Well... after an exceedingly long time I've finally finished this part of the story... very sorry for the long wait... though I don't have any excuse... just laziness... :)

Well without further ado, the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara!

Meeting the Idol

"What do you want?" Utau demanded, not even caring to turn away from the large mirror she sat before and look our way. Amu chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. I just stood there behind Amu, Tadase and Kukai, shocked that I was standing in Utau's dressing room, but even more shocked by the familiarity Utau spoke to the Guardians with and the attitude she had.

"Well… we were wondering if we could talk to you for a while…"

"No." Utau answered curtly, standing up quickly pushing back the chair she had been sitting on with the back of her legs. "Who let you in anyway?"

"Sanjou did." Tadase answered for Amu who was frowning a bit angrily at the idol.

"Ah!" A little chara floated up to hover beside Utau's left shoulder, her eyes narrowed in anger. "That women!" She growled, balling her fists and hitting at imaginary opponents. "We'll have to teach her a lesson, doesn't she know we're busy!"

"But Il, they just want to talk." Another chara floated up beside Utau's right shoulder, opposing the chara floating opposite of her. "And we're not doing anything now."

I just stared at the two chara's on either side of Utau's shoulders, the angle and devil on the shoulders brought to life.

"You're mouth's hanging open." Nagihiko chuckled from behind me. I snapped my mouth shut and tore my eyes from the chara's, trying not to make my amazement of the angle and devil chara to obvious.

"We have to talk to you though!" Yaya cried beside me, pushing between Amu and Kukai so she could speak directly to Utau. "It's about Ikuto!"

"Ikuto!" Utau's eyes widened, the stern expression she had been wearing previously changing to one of concern. "What about him?" Yaya smirked and took a step back to return to her spot beside me.

"Well… it indirectly involves Ikuto…" Kukai mumbled, giving Yaya a thumbs up for being able to get Utau to listen to them. "It's more about Easter."

"What about it?" Utau's look of concern faded slightly, narrowing her eyes and frowning at the mention of Easter.

"Well…" Tadase began. "There's been an increase of X-egg's recently, but we are not sure why."

"Since you were once part of Easter," Nagihiko continued for Tadase. "And you still have ties to the company; we thought you might know something about what's been happening."

The Guardians fell silent, all waiting for Utau's answer with bated breath. Even I waited anxiously for her answer, holding my breath in. Utau looked over the group, her eyes lingering on me as if sizing me up. She sighed then and turned to face the mirror once again.

"I don't know anything."

We all let out small sighs as we were again at the starting line with no clues to what was happening.

"Why don't you find Ikuto?" Utau questioned looking at us from the corner of her eyes.

"We don't know where he is…" Amu confessed looking down a bit sadly. Tadase frowned, clenching his hands into fists.

"Not that he would be a help." He said firmly, the other Guardians glanced over at him; Yaya shifted uncomfortably, Kukai frowned stuffing his hands into his pockets, from behind Nagihiko sighed.

I decided Ikuto must be a sore subject amongst the Guardians.

"He's still in Easter, he wouldn't expose their plans." Tadase finished, confident in what he said.

Utau frowned and crossed her arms. "He might not out rightly tell you their plans, but he… he would give hints. He doesn't like Easter either."

No one said anything. I glanced around at the serious faces, and decided that Ikuto must have been a complicated person to draw such a different range of emotions from everyone. I wasn't sure what to think of him.

"But it doesn't matter." Utau sighed. "No one knows where he is…"

"Stupid stray cat," The devil chara, Il growled. "Making Utau worry."

"I'm sure he has his reasons…" The angle chara made a stand for Ikuto against the devil chara.

"But if we can't find him he won't be of any help." Ran reminded everyone.

"That cat," Kiseki muttered. "I don't care if he stays away forever, he disrupts everything."

"Don't be mean to Yoru!" Miki glared at Kiseki who floated a little further away from her.

"Why does everyone refer to this Ikuto as a cat?" Erilo muttered suspiciously.

"He has a cat chara." Suu explained.

"Really!" Brena's eyes widened with amazement. "I'd like to see a cat chara!"

Kusukusu chuckled from Rima's side, seeming humored by Brena's excitement over a cat chara.

"If that's all," Utau walked forward toward the door, everyone moved aside so she could reach the door. "I have a recording to get to. Come on Il, El." She opened the door, her chara's following, and then paused, looking back at Kukai. "Tomorrow at four, ramen eating contest at the regular place. Be there."

Kukai winked at her. "Of course!"

Utau frowned and gave a curt nod before leaving, the door clicking behind her.

Rima sighed. "That was a waste of time."

"Ah…" Yaya moaned. "A dead end… that's no fun."

Tadase still seemed agitated, his usual smile and charming attitude replaced with a distant and agitated one. "I doubt anything to do with Easter will be fun."

**********

I wearily shut the door to my house, returning home after the Guardians had called it a day, it was almost supper time. "I'm home." I called out, but got no response.

"What's wrong Aquen?" Brena floats up in front of my face, a concerned look on her face.

"You have been strange…" Mena agreed, glancing up from her drawing pad.

"Is something wrong? Do you have battle wounds you haven't told us of?" Erilo gasped. "You are brave Aquen…"

"How could she get battle wounds?" Mena muttered. "She wasn't in any battle."

"You're right!" Erilo ponds her fist into her right hand. "It must be something else!"

Mena just rolled her eyes.

"So what is wrong?" Brena questioned a second time.

I leaned against the door, lowering my voice so my parents wouldn't hear me and think it strange I was talking to myself, if they were there, they hadn't answered when I said I was home.

"It's just… I never thought Easter could be so bad but… it's worse than I thought and were no closer to getting to the reason behind the increase of x-egg's."

"Don't give up Aquen!" Erilo crowed raising a fist into the air. "You must never give up under the terrible tyranny of Easter! Stay strong Aquen."

I chuckled a little at Erilo's antics while Brena and Mena gave exasperated sighs. "I never thought about giving up, I…" Before I could continue an angry shout interrupted me. I crept forward and peeked into the living room. My mother was angrily setting up some of the few things still unpacked, talking angrily on the phone. From what I picked up on the phone she was fighting with my father.

"Fighting…" Brena whispered. "We should go…"

I nodded and walked toward the stairs, my chara's following behind. All the thought of Easter and the x-egg's had driven my mom and dads increasing fights from my mind. My shoulders slumped as a similarity between the two vastly different situations I was tangled up in zipped through my mind.

In both cases, between the mysteriously increasing x-egg's and my parents fighting, there seemed like there was very little I could do to help.

Really hoped you enjoyed this chapter! It was a bit short I guess... the next chapter will come sometime... maybe soon... maybe not... when I feel like writing it... hopefully... until then!