Himeno Awayuki watched as the Knight of Sound walked away from her. Pain racked through her body as she thought of everything they'd been through and the feelings she'd developed. Tears streamed down her face.

"NO!" She screamed, Sasame and Takako stopped. Black surrounded her feet in mist like wisps. "Don't! Please!" Her knees fell out from underneath her. Her tightly fisted hands still held Sasame's earring. The metal biting in her hands hard enough to break blood. "Please…" She whimpered. Takako could see Sasame wavering as he stared at the girl on the ground.

Takako's darkness flickered slightly as the memory of when she'd done the same flashed through her head. Her eyes flicked to Hayate's rigid with pain face. Unknowingly, she was changing. Himeno's pain was tugging at her own suppressed emotions, and suddenly, she understood. They weren't so different after all.

"Don't…leave…I need you with me!" Himeno's shoulder shook with the power of her cries. Oblivious to Himeno, Takako's hair began to change to black and her eyes to green. "I need you! I LOVE YOU!" Sasame sharply inhaled and rocked forward on his heels. "I LOVE YOU DAMNIT! I love you…"

"Himeno…" Sasame breathed painfully as he watched her slowly breaking and the darkness slowly surrounding her. Without control his feet began to carry him to her side. He dropped to his knees in front of her and attempted to pry her curled hands open. "Takako…I know what I said…but I…can't leave her…" Tears had began dropping from his eyes as he kneeled in front of her. The misty dark seemed to run from the splatters that his tears made in the dirt. "I…"

"Stay with her…" She whispered as her own knees began to wobble. "You may have loved me once…but you love her even more. Just as I still love Hayate…" Her arm came around her waist as if in an attempt to hold herself together. The darkness she had recently cast away tugged to get back to her. "But mine…will be forever hopeless…"

"No the hell it won't!" Hayate burst. Takako gasped sharply. Hayate made his way through the wreckage. He grabbed her arms tightly. "I…lied. I knew Sasame loved you…I knew how much he cared…so I…thought I would give him a fair chance.." Takako's green eyes were now pouring tears of joy as he talked. "I'm sorry for how much I hurt you…I love you."

"Hayate…" Takako breathed before Hayate claimed her mouth with his own.

"Ew…" Mannen whispered under his breathe.

"Himeno…why didn't you-" Sasame questioned as he stared into her pink eyes.

"Tell you? Would you have accepted with your love for her still in your heart?" Himeno questioned.

"Yes, I would have. If you had told me…" Sasame trailed off. Himeno's eyes widened.

"Am I…am I…too late?" Himeno's eyes had already exhausted their tear limit. Sasame held her injured hands in his and leaned forward. He kissed her lips gently.

"No.." He whispered against them, "you're never too late…" Himeno threw her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. He lifted her up into his arms and kissed her forehead. "I'll take you home."

Their departure left a clear summer day-the damage done before now cleansed.