Remember that time I said that I'd update fast throughout my senior year because work didn't matter as much? Yeah, about that...
So, so, so sorry for this super late update. I will be putting more in the end author's note as to my life, but for now, enjoy! I know it's been a long time since I've updated, but I've been working on this chapter, believe it or not, throughout my large gap of not updating. I hope this 9500+ word chapter is good enough; it's something I've been immensely excited about! As I previously mentioned, this chapter is composed of different flashbacks, so just for your own convenience, the present date is approximately early to mid-August.
May 28th
"You can't keep wasting our money like that!"
"You have absolutely no right to tell me how to spend my money! It's not like you contribute a goddamn yen."
"I can tell you how to spend your money when it contributes to our daughter's college!"
"Maybe it wouldn't be so difficult to afford college next year for her if you didn't just sit on your lazy ass and do nothing all day."
"It's not my fault that I was laid off!"
Rima raised the volume on her music, attempting to drown out the sounds of her parents' screams. The loud music, however, could not entirely eliminate the echoes of their shouts across the halls. The teenager let out a sigh, clenching her fists tightly.
"Rima, look here!" She glanced up at her chara, who was flipping continuously in midair. She wore a wide grin as she perpetually twirled around and around. Rima forced a small smile at her chara's antics, before turning back to her iPhone. As the song ended, the brief moment of silence was immediately shattered by the loud screams.
"Eight years…" Rima murmured.
"Huh?" Kusu-Kusu stopping twirling abruptly. She swayed back and forth, attempting to regain her balance in midair.
"It's been eight years since they started fighting." She sighed, pausing her phone as the next song began to play. Pulling out her headphones, she laid her head down on her pillows. "Funny how they don't seem to tire out."
"They'll stop one day," Kusu-Kusu reassured, floating in front of Rima. The blonde snorted.
"Yeah, they'll stop the day they die."
"Hey! Don't think like that." Kusu-Kusu poked her nose. "It's going to be better, you know! School's almost over, so you'll be able to hang out with the others. And next year, you'll be in college!" Rima's eyes darkened.
"If they can afford it…" Rima mumbled. "It's all they fight about now."
"You'll be able to go," Kusu-Kusu promised. "Colleges can give you money, right? And your parents care about your education and well-being!"
"I don't want to be a burden on them. Even if I get financial aid, it's still a huge burden. And if they get divorced…" Rima closed her eyes. "Ugh, it's not fair, Kusu-Kusu. Why can't we be a happy family again? Why did it all have to crumble? Don't you remember how we used to be so happy? I just wish I had never gotten kidnapped—"
"Rima, stop that!" Kusu-Kusu sighed. "You can't blame yourself for your parents' fights. You just said it; it was eight years ago. Their fighting is deeper than that. Maybe that's when it started, but their fighting has nothing to do with it anymore. Don't you remember what Nagi said? Even a small crack in ice can lead to its crumbling."
"I…" She sighed. In that moment of silence, she could hear her parents' shouts become louder. "I need some fresh air." She immediately sat up and straightened her hair before heading downstairs.
"I'm heading out," She announced to her parents. Her father briefly nodded in her direction, before turning back to her mother. She hesitated briefly, before heading out of her house and slamming the door behind her.
"Are you going to call anyone?" Kusu-Kusu wondered, floating beside Rima. She shook her head slowly.
"I don't need to call them every time something like this happens," Rima mumbled. "I can't rely on them for everything."
"But they love you," Kusu-Kusu insisted. "You know they would be there for you in an instant!"
"I know, but…" Rima paused suddenly as she arrived at the nearby park. To her bemusement, it was entirely vacant. Cocking an eyebrow, she entered the park, glancing around. There were no kids jovially running around or teenagers playing sports; the entire park was devoid of anyone.
"Where did everyone go?" Kusu-Kusu wondered, cocking her head to the side. "It's two in the afternoon on a Sunday; the park is usually super crowded." Rima shrugged, looking around confusedly.
"Rima, look out!" Kusu-Kusu suddenly shouted. Rima turned around rapidly, her eyes widening as a flock of X-Eggs suddenly flew in. She gasped, watching as thousands of X-Eggs floated around the park.
"X-Eggs?!" Rima exclaimed. "I haven't seen this many X-Eggs since…since Death Rebel…" Rima glanced over at her chara. "We can't just leave them here. My own heart, unlock." Instantly, Kusu-Kusu entered her egg and went inside Rima.
"Tightrope Dancer!" She yelled, throwing ropes at the X-Eggs. To her bemusement, they all dodged her attack, prompting her to curse under her breath. She immediately reached into her bag and pulled out her cell phone. As the X-Eggs launched an attack, she dodged it and rapidly began searching through her contacts, before hitting send.
"Pick up, pick up," She mumbled. As the sound of voicemail echoed through her ears, she frowned. "Damn it, Amu." She hung up and immediately proceeded to go through her contacts.
"What are you doing?!" Kusu-Kusu wondered from inside of her.
"I can't purify X-Eggs," Rima mumbled, gritting her teeth. "Amu didn't pick up, but hopefully Nagi's around." Rima frowned suddenly, hanging up her phone. "Oh shit, he had some stupid dancing thing today. I have no idea what Amu's doing. Utau can purify X-Eggs too, but she's been in Europe for months now." Rima put her phone away. "I guess we'll have to manage something."
"We can do this!" Kusu-Kusu called.
"I sure hope so… Juggling Party!" Rima tossed her pins at the X-Eggs. To her dismay, the X-Eggs flickered blue, before sending the pins straight back at her.
"What was that?!" Kusu-Kusu exclaimed, as Rima pivoted out of the way. Rima's eyes widened, watching as her juggling pins crashed to the ground.
"Well, isn't that just great?" Rima frowned, watching as the cluster of X-Eggs remained floating. "Tightrope Dancer." Rima wrapped her ropes around the X-Eggs repeatedly, biting her lip. She held onto her rope, strenuously pulling as the X-Eggs attempted to escape.
"I can't hold on forever…" Rima closed her eyes briefly. "Scorching Ropes!" To her dismay, her ropes suddenly lit aflame. She watched as the X-Eggs seemed to cringe, struggling less aggressively against the tightness of the ropes. Suddenly, she heard a shattering sound, prompting her eyes to widen.
"What was that?!"
"I don't know, but that move was so cool Rima!" Kusu-Kusu exclaimed. "I think you did something to the X-Eggs!" Rima loosened the ropes slightly.
"Yeah, they seem much—damn it!" Rima frowned, watching as the X-Eggs rapidly escaped. She let out a disgruntled sigh. "I had them weakened. Amu could have easily purified them if I had just—"
"What a great performance," Rima turned around rapidly, her eyes widening. To her surprise, a familiar brunette stood prominently in the park, a gleam present in his smile.
"Amakawa Tsukasa," Rima mumbled.
"Your efforts were laudable, Mashiro-San. You truly put forth the maximum amount of power nullify those X-Eggs, and that in itself is excellent."
"But I failed," Rima muttered. "I lost the X-Eggs, and I was unable to do anything with them."
"You severely weakened them," Tsukasa pointed out. "You have facilitated the actions of Hinamori Amu. You have proved to be of great use." Rima sighed, ending her transformation.
"Great. So, I'll be seeing you then." As she began to turn around, she could hear Tsukasa let out a sigh.
"I believe you hold the greatest potential…" Rima turned back around, cocking an eyebrow.
"The greatest potential?"
"May I have a word with you for a moment? Come with me to my planetarium." Puzzled, Rima nodded slowly, following her ex-principal to the planetarium. Their walk was filled with silence, but Rima paid no mind to that. Her mind was racing, perplexed as to why Tsukasa wanted to talk to her.
"Would you like some tea, Mashiro-San?" Tsukasa offered, as they arrived inside.
"No thanks…" Rima let out a sigh. "Why am I here?" A soft chuckle emanated from Tsukasa's throat.
"You are quite direct, aren't you?" He smiled brightly. "Perhaps that will prove useful for the task."
"What task?" Tsukasa's smile vanished. Rima watched him, raising an eyebrow.
"As you know, five years ago, you defeated Easter. You—as well as the other guardians—all worked diligently and powerfully to take down Hoshina Kazuomi by freeing Ikuto from Death Rebel and protecting the embryo from his clutches."
"It wasn't really us," Rima pointed out. "It was mainly Amu. She's the one who pretty much did it single-handedly."
"Every heroine requires a support cast to bolster her actions," Tsukasa pointed out. Rima sighed for a moment. Tsukasa wasn't wrong; that day, Amu couldn't worry about X-Eggs; she was solely focused on saving Ikuto. The X-Eggs were left for Nagihiko and her. Rima could distinctly remember performing Queen's Waltz with him, as he benignly took her hands in his and led her in a dance to purify a huge cluster of X-Eggs. A small smile formed on her face. So much has changed from that moment, Rima realized. When she danced with him then, that was the only time she ever felt a semblance of an emotion toward him that wasn't hatred; now, she couldn't even fathom feeling an ounce of loathe toward him.
"Of course, a support cast may not always be viable." Rima cocked her head to the side.
"What do you mean?"
"Things have changed from that day you put an end to Easter. With your teamwork and dedication, you all convinced Kazuomi that indoctrinating an innocent soul and darkening children's dreams was sacrilegious. And from that moment on, Easter—a company that specialized in darkening children's dreams for their own greed—was shut down."
"But of course, the blueprints for their greater plans were not entirely discarded. Kazuomi simply left the company he worked so hard to galvanize; he left his papers and tools untouched. It was inevitable that the immense resources of Easter would fall into another's hands for another man's greed."
"So you're saying that Easter is back?" Rima wondered.
"Precisely."
"You said it yourself: we already defeated them. We can handle it again," Rima pointed out.
"It's not quite that simple, Mashiro-San." Tsukasa let out a sigh. "Each individual possesses his or her own ideas. While being provided with the exact copies of Kazuomi's plans, the new executive director has his own plans for how to steer the company. He has analyzed Kazuomi's mistakes and shortcomings for five years. The scattered presence of X-Eggs have been no coincidence; the new director has been experimenting, properly preparing for years in order to develop his plan. And now, he has fully synthesized all that he needs. His plans are nearly prepared to be fully executed."
"What are his plans?"
"I do not know his end goal necessarily, but the implications of his plans hold dark potential. While his motivations are unknown to me, I am aware of the concerning possibility that his plans could possibly endanger the lives of everyone on this Earth." Rima's eyes widened. "In particular, Miss Hinamori Amu is particularly vulnerable."
"What are they planning with Amu?!" Rima wondered desperately.
"I believe that they would like to reap the benefits of her abilities. As you well know, Hinamori-San possesses extraordinary abilities. She holds the powers of four guardian characters—more than any other individual. If they can indoctrinate her—similar to Death Rebel—they will yield immense power, power that perhaps not even you guardians could counter."
"How do you know this?" She asked.
"As a previous Easter employee, Yuu Nikaidou still can gather some knowledge from the company. However, this information is scarce. In actuality, we hardly know anything. Perhaps this new Easter's plans have already commenced, and Miss Hinamori could already be facing imminent danger. But this requires a source within Easter. And that is the role you could play, Mashiro-San."
"You're implying—"
"I understand this is a large request, Mashiro-San."
"A large request?! You're asking me to join a company I fought against!" Rima exclaimed.
"If we had options, I would not be imploring you to do this. But sadly, prospects are grim. I do not quite know all Easter is planning, but acquiring the necessary intelligence would save Miss Hinamori; this could save the lives of everyone."
"So, your grand plan is for me to join Easter and just report the information to you?" Rima wondered. "And then after I get all of the information, I and the rest of the guardians take down Easter?" Tsukasa frowned, sighing dramatically.
"I'm afraid that would be too simple." Tsukasa met Rima's hazel eyes. "It has been five years since you have faced Easter, and unfortunately, you are not the only one that has grown up. Easter, too, has built on their technologies—as you could definitely see by those X-Eggs today—and have advanced their plans. They are expecting a large attack from you guardians. You guys cannot strike externally; we must strike from within, as quietly as possible."
"You mean—"
"This is something you must handle alone, Mashiro-San. You must align with Easter momentarily, gathering all of the information possible. Then, once we are prepared, you will eliminate them, before they can grow exponentially. We must eliminate the first bacterium before it multiplies to an entire colony."
"And the guardians—"
"They will not have to worry about a thing."
"No. I-I'm not doing this," Rima exclaimed. "You want me to betray my friends and join Easter?! I can't do that; I can't lie to the people that mean the most to me."
"I know it is immensely difficult, but think about Miss Hinamori." Rima hesitated. "They are trying to brainwash her, convincing her to work with them. They want to utilize her powers for something potentially lethal to the entire world. And of course, Miss Hinamori means a lot to you, does she not?" Rima let out a sigh. She thought back to when she first moved into Seiyo Academy. Amu was the first other person she met with a façade; Amu was the first person to break her façade and see her for who she really was. Amu had been the first person since Rima's kidnapping to make her feel special and wanted. And Rima had always felt indebted to her ever since.
"Why me…?" Rima wondered. "Tadase is in love with Amu; he would have done this in a second. You could have chosen anyone; Nagi would have volunteered in an instant as well. So, why me?"
"You hold the most potential, Mashiro-San," Tsukasa pointed out, smiling. "You demonstrated your strength upon facing those X-Eggs; I believe you hold the most potential to saving Miss Hinamori. I understand this request is far from simple, but I know that you are a strong woman who can handle this." Rima stared at the ground, her eyes watering slightly. She couldn't afford to lose Amu, but she knew that if she agreed to Tsukasa's plan, she could lose everyone else, if they found out.
"Do you read fairy tales?" Rima glanced up, slightly startled.
"No… Not since I was a child," Rima murmured, taken aback by the question. She knew Tsukasa however; she knew he was making some point.
"Fairy tales are timeless, defined by no particular age or time." Tsukasa's amethyst eyes flickered. "Though appearing fictitious, their meanings hold quite a high value. Each fairy tale speaks vividly of life's tales—of the myriad demonstrations of bravery, love, sacrifice, and even selfishness and evil. Fairy tales, in fact, reflect the most real parts of us."
"What are you getting at?" Rima wondered, frowning.
"Why do you think the supposed damsel-in-distresses are protected by their gallant princes?" Tsukasa turned to face her.
"Uh… because of true love?"
"On the surface, yes. The man want to fulfill their destinies and receive the grace and affections of his respective beloved. But perhaps, it is more in depth than that simplicity. Love holds a multitude of dimensions; it cannot be confined to such rigid boundaries." Rima's eyes drifted to the floor, biting her lip. She thought about her love. If she went through with Tsukasa's plan, she could lose her entire relationship. She could possibly lose Nagihiko forever, and how could she live with herself without him? "This is not love; this is protection." Rima glanced back up at Tsukasa, grimacing slightly.
"Because the girl always needs to be protected," She muttered sarcastically. "Women are helpless beings who long for their—"
"On the contrary," Tsukasa smiled gleamingly, "the girl is more powerful than the prince could ever dream of." She glanced back up at him, puzzled. "The prince may appear brave and gallant; he could ward off all the evil guards that tried to lock her up, but in the end, she was the one who contained the true bravery. She managed to hold her ground, with no aid from her beloved."
"I still don't understand—"
"Now suppose this." He took a deep breath. "This 'damsel-in-distress', suppose she was truly the heroine? Suppose she was the one who had rescued her beloved and—simultaneously—held the most bravery?"
"That would give her too much power," Rima murmured. "Doesn't that contradict what you were just saying?"
"Precisely." Rima gave him a confused glance. "She holds too much power. The one in need, her beloved in distress, should hold the most power. And yet, it is her. Without boundaries, too much power yields dire consequences. And when one has too much power, others long for said power. Greed is what drives people to insanity." Rima's eyes widened. It all suddenly made sense to her. She couldn't let Easter take her best friend; she couldn't let this evil company hurt Amu. "Do you now see what you must do?"
"Yes…" Her eyes lowered. She clenched her fists, trying to prevent them from shaking. Fear filled her veins, pumping through her entire body. Could she really just join Easter—without providing her friends with a real explanation, and risk the potential for them to never forgive her?
"Happily ever after is not evanescent; only you can adequately preserve it. Power—ironically—has the power to bend the normal laws of sanity. It is you who must maintain its proprietary. Do you accept?"
"I do," She murmured. "But—"
"All of your worries will be alleviated in no time." Tsukasa smiled warmly. "While your greatest fears may reveal themselves, remember that your worries are ephemeral and all will be restored." She nodded slowly.
"I…I will cease to disappoint, Tsukasa." She turned around and exited without another word. Standing outside of the planetarium, Rima looked at her chara nervously.
"What the hell am I doing, Kusu-Kusu?"
May 29th
"Everything seems to be in order." Rima stood in front of the desk, her hands clenched within her skirt pockets. She maintained a nonchalant composure, despite the fact she could feel her hands trembling.
"When will I be starting?" Rima asked.
"Well, it would make sense to get you on the field as soon as possible, don't you think?" The elder woman smirked slightly. "But first, I would like to hear about what you know. As a former guardian, you clearly know a lot about what they have planning." Rima bit her lip.
I'm still a guardian. She thought bitterly. They don't know about this; they won't know about this. And how can I tell her this information. I'm not supposed to be betraying the guardians! I'm acting as a spy of sorts, aren't I? I can't betray them like this! I—
"Rima-San?" Rima snapped back into reality.
"I apologize, I was just thinking of what we last did." She took a deep breath. "The guardians, we, err, they are unaware of Easter's plans. I can't really remember the last time we have planned much against Easter. Sure, we have occasional X-Eggs to purify, but nothing related to Easter."
"So they don't suspect our revitalization?" As Rima shook her head, Deidre smirked slightly. "Perfect. Uncle Seto will be pleased that his intentions were successful."
"Seto?" Rima inquired.
"Ah yes. You see, I am merely the assistant Executive Director. My uncle, Seto Sanjou, is the Executive Director—the man behind the rebirth of this company." Rima's eyes widened.
"Sanjou?!"
"Oh yes, I nearly forgot to mention. You aren't the first of your band of guardians to align with Easter's best interests. My dear cousin, Kairi, too, has joined Easter, unbeknownst to your guardians. I presume your involvement with us is behind their back as well? You will be maintaining your membership as a guardian to feed us information?" Rima nodded slowly, her mind in a daze. Kairi betrayed them? But that was impossible, she reasoned. He had betrayed them once before; he regretted it, didn't he? Kairi would never—
"Perfect." Deidre clapped her hands together, prompting Rima to snap out of her daze. "The fact that you have come here to join Easter is a sign that our plans are beginning to roll into motion. Now, Rima-San, allow me to introduce you to someone you will be working alongside closely. Saira, come here." Rima watched as a teenager approached Deidre. She had light-green shoulder length hair and she appeared as if she was Rima's age—though she certainly appeared more seventeen than Rima ever could.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Rima-San." Saira bowed her head. Rima studied her emotionlessly, nodding slowly. "As partners in Easter, I am positive we will be getting to know each other quite well. I have a feeling your experience in the guardians will prove to be quite useful."
"I'll provide whatever I can," Rima told her, biting her lip. Saira smiled lightly. As Rima scanned the walls of Easter, she let out a disgruntled sigh. These were the walls she would learn to call her home; this is where she would seek solace.
It's all for you, Amu. Rima thought bitterly.
June 12th
Rima shifted in her wooden chair uncomfortably, watching Deidre read through her reports. It had been two weeks since she joined Easter, and still, guilt flowed through her veins each time she made the walk from the Royal Garden to the Easter Headquarters.
"These reports are beautifully written, Rima-San," Deidre complimented, her brown eyes meeting Rima's hazel eyes. "It's very clear you have a lot of knowledge of X-Eggs and purification techniques." Rima shrugged slightly. "Your reports indicate that there are purifications that happen with multiple people?"
"I mentioned that in the third or fourth report, I believe," Rima pointed out. "Amu and Tadase have been able to purify a larger quantity of X-Eggs using a purification called Platinum Heart." Saying Amu's name made her inwardly frown. That was who they really cared about, was it not? Tsukasa claimed that Amu was in trouble, and yet, Amu's name had not even come up other than Rima describing guardian plans. Was it possible that she was betraying for nothing?
No, Rima tried to protest. It couldn't be futile; Tsukasa wasn't lying, right? He wasn't making her miserable and guilty for no reason?
"Hm, it's unsurprising that Amu can purify with others as well, given her powers." Rima grimaced. "Is Hotori Tadase the only member of the guardians she can perform a joint purification with?"
"Yeah, she hasn't purified with anyone else," Rima answered. She hesitated slightly, giving Kusu-Kusu a side glance. The clown chara nodded slowly. "I, however, have performed a purification with Nagihiko, the former Jack, called Queen's Waltz." Queen's Waltz. Rima thought about that purification quite frequently. It was the first time she saw Nagihiko as more than just a best-friend-stealer and liar; she saw him as truthful to himself for once, and she could trace that moment as the moment she started having a crush on him.
"But you can't purify normally?" Deidre inquired.
"No. And nor can Tadase," Rima explained.
"I wonder why those joint purifications have occurred then…" Rima gritted her teeth. "Perhaps—" A knock on the door interrupted Deidre's speech. "Come in," She commanded. The door opened, prompting Rima's eyes to widen.
"Deidre-San," The speaker greeted politely. "The analysis that you and Father had required me to run is—" Upon seeing Rima, he froze.
"Hm, it's been two weeks and you two haven't even run into each other?" Deidre mused. "Well, well, well, I feel as if an introduction is unnecessary, given your history together. What was it that you had to say, Kairi?" Kairi gulped, pushing up his glasses. He shifted his gaze from Rima, turning toward his cousin.
"I-I am nearly complete with the development of the X-Powers," Kairi explained. "They are likely to be fully operational within a few weeks."
"Great, I appreciate that. I'm sure Uncle will be pleased." His eyes drifted to the ground, and Rima could hear him mutter something under his breath. "Now that I have you both gathered here, I might as well inform you both of our upcoming plans. Rima-San, your recent reports on purification have been quite beneficial. We are utilizing that knowledge to develop a device called an X-Power, something that facilitates the barriers on the X-Eggs. These barriers make it harder for the guardians to purify the X-Eggs, resulting in them tiring out much faster." Rima recalled the X-Eggs she battled in the park when Tsukasa first found her two weeks ago. She had defeated the barrier, had she not?
"Does the barrier negate the ability of the guardians to purify at all?" Rima wondered.
"Not yet," Deidre explained. "As of now, it acts as a sort of decoy mechanism. The barrier will reflect any sort of attack until the guardians manage to shatter it. Then, Amu Hinamori—though not for long—will be purifying the X-Eggs." Not for long?! Rima thought, anxiously.
"What do you mean, not for long?" Rima wondered, maintaining her composure. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Kairi frown, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Deidre smirked.
"Amu Hinamori is absolutely integral to our plans," Deidre explained. "She is the sole reason that Easter fell the first time; with her powers with four charas, she possesses strong abilities that cannot go wasted. You see, we live in a world full of strife and suffering. Wars plague our planet and diseases cause deep sadness. Suicide rates have been rising more and more; we can no longer ignore this epidemic of distress. With Miss Hinamori, we can alleviate these problems."
"How can Amu do that?" Rima wondered, raising an eyebrow.
"If we reap the full potential of her abilities, the potential of what we can do is limitless. We can cure any disease. We can manipulate people to make peace. We can do anything—we can solve any problem, we can make any advancement: we can change the world. And try and fathom the amount of profit we can make on this." The profit. That was what it was about really, was it not? Rima tried to maintain her stoic expression, but inwardly, she was absolutely distraught. They were planning on using Amu's abilities to solve the world's problems? But was it really going to solve anything? Rima knew it couldn't; based on their plans, they were going to possess people and make them stop. Rima couldn't accept the immorality of it!
"And what about the X-Eggs and X-Powers?" Rima wondered.
"In order to yield the maximum profit, we need to foster a sort of misery that is incurable. Eventually, the guardian's—with the exception of Amu—will be void of their powers. The former Jack, Nagihiko Fujisaki, will be unable to handle that many X-Eggs, and he—as well as all of the guardians—will be vulnerable to their eggs becoming X-Eggs as well. With your help—both of you, really—we can hasten this. They will likely be in deep emotional distress upon learning of both of your betrayals." No, Rima couldn't let them find out. She was absolutely sure of that; if Nagihiko knew… she gulped. He couldn't. They couldn't.
"And you met Saira, Rima-San." She nodded slowly. "Saira is the key to indoctrinating Amu."
"Indoctrinating?!" Rima exclaimed. She coughed slightly, trying to cover up her shock.
"It's the only way, unless your friendship with Amu, you believe, could motivate her to voluntarily join us. In the years since Easter's initial collapse, we have been studying ways to use energy from X-Eggs for our own benefit—in order to make our plans successful with Miss Hinamori. Saira has been practicing the extent of her abilities, and soon, she will be able to indoctrinate Miss Hinamori in a manner similar to Death Rebel. I trust Saira's abilities immensely." Rima nodded slowly, though she was still in a daze. Tsukasa was right; this Easter would pose a new threat that the guardians could never imagine. This wasn't just about getting the embryo for Hikaru; this was about having an infinite source of making people miserable so they could pay large sums of money and ultimately, Easter would profit.
"Any questions?" Deidre wondered. Both teenagers shook their heads. "Perfect. I will be seeing you both later." Rima nodded slowly, exiting her office with Kairi beside her. She was appalled; could she really stop their plans on her own? Tsukasa said striking internally was the best bet, but was it really possible?
"Rima…" She snapped out of her thoughts, turning to her friend. Kairi's eyes were fixated on the ground.
"It's not what you think," Rima mumbled, and then very quickly covered her mouth. A small smile formed on Kairi's face.
"Do not fret, Rima; you can trust me." Rima smiled slightly. "I suppose I will be seeing you later."
"Wait, but what are you—"
"My father is the executive director," Kairi pointed out, grimacing slightly. He turned around quickly and walked away, prompting Rima to watch him in confusion.
June 13th
"It's completely morally wrong!" Rima exclaimed. "They—they can't do this! And using Amu as some sort of slave…"
"This could be quite serious," Tsukasa mused.
"Well, yeah, duh!"
"Our actions will be slow and gradual. Have you noticed anything peculiar about Hinamori-San recently?" Rima hesitated.
"Amu has been more dreamy and upset recently, but that's probably more related to Ikuto being gone since she's instantly happy whenever Tadase's around," Rima explained. Tsukasa chuckled slightly. "But really, she's the same. She's freaking out for final exams and just being frantic overall, but that's her."
"We must have time to spare. Perhaps we can exterminate this threat before it becomes too large."
"Tsukasa, Deidre mentioned something about my betrayal that could potentially worsen the guardians' well-being. What if Deidre wants me to reveal that I'm working for Easter to the guardians? Should I explain everything first?" Tsukasa let out a sigh.
"I was hoping it wouldn't come to this." Rima clenched her fists, digging them into her pockets. "As an Easter employee, you must abide by them. You need to ensure Ichigami-San's trust, and by doing that, if she feels revealing your identity to Easter is the best bet…" Rima glanced at the ground. "It is only temporary, Mashiro-San."
"It's for Amu's sake…" Rima sighed. "I need to move faster on this. I need to come up with something that can counter their attacks as soon as possible."
"I have no doubt that you can do this, Mashiro-San." Rima grimaced slightly.
June 28th
"…All of you better promise to remain best friends with Yaya, and each other of course. We've known each other for a long time; we need to promise that the seven of us will remain best friends forever and ever and ever!" Rima tried to maintain a stoic expression. She wanted that more than anything; she loved all six of them dearly. But her love for Amu prevented her from keeping that deal with Yaya; she had to protect Amu.
"I have no doubt in my mind," Amu told her, smiling brightly. Rima gulped.
"Then let's all promise! Everyone put your hands in the middle!"
"Do we have to?" Rima complained, maintaining her normal composure.. Nagihiko shot her a look. She rolled her eyes, and complied, extending her hand that was not holding Nagihiko's hand. She could feel the warmth of Nagihiko's hand, and it filled her with guilt.
"We all are going to be best friends forever!" Yaya declared. "No matter what happens and where we go, we are all going to talk every day, and if we can't every day, than every week at least. Yaya doesn't want us to have a reunion party every decade or so; there will be no reunion party because we will never be apart so reuniting is unnecessary! And this is a promise!" Rima willed herself not to start crying. It took every ounce of energy to prevent the tears from escaping her eyes and from explaining everything right then. But she couldn't; she couldn't explain what she was doing without endangering them. She needed everything to be flawless so it could be quick and easy, like Tsukasa intended.
She could feel Nagihiko's eyes on her, and she slowly turned to him. Based on the loving expression, she could not doubt his affections for her. Even without words, she knew that he was probably imagining their future together. He had a warm smile—a smile that never ceased to brighten her mood. It was her special smile: the smile that he had reserved just for her. She remembered Tadase and Kukai saying something about how his eyes always gave away his love for Rima, and in that instant, she saw exactly what they were referring to. He loved her so, so much, and she knew that it was inevitable she would hurt him in unimaginable ways.
Despite her inward guilt that seemed to seep at her, she turned toward him and smiled brightly. She tried to mimic his loving affection to the best of her ability. Could she really lie to him much longer? He always saw through lies, but she needed to deceive him in the worst way possible.
July 4th
"Rima-San, I'm glad you're here," Deidre told her. Rima sat down in front of Deidre, the chair becoming sickeningly familiar to her. "We are just about ready to hasten our plans. Saira is just about ready to begin indoctrinating Amu. It should begin in about a month." A month. Rima needed to put an end to this plan in just a short month.
"Why does it take a month?" Rima inquired.
"We still have last minute preparations to make," Deidre explained. "We need to fully test Saira's abilities with the X-Energy. Tomorrow, we will be testing the X-Powers' abilities. You have done a good job placing them around, but we will see how well the guardians fare against the barriers."
"It will be difficult to fake fight the barriers," Rima admitted. "I will have difficulty holding back."
"You won't need to," Deidre pointed out. Rima cocked her head to the side. "Rima-San, you are an invaluable member of this company. We will need you here much more frequently as our plans come into motion. Tomorrow, we will reveal Kairi's and your loyalty to Easter to the guardians." Rima froze. No, not tomorrow. It couldn't be that soon! Silently, she could hear Kusu-Kusu gasp. "The guardians need to begin feeling emotionally unstable. Amu needs to have doubt in order for Saira's abilities to work."
"Sounds good," Rima replied icily, managing to avoid stammering.
"Perfect. As I have already discussed with Kairi, act as normal to begin with. I will come as well, and I will give you the proper cue. There's nothing to worry about." Deidre smiled warmly at Rima. Nothing to worry about.
"I don't believe they will be suspicious at all," Rima replied.
"Perfect. I'll be seeing you tomorrow then at their Royal Garden." Rima nodded slowly, exiting Deidre's office.
"Rima…" Kusu-Kusu began.
"We don't have a choice," Rima replied hesitantly. As she exited the Easter Building, Rima pulled out her cell phone, the date on the front screen tantalizing her. She unlocked her phone and scrolled through her contacts until she reached the N section. Her hand lingered over the call button, before very quickly hitting text message. She began typing, sitting down on a bench as she did so.
"What are you doing, Rima?" Kusu-Kusu asked.
"I-I can't just ignore the date, Kusu-Kusu," Rima whispered. "I haven't revealed myself yet; I need to act normal." Rima read through the message multiple times, before hitting send. "Happy birthday, Nagi…"
July 5th
Sweat was pouring down Rima's neck, but that paled in comparison to the nerves that ran through her body.
"It's really hot," Yaya complained, leaning onto Kukai.
"Leaning on me won't help!" Kukai moaned. "You're too sweaty!"
"You're sweatier than how you are during soccer games," Yaya retorted back, a whine present in her voice.
"Or when he's in bed with Utau," Rima muttered under her breath quickly. She wanted to slap herself in the face. She shouldn't be joking around!
"RIMA!" Kukai exclaimed, his cheeks bright red. Amu and Tadase chuckled nervously, while Nagihiko gave the blonde a look. Her eyes remained steadfastly fixed on the table, ignoring Nagihiko's continued gaze. She did everything in her power to ignore him. She turned to Kairi, a look of fear present. He sighed quietly, prompting her to nod slowly. Once Nagihiko finally turned away, she looked back at him, melancholy seeping through her. She didn't want to lose him; she didn't want him to be inevitably furious with her.
"Guys, I sense X-Eggs!" Ran announced suddenly, floating up. Amu looked at her chara, her eyes widened. Rima took a deep breath.
"Now?" Kukai wondered, surprised. "Damn, it's been a while…" As they stepped outside, they were greeted with the sight of a plethora of X-Eggs. They floated around tantalizingly, crying sounds of agony. Rima saw them discreetly shine in the sun, a sign of the barriers intact.
"There are so many…" Nagihiko observed, his eyes widening. "But why? The concentration of X-Eggs has not been this much, not since Death Rebel all those years ago."
"We need to stop them," Tadase urged. "We can fully analyze after we purify." Immediately, everyone transformed into their respectful transformations.
"Kairi-Kun, what do you think?" Yaya wondered, landing on her feet. She cocked her head as she looked at the youngest guardian, her bunny ears flopping to the side. "You usually have good ideas or clever thoughts." Rima could see the discontentment present in his eyes.
"I…do not know," Kairi muttered, holding his katana tightly. Sweat drenched the blade, prompting it to slip in his hand slightly. His glasses shined in the sun, facing the X-Eggs rather than Yaya.
"Tadase's right; we should focus on the purification rather than the analysis," Rima urged, her voice stern.
"Uh… aren't you going to tie them up, Rima?" Kukai wondered.
"Oh." Rima remembered Deidre's advice: she needed to act normal. Yet, she could feel Nagihiko's suspicious eyes on her. Did he know?! Did he hate her?! "Tightrope dancer." Rima summoned ropes and tied up the X-Eggs, halting their movement. "Amu."
"Right." Amu stepped forward, clutching her heart rod in her palm tightly. "Negative heart, lock on!" She dropped the rod, forming a heart with her hands. "Open Heart!" Pink emitted from her hands, prompting the X-Eggs to glow pink. Suddenly, they flashed blue, and reflected the pinkness back at her. They untangled from the ropes, disintegrating them entirely. Amu gasped.
"Amu-Chan!" Tadase cried, immediately creating a shield to protect her.
"What the hell was that?!" Kukai wondered, shooting a soccer ball at them. They immediately countered it back, prompting Kukai to grit his teeth.
"We cannot try our conventional tactics on them," Nagihiko began. "Blaze Shot!" He shot a basketball directly upward, flames surrounding them. Several other basketballs followed in concord and surrounded the mass of X-Eggs, each respectively attacking with a fiery force. The X-Eggs responded by making the basketballs vanish entirely. Nagihiko gasped. Rima watched Nagihiko, amazed by his sudden move.
"That's impossible!" Yaya exclaimed.
"They are a modified version of the initial prototype," A voice whispered. Rima knew that voice too well. Her heart started racing as she turned to face Deidre. She began to panic slightly.
"Calm down, Rima," Kusu-Kusu whispered from inside her. Rima clenched her fists, trying not to look at any of the guardians.
"Who are you?!" Tadase demanded, clutching his siphon. The woman smirked, her fists clenched.
"Ah, Tadase Hotori, King of the guardians. Seems only appropriate that you would jump the gun." She curtsied. "My name is Deidre, and I am the assistant director of Easter Corporation."
"Easter has a new director. Figures," Kukai grumbled.
"And you are Kukai Souma, former Jack. Might I congratulate you on your recent graduation? You have come so far from your days as a Seiyo Academy Guardian."
"How the hell do you know my name!?" Kukai exclaimed.
"I know all of you." She looked around. "Nagihiko Fujisaki, formerly the Queen and the Jack, whose intelligence often proves as an essential asset." Nagihiko's eyes widened, staring at her in confusion. "Yaya Yuiki, the former Ace whose bouncy energy often leads her into trouble." Yaya cocked her head to the side. "Amu Hinamori, the former and one and only Joker. How could I not know you?" Deidre's smirk prompted Amu to wince. Rima knew exactly what was coming next.
"And of course, there's Rima and Kairi, who I could not have done anything without. They have provided excellent information for me."
"What are you talking about?!" Tadase demanded. All eyes turned to the remaining two guardians. Rima's eyes remained fixed on the ground.
Do not show emotion, do not show emotion…
"Isn't it obvious? You should have figured it out by now." Deidre smirked viciously.
"What is she talking about?!" Nagihiko exclaimed dubiously, his eyes focused on Rima. "Rima, you don't know what she's saying, do you?"
"You of all people should understand, Nagihiko." Rima looked up at him, immediately regretting it. He looked absolutely confused and horrified; he clearly was refusing to register her words. "We have been working alongside Deidre, providing her with information regarding the guardians." She attempted to make her voice icy, but she could feel her heart beat extremely rapidly. Could he hear it? Could Deidre hear it?
"They're with Easter," Deidre finished. Rima could see Nagihiko shake his head slowly. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see all of the guardians—with the exception of Kairi—looking absolutely distraught.
"No…" Yaya whispered, in aghast.
"Rima… this is a joke, isn't it?!" Nagihiko whispered, his eyes widened tremendously. "There's no way… It's something from one of your gag mangas, right?" Desperation lined his words. Rima had never seen Nagihiko like this; she had never seen him so hysterical, and it was killing her.
"My allegiance is with Easter," Rima bluntly replied, attempting to hold onto her outer character. Nagihiko's eyes were shaking, tears beginning to form. She wanted to announce her true motivations; she wanted to explain to Amu what they were going to do with her and why Rima was with Easter; she wanted to tell Nagihiko how much she loved—and would always love—him.
"But you promised!" Yaya exclaimed. "You said we'd be friends forever no matter what! You promised! And Kairi-Kun…you…"
"Promises are feeble; they are meant to be broken," Kairi replied, his voice steadfast.
"But…But…"
"Rima, Kairi, shall we return to Easter?" Deidre wondered, gesturing toward the two guardians. The two of them nodded, following her.
"Rima, wait!" Nagihiko called, lifting his honey-golden eyes from the ground. She stopped walking for a moment, bitterly knowing exactly what he was going to say. "Our relationship… what was it to you? Did what we have mean anything to you?" She looked at him, and saw saddest expression she had ever seen. Not only was he about to start crying, but the pain and betrayal was so evident. Nagihiko was normally so gifted at hiding his emotions, yet his emotions were written boldly across his face. He didn't even look angry; he looked defeated. Rima wanted so badly to comfort him and hug him tightly; however, she was the one solely responsible for causing him such deep pain.
"It was merely an illusion," Rima replied, trying to make her voice icy. An illusion… No, Rima knew that was a lie, the biggest lie she would ever tell. Being with Nagihiko was the realest experience Rima ever had. She quickly turned around before he could see the tears lining her eyes. She followed Deidre and Kairi back to the Easter Headquarters.
"Great work, both of you," Deidre lauded them. "Rima, I will need you to run analyses of the X-Eggs and each of the guardians'…" Rima could no longer hear what Deidre was saying; all she could think about was Nagihiko's hurt expression. He looked fractured; he seemed to be a mirror of her internal emotions.
"Sounds good," She could hear Kairi distinctly make out. He took Rima's arm, startling her, and led her into a room. He locked the door behind them and turned off any security cameras. Immediately, Rima fell to her knees and began to sob hysterically.
"Rima!" Kusu-Kusu exclaimed worriedly. "Kairi, Rima never wanted to—"
"Don't," Rima hissed amongst her tears. She glanced up at Kairi, who was sitting in a faraway corner. She could hear sobs from him too. She rose to her feet, sniffling slightly, and made her way to her friend.
"We have each other, don't we?" Rima whispered to the youngest guardian.
"I—"
"We'll make it through; we have to." Rima hugged Kairi slightly, prompting him to lower his head onto her shoulder. Rima frowned as he cried; she didn't believe a word she was saying. She pictured Amu in her mind. For Amu, Rima tried to reassure herself. She had to endure this pain, for Amu's sake. And yet, as she hugged Kairi, she could feel tears cascading down her cheeks, the image of Nagihiko resonating in her mind.
July 31st
Saira stood prominently in the center of the room, her arms hung at her sides. Her green hair was brushed over one shoulder, making her look particularly dressed up.
"It's time," Seto announced, turning to his niece. Deidre nodded slowly, a smirk forming. She moved over to a large machine on the side of the room. Rima's eyes remained on Saira. Confidence radiated from her; Rima knew that she believed that she was ready. Rima could feel her nerves building up. What if Saira was successfully able to reach Amu?
I've done everything I can. She thought, gritting her teeth. I've sabotaged the X-Powers and weakened the barriers. Amu hasn't been weakened by them; she couldn't have been.
"Rima, if this doesn't work, you know have options," Kusu-Kusu whispered in her ear. Rima nodded subtly.
The medallion… I can steal some X-Energy if I need to in order to synthesize some form of internal barrier to protect Amu further. If I can make this medallion, then perhaps—
"Are you ready, Saira?" Deidre asked.
"Yes," Saira replied, a smile forming. Rima glanced around the room. Every Easter employee that Rima had ever seen was gathered in that room. Kairi stood beside his parents, his eyes focused on the machine. Deidre pulled the switch on the machine, immediately powering up. It began revving up, before releasing some X-Energy. Saira brought her hands into a prayer-like position and allowed the X-Energy to penetrate her body. The X-Energy surrounded her, shrouding her in a mist-like substance.
"Amu Hinamori," Saira whispered as the X-Energy surrounded her. The machine began getting louder, prompting Rima to grimace slightly.
"Is it working?" Deidre wondered anxiously. Seto was silent, studying Saira carefully. Suddenly, a blast of X-Energy shot up from Saira and through the roof. After a few minutes, the X-Energy dissipated, revealing Saira. She blinked a few times, before wobbling slightly and collapsing on the ground. Seto and Deidre made their way to the teenager.
"Saira, is everything alright?" Deidre inquired. Saira panted slightly, before looking up at Deidre. The bright smile that formed immediately filled Rima with bitterness.
"I did it, Ichigami-San," Saira announced. "I was able to contact Amu." Rima's eyes widened. No… "It was much more difficult than I had imagined, but now that I have established a connection, I feel as if the next times will be simpler." The Easter employees began a round of applause.
It shouldn't have worked! Rima thought anxiously. I weakened the X-Power; I must have underestimated Saira's abilities.
"You can try the medallion Rima; it'll be okay," Kusu-Kusu whispered. "I'm sure that will work!" Rima nodded slowly, though she had an immensity of doubts.
Present Day
"From that day on, Mashiro-San worked tirelessly on the medallion," Tsukasa continued to explain. "She worked long nights to further Ichigami-San's trust but more importantly, to continue weakening Saira's abilities. Without explaining exactly what she was doing, she had Sanjou-Kun aid her in deliberately weakening the X-Power. She even managed to break in on numerous occasions to steal X-Energy in order to create this medallion. Unfortunately, we underestimated Easter. Saira was clearly much more powerful than we ever could have envisioned, and sadly, she was able to get back into Hinamori-San's mind, with the medallion posing little obstacle for her."
"The medallion did work to an extent, did it not?" Tadase pointed out. "Just a few days ago when we fought Rima-Chan, Amu-Chan was acting like herself. That is, until Saira did something to Amu…"
"The medallion did allow for Hinamori-San to gain back some strength," Tsukasa explained. "But unfortunately, Saira has truly reached her maximum strength. Any weakening of X-Powers no longer matters; her powers lie independent of any device." Tsukasa took a deep breath.
"Mashiro-San's intel and work with Easter has been invaluable. Without anything she has provided, we would be in a much more precarious position. But unfortunately, I can no longer rely on her alone to exterminate the threat from within. It is time for the guardians—and Tsukiyomi siblings of course—to unite once again to eliminate Easter once for all. Now that you understand, you must work together to free Hinamori-San and save the world. While you are no longer officially guardians, you must continue the important role as protectors. This is no longer Mashiro-San's role alone; it is now something all of you must do. Do you four accept?" From behind Tsukasa's desk near the entrance of the planetarium, Rima sat and watched the four original guardians look at each other. She could very distinctly see the shock present on their expressions.
"I accept," Tadase announced. "I will not let people suffer from Easter's injustices, and I will do anything I possibly can to protect the girl I love."
"Artificially causing pain and alleviating it just for profit?" Nagihiko analyzed, shaking his head slowly. "That's absolutely immoral. We can't let that happen; I accept."
"As I said before, we took them down once. I'm ready to take them down once and for all." Kukai grinned, but Rima could see that it waned slightly.
"How about you, Yuiki-San?" Yaya's eyes were fixed on the ground.
"Yaya just… Yaya can't believe…" Yaya shook her head. "Yaya called Rima-Tan a monster, but she's actually…a saint. Rima-Tan is the greatest hero ever to live." Rima glanced at the ground.
"Hey, you can say anything you want to her now," Kukai pointed out. "And I'm sure we all have hell of a lot to say to her." Rima frowned slightly. Her eyes diverted to Nagihiko, who looked devastated and on the verge of tears.
"Yeah… Well, obviously Yaya's in!" Yaya stuck her thumbs up.
"I am sure Mashiro-San will be pleased to hear that. She will meet up at the Royal Garden tomorrow to discuss more of Deidre and Seto's plans with you."
"Yay Rima-Tan is coming back!" Yaya cheered. "But what about…"
"I'm sure Rima-Chan can fill us in on everything going on with Kairi-San," Tadase reassured. Yaya nodded slowly, smiling lightly.
"As you have already experienced, this Easter is nothing quite like the Easter you are used to. But I have full confidence that you guys will be able to put an end to this Easter. I will be seeing you all around." The four of them stood up, and exited the planetarium. Rima watched them leave slowly, seeing all of their expressions. Tadase looked as if he were deep in thought, paying no mind to the others. Yaya looked poignant, frowning slightly. Kukai walked beside her, ruffling her hair. He had a thoughtful smile, which surprised Rima. As Nagihiko exited, he paused for a moment, making Rima's heart leap to her throat.
"Thank you, for everything," He whispered quietly, before hastily exiting the planetarium to catch up with the others. Rima stared at the spot he had previously stood in, her heart beating uncontrollably. Would they really accept her as if nothing happened?
Enough explanation for one chapter? I have had this chapter planned out for a long time, and I am so happy to finally publish this. It was fairly obvious that Rima was doing everything to protect Amu, but now it all makes sense, eh? And it's only going to get more intense!
I am on summer break now, but unfortunately, I cannot guarantee that I will be updating frequently. I should have been updating these other chapters at a much faster rate, but sadly, I haven't. This summer, I am going to be extremely busy. From vacations to college dorm shopping to Pokemon plans, I have a lot going on. However, I will be updating to the best of my ability.
As many of you may or may not know, this is one of my last free summers ever. Starting in August, I will be attending Cornell University. I've known for months now, but writing it here is so weird. College. What the hell. I've literally grown up on fanfiction; I got my account while I was in sixth grade and now, I'm about to be graduating high school and starting college. Obviously, during the school year, I'm really bad about updating my stories, but as I pursue an engineering degree, I know my free time will be more compromised. That's why this summer, I really am going to try to update as much as I can. Albeit, I have the same attitude with video games and TV shows, but fanfiction has always- and will always- be one of my priorities. And even though I'm going to be immensely busy and probably will take year-long hiatuses (hopefully not, but I better brace for the worst), I'm not the type for finality, and I swear, I will not abandon my stories. This story, as well as many of my others, will be completed. Since I have so many ideas, unfortunately it seems next to impossible for this story to be completed this summer. Therefore, I am making it my goal to reach a certain point in this story (can't say exactly what because spoilers), which is about chapter 15-16. I know that's ten chapters away and it seems really ambitious, but I'm determined to reach it. Stay tuned!
I really really appreciate it from the bottom of my heart that you all have stuck with me this long. I love all of you so much. Thank you, as always, for reviewing, following, favoriting, and, most importantly, simply for reading and supporting me. I promise I won't let any of you down. In exchange, I wouldn't be opposed to a review. You know, just saying. I need incentive for this ambitious goal.