hair had been blowing wildly in her perfect face as she wore a genuine smile.

"When we were here, I thought she was happy. How could I have been so wrong?" Sen contemplated out loud.

"Mina was good at masking her emotions."

She shook her head and spoke, "You have no idea, Sora..."

He inquired of what she meant with interest. Sen continued to tell him about the night the sisters had gotten drunk and Mina spilled her secrets to Sen. He listened intently as she recounted Mina's revelations. Part of Sen felt as if telling him this betrayed Mina's trust; however, her words continued forward like a waterfall. She couldn't stop as she poured her entire heart out to Sora.

Once Sen finished, Sora asked with uncertainty, "Everything was a facade?"

"For the most part," she breathed. "She said she wanted to find love like I had."

A little smile grew on Sora's face as he knowingly asked, "You and Madara?"

Her head bobbed tiredly. She sighed, "I guess I never really told you much about us."

"I always kinda assumed and then it became pretty obvious as time passed. So, you love him?"

Sen looked down to the ground and replied that she did. She continued to tell him about her feelings for Madara, from the way his voice soothed her soul to how his smile seemed to illuminate the world around her.

The wind quietly rustled the branches while the siblings stood solemnly. Sen spoke once more, "I feel guilty for all of this, Sora..."

"Mina would never want you to feel that way."

A sad laugh rumbled out of her chest. "How could you ever know that? You said yourself that Mina was an expert at concealing things."

Sora was speechless for a moment as his pale eyes traveled across the landscape. With a thoughtful look on his face, he spoke, "Even Mina couldn't hide her happiness for you. She loved you very much, Sen. Admired you, as well. That's how I know she wouldn't want you feeling this burden."

"Then why did she leave?" she asked. Sen's shoulders were sagging as her empty eyes kept low to the ground.

Sora put his arm around his sister and pulled her into his side. With a smile on his face, he replied warmly, "We'll ask her when we see her again, but for now, let's live unashamedly to honor her memory."

"That's what she always wanted... to live for herself, to fall in love, to be happy."

"Then it's up to you to carry out her dream," the Hyuga man spoke before pausing. He trained his attention on her and continued, "You were never meant to bear this burden alone. Mizura and I--we're your brothers. Our job is to be there for you to rely on. Trust us, Sen."

Her face grew dark as she coldly growled, "I will never trust Mizura and I advise you to do the same."

As Sen stood facing Sora, she noticed the pain that flashed across his face. He was silent as he shoved his hands in his pockets and turned away to look down the rows of trees. A long sigh passed from his lips before he spoke, "Mizura is my twin... As much as I despise him, I love him ten-fold. A bond formed before birth itself is not easily broken."

"Well, it turns out I was right... " Sen could hear Mizura's harsh words in her mind. "And now she will never even be powerful. What a shame."

Fuck you, Mizura. You bastard. She closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath. She wanted to tell Sora about what Mizura had said to Mina, but it didn't matter she supposed. She didn't want to see the heartbreak on Sora's face as she revealed the level of depravity Mizura had fallen to. It was clear that Sora was seeing his twin through rose colored glasses; however, Sen was too exhausted to fight against it. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she replied in a monotone, "Yeah, I suppose you're right."

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Sad Hyuga hours