The Heart's Choice

The former Guardians are finally going to middle school, but it seems that it's not going to be as good as it seemed when the student council president has it out for Amu. Meanwhile, Amu finally has to face her hardest decision: Tadase or Ikuto? Utau is coming under stress from work and develops a serious problem that strains her relationship with Kukai. Rima's parents are fighting more than ever and she's isolating herself from Nagihiko. Kairi doesn't know if he likes Amu or Yaya. Yaya is feeling abandoned and left behind while everybody else is dealing with their problems. And that's not all! Something dark is rising, and it's threatening to destroy everything they've worked so hard for...

Chapter Twenty-Six - Find Your Dream!

"Amu-chan!"

Hearing her name, Amu stopped and turned. There behind her were her friends. Kukai, looking much happier than he'd been in weeks. Yaya, cheerfully skipping along with Pepe by her side. Rima, smiling a true smile. Nagi, watching Rima with warm eyes. Kairi, walking happily next to Yaya. And Tadase, looking at her with his knowing gaze.

She smiled and ran down to meet them.

"It's so surreal, isn't it?" Rima said.

"What is, Rima-chan?" Nagi asked quizzically.

She smiled a bit. "How everything is going on as normal, even though it feel like everything has changed."

Kukai nodded slowly and closed his eyes. "My thoughts exactly."

"What do you think is going to happen at school?" Kairi wondered.

"I'm not sure," Tadase replied.

"I'm nervous," Amu admitted reluctantly. Tadase turned and smiled gently at her, and she felt better instantly.

"Don't worry!" Yaya exclaimed. "The fighting's over; it can only get better!"

The group nodded.

"I hope you're right," Amu said.

Kairi looked down at his watch. "We'd better get going if we want to be on time. Come on, Yaya-chan."

Yaya blushed ever so slightly and they started walking to the elementary school.

"Ready?" Tadase asked Amu as the rest of them went toward the middle school.

"...No," she sighed, and then gasped slightly as she felt him take her hand. He squeezed her hand and nodded encouragingly. She turned her eyes forward and nodded.

'Now or never,' she thought. Together, they took the first step forward.

SCSCSC

"Hinamori-san?"

Just as they entered the building, she and Tadase turned to see Tsukasa approaching them.

"May I talk to you before class starts? I'll write you a pass if you're late," he said.

"Okay," Amu said, and waved goodbye to Tadase.

She followed Tsukasa down the hall and into his office. He closed the door and she took a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk. He stood by the window and gazed out. After a few moments of silence, she cleared her throat and he smiled at her.

"Congratulations," he said.

"For what?" she asked in confusion.

He chuckled and sat down at his desk. "For saving everyone. You saved their dreams. You saved Makoto-san's dream."

"It wasn't just me," she mumbled in embarrassment.

"Of course, of course, but you played a significant part in making Makoto-san see sense," he told her.

Amu nodded and shrugged slightly, feeling the indifferent side of her coming out.

"And you must be wondering where to go from here," he said.

She looked up, eyes wide as her barriers went down. "How did you know?"

His eyes sparkled with mischief. "I'm very intuitive. Now, how are you feeling?"

Amu folded her hands and stared at her lap. Her charas rested gently on her shoulders.

"I don't know if I can trust her," she said. "Her dream changed, and she looks genuinely happy and sorry for what she's done, but...I can't help but doubt. I don't think I can forgive her. What she did was absolutely horrible."

"Many people have done terrible things and regretted it. Does that mean they have to be convicted for the rest of their lives?" he countered.

Amu looked up in fury. "She crushed people's dreams! She forced them to lose hope in themselves and everything around them just because she was hurt!"

"Her intentions were meant to be good," he pointed out. "She just wanted to prevent them from feeling how she felt."

Her eyes narrowed. "She targeted my sister."

Tsukasa nodded slowly and closed his eyes for a moment. "Forgiveness is a funny thing. I've always like the saying, 'Forgive and forget,' but we never forget, now do we?" He chuckled to himself before continuing.

"Think a moment about everybody else that you've forgiven. Nikaidou Yuu created X-Eggs to find the Embryo, used Ikuto as his slave, and stole your shugo charas because he wanted his wish granted. Tsukiyomi Ikuto destroyed many X-Eggs and worked for Easter because he didn't want the company to hurt his sister and mother. Sanjo Yukari manipulated Utau's singing to create X-Eggs because she wanted her own wish granted. Sanjo Kairi lied and betrayed you by telling his sister information and selling the Black Diamond CDs because he wanted to help his sister. Hoshina Utau used her songs and took your Dia to extract X-Eggs because she wanted to use the Embryo to set her beloved brother free from Easter. Lulu de Morcef Yamamoto lied to you and created ?-Eggs because she wanted to return her mother to glory. Ichinomiya Hikaru was in charge of all of this because his heart had been hardened by a tought childhood. And you forgave them all."

Amu sat back in the chair, her eyes wide.

"You forgave them all, even though they did terrible things. They stole your charas, manipulated you, lied to you, destroyed dreams, and went behind your back. Yet they are your friends today," Tsukasa told her. "In the end, it's up to you if you forgive Makoto-san or not."

Her heart felt heavy and she hung her head, feeling confused and unsure. She looked up when Tsukasa was by her side and handing her a pass to class. In the distant, she heard the bell for school to start, but she was far from caring at the moment.

"That's all I wanted to talk to you about," he said.

Numbly, she got up from her chair and went through the door that he held open.

"Oh, and Hinamori-san?"

She turned and met his purple eyes, wondering what else he could have to say.

"'To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you,'" he said.

He smiled at her one last time, and closed the door. Amu turned slowly back around and knew that she had to make a decision.

SCSCSC

"Everyone please go to the gym for an assembly for the last hour. Please go to the gym for an assembly. Thank you."

The class looked at Nikaidou, confused by the announcement. Nikaidou shrugged.

"To the gym!" he said.

Everybody quickly rose from their seats and walked into the crowded halls as everybody tried to get to this unexpected assembly.

"Do you know what's going on?" Tadase asked when he reached Amu.

"No," she replied.

Slowly but surely, they got to the gym. All the chairs had been assembled and a podium sat on a raised platform at the front of the gym. There was nothing to explain why they were there.

Luckily, Amu and her friends all got seats next to each other. None of the others knew what was going on either.

As soon as everybody was seated, Tsukasa stood in front of the podium.

"Thank you for coming and being so flexible with this surprise assembly. Now, Makoto-san?"

He stepped down from the podium and took his place with the rest of the teachers. The air was heavy with tension as Kiyomi made her way to the podium. There was definitely something different about her. Her yellow eyes were brighter, and she just seemed to have a happier presence than before. Akira floated by her shoulder.

Once she reached the podium, she nervously cleared her throat and began speaking.

"Hello," she said quietly. "I'm sure you're all wondering why we're having this assembly. Well, I requested it, because I want to do something. And what I want to to is apologize, apologize to all of you. I'm sorry. I've been a terrible, bossy, mean president and all I've done is manipulated you guys. The truth is, I was hurt in my childhood, and I felt like I couldn't be happy anymore, and I was jealous of all of you having fun. So I started controlling everyone because it made me feel important.

"But that wasn't the way to go about it and I'm sorry. You see, I had some sense knocked into me over the weekend. I have them to thank. Hotori Tadase, Souma Kukai, Mashiro Rima, Fujisaki Nagihiko, Sanjo Kairi, Yuiki Yaya, my little brother, and many, many others. Thank you. Without you guys, I never would've realized all the pain that I've been causing. I've hurt a lot of people recently, and I'm sorry. Words can't convey how sorry I am. Really, nothing can ever make up for the pain that I caused, but I hope that you all can find it in your hearts to forgive me."

Amu looked at her friends, who all had the same astonished looks on their faces. She switched her gaze back to Kiyomi, and felt her heart get even heavier with her burden.

"And now, I'd like to announce that I'm going to start a volunteer organization called Find Your Dream. It will be a group of people who will meet with and mentor young elementary students and encourage them to be the best they can be, without giving up. I hope that this way, kids won't be discouraged like I was. Please join, and please help.

"Once again, I apologize. I apologize a thousand times over, and I'm sorry I can't do more. That is all."

Kiymoi smiled genuinely at them all and stepped down from the podium. She turned and began walking toward the doors that would take her out of the gym. The silence was suffocating.

Then, a miracle. Someone in the audience started clapping, and slowly everyone else joined in. Even Amu and her friends. They all rose to their feet and cheered and clapped their approval of her apology.

Just before the doors, Kiyomi stopped and stared, tears of happiness in her eyes. She quickly stepped through the doors before she started crying.

Tsukasa quickly went back up to the podium and they quieted down. He glanced at his watch and shrugged. "Goodbye to you all. School will be dismissed early today, it seems."

The cheers resumed and the chaos from before returned as everyone tried rushing out of the gym.

"I think she meant it," Nagi said once they were away from the crowds.

"Me too," Kukai agreed.

"But do we forgive her?" Rima asked softly.

Silence followed her question as they all thought.

"I do," Tadase said decisively. Rima, Nagi, and Kukai all murmured their agreement. Amu simply smiled a bit.

'Do I?' she wondered to herself.

"Well, I have to go meet up with Utau," Kukai said, waving as he departed.

"I'd better go home," Rima said, smiling. "Mama will be surprised that I'm home so early."

"You're not being picked up anymore?" Amu asked with surprised.

The blonde shook her head happily. "Not anymore, as long as Nagi walks with me."

Nagi smiled. "Let's go, Rima-chan."

Tadase looked at Amu and smiled. "Are you going to pick up Ami?"

"Yeah," she replied.

"Do you want me to go with you?"

She paused as his understanding eyes bored into hers. She shook her head.

"No, thank you. I want some time to think," she said.

Tadase nodded and squeezed her shoulder, then left for his home.

Amu sighed and stared up at the sky as she walked to the elementary school.

"Amu-chan?" Su asked.

"Are you okay?" Miki voiced.

"I'm not sure what to do," Amu replied quietly.

"You'll know," Dia said confidently. "When the time comes to decide, you'll know."

Amu smiled at the yellow chara. "Thank you."

"Go, go, Amu-chan!" Ran cheered, and they all laughed.

"Nee-chan!" Ami exclaimed as they approached. "Shugoi chara!"

"Hi Ami," she greeted, kneeling down to hug her little sister. "How was your day?"

"Good!" Ami answered cheerfully.

Amu nodded and smiled. "That's good. Come on, let's - "

"Hinamori-san?"

She froze, eyes wide, as she heard the voice that usually stuck fear into her heart. She slowly rose to her feet and turned to see Kiyomi standing in front of her.

"Yes?" Amu answered robotically.

"I wanted to apologize to you, face to face," Kiyomi started. "There's not much more I can say after the assembly today, but I just wanted to let you know how sorry I am. And I want to thank you, especially, for making me understand how wrong I was. I'll always regret what I did, but I'll always remember that you saved me. Thank you."

There was a beat of silence as the president searched for what to say next. She swallowed nervously and looked Amu in the eyes, and then spoke.

"Can you forgive me?"

Amu's mind raced. After everything Kiyomi had done, could she forgive her? Should she forgive her? The pain, the torment, the worry...all of it had been because of her. And yet, Tsukasa had a point. The others had done terrible things as well. They'd also caused pain, torment, and worry, and she forgave them.

"'To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you...'"

Her eyes widened slightly and she knew what to say.

"Yes," Amu replied. "Yes, I forgive you."

Almost instantaneously, she felt the burden lift from her heart, and knew that what Tsukasa had said was correct. She didn't want to hold on to that anger and blame for the rest of her life. No good could come of it. It felt much better to just forgive her.

Kiyomi's eyes filled with tears again and she quickly wiped them away. "Thank you. Thank you so much. Amu, I...I want to show you something."

Amu nodded and Kiyomi reached into her bag and pulled out a Guardian Egg. Amu could tell it wasn't Akira's, because Akira's egg was amber and white colored. This egg was a light blue with patterns of hearts and globes covering it.

"Who...?"

"It's Masuyo," Kiyomi replied. "She came back to me."

Amu briefly flashed back to when Ran, Miki, and Su returned and the joy she had felt. "That's amazing."

"Nee-chan?" Ami asked, tugging at Amu's jacket.

Kiyomi looked down at Ami and smiled, then looked at Amu. At almost a whisper, she asked, "Can I say hello to her?"

Amu's heart beat with a flash of anxiety, but she nodded.

Kiyomi slowly knelt down and smiled at Ami. "Hello, my name is Kiyomi. What's yours?"

"Ami!"

"Do you have a dream? Do you want to become something?" Kiyomi asked.

Ami grinned. "I want to be like nee-chan! And sing like Utau-chan! And take pictures like Papa! And write like Mama!"

Kiyomi chuckled. "Well, you certainly have a lot of dreams."

"Yep! And I want shugoi chara, too!" she exclaimed.

Kiyomi, Amu, and their charas all began laughing. And it felt good. They were without worry, without fear. Just happy.

"Ki-nee?"

Kiyomi turned to see Shoji standing next to her. She stood up and brushed the grass off. "Hi Shoji. Ready to go home?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

Kiyomi looked at Amu and smiled. There was a moment of hesitation, and then Kiyomi reached out and hugged her. Amu stood still with shock as a part of her mind screamed danger, but she pushed it back and hugged her back. They broke apart after a moment and shared a smile. Then, they went home.

"She was nice," Ami said as they walked.

"Yeah," Amu said, smiling to herself. "Yeah, she is."

I am suuuuuuuuuuuuuper sorry at how long I've been gone! School was - is - majorly stressing me out and I didn't have time at all. I hope you can forgive me? (I just realized that this chapter is about forgiveness; wow, irony) I hope you can!

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Then please review or PM me! Til next time!

~Kicon

Next Episode: Heart Wrenching Goodbye!