Books surrounded her as she studied, writing down as many notes as she could. As soon as she was on the last book, a knock caused her to lose track. With a frustrated sigh, she leaned over to peek outside.
Two teenagers stood at her door, anxiously waiting for her arrival. Hikaru… And Rikka? she wondered. Walking down the stairs and reaching the front, she opened the door. It had been several months since she had seen the two former apprentices.
Rikka worriedly ran her fingers through her red curls while Hikaru stared down at his feet. Curious, she asked, "What are you guys doing here?" Hikaru finally looked up. "It's… It's good to see you again, Amu," he stammered. "It's, well, kind of embarrassing to say, but…"
Glancing at Rikka, his expression made him look helpless. With a sigh, the girl bowed in apology. "We know you've retired, but we need your help." Help? "What is it?" Amu patiently asked.
The queen gave a nervous look. "Easter has been suspicious lately, and we wanted to have a look," Rikka explained. "We've tried to go there ourselves, but there were too many guards. Too many guards than usual."
"So you want me to break in?" Amu stated. Hikaru immediately shook his head. "No, it's not like that! Even I've noticed it too. My grandfather has been out, and he rarely goes anywhere ever since Easter shut down." It does seem a bit strange, the pink haired girl thought.
It won't hurt to take a break from studying, Amu told herself. "Let me get my cell phone." As if the world was lifted from their shoulders, the two Guardians sighed in relief.
With a smile, Amu returned upstairs. Stuffing her phone into her pocket, she examined herself in front of the mirror. She wore skinny jeans and a gray blouse, her long pink hair flowing down to her waist.
Making her way back down, she called to her parents, "I'm going out for a while!" Hearing a reply, she closed the door behind her. "Shall we go?" she said.
The three made their way through the neighborhood, quietly walking. "Amu-senpai," Rikka spoke. "Where are your charas?" Hikaru glanced back at her, wondering the same thing. Amu briefly closed her eyes, lightly touching her chest. "You'll see them soon," she replied.
Curious as to why she had said that, they instead continued on. Reaching the elementary school, Amu stopped. "I thought we were going to the city," she frowned. Turning to her, Hikaru and Rikka smiled. "We have a few friends that will come along," Rikka excitedly smiled.
Entering the greenhouse, the sweet scents surrounded her, reminding her of the times with the Guardians. "Everyone! We've brought Amu-senpai!" Cheers and shocks of surprise echoed through the center, footsteps racing down to meet her.
"Amu-chi!" one of them cried, tackling Amu with a tight grip. "Y-Yaya," she struggled to breathe. "It's great to see you again…" Her chestnut hair was cut to her shoulders, the big ribbons replaced with bunny pins at the ends of her hair. As always, she wore a skirt.
"Amu," Tadase smiled. The teenager glanced up, recognized his golden hair. Nagihiko and Rima sat at the table, drinking tea as usual. "Looks like you finally arrived," a voice sighed. Turning around, Amu found Utau holding hands with Kukai. "Sup' Amu!" he waved. The singer beside him rolled her eyes; a slight shimmer glowed from her eyes as if saying, Good to see you again.
"The other Guardians aren't here, but I hope this is enough," Hikaru said. "Shall we go?" With a nod of agreement, the group began to head out. With Amu being the last one leaving, she started to take a step until a hand touched her shoulder.
With the other covering her eyes, the mysterious figure pulled her back into the forest of flowers. "You think you'd leave before seeing me," a voice whispered into her ear. Amu tried to turn around.
Pushing the hand away from her eyes, she caught the sight of blue hair. Touching the hand around her, she smiled. "Hey, Ikuto," she warmly replied. Hearing him chuckle, she felt him bury his face into her hair. "You smell great as always," he purred.
"Get off," she playfully growled. Released by his grip, she finally turned around to look at him. Even his sharp blue eyes made her legs melt.
His spiky blue hair acted like cat ears, with the usual dark outfit standing out from the bright garden. "It's great to see you again," Amu tired not to stutter. Ikuto reached out, taking a strand of her pink hair. "Still pink as always," he chuckled. Pulling it towards him, he made Amu take steps closer to him.
Just before Amu could panic, Tadase's head peeked in the greenhouse. "What are you two doing? Come on, let's get going." The teenager cleared her throat, turning away before Ikuto could say anything. "Let's go," she said before walking away.
They finally reached the building, watching as guards roamed around the perimeter. "You're right, there is a lot of guards surrounding Easter," Kukai whispered to Hikaru.
"How will we get in?" Yaya wondered. Utau and Hikaru stood up. "We'll try to make the distraction," Utau told the group. "You go on ahead at the side door. You remember where that is, right Ikuto?" The blue haired teenager nodded.
Quietly hiding behind the cars, Utau and Hikaru crossed the street, casually approaching the guards. Hearing a panicked tone in their fake attitudes, the guards easily allowed them inside. As they spoke, the group of teens crept towards the side of the building. "Go inside," Ikuto whispered as soon as he cracked the lock. They all entered the dark cellar, searching for stairs to the first floor.
"Over here!" Nagihiko called out. Walking up the steps, they finally reached the bright floor. One by one, they managed to make it into the elevator. "We're good," Kukai assured Amu as soon as Ikuto arrived. Closing the door, they rose to the top level.
Hearing a cell phone ring, Kukai opened his phone. With nods and few words, he finally closed it. "Utau and Hikaru are on their way," he explained.
The doors opened with a ding. Leaving the elevator, they entered a dark room. Light escaped through a door close by, the sound of construction piercing the silent air. Ikuto and Amu quietly approached, looking through the crack.
"Kazuomi," Ikuto muttered under his breath. What are they doing? The girl wondered. Realizing there was a large shadow behind the former director, she tried to take a look. Silver steel nearly formed a circle, wrenches and tools still adjusting to the machine. "What is that?"
