Previously on Chapter: 7...
"I know that look anywhere..."
"Aw man... has my cover been blown?"
"What!? Ira, what do you mean?" I asked.
"Duh! The disguise was nothing but a trick of the light" snapped Ira.
"You were always clever Ira, you always were" said Aguri, smirking
"Thanks... I'm flattered...... Regina..."
"And we have a winner!"

And now...

Rikka's POV

"HAHAH!!! FINALLY!! YOU PROVEN YOURSELF USEFUL!!!" cackled Aguri, or should I say Regina.

I couldn't believe that Regina was the one framing Aguri! I stared in disbelief at Ira then Regina.

"Aww what's wrong Diamond? Upset that you're just a clueless idiot who couldn't even recognize an old friend?"

I didn't know what else to say. I just kept staring.

"Regina! Just leave Diamond alone! She didn't even do anything to you!"

Did Ira just... stood up for me?

"Oh please! I don't know why Mamon and Bel sent you to defeat Precure when your sick, Ira"

"I'm not sick!! And I chose to fight with them!" Ira shot back

"Yeah yeah whatever! I was there the entire time! Remember!?"

"Yeah... well.." Ira was flustered, I guess he ran out of things to argue with.

"HAHAH!! THIS IS TOO MUCH FUUUN!!!" laughed Regina, as she held her stomach containing her laughter.

Then she rose up and had an evil grin spreading on her face.

"Ooooh!! You know what else is fun? TAKING REVENGE!!" and like that, she disappeared..?

Ira and I were safe for now, but who knows what Regina was planning..

"Stay Here Diamond.." said Ira.

"Ira!? Where do you thing your going!?" I asked.

"Um.. to go fight with her..?"

"Ira! You just got out of the bed!! You still have that fever!!"

"I'm fine now, I can do it!"

"Jeez Ira, do we have to do this again??!"

"Fine I won't leave..."

"Thank you!"

We stayed in silence for a while until Ira spoke up.

"What do you think Regina meant as 'revenge' ?"

"I... I'm not sure..."

I started to think hard remembering all our frights with Regina.. and how she used to be our friend.

Think Rikka! THINK!!! Regina wants to help her dad take over the world, she wants to spread darkness, and she wants to-

I gasp as I knew the answer. Ira flinched and looked confused.

"MANA AND THE OTHERS ARE IN DANGER!!!!" I yelled.

"What do you mean!??"

"Regina wants to take revenge from Mana! Ever since the last day we were friends, she wanted to get Mana back for being friends with her! That day was also the day Cure Ace showed up. Regina wasn't happy at all after-

"Rikka!! I was there! I knew what happened!! Can you get to the point!?" interrupted Ira

"Oops... Sorry...Anyways. Regina was angry at how Ace was so strong. And Regina did not like Ace at all... so that's why she's framing her!! To ruin Ace's image and possibly convert Ace to the dark side"

"Hmm... that makes sense.." said Ira

"So that's why WE NEED TO SAVE MY FRIENDS!!!"

"Okay okay! I get it... and why 'we'?"

"What do you mean 'why'?! Aren't you going to help me!!?"

"Sorry Diamond, I don't do 'helping'" said Ira with a smirk.

Why is he deliberately trying to ANNOY ME!!?!

"IRA!! STOP BEING AN IDIOT!!"

"IM NOT BEING AN IDIOT!! ITS MY CHOICE IF I WANT TO HELP YOU OR NOT!!"

He's got a point there..

"Sorry... and you're right. I shouldn't force you to help me... I'll just be in my way then.."

I left Ira and walked away

Ira's POV

I watched Rikka move more and more inches away from me. I then started to feel guilty for some reason..

Why do I this sudden feeling... that I should be helping her..?

I tried to shake the feeling away. Sadly it wouldn't.

I then started to remember the times when Rikka helped me..

"I got this recipe from Mana's dad"

I smiled at that memory, her last words from when she was going trip...

But then I saved her... probably because I didn't remember anything..

Then I heard some slight thumping... was Rikka or even worse Regina coming back..?

But that thumping wasn't footsteps... what was it...?

Oh shoot... I think I know what it is..

I put my hand on my chest..

Yep... I'm right

Then I smiled and teleported out of the house.

Mana's POV

We continued to wonder who was framing Aguri-chan... it seemed unrealistic on to why someone would do it in the first place..

"Hmm... it could be one of the Jikochuu agents..." thought Alice.

"You think that Bel would want to be a girl?"

We all laughed at Makopi's joke.

"Hmm... I couldn't have been Mamon... she's too tall..." said Aguri.

"And it wouldn't be Ira, he's a boy and we were with him..."

"Also, Jikochuu agents don't have the power to pretend to be someone else... it's in their nature to be selfish so they wouldn't want to be someone they aren't" explained Makopi.

"So then... who could it have been..?" I asked.

My friends exchanged shameful looks

"What's wrong..?" I asked.

"We were thinking of someone who could've done this..." said Alice.

"GREAT!! Now we can know who framed Aguri-chan!!" I exclaimed with glee.

"Umm..."

"Why are you guys... acting this way...?"

"We might know who it is... but you're not gonna like it..." said Makopi

When Makopi said this, I knew what she meant...

"NO!! NO NO NO!!! ITS NOT-

"Calm down Mana-chan! It might not be true.." said Alice.

"Even so, why would Regina want to do this!!??"

"Because she's evil" said Aguri.

"Aguri-chan!! She used to be our friend!!"

"She could've been pretending that too"

"NOO!! The way she smiled at me was PURE HAPPINESS!!! She gave us the Royal Crystals remember!?"

"SOMEONE SAY SOMETHING ABOUT ME!!!?!" said a familiar voice in the distance.

My eyes widened as I recognized the voice.

"REGINA!!??!?" I called out.

Regina appeared before our eyes and smiled brightly.

"RIGHT YOU ARE!! A+ MANA!!!" said Regina, happily.

"REGINA!!!" I yelled happily as I ran to her.

Regina held out her arms waiting for me to hug her.

"MANA WAIT-

"REGINA YOU CAME BACK!!" I yelled, as I linked arms with her.

I hugged her tightly and she hugged me back. I was so relieved to know that Regina was okay. I couldn't stop my tears from flowing.

"Mana! I missed you!!!" cried Regina

"I missed you too Regina!!"

"MANA!!!" I heard my friends call, but their voices were fading.

I turned to see what was happening but Regina put her hand on my cheek, pulling my face in her direction.

"Mana... you wanna know what I really missed..?" asked Regina, sweetly

"Of course!!" I replied.

Then Regina's bright smiling face, grew dark.

"I really missed your naïve personality" said Regina, darkly.

"My naïve-

Then Regina cuffed my hands and my mouth together with her magic.

"Rwegina!??" I muffled.

"HAHA!!! NOW I REALLY MISSED THAT!!!" cackled Regina.

"Whwat dwo ywou mwean..?" (Translation: "What do you mean..?")

Regina's face grew even darker.

"It means that you've fallen right into my trap..."

And just like that, we disappeared