She sat breathing in and out as she pet his head which lay in her lap.

Ikuto was almost asleep and his arms wrapped around Amu's waist protectively as they waited for the two to return with Tsukasa. Amu knew she probably wouldn't recognize him. He must have grown into a great man, but how was she supposed to know if that was the case?

He'd been a weird kid. Just like Ikuto.

She'd met him when he first turned ten.

"Are you really a demon?" The young blond had asked as he stared up at her tilting his head.

"Of course I am you twit." Amulet sighed glaring at the human boy.

"You seem too pretty to be a demon." Tsukasa continued, starting his climb up the tree.

"Some demons can take on more then one form. I have three."

"Oh, and what are your other forms?!" Tsukasa stopped struggling sitting underneath the demon's tree branch.

"You human children ask too many questions."

"Demon." A man exited the temple storming over to the sakura tree. "What have you been telling him."

"Nothing you fool." Amulet rolled her eyes. "Listen here Tsumugu," She leapt from her branch coming face to face with the monk. "If you don't release me within these three years that you promised, I will come for your soul. But first I'll feast on your dreams. Who knows what's hiding up there..."

"Don't threaten me." Tsumugu snapped. "I, unlike you beasts, keep my promises."

"You said we'd be able to practice today." Tsukasa ran up to the older ones. "So can we?"

"Yes, let's begin."

Ikuto's breath was slow and deep. Amu noticed this was the first time since he was a child that neither of them had an ill-will, snide comments, or conversation passing between them when they were in the same room/place.

Then a beep ruined the silence and quiet peace.

Ikuto sat up pulling something out of his pocket. His cellphone screen was lit from a new message.

"Utau said they're walking up the steps."

"It's only been an hour." Amu said.

"They work fast." Ikuto walked over to the top of the steps staring down.

"Damn right we do." Kukai's voice came as he appeared, Utau was right behind him an annoyed expression on her face, next came Tadase, Nadeshiko came in the back with a man's arm wrapped in hers.

"We got him." Nadeshiko grinned. "Now where's the demon?"

"Why does she know about me?" Amu asked narrowing her eyes.

"I haven't been here in years." The blonde man said his tone soft. His eyes moved around the area falling to the tree Amu often rested on. "It's gotten bigger.

"So have you." Amu spoke turning his attention to her. "Things change, sixteen years can do that to people."

"Amulet." Tsukasa smiled moving towards her. "I had no idea you were still here. I thought you'd stopped existing or... gone back to hell."

"No and no." Amu growled. "You can thank your old teacher for that. Thinking I had disappeared doesn't explain why you stopped coming all together."

Tsukasa's feet paused a yard from Amu. "That's true, there were too many memories. I didn't like the idea of reliving them. Especially not alone. And this place would only cause them to comeback.

"Running from yourselves." The pinkette clicked her tongue. "Seems to be what you humans do best."

Tsukasa moved closer while Ikuto stood on the side glaring at him.

"Your hair, it's not bright pink anymore."

"No, it's not." Amu slapped his hand away. "Now, where is the key? How can we break this barrier?"

"Tell me what's going on and I'll give you the key."

"It's got nothing to do with you." Ikuto stalked over to Amu.

"Well obviously it does, otherwise I wouldn't be here. You need something from me. I want to know one thing from you."

"I'm not a demon anymore." Amu said. "I was exposed to human emotion. Demons aren't supposed to have any. If we experience any, we become something else fueled on emotions alone. I'm becoming one of the two things I can become. One of them will. Kill. Humans. Now tell me what I want to know and hand over the key."

Tsukasa crossed his arms. "What does the key unlock?"

"Something you don't need to know about, hand over the key." Ikuto clenched his fists.

The older male smiled shaking his head. "I was told to never let Amu get near it. Never to give it to her."

"This is life or death."

"I'm keeping my word. I can't give you the key." Tsukasa said.

"What if we take it from you?" Kukai held up his hands as though he had thought of something ingenious.

Tadase moved up to the group. "Give the key to me then."

"You believe us then?" Utau asked.

The princely boy shrugged. "Not particularly, but I'd prefer if we could hurry this up. I'm kind of wondering what this Amu creature looks like. Plus at this point when someone speaks to her it looks like they're crazy." He looked back at Tsukasa. "Give it to me, I'll give you my word, she won't touch it."

Amu rolled her eyes. "I won't even look at it."

Tsukasa rubbed the back of his neck with his right hand before sighing. "Give me the box. I'll unlock it."

"Just give us-"

"Listen, Utau right?" Tsukasa looked at the twin-tailed blonde. "This key was entrusted to me. I'm just asking to unlock the thing it goes to. Mostly because I have no clue what that object is. But also because frankly I don't trust any of you with the key. Or the object you're trying to get."

Utau rushed off to get the box, Amu never took her eyes off of Tsukasa. Finding the key and the box in one day, something was off. Something big would happen soon.