OK PEOPLE!

It has been a while so Im gonna skip the sarcastic comments! :)

Everyone : :(

SOOOOOOOOOO

thx 2

Chocolate Ribbons and

Celesius for reviewing chpt. 22

and thx 2:

ehluvr3
Quince's Lovely Bones

Draconika

darkangel42264

4 the favs

Thx sooooooo so much

Im glad u all like the story despite my horrible grammar

PS: the story will now be written in PRESENT tense...

srry 4 any confusion

eh hehe lets get on with the story...:)

Chapter 23

New Developments Arise

Tears finally spill out as I yank the syringe out.

As sick as it is, I'm a bit mad when Ikuto barely even flinched. When it comes to getting shots, it only hurts going in.

Ikuto cocks his head as though to say, feel better? Sometimes I really hate it when he acts so damn cool. Before he can get a word in, I turn on my heel and head back into the privacy of my room. But, I kicked my door down...so if I want to be alone I'm going to have to leave. Good, I can figure out how long I've been asleep. And how long it's been since the fight in the park. But first I'm changing. I'm still wearing my purple sweater and blue skirt both of which are stained, torn and bloodied. I march over to the tiny dresser in the corner of my dark room, and tear through the top drawer. After pulling out a black tank top, I comb through the bottom drawer. I have a limited number of clothes, it's not like Doc gives me an allowance for clothes, so I pull out yet another skirt, only this one's black. I'm going for a dark, pissed off sort of look. Angry tears fall but I wipe them away with my bloody sleeve. I'm so sick of crying it's not even funny. Since I can't close the door, I simply turn around to change. Quite frankly, I don't care if they watch...just proves their pervs. Zane's snickers passed through the telepathic link, but even he turned around as I peel my filthy shirt off. Little weirdo... I throw my dirty laundry on the floor, and move into the furthest corner of the room to change my skirt. Ikuto remains quiet, but his thoughts are quite abuzz. Idiot hasn't learned how to keep his thoughts to himself. Of corse...I didn't learn how to keep my thought private until Kitsune was mutated...which was a year after the telepathic link was forged...so I guess I could relate. But any sympathy I feel is drowned out by raging female emotions.

I emerge from my room a new girl.

My new outfit is completely black, matching my mood perfectly. I grab a jacket before leaving, because I have no clue what time of day...or night it was. For all I know, it could be midnight. Or maybe...noon, either way I'm so outta here. If I have to deal with the three of them for the rest of the day, I'm going to hurt someone. No one makes a move to stop me as I head for the stairs. Doc simply stares daggers at my back, still reeling from his near death experience. Zane pretends to be looking for something, and I don't even bother to look Ikuto's way. His thoughts are still reeling, bits and pieces of what he was thinking come through the bond, but never the entire thought. Amu. Yoru. Utau...they all pass though his head. I could be mean and insert myself in his thought, but as of now all I want is to be as far away from him as possible. I run upstairs and leave the overcrowded basement behind. Sunlight filtering through the windows tell me that it's daylight, probably close to noon. I push the front door open, and it falls to the ground, still broken thanks to me. I stomp away from the building, the angry slowly ebbs out of me, and is replaced with mixed emotions. Spite, loss, betrayal, and most of all...regret. I'm careful to keep from broadcasting my thoughts to the other two morons who an hear, in fact I'm so intent on keeping my thoughts quiet I kinda forget to look where I'm going.

I actually walked right in Amu, of all people.

I literally walked right into her, nearly pushing her out into a busy street. I didn't even realize my feet decided to carry me downtown. Amu whipped around, ready to demand who pushed her. Her three shugo charas were the first to react to me.

"HEY!" Pinky says.

"We know you!' Blue continues.

"Your Akki!" Greeny says with a smile.

I'm kinda impressed she remembered my name, since I forgot theirs within minutes of meeting them. Amu blinks, surprised. I smile and point at the cross walk. The little sign says GO.

"Weren't you going to cross? I ask.

"Akki...it is you!" she says.

I suppress an eye roll.

"No duh"

She doesn't seem to like my sarcastic tone. Not that I really care.

"Where have you been?" she asks.

I shrug, deciding I'm not telling her where I've been.

"Around, not that it's any of your business."

I expect her to keep asking but instead she says

"Have you seen Ikuto?"

I balk at the question...considering I did just see him...to my great regret.

After a minute, I return to my senses.

"What makes you think I've seen him?" I shake my head for dramatic effect.

She frowns.

"You said you two are friends."

More like were...

"And I haven't seen him for about a week...and Utau is starting to get worried..."

Wait a WEEK! I've been out for an entire week! ...Didn't think that injury was that bad...I should've been up after a day...Doc must've drugged me or something...that would explain how it's been a week and I haven't had a shot...as far as I know. I don't want to think about what Doc could've put in me while I was asleep.

"Akki?" Amu's voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

"No I...I haven't seen him"

Her face falls, making me feel even worse about lying...

"Well ok...but Utau was looking for you"

That gets my attention.

"Utau...why?"

"I don't know. She's convinced you know where he is...but...it has something to do with Yoru..."

The shugo chara's name catches my attention.

Yoru...? When was the last time I saw him?... Been at a week apparently. Thank goodness he isn't with Ikuto, if he was then Doc could change him no problem. Without him anything Doc tries will result in Ikuto's...

In his...

Oh God

"Where's Utau and Yoru?" I demand

"Well their...I don't..." Amu stutters.

I resist smacking her.

"Amu this is serious...were are THEY!"

"Probably practicing for her upcoming concert. In the outdoor arena!" she says, startled by the angry tone to my voice.

The outdoor arena...where I first met Ikuto since coming back. I can't help but smile, since thats where this nightmare started...at that piano...

Moving around Amu I race across the street, despite the oncoming cars. One fails to stop in time, but I jump over it. Literally, I jump over the car, I can only imagine Amu's face. Maybe i should've warned her about my abnormal leg strength. Pushing her out of my mind, I open my thoughts to Zane.

HEY!

...what? Zane's thoughts sound peeved.

How many shots have you given Ikuto?

Why do you care?

Because

Because why? You didn't have a problem with him getting shots earlier. Plus after what he said i thought you'd hate him.

I'm not...I mean...I'm...

I'm at a loss for words.

Whatever your so worried about Akki, why does it matter. He obviously doesn't give a damn about all the sacrifices you'e...we've made then who cares what happens?

As much as I want to tell him that is ridiculous...I can't because thats exactly what i was thinking when I gave him that shot in the first place. I want him to suffer like I have but...I don't want him to...die.

Seriously Zane how many shots? I snap

My tone must've surprised him, because he answered.

Counting the one you gave him? Five

Five...five injections of toxic chemicals and God know what else already inside him. the shot i gave him earlier...was the final one to seal the deal.

Oh shit

When Zane and I were mutated, we both aleady had watched our shugo charas go from cute little chibi people to the monsters they are today. It was only with the two of them working to keep the toxins from completely destroying us...Zane and I were able to survive...if you can call this crappy life surviving. But Ikuto doesn't have Yoru...and without him he won't be able to survive the mutation process. Hell, Zane and I barely managed it with our shugo charas. Ikuto will need Yoru and I've got to...wait a second.

Hey Zane?

Now What?

Where's Ikuto?

I'm wondering why he didn't stick his head in this conversation.

Him? Oh he left like, five minutes after you did. Said he was looking for his sister or it was starting to look like the effects of those shots were kicking in.

WHAT?

I cut the conversation there, I don't need, or want that repeated. If Ikuto gets to Utau first...or if he passes out along the way there's going to be some serious problems. Doc and Zane should've known better then to let him got out so soon after getting injected.

I swear under my breath and pick up the pace.

I sleep for an entire week and as soon as I wake up everything falls apart.

As I go from power walking to running the strangest thing occurs to me. When Doc told us we were going back to Japan, I thought things would be boring...despite the people living here. Thinking about that makes me laugh.

Things are anything but boring around here.

OK peoples Im back

Im still writing and I hope u can all bear wit my strange time gaps between updates

I hope U all still like the story

Sooo...

plez read and review

(plez? :3)