A/N: I apologize for the long wait in updates, but November was NaNoWriMo and all of my free time was dedicated to that. Now that it's done, you can expect more regular updates. From now on, there will probably be three-four scenes per chapter, each focussing on a couple.
Tuesday Afternoon
It really hadn't been so long since he had stepped onto the grounds of Seiyo Elementary. And yet, it felt as though it had been forever. Nagihiko looked around slowly as he climbed out of the taxi, realizing that very little had changed in his month of absence. The school had continued as it always had. Somehow, the realization was both comforting and disturbing, and he ducked his head to hide the grim smile that threatened to break free as he handed some money to the driver.
Several children gazed at him with open curiosity as he walked onto the grounds. He wasn't wearing their uniform, yet he bore a striking resemblance to Fujisaki Nadeshiko, and the whispers began immediately. Nagihiko paid them no attention at all as he rounded the corner of the school and strode towards the Royal Garden. At least, not until a shadow fell over him and he glanced up to see Nikaidou standing in front of him.
"Fujisaki Nagihiko," the man mused, wearing that familiar, vaguely mocking smile. "Or perhaps you'd rather be called Fujisaki Nadeshiko while you are here?"
Nagihiko tensed. It had been a long time since he had come face to face with Yuu Nikaidou. Tadase had mentioned that the man had continued working at the school after Nagihiko's departure, but he hadn't been expecting to run into him so soon. Warily, Nagihiko surveyed the ex-employee of Easter, wondering if he could be trusted. Even though his heart egg had been repaired and he no longer worked for Easter, that didn't mean Nikaidou hadn't done a number of cruel things in his time. Amu seemed to trust him implicitly, but then, Amu had the tendency to believe the best of everyone. Nagihiko, however, was suffering under no such delusions.
"Nikaidou-sensei," he said finally, returning the greeting in as polite a manner that he could. "It doesn't matter what you call me. I am not here to speak to you."
Nikaidou's shoulders dropped and he grinned, his cold gaze softening. "I had hoped you would return, Fujisaki. Hinamori-san was so depressed after you left. The guardians have fallen apart without their Queen."
"I'm not the Queen anymore," Nagihiko said, trying in vain to hide how hard the words had impacted him.
"No, you're not," Nikaidou muttered, grimacing slightly. "I wish you luck with the one who shares your place. You're going to need it. And if I may give you some advice, I suggest that you tell Hinamori-san the truth. She loves you and she will not be angry."
Before Nagihiko could respond, a fight broke out on the playground. Several students had gotten pulled into a scuffle. Nikaidou turned away from him and hurried over at the same time as another teacher approached. It took the combined efforts of the two of them to break the fight up. Nagihiko shook his head in confusion, wondering at Nikaidou's words. He was inclined to dismiss anything that someone once affiliated with Easter would suggest outright, but there had been no mistaking the kindness in Nikaidou's voice when he'd issued his advice.
Without waiting for Nikaidou to notice him again, Nagihiko moved on, hurrying towards the Royal Garden. He slipped inside of the familiar enclosure and closed his eyes, breathing in the scent of plants and half expecting to see Kukai, Tadase, Amu and Yaya waiting at the little white table. But when he stepped forward, he saw that the only person sitting there was a petite girl with long blonde hair, and she was most definitely not waiting for him.
"I thought the guardians were supposed to be run with precision," the small girl said. She turned to face him and her eyes swept over him dismissively. "No one is around. They are all late."
"There's a reason for that," Nagihiko answered, walking towards her. Tadase briefly mentioned the new Queen and Jack in an e-mail a few weeks ago. He struggled to remember her name as he took a seat across from her and watched as a clown chara popped out from beneath her hair and approached him with a curious expression. "Hello."
"Rimaaa~" the little chara squealed, rushing back to her partner.
"Just ignore him, Kusu Kusu," Rima said. "He's just a boy."
"Am I?" Nagihiko said in his best Nadeshiko voice. The soft, high-pitched sound made Rima stiffen. "I think you'd best think twice before dismissing me so easily, Mashirou-san," he added, relieved that he'd recalled her name.
"So you are her," said Rima flatly, a hint of wariness in her eyes. "The former Queen."
"That's me," he agreed, switching back to his normal voice. "I heard there were some problems and came back to see if I could help."
"They're not very good guardians if they fall apart as soon as one leaves."
Nagihiko felt a muscle in his jaw twitch and suppressed his urge to spring to their defence. Just who was this girl? "It's a harder job than you would think, actually," he answered calmly. "But I don't expect you to know that, because from the sound of it, you haven't exactly been jumping up and down to fulfill my position."
"I hunt x-eggs."
"You think that's the full extent of a guardian's responsibilities?"
Rima slammed her cup down. The tea sloshed onto the table and Nagihiko jumped at the look of rage in her pale brown eyes. "How dare you," she said quietly, her voice trembling with anger. "Comparing me to that girl? What can she do? When we were hunting for x-eggs, all she did was fumble and let them get away. At least I prevented them from escaping. I did something about it instead of..."
"Instead of what?" he asked. Normally his first instinct would have been to fly into a protective rage – literally, if Temari had been around. But he felt very curious about the girl sitting across from him. She was unlike anyone he had ever met before, and he felt an odd sort of kinship towards her. There was something in her eyes that called out to him... something familiar.
"Instead of running away," Rima said hotly. "It doesn't do anyone any good to run away or hide behind something. You can't make things better that way. You just put it off." Her gaze darted towards Kusu Kusu before returning to the table, and her voice was quivering ever so slightly when she spoke again. "I don't understand why everyone makes a big production of Hinamori Amu. She's just a girl, and that's a dangerous position to be in."
A bit astonished, Nagihiko leaned back in his chair and studied her speculatively. "And you know this... how?"
Rima snorted. "Like I'd tell you," she said scornfully.
Nagihiko grinned. He liked this new Queen.
XXXX
Tuesday Night
Kairi stood before the hot stove and poked at the omelette that was bubbling away. The delicious scent of ham, green and red peppers, onions, and cheese wafted through the kitchen. He expertly flipped the concoction with his spatula, watching with satisfaction as it landed neatly in the middle of the frying pan. If there was one thing he had precision and excellence in, it was cooking. No wonder Yukari had asked him to come live with her, he thought wryly. She likely would have starved otherwise, as she generally couldn't even manage something as simple as toast.
"What do you think, Kairi-kun?" Yaya asked from behind him. She was kneeling beside the table, her young face creased with concentration as she scribbled at a long list. "I talked to Nadeshiko-chan this morning. She sounded kind of strange, you know." Her head tilted with curiosity. "Did you know that she likes Rima-tan?"
"Someone has to," Kairi mumbled, the cruel comment slipping out before he could stop it. Musashi, who was standing on the counter beside the pan, glanced at him in surprise. Normally Kairi wasn't one to stoop to such a low, but when it came to the guardians... it was like his control went out the window. He cast a quick glance at the bubbly girl seated at his table, then looked away quickly as a faint blush crossed his cheeks. "Fujisaki-san sounds like a very reasonable person," he offered, glad that Yaya hadn't overheard his original remark.
"She can be, until she gets angry," said Yaya with a faint smirk, rolling up the paper. "I've spoken to Tadase-kun, too. Even if Amu-chi isn't around, I still think we should be patrolling. We've been letting it slip."
"Was the King receptive to that?" he asked curiously, neatly slicing the omelette in three and setting two portions on plates with some white rice. He carried them over to the table and returned to the kitchen to fetch a basket of bread and two glasses of water. Yaya set her list aside and looked appreciatively at the food.
"I dunno. I didn't really give him a chance to argue," she answered, cutting off a small bit of omelette and passing it to Pepe. "You were right. I know we're stuck waiting until Amu-chi comes home, but the world hasn't ended. There are still x-eggs out there wandering the city."
Kairi smiled at her. "I think that's a very mature attitude, Yaya-san."
Yaya's cheeks turned pink and she quickly picked up her glass of water to take a quick sip. Silence fell between the two of them after that as they devoted themselves to devouring the meal that Kairi had made. They were nearly finished when the door opened and Yukari entered, looking far more tired and worn than usual. When she saw Kairi and Yaya eating dinner together, she stopped short and surprise flickered around her face.
"Sorry, I didn't know you had company," she said.
"That's alright," Kairi replied stiffly, having picked up on the implied meaning behind her words. He frowned at his sister, annoyed that she was baffled by the sight of a guardian in her apartment.
"Um, I think I was just leaving," Yaya said, eyes darting between the brother and sister. She made to stand and was startled when Kairi's hand flashed out and gripped her wrist, preventing her from doing so. Kairi didn't look at her, but kept his eyes on his older sister.
"Onee-san, can I speak with you?" he asked, and then turned to Yaya, silently imploring her to stay. A soft smile graced Yaya's lips in response, and she settled back into her place as Kairi stood up and followed Yukari into her bedroom. He closed the door behind them and turned to face his sister, unsure of whether he should be annoyed or frustrated or concerned. Finally, he settled for, "I cooked you dinner."
"I'm sorry," Yukari burst out at the same time, falling onto her bed. She turned a miserable gaze on him. "I didn't mean to – she looks like a nice girl."
"She is," Kairi said, uncertain of where this was going.
Yukari sighed and slipped her shoes off. "Kairi, Mother has asked for you to return home if you no longer have anything important to do."
Kairi froze and stared at her in shock. When he'd first been summoned to Yukari's side, he'd longed to return home to his friends, family, and school. Coming here had been a monumental sacrifice that, although he'd made willingly, had grated nevertheless. Somewhere along the way, things had changed. Going back no longer held the same appeal – in fact, it was just the opposite. He tried to imagine living the same routine that he'd always had and felt ill. Instinctively, he cast a glance over his shoulder, towards the door. The thought of leaving Yaya was enough to make his legs feel weak, and he leaned against the wall for additional support.
"Now," Yukari said, giving a groan of relief as she wiggled out of her tights. "I haven't actually told her anything beyond the fact that I'm not working for Easter anymore. I know she misses you, but I can make up some excuse to keep you around if that's what you want." She hopped up and crossed the room in two strides, wrapping an arm around her younger brother and opening the door a crack with her free hand. Both of them peeked out to see Yaya feeding bits of rice to Musashi and Pepe. "By my reckoning, you have the most important thing yet to do," she said softly. "But I'm leaving it up to you."
"I appreciate that," Kairi said, resting his fingers against the door. "I'm... not sure. Can you hold off?"
"For a little while." Yukari nodded, then straightened a few strands of his hair. "I need to know by the end of the week, though. If you want to stay, I'm more than happy to let you continue living with me. I think I'll starve otherwise," she joked, earning a small smile. "If you want to leave, well, I understand that, too."
"I'll think about it," he promised, slipping out the door before she could say anything else. For a moment, he stood back and watched Yaya, thinking. He hadn't made amends to Hinamori Amu yet. He hadn't gotten the chance to learn how to character transform. He had only just started getting to know Yaya. How could he leave it all behind?
XXXX
Late Tuesday Night/Very Early Wednesday Morning
The park was cold, a little muddy, and wet. Utau perched on the edge of the park bench, trying very hard not to shiver. Above her, Ikuto was stretched out across a tree branch like it was the most comfortable place he'd ever been. Amu was behind her, curled at the base of the tree with her head resting against the trunk. The younger girl was half-asleep already judging by the way she slurred her words during the whispered conversation she was having with Kukai. Apparently, the kid wanted to call their friends, and Amu was protesting.
That kid! He really got on Utau's nerves. She couldn't believe the way he acted around her, like he knew what was best. Utau wasn't used to that. With the exception of Ikuto, no one told her what to do or when to do it. Even Sanjou didn't have that kind of control over her. Utau was used to going her own way in life. So for Kukai to do it, well, she didn't like it. Not at all. But she hadn't done anything about it yet and that was bothering her more than anything else. The question was, why hadn't she told the kid to take a hike yet?
Sighing, Utau relaxed against the park bench and lightly touched the hat on her head. If she were being honest with herself, she knew that it was because Kukai hadn't been chased off by Easter. There were a lot of people in Utau's life that she'd lost because of that company. Kukai, and by extension Amu, didn't seem to be intimidated, and that was exactly what was so puzzling and frightening about the two of them. Were they just too young to know what kind of danger Easter could impose? Or did it just not matter to them?
"Utau-chan..."
Utau glanced up, distracted from her thoughts by the sight of her chara. "Eru," she greeted coldly, a little annoyed at the interruption. "Gone over to the enemy's side, have you?"
Eru sputtered. "No, never! Utau-chan is a good girl. I wanted Amu-chan to – " The chara stopped abruptly, her tiny face creasing in distress. Utau leaned forward, interested.
"You wanted Amu to do what?" she asked.
"Nothing," squeaked Eru.
"Tell me!" Utau ordered, annoyed by her chara's silence. "Eru!"
"Let her alone," Amu snapped suddenly, reaching over Utau's shoulder to pluck the little chara out of the air. Utau turned her head and watched as she cradled Eru to her chest protectively and frowned. "Why do you have to be so mean all the time?" she asked. "I want to be friends with you, Utau."
Utau's eyes flashed. "The only thing I want is to beat you," she seethed in response. Aware of a presence near her shoulder, she smiled cruelly at Amu and inclined her head towards Dia. "You can feel free to have that weak side of me, Amu. I've already been paid with someone much better. I really must thank you for putting an X onto the egg of your chara. You've done me a bonus."
Eru cried out and Amu flinched, her expression twisting into pain. Before she could say anything, Ikuto landed neatly beside her and scooped her up. He leapt back into the branches of the tree without so much as a word or glance towards Utau, who glowered up at the tree with frustration. She didn't understand why Ikuto was so attached to an inferior girl like Amu and she was starting to think that she never would.
"Good job," Kukai said, dropping onto the bench beside her.
"Go away," Utau muttered, forcing herself to look away from the tree. She gazed out at the park and strained her ears for any hint of the conversation going on over their heads. What were they saying? What were they doing?
An arm settled around her shoulders and Utau couldn't help stiffening a little as she was drawn against Kukai's side. The warmth was comforting and welcome, even if she tried to pretend that it wasn't. His presence helped to distract from the fact that she had been left alone beneath the tree, while her brother – the only one who had ever cared – did who knows what with another girl above. She glanced up at the star-filled sky, unwilling to let anyone see the emotion in her face. What the hell was she doing here?
"Relax," Kukai whispered into her hair. "Go to sleep. I'm not leaving."
"I wish you would," she hissed back.
It was a lie, and they both knew it.
XXXX
"Ikuto!" Amu's voice rose in protest as Ikuto casually settled him back down onto a branch and pulled her along. She found herself sitting sideways, her bottom on the wood with Ikuto's legs on either side. Her own legs were thrown over his thigh, and his arms loosely encircled her waist. Trying her best to avoid blushing at the rather intimate embrace, Amu loosened her grip on Eru and glared up at him. "What are you doing?"
A lazy smirk crossed his face. "You'd attract way too much attention with a fight," he said. "It's too late to search for somewhere else to sleep."
Amu huffed. "We weren't going to fight." Her statement sounded unconvincing to her own ears and she frowned a little. She didn't want to fight with Utau.
"Right," Ikuto drawled, clearly not buying it. "Maybe you weren't, but Utau was."
"I just don't understand why she dislikes me so much," Amu whispered.
"It's a long story, Amu."
It was rather tempting to ask Ikuto to explain it, but Amu squashed the urge and instead, glanced down at the bench below. She could just barely make out Utau and Kukai sitting together through the heavy leaves of the tree. As she watched, Kukai reached out and slid his arm around Utau's shoulders. Amu smiled faintly and then sighed as she placed Eru back into the pouch, her fingers stroking the little chara. Would Kukai be the one who was able to get through Utau's cold shell? Certainly, nothing that Amu did was enough to make the blonde girl listen even a little. Utau was determined to hate her, and Amu couldn't understand why.
As though sensing the upsetting way her thoughts were heading, one of Ikuto's hands rose and began to rub her back soothingly. It seemed like such an out of character move for Ikuto that Amu twisted to look up at him, but he was reclining into the shadows and it had grown too dark for her to be able to see his face. She sighed a second time, pouting a little, and allowed her head to rest against his chest. It was actually pretty comfortable.
'I can't remember the last time I felt this safe,' Amu thought sleepily, blinking in an effort to keep her eyes from sliding closed. It was true that Easter could find them at any moment, and that none of them had any idea what they were going to do next, but being wrapped up in Ikuto's protective embrace made all of that seem insignificant. She slid closer, wrapping her left arm around his waist, and yawned.
"Good-night, Ikuto," she mumbled, half-asleep. If he responded, she wasn't awake to hear it.
Next up: Amu and Utau get into a fight. Easter captures Amu.
