"Bottling things up isn't healthy, in case you didn't know." Ikuto mentioned, following after Amu as she walked down the streets. Apparently the less violent nonchalant attitude he received in the morning was a fluke, because soon she was pounding on his door demanding him to get a move on for the day.
"I'm very tempted to shove something sharp and painful up your ass."She growled, walking ahead of him quickly. She wanted to get what needed to be done as quickly as possible, and his comments weren't speeding up the process at all.
"Is that a promise or a threat?"
"It's both."
"Funny, I'm almost beginning to miss the girl that clung to me like a stuffed animal."He mused out loud, smirking as he saw her face tinge pink. She turned to glare at him, the key to Tadase's door visible in her hand.
"That never leaves our confidentiality."She muttered, stabbing the key into the lock and swiftly turning it to open the door. He chuckled, following her as she entered the room and made her way over to Tadase.
"Ah, hello there Hinamori-san," Tadase greeted, his usual cheery smile on his face. "How're you on this fine day?"
"Peachy now shut it." She grumbled, shifting through her keys still. Ikuto watched her, curious as to why she hadn't gone over to him and begun to carve him like a Christmas ham. If her delay in actions weren't already peculiar enough, her pacing over to him and swiftly unshackling him from the wall were sure to cause questions to arise in any below average minded person.
"I think I'm hallucinating, because I swear you're releasing him."He said, watching as Tadase landed on his feet, staring with wide eyes at his now freed hands and feet. Amu quickly turned and headed for the door, passing by Ikuto swiftly and not even glancing back at Tadase.
"You're not hallucinating, I'm just going insane. Now move your asses or we won't be able to let Nagihiko or Kairi go."She called back, not stopping to wait for them. Ikuto stared at the doorway, before turning to look at Tadase, questions blatant in his eyes. Tadase only smiled bigger, his whole entire face lighting up as if being under the noontime sun.
"What you just saw was a glimpse of the Amu-chan we know and love," Tadase said, beginning to follow after her through the doorway. "You've somehow changed her just a bit; maybe even enough to have her return to us fully."
"I didn't do anything though," Ikuto replied, following after Tadase. "All I did was act normally, which could be classified as almost jerk like and say 'I forgive you'. And you expect me to believe that's all that had to be done?"
"The smallest of actions affect anyone," Tadase said, his smile growing soft as he looked at Amu's back as she headed to Nagihiko's door. "And sometimes the most powerful words aren't what we usually think of them as, but what we would never consider to be strong."
"So you're saying that she responded to jerk actions and forgiveness better than your princely attitude?"
"Basically yes."
"This is one fucked up place."
"Alright, you're probably wondering why you're no longer where you're supposed to be." Amu said, her eyes scanning over the boys in front of her. Tadase stood there, a smile on his face, next to Ikuto, who seemed completely bored out of his mind and as if he could care less. Next to him stood Nagihiko, wearing a pair of pants that she had filched from Ikuto's room without him knowing about it. Finally, Kairi stood next to him a calculating look on his face as he looked around. She couldn't help but smile to herself, remembering days when this little group minus Ikuto would be waiting for her at school, ready to start a new day.
"I for one am quite curious," Kairi said, pushing his glasses up his nose. "So please, clue us in as to why we're being allowed to roam free."
"Gladly," She said, turning her head to face Kairi. "There's no real reason to beat around the bush, so I might as well say it. I have talked to higher ups, and all four of you will be leaving here forever."
"Leaving here," Ikuto repeated, raising an eyebrow. "As in, leaving Hell?"
"Exactly. When we get to the rendezvous point and if you meet their requirements, then you will most likely be leaving here and going straight to Heaven." She stated as if she had just said what was being served for lunch. All their eyes widened at this, the thought so seemingly farfetched to them that it seemed a cruel joke to them that it was being mentioned. Tadase was the first to recover, swallowing before speaking in a small voice.
"You mean…Heaven? As in, angels and happiness for the rest of our lives Heaven?"He asked, his eyes beginning to shine brightly. She nodded, causing an excited chatter amongst the three young boys at the prospect of leaving. Ikuto stayed silent, staying oblivious to their reactions and watching hers instead.
"And what about you," He finally said, staring straight at her. Tadase, Nagihiko, and Kairi silenced themselves as he spoke to her, "What're you going to do as we go frolicking off to a happy ever after?"
"Why should it matter to you," Amu said, returning his stare with her own. "You're probably going free, so you've got nothing else to worry about."
"Amu-chan...If you don't come with us, then we're not going." Nagihiko said slowly, turning his head slowly to stare at her. Tadase and Kairi nodded their agreement, both turning to look at her.
"That's right. We're not leaving without you, not now or ever."Kairi stated, his eyes shining behind his glasses.
"Ugh…Geez, I'm coming with alright?" Amu sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I figured you guys would be too obstinate on me going, so I decided to haul myself along for the ride as well."
"Of course we'd be obstinate about you going," Nagihiko said, looking at her along with Tadase and Kairi. "You're our friend and no matter what the situation, we're all in it together."
"Right," Tadase chimed in, smiling at Amu. "So let's go, eh Amu-chan?"
Amu's expression softened at their words, a small smile beginning to form. "Yeah, we should get going," She said, turning and heading to the rendezvous point. They followed after her Tadase, Kairi, and Nagihiko talking amongst themselves about what it would be like to be free from there. Ikuto kept silent, his eyes staying on Amu the entire time.
"Something's up with her…"Ikuto thought, noticing how she stayed silent through all their chatter, keeping her eyes staring straight at the path ahead. He picked up his pace, soon walking right beside her instead of lagging behind the rest of them. Amu glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, keeping her gaze straight ahead.
"What, you miss being by my side that much?"She questioned, a small smirk gracing her face. He looked over at her, hands stuffed into his pockets.
"Not at all. I was just wondering what you're hiding from them," He stated, watching as she tensed up slightly. He leaned closer to her, his mouth close to her ear, "You may fool them, but I can see past any act of yours. And I know for a fact that you're lying."
"Well whoop de freaking doo. You want a reward for figuring that out?"Amu hissed, glaring at him harshly. He returned her glare with his own cool stare, refusing to back down.
"I want to know why you're playing them like fools," He muttered, his eyes boring into hers. "They trust you completely yet you're leading them on, letting them think you've changed."
"Well congrats, you've learned a lesson today," She said, speeding up her pace as they neared the spot. "It takes a lot more than a few pretty words to completely change a person."
Their group stood together, waiting for their mystery person to appear. Amu sighed, running her hands through her hair.
"Come on; let's get this show on the road."She thought, glaring at nothing in particular. Ikuto sat on the ground, watching her as she growled slightly. He barely registered that someone was sitting next to him, at least until his name was spoken. He turned his head, meeting the side profile of Nagihiko as he also gazed at Amu.
"You noticed it too, huh?"He stated, looking over at Ikuto. Ikuto shrugged, resting his head on his palm as he looked across the expanse of the area.
"I've no idea what you're talking about."He said, earning a low chuckle from Nagihiko. Nagihiko turned so that his stare returned to Amu's back.
"She's lying, there's no doubt about that," Nagihiko noted, watching as her foot tapped impatiently. "But what you think she's lying about and what she's actually lying about are two completely different things."
Ikuto's eyes roved over in Nagihiko's general direction, earning another small chuckle from the boy. "What do you mean two completely different things?"
"You think she's lying about us becoming free, right," He asked, watching as Ikuto nodded. "Well my hunch is that she isn't. My guess is that whatever she's lying about it doesn't concern us. Or it may, considering on your viewpoint."
Ikuto sighed, leaning back on his arms as he thought long and hard about what had been said. He closed his eyes, drifting through the memories of days before that could give clues as to what she was hiding from them. Finally, when his conclusion came to mind, he snapped his eyes open and turned to look over at Nagihiko.
"She's seriously not leaving herself behind here, right?"He inquired, his eyes widening slightly as Nagihiko only gave a small nod in response.
"I'm afraid so," Nagihiko replied looking over at him, eyes beginning to shine with unshed tears. "She's given herself up to this fate, and we can't do anything about it at the moment."
"Idiot…."Ikuto muttered turning his attention to Amu's back. She stood before them her back facing them as her arms were crossed over her chest, foot tapping faster and faster.
"Come on come on come on…"She muttered, staring straight ahead at where their freedom would appear. Suddenly a small sphere of white light shone, growing larger and brighter until they all had to shield their eyes to keep from going blind. When the light died down, they lowered their arms to see a young girl with blue hair and glasses set upon her face standing before them, carrying a clipboard and pen with her.
"I presume you are Hinamori Amu," The girl asked, pushing her glasses up her nose. Amu nodded, causing the girl's face to brighten with a smile. "Good! My name is Wakana, and I am here for the transfer of Hotori Tadase, Fujisaki Nagihiko, Sanjou Kairi, and Tsukiyomi Ikuto."
"What about Hinamori-san?"Kairi asked, standing up from his spot on the ground. Wakana looked down at her clipboard, flipping a few pages before looking back at Kairi apologetically.
"I'm sorry, but Hinamori-senpai is not on the list of transfers. You must have been misinformed about what was happening today."She said, shifting the clipboard that she held in her arms. Tadase and Kairi turned to look at Amu, shock written clearly across their faces.
"A-Amu-chan," Tadase stuttered, trying to deny the truth set before him. She kept her eyes focused on Wakana, refusing to turn and look at them.
"Well, you have my permission: Now get on with it."
"Very well then," Wakana said cheerfully, looking through her clipboard carefully. "Would Hotori Tadase please step forward?"
Tadase shakily stepped forward, his eyes glistening with unshed tears as he walked towards her. He kept his head down, walking past Amu without a single glance in her direction. She watched as he walked, finally stopping within a few feet of Wakana.
"I-I am H-Hotori Tadase," He said, licking his suddenly dry lips. He felt increasingly nervous as he watched her nod, turning behind her where she had appeared only moments ago.
"Sohma Kukai, you may reveal yourself," She called out, stepping aside as if someone were already marching their way towards them. The white light appeared again, flashing brightly before popping out a young adolescent. He appeared to be around the age of fourteen, his green eyes gleaming with youth and excitement.
"Yo, long time no see Hotori!"Kukai said, giving a thumbs up and wide grin as a greeting. His unruly brown hair framed his face, complimenting the almost disheveled attire he wore. He wore a white sleeveless t-shirt underneath a completely unbuttoned white dress shirt, both shoes untied and jeans riding low on his hips.
"It's good to see you too," Tadase croaked, giving him his own weak smile. "You seem to have just rolled out of bed."
"Ah, you know; Practicing soccer all day gets you worn out, so I thought I could hit a quick power nap. And well, I kind of overslept a little…"Kukai said, his hand rubbing his neck as he explained. Tadase smiled, glad to know that Kukai had yet to change from the friend he once knew and cared for deeply.
"Glad you could make acquaintance again with your friend Sohma-san," Wakana said, adjusting her glasses. "But we must move on so as to fit everybody else in as well."
"Right right, sorry about that!"Kukai said, giving her a grin that stretched from one ear to the other. She smiled, glad that after so long he could see his friend, before beginning with the rest of the procedure.
"Now then Sohma-san, do you understand Hotori-san's reason for being down here?"She asked, looking down at the clipboard.
"I should hope so. I mean, I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for his reason!"He said, jabbing his thumb in his own direction. Wakana sighed, deciding to ignore the unusual level of happy from someone who was facing his murderer.
"Now then, do you Hotori Tadase take full responsibility for your actions?"She asked, turning to look over at Tadase. He swallowed, his hands twitching slightly before he spoke.
"I-I do."
"And do you fully and truly regretful of what you did?"
"I-I am. I've never regretted doing something so much with my entire soul," Tadase said, his eyes looking directly into Kukai's. "If there was any way that I could take back what I did and give you back the life I had so selfishly taken, I would do it before you could bat an eye."
She nodded, writing everything that had been said so far down onto the clipboard. "Well then Sohma-san, do you forgive Hotori-san? Or do you believe that he still deserves the eternal damnation that has been given to his being?"
"Are you nuts," Kukai asked, giving Wakana a look of pure shock. "Forgive him? Forgive him?"
Tadase's head bowed in despair as he listened to Kukai's answer. "Of course he'd never forgive me. I'm a stupid, selfish wannabe ruler of the world."
Wakana nodded, looking down at her clipboard. "Well then, I understand your inability to forgive him. Next-""
"Whoa whoa wait a minute," Kukai shouted, waving his hands frantically. "I wasn't done speaking! I was just using dramatic build-up, that's all! I wasn't serious, honest!"
"Was this kid dropped on his head as a baby?" Ikuto thought, looking at Kukai incredulously. Amu slapped her palm against her forehead, dragging it down her face in an exasperated manner.
"Er…Well then, what is your answer, if you don't me asking?" Wakana asked wringing her hands together, glancing between Kukai and Tadase. Kukai walked over to Tadase, who was now staring up at him with awe in his eyes.
"He couldn't be…Could he?" Tadase thought, staring at Kukai as he now stood only a few feet away from him. Kukai raised his arm, hooking it swiftly around Tadase's neck and bringing the young boy's body close to his own. Tadase grunted as he landed face first into Kukai's side, mouth filling with cloth. He looked up at Kukai, who was grinning at Wakana and had his thumb jerked towards Tadase.
"Of course I forgive him! He's my best friend, it'd be practically hypocritical to not forgive him," Kukai said, a serious tone in his voice to accompany the playful grin on his face. "Besides, I'd have probably done the same thing if I were in his place. After all, it was a pretty important plan to you, right?"
Tadase nodded, speechless by Kukai's forgiveness. "Y-Yeah…" He stuttered, suddenly feeling light headed and dizzy. He leaned heavily against Kukai, his breathing labored as the dizzying feeling spread throughout his entire being.
"You okay Hotori?" Kukai asked, looking down with concern clearly written on his face. Tadase nodded, lacking the ability to speak as he tried to get a grasp onto the feelings coursing through him.
"He's probably just experiencing what we like to call the Uplift Affect," Wakana explained, writing down something next to Tadase's name. "Now that he's forgiven, he's probably feeling as light as feather since all that guilty weight is gone."
"Sh-She's right…" Tadase huffed out, looking around at his friends and their concerned glances. "I feel so light…Almost as if I could float away from here forever…"
"Well then get going," Amu said, causing his attention to turn directly towards her. "You're free, there's nothing holding you here, so get going."
Tadase's eyes softened, his lips forming a small smile. "Amu-chan, I may be free, but there is something holding me here."
"Geez, what else is holding you here?" Amu asked, her eyebrow having risen in question. Tadase turned to face her, posture straight and eyes staring straight into hers with bold determination.
"The other thing that is holding me here," Tadase began his voice strong and gentle sounding. "Is something I hold very dear to me, something of great importance. Or rather that something is actually someone, and that someone I hold so close to me is you, Amu-chan."
"Oh God, here comes the sappy soap opera speech." Ikuto thought, watching the pair before him with intent eyes along with the rest of the group. He watched for Amu's reaction closely, seemingly ignoring how the rest of the males' jaws dropped considerably from their original places, or how Wakana gazed upon the pair with love struck eyes.
Amu's cheeks flared pink as she looked at Tadase with wide eyes. "I-I…ah…uh…E-Excuse me?" She stammered, staying completely still as she watched Tadase advance towards her. He stopped in front of her, so close to her that she could have barely lifted her arm and it would brush across his chest.
"You heard me; you are someone who holds great value to me," Tadase said, clasping her hands in his as he gazed deeply into her eyes. "I have always considered you a close friend to me, and sometimes I would question whether I would cross the line of friendship into romance, or stay on the shores of safety and only gaze longingly at the treacherous waters of love."
"'Treacherous waters of love'? Did he even go through puberty before he kicked the bucket?" Ikuto thought, watching with slight disgust as the scene unfolding before his eyes. He was never one for romantic movies that he would be forced to view with Utau, and unfortunately for him this scene seemed almost identical to one that could be found in a movie. Though almost identical to having witnessed a horrible car crash, Ikuto found that he couldn't tear his eyes away as Tadase continued his speech.
"As time went on, I found myself thinking more and more about what it would be like to be something other than friends," Tadase said, causing the pink in Amu's cheeks to become darker and more noticeable. "And when I had come here to discover you chained to this fate I vowed to somehow save you, even if it was at the cost of my own soul. To me, the freedom of your immortal life was far more precious than saving my own pathetic self. And as I thought and pondered on how to protect you from these cruelties, I answered my own question from so long ago concerning what I wanted to do."
"Ah…I-Is that so…?" Amu stuttered, shuffling her feet slightly. She felt like her face would melt off from all the heat coming into her cheeks, with more pouring in constantly from his closeness and words.
Tadase nodded his small smile so soft and gentle that she had to wonder if it was even possible for someone to even try and act as gentle as he looked. "Yes, it is so. And the answer I came up with one that I felt I had known for so long, but was just too afraid to admit. The answer being that I love you with all my heart Amu-chan." He said, closing the gap between them by leaning in and planting a soft gentle kiss on her red cheek.
"Now see, that's how you should have dealt with your confession to Amu-chan." Nagihiko whispered, leaning in close to Kairi's ear to avoid being overheard by anyone else. Kairi's eyebrow twitched in annoyance, before an evil smirk came on his face.
"Really now? Well I seem to recall that a certain transfer student by the name of 'Nadeshiko' would seemingly have trouble keeping what boys would call an erection down whenever she stared too long at certain places on Hinamori-san," Kairi said, giving Nagihiko a challenging look from behind his glasses. "Mind telling me why that might be?"
"Ah…On second thought, I think your confession was much better than Tadase's. I believe he may have even copied some parts."
"That's what I thought you meant."
Tadase pulled back, a blush on his face to compliment the smile he wore. "So Amu-chan, I'll work just as hard to get you back to me. Even if it takes the rest of eternity, I'll patiently work to save you."
Amu nodded dumbly, too stunned from the recent confession to say anything else. Tadase gave a heartwarming smile before turning back to Wakana and Kukai. "Wakana-san, I'm now ready to move on."
Wakana sighed, fanning herself with her clipboard, a dreamy look on her face. "Oh alright, but I don't take enjoyment in tearing apart love! Especially one as pure as what you hold for her."
"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." Tadase reassured her, giving her a warm comforting smile. Wakana sighed, deciding it was best to go on instead of fight with him about the concepts of love and its workings.
"Alright then Hotori-san, if you would please step as close to Sohma-san as you can get." Wakana said, motioning for him to move next to Kukai. Tadase nodded, walking over and standing as close to Kukai as he could without making it too uncomfortable for the both of them, "Good. Now then, as guide to the heavenly afterlife awaiting you, I grant permission for you to move on!"
A white circle appeared at Kukai and Tadase's feet, the light having initially flashed as brilliantly as the light that had delivered Kukai before dulling down to a tolerable glow. A mysterious wind seemed to encase them in a sphere of wind, endlessly whipping their clothes around their bodies. Soon the light from the circle rose, following the path of the wind as it covered them completely. The light shone brighter and brighter, until finally it flashed a blinding white before disappearing altogether. Where Kukai and Tadase had once stood was now empty space, signifying a successful departure.
"Alright then, one transfer down," Wakana said, marking it down on her clipboard before looking up at the group left. "Now, would Fujisaki Nagihiko step forward?"
"But of course," Nagihiko said, striding forward with grace and confidence in every step. He passed by Amu who was still dazed from Tadase's confession only moments ago.
"You may want to stop gaping and staring blankly Amu-chan," He commented, stopping in front of Wakana. "It's quite unfitting of you."
Amu snapped back to reality, glaring at Nagihiko, her face red from blushing. "Sh-Shut up! What do you expect me to do, completely and utterly ignore what happened and go on with everything?"
"He's an idiot; of course he'd expect that," A soft voice said, a bright flash following immediately after. When the light died down a small girl stood next to Wakana, her doll like face framed with mounds of thick wavy blonde hair. Her amber eyes glared at Nagihiko, tiny arms crossed over her white dress as the layered skirts ruffled with her movements.
"Good to see you again Amu. Cross dresser," She greeted, tone changing from soft to curt instantaneously. Nagihiko gave her a warm smile, ignoring the nervous pounding of his heart from behind his chest.
"Ah Rima-chan, it's so good to see you. You haven't changed a-"
"No one wants to hear your opinion cross dresser."
Kairi snickered feeling enjoyment at watching Rima snap at Nagihiko. "Fujisaki-kun, I believe the proper terminology here is 'You've been burned'."
"And I believe the proper terminology for Yaya always getting sweets from you whenever she demanded is 'You are whipped'."Nagihiko countered, not even bothering to look back at Kairi. Kairi went silent, opting to instead watch how events unfolded rather than be publicly humiliated further.
"Okay then…" Wakana said, unsure if it was safe to proceed or not, "I think it's time we move on with this procedure. Do you take full responsibility for your actions Fujisaki Nagihiko?"
"I do."
"And are you truly and fully regretful of your actions?"
"Ah…Such a difficult question to answer," Nagihiko sighed, closing his eyes. "I regret the repercussions of my actions dearly, but as for the actions themselves I do not regret. I knew that it would hurt my friends to see me leave, but I figured that they would soon cross the bridge of missing my presence and move on in life. Had I known that such actions would cause a death amongst them, I would never have gone and done such a thing."
"You're a purple haired windbag, you know that," Rima stated, eyes staring apathetically at him. "She's asking whether you regret it or not. It's really quite a simple answer: Yes or no."
"But does she mean do I regret the action in general, or do I regret it just because of the repercussions?" Nagihiko pondered, eyes locking with hers intently. Electricity seemed to fill the air as the two stared at each other in a heated contest of wills.
"Erm…I think I'll just put that as a yes…" Wakana said, feeling more uncomfortable by the minute. "Um, Mashiro-san, do you forgive him or not?"
"Yeah, I forgive him. I forgave him a while ago because I can completely see where he's coming from with the whole 'leave and be a new person' bit," Rima said, looking over at Wakana. "I just like giving him a really hard time about things."
"Ah…Is that so," Wakana said, laughing nervously as she quickly scribbled down his release onto the paper. Nagihiko sighed falling to his knees in front of Rima, closing his eyes in relief. When he reopened them, he stared at her with the utmost thankfulness in his gaze.
"Thank you Rima-chan," Nagihiko said, his eyes glistening as tears began to form. "I was so afraid that I hurt you deeply, and that you could never forgive me. I had already berated myself for causing you the amount of pain I did when we were both alive by leaving, so hearing you forgive me is just…just so relieving."
"Whatever cross dresser," Rima muttered, a tiny blush on her face as she stared in the other direction. She walked forward, stopping only when she was a few inches away from him. She held out her hand, indicating her desire for him to take it. Nagihiko blinked before smiling and grasping her hand tightly, pulling her into him quickly so as to embrace her without much struggles from her.
Rima's face became a cherry red, her eyes widening before closing as her arms wrapped around his neck. "Good to have you back…Cross dressing weirdo." She said, resting her head against his shoulder.
"It's good to be back...Tiny demon." He said, chuckling as she frowned at the nickname. Wakana smiled as she fondly watched them show their relationship in their own way, friendship or something more being up to them entirely.
"Well then, I believe that this is my cue to excuse you two," Wakana said cheerfully, holding her clipboard close to body. "As guide to the heavenly afterlife awaiting you, I grant you permission to move on!"
The white light circled around them, the magical winds causing both Rima and Nagihiko's hair to whip around in every direction. The light rose, encasing both behind the walls of heavenly power before giving a blinding flash to indicate a departure was soon. When the light disappeared completely, leaving behind the empty space where they had been before, it gave proof that they both had successfully left Hell behind.
"Moving on, would Sanjou Kairi please step forward?" Wakana said, checking Nagihiko's name off on her clipboard. Kairi stepped forward, each step shaky yet determined to go through with what had to be done. Just as he came within range in front of Wakana a bright white light flashed before his eyes; the next thing he knew, he was being tackled into a bear hug by a small female.
"Class Prez! Yaya missed you so very very much!" Yaya chirped out, her light auburn hair bouncing in its pigtails. She spun in a circle, effectively swinging Kairi around with her as her dress flowed out with the motion.
"Y-Yuiki-san please! W-We have to follow protocol," Wakana called nervously, leery of breaking up an obviously happy reunion. Yaya ceased her spinning and released Kairi, looking at Wakana with innocence burning brightly in her brown eyes.
"Aww…Do we really have to?" Yaya whined, sticking her lower lip out in classic puppy dog pout. Wakana gulped, nodding nervously in answer. Yaya sighed in over exaggeration, moving so that she was standing in front of Kairi instead.
"G-Good…N-Now then, do you Sa-Yuiki-san!" Wakana cried out, stopping mid sentence to grab Yaya's attention again. Yaya turned to look at Wakana, her head in the crook of Amu's neck as she cuddled her.
"Yes Waka-tan?"
"P-Please return to your original spot!"
"But Yaya wants to say hi to Amu-chi!"
"You've said hi; now go back to doing what you're supposed to be doing," Amu stated, looking down at Yaya's face. Yaya stuck her tongue out playfully, giving Amu one last tight squeeze before letting go.
"You're no fun Amu-chi!" Yaya chided, though she did head back to her original place. Wakana sighed, pushing her glasses up her nose and clearing her throat.
"N-Now then…Do you, Sanjou Kairi, take full responsibility for your actions?"
"I do."
"And do you truly and utterly feel regret for what you have done?"
"I do," Kairi stated, looking deeply into Yaya's eyes as well. His words seemed to match the messages conveyed through his eyes to hers as he spoke, "I became so corrupted by that promiscuous classmate that I desecrated the very sanctity of the relationship with the most wonderful and beautiful girl in the world. If I could suffer a thousand more years of Hell, just to make up for the pain I've caused, then I would gladly put myself back onto the rack for you Yaya."
Wakana sighed happily, happiness coursing through her at the sight of such unbridled affection and love towards a significant other. "Yuiki-san, do you forgive-"
"Of course Yaya forgives him!" Yaya said, tackling Kairi into a tight hug. "Sure Yaya was upset at first, but as Yaya thought it over Yaya realized that affairs are tests of relationships! And that if you really really love somebody, you're willing to do whatever it takes to work it out with them! And Yaya was willing to do whatever it took to work it out with Class Prez!"
Kairi blushed bright red, staring at Yaya with wide eyes. "Y-You don't m-mean…?"
"Of course silly! Yaya loves you!" Yaya proclaimed before smashing her lips together with Kairi's. Kairi's blush intensified tenfold, surprise written clearly across his face at the action. Wakana smiled brightly, clapping her hands together enthusiastically.
"As your guide to the heavenly afterlife that awaits you, I grant you permission to move on!" Wakana announced, rising on her toes slightly before landing back on her heels. The light circled around them, the wind causing Yaya's dress to billow around in the wind's whimsical hands. Kairi's hands tentatively went to wrap around her waist, pulling her closer to him as the light closed around them. Yaya's arms wrapped around his neck, a smile stretching itself across her face as the light flashed brilliantly before disappearing altogether.
Ikuto looked over at Amu, whose face held what could be considered a small content smile. "Happy to see your friends again," He innocently inquired of her.
Amu glanced at him, her smile wiping itself clear of her face instantly. "What's it to you if I am?"
"Nothing; it's just very odd seeing you happy at other people's joy instead of misery."
"Oh shut it. At least I have friends to be happy about."
"For the record, I do have friends."
"None of which I care about."
Just as he was about to open his mouth to argue back, Wakana's voice carried its way over to their ears. "Tsukiyomi Ikuto, if you could please come forward!"
"Come on moron; it's your time to shine," Amu said, gesturing in the direction of Wakana. Ikuto rolled his eyes at her comment, walking towards Wakana with his hands in his pockets.
"I heard her the first time," Ikuto said, stopping a few feet away from Wakana. He gave a casual outward look, when on the inside he frantically tried to keep his nerves under control. When their departures had been announced, he knew this confrontation with Utau would be inevitable; sadly it didn't do anything to calm him in the slightest. He knew how she worked, and he knew that being on her bad side usually was equivalent to an early grave.
"Tsukiyomi Utau, please come forward!" Wakana called out, reading the name directly from the clipboard. The light flashed brilliantly, dying down to reveal a teenage girl dressed in an off the shoulder light pink top with a large light pink ballerina tutu. Her long blonde hair was held back in twin tails, the clips resembling angel wings coming out of her head. She looked at Ikuto, her violet eyes boring straight into his.
"Didn't think I would ever see you again, Ikuto," Utau said, her voice soft and lyrical to Ikuto's ears. He nodded, looking her up and down before speaking.
"Somehow I knew you'd be the one with the fanciest outfit," Ikuto stated, not at all bothering to state a simple greeting. Utau glared at him slightly, her arms covered in snug elbow length white arm warmers and pink ribbon crossing over her chest.
"Really? That's all you have to say to me?"
"Your hair looks nice too."
"If you don't greet me properly, I swear I'll-"
"Relax," Ikuto said, running his hand through his hair. "It's really good to see you too."
Utau's eyes softened, a small smile forming on her face. "There, now was that so hard?"
"Borderline excruciating."
"Oh hush. And you," Utau said, pointing at Amu. "Introduce yourself to me."
"Why should I," Amu questioned, her hands resting on her hips. "My name is of no importance to you."
"I like to be informed."
"Get your information somewhere else."
"Well aren't you bitchy?" Utau remarked, a frown placing itself on her features. Amu returned her gaze with her own, her lips pulling into a small smirk.
"Well at least I don't have to try and be pretty." Amu stated a triumphant gleam in her eyes. Utau growled lowly, storming forward to exact her revenge. Before she could even get close to getting past Ikuto, however, Wakana stepped in front of her and held her arms out.
"P-Please! W-We need to get through this, so please remain calm!" Wakana yelled in a panicked voice, waving her arms frantically up and down. Utau sighed, sending one last glare at Amu before looking at Wakana.
"I understand. I apologize for my childish behavior Wakana-san," Utau said, stepping backwards into her original place. Wakana breathed a sigh of relief, adjusting her glasses before turning to look at Ikuto.
"Now then Tsukiyomi Ikuto, do you take full responsibility of your actions?"
"Yep."
"And do you truly and fully regret what you have done?"
"Well since I'm not exactly a sick weirdo, I'd have to say that yeah I am," Ikuto said, looking up at the sky above him with both hands in his pockets. "I'd have wished hell upon the person who ever did something like this to Utau, and I'm no better than any other person. Hell, I'm probably worse than them since I'm her brother; and no amount of intoxication could excuse me from my vial, disgusting actions."
"Well then, Tsukiyomi Utau, do you forgive him?" Wakana asked, turning to look at Utau. Utau sighed, twirling a strand of her hair between her fingers before answering.
"Well, one thing is for sure; it's quite comforting to see you being able to form intelligent sentences," She said, a playful grin causing her lips to twitch upwards. "It's nice to see that the alcohol hasn't completely massacred your brain cells."
"I'll just take that as a compliment."
"Don't mention it. Now as for the forgiveness, it took me a while to even think about you without wanting to boil myself alive. But you're my blood brother, even if we're only related through one parent, and that means we're family. And family sticks together through thick and thin, always having each other's backs and loving each other no matter what. And I still do love you, so obviously if I still love you then I can forgive you."
Ikuto swallowed, feeling hope rise and bubble within him like a school science experiment gone awry. "Well would you mind enlightening me on your decision?"
"Just like I remember; always impatient when not given direct answers," Utau stated, rolling her eyes at Ikuto. She gave him a warm smile, one that could have melted an iceberg in one shot, "I forgive you Ikuto. Always have and I sure as hell always will."
Ikuto stared at her, speechless by her stunning revelation that she would forgive him for something that was by all means unforgiveable. He licked his suddenly dry lips, trying yet failing to find some words to speak so as not to look like a complete idiot.
"I…I'm literally speechless," He finally choked out, somehow managing to get his leaden tongue to work again. "It's improbable and unthinkable and probably borderline insane."
"Yes, because the interactions you've had so far with angels and demons are the exact opposite of what you categorize her forgiveness as," Amu commented in an offhand manner. She walked forward, stopping only when she reached Ikuto so as to look at him as she spoke, "Face it, practically everything you know is probably a lie. Well minus the whole Heaven and Hell thing; that's obviously true since you're living it."
"Yeah…I guess you're right," Ikuto muttered, glancing over at Amu before turning his head back to look at Utau. "You've really become a better person than I could hope to be, Utau."
"Eh, I was always better than you. It was bound to happen sooner or later." Utau joked as her smile became wider. "And you seem more humble than before. I'm guessing that's what Hell does for you?"
"Mostly just her," Ikuto commented, jerking his thumb at Amu. Utau chuckled, causing Amu to pout and glare daggers at Ikuto from the corners of her eyes.
"Oh lighten up," Utau said, noticing how she seemed itching to smash Ikuto's foot into the ground. "That's actually a good thing. He always gave that air that he was more important or better than you, so if that's what happens when you come down here then let me sign up a couple other people."
Amu huffed, the corners of her mouth twitching upwards slightly. "Yeah well, I'm probably not going to be the one humbling them after this. So you might as well save your breath and pen ink."
"Even so, thanks for keeping him somewhat intact," Utau said, waving her hand over in Ikuto's general direction. "Even if you were probably a complete and utter bitch about it."
"Well in that case, you're welcome. It's the least that could be done since his punishment involved having to see your hideous face every time." Amu said her arms crossed over her chest. Utau pursed her lips before forming a small smirk, her hands on her hips.
"Anyway, I'll just turn around and let you two have a little private farewell," Utau said, turning so that her back was facing them. "Pretend like I'm not even here."
"Which is impossible since you're obviously eavesdropping," Ikuto muttered, rolling his eyes at Utau's back. He then turned to face Amu, whose eyes were staring up at him with indifference.
"Well, now you're free. Not much to say other than so long, right?" Amu inquired, her arms uncrossing to rest at her sides. "I mean, it not like we're long lost friends or anything."
"No, we're not long lost friends," Ikuto agreed, his hands slipping into his pockets. "But that doesn't mean that so long is all we have to say to each other."
"Well then, what else is there to say?"
"Well, there's the question as to why you won't be humbling anyone anymore. And why you decided to keep yourself down here instead of freeing yourself with the rest of us."
Amu turned her head, averting her gaze from his quickly. "This whole entire thing, it's basically treason against Hell. And the price of treason is incredibly high, more so than the price is on Earth."
"And the keeping yourself down here," He pressed, catching the way she bit her lip in response. "Tell me or I swear to never leave your side down here."
"Alright, no need to make threats." Amu sighed out, lifting her arms limply before letting them hang by her sides again. "I've said it many times, but I'll say it again to remind you: After everything I've done and all the pain I've caused, I don't deserve this type of freedom. Not now, not ever."
"Why? Because that mentally disturbed mentor of yours Yukari said so," Ikuto demanded, staring at her in hopes of receiving of the answer. When silence met him in answer, he let out an exasperated sigh, "Amu, forget everything she ever told you. It's all a bunch of bull; you deserve this freedom more than anyone."
"Why," Amu whispered, looking directly into his eyes with her own. Her eyes shined, holding back any tears that wanted to fall, "Why do you think that I deserve it at all? For all you know, I could be the most horrible person alive!"
"But you're not," He stated, crouching down to be at eye level with her. His hands reached out, firmly grasping her by her shoulders. "I've seen the Amu from when you were alive, and I know that she's somewhere inside. Hell, she has to be for you to have even considered doing something like this."
"Even with saying all that…It's still too late to do anything about it. That Amu is gone forever, never to breathe the fresh air or feel the sun again."
"Hate to break it to you, but it's never too late for anything. I made a promise to that Kiddy King friend of yours to save you, and I'll be damned again if I break it," Ikuto said, standing up from his crouched position in front of her. "As long as you're down here I won't rest until you're reunited with everyone, because you at least deserve that much."
Amu looked up at him, her eyes never once leaving his. "Why though? Why are you doing this much, going this far for someone like me?"
He placed his hand on her head, ruffling her hair slightly to her annoyance. "I said it before; I begrudgingly feel an acquaintanceship with you. Though now it's not as begrudgingly, more along the lines of willingly."
Amu's eyes widened, her mind too stunned to formulate some type of comeback or action. All she could do was stand and watch as Ikuto waltzed towards Utau, who had by this point turned back around to face him. She barely registered a sound when Wakana granted them passage into Heaven, and she was almost ignorant of the white light that began to blaze around them. When Ikuto turned to face her instead though and give her his final farewells, she heard the words as clear as a bell through all sounds roaring throughout the clearing. She still only stood and watched though, doing nothing until the end of it all. And only when they had all left, and she was left standing by herself, did she allow the unshed tears to fall freely.
"I hope to see you again too….Ikuto," Amu mumbled, using the heel of her hand to wipe away the droplets that rolled that down her cheeks.
A/N: (Gasp) FINALLY! LO AND BEHOLD, THIS IS TECHNICALLY FINISHED! I mean, there's still the epilogue to post and whatnot, but that's a piece of cake. A walk in the park! AN EASY TASK COMPARED TO THIS 15 PAGE MONSTROSITY! So yeah…For those of you who like this ending, please ignore the epilogue! For those of you who didn't like this ending/want to read the epilogue anyway, please wait until it is posted! I really hope you enjoyed the story while it lasted! Leave a review, and you'll receive a Wakana plush doll! Until next time, JAA MATA!
Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara! If I owned it, I wouldn't be forcing Chemistry down my throat every day.