Author's Note: My goodness! I can't believe it's been almost 4 months since I last updated this story! =( Well, I did warn you all that I may not get to write much this semester. School has been a pain. Still is. I technically should be working on my group project. I needed a de-stress moment though. It's been a rough day. =P Enough of that though.
Okay, I love reviews everyone. Really I do. I love to hear that you all are looking forward to the next update. However, if you don't mind, please do not nag about updates. I have stated both in my author notes as well as in my profile that I'm busy this semester. I'm a college student with an education major and I participate in the school productions as part of my minor. I've been very busy with in-class observations and other commitments. I love to write and I love writing for you all. Please, bare in mind that I do this for all our enjoyment when I have the time. Sorry if I'm coming across as harsh. I'm hoping to sound like I'm gently reminding. =)
I haven't posted the pic of Hikaru's outfit for this chapter on my deviant account yet. Check back sometime this weekend. =) Enjoy!
Pretear 2:
Light My Way
Chapter 1 Episode 10: Trap
Hikaru and Yayoi rarely saw Himeno at school the days following the attack in the park. They joined Mawata at lunch, but she would merely shake her head if they asked after Himeno. Eventually, they stopped asking all together.
The boys would join them occasionally. Their worry for the older girl made the lunch hour drag and no one found any true enjoyment with the free time they had.
Hikaru tried in vain to find Himeno in the library where it was rumored she had holed herself up during the lunch period. Somehow, Himeno always slipped out just as Hikaru began her search of the book shelves. The only reason Hikaru knew that Himeno had left the library, was because the librarian informed her one day when Himeno had stopped to whisper quietly after Hikaru's whereabouts.
Hikaru tried visiting Himeno at her home before going to the hospital for her volunteer work. She and Mawata would stand outside of Himeno's room or go looking for her in the garden house. Himeno never answered their pleas or came out of hiding.
Hayate healed slowly. He asked the other knights about Himeno but they had very little to tell him. They all worried, but none as much as the oldest knight.
~Prétear~
Hikaru stood outside large, wrought-iron gates. Her golden gaze stared sadly at the stone pillars that the gate was hinged to, and she wondered, not for the first time, whether she should move on or step through to the other side. With a sigh, she reached out a hand and pressed a buzzer on the pillar's face and waited.
A trill beeped out of the speaker below the buzzer and the gates slowly swung inward. Hikaru glanced up and waved at the camera perched on top of the stone pillar before she began walking again. Her footfalls thumped on the paved driveway. Head turning, she took in the well-kept lawn and trees that lined the road.
"Miss Hikaru!" A voice called to her. Turning back to the path ahead of her, she saw a white golf cart. Tanaka sat at the steering wheel and waved to gain the young woman's attention. Sitting in the spot next to him was Mayune. She glared coolly at Hikaru but said nothing.
"Hello, Mr. Tanaka. Miss Mayune."
The pink-haired girl sniffed disdainfully. "Were you really going to walk all the way to the house?"
Hikaru shrugged and reached a hand up to the strap of her shoulder bag. "I walk everywhere. Besides, it's a nice day."
Mayune huffed and glowered. "Himeno would say that too." An awkward silence fell on them. Mayune hadn't finished the statement that they all were now thinking. "Himeno would say that too – when she was still Himeno." It was an undeniable truth that Himeno was acting very un-Himeno-like. That worried everyone.
"Well, get into the cart, light-bulb girl." Mayune ordered as she moved to make room. "Mawata is expecting you. She seems to think that today is the day the two of you will get into that room. Honestly, if I didn't know any better I'd say Himeno and Mawata switched personalities!"
Hikaru sat on the edge of the seat that was left to her. Clutching her bag in her lap as Tanaka drove down the driveway toward the house, she listened half-heartedly to the older girl beside her. Maybe Himeno had changed. Maybe she was turning into the Princess of Disaster. Hikaru shook her head. No. Himeno would never succumb to Fenrir like that. She had seen the damage. She knew the consequences.
She isn't without hope. Hikaru assured herself.
When they golf-cart came to a complete stop at the base of the mansion's stairs, Hikaru stepped down from the cart. Racing up the stairs, she ignored Mayune's huffy comment, "Well! Not even a thank you! What an ungrateful little commoner!"
The double doors were flung open by a breathless and excited Mawata. "Come with me!" she ordered as she grabbed a hold of Hikaru's hand and dragged the red-head into the house.
Hikaru tripped on her steps as she tried to keep up. "Mawata! Slow down! What's the hurry?"
"Himeno's door is unlocked and open! She never leaves it unlocked before leaving her room," Mawata explained urgently. "She may still be in the room. We have to see!"
"By the time we get up there the door could be closed," Hikaru reasoned, melancholy coloring her voice.
"I just know this is the day we'll get to talk to her, Hikaru! I just know it!" Mawata skidded to a stop outside of the large doors to Hikaru's room. The pair stared warily at the double doors. The golden-eyed girl glanced at her friend standing beside her. Mawata seemed hesitant now even after her determined belief.
Dredging up the courage needed for the both of them. Hikaru stepped forward with raised fist. "Himeno?" she called before wrapping her knuckles on the wooden surface. To the surprise of both girls, the door swung inward on its hinges at the contact. The girls exchanged looks before Hikaru pushed the door open a bit further. "Himeno, are you here?" she called again as she stepped into the dim room.
Hikaru stood just inside the door and looked around in utter bewilderment. Mawata pressed her way around the immobile girl and gasped in shock and sorrow. "Oh, Himeno," the step-sister lamented.
Himeno's usually cheerful and sunny room was gloomy in the dim lights. None of the curtains were drawn back to allow in any sunlight. Light-bulbs were burnt out, which they knew upon Himeno attempting to flip a switch on several lamps. Mawata lifted scattered, dirty clothes off the floor and off the furniture. She looked at the dressers and closet. Clothes were spilling out of the drawers and falling off the hangers. The hamper for dirty clothes was full to the brim with its contents spilling out and pooling on the floor.
The vanity desk was covered with a blanket so the mirror was covered up. Hikaru lifted the sheet to see that the glass had been shattered. Pulling the blanket off completely, she saw glass shards littering the surface. Bottles of perfume were tipped on their sides and empty after leaking all over the light wood. A heavy odor of mismatching scents soaked the area, making Hikaru gag and her eyes water.
Mawata stood by the bed, tears stinging her eyes. The covers were pushed into a pile at the foot of the bed. Tear-stained pillows made a nest at the head of the bed. Pictures of Himeno and Hayate lay on the nightstand. A photo album with pictures of Himeno, the knights, and Himeno family and school friends lie open on the floor. Surrounding the bed were piles of dirty dishes, cups, silverware, and trays. Candy wrappers and tinfoil spilled out of a wastebasket. Crumpled-up school assignments sat dejected around the full-to-the-brim trash can.
"How could anyone live like this?" Hikaru questioned after poking her head into the equally dirty personal bathroom.
Mawata dropped the soiled clothes she held back to the floor. "I don't know. When I was – depressed – I at least left the room open for the servants to clean. Himeno – Himeno always leaves the door locked. No one has been allowed in for ages."
The blue-haired girl glanced over at one of the curtain-covered windows and exclaimed in shock. Hikaru followed as Mawata ran to the window and threw back the curtains. Blinking rapidly, the red-head lifted a hand to her eyes to shield them from the sudden sunlight. Hikaru heard the click of a door opening and turned back to the bedroom door. No one was there. Returning her attention to the window, she saw that the French-style window-doors had been opened.
Mawata stood on a balcony looking at ceramic plant pots. Hikaru watched curiously as Mawata murmured to the dying or dead plants that shivered beneath her touch. Hikaru wondered why Himeno would leave these plants so neglected.
Looking out over the garden below Himeno's balcony, the sharp-eyed girl spied a shock of light, red hair. "There she is!" She darted back into the room and out the door to the hallway.
Mawata looked up and searched for her step-sister from her vantage point. She turned to follow after Hikaru but paused at an unfamiliar sight. The pot itself was familiar – Hikaru had shown it to her before. The red ceramic pot had smiley faces and flowers painted onto its surface. A badly painted 'Mom' slanted down the side. What was unfamiliar was the withered and shriveled stem that hung down over the lip of the pot.
"That's Hikaru's favorite," Mawata whispered in growing horror. A flicker of purple caught her eye. Stepping cautiously to the side so she look for the color, the blue-eyed girl stepped back until her back hit the glass doors behind her.
Spinning on her heels she ran back into Himeno's room. "Hikaru! Hikaru, wait!" The bedroom doors slammed shut.
Mawata skidded to a stop and gulped in fear. Turning back to the balcony, she saw the French-style doors close shut. She ran to the bedroom doors and jerked the handles up and down. They stuck in the lock.
"You are not going to interfere, pawn," a woman's voice purred from behind her. Mawata whirled back around, her eyes darted about the room for the source of the voice.
"I am not your pawn!"
"No," agreed the voice in an amused tone. "You were my predecessor's toy. I have found someone much more suitable for the Prétear's demise."
"Leave my sister alone!" Mawata trembled at the sound of the woman's laugh. The purple butterfly that had once been outside with the plants materialized in the room. Mawata's gaze followed the flittering creature warily.
The Princess of Disaster spoke, "I am not after the former Prétear, fool. I am after the current Prétear! She must pay for her crimes."
"Hikaru? What has she ever done to you? Why must you torment Himeno?" Mawata demanded.
"Himeno will be released – although Fenrir and I enjoy her negative emotions so much. Hikaru is another matter entirely. She must pay."
"For what? What has Hikaru done to you?" Mawata shouted and banged a fist on the door. She hoped the noise she made would alert someone out in the hall. Maybe someone would come to her rescue.
"What a noisy brat you are," the woman clucked with disapproval. "I cannot have you messing up my plans. Hikaru has done enough of that on her own." Mawata whimpered as the butterfly began to glow. From under the cracks of the shut balcony door and from the bedroom door, withered and healthy plants began slithering in.
Mawata felt the tendrils wrap around her ankles. She stumbled forward into the room and away from one door only to see she was trapped by the plants from the other.
The woman's laugh echoed in the room. "Let that keep you preoccupied."
~Prétear~
Hikaru ran down the steps from the second floor. She traversed through the halls of the mansion, familiar with the twists and turns since she had visited her friends so often there. She had to speak with Himeno! She simply had to speak to her.
Bursting out of a sitting room door, she looked around the section of the garden that she found herself in. Hikaru hesitated only for a moment before she continued running. She remembered from her brief glimpse of the other red head that Himeno had been heading toward the large fountain in the center of the garden that was next to the mansion.
Hikaru's feet stumbled and tripped on the stone path as she tried to slow her progress. She looked around, gasping for breath. Golden eyes landed on the other girl. "Himeno!"
The brown-eyed teenager looked up from gazing into the shimmering liquid filling the fountain. Instead of her expression hardening, like Hikaru expected, Himeno stared at the other red-head with a blank almost dazed look.
"Hikaru. What are you doing here?"
"I came to see you." Hikaru explained as she walked toward the other girl. "I've missed you."
Himeno turned back to look at the fountain. "Miss me? I thought no one cared about me."
"That's not true, Himeno."
"Isn't it?" Himeno's voice took on a slightly harsher tone. "They thought I was – am – the Princess of Disaster."
Hikaru paused and bit her lip. Finally, she took another step closer and sat down next to the older girl. "You aren't."
Himeno whipped her head to turn and look at the other. "How do you know that?"
"Well – you – you'd never intentionally hurt the knights."
"Intentionally," Himeno repeated in a dead-pan voice. "But you think I'd hurt them unintentionally?" She scoffed at the words she just spoke. "Of course you do. You practically accused me of that – last – time."
Hikaru twisted her hands in her lap. "Hikaru – I – I tend to say some really harsh things when under pressure. The seed -"
"I'm not the only one you yelled at! You yelled at Shin! How could you yell at him?"
"If I didn't snap him out of the shock he had been in, then the Seed would have gotten loose!" Hikaru retorted, "I did what I did to make sure everyone was safe."
"Oh," Himeno drawled bitterly, "and everything I did put everyone in danger. Is that it?"
"Himeno," the new Prétear sighed. "I didn't come here to get into an argument with you."
"Fine. Then leave." Himeno glared back down at the water that rippled in the fountain pool.
Hikaru shook her head. "No. I came to talk. I want to know how you're doing. What's wrong?"
"You already know that."
"I think I know," Hikaru looked down at her folded hands as she spoke, "but I don't know what you are thinking." Looking up again she plead, "Please, tell me what's the matter? When did we stop being friends?"
Himeno stood abruptly and walked away from the fountain a few steps. Hikaru remained where she sat, staring sadly at the older teenager's back. After taking some deep breathes, Himeno spun back to glare at Hikaru. "When did you start liking Hayate?"
Reeling back in confusion, Hikaru repeated the words, "Start liking Hayate?"
"You've taken all the guys from me being Prétear," Himeno spat the title like it was something sour on her lips. "Hayate is my boyfriend. Why did you have to start liking him?"
"But – but I don't like Hayate – not like that." Hikaru stood and spread her arms out in helplessness as she tried to explain.
"So you're playing with his emotions. Is that it?"
"No!" Hikaru tried to walk toward Himeno. "What gave you that idea?"
Himeno folded her arms in front of her chest. "Park. Hug. Remember?"
Hikaru frowned as she thought. Eyes widening in surprise she slowly shook her head. "That – that was because I freaked out. There was a close call with a kid and a car and -"
"So you took advantage of his noble sensibility?" Himeno's hands clenched her arms as she tried to control her anger.
"Himeno, no! That's not what happened."
"But that's not the only thing." Himeno began pacing. "Just because you've had some successful battles with the Seeds, what makes you think you can order the knights around like that? What makes you think you can order me around like you did? I was the Prétear before you were."
"You're right," Hikaru acknowledged. "I've been a bit cocky. Maybe I shouldn't have taken control like I did, but what would you have me do, Himeno? Do you want me to cower and shake before battles while the guys make all the decisions? I'm the Prétear now. They need me to be strong.
"You remember what that was like, right?" Hikaru stepped closer still but stopped. "The pressure of family, school, and trying to keep everyone safe? It's scary. Someone has to do it. Would the guys or you respect me if I didn't take control?" Biting her lip again she scuffed her shoe against the stone.
"Himeno, I know you were the Prétear before me. You have more experience. I get that. I want your help. I need your insight. But you – just haven't been there." Hikaru looked up again, golden eyes pleading with the brown. "I need your help. I need your friendship. The knights don't understand like you do."
Himeno's shoulders sank as tension began rolling off of her. She tried to hold her resolve to be angry. "You could go to Takako. She was a Prétear."
"I don't know her – not yet at least," Hikaru reminded the other girl. "And she has some really bad memories associated with being Prétear and the Princess of Disaster."
"Oh, and you know me so well," Himeno retorted sarcastically.
"I would if you would let me!"
"What about you? How much have you told me?"
"Have you given me a reason to trust you?" Hikaru watched as Himeno let this question sink in. "I'm a very give-and-take kind of person, Himeno. I won't offer information about myself – or trust – unless someone gives me reason to trust them."
Asking the same question that Hayate almost vocalized, Himeno said, "But you've told the guys, haven't you?"
Hikaru shook her head. "They know about as much about me as you do." Closing the gap, she stopped before Himeno. "You think I tried to steal Hayate from you. I didn't. I would never try to. When he got hurt – before we came to help you – do you know what he was thinking?" Hikaru smiled when she had Himeno's attention. "He wasn't thinking about you being an inconvenience or a liability. He was thinking about his girlfriend and how he would be lost without you if anything happened to you."
"How do you know?" Himeno's voice was quiet and childlike. Almost lost emotionally. She didn't know what to think or feel.
"Hello!" Hikaru waved a single hand in front of Himeno's face, a laugh bubbling up to break the tension. "I was préted with him, remember? We think the same thing and feel pain together. Yadda yadda.
"The guys care about you," she continued reassuringly. "They know you're not the Princess of Disaster, but they don't want you to get hurt by her either. They would feel personally responsible if anything happened to you." Hikaru looked away sadly as she said, "I'm sorry that I put you in harm's way."
"I – I – should have listened to you," Himeno admitted sheepishly. "I just wanted to help. I feel so useless."
"You'd be a great help to me – just listening once in a while." Hikaru smiled.
"I want to do more than that," Himeno sighed miserably. "I don't want to be a burden."
"I know." Hikaru nodded. "But you're not. No one sees you that way."
"And no one sees you that way, either," Himeno hastily added. "I shouldn't have said what I did."
Hikaru shrugged and shook her head. Reaching out a hand she said, "Friends again?"
~Prétear~
What? Redish-purple eyes narrowed angrily as they watched the evolving scene. That little – how dare she steal my pawn!
Reaching for a round object, she rolled it around in her hand. I've had enough of this. Destroy the Prétear! The Seed flew out of her hand and disappeared into the mist.
With a turn of the head, the woman shrouded in shadows looked to another scene that swirled before her in the mist. She watched the knights wherever they were located. Sasame had just left Takako's floral shop and was making his way to the radio station. Goh was just starting his evening shift at the restaurant. Kei was leaving the college campus. Mannen, Hajime, and Shin were playing soccer with some friends. Hayate was sleeping and recovering in bed.
I think a distraction is in order. A smile and a chuckle eased her mouth upward. Picking up another Seed from the mist at her feet, she tossed it toward the mist showing her the knights.
~Prétear~
Himeno looked from Hikaru's outstretched hand to the younger teen's hopeful face. Hesitantly, the red-head lifted her arm and moved to take the other girl's hand.
Hikaru's expression morphed into anguish and she doubled over with a cry of pain. Himeno dropped to her knees beside the other girl. "Hikaru? Hikaru what's wrong?"
"I – I don't know," the golden-eyed girl confessed as she wrapped one arm around her stomach. She felt like her insides were burning and trembling. Hikaru lifted her head to look at Himeno's concerned face. "What's wrong with me? I feel – I feel like -"
Hikaru couldn't articulate what the sensation was. Himeno didn't need to hear another word to understand. Her gaze shifted to the darkening and swirling clouds above them. Himeno's mouth settled into a grim line. "It's the Princess of Disaster," she muttered.
Hikaru's head tilted further back and they both watched in mounting concern when a purple flash of light zigzagged from the clouds and a fast-falling object plummeted to the earth. The ground shook with the impact and Himeno protected the girl beside her from the spraying dirt.
When the last clumps fell to the ground around them, the pair of red-heads perked up and looked through the swirling dust around them. Himeno clutched onto Hikaru's hand, wondering what to do. It's too soon, she thought. Himeno's not ready to face the Princess of Disaster!
"Hikaru, call for the knights."
"I – I can't," Hikaru whispered.
Himeno glanced out of the corner of her eye before responding in a hissed whisper, "You can and you have to. I'm not trying to be mean, but you can't face her alone."
"No, I literally can't." Hikaru tugged on Himeno's arm to get the other girl to look her in the face. Himeno saw the fear and confusion written on Hikaru's face. "My head hurts every time I try to think or call to them with my thoughts. Something is very wrong."
Neither one had to voice their thoughts. Their thoughts were in unison. We're alone.
~Prétear~
Sasame stopped where he stood and looked up just as people around him began to faint. His eyes narrowed and his ears strained to hear something. Anything.
Goh knew something was wrong when – almost simultaneously – his customers took a nose-dive into their food.
Kei watched in confusion when the girl he was talking to on the bench at the bus stop suddenly slipped sideways on the bench and fell asleep.
Mannen went to the goal, not seeing the defense fall to the ground and begin snoring. He didn't even notice that the goalie, instead of diving to the side to stop the oncoming ball, leaned against the goal post and slid to the ground for a nap. At least, he didn't notice until he turned to cheer with his teammates. The only people on his team still awake were Hajime and Shin.
Hayate woke with a jolt when every single knight called to him through their telepathic link. The first thought he had was, Where's Hikaru?
We don't know, Sasame responded. We've tried to contact her but we're coming up with nothing.
Does anyone know where she was going after school today? Who was supposed to escort her to her practice?
It was your turn to practice with her. Goh reminded his brother. Everyone decided that you both needed the rest. She's still sore from the battle too, Hayate.
Fine. Who escorted her home then?
She didn't go home. Mannen interjected. She went to the hospital like she always does.
Hayate growled in frustration. Kei, I thought I told her to give that up.
I've been preoccupied. Kei snapped back. More importantly right now is finding Hikaru and the Seed. For all we know, she's cornered by it somewhere.
I'm on my way. Hayate slid from the bed, pressing a hand to his still sore shoulder. Even with the help of Leafania and Shin's magic, his wounds weren't healing very fast.
You are not joining the fight. Goh insisted. You're not ready.
Like hell I'm not. Hayate felt his magic envelope him and change his bedclothes to his knight outfit.
You're not ready, Hayate, Shin insisted with concern.
The kid's right! Goh agreed.
If Hikaru's in danger then so is Himeno. Hayate stepped out of the knights' home and hurried toward the portal. I just know it.
I've found it! Sasame alerted the knights. The debate ended and all the knights hurried to the aid of their brother.
~Prétear~
The dust cleared and the girls stared at the mound of dirt. Something began to move around the hill, shooting out from it. The pair stumbled back, avoiding the growing mounds all around them.
With a shout of alarm, they watched as a grayish-green pillar shot up into the air. From this stalk, snake-like arms grew out and whipped around the air. The bulging head of the pillar split apart to reveal a venus-fly-trap mouth. The jaws snapped together, hissing.
Hikaru looked around and gasped when more vines shot from the ground. "Look out!" She pulled Himeno to the side as the vines reached to grab them.
"Follow me!" Himeno scrambled to stand and dragged the other girl along behind her. She led Hikaru to a tool shed. Himeno's hands closed around the handles and she pulled with all her strength. Locked. Stepping back, Himeno spun on her left leg and kicked the door with her right foot. Boards crashed inward, leaving a hole wide enough for someone to reach in.
"The roots are following us!" Hikaru backed up against the shed as Himeno crawled in through her splintered hole.
"Here!" Himeno thrust her hand back out through the hole.
Hikaru looked to see what the other red-head was holding. "A garden hoe?"
"It's a plant, Hikaru." Himeno emerged again, a shovel in her other hand. "We don't have the guys here. We have to use whatever we can until they can get here."
Hikaru glanced back to the garden shed as the vines popped up in front of them again. "You could have at least grabbed some gardening shears."
"They're all getting sharpened," Himeno grumbled as she thrust the garden utensil into Hikaru's hands. "Look, you wanted my help. This is what we have."
Hikaru clutched the hoe in her hand and nodded. "Right. Let's do this!" They smiled grimly at each other before facing the threat.
When the vine darted at them again, the girls swung or chopped in an attempt to fend off the constrictor-like plants.
~Prétear~
Hayate flew over the city that lay silent. This Seed was huge if it could drop all these people with its presence. He worried briefly that Fenrir had arrived. No one was prepared for such an attack. Surely the Princess of Disaster had not gained that much strength so soon!
He landed and switched to running when he spotted the fight his brothers were locked in. Hayate flagged down Sasame, assessing the situation before the next eldest knight came to his side. A bird had been possessed by the Seed – that would explain its wide-spread influence. It could fly at any time and land anywhere.
"Any sign of Hikaru?" Hayate inquired as he watched Shin attempt to tie the creature down again.
Sasame shook his head grimly. "No. No one's gotten through to her either."
"I don't like to do this but – we have no choice." Hayate looked his brother in the eye. "Tell Shin to cast the spell. We can't let it move."
Sasame nodded.
Shin looked over his shoulder having heard the thoughts of his two older brothers. He nodded in consent and cupped his hands together. "Beyondios!"
Kei looked in disbelief at Hayate. What about Hikaru?
We don't have time to wait for her. Not when this is a clearly migratory Seed possession. Hayate jumped into action. We have to keep it here and defeat it here.
Hey, where's Goh? Hajime's question had the knights taking role in a panic. The knight of fire was nowhere to be seen.
Goh? You better have a good explanation for leaving your brothers, Hayate growled as he shot another attack at the Seed.
Just a hunch. Goh responded. Something is not right. I'm going to the Awayuki manor.
Hayate didn't want to admit it, but he was relieved one of the knights were heading toward Himeno.
~Prétear~
Mawata shrieked as she pulled her foot free from one of the vines once more. This had been one of her easier escape attempts. The vine had been one of the withered and dead plants.
Sometime during her fight with the vines, she had reached the private bathroom. Using a hair-drier and a back scrub, Mawata had tried to fend off the demon plants. She was trapped though. No way of escape.
She had to warn Hikaru. Himeno was – was bait like Mawata had once been. Tears stung her eyes. How had she not seen the warning signs? Mawata had been in the same state as Himeno. I'm a horrible sister. She shook her head and wiped the tears away when the plants briefly retreated. She didn't have time to blame herself for this mess.
Mawata's blue eyes glanced between both doors. Both were locked. And from where she stood, the plants covered the entire floor. She would have to run around or over them. The plants would no doubt try to grab her if she tried to pass over them. Mawata wasn't sure if she could make it.
Even if she did get to the doors, what would be the point?
"Leave me alone!" She shouted as she hit another creeping vine with the flat, wooden surface of the back scrubber.
One of the vines picked up an object from nearby and lobbed it at her. Mawata ducked down. The sound of glass shattering momentarily caught her attention. Turning to glance over her shoulder, Mawata stared in surprise at the broken mirror above the sink.
A scream passed her lips as something firmly wrapped around her wrist and tugged her forward. Mawata fell forward and shouted again – in pain – when she was dragged across the floor to the center of the room. Vines coiled around her as she slid.
She struggled, frantically trying to free herself. Mawata felt tears stream down her cheeks as she panicked. "Let go. Let go! Let. Go!" With her free hand, she clawed at the vines.
Somehow, she wasn't sure how, she managed to get both her arms free. Mawata glanced about frantically as she worked on freeing her legs and midriff. She could feel the vines coiling ever tighter around her stomach. They were trying to suffocate her! Her gaze fell on a toppled chair and then at the doors to the balcony.
Determination and fear fueled her adrenaline. Mawata pulled and struggled against her restraints. Straining free, she stumbled to her feet and ran for the chair. Lifting it up in one smooth movement, she pulled it backward, and threw it through the glass French-windows.
With a cry, she lifted her arms up to shield her face as glass scattered everywhere. Mawata cautiously lowered her arms and looked up when she couldn't hear any more breaking glass. A good-size hole lay before her, outlining her path to freedom.
Mawata lurched forward, stepping on the withered plant remnants as she did. Glancing back, she saw that the healthy plants from the hallway were still pursuing her. She stopped at the railing and looked all around for help. Off in the distance, she saw a gigantic plant. She was too late. Hikaru and the knights were already fighting.
"Think. Think, Mawata!" she gasped, glancing fearfully all around.
The vines darted forward just then and wrapped around her ankles once more. They tugged forcefully, but, instead of pulling her back into the room, the force of the pull sent her reeling forward and over the railing. Mawata screamed as she fell head first.
"Mawata!"
She fell into something, but stopped falling instantly. Mawata blinked rapidly. She wasn't in pain. Hadn't she hit the ground? Her hands clutched to something soft – material.
Mawata tilted her head back and stared in open-mouthed wonder at the red eyes that were staring at her with concern. "Are you okay?"
"Goh?"
He cracked a smile, trying to laugh and make light of the situation. "I think Rapunzel let down her hair instead of jumping from the tower, Mawata." He really didn't want her to see how shaken he had been, seeing her fall like that.
Mawata smiled in relief and threw her arms around his neck. The tears she had been crying returned. "You came! Oh, you came!"
Goh held her tight as he hovered down to the ground. "Of course I did," he whispered soothingly.
Hissing made the embracing pair jolt apart. They turned to see vines with snapping jaws popping up from the bushes. Goh pushed Mawata behind him in order to protect her. "Where's Hikaru and Himeno?"
"I don't know. Somewhere in the garden." Mawata clutched the back of Goh's shirt, not wanting to let go. "I think they're near the bigger plant – by the fountain."
He turned his head so he could look back at her. "Mawata – I have to get to them." A sigh escaped him. "But – I can't just leave you either."
"Wh-where are the other knights? Why aren't they with Himeno and Hikaru?"
"We've been split apart." Goh shot a fireball at a plant that got too close. "We can't even communicate with Hikaru. The knights are fighting a Seed somewhere else in the city." He growled angrily. "This was a trap."
Mawata shivered at the thought. Slowly, she loosened her hold on his shirt. "Goh, you better find them." He turned to protest but she shook her head. "They need you. I'll – I'll run to Father's art studio. Maybe I can keep the plants at bay with the pottery kiln."
Goh looked at her with a pained expression but nodded. "On my signal, I want you to run as fast as you can. I'll hold them off as long as I can before I go looking for Hikaru and Himeno." Mawata nodded once. The knight turned to face the plants once more. "Ready."
Mawata inched to the right, preparing to run. Her life depended on it.
"Run!" Goh charged forward at the plants. Mawata sprinted away.
Please. Her heart and mind throbbed. Please let everyone be okay.
~Prétear~
Hayate watched in relief as the bird exploded into purple light. A well-placed hit made by Sasame had put an end to the creature. Shin dismantled the shield and they all looked to Hayate, waiting orders.
Goh? Have you found Hikaru yet?
No. Goh grunted as if he were struggling. But she's at the Awayuki Manor. Hayate, it was a trap. We were separated from her on purpose. There's a Seed here too. I'm – I'm trying to keep the Seed from attacking the Awayukis. Get over here!
The knights didn't need to be told twice. At the word 'trap' they all jumped into the air and flew off toward the manor.
~Prétear~
Hikaru and Himeno ended up standing back to back as they swiped and swung at the attacking plants. "We can't keep this up," Hikaru gasped.
"We have to and we can," Himeno insisted wearily.
"Where are the knights?" Hikaru swung at a plant and tugged on her makeshift weapon when the vine curled around the handle.
Himeno shook her head, trying to get her hair out of her eyes. "I don't know!" A momentary lapse in attention was all it took. Himeno didn't realize that something had caught her ankle until she fell to the ground and hit her head on the stone pavement with a crack.
More vines latched onto her and swiftly dragged her away from Hikaru's side.
"Himeno!" Hikaru turned to follow her screaming companion. She jumped over vines, somersaulted over roots that rose from the ground in order to trip her, and dodged grasping leaves or jaws.
Catching up to the slowing vines, Hikaru jumped on them and began hacking away at the green flesh with her hoe. Freeing Himeno, she pulled her friend to her feet and pushed her behind her in order to protect her.
"I lost my shovel." Himeno groused as she looked around in concern. They were right back at the fountain again.
Hikaru stared up at the large, flailing plant that was now bobbing and weaving from side to side. If it had eyes, Hikaru was sure they would have hypnotized her like a cobra does its prey.
"A shovel wouldn't be of much use right now," Hikaru stated as she eyed her own weapon mournfully.
"It would be better than nothing." Himeno punched at a vine that darted at her. "Try contacting the knights again!"
"Don't you think I've been doing that this whole time?" Hikaru swung her hoe and noticed that the metal part had been snapped off. All she had now was the wooden stick. Staring a second too long at her broken hoe, Hikaru was grabbed around her torso by a vine and pulled into the air.
"Hikaru!" Himeno watched, helplessly as her friend was pulled toward the snapping and salivating jaws of the fly-trap creature.
An echoing shout reverberated through the trees and the next moment, Hikaru felt arms wrapping around her. She looked up gratefully into Hayate's face.
They landed beside Himeno and were soon joined by Kei, Hajime, Mannen, and Shin.
Hikaru looked around, concerned. "Shin, do you think you can control these plants long enough to keep them away?"
Shin shook his head. "I tried getting them to put you down, they won't listen to me."
"I'll hold them off." Hayate assured before turning and creating a gust of air that made the plants reel back by the force of it.
Sasame motioned for Himeno to follow. "We must get you to safety."
"No." All eyes looked to Hikaru in shock. She glanced at Himeno for a moment before looking at each of the knights. "I need Himeno to stay here."
"But she can't protect herself!" Hayate nearly shouted.
Himeno rounded on her boyfriend to yell at him, but Hikaru beat her to it. "Yes she can! She's much better at protecting herself without the help of a knight than I am." She inhaled deeply and continued, "I need her insight. This isn't a normal Seed. Can't you feel it?"
No one answered.
"Shin, you can't cast a spell here," Hikaru explained hastily.
"Why not?" Kei asked.
Shin nodded as he glanced around. "The Seed has spread its roots all over the manor. I can't cast a shield that large. Especially after the other Seed we just fought."
Hikaru and Himeno stared in wide-eyed horror. "There was another Seed?" Himeno looked to Hayate with concern. "Why are you even here? You're not well!"
"I have to protect my Prétear," he grunted as he let loose another gust of air.
"The other knights can protect her just as well as you can!" Himeno argued.
Hayate's deep-blue eyes latched onto her brown eyes. "I wasn't talking about Hikaru," he corrected quietly. Before he could let his comment fluster him, Hayate turned to look at Hikaru. "We better préte."
Hikaru shook her head. "I'm not going to préte with you."
"What? Why not?"
"Like Himeno said," the red-head explained, "you're not well enough." Looking up at the plant that was hissing in anger at the delays, she said, "We need to use fire to stop this weed. Burn it so nothing else can grow."
Sasame shook his head. "We can't do that. Goh is protecting the Awayukis."
"My family is being attacked?" Himeno gasped, turning to stare at the mansion.
Hikaru ran a hand through her hair. "I can't think. What else could kill a plant?"
"It's a Seed." Mannen watched the plants nervously. "Just find the weak spot and blast it after you préte with someone.
"But it's different," Hikaru mumbled as she glared at the large plant that would give Jack's beanstalk a run for its money. "The Seeds lately have been hiding their weak points better. I don't think it'll be obvious with this one either."
"I can't hold it for long, Hikaru!" Hayate warned. "Come up with a plan, fast!"
Hikaru looked around frantically. "Goh's not here to burn it. Shin can't control it because it's a Seed. Hayate can't hold it off for long with wind. What stops plants? Think!"
Himeno stared at the plant and then perked up. "Cold!"
"What?" Everyone turned to look at her.
"When there's an early Spring, plants grow because it's warm," Himeno hastily explained, "but when a cold front comes -"
"The plants freeze and die!" Mannen finished the idea. Turning to Hikaru he held out his hand. "My turn to préte with you, Hikaru!"
Hikaru nodded and reached out her hand. Sasame grabbed a hold of her wrist. "Wait! Hikaru, are you sure?"
She looked from the knight of sound, then to Himeno, and smiled. "I trust Himeno." Sasame's grip loosened before he let go all together. He nodded and smiled back, giving his approval.
Hikaru took Mannen's hand and let the strange feeling that came along with préting envelope her.
When Hikaru's eyes opened again, she stood before the group dressed in a blue snow suit. White, fluffy cuffs hugged her wrists, neck, and ankles. She looked over her outfit only briefly before returning her attention to the others.
"Someone should help Goh," she suggested.
Hajime nodded and flew off before anyone else could speak.
Hikaru looked to Shin. "Stay close by. Maybe you can help – I'm not sure how." Her attention diverted to Hayate and Hikaru. "Stick together."
"I'll stay with them." Sasame assured her.
Hikaru nodded.
Mannen shouted in her mind, Look out, Hikaru!
She whirled around and lifted her hands, but, instead of an icy blast, a blade of light cut through the vines. Hikaru turned to look at Kei and his outstretched hands.
He smiled at her. "Someone has to have your back too, Hikaru."
You're still recovering from the last fight too, he reminded her telepathically.
I'll take care of her, Kei. Mannen grumbled.
"The more the merrier." Hikaru returned the smile before concentrating on the plant before them. "Let's go."
Hikaru charged the plant with Kei following her. He blasted any vines that tried to attack her from behind. Once she was in range, Hikaru lifted her hands once more and shouted, "Freeze!"
Ice and snow shot from her fingertips and began coating the leaves and stems. The mouth of the venus-fly-trap shrieked in outrage. It snapped its jaws and sluggishly tried moving vines to stop Hikaru. They never got close enough to touching her.
It's working! Mannen cheered triumphantly in Hikaru's mind. She smiled, pleased that Himeno's idea worked.
Let's freeze its mouth shut! Mannen suggested eagerly.
No, Hikaru glanced at the mouth grimly. The weak spot might be inside the mouth. We have to time our attack just right so that the mouth is frozen open.
Mannen mentally nodded his head in agreement. Okay.
They ceased their barrage of ice and snow long enough to circle closer to the head. The jaws snapped even more as they dipped lower to its teeth.
"Hikaru," Kei warned as he followed her. Now that the vines had been frozen stiff, he didn't have to watch as closely.
"I have to get it to stay open," Hikaru explained.
On the ground, the knights and Himeno watched. Hayate's fists clenched and unclenched in his nervousness. "What is she doing? Why is she getting so close?"
Sasame's eyes never wavered from the duo that hovered just above the mouth. "She says she's trying to figure out how to freeze the mouth open."
Himeno looked around at the frozen plant limbs before spying something. Exclaiming in excitement, she picked up the handle of the garden hoe that had lost its metal end. "Hayate, do you think you could throw this to them?"
He looked at his girlfriend in surprise but nodded as he took the stick from her. Hayate trained his gaze on his brother then threw it with all his might, a burst of wind propelled it even further and faster.
Kei heard the whistle of something flying at them. Turning quickly, he caught the javelin-like stick and stared at it in curiosity before he understood its intended use. "Get ready to hit it!" He ordered Hikaru before he dove down to the mouth.
"Kei!" she shouted in alarm, but he was already in between the two halves.
Just as the jaws began clamping shut, Kei jammed the stick in place. The wood creaked in protest at the pressure, but remained firm. The plant shook its maw, trying to rid itself of the nuisance.
"Now, Hikaru!"
Hikaru and Mannen dredged up the magic they needed and thoroughly coated the shaking and hissing fly trap. Once the plant had ceased to move, and all that could be heard was the creaking and crackling of ice, Kei and Hikaru began the slow process of searching for the weak spot.
~Prétear~
Goh cut through more Seed infested plants with his Fire Axe. He glanced over his shoulder at the pottery studio. All of Himeno's family stood just outside the door, defending themselves with various pottery tools. The odds didn't look too good.
When Mawata had run to the building, she discovered that Karou and Natsue had been occupying the space already. She breathlessly explained to her parents what was going on and they had wasted no time in coming to Goh's aid. Shortly after Karou had stepped up beside Goh and deflected an attack, Mayune and Tanaka had come running from another section of the garden.
Tanaka had wailed over some plants attacking them and the pets that roamed the Awayuki grounds, but soon they too had begun the counterattack. Goh still wasn't sure where Mayune was pulling out all those strange weapons and paint filled balloons.
Now, however, the group had been beaten back to the pottery studio. Natsue and Mawata were hurt from some nasty thorns that the plants had grown sometime during the scrimmage. Karou, Tanaka, and Mayune were trying their best to make sure the wicked plants didn't get through the doors or windows.
Goh stood apart from them, slicing through as many plants as he could to make sure the bigger foliage didn't attack the Awayukis. He knew that he couldn't keep this up much longer. He wanted to open the telepathic link and call for help, but he worried that if he split his concentration even for a second, one of these plants would get past his guard. He couldn't let that happen.
"Can't these plants die and just stay dead?" he grunted as he cut through another wave of plants.
"They aren't the original source!" Tanaka piped up from his place in the pottery studio.
"What?"
"They aren't the original source," Tanaka repeated as he spared a moment to readjust his glasses. "These are the extensions of the first plant. Much like a weed."
Karou clipped another sprout with a knife. "So how do we kill it?"
Mawata, who was trying to stem the bleeding from her mother's leg as well as her own, looked up and said, "If it's like a weed, we have to kill it at the source. Pull out all the roots."
Goh grunted as he blasted another advancing plant. "I don't know if we can even get to the source. I don't even know if the others have reached the mansion! Let alone if they've found Hikaru and Himeno."
Karou looked worriedly toward the area the fountain was located. "I hope the girls are all right."
"We have to get to them, Karou," Natsue insisted.
"No offense, Mrs. Awayuki," Goh said, "but we're stuck right where we are." He turned to look at them. "And neither you nor your daughter is in any condition to move."
Mawata turned to look at him. Whatever she was planning to say got stuck in her throat. Instead she shouted, "Goh, look out!"
Before he could turn to look, another person shouted, "Water Flail!"
Goh looked up in time to see a large plant get cut to ribbons. A smile broke out over his face. "Hajime!"
"Hikaru sent me to help." The orange-haired boy grinned. "Good thing too, or else you'd have been down for the count."
"Are the knights with Himeno? Is she safe?" Karou called from where he fought.
"Yeah! Hikaru's fighting the big baddy." Hajime blasted a plant.
"What's the plan?" Goh asked.
"Freeze it."
"Freeze it? What'll that do?"
Mawata spoke up, "Plants die in cold."
Hajime nodded. "Hikaru is going to buy some time. Once it's all frozen, she's going to try finding the weak spot. Everybody's too tired to put up much of a fight after that first Seed."
"There was another one of those things around today?" Mayune asked shrilly as she wacked another plant before it could slither through a window.
"It's been a busy day." Hajime shrugged.
Karou pointed suddenly. "Look!"
And they all turned to see the plants beginning to shiver and curl in on themselves. Goh and Hajime grinned. Hikaru's plan was working.
~Prétear~
"I'm not seeing the weak spot anywhere," Hikaru said in frustration.
"Keep looking. Be patient," Kei urged.
Easy for him to say, Mannen declared. Where could it be?
"I'm beginning to think it's not on the surface," Hikaru mumbled to herself.
If it's not on the surface, where else could it be?
Eyes widening, she gasped, "Of course!" Before she could dart down to the ground where the other knights waited, Hikaru and Kei heard a cracking and groaning noise.
The ice is beginning to break, Mannen's worried thoughts permeated Hikaru's idea.
We'll have to refreeze it. Hikaru lifted her hands and began blasting it.
I don't know how much longer we can do this. The strain in Mannen's being was evident as he voice echoed in Hikaru's mind.
"Kei," Hikaru spoke through gritted teeth. "Tell Shin to try uprooting the Seed."
"What?"
"Just do it!" Hikaru and Mannen ordered in unison.
Kei dove down, glancing nervously over his shoulder every once in a while. He landed in front of his brother and Himeno.
"Why does she want Shin to uproot the Seed?" Sasame questioned, having heard the conversation.
"I don't know," Kei admitted. "Something to do with the weak spot may not be on the surface."
Sasame's eyes widened. "Of course!" Shin looked at the knight of sound with understanding.
The boy lifted a hand and spoke, "Evellendi!"
The ground began to tremble and all around them, roots began lifting from the ground. However, the main stalk of the plant remained firmly in the ground.
"Keep trying, Shin!" Hikaru shouted from her position in the air. She could tell that even with her efforts of keeping the plant frozen, the ice was still melting too fast for her to keep up.
Shin spoke the spell again in a firmer tone. More roots shot from the ground and very slowly, the stalk began to lift. Sweat broke out over Shin's brow as he spoke the spell again. And again.
The stalk groaned in protest, the roots snapped from the ground. The tendrils whipped around and the other three knights did all they could to keep Shin and Himeno safe from the flailing roots.
"It's breaking free!" Sasame shouted as the stalk lifted completely from the ground and began tumbling to the ground, roots flailing.
Everyone dove for cover – except for Hikaru.
There! Her golden-eyes spied the absence of light swirling around the mass of roots – right where the Seed had once had its protective covering.
I see it!
Have enough for one last hit? She lifted her hands and prepared to attack.
You bet!
In one voice they shouted, "Ice Arquebus!" A gun made from ice shot with a bang at the center of the roots, piercing to the very heart of the weak spot.
Ice shattered along with the exploding Seed. Everyone ducked from the blast.
Shin was the first to look up. He hurried forward to where the demon larva lay in its stunned stupor. "Les sheles," he said and the thing was quickly sealed away.
Kei was the next to get up and he looked around for Hikaru and Mannen. "Hikaru? Mannen?"
Hayate sat up with a groan. Himeno, who had been sprawled out beneath him when he jumped to protect her, sat up as well. She reached for him in concern. "Are you all right?"
"I'll be fine," he grumbled, not meeting her gaze.
She looked away again, unsure of what to do or say.
Sasame looked around, worried when he didn't hear Hikaru or Mannen answer Kei's call. He stood and began walking. Kei and Shin hurried after him while Himeno stood and attempted to help Hayate to his feet.
"I can take care of myself, Himeno." Hayate struggled to his feet, ignoring the teenager's efforts.
"I – I know," she murmured. "I just – don't want to be a burden to you. That's all."
Hayate looked at her, an expression of pain on his face – not just for the physical ailments. "Himeno I -"
"Over here!" Kei's shout interrupted him.
Whatever Hayate was going to say was forgotten as the pair hurried to catch up with the other knights. They arrived on the spot to see Mannen sitting up and rubbing his head. Beside him lay an unconscious Hikaru.
Sasame and Shin knelt on either side of her, staring intently down at her.
"Is she hurt?" Himeno asked, clutching her hands together.
Shin looked up with a relieved smile and shook his head. Sasame spoke, "Tired and a little beat up. All she needs is sleep."
"Let's head back to the house," Himeno suggested. "She can rest in one of the guest bedroom. You – you all can stay. If you like." She looked to Hayate for approval, but he only stared blankly at her.
Sasame spoke up for all of them. "That might be best. Let's go."
Kei stepped forward and scooped Hikaru into his arms. Mannen looked worriedly up at his brother. "I did try to take care of her, Kei."
The blonde-haired man nodded and smiled reassuringly at the younger knight. "I know you did. You did a very good job, too, Mannen."
Sasame helped the grinning boy to his feet and Shin ducked under Mannen's arm in order to support him. Slowly, the triumphant group made their way to the Awayuki mansion.