Hime: This is the final chapter and I hope all of you enjoyed reading it as much as I have while writing it Thank you all! :)

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Amu had just left the bathroom but was surprised when someone grabbed her arm and pulled her into the corridor, "What-?!"

"Shush, if you scream your husband will try to maim me"

"Ikuto!" Amu hissed, seeing her longtime friend smirking at her in amusement. "Why did you have to do that?"

"Do what?"

"Pull me into the corridor!"

"Because it's fun to tease you."

Amu groaned, "You're still the same after all these years."

Ikuto's smirk grew even wider, "I'll take that as a compliment."

The pinkette rolled her eyes but couldn't help but laugh with Ikuto the moment they met eyes as the nostalgia hit them like a wave, remembering all the moments they had together.

"Amu"

"Hmm?"

"I need to tell you something."

The mother of three watched as Ikuto carefully unbuttoned the top two buttons of his blue dress shirt to reveal an undershirt underneath. The man reached inside and pulled out the Dumpty Key almost blinding Amu as it shined brightly.

"Gosh! Why-?"

"I don't know, it's been glowing and burning hot against my chest since I pulled up in your driveway."

Amu opened one eye to see Ikuto had clasped the key in his hand, blocking the light. She slowly opened her eyes, meeting Ikuto's again.

"What do you think is wrong with it?"

The long-haired woman in front of him frowned, "I don't think there is anything wrong. Maybe the Dumpty Key is reacting to something?"

"Like what?"

"Maybe a new Dumpty Key bearer? Or maybe someone had just entered our world of shugo chara?"

"All possible" mused Ikuto.

Amu pursed her lips thoughtful before slowly moving her hands to Ikuto's neck, "Let me see it."

Ikuto held still as his longtime friend and first love gently brush her fingers against his neck to unclasp the chain. He watched her with a soft look in his eyes.

Amu is and had always been beautiful and captivating. She became the woman she wanted to be; honest, creative, warm and charming. Ikuto was glad that she didn't kick him out of her life and regarded him like a friend despite their history. Amu would always be his first love; a place in his heart would always be for her. Although the biggest parts of his heart would always belong to his wife and son whom he loved dearly.

"Ikuto, let go of the key you baka neko."

The former cat chara bearer blinked before unclasping his hand and holding they key out to Amu to take it. It was still glowing bright so the two had to close one eye to keep them from going completely blind but when Amu touched it, the key's blinding power sobred. It still shined but not as glaring as before.

"What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything" murmured Amu in reply as she gently fingered the details of the key, realizing that it felt warm to the touch.

Ever so slowly, the pinkette picked up the key and whispered, "Please show us what you are trying to tell us."

The two watched as the key glowed a glaring light again before floating away from Amu and slowly making it's way away from the two former chara bearers.

"Come on, let's follow it."

Amu took Ikuto's hand in hers as she followed after it with Ikuto right next to her.

"Who do you think it could be?" asked the curious violinist.

"I might have a hunch on who."

The chocolatier didn't say anything else, frustrating Ikuto. When they finally reached the stairs of the attic, the older adult gave in.

"Are you going to tell me or not?"

"Geez, be patient. We're almost there."

But as soon as she said that, the Dumpty Key flew at top speed making Amu and Ikuto hurry after it. Finally they reached the attic and the door was open. There was a gasp of surprise and a yell.

"What the hell is that?!"

Ikuto blinked his eyes in realization, "Is that-?"

"Yup" answers the pinkette, letting go of his hand and walked inside the attic.

The sight that greeted her was Aki looking aghast as he stared up at the bright, glowing Dumpty Key floating in front of him with a very familiar chara at his side.

"Gosh, he looks like Yoru" says Ikuto, voicing out Amu's exact thoughts.

The chara like Yoru carried a strong resemblance to a cat - with cat ears, a tail and paws. He also had golden eyes again like Yoru but dark red almost blood red hair. He wore a sleeveless black leather shirt with black shorts and a blood red chain around his waist while around his neck, he wore a silver necklace that had a blood red guitar pick attached to it with black music notes on it.

"Aki?"

The male pinkette blinked and tilted his head to see his mother at the doorway with Uncle Ikuto, "Mum? What are you doing here?"

"I'll explain in a bit but I need you to touch the key love."

"What? That weird floating thing? No way!"

Ikuto rolled his eyes, "And your chara isn't a weird floating thing? Come on kid, touch it."

The cat chara blinked, "You can see me-nya?"

Ikuto nodded and Amu smiled, "Probably only the both of us ever can besides Aki at the moment."

Aki was really confused now, "Mum, what's going on?"

"If you trust me, hold out your hand and touch the Key."

Aki deadpanned but there was a serious expression on his mother's face so he did as he was told but the moment his hand touched the key, the Dumpty Key glowed even brighter and Aki was blinded. Amu and Ikuto walked over and moved to sit on their knees as they watched the Dumpty Key clasp it's own chain around the boy's neck, claiming the child as it's new bearer. Once the light finally died, Aki's mother touched her son to jerk him out of it.

"It's over dear."

Aki opened his eyes to see the beautifully crafted key resting against his chest.

"Congratulations kid, you are now officially the new successor to the Dumpty Key."

Aki blinked before moving to meet his uncle in the eyes, "This weird key has a name?"

Ikuto nodded, "The Dumpty Key is said to have the ability to unlock people's hearts so that they might understand each other's feelings and put their doubts aside. It's precious and powerful so keep it close to you."

Amu snorted, hearing what Ikuto said about they key's ability, "So that's why you're so damn perceptive? Because of the Dumpty Key?"

"Come on, all credit can't go to the key. I was the bearer too you know" smirks Ikuto in reply.

Aki frowned, "So this was yours? But why did it come to me?"

"It chose you Aki. I can't be the bearer anymore. The moment I came here, the Dumpty Key reacted to your presence, choosing you as it's new guardian."

"But why me?"

Amu smiled, "Well, you among all the children does have the strongest empathy like I did growing up plus you have a cat chara like Ikuto did."

Aki's cat chara widened it's eyes, hearing that before turning to Ikuto, "You had a cat chara-nya?!"

"Yeah, his name was Yoru."

Aki was so overwhelmed right now, "Mum, how do you know all this?"

"I was the bearer of the Humpty Lock which is now currently residing in Japan before my four charas went back into my heart after I graduated elementary school."

"You had four?!" asked the male pinkette in disbelief.

Amu laughed, nodding her head, "That's right."

"Wait...Humpty Lock?!"

"Every key has a lock that it needs to open right?" says Ikuto, amused by Aki's stricken behavior.

"Y-yeah..so wait why is the Lock in Japan and not with you guys? Shouldn't the lock and key come in a set?"

"Pfft if that was true, your mother and I would be married instead."

Amu pinched her friend's ear for his comment causing Aki to look more confused, he had heard that his uncle and his mother had history before but he didn't know what was the full extent of it was.

Now I know…

"Aki-nya! I wanna touch it-nya!"

Aki, still dazed managed to mumble his approval and the cat chara flew quickly towards it.

"What's the kitty's name?" asked Amu.

"His name is Yuu and he represents my dream to be an all-around entertainer" answers her son.

"Ahhh, now I get how you guessed it was Aki. The kid among all the rest is a lot more closer to the life goal than the other children plus he has a lot of passion for it."

Amu nodded before turning her attention back to her fellow pinkette, "How long have you had Yuu?"

"Not long honestly, like 2 weeks I guess?"

Meanwhile an entranced Yuu decided to put both his paw hands on the key causing the key to glow brightly again, "AKI-NYA!"

Aki looked down only to be blinded again, "What's happening?!"

Almost immediately, all the people in the room stood up and watched as Aki transformed.

"CHARA NARI - RED FIERY!"

Aki opened his eyes and looked down at himself in alarm, "What the hell?"

Ikuto put a finger to his lips, "Shush you idiot! You just transformed, it's not a big deal."

"It isn't?!"

Amu moved to close the door, knowing it'll take a while to explain about Shugo Chara to her son.

Aki's bubblegum pink hair looked spikier, more tousled and more messier than usual. He was was dressed in a sleeveless black leather jacket, a blood red, short-sleeved shirt underneath that had a black music note pattern all over it, leather buckled bracelets, dark ripped jeans and black buckled boots. Aki carried an electric guitar on his back which was blood red in colour too.

"This is so cool-nya!" laughed Yuu inside Aki's body.

Aki, hearing Yuu in his head, had enough, "Mum! This is too much! You have to explain!"

Amu sighed deeply, "This is going to be a long day..."


Hime: Please review!