First of all, I apologize immensely for the delayed update. You can thank school for that. Well, I cannot believe I managed to receive nine reviews on the first chapter! Thank you all so much for reviewing. Also, I hope you like the pretty cover. I thought the image was pretty and kind of fitting, but it's tentative. Just a quick side-note, Nagihiko already told Amu about Nadeshiko, and italics mean flashback. I own nothing, and enjoy.
**Call Me Crazy**
She gripped the metal bars of her cage, her desperate screams and wails merely echoing off the silver-colored walls. Her cage was moderate-sized, having room for a twin bed with white sheets. If she desired to use the bathroom, she would have to seek one of the guards. She felt like an animal, being wrongly forced into a cage. She desperately tried to tear the bars, even though she knew it was utterly pointless.
"Amu-Chan…" A voice whispered. Amu turned around, facing her four charas. They were all staring at her, with morose expressions. Amu's face was plastered with tears, mascara all of her cheeks.
"Why am I here?" Amu mumbled, falling to her knees. "It's just…it's not fair. I-I'm a normal girl, with a normal life. I hardly ever got in trouble in school. Why me?" Another round of tears cascaded her face. She rubbed her eyes, only prompting them to become redder.
"We're sorry…" She glanced up at them. Miki floated forward, looking extremely upset. "It's our fault you're here. If we never came…" Amu shook her head slowly.
"No, don't say that," Amu whispered. "I-I can't regret anything. Without you guys, I would have never had any friends after my move. I would have never became friends with Nagi, or Tadase, heck, even Ikuto, and all of the others. I… I just… I don't even know…" She just wanted to go back home, back to a simple life. She let out a sigh. Why did her sister have to let her down like that? If Ami had spoken up at all, maybe Amu could have still been safe at home…
"Ikuto, Yoru, get out!" Amu hissed, shoving them toward the window. Ikuto crossed his arms, a sly smirk crossing on his face.
"You're done with me?" He wondered.
"My parents are home!" Amu exclaimed, exasperated. "Look, I'll see you later, kay? Bye!" Ikuto complied, hopping out the window. She let out a sigh, and collapsed onto her bed. If she had known that would be the last thing she said to Ikuto before her life turned upside-down, she would have been much kinder, perhaps even professing her feelings.
"Ugh, he can be such a pain," Amu grumbled.
"Amu-Chan's blushing!" Ran pointed out. Amu glared at her chara, her cheeks only heating up further.
"Ran!" Amu whined.
"Aw, come on! It's awfully cute!" Su agreed, smiling warmly.
"But what about Tadase-Kun?" Miki reminded Amu. Dia floated nearby, lightly chuckling at Amu's flustered state and the other girls' teasing.
"You guys!" Amu whined, tossing a pillow at them jokingly.
"Amu…" She rapidly turned, facing her parents and a bunch of unfamiliar men. Amu gulped, sitting up rapidly. How long had they been there? She brushed some hair back, composing herself.
"Can I help you?" Amu wondered, her arms crossed.
"We're here to help you," The men claimed. Amu raised an eyebrow.
"What do I need help with?" Amu wondered, her arms crossed.
"Who were you just talking to?" Amu's mother wondered. Amu opened her mouth to speak. Of course, they happened to overhear the conversation with Ran, Miki, Su, and Dia.
"A-A friend had just come over," Amu bluffed, having partially told the truth. "Ikuto, do you remember him? He was here before, just visiting."
"We saw him leave," Amu's father pointed out. "It was after that." Amu gulped, unsure of what to say. He turned to the men. "We have been suspicious for a while, but nothing for certain. You promise not to hurt my daughter?"
"Of course we won't," The men promised, walking toward Amu.
"W-What's going on?!" Amu wondered, as the men grabbed her arms.
"We are here to help you," They promised. "You claim to see these charas, correct?" Amu froze. How would they know about them? "They are not real. We're going to help you realize the truth."
"W-What!?" Amu exclaimed, feeling herself being guided downstairs by the men. As she entered her living room, she saw Ami watching television nonchalantly. Amu desperately turned to her sister.
"Ami! You can see them too," Amu remembered suddenly. "Tell them I'm not crazy. If two people can see them, then I'm sane, right? Ami!" Ami did not meet Amu's eyes. Tears were building up in Amu's eyes. "Come on little sis…" Ami finally looked up at Amu, with a blank expression.
"I don't know what you're referring to," Ami whispered, sounding the most mature Amu had ever heard. Amu's eyes widened.
"Ami! Please! I-I need you!" Amu was being dragged by the men. "Ami!" Ami went back to her television. Amu felt herself being dragged into the truck, completely dismayed and upset. She was unable to hear the faint apology under Ami's breath.
"Ami… I wonder what you're thinking now," Amu murmured, sighing softly.
**Call Me Crazy**
Boom! Ikuto's fist hit the punching bag, sending it flying a significant distance. He let out a sigh, and punched it again with his left fist. Those two hits were for the two days he had been apart from her. He let out a sigh, and began throwing many punches at it, sending it flying in various directions. This is what Ikuto desired to do to those who laid a finger on Amu. Imagining her somewhere unknown utterly helpless broke Ikuto's heart tremendously. No words could describe how much he loved Amu. He knew that no matter what he did, he had to save her. Even though she was only sixteen opposed to twenty-one-year-old Ikuto, she managed to impact his life significantly. He had never had such strong feelings for anyone ever, until he met that very special pinkette all those years ago.
"You're going to break your knuckles." He did not even need to look up to recognize the voice of his sister. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw her leaning into the doorway, her arms crossed. Ikuto scoffed, and through one last punch at the punching bag, before turning to face her.
"What do you want?" Ikuto grumbled.
"Fujisaki and Tadase are over," Utau explained. "They're doing research currently. Due to your obsession with Amu, I thought that you might want to help."
"Research is pointless," Ikuto grumbled. "We know she's on an island. It's just a matter of getting there."
"Yeah! It's going to be quite simple, nya!" Yoru agreed, floating up beside his chara. Ikuto ignored the presence of his chara.
"Yeah simple," Il murmured sarcastically.
"Well, whatever. It's more helpful than hitting a punching bag." Ikuto could not argue with her on that. "Are you coming, or what?" Ikuto sighed, and followed his little sister up the stairs. Sure enough, Nagihiko and Tadase were in the living room, typing away on a computer. Nagihiko glanced over, and gave Ikuto a half-hearted smile. Ikuto did not return it, and turned to Tadase.
"You find anything?" He wondered.
"Well, really just what we already know," Tadase admitted dryly. "However, we found out that Mashiro-San-"
"Whatever. I'm just focused on finding Amu." Everyone turned to face Ikuto in utter bewilderment. Utau let out a sigh.
"How could you say that?!" Nagihiko exclaimed. "At least we know where Amu-Chan is. Rima-Chan could be anywhere… She's being sought for by the men in charge of the asylum. Heck, she's most likely living homeless somewhere, hiding in fear. And you're just focused on finding Amu-Chan, and no one else?!"
"I didn't mean it like that…" Ikuto mumbled. "I just..."
"Oh, you think you're entitled to Amu-Chan?!" Tadase stood up angrily. "Like Nagihiko said, Mashiro-San is missing. Amu-Chan is hurt. You think you can be that selfish!? I love her too, but at least I understand that I love others too! That's a redeeming feature in someone that Amu-Chan would surely prefer."
"Everyone, just stop." All eyes turned to face Utau. "Ikuto didn't mean that. None of you could understand how he's been. I know Amu's like your best friend Fujisaki, and you love her Tadase, but neither of you can possibly imagine how much she means to Ikuto. He does care about Rima too, but he just can't focus. He hasn't slept in the time she has been missing. What he said was wrong, but he didn't mean it in an offensive way. Right?" Ikuto looked at his sister, and nodded slowly. Nagihiko looked at the ground, and Tadase let out a sigh.
"But…" Tadase stopped himself.
"I think…I can understand," Nagihiko admitted, his eyes darkening.
"We'll find the midget," Ikuto promised, adjusting his tone. "She was kidnapped once, right? Like Amu, she's quite stubborn. She won't settle for that again. She will do anything to prevent getting captured." Nagihiko looked up at Ikuto, and smiled slightly.
"You know… You sounded just like Amu right then," Nagihiko pointed out. A semblance of a smile formed upon Ikuto's face.
"Well, apparently Mashiro-San was recently spotted right in the city," Tadase interrupted. "She shouldn't be too far. Nagihiko, you said you tried her cell phone, right?"
"Dozens of times," He admitted. "It just keeps going to voice mail. It's more than likely that she doesn't have her phone on her."
"Apparently Yaya has been looking, or something," Utau explained. "I don't really know, but Kukai described something about a candy radar? Who the hell even knows, but at least she drags Kairi everywhere she goes, so she has someone sane with her."
"Yaya's crazy…" Tadase pointed out. Ikuto tuned them out, and thought more about Amu. Rima had managed to avoid going to the asylum, so Ikuto found hardly any reason to worry about her. It was his precious Amu that occupied the majority of his thoughts. He could imagine Amu's futile cries of innocence, given that charas were real, but no one would know that. He remembered that last time he saw her. As usual, he had hopped through her window, and teased her, prompting her to blush. The last thing she had told him was to get out because her parents were home. How long after was she taken to the asylum?
"I have to go," Ikuto muttered. Suddenly a thought dawned on him. "Wait, where did Fujisaki go?" Utau and Tadase stared blankly at him.
"Um, weren't you paying attention?" Tadase wondered. "He said he had to go home immediately to practice dancing."
"Where are you going?" Utau demanded.
"Just out for a bit," Ikuto promised, hurrying out before they could inquire any further.
He arrived outside of the house he had become quite acquainted with for nearly six years. It was quite a simple house, but somehow, seeing it provided Ikuto with a sense of warmness. It wasn't just any house; it was Amu's house- the house that belonged to the love of his life. Sighing, he climbed atop a tree, and hopped onto Amu's balcony. Her balcony doors were unlocked, so he nonchalantly walked into her room. Nothing had changed in the three days he had last returned here, except that the one who inhabited said room was gone. He let out a sigh, and sat on her bed sheets. He could not name how many times he slept beside her. It was such a sweet sight, seeing the girl beside him sleeping soundly. He remembered one time, she caught him watching her briefly, and she immediately claimed he was a pervert. He chuckled under his breath in reminiscing.
"Amu isn't home." Ikuto jumped, turning toward the source of the voice. Amu's little sister, Ami stood at the doorway, looking more mature than Ikuto had ever seen her.
"Gee, thanks," Ikuto muttered sarcastically. The melancholy within Ami's eyes made him regret his sarcasm.
"I should have spoken up…" Ikuto raised an eyebrow, curious as to where she was going with this. "Maybe it could have made a difference. She trusted me! B-But I…I let her down…" Ami sniffled.
"What happened?" Ikuto asked gently. He motioned for Ami to come closer. She complied, and sat on Amu's bed. He sat beside her.
"It was just three days ago," Ami sniffled, rubbing her eyes. "After you left, S-Sissy was confronted with these men. Mom and Dad had heard her talking to her charas after you were gone, but of course, they couldn't hear them, so they thought Sissy was crazy, and called the men. They were taking her to the asylum. As she left, she turned to me. She wanted me to tell them that I saw the charas too, and that she wasn't crazy. I knew that if I said anything, I could have been in trouble, or taken. Selfishly, I didn't say anything. But now, I only wonder if it could have made a difference… My sissy must be unhappy…"
"You did the right thing," Ikuto muttered. Ami looked up at him. "Amu turned to you in desperation. If she had been thinking clearly, she would have known that it wouldn't be wise." Ikuto took a deep breath, and tousled the younger girl's hair. It was a small gesture he had done with Utau when they were younger.
"Sissy does that to me sometimes." Ami giggled.
"Ami, let me promise you something." She looked up at him. "I'm going to save Amu, no matter what. I know the asylum is on an island and most likely heavily guarded, but I'm going to do whatever it takes to save her, no matter the risks."
"Thank you Ikuto…" Ami hugged him. Startled, Ikuto hugged her gently, unsure of how to treat her. "Don't tell Amu I said this, but I think she's better with you than Tadase. She puts on a façade with him, and acts as that cutesy, nervous girl. With you, she is herself and much more comfortable." The small smile that seldom appeared on his face shone brightly upon that comment.
**Call Me Crazy**
The average blue sky appeared extra bright to Rima, compared to the darkness in the box. It had been two days since she took off, and the only other time she had left her box was to find a water fountain. Unfortunately, she had managed to leave behind her purse holding her phone at her house, so she had no contact with the outside world. She could only imagine the disgusting state she was in, which Kusu-Kusu bluntly had burst out in laughter when she inquired about it. Though Rima had absolutely no access to the time, she could infer it was midday, due to the effulgence of the sky.
"Where are you going to go?" Kusu-Kusu wondered, turning to her owner.
"I'm so hungry…" She grumbled. "But I don't have money…" Her eyes began to water. "Oh god. I don't even know what time it is, or what day, or anything! I haven't shower, or eaten in, who knows how long. It feels like weeks, but it must have been at least a day, right?"
"I don't know…" Kusu-Kusu admitted, sighing. "Cheer up Rima! You'll find a way!" She grinned, quite contrary to Rima's mood.
"But how?! I'm homeless… And it's not like I can go home, or else I'll be…kidnapped." Rima gulped. "Don't they understand?! I was kidnapped when I was younger! They know that it has scarred me. W-Why would they call those men?!" Her eyes widened. "The others! Oh god, for all I know, they could have been taken because of their charas. I can't believe I didn't think about that sooner. Oh god…"
"Rima, calm down!" Kusu-Kusu instructed. Rima turned to her chara, tears daring to escape her eyes. "You're going to be okay, I promise. You were too scared to think about anything else. They're probably fine. Why don't you try to find them?"
"I don't know where those men are," Rima reminded her chara. "For all I know, they could be searching for me. We need to be inconspicuous. Well, I need to be anyway; if you could be seen, we wouldn't be having this problem…" Kusu-Kusu glanced at the ground. Rima walked out of the alleyway, peering at the city outside of her. People were hustling as usual, oblivious to the problems she faced. Life appeared to be completely normal. Cars were driving by, incessantly honking each other. Taxis were driving people to their destinations. Rima took a deep breath, and stepped onto the street, attempted to blend in with the crowd. She walked around in the city she had come to call home for almost five years now.
"You look awfully pale," Kusu-Kusu noted suddenly. Rima frowned at her chara.
"Well, I haven't eaten anything in however long. Plus, my head is killing me. I just want to eat." A few people turned to stare at her. She flushed, realizing her entire predicament. She smiled casually, in an attempt not to be noticed.
As she turned her head, she noticed a bakery. She would have simply continued walking, if the door had not briefly opened. She inhaled a waft of sweetness- chocolate and pastries blended together. The growling in her stomach made her moan, as if she was metal drawn to a magnet. She began walking toward it, allured by the mere smell.
"Rima!" Kusu-Kusu cried, following her. "What about the money problem?"
"I'm so freaking hungry," Rima mumbled, walking into the bakery. "I'll figure something out." Unfortunately, she was out of ideas. The sweets on the counter made her mouth water, as they practically beckoned her. She felt just like Yaya. Just thinking about Yaya made Rima sigh. She desperately hoped she was okay. The bakery was quite small, and had a tiled-pink floor, with orange walls. It seemed like a welcoming place.
"Is something the matter, little girl?" Rima turned, facing an unfamiliar man. Her eyes narrowed slightly, upon being called little. However, she realized she could use her height and juvenile appearance to her advantage. Rima allowed some fake tears to cascade down her cheeks, a neat trick she had learned from a comedy skit years ago, and what she constantly used on Amu to get her way. However, Nagihiko was always able to see through her false cries. Just the mere thought of him made her smile poignantly.
"I-I want a treat, but my mommy said I can't…" Rima lied, acting as a hysterical child. "She said it's too much money, but I don't get it…" The man placed a reassuring hand on her head.
"You look so hungry," The man noticed. She nodded remorsefully. "Is there a specific treat that a little girl like you would desire?" The lighting up of her eyes was not even faked. Rima turned to the treats, and admired them.
"I want a…"
"Honey!" Rima's eyes lowered, having heard a woman's voice. The man turned, and ran off, clearly being called by his wife.
"You were so close!" Kusu-Kusu exclaimed. Rima nodded, biting her lip. If anything, that whole incident had made her hungrier, as she thought about all of the dessert options. Her mouth was watering tremendously. All of the sweets sounded so amazing. The sound of the opening of the door seemed irrelevant to her, as she stared at the sweets in longing.
"Excuse me, have you seen this girl?" Rima turned to face the man who had just silenced the bakery, her eyes widened. This had been one of the men that had tried to abduct her. She backed up, hoping to conceal her identity. Sure enough, the image on the wanted sign looked familiar to herself. "She has been spotted nearby."
"Hm, that looks familiar actually," A person pointed out. Subtly, Rima stepped toward the door, hoping no one would notice. Unfortunately, her attempts to be illusive did not quite work, as someone's eyes widened and they lifted a finger.
"Hold on, isn't that-" Before they could finish their sentence, Rima bolted out the door, running at a pace that did not belong to her. It did dawn on her that she never assuaged her hunger, but that was not quite the prominent issue. She found herself crashing directly into someone, knocking both of them over.
"S-Sorry!" She quickly apologized, standing up rapidly. When she got a look at the person in front of her, an immense smile formed upon her face. His purple hair was enough to give it away to her.
"…Rima-Chan?!"
"Nagi!" Rima cried in utter delight, not even noticing that she used his nickname. He quickly got to his feet, smiling down at the petite girl in front of him.
"Holy shit, we didn't know what happened to you… We've been looking but… Oh my god, Rima, it's really you…" He pulled her into an embrace. Rima wrapped her arms around him as well, ignoring the rosy blush upon her cheeks.
"They're looking for me," Rima whispered suddenly. He let go of her. "I'll explain everything later. We just need to go quickly." Nagihiko nodded, and took her hand, shoving them both through the crowds and back to the quieter areas of the city.
They arrived at Nagihiko's manor, both of them hand in hand. Nagihiko grabbed the key from his pocket, and unlocked the manor, leading Rima inside. She looked around, completely marveled by the immense size. She had never been inside before, but officially understood what Amu meant when she raved about it. It was certainly a change of pace from living in a box. Nagihiko let go of her hand suddenly, and gestured for her to follow. As they passed the kitchen, she saw Nagihiko's housekeeper baking cookies. The smell of them became overwhelming. She tugged the back of Nagihiko's shirt, prompting him to look at her.
"What's up?" He wondered.
"Um…" Rima blushed. "A-Are the cookies going to be ready soon?"
"You're hungry?" Rima nodded eagerly. He chuckled lightly. "That makes sense… Gosh, were you living on streets? I heard you were being wanted, so you must have not had anything decent to eat. I'll get you something quick, alright?" Rima nodded, as Nagihiko opened his kitchen cabinet, and tossed her a hundred-calorie bag of chips. Rima's eyes lit up, as she rapidly opened it, and stuffed chips into her mouth, hardly even caring that her crush might judge her for eating like a pig.
"Young Master, who is this girl?" Baaya asked.
"This is a friend of mine." Nagihiko gestured for her to follow. Baaya raised an eyebrow, as Rima quickly digested the chips, seeming so informal in a beautiful home. He put his arm around her kindly, making her face turn crimson. "Baaya-San, this is Rima. She's a close friend of mine. Her parents are having some issues, so she might need to stay here for a bit." Rima glanced up at him, realizing how rapidly he bluffed. It wasn't incorrect, but that certainly wasn't the reason she was staying here. Faintly, she heard Kusu-Kusu's giggles, and she attempted to make no reaction to it.
"You'll have to talk to your mother about that, but I am sure that will be fine." Baaya carried the tray of cookies and placed it on a counter. "For now, your friend can inhabit one of the guest rooms. It's down that hallway on the left." Rima nodded, thanking her. Nagihiko removed his arm from her, and allowed her to walk to her room.
"I know Mother wanted me to dance, but I do believe it would be wise to settle her in first…"
"Be careful with her, Young Master." Nagihiko looked up at Baaya, with a raised eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
"Your mother does not wish to discuss such matters with you, so I will. This is the girl you have been speaking on the phone with, correct?"
"Yeah, but we haven't spoken in days… Why do you bring it up?" Nagihiko knew exactly where Baaya was taking this.
"You're a sixteen-year-old boy Nagihiko; despite your mother dressing you up as a female, you are bound to experience feelings due to hormones and growing older." Nagihiko felt his face heat up slightly. "You always take time out of your dancing to speak to her. These feelings you are experiencing… just be careful with them. I do not know what your body desires, but do not let yourself do something rash for her."
"B-Baaya-San!" Nagihiko cried. "I-I'm not..." Baaya merely smiled at him. Nagihiko sighed, and bowed politely to her. Before joining Rima, he decided to make her some pancakes, knowing she must have been starved. He lifted the pancakes and a glass of water, and headed to her guestroom, knocking on the door.
"Can I come in, Rima-Chan?" Nagihiko asked.
"No."
"What?"
"N-No, I'm joking… Come in…" Nagihiko chuckled lightly, and opened the door, seeing her sit on the bed. He could visibly see her eyes light up upon seeing the pancakes and water. Smiling lightly, he closed the door behind him, and carried the pancakes over to her, placing the water beside her bed.
"Is your mother okay with this?" Rima wondered, beginning to eat the pancakes.
"I have yet to speak to her," Nagihiko admitted, sitting in front of her on the bed.
"Then what took you so long?"
"Well, it takes a bit to make pancakes," Nagihiko pointed out. Rima turned her head bashfully, but he could visibly see her blush, and further, Kusu-Kusu was giggling incessantly. "Well, anyway, we have a lot to talk about." Rima looked back at him, and nodded slowly.
"Is everyone alright?! Obviously you know that I was being searched for because I can see charas, so you know that I'm caught up." Nagihiko let out a sigh.
"Amu-Chan…" He began. Rima's eyes widened. "Everyone else is fine, but she's at the asylum."
"The asylum?" Rima inquired.
"It's where they take everyone who is deemed schizophrenic by seeing the charas," Nagihiko explained. "So they came to your house? I don't mean to resurface bad memories, but…" Rima nodded.
"I had gotten Utau's phone call, telling me to come to the Royal Garden," Rima explained. "I was stupid. I went downstairs, hearing my parents fight. I had told Kusu-Kusu how much I hated it, and apparently they heard me talking to thin air. They told me it was a chara, and stupidly, I admitted it was. Then, they called those asylum workers, or whatever, and they came. I, um, managed to get away, and hid in this box for… however long. Oh god, it was horrible. I was so hungry and thirsty and…"
"Shh, you're here now," Nagihiko reassured, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Rima smiled lightly. "To clarify, it's been two days since Utau called you. That day she, Ikuto, and Tadase were being chased by those men as well."
"Two days…" Rima repeated, letting it sink in. She turned to face Kusu-Kusu. "It felt like weeks, at least." She yawned suddenly. "I'm so tired…"
"You must be. It's awfully difficult to sleep in a box, I would presume." Rima nodded, lifting the sheets and climbing underneath. Upon her head hitting the pillow, she immediately fell to sleep, Kusu-Kusu going inside her egg. Nagihiko walked a little closer to her, and caressed her cheek lightly, before exiting her room.
"Nagihiko, it might be wise to get ahead on your dancing," Temari pointed out. Nagihiko nodded, changing into a kimono and tying his hair back.
"Aren't you going to comment on what just happened?" Rhythm wondered.
"What's there to say?" Nagihiko looked at Rhythm, smiling sheepishly.
"Well, she was cute, right?"
"That's a given." Temari and Rhythm exchanged knowing smiles, as Nagihiko descended the steps, heading over to his mother and Baaya who were talking.
"I am quite pleased you are making time for your duties," Nagihiko's mother pointed out. "The girl…"
"Rima-Chan's resting," Nagihiko told his mother, going up onto the stage.
"How long will she be staying?"
"As long as she needs," Nagihiko told her. "She won't be a nuisance or interfere with my dancing. She just needs a place to feel welcome." Baaya and Nagihiko's mother exchanged glances, as he commenced his routine, his thoughts mainly filled with Rima.
I'll try my best to update as soon as I can! For now, well, reviews are really inspirational ;). By the way, I'm taking a Creative Writing class in school this year and it's really helpful, so maybe I'm busy, but at least I'm improving as a writer. I'm working on fiction stories in that class, and if I like them enough, maybe I'll contemplate posting on FictionPress (which I have a blank account on currently). Anyhow, review/favorite/alert! I've got some plot twists planned for the future.