Unlock my Heart, My Queen

Chapter Three

Mixed Emotions

"Nani!?" Was all everybody's reaction from Yuki's answer to Ikuto's behavior. The ones who were really surprised was Ikuto and Rima herself. She did not expect her day to be like this, a couple days ago she received a new chara, yesterday she learned something new about herself all thanks to Yuki, and now she learned that Tsukiyomi Ikuto was her destined mate and vice versa.

While Ikuto was still surprised to hear this information, Rima snapped out of her shocked state and took this opportunity to get out of Ikuto's tight, but now loosen embrace and successfully managed to. Still in her chara change with Yuki, she quickly ran away, well technically she jumped a very considerable height, she leapt onto a tree branch and then onto another one expertly with her two charas following in quick pursuit, but the two had some trouble catching up.

"Wait, Rima-chan!" Kusukusu yelled out to her owner, trying to catch up. Yuki also having a hard time catching up.

As the three girls left the scene, Ikuto finally shook out of his stupor after watching Rima leapt out of view. His thoughts on the subject were mixed reactions. Of all the girls his cat instincts chose to be his mate, it was the girl he barely even knew, but when he was close to her, in that tight embrace he gave her, it felt so right like nothing else mattered to him, except she mattered to him and he wanted to make her happy no matter what. He wondered why he was attracted to her, it could not have been without reason, but yet it is, he likes the girl who is very enigmatic to him.

Curious to find answers, he went to the same directions where Rima escaped to, intending to follow her. Soon enough, he found her.

Rima finally caught her breath after all that jumping, even in her new chara change form she still has poor stamina, but Yuki told her that with more practice she'll build it up to a point where it is natural for her without tiring for a long time. She transformed out of her chara change. After taking one final deep breathe, she turned to her cat chara. Kusukusu was floating next to her owner, seeing that Rima wanted a word with Yuki.

"Yuki," Rima began, trying to keep a calm mood. "...please tell me you were joking back there." Even though she had a straight face, Yuki can tell she sounded desperate on the subject.

The cat chara gave her owner a sympathetic look. "As much as you wish it is, I'm afraid it's true-nya."

After letting the answer settle, Rima broke down. She hugged her knees close to her chess, she let out a loud sigh.

"Why did this happen to me?" She asked herself, letting her head fell on her knees. "Usually this happens to Hinamori-san."

"Cheer up, Rima-chan, at least you know who you'll end up with." Kusukusu joked, but 'surprisingly' that did not help. Rima ignored her and continue to brood.

"At least give him a chance-nya." Yuki suggested, that got Rima's attention and she didn't take it lightly, after being in that embrace she felt violated and after being told who her future mate is, she has every reason to be irritated.

"How can you say that!" Rima yelled out loud. "Why should I give him any chancesp!? Hinamori-san told me all about him, how he comes to her house and bothers her, how he takes advantage of her, how perverted he is." She listed the cons.

Yuki didn't let the outburst affect her, she gave Rima a solemn look. "He knows how it feels." She received a questioned look from Rima and her sister.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Kusukusu asked, not understanding what she means.

Yuki placed her paws near her heart. "Tsukiyomi-san also has a cat chara like me, it means he also wants to be free." She explained slowly. "Rima-chan, the reason I was born was because you wanted to be free from all the pain your parents cause by their fighting. Tsukiyomi-san must feel the same way since he also has a cat chara like me."

After connecting the dots, Rima's eyes widen, finally realizing.

"Tsukiyomi-san...wants to be free from his pain...like Rima-chan." Kusukusu deducted in realization.

Yuki nodded at her in confirmation, she looked back at her Rima and see that she was in deep thought.

"He and I...share the same pain."

Ikuto was standing around a corner of a tree, even the distance between him and the ex-queen, he heard everything. He had the same thoughts as Rima.

"I was right, she's in pain and wants to be free from it... like me." Ikuto sympathize.

Yuki was letting her contemplate when she heard someone was running to where Rima was at. She looked where they were coming from and saw a pink haired with three other charas following her. From what Yuki's deductions, it was Hinamori Amu, the famous Guardian of the Joker's chair she heard about from Rima and Kusukusu.

Before Yuki could warn her, Amu called out.

"Rima!"

Rima got out of her thoughts when she heard her name, looking at the source, she saw Amu. Turning to Yuki, she gave her a serious look.

"Yuki, you should hide for now." She said

The white cat chara nodded in understanding, "Hai." She said before floating away to a distant where Amu's charas couldn't sense her. Kusukusu followed her for two reasons, one: she wanted to be with her little sister and two: she can tell in Rima's eyes that she wanted to talk with Amu alone.

"Amu." Rima acknowledged her as she finally reached the now ex-queen.

"Rima-chan is it really true you're leaving-desu?" Asked from a sad Su, her two chara sisters and owner also had similar expression.

"Hai." Rima answered simply with blunt in her voice.

"But why!?" Amu exclaimed in confusion. "Rima-chan, if it's because of your parents, maybe can we work-."

"My parents have nothing to do with this." Rima cut her off, which really surprised Amu and her charas. This also hurt Rima, but she wanted to do things her own way from now on, so if her friends won't accept this then she had to push them away for them to get it.

Rima got a determined look in her face and continued.

"True that it was my mama's idea for me to leave the Guardians, I was against it first, but I had a change of heart. So I ripped that resignation letter my mama gave to give to you guys and replaced it with my own words because I wanted it to be my choice."

"Rima." Amu murmured in sadness, she tried to reason with her again, but before she could, Rima turned and started leaving. "Chotto matte!"

Rima stopped, but she didn't turn around.

"Rima-chan, if you really want to do this...can we at least still be friends?" Amu knew it was sappy but she didn't want to lose a good friend like Rima.

At first she didn't get a response at the first seconds, but soon Rima turned her head and look directly at her eyes.

"As long you don't get in my way, we can be." She declared before leaving. "Jaa ne."

Amu and her charas were completely perplexed, Rima was never liked this before even when she didn't take a liking to them when she first came to Seiyo Academy. They wondered what caused her to act like this.

"Rima...what happened to you?" Amu asked sadly to practically no one, but someone did answered her.

"It seems that you haven't heard." Said a familiar voice from behind.

Amu turned and saw a familiar face. "Eh? Ikuto, what are you doing here?"

Ikuto smirked. "What, not happy to see me?"

Amu gained a tick mark and was about to retort when her charas interrupted her.

"What do you mean, Ikuto-san?" Su asked politely.

"What do you know about this?" Miki asked.

"Yeah! Tell us!" Ran screamed, wanting to find answers.

Amu then remembered Ikuto's early words. "That's right, what do you mean? Do you know what happened to Rima?" She then got a thought in her head. "Wait, you haven't been stalking Rima, have you?" She asked with anger and suspicion.

"Jealous?" Ikuto asked with a sly smile.

"JUST ANSWER MY QUESTION!" Amu screamed

Ikuto just look at them for a few moments before shaking his head. "You don't really know, do you?"

Amu glared at him. "What do you mean by that?"

He sigh before also turning his back at her. "You'll find out soon and when you do, you'll be in for a surprise."

And with that, he left, leaving a confused Amu with her charas, wondering what the meanings in his words.

As Ikuto left school grounds, he continued thinking about Rima. From what he had gathered from Rima's and Yuki's earlier conversation, Rima's parents were having marriage problems, or something similar to that, and caused them to have constant fights with other, resulting in Rima's pain. In a way, he can relate with that.

His parents had separated after all, it was definitely not a happy time when he heard his mother has remarried to someone else, that was the day he lost his peace and freedom.

When the thought that a similar event might happen again with Rima's parents went through his head, he felt this unknown feeling inside of him. He did not know why, but he felt like being there for Rima right now, comfort her by holding her in his arms to ease the pain, to show that she's not alone, to show that someone can relate with her, and that he will be always be there for her.

Oh just to hold her one more time just made him want to...

"No!"

Ikuto mentally slapped himself when unwanted started surfacing inside his mind. He could not believe this was happening.

Japanese word meaning.

Nani = what

Hai = yes, hey, or hello

Chotto matte: Wait a minute

Jaa ne: See you