…I'm not even going to bother with the reasons why this thing is so unreasonably late. All I'll say is this: I'M SOOOO SORRY! I would have updated earlier today, but I had a clarinet sectional today. For those of you who aren't in marching band, a sectional is just when all the people who play a certain instrument (in my case the clarinet) get together and practice.
But just as a little heads up, this story might remain this way, meaning I might not update for a while, but I'll try every 3 weeks, so I have two weeks to update two other stories. But again, I can't make any promises.
Last time on The American Pretears:
"What is this? The sword is reacting to another soul? But…this is strange…the souls are separate, yet they seem somehow connected…" Kaguya mused aloud. "It must be that second Pretear." Kaguya turned sharply towards Akane, glaring down at her. "You are lucky to escape with your life this time, little Pretear; you will not be so lucky the next time we meet."
Kaguya disappeared in a flash of deep violet miasma.
Akane, relieved that everyone was safe, finally succumbed to her body's will and fainted into unconsciousness; Hayate still sprawled on top of her.
Chapter 15
"Is she up now?" Mannen asked Goh.
Goh growled. "For the hundredth time, no! Now stop asking me every five minutes, damnit."
Mannen pouted and crossed his arms over his chest. He turned away to sulk in a corner, muttering obscenities under his breath. He stopped when he spotted a certain figure in his corner and his face softened. She hadn't moved from that spot for the past few days. She refused to eat anything, not even when offered a cookie or some pockey her parents had brought from Japan. Goh had tried to coax her to eat with a piggy-back ride, even. She just stared continually at a spot on the wall, unmoving with a blank stare.
Nobody blamed her, though.
However, there was one person in the room who even refused to sleep. The Leafe Knight of Wind was jittery with anxiety and worry. Every few minutes he would wander to a different location in the house, refusing to keep still. Currently he was sitting on the couch, his leg bouncing up and down on the floor, making the only sound in the room.
Yumi, Hajime, and Shin returned from playing outside. They saw no one had moved since they had left an hour ago, and they resumed their spots next to Mannen on the floor.
The young Knight of Plants awkwardly voiced what was on everyone's mind. "I hope Akane gets better soon."
Upon hearing her sister's name, Sakana shifted slightly. She glanced up at the party in the room, noticing them for the first time in days. She scanned the room. When she didn't find who she was looking for, a loud sob escaped her lips.
Startled by the sudden noise, everyone glanced at the Pretear. She was now openly sobbing, a single tear trailing down her cheek, the first sign of life anyone had seen in her for the past few days.
"AKANE!" Sakana yelled at the top of her lungs, releasing pent up anxiety. "Why? Why!" Sakana thrashed about in frustration and anger. She fell to the floor, pounding the carpet as if it had been the one who had wronged her.
"Sakana, honey, please," Mrs. Himura helped her daughter from the floor, placing a comforting arm around her daughter. Sakana, though grateful for the gesture, was not in the least reassured. She wouldn't be until she saw her sister chasing her down the hallway for waking her up so early in the morning.
"Yeah, don't worry, Sakana. You act like she's already de-" Mannen was quickly silenced by Goh's hand on his mouth. The Knight of Fire glared down at the short Knight.
"Shut up, you idiot," Goh warned. Mannen, though slightly angry at Goh, looked away, silent.
The silence was once again disturbed by the telephone ringing in the kitchen.
Mrs. Himura sighed. "I'm sorry. I'll have to go into work. Akane won't get enough rest if the phone keeps ringing constantly like this." Mrs. Himura rose from her chair and walked up the stairs to ready herself for work.
"I just don't understand," Yumi said. She thought back to everything Sakana had told her. She clenched her fists, visibly shaking with anger and intense worry. Sasame put a comforting arm around her shoulders, which Yumi gladly accepted and began to cry even louder in his white shirt.
Mrs. Himura reappeared on the stairs, dressed formally and ready for work. With one last glance at everyone, she bid them farewell and left for work in her car.
Hayate moved from the couch, beginning to pace once again. It had become somewhat of a routine for him the past few days. He stopped in front of a cabinet which held many family pictures. Hayate glanced at one in particular. Akane, Sakana, and Yumi were all smiling, seated on some chairs on a rather large sport fishing boat. Sakana held two fingers up behind Akane's head. Yumi was doing the same to Sakana. Akane was standing behind then, leaning her elbows on top of their heads, holding her head in her hands and grinning stupidly.
Hayate suddenly swelled with rage and punched the wall next to the cabinet of pictures with a loud cry. Everyone stared at him, startled and horrified. The Knight of Wind's fists were clenched so tightly to the point where they would have broken skin. He began to shake violently, his anger swelling rapidly like a balloon inside him.
"Hayate…?" Mannen said hesitantly.
Hayate suddenly fell to the floor, gripping the soft carpet. Though his wounds had already completely healed, his body still ached and felt weak. He hated feeling so helpless, especially when someone else was in much worse shape than him and he could do nothing to help.
"I hope Akane wakes up soon," Hajime said, glancing at Hayate uncertainly.
Sasame perked up suddenly and looked over at the staircase. Small footsteps resonated off the marble, though only audible to the Knight of Sound. He gasped when he saw the figure dragging herself down the stairs, looking thoroughly annoyed and sleepy.
"What the hell's going on here? Can't anyone get some sleep around here?" Akane spat groggily at everyone, rubbing her tired eyes. When she noticed everyone staring at her in shock, she blinked and looked herself over in a mirror. Finding nothing, she turned back to them and asked, "What?"
For a few moments, everyone just stared at the now-awake Pretear in utter amazement. Akane began to grow uncomfortable under their gaze and started retreating back upstairs to her bed.
"Well, if no one is going to say anything, I'm going back to be—AHHH!" Akane was suddenly tackled to the floor.
"AKANE!" Sakana shrieked into her sister's clothes.
"AKANE!" Three more cries followed Sakana's, and before she knew it, Akane felt three more added weights on top of her.
"You know…it would be a huge help if I could breathe!" Akane gagged under the pressure. "Could you guys please get off me?"
Reluctantly, the four friends removed themselves from her, allowing her to breathe once again.
"Akane…you're awake. Are you sure you are feeling alright?"" Sasame asked, looking at the elder Pretear with utter amazement and concern.
"Yeah, why shouldn't I be? I sometimes sleep late," Akane explained.
"She doesn't remember," Kei said.
"Remember what?" Akane asked.
Everyone exchanged glances with each other. Akane looked at them all with a confused expression, wondering just what they were talking about.
"Akane, do you remember where we were a couple of days ago?" Goh asked.
Akane blinked. "A couple of days ago? Um…here, I guess. Oh, that's right! Mom and Dad should be coming home today!"
The expressions on everyone's faces turned to deep concern and sympathy for the young Pretear.
"You don't remember anything? You know, we went to the airport and you two fought Kaguya," Hajime tried to bring back memories.
"Kaguya? Who's that?" Akane asked innocently.
"She did something to her," Sasame said with an expression of utmost seriousness.
The lone figure in the corner tried to make a stealthy exit, but was caught by a certain blonde girl.
"Hayate, where are you going?"
The Knight of Wind stopped just before the door to her house. He did not turn around, nor did he give an answer. Angry tears burned in his eyes, threatening to fall and show just how hurt he was. With clenched fists, Hayate quickly rushed out the door, slamming it shut behind him and leaving a confused Pretear behind.
"Hayate?" Akane muttered. What did she do wrong?
-----
Akane woke the next morning, her head throbbing. She felt as if she had been thrown clear through the window and across a crowded street where she was trampled on, then thrown into a nearby dumpster. Well, maybe not so graphic, but her head did hurt like hell. She tried knocking her head, but that only succeeded in giving her more of a headache. Smart, Akane, she thought.
She attempted to get out of bed, ignoring the continuous throbbing in the back of her skull. A sharp wave of pain shot up her spine and she immediately fell back down. Well, she forgot about her migraine for a moment, at least.
Scanning the room first for any peeping toms, Akane lifted her shirt. Her abdomen was neatly wrapped in bandages. Around the center a red stain began to show itself. Akane softly touched her stomach.
In a rush memories flooded back to her. She remembered her adventure at the airport, then meeting Kaguya at the art museum and finding out about the Celestial Blade. The last memory made her blush slightly as she remembered her last position before she had blacked out.
"Speaking of which, where is everyone?" Something in the back of her mind warned her of something, something that was wrong with Hayate. Akane stood again, this time without wavering, and went outside into the familiar hallway of her home.
Looking both ways, she didn't exactly expect to see anyone walking down. And she didn't. But she was still anxious to meet anyone. Her stomach fluttered for some odd reason. She felt she was going to run into someone sooner or later.
Akane pushed forward, keeping a continuous eye on anyone who might come from behind. Because her head was turned the other way, she failed to notice the figure walking towards her. And as the figure was just as lost in thought, the both of them were about to have a fun run-in with each other.
Akane yelped in pain as her head collided with the other's skull. She muttered under her breath, rubbing the area of collision on her head. The throbbing pain from her migraine returned to her. What joy. Her vision began to spin because of it, so she remained on the floor, waiting until the spell of dizziness passed.
"Damn it, watch where you're going." The person she had bumped heads with scolded irritably. Akane's eyes shot open. She recognized that voice. Migraine forgotten once again, Akane gazed up at her companion.
"H-hayate?"
Said person's deep azure eyes gazed down at her with an expression of utter shock and amazement. His mouth open slightly, both were at a loss for words as they stared into each other's orbs, relishing in the moment.
Hayate blinked confusedly as he processed the current situation.
"Akane?" He muttered, his voice cracking. When had she woken up?
Akane regained her composure and put on an expression of playful annoyance.
"Are you just going to stand there like a total idiot or are you going to help me up?" She asked with a sly grin. "I would do it myself, but everything's spinning right now."
Hayate sighed, but held out his hand, which Akane gratefully took. On her feet her head felt three times heavier than normal, and she held Hayate's hand for a bit more until everything came back into focus for her. What powers a simple migraine had!
"Uh, are you all right?" Hayate asked. Akane nodded and smiled in reassurance. Even so, neither let go of the other's hand, whether by realization or not. It wasn't until Akane's stomach decided to give its own comments that the two parted.
Akane laughed sheepishly. "Well, I'm hungry, how about you?"
Hayate gazed at her with a look of amazement, which was soon replaced with a warm smile. The Wind Knight nodded and together the two made it downstairs.
"What do you want?" Hayate asked. Akane stared at him in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean what do you want to eat," Hayate repeated.
"Who said you could make something for me?" Akane cocked a playful eyebrow at the impatient Leafe Knight. Said Knight growled in response.
"Fine, make something yourself," he said and walked away. Akane frowned. She hadn't expected for him to actually give in that easily. Saddened, Akane proceeded to fix her own breakfast, which was a simple cinnamon sugar Pop-Tart.
"What a healthy breakfast," Hayate commented from the doorway. He never left entirely, merely stood by the door, watching her.
"Well, you said I should make myself something, so I did. It just so happened to have been a pre-made, instant meal," Akane said as she took a bite of the pastry. The sweet flavor flooded her mouth and she sighed in pleasure.
"Where are Sakana and the others?"
"Sakana went to school; your parents, Goh, Kei, and Sasame went to work; Mannen and the others went back to our apartment," Hayate explained.
"What day is it?"
"Wednesday."
"So why are you here?" Akane asked innocently.
"I didn't have to work, so I got the job of watching over you in case you woke up."
Akane gazed down at her Pop-Tart. So that was why, huh?
She quickly finished her breakfast and threw the wrapper in the trash. She was about to go back upstairs to wash up and get dressed when Hayate called her.
"Do…do you remember?"
Akane turned to him. She cocked her head to the side in question. Remember what?
"Do you remember what happened a few days ago…before you blacked out?" He repeated.
Akane turned her gaze to the floor. Unexpected tears of fear and frustration welled up in her eyes. She tried to fight them back, but instead succeeded in emitting a low sob. She felt an arm encircle her shoulders and gazed up into Hayate's comforting eyes.
"Why did she attack my family?" Akane asked.
Hayate didn't know how to answer. Though he wasn't sure himself, he had a hunch as to why.
"She probably felt it was a good way to get to you and Sakana."
Akane remembered what had happened with the Celestial Blade and how it had entranced her.
"Why was she after the Celestial Blade? And why did it affect me like that? Who is Kaguya?"
Hayate was once again at a loss for what to say. He looked away from Akane, memories of his past flooding back to him. Painful memories, which he had hoped he had laid to rest permanently. Of course, being a Leafe Knight, that just wouldn't happen.
Akane tugged on his sleeve. She looked up at him with pleading, tear-filled eyes.
"Please tell me, Hayate. What is going on here?"
A spell of déjà vu struck the Leafe Knight like a baseball. He remembered being a similar situation of conflicting beings from the past not to long ago, though in a different place and time, with a different Pretear.
Akane watched as pain filled the Knight's eyes. Sudden realization dawned on her.
"Was Kaguya…did it have to do with Himeno?" Akane asked.
Hayate removed his sleeve from Akane's grasp and turned away. She had hit the mark so easily. He felt a hand rub his back, but he did not glance back.
"Hayate…I'm sorry," Akane whispered. "Please tell me. What happened between Himeno and Kaguya?"
An awkward moment of uncomfortable silence filled the room. It seemed to stretch on for eternity, but Akane didn't dare budge, and neither did Hayate. She needed to know these answer, even though she knew these answer would reopen old wounds. Part of her seemed to know what was going through Hayate's mind, knew what had probably conspired between the legendary Pretear and the Princess of Disaster. Akane didn't know why, but she felt she knew the answers to her own questions, but she couldn't quite grasp them like a fleeting memory or dream.
"We should wait until Sakana and the others get back," Hayate suggested. "Sakana should know, too."
-----
It had certainly been a huge production when everyone returned home to find Akane awake and looking so much livelier. Akane felt she was going to pass out from suffocation, but was glad to see everyone's smiling faces. Well, almost everyone's. Sasame, though he was certainly glad to see she was doing well, bore an expression of sorrow when he saw Hayate and inquired of him on what had happened. Now both either avoided everyone's company or gazed on with a sad smile.
Sakana was simply ecstatic that her sister was finally awake. She bombarded her with questions, some of which were insignificant ("Did you eat some pie today?"), but they nevertheless let Akane forget her persistent migraine. Ugh. To hell with it. Why wouldn't it just leave her alone?
Then Sakana brought up the inevitable question: the very same question Akane had asked Hayate early that day. When she had, the entire room grew quiet. Her mother and father, seeing as this was a personal matter, gave their daughters a quick hug and kiss before exiting the room. The tension left behind was so thick, Akane felt suffocated by its sheer strength.
"Is anyone going to answer our question?" Sakana asked.
"I think it was time we told them what happened, Hayate," Sasame said.
Hayate, who before had had his arms folded over his chest, let his hands fall to his side in defeat as he turned around.
"Who is she? Who exactly is Kaguya?"
-----
Akane laid wide-awake in her bed that night, mulling over everything she had learned during the day. It all felt too overwhelming, but at least the Knights had been open with her and Sakana.
They had told them of the origins of Kaguya. She was once a legendary princess with a beauty and wit to support her. She was renowned as the jewel of the night, for she loved to dance in the radiant moonlight with her robe. She had many suitors, of course, that had wished for her hand in marriage, or just simply wished to gaze at her. Many had brought her gifts, but one such gift had been special to her.
A knock came at Akane's door and Sakana walked in and sat by her sister on the bed.
"Can't sleep?" Akane asked, though she knew the answer.
"Nope," Sakana answered. A small paused followed, then Sakana spoke again, "Do you remember the story the Knights told us about Kaguya?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Remember they said that Kaguya received gifts from a lot of the men who came to see her, and that one special present had been precious to her."
"Yeah, and?"
"Maybe that special gift was the Celestial Blade," Sakana suggested.
Akane sat up in her spot. "Sakana how can that be? She would have had to have a pure heart to even see the blade, and, if you remember what Kei told you about her at the museum, she couldn't see the sword."
"But maybe something changed her so she couldn't see it anymore," Sakana argued. "Maybe she had done something like Takako had done and became a Princess of Disaster, so she couldn't see it anymore. Then she thought someone had stolen it from her and that's why she's after the Pretears and Knights!"
Akane stared at her sister incredulously. She though she would never see the day that Sakana would actually make sense and solve a problem as big as this.
"What?"
"Nothing, it's just for the first time, you are making a lot of sense into this huge problem," Akane said. Sakana stared at her, obviously offended.
"Anyways, so what if you are right. Why would she go after the Pretear and the Leafe Knights?"
"Maybe because as the Princess of Disaster, Kaguya was against them, and so she blamed them, thinking they had stolen it from her," Sakana said. Akane still couldn't believe her sister was making this much sense.
"And after that they would have battled, which would have resulted in Kaguya's sealing!" Akane finished. Everything Sakana said had made sense and fit with the story the Knights had given them.
"But now we don't know how she woke up," Sakana pointed out.
"No, but we know now what happened to the last Pretear, Himeno."
Akane recalled the story that Hayate had volunteered to tell.
"Himeno…even though she was certainly the most powerful Pretear, she was still affected by age, so her powers were diminishing. Kaguya saw this and attempted to take advantage of it. I had been prêt-ed with Himeno at the time, and just before Kaguya struck her with the Celestial Blade, she forced me out. She…died in my arms."
A/N: I hope you all like this so far. I know I don't. I'm gonna go completely over this thing when I finish it and repost it.
…I would normally say "Please review!" but I don't feel I deserve them right now. I don't even deserve to live for making you all wait! I'm sooo sorry! Please forgive me! I'll try and catch up as much as I can over the summer!