Chapter 8: Entirely Black

Ikuto was a little put out with me for making him get a cast, but I was just relieved Ikuto was ok. Ikuto was really annoyed when he realized he wouldn't be able to ride his bike for the next couple weeks.

"Amu! I won't be able to drive you to school!"

"Ikuto, I know how to walk. You just get better."

"Ugh! But I'm gonna be bored!" he moaned. I rolled my eyes.

"Well heal quickly." I kissed his forehead and left his apartment.

I was outside. It started raining; I hurried home.

"Ninja Glare!" someone yelled as I ran onto a street a block away from my house. A red beam paralyzed my body. I froze, looking out of the corner of my eye at where the sound had come from. A real, honest to God, ninja jumped down from a rooftop. She had ninja stars in her hand and her mouth and nose was covered in black cloth. She had black hair and brown eyes, and she was tall.

"St. Patrick's Day." I managed to say.

"Looks like she knows." a high, ominous voice chimed. A Chara with light blue hair and wings flew from behind the ninja.

"Doesn't matter. One way or another we'll gain something today. Now, Hinamori Amu, hand over the Humpty Lock and we won't hurt you boyfriend." Ikuto!

I should have handed over the lock. I should've just cooperated fully, but I acted on impulse. I pounced upon the ninja bitch.

"What are you going to do to Ikuto?" I demanded. I knew the ninja was smirking. I could see it in her eyes.

"Too late. If you had cooperated, maybe this would never happen."

"What?" The ninja took out what looked a lot like a controller to a bomb. Like in action movies how theirs always that metal thing with the big red button. The ninja pressed the button. I expected a huge explosion to come from the direction of Ikuto's apartment, but nothing happened. There was complete silence.

I was about to start laughing at the ninja's idiotic bluff when I heard what can only be described as the wail of a banshee, and it came from the direction of Ikuto's apartment.

The ninja kicked my stomach, literally hurling me seven feet into the air. I landed on the cement. That's going to hurt tomorrow. I thought to myself. I looked back to where the ninja had been, but she had disappeared.

There was no time to worry about myself. I jumped up and started running.

Did it occur to me to call for help?

No, of course not?

Did it occur to me to go after the ninja?

Why would it?

Did it occur to me to character transform so I could get there sooner?

Pft. No.

Everything in my head was revolving around Ikuto.

My blood ran cold as I reached the apartment complex. I looked up towards Ikuto's bedroom window. It was all ordinary. There was no smoke, no cracks, no blood.

What had been that noise then?

A coincidence was impossible. I knew that so well that I couldn't even bear to hope for such a thing.

I ran up the stairs. I subconsciously knew that I wouldn't have the patience for an elevator ride even if it were quicker.

Ikuto had given me a key to the apartment long ago. I took it out of my bag, but my hands were shaking so much that I kept almost dropping the key. Finally I managed to get the door open. The suspense was killing me. My heart was racing a million times faster than any heart should ever beat. I felt as though I was about to keel over.

"Ikuto!" I yelled. Utau was grocery shopping with Kukai. Who knew how long that would take? If Utau had been there I wouldn't have been so worried. If Ikuto had been 100% healthy I would have expected to see some dead if not knocked out ninjas spread across the entrance hall, but everything was perfect – much too perfect. And it was silent – dead silent.

"Ikuto!" I yelled again, and ran for his room. The door was slightly open just like how I'd left it. That was suspicious too. Surely Ikuto would have tried to walk around, maybe meet Utau at the grocery store, to prove that he's strong – to prove he's okay. I opened the door carefully, half of me just wanted to leave. Another half of me wanted to die. Another part of me was already breaking down into mental instability.

He lay on his bed. Perfectly still. Like a statue, or a painting. Nothing was out of place, not a single thing, but there was one thing amiss.

The X egg floating in the middle of the room, but it was no regular X egg. This one was entirely black. Entirely black.

Author's Note: ........I'm not sure I have a comment for this. That was just too dramatic. I mean seriously.... Please review if you want to know what's going on!!!!!!!!!!!!