Author's Note: Yay~! Another chapter is placed up!!! Thank goodness!!....don't kill me.

Rating: T for some language...

Dedication: This chapter goes to....*drum roll*...13Lulu's for your review!!! I'm glad to have you as a reader! ^-^

Summary: Like any popular boy, Ikuto has many girls that chase him on a daily basis besides his sister, so there's only one way, in Ikuto's mind, to stop them. Have a fake girlfriend of course!

Chapter 22: Jack's Dark Secret

"There's a black diamond…in the night sky…."

Short breaths are heard as Amu rushes over to the sound of the music, her eyes landing on her school and a group of students scattered along the school grounds.

"I knew it! It's that black van!"

"Hinamori-san!"

Amu turns around, Tadase easily reaching her side.

"You heard it too?"

"Yeah! The music is taking away everyone's heart eggs."

The two quickly transform into Amulet Spade and Platinum Royale, Amu clad in a blue artist outfit while Tadase dons a ruffled princely look. The soft voice singing, speaks a command.

"Take them…X Eggs."

A swarm of X eggs surround the two, easily locking their limbs to their sides. A pained look crosses Amu's features as a realization comes to her. Tears begin to leak at the side of her eyes.

"Hotaru-chan…?! Diamond?!"

Tadase follows Amu's line of sight to see that what Amu said was true. Near the van, was Hotaru herself, a dark Dia floating next to her.

"This can't be happening…..Hotaru!!!"

"Hinamori-san, get a hold of yourself! We have to escape first before we can do anything!! Urgh!"

Both grunt as they struggle, tears pouring down Amu's cheeks.

'This can't be happening….this can't…'

"There's too many!!"

Amu's phone slips out of her pocket, her voice happening to activate the auto dial. Their cries fall on deaf ears as a voice helps rise their hope.

"Amu! Tadase! I'm here to help!"

Bib snug around her neck, Yaya runs over, ready to attack, but…the X eggs scare her, her Chara change taking over as she begins to cry.

"What are we going to do?!"

"I don't know!!"

A bowling pin flies toward them, the attack dazing the X eggs, both managing to get free.

"Rima! You came!!"

"Hinamori-san! Now!!"

Both quickly activate their individual powers, the X eggs returning to normal before returning to their creators.

"Darn…"

Hotaru is rushed inside the van as it takes off, Yukari noticing that things weren't going their way tonight. Amu turns her head only to see that the van was gone, her eyebrows furrowing deeply.

"Why…?"

All turn to her, Tadase the only one to understand what was going on in Amu's head. The questions were piling, the tears were falling, and her voice only seemed to rise with each word spoken.

"Hotaru….she's….She's…!!! NOOooo!!!!"

Kairi was currently sulking outside of the recording studio, his mind troubled.

"Kairi…Once a samurai decides his path, there is no need to give him opinions. That's why I didn't say anything about what you're doing, but right now….you are regretting everything."

Kairi only lowers his head more, his voice pained as he speaks.

"Yes…but that was before….before I knew the Guardians and befriended them…before I found out the way Nee-san had gone about her plan….taking X eggs and flattening them into discs. It's despicable…and before…"

"…they took my sister?"

Kairi's head snaps up at the sound of the older male, the scientist casual despite the dark circles beginning to form behind his glasses.

"Nikaidou-san?"

"I'm surprised you're not inside. Something on your mind?"

He doesn't respond, finally finding his voice after a few seconds.

"I don't have the obligation to answer. You are no longer an Easter employee, nor the boyfriend of Nee-san."

Nikaidou frowns, not having wanting to talk about his old relationship with Yukari Sanjo, but easily redirecting the subject.

"Judging by the look of your face…I'd say that the Guardians discovered your true reason for joining them…."

Kairi doesn't answer as he recalls back to the night a few days ago.

(Flashback)

His sister had just drove off, him needing to stay behind to play the role of a good Guardian. He was quickly trying to get rid of the remaining CD discs he still held, not wanting to correspond with his sister's wishes anymore.

"I need to get rid of these before-"

"Oh! Class president! There you are! I was just talking about-"

He quickly turns to face him, the fragile bag ripping and revealing it's contents. The Guardians gasp at the sight, Amu's already sorrowful eyes falling deeper into the pit.

"Class President? It was you…? You were passing out the Wishing CD?!"

Kairi begins to make a run for it, but their voices manage to halt him.

"Hey! Wait!"

"We're wrong, right? You would never…."

Amu trails off, her hope faltering at the silence filling between them.

"Unbelievable…You still believe in me. At this point, it's not ignorance, it's stupidity."

He turns to them, a devious smirk placed perfectly, his conflicting emotions hidden well.

"Don't you get it? I'm a spy for Easter. You're enemy."

All gasp, Amu taking a hesitant step forward.

"So…You knew? About Hotaru-chan? You knew where she was?! Tell me! Tell me why she's working for Easter!! Tell me!!!"

He doesn't respond to her as he takes off, the three only able to watch dejectedly as he disappears into the night.

(End Flashback)

"I appreciate you keeping quiet about it until now."

Nikaidou shakes his head, not wanting to accept the gratitude.

"I didn't for you. I'm not rooting for either side, but…I honestly couldn't bring myself to tell Himamori-san about Hotaru being kidnapped. Besides…"

A small smile rises on his lips, despite the tired look in his eyes.

"You act so mature and nonchalant, I wanted to see how the Guardians would change you. They're a nice group of kids really…"

"How could you tell they would even change me?"

Nikaidou's smile transforms into a smirk as he begins to walk away.

"Because Hotaru has already started pulling out the real you….She tends to have that effect on people she cares about."

Kairi is quiet as he watches Nikaidou disappear, a few cars zooming by.

"The real…me…?"

The Guardians were in the middle of their meeting, their minds desperate to find a solution to the current problem on their minds.

"Look, here's an article featuring Utau Hoshina's manager!"

"She looks like Sanjo-kun!"

"So his sister is a part of Easter."

Rima pulls a few strands out of her face.

"So, this proves it. Jack was a spy for Easter. He was passing out the Wishing CD at school. He even went after Tadase-kun."

Yaya stands up, her chair screeching across the brick design the table arrangement was set upon.

"That jerk!! Besides, I didn't like him from the start! He took my position as the youngest of the Guardians….He orders people around and he was so uptight about his Guardian duties! He worked harder than anyone else! Harder…."

She trails off, her anger fully vented only to be replaced with more sadness. She sits in her seat once more as Amu's expression becomes determined.

"I'm going to try and talk to him again. I can't honestly believe that what he said is how he really felt."

"You do realize that he's absent today, right?"

All turn around, Nikaidou waving casually at them, his other hand trying to stop a yawn from escaping.

"Nikaidou-sensei?!"

Little Suu floats over, her feminine voice quick to question him.

"Hello Sensei? Are you eating well? Is your room clean?"

Nikaidou's eye lids lower a bit, a reminiscent look taking over.

"Geez…You sound just like Hotaru…."

Everyone is quiet for awhile after that response, unsure of how to go about that. After awhile, Amu stands up, a concerned look in her eyes. She could only imagine what Nikaidou was going through, it was HIS sister after all.

"Nikaidou-sensei…What are you doing here?"

Nikaidou pushes himself off of the wall he was leaning on, his hand reaching into his pocket to pull out a concert ticket, the name Black Diamond printed across the front.

"This was given to me…I thought that you guys could use it more than I could."

All are quiet, Nikaidou actually having found the ticket on the ground. He had been quick to snatch it up, the ticket his ray of hope to get his sister back. A smile breaks out onto the Guardians faces, faith emitting from them.

"Really? We can have it?!"

Nikaidou nods his head, his finger held up to show he had one request. They only needed to lock eyes to get what was on his mind. Amu smiles.

"We'll do our best!!"

"Where is the concert being held?"

"I don't know!"

The Guardians were currently running down a sidewalk, their capes ruffling in the wind except for Amu who doesn't wear one. El is with them, her head lifting up after awhile.

"Hold on…I think I sense Utau…"

She makes a turn down a corner, the others close behind.

"This way!!"

Author's Note: Wow...finally...another chapter...Well, if it makes you guys feel any better. I'm out of my slump...somewhat, so hopefully I'll be posting more often...on this story anyways. I actually wrote another chapter for 'A Match Made in Heaven?' and I didn't like it...so it's getting worked on. In the meantime, I hope you guys stick by me. Later~