Me: Sorry, I haven't updated in a while. :P

Amu: You have THAT right! T.T

Ikuto: I looked at her e-mail. She had blackmail saying to upate "or else".

Me: … xD Well anyway,whatever chapter this is, please enjoy.

Oh, and by the way, you all may be wondering: Where are Amu's charas? Or Yoru?

Yoru stayed with Utau. He knew what happened to Ikuto, though.

Amu's charas are kept safe in a room where they can have whatever they want. xD She doesn't want to take them anywhere in fear that they might be hurt or stolen.

Chapter 7

Explanations

Flashback

He stared at her. She was with a blonde merman, his hair messy and his friendly-looking magenta eyes wandering over the menu.

"…Ikuto…?"

x.x.x.x.

"…Ikuto…?" Amu said again, her eyebrows being pulled to form a worried and sorrowful expression.

"Ikuto-kun, how do you know the princess?!" Ichira exclaimed, and swam over to Amu.

"Oh princess, you're my idol! I love you, and I have seaweed with portraits of you everywhere! What a surprise to see you here!"

"You too… Ikuto, who's this?"

Ichira stepped in for him. "He asked me on a walk, and, well, I'm here!"

Amu's eyes wandered to me, with confusion and sadness.

"Amu, it's-"

"Meet me at the palace. You'll have a surprise, Tsukiyomi." She growled. The blonde-haired man sent a glance towards me, but it was expressionless.

"Ichira, lets go somewhere else," Ikuto sighed. What had he done?

"Okay, Ikuto-kun! You have to tell me about your connection to Princess Amu!"

Ikuto sighed again. What connection?

At the Restaurant, with Amu

"Who was that, Hinamori?" the blonde asked.

"Look, it's none of your business, Tadase…" Amu sniffed a bit, but looked away from his pinkish-purple eyes.

"He better not be a replacement," his magenta eyes had a stern look.

"Not anymore…" she murmured, way to quiet for him to hear.

She reached for her conch shell packed in her little purse. She reached her father, and said,

"Father, I'm marrying..."

"Tadase?!"

"…I think so."

"Wonderful, we'll have preparations by today!"

"…Goodbye, father."

She dropped the conch back into her purse and slid out from the seat provided at their booth.

"I'm sorry, Tadase, I have to go now,"

"I'm going to be king." Were his final words.

How can those eyes be so deceiving? She thought as she exited The Shell (the restaurant they were at).

With Ikuto

"Look, Ichira, I know you might be disappointed, but…"

"I know, Ikuto."

"What?" he asked, puzzled by her calm voice.

"I know. You just wanted to get back at Amu, and I'm just part of your plan, right?"

"…"

She smiled and gave him a thumbs up.

"Go after her, Ikuto. I won't be hurt."

He stared at her, open-mouthed.

"Now, GO! Before she marries that other merman!"

"What about you, though?!"

"I'll be fine. Boys come to me just like you did, anyway," she giggled. He smirked, said his good-byes and thank-yous, and swam at the speed of light. (How fast is light, anyway? O.o)

At The Palace. Amu is there, and Ikuto's half a minute away.

"Father…" she said, her voice still uneasy. Servants were speeding frantically around the room, placing vases, hanging banners, re-painting walls. (xD)

"Amu, I'm so glad you chose this path," her father grinned.

"…me…" could she really say that she was happy? Was she happy? Why would Ikuto just do that all of a sudden?

"AMU!" came that voice. The voice that made her stomach ache.

Why does my stomach ache whenever I think or see him…?

"Amu, please!"

Those eyes that make me feel like I can't breathe anymore underwater…

"It was a mistake!!"

Those words…

"Ikuto…"

"Amu." Her father gave her a stern look. "He can't interrupt this! If he doesn't leave now, he will be banished."

"I'm willing to die for Amu. Just, give me one minute, please,"

"…Father, let him."

"But A—"

"Or I'm not marrying Tadase!!"

"…Very well. One minute, and one minute only," he said with a groan.

Amu led Ikuto to a corner.

"Okay, what is it."

Me: Heeeheee. Zuzu-chan decided to be nice for the holidays, so she will upload TWO CHAPTERS today!! YAYYY!

Ikuto: Fweep.

Me: That's my word D

Ikuto: You're the one writing my script c.c

Me: Anyway. If you guys were wondering what "Seaweed" was when Ichira was swooning over Amu, it's like papyrus or paper, except it doesn't rot or fall apart.

REVIEW!! Please. :3