Thank your for taking the time to read this. Any reviews would be helpful as I always have room to improve.
I do not own Pretear nor do I own the characters...TT
Enjoy the story

Nightfall
Chapter One

Himeno woke up to the rain pounding on her windows and her heart pounding in her chest. She had just had a vivid nightmare about her mother and the Leafe Knights death. Tears came to Himeno's eyes. They had just fought the new Princess who was more powerful than Takako was. Himeno knew that if this kept up any longer she wouldn't be able to stand and fight. She was exhausted from feeling like she needed to protect everyone and having nightmares continuously of her Knights dying because she couldn't save them wasn't helping. Of course Himeno didn't admit this to even Sasame. She didn't want them to worry about her. Himeno sat up and brought her knees up to her face and wrapped her arms around her legs and just continued to cry.

Hayate and Sasame sat up on the rooftop of Himeno's home and listened. Hayate wanted to go down and comfort her but he didn't want what happened with Takako to happen again. However Himeno, he thought, was different. She was stronger or at least tried to be for everyone. Hayate flew down to Himeno's balcony and knocked on the window of the door, leaving Sasame up on the rooftop. He heard some shuffling and then the door was opened with Himeno standing there looking up at him in surprise.

"Hey, Tulip-head. Are you going to let me in or not? It's cold out here." Hayate asked with a smile.

Himeno scowled at Hayate for a moment then moved to let him in to her bedroom. "What do you need?" Himeno asked.

"Nothing, just checking up on you and to see how you're doing." Hayate replied stepping into the room.

"Oh. Everything is alright." Himeno said with a slight blush that Hayate couldn't see. 'Thank goodness it's dark.' Himeno thought to herself.

"Then why are you awake? You should get some sleep so you're not a complete wreck tomorrow." Hayate replied slightly tilting his head. He knew something was up and he wanted Himeno to be able to be open about it with him. To trust him. They were a team for a reason.

"I just woke up. I think I had a bad dream but it's alright. I'm a big girl. I think I can handle a few nightmares on my own, thank you very much. Now if you can go so I can go back to sleep that would be wonderful, Hayate." Himeno replied.

Hayate gave a half grin and left the room as Himeno requested. 'She'll be alright.' thought Hayate as he flew back up to Sasame. "She's okay, Sasame."
Sasame furrowed his brow in thought. "Something about this bothers me. She isn't being open with any of us. She's holding back on something." Sasame replied.

"Of course." Hayate said.

"Why would you say that?" Sasame asked.

"Because she wouldn't be Himeno if she didn't try to protect us from whatever is going in that head of hers." Hayate replied.

Sasame chuckled at that statement. "Let's get out of the rain before we catch a cold." At that the Knights flew off to a house the Awayuki family had bought them so they could have a place here on Earth to stay when they weren't in Lefeania. Once they reached their destination they each went to bed so they could try and get some rest. Sasame went to his room and just laid there staring up at the ceiling thinking of Himeno. She was strong. She was probably stronger than Takako as a Pretear. She was very powerful. But it troubled him that she wasn't confiding in him what was bothering her. Eventually sleep found Sasame and Hayate both.

However Himeno wasn't so fortunate. She ended up staying awake all night. She kept thinking about Hayate and Sasame both. Himeno knew that if she wanted to talk to someone, Sasame would listen and not judge her. She just didn't want to worry him with what she had on her mind; that she was afraid that they would all die because of her. If she wasn't careful and didn't stay focus whoever she is preted with would get hurt. Himeno didn't want to see that. She didn't want to be the cause of that. That was what was on her mind because of the stupid nightmares that she had every night. The rain finally stopped pounding at her window. "I need to talk to someone." Himeno said aloud to herself. "I need to." Again, fresh tears came to her eyes and flowed down her face. "But I can't."