Days After Ch 5

Just as Himeno, Go and Hayate walked into the large Awayuki mansion, Mawata and the younger knights ran up the long walk and into the front doors.

"Hiya, Mino!" Little Shin said, dripping water on the hard wood floor.

"Oh, hi guys. Did you have fun," Himeno asked? Himeno's eyes were still bloodshot from crying and she hopped the others would not ask about them.

Mawata smiled warmly at her stepsister, "yes we had a great time. Hajime here gave Shin some swimming lesson," Mawata said, patting Hajime's head fondly.

Hajime looked at Himeno, "I would have given Mannen some pointers too, but he's to stubborn to learn something from me," Hajime said, looking to Mannen.

"Shut up," Mannen yelled, feeling embarrassed, that he could not swim as well as the knight of water.

Hajime, stuck his tongue at Mannen and this caused the boys to start to bicker back and forth. Shin got caught in the middle again, trying to calm their fight.

All of a sudden a big whistle sounded throughout the room.

"Ahh," the boys yelled covering their ears.

Looking cross, Mannen glared at Hayate, "What's the big idea, Hayate," he yelled?

"This is no time for fighting," Hayate said, as he wiped his wet fingers on his shirt, "we have some serious stuff going on." Hayate looked at Himeno and frowned when he noticed how sad she looked. Poor Himeno, he thought.

Hearing the serious tone in Hayate's voice the others looked at Himeno, and for the first time they noticed how glum she looked. Not only she, Go and Hayate looked glum as well.

Himeno had even been crying, they could tell.

Mawata went over to Himeno, and pulled her into a hug, something she'd never have done before meeting Himeno. "Goodness, Himeno," Mawata said, when she felt a tear fall on her cheek, "what's wrong?"

Hayate, looked at the two girls, glad that they were acting more like a family. In fact Mayune and Natsue had started to treat Himeno more like a family ever since that day when Himeno almost died. Of course Mayune still played her silly pranks on Himeno, but all in good fun.

"We'll tell you, but we need to get everyone together before we do. Mawata, do you mind finding your mother, father and sister? Go and Mannen go look for Kei, Sasame and Takako," Hayate said to instruct everyone. (A/N I'm not sure if I've mentioned it yet but this fic follows the anime, where Takako/Mikage was the princess of disaster.)

Just as everyone arrived, Himeno's friend Yayoi knocked on the door. Himeno decided to let her stay, seeing as how she already knew about her being the Pretear.

"Good, now that were all here, let's start this meeting," Himeno said, pacing back and forth in front of her audience.

"Himeno, your hands are shaking," Kaoru said, looking at his daughter, concern showing on his face, "what's wrong? Why did you guys gather us?"

Himeno tried to stop shaking, and looked at everyone, "Well for one thing, we have a dead girl in our shed."

"What!"

"Huh!"

Everyone looked at Himeno, not understanding what she was talking about, and all started to talk at once.

"One at a time," Hayate yelled, looking at all his friends. Frowning, he thought, Why do they have to be dragged into something again?

After the room quieted down, Sasame stood up and looked at Himeno, "why do we have a dead girl in the shed," he asked.

Sitting down, Himeno blew her bangs out of her eyes, "well it started with Hayate and me going to the café Go works at."

Go nodded, "yeah, and I was taking their order."

"When we heard a blood curdling scream," Hayate added.

"We all jumped up and went to find where the scream came from," Himeno said, her head falling down to look at the floor, "we came to an alley."

"The girl was dead when we got there. We found a note on her, asking her to meet someone in the alley," Hayate told everyone.

"It looked like her leafe had been drained," Go said avoiding Sasame and Takako's eyes, becauseTakako had turned into the princess of disaster, but Himeno saved turning her human again. And only the princess of disaster could drain leafe. Well as far as anyone knew.

"What," Takako shouted, sounding afraid, "her leafe. But that's impossible," she said, looking at Sasame, her lips trembling in fear. She was afraid that everyone would think that she was somehow involved with the girl's death.

"Takako," Himeno said softly, standing up and going to her side, "we know this has nothing to do with you," Himeno said, smiling, "we'd never think you were involved."

"Thanks, but only I as the princess of disaster and the demon larva I controlled could drain leafe," Takako said, her eyes still wide with fright.

"True, but there may be something else that can drain leafe that we don't know of," Sasame said, putting his arm reassuringly around Takako's shoulders.

"And maybe her leafe was not drained," Yayoi suggested, hugging her large romance novel close to her chest, "you only said it looked like her leafe had been drained."

"Hmm, is there a way we can know for sure," Mayune asked, eyeing the knights, wondering who she should try and seduce next.

"Only the Pretear can know for sure," Kei said, looking at Himeno, "you ready to pret again?"

"Heh, yeah, it looks like I have no chose," Himeno replied, looking at the knights, "but who should I pret with, for this sort of thing?"

Hayate thought for a few minutes looking at each of the knights, finally his eyes were fixed on Shin, "Shin," he said.

"Shin," Himeno asked?

"Me," Shin squeaked.

"Yes, he'd be good for this sort of thing. Shin I know you've never preated before, but you won't have to do much. Do you think you're up for it," Hayate asked, looking at the young leafe knight of plants?

"Yes," Shin answered, sounding excited.

In no time Himeno and everyone else were standing outside the shed, where the girl was. Reaching her hand out Himeno took Shin's hand. In a few seconds Shin was gone replaced by Himeno dressed in a beautiful green dress, decorated in leaf like patterns.

"Oh, so this is how it is with you," Himeno said, looking at her outfit.

I guess, Shin said, speaking in Himeno's mind only.

Himeno jumped when she heard his voice. Shesh, will I ever get used to hearing them speak in my mind, she grumbled to herself.

"You ready Shin," she asked?

Yes, came the quiet answer.

"Okay then, let's do this," Himeno said, walking into the shed. Everyone else waited outside.

Looking at the dead girl, Himeno bit her lip, to keep from crying. Ouch, "Oh, sorry Shin," she mumbled, forgetting for a minute that Shin feels everything she feels.

So that's her, huh?

"Yeah."

So what do we do?

"Er, I'm not sure."

Touch her?

"Maybe," Himeno said, walking toward the girl.

Reaching her hand out, she touched the girl's forehead. Next thing Himeno know a bright white light filled her vision. Blacking out, Himeno knew no more.

From outside the shed, Sasame jumped, "what was that loud bang," he shouted?

In alarm, Hayate ran toward the shed, "Himeno," he yelled.

A/N So what do you think happened? Do you like the story so far? Please let me no. Reviews are greatly appreciated.