September 7th, 20xx
Nagihiko didn't know where he was. For the past few days, all he could hear were muffled voices. If he dared to open his eyes, everything was blurry, with grey clashing with light blue. These moments were intermittent, however; he was not conscious long enough to fully think through everything around him. The only sound he could he could discern was the sound of a perpetual beeping. For some reason, it irked him immensely; it sounded like a metronome, keeping the tempo of the chaos around him. A few times, Nagihiko wondered if he was even alive.
Finally, Nagihiko opened his eyes, blinking a few times. His eyes finally adjusted to the room around him. Scanning the room, he could see the light blue walls and some equipment. It did not take him too long to surmise that he was in fact in the hospital.
"Oh, are you awake?" Nagihiko turned his head, surprised to hear someone next to him. She wore a purple uniform as she stood on his left side, seemingly adjusting something. To his surprise, he realized that there was something in his nose, plugged into a larger machine. He jerked suddenly, but the nurse placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I know this all must be a lot for you to handle, Fujisaki-San. Everything's going to be okay." Nagihiko looked at the nurse.
"What…what happened?" Nagihiko wondered, his voice strained.
"You were malnourished. Your body was so dehydrated that exercising physical activity caused you to overexert yourself. But you are having the proper nutrients you need now, and soon, we will start you off on a careful diet." Nagihiko raised an eyebrow. Malnourished? He was sure that his diet was sufficient; he always ate with his mother and Baaya. He went out to dinner with his friends.
The door creaked open suddenly, revealing another doctor and his mother. Her eyes widened, and Nagihiko could tell that she had been crying.
"Oh, you're awake!" She ran to his side and took his hand, squeezing it lightly. "Are you…are you really awake this time?"
"I-I think so." Nagihiko hesitated. He was not used to his mother showing affection to him. When he lost his way in Europe and decided to be himself, his mother had been supportive; she had let him go to school as a boy and join the basketball team in middle and high school, though she didn't love the activity. She…
Wait, what? He raised an eyebrow. I never went to school as a boy. I've always been raised as Nadeshiko. My mother has never cared about me; she just cares about my role as a dancer. I… He placed his other hand on his head. He knew for a fact that he went to school as a woman; no one knew that he was a boy. He spent his whole life perfecting his feminine image, trying to be perceived as nothing but a woman. So why did he remember playing basketball at school, picked for the next year's head captain? Why did he remember going to school as a boy?
"Nadeshiko?" Nagihiko looked up at his mother. She squeezed his hand gently.
"Ah, uh, sorry… What were you saying?" He wondered. He realized immediately that he was speaking with his normal voice; considering there was a feeding tube down his nose, he didn't really think he had the ability to control his voice too much.
"Dr. Soren has some questions for you, if you're feeling up to answering them." Her voice was soft and sweet.
"Yeah, sure."
"It would be best if you left the room, ma'am." She gestured to his mother. She stood up, and leaned over to kiss Nagihiko's forehead.
"I'll be back soon." Nagihiko nodded slowly, watching as his mother left the room. He felt mixed emotions; a part of him longed for her to come back while satisfaction of her departure seemed strong.
"What is your name?"
"Nagihiko Fujisaki." Nagihiko froze for a minute. Why did he say his birth name so rapidly? "I mean—"
"What is the name you identify with?"
"Nagihiko Fujisaki," He repeated without hesitation. He knew it was right. He knew that was the name that felt right. He didn't understand exactly how and when that happened; just the previous day, he had been trying to turn himself into Nadeshiko Fujisaki. But he knew that Nagihiko was his name; Nagihiko was whom he identified as. Nagihiko answered more basic questions about himself, about his age and height and year in school.
"What is your weight?" Nagihiko opened his mouth to speak, then closed it. Many of the guys on his basketball team had commented on his thinness. They called him a snake on the court, having the flexibility to weave in and out between players, able to score when no one expected it. But he recalled seeing a much lower number on the scale the previous day. His eyes widened. That number was ridiculous; for a male at his age and height, he should not be under 110 pounds. But how could his weight have shifted that much in a matter of… Nagihiko raised an eyebrow.
"I…I think I weighed 108 pounds last time I checked," He admitted.
"When we weighed you when you first got to the hospital, you were at 105." Nagihiko clenched his fists, his eyes widening. He was horrified; how could he have done this to himself? "With the feeder we have in you, we've stabilized your weight to be at 110. When was the last time you ate a full meal?" Nagihiko was confused. He had eaten with his mother and Baaya. He knew he had at least eaten a portion of his dinner at Yukari's, though his appetite was limited as he was anxious about the potential end of the world…
Suddenly, Nagihiko gasped.
"Is everything alright, Nagihiko?"
Holy shit, the wish happened! This is my new life! This is what happened when Amu-Chan didn't exist; this… Nagihiko could feel tears well up in his eyes. Oh my god…
"I just… I haven't realized how dangerous this behavior was," Nagihiko lied smoothly, ignoring the sudden panic in his body. "I don't know what I was thinking…"
"You have Anorexia Nervosa." Nagihiko nodded, but he was only half-listening. "We have plans for recovery; we have created a diet, if you're ready to begin it. We should then be able to remove the feeding tube. Does that sound good?" He nodded again.
"I-I'll be ready for it." The doctor nodded. He could tell that she had more questions for him, but she stood up suddenly.
"I will have your nurse bring your first meal shortly. Would you like me to bring your mother in?"
"Actually, I'm feeling kind of tired, so I might relax a bit more," Nagihiko lied, feeling the polar opposite of tired. "Thank you for all of your help, Doctor Soren." She nodded slowly, before exiting, leaving Nagihiko alone.
"Temari?" Nagihiko whispered softly.
"I'm here." Temari floated up from behind Nagihiko's bed. She floated in front of him, and Nagihiko sighed a breath of relief upon seeing her eyes normal.
"I'm so happy you're back to normal. I'm so—"
"Please don't apologize, Nagihiko." Temari floated to his chest, hugging his body, Nagihiko patted his small chara briefly, as she floated back up. "This wasn't your fault. I know you believe in me; I know you believe in your dream." His face hardened.
"Do you remember—"
"Yes. Now I do, anyway." Temari sighed. "I saw your expressions when you were talking to the doctor; I knew it was all coming together for you." Nagihiko nodded slowly.
"I knew my life would be vastly different without Amu-Chan in it, but I never thought it would be this bad. I… I was a complete wreck; I am a complete wreck. How did I let all of this happen?" His eyes scanned the hospital room, the feeder in his nose becoming apparent. "I starved myself because I thought I could be more of a woman, but I nearly died. What's wrong with me?" He felt tears fall down his face. "It's not even just this eating disorder. I lost almost all of my friends alongside Amu: I haven't spoken to Yaya and Kukai in years, Utau and Ikuto work for Easter and hate Tadase, I don't know what happened to Kairi, and…" His voice croaked. "Rima's a stranger to me." Temari floated on his shoulder, resting her head on his shoulder. "And where's Rhythm?"
"I don't know…" Nagihiko sighed.
"Even now that we remember the truth, he's still not here?" Nagihiko leaned back against the hospital bed. "But… if Amu-Chan made this wish, then how did I remember everything?" Temari watched as he reached over on his side table, grabbing his phone. He frowned at the screen, seeing all of the missed calls and text messages. He opened the text messages from Tadase, and without reading them, he immediately pressed call, putting the phone to his ear.
"What are you doing?" Temari wondered.
"If I suddenly remembered everything, I can't be the only one. The others have to remember too; it can't just be me."
"Nadeshiko-San! I'm so relieved you called; I've been so worried." Nagihiko bit his lip as Tadase's worry leaked through. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm alright." Nagihiko took a deep breath. "Tadase, do you remember?"
"Remember? Remember what?" Nagihiko exhaled, exchanging a solemn look with Temari.
"Amu Hinamori. Do you know who that is?" A brief moment of silence fell between them. Nagihiko took feel his heartbeat quicken.
"Who?" The world seemed as though it shattered suddenly.
"Nothing; it doesn't matter," Nagihiko murmured quickly.
"Are you alright, Nadeshiko?" Tadase's voice was cautious and soft, pity ringing through his voice. Nagihiko closed his eyes, feeling a tear slip down his face. No, I'm not. But not in the way you think.
"Yeah, I had just been remembering a story my mother told me," Nagihiko lied quickly. "It's not a big deal at all." He forced a laugh, proving quite difficult with the tube in his nose.
"Your voice sounds different," Tadase noted. Nagihiko frowned; he nearly forgot that Tadase didn't know he was a boy in this world.
"I have a feeder down my nose to give me the nutrients I need," Nagihiko explained, trying to force his voice to be a little higher-pitched. Nagihiko could tell Tadase wanted to say something more, so he quickly interjected, "I think I hear a doctor coming, so I have to go."
"I'll visit soon, Nadeshiko." Nagihiko hung up the phone and let out a dejected sigh, placing his phone down beside him.
"Tadase doesn't remember?" Temari mumbled. Nagihiko shook his head.
"I don't understand… why would I only remember?" Nagihiko sighed. "Someone else has to remember, right? I mean, it can't just be us." He sighed. "Once I get out of here, I need to find the others. Even if Tadase doesn't remember, the others might."
Two more days passed in the hospital before Nagihiko was finally allowed to leave. He had shown remarkable progress; he had been eating the prescribed meals fully, his body slowly gaining back its nutrients. His weight was still very low, much lower than it had been before the wish, but as his doctors and nurses reassured, with careful maintenance to his diet, he should be okay.
As he sat in the backseat of his car, a frown adorned his face. He looked out the window, watching the sites of the city he grew up in pass by.
If I didn't remember everything suddenly, would I have really been okay? He sighed. I was so desperate to be a woman, to satisfy my mother's wishes. He cast a side glance to his mother. She sat diagonally from him in the passenger's seat, her ordinarily neat brown hair messily tied into a bun. Nagihiko could tell that she was remorseful; she was extraordinarily guilty about this whole situation. But, what Nagihiko couldn't fathom, was how she acted throughout.
She didn't love me. She loved the idea of Nadeshiko, of fulfilling my role. But she wasn't this way before the wish. She put hard expectations on me, but she accepted that I was a boy; she wasn't this cold.
"Nadeshiko." Nagihiko glanced up, hearing his mother speak quietly. "Or, rather, Nagihiko."
"Mother?"
"I… This is inadvertently my fault. I wanted you to perfect your dancing; I just wanted you to achieve what your father would have wanted." Nagihiko's eyes widened. His mother, in both worlds, never mentioned him. "I never considered how deeply this would affect you, and for that, I am incredibly sorry." Nagihiko felt bitter; he had pushed himself so hard, sacrificing his own health and life just to satisfy her. But that was this life. He had the opportunity to see his mother as caring in his old life; she had seen his distress in Europe when he broke down studying abroad. She had seen his confusion and disarrayed emotions, and she had permitted him to leave study abroad early and attend school as a boy.
And that's why things are so different now with her. Amu was the one that made me want to be myself. And without Amu, I had no direction…
"It's okay, Mother." He spoke as himself. "I know you meant well."
"I do not deserve your forgiveness." Maybe not, but it doesn't really matter anymore. This isn't my real life anyway.
September 10th, 20xx
Nagihiko stood outside his high school, his eyes widening as he stared up at the large building. The school was the same as he always remembered it; students were bustling inside, their backpacks an array of vibrant colors. Nothing seemed different. A part of him expected to head in early as he always did, go to his locker, and go to his first period classroom. He would get engrossed in the current book he was reading, occasionally glancing up and greeting some of his fellow classmates. About ten minutes would pass before Amu and Rima would arrive, and he would spend the rest of the pre-class time talking with them. Rima would be drinking her usual green tea, probably annoyed at Nagihiko's energy in the morning or, if she was feeling a bit more awake, she would mock his earliness and call him a teacher's pet or something. Amu would likely be complaining about something Ami did or talk about how her family was absolutely crazy. Of course, that was last year; his senior year schedule would be different. Whether or not Rima and Amu were in his class, he would definitely make time to see them; perhaps Tadase would be in their first period too.
Nagihiko smiled bitterly. Tadase was in his first period class. Rima was too; she even sat next to him. But Amu didn't even exist.
"Fujisaki-San?" Nagihiko turned, startled. A girl with light brown hair stood in front of him, concern etched in her face. But Nagihiko could detect something else; she seemed almost empty and devoid of emotion.
"Hello Manami-San," Nagihiko greeted, his voice rising to match that of Nadeshiko's.
"Are you, um, doing okay?"
"Uh, yeah, I'm fine." Nagihiko stammered slightly. It took him a moment to realize exactly what Manami was asking. "I'm feeling fine now, thank you for asking!" Manami half-smiled before quickly walking away. Nagihiko's eyes followed her, a soft sigh escaping his lips.
"She was one of the girls Amu was friends with since Seiyo Academy, right?" Temari wondered. Nagihiko nodded.
"She and Wakana-San were Amu-Chan's closest non-guardian friends," Nagihiko explained quietly, entering the school building. "I was friends with them too. Manami is usually so cheerful and bright, but…"
"But Amu wasn't her friend? So she changed?" Temari inquired, as Nagihiko knelt by his locker, ignoring the stares from people in the hallway. He could hear people whispering loudly, words of "starve" and "anorexia" particularly standing out.
"It's more than just Amu's disappearance," Nagihiko mumbled. "It's this whole X-Egg situation. It's likely that Manami-San's heart's egg was changed into an X-Egg at some point, and it's either still out there or we…" Nagihiko frowned. He had been the one who tried to encourage Tadase to crush X-Eggs, as leaving them lingering would strengthen Easter. But he didn't know what he knew now; he did not know how detrimental harming X-Eggs was or, more importantly, how to purify them.
"We can purify them now!" Temari pointed out. Nagihiko nodded.
"That's definitely something we have to do," He agreed. "But first thing's first: we need to find the others. I know Tadase doesn't remember, but at least during school, we can find Rima, Yaya, and..." Nagihiko hesitated. "Wait, crap, never mind. Kukai's in college now. And Kairi… does he even live in Seiyo anymore?" It shocked Nagihiko how little he knew about the youngest guardian's life. It dawned on him suddenly that he hadn't even met him in this life.
Nagihiko walked past the gym, peering in. He watched as the kickliners practiced their routine, kicking up their legs extremely high. At the center stood Yaya Yuiki, a huge grin matching her fellow teammates as she kicked her legs up, her arms wrapped around the backs of the other girls. Nagihiko could hardly recognize Yaya from the girl he once referred to as his little sister; her hair was tied into a tight ponytail, blonde highlights covering up her normally auburn hair. She wore dark black mascara and pink lipstick, and her skin was completely clean. She looked several years older than the girl he knew well.
"Excuse me?" Nagihiko strolled forward, interrupting the routine. A few of the girls gasped upon seeing him.
"F-Fujisaki-San!" One of them exclaimed. "You, um, are you, err, okay?" Nagihiko found it very interesting to see how they behaved after his hospitalization. He could see people's discomfort and pity. Kukai once told him something similar when he suffered a concussion; several people asked him how he was, but he claimed that it wasn't really genuine. Nagihiko now understood what he meant.
"I'm doing well, thank you for asking." He forced a smile. "Could I speak with Yaya-Chan for a brief moment?" Yaya looked at him confused, but nodded slowly, following him to a private spot in the corner. The other girls continued their dance.
"Can I help you with something, Fujisaki-San?" Yaya inquired, completely taking Nagihiko aback. He knew that she had changed; Tadase had told him that after his elementary school graduation, Yaya did not continue with the guardians. Once Nagihiko returned from his study abroad, Yaya and Kukai had kept in relative contact with him, but that had diminished over time. Whenever he saw the pair of them, he was always cordial, but they weren't close friends the way they once more—the way they were before the wish.
"I, um…" Nagihiko sighed. He knew immediately that Yaya didn't remember either. "I wanted to congratulate you on a wonderful performance. You really are doing a phenomenal job."
"Uh, thanks!" Nagihiko half-smiled.
"I won't keep you anymore. It's nice speaking with you, Ya, err, Yuiki-San."
"You as well, Fujisaki-San." Yaya smiled. "I'm glad to see you're doing well. I was really sorry to hear about what happened." Nagihiko nodded.
"Have a great day!" Yaya waved, before walking over to the rest of the kickliners. Nagihiko cast her a side glance before exiting the gym, letting out an exasperated sigh.
"That was so weird. I never imagined seeing Yaya-Chan like that." Nagihiko nodded in agreement.
"I just can't believe how different all of us are now," Nagihiko leaned against the wall, frowning. "Before we went to fight Easter, the four of us were reminiscing. We were saying how nothing could change our friendships, even with the wish. Kukai and Yaya have been my best friends since forever; how could this have happened?"
"I… this won't make you feel better, but…" Nagihiko looked up at Temari, worriedly. "There was no sign of Pepe. I think… I think she went back to Yaya's heart permanently. I think Yaya-Chan gave up on her dream." Nagihiko sighed.
"Maybe… maybe she'll remember soon, too?" Nagihiko sighed. "Well, that leaves one more from school who could have possibly remembered." Temari watched as Nagihiko let out a sigh. "Please Rima…"
He took a deep breath, before entering his homeroom. He ignored the blatant stares of the other students as he took his usual seat. He glanced over at the seat beside him, only to find it completely empty. She always is late now, isn't she? I wonder if she has to wait for her parents to drive her; it was Amu who stood up to them on her behalf all those years ago.
"Nadeshiko-San!" He turned, smiling as he faced Tadase. He stood beside Nagihiko's desk. "I didn't see you this morning." Nagihiko nearly forgot that they usually met at their lockers.
"My apologies, Tadase." Nagihiko smiled. "I had some logistics to take care of, but I'm fine. How are you doing?"
"I should be asking you that."
"Don't worry about me; I'm really doing okay." Nagihiko smiled. Tadase smiled back.
"I'm really happy to hear that. There is something I wanted to bring to your attention actually." Tadase frowned, lowering his voice to a whisper. "It's about Tsuki—err, Hoshina Utau." Nagihiko's eyes widened. He pretended to ignore Tadase's stammer; he obviously knew the whole backstory between Tadase and the Tsukiyomi siblings, but when he had asked Tadase about the same topic a few years ago before getting his memories back, Tadase was reticent about the topic.
"What happened?"
"She's missing." Nagihiko quirked an eyebrow.
"Missing? What do you mean?" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rima walk into the classroom. Tadase opened his mouth to speak, but at that moment, the bell rang, so Tadase took his seat a few rows back. Watching as the teacher gathered her belongings, Nagihiko quickly turned to face the petite blonde next to him. He could feel his heartbeat increase rapidly in his chest.
"Good morning, Rima-Chan," Nagihiko greeted in his Nadeshiko voice.
"Why are you talking to me?" Rima grumpily wondered, without even looking at him. Nagihiko studied her for a brief moment. She had acted cold to him when she lied about joining Easter; it could be an elaborate lie again.
"Rima—"
"We're not friends."
"What?" Rima finally looked at him, an eyebrow quirked.
"Don't address me so informally. Did you lose some brain cells when you starved yourself?" Nagihiko's eyes widened, and a few nearby students gasped as well.
"You can't say that, Mashiro!" A girl behind them defended. Rima simply hummed, facing the front. Fortunately for her, the teacher did not seem to hear, as she stood in the front, beginning her lesson. Nagihiko turned around, feeling some tears form in his eyes. He didn't even care about her insensitive remark.
Rima doesn't remember… How could I lose her again? Nagihiko frowned. He wasn't surprised about how little Rima and he knew each other anymore; they had both anticipated that upon the wish. But now that he remembered the truth and she didn't, he felt defeated. He had lost her to Easter not too long ago and just got her back; he had just spent nearly two months wallowing over her initial betrayal and then coping with the fact she sacrificed everything for their best friend.
Rima, I love you. I always will and nothing will or can change that. He remembered the last thing he started to say to her before everything was lost. He watched her out of the corner of her eye as she stared blankly at the whiteboard. Her blonde hair was brushed to the side, and Nagihiko could see a mark on her neck. He clenched his fist. He knew about the rumors, about Rima's capricious love life. He knew about how she had a new boyfriend nearly every week, but she broke up with him each time. The Ice Queen, they called her, impossible to penetrate.
Except I did. Not in the way they're insinuating, but… but she was mine. He sighed quietly. He knew, perhaps, that he should have been offended by her rude comment, but he didn't care. He knew about the cold exterior she held onto, unwilling to let people in. He knew her too well, but it didn't even matter…
Temari landed on his shoulder and pressed her head against his cheek. Nagihiko smiled reassuringly at his chara.
For the rest of the day, Nagihiko went to his classes, listening to each lesson and ignoring the pity-filled stares students gave him. Many other peers asked about his health, to which he found to be kind. Upon heading downstairs to the cafeteria with Tadase, Nagihiko could feel his phone vibrate. Taking it out of his pocket, his eyes widened as he saw the caller ID.
"I'll meet you down," Nagihiko told him. "I need to take this." Tadase watched concernedly as Nagihiko hurried off into a private hallway. He immediately picked up the phone call, placing it to his ear.
"Kukai?" Nagihiko wondered, his voice slipping into its normal octave.
"Oh, uh, hey Fujisaki-San," Kukai greeted. "I hope I'm not interrupting class or anything."
"No, I'm on lunch." Nagihiko didn't like the formal tone Kukai was using.
"Oh, okay good. I know it's been a really long time since we've last spoken. I just wanted to check in, make sure you're doing okay after everything." It was sweet, Nagihiko thought in the back of his mind, that a long-lost friend would reach out. But Kukai wasn't actually a long-lost friend; Kukai was his older brother. Kukai was the one who tousled his hair every time they got together; he would encourage him before basketball games and give him advice about relationships that he rarely took and make fun of him. Kukai was something familiar and something Nagihiko could always count on.
"I'm fine." Nagihiko knew he was being quite short with him. "Can I ask you something?" Kukai seemed taken aback.
"Uh, yeah, sure! What's up?"
"Do you know who Amu Hinamori is?"
"Who?" Nagihiko sighed.
"Sorry, forget I said anything. I was just remembering something from our past." He frowned. "I should get to lunch, so I'll speak to you later." Nagihiko hung up the phone, letting out a disgruntled sigh.
"Not Kukai either?" Temari wondered.
"This is futile; no one remembers. I just don't understand," He looked at his chara. "How could it just be us? Why me?" Temari's eyes cast downward. Nagihiko sighed again, before standing up straight. He started to walk back to the cafeteria, his mind racing. Upon suddenly realizing he was about to crash straight into someone who ran by him, he stopped quickly.
"I'm so sorr—" Upon seeing her face, his eyes widened, his voice trailing off.
"It's no problem, Fujisaki-San!" She smiled cheerfully up at him, her light green hair moving to the side. "It's great to see you doing well! I'm going to be late for my next class and Daddy would seriously kill me if I get another detention, so I'll catch you later! Say hi to my cousin for me, will you?" Before Nagihiko could respond, he watched the girl quickly run off.
"Was that Saira, the same girl we just fought against?" Temari wondered. Nagihiko nodded slowly.
"She… she's so cheerful and sweet. But…" Nagihiko remembered how she made Rima cry out in such excruciating pain. He remembered how she had murdered her 'Daddy'. How could this kind girl coincide with that of a murderer?
Shaking his head slowly, he walked into the cafeteria, scanning the room until he saw Tadase. Upon taking his seat across from his friend, Tadase glanced up from his phone and smiled warmly at his friend who, in turn, forced a smile back.
"I feel like it's been forever since you've been in the cafeteria," Tadase noted. "I…" He hesitated.
"Yeah, I've been deliberately avoiding it, but I'm good now." Nagihiko pulled out his lunch and began eating it. He felt a bit queasy as he slowly ate his pasta, but he knew that he didn't have a choice but to finish eating.
"So…" Tadase seemed a bit hesitant. "Actually, there was something I wanted to ask." Nagihiko looked at him. "Kiseki and I noticed that Temari seems… different."
"I'm better now!" Temari floated up, smiling.
"I guess I just rediscovered myself," Nagihiko explained. "I, well, as you know, I was in a pretty hard spot in my life, but now that I'm doing better, Temari went back to herself as well."
"She… she was an X-Chara, wasn't she?" Nagihiko nodded. Tadase frowned. "I noticed for a long time, but I never did anything. I guess I was too scared, afraid that there was nothing I could do. I apologize immensely for not being a better friend." He hung his head.
"No, no, don't be silly." Nagihiko smiled. "That was my own problem, not yours. Temari's fine now anyway, and so am I."
"So if Temari can turn back into a regular egg… That means that we can purify X-Eggs. We can change other X-Eggs back as well!" Nagihiko's smile waned. What happened with Temari won't help, Tadase. But I can make a difference. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it quickly. How could he say that he could suddenly transform now and purify X-Eggs? How could he explain that his memories were restored? Tadase wouldn't understand what he meant.
"Oh, actually, I did want to tell you something about Hoshina Utau." Nagihiko looked up.
"You said she was missing, right? What happened?" Tadase shrugged.
"She had created more X-Eggs last week, and apparently she hasn't been seen since. She was supposed to have a mini-performance yesterday, but she never showed up."
"Where would she have gone?" Nagihiko wondered.
"I don't know. I mean, he is still there. Usually she's so attached to him, so I don't understand." Tadase grimaced. "What if she's planning something? The number of X-Eggs she extracts at each performance has been steadily rising; she could be planning something large scale."
"Does Easter know where she is?" Tadase frowned.
"I don't know. I mean, from what I heard on the radio, everyone seemed frantic about Utau's disappearance, but it could be an elaborate lie." Nagihiko frowned as well. He hoped Utau was okay; he knew that she despised working for Easter.
After school ended, Nagihiko followed Tadase back to the Royal Garden, as Tadase was eager to continue X-Egg research.
"Is it wrong to deceive Tadase like this?" Temari whispered, as Nagihiko trailed behind his friend. "I mean, he's been so desperate to find this solution for years, and yet, we know how to handle it." Nagihiko shook his head.
"I… I think it's best we maintain some normalcy," He whispered back. "As of now, we're the only people who remember the truth. I'm not really sure what to do to be honest, but I don't see how we can disrupt the normal flow of how this life is going. That being said," He glanced over at Tadase, before turning back to Temari, "maybe we should purify some X-Eggs later secretly. We shouldn't leave so many X-Eggs lingering." Temari nodded.
"What are you doing here?!" Tadase hissed suddenly. Nagihiko glanced up, seeing as Ikuto stood in front of the Royal Garden. His arms were folded as he leaned against the front entrance, his eyes perking upwards as he laid eyes on the two guardians. Nagihiko was definitely surprised to see Ikuto; his hair was untidy and he wore a long-sleeved black shirt with his cross necklace dangling visibly. It was clear that he had little regard for his outward appearance. Nagihiko's eyes widened suddenly.
Does he remember too?
"Took you long enough." Ikuto leaned forward, standing up straight. Tadase stepped forward, his hands clenched. It had been years since Nagihiko saw Tadase with this much anger, at least before the wish was made. While he had been accusatory toward Rima when they believed she was with Easter, he wasn't this angry or passionate.
"What do you want, Tsukiyomi Ikuto?" Tadase demanded, his voice rising.
"Since you don't seem to be too interested in small talk, I'll get to the chase: have you seen my sister?"
"Why would I have seen her?" Tadase wondered. "I haven't spoken to either of you; I have no desire to see either of you."
"I just thought Utau may have gone to you, if she…" Tadase eyed Nagihiko for a brief second. He was confused, before he realized: he should have been surprised by the knowledge that Ikuto and Utau were related.
"Is that all you wanted to see me for?" When Ikuto said nothing, Tadase glared. "Leave now, Tsukiyomi. Or else I will not back down." A smirk formed on the elder teenager's face.
"Tadase, are you sure this is—" Nagihiko began.
"So, the kiddy king has gall now," Ikuto mused.
"Do not call me that!" Tadase roared, a crown and scepter appearance on him at once. "Stay away from me!"
"If a fight is what you want, so be it." Nagihiko watched as an egg entered Ikuto's chest, but to his surprise, it wasn't Yoru's. Yet, when the transformation halted, he looked exactly the same as Black Lynx.
"Wait, why are you both even fighting?!" Nagihiko exclaimed. "This is ridiculous!"
"Just stay out of this, Nadeshiko." Tadase's eyes didn't leave Ikuto. "I need to do this." Nagihiko watched, his eyes widened as the two of them charged at each other suddenly. Temari looked at Nagihiko anxiously, but he simply shrugged, watching anxiously.
"Enough!" Suddenly, both boys were sent flying opposite directions. Tadase gritted his teeth, rising to his feet. Ikuto caught his balance right away. Standing directly in the center of the two males was none other than Hoshina Utau, fully garbed as Seraphic Charm.
Hey look, Utau's alive! What a shock! Bet you didn't see that coming!
So, I'm heading back to college tomorrow, meaning that my time for updates will be limited again. However, I made sure before posting this chapter that the next chapter was complete. I'm going to try to maintain that pattern for all subsequent chapters, but since I anticipate that my semester will not be the most conducive for working on this story, I at least will be a chapter ahead so I can post at some point. That being said, I am arriving back on campus pretty early, so that means I'll probably get some writing done before my classes begin and I can maybe even finish the next chapter (I've already gotten a bit into it). I've been updating my profile with some of my current progress, so definitely check that out if you're interested to see what my plans are, but I wouldn't expect another update until around February (I'll try to update early February though!).
Anyway, hope you enjoyed, and please leave a review! This story is officially my longest story on here with the most chapters (counting my story that had a sequel as separate stories)!