Previously:

Sakura has moved back to Seiyo with the Sabaku siblings. Ikuto is avoiding her. Katsumi, Setsuko, and Mari have gone back into their eggs, and Nanami is the only Chara left helping Sakura. However, she is unable to Chara Nari!

Now…

Chapter Eighteen

Sitting on the floor of her bedroom, Sakura clutched her knees to her chest, breathing deeply. She shivered, not cold, but feeling a chill nonetheless. Her face felt warm, and her breathing was shaky. She felt clammy and weak, but could not let it defeat her.

"…Sakura-chan…"

Green eyes snapped up, looking towards her dresser. Perched on top, in a neat row, were five eggs. Red, Blue, Green, Gold, and Grey.

Her gazed latched onto the grey egg, hate burning in her eyes.

She stood on weak legs, walked with trembling steps, and approached the dresser, clutching the wood to keep from falling once she had reached it.

"It's your fault," she hissed, reaching up for the egg.

Taking it in her hand, she tightened her fist.

"It's your fault."

The egg shattered in her grip.

{-}

"Kairi is the kid who confessed to you?" Gaara asked, raising an eyebrow as he sipped his tea. He and Sakura were sat in the living room on a Saturday afternoon, just talking.

"Hardly a kid, he's only two years younger than us," Sakura smirked, "but yes, he is. Apparently, Amu and Tadase ran into him when they did that student summit thing last week."

"Hmm," he grunted, looking away. "I still think it's cowardice to confess and then run away."

"He didn't run away, he moved back home," the pinkette laughed. "It was brave of him, especially since I think he knew I didn't feel the same."

"Didn't?" echoed Gaara. "Have your feelings changed?"

"No, I still don't," she said surely, glancing at Nanami with a smile. "I'm a lot surer of my feelings now."

"What changed?" he asked, taking another sip of tea.

"There's just…less going on in my head," she told him. 'And a heck of a lot less chattering in my ears. I miss them so much, but Nanami was right. I can think clearer without all the different parts of me chiming in.'

"Sounds peaceful. I envy you," Gaara commented quietly and Sakura looked up.

"What's wrong?" she frowned. He looked at her, confused. "You wouldn't say that unless something was wrong. Tell me."

"You always were a little pushy," he smirked and Sakura shrugged, still waiting for his reply. "I just…I miss Gakure. It's difficult being away from Naruto."

"Just Naruto?" she smiled. The redhead nodded, fiddling with his teacup.

"I never really got along with anyone else," he confessed. "Naruto was…is my best friend. He and I just got each other."

"I understand," Sakura nodded. "I never really had a 'best friend', but I think Naruto and Sasuke came pretty close. We told each other everything. Naruto just had a gift for letting everyone into his heart, and helping them. I miss him a lot, too."

"I think…Sometimes, I wish I could go back," he told her, not meeting her eye this time. "I like being here, and I hate the thought of leaving you again, but I think…I need to be back home in Gakure, sometimes. I just don't feel like I belong here."

"…Oh, I see," Sakura replied, unsure what else to say. "Have you talked to Sasori?"

"No, I wanted to tell you first," Gaara said. "He doesn't have to leave, and neither do Kankuro or Temari, if they don't want to. When I left, Naruto offered to let me stay at his place, and his parents agreed. They have a spare room I could stay in."

"You've really thought this through," she muttered, looking away sadly. "I…I won't stop you, but I'll miss you like crazy."

"Thank you, Sakura," Gaara sighed, relieved. "It's been worrying me, how you would react. I thought you'd be angry with me."

"Not angry," she assured him. "A little sad, but I understand. Maybe we could even convince Naruto to get his dad to drive him here to pick you up! That way, I could see him again before you leave."

"Good idea," the redhead agreed. "I guess I'll talk to Sasori later."

"He'll say yes, you know he will," Sakura laughed. "He never was one to make you do things you didn't want to do. So long as you're safe, he'll let you go."

"Temari is going to throw a fit," he muttered, grinning.

"Yeah," the pinkette giggled, "and Kankuro will –!"

Sakura froze suddenly, a feeling of pain and sickness spreading over her. Her ears were ringing and she cried out, clutching at them as she dropped her teacup, the china chipping and the tea spilling when it hit the ground. She fell from the sofa and onto her knees, tears falling down her face as she whimpered in pain.

"Sakura-chan!" said Nanami, hurrying to her aid. Gaara's eyes widened and he dropped to the ground, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Sakura?" he attempted, "What's wrong?"

"I…It hurts," she moaned. Then, as suddenly as it happened, it stopped, and she fell to the ground completely, exhausted. "What…What was that?"

"Do you need anything?" asked Gaara, still checking her over for injury. "Should I call Sasori? Temari? A doctor?"

"No, no, I'm fine now," Sakura assured him, standing on shaky legs and blinking watery eyes. "It's passed."

"What was it?" he persisted with a frowned, but Sakura only shrugged.

"I…I don't know," she told him honestly. "It kinda felt like…"

Sakura cut herself off. She knew exactly what it felt like.

"Sakura?"

"Sakura-chan?"

Green eyes darted up towards the grey Chara, who only looked at her knowingly. Sakura's blood ran cold as her mind raced to the what, and the why, but mostly the how? How had they done this? How had they managed to invade her mind again?

How could she stop them?

{-}

Gaara took some convincing, but the pinkette had eventually make him think she was fine, that it was nothing more than a one-off. He was sceptical, but not suspicious. Then again, why would he be? Gaara knew nothing of Charas, or of Easter.

"Easter," she hissed to herself. The company that had made her life hell once before, and had apparently managed to make it so again.

"Sakura-chan," Nanami called softly. "We need to stop them."

"I know."

"They could hurt you."

"They already have."

"They will again," the Chara insisted. Sakura's eyes remained fixed on the four sealed eggs, wondering what Setsuko would say about the whole arrangement.

"You know what I would say. I would say wait, see if it was a fluke," Setsuko's voice flitted through her mind.

"And if it's not," scoffed a rougher voice that sounded like Mari. "What if the pain come back?"

"What if it doesn't?" questioned Mitsu's voice, softer but firmer. "It might not even be them!"

"Either way, we need to stop them," the oldest, Katsumi's voice was neither the loudest nor the strongest, but it resonated.

"Stop them from what?" Sakura whispered to the eggs, but they remained still and silent.

"Sakura-chan," Nanami called again.

Nanami, her only Chara now. Nanami, who had taken them away. Nanami, who had quietened the voices enough for Sakura to think, but now she had no idea what she thought.

"Easter must be destroyed," Sakura decided.

Nanami nodded.

{-}

It worried the Sabaku siblings when Sakura remained shut up in her room for the rest of the day, but they understood that the girl sometimes needed time to herself. It was not unusual.

They were concerned when they heard her leave the house at night, only coming home hours before sunrise, but Sakura had always come and gone as she pleased, and she was capable of taking care of herself. It was not uncommon.

"Sakura?" called Sasori when he heard her light footsteps descending the stair and heading to the door one evening. "Can you come here a moment?"

She trudged into the living room, teeth clenched behind closed lips and hands tightened to fists at her sides. Her legs shook and he frowned. "Yes?"

"Your friends, the ones in that club you mentioned, with the Charas," he began, glancing at Nanami as she joined Karasu in reading his newspaper.

"The Guardians?" Sakura prompted, her voice tight.

"Yeah, them," he nodded. "They stopped by yesterday. They told me you weren't answering your phone, and that you were ignoring them at school. I am somewhat surprised you still attend school, given your late night ventures, but I suppose I shouldn't complain."

"Is there a point to this?" she ground out. "I have somewhere to be."

"Yes, you always do," he said snidely. "You know I'm your guardian, right? Your legal guardian? I have a right to know where you go at night; I have a right to stop you from going."

"You can try."

Suddenly, her posture relaxed and she exhaled heavily, as though a great strain had been taken off her shoulders.

"I don't…" Sasori paused, sighing. "I'm not going to dictate your life, Sakura. Clearly, whatever you're going to do is very important, even if you don't feel you can tell me what it is. So long as you're safe, I won't stop you."

"Then what was this little chat all about?"

"Spend time with your friends, Sakura," he said bluntly. "That is an order."

{-}

The building was just as tall, and grey, and intimidating as she remembered.

Easter read in proud letters on the front of the building, but Sakura couldn't imagine anyone being proud of an affiliation with Easter. Nikaidou Yuu had been with Easter, as had Sanjo Yukari and, by extension, Kairi. They all left, and were all happier for it.

Ikuto has been affiliated with Easter.

A jab of pain shot through her again and she glared at the inanimate symbol of everything she had come to hate.

Every night that week Sakura had come here with the intention of infiltrating the building and finding out what was going on. She had done it before, and been successful. She knew the building better now that she had before, after being allowed to wander it during the time she had worked for them.

Every night, without fail, Sakura had come here. Sakura had stood in front of the Easter building and frozen, fear coursing through her at the very sight of the symbol that had brought so much pain into her life.

She couldn't go inside.

It might not even be them.

She couldn't stop them.

Fear. Doubt. Afraid, so afraid. Don't let them hurt me again.

It might not even be them!

Beep-Beep

Hearing her phone, Sakura pulled it out of her pocket and glanced at the screen, spotting a text from Tadase.

"What is it, Sakura-chan?" asked Nanami, floating closer to see the screen.

"The King," Sakura muttered back, opening the message. "Kinds strange. I expected it from Yaya, maybe Amu. Wonder why he's texting me."

Haruno-san. We're getting together this Sunday to hang out and grab some snacks. We had hoped you would join us? I can text you the address if you can make it. –Hotori Tadase.

It was stilted, but genuine, and Sakura felt somewhat warmed by the invitation.

Sasori was right; she needed to see her friends.

With a final glance at the Easter building, she turned away to return home, texting Tadase on her way.

…It might not even be them…

{-}

"Does she know?" Director Hoshina questioned, watching from his window as Sakura left view.

"It's possible," one of the Easter scientists replied. "The method is different, but we're using the same tool as before. It is likely to feel similar."

"She's drawn here, though," he noted. "Whether she know it or not."

"If we're able to amplify the signal, she should be back under our control in no time, sir."

"Good," he nodded, looking at the ring in his palm as the dark energy around it dissipated before handing it back. "See to it."

{-}

"It sure is nice to enjoy a Sunday eating snacks outside with everyone!" sang Yaya, stretching out with a forkful of cake in her mouth. Sakura watched her, smiling slightly.

"Thanks for inviting us out, Tadase-kun," Amu said with a smile, her cheeks pink.

"Sure," he replied happily.

"I bet you secretly hoped it would be just you and a certain someone," Yaya said slyly, and Amu turned bright red, beginning to stutter out denials.

"Yeah," Sakura smirked, "but who wouldn't want to be out on a date with Nagihiko? No need to single Amu out, Yaya," she shrugged, saving Amu from embarrassment. The other pinkette looked over, grateful, while Nagihiko chuckled.

"It's nice having you back, Sakura," Amu smiled.

"It's nice to be back," she agreed. "Thanks for inviting me, Tadase-san."

"It's a pleasure," he nodded. "It's been far too long since you spent time with us, Sakura-san."

"This has a nice colour palette," Miki commented, looking at her perfectly-arranged piece of cake. Nanami floated down to observe it, but Ran got there first.

"Aren't you gonna eat that?" she asked. "Then allow me!" Ran chirped, scooping up the whole piece and eating it.

"Ahh! My cake!" cried Miki. "I wanted to observe it thoroughly before I ate it!"

"If you wanted to eat it, you should've done so," Ran said bluntly. "But you were spacing out…"

"I wasn't spacing!" she defended herself, chasing Ran around. "Give me back my cake!"

"Too late!" laughed Ran, "I'm outta here!"

"Now, you two, you must eat calmly," said Suu sagely, eating a whole slice of cake "or you'll get tummy aches."

"No fair!" yelped Miki, seeing her sister eating the entire piece. "Don't eat it all yourself!"

"Don't be cheeky!" agreed Ran. Suu looking up, blinking.

"I am not being cheeky!" she argued.

"You act like such a goody-goody," pouted Ran.

"No, I don't," she denied.

"Yes, you do," countered Miki. The three glared at each other, while Amu just sighed.

"For crying out loud, you guys," she groaned, "give it a rest."

Sakura watched them, feeling a slight pang when she remembered how Katsumi, Setsuko and Mari used to fight like that. They never even had enough time with Mitsu to get into too many arguments. As much as she liked the new sense of quiet, she missed their chattering, too.

As if sensing Sakura's longing, Nanami floated up towards her, resting on her shoulder.

"It'll be okay, Sakura-chan," she assured her quietly. "You'll get them back."

"I know," Sakura nodded. "I just wish they never had to go."

Wisely, the other had not commented on the disappearance of Katsumi, Setsuko, Mari, and Mitsu, but she knew by the odd looks they were giving Nanami that they were all wondering about it. Sakura looked away from Nanami just in time to catch Nagihiko watching Amu's Charas sadly, a look of longing in his eyes that matched her own.

She smiled sadly – his own egg hadn't even hatched yet and, since she knew he was also Temari's owner, she had noticed the surprising absence of the kimono-clad Chara. If she had to guess, she would wager that his 'new-identity' had put some kind of a block on his old one, and Temari had retreated. Still, knowing how much it pained her to talk about her own Charas, Sakura remained silent.

"This cake is interesting – dechu," Pepe said, looking at her cake.

"It's got little bits inside it," continued Yaya, also looking at the bit on her fork.

"That's rice," a girl from a table across from them stated. "The batter has rice in it."

"Oh, I see," gasped Yaya.

"It's on this café's new menu," the girl smiled, turning to them before looking back to her table and writing in the book in front of her.

"What's she doing?" asked Yaya quietly.

"Researching cakes or something, maybe," Amu guessed. Ran, Miki and Suu stood in the centre of the table, glaring lightning at each other, while the other Charas remained by their owner. Nanami floated down onto Sakura's shoulder, tilting her head at the three arguing.

"Were Katsumi, Setsuko and Mari every like that?" she asked quietly, but everyone heard her. The table froze at once and Sakura flinched a little.

"Not often," she replied, looking at the table in front of her and poking her cake with her fork. "Mitsu and Mari would argue the most, and Setsuko would never start an argument, but she could always finish one. Katsumi was scathing when she wanted to be, but she preferred to laugh and have fun."

"Where…" Amu stopped herself, biting her lip and trying to keep her question in when everyone turned to her, shocked that she would ask.

"Go ahead," Sakura allowed calmly, glancing up at her.

"It's never happened before, is all," Tadase stating, coming to the taller pinkette's rescue. "No one's Charas have ever just…vanished."

"They didn't vanish," Sakura smiled slightly. "They're at my house, in their eggs."

"They can't come out?" Yaya questioned sadly.

"Not that I'm aware of," the pinkette sighed. "I think…I miss them, but it's for the best. I'm sure Amu knows how hard it is to figure out who you are when there's so many sides of yourself fighting to be heard. Katsumi, Setsuko, Mari, and Mitsu meant well, but they wanted to be known all at once and it was impossible to be true to myself when I didn't know which self I had to be true to."

"It's better this way, then?" Nagihiko – with two eggs and no Charas, so desperately trying to find the good in his situation – asked hopefully.

"I suppose," Sakura shrugged. "I can think, I can choose for myself what I want to be. When I have it all figured out, I'm sure they'll come back. For now, I just have to give them purpose – be who they represent, to prove that they are a part of me."

"Sounds hard," muttered Amu, looking at her own Charas.

"It is," Sakura nodded. "Hopefully, it'll be worth it," she added, smiling at Nanami, who smiled back gently.

"So, what does Nanami represent?" asked Rima, blinked at the grey Chara.

"The power to be who you want to be," Nanami replied instantly, looking Rima straight in the eyes. Rima blinked again and tilted her head.

"Yet you can't Chara Nari?" she continued, noticing Sakura frown and feeling half-guilty about bringing it up. It was important, however, as the group had come to rely on Sakura when thing got really bad.

"That's none of your business," Sakura snapped coldly, standing from the table and turning to leave. "Thanks for inviting me. I'll come by sometime to pick up the scarf, Amu."

"Rima!" scolded Amu as Sakura walked away, but the smaller girl only shrugged, sipping her tea.

"It was pertinent," she excused coolly. "What use is she if she cannot assist us? We now know not to call on her for aid in the near future."

"She's still our friend!" scowled Nagihiko, feeling the comment on a personal level.

Sakura, meanwhile, was still stewing over Rima's remark. She wasn't wrong – Sakura wasn't much use to them without the ability to Chara Nari – but she didn't have to rub it in.

"Why can't I?" the pinkette asked, her voice barely above a whisper, as she glanced at Nanami under her lashes. Nanami, who had been silently floating beside her, only sighed.

"You lack the will," she explained without any gentility in her tone.

"What does that even mean?" she hissed, feeling tears spring to her eyes. She never had this problem with Katsumi, or Setsuko, or Mari. She'd only transformed once with Mitsu, and that had been simple too. It was only Nanami who proved difficult, and Sakura was prompted to foist the blame on her.

"There is something missing," Nanami stated. "Something inside you is lost, and hurting, and it is stopping you from reaching your true potential."

With no response, Sakura only scowled at her feet as they carried her home, Nanami gliding quietly beside her.

There was no one home when Sakura made it back to the house, and she made her way upstairs without a fuss. She kicked off her shoes, threw her jacket on the ground, and curled up in bed, pulling her cat push, Iku-chan, to her chest and holding it tightly.

"I'm going to look for him tomorrow," Sakura murmured into the push, eyes flicking to where Nanami was settling into her egg, set beside Mitsu's inanimate one.

Nanami didn't need to ask who she was talking about.

{-}

"Thank you for including me in your meeting," smiled Nanami, sat between Suu and Kusukusu. The group – consisting of Kiseki, Kusukusu, Miki, Nanami, Pepe, Ran, and Suu – were all sat around a table in the doll's house in the Royal Garden.

"Our pleasure – desu!" beamed Suu, ever the hostess. "It's so nice to have some new faces around!"

"Yeah, beats the old ones," grumbled Miki, glaring at Ran, who glared back.

"While everyone studies, we will be holding an emergency Guardian Character meeting," announced Kiseki, standing before the table. "Today's topic: coming up with a way to capture the Embryo."

"First," began Pepe, raising her hand, "we'll aim for it after it's been lured out by a Nazo Egg."

"Right," nodded Kiseki, "and then in one fell swoop…" he trailed of, Kusukusu attempting to capture a sparkling white egg in a net behind him.

"That'll never work," rejected the baby Chara. "We're dealing with the Embryo, y'know – dechu."

"What would you recommend?" asked Kusukusu.

"It's simple – dechu," she said, pointing at Ran. "We have our fastest member, Ran, case the Embryo and then…" once again, Kusukusu appeared and grabbed the Embryo in a net, she and Ran throwing s 'thumbs up' after a job well done.

"I don't know if I could pull off something like that…" Ran laughed, half modest and half happy to be mentioned.

"Someone who can eat another person's cake in a flash should be able to handle Embryo chasing before breakfast, no?" Miki cut in slyly.

"Oh dear," Nanami breathed, seeing the argument before it even began.

She now wished she had never agreed to attend, and wondered how Sakura was doing in her search for Ikuto.

{-}

Sakura paced around the park, approaching the green house she presumed Ikuto to be in.

She has seen Yoru enter it before, and knew it was unlikely that he had chosen to hang out there without the teen. Still, it had been a long time since she had last seen Ikuto, or spoken to him, and she was scared that he would push her away again.

After spending the whole morning approaching the greenhouse, only to retreat rapidly, and then move towards it again, Sakura was tired of feeling scared.

Ikuto was in there, and she needed to see him. He could push her away, he could say hurtful things, but at least she would know. If he hated her, she could move on. If not…

Sakura had written off the nausea as nerves, but as she fell to her knees, clutching the bark of a nearby tree, she realised she probably shouldn't have ignored the dull feeling of pain that had been tingling in her finger and toes all day.

"Sakura-chan," a quiet, concerned voice called out. Wincing, Sakura turned, seeing Nanami approaching her. "Are you okay?"

"It hurts," Sakura huffed out, clutching her head. "Not as bad as before, but it's not going away."

"Did you see Ikuto?"

"…No," she whimpered. "I chickened out. I can't do, it Nanami. I'm in pain, and I'm scared. I think I'll just go home."

"Sakura-chan, you said you needed to see him," Nanami reminded her, but Sakura only shook her head. Using the tree to support her, she stood, looking at the greenhouse for a long moment.

"I can't," she decided. "Not like this."

As Sakura turned and began to limp home, Nanami shook her head in disappointment.

Neither noticed the men in suits, watching after the pinkette, or Yoru poking his head out of the greenhouse.

{-}

The next time the feeling hit, she was a little more prepared. It was after dinner, and she was getting out of the shower when her ears began to ring again. Sakura dove for her bed, pulling the covers over her and clenching her teething, trying not to cry out.

Gaara had, at her insistence, not told Sasori when happened.

Nanami, however, was growing increasingly worried for her mistress. The pain was becoming a normal occurrence, but Sakura was somewhat comforted by the fact that it remained steady, that it was not getting worse and she was not becoming accustomed to it. Who knew what would happen the moment the ringing became a call again.

When she was curled up, her stomach turning with the hurt, she could almost remember the last time she had felt anything like this. Her brain tried to block it, but Sakura focused, desperate to distract herself, to feel anything else, to feel nothing at all.

}-{

"You're going down, Bratty Prince," Sakura said with a grin, her eyes locked to the prince's X-necklace.

"How dare you defy me!" he roared, the X-Energy seeping from his necklace and swirling around him, encompassing Sakura as well.

Sakura's eyes widened and she clutched her chest, wincing. Falling to her knees, the girl panted as a dark light surrounded her. Katsumi cried out from inside Sakura as the light covered the girl and her hair fell out of Lonely Heart's usual style, whipping around her as though she was caught in a hurricane. Her breath left her as lightening hit the pinkette and she glowed dark.

The dark light flew away from her like and unfurling cloak, revealing a light grey top with one strap over her shoulder, matched with a pleated skirt of the same colour, though with a band of red around the waist and also at the bottom, which ended at her knees. On her feet was a pair of knee-high black boots with black heels, and her hair settled around her, loose and falling slightly in her face and over her eyes. On her head was Katsumi's usual broken heart, but suddenly a white 'X' formed over it. When she looked up, her expression was completely blank.

"X-Chara-Nari: Lonely Heartbreak," she breathed as her hair settled.

}-{

"I-It's impossible," she whispered, flinching as the pain intensified.

"Sakura-chan, breathe," Nanami said calmly, settling herself beside her hurting mistress. She watched teary-eyed as Sakura pulled herself tighter into a ball and cried.

Then, it was gone.

"I…It's definitely them. There's no doubt," Sakura realised, her eyes showing her torment. "It feels just like what happened before. This is Easter's doing."

"Your sadness," Nanami realised, "from when they controlled you."

"How did you know?" the pinkette gaped, her eyes wide.

"I am a part of you, Sakura-chan," she smiled slightly. "I know every joy and every sadness you have known. If this is truly Easter's work, we need to move quickly to stop them."

"I can't even get into the building anymore," she confessed to the only person she didn't need to explain herself to. "I'm so…I'm scared."

"There is another way," Nanami soothed her. "You can defeat them, and you won't have to do it alone. The Guardians helped you before."

"…Not them, but there was someone else," Sakura nodded, uncurling herself and getting up from her bed. "I need to find Ikuto."