I peered at the small screen the techies had erected in the van. It was rather hard to see, first because I had to squint over the Director's shoulder, and no way was I getting any closer to him then I absolutely had too, and secondly because I was still pinned between my two new best friends, the guards.

On the screen I watched as Ikuto took his stance in the center of a small park, tucked his violin under his chin and began to play. Around him I could just see the dark specks that would be the X-eggs coming to him. We didn't have sound in the van because of course the Director didn't want to be affected by Ikuto's haunting music but I could still tell pretty well what was going on. Ikuto seemed to be playing almost in a trance and I noticed that the Director still hadn't released the tuning fork. I wondered for a moment if there might be some connection between it and Ikuto's violin.

Nothing to unexpected happened for a while. The X-eggs responded almost immediately to Ikuto's call and the Director seemed very pleased with the number of eggs that had collected around him. It seemed almost as if I would not be needed.

Then who should burst into the clearing but the two last people I wanted to see. Amu and Tadase ran into the clearing, their Charas flying at their shoulders. I was relived to see that Yoru and Shira were with them, at least they had escaped.

I strained to see the screen, watching as Amu and Tadase attempted to talk to Ikuto. The Director chuckled and turned the tuning fork, just a bit. "Now, get them, my Death Rebel." he said. I watched in horror as Ikuto's violin transformed into a giant scythe, with which he began to attack the two Guardians.

I strained against my two guards, who had now picked me up between them and were pinning my arms to my sides to stop my squirming. Not that I was concerned for the two kid's safety, I just knew that if Ikuto hurt them he'd never forgive himself, and I wasn't going to let that happen.

The fight got more and more heated as the two sides exchanged blows. Yoru was determined that no one harm Ikuto but in the middle of the battle who knew what would happen. Shira was flying around the edges of the clearing, perhaps she was calling my name.

"Doing this saps Ikuto's strength, doesn't it?" I demanded as the Director turned to look at me and raise an eyebrow. "Let me go, he's not going to last much longer. Look at him."

Just then Tadase's Holy Crown broke through Ikuto's defenses, sending him crashing up against the truck of a tree. That decided the Director. "Fine." he said resignedly. "Go."

I was gone before the words had finished coming out of his mouth, shaking off my guards and bolting out the door, not even waiting to hear his threats about what would happen if I failed to bring Ikuto back.

I bounded to the side of the clearing and paused, quickly assessing the situation. Ikuto was just about to collapse, he was waving his scythe around wildly in a vain attempt to block Tadase. Tadase was watching him with grim determination, as though waiting for the perfect moment to strike the final blow.

Just as Tadase was about to strike, I ran into the clearing, planting myself directly between Ikuto and his attackers. "That's enough!" I called, startling everyone, including Ikuto. "Anyone else who wants to fight is gonna have to fight me, ya got that?"

"Ryo," Amu said but Tadase nodded.

"If you are fighting for Easter then I will fight you!" he called and pointed his staff at me. "Holy Crown!"
"Shira, Character Change!" I cried, just as the mass of energy blasted out of Tadase's staff and came at me.

As I knew she would be Shira was there in the nick of time. "My heart, unlock!" I said and together we transformed into Righteous Knight. "Pure Protection!" I yelled, erecting a shield around myself and Ikuto. Tadase's Holy Crown bounced right off, fading away into nothing.

I took advantage of Tadase's and Amu's shock to pluck the scythe out of Ikuto's hands. Instantly he collapsed, changing back into his normal clothes from what he had been wearing as 'Death Rebel'. "Thank goodness." I breathed, relief apparent on my face.

"What's going on Ryo?" Amu demanded, once she'd recovered from the shock of my arrival. "What's wrong with Ikuto?"

For a moment I toyed with the idea of not telling them anything. Then I looked at Ikuto, unconscious in my arms, and thought about what he would say right now if he could. "All I can tell you right now is that we are Easter's puppets, not that we had a choice. The safest thing for you to do is stay the hell away from us." With that I hoisted Ikuto over my shoulder and started towards the edge of the clearing. "Shira," I whispered, hoping against hope that the Director and his cronies hadn't heard me. "Stay with them, it'll be safer."

"I'm staying with you, Ryo-kun. Come what may."

That put a smile on my face.

"Ikuto!" Yoru cried, flying after us, completely in tears. "Ikuto!"

"Blade of Truth!" I cried, spinning and blasting him with enough force to send him flying into Amu's arms. With Ikuto in this state, and being mind-washed by Easter, there was no way he could protect his Chara.

Before any of them could come after me, I ran into the woods and leaped into the open doors of the van. It pulled away in a squeal of rubber on pavement, leaving the two Guardians, and the abandoned Chara behind.