Happy 2018! Yikes, I've had this account for seven years now. Anyway, please enjoy!

"It is nearly time." His eyes were fixed on the large glass window outside, the bright August sun reflecting the light from his glasses. "There is nothing preventing us from achieving our mission any longer. Soon, everything we have sought will become a reality." A smile gleamed on the teenager's expression as she gazed out at the city below. She placed her hand on the cool glass. The cars drove by, intermittently honking their horns. People crowded the streets, the distant sounds of conversations filling the air. She closed her eyes. Soon, it will all be hers, she mused. Her smile waned however. She opened her eyes again, her emerald eyes fixating on the world below.

"Is everything alright, Saira?" Saira glanced over, watching as Deidre placed a hand on her shoulder. "You seem troubled."

"I just… I can't believe we've made it to this point." Saira shook her head slowly. "I have desired this for so long now, and it's going to be a reality soon." Deidre massaged the younger girl's shoulder. "Do you think everything will go accordingly to plan?"

"You should know better than anyone," Deidre pointed out. "You know the powers that your sister possesses." Saira frowned. It had not taken her long after Amu's disappearance to realize that it had been Luca to take her away. After all, Saira knew, Luca was always trying to meddle with her plans despite the fact that Saira was doing everything for her sake.

"Luca is strong, and no doubt her influence on Hinamori Amu will be difficult to penetrate. But I have always overpowered her. And if I can reap the powers of the Embryo as well, Hinamori Amu will be within my grasp again." Deidre smiled at Saira briefly, before turning back to Seto.

"Uncle, what of the guardians?" Deidre wondered. "Do you have any concerns that they will attempt to interfere?"

"The guardians are relentless; they will surely appear," Seto began. "However, their efforts will be futile. Nothing they possess will hinder us." Deidre bit her lip.

"But… but what about…" Seto turned to look at her for a moment. She sighed. "Do you have any, err, regrets regarding—"

"My relationship with my son is no longer relevant," He interjected. "Kairi chose his path. We are in a business, Deidre; we are about to make great profit, and there is nothing that can stop us." Deidre nodded slowly.

"Mother…" Saira whispered. "Soon, we will be reunited."

"Tomorrow, Easter will strike outside of your Royal Garden," Kishara Sanjou announced matter-of-factly. The teenagers' expressions were blank, as the elder woman let out a sigh. "Ever since Hinamori-San's disappearance, Saira has been preparing her powers for the extraction of the Embryo, as you all are aware. They are expecting that Hinamori-San will make an appearance as well, only bolstering their strength."

"Why are you telling us this?" Utau wondered, her arms crossed. A frown adorned her face as she eyed Kishara suspiciously. "Your husband is director of Easter, and as far as I can tell, you've been aiding him this entire time." Her eyes met Yukari's briefly. Yukari stood next to her mother, biting her lip.

"My husband's plans are dangerous," Kishara explained. "Profitable, yes, but I do not condone defying basic morals to reach any end goal, especially when it involves the physical harm to my son." Kairi's eyes drifted to the floor. Yaya placed a hand on his shoulder, massaging it lightly. Kishara eyed her briefly, before turning around.

"I do not know exactly what you are all planning, but for the sake of the world, I do wish you all great success." She smiled gently. "Do not allow Saira to overpower you."

"We won't," Tadase declared.

"Like we have control over that," Ikuto mumbled under his breath.

"And please, protect my son."

"Mother," Kairi began, mildly embarrassed. "I can hold my own guard; I will be fine."

"Yaya will protect him!" Yaya announced, grinning. She looked over at Yukari, winking at her, prompting her to smile softly. Kairi looked at Yaya, a little surprised.

"You look awfully familiar," Kishara noted, glancing at Yaya again. "Yaya Yuiki correct?" Yaya nodded, a grin forming. "Perhaps I have merely scanned through documents of the guardians, but I do believe that you are the girl that is the background on Kairi's—"

"Mother!" Kairi interjected, his face turning bright red. Everyone else laughed, with the exceptions of Ikuto, Utau, and Rima. Yaya only stared at Kairi, her eyes widening.

"Anyway, I will take my departure now." She walked over to Kairi, prompting the teenager to rise to his feet to give his mother a hug.

"Be safe," She whispered.

"I will, I promise," Kairi whispered, ignoring the hesitance in his voice. Kishara let go of him, before exiting the house.

"Well, now that that's out of the way, I suppose you guys can do whatever you're planning on doing."

"Thank you so much for allowing us to stay over tonight, Sanjou-San," Tadase told her politely. Yukari smiled at him.

"It's no problem. Considering all that you guys have done for Yuu and I, it's the least we can do. Besides, having a group sleepover can hopefully alleviate some of the stress." She sighed. "I'll get out of your way." She exited the room, leaving all of the former guardians and Tsukiyomi siblings in silence. The eight of them stared blankly at each other.

"So, what happened to our charas?" Kukai wondered suddenly. He sat next to Utau, his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

"I think Kiseki was holding a meeting," Tadase explained, his voice quiet. He sat on Utau's other side, looking slightly distracted.

"Hey guys, let's do something fun!" Yaya suggested, before another silence could emerge. Everyone looked at her. "We're having a super duper fun sleepover, so we should play truth-or-dare!"

"How old are we, seven?" Utau mumbled, an eyebrow raised. "I'm not playing some stupid game." Yaya pouted.

"Anyone else?" No one else responded. "Wah, you guys are boring! What other games do people want to play? MASH? Twister?" Yaya thought for a second. "Spin the bottle?"

"I'm not particularly interested in that game when I have no idea where the girl I love is," Ikuto grumbled. Tadase let out a melancholic sigh.

"We can watch a movie!" Yaya offered. "Yaya really wants to see a horror movie!"

"Without Amu? Yeah no, that defeats the whole purpose of the genre. Her reactions are the best," Kukai pointed out. A couple of chuckles filled the room.

"Umm we can watch a comedy movie!" Yaya offered, looking directly at Rima. Rima didn't react; her eyes were fixed on the wall, her mind racing.

"Maybe we should discuss our plans for tomorrow," Tadase offered. Yaya pouted.

"That's so boring!" She complained.

"But it's necessary. We have a lot of pressure on our shoulders, and we have to ensure nothing goes wrong."

"Everything has already gone wrong," Rima mumbled quietly. Nagihiko squeezed her hand tightly, his leg bumping into hers. She ignored his gestures, her gaze continuing to fixate on a wall. He watched her for a moment, before turning back to Tadase.

"It's been a week since we met with Amakawa-San," Nagihiko pointed out, seizing the attention. "We've had that time to really train and work on bolstering our strength. We also have the advantage of knowing Saira's weaknesses; we know her desperation to obtain the Embryo, and we can capitalize on this for our advantage."

"And Rima can summon the Embryo before she does," Utau added. "If we decide to go down that path. Speaking of which…"

"I don't know," Rima murmured quietly.

"Well, I guess you have a solid 24 hours to decide," Utau mumbled. Nagihiko shot her a warning look, prompting her to inwardly frown.

"If Amu-Chan shows up, we need to make sure we can protect her," Tadase pointed out.

"Saira is definitely going to attempt to indoctrinate her again." Kairi agreed. "We must divert attention to Amu-San, especially since we know that she is susceptible to Saira's attacks."

"Wait, Yaya has an idea!" Everyone turned to the pigtailed girl. "You know how when we were in elementary school, Amu-Chi used to just talk to people and inspire them and stuff? What if we just try that? You know! We say something super inspirational to Saira or something and get her to stop!" Everyone stared blankly at Yaya. Kukai laughed slightly.

"I don't think Saira is exactly going to listen to reason," Nagihiko pointed out. "From what Amakawa-San described, she appears relentless to restore her past." Upon seeing Yaya's pout, Nagihiko quickly added, "but it was a good idea!"

"Some grand speech doesn't stop people from wanting their family back," Rima grumbled. Nagihiko looked at her, concern etched in his expression. He removed his hand from hers and wrapped his arm around her waist, hugging her closer to himself. She, again, did not move nor react.

"You know," Kukai began suddenly, "It's funny. I'm supposed to leave for college in three days, and I haven't even had time to think about it. Like, my life supposedly is about to change drastically, and I just don't even care." He smiled but he didn't appear the least bit happy.

"If it makes you feel any better, there's a chance you will have that normal college experience and forget about all of this," Utau pointed out.

"Yeah, but then I forget about…" Utau lowered her eyes.

"Let's not talk about that!" Yaya demanded suddenly. "No scary bad things, okay?! Please? Can't we just enjoy tonight and hang out?"

"Well, I suppose I should show you to your rooms," Kairi began, rising to his feet.

Ikuto, Utau, Tadase

Ikuto placed his violin case against the bookcase of his assigned room, sighing. He sat on his bed, staring absentmindedly at the case. Memories flashed through his mind; he could distinctly recall the lessons his father gave him about playing the string instrument. He remembered being mesmerized by the way his father could play the violin, a beautiful melody escaping from each gentle caress of the strings. He, too, tried to convey that same sort of emotion through his violin.

Amu… He sighed, thinking about the pinkette that has plagued his mind for months straight. He adored the beautiful sound; even with her obstinate character, she always seemed to smile brightly when Ikuto played the instrument.

Upon hearing the door open, Ikuto quickly glanced up, relaxing a bit as he saw Tadase enter the room. The blonde gave him a small smile.

"I suppose we're sharing the room together," Tadase pointed out. Ikuto scoffed.

"That's what happens when we're the last two remaining when everyone else is paired up." Tadase smiled lightly, sitting on the bed opposite his.

"Yaya-Chan and Kairi-San aren't," Tadase pointed out. "Though, I have a feeling that it isn't too far off. Both are acting quite affectionate with each other." Ikuto crossed his arms.

"Then again, it took purple and shorty years," Ikuto observed. "Not that I particularly care about their love lives." He frowned.

"Ikuto-NiiSan." He glanced over at Tadase. "I just… I know we both love the same girl." Tadase was staring at the ground. "I know only one of us will ultimately be with her. But despite our rivalry, I want to work with you to save her. It doesn't really matter after all who loves her more or whom she loves; I just want her safe."

"Of course," Ikuto agreed. "But what does this have to do with anything? We've agreed upon this the whole time, even if it wasn't explicitly stated."

"I know… I just…" Tadase faltered. "I…" He sighed. "Ikuto, you're like a brother to me. Even despite our competition for Amu-Chan, I-I truly do care for you. I've always looked up to you, admired you. In fact, I spent a lot of my childhood really envious of you, and to a certain extent, I still am." He smiled sheepishly. "But now… I just… I'm really thankful for you, Ikuto-NiiSan." Ikuto watched as Tadase took a deep breath. "I'm truly thankful that Amu-Chan opened up my mind and convinced me to accept you, to understand the truth about that day."

"Corny as ever, Tadase," Ikuto teased. Tadase didn't look embarrassed or anything; his expression contained melancholy.

"I don't want to forget," He blurted, looking up at Ikuto. Tears lined his eyes. "Not only would making the wish mean that I lose the girl I love, but I would lose you too. I would lose my memories of trusting you; I…I would still hate you, wouldn't I?"

"There's no need to contemplate everything that would change if Rima really makes the wish," Ikuto pointed out. "You may figure out the truth another way."

"How? You didn't tell me to protect me and without Amu-Chan…"

"Look, there's just no point trying to figure out what will change," He pointed out. "It's—"

"We'd work for Easter still," Both boys looked up, watching as Utau entered their room abruptly. "Amu convinced me to leave Easter, and it was Amu who saved you Ikuto; without her…" Ikuto's eyes darkened.

"I don't want to lose you too, Utau-Nii," Tadase whispered. "For the past six years, I've relied on you guys. I need you…"

"I don't want to lose you either," Utau mumbled, sighing. "I don't want to forget what it's like to have a little brother. Or lose my best friend. Or my boyfriend. Or my entire freaking career." Utau's eyes darkened. She turned to Ikuto. "Ikuto, your freedom…"

"Our freedom," He corrected, sighing. "We can't dwell on this. There's just no reason to—"

"You'd still be Death Rebel, wouldn't you?" Utau interjected. Ikuto's eyes darkened.

"I don't know."

"No, that doesn't make sense," Tadase mumbled. "Would Kazuomi ever have used Death Rebel if the guardians never stopped his first plan?" His eyes widened. "Would we even purify X-Eggs? Would we even transform?" Tadase shook his head. "No, Ikuto-NiiSan's right; we can't focus on this."

"Regardless, whatever happens tomorrow: whether Rima decides to make the wish and we lose all of our memories of Amu or the world just falls apart or whatever will happen if Saira gets what she wants, I'm glad I have you guys, at least now." Utau smiled at Ikuto, who gave her a rare smile back. "Ikuto… I don't know what I would have done all these years without you. You're the best brother I could have ever asked for. And Tadase, I'll always be there for you, I promise. Somehow, someway."

"You're not usually so sentimental," Ikuto mused. Utau shrugged.

"Well, we aren't always about to face the end of the world." She sighed. "Well, speaking of things I'm going to lose, I'm not about to lose a ramen challenge, so I'll see you all later."

"It's almost 9 PM," Tadase pointed out, an eyebrow raised. "You and Kukai are going to go out now? For what meal?"

"Our imminent demise meal," Utau replied, exiting the room. Tadase and Ikuto exchanged a quick look.

Kukai and Utau

"About time," Kukai teased, as Utau met him outside.

"Sorry, I was with Ikuto and Tadase briefly." Utau shook her head. "This better be good ramen. I'm suspicious about a new place." They began walking from Yukari's place to a nearby ramen shack. Kukai grinned excitedly.

"It's going to be great," He assured her. "I'm sure of it! Gotta try new things, right?"

"Yeah, while we still can, before…"

"Hey, don't finish that sentence," Kukai hissed. "Let's just go with what Yaya said, right? Not talk about scary stuff?" Utau scoffed.

"Really? You're going to talk like her too?"

"She is basically my little sister," He pointed out, as they entered the ramen shack. "Though I'm definitely worried about her. Yaya's… not always the best at coping. With her baby character, she tends to not process things well." He sighed. "Well, you ready?"

"You're on Souma," Utau smirked, as they both ordered extra spicy pork ramen.

Upon receiving their orders, they began counting down before they immediately began scarfing their food down, ignoring the puzzled expressions of others watching them. Within minutes, Kukai placed his fork down excitedly.

"I wo— WHAT?!" He gawked, watching as Utau smirked widely. "How the hell did you win?!"

"What can I say? You're too slow."

"I am not—Holy shit that is hot!" Kukai grabbed the glass of water and gulfed it down. "How are you not dying from that spice?!"

"You have no tolerance for spicy foods." Upon receiving their check from a mildly horrified waiter, Utau immediately handed over her credit card. "You know, I liked this place. On the off chance we make it out tomorrow and remember each other, we should come back." Kukai's expression turned somber.

"Hey, don't think like that," He mumbled. "Maybe we really can do it. We saved Ikuto all those years ago. You never know! Besides… I can't lose you. I just, can't."

"Kukai…"

"No, no." He shook his head. "I am not making these six years a lie. We're supposed to get married, for god's sake!" Utau gave him a weird look.

"We're not engaged; you're only eighteen," She pointed out.

"Maybe not formally, but we were! I was never, no, I'm never going to break up with you. And I know you feel the same way."

"Presumptuous, aren't you?" Kukai smirked.

"Hey, what other guy will you find that's as charming as—hey, wait, we're having an important conversation!" Kukai protested.

"You said it yourself; let's not talk about the 'scary stuff,'" Utau pointed out. She signed the check and headed out with Kukai in tow.

"No, but, you know what I'm saying. Seriously."

"Of course," Utau agreed. "You know how much I love you, Kukai."

"I love you so much." He gripped her shoulder suddenly, prompting her to turn around. "And nothing—absolutely nothing—can ever change that, okay?!" Utau could see that he was close to tears. It shocked her, scared her almost, to see that the most optimistic guy she knew could be so upset and afraid.

Before she could voice any concerns, he kissed her aggressively, his arms rapidly tightening around her body. She kissed him with as much force back, ignoring the fact that they were both in public. Their kiss heated up rapidly, as Utau pressed him against a street lamp. She could feel the eyes of passerbyers on them, but she didn't care.

"God, I wish we weren't staying at Yukari's tonight," Kukai mumbled through breaths. "We can't exactly…"

"I know," She murmured. "But I have an idea." She let go of him, before dragging his arm toward a building.

"Wait, aren't we back at Yukari's?" Kukai wondered, glancing up at the familiar building.

"We're going inside my studio," Utau explained, opening a side door that led directly into her performing studio. She locked the door behind her. "Where were we?"

Yaya and Kairi

"Go Fish!" Yaya screamed, giggling loudly. Rima covered her ears, wincing as she sat on the couch, watching everyone else play. Tadase picked up a card from the middle pile, sighing.

"Hey, Kairi-Kun, do you have a Jack? Ha-ha get it?!" Kairi glanced up at Yaya, raising an eyebrow.

"Hilarious, Yaya-Chan," Kairi mumbled. "But I do not have any Jacks."

"YOU HAVE TO SAY GO FISH!" Yaya screamed. Kairi rolled his eyes.

"Go fish." Yaya proceeded to pick up a card from the center pile.

"Are you high or something?" Rima grumbled.

"Yaya's high on life!" Yaya replied, grinning ecstatically. "No sugar today though!"

"Hey, Yaya-Chan?"

"YES NAGI?" Yaya wondered, turning to the purple-haired male.

"Do you, perhaps, have any Jacks?" Yaya gawked.

"WHAT?!" Yaya shrieked. "B-But Yaya just asked Kairi-Kun about Jacks! And now you just go ahead and take all three Jacks?! Just because you were Jack's Chair doesn't mean you should have all of them!" Pouting, Yaya handed Nagihiko all three of her Jack cards. Nagihiko combined the four cards neatly in front of him, placing them next to his already existing six piles.

"Tadase, do you have any eights?" Nagihiko asked.

"Wait, how did you—" Nagihiko took all of his eights, completing yet another set.

"Yaya's done!" Yaya whined, tossing all of her remaining cards in the center. All three males looked at her. "Yaya can't play against Nagi-Tan who is the best liar ever!" Nagihiko winced slightly upon hearing Rima scoff loudly.

"Yaya-Chan, this is the fourth card game you made us stop playing," Tadase pointed out.

"Yaya is just trying to find the perfect game to play!" Yaya looked thoughtful for a moment. "And everyone vetoed truth or dare."

"We could play BS?" Tadase offered.

"That's another game Nagi-Tan always wins!" Yaya whined.

"I didn't win Egyptian Rat Screw," Nagihiko pointed out.

"No one won because Yaya stopped it right away," Tadase recalled.

"You all were so bad at it!" Yaya pointed out. "Yaya only likes playing that game with Kukai and Utau-Chi; they get really intense and it's so much fun! Speaking of which, why aren't they playing with us?"

"I believe they went out to obtain ramen," Kairi explained. Yaya pouted.

"Well, I think I'm going to head upstairs," Tadase began, rising to his feet.

"NO!" Yaya screeched, grabbing his leg, lying in the middle of the cards.

"Yaya-Chan, I'm tired," He tried to reason, patting her head. "I'm going to try and get some rest, though I'm not so sure if I'll be able to."

"But Tada-Tan!" Yaya whined. "Yaya doesn't want the fun to end! Yaya just wants to stay hanging downstairs with everyone!"

"Well, I'm leaving. Bye." Rima stood up.

"Rima-Tan!" Yaya shouted, but she was up and gone. "Why is Rima-Tan acting so weird? Yaya knows it's been weird since the whole Easter thing, but Yaya thought we were over that!"

"I think she's stressed about the decision she has to make tomorrow," Nagihiko pointed out, sighing. "She has a lot on her shoulders, and weighing every possibility has definitely been extremely overwhelming." He stood up. "I'm going to talk to her." Yaya watched as Nagihiko left, a pout forming.

"Um, Yaya-Chan, can you let go of me."

"Yeah, sure." Tadase smiled lightly.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Yaya-Chan." He patted her head lightly, before heading upstairs. Yaya watched his retreating figure, her eyes lowering.

"Yaya-Chan, can I show you something?" Yaya turned, facing the last remaining person. She nodded slowly. Kairi extended his hand, his cheeks reddening as Yaya took his hand happily. She didn't let go of him as he led her upstairs two flights.

"Where are we going?" Yaya wondered, as Kairi led her to a room. He walked through the room, and opened the glass doors leading to the balcony. He held the door open, allowing Yaya to walk through first before he followed her as well. She took a seat on the bench, with Kairi sitting beside her.

"Wow, it's beautiful!" Yaya exclaimed. "Look at the moon, Kairi-Kun! And look, you can see the sky-scrapers! It's so pretty!"

"I like to come here sometimes and relax," Kairi explained. He looked at Yaya, watching as she excitedly stared at the sights. He couldn't help but to smile lightly at her excitement. Even in these troubling times, Kairi knew that she was doing her best to be cheerful. But something seemed especially exaggerated about her exuberance.

"Hey, Kairi-Kun?" Kairi blinked, blushing slightly upon realizing he was staring at her.

"Hm?"

"Yaya's glad she knows you." Yaya looked a little bit embarrassed. Kairi chuckled lightly.

"I'm rather pleased that I know you as well, Yaya-Chan," Kairi told her. Yaya didn't smile. She stared pensively at the ground.

"It was Amu-Chi that convinced you to not betray us, right?" Yaya blurted suddenly. "Yaya means, you loved her. And you stood with the guardians instead of with Easter because you loved her, right?" Kairi sighed. It had been because of Amu—his childish and puppy dog-like love of Amu—that he realized the wrong of his ways back in the fourth grade and aligned with the guardians. That was when he first transformed with Musashi as Samurai Soul. But it was love, again, that convinced him to stand against his father six years later. He glanced over at Yaya again. Yaya had kept him strong; he stayed determined to fight Easter and sabotage their plans because he loved her. But it wasn't devotion like Amu; he admired Yaya and wanted to be her partner.

"If Amu-Chi didn't exist, you…" Kairi sighed. The same thought had passed his mind. He knew that if he had not known Amu, he likely would have remained an Easter employee. He wouldn't have cared—let alone loved—Yaya, or any of the other guardians. Where would he be, if Rima made the wish?

"Yaya doesn't want to lose you!" Yaya cried, gripping his shirt, prompting him to look up in surprise. "You… you mean so much to Yaya." Kairi wrapped his arms around Yaya gently, prompting her to bury her head in his chest.

"I cannot imagine my life without you," Kairi whispered soothingly. "Yaya, I…" Yaya looked up at him, her eyes watery. Kairi hesitated. He wanted to tell her how she was his guiding light through everything, how she was the reason he stayed strong. He wanted to tell her he loved her. And yet, the words stuck to his throat, the egg in his pocket feeling particularly heavy.

Rima and Nagihiko

Rima slammed the door behind her, tears streaming down her face. She plopped onto the bed that she was supposed to sleep in, sobbing into a pillow. She clutched the blankets tightly, gripping them as she did when she overheard her parents fighting.

Stop crying, idiot. She tried to tell herself desperately. Amu would be brave. Amu would fight all of her problems directly, bravely, without faltering. Rima let out another sob. And Amu sure as hell would never wish that one of her friends never existed.

Upon hearing the door open to the room, she groaned. "Go away, Nagihiko," She demanded, half-recognizing his footsteps. He sighed softly, before closing the door behind him. He sat next to her on the bed, gently rubbing her back.

"Look, if you're going to say something about how tears don't suit me, I don't care because I sure as hell don't feel like smiling," She grumbled. Again, he said nothing, but continued massaging her back. She picked up her head, studying him carefully. Through her blurry eyes, she could see that he wasn't smiling comfortingly like usual; he looked morose.

"What do you want?" She mumbled.

"I want to be with you," He stated. She stared at him.

"Excuse me?" He cocked his head to the side.

"I don't see what's so difficult to understand." He smiled, and Rima felt slightly relieved. "I just want to be with my girlfriend. Is that really such a crazy concept?" Rima rested her head on his shoulder, prompting his arms to surround her immediately.

"Don't let go of me," She whispered.

"I won't. I promise," He soothed, his breath on her ear. He lightly kissed her cheek and then her forehead.

"It's not fair," She mumbled, after some silence. "Why can't anything work out between us?" He looked at her. "First it takes us years before we get together, then I have to act as a spy for Easter, and now…" She sighed. "We only just got back together; I don't want to lose you again."

"You don't know—"

"No, Nagi, don't." She frowned. "If I make this wish, I know I don't just lose Amu. I may have hated you when I first met you because of Amu, but… but if there was no Amu, then I wouldn't even care about you either way. I mean, I probably wouldn't even be a guardian because I would have quit when my parents made me, and so, you'd be nothing to me. I'd feel nothing toward you. I can't even fathom that." He hugged her tighter.

"The truth is… I'm not even so sure you'd know I was a guy in the first place." Rima looked at him surprised. "If I even came back from Europe, I'd still be Nadeshiko. Amu helped me realize, indirectly, that I was unhappy with the persona I created. I never would have lost sight of my desires and never would have met you, at least through the guardians. I don't even know if I'd have Rhythm at all…"

"But if I don't make the wish, I'm going to lose you too, won't I?" Nagihiko's silence prompted Rima to hold him tighter. "But at least, if the world ends, we'll be together, right? Maybe it's better to die with each other than live without any memories of each other." Feeling tears escape her eyes, she buried her head on his shoulder again.

"Rima… I don't care about what happens," He finally spoke. "I love you. In this moment now, I just know that I love you more than I could possibly process. And nothing in this world can take that away from me, away from us." He kissed the top of her head lightly. "You're mine. I'm yours. That's what matters, right?"

"What should I do?" She finally mumbled, picking her head up.

"I can't tell you," He admitted. "But I can tell you to follow your heart and do what you believe is right."

"That was even cheesier than your stupid love declaration of loving me in the moment." He laughed.

"Well, you should know that I'm cheesy by now," He teased. She giggled lightly.

"I like it."

"I'm glad." He leaned toward her, gently kissing her lips. She kissed him back lightly, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He separated from her slightly, pressing his forehead against hers so that their noses touch.

"I love you, Rima," He whispered again, his breath tickling her lips. "Don't forget that." She smiled sadly.

"I love you too, Nagi." He kissed her again, this time pushing her down so that he was lying on top of her. She was definitely surprised by his sudden aggression, but she welcomed it. Her fingers ran through his smooth purple hair, feeling the familiar texture.

Upon hearing the door swing open, they both blushed profusely, Nagihiko immediately sliding off her.

"Oh, hey Nagi-Tan!" Yaya greeted suddenly.

"Uh… hi," Nagihiko replied lamely. Rima had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. "I, um, suppose I should head back to my room." He turned to Rima briefly, regaining some of his composure. "Try and get some sleep tonight, alright?" She scoffed. He kissed her cheek lightly. "Love you." He stood up, smiling brightly at Yaya, before exiting the room. Yaya turned back to Rima with a giant smirk. Her mischievous smirk vanished upon seeing Rima's somber expression. Rima's eyes were fixed on the wall, a frown present.

Upon watching the hot coffee pour from the Keurig, Nagihiko frowned unconsciously. He knew the coffee was pointless; he had too much anxiety to feel exhausted at all, despite running on maybe two hours of sleep.

"Oi, hope you have enough coffee for two." Nagihiko glanced up, smiling gently upon seeing Kukai next to him. "God, I don't think I've ever slept worse in my life." He chuckled lightly.

"Well, at least you were with Utau all night."

"How'd you know?" Nagihiko rolled his eyes.

"Where else would you be the night before all of our lives could change?" Kukai grinned cheekily. "And besides, we were supposed to share a room."

"Oh, we were? Oops." Kukai laughed, thanking Nagihiko as he handed him his coffee. They both sat down at the table. Despite his upbeat attitude, Nagihiko could see the redness in Kukai's eyes. Underneath his positive spirit, he, too, looked quite anxious.

"Good morning!" Both boys glanced up, seeing Yaya walk over to them with Tadase beside her. Tadase took a seat beside Nagihiko while Yaya sat across from him next to Kukai.

"I'm surprised to see you up so early, Kukai," Tadase pointed out. "I expect early rising from Nagi, but you?"

"Hey, I'm always an early riser!"

"But you never respond to messages early," Nagihiko pointed out.

"Well, I usually work out in the mornings," He explained. "I have my morning routine, you know? I don't have time to respond to messages right away, unless they're from Utau of course. Or emergencies." He sighed. "Well, honestly, I didn't sleep well last night."

"Did anyone?" Yaya wondered softly. Yaya sighed, before brightening up slightly. "You know, Yaya's glad it's just the four of us right now. It's how this whole thing started, right?"

"It's how everything started," Nagihiko pointed out. "We were the four original guardians." He smiled reminiscently. "I sometimes can't believe how far we've come and how long we've been together. I can't imagine my life without you guys." Tadase smiled lightly.

"Yeah, if you told me eight years ago about where we all are now, I think I would have laughed." Kukai grinned. "I think the fact that the Queen's Chair that I had a major crush on at the time was actually a guy would have really freaked me out." Nagihiko chuckled uncomfortably.

"Well… we'll all still be together, no matter what right?" Yaya pointed out. "Yaya means, if Rima-Tan makes the wish, we'd all still be friends?"

"I would imagine so," Tadase pointed out. "Amu-Chan may have made us even closer, but we were best friends before that. I imagine nothing would change at least our friendships."

"That's good, at least." Kukai smiled. "It's like Nagi said: I'm incredibly thankful for all of you." He perked up suddenly. "Hey, let's not give up, okay? Today's our big fight or whatever, but we can be strong, I know we can. We've fought against Easter for, well, ever, but even against this new Easter, we stayed strong even though we didn't know who Saira was or that Rima and Kairi were on our side or any of Easter's plans. Maybe we don't even need to worry about the Embryo or anything; maybe we can just win as we always do!"

"That's the spirit!" Yaya grinned, sticking her thumbs up. Tadase's smile waned slightly, as he glanced at the ground.

"You alright, Tadase?" Nagihiko wondered, concerned. "I guess that's a foolish question, but…"

"It's just…" He shook his head slowly. "We're probably going to see her today, aren't we?" Upon knowing he was talking about, Nagihiko nodded. "It's been so long. I mean, she may not be herself—she probably won't be, but I just need to see Amu-Chan."

"I sense her!" All four of the guardians glanced up as Amu's charas floated toward them, with Rima and Kusu-Kusu following suit. "I don't know where she is, but I can sense her radiance," Miki explained. "I don't know exactly how to explain it, but it's…it's her. I think, whoever this Luca person is, she did something so that Amu is herself again. Or maybe it was Dia. But regardless, we can sense them!"

"That's great news!" Nagihiko exclaimed. Tadase smiled brightly.

"Amu won't get hurt," Rima began, looking at her three charas. "There is no way in hell I'm letting anything happen to her again." She bit her lip. "I… I don't really know what I'm going to do about the Embryo, but regardless, I'm going to protect Amu."

"We're going to protect Amu," Tadase amended. "That's what this whole thing has always been about, isn't it? And I know, I won't let the woman I love be hurt."

"Rima-San, I was giving it further thought, and I believe the best course of action would be to summon the Embryo regardless," Kairi began, making his way toward them, the Tsukiyomi siblings in tow. "Whether or not you ultimately grant the wish with the Embryo is your decision, but perhaps summoning it is still wise to prevent Saira from gaining access to it."

"That's what I was thinking too," Rima agreed, her arms crossed. "As if this day couldn't get better, I get to spend the whole fight that could determine the fate of the world and my best friend's safety thinking about my parents' fighting. Fun." Nagihiko gave her a weak smile.

"We should probably get going," Ikuto mumbled.

"Do we have to?" Yaya whined. Everyone looked at her. "Yaya means, why don't we just run away and hide? We find Amu-Chi on the way and take a super fun road trip!" Upon seeing everyone's blank stares, Yaya grinned sheepishly. "Yaya's just joking, sheesh."

"Don't you all want to eat something before you leave?" Yukari wondered, appearing suddenly with Yuu beside her.

"I think I can speak for everyone when I say that we're not particularly hungry," Tadase explained.

"Well, I just want you all to be careful. Don't do anything rash or stupid." Yukari turned to Kairi, her eyes softening. "Kairi, are you sure you should even go? I mean, without your chara…"

"Absolutely." Kairi pushed up his glasses. "I cannot stay back any longer, hiding in the shadows of Father anymore. I need to face him head on, for the fate of the world." Yukari smiled sadly.

"Well, don't get hurt." Yukari hugged her brother tightly, prompting him to return it. She glanced up quickly, turning to Yaya.

Protect him. She mouthed, prompting Yaya to nod and wink. She let go of her brother, and smiled at everyone.

"Let's go." All eight of them headed out of the house and piled into Kukai's minivan, squeezing together. Not a single word was spoken as Kukai drove to Seiyo Academy, the only sounds being the noise of the city.

Upon parking and getting out of the car, the eight of them made their way to the Royal Garden. Not to anyone's surprise, Seto Sanjou and Deidre stood outside, watching them keenly. Saira stood directly in front of them, with some X-Eggs surrounding her. Kairi could feel his pulse quicken, a part of him desperate to run the opposite direction. To his surprise, Yaya subtly gripped his hand tightly.

"So, you have arrived," Deidre began. "The guardians, the last obstacle in the way of achieving the greatest success. Of course, you all pose little threat; Easter is unstoppable now."

"We will not let you succeed," Tadase demanded. Saira scoffed.

"Let's put an end to this." Saira stepped forward, prompting the guardians to tense.

"My own heart, unlock!" All of them, with the exception of Kairi, announced, transforming into their respective charas. Ran, Miki, and Su looked at each other with apprehension. Yaya looked back at Kairi, offering him a small smile, before stepping forward in front of him protectively. Rima stared up at the sky, clenching her fists.

"I look forward to defeating each and every one of you," Saira began, her voice filled with venom.

Amu peeked her head out from behind the Royal Garden, her eyes widening upon seeing the scene in front of her. She turned to the girl next to her, whose eyes were fixed on her green-haired sister.

"Luca, I can't just stand here, watching my friends fight on my behalf!" Amu hissed.

"The time isn't now, Amu," Luca whispered, turning back to her. "We need to watch cautiously, waiting to strike at the right time. We need to gauge Saira's abilities." Amu frowned, watching her friends concernedly.

Please don't get hurt. She thought, fear pulsing through her. You can do this, guys; I believe in you.

I know I made you guys wait a bit for this not-so exciting chapter, but I can promise that the next three will be very dramatic. There is no way I can finish all three before I go back to school (which is in less than a week), but I will do everything within my power to make sure I post all three of them before May. That's almost a guarantee, as I highly doubt I'll have writer's block for the next three, as they are planned explicitly. Anyway, please review! Hope you enjoyed!