Chapter 7--The Embryo
I forgot a lot of the stuff from last chapter when Shiro stood in front of me that afternoon. Snow had begun to fall again, and it's white light intensified his handsomeness to where I had to look down in embarrassment.
He laughed. "I knew you'd be weird, but…" That wasn't pleasing to know that he thinks I'm weird, so I looked up at him. "Thanks for waiting." he smiled, and I smiled back slightly.
"You needed me for something?" I prompted, and he nodded.
"You have Shugo Charas. Mina--" He nodded as my kitty-kat appeared from behind my hair, "And Karasu. You have another egg, right?" He pointed at my purse.
"How do you…?" I trailed off and he shook his head.
"I have a Shugo Chara as well. Korii is his name, but he doesn't like meeting people." He coughed into his hands, his puffs of breath clean and white. "I wanted to know…If you knew about the Embryo…?" He raised an eyebrow, and we walked down the street as we talked.
I gave him a look. "Yeah, the early stage of a baby." I felt like an idiot telling him this, being female.
He grinned. "Not that kind of Embryo. I mean, the Shugo Chara Embryo."
I shook my head. "Nope. What is it?"
He paused in thought. We turned a corner I was familiar to, and he said, "It's an egg that, when Someone owns it, can grant any wish the person asks of it. It's a egg that holds a great deal of hopes and dreams, and is pure white with purity--spare the drama."
"Oh, so it's a magic egg." I nodded, watching as the entrance to the park I was in only yesterday and five chapters ago. "I bet a lot of people must be after it."
He dipped his head once. "Yes, Including me, and, including a corporation called 'Easter'."
Easter. I've heard of that somewhere. I stopped in front of the gate to think, then snapped when I had it. "That's Hoshina Utau's record company, and the food producer, concert halls, clothing design… They own a lot of stuff." I looked up at him. "Why…would something with everything need an Embryo?"
He shrugged. "Beats me. I only have a problem with their methods of getting the Embryo, and their employees." He simmered, eyes dark as he remembered someone in particular. "They still Heart's eggs from children, and if it's not the Embryo, they smash it."
I retched in my mouth. "That's so…"
"Cruel." He agreed. "That's why it's my ambition to make sure they don't get their hands on it. I wanted to ask you if you would join our cause."
I raised an eyebrow. "Our?"
"Of course, you and I aren't the only ones sickened by Easter's actions."
So he had others to help him too. I turned around and stepped into the park, thinking. This would be a good chance to get to know Shiro better, and I didn't like how Easter was going around destroying dreams, but…I also didn't like how he was using me.
"I don't know…" I murmured. "Let me walk for a little bit more." I turned back o him to see him in the same spot as where I'd left him. "What's wrong?"
He glanced nervously around the landscape. "This park has bad memories for me."
You too, huh? Well, at least you can remember yours.
"But…I want to walk with you still, and this place is where I come to think." I persuaded.
I really was a master of persuasion. Karasu giggled as Shiro came to stand beside me as we walked again through the green--now dull olive with the season--paths, but the whole time he was watching his back nervously, as if he knew someone was watching him. "He's here." I heard him mumble under his breath, And I had the feeling he was talking to himself. "Oh man, he's going to be--"
"Pissed off, White-tan?" I heard a familiar deep voice call from a certain veranda. "I'm actually happy for you coming with her, rather than being angry at you for invading my territory."
I whirled in that direction, almost identically to Shiro.
Ikuto stood there, Muko by his side on the ground, leg propped up, hiding half of his face by his hand on his knee. Ikuto's arms were crossed, his smile crooked, eyes narrow with amusement, foot tapping. His black tail twitched behind him, black cat ears forward in interest.
"Tsukiyomi Ikuto!" Shiro looked mad, and his hand was traced with the gold light Korii had shown when'd first glimpsed him. "What are you--"
"Planning?" He finished the sentence right on time, and I had this creepy feeling as if I was being watched by something other than the people around me. "I'm planning on taking her to Easter."
Shiro froze, then took a step in front of me. "Not a--"
"Chance, Right." Ikuto looked like he'd heard this one before, and he was used to it. Was he really good at guessing, or was he really hearing Shiro's--
"Thoughts, Ame?" Ikuto smirked.
I swallowed hard. "How are you--"
"Doing this? It's really complicated, but I'll tell you when we get to Easter." He took a few graceful steps down, hands in his pockets. Yoru swung from his shoulder, and gave an involuntary hiss at Mina, who had changed to her offensive stage. Her red eyes went full on burgundy, and she character changed me, seething, "We'll fight this time if we have to."
Her rashness has always gotten me into trouble before. It was no different when Ikuto somehow had slipped around Shiro, grabbed my wrist and yanked it high above my head. It strained my shoulder, and when I tried to grab his hand with my free one, He grabbed that, too. "Oh really, Ame? Is that what happens a lot?" He looked at me with those deep eyes, and I froze.
I vaguely recognized the fact that Muko was arm locking Shiro.
"Are you…" I paused to see if he would finish the sentence, but he just raised an eyebrow. His smell arched into me, and my tongue curled in my mouth. "Are you apart of Easter, Ikuto-kun?"
"Hinamori-san! When did you meet him?" Shiro asked, desperately trying to break free of Muko's vice grip. "Get off of me, Muko!" he snarled.
Muko did no such thing, only shrugged. "No can do. Ikuto told me to do this, so I can't not do it."
Ikuto smile softened slightly, and silence fell on the empty clearing.
//Ikuto's PoV//
I smiled slightly at her worried expression, her thoughts cascading around in my mind. She wanted to trust me, after what had happened yesterday, but with what Shiro had told her, there was nothing she could do to change the fact that it would be hard for me and her to get along.
"Yes, I am." As sad as that truth was. Dismay crept into her eyes, and she whimpered slightly under her breath. "That doesn't mean we can' get along though."
She had doubts. "Bu you're taking me to Easter right? I don't…" She inhaled me again, and got a little lost. This was amusing. "…want that."
Of course. She wasn't the only one having Aroma withdrawals. Her scent was intoxicating, and I didn't want to harm her. Even thinking about handing her over to Easter sickened me.
I had a choice to make. See, I hadn't reported that I'd found the Humpty lock yet, Which means so far, they had no idea about Ame and her item of interest. But to help my cause, I needed Easter to continue thinking I was still on their side, so I didn't get the Doll…
Which was more important? The Under--my cause--or Ame, the one I was obligated to love secretly?
It's true that Under was a really big important block in Easter's plans, and that's who I was spying for, but… Ame was seriously smelling good here.
I sighed and put her down, letting her rub her wrists. I snapped my fingers, and Muko let go of Shiro. "Muko, no one at Easter is to know about the Humpty lock or Ame, understand?"
He barked once.
Both Shiro and Ame were startled. "What? Humpy lock? You mean she has that kind of magic?" Shiro shrieked.
Ame was more like--
Her eyes narrowed. "How do you know about that? I haven't had it out all day, and I haven't--"
"Thought about it recently, I know. I was in you're closet."
Her eyes widened. And to shake the feeling of knowing I'd heard everything that happened last night, she tried a crack in her head to throw her mind off.
I already went ahead and laughed. "What a strong masquerade you hide behind." I murmured.
"So, how'd it feel to come out of the closet?"