Hi everybody!!! I'm back again!!! :D Ugh, I've got such a headache right now... Anyway, thanks for all the reviews everybody!! I loved to hear all of your feedback on Miyu being Amu's sister!!!! I tried to explain that in this chapter so if you have any more questions, feel free to ask and I'll answer them as best I can. And since I didn't want this chapter to just be boring explainations, there's also a nice big chunk of plot in here too. WOOT!! After this, we only have two more chappys!!! O.o It.. feels strange... I hope you enjoy!!!
Disclaimer: *clears throat* I DO NOT OWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is all.
"What?" Ikuto asked quietly, looking at Amu. Amu kept her eyes on her feet and didn't answer. "Amu?" Still nothing. "Amu, why didn't you tell me? Do you not trust me?" At this, Amu looked up sharply and her incredulous eyes finally met his questioning ones.
"What? Where'd you get that idea?"
"Nowhere, I just wanted you to look up," Ikuto replied with a smirk though it didn't reach his eyes.
"It's because she's ashamed to have me as a sister," Miyu said quietly, her gaze sad. Amu remained silent as Ikuto shot her another glance before directing his gaze to the still kneeling Miyu.
"That doesn't sound like Amu," he told her.
"No, it doesn't, but it's the truth. She's embarrassed to have the same blood as me."
"You're wrong," an almost inaudible voice murmured, the words nearly swept away on the wind. Miyu looked at Amu, confusion written all over her face. Amu calmly met her littlest sister's gaze. She gave Miyu a small smile. "How could I hate you? You're my youngest sister; of course I love you."
Miyu's eyes lit up and a relieved smile graced her lips. Amu's smile grew as she took a step towards her crouching sister. Miyu's mouth opened slightly as Amu walked up to her. Ikuto stepped out of Amu's path, smiling as well. Amu put a hand out for her sister and Miyu raised her outstretched fingers to grip it tightly, trembling slightly from emotion. Amu pulled her arm up and Miyu rose off the ground. She still kept moving toward her older sibling even though she was already standing. She clasped Amu tightly, ecstatic to finally have her favorite sister back. Amu hugged back, a few weak laughs escaping her lips. The emotions running through her made it difficult to raise the volume of her voice any higher. Ikuto stood off to the side, arms crossed, and tilted his head to the side, contemplating the strange couple the sisters made. No, not strange- unique.
Amu and Miyu pulled apart, now smiling brightly. They noticed Ikuto standing a few yards away and Amu blushed light pink while Miyu adopted a sheepish expression. Truthfully, they had forgotten he was there. They glanced at one another for a second and a silent message passed between them. They turned back to look at Ikuto and gave him dazzling smiles, immediately making him wary.
"What?" he asked suspiciously, taking a step back from the girls. They smiled even wider and bound toward him, embracing him tightly. He was surprised, but he didn't stay that way for long. You're not supposed to think about things like that when you have two extremely beautiful girls in your arms. He tightened his grip around them, but made sure that his hold on Amu was stronger.
Ikuto heard footsteps coming towards them and he snapped his head in their direction. When he saw who was coming towards them, he stiffened and gently pulled the two sisters off of him and turned them to face their new visitor. Takasu was walking towards them with a frown on his face, eyes constantly shifting from each of their faces. His eyes narrowed when he saw how close Ikuto was standing to Miyu, but relaxed when he saw him leaning in Amu's direction.
When Amu saw who was approaching, she cringed into Ikuto's chest, thinking that Takasu had come to bring her back to Halloween. Ikuto wrapped an arm around her waist, offering her silent comfort and a reminder that he was still here with her as he closely watched Takasu. Miyu became tense and she looked warily at Takasu.
"Miyu, what are you doing? Come back where you belong," Takasu said, his face closed. His eyes had a certain look of desperation hidden deep inside, as though he wanted nothing better than for her not to get involved in this any further. Miyu obeyed his orders, but not in the way he wanted or suspected.
"I am where I belong." She took a step closer to Amu and took Amu's soft hand in both of her own, partially facing her. "With my sister."
Takasu stared at Miyu, horrified. He knew that she wouldn't go back to Halloween after this and Gaito would hunt her down for the rest of her life. She'd only know despair and sadness for as long as she lives. In a last attempt to get her own of harm's way, he extended a hand to her, letting his indifferent mask fall away completely. His eyes bore into her's and pleaded with her to see reason. Miyu, however, just shook her head calmly, but still walked up to him, away from Amu and Ikuto, and took his hand.
"Join me," she told him, too quietly for Amu and Ikuto to hear. "I don't want to work for Halloween forever and I know you don't either." She leaned closer to him, staring up into his eyes, begging him to understand. "We'll be miserable for the rest of our lives if we stay."
"We don't have a choi-," he was cut off as Miyu began talking again.
"But we do have a choice, Takasu," she said, her eyes shining. Takasu was momentarily stunned before regaining control of himself and focusing on her words. "Amu and Ikuto want to rebel against Halloween in order for her to be free and I'm going to help." Takasu's eyes widened in shock and his mouth opened slightly.
"You ca-," He was cut off once more.
"I can and there's nothing you can do to stop me."
Takasu closed his eyes and his body sagged in exhaustion and defeat. He knew Miyu all too well; she never gave up on something once she decided on it. That was one of the things he admired about her and he definitely didn't want to lose it…
"I see," he murmured quietly to her. Their conversation had been in hushed tones and Amu and Ikuto heard nothing. Takasu leaned around Miyu to look at them and mentally smiled at the sight of Ikuto's arms around Amu. "I want to help you."
"R-really?" Amu asked, leaning forward a little bit in anticipation. Takasu nodded and she smiled brightly at him. Miyu took his hand and grinned up at him. Takasu grinned back. Looking over at Ikuto, Takasu saw him give him a barely noticeable nod of approval and a small half-grin. Takasu returned the gesture.
Amu and Ikuto's Charas, who had been completely forgotten for a while, expressed their own forms of joy: Ran cheering loudly with pom-poms waving, Miki grinning and drawing a sketch of the scene, Suu smiling her motherly smile, Dia jumping up and down slightly in excitement, and Yoru reclining in the air, arms behind his head, smiling lazily.
"So then, you've all betrayed me, huh?" a cold voice said, anger boiling beneath the words. Everyone froze and whipped around in its direction. Gaito was standing behind them, looking completely displeased. Ikuto hissed and pulled Amu into his arms protectively. Takasu took Miyu by the arm and pulled her behind him, eyes never leaving Gaito.
Gaito's frown deepened. "Really, I partially expected this of Amu and Miyu, but definitely not you Takasu. You've always been so faithful."
Takasu let out a short laugh. "Get your eyes checked." Gaito's eyes narrowed and he took a step closer, slipping a hand into his pocket almost imperceptivity. Ikuto and Takasu noticed though and kept the girls out of danger. Well, they weren't happy with this, not one bit. Another silent message of understanding passed through them and they ripped themselves out of the protective arms encasing them. They stood tall and proud, placing themselves next to Takasu and Ikuto.
"We may be girls," Miyu said, her eyes determined. "But we're not weaklings." Amu nodded in agreement. Takasu and Ikuto looked at each other, confused, over the sister's heads. Gaito had watched the scene in amusement, but now that it was over, he was back to his previous self.
"I guess you leave me no choice, but to skip a few steps in my plan." Gaito raised his arm and on his ring finger was a black gem with a silver band.
"Crap," Amu and Miyu muttered together. Takasu and Ikuto shot them strange glances.
The ring began to glow and Amu dived for the Charas while Miyu raised her arm in a gesture identical to Gaito's. Her hand began to glow with a white light. Amu raced toward the Charas as fast as she could. Takasu and Ikuto just looked around in bewilderment. Gaito's ring suddenly gave off the darkest energy that anyone had ever seen. Miyu's hand burst into white light at the same second, but everyone was enraptured with the blackness Gaito had produced. Everyone heard the Chara's screams as some force pulled them away from their master and mistress.
"Ran, Miki, Suu, Dia!" Amu screamed as Ikuto shouted,"Yoru!" They heard many shouts of "Amu-chan!" and "Ikuto!" in response, but that was all they got. When the darkness cleared, only Amu, Ikuto, Takasu, and Miyu remained. Gaito had disappeared and the Charas had been taken by Gaito.
"No," Amu whispered as her knees gave out. Ikuto caught her and helped her back to her feet, still supporting most of her weight. She smiled gratefully at him and he grinned back her though his eyes were full of worry and concern.
Miyu walked up to the pair, Takasu at her shoulder, and looked Amu straight in the eye.
"You recognize his ring don't you?" she asked, completely serious.
"Yep," Amu replied, trying to keep her voice light, but failing.
"What was it?" Ikuto asked.
"It's a special gem that Gaito made me collect for him once," Amu said, her eyes downcast. "It has the ability to take any type of magical aid away from someone. The keeper of the rings would then have that power for himself. And that's what happened to us, Ikuto. Gaito used the ring to take our Charas and now he has our power in the palm of his hand to use against us."
"We'll be by your side so you're not helpless," Takasu said, giving Amu a small smile.
"And I managed to create a duplicate ring that matches Gaito's," Miyu said proudly, holding out her hand with a gleaming white gem and gold band wrapped around her fourth finger. It shimmered in the light of the setting sun, throwing rainbows across the park. "Whenever the ring is used, there is an opportunity for a duplicate ring to be created. And using this ring is the only way to get rid of the other ring and free your Charas."
"So, you can see Charas?" Ikuto asked Miyu and Takasu. They both nodded.
"But we don't have any ourselves," Takasu informed him.
"Instead, Takasu and I can transform into birds. (AN: See, -Devilish-Anime-Angel-, you did inspire me though it definitely took a while for it to show!! XD) So, we can protect you. All we need to do is get Gaito's ring and then Amu and I will finish this." As Miyu said this, she glanced sharply at Amu who warily met her gaze. Amu unconsciously reached for Ikuto's hand and clasped it tightly. He looked down at their intertwined hands in surprise, wondering why she was acting this way. She's been like this ever since Gaito revealed his black ring. She seems to be acting as though their time together has suddenly become limited…
'Heh, why would she think that? Don't be stupid,' Ikuto thought to himself. He just couldn't help but think that though as he looked over at the tense Amu.
A little while after the sun had set, Amu, Ikuto, Takasu, and Miyu arrived at a hotel and got two separate rooms. After much debating, it was decided that Miyu and Takasu would share a room while Amu and Ikuto shared the other. Ikuto and Takasu walked into their separate rooms without sawying anything, but the girls looked at one another for a second.
"Amu, I want to come over to your room when Ikuto's asleep, okay? There's something I want to ask you about. It won't take long."
"That's fine," Amu said before following walking into her room after Ikuto. Miyu stared after her sister for a little bit until she sighed and walked into her own room. Takasu was lounging on the bed and he patted the space next to him, beckoning her over. Miyu smiled, forgetting her previous worries for the time being, and leapt onto the bed next to him. He chuckled at her and pulled her into a warm hug. She relaxed into his chest, feeling completely content. Takasu really knew how to make her calm.
Amu and Ikuto were sitting quietly in bed with their arms around each other. Their breathing was the only sound in the room. Amu had her eyes closed and her head was resting peacefully against him shoulder. Ikuto idly traced his fingers along her arm, drawing complex patterns that she couldn't have a hope of understanding.
"So, we're fighting Gaito tomorrow, huh?" he asked quietly, his drawing never ceasing.
"Yeah," she murmured in response. "There's no need to wait much longer. We'd only be dragging out the inevitable." Ikuto didn't say anything, just nodded. Their voices faded into silence and they simply listened to their new favorite melody: the other's breathing.
"Care to tell me about the whole Miyu being your sister thing?" Ikuto asked, regrettably breaking the silence.
"Sure." Amu sat up and leaned her back against the headboard. Ikuto placed his head in her lap and she ran her fingers through his silky hair. He purred softly, causing her to giggle quietly.
"Well," she began. "You remember when I said one of my sister's bodies twitched? Well, that would have been Miyu and she was still alive though only a little bit. Takasu's father carried her body down to the river to dispose of it properly. Takasu followed and was suddenly filled with rage. He had enough of being a part of his father's crimes. He took out the knife that he had hidden in his boot and killed his father. I could only imagine how horrible that must have been… Anyway, Takasu took Miyu back with him to Halloween. Takasu told Gaito that his father had fallen and hit his head on a rock. Gaito was suspicious at first, but since Takasu's family had always been faithful to Halloween, he let it slide and took Takasu's word for it, not even ordering any guard to collect the body. Takasu told Gaito that Miyu could enter Halloween in the place of his dead father. Gaito agreed and Miyu began working for them once she recovered from her injuries. Takasu always felt guilty for getting her dragged into Halloween, but he only wanted to protect her. I think that she probably wouldn't be here right now if he didn't help her.
"I never told you about this for Miyu's safety. Gaito knew she was my sister, but he wasn't interested in anything besides the fact that she was working for him and obeying his orders. So, he made sure nobody else knew. If any others found out, they would try to kill her, because I had caused Halloween such trouble and taking it all out on my littlest sister would be the best way of getting back at me. Takasu could have probably protected her, but nobody wanted to take the chance so we just kept her identity secret."
Ikuto had been silent throughout Amu's entire speech. When she was done, he looked up at her and grinned. "Thanks for telling me."
Amu blushed bright red and averted her eyes. She expected him to laugh and tease her, but she heard nothing. Looking back at him, she saw that he was looking at her with a strange fire in his eyes. Amu's own eyes widened and her lips parted slightly. Ikuto's azure eyes gleamed like a cat's in the darkness of the bedroom, the only light coming from the full moon outside in the sky.
He dipped his head down towards her's. He gently cupped her face in his hands and she, surprisingly, didn't fight back. Instead, she let him do as he pleased. His mouth moved to her throat and he planted butterfly kisses all along her collarbone and neck, arms tightening around her waist. She in turn placed her arms around his neck lightly.
Ikuto kissed up her throat and along her jaw. He traveled up to her ear and nibbled on it lightly. She shivered with pleasure. He continued along his journey up her face, lips brushing against her skin. He planted a kiss to her forehead and then one to her nose. He went down a little farther and his lips fell against her's. His soft hair brushed her face as his hands dropped from her face and moved to her waist, pulling her even closer to him. Her hands went to his face and she gently stroked her face with her small, soft fingers.
They broke apart for air and smiled breathlessly at each other. Ikuto pulled her into an embrace and she relaxed against him. He fell asleep in a matter of minutes, but Amu stayed up and watched him smile in his sleep as she waited for Miyu.
After 3 in the morning, Miyu managed to slip out of her bed and walk over to Amu and Ikuto's room. The doorknob was cold to her warm flesh. She shivered as she entered their room. She walked over to where Amu was sleeping and smiled at the sight. Amu was sleeping peacefully with Ikuto's strong arms resting around her waist protectively. Miyu hated to disturb this picture perfect moment, but she had to speak with Amu about something. She reached a hand forward and gently shook Amu's shoulder. She woke up quickly and quietly slipped out of Ikuto's arms. She gave him a kiss on the cheek before she walked up to Miyu.
"What did you want to tell me?"Amu asked as she looked closely at Miyu.
"Well, um," Miyu started. "I wanted to talk about that what we're going to do with Gaito's ring and mine." Amu immediately paled, but Miyu continued talking in a hushed tone. "You're not really going to go through with it Amu, right? You know just how badly that will hurt Ikuto."
"I know," Amu replied sadly. "But I can see no other way out of this."
"There has to be!"
"There isn't."
The sisters remained quiet for a few minutes, staring sadly at each other.
"But I only just got you back," Miyu whispered, her voice breaking. Her eyes filled with tears and Amu's did shortly after. "I don't want to lose you again."
One of them reached for the other and then they were hugging each other tightly, tears streaming down their faces.
"The final battle's tomorrow," Amu managed to choke out. "And I have a feeling that it won't end well."
"I know," Miyu responded before bursting into tears.
And Ikuto slept peacefully through all of this, unaware of just what Amu would have to do come tomorrow.
Heh, I have this feeling that you're all not gonna be too happy with me once you read what Amu's gonna do... But please keep in mind that I love happy endings. I can promise you that this story's ending is gonna be a happy one!! Anyway, expect the next chappy to be up in a few days. And don't forget to review!!!! They're the highlights of my day!!!! :)
OMG Chapter 40 is coming out in Japan today!!! *SQUEE* :D I can't wait to read it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I hope Amu and Ikuto kiss soon...)
