Pokemon Battle~

"No, I'll be fine. Ice wouldn't do it much good anyway."

Reika just decided to give up trying to move her arm back in place, even though she's done it multiple times before. She was just too weak to try this time.

"Yeah, the one and only. I guess we're pretty tough. We're all from different regions, so that may play a part. ...No, the other members aren't like me. I've cried too much and now it seems I don't have much of a reason to cry anymore."

Reika didn't really have many social skills aside from helping customers in the store, so making friends outside of the Crimson Vanguard was a rare thing for her. Her usually battle-hardened personality has made it so that she usually doesn't express much emotion, it was normally triggered by something or someone.

When she suddenly felt the Umbreon lick her, her body grew tense for a split second then she relaxed. Softly, she patted the pokemon on the head, ruffling the fur a bit.

"It's Reika. Pleasure to meet you, Mizuki."

Her smile was warm and for once it wasn't forced as if she were working in the store. She blinked as sleep began to overtake her, but she tried to force herself to stay awake. It would be a very long day tomorrow and she would need her rest, but she didn't want the other to think that she didn't want to talk to her.

"Well it helps any, I admire that you're so strong. Sometimes I wish I could be like that, but then again, I'm just a little kid, so what do I know? I mean, I can't even separate my heart from my head. And you're doing that even now, when you're in pain."

I smiled and watch Bandit and Reika make friends. He smiled as she softly petted him. I always appreciated when people were kind to pokemon in general despise her tough demeanor. She seemed like she wanted to cry and at the same time like she wanted to sleep. I wouldn't blame her, she was about to have a big day tomorrow. Both of us, actually.

"Then I should leave you be right? I understand completely that you want to sleep. I should get back to sleep myself, and don't worry, that must have hurt. But I've been hurt too in my life and I can understand the pain. So, if you need to cry, don't be afraid to cry. I know I'm just a little kid, but if it's one thing I learned so far it's this; Bury your sorrows in the arms of your friends. They are the warmest and the kindest when you need them to be."

I smiled softly and wished her a goodnight, calling Bandit to come with me back to my quarters. I sighed and continued walking back to my chamber where my room was located. I dug my hands into my pockets and yawned, then entering the doorway and laying down on the bed, once and for falling asleep for tonight.

Reika sighed as Mizuki left, curling under the blankets. She was careful not to injure her arm any further, but winced whenever she tried to move it. Waiting for Fujihama was pointless now and her eyes grew heavy again. Sleep overtook her and she drifted off to sleep.

~~~~

Kisaru awoke to the sun's rays beaming through the single window of the room she and Reika shared. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and her nose caught wind of a peculiar scent. Roses.

"Reika?"

She glanced over to the other bed, but to her disappointment, it was empty still. Sighing, she got out of bed just in time to hear Hana's wake-up call.

"Up and at 'em, Kisaru! We have to man the store while Reika's away."

Kisaru quickly found her shoes and headed out the door to meet Hana. She couldn't help but wonder... Why was she so worried about Reika all of a sudden? She'll be fine... Hopefully.

Fujihama spent the rest of the night quietly watching over Reika, until he fell asleep in a chair in his room.

That Morning...

Fujihama had woken up and brought himself and Reika some coffee to drink before the presentation of the so-called dead body later this morning. The only difference between her coffee and his was that hers had something it. It was a special kind of elixir he'd learned to make that would give the appearance of her skin being pale and cold just like a dead person's. He had also bought a few ingredients to whip up the scent of to spray onto Reika's body to give the appearance was beginning to develop death's putrid smell. Of course, this was all done before anyone was woken up, even before the first commander. He smiled, enjoying his cup of coffee with Reika. I soon found his room and went in to talk with them about the plan. And Fujihama was nice enough to bring me back some chocolate milk from wherever he went for the coffee. I happily sipped it and listened to their plan.

"Alright so there's an elixir in that coffee, all it will do is give you the appearance of death. It won't knock you out or anything, you're going to be perfectly fine and able to function on your own. It will just take away your color for a few hours and lower your body temperature by a few degrees. So you may feel cold, but it will go away, it is only temporary, after all. And I made also a scent, a special kind of perfume you could say. You are the spray this on your body lightly beneath your clothes so that it doesn't come on as too strong. But you've been dead for over a night now and being that you were not preserved by any cold temperature, you would begin to rot some or develop some sort of smell. That scent is the same as death, and I know what it smells like from the missions I've been on. It's just to make him realize that you are in fact dead. The next precaution we have to take is to perhaps rip your clothing a bit, and make it seem all weathered from fighting for your life and from the rain last night and the winds. If your clothes are slightly tattered along with your color and scent, it should play the part convincingly. And then all we need to do is unwrap your wound and show him where you were shot. But you need to fold your arm so it makes it appear like you were shot in a vital part of your body. Your chest."

"Wow Mr. Fujihama, you're quite the expert on things like this. What did you get your smarts from? You sound almost like a hard boiled detective or some sort of... evil mastermind. Either one!"

I giggled and continued to sip on my chocolate milk. He chuckled along with me and continued thinking, though I didn't understand what for.

"Well thanks Mizuki. But that isn't all. We need you to play the part quite convincingly as well. You need to walk in there and act like the cold blooded killer I sold you off as. You have to make believe you did the deed. Now I know how you are Mizuki, you can't stand the thought of killing someone, and I get that. And the first commander gets that too, that's why you have to convince him that it was hard for you at first but once you shot her you got this thrill from it. And suddenly you became proud of what you did, understanding that you are now one of us. That you've proved your loyalty. And that now we have a solid chance of dissolving the Crimson Vanguard. Can you act like that for me Mizuki?"

"Well I can try my best. What will the first commander say to me or act like?"

"Well he always is unpredictable in his reactions and if you don't know him well enough or long enough you have no clue how he's going to react to things. Luckily, I've been here since I was a little boy and I'm grown up now. I've seen all sides of this guy and trust me, I pretty much can predict what he's going to say. He'll ask you a bunch of questions to see if we're really telling him the truth or not. You cannot falter when he asks you these questions, you have to act it out like you were actually there and saw everything. You have to describe what it was that happened and vividly. The more vivid and the more sickening the description, the better."

He truly was helping me. I mean knowing your opponent in a battle of wits helps, and being that I wasn't an actress I needed a lot of help. But knowing how he was going to react and what he was going to say would help me with this little improvisation. Play the part of a cold blooded killer? Sure, I guess I could do that.

"Don't worry guys, if you can both pull through on your parts, I'm sure this will work. Reika you know yours and what you have to do. Mizuki, you know yours and you know what you have to do. And I'll do what I have to do. This plan should work and then I will show you out Reika. Just make sure you eat something afterward."

He smiled, and soon it would be showtime. We'd all come out of this okay. Fujihama was a genius. But I wondered; What was Kisaru up to?

Reika drank the coffee with a solemn expression. She wasn't at all fazed by the fact her skin would be paler or her body temperature would lower, after all, her body always seemed to be naturally cold. She mulled over everything she had to do in her head and nodded once she processed everything.

"Alright, understood."

~~~~~

Kisaru had already changed into her new Vanguard uniform and was staring out the window worriedly. Hana was folding a pile of shirts in preparation for sale when she noticed her friend's face.

"Something wrong?"

"No it's nothing... Just.. thinking."

"Don't be so worried about Reika, she'll be back soon."

Hana reassured her and continued to fold the clothing before her. It was true that Kisaru was worried about Reika, so much in fact that she hadn't slept much the night before. Why was she so worried anyway? This was Reika, after all! The fearless leader of the Crimson Vanguard!

'Just get a grip and do your work, Kisaru!'

She began to help Hana, trying to push everything out of her mind. She had never remembered the last time she became such a worry wart.

"Oh well that's the first commander, he's calling me, I have to take this. You two, get into character I guess."

He smiled and walked out of the room, answering the call confidently and speaking to his boss about what it was he was to do. Meanwhile, I took a deep breath and finished drinking my chocolate milk before thinking how I was going to act this out. Would I have to be proud about this? Would I have to be sort of regretful at the same time? I couldn't ever imagine killing someone. So I turned to Reika, whom was still sipping her coffee.

"Hey, Reika, can I ask you a question?"

When she looked at me, I took a breath in and tried to word this just right.

"Well, if you have killed before, the first time you did so, what was it like afterward? I mean... maybe you haven't and I know Mr. Fujihama has instructed me how to act but he did say make it personal to myself. So if I could just understand what it's like to kill someone, then maybe I could act this out perfectly. But I would never kill anything. So, do you know how to do this or should I just make it up as I go along?"

I huffed, thinking hard about what to do. Bandit sorted of rubbed against my leg trying to help me out with this, saying he'd play dead and make believe like I killed him to give me a sense of understanding. I kindly giggled and explained that that wouldn't work, and then thanked him for the offer of help. I turned my innocent gaze back to Reika whom was sipping her coffee again and waited for her answer, meanwhile hearing the mumbles of Fujihama's voice outside.

OOC: As you know, I get insanely jealous when another boy is involved in the mix and hardly ever become jealous when there's another girl. I'm not a very jealous person, I can control my emotions and keep them under wraps for the most part. Most of the time I won't let them get the better of me. But I have to be honest with you, this whole worrying about Reika thing with Kisaru, it's starting to make me a little jealous and bother me.... ><''

OOC: That's exactly what I wanted to happen. You better step it up, or Reika might end up becoming the object of Kisaru's affection~. Hehehe... *Evil plot idea.*

Reika's brows furrowed in thought for a moment as she tried to think of an explanation.

"Well, all I can honestly say is that there's really no solid answer. It would all depend on who it is. Sometimes you feel a sense of justice or pride, maybe even guilt that you took the life of another person; you pretty much just feel mixed emotions. At least, that's how I would put it."

She took a final sip of her coffee and sat the empty cup on the floor near the ground. She start to feel chills all of a sudden, figuring it was the elixir starting to take effect.

"I think you'll do just fine acting, though. No offense, but some of these people here are complete imbeciles."

She chuckled lightly at that. It had to have been true though. How else would Ryota be able to complete so many recon missions disguised as one of the Black Sparrow's own? He wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, either.

OOC: Reading into it more, I think it's more annoyance than jealousy but I deal. Why do you enjoy making me jealous? :p Anyhow, it's not fair, you can't pit a little kid who is just learning the ways of affection and love up against someone who has probably experienced it already. And besides, Reika ends up the target of Kisaru's affections, I'll just have someone actually shoot her dead.

"Well alright. I'll try my best then. I think we'll knock 'em dead."

I giggled, enjoying my little joke. I called Bandit back into his pokeball and he stayed there, understanding we had a very important thing to take care of at the moment. Fujihama walked back in and hung up the phone.

"Is everyone ready? It's time. Come on Mizu, you can help me with the body."

I nodded and began to help him move Reika onto a movable cart and drape the white sheet over her so that it gave the appearance she was dead. Then we walked all the way to where the first commander's office was. I remembered being in there, the darkness and the mystery of what he really looked like. All a bit scary. Fujihama knocked on the door and the first commander invited us all in. Soon I realized that the lights came on thanks to Gengar who still wore that silly yet sinister grin. Then the first commander turned around and revealed to me what he looked like. His eyes and cold eyes seemed to stare straight through my soul as they made contact with my own. For once, I was frozen.

"Here's the body sir."

The first commander began on his inspection of the body. Seeing that she was in fact dead and having no arguments against the dead body. Now came question time, he was smirking, probably pleased with the body and also thinking he was going to catch me. But I stood at attention.

"Mizuki... Fujihama tells me that you are the one responsible for the leader's death. Excellent. So tell me, how did it happen?"

"You see sir, it was raining and hard. There was a storm, lightning and thunder everyone and I couldn't see what I was doing at one point. My vision was blurred because I was just recovering from this girl hitting me in the head. When I came to and was finally able to see, I saw Fujihama and her fighting it out and she looked as if she were about to kill him. Jumping to his rescue, I took the gun that was lying on the floor she disarmed him off and shot her dead. I aimed it just right and shot her.... dead."

I seemed to look down at Reika, she really did appear dead. That aided in the emotions flowing through me at the moment. At first I had started out strong and very into the moment, reliving it as if I'd actually been there. But, as my speech approached the last sentence, it seemed to slow and my eyes widened a little bit, shocked by what I was saying and by "what I had done", giving off the small amount of guilt I had for shooting her. Looking at Reika so desperately, my eyes actually began to water and I tried to stay strong, wiping my tears that dared to fall and shaking my head. I had to suck things up.

"I see, and just like that she was dead right?"

"Well yes, sir. I believe she was. Fujihama told me I did good by shooting her and that I was now one of you guys. And once I had learned that I'd proved my loyalty and of my accomplishment, I was proud of what I did. I mean, of course since I had never killed anyone before, I thought... what have I done? But, now I realize what a great opportunity this is to dismantle the other organization and take it down. And then I thought; Hey if I can kill just one, then I can kill them all right? Or should I leave that to Fujihama since I'm a bit inexperienced?" I chuckled a little. He turned around and that hard gaze met my own again, almost as if he were telepathically examining me and my story. Trying to analyze every last detail I threw at him. And he saw no fault in my story after that as I didn't falter when he looked at me so harshly. He seemed to think for a moment and then turn to look out the window.

"Very well, I believe you. I'm a bit impressed with you Mizuki, but you have proven to me your loyalty. Welcome officially to the Black Sparrow. Fujihama, I have no use for that body. Dispose of it immediately. Congratulations young lady. You are free to go."

He dismissed us.

"Yes sir."

Coming out the door, I couldn't contain my excitement. I'd actually done it! Who knew I could act so well? As we headed down the corridor and back to Fujihama's room, I jumped up and down once inside. I was celebrating! I'd actually done it and gotten away with it and not only that but his plan had worked! YES.

"We did it!"

"Yes we did. Good job the both of you. Alright Reika, you're free to go. There's a backdoor exit right down the hall. This is the part of the building that is my section and so no one comes in to check security on it. You'll be safest escaping from that route. I'd suggest disguising yourself somehow. If you have a hood to place over you head, wear it. And good luck getting back to your organization. I'm sure they all miss you."

He smiled and waved her a goodbye. I waved her a goodbye as well and then was so excited I almost forgot that my phone was done charging and I could call Kisaru now! I couldn't wait to tell her about this! But first....

"Hey Fujihama?"

"Mizuki, it's only Fujihama in front of other officers. Then you show me respect. But for now, it's Kenshiro. But yes, what's the matter?"

"Alright. Well, I'm having a little bit of an issue. And I was wondering if you could help me out with that. I mean if you want to, that is."

"I'm sure I can do the best I can. What is it?"

"Well, when it comes to the matters of what you feel... sometimes your heart and your mind say different things. Sometimes they disagree and well, I've come to that point with some things. I just don't know what to do. I don't know what to do because I have never been involved with anything like this before and... well..."

"Let's see. It's a matter of love, I'm guessing, otherwise you wouldn't be so flustered. So this person you have a crush on, I'm assuming this, is making you feel these two different ways. Well, how about this? I'll teach you to tell the difference between your heart and your mind. Can you tell me any more about this person and what you feel when they're around?"

"Well I know they like me. They like like me. And well, whenever they're around. I guess I sorta get this funny feeling in my stomach that I find hard to ignore. It almost tickles. And then there's this heat in my face and suddenly I feel all hot and weird. And, I don't know. I just feel all... warm and happy, I suppose."

"Alright and when you begin to feel these things for too long, what do you do?"

"Well then, I guess I think it's wrong to feel these things, and before I knew how the other person felt, I thought that they wouldn't feel the same way back. And despite that, my brother tells me it's wrong and that I shouldn't date and all of that. He's a meanie. But... yeah I begin to think it's wrong and weird and that I'll be judged for it."

"Alright, so you do you see what I just did there? What you feel, and what you think. You even used the word 'think'. Alright, now what you feel, is natural correct? It just happens whenever this person is around you or you around them. You begin to feel all fuzzy and warm and like you're floating on a cloud. I'd say that's a crush, borderline more than that if I've ever seen one. And then your mind intervenes and tells you it's wrong for the fear of being judged by others and being condemned by your brother. But I think the thing that you feel is stronger. The feeling that is always stronger and that you cannot control is what your heart speaks to you. And when others say to follow your heart, they mean go on what you feel. When they say take the time out to think, they mean follow your mind and think this out logically. You can think all you want, if you want. That's not an issue here. You're still going to feel the way you feel now around this person regardless of what your mind tells you, because you like them back. So I say go for it, or they may be snatched up by someone else."

He smiled. "Did that help?"

"Tons! Thanks Fujiha-... I mean, Kenshiro. Thank you so very much. Now I have to go make a phone call!"

I sprang up from the bed I was sitting on and raced over to my phone and began to scroll through my address book as quickly as I'd gotten up and sprinted to my room. I went all the way down to Kisaru and clicked the call button. There was so much I had to tell her!

OOC: You wouldn't dare! Reika's cold and a bit anti-social, so relationships are new for her too, you know! Besides, your kinda cute when you get jealous~

Reika was able to sneak out through the back door, flying back to the Vanguard on her Togekiss. She landed a few hundred feet away from the building, her pace quickening when she reached the familiar cobblestone path. She threw open the door, much to Hana's shock. Kisaru just froze for a moment, then finally managed to speak.

"Reika..?"

"Reika, you're back!"

Reika just laughed a little, wrapping them both in a tight embrace. Ryota just happened to walz up the stairs as if he owned the place, which he did in a sense whenever the leader was away, and saw the group hug.

"You're alive!"

Soon the four of them were locked in a group hug for a long time, when finally, Ryota let go, Hana soon following suit.

"We're really glad you're back, Reika! We have to hurry and get back to work, customers are still coming in!" Hana then rushed to tend to the needs of visitor's, dragging her brother along with her. Reika bid Kisaru a quick farewell, saying that she would tell her all about what happened later, and went to aid Ryota before he screwed anything up.

Kisaru then made her way back to her room to rest, now that the work at the shop was taken care of. Suddenly, she could feel her phone vibrating in her pocket and she pulled it out to answer it. Mizuki? She wondered what she would want, considering it was still somewhat early in the day.

"Hey, Mizuki. What's up?"

"Hey, so I have so much to tell you Kisaru!"

My voice rang on the other side of the phone in excitement.

"And I know what the difference is now between heart and mind!"

I said again quite excitedly. I had hoped she'd be interested in what I had to say. After all, her confession had been on my mind for a while now.


OOC: Oh and yes I would dare to do that.

"Oh, really?"

She couldn't help but chuckle at her friend's excitement. It was adorable, to say the least.

"Hm, well what is the difference between your heart and your mind, Mizuki?"

Kisaru wondered how Mizuki had discovered her feelings so quickly, elated by the fact that she didn't seem disgusted at all.

"Well I just told Fujihama what I felt and what I thought and he basically helped translate that for me into what it is my heart is saying and what it is my mind is saying. And well, he told me that the way I feel around this person is gonna happen no matter how long and hard or even what I think. And what I felt was something nice and warm. He told me it sounded like a crush and that I should follow my heart."

I smiled and giggled on the other side of the phone, finally having this all sorted out.

"So, I guess that means I like you too?"

I shrugged. I was new to this whole thing.

"Oh and that isn't even the best part! Our plan was successful. Well Fujihama's that is! He shot Reika and told her to pretend to be dead and she played the part convincingly. Then he let her go. And I had to play the part of a cold blooded killer, and make believe like I killed her. And guess what? I got away with it!"

I was laughing with delight.

"And I have never even taken an acting class before. Woohoo." ^^

Kisaru couldn't help but laugh along with Mizuki. Her laughter was definitely contagious.

"Well, sounds like you've had quite a morning."

Her heart began to beat a bit faster when she heard Mizuki say she liked her. Though she was extremely happy, she needed reassurance.

"You aren't just saying that, are you?"

"Yeah I have! And it was so cool! I even proved my loyalty to them so they don't suspect a thing. And I sure hope Reika is alright now. She had to drink this elixir that made her appear all pale and cold and whatnot."

I giggled and then blinked, confusion. Bandit popped out of his pokemon to keep me company and knowing that the important part of the morning was over, he relaxed.

"Hm? I'm not just saying what? That I like you... well no, I'm pretty certain. I mean, Fujihama told me so himself. And he's so smart I have to believe him. Plus he asked me what I feel and I genuinely told him that I felt these flutterings in my stomach, almost like butterflies when I see or think about you. And then I feel warmth, and my heart is kinda beating faster too. So that has to be something right?"

I chuckled, blushing a bit as I heard Kisaru's voice a bit more vulnerable and I could tell she was really happy.

"Yeah, Reika's fine, she's still favoring her injured arm, but otherwise, she seems okay."

Kisaru chuckled a little at this. She couldn't believe that they actually believed their plan. What idiots!

"Hmm, I guess it does mean something."

She found herself blushing at this, trying to fight it away in case anyone happened to barge in. Then she sighed, scratching the back of her head lightly.

"When would I be able to see you face to face again?"

She wanted to see me face to face. I wanted to see her face to face again too. I missed her, she was honestly becoming one of my best friends and a rather important figure in my life. I sighed and thought.

"Well I'm not sure that we might ever see each other's faces again. That's the part that disturbs me."

I seemed to be disheartened by the fact that my escape from this organization wasn't absolute. How much long could I keep deceiving before it was too late to escape? Before I was in Fujihama's position and I couldn't go anywhere, and I was forced to become enemies with my best friend. I could see it in his eyes, and I don't know how such an inexperienced child like me could recognize this, but the faint gleams of love in his eyes when he looked at Reika. He didn't just care for her and go to extra precautions to make sure his plan worked out flawlessly, but he went to all those extremes, to prove that he was dedicated to proving he was still her lifelong friend. She was treated, even like a princess, as a prisoner in our organization. I could tell that Fujihama didn't only just love her like a friend, but perhaps it did push beyond that border to real love as well. Who would ever know? The man was so cryptic with his emotions and he made his intelligence cover up those things quite nicely. I could never tell what he was feeling, even if he'd say it plainly. One mystery of a man.

I then remembered that I had Kisaru on the phone and snapped immediately out of my daze before she could hang up or become depressed that we may never see each other again.

"But don't worry. I will find a way for us to see one another. I have this deep gut feeling that we're going to meet again. I know when but I know we will. I just.. don't know if it will be a good reunion or us having to fight one another on opposite sides. I really don't want to have to fight you Kisaru."

I sighed.

[color=blue]"But I wouldn't get too down about it. Like I said, I'm sure we'll meet again. As much as you want to see me, I want to see you, and if that is so then the ways of the world will make that happen. Besides, I have Fujihama on my side to help me out with anything I deeply desire. And his plans almost never fail. So maybe we aren't doomed."

I giggled. It was then that Kitsuke burst into the store that Reika's organization was managing. He looked around for a while before walking up to the girl named Hana and asking her kindly...

"Hello, is a girl named Kisaru here?"

He asked curiously. He just wanted to talk to her.

Kisaru's once firm hand began to shake, so much that she nearly dropped her phone. Anyone who looked at her would soon realize that she was on the verge of tears and that whatever was just said had apparently disturbed her. And it did, more than it should have. It wasn't like the whole thing was a complete shock or anything, she knew the chances of ever seeing Mizuki again were undoubtedly slim. Still, she couldn't stop the hurt feeling that was overwhelming her and quickly tried to compose herself, having to somewhat fake her happiness to match that of Mizuki. What was going on?

"I hope we'll get to see each other again, even if I can't promise that we won't have to fight each other."

~~~~

Hana was startled when the boy suddenly burst into the store.

"What is your business with Kisaru, pretty boy?"

She asked rather harshly, waving a chocolate bar she was munching on in the air as if to emphasize her authority.

"Chill it down, small fry. I'm a friend and I got word she was here, so I've come to visit her. See, I have some important information about someone close to her. It's actually kind of urgent."

He stared at her directly in the eyes. He spotted Reika and blushed, waving "hi" to her. She had to be one of the cutest girls she'd ever seen, despite her cold and a bit of an awkward appearance.

~~~~~~~

I closed my eyes. She didn't seem happy about what I had said, even though it was the truth. Part of me thought I actually broke her heart by saying something so harsh like that. I sighed and then restated my thoughts, more calmly, and more determinedly than ever. More so that it would spur up hope rather than depression.

"No, you know what Kisaru? I'll find a way. We'll definitely see each other again and we won't be battling. We will be friends and taking down these organizations that don't belong in our world. It is destructive to the ways of life for pokemon and for humans alike. Not only that, but they cause trouble in general. They are horrible, and I cannot believe we're both a part of one. I will talk to Fujihama and think of a plan for us both to escape and reunite. I don't want to be separated from you any longer Kisaru."

Now it was my turn to sound a little bit more shaken than usual. My voice began to shake with both angry determination and will and sadness and disheartenment. We would find a way to meet again. I swear it.

Hana furrowed her eyebrows, but gave in anyway and led him to Kisaru's room. Reika politely waved as they passed, noticing the boy's blush. Hana quietly knocked on the door.

"Hey, Kisaru? You okay in there? Some boy says he wants to talk to you. It's urgent, apparently."

Kisaru released a heavy sigh. She really didn't want to hang up, but if she didn't respond soon, Hana might result to breaking down the door. She answered her friend, covering her phone with her hand so Mizuki wouldn't hear.

"Alright, Hana! Just a minute I'm on the phone."

Her voice was now strained and slightly desperate when she spoke, as if she was afraid that this would be the last time they would get to speak to each other. In all honesty, she was terrified and she uncovered her phone.

"I have to go. Someone has to talk to me, I think. I'll try and call you later, if I get the chance.... Bye."

She waited until she responded before hanging up, not realizing her voice had cracked a little as she spoke and a couple of tears stung at her eyes, which she quickly wiped away. Walking to the door, she opened it before noticing Hana and then... Kitsuke? What was he doing here?

"Okay..."

I sighed and hung up, my heart becoming suddenly heavy. Then I took the phone away from my ear slowly, not knowing how to cope with being apart from Kisaru. I'd find a way to her, I just had to. And I think I had an idea.

~~~~~

"Alright, look I know this looks crazy, but you miss Mizuki as much as I do and you want her out of that horrid organization. So I've been thinking for a while and trying to come up with a plan. I realize it isn't going to happen without you and the help of your team. Mariko and your sister. And maybe even this Crimson Vanguard if they want to help out. I've been traveling till I found your base. Now I'm asking you, we have to do this. I know I haven't known you all that long, but I wanna see Mizuki again and I know you want to too."

He begged. He really did wanna see his friend. But, from what he knew Kisaru's heart was ever more fragile from being separated from such a great friend. Kitsuke's was the same, but he didn't want to admit it. He was doing this purely for Mizuki and Kisaru. What chemistry they had together and that chemistry he wasn't about to let die.

It was as if the gods suddenly smiled upon Kisaru, finally deciding to end her suffering, and had brought her an angel in the form of Kitsuke. She would definitely thank him for this later somehow. She was extremely happy, but tried to maintain her tough exterior all the same.

"You don't know how much this means to me... So, what is this plan of yours, might I ask?"

"Oh please, it's okay to show a little more emotion than that tough exterior you try to portray. Sometimes the real Kisaru might be wanted."

He looked at her in a weird way, and then smiled as she expectantly watched him. He huffed out and then hung over in defeat.

"Unfortunately, that's my problem. I don't have one yet. But I promise I will come up with one. Perhaps it could involve a staged battle between the two organizations. I don't know. It's still kinda risky, but it could work and you and Mizuki could get away scott free. But then again, the organizations might clash and a real war might happen. That's why I went to the trouble to contact a special team. They said to meet them in the woods by Goldenrod, if that's cool with you."

He smirked. He'd called them ahead of time. Sure, they weren't as important as the other organizations and teams out there anymore, but they were still in existence and despite all of their comedic failures, they were actually pretty decent at deceit and theft. Hopefully, this plan would form together once they met the team.

Kisaru just scoffed and turned away, just catching the way he hung over in defeat in the corner of her eye and raised a brow. She really didn't show much emotion to people other than those she was close to.

"Alright, fine. We can go right now, if you're ready and I can let everyone else know about whatever plan we come up with."

She just hoped that whoever these people were, they were really trustworthy. But who was she to judge? This other organization would be all they'd have.

"Alright then, we'll be on our way."

He smirked. This was going to be awesome! And especially working with Kisaru, they were going to be one powerhouse of a team. In any event, he had to get ready. So made sure he had all his things still packed and went downstairs to buy some water and place the rest he didn't drink in his bag, and one he set aside for himself to drink.

"Oh yeah, and it depends, do you wanna tell Mizuki about this or keep it a surprise?"

He had his back turned to Kisaru as he finished taking a sip of the water from the water bottle, saying that quite casually. Kitsuke, of all the things he could have been, was not stupid. He was silly at times, but he was intelligent and the moment that Kisaru had rushed off to go find Mizuki and not returned with her, he'd figured something out. One, that Mizuki must have been taken by someone and that he was going to help get her back. And two, that obviously something went down between, if not only that, he'd get the answer out of Kisaru. He knew she liked Mizuki, and it was now time to help her get back to her.

"Let's keep it a surprise."

Kisaru couldn't help but smile. She couldn't wait to see Mizuki again, and surprising her would be even better. She then went to the shop and purchased some water while letting the others know about what she and Kitsuke were doing, then got her pack ready.

"Okay, Kitsuke. Lead the way."

She had no idea where this other organization was and since Kitsuke had already called them, she figured he would have somewhat of an idea. This was turning out to be one heck of an adventure.