Wash Away the Darkness

There standing right in front of the sadden princess was her older stepsister. Mayune was almost glowing in the darkness, it scared Himeno to the point that she let out an ear piercing scream. The Pre'tear was truly shocked to see her tall pink haired step sister here. 'Why is Mayune here?'

As Mayune stepped closer to Himeno she began to insult her more and more. Himeno did not pay it much mind because she was deep in thought that is until Mayune uttered two small words "Leafe Knights". 'How does Mayune know about the Leafe Knights?' Himeno was truly puzzled about this.

Himeno began to ask "Mayune, you…" But she was cut off by the older girl. "I know everything, Himeno." A demon seed began to sprout from the neck of the girl with the long flowing pink hair. Before the princess could even take a step four long tendrils grabbed the Pre'tear by the arms and legs. "It serves you right, Himeno" Mayune chuckled. Himeno was getting annoyed by all of the melodramatics that her stepsister was using on her. "I can not believe that I am being attacked by my own stepsister…" Himeno shook her head. Mayune smirked at this "I don't ever remember becoming your sister, Himeno!" Mayune moved her hair out of her face. "I don't want a low class person like you acting like a part of my family! I can not even stand to look at you!" The new puppet's nails grew long and sharp as she approached her younger stepsister. Himeno was at the verge of tears hearing these words come out of Mayune's mouth. It took all of the self control that Himeno had to not cry. Everything that she feared was in fact true. 'I am not needed after all. Maybe it would be better off if I was dead.' Mayune's sharp nails came dangerously close to Himeno's throat. "Is that why you've been so mean to me Mayune?" Himeno began "Is that why you became her puppet?" Himeno stared at the floor 'I thought it was going to be fun to have sisters… I guess I was wrong.' The princess rose her head to her puppet stepsister "You know if you take my Leafe… I will die right, Mayune?" The tendrils tightened around Himeno. "That is fine with me. Because, I don't heed you Himeno, and neither does my mother, Mawata, or any one else! Fare well Himeno."

'Himeno where are you?' Hayate was going out of his mind with fear as he followed the rest of the knights in search of Himeno. 'Please be safe, I don't know what I would do if I lost you.' The Wind Knight's fists tighten. 'Himeno I need you please be safe. I don't know what I would do if I could not see your warm smile any more.' Hayate began to speed up.

Sasame was observing the every movement of the Wind Knight as they raced down the hallways in search of the princess. 'So you do care deeply for her, Hayate? Not only because she is the Pre'tear.' Sasame's heart sadden a little from this because he too had feelings for Himeno. 'I will be like her big brother for now until the fighting is over then we will see who she likes best, Hayate.' The knights raced on into the complete darkness lead by their leader and the light that he gave off.

"There is nothing for you to be jealous of, Mayune… The Pre'tear is the one needed not me. If I was not the Pre'tear then I would be just a regular high school girl nothing special about that." Hayate's heart leaped when he heard Himeno's voice 'She is near by I can hear her.' The knight passed all of his fellow knights and followed the sound of the voice that he found to be the most beautiful thing in the world. 'I'm coming Himeno.' The princess continued "Lets face it, I am hot headed and I am always feeling sorry for myself." The Sound Knight was shocked when he heard this. He thought he knew Himeno the best out of all of the knights but he did not know Himeno's pain. The next words that Himeno said were like a knife to his heart. "Just a few minutes ago I wished I was dead. My heart is full of darkness. I would never be accepted as Himeno Awayuki… Let alone as the Pre'tear." Sasame held back the pain 'I am not worthy of being a knight to you, Himeno. No wonder you don't look at me the same way you look at Hayate.'

The light grew when the knights reached Himeno "Everyone has some darkness inside them, and that is why the light shines so beautifully!" Kei stopped Himeno before she could say one more negative thing about herself. Himeno was relieved to see her knights come to her rescue even though it was because she was the Pre'tear. Himeno could not help but smile at her knights. 'Thank you for finding me, everyone.' With a swift movement Hayate cut the tendrils with his wind setting the princess free. Sasame caught her as she fell gracefully to the ground. "Himeno!" Hayate called out to the girl. "I am alright." She reassured him. "She just took some of my Leafe that is all." Sasame sadly looked at his princess "I'm sorry." Himeno smiled at the Knight of Sound and told him that there was nothing to be sorry about. Sasame interrupted her "I thought I understood you, I am not worthy of being your knight." Himeno was too stunned for words. She had never seen Sasame show her so much pain before. She did not know how to take it. "Come on don't be that way, Himeno!" Mannon chirped "You know I am just crazy for you." Go and the two youngest knights agreed with Mannon. The Knight of Ice tried to scare the knights of Fire, Water, and Plants away from his Himeno. They had ruined his moment of being cool and he would not forgive them for it. Sasame ignored the immature knights and added "That's right Himeno; we all are crazy about you." Himeno blushed. 'I can not believe it they care for me not because I am the Pre'tear, but because I am Himeno. People do care for me after all not because of what I am but who I am.' Himeno let out a dazzling smile "Thank you." Hayate stepped closer to her "What are you, an idiot? You were talking about if you were not the Pre'tear, but can you picture us if we were not the Leafe Knights? What if we were your class mates?"

Himeno had to pause to imagine the knights being her classmates. Kei trying to correct the teacher Go cooking up sweets in the home economics class, Sasame being the model student, and Hayate being her desk mate hiding behind his text book and eating ramen while in the middle of a lecture. Just the thought of Hayate being her class mate amused her to no end. Himeno started to laugh "No, I can not imagine it." Hayate Put his hands on his hips "What the hell is so damned funny?" as she continued the thought of Hayate eating in class. Hayate rubbed his brow. "You are all who you are, all of you." Himeno stated. "Exactly!" Hayate smiled "Both Himeno Awayuki and the Pre'tear are part of who you are, right?" the princess gazed at the Wind Knight for a short moment 'What a sweet smile he has.' Himeno Smiled back at Hayate "Right!" Hayate smirked "Besides no other Pre'tear would try to take on the Disaster Princess with their bare hands." Himeno's fist went flying but stopped when she heard the voice for her puppet step sister. "Excuse me, I am still here." Mayune grumbled. "Who do you think you are ignoring me!" Himeno stared at her step sister. "Mayune."

"Himeno, It is time to release your sister from darkness." Kei reached his hand out to his Princess. Himeno nodded and merged with Kei to become the Pre'tear of Light. 'Mayune's darkness and my weakness will disappear in the light' Himeno called upon the Scepter of Light and destroyed the demon seed controlling her Step sister, Mayune. Himeno carefully caught her stepsister and laid her to rest on the couch in the waiting room. "Don't worry she is just unconscious." Kei reassured Himeno "That's good." The high school girl smiled. "It's not good at all. I miscalculated; the Princess of Disaster did not show herself." Kei interrupted. Himeno's eyes widened "Huh? What are you…?" Mannon cut off Himeno's question "Himeno, listen up! Kei used you as a decoy! He said he'd use you to lure out the Princess of Disaster!" Go covered Mannon's mouth. "A decoy?" Himeno was shocked. 'Kei was using me as a decoy?' Kei looked at Himeno's eyes "It's not like we have allot of options right now." Himeno interrupted him "But…" Before Himeno could say one more word Kei feel unconscious onto the floor. "Kei!" Himeno shrieked. Hayate stopped her from running to him. "It's ok, he just drained. Don't blame Kei, Himeno. He used up almost all of his Leafe to find you. He had said that he considered the risk of using the Pre'tear as a decoy and he was ready to protect you himself if anything happened." Kei rose to his feet "It was nothing." He was still holding his head. "Anyway, it looks like the Princess of Disaster's host is no fool! I don't think she is going to show herself until she is completely resurrected."

Himeno stood there blank "Host?" Hayate placed his hands lovingly onto her shoulder. "Himeno, the Princess of Disaster has possessed some one, probably some one close to you." He squeezed her shoulder ever so slightly and turned the princess so he could look straight into her eyes "Don't worry, I'll protect you." Go carefully picked up Mayune and followed the knights and Himeno to her home. "Where is her room?" Go asked Himeno and she directed the fire knight to her step sisters room and placed her on her bed. Himeno followed Go into Mayune's room and sat down next to her unconscious step sister. "I am sorry for the pain I have caused you but for now on I am going to try my best to make things right between you and me." Himeno covered Mayune with her blanket and gave her new older sister a kiss on the cheek. 'I will protect you, my new family.' Himeno returned to her room and for the first time in weeks Himeno slept without any nightmares. Hayate watched his love sleep through the night and for the first time in sixteen years he found peace.