Hello. I am Rima Mashiro. "Mashiro?" you ask, "isn't she that missing child?" Well, yes and no. Yes I am. No, don't help me. I'm fine. I'm just spending an evening with my friend and enemy... and my parents apparently forgot this arrangement, and called the police. Our trio is hiding in the bushes from the police right now so they don't sue Amu Hinamori's parents for having me over. Yup. Then there's Nagihiko Fujisaki. If it was up to me he wouldn't be here... in the bushes... with me and Amu... distressingly, I didn't have a say in this matter. What happened to my 2 cents?
"What about the missing child problem?" you're pestering me again? I suppose Fujisaki will come up with some genius plan at which Amu praises the living daylights out of him and I glare at his violet head and ochre eyes. Oh, here the plan comes now.
"We need to get to the duck pond," Fujisaki muttered. ... Wait, what? I repeated myself, in a hushed voice, of course.
"The duck pond, we can say we were just spending some time there," he replied.
"They won't buy it," I said in my usual soft voice, now tinted with displeasure.
"We can try, can't we?" Amu said, in her futile attempts to make us get along.
"If Amu-chan says so I will," I sighed. I could see them sweat-dropping with my eyes closed.
"Well?" I continued expectantly.
"Well what?" Amu asked, clearly oblivious.
Another sigh. "Just how, do you suppose, we get there?" I replied looking at them. I love Amu, but she's a ditz.
"I know a back route," Fujisaki intervened, evidently knowing back routes from the duck pond to Mars.
"No," I said as at the same time Amu said, "Sure" Now that's cruel.
"Come on Rima-chan," he said, "I won't let you get lost." Uh, excuse me but, that's why he thinks I'm tentative? Ugh. He has some reality resisting... ness. The electricity crackled between us. I saw Amu asphyxiating in the dense tension we emitted through my peripheral vision.
Eventually we got on our way. It was a dirt trail, trees all around us, all kinds, pine, oak, and some that would yield peach and cherry blossoms in the spring. It actually would have been pretty nice if Fujisaki wasn't there.
"Rima-chan?" he asked.
"What?" I snapped back.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Like what?"
"That look you're giving me." There was an awkward silence.
"Uhm-o, h-h-how much longer until we get to the pond, Nagi?" Amu asked.
"Not long," he replied with that smile I detest. He was always so happy. He would smile at me, at me! What nerve! He knows I loathe him so... why? I don't get him.
"What is it Rima-chan?" Fujisaki asked, abruptly ending my thoughts.
"What do you mean what?" I replied icily.
"You're just staring at me blankly," he answered. I shook my head. Keep calm Rima.
"I must have looked at you on accident," I used my bored-with-the-world voice.
"Oh?" he questioned. I knew how he really was. He only acts kind. He's truly just as devious as I am. Amu claims he 'just has his moments.' I met his gaze with another blank one.
"Where have you been?" Amu exclaimed suddenly. We turned like two sides of a mirror to look.
"Kiseki held another Guardian Character meeting," Ran groaned.
"We got to roll ~desu!" Suu almost sang in her upbeat voice. Miki kept silent but we all knew what she though.
"Nagi!" Rhythm yelled floating over.
"Rima-chan! Kushu, kushu, kushu!" Kusukusu almost mimicked him, but with my name, and her sweet laugh.
"Kusukusu," I acknowledged. She spun around in the air with utmost joy. I heard myself sigh and felt a gaze linger on my long, curled locks.
"Let's go," I softly declared, taking small steps forward. I barely remember them starting to follow. Something happened then though. I felt an eerie breezy blow past and shuddered. The trees suddenly seem a lot less friendly and soon enough;
"Rima, an X-egg!" Kusukusu cried her voice joyful no longer. Amu and Fujisaki went on ahead of me. They know I can't run! I'm so going to shove consequence in their faces later. Under a minute later I felt arms holding me and wind blowing on my face. Next thing I knew I was standing in an wilted field of seemingly once flowers and dead trees, off to the left was the duck pond which we seeked.
"Useless, useless, useless!" it chanted swaying to its own tune of sinister feel. I felt myself shiver before I felt my feet on the ground. I hazarded a glance to see Fujisaki in his 'Beat Jumper' form. This piqued my curiosity so I looked around to see Amu in 'Amulet Spade.'
"Kusukusu," My average voice not quivering. She nodded.
"Akashi no Kokoro; Unlock!" I felt warm soft light engulf me as I transformed. Strips of light swiveled around me once I placed Kusukusu's closed egg into my heart. My boots sparked into place and my clown dress swirled onto my petite frame, and a red bow popped onto the top of my head.
"Chara-nari; Clown Drop!" I exclaimed the sparkles halting their descent. I took a look at the dreary duck pond sapped of its natural beauty. It depressed me. It reminded me of myself. So miserable.
"We need to keep it from moving! Rima-chan, could you tie it down?" Fujisaki asked. I didn't feel like it and then I was struck. All the grief. The picture of the X-egg's owner stretched partway across the sky.
"I'm useless! No one loves me! No one cares! They're to busy worrying about themselves to see I'm hurting! No one cares!" the holograph cried out in agony. Tears ran down my face as the little flicker of delight I'd been clasping so desperately evaporated from my heart.
"Rima-chan..." it was almost a whisper. I vaguely remember myself falling forward. "Rima-chan..." the voice continued. "Rima-chan," it's getting louder. "Rima-chan!" I reached out my hand weakly, "Tightrope Dancer!" The ropes collapsed on the ground not accomplishing their obligation.
"I'll take care of the rest!" I heard Fujisaki's voice. Out of the sliver of sight my tears allowed I saw him zipping around from his continuous jumps. It took me a few moments to figure out what he was trying achieve. He was completing my ability, considering my weak state. Nagihiko Fujisaki was aiding me yet again. Did he care? Did someone finally truly care? Sure, I had Amu. Amu cared but she's my best friend. It's like I needed someone else. Someone like Nagihiko. He cared. He wasn't mindless like the others, he truly cared. For now I had Kusukusu, but she would vanish one day. I needed someone I could count on being there. I could count on Nagihiko. My eyes shut fully and I let the droplets fall in a cascade of salty H2O. A few moments later I felt the same arms around me and a feeling of security surrounded my heart.
"Now Amu!" Nagihiko yelled.
"Negative Heart! Lock on! Open Heart!" Amu's voice echoed slightly as the sparkles warmed the area.
"Suu!" she said and Amulet Spade switched to Amulet Clover. "Remake Honey!" was the last thing I heard before I fell asleep in his arms.
A few hours later I was sitting with my mother and father explaining how I had told them I would be going with my friends. I reminded them of how they promised me I could go. Before long another fight broke out over who was the worse parent for forgetting. I felt the tears slide down this time. Nagihiko had told me something once I woke up.
"Rima-chan?" I heard Nagihiko's voice and blinked awake. "Nagihiko," I muttered still half asleep.
"Rima-chan," he sounded relieved. I felt myself keep my tears. "Rima-chan, quit holding back. Go ahead and cry. It's okay to every once in a while." Before I knew what I was doing I burst into a fresh round of the salty drops and burrowed into his warm embrace.
I felt the tears threatening to pour from my eyelids. I let them. My parents stopped bickering and looked at me in shock. "Mama, Papa... I want to be happy again. Quit fighting, it makes me sad," I managed between cries. I felt them both wrap their arm around me. I needed to be loved. And right then and there, Nagihiko was right, I needed to cry.