Amu narrowed her eyes, unable to believe she was reading such blasphemy. "I would never try and fight a demon dragon in a wedding dress."

"If it was for love, you would," drawled Emiko, sprawled out on the couch with a donut resting on her breast. She absently wiped the crumbs from the corner of her mouth. "Especially for Ikuto."

The pink-haired girl made a face. "Ew."

"Are you sure she loves you?" Kukai asked his blue-haired friend as they watched the girls from afar.

Ikuto smirked. "I am very much sure."

"You know what I'm sure of?" RL exclaimed, storming into the room. "That this story is never going to be finished! Boss has not updated in over a year! It's horrific!"

She went over to the alarmingly large pile of crumpled pieces of paper and tissues. "Are you even the slightest bit ashamed?"

"Of course I am!" Came a disembodied voice. "I just...argh. Put me on air?"

"I am not paid enough for this," grumbled RL as she snapped her fingers, summoning her husband from the break room. "Actors, actresses, get out! RD, come immediately!"

"Yes, dear," came the quiet response as her husband wiped his bleary eyes and went to ready the camera. "Boss, ready in five."

From the pile of trash emerged the author.

Alright, so...sorry this isn't an update. Again. I've thought a lot about this story, and what to do with it. There are lots of errors and contradictions, which I was hoping to clarify in the next few chapters but...there's just a lot going on, and I think I threw too many plots into this, and I didn't put enough thought into the main plot when I started. I wish I could say I'll just rewrite this, but I know I won't especially since I am older, and I'm going to college this year. I won't have a lot of time to rewrite this whole story, even though I would love to finish it one day.

There are lots of Original Characters in this story, such as Cassandra and Drakon, and especially Emiko. It takes a lot of skill to pull off bringing in original characters as influential as Emiko, and I was foolish for doing so just because I don't ship Kukai and Utau. I messed up with Kikaloa and Yamada's backstory a lot; I didn't mean for them to become one when I originally wrote the flashback of Fortuna.

Having the Charas personified also brings in a lot of characters that I don't always remember are in certain scenes, and I think this assisted in the complex plots I was bringing in.

Overall, I think it's just better I discontinue this story - and possibly the other Shugo Chara ones I have so far - because not only have I messed up this story beyond repair, I have to admit my focus has also been on writing stories for Miraculous Ladybug, in case you have not noticed on my profile.

I'm really sorry for doing this, and for giving you even a little bit of hope from my last note. Maybe I will take this plot and just make it to a really long oneshot one day, who knows. For now, please take the bits and pieces from the next chapter, which I tried and failed to finish:

…

Previously: Amu and Ikuto find out about their ancestors' pasts and about a terrible danger approaching.

"Amu…when you were unconscious," began Ikuto, deciding to get straight to the point. "Did you have any odd dreams?" If they really were in danger, then there was no point in beating around the bush. "Anything about a prophecy or a witch named Fortuna?"

Amu's eyes widened. "How did you know?"

"I had a similar dream about a warlock," replied Ikuto truthfully. "I was told you'd be able to tell me about the prophecy and everything about Fortuna."

Amu made to answer but was interrupted by somebody appearing in the clinic.

"Fortuna?"

Everybody turned towards the door and Ikuto inhaled sharply.

"Drakon?"

...

Amu looked at her fiancé with shock etched on her face.

"Ikuto, you know who this man is?" She asked.

"Yes…but how do you know him?" Ikuto was terribly confused.

The pinkette sat down next to him in the bed. "After I woke up and had my visions, I researched thoroughly everything I could find on Drakon and Fortuna. There wasn't much, I admit. Then while walking in the forest, I ran into this man and a young woman accompanying him. I startled them and he nearly hit me with a spell, causing her to yell out his name in a scolding manner. I recognized the name, I introduced myself, and things happened. Now Drakon is willing to work with us to defeat Kikaloa."

"And the woman?" Ikuto asked.

"Ah, Cassandra," said Drakon. "She is an old friend of mine; you will see her soon, I am sure." He took a step forward. "But I must ask…how did you come to know of me in your vision?"

Ikuto took a deep breath and began to explain what had happened, from meeting Opal to seeing his father's birth. Drakon shakily sat down, stunned as the rest of the room's occupants.

"W-We're related?" He murmured. "Yes, of course…you have her eyes…you have my daughter's eyes…" The old warlock buried his face in his hands. "I was a very different man…I made bad choices…I could blame losing my daughter and wife…but in the end, it was my fault."

"No, it wasn't," said Amu firmly. "Didn't you hear what Ikuto said?"

"Yes, but my granddaughter wouldn't have done the things she had done if I hadn't scared off my daughter's suitors…"

"She doesn't blame you," interrupted Ikuto. "She told me she wanted to tell you how sorry she was and how much she loved you." Drakon slowly looked up. "Opal doesn't hate you nor does she blame you for anything of the sort."

"Really?" Drakon looked skeptical, but also hopeful. "She doesn't hate me?"

"No, not at all," assured Ikuto. "In fact, she told me she regrets running away and being so naïve." He paused. "She also told me that you would help me and Amu with this prophecy fiasco to defeat Kikaloa. We are, after all, your descendants."

"Yes, that does make sense," remarked Drakon, trying to compose himself. "The prophecy originally revolved around Fortuna and myself, but she has obviously passed away and I thus have no equal in this world – magic wise, I mean. Now the prophecy revolves around our descendants – you and Amu here."

"So…what happens now?" Kukai asked, looking between his best friend and future queen. "I mean…Amu and Ikuto are completely inexperienced with magic – not that they have any. Right? You two don't have any magic?"

"Not that I know of," replied Amu, looking at her fiancé who shook his head.

"Ah, see…now that is where this old man can come in," said Cassandra, entering the room and patting the warlock on the back. "I didn't want to intrude earlier. Prince Ikuto, it is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Cassandra; I am a very old friend of Drakon's, a former slave actually. He was quite a harsh man but he's alright now."

"Why must you add salt to my wounds, Cassandra?" Drakon murmured. "What is it that you speak of, me coming in?"

The brunette nodded. "Right, well; you are very skilled in magic, Drakon. These two are very inexperienced, but even I can sense the amount of power they have. Surely you can teach them the spells they need, and have them trained?" Cassandra rolled her eyes. "You were always a ruthless trainer."

"Cassandra, I thought you weren't upset with me."

"I'm not nor am I bitter, but I do like mocking you. It keeps you humble." Cassandra smirked at the blond man.

"I quite like her," remarked Emiko. "But is it really alright, Your Majesties, for Amu and Ikuto to dive into this battle?"

Souko and Aruto exchanged looks.

"Well, we cannot control our son's every move," began Souko. "And we cannot speak for Amu; that is up to her and her family. But we will support both of them in any way we can."

"Considering our other option is to let this beast destroy the kingdom and possibly the whole world, I do not think they will say no," remarked Amu.

"This is a lot to process, however. I mean…learning of this prophecy, discovering I must defeat a wild beast from centuries ago – oh, and let us not forget that I am actually a descendant of a princess from a forgotten kingdom. I would like to learn more about that actually; I found the family tree in the library soon after waking up, and I wonder why my grandmother's name is listened in the family trees and yet…"

"That is indeed a mystery," agreed Drakon. "I can only assume it is magic, as ridiculous as it sounds. The Fates wanted to wait until this moment to announce your heritage, I suppose."

"As great as this is," began Kukai. "I think Ikuto here needs more rest before we even think about this epic battle and spell casting stuff. Not to mention, he'll want to properly greet his fiancée."

He gave his best friend a knowing look, to which Ikuto replied to with a heaving sigh.

"Why in the world are we friends?" He remarked as the others chuckled, leaving the future king and queen alone in the infirmary.

Amu's cheeks were tinged pink as she smiled at him. "Did you ever imagine this happening when you met me?"

Ikuto took her hand, rubbing his thumb over her ring. "I can honestly say I never expected any of this, but then again, who would? Since the day I met you, Amu, my life has been quite interesting."

"Is that a bad thing?" Amu asked, looking down at their hands. The prince smiled at her.

"No, not really," he replied. "In fact, it's quite the opposite. Because of you, I no longer have to deal with Tadase; frankly, I'm surprised you haven't punched him before."

"You are not the only one," assured the seamstress. "And my life certainly changed since we met; if we hadn't run into each other that day, I would still be working on those hideous dresses for Lady Utau and I would have never discovered my heritage. Not to mention, our kingdom would be destroyed with no chance of survival. At least we now have a chance to save countless lives."

Ikuto nodded and kissed her wrist before holding her hands in his. He smiled as her face became a brilliant shade of red.

"We can worry about that in the morning," he murmured. "I have missed having my seamstress by my side." The prince lay down on the bed, pulling Amu with him. "I quite like having you with me."

Amu didn't think her face could get any warmer, though she smiled as she rested her head on her fiancé's chest. "I suppose I could tolerate you enough to stick with you for tonight," she murmured, embarrassed.

Ikuto's chest rumbled as he laughed and the couple soon fell asleep in each other's arms; it was the calm before the storm, the smiles before the war. They had plenty to prepare for, but that could be postponed for a few hours.

Besides, what could be so bad about simple training from an elderly warlock?

…

"No, no, no," exclaimed Drakon, shaking his head. "Amu, you are not putting enough power in your fireballs. Your magic is a part of you; think of it like an extra limb rather than an accessory."

Amu nodded, despite struggling to catch her breath. She focused on the targets in front of her and concentrated hard. She let out an aggravated sigh when she failed to produce the flames in her hands.

Drakon shook his head, sighing, and turned to the other side of the courtyard, where Ikuto was attempting to create iceballs. He had succeeded in the fireballs earlier, much to his betrothed's dismay, but using the opposite element proved to be much more difficult.

It had been three weeks since Ikuto had woken from his prophetic dream and he and Amu had spent that time being trained by Drakon, who turned out to be quite the ruthless trainer. He was patient and explained things efficiently, but it was quite hard to teach students who had little to work with. He had explained their magical potential was quite impressive but accessing it would be the tricky part.

Cassandra watched from afar, noticing her old friend's exasperated look as she rested on top of a large, smoothed out rock. She understood how he felt; they were running out of time and the couple was nowhere near ready for battle. However…

"You've always been so impatient," she remarked, sighing. "Of course they're struggling; Ikuto was a normal prince and Amu was just a seamstress who had no idea she was royalty until recently. You have to have hope. Personally, I think it's incredible they even managed this much, especially so quickly."

Drakon sighed, rubbing his temples. "Yes, I understand, but we cannot afford to wait another few thousand years if this goes downhill."

"We also can't afford anymore secrets," countered Cassandra, lowering her voice. "Why haven't you said anything about what we saw in the caverns?"

"I am not sure if what we saw was even real," admitted Drakon after a few moments of silence. "It could have been an illusion for all we know, to make us fearful of Kikaloa and be more hesitant to fight."

Cassandra leaned back on her hands, looking up at the sky. "That's dragon dung. You have a plan, don't you?" She nibbled on her lower lip, something she had always done whenever she was thinking. It had always resulted in punishment from Drakon in the past and the warlock had to remind himself he couldn't jump the attractive young woman.

"What are you thinking?" He nearly snapped at her. "Just say what's on your mind already."

The young maiden, who was not quite a witch but not quite mortal either, looked down at him. "There's no need to get zesty," she scolded. "Don't pass around your bad mood to others. I understand that you're a cranky old man, but honestly!"

Drakon bared his teeth at her. "I don't remember you being this annoying."

Cassandra smirked at him, flipping her long brown hair over her shoulder. "I have always been like this. I just don't have to bite my tongue anymore around you." She blinked her lashes innocently, her ruby red eyes sparkling with mirth. "It doesn't bother you, does it, Master?"

Drakon took a deep breath. "If you're going to sit here, can't you at least help? Having two students with different kinds of magic is very exhausting."

"So is having a grumpy dragon for a teacher," quipped Cassandra, though she did stand up with the intention of coming down and helping. However, she lost her footing and cried out as she fell.

Drakon was a very old man, but he still had the physique of someone in their late twenties. He leaped forward and caught Cassandra before she could hit the ground, the two of them landing in an awkward pile. Him on top of her, they stared at each other for a few moments.

"Um…thank you," said Cassandra, suddenly shy and quiet. "For catching me, I mean."

"No…no problem at all." Drakon cleared his throat and got off of her, getting to his feet and holding out a hand. She took it gratefully and the two of them stared at each other for a few moments, not quite sure what to say.

"Well…I believe I should go and help Amu," said Cassandra finally. "Why don't you spend more time with your descendant?"

She quickly walked away, pressing her hand to her cheek; the fact that her face was hot enough to cook an egg meant nothing…nothing…

Amu, meanwhile, let out a frustrated sigh as she failed yet again to produce a sufficient fireball. She had tried again and again, but she could produce only a pathetic flame. And she had trouble even managing that.

The seamstress noticed the young woman approaching her and tried on a smile. "Hello, Cassandra. Is Drakon still in a bad mood?"

"Yes, but when isn't he?" Cassandra joked lightly, hoping her cheeks weren't still flushed. "How are you doing with your magic?"

Amu sighed again as she plopped down on the grass, not caring if her dress got stained.

"It's much harder than I thought it would be," she admitted. "How do witches and warlocks do it?"

"Well, they had years to perfect their magic; you have had three weeks," replied Cassandra, sitting next to her. "Why don't we take a break?" The seamstress looked relieved at the thought. "So, Amu, let's talk about something else. Is there anything you have in mind?"

Amu nodded. "You were alive when Fortuna was, weren't you? From your perspective, what happened during that time?"

Cassandra closed her eyes and sighed. "What happened, hm? I will be honest with you, Amu; I do not know much. I lived in an isolated village and was run out by everyone when I was accused of being a witch so I never knew much about the kingdom. When I was taken in by Drakon, I only heard about things in passing – usually when he was taking his anger out on me."

Amu's eyes widened. "He…he beat you?"

Cassandra hummed softly. "Among other things; remember, Amu, that he used to be a very different man. It doesn't excuse what he has done, but I have forgiven him. We are…." She sighed, glancing over at the warlock in question. "…friends."

The pink-haired seamstress raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me for saying so, but a person does not look at a friend like that. That is the look my friend, Ran, gives her now husband, Daichi. It's alright to admit that you care for him in that way."

Cassandra flushed. "Oh, and I suppose you will admit your feelings for your fiancé? I am aware it was not an engagement out of love…initially."

It was Amu's turn to turn scarlet. "I…I admit I do find him quite…I mean…" She stammered, flustered. "There's something there, yes, but…we have bigger things to worry about right now."

Cassandra nodded, still looking amused. "Yes, we do. Amu, I've noticed you struggling to summon your magic. Do you still have doubts about it? A key factor of producing magic is that you must believe in it."

Amu shook her head, looking over to where Drakon was demonstrating to Ikuto what proper iceballs should look like. "I believe in it; how can I have any doubts, looking at that?"

Cassandra nodded again. "Well then, do you believe in yourself? That's another key factor of producing magic."

Amu opened her mouth before she closed it once more, fingers curling around the material of her dress.

"I mean…I believe I share the blood of someone with great power…somehow," she murmured, eyes downcast. "However…I do not know if I can produce the same power Fortuna did…if I can live up to everyone's expectations. Up until now, I was just a seamstress. Now…now I do not know what I am."

Cassandra wasn't sure how to approach that. Finally, after several moments of tense silence, she spoke.

...

Again, I am truly sorry for this, but I hope you are able to understand.