Sparkle! My True Knight Pretty Cure #1

Chapter 37: The Lady in Black

Emiyo POV

I have no idea how long I sat there, hunched and utterly miserable. The sun's up higher now, and the light forms shadows on the grass.

I'm tired, I'm cold, and I'm hungry.

Kameko had long since stopped screaming. She seemed to have lost her voice either from yelling or pure exhaustion,

My head's pounding and my vision's blurry. I want to get up and console her, but I'm scared I'll tumble and fall with these useless legs of mine.

"Emiyo-bou."

Somehow, someway I can finally hear their voices. Her paws are on my back, she's desperate, but tired.

"Please-bou."

She squeezes my hand. It makes me feel better, though the shivers are still trying to take me over.

"Kibou..." I whisper. My voice sounds fragile, but smooth.

Does it really sound like that?

I feel another set of paws, they're warm too.
"I'm so sorry-ki."

Somehow those words bring me back to reality. I summon as much strength I can to look into her face.

Yuki hadn't stopped crying. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy.

"Your saying the same thing." I can't help but start the conversation that way.

She squeezes my hand so hard it hurts. "We'll get your emblem back-bou..."

I know that.

"Whatever it takes-bou."

That makes me smile.

I don't regret it. Not at all because----I love them. More then I love myself.

But his words are still burnt into my mind.

They must have seen me shiver because the sisters bury themselves into my chest.

How long did they stay by my side?

This thought mixed with my own forced me to acknowledge the fact that I'm sulking. Feeling useless and wanting to disappear.

To be someone else.

They didn't leave you, did they?

I'm not a cure anymore, I know that.

But seeing them stay with me, trying to calm me down in my self-pity made me feel like a fool.

The least you can do is get up.

I obey my instincts, taking that first rise. Behind me I hear movement, and I turn my head towards the sound. I see Kameko struggling.

She felt the same. Her eyes look puffy, her lips white as paper. Masayoshi and Jihi were with her. They too were tired.

I'm slipping, falling but this only increase my motivation. I take Kibou and Yuki into my arms, now that I've calmed down I realize that their paws weren't as warm as I'd initially imagined.

They were warmer then mine, but still cold.

I'm selfish. I wasn't considering how scared they were. But I'm still scared. I hate it.

I hate it so much.

"I don't want to do it because I'm afraid," Kameko whispered, she found her voice. She took a step forward. Once she got the hang of it without falling she continued until she stood before me.

"I want to do it because I want to. Because it's the right thing to do, and nothing else."

Another smile escapes my lips. But I notice Lisa has not made an single appearance.