Me: Well well well, look what we have here. Another chapter hmm hmm hmm something like that deserves a reward. What you ask? R&R peoples! XD
Yoru: Haley doesn't own Shugo Chara nya~ :3
Me: *hypnotized* Oh he's so adorable!!
Yoru: *sweatdrops* H-Help me
~~Ikuto's POV~~
No. She can't be gone. Please not her. Please. He thought as he soared through the sky. Ran, Miki, Su, Dia and Yoru flew next to him silently. They knew he was in no mood to listen to anyone. Not after learning what he just had. Amu was gone. Someone had taken her. And they weren't going to get away with it. There was no way he was going to give her up. He would search as long as he needed to, fight whoever he needed to, do whatever he needed to. No one would take Amu away from him. Not after what he had gone through to be with her. He loved her more than anything and he felt so helpless knowing she was gone.
"This is it Ikuto" Dia said quietly. Ikuto jumped to the ground and looked around for any signs while Yoru and the others flew around trying to help. There were some tire tracks from a car that led away from the sidewalk. Obviously the person was driving fast. Maybe because they had taken an innocent girl off the street. Ikuto punched a wall in anger. He leaned against the wall and slid to the floor. He looked around him and found a small red X clip. Amu he thought.
"Ikuto..." Ran whispered as his eyes squeezed shut and he began to shake. He knew it wasn't like his usual self to show his pain, but right now he didn't care about outer appearances. All he cared about was finding Amu.
"Ikuto... She'll be alright. Amu is tougher than she looks" Miki said trying to cheer him up. He shook his head, smiling grimly.
"No. You have no idea how cruel people can be, especially-" Ikuto broke off his voice shaking.
"Especially what?" Su asked fearfully.
"Especially Easter" Yoru said quietly.
"What?" The four chorused quietly.
"Who else would take Amu? I mean it doesn't sound like it was random. The way you guys said that she was followed by men in black suits and sunglasses, it sounds like Easter's work nya~" Yoru said.
"And you have no idea what they'll do to her. To get whatever information they're looking for. They can do whatever they want to her."
"What about the police?" Su asked.
"Easter isn't a real company. They were destroyed remember? They're in hiding. No one has any idea where they could be. The police will be no help at all." Ikuto replied impatiently.
"Ne Ikuto, these alley cats said they saw what happened to Amu"
"What did they say?" he said without looking up.
"They said they saw a pink-haired girl being dragged into a limo. She played cool and tried to fight back but she was outnumbered. She was pushed into the car and they sped off. They turned left on Dynamo. They said to see if you can find anything down there." Ikuto popped up and ran down the street with the five charas following quickly. He saw more tire marks on the corner but that was about it. Ikuto sighed and shook his head.
"There's nothing here" Ikuto groaned.
"There are lots of houses around" Su said.
"Maybe the people living in them saw something" Miki said.
"Go Ikuto!" Ran said waving her pom poms. Ikuto spent two hours going from door to door asking if anyone had seen a black limo. There were few results but he did find a few more streets that the limo had turned on. After searching the few streets the limo had been on and finding nothing, Ikuto decided he needed help. He pulled out his phone and called Utau.
"Ikuto?" Utau said when she answered.
"Hey Utau. I need your help." He knew those four words would rouse Utau's attention. She knew better than anyone that Ikuto never asked for anyone's help.
"Where should I meet you?"
"The Royal Garden at Amu's school."
"Why there?"
"Not important. And call that soccer kid... Souma. I know you have his number."
"Uh I uh-" Utau broke off and sighed. "Yea ok I'll call him."
"Tell him to call all the others. Tadase and the rest of them."
"Why?" Utau was really shocked now. "What's going on?"
"Please Utau. Please just do it" Ikuto whispered.
"I'll do it." Utau said and hung up. Ikuto closed his phone and sighed.
"Let's go guys" Ikuto said. Yoru snapped his fingers causing Ikuto's ears and tail to reappear. When Ikuto arrived at the Royal Garden all of Amu's friends were there waiting. He walked in and immediately everyone stood up.
"Ikuto what's going on?" Utau asked walking over to him.
"Amu was kidnapped" Ikuto said. There was a gasp from everyone in the room.
"What?!" The short blonde shouted. "Kidnapped?!" The purple-haired boy put a hand on her shoulder.
"Rima-chan. Calm down" he said.
"What happened?" Tadase asked.
"Amu was walking home from a store on the other side of town when this black limo started following her!" Ran said.
"Then these two men in black suits were following her." Miki said.
"She told us to fly home and get Ikuto, so we left desu~" Su said sniffling.
"Some alley cats told us that she was pulled into a limo and it drove off somewhere nya~." Yoru added.
"Sounds like Easter" Utau observed.
"I know. That's why I called. There wasn't much to go on. All I found was this," Ikuto took the X clip out of his pocket and looked at it. "We have to fan out. We have no clue where Easter could be hiding and the police can't help but we need to find her. There is so much they can do to her in a few minutes, not to mention however long it takes to get her back."
"Alright" Tadase said. "I'll go with Yaya west, Utau and Kukai go east, Nagihiko and Rima go south and Ikuto-"
"I'm going alone." Ikuto said walking out. Amu's charas and Yoru followed silently. Everyone stared in the direction he went for a few seconds before Utau cleared her throat.
"Come on people lets get going. Amu needs us." Utau walked out with Kukai running to keep up. The other four walked out and split up immediately.
~~Rima and Nagihiko POV~~
After searching in silence for about 30 minutes Nagihiko spoke up.
"Rima-chan... Amu is going to be fine." Rima turned around and looked at him with tears in her eyes.
"You don't know that."
"She's tough she can defend herself." He said comfortingly. Rima turned back around and whispered just loud enough for him to hear,
"That's what I thought." She walked quickly away as Nagihiko stared at her retreating form. He ran to catch up with her and started walking beside her.
"Will you tell me? I mean, about how you were kidnapped?" She looked up into his eyes and saw compassion and sorrow. She sighed and said,
"It's not a day I like to remember. I was walking home when a black car started tailing me. I pulled out my cell phone, not letting the car see and told them where I was and that I was about to be kidnapped by a black car. I hung up and slipped my phone inside my shirt, in case they searched me."
"That was very smart Rima-chan" Nagihiko said trying to cheer her up a little. She didn't answer and said,
"The car stopped beside me and some men jumped out and pulled me inside. They were all cheering and saying 'we got Mashiro's kid!'. Apparently my father had fired a man from his company and he decided to get him back by taking me. He took me back to his house, which was stupid because my father would immediately suspect him. A little while later while the men where talking about ransom notes and dollar amounts, the police arrived and took me home to my parents. Ever since then they've had to drive everywhere for fear of me being kidnapped again." Rima faced Nagihiko again. "My kidnapping wasn't bad. These men were amateurs who thought locking me up in a closet and playing stupid would keep the police from finding me. Even though it they didn't torture me or anything it scared me so bad." Tears spilled down her cheeks and fell to the ground with small plops! "Amu is dealing with professionals Nagihiko. Ikuto was right. They can do anything to her that they want and no one will know because Easter is so good at hiding secrets." More tears streamed down Rima's face and sobs racked her petite body. Nagihiko deliberated for a moment and then put his arm around her, pulling her close. She didn't pull away. She turned to face his chest and wrapped her small arms around his torso, burying her head into his chest. He stood surprised for a moment before wrapping his arms around her tightly.
"It's going to be ok Rima-chan. It may not seem like it now, but we will get her back. I promise you." Rima looked up at him, sniffling softly.
"Arigato Nagihiko" she said with a small blush coloring her cheeks. Nagihiko smiled back. They stood for a few seconds just staring at each other when Kusukusu and Rhythm yelled,
"I sense X eggs!"
"And lots of them!!" Rhythm added. Nagihiko and Rima took off running after there charas.
~~Kukai and Utau POV~~
The two were running through the streets swiftly, looking for anything that would give them clues. They asked nearly every bystander if anyone had seen a black limo recently. No one said yes. They were both too determined to speak. To Kukai, Amu was like a little sister. She had always been family to him, all the guardians had. And nobody messed with Souma Kukai's family. Nobody. Utau felt the same. Amu was pretty much her closest friend. After helping Utau escape from Easter, the two had been close. Although Utau didn't show it, she loved Amu. Amu was the only other person Utau could trust Ikuto with, even he knew that. She had entrusted Ikuto's heart to Amu just as she had entrusted Ikuto with Amu's. And now Amu was gone. Somebody had taken her. And there was no way Utau was going to stand for it. Whoever had taken Amu would pay dearly.
"Has anyone seen a black limo?!" Utau shouted loudly. Many people just stared at her while others shook their heads and moved on. Nobody seemed to care that two frantic teens were running wildly through the streets. No one even bothered to ask what was going on. That was Japan for you. Everyone was too busy with their own life to think about some girl that they didn't even know. As Utau and Kukai tired they slowed from a run to swift walk.
"Where could they be?" Utau muttered more to herself than Kukai. But he replied anyways.
"I don't know. It's amazing how well they can cover their tracks."
"You have no idea." Utau said.
"What are they like? I mean, up close."
"They… it's like they have no feelings. They do what their boss tells them to do, they don't care what it is. They don't care about people's dreams or ambitions. So long as they get a paycheck, nothing else matters."
"It's amazing what people will do for money" Kukai said shaking his head.
"I was like that once" Utau whispered. She felt Kukai's penetrating gaze on her but she continued. "I used to crush people's dreams. I used to cause pain and destruction. I did that to get what I wanted. I ignored my conscience and gave up everything I believed in. I became a monster." Utau hung her head. She was too strong and proud to cry but she had a lump in her throat that made it hard to swallow.
"Utau…" Kukai said. He put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to stop. "They made you do it. You didn't have a choice. And you're not a bad person for it. You are amazing, a role model to so many people, even the ones who don't know your true story. People love you for who you are now. Nobody cares about your past. That's over. It doesn't matter what you used to do. It matters what you do now."
"You truly believe that?" she said turning towards him. Her eyes met his determined green ones and she felt her heart swell.
"I do." He took her hand gently and said, "You truly are amazing Hoshina Utau." Utau blushed the faintest of blushes and smiled at him.
"Thanks Kukai" He winked and gave her a thumbs-up.
"No problem. Now…" he got a wild glint in his eyes and held onto her hand tighter. "Super Dash!!" he shouted as he took off running with Utau flailing behind him. When he finally let go of her a few minutes later she bent over; breathing hard. That's when Daichi, Eru, and Iru all gasped and turned away from them.
"Kukai!" Daichi shouted as Eru and Iru said
"Utau!"
"What?" Utau and Kukai said together.
"I sense X eggs" Daichi said.
"Lots of them" Eru murmured. Kukai and Utau looked at each other, nodded and took off running in the directions their charas pointed out to them.
~~Ikuto POV~~
Ikuto didn't run through the streets like the others did. He walked, carefully skimming the grounds for anything, anything at all that would be a clue. He asked many shop keepers and bystanders if they had seen a black limo or anything suspicious. None said yes. Ikuto's eyebrows were bunched together and his eyes were furious. If you knew him well enough, you might have been able to see the deep pain and sorrow he was feeling. You would have been able to sense the feeling of loneliness and emptiness inside him. But if you didn't, you saw anger and determination. Pride and Strength. One look straight into those eyes would make even the strongest, quiver in fear. He's deep azure eyes had hardened into ice, making him look dangerous and deadly. The five charas following him didn't say a word. They knew that Ikuto was on the brink of snapping and that was a bad thing. They knew how out of character he was. For he had never been so scared in all his life. Not when he was Death Rebel. Not when he was Easter's prisoner. Not even when Utau was a captive. He loved Utau but Amu was different. She was light that took away his darkness. She was the warmth that warmed his cold heart. She was the one who broke through his mask. She was the only one who had seen into his soul. They were connected in a way that no one could explain. And now she was gone. He was alone again. And he couldn't bare it. He couldn't take the pain the felt inside. And that pain turned into fury. Whoever had Amu had better steer clear of him if they wanted to keep their life. He felt coiled like a snake, ready to strike at any sign of imposing danger. As he walked he didn't make eye contact with any people, hardly acknowledged their existence. But they knew too stay away from him. They could feel an aura around him, one that wasn't pleasant and could be dangerous. He kept searching for something, anything that would lead him to his precious strawberry. Suddenly (continue later!!)
~~Guardian's POV~~
Kukai and Utau turned to look at Nagihiko and Rima as they ran closer.
"What's going on?" Rima huffed.
"Sugoi. Look at all the X eggs" Nagihiko murmured.
"I know" Utau replied as Kukai said,
"There are a tleast a hundred of them!"
"Minna-san!" They all heard. They turned to the voice and saw Tadase and Yaya running towards them.
"So many" Yaya said as her eyes grew twice their normal size. Everyone looked around at the disaster in front of them. There were unconscious bodies littering the ground as their heart's eggs flew in chaos. The X eggs were destroying the square. Shop's windows were broken, street lamps knocked over, trees uprooted. Not to mention the uneasy aura surrounding the whole place.
"We have to purify them." Utau said. Everyone stared at her. "For Amu" Kukai nodded and said,
"For Hinamori-san"
"For Amu-chan"
"For Amu-chan"
"For Amu"
"For Amu-chi!"
"Watashi no Kokoro," the girls shouted as the boys said,
"Bokurro no Kokoro" Then they all shouted together
"Unlock!" They all went through their transformations and ended up as,
"Chara nari Beat Jumper!"
"Chara nari Clown Drop!"
"Chara nari Platinum Royale!"
"Chara nari Dear Baby!"
"Chara nari Sky Jack!"
"Chara nari Seraphic Charm!"
(AN: Can't you just hear the music playing? You know the ones when they transform and start fighting XD)
The 6 friends looked at each other, nodded once, and then attacked. Nagihiko and Kukai flew through the sky rounding up X eggs, as Yaya's little duckies helped. They herded the eggs over to Tadase and Rima who would hold the X eggs in place with juggling party and holy crown. Then Utau would try to purify as many as she could with Angel Cradle. There were many X eggs and the team was tiring fast. They just seemed to keep appearing. For every X egg they purified, two more would take their place.
"Where do they keep coming from?" Rima said breathing hard.
"I don't know." Tadase replied. "Is someone still creating them?" Suddenly they heard laughing. It was a girl's voice.
"Good guess" she said. They turned in the direction of the voice and saw…
Me: WOOH!! I updated again! Lol yes I know you all hate me for the cliffies haha. I even put two cliffys in. There's probably a law against that. Its just so cruel ;D lol. Well I did it anyways. How else would I keep you guys reading? Lol well I want to thank:
Kagomegirl101
Himeka Tsukiyomi
xxxdevil wings
Fujisaki Nadeshiko
LittlePlagueSpirit
Hehehe I LOVE ALL OF YOU GUYS!!! My absolutely lovely reviewers. The bestest eversss ;D hehehehe. Anyways please review!!
Ikuto: *zombie* review review review review review review review… (continues in background)
Amu and Haley: *sweatdropped*
Haley: What have I done to him?
Amu: He's a zombie…
Haley: Aha… well uhh maybe if more people review he'll go back to normal?
Amu: Is that a good thing?
Ikuto: REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!! *pulls out scythe* REVIEW I TELL YOU!!!!!!!! I COMMAND ALL OF YOU TO REVIEW!!
Amu: Tadase moment…
Me: Please review and I'll update again sooon *sing song voice* ;D
