I won't say much here, but I do want to make you all alert to the fact I am not anticipating many more chapters with this story. I currently do not know the exact amount of chapters left, but I am contemplating with the idea of making this story 18 chapters, just like X-Virus (with the exception of a bonus chapter I may add). Anyhow, as usual, I own nothing, and enjoy!
Nagihiko previously believed he had reached the maximum amount of stress, fear, and anxiety. However, the note in his hand proved otherwise. It seemed impossible to maintain his nonchalant composure now. Rima, the girl he loved, was risking everything for some threat made by her drunken father. Anything could happen to her now. As the possible scenarios ran through his head, he quickly blocked it out. He could not afford to imagine the worst that could happen.
"What has occurred?" Kairi walked over to them. Slowly, Nagihiko handed him the note, not wanting to see Kairi's reaction to reading it. Taking a deep breath, Amu explained the previous conversation with Rima's father and everything with Tadase to the others who stood nearby.
"What was she thinking?! She could get herself severely hurt!" Kukai exclaimed.
"What would you do if you were promised to see your father after not seeing him for, however many months?" All eyes turned to Utau. Her eyes were darkened. "Maybe she has claimed numerous times that she hates her parents and doesn't want to see them, but deep down, she misses them, even if her father is some drunken idiot. You know you would understand Souma, all of you would… Besides Fujisaki anyway." They all glanced at the ground, missing their own parents.
"We can't just stay here," Nagihiko whispered, the waver in his voice quite apparent. "Rima-Chan could be walking into something horribly dire now."
"Amu, you know where lives, right?" Amu glanced up, and nodded at her boyfriend. "We need to go quickly. Both of us have character changes that allow us to move quickly. We'll split up and find her."
"I can move quickly too," Kukai pointed out. Ikuto nodded toward Kukai. Nagihiko glanced at the ground, knowing that he too could have been able to move quickly with Rhythm, if he had his charas. Now, he had to stay here, and anxiously await to hear news regarding his girlfriend's safety. Waiting with no news would absolutely kill him. But, that was life, wasn't it? You never know what will happen next, and you take each step blindly, waiting to see what will happen. If anything taught him that, it was this entire situation.
"The three of us will split up, searching for Rima. Kairi, you can move rapidly as well," Amu explained. Kairi glanced up, and nodded.
"On it." Kukai gritted his teeth. Yaya walked over to Kairi, and hugged him tightly, prompting him to blush lightly. The four of them left the house.
"Nagi-Tan, they'll find her," Yaya reassured, noticing her friend's distress. He turned to her, and forced a small smile.
"Are you sure about this?" Kusu-Kusu wondered nervously, as Rima continued to walk forward. She shivered in her winter jacket, despite the fact it was spring. She had no idea if this was the right thing to do or not. However, she could not risk the consequences. Her parents had previously threatened her many times, but she was always too scared to risk breaking the rules. Now, after six months, she had not changed in the slightest. She was disappointed in herself too. She should have grown as an independent person from them, but here she was, likely walking to her doom.
"I don't have a choice," Rima muttered, nerves tingling within her. "I can't risk it, Kusu-Kusu…" She still second-guessed herself however.
"Hey darling," A man called. Rima ignored him, and continued to walk. Lately, the suburban areas had reverted to where gangs hung around.
"Rima!" She froze, recognizing Amu's desperate voice. Rima already had a good fifteen minute lead on them; how could she have possibly caught up? Right, Rima was extremely slow and Amu was probably character changed. Rima continued to walk, slightly faster this time. Suddenly, she felt herself grabbed by the shoulders. She nearly screamed, until she turned and found herself face to face with Kukai. Kairi, Ikuto, and Amu walked over to the two of them.
"What the hell do you think you were doing?!" Kukai hissed.
"I…"
"Kukai," Ikuto warned.
"No, it's alright." Rima breathed heavily. She figured that Kukai and Kairi were filled in with what happened. "I didn't have a choice; I couldn't risk it…"
"You should have further discussed your plans with us," Kairi told her.
"What point would that have served? You would have stopped me," Rima pointed out. "You don't get it; this is my father, and even if he is some crazed drunk now, I still need a chance to see him. I can't risk consequences…"
"We do get it," Amu reassured, hugging her friend. "I miss my father and mother too, and Ami. It's been so long."
"My parents are not even aware of the fact that they are now grandparents…" Kairi realized.
"I didn't mean to come off as so strong Rima, but we just don't want you to get hurt." Kukai grinned at her. "Besides, Nagi looked like he was about to explode of fright."
"Aren't we all?" Rima muttered quietly.
"So, you came." All five of them turned, facing Rima's father. Her eyes widened, and she subconsciously backed closer to Amu.
"W-W-What do you want?!" Rima whimpered.
"Come here," He beckoned.
"You aren't going to hurt her," Kukai growled, stepping beside her. She looked up, slightly surprised at Kukai's sudden protectiveness.
"She's my daughter, only mine!" He snapped, the slur in his voice quite apparent. "That bitch couldn't take her away; she couldn't. She's so damn possessive, but she is wrong, she is wrong." His speech was nonsensical, but Rima's eyes widened.
"Mother... where is she?" Rima asked cautiously.
"She isn't your mother! She never treated you like a daughter! I'm your only parent!"
"You're a hypocrite." The others watched as Rima suddenly gained confidence. She stepped farther from Amu, feeling slightly more confident. "You think you ever treated me like a daughter? You both ignored me, treated me as if I was nothing. You were too busy with your fights. I blamed myself for years, convinced it was my fault that you fought. But, now I've realized the truth. You were both just terrible parents, and your fighting was inevitable. I felt insignificant whenever I was with you two. But now, thanks to my friends, I feel like I can be regarded as a freaking human being. I don't need to retreat to my room to cry my eyes out every night." These had been the words Rima had wanted to say for years, and they just came out before she could stop them. This was the reason she wanted to see him.
"Sure wish I could have recorded that to show Nagi," Kukai murmured quietly. Kairi watched Rima, a smile on his face.
"You can't speak that way to your father!" He bellowed, walking toward her with a raised fist. Rima was too stunned to move, as her father roughly smacked her cheek. She cried out, falling to the ground.
"Leave her alone," Kairi demanded, his glasses shining in the sun.
"You are a disgrace; related to the bitch that was your mother." Rima suddenly picked up on something.
"Was my mother?!"
"That bitch was a zombie. She was all dark and black and shit. She was gone, gone from my freaking life. And then the black shit ended her."
"She had the X-Virus…" Ikuto realized. Suddenly, her father leaned forward, and threw up. They looked away, disgusted.
"That's the definition of wasted," Kukai murmured, grabbing Rima's arm. "Let's just go; he can't do anything in this drunken state." Suddenly, Rima's father fell face first to the ground, passed out.
"Rima…" Amu turned to her friend. Rima looked back at her, a cold expression apparent on her face.
"Let's just go," She muttered, sounding unfazed. The four of them exchanged expressions.
"I-I'll meet you guys back," Amu promised. "Go ahead of me, I want to do something."
"Hinamori-San, it is too dangerous to risk a visit to your home," Kairi pointed out, figuring out what she meant. Amu glanced at the ground.
"I'll accompany her," Ikuto told the others. Amu turned to him, smiling. "Take her back." He gestured toward Rima.
"You don't have to treat me like I'm lesser," Rima muttered. "I'm fine." Kukai and Kairi walked back with Rima.
"Amu, Kairi does have a point," Ikuto muttered. "However, I know you are too stubborn to back down, so convincing you will be pointless."
"You know me so well, Ikuto," Amu teased, smiling. Ikuto smirked, and followed her to her house.
When Amu arrived outside, an immense joy filled up in her chest. She was shocked to see her home still in pretty good condition. She couldn't wait to see her family. She wondered what had happened in the six months they were separated. She took a deep breath and clutched Ikuto's hand, before knocking with her available hand. The door suddenly opened, and to her dismay, an elder man was the one who opened it.
"What is it?" The man wondered, turning to Amu curiously. Amu had no idea what to say. Where was her family? Why weren't they at their house?
"This is the Hinamori residence. Do you know where they are?" Ikuto wondered.
"Sorry, I found this place abandoned. Whoever you know that lived here does not inhabit this home any longer. Good luck." The man closed the door. Amu stared at the door in complete shock. How could her parents not be there?! Where were they?!
"Amu, don't worry." Ikuto's voice was calm, and it attempted to pull her out of her trance. "We'll find them. Amu?"
"No…" Amu sunk to her knees, her legs touching the ground of her front porch. She remembered distinctively stepping on the porch for the first time when she first moved. Now, there was simply an old man living here.
"We will find them," Ikuto repeated gently, kneeling down beside her. His hand was on her shoulder. "They are somewhere safe, I promise."
"Somewhere safe, meaning heaven?" Her eyes began to water up.
"No, somewhere in reality. Somewhere where they are alive and doing well, except that they are worried about you. Amu, you will find them with the perseverance you have. Trust me." She turned to Ikuto. He was so kind and comforting, despite the image he held on. He had always been there for her. She couldn't be selfish; it was Ikuto who went through so much more than her daily. Suddenly, she could only think of one thing to do. Before she could think it through completely, Amu kissed him. Clearly taken aback, he kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. She relaxed every muscle in her body, as she continued kissing him, much more aggressively than she ever thought she was capable. For a second, she separated, her breath on his mouth.
"I love you," She whispered.
"Likewise, I love you too." Ikuto continued their kiss.
Kukai, Kairi, and Rima started to walk back to the house, silence having fallen between the three of them. Kukai and Kairi kept exchanging glances, and turning back to the shortest one. To their dismay, Rima did not look upset upon finding out about her mother's death and seeing her father that way.
"Can you stop staring at me?! I'm fine," She snapped coldly.
"Rima, we were just concerned that you…"
"Don't have a reaction?" She finished, glancing up at Kukai. He nodded slowly. "I'm not going to lie that I'm saddened by my mother's death. However, in my mind, it already happened when they started fighting and began treating me less and less like a daughter. My mother could stare at me with absolutely no kindness in her eyes and no warmth. When she stared at me so coldly, I knew that I had already lost my mother. Now, her death is just official."
"Well, at least you, um, have your father?" Kukai tried to reassure.
"Oh, please. I lost him too. He's just some drunken low-life. I have no desire to see him again. I guess the children I could potentially have, although with everything going on it seems unlikely, will be missing their grandparents. Lucky them." Suddenly, Rima burst into laughter, prompting Kukai and Kairi to raise their eyebrows.
"I am unable to find the humor," Kairi muttered.
"It really isn't funny, but if I ever was a mother," she continued to giggle, "And I remained with Nagi, then they would miss what it's like to have grandparents. Oh god, it's horrible, but…" She continued to giggle, with Kusu-Kusu joining in. Kukai cracked a smile and laughed slightly, leaving Kairi to watch them, utterly perplexed.
"RIMA-TAN!" Through her giggles, Rima glanced up, and before she could focus, Yaya suddenly tackled her to the ground.
"Yaya! What are you doing here?!" Rima exclaimed, attempting to push her off.
"Yaya and Nagi-Tan got impatient, so we decided to find you guys! Rima-Tan is laughing, so what happened must have been good!" Yaya finally got off of Rima, who stifled her giggles. She looked at Kusu-Kusu for a moment, and could no longer contain herself.
"I'm glad to see you're alright," Nagihiko told her, though also confused to her laughter.
"That's the thing though; I'm really not." She looked up at Nagihiko, calming down. "I think I just realized I lost my sanity completely. I don't even know how to react to anything anymore, so this is what happened…" She smiled softly, and hugged him, who quickly returned the hug. With much struggle, she leaned up against his ear. "Can I join the lack of mother club?" She whispered. Nagihiko let go of her, and turned to her, horrified.
"Rima-Chan!" He exclaimed, watching her smile remain intact.
"Hey c'mon Nagi; it's her way of coping." Kukai patted his back. "It's been stressful, so she needs to ease the stress by doing what she loves most- laughing!" Nagihiko watched his girlfriend, smiling softly.
"Yaya missed something… didn't she?" Kairi walked over to her, and explained the situation with Rima's mother.
"So, what happened to Amu and-" Suddenly, there was a loud noise. Smoke suddenly surrounded them, and they coughed incessantly.
"What's going on?!" Kukai exclaimed, attempting to blow away the smoke. Suddenly, a high-pitched scream sounded. Since Kukai could make out Yaya's iconic pigtails beside him, he suddenly knew exactly who it was.
"Rima!" Kairi called, realizing as well. The smoke suddenly cleared up, and suddenly, there was only four of them. Rima was nowhere to be found. They heard a car driving away, but didn't think much of it.
"Where is she?!" Yaya exclaimed, turning quickly.
"I don't know, but her shout was pretty loud…" Kukai muttered. "Oh shit, she could have been abducted or something." Nagihiko's eyes widened. Kairi glanced at him, and they both exchanged a nervous and concerned glance. "What?!" Kukai demanded, seeing their grim expressions.
"Rima-Chan was once kidnapped when she was younger," Nagihiko explained slowly, his voice wavering. "She was traumatized by it, and it's her biggest fear…"
"We should head back," Kairi suggested. "We need to formulate a plan to find out where her whereabouts are." The others nodded, and headed back to the house.
"Where is Rima, Amu, and my brother?" Utau demanded, upon their entrance. Behind her, Yua was playing with Lulu's hair and Tadase was staring at the ground. Yukari sat nearby as well, playing with Ava on her lap. Yuu sat beside her, smiling.
"We don't know what happened to Rima," Kukai explained, his eyes darkening. "We found her and her father, and she was okay after that, but then she was abducted."
"It could be her father. His unconscious state seemed as though it would remain stagnant for a while, but I could have speculated incorrectly."
"We have to go," Nagihiko urged, sounding desperate.
"Fujisaki, you should stay back. You can't transform, and we may need to in order to prove the most effective," Utau pointed out.
"I can't just stay back again, waiting anxiously to see if it's successful…" Nagihiko stared at the ground.
"What's up?" Ikuto and Amu entered the house, hand in hand. Yua filled them in on the details.
"It wasn't her father," Amu whispered. "We passed him again when we came back here, and he was still out."
"Oh lord…" All eyes turned to face Yukari.
"What is the matter?" Kairi asked his sister.
"I think I might have an idea where she is, but I really hope I'm mistaken." She let out a long sigh.
"Oh my god, you think it's…"
"Gravatus," Nagihiko realized, his eyes darkening. The unhappiness was echoed throughout the room. However, for Nagihiko, tears were beginning to build up in his eyes. Gravatus had already ruined his life enough. He could still hear the ringing of the two bullets Gravatus shot at his mother. He didn't want to associate that with Rima as well. Not only was she petrified of being kidnapped, but this was Gravatus; the man who changed the whole world into a living hell. Nagihiko knew that he would harm anyone mercilessly. He was a murderer. The last thing Nagihiko wanted was for Rima, the girl of which he adored more than anything, to be facing her fear with a man who killed his ex-wife, and forced Utau to be in a coma for an entire week. Nagihiko could not fathom his concern.
This, my lovely readers, is a twist I have been looking forward to for a while. I promise you though, this event will cause more twists and turns to occur. Amuto fans, I hope you were happy! I've been neglecting you for a bit, but here you go. RimaHiko fans like myself, I AM SORRY. Also, I am aware of Rima acting pretty OOC, but honestly, with everything they dealt with in this story, she was just expressing her despair and anxiety, like Kukai said. Plus, I needed something light in this story, since this story will get darker and more intense. Without saying anything more, please review! (I guess there is no point telling you to alert and favorite). Because I'm feeling generous and inspired, I will give you a short preview for the next chapter. However, I am thinking about posting a bonus chapter in between the two chapters, so this preview is for the next chapter in the plot, not the bonus. Enjoy!
As he walked into the vast planetarium, he felt a wave of sudden comfort. Seeing the stars above him always made him feel welcome, even in a time like this. His heart was beating rapidly, as he walked toward the man he called his uncle. He was staring up at the stars, admiring them. Tadase already knew that Tsukasa knew he was there.
"It's funny… Normally, there is always a star shining in a path, but right now, all I can see is darkness."
It's short, and it's only part of the scene, but we will pick up on this next chapter (it will be soon, promise!). Review, review, review!
