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Sneaking into your crush's house was something not uncommon for Pucca. Usually it was the only way she would be able to get him breakfast from the Goh-Ryong restaurant on days Pucca knew she wouldn't be able to see him because of plans.

But this time was different. She the moment it had pointed out by Destiny, her golden dragon friend that maybe Garu didn't deserve her attention, she had tried to block out those thoughts, but over the past months they deepened and grew to almost overwhelm her. She wasn't here to help Garu sleep or get up with a nice breakfast.

No. This time she was ready to ransack and steal. It didn't matter if he hated her afterwards. She needed answers as to what was in her heart. The first few things she decided to look through was his drawers, blushing as she looked through scandalous pieces of clothing until she found a little scarf, neatly wrapped.

She pulled part of the knot loose to see some sort of locket with a key hole needed to open it. She took out a bobby pin, unfortunately letting some hair get in her way, but she managed to pick it and held her breath.

No booby traps... yet.

There was a soft click noise and Pucca bit her lip and looked to Garu, who was sleeping with soft moonlight not disturbing him, and briefly, for a moment, she paused to remember how romantic he was when he was moonstruck, and she gulped and looked back to the now open locket. Inside was a small rock with vien like pattern that softly pulsed the same shade of red her cheeks would turn when thinking of Garu.

She teased it out of the locket, and gripped it softly.

The moment she held the rock in her hand, it was as if most of her emotions for Garu had left her body. It pulsed with her own heart rate as it raced not from love, but from fear of getting caught. Pucca steeled herself and snuck back out of the house, leaving the open scarf where it was and clutching the rock to her chest. She was afraid to lose her heart again.

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"Why would someone even try to take your talisman?" Abyo thought outloud. "I know it was a superstitious good luck charm you used as a kid, but once you were done using it to calm your nerves about your vow of silence, you got over it!"

Garu rubbed his temples. The rock was special to him. It was a bit of a placebo whenever he was going through something tough that it helped him.

"Maybe Tobe has it." Ching mentioned. "He's always trying to get under your skin, Garu."

That would be very possible. The two were very harsh rivals. Perhaps Tobe thought that it would bring him luck or take away the good luck her believed that Garu had.

Still, the group didn't want to provoke Tobe if they could avoid it. The scar faced ninja had been awfully quiet, and whether that was because he was planning a "full-proof plan," or because he was distracted by something else.

Garu wasn't quite sure.

"Maybe we could tell Pucca?" Abyo interjected.

Garu cringed.

"She'd most likely go on a rampage." Ching disagreed. "Besides...she's been avoiding us for a while... I'm not even sure if we're friends anymore."

"Maybe she's planning something big. Or her uncles need her?"

Garu looked between his two friends as they argued, starting to wish that someone else was here to distract him from their quarrel. This is why he was disgusted by romance.

"Pucca doesn't usually do that. She would always include us if it's a festival."

"What about presents for friendship day?"

"That's not for another 2 months, Abyo! As if anyone does shopping that early for anything!"

"You don't know." Abyo turned red out of embarrassment. He was a better physical fighter than a fighter of the mind.

Garu sighed as the argument drew to a close. He had no idea why these two were in a romantic relationship when they were constantly butting heads, another reason why he was grossed out by the idea.

Still the group head down the street to the Go-Rong noodle restaurant to enjoy the food and possibly see Pucca.

They didn't know that currently she was in the kitchen explaining the situation to her only family.

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Pucca's uncles, Dumpling, Ho, and Linguini stared at the pulsing rock on the table. The veins were gray in color, showing Pucca's nervousness and worry. She had her hair down,  passed her shoulders, instead of in her usual odango buns style. 

She usually wore it to look like Garu and had it done by her uncles when she first tried it. Now she didn't really want to keep her hair like that 24/7. She still thought she looked cute with it, but right now she was going through some things.

She didn't feel like she needed to be like or impress him. Didn't feel like she needed to cling to him.

"After all this time..." Linguini tried then closed his eyes and shook his head.

"This doesn't make sense." Ho pieced together. "Garu would never have stolen it had he known what it was."

"Then perhaps he didn't know what it was." Dumpling realized. "But then what happened to her heart that allowed Garu to have it?"

Linguini shook his head. "Right now, we need to focus on Pucca." He brought his favorite niece in for a hug. "You'll probably be feeling strange about this, but we will help you in any way that we can, okay?"

"Yes, of course!" Dumpling added.

"You are our favorite girl. We'll make sure that you're happy." Ho smiled.

Pucca smiled back, then looked to her heart. "The question is, who takes the heart to hold onto for safety?" Pucca looked to each one of her uncles.

Ho was the first one to pick it up and Pucca suddenly felt urges of wanting to be just like him. Able to wield fire magic and cook for everyone in the kitchen. She grabbed onto Ho's elbow, almost as if she were a small child begging for her father.

Ho smiled warmly at his niece, but was surprised when Linguini seemed to take the stone.

Pucca felt her feelings change again. Instead of making fire, maybe she could make the noodles? They were what everyone in Sooga craved and needed in order to survive. She quickly grabbed Linguini's arm in excitement.

While he was distracted, Dumpling grabbed it and placed it on the counter. "It seems that whoever holds Pucca's heart, also has her attention."

"That would make sense of how much she loved Garu."

"And gave him such funny love."

Pucca gave her uncles a rueful look. They clearly knew they would fight over who held her heart everyday, or feared she'd get in the way of orders.

They grey veins pulsed with a hint of light blue as Pucca picked her heart back up. She didn't have a safe place to put it. She feared her cat may play with it if she left it in her room. She needed to get a box or something for something so precious.

They sat at square one.

"We can't give them to Dada." Linguini threw out.

"And Pucca's room is vulnerable." Ho also said.

"Maybe we can find someone else to hold it?"

They uncles looked to Pucca. And Pucca thought for a few moments then shook her head.

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Pucca rolled the rock around in her hand, pulsing grey. The rock was so rough, and tiny. In the streets of Sooga, the rock could have easily been lost if she went on noodle delivery, and either picked up by someone random or crushed underneath carts or feet.

She was glad to have found it, but now...? Was it better in the hands of Garu? Where she would be eternally in love with someone and unable to stop herself? At least she wouldn't be worried about its safety...

Maybe she could keep it safe with one of her friends? If they still considered her a friend... dealing with the idea that she had lost her heart, she had hid away.

It pulsed and the veins became a gross greyish-brown.

Who could hold her heart?

Dada, despite Pucca's feelings towards him like a brother, would most likely become the next victim of crazed love, or worse he could lose it like the klutz he was.

Others in the village she wasn't close enough with to trust them with such a fragile item.

Destiny was constantly moving and journeying, and Pucca's active imagination either imagined her being so blind and leaving everyone behind, or him losing the little heart.

And her room wasn't safe. Her cat would maybe think of it as a toy...

The only one who came to mind was Ching. Pucca sighed and gripped the rock tightly, the pulses keeping in time with her heart.

She made it out of her room and walked out to see Ching. With Abyo.

And Garu.

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Her heart beat was almost calmed by the pulsing of her heart-rock. It now gained a new color, making the veins glow an ugly brownish-gray-red. Through her clenched fist. Pucca's teeth and jaw hurt, and she found that she was tense.

She looked to her rock, the rough edges cutting into her palm, which despite some of the fights she was in, were soft, compared to any of the fighters in the village. Dark-red liquid came out of cuts and stained the rock.

Pucca tisked to herself and looked back down the stairs to see her friends already seated. She steeled herself and ran down the stairs.

Garu naturally ducked under the table to avoid the girl, and Abyo chuckled. 

Pucca felt relief that they seemed to still enjoy her presence, but Ching didn't seem to know what to do. Pucca closed her eyes and grabbed Ching's wrist to quickly place her heart into her friend's hand. 

Pucca hoped and prayed that her friend would be able to read her mind, just like her friends always did. They had to. She was mute, she couldn't communicate as well as everyone else in the village. Even Garu had better communication skills than she. And it was only slightly hindered due to his vow of silence.

Please, she thought desperately. Please don't give this back to him. This is my heart. Not his. Pucca didn't realize her inner voice would be so venomous to Garu. It wasn't his fault, but her heart ached at the thought and fear it would be given back to him. And she thought selfishly of how she didn't want to be distracted by him.

Her heart glowed the ugly color again, this time darker. 

She finally released her heart and Ching's wrist and felt herself soon begin to blush at how pretty her female friend was. Pucca didn't want to suddenly take back the gift, so she ran back upstairs to try and calm herself down. 

She panted as her door slammed, and she slid down her door to sit and try to calm herself. She focused on her breathing, meditating and losing herself to the rhythm.

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Ching was surprised by the item that was in her palm, then frowned. "I guess Pucca stole your talisman."

Garu sighed and shook his head. Unsurprised by the girl's obsession with him. He grabbed the rock to see it stained with what he thought was lipstick, then realized it was too fresh, and it wasn't gummy like lipstick. The veins of the rock glowed a light amber, which was a color Garu had barely seen on it.

"Is your rock supposed to be like that, Garu?" Abyo asked.

Garu shook his head with a shrug. The liquid on it was still strange though... he felt it between his fingers and was brought back to memories of his fights. Usually with bloody noses. He looked up to the balcony area where Pucca's room was and he sighed.

Pucca felt off. Another Garu dream. She hissed at her stupidity and shook her head. Maybe... this was for the best. She looked to her mirror. Maybe she should wear her odango buns tomorrow...

No. 

No!

She would just have to grab the rock again. She grabbed one of the pieces of mail and forced herself to stay up as she looked for a possible jewelry box, finding one that advertised a key, several drawers and a dancer for a music box within the locked compartment. A sort of alarm. 

Pucca ran to her desk and forced herself through yawns to fill out the order for the item and sneak downstairs to place it in their mail slot. She gripped the slot as it closed and panted.

She NEEDED her heart back.

She snuck upstairs and got into a ninja outfit she barely used, covering all of her body but her eyes, then she opened her window and leapt out, running on the wall and adrenaline.

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She had to get it back. Fast.

Pucca's sleep had to wait.

She leapt off of the wall and began to jump on top of the bamboo stalks, practically running to make sure that they barely shook. She NEEDED her heart back. She didn't want to be obsessed with anyone against her will, she wanted freedom and choices! She planted herself on a bamboo stalk, overlooking Garu's house.

She would have to break in quick, most likely stealing the locket as well. No doubt Garu would have new security measures put up.

Pucca tisked to herself as she clung onto the emotion of annoyance over obsessive love, trying to keep her brain from fogging up.

Tipping the bamboo stalk, she then launched herself into his home, immediately setting off the alarm and causing Mio to scurry out of the dangerous house. Pucca shook her head and recovered quickly, seeing Garu with a drawn sword and a furious look.

In the dark, she looked like one of Tobé's ninjas. Her amber eyes caught the glint of the softly glowing golden locket.

Pucca lunged to grab the locket, wanting her heart more than anything else.

Of course, Garu naturally defended the locket using his sword.

He didn't have an advantage, as Pucca flipped backwards to kick his wrist and knock the sword out of his hand. At the same time the house began to move, a defense mechanism to get rid of anyone inside it into a nearby river.

Pucca shifted her feet, trying to keep balance as the house moved. Garu reached for his sword, only for Pucca to slide towards it and both grabbed the sword's handle and the house's movements made them slip until they were both at arms length away from each other. Hands, brushing against each other-

Pucca was furious and frightened. She didn't want these feelings!!!

She was so distracted that Garu was able to beat her in the power struggle. And he hit her with the blunt handle to try and knock her out the window.

Pucca staggered back, but grabbed onto built in furniture. She glared at the locket Garu was wearing, feeling a burst of adrenaline shoot her towards her goal. Of course he turned to try to get out of the way, and she grabbed onto the fabric of his shirt. The shirt ripped, the heart emblem nearly coming off as Garu attacked her, slashing his sword, then dropping it as he remembered she was unarmed.

She hissed as her cheek bled. Amber eyes showed a fire and she once again lunged towards him. Just as the house tipped and threw them both into the river. Pucca managed to kick him down further while gripping the locket, breaking it off of Garu's neck.

Unfortunately the crash into the rover made Pucca lose the locket.

The rapids quickly battered the two, with them both trying to swim upstream to not be swept away, unfortunately, it was night, there was just a fight, and while Pucca's mouth was covered by a cloth, Garu kept swallowing the water.

Pucca grabbed onto a rock. The very same that had the locket and her heart.

She didn't know why, maybe it was her good nature, or her excitement, or maybe the urge to tease Garu, but she looked back to him to see him bobbing and struggling in the water.

She watched the locket, so close. Her heart beating wildly. She let go of the rock and swam with the current to get to Garu, leaving the locket to fall into the rapids.

Pucca grabbed him by the arm, dragging him and swimming sideways to a part of the shore. She dragged herself and him onto the muddy shore, continuing to drag him until they were on dry land. She began chest compressions harshly, trying to get him to cough up the water. 1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4. He managed to expel some from his mouth, but he wasn't breathing on his own.

Pucca grit her teeth and quickly performed two breaths, mouth to mouth, then went back to chest compressions. 1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4. Ear to his chest. Still not breathing!

Another batch of breaths.
1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4.
Breath...breath...
Listen...

He was finally breathing again.

Pucca sighed in relief, and felt sleep enter her bones. She unmasked herself and began to walk home, but didn't get too many meters before collapsing.

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She woke up covered in mud, her darkened clothes sticking to her skin that made her want to be rid of the cloth. She grit her teeth and pushed herself up. She looked back to see Garu gone.

She sighed and shivered violently. She then sneezed. She would probably have to go to the hospital, but all that ran through her mind was wanting to find home.

She trudged through as the sun made her clothes steamy from the clothes absorbing heat and trying to dry. The only the reason she wasn't targeted was because her face was no longer obscured. Long dark hair, and her circular face was shown for all to see, as well as what was thought to be a blush on her face as she held back snot and sneezes.

She went up to her room via jumping up, not caring if people saw her abilities. She just didn't want to make others sick either in the kitchen or the restaurant.

Pucca stripped down and changed into different clothes before flopping into her bed. She panted as she just tried to finally rest with no dreams.

One of Tobé's clan was having to wash everyone's clothes, as a part of chores. They sighed as they worked with washing things in the river until they saw a glint of gold.