Hello all, thank you for the reviews~ :*
I do hope you enjoy the last chapter of this story and I will update again as soon as I can :)
▬▬ι═══════ﺤ -═══════ι▬▬▬▬ι═══════ﺤ -═══════ι▬▬▬▬ι═══════ﺤ -═══════ι▬▬▬▬ι═══════
To say Kanda was perplexed was an understatement. He was still trying to grasp what the Guardians had explained yesterday.
He sat there, in front of the door of the infirmary, standing guard. He did not want to leave, he wanted to be around and be there for Amber.
Guardian Characters?
Humpty Lock?
"Kanda!"
The samurai turned and saw Leenalee, Link, Allen, Lavi and Cross Marian coming toward him. Almost immediately, the teen got up from the floor and dusted himself off.
"Cross-"
"The Humpty Lock came back to her I'm guessing?"
Everyone stares at the tall redhead in confusion, wondering what the hell was he talking about.
"How did you-?"
"She is my daughter Kanda Yuu. Of course I knew and continue standing guard; I'll be tending to her now. Get the rest up to speed."
Without another word, Cross enters the room through the door Kanda was in front of, determined to see his child.
At Lunch
Link had a huge headache, completely at a loss of how to comprehend all the new information Kanda had just relayed to them.
"Allen!"
Everyone looks up to see Bak Chan and Sammo Han walking toward them. After exchanging pleasantries, the two sit down to have lunch together. It was quiet until Lavi got bored of the silence and said something that had been on his mind.
"I bet Allen's guardian character would be a scam artist."
"Huh?"
Lavi grins at the younger teen's expression, "We all know you got a dark side. Considering your history with gambling and cads, I would say it fits."
Link snorts and Allen couldn't help but rub the back of his head bashfully.
"I think mine would be a dancer."
Allen smiles and kisses his girlfriend on the forehead affectionately before whispering slyly in her ear causing her to smile shyly at the gesture.
"I bet Link's would be a baker."
The former Crow snorts once more and Lavi turns to Kanda next.
"I don't know what yous would be though."
"I think it would something bird-like" Leenalee comments thoughtfully.
"Why a bird?" Allen asks.
Leenalee shrugs and smiles at Kanda who just hn'ed, not caring at all.
"Where are the Guardians? I was hoping me and Kukai could spend some time together."
"Kukai and I" Leenalee corrects her friend.
"You and Kukai-kun do have certain similar qualities." Allen points out before Lavi could reply.
"How so?"
"The stupid grin" supplies Kanda.
"The laugh" Link adds on.
"The green eyes" Leenalee comments thoughtfully.
Allen chuckles, "Kukai is your brother from another mother."
"Yo! I hear my name!"
Lavi turns and high fives the brunette, grinning in a similar fashion, "Yo!"
The other Guardians exchanges awkward but polite pleasantries with the exorcist team until Ikuto comes up behind them.
"Why are all of you here?"
"To see Amber."
"How is she doing?" Tadase asks, hoping for an update.
Kana sighs, "Kit is fine as far as I know, her father is tending to her now."
Nagi blinked, surprised, "Amu's chan's tou-san is here?"
At that precise moment, before Kanda could open his mouth to reply, Bak's pager sounds. He checks it and see a message from Cross.
"Amber is all good now."
None of them wasted any time, they finished their food and all headed to the infirmary together, eager to visit the little redhead.
Amber slept peacefully on her father's chest with a thick pink duvet over her petite body. Cross held his daughter close to him, stroking her hair almost oblivious to the group of people coming into the room.
"How did the Humpty Lock become a choker?" Tadase asks quietly.
Confused, Ikuto looks over and sees that Tadase was right, the Humpty Lock had transformed somehow from a necklace to a golden choker with the emblem on the front. he reached for his Dumpty Key and felt a warm tingling sensation and felt kind of bad for Amber, the choker looked uncomfortable. He wondered if Amber could actually take it off or was it stuck around her neck forever?
"Amber evolved hence the Humpty Lock did the same." Cross says suddenly before Ikuto could say the words himself.
"You are Amu-chan's tou-san?" Kukai asks, studying the intimidating man.
"The red hair is a dead give-away don't you think?"
"How do you know about the Humpty Lock?" presses Tadase, intent on uncovering more mysteries.
"My daughter and I did continue communication during her sabbatical. We have no secrets, she and I."
Speak of the devil, the little redhead stirs in her sleep making Cross lean in to kiss his child on the forehead making Amber turn into his chest and whimper slightly as she tried to open her eyes.
"Still hurts?"
Amber nods and Cross moves his hand over his daughter's eyes and speaks quickly in the Ancient Tongue. When the spell finishes Amber lets out a sharp breath and grips her father's arm causing the man to flinch. Somehow Amber sits up quickly with a scream and her eyes open causing her friends to gasp in shock.
Amber's eyes were no longer just the pretty copper colour it once was, now there were golden flecks in her eyes, her eyes now more striking than it ever was.
"M-mirror..."
Cross passes his daughter a small mirror and the little witch stares at her reflection.
"Papa, my eyes aren't supposed to be like this right?"
"Well no but you are a child of mixed breed hence it is not uncommon for you to have an irregular magical transformation."
As he says this, he rubs her back soothingly reminding Amber about the change on her back birthmarks.
The wings were longer than before which meant her powers were getting stronger.
The redhead sighs deeply, being a child and a small one like that complicated things. Someone with immense power as her had drawbacks of not being in complete control of her magic if she wasn't careful and now that she reached her magical maturity at the age of 12 no less, she had to put in more of the work to discipline herself to be in control more.
Amber rubs her temples, feeling a migraine coming on.
"You should sleep more." Kanda tells her, finally saying something since he entered the room.
"I'm fine."
"Amu-"
Amber scowls and speaks before Rima could finish, "I'm tired so don't you dare ask me any of your stupid questions. I have secrets yes. I'm complicated yes and I can't be bothered with trying to explain myself."
Hurt, Rima leaves the rooms with tears in her eyes and the Guardians follow after her, worried.
Ikuto watches them go before turning to Amber and deadpanning in disapproval, upset with the redhead, "That was cold."
"Like I give a damn. Get out."
If Ikuto was surprised by her tone, he didn't show it and instead stayed causing Amber to grit her teeth.
"Leave"
"No, I don't want to be in the dark anymore. I want to know you and you don't scare me."
Cross smirks, amused but Amber felt otherwise.
She mutters something quickly under her breath and Ikuto's belt snaps, quickly the teenager grips his pants from in his hands to avoid it falling to the floor.
"Get the fuck out."
"I'm staying."
Now Amber was really annoyed, she grabbed a pitcher of water and chucks it at Ikuto's head who somehow manages to dodge.
Irate, she moves to take something else but her father knocks her out, disrupting her.
"Let's all talk yeah?"
A little while later, everyone gathers in Cross's room including the Guardians.
Cross's room was huge and decorated in deep, dark shades of red hues. He sits in his armchair, looking stoic until he finally speaks.
"My daughter as you have all realized, has quite a nasty temper. A trait she inherited as a Marian. I apologize for her bratty behavior but she is quite tired and is pretty stressed out."
"Why does Amu have so many secrets?" Rima asks quietly.
"She has special circumstances."
"Like?" Nagi presses, curious.
"Look kids. I know you care about my daughter but pressing for information about her will just set her off. She likes being mysterious and having aces up her sleeves. She is never keen when someone tries to study her."
"But its aggravating! She is like a completely different person!" Rima yells, angry.
"Hinamori Amu is never coming back Mashiro. You Guardians need to get over that."
The small tween started to cry, pointing a finger at the spectacle wearing redhead, "It's your fault! If you haven't taken her away in the first place, we would still have Amu!"
"Amber is special. I knew she was bound to come back to the Order sooner or later. I did hope she would at least have a few more years but things happen for a reason. I am sorry Mashiro."
"Don't be sorry! Just give Amu back!"
Cross remained calm but in his eyes, you could see he was truly apologetic, "My daughter wouldn't like that. You need to move on."
Rima stomps out and the rest of the Guardians follow after her quietly after casting quiet looks towards Cross.
"Kit is a mixed breed?" Kanda asks, breaking the awkward silence.
"I am of a vampire decent and her mother was of fairy decent. Amber is truly special."
"Not to mention the face she is the first Marian daughter to ever exist." Sammo Han points out.
"Very true."
Lavi tilts his head, asking a question that was on his mind, "Amber mentioned her eyes were supposed to be different. What were they supposed to be?"
"By right, as a witch, she was supposed to inherit a brighter eye colour of sorts however due to her unique power in connection with her magical prowess in wizardry, the power she inherited from her blood, the power she obtained from the Humpty Lock and not to mention the angelic abilities she was born with, she has a different permanent physical characteristic as her Mark of Maturity."
"Angelic powers?" Link enquires. "You're talking about her destiny right?"
Allen blinks, putting together something he remembered, "You mean the destiny to save me?"
Cross nods and gets up from his chair knowing fully well he should not reveal anything more about his daughter, "Everyone please gather at the cafeteria for a special performance tonight. You'll be in for a treat."
Sammo gapes, "Is Amber performing for my birthday party?"
"As will I"
Bak's jaw drops in shock.
Both Marians performing?
Ikuto swallows thickly along with almost all the males in the audience seeing Amber enter the stage. She was dressed in a white crochet-detailed two piece ensemble with a cream coloured woven knit oversized cardigan . The midriff top and short skirt was doing things to his brain that he did not want happening at this current moment. She wore a white rose floral headband and a smile on her face that could melt the Sun making it pretty easy to forget her tantrum earlier.
Everyone watched as her father sat next to her in a stool with a guitar in his hand, dressed casually in a black and red plaid shirt with dark jeans while Amber adjusted the mike before singing in a voice that sounded so raw yet warm to the core of anyone that hears with her father playing acoustic in the background.
A million thoughts in my head
Should I let my heart keep listening
'Cause up 'til now I've walked the line
Nothing lost but something missing
Kanda stiffened, the uncomfortable feeling the strong urge within himself to be nearer to her was rising up again and so he closed his eyes, trying to control himself but he realized he couldn't. Not when Amber was singing her heart out and her angelic voice filling the room.
I can't decide
What's wrong, what's right
Which way should I go?
If only I knew what my heart was telling me
Don't know what I'm feeling
Is this just a dream?
Ah oh, yeah
If only I could read the signs in front of me
I could find the way to who I'm meant to be
Ah oh, if only
If only [2x]
Lavi tried to focus on her feet, trying to admire the intricate lacing of her heels instead of looking upward, anything but upward. Amber looked so damn beautiful and mature that it was making his heart thump almost manically in his chest.
Every step, every word,
With every hour I am falling in
To something new, something brave
To someone I, I have never been
I can't decide
What's wrong, what's right
Which way should I go?
If only I knew what my heart was telling me
Don't know what I'm feeling
Is this just a dream?
Ah oh, yeah
If only I could read the signs in front of me
I could find the way to who I'm meant to be
Ah oh, if only
Yeah
Cross joins her for the rest of the song, his deep and sensual voice hitting the audience likes waves.
Am I crazy? Maybe we could happen
Yeah
Will you still be with me when the magic's all run out?
If only I knew what my heart was telling me
Don't know what I'm feeling
Is this just a dream?
Ah oh...
If only I could read the signs in front of me
I could find the way to who I'm meant to be
Ah oh...
Ikuto felt the Dumpty Key burn against his wrist and looks up, focusing on Amber's choker.
The Humpty Lock was sparkling.
What did that mean?
If only, yeah [3x]
If only
If only
Everyone claps loudly once the song finishes and the Marians thank them all for the standing ovation before leaving the stage gracefully to meet up with the group.
"I always knew you were better than Utau." Rima tells her as soon as her friend was in front of her.
"Thank you but I wanted to apologize."
Almost immediately, everyone looks at her in shock but Amber ignores them and continues, "Look. Hinamori Amu was a character, certain traits of her mine but not all of it. Amu was an open book, I'm not. Amu could never be honest with herself and neither can I. Amu was clumsy, I'm not. Amu was headstrong and so am I. Amu was meek most of the time but I am not. Amu wasn't good with boys and neither am I. Point is, I am sorry but you need to deal with the fact that Amu is dead and I remain. I shouldn't have let you continue calling me Amu. Please just call me Amber from now on."
""We understand." Nagi says finally, after exchanging look with his friends.
Everyone was upset sure but Amu-well Amber was being upfront and honest. Ignoring her efforts would have been rude.
"What this about boys Amber?"
Amber froze and laughed nervously, "I have no idea what you're talking about!"
She gives her godfather a quick hug before running for the hills with her father hot on her heels.
"I TOLD YOU NO BOYS IN TOKYO AMBER!"
"UWAAAA! PAPA PLEASE!"
Sammo shakes his head, unable to help himself cracking a smile, The Marians sure know how to make a place lively don't they?"
▬▬ι═══════ﺤ -═══════ι▬▬▬▬ι═══════ﺤ -═══════ι▬▬▬▬ι═══════ﺤ -═══════ι▬▬▬▬ι═══════
A review would be most appreciated! Hope you liked the chapter! ^^
The song is called 'If Only' from Disney's Descendants
Have a good day everyone :)