Queen's Waltz

'Liar.'

She snapped back at me so bluntly, shoving the hand I had outstretched for her to take. It was obvious she had been lagging behind after running so quickly. She was never good at sports too, according to Amu-chan.

'Don't lend me a hand,' she scoffed, still glaring right back at me with her large golden orbs. I was positively stunned by her words. I felt myself breaking into some cold sweat.

'W-What…?' I managed to speak after finding my voice.

'I heard you. When you spoke to Nobuko the fortune teller,' she continued staring straight back at me. 'When you were leaving the dressing room…'

'Then, excuse me,' his hair of violet streaked past as he took a short bow and started to head out. The much older woman, overly dressed in makeup pushed her glasses up as she examined the boy.

'Aren't you…Last time we met, you were a girl, right?' she questioned, point blank. The boy stopped in his tracks, frozen.

'Eh? That? That person was my twin sister you see, you might have mixed the two of us-' he started, but Saeki Nobuko interrupted.

'Who do you think I am dear? While your appearance may have changed, you still cannot fool Saeki Nobuko's eyes. You definitely have the presence of the same guardian angel.'

'You're the same as that girl from before, with the ponytail!' she declared with hesitating, a face of pure confidence plastered all over her. From the door ajar, the small sized blonde peeked an eye through, her yellow hair brushing past as she turned away.

'Were you… the last queen's…' Rima started, eyes still cold without concern as she pouted at me.

I remained quiet for a minute, and the original confused look was replaced by the slightest of smiles, '…It looks like I've been found out.'

'Ah…'

I withdrew the two eggs from my pocket, gently placing my index on my chin with a wink at the current queen. The two eggs were of complete opposites – One was the gentle pink with darker sakura patterns, the other a striking navy blue, with lighter designs etched onto it.

'Can you keep a secret from the others for a little longer?' I tilted my head slightly with a small smile.

Rima did not answer my question. Silently she continued up the stairs to the first floor. I followed right after. Amu-chan and the others would most likely be there already.

-

'We've made it! The first floor!' they declared, looking around carefully to examine the place. The silence was disturbing. At the end, a faint light glowed. Not one that gave off happy feelings, more like one that gave off feelings of depression and crushed dreams.

'There… There are so many x-eggs!' Yaya shrieked, 'With the x-eggs… A girl?! What's she doing in a place like this!?' The Ace trembled, not one bit happy about the situation.

'The violin must have snatched the heart's egg right out of her!' the king had wasted no time to explain. The black eggs branded with a white 'X' on them dashed straight at the group.

'Amu-chan!'

'Right, Ran! Character Transformation-' the girl started, but was interrupted by a bright flash of light.

-

'Character Transformation… Clown Drop! Tightrope Dancer!'

Immediately, long strands of thick nylon rope lunged at the eggs, batting them aside with ease. The petite girl in the middle of it all was determined. Amu shouted at the queen, but the blonde-haired girl talked right back.

'I can do this by myself!' she called back at her friend, 'There isn't time for everyone to idle around. Hurry up and go!'

'But…'

'Ikuto is waiting… Hurry!' she argued again, but Amu-chan wouldn't give up giving more reasons, 'Rima, it's impossible for you to take on all that yourself…'

'Then I'll stay behind too,' I answered calmly, 'Don't worry.' My signature smile and wink did not help; she only got more worried over the matter.

'Nagihiko! B-but!'

'Go. Believe in us!' I watched Amu-chan rush off, her pink locks flailing about in a mess as she took off.

'Rima!' Kusukusu called out to her. She paid no attention. I grabbed her and shoved her to the side a little too forcefully, but necessary in dodging the violent ball that bounced past both of us, nearly injuring the queen in the process.

'…A… basketball…?'

-

'It looks like everyone left…' I muttered, eyeing the x-eggs that were swarming around us like hungry hounds, ready to strike at any time.

'I didn't think they would have believed us,' Rima-chan commented with much pessimism, on her guard, two juggling pins brandished.

'Ah, don't say that. We're both keeping my secret, right?' Rima was silent.

'Do you want to know why I'm keeping it a secret? I can't do a chara-change or character transformation. I'm a burden on everyone.'

'I can't take on this many x-eggs by myself…' Rima-chan muttered as a reply.

'Offense! Defence…! Pass and cut!!' the small black character hatched from the egg of which it had slept for so long, a large white 'X' on its forehead. It's grin just turned into a wicked one as it cackled at us.

'An X-Character!'

'It looks like it hatched from that girl's x-egg,' I noted.

'Hey hey, dribble! Dribbling!' it taunted, keeping a small little basketball on the go as he passed it from one hand to the other.

'Seems to be a basketball character… And Rima-chan's least favourite sport,' I noted even more. Rima-chan grunted in response to my last statement. I held back a laugh.

'Then let's play,' I declared softly. The blue guardian's cape fell to the ground as I discarded it, 'Could you eggs wait one second?'

'…Eh?' Rima-chan seemed confused.

'The truth is…'

'Basketball's my favourite sport.' I loosened up the tie on my school uniform.

'Shoot!!' the small black figure threw the ball recklessly. My feet hurt rather bad. My shoes were already losing friction from the constant skidding of my feet against the floors. Nevertheless, I grabbed the ball and blocked it from hitting me in the face.

'Alright, here I go!'

I felt so free, dribbling the ball behind and forward, across and under. I loved this feeling. I felt as if I was dancing with my very own rhythm, the ball acting as a tempo as it went up and down, again and again.

'Amazing… He looks as if he's dancing…'

I had forgotten this sensation from so long ago… That's right, back then…

The small sized female trotted past the crowd, eyeing with utmost jealousy of the boys. Those laughing away with baseball bats in their hands, those with grime-filled faces yet filled with so much happiness in them.

The older lady was seated on the floor, raising her finger, 'To dance like a girl, you must be a girl. You must learn how to act like a woman.'

Every time she looked at them with jealous eyes, she turned away, once again reminding herself, 'I must be girly…'

And every time during physical education, she'd look high above her, knowing that a girl could never jump high and people wouldn't think she was a girl if she did. But the truth was, she wanted to jump as high as she could.

Her haunt was the deserted basketball court that no one ever went to. She would heavily cloak herself with a hood, only the sides of her violet bangs showing. She knew, if she jumped here, it would be fine.

'As high as I can go!'

Because it was okay for boys to try their hardest.

'If it's going to be a one-on-one, looks like I'll win,' I smirked, brimming with confidence at the awestruck X-Character. Determined not to lose, it split into three without permission.

'Th-they split into three?!' I sputtered, simply dumbfounded by their actions.

'They're forming a team…' Rima-chan was not helpful at all.

'Three… on…three!' they demanded, gathering a group of x-eggs to form a circle as they tossed a basketball in. Rima-chan identified the spinning ring of x-eggs to be the net.

'I won't lose,' I declared, bracing myself for whatever that was next. And Rima-chan piped up, 'Piece of cake.'

She grabbed the ball, much to my surprise, 'Back me up! Shoot for the basket!'

'Okay!'

I know this feeling... I can feel my own rhythm…!

'Nagihiko…!'

'Eh?' I believe I heard something faintly.

'You've finally found it! Your rhythm!'

'The blue egg… Ah!'

It cracked open before my eyes, every step of it, the small character from inside leapt out, hands shoved into his pockets, 'I'm Rhythm, come on…!'

My own heart, unlock!

The flash of light was blinding. Yet at the same time I felt as light as feather. When the bright light had subsided, I was a completely different person. Rima-chan seemed amazed.

'Character Transformation, Beat Jumper!'

'Let's beat them the cool way Nagi!' Rhythm said. I glanced at the ball in my hand, 'Okay!' I leapt as high as I could, the ball tightly clutched in both hands as I started sailing down. The orange basketball flew through the ring of black eggs and bounced off the ground forcefully.

'Beat… Dunk!'

'And that's a match!' I smirked.

'Can't you just give up?' Rima-chan stared at the X-Character, who seemed to be falling as it returned back into just one.

How pathetic, how horrible…

'…Eh?'

I can't jump… I can't jump like a boy…

'This voice…' I didn't know why, but it felt so close to me. I glanced at the unconscious girl on the floor.

I took a boy's position. Because I wasn't a boy, I wasn't getting any taller. There are so many differences… I can't be strong like a boy…

Like a boy…

I remembered this feeling. This feeling…

'Bravo Nagihiko!'

'Fantastic Nagihiko!'

'But how disappointing,' one pointed out. The performer stopped and gracefully dabbed away his sweat. 'Even though you are a boy, why do you act like a girl?'

'Of course, your dance is wonderful and mysterious, but if you were a real girl, surely you would be more graceful.' Everything dawned upon him at that point of time.

I knew that I was no match for a real girl. At that time, I was steadily maturing, and I questioned myself whether I could really dance like that.

'But… That's wrong.'

'Changing your gender isn't the problem. Improve your art and your heart. If you throw your heart into it, it is fine. If you won't get taller, then… improve your jump. If you can jump, you can do it!'

'Only your jump…'

'Only my dance!'

'Temari!' How long has it been since I saw my first Shugo Chara, I had lost count. But she had finally emerged from her egg now.

'It's been a while, Nagihiko,' she said with her usual gentle self, and proceeding to swapping places with Rhythm.

My own heart, unlock!

'Character Transformation… Yamato Maihime!'

Rima-chan watched with awe, 'So… pretty…' Kusukusu commented about the second character transformation. The long kimono swept across the floor, and I smiled at Rima-chan.

'It's my first time seeing you in such an outfit. So you're the last queen, Nadeshiko…' she stated, and I just hummed quietly.

'Alright then, let's combine our power!' I extended my hand out to her.

And for once, she took it.

'Queen's Waltz!'

The black character cried in surprise as the x-egg returned to normal, and a proper looking character thanked Rima-chan and I before returning into his egg, following by returning back into the unconscious girl. The surrounding eggs were purified once again.

Kusukusu giggled as usual, 'We can purify x-eggs now! Kehehe!' The clown character giggled happily. Rima-chan looked over at me, 'It wasn't my power alone. If I combine my power with this kid…' I was too busy embracing the return of my chara and a new one to hear.

Rima-chan trotted over, 'That thing you said before… I can trust you… Just a little.'

'The eggs are returning…' I pointed out, looking high above at them.

'Thank goodness.'

'Mm hmm.'

'…Why'd you change to Nadeshiko?'

'I don't know. Both of them are the real me, so don't worry too much about it.' I gave her a smile back that was maybe just a tad bit cocky.

'Jump!' a voice called. I lit up and turned to the source. The girl was asleep on the ground, a grin on her.

'I did it… A slam dunk… I'll definitely become a regular…'

I returned the smile Rima-chan gave to me.