Hey everyone! This is my first ever HM/Pita-Ten crossover! Yeah, I know, it only references Pita-Ten, but still, you know? Anyway, please enjoy my (also first) oneshot!

~Pyoko

Following her daily routine since she moved to Mineral Town, Claire felt content. And bored. She hadn't received an assignment in forever. But now, she just got a message from the PTB saying that she was to report to the church immediatley!

"Hey, Claire?" asked Carter, beckoning her over once she reached the podium.

"Hmm?" she asked, hoping for a hint on her assignment.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Claire, but do you see that young man over there? Well, he's been through some tough time lately, so... Do you think you could talk to him?" asked Carter sheepishly.

"Y-yeah... I'll go say hi..." murmured Claire, who had eyes only for the boy.

Target sighted!!!! she thought excitedly, but soon became mesmerized by him: hi maple-brown hair, his big, brown, pitiful looking eyes... He was really cute!

No! The mission is set! I can't get attatched to him! Not after what happened to Misha-san...

But she couldn't help it. He was just...amazing.

"H-hey." greeted Claire when she reached the chair the boy was sitting in.

"Hey," he mumbled without looking up.

"Um... I'm Claire!" she bowed in greeting, then offered her hand to him, just in case he was from America. (Author's Note: I'm writing this as if Claire and everyone is in Japan, so that's why it seems that way. Please just bear with me here!)

"I'm Cliff," he said, half-heartedly shaking her hand.

"Uh, I, um, heard you were in need of a guardian ang- er, sorry, I meant I heard you needed someone to talk to, so... I came to say hi!" continued Claire brightly.

Finally, his chocolate-brown eyes drifted up to meet hers and replied, "That's nice of you... Th-thanks..." Then he gave her a heart-warming smile that, well, pretty much warmed her heart.

"Ummmm...." she looked to Carter, who smiled encouragingly and flashed her the thumbs-up.

"So, uh, y-you wanna h-h-h-hang out s-sometime?" he stammered suddenly.

EEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!

"Sure! Friday's good for me, how about you?" she asked excitedly.

"Okay... I'll c-come p-p-pick you up..." answered Cliff.

Claire waved to him, then left the church. She immediately dashed to the Inn to see her best friend, Ann.

"ANNNNNNNNNN!!!!!" she screeched, pounding on her friend's door.

"What do you want, sista?" she demanded, pretending to sound angry, but her smile gave it away.

"I got a date!" she squealed.

"Oh yeah! That's my Claire-Bear!" she said, whooping. "With who, now, my non-single friend?"

"Clifffffff!!!!"

Ann stopped dead. She dropped her dustpan and turned to look at Claire. "You....got a date....with him?"

"Yesssssss!!!!!" cried Claire, not realizing the change in the mood.

"C-cool... Well, I'd better go..."

Claire left the Inn, and happily ran back to her house humming.

Cliff, never fear! Your guardian angel is here!

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It just so happened that Cliff asked her out again the next week....and the next week! And then... he asked her to be his girlfriend! Claire was ecstatic, but she knew that she would have to end up leaving, so she wasn't the kind of...well... at loss of a better word...slutty (no offense to some people) girlfriend that some people are.

Finally, Cliff asked her to go to the Starry Night Festival with him! She said yes, and they left for the top of Mother's Hill.

He leaned up against a rock and pulled her down next to him. They sat there in silence, awestruck by the millions of tiny little jewels of the night sparkling in the night sky. Then...

Cliff slowly leaned in to her and gently brushed against her lips. Claire's cheeks went as red as a tomato...no, redder.

"I'm sorry, was that okay?" he asked, his cheeks also flushed.

"Y-yeah..."

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Claire leaned forward, looking over the edge of Mother's Hill, and saw nothing but the lush green of trees, purple mountains in the far distance, and, of course, the seemingly endless lake at the base of the mountain.

Each bit of nature that glowed with the rising sun seemed to call to Claire, beckon her to just let go of all her senses, and just...fly away...

That one step, one leap, one fall... All led to the end.

Now, she was flying away, but she wasn't Claire anymore...she was an angel, one with nature, one with everything... And she parted this world, warm hands grasping hers and leading her, guiding her, all the way...home.

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When Cliff woke up, he knew something was wrong. He could sense it. It was confirmed when Ann entered his bedroom, bawling her eyes out and clutching a piece of paper.

"C-claire...She...she's...she is...Mother's Hill... O-officer H-h-h-harris...f-found her b-b-b-b-body at the foot of M-mother's Hill!!!" she wailed, falling onto his shoulder, endless tears streaming down her cheeks.

"C-claire's... d-d-d-" Cliff couldn't bring himself to say the word. "NO! NO! She c-can't be! NO! CLAIRE!!!!" sobbed Cliff, causing Ann to cry even harder.

"R-read it!" she screamed, whipping the paper at him.

Cliff, if you're reading this, I'm so sorry. But... it's my time to go. I want you to know this, though. I will always be watching over you, so please, please, please don't worry too much, 'kay? I really do love you, and Ann, too... Love, Claire.

"She's really...g-gone..."

Epilogue

The evening was cool, everything was silent on the mountain... There lay the grave...of a friend.

I stood at the very edge of the peak, where I guessed she must have stood before she...

I spoke to the sky, to Heaven, where I knew she was...

"You've taught me how to live, and...I thank you for that. I will never forget you....Claire."

I knew her purpose for coming here...for leaving... She was my guardian angel...And now, she finished her job...

"Good night."

FIN!!!!!