4 Years Like Forever – A Shugo Chara Fic
A/N- THIS USED TO BE PREVIOUSLY TITLED TIME STANDS STILL. ITS SOMETHING I THOUGHT OF AND FELT LIKE WORKING ON. IT TAKES PLACE AFTER IKUTO LEAVES TO TRAVEL THE WORLD WITH HIS DAD. NEITHER HE NOR AMU HAVE SHUGO CHARAS ANYMORE. I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY IT. REVEIWS ARE APPRECIATED.
Prologue
Ikuto Pov:
The rain poured down outside the window of the car. It had been six months since I had left Japan, and my father and I were currently in the United States. We had been to a lot of places in those six months, traveling from over Europe, China, and now the United States. A lot of people heard Aruto and his son play, and it seemed we were steadily growing more and more popular. More people all over the world started recognizing us even. Just the other day I had a girl come running up to me, wanting my autograph. I wasn't used to that, sure a lot of the girls in my high school had always come up to me, but never for my autograph before. My father and I had grown pretty close too, it's amazing how easy it's been to forget the years when I hated him for leaving Utau, Mom, and I but I know why he did that now. It been great really, and I don't have to worry about getting caught for skipping school all of the time either, because I've been taking classes online where you can just do the work when you feel like it.
I call my Mom and Utau sometimes too, Utau always being extremely excited when I call. She does get a little annoyed though with me when I do though because I always ask about Amu. She gets mad then, and whines about 'why it's always about her (Amu)?' but I know she really isn't that jealous anymore. She's started going out with Kukai, Amu's friend, and I know she really must like him because she's always talking about him according to Mother. Personally, I'm just glad she's finally gotten over her brother obsession.
The one person I really want to see and talk to though, it seems I never get around to calling though. Amu. I've tried, but I never really know what to say. After the scene at the airport, it's not as if I can tease her so much anymore though I will certainly try the next time I see her. I smirked at the thought. I did text her a couple of times, just telling her about her travels, but she always had to go because of the times differences she was always either in school or almost asleep whenever I called her. I frowned, as I watched the rain hit the pavement as we road down the intersection. I really missed her. Soon though, I thought to myself. Soon I would see her again. Dad had decided the other day that he would like to go back to Japan for a little while, he missed my Mother and I knew my Mother missed him. Then while we were in Japan I would seek out my little Strawberry.
Suddenly something outside the window caught my eye. A black van, not really all that suspicious since a lot of people drive black vans but something about it seemed familiar. And it wasn't a good feeling either. It was only then that the van turned and I saw what was written on the side of it. Easter. No way it's a coincidence that Easter would be in the United States I thought, no way. The Easter van turned then onto a side street, and then disappeared from view. I guess I really should have seen it coming, the other van I mean, the one that didn't have the Easter insignia on it so that it the company wouldn't be linked to any say illegal activities. Only I was so busy starring in the direction that the Easter van went in, that I didn't see the other van. That is, until it collided with the front of the car my Father and I were driving in.
The impact shook through me. The world shook, and I could feel a searing pain in my head as my head hit the window hard enough to leave a crack in the glass. Red blinded my eyes, but the pain and everything at the same time felt surreal. Like a dream and everything is in slow motion. It was in slow motion too, that I watched the black van slam the car again, this time purposely attacking the driver's side. Dad, the entire side of the car seemed to just crush into itself and I was pressed against the window. My father's entire lower half being hit immediately. His head had broken open with the impact as well. Not only was I soaked in my blood, but my father's as well. I felt like ice, an inch from death myself, my body frozen in fear. I wanted to close my eyes, so that I didn't have to see the horrible sight that was my father. I knew he was dead, but I couldn't look away. I was frozen; it was then that the other car slammed into us again. It was obvious that the driver wanted us dead, and it even occurred to me that this was planned out. The street we were on was like a ghost town, not another car around. It seemed that the air bags had been messed with as well, because otherwise they would have deployed upon first impact. Easter wanted us dead, and they were willing to go pretty far to do it. My body rocked with the car, but the third impact had no affect on me other than whip lash. The other car wasn't done yet though; it just kept coming, crashing into us and then reversing and then crashing into us again. It wasn't going to end until we were both dead either. I was going to die. It occurred to me, and I knew I should try to do something to stop it. I should open the door, and run as far away from the car as I could but even as the idea came the van smashed into our car for a fourth time and this time I wasn't prepared. My head smashed against the window once again, with enough force that I felt darkness creeping into my eyes. No, don't fall asleep. No. It couldn't end like this. Only one image flashed in my mind's eye before I fell into unconsciousness. Amu.
Amu POV:
I was just coming home from school, and I was still trying to hold in laughter from the day's events. Tadase, Rima, Nagi, Kukai and I were all in our one class that we all had to together in Middle School. We had a substitute and we wreaked havoc on the poor unsuspecting sub. I chuckled just thinking about it as I walked up the walkway, and opened the door.
"I'm home!" I called slipping off my shoes. I could hear my Mom call from the kitchen.
"Amu? Can you come here for a moment?" I glanced toward the kitchen, confused and wondering what my Mother would want to talk to me about. I walked into the kitchen, and was about to ask what it was when suddenly I noticed that we had a guest sitting at the kitchen table.
Tsukasa! I was really confused now. Something was wrong too, I realized. I hadn't seen Tsukasa ever since I started school at the Middle School and right now the expression he was wearing did not suit his character at all. He was starring dejectedly into a cup of untouched coffee; I guessed my Mom had made for him.
"Tsukasa?" He looked up at me and smiled, but the smile seemed like it would crumble away at any second.
"Hello Amu." His eyes moved from mine back down to stare into the coffee. Almost as if he couldn't bare to look me in the eyes. Suddenly I no longer felt like laughing. I took a seat next to him, and glanced curiously at my Mom. It seemed however that she was uncomfortable looking me in the eyes as well. Something was very very wrong.
"Tsukasa what is it?" I asked in a quiet voice, suddenly very afraid for the answer. Tsukasa sighed down at his coffee, and he painstakingly seemed to gather himself up enough to look at me. It was then that I noticed that his eyes were red and puffy as though he'd either not slept for a very long time or had been crying. My heart tightened in my chest.
"Amu." He whispered. "Amu its Ikuto." I frowned.
"Ikuto?" Tsukasa nodded and I noticed his fist tighten at his side.
"Yes, Amu, there's been an incident." His voice seemed to force out the word 'incident' as though he had a much better word for what had happened but didn't think it best to say it out loud. I felt my veins turn to ice.
"An incident?" My eyes widened.
"Yes, it seems that Ikuto and his father got into a car crash when they were in America. Amu, they didn't make it."
I froze. 'Didn't make it'. As in they were… Ikuto! My hands tightened into fists on my lap. My Mom moved behind me and set her hand on my shoulder, her eyes sad and sympathetic.
No! No it can't be! Ikuto can't be d- He just can't be! Ikuto.
"No!" I yelled, but it came out as a whisper. Damp tears hit the back of my hands and I realized that I was shaking. No. No. No. Ikuto.
"How could? A car crash?", I looked up to see Tsukasa watching me.
"Amu.", he said with a glance at my Mother. I seemed that he had something else to tell me, yet he didn't want to say it in front of my Mother. He sighed though, when he realized that she wasn't going to be leaving me when I was so upset.
"Amu I don't think this was an accident." His words were careful, and it was almost in a whisper but my eyes shot open.
"Not an accident?", I repeated. He looked grim.
"I believe it was Easter." He scowled as he said the name, and I felt a shiver run up my spine.
"But- how? I thought Easter was no more." He nodded glancing swiftly at my Mother, who was starring at us with a perplexed expression on her face.
"Yes, but there have been some rumors saying that a few employees of associates are trying to rebuild Easter. They didn't want Ikuto and his father interfering with the company." My gaze met Tsukasa's and I could read the hidden message there. If they went after Ikuto, they might come after you.
I was then that it really seemed to hit me. Ikuto was dead. It was real. He wasn't coming back. Sobs racked my body, I knew under normal circumstances I would be embarrassed to cry in front of anyone but there wasn't a single fiber left in me at the moment that had room for embarrassment. Ikuto. Ikuto. No. Please no. Ikuto!
My eyes closed and I laid my head against the kitchen table, crying. Tsukasa went home shortly after, with a pat on my back, but I was still crying at the table. Eventually my Mom helped me up to my room, but even there I continued to cry. It was like I would never stop crying either, but then finally I did I fall asleep.
It was, however, only the beginning of my grief.
Ikuto POV:
I woke up to darkness. It seemed that either I was blind or I was in room with the lights off. I did hear voices though, but those were not so comforting. I could only hear pieces of the conversation, but of what I heard, none of it sounded too good.
"What is he doing here? You were supposed to eliminate him and the father, Aruto."
"S-S-Sorry Sir. We thought he was dead. I mean the car was hit four times, he should have been killed."
"Yet there he lies?"
"He smashed his head through the glass, there was blood all over the car. When we realized that he was still alive, though my assistant suggested that he might be useful down the road and that maybe we should keep him alive."
More words, but it seemed Ikuto was fading in and out of consciousness during the conversation.
"We remembered how we had the tank, it was a project I've been working on and this seems like the perfect opportunity to try it. Don't you think so, Director?"
Silence. Ikuto was sure however this was not due to him falling out of consciousness this time.
"Yes, very well. Perhaps we can use him in the future. I had been planning on using the girl, but it does seem like he would be easier to control. I mean we have done it before."
There was a chuckling of sardonic laughter, and Ikuto felt sick.
"Alright, you may do as you wish. Just make sure you get him stable before he wakes up, I would prefer not to have him escape."
"Yes Sir." Three different voices chimed. It was then that Ikuto got the idea to escape. He could now feel that he seemed to be in some sort of glass box. A tank? That was what one of the voices said.
"Turn on the water!" A voice commanded, and suddenly Ikuto felt water pouring in by his feet. Crap, were they going to drown him now?
He tried to move, but he now realized that he was being restrained by something. Rope? No, it felt more like wires and they were attached into his skin. He tried, blindly, to pull one of them out but apparently this caught one of the people outside's attention.
"He's awake!"
"Press the button!"
A current rushed through his body, and he felt himself being paralyzed. Then he felt himself falling once again into unconsciousness. This time however he would not be waking up for a long long time.
To be continued...