I lied about the one week promise, but two weeks isn't so bad, hm? Anyway, please enjoy!
"I am ashamed to call you my son."
Kairi sat up suddenly, sweat pouring down his skin. He gripped his blankets tightly as the calm yet menacing voice of his father rang through his mind. He placed a hand on his left cheek, wincing slightly as his fingers ran across the large bruise. He could feel the skin tingling underneath his touch, the rapid—yet time-stopping—blow to his face still fresh in his mind. He shivered in recollection, before glancing to his side. He blinked a few times, attempting to adjust to the darkness around him. In front of him, he could see a digital green light that he could only deduce was the time. He squinted his eyes, trying to read the number to no avail.
Kairi patted the bed around him, feeling the softness of the blankets. He moved his hand, eventually hitting a table which caused him to grimace. He fumbled around the table, eventually reaching a cold rectangular object he could only deduce was his phone. As he pressed the home button, he could not read any of the notifications on the screen. Frowning, he placed it back on his table.
Instead, he reached into his pocket, feeling for an oval. Pulling it out, he held the egg in his hand, letting out a sigh.
"After everything… I thought… I just thought…" He wrapped his hand around the egg. "You're still so cold…" A knock on the door seized his attention. Turning, he could see light replace the darkness in front of him. A figure loomed over him, shades of auburn and tan being visible.
"Hey Kairi," Kukai greeted, walking toward him. Kairi quickly placed the egg back in his pocket. "I hope you were able to sleep somewhat well. You were out like right away last night." He thought back to the previous day. He vaguely remembered getting into Kukai's car and driving back to his place. He could recall seeing some ramen on his plate, but he had hardly eaten. The memories—much like his vision—were quite blurry.
"I got a little something for you." Kukai extended his hand toward Kairi. He glanced down, seeing a clear object. He reached for it, feeling the texture before realizing that it was his glasses. He placed them on his eyes, blinking a few times, before adjusting completely. He could fully make out Kukai now. He wore a white tank top that looked slightly big on him with plaid red pajama pants. A familiar grin was present on the jock's face.
"I remembered Yaya telling me once about how blind you are without your glasses, so I figured that I'd stop by your sister's place to see if she had an extra pair. Fortunately, she did! So here you are!" Kairi glanced over at his phone. He picked it up and opened it, seeing that he had eight calls and three voicemails from Yukari. He scrolled through his notifications, seeing some missed messages from Yuu as well as a missed call from his mother. He frowned, placing the phone back on the table.
"So, uh, do you want breakfast or something?" Kukai asked, breaking the incoming silence. "I make pretty damn good waffles, if I say so myself. My brothers agree, and they're really picky. I can also make coffee, if you want!"
"I-I'm quite alright, thank you." Kukai watched, as Kairi sighed, slowly rising to his feet. "I ought to head over to Yukari. I…I should see her."
"Kairi, wait." Kukai placed a hand on his shoulder, prompting him to sit back down. "Yukari knows what happened; I filled her in. You don't have to face her right away; stay here for a bit and eat something, 'kay?"
"I… You shouldn't…"
"Why not? You're one of my best friends; it's the least I could do!" Kairi shook his head slowly, prompting Kukai to sigh and lean against the wall.
"I betrayed your trust," Kairi pointed out. "I swore that I would never align with Easter again, and I did just that, backstabbing the very people whom deeply trusted me. I chose my father—a man who never accepted me—over my best friends, the people who swore to always accept me. For that, I cannot ever be forgiven."
"Kairi, that's absurd—"
"I am simply a coward," Kairi mumbled, feeling the words gush out. "I am just a weak boy who blindly follows his father. I—"
"Weak you say? I don't think weak is standing up for what you believe in against your father. I don't think weak is helping the greater good for the very friends you didn't believe in you." Kukai smiled. "Kairi, you're far from being a coward. You're strong as hell; you fight for what you think is right, and for that, how could I ever be mad at you?"
"But…"
"You've done absolutely nothing wrong. It's completely understandable why you did this, and I know it had nothing to do with trust or loyalties. You did what you thought you had to do, and the fact that you stood up for yourself… that in itself is so courageous. Don't doubt yourself, kid." Kukai patted his head. "Now, let me make you some breakfast." He tousled his hair, before standing up and leaving the room. Kairi stared at the ground, letting out a sigh.
"If Kukai's right, then why…" He pulled out his chara egg once again. "Did I not finally choose my own path? Did I not find enlightenment? You character changed me, so why…" Kairi shook his head. He knew that he still felt internal turmoil. He could still feel the continual slamming of his father's fist into his cheek, the sound of his glasses shattering ringing in his ears.
A moment later, Kukai opened the door again, prompting Kairi to glance up. "Look, uh…" Kukai shook his head slowly. "Yaya's here. Are you ready to speak with her?" Kairi exhaled. While Yaya had briefly embraced him in the Royal Garden the previous day, he wasn't so sure that he could handle a conversation with her. Last time he saw her, he had told her that promises were feeble. He could still recall how upset she looked. Yaya was always extremely attached to her friends; he knew that seeing himself—as well as Rima—betray her must have paid a huge toll on her. And he knew that there was something more, something special that they had shared together.
But Yaya had been the sole reason he stayed strong. Yaya had been the reason he held his ground and found his own path. He loved her dearly, and he knew that he wanted to keep fighting for her.
"Yes…" Kairi stood up, running his hand through his hair. He could feel his heartbeat pulsate rapidly. He pushed up his glasses, nerves tingling through his body.
"Alrighty! I'll take you downstairs." Kukai walked out of the room, prompting Kairi to follow suit.
"Before…" Kukai halted for a moment, cocking his head to the side. "I just… Thank you, Kukai-San, for what you said." He grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.
"Hey, I only speak truth! Don't doubt yourself so much, 'kay?" Kukai tousled his hair again, prompting Kairi to quickly adjust it. Kukai laughed in response, "You know Yaya won't care how you look." He turned bright red, prompting Kukai to smile wider. He turned back around, leading Kairi down the stairs. As he saw the pigtailed girl sitting at the table, he could feel his heartbeat increase.
Stay calm. He tried to instruct himself. It's just Yaya. You've handled a multitude of encounters with her. He could feel his hands get sweaty as he followed Kukai closer to the girl. Yaya turned around, and, much to Kairi's surprise, grinned widely.
"Kairi-Kun!" Yaya called loudly, waving her hands. She walked over to him, briefly taking off his glasses. He watched her in puzzlement, his cheeks getting warmer. "Ooh, new glasses?" She examined them closely, looking at the inside. Kairi watched her, opening his mouth to speak without words coming out.
"I got them for him from Yukari's," Kukai explained. "We gotta have a Kairi who can see." Yaya giggled.
"Yeah, we don't want Kairi-Kun to go blind!" Yaya laughed, placing the glasses back on his face. Upon seeing that everything was blurry, he took off the glasses and wiped them against his shirt before putting them back on.
"Well, I'll leave you two then! I'm going to grab a quick bite with Utau, but I'll be back. Your waffles are on the table. If you need anything, Yaya can get it for you." Kukai grinned. "Enjoy!"
"Bye-bye!" Yaya waved to her brotherly figure, watching as he got his car keys and put on a baseball cap before heading out. As the door closed shut, Kairi absentmindedly watched his vacant spot. He was fully aware of Yaya standing beside him, and he could feel his breathing increase consequently.
"Kairi-Kun, eat your food!" Yaya suddenly exclaimed, snapping Kairi out of his trance. He turned back to her, seeing that she had already sat down. He sat down across from her, lifting his fork and knife. "Kukai's waffles are super yummy," She explained, munching on it. "He makes them super sugary and fresh! Plus, his family owns the greatest syrup to make it taste even yummier!" Kairi slowly took a bite of the waffle.
"Ooh, there was this one time that, after making waffles, Kukai decided to take Yaya to the ice cream parlor because Yaya hadn't satisfied her sweet cravings yet." Kairi chuckled lightly, prompting Yaya's smile to brighten. "Soooo we ordered this epic sundae—you know, the super-duper-epic ice cream—and it was just so great! Plus they had extra candies at the store, so Yaya added even more!" Yaya leaned her arms behind her head. "Yaya had never been on quite that much of a sugar rush. Yaya thinks she ran all the way to Nagi-Tan's mansion and back!"
"That sugar consumption seems quite, err, excessive," Kairi pointed out. Yaya giggled.
"Yaya really missed Kairish," She admitted.
"Kairish?" He inquired.
"Yeah! You know, the super fancy delancey way you speak! Yaya never really thought she'd miss it—especially since Yaya didn't really understand very much of it—but it always sounded nice." Kairi blushed significantly. A moment of silence ensued—something that seldom happened with Yaya. Kairi only recalled silence falling between them when they had went to the park together, except that silence was peaceful. The green-haired teenager took a deep breath.
"So… How are you?" Kairi mentally slapped himself. "I-I mean, aside from, um, you know… J-Just speaking generally in terms of your personal well-being, and, um, yeah…" He felt extremely foolish, especially as Yaya laughed. Usually, Kairi prided himself on his eloquent speech, but with Yaya in front of him, everything in his mind felt jumbled.
"Yaya's been good, other than the bad stuff." Yaya leaned back into her seat, pouring more syrup onto her waffle. Kairi watched her waffle, his eyes widening. She poured an additional layer of syrup atop the already placed syrup that drenched the entire meal. "Well, school starts up in like two weeks which is pretty lame. Kukai is leaving for school soon which really sucks, like, what is Yaya going to do?!" She pouted for a moment, before continuing. "Tsubasa is starting first grade soon which is super weird! Like, he's sort of an actual person now instead of being little and squishy! Um, um, Yaya's stash of candy is running kind of low which has got to change! Yaya's been resorting to strawberry Pocky which is just eh and, ooh yeah! They have a new mint flavor of Pocky that Yaya's dying to try, but like Yaya didn't before because it made her think about…" Yaya suddenly stopped. She looked at him, smiling widely "But now thinking about Kairi-Kun is a happy thought again!" Kairi glanced at the ground, a sigh escaping his lips. Yaya watched him, her grin fading slightly. Upon hearing her chair move, Kairi glanced up, noticing that her chair was suddenly next to his.
"Don't be sad, Kairi-Kun," Yaya murmured, placing a hand on his shoulder. He turned red again, his eyes casting downward. "Yaya doesn't like seeing you sad."
"I…I am so sorry, Yaya-Chan," He whispered softly. "I never wanted…"
"Shh…" Yaya reached over and wrapped her arms around him, prompting him to return the hug. "Didn't we already go through this? Stop apologizing for nothing!"
"For nothing?" He separated from her slightly. "Yaya, I—"
"You didn't mean to." Yaya moved her hand from around him to on top of his hand. He looked up at her, a little surprised. "It's like Yaya said: you're a hero!"
"B-But you do not understand," He mumbled. "I followed him. I betrayed everyone; I betrayed you. I—"
"Yaya does understand." Yaya's eyes cast downward. "I-I mean, it took me a while to really get it." She squeezed his hand tightly, a small smile forming. "You've always had the need to follow him, right? To impress him? He's someone you always thought you needed to follow, and you were afraid to disappoint him because…because he might…" Yaya's voice trailed off, her eyes landing on his cheek. With her free hand, she reached up and caressed his bruised check gently. Upon seeing him flinch, she jerked backward immediately, but he shook his head slowly, allowing her to place her hand on his face again.
"I never thought that he would hurt me, physically anyway," Kairi admitted softly. Yaya looked up at him. "My father… He is callous and manipulative; his words would constantly berate me. I knew… I knew I would never meet his standards. But not in a million years would I have ever anticipated that he could…that he would…"
"Shh…" Yaya soothed. "It's over now. You're safe, Kairi-Kun." He watched curiously as her expression turned serious. "Look, Kairi-Kun… you're not alone, okay? I know things are hard for you right now. What happened yesterday was really scary, I know, but don't forget that you have friends. We're here for you." She smiled. "And I personally promise that no matter what, I will be by your side. I will always be there for you." He stared at her, his eyes widening.
"Yaya…I…" He could feel his eyes watering. "I do not understand what I could have possibly done to deserve someone as amazing as you…" Yaya smiled softly. He could feel their hands still intertwined, lying motionlessly on her lap. Her hand was still resting on his cheek gently. He looked into her brown eyes, feeling his cheeks redden slightly. As he watched her, he knew that there were many things he wanted to say to her. She had no idea how much she meant to him, how she was the guiding light through everything. He took a deep breath, causing Yaya to cock her head to the side slightly.
"Thank you, for everything," He whispered. Yaya smiled slightly, leaning closer to him. He could feel his heart beating rapidly as he moved closer to her, petrification filling his veins. He could faintly hear Pepe squeal slightly, but he did not pay any mind to the baby chara as he moved inches away from Yaya, feeling her breath on his lips. Kairi could feel her hand trembling against his, but as he watched, she closed her eyes and moved closer, their noses touching. Kairi closed his eyes as well and waited as she slowly moved closer until…
"I'm back!" Kukai suddenly called, the door slamming open. Yaya quickly moved away from him, her cheeks bright red.
"H-Hi Kukai!" Yaya squeaked, her face extremely red. Kairi was certain that he, too, was blushing profusely judging from the escalated heartbeat and sweat that ran down his face. "Um, Yaya has to run now. Gotta get those candies, ha-ha, yeah! Candy! Ooh, maybe Yaya will finally get the mint Pocky!" She winked at Kairi, prompting him to smile faintly. "Catch you all later!" Her voice softened. "And Kairi-Kun, don't forget what I told you. I'm there for you, always." She smiled, before turning away from him. "Au revoir!" And like that, Yaya dashed out of Kukai's house, leaving the jock with a highly amused expression. He turned toward Kairi, smirking slightly upon seeing his reddened face.
"Did I interrupt something?" He wondered incredulously.
"Uh, err, I, um…" Kukai laughed as Kairi stammered nervously.
"Do you ever just wish we could stay young forever?" Tadase looked over at the girl adjacent to him. She sat cross-legged, her eyes cast downward.
"Who are you, Yaya-Chan?" He teased lightly.
"I envy her sometimes. Yaya can be so carefree and happy; she can live in oblivion that she won't grow up. I bet that's really nice…"
"Where's this coming from Amu-Chan?" Tadase wondered, placing a hand tentatively over hers. To his relief, she didn't budge.
"It's just… We're getting older now. We're almost done with high school." She outstretched her legs suddenly. "And then what? We're all going to go different directions. Everything… everything is going to change; everything is already changing." She frowned. "Kukai is going to graduate next week, which is so beyond weird. And Ikuto and Utau have been travelling for nearly five months. But what happens when all four of us graduate?"
"Amu-Chan, we're never going to separate," Tadase reassured her softly. "You know Kukai will always be there for us. I've known Kukai for almost ten years, and I know he won't just forget us." He smiled. "The thing is, we've known each other for years. We're not just best friends; we're a family. No matter where our paths take us, there is not the slightest doubt in my mind that our stories will always remain intertwined. And you," Tadase squeezed her hand, "I swear to you, Amu-Chan, I will never leave you behind. Things may change in the future, but I assure you, I will be by your side." Amu turned bright red.
"Tadase-Kun…" She stammered. "I guess change is natural, isn't it? Kukai graduating, Ikuto and Utau leaving to find their father… I guess these things just happen…"
"You're being dramatic!" Ran told her. Amu blushed even redder, prompting all four of her charas to giggle. Tadase chuckled lightly as well, smiling at the girl beside him.
"Tadase!" Tadase snapped back into reality. He blinked a few times, regaining his composure.
"Ah, sorry about that," Tadase murmured, looking up at his friend. "Did you find anything, Nagihiko?" The indigo-haired teenager shook his head slowly, letting out a sigh. He leaned against the bench Tadase was sitting on, a frown present.
"I just don't quite understand where she could have gone off to," Nagihiko mumbled. "Kairi said that it was almost as if she just vanished, but that doesn't…" Nagihiko bit his lip. "I mean, we saw the hooded figure vanish that one time, but still, disappearing out of nowhere doesn't really make any sense."
"Does anything make sense anymore?" The two teenagers turned, facing Utau. She held a plastic cup of coffee in one hand as she approached the boys. "Sorry I'm late; I was grabbing breakfast with Kukai. He wanted to help, but he wants to make sure Kairi's doing okay. Where's Ikuto?"
"He was checking Amu-Chan's house, I believe," Tadase explained. "I highly doubt she would be there, but I suppose it's worth a look." He let out a sigh, rising to his feet. "I honestly just hope she's safe somewhere. At least she's not in Easter."
"Let's hope that's a good thing." Ikuto strolled over to them. "I had no luck finding her either. She wasn't home, but her family didn't seem too shaken up by it."
"How is that possible?" Tadase wondered, surprised. "Her parents were both very concerned when she was initially hospitalized. There's no way that her disappearance wouldn't worry them."
"Saira must have done something magical to make them believe everything's normal," Ikuto mumbled. "She seems to be capable of quite a lot." He looked over at Nagihiko briefly. "Do you know what she's exactly capable of, Fujisaki?" Nagihiko looked over at him, mildly surprised.
"Well, she clearly can make things float and move things with her mind, almost like some sort of telekinesis," Nagihiko analyzed. "She also has some sort of connection with X-Eggs it seems like. But I don't know the specifics. But that is something we definitely should consider." He turned to Tadase. "Perhaps Kairi would know more of what her powers entail?"
"That's a good idea," Tadase agreed. "Kairi's probably still pretty shaken up though, so perhaps we should give him time." Nagihiko nodded in agreement.
"Your girlfriend doesn't know anything?" Utau wondered. Nagihiko turned bright red but looked at the ground. Utau raised an eyebrow at that.
"She's…she…" Tadase looked over at his friend worriedly.
"Why are you holding back, Nagihiko?" He wondered, his voice gentle. "Now that you know why she did everything she did, isn't it only natural to be with her again?"
"I…" Nagihiko let out a sigh. "It's just..."
"If you love her, you shouldn't overcomplicate things." Nagihiko looked at Ikuto, surprised. He stared straight ahead. "You don't know what you have until it's gone. Life's a bitch, and you better hold onto what you love dearly before you lose it all." Tadase clenched his fists. He could see Amu's cheerful smile in his mind, her soft laugh echoing. He imagined his grandmother sitting upward, listening attentively to Tadase's woes or making some sarcastic remark. Both women Tadase loved dearly, and both women he swore to protect. But he had already lost his grandmother, and he would not allow himself to lose Amu as well.
"We should continue to look for Amu-Chan," Tadase interjected, breaking the silence that had emerged. All three of them looked at him.
"I have a place I need to check," Ikuto murmured. Utau raised an eyebrow.
"Where are you going?" Tadase asked.
"Somewhere," Ikuto responded bluntly. "Just keep checking the spots you guys think she would be." Tadase gave his brotherly figure a skeptical look.
"I'll come," Utau urged.
"No… It's somewhere I need to go alone."
"Ikuto… thank you." Nagihiko whispered. Ikuto faced him briefly, a slight smile forming, before character changing and hopping off. He turned back to Tadase and Utau.
"Shall we keep looking?" They nodded eagerly.
"Where are we going?" Yoru whined, following as Ikuto hopped from tree to tree. "You were being so cryptic before!"
"It's been years, but maybe, just maybe…" Ikuto suddenly stopped, his cat ears vanishing as he arrived outside his destination. The only sound present was the sound of the ominous wind. He watched as a leaf blew around the land, eventually hitting a no trespassing sign. As Ikuto closed his eyes, he could hear loud laughs and noises. The place was all lit up, with little kids running around aimlessly holding cotton candy and popcorn.
He opened his eyes, frowning.
"It's funny how things change," He mumbled, stepping over the no trespassing sign. He walked around, his hands digging into his pockets. He scanned the area, seeing the complete vacancy around him.
"Since when did the park have absolutely nothing?" Yoru wondered. "Last time I checked, there were still rides and stuff! They were abandoned, but they still existed! Now it's just a plot of land."
"It's been six years," Ikuto pointed out. "Six years since I came here with Amu…"
"Ikuto, there's something!" Ikuto followed where his chara pointed. Upon reaching the teacups, his eyes widened. He could still hear Amu's giggles as they rode the teacups together. She had been just a kid then, her innocence emanating. Her youthful ebullience had always attracted Ikuto to her. Even though she was oftentimes too stubborn to let her euphoria through and she held her "cool-and-spicy" guise, he managed to always see her perpetual excitement shine through.
"No matter who you try to be Amu… I will always love you." He looked up at the sky. "I wish… I wish I never left you. I almost didn't leave all those months ago. When I heard of Tadase's grandmother's diagnosis, I was going to stay. I knew that her days were limited, and as the older brother I swore to be, I knew that I should be there for him. And while Tadase urged Utau and me to go, it was you that should have convinced me to stay back." Ikuto let out a sigh. "What does my father matter anyway? Aruto is a thing of my past, and you're my future. That should be more important than anything…" He let out a sigh, recalling the moment he told the pinkette that he would be leaving again.
"WHAT?!" She had shouted, completely shattering her exterior. They sat inside a diner, a few faces looking over at them. Amu coughed slightly, her cheeks bright red. "Y-You're going, again?!"
"Don't miss me too much," He teased. She blushed further.
"Y-You!" Amu cried, her cheeks even redder. He smirked, getting the reaction he so desired. "I-In your dreams, Tsukiyomi!" He chuckled.
"I won't be gone for too long," He promised.
"I-I don't care!" She maintained, her cheeks still very much tinted red. "Go forever, see if I care!"
"Oh, I find it very likely that you'll care."
"I won't!" She protested. "I'll be as happy as I can be!"
"Well, there will be no one to make you blush for a year."
"Tadase-Kun can make me—wait, a year?!" Ikuto's smirk vanished.
"It's an approximation, but this time, I really think I'll find him. I have a lead, and we're going to find him. It's a long time, but it's not permanent."
"W-We? Utau too?"
"Now it's suddenly not okay?" Ikuto teased. Amu didn't blush; her eyes went downcast.
"I… I don't want you guys to leave…" Ikuto reached across the table, taking her hand in his. She shook her head slowly. "No, I'm being selfish. If you have this chance to find your father, you should take it!" She looked at him, a smile forming. "This is what you've always wanted, isn't it?"
"You're what I always wanted," He told her, solemnly. Her cheeks heated up.
"Jerk, jerk, jerk!" Amu hissed, flustered. He chuckled.
"No matter what, you know I will return to you. I always do, and I always will. Amu, I promise that when I do find him, I will come home to you. I promise." Amu smiled softly.
"I believe you, Ikuto."
"I still have that promise, Amu," He whispered. "I will come to you."
Amu sat cross-legged on the floor, her eyes gently closed. Her hands were pressed together in a prayer-like position, her chest moving slightly up and down in time with her breaths. She breathed in and out repeatedly, as if a doctor was pressing a stethoscope against her chest. She could feel footsteps nearby. As Amu squinted her eyes briefly, she could see Luca circling her.
"Close your eyes, Amu," She told her, frowning. Amu quickly slammed her eyes shut again. "You need to focus inward."
"Sorry," She whispered.
"Maintain your breathing." Amu breathed in again, before breathing out. She remembered that she had once heard about meditating before. Meditation was the best ailment to escape the stresses of life, she had once heard. It could bring you a moment of peace and rejuvenate your senses.
But who said it? Amu tried to concentrate. Who…?
"Your breathing," Luca instructed. Amu nodded, continuing to breathe in and out. For the past two days, Luca had been having Amu sit in that meditation position. She had not said much, other than uttering instructions and maintaining Amu's position. Even Amu's meals had been cut short, though she never received the largest meals from Easter either. Luca made Amu sleep at specific times, waking her up at any given hour to continue meditation. Amu did not understand what exactly Luca was making her do, but she thought it better not to ask questions.
"You seem bothered by something," Luca suddenly interjected.
"I've meditated before," Amu told her, her eyes still closed. "Actually… I haven't, but someone once told me about it, how meditating is beneficial." She continued to breathe in and out.
"Did this actually happen?"
"Eh?" Amu started to open her eyes, but Luca quickly shook her head, prompting Amu to close her eyes again. "What do you mean?"
"Was it Arisa?" Luca asked tentatively. Amu shook her head slowly, exhaling.
"No, it was someone… older. Someone I used to see fairly often. Oh! It was Tadase's grandmother!"
"Level your voice. Speaking with such excitement isn't good." Amu nodded slowly, breathing in. "But tell me about her."
"She's… well, she was a nice woman," Amu explained. "She was very sickly. I would visit her with Tadase-Kun every other Friday after the guardian meeting, if there was one. She seemed to really understand me. She would advise me, telling me not to worry or stress so much. She told me that I should look inward."
"Which is precisely what I'm doing now," Luca explained. "She was right. Looking inward is the only true way to gain clarity and discover your true inhibitions. You can really learn a lot about yourself from looking deep within." Amu nodded slowly, closing her eyes once again. She breathed in, following the previous rhythm.
"Luca…" Amu suddenly wondered, opening her eyes. "Who are you exactly? What are we doing here?"
"I'll tell you another time," Luca promised. "For now, I need you to maintain your concentration. It is imperative that you regain your sense of autonomy and balance before I explain everything. Do you trust me?"
"I do," Amu whispered, her eyes closing. Luca let out a sigh, shaking her head slowly.
"You must learn not to trust so easily, Amu-Chan. I won't hurt you, but you must be able to sense these things yourself." Luca frowned, staring out the nearby window. "After all, your affinity toward immediate trust is exactly what Saira was exploiting."
As Amu exhaled and her head moved forward unconsciously, a small yellow chara appeared from behind her pink hair.
"Ran, Miki, Su… please find us soon," Dia whispered.
"Why didn't you keep a better eye on her? If you had paid more attention, she wouldn't have gotten hurt!"
"How is this my fault?! You were the one that let her go out alone!"
"Because she's practically an adult!"
"That doesn't make the world any less dangerous for her!"
"Stop, stop, stop…" Rima moaned, her head lying on top of her legs as she sat in her ball position.
"Rima, please smile!" Kusu-Kusu tried to urge.
"No, I can't." Kusu-Kusu's smile faded, watching her bearer. She groaned in frustration. "I shouldn't be here locked in my room. I should be helping Tadase and Nagi and the others look for Amu or comforting Kairi or, I don't know, anywhere outside of this freaking hellhole!"
"You're almost fully recovered Rima!" Kusu-Kusu told her, floating up excitedly. "Then we can transform again and fight on!" The clown chara punched and kicked midair, as if she was a martial artist. "Bam, bam, bam!" Rima watched her chara, quite amused. She giggled slightly, prompting Kusu-Kusu's smile to widen.
"We're going to need to start training right away, if we're going to defeat Saira once and for all." Rima told her. "There is no way in hell I am losing to her again." As Kusu-Kusu opened her mouth to speak, a knock on Rima's window prompted them both to turn immediately. Rima opened her blinds, her eyes widening upon seeing three familiar charas outside.
This was probably the last chapter without action/crazy plot development for a while. But I hope cute Yairi fluff makes up for the lack of action. Please review! I'll try to have the next chapter up ASAP.
Also! I made a poll on my page in regards to another story I may be working on this summer/next alongside this one. I have a lot of ideas, especially considering that I've been playing Final Fantasy VII now (a game I have tried to play for far too long) which provides me with additional ideas. Thanks so much!