A/N: Alright, I'm so proud of myself! Look at how fast I update! And, Kailey, this chapter is about 2,500 words. So, don't be a hater. Anyways, let's get cracking. Next chapter will be the wedding—today are the preparations! Sit back and enjoy the sadisticality of my sadistic-ness. That doesn't make any sense, sorry!
Et tu, Tsuki?
Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara.
Alison
It was already 10:30 A.M. and nothing was getting done—at least that's what Alison thought. There was so much planned for later that day, but the things she wanted done before then weren't getting done fast enough!
"Is the location set? We've rented it out, correct?" she hollered. The 20-30 people assigned to manage the wedding scurried to find out. Someone ran up to her and chattered away in a low voice. "What do you mean we don't have a set location? Find a garden full of flowers with a white gazebo! Now!" she demanded.
Her fingers twitched in anticipation. She already liked it at Easter. And after this showy, American wedding, my position here will be set in stone, Alison thought with passion and lust.
Her assistant (whom she loved dearly) hurried up to inform her that her nail appointment was soon. "After that, you're going to the hairdresser to work out how you want your hair done."
"Thank you. Stay here in my stead, alright, sister dearest?" Alison smiled toothily. The other blonde nodded hurriedly and stepped back, fright in her eyes. I should feel something…here, Alison sneered, tapping her heart mockingly. But, of course, the tug of regret did not come.
Amu
She got to the office at 10:45 A.M. , just in time to see one of the black limos go speeding away. I guess the wedding would be a big deal around here, Amu decided. When she walked In, Yoru fell into step with her.
She thought she heard him mutter something like, "You're going to get them killed," under his breath. But, when she asked him what he'd said, Yoru denied speaking at all.
"Follow me," he instructed in a barely-even-a-whisper voice. He went to the stairs and Amu found herself following him. He closed the door behind them with a satisfying click, and then waited a second, head cocked. "Good—no one's here."
Amu looked at him, confused. He couldn't know…could he? She wondered worriedly. "What are we doing here, Nekozawa?" she asked in a bored, yet slightly irritated, tone. The irritation was actually anxiety. She couldn't let anyone know her secret—or her plan. No one.
"Alright, pretty good—it'll get you through the day. Just don't slip up, all right?" he instructed. She just blinked. He sighed. "Hello, my name is Nekozawa Yoru, a cousin of Tsukiyomi Ikuto's from his dad's side that Easter decided to hunt down and enslave."
It took a moment to register in her mind, but Amu's mouth dropped and her eyes almost popped out of her head. "So…so…so, what does that mean?" she finally managed to choke out.
Yoru let out another sigh and closed his golden eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "When Ikuto was working here we got close. Stayed in touch over the years—Easter didn't know," he assured, seeing Amu's horrified expression. "Yesterday he called me and filled me in. And I want to help. And I'm supposed to look out for you."
Now it was Amu's turn for an exasperated sigh. She opened the door and walked to the elevators, rubbing her temples and wondering whether to be flattered or annoyed. I don't need watchdogs…especially not now! she thought irritably.
"Even though this has obviously been my job for years, it bugs you to hear it out loud?" Yoru inquired.
"Ikuto didn't know I was here," Amu mumbled defiantly.
Yoru agreed. "No, but he told me about you while he was still here. So, it was never directly asked of me—I just took it upon myself," he shrugged as they went up to the 55th floor.
When they got off, Yoru knocked on the nearest wall and said, "These walls have great support" while tugging on his ear. Without another word, he turned and walked off.
She just shook her head, already knowing the risks of talking within Easter.
Kairi
He'd found a little secluded lab that was connected to his workspace. It was a little dusty and definitely underused, but at least there'd be no one to disturb him while he worked.
Kairi had been studying the X Formula injected into Tadase and Alison, but he still didn't know how to sedate it. Everything he'd tried so far either fizzled and smoked, completely burned away, or just sat on top of it like oil and water. Nothing seems to be able to penetrate it and then neutralize the effects, Kairi thought.
"Kairi?" he heard the muffled voice of Hikaru calling him. The green-haired man scowled but discreetly exited the lab; just in time, too. Hikaru gave him a strange, sidelong look but didn't say anything.
"What is it?" Kairi asked in a bored tone.
Hikaru gave a little shrug. "I'm going to be working on…a little project for the boss and his fiancé. There aren't any ongoing tests, so I was wondering if you wanted to take the day off."
Is he trying to get rid of me? Kairi wondered. "I'm starting work for my next test," Kairi informed him. A curious gleam appeared in Hikaru's eye. "If all of my patients become as successful as Ms. Shimamura…well, they'll have to pay their dues somehow." Hikaru studied him a moment longer before disappearing back to his own desk.
Sometimes I think those eyes see more than they let on…Kairi shivered inwardly, retreating back to his own lab. Come to think of it, he'd seen a similar intelligent, knowing look in Yaya's eyes…
He'd just started to go back to work when the lab door open behind him. Kairi's heart caught in his throat when he turned to see the person standing in the doorway. The blonde woman had a clipboard clutched close to her chest and her skin was pale. The blonde hair that framed her petite, round face (and the face itself) terrified him. Then, he saw the eyes.
All the similarities he'd noticed between the 2 collapsed at the sight of her eyes. Not only the color—emerald green instead of ocean blue—but the lack of madness and maliciousness in them. "What did you do to my sister?" she asked in a low whisper.
He stood still in shock. So this is the woman they planned on first…Shimamura Su?
Her voice got louder. "What did you do to my sister?" she shrieked, stepping up to him. When Kairi still didn't answer, she swung her arm over every piece of equipment he'd set up, knocking them all off the table. She let out a wail of despair.
The pain, sorrow, and loss in that one, piercing cry snapped him out of his daze. Just as he was about to go over to the girl, the door burst open again. In came 4 or 5 security guards that hoisted up Su and marched her back out of the lab.
"Don't worry, sir. She's Ms. Shimamura's sister, so we'll wait until she gets back to deal with her," one of them assured before leaving again.
Amu
It was already 1:00; the day had been going by pretty quickly. Only a few more hours and I can go home! Amu thought. Then, her phone trilled, making her jump. "Hello?" she answered, genuinely curious. Don't let it be…!
"Amu, glad to hear you're feeling better. Could you come see me in my office?" Tadase's voice poured from the receiver.
Amu managed a reply and hung up. She looked down at her hands and saw that they were slightly shaking. She let down her hair and ran her fingers through it anxiously.
She stood and walked to the elevators, putting her hair back up. He's getting married, she tried to reassure herself. But, she couldn't get Ikuto's words out of her head: "Just because he's getting married doesn't make him a decent person—by the sounds of it, he never will be again."
She got off the elevator just as Dia came striding down the hallway. She sent Amu a withering glare that made Amu scowl back. "Be careful," she heard Dia whisper as they passed each other by. Amu had to work hard to keep her emotions down.
What the hell happened? It can't have been good to make Dia sound so…civil, Amu thought. She slid into Tadase's office, trying to compose her face and emotions.
"Ah," Tadase noted, looking up, "you're here." A grin spread across his face—but it was different. It wasn't malicious or fake. Amu didn't like it. It made her nervous and her fingers twitched unconsciously. "Sit," and this time it wasn't so sweet.
Amu crossed her legs and smoothed down her grey skirt, waiting for Tadase to say something. Finally he came over to her and bent down so their faces were inches apart. "Amu…" he breathed. A shiver crawled down her spine. "Don't for a moment think I'm giving you up. Think of it as a…temporary investment, alright? Besides, what married man doesn't have a mistress?" he asked in his usual menacing, aloof, and taunting voice.
But she knew better than to open her mouth in such a compromising position. Tadase jerked her chin up, but she looked away quickly. "Look at me," he growled in a low voice. Amu didn't, defiant for the moment. He growled something under his breath.
He slapped her across the face, got up, and went back behind his desk. Amu sucked in a quick breath at the sharp pain but didn't say anything. She watched Tadase curiously…he ran one hand through his blonde hair.
"Go."
Amu left, wondering what had Tadase so wound up and anxious. But he wasn't the only one. The meeting with Tadase had set her nerves on end and finding out about Yoru…I can't take this much. Easter was much easier to face in elementary school, Amu decided. And then Dia…I don't even know where to start with all of this!
She headed back down to the 55th floor and ran into Dia again. Neither gave any hint about what Dia said outside of Tadase's office. "Ms. Shimamura got back. She wants to see you. And she's on-edge about the party too," Dia informed her. Dia told her what floor Shimamura was waiting for her on and, without another word, left.
Amu headed back to the elevators and punched in the correct floor. There was someone waiting for her when she got off that led her into one of the many rooms.
"Hinamori Amu?" Shimamura inquired when she stepped into the room. Amu nodded and sat when Alison beckoned to one of the chairs opposite her. "I'm Shimamura Alison—call me Alison," the blonde woman told her. Amu took the hand and shook it a bit cautiously. She hadn't met Shimamura Alison before, but from what she'd heard…well, she wasn't expecting this.
This Alison was cordial and put-together, not unlike a rich hostess at a party trying to make small-talk with everyone. Finally, the curious side of Amu got the better of her. "Who are we waiting for?" she asked innocently. Alison's face darkened and Amu knew that she was getting to see a glimpse of the real Shimamura Alison.
After a brief awkward silence, the door opened again. This time, another blonde woman (eerily similar to Alison) was shoved inside. She looked at the two people in front of her for a moment before sitting in the chair next to Amu. "Amu, please meet my sister—Shimamura Su."
Amu gasped in horror. That's why they look so similar! Amu thought. She knew that Alison was Su's sister, but…how did Su get into all of this? Amu wondered. She tentatively brushed the hair out of Su's face and looked at her poor friend's dull, green eyes. They were filled with tears, but none were spilling over. Has she seen what Alison's like?
"Well, now that we're all here, I'd like to get down to business," Alison said in a sickly-sweet voice. "Su, let's start with you. I hear that you attacked my…well, for lack of a better word, creator. Without Kairi, I wouldn't be here. What do you have to say for yourself?" Shimamura inquired in a light, girlish voice.
Amu gave an incredulous look at the 2 sisters. Su didn't say a word and a crease formed between Alison's eyebrows. "I'm curious. Aren't you happy for me, Su?" Alison asked. Still, the other didn't answer.
"What about me?" Amu blurted when she saw Shimamura's face darken even more.
The blonde woman turned her hateful eyes to Amu and plastered a smile to her face. "Well, Amu, since you asked…" she began, "I hear that you and Tadase have a history. Not a very…stable one, but, a history nonetheless. I want to make sure that he's mine."
Remembering what Tadase had said earlier made Amu shiver.
"Now, I want Easter like you never have. That would make me the obvious choice, but…well; let's just say that I don't think that man has very good judgment when it comes to…anything. I want you to stay away from him," the woman warned her, standing up and leaning over her, tone dark and warning.
Amu caught a bit of the madness in her eye that went deeper than even Tadase's. She nodded warily, hurrying out of the room afterwards.
Ikuto
It was 3:00; Amu was supposed to be back soon. He just hoped that he could count on Yoru to look out for her when he couldn't. It'd been years since he'd talked with his cousin, but he knew Amu too well to just let her go off on her own.
She wants to take everything onto herself, Ikuto knew. The door opened and he went to see if Amu was back yet.
The pinkette ran to him and he wrapped his arms around her—they seemed to be ending up like this a lot. To his surprise, he felt her shaking. He opened his mouth to say something, but she spoke first. "Just hold me, okay, Ikuto? Just…please." So he did.
He thought he heard her murmur, "I don't know how I dealt with this without you…"
"I love you," he murmured, holding her tighter against his chest.
A/N: Kinda sucky Amuto moment at the end, there, but…well, whatever. Next chapter will be the big day! Are you looking forwards to it, everyone, Ali? I thought so! Don't know how soon I'll be able to update, so just bear with me if I'm taking awhile! R&R!
