I'm so sorry for the late update.

Chapter 19: Breathe Me Back to Life

Nagihiko's POV

"Kill them?" Kukai exclaimed, "It could kill them?" he repeated, his voice broken and lost.

Tadase nodded gravely, "If the spell isn't done right or the damage to Amu too great, attempting the spell would kill them," he confirmed.

"Isn't there any way to stop them? Anything?" I asked desperately.

I couldn't lose Rima, I just got her back.

Tadase shook his head sadly, "Not that I know of."

"How long will the process take?" Kairi asked.

"It should be done in a few minutes, all we can do now is wait," Tadase replied with a helpless shrug and I growled in frustration.

I hated feeling this helpless. I should've been able to do something, anything. Yet all we could do was stand there and stare, praying that they would all get out of it alive.

Ikuto's POV

I don't remember the moments that passed after Amu's death. Everyone says that I just went silent and stared off into blank space. I didn't say anything, I didn't do anything. I just stood there.

I remember what I felt though. Immense and in describable pain.

And then the three girls stepped in and said they had a way to bring Amu back…but it might cost them their lives. A selfish part of me didn't care about whether they died or not, as long as I got Amu back, nothing else mattered.

But a larger part of me wanted me to do something to stop them. They were my friends too, and Amu wouldn't have wanted this. She died protected us. She wouldn't want any of our lives in jeopardy.

Determination filled my gut, "We have to stop them," I suddenly piped up, causing everyone to look at me in surprise.

I stepped forward towards Utau.

"Wait, Ikuto, stop! We tried that already!" Kukai cried out but I paid him no heed.

Focusing, I summoned up as much magic as I could and channeled it towards my hands. Then, I walked up to the barrier and presses my hands through it,, wincing as soon as my fingers made contact with the energy wall.

"Come on," I muttered as I tried to conjure up more magic and pry the wall open.

And it worked, a little, a small gap opened but just to create that tiny ripple, I had used up all my magic and I was forced to a kneeling position as my knees buckled out from under me. Spots dancing before my eyes and I was using all my concentration to just stay conscious.

Suddenly, I felt a surge of power flow through me and the spots cleared. I turned my head around and saw Kukai, Nagihiko, Kairi and Tadase channeling their energy into me. Smirking, I then turned back to the task at hand, using the new found power to rip a larger hole. It still took a lot of strength and I could feel my muscles protesting under the pressure but I kept pushing.

The hole gradually got bigger as I tore a rip in the magic until finally, the spell broke. A bright light filled the room and I tumbled back.

Amu's POV

What was going on?

Not a few moments ago, I had been drifting away, almost asleep, it had been so comfortable, so peaceful, lying there in that dark abyss. Staying there forever would've been okay with me.

But now, suddenly, I found myself standing in a blindingly white room.

"Where am I?" I muttered to myself.

I was alone in the vast room. There didn't seem to be any walls or doors…just endless nothingness.

Is this what death is like? Is this going to be my life for the rest of eternity?

Suddenly, a wave of exhaustion washed over me and a buckled to the ground, crumbling like sand onto the floor. Darkness started to creep into the corners of the room, seeping in with small tendrils as they reached out for me and I waited.

I can go back to the dark place. I can rest there. I won't have to worry about anything ever again.

My eyelids felt heavily. Keeping them open became a struggle. And I stopped bothering to fight.

So I let them close.

However, just as they were about to shut, an all too familiar voice called out.

"Amu-chi!" she screamed and my eyes snapped open.

That sounded a lot like…Yaya. But what was she doing here?

"Amu! Don't you dare shut your eyes on us!" another voice yelled…Utau.

"Come on! Fight! Don't you dare fall asleep! Wake up!" a voice that sounded like Rima warned.

"Guys," I mumbled sleepily. still lying on the floor. Darkness continued to creep about me, beckoning me with it's sleepy tendrils.

"I'm so tired…just…let me rest for five minutes," I sighed as I curled up more, but they were having none of it.

"No!" they all screamed in unison.

"Fight, Amu-chi. For us!" Yaya begged and I slowly opened my eyes.

"Fight for all of our friends!" Utau commanded and the darkness retreated back and away from me.

"Fight for him! Fight for Ikuto!" Rima demanded and my eyes snapped opened.

"Iku…to," I mumbled and the last thing that registered was a blinding light surrounding me.

Ikuto's POV

When I opened my eyes again, the three girls were collapsed from across me as their boyfriends helped them to stand up properly.

"Why would you guys do that?!" Rima screamed as she tried to push Nagihiko away, but she was weakened from the spell and didn't manage to accomplish much, "That was our one chance! Our one chance to bring her back!" she screeched as she broke down into sobs.

Frustration and anger boiled inside of me, "You think I don't know that?!" I demanded, anger getting the best of me, "You think I don't want her back?!" I yelled and they stared at me in shock, "Of course I don't want her to die! I love her! But she wouldn't have wanted this! She wouldn't have wanted you to risk your life! She died protecting us and I'm not going to let that be in vain!"

Rima stared at me in shock and I looked away, trying to reel in my temper, "I don't want her death to mean nothing," I whispered as I clenched my fists and they just continued to gap in my direction.

Suddenly, I realized they weren't staring at me, but rather behind me. Frowning in confusion, I turned around.

"Hey," a soft voice greeted me and my eyes widen in shock as a pair of warm honey eyes smiled back at me.

I didn't believe my eyes for a second, thinking I was hallucinating. Because, not moments ago, the same person had been lying on the cold marble ground, her face pale and lifeless. But now…she was standing upright, looking at me with love in her eyes. An expression I thought I would never see again.

"A…mu," I breathed and she smiled wider before rushing towards me and embracing me in a hug.

I was too shocked to do much, but my body reacted on it's own, and my arms wrapped around her waist. I breathed in her soft floral scent as she buried her face into my chest.

"I love you too," she whispered and I snapped out of my daze.

I pulled away from her, and before she had time to protest, I smashed my lips against hers.

She moved her lips rhythmically against mine and I savored her strawberry taste before she pulled away, way too early for my tastes.

Smiling at me, she let out foreheads rest against each other for a second before the moment was ruined.

"Amu!" all three girls yelled as they rushed towards her.

Amu pulled away from me then, but she kept our hands interlaced as she hugged the girls with one arm.

"You guys are idiots, you know that right?" she mumbled as she pulled away from them, but a smile was evident on her face.

"We weren't just about to let you die on us," Utau grumbled as she wiped away the tears.

Amu smiled, "Thank you, really, I couldn't have asked for better friends," she said sincerely.

They hugged her again before she went her rounds of hugging everyone, but her hands never left mine throughout the entire process.

When she was finally done, she smiled at everyone, "Now," she grinned, "Why don't we go home and get cleaned up?" she suggested.

"Sure, I could sure use a bath," Kukai stretched.

"You can bath after we move in," Amu said with an impish grin.

"Move in?" I frowned, "What do you mean?"

She didn't say anything and rather just smirked before snapping her fingers, and before we knew it, we were standing inside a living room that was eerily familiar and yet definitely not ours.

Suddenly, the memory clicked in my brain and my eyes widen. The others seemed to realized where we were the same time as I did as they stared around the room.

Not much had changed, Amu must've preserved it's state, and it looked like we never left in the first place. The same pictures lined the mantle piece and I gingerly picked up a framed one of Amu and I, as though it may crumble to dust any second.

The picture was simple, my arms were wrapped around her as I kissed her cheek and she blushed an indignant shade of red as I kissed her cheek.

The others had been as silent as me as they walked around the house, observing everything in a dazed manner.

"Are we," Rima croaked out, "Are we where I think we are?" she breathed as the tips of her fingers brushed one of the photos.

Amu nodded, "Welcome home."