A/N: Now, you'll notice that I've included a new "attack" for Amulet Angel in this chapter. It's not canon, obviously, but we've never seen Amulet Angel face anyone but Utau (who Eru doesn't want to fight for obvious reasons) and I think she would be able to do a bit more if she were to face someone else. Hence the addition. I hope it doesn't throw anyone off too much. Also, you'll be getting shorter chapters but more frequent updates – hope everyone is okay with that. Enjoy!

Wednesday Morning

The sun was just barely coming up over the town by the time Yaya made it to the gates of the school. She shivered in the early dawn light and rubbed her arms, regretting the decision to wear only a light sweater over her school uniform. Spring was being rather slow about coming, and the mornings were still quite chilly. As she leaned against the gates, she hoped that Rima and Nadeshiko wouldn't be long in coming. Her prayers were answered quickly: within ten minutes, she heard the telltale sign of footsteps approaching.

"Good morning!" she started to sing, then stopped abruptly. Rima looked at her and smirked, her honey brown eyes twinkling with merriment as Yaya stared at Nadeshiko – or was it? The person in front of her was identical to Nadeshiko, with the same long, dark blue hair and twinkling eyes, but he – she? – was wearing the boy's school uniform. "Who are you?"

"Um, it's me, Yaya-chan," said the boy, looking very nervous. He fiddled with a strand of hair as he continued, "I'm Nadeshiko, but... I'm really a boy. It's a tradition in my family for boys to dress as girls during the first years of their lives in order to help with their dancing."

Yaya just looked at him for several minutes, scrutinizing every inch of the boy. "You're Nadeshiko?" she asked sceptically. "Does Amu-chi know about this?"

The boy flinched and looked even more anxious. "No, she doesn't. No one does, except for Mashirou-san. One of the reasons that I left was so that I could live as a boy for a while. I... I didn't know how to tell Amu-chan," he added in Nadeshiko's voice. Yaya's eyes widened as the voice of her friend came out of the mouth of a boy. "I met her briefly before I let and pretended that I was Nadeshiko's twin. But when I came back, I decided that hiding me wouldn't do a lot of good. That is how we got into this trouble in the first place, Yaya-chan."

With those simple words, Yaya relaxed and a true smile crossed her face. Her eyes sparkled as she chirped, "Welcome home!" and impulsively threw her arms around the boy. She clung to him for a moment, enjoying the feel of having another guardian home. It had only been a month or so, but it felt like much longer. "What's your real name, by the way?"

"Fujisaki Nagihiko."

"Nagi," she decided, easy as that. Reluctantly, she released Nagihiko and back off a couple of steps. "Where's Tadase-kun?"

"I haven't spoken to him yet," said Nagihiko, frowning. "I've tried to get in contact with him a few times, but he doesn't answer my calls."

"I spoke to him yesterday. I guess he decided not to come," Yaya murmured, amused. She wasn't really that shocked by the fact that Tadase had bowed out, as she knew that he was petrified to face Nagihiko. The prince seemed to be under the illusion that Nagihiko was going to tear him apart. "Rima-tan, I'm a little surprised to see you here."

Rima just shot Nagihiko a look that Yaya couldn't quite identify. "Isn't this what the guardians do?" she answered, prompting a little laugh out of Nagihiko that he quickly muffled. Yaya glanced between the two of them, confused, and he winked at her.

"Are you ready?" he asked, clearly not willing to explain the private joke just yet.

Yaya didn't answer for a minute. She looked at Nagihiko and then at Rima for a long time before a slow smile curved her lips. "I'm ready," she said, spinning around in order to hide her excitement at this new development. "Let's go!"

"Where exactly are we going?" Rima queried.

"To find x-eggs, of course," Yaya said. "Pepe-chan, will you go and look?"

"Sure desu," the little chara agreed. "Kusu Kusu, come on."

The clown chara popped out from beneath Rima's hair and flew after Pepe. Yaya sent a questioning look towards Nagihiko when Temari failed to appear, who just shook his head, his eyes sad. Knowing better than to question her friend in front of Rima, Yaya turned back around and continued to walk in silence. Her thoughts drifted, as always, to Amu, to the guardians, and to the new, more responsible role that she had been taking on. Would that change now that Nagihiko had returned? She wasn't entirely certain that she wanted it to. As much as she had longed to return to the comfort of childhood, where everything was simple and easy, she couldn't deny how good it felt to be able to do something when a problem arose. Going back to standing on the sidelines crying helplessly wasn't exactly an appealing thought.

It was like she had never really understood the Ace chair before, Yaya contemplated idly, leaning against the railing that bordered the pond. Her eyes keenly watched as Rima sat down on a bench and stretched, hiding a yawn behind delicate fingers. Nagihiko sat down beside her and said something that made her stiffen and turn her nose up into the air, but that reaction couldn't quite hide the smile that twitched at the petite blonde's lips. Yaya nodded to herself. No, she had never really gotten any of the guardians, not even herself. That was changing.

"Yaya-chan! X-egg desu!" Pepe popped up next to her, startling Yaya, who looked at her chara in alarm. Sure enough, an x-egg hovered about five feet off of the ground just in front of them. It seemed to be feeling too lethargic to really do anything but drift around in a small circle. Rima, Nagihiko and Kusu Kusu came up beside her as the x-egg began a soft cry of, "Impossible... impossible... impossible" in a mournful voice.

"My own heart, unlock!" Rima whispered. Soft yellow light flared. "Character transformation! Clown Drop!"

As the light died away and Rima raised her clown pins, Yaya felt herself moving. Without thinking about it, she leapt in front of the x-egg, crying, "No, please! Don't destroy it, Rima-tan!"

Rima stopped, looking torn between astonishment and annoyance. "What else would you propose I do? Isn't it the point of the guardians to stop these things from rampaging over the city?"

A larger hand closed over Rima's smaller ones. "You can't just break them, Mashirou-san," Nagihiko said gently, looking down into the girl's eyes. "That egg is the heart of a child, just like us. If you break it, you're destroying a dream. You want to create laughter with Kusu Kusu, don't you? Pure laughter, not the fake sort that people will hide behind." Rima's expression flickered and she tried to step away. Nagihiko held on, forcing her to listen. "But you can't do that unless you have Kusu Kusu to help you. Where would you be if someone had broken her egg?"

For a long time, Rima didn't say anything. Her lips twitched several times, and Yaya just knew that a truly cruel remark was on the tip of the blonde's tongue, just waiting to be released into the world. But surprisingly, Rima swallowed it and relaxed her fingers under Nagihiko's grip. The clown pins slipped from her hands and vanished before they struck the ground. This time when she took a step back, Nagihiko released her. Rima just looked at him, then turned towards the x-egg.

"Tightrope Dancer!" she shouted, sending the brown ropes out and above Yaya's head with a wave of her hand. The x-egg was bound before it knew what had happened. Rima drew tightly on the ropes and turned to face them with an impatient expression. "Well?"

"Here." Relieved, Yaya fumbled with her backpack and opened it. Rima snapped the x-egg inside so that Yaya could fasten the top, and then let her ropes dissolve. She returned to herself with a dull flare of white light as Yaya swung her pack back over her shoulders, silently thinking that she was going to have to find a more permanent solution and soon, as the x-egg had begun to thrash against the sides of the pack. Yaya winced as a particularly hard bounce went straight into her spine and squeaked out, "Thank you, Rima-tan."

A slight blush tinted Rima's cheeks and she looked away quickly without speaking. Nagihiko was grinning down at her until he caught sight of Yaya's raised eyebrow, and then he blushed. Yaya fought the urge to laugh and just started walking back towards the school, hoping more than ever that Amu would return soon. There were some things that only a girl could understand, and this was just too good to keep to herself for long.

XXXX

Wednesday Afternoon

Beams of sunlight, striking her full in the face, were what woke Amu from an extremely pleasant sleep. She came back to herself slowly and had to force her eyes to open. That was the best sleep that she'd had in days, and she felt groggy, disoriented, and cranky to wake up as a result. 'Too bad it didn't dawn dark and stormy,' she sulked, stretching a kink out of her back. The feeling of bark under her fingers told her that she was still in the tree, but she no longer felt Ikuto's gentle embrace around her body. A shiver wracked her body and without thinking, she made to stand up. Her foot and hand met empty air and the world tilted sideways. Strong arms caught her before she had fallen very far. Amu blinked up at Ikuto, who was looking at her with amusement.

"Not used to sleeping in a tree?" he asked teasingly. "I guess it's a good thing you clung to me all night."

"I guess we all can't be alley cats," Amu remarked in return, too tired to get embarrassed. Actually, she was ready to fall back asleep in his arms, and had just allowed her head to snuggle against his chest, and her eyes to drift shut, when someone reached out and yanked on the end of her hair. The annoying sensation was accompanied by Kukai's familiar chuckle.

"Time to wake up, Joker. We've got breakfast," he announced.

Amu frowned and grumbled to herself, but didn't protest when Ikuto nimbly placed her on her feet. He kept a hand on her shoulder as the four of them walked over to a picnic table that was close to the tree where she and Ikuto had spent the night. She sat down beside Kukai, facing Ikuto, who was seated beside Utau (who was giving Amu the sort of look that could kill - Amu tried to pretend she didn't notice). Yoru, Daichi, Iru, Eru, and Dia all sat down on the table. Kukai passed out the food that he and Utau had gotten from the local fast food place, along with four bottles of water. It wasn't her favourite meal, but she was too hungry to do anything but dive in.

Utau didn't seem to feel the same way. Indeed, she was merely picking at her toast. "What do we do now?" she asked, though her question was clearly directed towards Ikuto in particular.

Ikuto didn't respond for a minute. No one did. It was evident that no one was really sure what to say. Amu, for her part, was burning with curiosity. Why did Ikuto and Utau have to work for Easter? Why were they so important that Easter wanted to hunt them down? But something told her that it was better to keep quiet. Utau was tense with a nervous energy, and even Ikuto, for all that he had teased her that morning, had a look of deep concern in his eyes. Something was going on – something big – but neither of the siblings seemed inclined to share.

"Well, as I see it, we have two choices," Kukai said, breaking the odd silence that had fallen. "We can go back or we can keep running."

"There is no 'we' beyond me and Ikuto," snapped Utau, glaring at him. "I told you last night that it's too dangerous for you to stay with us. You kids can go back home."

Amu met Ikuto's eyes as Kukai and Utau began to bicker. 'And I told you last night that you can't make me go,' she thought silently, wishing she had the nerve to say the words out loud. Perhaps she didn't have to – Ikuto's eyes glittered and a small smile curved his lips, as though he knew exactly what was going through her mind. She flushed but continued to meet his gaze. 'I won't leave you, Ikuto. I made that mistake once and I wish that I hadn't. I should have told you what was going on that night. I wish I could tell you now...'

"Then why don't you? Just change into a girl with confidence!"

Her water bottle tipped over when Amu jumped, sending a wave of water across the picnic table and effectively ending the squabble between Kukai and Utau when the blonde jumped up with a yelp. Amu barely noticed. She scrambled to unzip the pack around her waist and grabbed the little pink egg that rested within. Unlike before, it was warm to the touch. Hardly daring to breathe, Amu stared at it with wide eyes. Was it just her imagination, or did the egg wiggle a little? Had she really heard Ran's voice in her mind?

"That's it!" Utau shouted, snapping Amu out of her thoughts. A few of the other people in the park turned and stared at the small group. "I've had it. I'm sick of you. Both of you!" Eyes blazing, she included Kukai in the force of her glare. "Go home!"

"Stop telling us what to do!" Amu replied heatedly, closing the pack. "You're not the only person who has problems with Easter. I'm trying to help you."

Utau's face paled, and then flushed with fury. "You... You are such a stupid, frivolous little girl! You will never understand anything!" she exploded, slamming her hands down on the table. Kukai jumped and Ikuto winced a little. "How dare you insert yourself into matters that are none of your business!"

Amu just stared at her, realizing that she'd never seen Utau so enraged before. It was actually a little scary. She stood up and backed a step away from the table, uncertain of how she should respond – or even if she should. As she moved, her eyes fell on Eru, who was gazing at Utau with tears in her eyes. In a flash, Amu recalled what Eru had once said to her: "Utau-chan is a good girl... She used to be lonely, but then she decided that she didn't want to be that way anymore. No one knows the real Utau-chan on the inside, but maybe Amu-chan would like Utau-chan."

Raw determination flooded through her and she squared her shoulders. Surprise flitted across Utau's face when she realized that Amu wasn't frightened. "I don't care what you say," Amu said calmly. She glanced at Eru and added, "I won't let Easter destroy the best part of you."

"If you think she's the best part of me, you really have lost it," said Utau derisively. "Eru is weak. That's why I cast her away. Dia is much stronger. She'll help me get to the top!"

"Forget that," a sibilant voice intruded on the conversation. All four teens were immediately on guard when they spotted the man that had managed to approach without their notice. Far from the average Easter employee, this man was wearing a casual pair of jeans and a white shirt and looked like someone out on a walk around the park. Or he would have, if it weren't for the small silver gun in his left hand that was pointed directly at Utau's heart. "Easter is the one who will help you, kid, and all you have to do is return with us. Director-san isn't finished with you yet."

"Utau!" Amu cried out in fear, feeling a variety of emotions flooding through her. The despair on Ikuto's face, the fear on Kukai's, Utau's desperation, the greed in the man's face, her own hope about Ran's rebirth coupled with everything that had been going on... it was too much. Power seemed to tingle in every inch of her body, concentrating in the Humpty Lock. The lock and the key gave a dull chime at the same time, and light exploded across the park.

"My own heart, unlock...?"

"Character transformation! Black Lynx!"

"Character transformation! Sky Jack!"

"Character transformation! Dark Jewel!"

"Character transformation! Amulet Angel!"

The light died away slowly. Amu felt a powerful wave of dizziness that almost made her topple over as she stared at the group of Easter agents that had clearly taken the light as a chance to surround the group. She looked down at herself blankly and gingerly touched the delicate lace on the front of her pale pink dress. It had been a long time since she had character transformed, and she had never before felt the strange power emitting from the Humpty Lock... what was going on? A character transformation with Eru? How was that even possible?

"Catch them! Don't let them get away this time." The one who had approached them first lifted his gun and fired in Utau's direction, but she had already moved, leaping on top of the picnic table. There was a wild look in her eyes.

"Shining Black!" Utau shouted. Razor sharp black diamonds flew from her fingers and struck several of the Easter employees. Most of the ones struck cried out in pain and backed away from the girl, causing a smug smile to flash across Utau's face. She was unprepared for the man standing behind her who simply held up a black box and, wearing a cruel smirk, pressed a button. Two tiny prongs zipped out of the box and struck Utau's ankle with a loud buzz. A choked scream was Utau's only reaction before she collapsed.

"Utau!" Ikuto shouted. He was struggling to reach her, but x-eggs had appeared by the dozens and seemed to be under the control of the Easter employees, because they were bombarding Kukai and Ikuto. Every time Ikuto sent out his attack and knocked them away, more x-eggs swarmed in around him.

"Utau," Amu whispered, horrified. She gave a strangled yelp when one of the men grabbed her arm and stared up at him fearfully, shuddering as she felt the cold tip of a gun touch her neck. The threat was clear: if she did anything, he wouldn't hesitate to shoot. Although she had never been so terrified in her life, the only thing she could think about was that she couldn't let them get to Utau. Thinking quickly, she summoned what little power remained within her and quickly plucked a feather from each of her wings.

"Angel Embrace!" she shouted, throwing the feathers towards Utau's prone form. The man standing over Utau leapt back as the feathers zipped around Utau in a circle, leaving sparkling dust behind. When they met above her, a glowing white shield came into effect, preventing anyone from reaching her. Even when the agent drew his gun and fired, the bullet simply vanished. Amu smirked, pleased even when the man standing behind her growled with rage.

The last thing Amu heard was Ikuto and Kukai screaming her name. The blow to the back of her head was enough to make her knees collapse from under her, but this time, Ikuto wasn't there to catch her. Amu struggled to hold onto her character transformation as the Easter employees picked up her limp body and retreated, leaving Kukai and Ikuto to deal with dozens of x-eggs. She was tossed into the back of a truck and the doors were closed, but it was only when she was absolutely certain that they had left Utau behind did she let the character transformation go and allow the looming darkness to sweep over her.

Coming up: Kukai, Ikuto, and Utau deal with the fact that Amu is missing, while Amu gains help from a surprising ally.