A/N: Here's chapter four!

>>>>>>

The Final Piece
Chapter Four

"But…Hayate…the last time I had a dream like this…" Himeno worried.

"Don't even allow yourself to think it, Himeno." Hayate whispered. "We are Leafe Knights. We would not permit ourselves to fall in battle so easily."

Himeno took a deep breath. "But Hayate! She…she killed you, Hayate." Himeno paused.

"You told me," Hayate nodded, "and I told you that it wasn't going to happen, remember?"

Himeno blinked. "Hayate…you…you don't get it, do you?" she frowned.

"Don't get…what?" Hayate blushed slightly. "What are you talking about, Himeno? What are you trying to say?"

"Hayate…I don't want you to get hurt. I don't want anyone to get hurt…but it was so real…and I…Hayate, I can't. I can't tell you why…" Himeno stammered.

He blinked. "Himeno, you aren't making any sense whatsoever to me. If you were going to say something, why don't you tell me?"

"Because I can't!" Himeno yelled, nearly crying. "I can't tell you. It would be too dangerous. It could compromise everything…"

"Himeno…" It was Kei. "Do you need to talk?"

Himeno frowned, and stood. Hayate looked confused for a moment. "Yes, actually…there is something that I really need to get off of my chest…before anything else happens…"

"All right." Kei agreed. He followed Himeno out of her small home and into the field next to it. "Now, what has been bothering you, Himeno? Tell me. You have looked very troubled all day long…and you looked positively frightened in there!"

Himeno took a deep breath. "Kei…I think I am in trouble…"

Kei took a step back. "What is it, Himeno? No one has hurt you, have they?"

Himeno shook her head vigorously. "No, it's nothing like that. It is something else. I promise…although I do not think that it is any better…"

"What?" he demanded.

"Kei…I think I…I mean, I…" Himeno stammered. "Kei, I am in love with Hayate." Himeno whispered, as if it was shameful. Her eyes were cast towards the ground. "I tried to tell him, Kei. The nightmare…it was horrible..." She paused. "I tried to tell him, but I couldn't do it."

"You are afraid it will compromise your ability to fight?" Kei realized.

Himeno sighed deeply. "Yes. That, and I do not want her to find out…"

"Her? You mean the new Princess of Disaster?" Kei coughed.

Himeno gasped. "So we are referring to her as the Princess of Disaster, aren't we?" She shivered slightly. "No…I don't want her finding out. If she hurt him, or any of you…"

Kei coughed again. "I understand, Himeno…but have you ever thought that maybe Hayate would want to know something like this? That maybe it could help improve your performance in battle?"

"I doubt it." Himeno shook her head.

"Doubt is not a good burden to carry around." Kei warned, his eyes twinkling as if he was thinking hard about something. "It will be your doubt in battle, not Hayate's knowledge of your feelings, which will make it hard for you to fight…"

Himeno gasped slightly. "You think he should know?" she whispered.

Kei nodded. "You never know what can happen, Himeno." He answered.

She frowned. "It isn't his feelings I fear…it's the idea that Yayoi could find out. She could use it against us, and I don't know how I would respond to something like that. I would not want to end up like her." Himeno admitted.

"I never realized you had such feelings, Himeno…but I still don't think anything will happen…." Kei speculated.

Himeno shook her head. "Yes, but we don't know. I love him, Kei…so I don't want him to get hurt. I feel better having at least told someone….and I trust you not to tell him until we know that everything is safe…"

Kei looked as if he was turning the idea over in his mind. After a moment, he sighed, blowing a piece of hair from his eyes, and shook his head lightly. "Hiding the truth will help nothing, Himeno, but if you wish me to keep quiet, I will honor your wishes."

"Thank you." She smiled.

"What is it?" worried Hayate as Kei and Himeno came back into the room.

Himeno shook her head. "It's nothing. It's fine now." She lied to him, and Kei nodded, looking as though he was bored with the conversation. He quickly made his exit.

Hayate stared at Himeno. "You are sure that you're all right? That nothing is wrong?" he asked, studying her intently.

She blushed, but nodded. "I'm sure. It was just something about being Pretear is all."

"Something that I couldn't hear?"

"Yes, actually, it was." Himeno agreed. She yawned. "Well, I think I might try to get back to sleep now that the nightmare is over." She mused. Surprisingly, she fell right to sleep almost the moment that her head hit her pillow. Hayate sat by her bed and guarded her.

"Himeno…return to Awayuki mansion…" It was Yayoi's voice.

"I'm not doing anything you want me to, Yayoi! Keep my family out of this! Do you understand? Leave them alone." She retorted.

Yayoi laughed. "But Himeno…your father is dying to see you."

She gasped. "Yayoi…no…don't hurt him!"

"You will come to Awayuki mansion, and you will come alone, or I will kill him, your family, and Hayate…" she threatened.

Himeno paled. "What makes you think that I would even care if you kill him?"

"Come to Awayuki mansion alone," she smirked. "I'll see you there."

Himeno gasped as she once again shot out of bed. Hayate was dozing silently in a chair next to her bed. Thankfully, her jump did not wake him up. She sighed with relief and slowly slipped from her bed. She thought she had escaped Leafenia without alerting any of the knights, but she was wrong.

From the trees, Goh and Kei stared after Himeno with interest.

"Why do you think she's leaving Leafenia at a time like this?" Goh questioned. "Where could she possibly be going? Do you think she's going to get some ice cream?"

"I don't think that's what she's leaving for, Goh. I think we should follow. She could get hurt out there on her own." Kei frowned. "I don't know what she is doing, exactly, but it is making me very nervous…"

>>>>>>

"Awayuki mansion? Why did she go back here?" Goh wondered.

Kei slapped his hand over his forehead and groaned as if he was in pain. "You know, sometimes I wonder about you. This is Himeno's home, after all…"

"Yes, I know. But why did she come back here?" Goh repeated.

"I guess we'll see…" Kei sighed. "I still don't like this."

"Yayoi, I'm here! Let my family go!" Himeno screamed.

Goh jumped. "Oh, now I know I don't like this." He moved to go to her, but Kei held him back.

"Don't you dare! Why do you think Himeno would sneak away like she did? Obviously, she did not want us to follow her here. We must remain silent and wait and see what happens…"

"Yayoi! Where is my father? What have you done with my family?" Himeno demanded.

Kei gasped. "Oh, no…"

Yayoi laughed. "I see you got my message, Himeno. You've come alone?" she asked. She waited a moment and then continued. "That's good. I wasn't in the mood to deal with any resistance, anyway."

"I wasn't…I…" Himeno stuttered. "Why are you doing this? Where is my family?"

"Did you think I just wanted you to come here and talk to me, Himeno? Maybe you did. I see you really didn't bring anyone with you. Were you that eager to save that knight that you would not even tell him where you were going?" she smirked.

Himeno paused. "I don't know what you are talking about. Show me where my family is!"

"You don't get it, do you? You…this family…you were the reasons that I am what I am now. It was your fault. And now, you are going to pay for what you've done to me. I heard what you said to your sister, Himeno…and I know all of your weak spots."

"Why?" Himeno stammered. "Why are you doing this?"

>>>>>>

A/N: Here is chapter four! I hope you like it! The next chapter will be up very soon, if it isn't already! Please review and let me know what you think! Thank you, everyone!