Author's Note: I'd like to thank everyone whose reviewed so far! ^^ I'm glad I'm keeping people interested, and hope to throughout the coarse of the story; because while it may be slightly original, I'm also going to pull a plot no one's done yet. ;D So, thanks to:

TsukiyomiEmoGirl

sierraphantom

Hime Cullen Tsukiyomi

Suuz112

FaireChiel

Crystal Penn

Thanks again guys! ^^

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"Chapter 3: Escape"

His eyes snapped open, meeting darkness yet again. "Ugh.." His shoulder was killing him. His arms were strung above him in shackles. He sighed. He'd always been chained to the wall when it came to Easter, but this was ridiculous. "Yoru...?" He called. No response. This surprised him. Was his chara sleeping? "Yoru!" He tried again. Nothing again. Looking around the room, he couldn't see any sign of the familiar black and white egg or the small blue chara. Gritting his teeth, Ikuto bit back a snarl. So his step father had separated him from Yoru now, too, huh?

"I-Ikuto-san...?"

Ikuto looked to his left to see a shelf and on it, were three small, multi-colored eggs. "You're... Amu's charas!"

Suu, the chara that had spoken, wobbled her egg at the sound of his voice. "It is you! But why are you here, Ikuto-san, desu?"

"Because I tried to free Amu," Ikuto told her. "Are the other two awake?"

"Miki? Ran?" Suu called sweetly. "You two awake, desu?"

The blue egg suddenly wobbled lightly. "Now I am. Was that Ikuto's voice I just heard?"

"Yeah." Ikuto confirmed.

"Ikuto!" Ran cheered, the egg beginning to bounce.

Ikuto sweatdropped. "Careful, you're nearing the edge of the shelf.."

"Ah! Sorry!" He could tell just from her voice that the pink little chara was blushing.

Miki spoke again. "Do you know where they're keeping Amu-chan? We haven't seen her since she was captured..."

"Yeah.. she's in the basement apparently. Though..." He looked around, "this looks the same room she had been in... they probably changed her position..."

Suu's voice was sad. "We have to find Amu-chan...."

"We will," Ikuto assured. "Though I don't think there's any way at all for me to get out of these damn things.."

There was silence for a moment before Ran spoke. "If only you weren't tied up, you could've used Amu-chan's cell."

"Her cell?" Ikuto repeated. "It's here?"

"Right next to my egg, desu," Suu replied cheerfully. "But they put sealing tape over us, so we wouldn't be able to get out to help you, Ikuto-san... gomen..."

Ikuto bit his lip. "It's okay. We'll just have to think of something.." His mind raced. Her phone was not even two feet from him. If only they'd just bound him with rope again, he could've gotten to it! That would've been enough to at least call someone to bust Amu out. He didn't care if he ever got free; Amu... Amu was the one who needed freedom the most right now. Wait...

"That's it..." Ikuto whispered. "Guys... knock the cell phone off."

"What?!" Ran shrieked. "It'll break!"

"No, it won't. Because I'm putting my leg there to catch it. Then when I have it... I don't know if it'll work but my feet are unfortunately all I have to use right now. I can call Utau, since she knows all the rooms here, and she can bust Amu out and then come for you guys. That'll be enough."

"But what about you, desu?" Suu asked. "You can't just stay like that..."

Ikuto shook his head although the charas couldn't see. "I'll be fine. I can handle myself. What matters is getting Amu out safely and you girls as well."

"We can't let you just stay here!" Miki piped. "You're helping us save Amu-chan, and we're definitely not going to just forget that without returning the favor, whether you like it or not."

Ikuto glanced at the blue egg. "Stubborn just like Amu, aren't you? You three are so annoying." But even as he said it, he was still smiling fondly at them; they were still Amu's charas, and they were rather cute, having the same qualities as the girl.

"Wait till Dia hatches again, then you'll have to deal with her, too."

He chuckled lightly. "I know."

Silence for a moment; "K, we'll do it." Miki agreed. "Tell us when you're ready, Ikuto."

"Already one step ahead of ya," Ikuto smirked, his legs already lined up to the edge of the shelf. "Push it." Suu's egg knocked against it, and the pink phone came landing at the lower part of Ikuto's shoes, but not crashing to the floor. Sighing in relief, he lightly turned his foot over and allowed the phone to gently fall against the concrete, and used the edge of his shoe to open it. He pressed carefully onto the buttons so he wouldn't make a mistake and hit Utau's number along with the speaker phone. He heard her pick up almost immediately.

"What do you want, Amu?" Came the annoyed voice of his sister. "I have no time to play today."

Ikuto could almost laugh. "Utau, it's me."

"..... I-Ikuto? Why do you have Amu's phone?" There was mingled shock, but also a slight tone of suspicion. He sighed. She was still the same as ever.

"Listen, Utau. Easter kidnapped Amu and has her here at Easter. They took her phone, her lock and the charas, but they're all here with me. Father got pissed that I intervened so he's got me locked up in the basement. I need you to come over here... ask to see me or something, then look for Am --"

"You too!" Miki shouted loudly. "Utau will save you first, then we can all save Amu, got it?"

Ikuto glared but corrected himself " -- Fine. Come down to the basement and get me out of these damn shackles so I can get Amu. Be sure to hide her things as well as the charas."

He heard the three girls give squeals of approval. "Thanks, Ikuto-san, desu!"

"Got it." Came Utau's immediate response. "I'll come right now."

Ikuto closed his eyes; Utau was now free from Easter... and now, he'd had to call her and risk her getting caught by them as well... but really, who else could he have called? Surely not the police, nor the Guardians; they would only get themselves caught and plus they didn't know their way around Easter.. "Utau..? Be careful... I hate having to risk your life again..."

"Ikuto." Utau's voice was sharp. "You've always been there for me. And though I failed getting the Embryo for you, I won't let Easter or Father treat you like this. Or Amu. She's important to you, so..." He could tell Utau was blushing on the other end, "She's.. an important person to me, too. I won't let them hurt either of you. Hold tight. I'll get Sanjou-san to drop me off there. See you then."

The phone call ended with a click. Ikuto smiled slightly. "That Utau..."

"She and Amu-chan are so similar," Miki said softly. "They both want to protect the ones they love. But, both of them are lucky to have you, too, Ikuto."

Ikuto went slightly red at Miki's compliment, but said nothing. Although he loved Amu so much... she still had her eyes and heart for that Kiddy King, Tadase. He doubted that would ever change. They were enemies, often times acquaintances, however, but though he told himself Amu would never do the same for him if the situation were reversed, he still somehow hoped she would. That she would save him... as he would save her.

He waited, in silence; he didn't know how long it had been since he'd called her, but he knew Utau would be here soon. Suddenly he heard the sound of a key being put into the door's lock, and his heart pounded slightly, hoping Utau hadn't been caught too -- when the girl stood in the open doorway, and was holding a large pin she used to pick the lock. "Ikuto!" She breathed, but Ikuto cut across her with a hurried "shhh!"; Utau obeyed, and he listened for any sound of anyone else's footsteps, just to be safe. After a moment of hearing nothing but silence save for their own breathing, he looked at her."Okay," He nodded, and Utau ran in quickly, using the pick to undo his bonds.

"How dare they.." Utau hissed. "I hated making small-talk with them. Sanjou hated it even more, but she went up with Nikaidou to distract them."

"Wha, Nikaidou's here, too?" Ikuto was taken aback. "Why's he with you guys, anyway?"

Utau sighed. "He and Sanjou-san were having dinner at the hotel as a date."

Ikuto snickered. "They're quite the dysfunctional couple."

"Very," Utau agreed, undoing the last shackle and letting it fall to the concrete with a sharp clutter. Just then, they heard a pair of footsteps. Both sibling's eyes widening, Ikuto motioned for Utau to close the door, but then someone's foot stopped it, and a voice shouted, "Hey! Calm down, it's me!"

Utau opened the door to see Yukari panting out of breath and glaring. "Really! You nearly slammed the door on my foot!"

"Sorry, Sanjou-san," Utau apologized, breathing a sigh of relief. Nikaidou came up behind Yukari seconds later.

"What's with that?! Taking off without me -- oh, hi, Ikuto-kun!" He greeted, waving a hand slightly. Ikuto simply nodded back at him. The last time he'd seen Nikaidou was that last battle in which he'd protected Amu from him. How different the man was now.

Utau walked over to the shelf and grabbed Amu's three eggs safely into her arms, then bent down and picked up the pink cell phone and placed it into her pants pocket and handed the Humpty Lock to Ikuto. "I think it's only fitting for you to have this right now.." She blushed slightly as she handed to him. "Amu needs it, after all. Once she's rescued, we can give her phone and charas back."

Ikuto took it from Utau and nodded.

"Anyway," Yukari spoke, "We'd all better run for it, we need to get Ikuto out of --"

"No." Ikuto replied curtly. "I simply asked for Utau to free me so I could get to Amu. I'm not leaving here without Amu."

Nikaidou looked confused. "But, Ikuto-kun, we need time to plan a rescue mission. The four of us against hundreds of Easter guards including the director? We'd all be captured, then Himamori-san will have no chance at all of getting rescued. Let's wait a day or two, let us get in touch with the Guardians --"

"Amu doesn't have days!" Ikuto snapped. "Don't you realize they could kill her in two days?!"

Yukari looked at him with soft eyes. "We know that, but we at least have to have a plan before attempting a rescue mission. We can't just go prowling through Easter right now. The director was already suspicious. Let us just plan for now, Ikuto. We're not abandoning her. Not after what she did for all of us."

Ikuto remained silent, fuming. These people...

"Ikuto.."

He reluctantly looked at Utau, whose eyes were sad, but comforting. "I know how much you care about Amu. But if she had none of us available to help her, what would she do? She's as stubborn as me, so she'll pull through. They wouldn't dare mess with her Cool N' Spiciness. She's strong."

"You didn't see her when they dragged her away..." Ikuto whispered hoarsely. "She was terrified, as she should be. She's still a child, Utau..."

"I know." Utau closed her eyes for a moment. "We know that better than anyone, as children whose lives have been plagued with fear. You more than me, but.. I understand how she would feel. But I know Amu; she won't at least fight to protect herself. Her will is just too strong. And these guys are going to see that it takes a lot to break Amu." She took a breath, and opened her eyes with a defiant look. "For now, Nikaidou-san and Sanjou-san are right; we have to go. Plan. We'll get nowhere without a plan."

Under his sister's gaze, Ikuto sighed. Of course they were right, but he felt as though he had betrayed the pink-haired girl. Unable to speak, he simply just gave a quick nod, and as a group, they hurried down the hall and out the exit to the parking lot. Once they were all in the car and it began to drive off, Ikuto couldn't help but look up at the massive building with it's many lights flicked on, wondering in which room Amu could be. "I'm... I'm so sorry, Amu..." He shielded his face behind his hair, and both Yukari's and Nikaidou's eyes softened sadly in the front of the car while Utau stared sadly out the window beside her at the star-filled night sky.

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"Boss?"

Kazoumi looked up, annoyed at his security for disturbing him at this hour. "What, can't you see that I'm working --"

"We understand, sir, but we went down to check on your step son and found the door wide open and he was gone, along with all of the girls' possessions. Obviously, someone freed him." One stated nervously.

Kazoumi's eyebrows narrowed furiously. "That Hoshina Utau brat," He choked out. "Of course. She'd always been such a loyal dog to her precious brother. Of course, though, Ikuto's an even more loyal dog - ha, or cat to us. He thinks that just because his sister is out of here, he'd no longer have to obey me and became rebellious. He forgets, however, that his last name is Tsukiyomi and if he wants to blame, to blame it on his family name. He may have escaped, but there's one - or two little things that assures me he will come back for."

"The girl, and the violin?" Another guard spoke.

"They're chaining him more securely to me than those bounds on his wrists did. He'll be back. And when he does return, I'll handle him."

"A-are you going to kill him, sir?" Asked the first. Kazoumi flashed a smirk at him.

"Of course not. I got a better plan for him. Don't forget we still need him, and I need him alive. Because he has something I want."

"W-what could that be, sir?"

A dark chuckle. "Ikuto has the matching Dumpty key to that girl's Humpty lock. Think about it; Humpty Dumpty. Put together, they're a pair. Surely they have some kind of power? The power to allow them to transform..." His smirk widened. "If we have that power in our possession, along with Ikuto and the girl who lures out the Embryo, what do you think would happen?"

"Uh... we'd have a definite hold of the Embryo?"

"That, and the Guardian's precious little Joker and my wretched step son. The power also lives within them. Kill them, and we'll lose it whether we have the key and lock or not. So, instead, I think I'm going to get own hold over them as well. If that little injection I inserted into Ikuto is working right, that boy will no longer be able to restrain me - or the darkness. And the girl... will be simple as well."

"If you don't mind me asking," the third spoke with a confused look on his face, "What exactly did you inject into him?"

A sinister laugh. "X-egg energy, of course."

The three men's faces paled. Kazoumi laughed again and continued.

"Infused into the human body in such a way, the darkness will take him over or kill him; You might ask, "Why take such a risk if you want him alive"? Well, it's simple. Ikuto will be holding his last breath when I will hold the vaccine to save him. I want to hear him beg, plead, and when I do, the darkness will break him, turning him into a mindless drone; When Ikuto soon comes back for the girl and that violin, both of them will be in my clutches, and I will make Ikuto watch as I inject that same little needle into his precious Hinamori Amu. That will break him beyond repair.. ha ha ha.." He looked out the window, the broad smirk still stretched across his face. "So I'll wait for you, Ikuto."

The men behind him swallowed and exited the room before their Boss could notice.

"I'll wait."

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Wow. I know, this happened in the manga. However, Ikuto did not have the energy directly infused into his blood stream; it was via the violin. This way is much more dangerous and complicated, don't you think? 8D Ohh, Ikkun; I love you, but I still love to torture you for some reason. O: I'm sadistic. Nuuuuu. T__T And Amu... poor girl. But it's the plot, so no time regreting, right? xD Hope you enjoyed!