I'm pretty sure this was my fastest update ever! I have been making a lot of headway on this story these past few weeks. I'm pretty much complete with chapters 11 and 12 (perhaps 13 too, depending on how I break up the chapters), and I've began the next one. Of course, I will be returning to college in three days, so unfortunately, this doesn't mean that my updates are going to be fast. However, since my next updates are just simple edits and tweaks, it shouldn't take forever. Not that I have a bias or anything, but the next few chapters are getting really exciting ;).
But enough of that. Thank you all so much for reviewing last chapter! I don't think I've had that many reviews on a chapter in such a long time. Please keep it up; I will definitely make time to update sooner with some motivation!
"No longer will we be apart, Amu-Chan."
Slowly, Amu stirred, Arisa's words echoing through her mind. She blinked a few times, her hand reaching out to her side. As she accidentally hit the wall, she grimaced, her eyes fully opening.
"Wait…" Amu sat up fully, glancing around confusedly. "Where am I?" She glanced around the vacant room surrounding her. The bare white walls juxtaposed the decorated yellow walls of her bedroom. There was no furniture at all with the exception of her bed and a wooden table on the opposite side of the room; the only other item was her purse. Amu lifted her bag and reached into it, her hands shoving aside her chara eggs as she reached for her cell phone. She held down the power button for a moment, sighing as she realized the battery was dead. She sighed, placing her phone back into her purse.
The door suddenly opened, prompting Amu to glance up. Her eyes widened as a greenish-blonde girl strolled into the room, before closing the door behind her.
"Hello Amu-Chan," She greeted softly. "How are you feeling?"
"W-Where am I?" Amu inquired.
"Home," Saira replied, smiling warmly. "You're finally safe now, Amu-Chan." Amu studied her, her pulse beating rapidly. She clutched the blanket beside her tightly, as she cautiously studied the familiar girl in front of her.
"You seem afraid," Saira noted.
"You…"
"It's me, Amu-Chan. You know who I am." Saira took a seat beside the pinkette. Amu tensed immediately, coiling backward. "I told you we would join in reality."
"B-But you… You're not—"
"I promised you forever." Amu froze. The word echoed through her mind. Arisa promised her forever, an escape from the problems that plagued the world. Arisa and she, together, could live in a perfect world free of strife and problems.
But what exactly was she escaping?
Amu gasped suddenly, jolting backward from Saira. She could feel her heart rate intensify, and her body began to tremble. Her eyes were dilated as she clutched her purse closer to her.
"Amu-Chan?"
"N-None of this is real," Amu began cautiously, gulping. "There is no mansion or perpetual freedom. There is no "forever." I… Oh my god, what am I doing?!" Amu rose to her feet, Saira's eyes following her. "This is all Easter's doing. It's like Death Rebel all over again; it's all a lie! There is no Arisa—" Upon looking back at Saira, Amu's eyes suddenly flashed, before quickly regaining their normal eye color. Her eyelids drooped, her body slumping to the ground.
"That's enough for today," Saira mused. She lifted her slump body, plopping her on the couch. She turned around swiftly, her hair moving to her back, as she exited the room without another word. As the door closed behind her, a figure stood up from underneath the table, his gaze fixating on Amu.
"There still is a way," Kairi analyzed, studying her. He pushed up his glasses, furrowing his eyebrows. "There could still be an opportunity to intervene before she is fully indoctrinated." Upon seeing movement from the corner of his eye, he turned, his eyes facing Amu's purse. Slowly, Amu's four charas rose up.
"She was herself for a split second!" Ran exclaimed. "She realized!" Kairi nodded slowly.
"Saira did anticipate some self-actualization," Kairi pointed out. "That is to be expected. However, there is still an opportunity to exploit this minor realization into something impactful."
"You can save her?!" Miki exclaimed. Kairi hesitated for a brief moment before nodding, a small smile forming.
"But isn't it dangerous?" Su wondered. "I mean, if your father is the director and—"
"I have spent far too much of my life living in his wake," Kairi mumbled, digging his hands within his pockets. "As consequence, I have lost nearly everything in a futile effort to appease a man whom will never be satisfied with my actions." He pulled out his chara egg from his pocket. "Before he disappeared, Musashi told me that I am losing sight of my path." He sighed. "Perhaps I still do not what my path entails, but I know that I cannot devote myself to Father any longer. I must atone for my errors; I must work to free Amu-San."
"You're not alone, Kairi," Dia reassured. "As long as Amu-Chan has some of herself present, we will be with you all the way. The guardians, too, are devoted to saving Amu-Chan, and they will fight the hardest they possibly can." He frowned slightly, nodding slowly.
"I am going to speak with Rima-San now," He told them. "She will definitely want to remain updated with Amu-San's well-being. You guys…"
"We'll stay right here, under the radar," Dia explained. "Amu-Chan needs us more than ever, and Saira cannot know that we have yet to disappear."
"Be careful, Kairi-Kun," Miki urged, as she entered her egg, Ran and Su following suit. Dia glanced over at Kairi, her eyes studying him closely.
"Thank you, Kairi-Kun," Dia whispered solemnly. "If you proceed down this path, you will find yourself. Musashi is not gone eternally, I promise."
"Thank you, Dia." Kairi watched as the last of Amu's charas went into her egg. He frowned slightly, his eyebrows creased.
Can I really do this? Kairi wondered, leaning against the wall. I have never directly gone against Father's wishes. I know that I cannot sit idly by anymore, but… A familiar image of an auburn-haired girl filled his mind. He could still hear her giggles ringing through his mind, even if it had been well over a month since he last saw her. He thought back to the park, biting his lip. He could feel warmth in his chest as he remembered how she slipped his arm through his and laid her head atop his shoulder.
"I hope I can be worthy enough to be with you one day, Yaya."
"You know I'll always be there for you, right?" The blonde picked her head up suddenly, giving her friend a perplexed look.
"What?"
"If something's wrong, you can tell me. That's what best friends are for." The girl grinned sheepishly. "I know I'm not always the best about these sort of things, but I'll try. After all, it is a part of my best friend duties." The blonde girl raised an eyebrow.
"Best friend duties?"
"Yeah! You know, there's a certain sort of code that exists for being best friends. Like, we always have to be there for each other if we need to. And this is no exception, Rima. If something is bothering you or you're in trouble or something, I'm there for you, 'cause we're best friends!"
Rima hugged her knees into her chest, her head laying on top of them. As she recalled Amu's promise to uphold her 'best friend duties,' she bit her lip harder.
"I'm letting you down Amu…" She murmured quietly. "I'm so sorry."
"Amu-Chan would be flattered," Kusu-Kusu tried to reassure. "You've done everything for her! You sacrificed yourself and worked for Easter just to save her."
"But I failed." Rima gritted her teeth. "I'm not giving up on her yet, but if Amu and I had changed positions, she would have saved me by now. That's just who she is: she's strong, but moreover, she's a better friend."
"You know this has nothing to do with friendship," Kusu-Kusu pointed out. "Saira is powerful." A giggle escaped the chara's mouth. "And besides, if Saira turned into a little girl in your mind, she probably wouldn't be able to possess you since you don't like children!" Rima glanced up at her chara stoically as she burst into more giggles.
The sudden ringing of her cellphone startled her. Rima immediately uncoiled herself from her ball position and rose from her bed to retrieve her cell phone. Upon seeing the caller ID, she answered the call without hesitation.
"Kairi! What…" She faltered for a moment.
"Hello Rima-San," The younger teenager greeted. "I suppose we have quite a lot to discuss." Rima bit her lip. "First of all, how are you doing?"
"I-I'm fine," She began. "I take it you know about…"
"My father was displeased by the news of your betrayal," Kairi pointed out. Rima frowned. "You need to keep your guard up. He—as well as Deidre—have great concerns regarding your knowledge of Easter's plans, and how much you have shared with the guardians."
"As expected," Rima grumbled. "How about you? Do they suspect you had any connection to me?"
"My father inquired me regarding that, but he appeared to have bought my lie."
"That's good." Rima frowned. "I shouldn't have told you about my plans at all. It was too risky bringing you closer to this."
"No, I am glad you did, Rima-San." She could hear Kairi exhale deeply. "I will continue your work." She gasped.
"But your father—"
"My father is a bastard," He bluntly responded. Rima's eyes widened. "I can no longer live in his shadow if I am to be the man I aspire to be. I have already lost too much: aside from the guardians, Musashi has gone back to his egg. I am currently lost, but I know…I know that I cannot just keep following his orders blindly."
"Don't do anything stupid," Rima mumbled. "I wish I could be there to help you. I was reckless, and—"
"I know why you acted as you did, and I know I would have done the same in an instant, for Yaya-Chan." Rima's eyes widened. She had never heard him vocally express his feelings for the pigtailed girl, though it had always been painfully obvious. While she had never spoke to him about his feelings, she had known Yaya's feelings—as anyone within a five-mile radius of Yaya knew, with the exception of Kairi—and it was clear he reciprocated.
"This is my chance to redeem myself, to atone for my sins. As you are likely aware, Amu-San is being held captive. She is under Saira's control, but just this morning, she was able to regain some control. For an instant, she remembered herself. She realized that Saira's dreams were simply artificial. I believe I can exploit this. She still has herself inside, and I believe we can save her."
"She… she remembered?" Rima repeated, stunned. Saira had expected some sort of recollection, but questioning everything?
"For a brief moment, yes."
"Maybe we can work with that."
"I will do everything I possibly can to save her," Kairi promised.
"Be careful," Rima warned. "You're not alone in this, Kairi. I'm not giving up on Amu until the day I stop breathing. And the guardians, too, are determined to save her."
"Good. Make sure that they are prepared for anything. I should probably continue working, as I cannot look too suspicious."
"Talk to you soon, Kairi." Rima hung up the phone. She placed the phone next to her, staring at the wall for a moment. She let out a sigh.
"I hope he can really do it…"
"Holy Scepter!" The king of the guardians shouted, swinging his blade across thin air. He rapidly turned around, swinging swiftly again.
My turns aren't smooth enough. He thought bitterly, biting his lip. I'm thinking too hard about this. He clutched his blade in his fist, holding it sideways out in front of him. He swung it to the side, slicing through air. He stepped forward, positioning his blade in a different manner.
"Are you training or dancing?" Tadase froze, dropping his blade. He turned, coming face to face with Ikuto, whose arms were crossed as he leaned against the wall.
"I thought you said you were going back to sleep?" Tadase wondered, his cheeks faintly red. The elder boy shrugged.
"Once you woke me up to come over, I wasn't able to go back to sleep." The blonde ended his character transformation, panting slightly.
"I just needed a spot to train," He explained. "My parents are home, and if I went to the basement, it seemed wrong to practice where my grandmother slept."
"You're lucky my mother leaves to go to work early." Ikuto pointed out. "I think to someone without charas, it would have looked quite odd." Tadase laughed awkwardly. "Regardless, do you want breakfast?"
"Maybe in a little bit. I still need to get this move down."
"Jousting with air won't help save her," Ikuto pointed out. Tadase frowned. "I understand how you feel; you know I feel the same way."
"I'm not giving up. I-I can't… She—"
"I know." Ikuto placed a hand on Tadase's shoulder. "You would have to rip my heart out and crush it before you stopped me from fighting for her. But training incessantly isn't going to do anything good for you."
"I…I guess you're right." Tadase sighed. "I wouldn't mind eating something."
"Then let's head up." Tadase nodded, following Ikuto up the stairs. As he passed a cabinet, he paused for a moment. To his dismay, it was completely ruined, with scratch marks all over it. Draws were sliced in half, seemingly nonfunctional.
"Ikuto-NiiSan, this cabinet…"
"Like I said, I know how you feel." He frowned, continuing to proceed upstairs. As they made their way upstairs, they could see another figure sitting at the table. She glanced up as the two boys made their way over to her.
"What were you doing down there?" Utau wondered.
"He was just training," Ikuto explained.
"I hope you didn't break anything else. I don't want to hear Mom constantly whining about another dumb thing broken down there."
"It was one time!" Ikuto protested. "I only broke the cabinet; I had nothing to do with the laundry machine. All I know was that there was a mark that looked conspicuously like a trident."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Ikuto frowned.
"Trashing the entire basement isn't bringing us closer to her anyway. We need to figure out how to save her."
"Well, let's see. We no longer have a source in Easter. It turns out that Saira is a lot more powerful than we expected. Amu is ignoring her charas and all of us. Everything seems really promising."
"We're not giving up," Tadase repeated. "I will not give up until Amu-Chan is safe and is on our side again."
"How are we going to do that?" Utau wondered. "Break into Easter?" Tadase and Ikuto exchanged a look. Utau rolled her eyes. "Are you serious?"
"What other choice do we have?" Ikuto wondered.
"Busting her out of there seems idiotic to me, and I'm usually the one who does rash things like that," She pointed out. "Besides, Seto and Deidre are most likely expecting us to act that way."
"If Amu-Chan hadn't come suddenly, we were going to defeat Saira," Tadase pointed out. "We can win against her. Rima-Chan's loyalties are now officially with us, so she and Kukai and help us fight Saira."
"Tadase's right," Ikuto pointed out. "We can't just let them hold Amu captive anyway. With her there, they can harm her even more. Every second we waste is another moment for them to continue making her their freaking puppet." Ikuto clenched his fist. "I know that feeling more than anything, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone—especially the girl I love." Tadase's eyes darkened.
"Remember what Rima said when we fought against her? They can use our emotions against us to play right into their trap. They know about both of your feelings toward Amu; they know how much Amu means to all of us, and how we could just sacrifice ourselves for her." Tadase looked at the ground.
"It's a risk we have to take," Ikuto urged. "If we just sit idly by, Amu could be in much more danger. Whether they expect it or not, we have to go in. We did come close to defeating Saira; perhaps we can do it again." Utau sighed.
"You might be right, but that doesn't mean it's not an awful plan."
"It's extremely risky," Tadase agreed. "But we have to try. Amu-Chan would be there in a second for any of us; we cannot hold back." He looked at the two siblings. "I'll call up the others, and we can discuss."
The cool breeze tousled his neck, but the purple-haired teenager paid no mind to it. As the leaves on the trees rustled, Nagihiko watched absentmindedly, a thoughtful frown adorning his features. He sat atop the roof of his house, wearing a plain blue t-shirt and gym shorts.
"You ought to get ready soon, Nagihiko," Temari urged him. "Your mother likely wants you to continue practicing, as you have been behind in your routine. If she sees what you're wearing right now…"
"I'll head there in a few minutes," He mumbled.
"What are you thinking about? You're in, like, a super deep trance," Rhythm pointed out. The teenager exhaled deeply, turning to his charas.
"I've just been thinking…" He sighed. "You'll probably say I'm overthinking things again."
"Well, you probably are as usual!" Rhythm pointed out, prompting Temari to shoot him a look. A soft chuckle emanated from his throat.
"It's just I… I can't help but to wonder why she did all of this."
"Huh?" Rhythm cocked his head to the side. Temari rolled her eyes at him, before turning to her bearer sympathetically.
"You know the answer to that, Nagihiko. She has always been rather protective of Amu-Chan, and she said it herself: she feels indebted to her. I know it's a weird thing to grapple with, but—"
"I understand her motivations, but…" He glanced at the grass below him. "What I don't understand, is why she had to be the one to do it. Amakawa-San could have assigned anyone to the task. Tadase and Ikuto would have gone in a second. I'm Amu-Chan's other best friend; I would have done it too. Even Kukai or Yaya would have sacrificed themselves. So, why Rima?" Temari and Rhythm exchanged a glance, but didn't say anything.
"In no way am I discrediting her efforts either," Nagihiko added. "What she has done is… is absolutely amazing. I say I would have gone in to help Amu-Chan, but I'm not really sure I could have done what she did."
"And maybe Tsukasa knew that," Rhythm pointed out. "It could just be as simple as that!"
"But why would he do that? Why would he hurt her so much?" Nagihiko clenched his fists. "He had to have known that this would inflict so much pain upon her. How could have he expected anyone to do this without facing so much emotional turmoil?!"
"Nagi…" Temari began. The purple-haired teenager shook his head slowly.
"Regardless, something does seem suspicious about Amakawa's plan," He insisted. "Tsukasa hardly does something without a reason, and choosing Rima was likely not just based on convenience."
"Young Master?" Nagihiko glanced below him, watching as Baaya pushed the sliding door opened. She glanced around the backyard, her eyes scanning around. He looked at his male chara, who grinned excitedly, allowing headphones to appear around the male's neck.
"Baaya-San." The woman gasped loudly, as Nagihiko slid down the roof and landed squarely on his feet. He thought back to the time he had first met Amu as himself in a familiar fashion. At the time, he had harbored feelings for her, and he knew that he wanted her to meet the real him just once, especially before he left for Europe. A lot had changed since then; he obviously no longer loved her romantically, and she now knew that Nagihiko and Nadeshiko were the same person.
"You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Baaya cried. "If your mother had seen you up there…"
"I apologize Baaya-San." Nagihiko bowed politely. "Is Mother ready for me?"
"Actually, your mother is giving you the day off." Nagihiko's eyes widened. "I believe she feels guilty regarding the pressure she has been exerting on you."
"Guilty?" Nagihiko couldn't believe what Baaya was telling him. Since when did his mother care about his well-being? Dancing was of utmost importance to her; any slacking off by Nagihiko was deemed inadequate.
"We both have realized that you appear to be rather… discontent recently. I expressed my concerns to your mother, and she feels that perhaps, giving you some time to yourself to cope may in fact, improve your mental state."
"I… Thank you, Baaya-San. I have been feeling much better lately." The woman smiled softly, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I know that your mother may be difficult to approach at times, but if you need to talk about anything, I will be there for you."
"I truly appreciate that Baaya-San." He hesitated for a moment. "Things are…complicated right now. I…I know things are going to be better than what they were, but I'm still working out the details." He smiled at her gently. "I will elaborate more once I can clear up my confusion." He bit his lip.
"I look forward to it, Nagihiko-San."
"If I am off from dancing today, I suppose I will take a walk. Tell Mother I will be back by dinner." Nagihiko gave her a curt bow, before turning the other direction and exiting his backyard.
"That was nice of your mother!" Rhythm pointed out.
"I am quite surprised." He stuffed his hands in his pockets, as he continued to walk. "I suppose it has been quite obvious that I was quite a mess ever since I thought she betrayed us." A light chuckle emanated from his throat. "Though, I suppose it's safe to say I'm still somewhat of a mess…"
"Where are you going now?" Temari wondered. Nagihiko frowned.
"I'm heading to the Royal Garden," He explained. He looked up at his charas. "Are you guys up to purifying those X-Eggs? We never had the opportunity to finish off those X-Eggs during yesterday's battle after Amu-Chan showed up and Rima revealed her true loyalty."
"Are you sure they'll still be there?" Temari inquired.
"I have no idea," Nagihiko admitted, "But it's worth a shot. I should have purified them yesterday when I had the opportunity, so I ought to take this chance to finish the job."
As he arrived outside the Royal Garden, he glanced around keenly, searching for any sign of the X-Eggs. He walked around the perimeter of the glass building, frowning inwardly.
"Nagi, this way!" Rhythm called. Nagihiko glanced upward, following his charas deeper into the woods. As he reached Tsukasa's planetarium, he could see hundreds of X-Eggs floating outside.
"There are more of them," Nagihiko observed, his eyes widening. "There's no way there were this many yesterday!" He glanced around nervously. "Could this be a trap?"
"What would the trap be?" Temari wondered.
"Good point. They already have Amu-Chan; what else could they want?" He turned to face his charas. Rhythm floated forward excitedly, prompting the purple-haired teenager to chuckle lightly and begin his transformation with him. Upon landing, he faced the large mass of X-Eggs in front of him. Grimacing, he began to charge an attack.
"Let's make this quick," He mumbled. "Blazing shot!" He shot a basketball at the X-Eggs. The X-Eggs quickly formed a barrier to reflect the attack. The basketball went above the barrier, slamming into the X-Egg mass with a fiery collision. The flames danced radially around the X-Eggs, until the barrier shattered.
"Basketball blitz—" As Nagihiko prepared to purify the X-Eggs, they suddenly flashed blue.
"Nagi, watch out!" Temari called. He opened his eyes, cartwheeling out of the way of the X-Egg beam. When he looked back in front of him, they had disappeared.
"Damn it!" Nagihiko hissed, ending his transformation. He gritted his teeth.
"Hm, they've gotten pretty fast," Rhythm pointed out. "Guess we just gotta outspeed them next time."
"What a surprise to see you here." Nagihiko's eyes darted upward. A familiar blonde stood outside of the planetarium, her hazel eyes stoically watching him.
"Rima," He greeted lamely, surprise leaking into his voice. Ignoring his heightened heartbeat, he forced a small smile. "It's nice to see you here."
"Kusu-Kusu said something about X-Eggs nearby," Rima explained. "Obviously I alone couldn't have done anything about it. I was going to call you or Utau, but it seems you found your way on your own."
"I was looking for these X-Eggs after I failed to purify them yesterday." Rima frowned slightly. "I guess I just keep failing to purify them in time. Hopefully I can purify them next time." He shook his head slowly. "Anyway, what are you doing here?" Upon seeing the planetarium out of the corner of his eye, he had a pretty good wager.
"I was just filling in Tsukasa about what's been happening… Well, I guess I should inform you too." He frowned, his eyes turning toward the planetarium. Tadase always went to the planetarium to seek console from his uncle. The planetarium was always a safe space for the king, a place in which he sought solace. But for Rima, Nagihiko figured that the planetarium was a beacon of disaster. From agreeing initially to save Amu and ultimately lose—or severely tarnish—her friendships to informing him of Easter's imminent plans, speaking with Tsukasa never managed to console Rima. Why would he do that to her? He wondered for the umpteenth time.
"Things may not be as hopeless as they seem." Nagihiko turned back to Rima, surprised.
"Hm?"
"I spoke with Kairi this morning," She proceeded to explain. "Apparently Amu was able to regain her memories for an instant, and she questioned everything. She realized what she was doing, and even though Saira stopped it, Kairi witnessed it."
"She's still in there." Nagihiko's eyes widened. "We can definitely work with that." Rima nodded slowly.
"Kairi seems really determined to offer as much aid as he can," She explained. "I'm not sure how much he can do for us considering his father is the director, but he seems really passionate. It's something, at least."
"What can we do now?" He wondered. "There has to be some way we can still help Amu-Chan from the outside."
"I…I'm not sure," Rima admitted. "I guess by fighting X-Eggs and holding our own against Easter we're doing something. I'll keep staying in touch with Kairi of course." Nagihiko nodded slowly. Rima lingered for a moment, before slowly turning around.
"Um… bye?" She coughed slightly. "I'll, err, see you tomorrow, I guess. We can discuss with the others."
"Yeah…" His voice was distant. As she started to walk away, he glanced up. "Wait." She paused, turning around. "Sorry, this is kind of random, but it's just been bothering me for a while, ever since you…I found out what you've been doing."
"What is it?" She looked emotionless—the way in which she was when they first met. The coldness unnerved him; even in the early days of their rivalry, she at least demonstrated anger toward him over her jealousy. But this was new. It was almost as if she was just an acquaintance, someone who meant nothing to him. Nagihiko could feel a wave of melancholy. Is this what they were now, just two people that had everything together but now have nothing?
He feigned off his thoughts for a moment, trying to mimic her emotionless expression. "I just…" He lowered his voice, glancing apprehensively at the planetarium. "Do you know why Amakawa-San chose you for this?" Rima raised an eyebrow. "I-I mean, not that you aren't capable or anything because obviously you are, but…"
"Well, he found me fighting some X-Eggs that very first day," Rima replied matter-of-factly.
"I suppose that's true, but you don't think there's another reason?" Nagihiko shook his head slowly. "I'm probably overthinking it."
"You, overthinking? Please." He thought he saw a small smile cross the petite teenager's face. He rolled his eyes playfully, but smiled as well—perhaps a bit too wide. She gazed thoughtfully at the ground for a minute before looking back up at him. "The truth is, I wondered that every day while I was at Easter," she admitted. "According to Tsukasa, I'm the one who holds the most potential. I don't really know what that meant, but I sort of just took that as one of his ramblings." Nagihiko chuckled slightly.
"Maybe he just saw your capability."
"He said it had to do with seeing me fight those X-Eggs, though in the end, I let them escape." She sighed, staring up at the sky. "Honestly, I think it was mere convenience. Ikuto and Utau were both in Europe at the time. Tadase is too in love with Amu, and he could have easily done something reckless. You were the only purifier at the time, and Yaya and Kukai… need I say more?"
"That makes sense…" He sighed. "But still, putting you through all of that pain and—"
"It was fine," Rima interjected. "It was just about saving Amu—and it still is." Nagihiko nodded.
"Well, I'm happy to hear about Kairi, though I hope he'll be careful." He smiled at Rima, who simply nodded.
"Is that all?"
"Um, yeah that's all my lingering questions for now. Sorry to keep you." She shrugged.
"No worries. It's not like I'm in a major rush; I just get to return home to two people that pay so much attention to me." Before he could say anything, she turned away from him. "Catch you later, Nagihiko. It's always great talking to you."
"Y-You too…" Upon seeing her walk away, he let out a disgruntled sigh, leaning against the tree.
I know that this chapter was a lot slower than previous chapters have been recently, and I apologize immensely for that. But I do hope you all enjoy Kairi's self-actualization. Kairi is a character seldom explored in this fandom, so I love diving deeper into his character and guiding his internal problems. And, there is definitely no way that the fact that I'm rewatching Avatar: The Last Airbender means that Kairi's story is slightly based on Zuko. Definitely not. Psh.
Anyhow, please review! While this chapter seemed kind of slow, I promise that next chapter is super exciting. It was definitely quite a fun one to write. Hopefully I can polish it up fairly quickly and have it up here ASAP! You all rock!