A Note from Aimz: This was a chapter I enjoyed rewriting, this was a chapter I despised rewriting. Although I feel like I've done all that I can without tearing my hair out, I am obsessed with the thought that this chapter is BAD. Too much telling, not enough showing; I can't seem to get my head around what this age-old rule really means. How much is enough, or too little? Does everything need to be shown, not told? This obsession has paralyzed my imagination, I'm not even sure if my old writing is good enough anymore. It pains me to say that I'm lost. If you do have any genuine criticism and any advice on how to improve, please feel free to tell me, I'm serious. Beating myself up over chapters like this one is killing me, I don't think if I can take it anymore.
There's still some Rimahiko in here, I don't like them but there will be some moments because they are practically canon. I hope you enjoy reading this chapter, thanks in advance if you do. Something tells me I'll be rewriting this chapter again sometime in the future, ugh.
-Aimz :(
EDIT (10/1/2018): Added some exposition to Rima and Yaya, because I was going to write a backstory for it but it won't happen now. Also it made Tadase a bit eviler in this chapter? Don't worry everyone, I'm fond of him. I'll make sure everyone gets a happy ending here in this story, haha (sorry, Tadase haters, but I did say there's no Tadase bashing in the summary).
.~.~.
Chapter 3: The Guardians' Duty
.~.~.
Kukai Souma had made it a habit to go for a run every morning. To make it more exciting, he would change the route every few days. Yesterday it was twenty laps around the park, today it was through the street maze that was downtown Tokyo.
He leapt over a fallen lamp post and sharply turned back the way he came.
"Go, Kukai!" His guardian character cheered him on as he ran back down the empty main street.
The saturated streets were a background blur out the corner of his eye. Thump, thump went his feet against the pavement in quick succession. He was never afraid to push his limits, and today was no exception. Anything to keep his mind racing.
"Let me give you a character change!"
"I can do this without it!" Kukai didn't break his focus as he searched for the end.
There it was, coming up in front of him. Could he do it? He pushed forward and slammed his hand onto the front door of his goal: the ramen store.
The door swung open. A little bell jangled overhead. Ding~.
"Woo, yeah!" Kukai fist-pumped the sky. He swept a hand up his forehead, pushing back some stray hair off his face. "How did I do, Daichi?"
The guardian character floated in front of his owner's face. He held up the stopwatch proudly. "It's a new record, Kukai!"
Kukai gave Daichi a high-5 with his finger to Daichi's hand.
The ramen store was always open now, even if there was never anyone in it. No point in using the kitchen when there wasn't any ingredients; all that had been taken up into Seiyo Academy for their food. He could just head back home and whip up a bowl of his favourite ramen now, but it would be missing something that made it more fun to eat.
"Utau..."
Suddenly, his digital watch beeped. He checked the time: 10:50am.
Already? And he still needed to get changed into the Royal Uniform! "Back to Seiyo Academy we go," Kukai muttered.
Tokyo was nothing like it used to be. These days, shops and homes ran along silent roads. Walkways were littered with shattered glass and the odd fallen lightpost. The rubbish levels had never been an issue, but over time it had become something the new laws had failed to tame. Throughout the lightless city, silence was a stranded traveller, wandering lost in the streets it calls home.
Near what used to be the city's main park was a soccer field. Or rather, what was left of it. The day everyone evacuated Tokyo four months ago was a wet one. Through sheets of rain men, women and children fought to their homes to pack, or to leave, or to protect themselves and each other from the lightning-wielding maniac that was forcing them out. Many feet trod through the field that day, most of which left their mark in the mud.
He checked his watch again. 10:55am. Kukai quickened the pace as he rounded the corner and up the hill to Seiyo Academy—the castle, his home.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
After a quick visit to his room to put on his old elementary school uniform (it was a miracle it still fit after its few years of retirement), Kukai stumbled into the Royal Garden with only two minutes to spare. Just in time. Colour washed over him; it was the only place left in the world that was allowed to do such a thing.
"Hello, Souma-kun." Nagihiko Fujisaki casually waved, then went back to sorting through a folder full of papers. "How was your daily run?"
Kukai shoved his old Guardian cape over himself as he shuffled up the stairs and collapsed into a nearby seat. "I broke last week's record by three whole seconds!" He gave Nagihiko the thumbs up.
"Congratulations."
"Thanks!" Kukai stretched out his arms and glanced around. Apart from himself and Nagihiko, the greenhouse was bare. "Where are the girls?"
Nagihiko sorted the papers into two piles. One stayed out, the other was placed back into the folder. "I haven't seen them since breakfast. Hotori-kun probably has them doing something, as usual…"
The girls were a top priority, especially Rima. He missed how that girl would smile at him, or laugh at a funny joke. She had supported him when he had told Amu that he was not only Nagihiko but also her best female friend, Nadeshiko. Now, he would be lucky to get a glance from her.
If she did look at him, it wouldn't be because she wanted to. It would be because she was told to.
When they had chased down and confronted the posesssed Tadase in Seiyo Academy, he had used his new abilities to place an already vulnerable Yaya under his control. Once the X-shaped tip of his sceptre touched Yaya's heart, her guardian character Pepe immediately went back inside her egg, turned into an X-Egg and disappeared into her heart, never to be seen again.
And Rima... he had done a similar thing to her, he was sure of it. Rima had defiantly stood her ground and worked together with him and Kukai to try and figure out how they could save Tadase. But one day, she snapped. She attacked Tadase, and paid the price for it. She was thrown into a room full of what he could only assume were X-Eggs and locked inside. The screams he heard through the night as she was overwhelmed by their negative power still haunt him in his dreams. When she was freed the next day, he only saw a tired, hollow shell of the girl she used to be before Tadase X'ed her heart, and Kusu Kusu, too.
Nagihiko abruptly stood up and glared at his feet, his hands shaking from pent-up frustration. "The way they are now… they have no dreams, no soul—"
"And we'll be next if we're not careful. We just need to pick the right time to fight back, and find out what we can do to help him." Kukai went over to his friend and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Until then, we have to keep playing the role of the Jack, okay?"
The role of the Jack, to act as the King's servant.
Nagihiko groaned. He pushed his bangs off his forehead. "I'm sorry, Souma-kun. The bleak appearance out there is starting to get to me."
"I hear ya." Kukai took a seat on the table. "Don't worry, we'll save him. We'll save them all!"
It was easy for Kukai to say that. He, after all, had been doing Naghiko's duties for years. Naghiko liked being the Jack's Chair of the Guardians, that wasn't the problem. It was who he was doing it for, and under what circumstances.
Nagihiko wasn't sure if he could continue playing the part of 'loyal servant' for much longer. His cool and calm demeanour wore down a little bit more every time this Tadase told him to do something. Even for him, doing it for four straight months, after what he'd done… despite that, he had to keep faithful.
"We're the girls only hope, and Tadase's. We can't give up, not for them!"
"I know, Souma-kun, I know."
A brief silence followed as the two boys glanced over at their charas; Nagihiko having two, Kukai having one. They were gathered in one of the greenery patches nearby, talking about the same issues, except in their case it would be about Kiseki, the king chara that was once so demanding but now had no interest in conversing with any of them. As much as they were reluctant to admit it, they missed his bossy ways.
"I hope Sanjou-kun can manage to find someone to help us soon. I'm running out of ideas." And patience. Nagihiko didn't say so, though.
Kairi was one of the lucky ones. Ever the loyal person, he had served with them without question since being ordered to come back to Tokyo. That is, until two months ago. They weren't exactly sure how the younger boy had managed to do it without falling victim to Tadase's mind control. Yet the fact was quite simple: he had disappeared overnight. He had managed to escape.
"He said that he would." Kukai was referring to the note that Kairi had left behind in one of the trees that was found by Daichi. The note had promised that he would try and find someone that could possibly break Tadase's behaviour and hopefully his hold on the world in the process. "A good former Jack never lies!"
Nagihiko finally cracked a smile. If it wasn't for his contagious positive attitude towards this situation, he probably would've gave up long ago. "Thanks, Souma-kun."
The boys fell silent once more, this time for a different reason; they could hear footsteps approaching the greenhouse.
"He's here." Nagihiko muttered under his breath. Kukai gave a small nod in response.
Soon enough the glass doors to the Royal Garden swung open. Yaya and Rima stepped inside first. The spell returned their ginger pigtails and blonde hair to them respectively. Each girl stood on opposing sides in identical tartan red school uniforms and straight-faces, holding their door open for the other person. No one spoke a word.
Tadase chose not to thank the girls for their courtesy. "Close the doors."
They obeyed.
Each footstep echoed slightly against the floor as he walked towards them. He paused at the top of the stairs, pushed a stray stick of blonde hair away from his face and adjusted his crown. "Good morning, my loyal Guardians."
Whatever darkness was eating Tadase alive had consumed him whole. Nagihiko noticed that his eyes no longer held the look of a possession. Has Hotori-kun been purified, perhaps…? No, it wasn't possible, unless Amu had regained her confidence. Tadase's irises, while they weren't hollow anymore, were darker than their normal magenta colour.
He's still in that character transformation as well. As far as Nagihiko knew, he had been in that darkened Platinum Royale-inspired outfit every time they set eyes on him, regardless if he was in a character transformation or not. They rarely ever saw him in anything else. Amu's Humpty Lock was almost always around his neck as well. He must be in a good mood; on days this like this, he did tend to show the Lock off like a gold medal.
X-Kiseki was present today, surprise surprise. He was hovering by his owner's shoulder, more interested in the greenery surrounding them then at anyone else. He rarely, if ever, left his owner's side.
Nagihiko and Kukai bowed as a sign of acknowledgment for their superior. Daichi, as well as Naghiko's characters Rhythm and Temari also stopped what they were doing and flew into view, mimicking the boys. Temari scowled as she hitched up her kimono to curtsy.
"Girls, stand behind your chairs and greet me."
Yaya and Rima moved to stand behind their respective seats. "Good morning, Tadase-sama!" the girls said together before bowing. Rima's hair cocooned around her petite frame, almost pushing her too far forward from the weight of it.
"It is always a pleasure to serve you, my lord." The boys' said. Nagihiko bit his tongue behind the smile; he would prefer serving Tadase when he was under a (temporary, always temporary) character change more than this, and considering his duties there included massaging, pampering and feeding a (thankfully only temporary) spoilt kid, that was saying something.
He glanced across at Kukai. Keep it cool Nagi, like Souma-kun is… But that was difficult, especially when he could feel his inner Temari emerging at the best of times.
"So it should be." He clicked his fingers and pointed at Kukai. "You there. Go and fetch your king something to drink."
"Yes, my lord." Kukai went off to do as he was asked. Tadase strode past the other Guardians to his end of the rectangular table. Once he took his seat, the others were allowed to sit back down as well. As usual, X-Kiseki ignored the other charas and ghosted behind Tadase, before retreating to his usual place under Tadase's cape.
Tadase looked out of the corner of his eye at where Kukai would sit, and started idly fiddling with the rubies on his sceptre. After a while he gave a slightly exasperated sigh.
"Don't fret, my lord. He will be back with your drink, like you asked," Nagihiko said. It wasn't that he wanted to reassure him, he just wanted to break the silence.
As if on cue, Kukai ran back in with a glass of water in hand. "Here you go, my lord." He said as he set the glass of water on the table and took his seat opposite Nagihiko.
Tadase took the glass and had a sip of water. Satisfied, he set the glass back down on the table and faced the people sitting before him. "Does anyone have any news to report this morning?"
If you spoke with more emotion, maybe I would be more willing. Nagihiko grabbed the papers he had organized earlier and scanned its contents. Whatever happened to the times when discussions revolved around what evil plans Easter was planning, and what X-eggs were in which area, and should they have a day-off from paperwork and go visit the local ice-cream parlour instead? Now, it was all about— "People everywhere are praising your reign, my lord. You seem to be doing a spectacular job at it."
"Good, good."
"Yes." Nagihiko let his eyes trail down the sheet. "There is also news from New York, America that they are going to create a statue of you in honour of your achievements, despite not knowing what you look like."
"That's wonderful to hear. It shows dedication. When I eventually show my face to the public, they can fix any mistakes."
"Hmm, yes..."
"How many would that be now?"
"Forty-two, my lord. Forty-two countries that support you and your law."
"Mm, that is better than I thought." Nagihiko on the other hand, couldn't help but wonder what the hell those poor innocent people were thinking. They seriously couldn't like what Tadase was doing right?
But what could he do, apart from obeying the orders given to him?
"Anything else?"
"Hm?" Nagihiko looked up. He had distracted himself again. "Sorry...uh, no. Nothing else to report."
The doors opened again, and in stepped a certain pink-haired girl holding a stack of what looked to be dry cleaned, freshly-pressed black clothes. This girl, however different she appeared, was one that they all knew too well.
"Hinamori..."
"Amu-chan..." Nagihiko finished Kukai's sentence. As she had been on every occasion, she looked worn out. Her tattered school uniform hung off her slender frame, showing off random patches of skin. The spark in her eyes was gone, replaced by slight redness from another overload of tears, and her rose-coloured hair was a knotted, limp mess. A light burn covered her right ear and spread down to her cheekbone. Her guardian characters floated behind her, each one looked as tired as she did.
The scary thing was that she wasnt being controlled by Tadase at all.
Amu walked towards where the group were seated. Avoiding any chance to look at the other Guardians, she walked past their seats and stood next to Tadase.
"Amu-chan, there you are."
At least he still calls her that, Nagihiko thought.
"P-Please don't call me that—"
"I'm the king, I'll call you what I want."
"O-Ok, sorry…"
Nagihiko held back yet another urge to step in and defend his best friend. It wouldn't do Amu, or anyone else any help. If Kairi failed, or someone like Ikuto didn't want to help them, then he and Kukai were the girls, and Tadase's, only means of saving them.
Amu found herself blushing slightly, despite herself. "W-What would you like me to do for you today?"
Tadase let his eyes fall on the contents of the greenhouse. The glass walls were looking a little filthy, both inside and out. The fountain could use a clean as well, and then there was the steps that needed a polish… "Today you can clean the Royal Garden. You should be familiar with the cleaning tools by now. Give my dry cleaning to this one here," he said, eyeing Kukai. "He will take care of it."
Amu nodded. "I'll get started..." She turned away, placed the clothes in front of Kukai and walked to a small shed situated on one side of the room. She pulled out a cloth, cleaning chemicals and a small stepladder, and got started on her task. Nagihiko watched her go, and hoped that whatever spell she was under, she would break out of it soon. They needed their Amu back.
If 'Cool 'n' Spicy' was her old alias back in elementary school, her new one should be 'Sad 'n' Obedient'. Amu set up the small ladder by the front doors of the Garden, ignored by all. Wordlessly, she stepped up onto it, sprayed some of the chemical onto the cloth, and started wiping the surface until she could see herself.
I can't save him, can I? Amu gazed into the glass at her own sorry reflection, made worst from the dirt on the other side. Her supposed 'stubborn' side had disintegrated over time, until she was... this. She had to ask herself, whatever happened to that confident heroine that showed no fear, that protected and saved everyone's Heart's Eggs? Was this the same person? If she couldn't even protect someone close to her then what good was she?
"Come back here after you put my clothes away."
"Yes, my lord."
"You can begin watering the plants in here."
"Yes… my lord."
She stared past her mirrored image and let her eyes fall on the darkened king. As every day passed, she kept up her refusal that this was not the real Tadase. What he's done ... that's not Tadase-kun ... Tadase-kun would never do such a thing… he just needs to believe in himself again… the words repeated like a mantra in her mind daily. She had to; it was the only lifeline she had left to hold onto.
We... I also had no choice...
She, along with the other Guardians, had been told that they would become his servants. She was his favourite maid, especially since he had started calling her Amu-chan again, despite her asking him to not call her that. If the real Tadase was still alive, then she wanted to hear it from him, not his polar opposite.
She wasn't allowed to speak to the other Guardians, either. After the first meeting inside the principal's office at Seiyo Academy, where they had both confronted and submitted to him, Tadase had pulled her aside and told her that she was not to talk to anyone other than himself from now on. If she refused to comply, then he would use his power to turn her guardian characters into X-Eggs.
None of them wanted to leave him alone, by himself in a world he had created. It was too late; by then, most had deserted Tokyo, leaving them bound to Tadase without any chance of being allowed to join them. It was for the best; she didn't want to bring her family into this mess. Where were they? She knew that they no longer lived in Tokyo, having being one of the many who evacuated once Tadase gave the order. She hoped that they were all safe; Mama, Papa, Ami…
At least they weren't some of the few who refused to leave. Now, those people didn't have to. Every day she would check the group of houses closest to Seiyo Academy, give the prisoners their food, and be on her way. No talking to the prisoners and no favouritism of certain prisoners; anything else had to be approved by the king first if he remembered they existed. Character transforming and helping them to safety was an idea not even considered; after Tadase took the Humpty Lock from her, she hadn't been able to do any of that, neither have the other Guardians.
She thought back to Ikuto, and wondered if the pervert had ever gotten her message, and if he did, would he assist them? She hoped so; he definitely had a part to contribute with the healing of this strange possession. Which made her think ... this ... isn't my fault is it? The last time she had seen Tadase in a normal state of mind wasn't exactly under the best of conditions. Maybe if she had thought it through more...
But, she couldn't control them, these feelings... wait, why was she thinking about this now?!
She hoped that the jerk had turned his phone on by now, and that he would hurry up.
"Amu-chan, do you need a character change-desu?" Suu asked as she sat on Amu's shoulder. Her owner had that lost look in her eyes again, and she had stopped dusting the window for the second time in a row. Amu closed her eyes and let her mind waver to all of her withheld memories of a boy she knew; the boy who would always say to her that he loved her every day. The boy that was always willing to protect his friends in battle, even if it meant putting himself at risk. He would do anything for any of them. Especially her.
I have been your faithful servant ever since that day. I would undertake anything as long as you wished it. But I swear Tadase-kun that somehow, we will do whatever we can to save you. I know this isn't your would-be self. I refuse to accept it.
"A-hem."
Amu turned around. "R-Rima..."
"Get back to work." The words she spoke were distant.
"Come back."
Rima turned on her heel and walked back to her seat.
Amu sighed and immersed herself again in her work, images of Ikuto swarming her mind here and there. She wasn't completely sure why she was thinking of him at a time like this, but it kept her focused. She engrossed herself with dusting and wiping entirely; so much that any other conversation never reached her ears.
"Jacks, I want you to go out on another search."
Not this again. Nagihiko resisted the urge to throw the watering can at Tadase's head.
Kukai, who had returned from his brief errand some time ago, stood up from his chair, while Nagihiko walked back to his. "Where shall we go this time, my lord?" Nagihiko wasn't sure he held back his sarcasm in time. If Tadase noticed it, he sure didn't say anything about it.
"Go to America. Do everything you can to capture them and bring them back here."
Nagihiko checked the file. The last page contained a list of people Tadase wanted to find, for some reason or another. Currently, there was three names: Sanjou Kairi, Hoshina Utau, and Tsukiyomi Ikuto.
"Yes, we will do that for you," Kukai said. "You can count on us!"
"I'll call for a plane to make sure you arrive there safely." He looked at Yaya. "Stand up." He clicked his fingers. Yaya obeyed without hesitation. "Call the airport and tell them to get a plane ready. Arrange for transport there as well." She walked over to a nearby phone situated by the door and started dialing a number. "Don't forget Jacks, you are on royal business."
"We won't, my lord," Kukai said. Both boys bowed. "Let's go, Fujisaki," Kukai said with a small grin to Nagihiko. The two turned away, both secretly excited to be getting some freedom for a while. Their charas followed behind them as they once again became a part of the greyscale environment, and walked off out of sight.
Tadase watched them go. After they had disappeared from view, he started idly fiddling with the rubies on his sceptre again.
"You, accompany the Jacks to the airport. Once they leave, come back here."
"Yes, Tadase-sama..." Rima bowed and left the room.
Tadase noticed that Yaya was walking back to her seat, her task completed. "And you..."
Yaya tilted her head to the side. "Hm?"
"Bring me something to eat, preferably something sweet."
"Can Yaya have the sweet thing?"
"No. Now get out of here." Even though he was controlling her, that didn't mean he didn't like to play around with her mind every now and them. Yaya frantically nodded her head, turned around and—
"Wait."
Yaya turned around. "Yes, Tadase-sama?"
"I've changed my mind. Go clean the communication room instead."
Yaya did as she was asked, like a good girl should.
I can't believe you…
Tadase took another sip of water.
You won't get away with this! You can't do this to Amu-chan, to my friends, to everyone!
"Hypocr—"
To me!
"Be quiet," Tadase said, seemingly to no one in particular. He frowned.
T-This is wrong. You're hurting the people I care about…
Half of the glass panels on the top half of the building were like little mirrors. Amu was a quick, thorough cleaner; she would make a good housewife to someone one day. He would have to find something new for her to do later, to keep those skills from rotting out.
Yaya walked in. "Tadase-sama, you told me to let you know when you got messages."
"Yes."
"Here." Yaya handed Tadase a piece of paper. It looked like an email from one of the police forces he had been in contact with lately.
It was written in English, but it was no challenge for Tadase. It looked like it had been sent not long ago, all the way from Australia if the email address was anything to go by. It was from someone named Nathan Winterton. The name looked familiar, but it was nothing memorable. It was a long message; something about one of the laws he had made recently. But it also mentioned a man with a foreign accent that had a cat guardian character breaking the law a few days ago. The main part of the message was asking if he should continue to look for him and arrest him for littering, or to listen to his fellow officers and let him off on the basis that he simply didn't know such a law existed.
There was a footnote about the cat character: he said his owner's name was Ikkitoe, or something like that. What a weird name don't you think, Your Majesty?
…Ikuto nii-san?
"T-They found Tsukiyomi Ikuto?" Tadase whispered.
I-er, no, wait! I-I didn't say anything! Please don't hurt him!
"Shut up. We're going." Tadase stood up. "Amu-chan, when you are done cleaning, report to me for your next task. I'll be in the castle." He exited the Royal Garden with Yaya in tow.
"Yes, my king," Amu said to her reflection.