Pretear Fan Fiction ❯ The Glorious Edge of Defeat ❯ Kaze and Yoake are at it again! ( Chapter 1 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

LeafeKnight: WELCOME!!! This story begins in the MIDDLE! So you'll just have to play along and guess who is who. If I get enough reviews, I'll continue, but first I'll start over and give you a real chapter. This is just to see if anyone will bother reading it. So, ALL HAIL CHAPTER ONE!!!

New Prétear, new Knights, new adventure! Hope you likey!!!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Prétear. CHECK OUT MY OTHER FANFICS!!!



Yoake was fighting with the faucet when Akemi entered the kitchen. The Leafé Knight of Fire's sleeves were rolled up and her hands were covered with soap suds as she tried to force the faucet to release water. However, the rusty old faucet simply refused to budge.

Akemi dropped her bookbag down on the table and stretched. Wandering over to the counter, she commented, "Having a hard time, Yoake-chan?"

"Urg," was Yoake's reply. She yanked the hot water tap harder, causing it to squeak but discharge no water. "This stupid, stubborn thing! Come on, work already!" she exclaimed.

The faucet sputtered and a glob of foul-smelling brown mush dripped from its mouth. Yoake made an exasperated noise and ran her soapy fingers through her fiery red hair. Akemi noticed how untidy the seventeen-year-old Knight looked today and realized she hadn't been to visit the Leafé headquarters in a while.

'On Kaze's orders,' she reminded herself, and wondered if this had been the reason he had dissuaded her from visiting. The whole house was unkempt and messy. The couch was old and decrepit with pieces of the covering falling off, and the kitchen table looked about ready to collapse any second. The tiled kitchen floor, which had once been white, was now stained a nasty yellowish-brown color. The ceiling fan in the living room hardly worked, and Akemi could only wonder about the state of the bedrooms. She knew the Knights were doing everything possible to make this residence more homelike, but their efforts seemed to be in vain. Now Akemi understood why Ryuzaki-san had been willing to sell this place so cheaply.

Still, the windows were open, letting in a gentle breeze, and the scent of blossoming flowers drifting in with the wind. Morio had done wonders with the garden. Where weeds and vines had overgrown and taken over the area, there was now a wild assortment of colorful flowers looking healthy and beaming in the sunlight. Morio had painstakingly uprooted every weed, turned and fertilized the soil, and planted new flowers in the earth to create this masterpiece. Even though the paint on the house's exterior was chipped and fading, the flowers made it look like a picturesque cottage. There was also the fact that the house was right on the lakeside. Taura spent most of her free time swimming in its clear waters, and the fish and waterfowl seemed to be benefiting from her presence.

Akemi sighed deeply and counted how many days it had been since her last visit here. 'Almost a month,' she realized, 'ever since Logan arrived in Japan.' This brought back the memory of her previous battle with the Princess of Disaster, Mayura Yoshida, and she felt her chest tighten at the familiar pain. Remembering that battle always caused her to feel guilty, that somehow perhaps she could have spared Tori and Hikaru such pain. Even though Tori and Hikaru insisted what had happened had nothing to do with her, she couldn't stop feeling that if she had been a better Prétear, she would have been able to fight off Mayura without needing Hikaru's spell or Tori's extra protection.

She shook her head vigorously and clenched her fist to clear out the memory. Her eyes traveled to the sickening goup Yoake was now fishing out of the sink. She shuddered and admired Yoake's bravery. Even though she was a Leafé Knight and part of the magical realm of Leafeania, Yoake was practical and down-to-earth. She didn't seem afraid of anything, least of all a lump of faucet vomit.

"Well, Akemi-chan, are you going to tell me why you dropped by?" Yoake asked as she opened the cabinet that hid the garbage can with her foot and dumped the goup in the trash. "You haven't been here in a while. Not that I blame you. This house looks shabbier every time I get home to it."

"This place is a shack, not a house," grumbled Yuki as she opened the door and dashed across the kitchen, pink pigtails bouncing.

Yoake and Akemi exchanged a glance.

"It doesn't look as bad as it did before, what with all the work you guys have been putting in to fix it up," Akemi put in, hoping to encourage her friend. Yoake just frowned.

"When did you get in?" Yoake asked her little sister as Yuki retrieved an Oreo from the cookie jar.

"Just now," the Leafé Knight of Ice answered. "Hikaru came to get me."

"Did he?" Yoake said, surprised. Turning around, she caught sight of Hikaru leaning agains the doorframe, his longish, light brown hair pulled back in its usual loose ponytail. She looked at him incredulously. "Why did you pick her up, Hikaru?"

"What, no hello?" Hikaru said in his usual chipper way.

"Hello, Hikaru-kun," Akemi responded equally cheerfully.

"Good afternoon, Akemi-san," he replied, smiling. He looked up at Yoake and continued, "To answer your question, I picked her up because I was worried something had happened at the grade school too."

Yoake cocked her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Hikaru looked surprised. "Didn't Akemi-san tell you?"

Akemi shook her length of black hair, blushing. "That was why I stopped by. I haven't had a chance to tell her about it yet."

"Tell me about what?" Yoake threw a dish towel onto the counter and leaned back against the sink on her elbows, looking from Akemi to Hikaru in turn. "What's going on, you guys?"

"The computer system at Shotaro High," Akemi explained quietly. "It's been infiltrated."

"What?!" Yoake cried.

"Someone hacked into Shotaro's data base and released a virus," Hikaru expanded on Akemi's statement. "They also deleted the program that would get rid of the virus and hid it somewhere. It doesn't seem to be permanently deleted though. The technicians are getting signals that imply the program is floating aorund somewhere in the software."

"Who would do that? And why?" Yoake asked in disbelief. "What's the point of hacking Shotaro's system?"

"To destroy 'it,'" Hikaru said darkly.

Yoake looked at him quickly, while both Yuki and Akemi looked up in interest. "Destroy what?" Yuki asked thickly through a mouthful of cookies.

"Something," was Yoake's informative answer.

"Ooh, that helps," Akemi quipped. "Seriously, what's in Shotaro's system?"

Neither older Knight answered, just continued staring ominously at each other. Akemi sighed deeply. "Guys, I'm the Prétear! I deserve to know about these things, right?"

"And I'm a Leafé Knight too!" Yuki added, jumping to her feet. "I may be only nine years old, but I've been in just as many battles as you guys!" She turned to Akemi for confirmation. "Remember, Akemi-chan? It was me you prêted with to fight Mayura last time."

"That's true," Akemi said, nodding and grinning at the young Knight.

Hikaru echoed Akemi's sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. His golden eyes looked troubled. "You'll have to ask Kaze or Tori," he said at last. "I'm not entirely sure I understand what 'it' is either..."

"Besides, we're not supposed to tell you two," Yoake stated.

"Kaze's orders," Hikaru put in.

"Naturally," Akemi grumbled.

"Taura doesn't know either, if that's any comfort."

Akemi raised her eyebrows at Yoake's last words. "Really? What's up with him? Anyone younger than fifteen can't know about this 'something,' whatever 'it' is?"

She was hardly impressed when the Knights of Fire and Light shrugged and shook their heads. Crossing her arms, she blew a strand of jet black hair out of her eyes and grabbed her bookbag.

"I'm leaving," she stated. "Not because of you," she added hurriedly, seeing the concern on Hikaru's face. "I just have homework and stuff. And I want to track down Tori and get him to tell me what's going on. He'll be easier to crack than Kaze..."

She reached for the doorknob. Her fingers had barely brushed the cool metal when the door flew open, almost smacking her in the face. In the doorway stood Kaze and Tori, tall and demeaning as always. Behind them, Taura was looking annoyed and Morio just looked confused.

"Move aside," Kaze commanded, glaring at Akemi like she was some annoying insect.

"Excuse me for breathing," Akemi mumbled, stepping out of the way. Now that her targets were gathered in the "shack," she figured her homework could wait while she tried to wring some answers out of Kaze and Tori.

Said knights entered the kitchen and closed the door behind them. Taura and Morio immediately fell onto the couch in the living room. Morio grabbed the footrest and propped up his feet, leaning back and closing his eyes. Akemi joined them, taking a seat besides Taura.

"Tired, Morio-kun?" she asked gently.

The red-haired knight nodded slightly. "Lots of work, keeping this house tidy," he explained unnecessarily.

"But the garden has never looked better," Akemi said, earning a warm smile from Morio.

The kitchen door opened and the knights inside filed out into the living room. Kaze was in the lead, Yoake and Yuki following behind. Tori and Hikaru were last to emerge, deep in private conversation with each other. Akemi didn't like the dark look on Tori's face or the distress radiating from Hikaru. She caught her own name mentioned and realized they were discussing her inability to prêt with the Knight of Light, Hikaru. 'Maybe they figured out why that is...' she mused.

"Shut up, you two," instructed Kaze. The two boys shut their mouths and took their seats on the threadbare couch opposing Akemi's.

"I have called for this emergency meeting of the Prétear and her knights," Kaze began, "to discuss one very important matter that needs addressing."

"Logan Hillard," Taura finished for him. Her blue eyes met mine as I turned to look at her in surprise.

Logan?

"Right," Kaze nodded. "Tori and I have been concerned about her ever since she was manipulated by Saihi. She was kidnapped from her home in America and taken to Saihi's base in Japan in a matter of moments. Akemi told us Logan lives with her older brother in California, and I'm sure he went ballistic despite our attempts to explain what happened to him. No matter what excuse we give, there is no one we can convince Liam that his sister made a quick getaway to Japan overnight. It's physically impossible without magic. I see no other path except telling him exactly what's going on and hoping he believes us."

"But we've sorted all that out alreadly," Akemi interrupted, looking troubled. "Liam's going to send us a plane ticket for Logan to return to America when he gets his next paycheck. I checked the prices online and I think $900 should do it."

Taura looked at her quizzically. "What's that in yen?"

Before Akemi had finished doing the mental math, Kaze interrupted her. "That plan may not work anymore. If anything, Liam should use the money to come here - and stay here until Saihi is defeated."

"What?!" exclaimed the equally shocked voices of Akemi, Taura, and Yuki. "Why?!"

"How come you're not surprised?" Taura asked Hikaru, glaring at him suspiciously. He shrugged.

"Quiet down. It's because..." Kaze sighed, his face contorting into a frustrated frown. Clearly he was having difficulty explaining the situation to the others. "It's because... Tori and I think Saihi - Mayura - may be possessing Logan."

Akemi sank back in her seat, eyes wide.

"Mayura wouldn't let her puppet get away without leaving some mark. And Logan's in the perfect position to act as a weapon. She's Akemi's best friend, she hangs around a lot with all of us, and she could easily have pretended to be a student at Shotaro High and infiltrated the computer system."

"Wait a minute, Kaze... you're not implying that Logan is the hacker?" Yoake said.

"It's possible. We know she's good with computers. Besides, with Saihi;s extra power, she could do anything. If she is the culprit, I doubt she has any idea what she has been doing. Saihi may be planning to use her in even more extreme ways later on. That's why I think it's best if she stays in Japan, within our protection. At the same time, if she is Saihi's eyes and ears, we have to be careful not to let her in on any of our plans. For her own safety, we'll have to exclude her."

Akemi let Kaze's words wash over her as she tried to grasp the information she had been given. Logan, a spy? No way, there was no way...

'But the look in her eyes when I rescued her from Mayura...'

FLASHBACK

"Logan! What are you doing here! I can't believe it's really you!"

"Ake... Akemi..."

"Come down from there, Logan, it's dangerous... There's someone in this building whose intentions are no good."

"... Get away! Get away, Akemi! It's - IT'S A TRAP!"

END FLASHBACK

Akemi shuddered and hugged herself, recalling the chill that had emanated from the Princess of Disaster as she emerged from the shadows and came toward Logan. She shut her eyes and tried to block out the memory.

"... I'm still not sure Logan is the hacker, though." Yoake's voice broke into Akemi's thoughts, relieving her from her memories.

"She is the perfect instrument to use," Morio put in quietly, brow furrowed in worry.

"Still, we didn't notice anything odd about her when she woke up here after the rescue. If Saihi was possessing her, then why would she have seemed so normal? She couldn't even understand anyone but Akemi, because the rest of us don't speak English..."

"She can certainly understand everyone now, since I put that spell on her to help her understand Japanese to an extent," Tori replied. "And we don't mean that Saihi is constantly possessing her. Maybe every now and then, she feels like she blacks out and when she wakes up, she can't remember what she's been doing or how she got wherever she was."

"You'd think she would tell us if something were going on..."

Kaze broke in. "Yoake, why do always take issue with our theories? We're just suggesting the most plausible explanation!"

"And I'm just defending an innocent girl who was dragged into this against her will and doesn't deserve more pain!" Yoake exclaimed, getting to her feet.

"That's exactly why I feel she needs protection!" Kaze shouted, also standing up and glaring at Yoake. "Honestly, woman!"

"This is just like you, Kaze! Always bossing us around and forcing us to accept your decisions!"

"That's not true and you know it!"

"I never heard anyone hail you as our leader! Where do you get off telling the rest of us what to do?"

"That's not what I'm doing!"

Akemi clapped her hands over here ears. Beside her, Taura buried her head in her arms and Morio rubbed his temples in exasperation. Tori looked as if he were aching to punch someone, but it was Yuki who finally put an end to the argument.

"ENOUGH!" she hollered louder than her sister's and the Knight of Wind's bickering. "SHUT UP, YOU TWO ARE ACTING LIKE BABIES!"

Yoake and Kaze were speechless for a moment, which gave the others enough time to breathe before the storm would pick up again. Just as Kaze opened his mouth to scold Yuki, another voice cut in, this one much gentler and quieter.

"Why don't," Hikaru said softly, "we just find Logan and ask her?"

The others turned to look at the Knight of Light. He was smiling slightly, serenity amid the squall as usual. He placed a hand on Kaze's shoulders. "If we ask her if she's been blacking out at all lately, I'm sure she'll give us a straightforward answer."

"Oh sure, we'll just waltz up to her and say, 'Hey Logan, we're curious, have you found yourself turning up in strange places? Do you think you're being controlled by an evil force that wants us all dead?'"

"Oh, shut up Kaze, why do you always have to pick on Hikaru?" Yoake snapped.

"What?! Me!"

"Please!" Hikaru's voice was pleading now, with a slight hint of irritation. "Let's just give it a shot. All right?"

Kaze stared down into Hikaru's goldenrod eyes. The younger boy met his gaze solidly. Finally Kaze turned and made for the door. Opening it, he looked at the others. "Well?"

His partners stared at him incredulously. "You want to go now?" Morio exclaimed.

"Sure! Might as well get this sorted out while we have time."

Morio shrugged and followed after him, the others trailing behind. Yoake, obviously still steaming from her latest fight, marched out the door and right past Kaze, taking the lead. Yuki hurried after her sister, while Tori and Morio engaged in conversation over the last topic in low voices. Akemi and Hikaru brought up the rear. Akemi found herself eyeing the Knight of Light behind his back. A smile found its way to her lips. 'Good old Hikaru, always the peacemaker... Except when he's fighting with Kaze himself!'

She put her hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. 'Then again, who does get along with Kaze? Maybe a donkey... or a rock!'

This time her hand wasn't enough to smother her laughter. Hikaru turned and cocked his head. "What's so funny, Akemi-san?"

Akemi shook her head and slipped her arm around his elbow. "Nothing, Hikaru-kun. Come on, we're falling behind."

With that, the two began racing after their friends, linked arm in arm.

'The closest I'll get to prêting with him, it seems...'



LeafeKnight: Well, there's a little teaser for you. I intend to continue this only if I receive positive reviews! I will delete this chapter and upload a real chapter one so you can meet everyone more thoroughly instead of having to guess "Erm, is this the knight of fire? No, is this?" ^^- But I thought a nice spoonful from the middle would make some people curious, so... REVIEW!