Chapter 25: Ruby Revealed, and Chaos Unleashed

Ikuto, Amu and the rest of them walked up to the twosome.

"I'm sorry I didn't know the party was being brought outside?" Amaya glared at them.

"What are you two doing out here?" Ikuto asked, with a blank stare back.

"I don't see how that concerns you." Kage's eyes moved from Ikuto to Amu. "But if you really want to know...we were just discussing my past..." Amu's eyes widened. He smirked. "Or at least what I remember of my past."

"What did you do Amaya?" Ikuto accused.

"Isn't the question what did you guys do?" Amaya accused back.

"Hey we're not the one jumping around on thin ice." Utau accused, defending her brother.

"If I may interrupt I'm pretty sure the ice has already broke."

Suddenly Ruby emerged from a shadowy tree top.

"What the hell is going on here?" Kukai asked annoyed.

"Secrets out guys. You don't need anymore innuendo to hide the past truth." Ruby smirked.

"Speaking of innuendo...you don't seem to be so upfront yourself, we don't even know who you are." Tadase spoke up.

"Wait...do you mean Kage..." Amu started. "Do you-"

"Remember?" He finished and smiled slyly at her. "What I do remember is the mistake you made in thinking I wouldn't come back for you." He walked a little closer to her.

Amu wasn't sure if that was a threat or a flirt. She swallowed hard, still a little wide eyed.

Ikuto walked in between them.

"I think you both need to out and say whats going on. Why don't you do us all a favor and just take off your gloves?" Ikuto said, looking threateningly at him. He didn't like the fact that he was already after Amu.

"Wow, lets slow it down. Shouldn't you at least by me dinner first before I take off my clothes?" Kage tilted his head, and raised his eyebrows with a challenging smirk.

"Hey, you know, I wouldn't mind knowing what the hell is actually going on here." Utau said as the two groups divided again.

Kage and Ruby exchanged glances. Amaya stood slightly behind them, secretly wondering what exactly had gone on herself.

"You really want to know what's going on?" Ruby said walking up, her red eyes sparkling through her black mask. "I'm here to remind Kage of all the power and strength he had, that he's been missing out on these months, under the shadows of you, who decided that keeping him in the dark about who he was, was the kind thing to do. Shame on you. Liars." Ruby shared a cocky glare.

"What about you Amaya?" Ikuto looked at her.

"I - I'm on their side. You never let me on your side. I have a chara and I can character change. I see no reason why...and at least Kage and Ruby get me." Amaya persisted, almost unsure of herself.

"Speaking of, who the hell is Ruby?" Utau said interrupting Amaya's excuses.

Ruby looked to Kage and grinned. "Shall I tell them?"

"You know?" Amu looked to Kage surprised.

"Oh he knows more then you all think he knows." Ruby walked a little closer. "But if you really want to know once again, I won't deny you at least that much." She peeled off her mask and they looked at her.

Her face was not different. But her identity was clearer. A girl, possibly one year younger then Ikuto and Kage, but tall, figured, curvy. Striking eyes. Striking red eyes that challenged them, with a slight familiarly.

"Are you going to tell us who you are or just stand there?" Utau was getting impatient.

They waited for her to answer and she just turned her head and tilted it, grinning at Kage.

Kage caught her glance and turned to them. "She's Mika. Sakemishi Mika."

"Sake- wait..." Amu repeated before opening her eyes wide.

Kage smirked. "Yes, she's my sister." Amu had caught on to their last name similarity.

"Sakemishi Mika, also known as the infamous Ruby." She bowed slightly as she shifted her body closer to Kage.

"What the hell is going on? Tell us now Kage, we need to know if your-" Ikuto was edgy, sick and tired of not knowing if Kage had his mark back.

"Dangerous?" Kage finished for him. His smirk grew. "Well if you really want to know..." He looked to his hand and put his palm towards them, and pulled off the glove of his right hand.

They held their breath.

No mark.

They breathed out. He bit his lip in his own amusement. He slowly took his second hand out, facing his palm to them, and lifting his glove off his hand.

Even Amaya watched with wide eyes.

A red mark. Showed and as it did, he grinned with pride. An X and a circle, just like before. A red glowing scar, renewed.

"How could you?" Rima asked the Ruby girl.

"My brother deserves to know his past. My little charm here was the key to bringing his memory back. This is who he is. And now that our secret heirloom is mine, I will make sure I erase every bit of damage you've done." She held her smooth oval red gem in her hand.

"What is it?" Nagihiko asked, watching that she didn't strike Rima for her challenge.

"The blood of the Cracked Lords of the past, combined together, to mimic their power, and to awaken the power that was lost in Kage. Now that Kage has added his blood, we can finally use its full potential and bring our families wishes to reality." She looked confident. Determined.

"Is that how you turn inanimate objects to Cracked-X creatures?" Tadase asked.

"Smart boy you are. You're the would-be King aren't you?" She looked at him challengingly. He was angered and annoyed by her belittling comment.

Amaya looked lost somewhere between the two sides. Amu noticed her looks at Kage and hoped she could save her before they took her on their side.

"Amaya, why don't you help us? You got his memory back, but they want to get rid of the guardians, including yours? Help us fix this." Amu pleaded to her.

"I- I- I wanted this." She said as her eyes caught Kage. Kage grinned charmingly at her. She swallowed. "I helped his memories return. All I've ever wanted was to feel wanted. To have a kind of power I could control. I had that before I lost my popularity, before I lost my stand as Ikuto's potential girlfriend. Now...I dont even want that. I want this. Inclusion you stupid brats couldn't give to me." Her voice started to rise. Her confidence had gone from wavering to its normal self. "Kage has kept me around, I was his first and always his most loyal follower. Ruby offered me a position. I'm taking it." She jumped backwards, with Kodami at her shoulder, on the other side of Kage.

Kage looked to her. Good. Her infatuation should come in handy. Ruby also nodded in approval of their recruitment. Amaya went to hand Ruby her ruby ring she gave her as the sign of their deal, now that Kage remembered.

"Don't. Keep it. You deserve it." Ruby said.

Kukai caught a glimpse of the ring. "Hey that's the ring that was stollen from the jewelry shop! I bet that's the gold chain necklace too on that gem!" He pointed accusingly at Ruby.

"Ah so your all not as dumb as you seem." She gleamed a prideful smile.

"How did you do it?" Kukai asked. "We couldn't find evidence of anyone?"

Ruby stared down at the gem in her and as it glowed a little. She looked up at him and then to the ground. The moon shawn perfectly behind her.

Kukai waited, and then felt his feet come out from beneath him. They all wondered what happened, as Utau helped him up. Ikuto had seen what she did.

"Her shadow. She used the Cracked-X gem on her shadow to bring it to life. It took your ankles out from beneath you." He looked hard at the devious red head.

"A so the King isn't just a little pussy cat. He's got a brain too." She smiled, and then yawned. "Well this has all been fun but we have a bit of planning to do now that we have our cards in order." She smiled. "The Kings, the Queens, the Jacks, the Aces and the Joker, all right where we want them." She looked at the group. They'd caught on to her metaphor, and challenged her look back.

Kage took Amaya's hand and she nodded. "Good luck trying to stop me this time," His eyes darted to Ikuto. "But if you do want to try... I'll be waiting." His eyes moved to Amu's and caught hers in a stare. His eyes both dangerous, challenging, and Amu wondered...even a little seductive towards her? Or was it just that he'd been trying to spook her?

Ruby and Kage used their powers to create what looked like a dark portal and Amaya, still holding Kage's hand, jumped through it with them, before the group could go after the evil trio.

"Shit!" Ikuto said angry.

"We've got some serious problems." Kukai said.

"I'll tell Kari, Yaya, and Ryu what happened." Tadase took out his phone, and objectively filled them in via text.

"So much for Winter break." Utau mumbled, also annoyed an angry.

"We've got to find their hide away." Rima said.

"I hate to prolong it, but I suggest we sleep on it. We won't be of any use barreling in without a plan." Nagihiko added thoughtfully.

Amu just stayed silent. Maybe it was shock. Maybe it was anger. Maybe it was nerves.

Kage was back.

He had a sister.

A sister with a similar power.

And an Lone Wolf who would do anything just to feel included.

What else could possibly go wrong?