Lena: Sorry for the long wait guys! DX I had dedicated my whole summer to drawing! But I managed to post a new story called Familiar Stranger! :D Anyways, gomenasai! DX
BTW, Shugo Chara cast will be back from vacation when school starts for me! Which is in 2 days! :d Kitsu-chan is lazy right now so she couldn't beta! DX
Christmas Eve was over, and I was back to my normal life. It'd been a few days since then, and I'd been doing what I usually did—searching for the Embryo and playing my violin at the park. Nikaidou hadn't needed me those days, and neither did Utau. I didn't see Amu either, fortunately. My heart had been agonizing over what I did to Amu and my sister, I didn't know what I'd do if I saw her. I knew I'd endured this before, and I knew I could endure it now. This black cat of misfortune didn't want to cause misfortune for anyone.
•○•○•○•○•Through My Eyes•○•○•○•○•
I didn't know that my sister would be on the roof that night. If I knew, I would've never stepped on it in the first place. But I didn't, and so I set foot on it and saw those blonde pigtails blowing in the wind. She knew that the roof was always my place to think. Was she looking for me?
"Ikuto."
I walked towards her, sure my gaze was cold as steel. But that didn't prevent her from running to hug me and ask the question I dreaded.
"Why didn't you come on Christmas Eve?" Her eyes were filled with hurt, and I made sure to be indifferent about it. My sister's face was buried in my chest, and I had the urge to bring my hand up to pat her head and apologize. But I didn't. I couldn't. It would ruin the façade I put on for all those years.
"Come to the next concert," she told me. I focused on staring at the buildings of the city in my line of vision, trying not to react to the tears that were now on my shirt. "You have to."
•○•○•○•○•Through My Eyes•○•○•○•○•
Just like I'd promised, I showed up at Utau's concert the next day. I hoped she understood that I didn't go for her, but because she was planning to take X Eggs tonight. The Embryo could be among them, and I needed that egg.
I was staring at a poster posted in the main lobby, crowds of people around me rushing to the concert hall. It was the poster advertising Utau's new single Meikyuu Butterfly. A beautiful song, beautiful singer, but an ugly purpose. My sister had a beautiful voice, and it angered me that Easter was just using it to get the Embryo. I still remembered the time she would sing to my violin. That was back when we were friends with the Kiddy King. She loved singing then too.
Closing my eyes, I sighed. She should be a real singer, one that sang for others' happiness. Destroying other's dreams with her voice wasn't her purpose.
The concert's going to start. And I have to meet Sanjo and Nikaidou in the storage room.
I took one last look at the poster before making my way to the storage room.
Nikaidou met me as I entered and we went to meet Sanjo and the Director. I had yet to know why I needed to attend any secret meetings of theirs when I never said anything. They treated me like a tool. Not a human being. There was no reason for me to be there.
"Hello there Ikuto-kun," Sanjo greeted with her usual sickly sweet tone. "I haven't seen you in quite a while."
I stared at the ground blankly at my spot behind Nikaidou.
"I heard you attacked a number of street performers on Christmas Eve and took their X Eggs?" she asked.
I had no intention of answering her, and Nikaidou seemed to know that, because he confirmed it instead.
"Yes. But it was me who was behind it." He smirked. "And, as usual, I had him clean up the mess." What was I, a vacuum? A maid?
"I heard that you only found worthless X Eggs, even after targeting all those Seiyo Elementary kids." Sanjo mocked, clearly not impressed.
"In any case, we must devote all of Easter's resources to finding the Embryo," the Director announced. "I have great expectations for tonight."
"…sorry…!"
I turned in the direction of the voice, but the footsteps I heard along with it had already faded.
That sounded like…
"Something wrong?" Sanjo asked.
"No."
•○•○•○•○•Through My Eyes•○•○•○•○•
I wanted to check up on Utau before the concert, since she seemed a bit uneasy about it when I saw her last. Finally making it to her dressing room, I raised my hand to knock on the door when I heard Sanjo's voice.
"…obligated by contract to work for Easter. You and Ikuto-kun can no longer escape their grasp. You're like birds in a cage." She paused and laughed. "Or would you rather I call you butterflies?"
I wanted to leave, but my feet were rooted to the ground.
Damn you Sanjo.
"Honestly. I would've scouted a different girl if I knew this would happen. That girl with three Guardian Characters for instance. I believe her name was Hinamori Amu."
I needed Utau out of Easter. She needed to quit. Or they'd keep forcing her to do evil things. Someone like her didn't deserve that.
I hoped she wouldn't back out of her decision, but I knew one word of Hinamori Amu would get her to step on that stage. And I was leaning against the wall when her heels clicked down the hall.
The music was already blasting out of the speakers, and her time to sing was coming around the corner. I didn't want to go join the audience, so I just stayed and listened to her from the dressing room halls. I'd go when it was my time to 'clean up'.
Utau voice filled the concert hall, and I could easily hear her from where I was. It was a beautiful voice, but I knew it was still lacking the many traits that had been there years ago. Freedom, joy…so many traits her voice was lacking, because she didn't feel free. She didn't feel happy. She didn't want to sing.
That girl would do anything for you. She even chose to do very bad things, Nikaidou's voice drifted into my head.
I knew all of Utau's evil doings were my fault, and I hated thinking about it. I just wanted to give her a way out of Easter. When was that day going to come?
Utau's singing stopped, and there was suddenly a crash coming from the stage. Then a few more echoing that.
What the hell?
"Yoru!" I called, running in the direction of the stage, where all the music had stopped and gasps filled the room. Before I could make it though, I sensed a dark energy around the building. X Eggs.
"Utau, let's leave," I heard Sanjo say.
"The concert has been cancelled due to technical difficulties onstage. Please calmly make your way to the exit," the speaker announced.
Knowing that Utau was safe now, I jumped on the roof, looking down at the alarmed crowd gathering outside.
"Ikuto, nya~!" Yoru called, flying towards me. "I smell X Eggs! Let's hurry Ikuto! If we don't deal with them now, we're gonna have one big mess, nya~!"
"I know," I told him.
Jumping from the roof, I made my way to where the X Eggs were gathering. I saw four of them in a nearby park, and one had already hatched. Quickly character transforming into Black Lynx, I swooped down and grabbed the X Chara along with its egg, holding it tightly so it wouldn't fly away. Between all of this, a pinkette was staring at me along with the X Eggs, her golden eyes filled with curiosity and surprise.
I turned to her, still holding the X Egg. Squeezing it as tight as I could, I put the X Chara back in its egg.
Amu was now staring at me in alarm.
"What are you going to do with that egg?" she asked. "Tell me!" she shouted. "W-were you the one who turned them into X Eggs? Yuki-chan, Yamada-kun, and Maika-chan…All of their eggs…"
I really didn't want to listen to her talk about how other people's dreams had been destroyed. I already knew, and it hurt to be told over and over again. I knew I was evil. I knew I was hated.
"Did you!?" she asked again.
I crushed the X Egg in my hand, hoping she would shut up. What I did was evil, I knew, but that was what I was living for. I lived to be evil. That evil wasn't needed. Yet where could I go? Nowhere. I couldn't even take my life, because Utau would be in danger.
Amu let out a small gasp.
The shattered pieces of the egg fell to the ground as disappeared, along with the owner's dream.
"The egg. What's going to happen to its owner and the character inside?" she shouted.
"I've always known it's impossible for me to be a singer, realistically speaking." A young boy was walking with his mother, his gaze completely blank and lifeless. I assumed he was the owner of the egg.
Amu looked at me in horror.
"Just so you know, even without my help…" I didn't think she'd really care, and still blame me, but I wanted to tell her. "…most people break unneeded eggs. That's what happened to all the adults walking around with tired looks on their faces." I told her. "They've long abandoned the egg holding who they want to be."
She thought for a while, wondering what to say to that. Then her eyes were set alight.
"No, it was really you. You did all of it!" she shouted. "I hate you!" This was how I wanted it to be, right? So then why did I feel so empty at those words? "I hate you!" she screamed. I was glad I wasn't facing her. I didn't know what kind of expression was on my face.
"Tsukiyomi Ikuto!" the Kiddy King shouted.
Her friends were here.
I stayed with my back turned to her as she character transformed and purified the remaining eggs. I was glad most of them could still live.
"I've made up my mind!" Was she talking to me? "I won't let you win!" Amu declared.
I looked at her from the corner of my eye.
"If Easter put X's on everyone's eggs, then I'll cleanse them all!" she continued.
I stifled a small chuckle as I jumped up and left the park.
Such a kid. You wouldn't be able to go against Easter. I haven't even gotten away from them yet. How can you?
Lena: And that's it! I promise I'll start updating more quickly now! :D
Please R&R~!
