No reviews? I'm sad...no one loves me...

But I'm going to write anyway. I got the idea in my head and I'm not letting it go haha.

Disclaimer: This is boring, how can Pretear possibly belong to me? If it did... Kei: If it did, we would all be doomed...

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Before the Light

Chapter 3

"Tell me again, what are we doing here?" A very sleepy Goh asked the equally bleary-eyed Hayate. Mannen and Hajime yawned their agreements, rubbing sleepily at their eyes. Shin was nowhere in sight, since Himeno had decided to leave the youngest knight happily snoozing in bed. Sasame, on the other hand, had gone off early to the radio station for a recording.

"Apparently..." Hayate stifled another yawn. "We're supposed to tackle the Evil Door of Doom. Or something like that..." He yawned again, his jaw aching from the constant stretching everytime he repeated that action.

"How can a door be evil?" Goh, whose eyes had become more alert at the sound of the word "evil", asked the Wind Knight, who was now massaging his temples in an effort to clear the beginnings of a headache caused by the lack of proper sleep.

"That's what I would like to know too..." The 4 Knights looked at each other, then shrugged helplessly.

Himeno marched up the corridor to where the knights were waiting outside Mawata's door. Takako, who had come back to the Awayuki household to act as housekeeper at Himeno's request, followed behind, bearing a tray full of food and wearing a bemused expression.

Mannen's eyes lit up at the sight and smell of food, as did Hajime. However, Takako held the tray just out of reach, shaking her head at them. "It's not for you." She said firmly, though slightly apologetically. The younger knights' faces fell. Takako smiled and added. "Don't worry, the kitchen's preparing breakfast as we speak."

That brought some life back into the young knights, who grinned broadly. Takako smiled affectionately at the kids, her dark locks falling forward as she inclined her head to look at them. The children, although Mannen would protest vehemently if you said that to his face, liked Takako, since she was really nice to them and took time to play with them when her duties allowed.

Himeno stopped in front of the obviously sleepy Fire and Wind Knights, her eyes determined. She didn't look the least tired, even though it was about 6.30am in the morning, and the Knights, with the exception of Sasame and Kei, usually didn't wake up until 8 or 9 in the morning. She herself didn't wake that early unless there was school involved, but since today was a Sunday, there really wasn't much of a reason for her to rouse herself at such an hour.

Of course, their gathering in front of Mawata's room door pretty much spelled out her intention, even if Hayate wasn't awake enough to think about it at the moment. She stood, hands on her hips, and surveyed the condition of the older two knights.

"Listen up, Mawata's in that room but we can't get the door open. I want you guys to use your powers to open it." Himeno decided to cut through the customary preamble and get straight to the point. The look in her eyes didn't encourage disagreement.

However, Goh wasn't really alert enough to catch onto that. "Then why did you call so many of us? Just Hayate would have been enough..." He stifled another yawn, covering his open mouth. Then he froze as Himeno gave him a "are you sure you want to finish that sentence?" death glare, and hurriedly retracted his previous statement.

"I'll break the door down." Goh quickly volunteered, hoping that once everything was done, Himeno would let them go back to bed. He focused his flame in his right hand, then directed it to slice into the foot-thick door of Mawata's room. The fiery blades made precise incisions in a rectangular shape in the door, and Hajime absently raised his left hand to quench any stray flames before they spread to the rest of the door. The cut-out part of the door didn't move until Hayate used his wind to push it rather forcefully, causing it to fall inward into the room. The Wind Knight quickly cushioned the piece of wood's fall with a gust of wind, laying it to rest gently on the crimson carpet in Mawata's room.

Himeno stepped awkwardly into the room, carefully walking over the charred piece of wood that was once part of the sturdy door that had defied her the day before. Looking up, her eyes were immediately drawn to a corner of the room. She wasn't the only one; the rest of the knights, excluding Hayate who already had his "I cannot believe what I'm seeing" moment the day before, were gawking at the rare sight. Strangely, Takako was equally unaffected by the interesting turn of events, and was wearing a knowing sort of smile that Sasame himself would have been proud of. Hayate yawned again.

For in that corner, Kei and Mawata were more or less in the same position that Hayate had left them in the night before, with one difference. One very big difference. For somewhere in the night, Kei had shifted positions to end up in the chair, with Mawata curled up in his arms, her head resting against his chest. Both were sleeping peacefully, framed in a halo of Kei's own light and the natural sunlight that was beginning to filter into the room through the wide windows behind the chair.

Goh, who by now was totally and completely awake, had his eyes practically starting out of his head. Mannen and Hajime had much the same expression, but tainted with a tad more confusion. Himeno too looked utterly stunned. All that time she had known Kei, she hadn't, well, expected him to be in close contact with anybody at all, much less someone of the opposite gender. And now he was holding her sister in a close embrace. He was holding HER sister...

Hayate, sensing impending trouble, cast a quick glance at the pink haired girl next to him, then back at the slumbering pair and back again. To his chagrin (and amusement), Himeno had gone into a state commonly known as the Over-Protective Older Sister Mode, and was glaring daggers at the still blissfully unaware Kei. Oh dear... He thought to himself.

The tall Wind Knight motioned quickly to the still somewhat dazed Goh, indicating that he should do something to save Kei from the wrath of an overprotective Himeno. The Fire Knight quirked a brow as he gave their Pretear a once-over, and silently agreed with Hayate's assessment. He walked over to the chair even as Hayate grabbed Himeno's arms to restrain her from physically assaulting the slumbering Knight of Light.

"Kei!" Goh hissed, poking the blonde knight in the shoulder. The sleeping knight's eyelids fluttered briefly, before snapping open with a start. His body tensed automatically, but relaxed when he saw that it was only Goh. "Yes?" The Light Knight didn't seem perturbed by Goh's presence at all.

Wordlessly, Goh stepped aside, allowing Kei to see the scene unfolding behind him. Himeno was straining against Hayate's grasp, and Mannen had helpfully trapped the explosive girl's feet in a block of ice to restrict her movement. If the Ice Knight hadn't done that, Hayate probably wouldn't have been able to hold on to her...

Goh was studying Kei rather carefully. The Fire Knight could barely sense Kei's aura, which wasn't a normal occurence. Every knight had their own strong, distinctive aura around them, but despite standing so close to Kei, he could sense nearly nothing from him. That just wasn't right...unless...! Goh's eyes widened. Just how much Leafe did he use?

Kei didn't react at all to Himeno's antics, but quite carefully arranged the sleeping Mawata in his arms so that he would be carrying her, bridal-style, when he stood up. He seemed peculiarly gentle, being careful not to jolt the sleeping girl in his arms as he laid her down on the bed. Once he was sure that she was settled in, Kei made his way out, calmly walking past the now cooling-down Himeno. Goh watched him apprehensively, as if fearing that the blonde knight would collapse any moment. With so much Leafe drained from Kei's body, it was unlikely that he would not feel any side effects.

Hayate looked curiously at the departing Kei, also sensing that his aura had weakened rather significantly. How is he managing to even walk?

On the rumpled sheets, Mawata groaned and shifted uneasily in her sleep. Himeno, her attention drawn back to her sister, finally managed to break free of the ice trapping her feet and went quickly to the bedside, her face mirroring her concern. Hayate was about to follow when Takako called out to him.

"Do you mind taking the tray? I don't think Mawata would want to see me around when she wakes up." Takako had a slightly haunted and guilty expression on her face as she mentioned Mawata's name. She had been responsible for hurting Mawata before, and Takako was never comfortable with the evils of her past. Who could?

Hayate nodded in understanding, reaching over to take the tray from her. Takako inclined her head briefly in thanks before gliding silently out of the room, Hayate watching her as she did. He had always felt guilty about Takako; but at least now he was glad that she had Sasame and was coming along just fine. It helped make him feel better to know that she was happy with Sasame, and it helped, in some obscure way, to atone for his own actions in the past.

Mawata stirred, sweat beading on her forehead, before sitting up with a violent jerk, her mouth emitting a small cry as she did so. Her green eyes were nervous, uncertain, as they darted from side to side, as if afraid that something would suddenly pounce on her from nowhere. She began to tremble, slightly at first, then in a more pronounced fashion. She wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to stop the shaking, but failed miserably.

"Mawata...Mawata...it's me, Himeno..." The older girl called out softly to her shaking sister. She tentatively laid a hand on Mawata's arm, closing her hand around Mawata's own and squeezing it reassuringly. "It's alright, everything's ok now...you're safe..." Himeno's voice was soothing, and had the desired calming effect on the green haired girl.

"...Himeno? Sister?" Green eyes blinked, then cleared, the fog in them lifting. Himeno smiled gently. "Yes it's me. Are you feeling alright?"

Mawata took a deep, shuddering breath. "...yes...I think I am...now..." She let out the breath slowly, and the tremors in her body lessened, then ceased completely. Mawata smiled weakly at her older step sister. "In fact, I'm a little hungry now..." Her voice was sheepish.

Himeno beamed.

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Kei was dead on his feet. Putting one foot in front of the other had never required so much effort.

Still, he maintained his cool exterior, head up and spine straight. Got a reputation to keep... His mental voice sounded wry even to him. All he wanted to do at the moment was to slump his shoulders and drag his feet as he trudged his way back to his room. But no, Kei had to be the picture of calm. He was the guy who always kept himself in check. He was the guy who never let his weakness show, at least not too much. He was the pillar of support among the knights, even if the rest didn't fully acknowledge it.

Hayate might be their unofficial leader, but Kei's calm presence had an undeniable stabilising effect on the team. Each and every one of the knights had a role to play in preserving their unity, and Kei knew his role only too well.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing it too well... He thought as he breezed past one of the numerous servants in the Awayuki household. The young maidservant stole a glance at him, which he pretended not to notice. He wasn't the only one to receive female attention, the rest of the knights had their fair share. Only now, Sasame had been claimed by Takako, which officially took him off the market. Not that it really mattered, since the girls could still look at him secretly as always.

Hayate was another female magnet. With his good looks, Kei wasn't surprised. However, Himeno would probably kill anybody who laid a finger on the Wind Knight, even if she would never admit that she cared for him that much in public. Still, it was fairly obvious to anybody with eyes that Himeno cared very much for Hayate and vice versa, as if the blushing around each other wasn't an obvious enough indicator.

Goh too, had no shortage of young, pretty things throwing themselves at his feet. The Fire Knight fitted the image of a flamboyant playboy, despite his job as a lowly waiter at a sidewalk cafe. Kei was convinced that the business at the cafe had picked up significantly after Goh started working there; giggling schoolgirls tended to flock there to catch a sight of the fiery Goh, and some of the bolder ones quite openly flirted with him.

As for himself, he was in a sort of an amusing situation. His pretty boy looks had earned him a fair number of advances---from both sexes. It was a little unnerving at times to be hit on by men, but Kei had since grown used to it. He almost had to, especially in his male-dominated workplace. Still, he preferred women to men; despite all signs suggesting otherwise, he was still very much male, thank you.

The younger knights were in no such fix---yet. As of now, their contact with the female species were largely in the realm of "Oh, so cute!" squeals and hugs. That should change when they grew older, Kei mused. For some strange, perverse reason, all the knights were blessed (or cursed) with good looks. Perhaps the strange force that was behind their existence willed it that way for his (or hers?) entertainment. Kei wasn't looking forward to giving the younger knights "the talk". Thankfully that unpleasant job usually fell on the most senior knight, which so happened to be Hayate at the moment. An evil smirk crossed the Light Knight's face. Now that would be a conversation worth listening in to. He could just picture Hayate stumbling over the subject matter and flushing pinker than Himeno's hair in the process.

Kei let off a mental sigh as he neared his room. All the knights had been invited to stay on the Awayuki estate, in a separate wing that was specially built to house them. Kei privately suspected that the building had been specially reinforced, especially around the private "arena" within the imposing structure, which had been incorporated in to give the Knights a place to spar and practice without destroying anything.

Once the ornate door clicked shut behind the blonde knight, he allowed himself to relax his posture and staggered his way to the bathroom. Despite his tired body's importuning's to just hurl himself into bed, Kei was compulsively tidy and fastidious. He absolutely abhorred dirt, the sole exception being when he had to battle, but otherwise he kept himself and his surroundings scrupulously neat and clean.

That fact was reflected in the near-spartan state of his room. Everything was where it should be; the bed was well made with the pillows fluffed to exact puffiness, his work desk was devoid of clutter with his stationery neatly stacked in a corner. The color scheme was a pale peach color, and nothing in the room contradicted or jarred with the overall visual effect. His windows were perpetually open, and light, near-transparent curtains bellowed out in the face of the stiff breeze streaming in.

After a perfunctory shower, Kei rapidly dried himself off and stepped out in a bathrobe, his golden eyes lidded as he shambled his way across the soft carpet to the inviting bed. After vigorously drying his long blonde locks, he tossed the towel in the general direction of the laundry basket---and it went in. Without a second thought, the Knight of Light collapsed onto satin sheets and promptly fell asleep.

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It was dark. No, even beyond that. It was the kind of soul-chilling darkness that put the inky blackness of night to shame.

Nothing could exist in that void of bottomless darkness. At least, nothing should be able to. Yet, something lived there...

No, it didn't live there. It simply was. It had no shape, no form. It was one with that endless dark, born out of rage and hate and a towering frustration. It steeped in negativity and depression, immutable and unchangeable for all eternity.

It was before all was created; it will be when all is destroyed. It transcended time and space, it was beyond this plane of existence.

It saw the rise and fall of civilisations. It witnessed humanity's rise to domination. It fed off the depths of darkness emanating from the naive humans who so foolishly thought themselves to be the masters of the universe. It grew strong in the hatred that Man bore for each other, and savored the rage and pain in every death.

It hated those foolish, ant-like humans. It despised the proud creatures which walked upon the earth that should rightly belong to it. It gloried in the destruction caused by those mindless humans, for every life carelessly taken was a paving stone towards a future that belonged in its grasp.

It had been patient. Time had no meaning to one such as it. It had been so close...a world where death reigned supreme, where life no longer flourished, where his power would have been enthroned in its rightful place for all eternity.

But yet, Chance had not favored it. Again, something had thwarted its plans. The meddling children of its brother and rival had once again intervened and restored the balance to the world. A delicate balance, where life and death danced in a neverending cycle, and light and dark continued their eons old progression.

It had never been satisfied with the arrangement. It wanted everything, not that meager amount allotted to it in the original agreement.

And so it started again. LIke so many times before, it rose up with every failure, eagerly watching for a chance to once again drown the world in blood and darkness. It would never give up, but would try and try until all was destroyed...and would resume his efforts when its brother awakens the next cycle.

It had found one, so soon after its previous protege had failed. One so beautifully radiating sadness and dejection, ignorant of the power invested inside that frail human body. It would have been so easy to draw that foolish child into the embrace of darkness, and it had rejoiced in the anticipation of yet another round of destruction...

But it was not to be. Accursed be the children of it meddling brother! One of them had noticed, and had taken steps to interfere with its beautiful plan. It seethed at this unexpected intrusion, and had been forced to revise its original scheme. They would pay, all of them. It would make them suffer, and it would enslave them and make them watch the death of the world they had sought so dearly to protect.

It never forgot the debts owed to it. And one day it would collect them, one by one.

For the Dark was always there. In many incarnations it had been, each called by a different name, yet was always the same entity. Some called it the Devil, some called it Death, others named it Destruction. But perhaps the best qualification had been Chaos, for that was what it was, what it embodied at its very core.

Chaos could wait. It had all the time in this world and the next. Its rival would always be there to play.

There was always time.

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Well how was that? Please review! I live off reviews! Even one measly one would make me ecstatic.

My updates won't be too frequent, considering school's demands. But please be patient!