Bip: …I've run out of good characters to do the disclaimer T-T. Thus, I resort to this.
Gozen (I'm calling him Gozen for those who don't know who he really is): …
Bip: Actually, I think I forgot someone…o.o…did I?
Gozen: …
Bip: Can't you say something =_=
Gozen: If I don't need to, why would I say anything?
Bip: …You know, if it wasn't because of your age, I just might hit you…hard in the face T-T
Gozen: Try and I'll sue you.
Bip: …T-T
Gozen: It sure is a good thing you don't own Shugo Chara.
(Bip: Shut up! Someone make this guy shut up!)
"Talking"
Thinking
"YELLING"
"Person saying something special or person thinking back to what another person said. You'll have to figure it out yourself :O"
Chapter 13: The Truth Part 1
-Narrator's POV-
Eru sat on top of a buiding, looking down. I'm glad that Amu admits it now, but its probably too late… Eru looked behind her. The ghost girl was looking kneeling on the ceiling of the building, looking down the chimney. After all, this fool is with me. For the past hour, the girl had been looking at things and being surprised by them. It seems like she came from a different century...
"Eru! I've thought of everything, now. I've numbered all my questions in the order I want you to answer them!"
"Um…sure? But, as an angel, I've got better things to do!"
"Like being a matchmaker?" The girl said, joking.
"Exactly!"
The ghost gave Eru a blank stare. "…I was joking…" she mumbled. "Anyways, here are my questions…About Ikuto…" Eru hung her head a little, like a child apologizing for something she's done. "Um! I'll ask about that later!"
"Ok, I guess the truth will come out sooner or later. Preferably later…" Eru said sighing.
"Right…Anyways, I want to know, why aren't I being reincarnated like normal?" The ghost walked around before continuing. "When a person is being reincarnated, they would be reborn, as a normal child, right? As an infant, with a new life."
"That's correct."
"So why is it like this, now? I'll be reborn soon and at the age of 11. I'll be a sixth grader soon. This will happen as soon as Ikuto…"
Eru's face fell. "…yes, you'll all be reincarnated very soon, perhaps in a few months…"
"…Um, ok, I'll try not to talk about that..." She thought carefully before speaking again. "Basically, when I'm reincarnated, I'm not an infant. I'm already someone who can think for herself. It's like 'inserting' a life in to the world. But, if reincarnations like that just happens…" She paused, a little puzzled.
"When that happens, the new life would have no family, no future and time and everyone's destiny would be changed and warped." Eru finished for her. "That's why when we have to do this, we have to change the people this person meet's memories so that their family and friends would know them."
"But Ikuto's –"
"So what is your question?" Eru yelled at her before the ghost could finish.
"…My…My question is…why do I have to be reincarnated this way, why couldn't it be a normal way…?"
"I'm sorry." Eru said softly. "It's because of Ikuto, really. He's been like this for a long time, even before he met Amu. Like a bomb, the time is ticking away and pretty soon everyone will have to say goodbye."
The ghost's eyes went wide. "You don't mean—!"
"Sorry." Eru cut her off. "The sun is coming up. I have something to do and you can't even normally stay in the sunlight, right."
The girl looked over at the east, the sun really was coming out. The girl frowned and glared at Eru. "Alright, but you're not getting out of this. You're going to tell me tomorrow!"
"Sure…" Eru spread her wings out as the ghost disappeared. "Sorry, I'll have to keep you in the dark just a little longer." She mumbled. (A/N: And that's what I'm going to do to you till the end of this chapter xD. Yes, I know I'm evil xDDD)
-Amu's POV-
I didn't speak to Ikuto since I didn't really know what to say now. We didn't get many chances to speak either since Ami got her hands on some kitty clothes and Ikuto became her model. I was really confused, too. This is like a manga or something, since when do humans and cats fall in love…?
I was sitting on the couch, deep in thought. My parents were out and Ami was upstairs. The T.V was on, but I wasn't paying any attention to it. That was why I was so shocked when the phone rang.
"H-Hello…?" I said, slowly.
"What have you been doing, Amu?" A creepy voice said.
I slowly took the phone away from my ear and put it back on the receiver. A few seconds later, the phone rang again.
"Hello?" I said again.
"Sorry, Amu, for playing that prank on you!" Yaya's voice said.
"Yea, you sounded so suspicious." Nagihiko said.
"Am I on speaker?" I asked in case their parents were around and I said something stupid.
"No, we're on four-way." I heard Rima's voice say. "Although, I did put you guys on speaker."
"What?!" Yaya yelled. I quickly put my phone on speaker and lowered the volume. "Then everyone heard when I said I wanted to run away?!"
"You were going to run away?!" I asked before Rima responded.
"No, I'm grounded. And I really wanted to go to this concert so I was thinking of sneaking out of the house, if that counts as running away."
My eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "Right, so what did you call me for? A four way phone call is pretty expensive."
"It can't be more expensive than a long distance call." Nagihiko muttered. "Anyways, we're going to the shrine for new years. Do you want to come?"
"Huh?" My parents didn't mention about any shrines nearby.
"Bring anyone you'd like. Most of the class is coming, too."
That's great…It's going to be super crowded…
"So are you coming?" Rima asked.
"Um…I don't know. I mean, I don't even know where it is…"
"Oh, it's behind the school." Yaya said, a little over excited.
"Yea, behind the lake." Rima added.
"So are you coming?" Nagihiko said.
"I'll think about it…"
"You should come!" Yaya said, over excited, again. "And bring that older blue hair boy again! The one that's like a cat!"
"W-W-W-WHAT?!?!?!?" I yelled. How did they know about Ikuto?! Do they know I like him? I started blushing subconsciously.
"Aww, come on, news travel quickly, Amu-chi!"
"Yeah, they saw you with a blue hair boy in the school during vacation!" Rima joined in. That must've been when I went to look for my scarf…
"Uh…sure, I'll ask him to come…"
"Great, then we'll see you there!" Nagihiko said before I could change my mind and they all hung up like it was a routine.
I could hear Ami's giggles and Ikuto's complaining meows from the other end of the hallway. Well, I'm going to have to talk to him again sooner or later… I opened the door slightly and poked my head in. Ami was making Ikuto wear a dress. It was kind of cute how she thought of Ikuto as female…
"Ami, I need Ikuto back."
"No! I want to pway with Ikuto!"
Ikuto looked at me as if I was saving him. "You can have him back tomorrow." I said as I picked up Ikuto, who was glaring at me now. I paused for a moment. He hadn't glared at me for a while and I suddenly remembered what he was like when I first found him, all grumpy and mean. He really did change… I thought with a smile.
"…Okway." Ami said after thinking for a while.
I let Ikuto into my room first so he could change into human so we could commute. The door opened and Ikuto glared at me. "Do you have to give me back to her? You have no idea how painful it is for your arm to be forced in a direction it can't normally twist in."
"Yea, but if I didn't promise that you'd still be stuck there." I retorted. "Anyways." I wanted to get this over with before I start blushing like crazy. "I'm going to the shrine on new years with a few friends, do you want to come?" I said quickly.
"Ok, sure." He said. And as soon as he said that, I quickly left the room. I could feel my face getting warm. For some reason (probably cause he's a cat) I didn't want him to know I liked him.
"Do we really have to wear a kimono?" Ikuto asked me.
"No, but they said I should. I don't want to, but I my parents did buy me a new one." I said sighing. Ikuto was looking at his kimono. It was one of my dad's old ones. At least it would fit him.
"I've never tried to take off my normal clothes." Ikuto muttered.
"Well, now's the perfect chance." I said as I opened the closet door for him.
"I have to change in the closet?" He asked. By now, I was feeling less awkward around him.
"Yes since I don't want my parents to 'accidentally' see you walking out of the bathroom or something."
"Then can't you leave the room?"
"No. Since I don't want to stand outside the room, my parents will ask what the heck I'm doing and if I leave you in the room, what if my mom comes in to check on me?" My mom has been checking if I was in my room a lot since the time I got 'lost'.
Ikuto sighed as he gave in and I slammed the door the moment he walked in.
Soon, Ikuto walked out with his kimono on. "Huh, turns out the clothes do come off. Should I try washing them…?" He said as he inspected his clothes, then he looked up at me. "Amu? Are you blushing?"
"W-What?!" I said, surprised. "I-It's nothing!" I said, quickly turning around and leaving the room. "I'll-I'll see you downstairs! Use the balcony so mom and dad won't see you!" I almost yelled at him before I slammed the door. I hurried down the stairs.
"Be back by 9, all right, Amu?" My mom said to me as I headed out the door.
"Sure!" I slammed the door and waited for Ikuto at the porch. I patted my cheeks, hoping that'll make me blush less, but I only succeeded in making myself redder by slapping myself.
"Amu? Why are you slapping yourself?" Ikuto asked me.
"Ah!" I said "You're here! Than let's go!" I said quickly and almost ran down the block.
Ikuto caught up to me in almost no time. "Amu…why are you acting so weird all of a sudden?"
"Weird? I'm weird acting not!"
Ikuto raised an eyebrow. Whoops…I guess I have been acting weird…
"L…Look. It's nothing. You don't have to worry about it. Let's just go to the shrine…" I said as I felt my face getting warm again.
By the time we got there, it seems that the whole school was already there.
"Great…" I heard Ikuto mutter. "I hate crowded places…"
"Amu-chi ~!" I heard Yaya's piercing scream from across the shrine. The student council members were standing in the middle of the shrine, surrounded by many, many students.
"Did…Did they invite everyone they knew?" I asked in disbelief.
"Wow! I was only kidding when I asked you to bring him…" Yaya said as she looked up at Ikuto. I realized just how tall Ikuto was compared to everyone else here. How old was he anyways?
"Nice to meet you…" Nagihiko said, trying to make a conversation with Ikuto.
"My name's Ikuto."
"Ok, I'm Nagihiko. And this is Kukai, …" Nagihiko went on to introduce everyone. "…And this is Kairi…"
Kairi stared at Ikuto. "…Do I know you from somewhere?" He asked. He seemed puzzled by something. "I could swear you were shorter at that time, though…" He muttered.
"Oh, do you mean Yoru?" Miki asked Kairi. "Ikuto and Yoru look really alike."
"Er, no." Kairi said as he flipped open his notebook. "I don't know anyone named Yoru."
"Really? I can't imagine another Ikuto look alike…" I said with a laugh. Kairi continued to flip through his notebook. Does he write down everything in there? Even people he meet?
Kairi stopped at a page in his notebook and his eyes lit up. "Ah, Ikuto-san is your last name…Tsukiyomi?"
"…No." Ikuto answered.
Of course, Ikuto doesn't have a last name… Unless he decides to be considered a part of my family…
"Then what is your last name?" Rima asked.
Everyone turned their attention to me, for some reason. They stared at me, expecting an answer. "W-What should I say?!" I whispered to Ikuto.
"Just make something up!" Ikuto whispered back.
"Um…Um…Amaterasu!" I finally shouted.
"…" Everyone stared at me and Ikuto.
"Thanks, Amu." Ikuto muttered. "Amaterasu Ikuto. That sounds very interesting…"
"…How do you write that…?" Kairi asked as he scribbled in his notebook.
"Why the heck did you have to say 'Amaterasu' of all names?"
"I didn't mean to…" I said as I tried to avoid his gaze. "When they said Tsukiyomi, it made me think of the legends and being put on the spot, I could only think of Amaterasu…" I said, hoping he'd be satisfied with that answer. (A/N: In Japan there is are myths on the sun god whose name is Amaterasu and Tsukiyomi, who is the moon god. I don't know if Amaterasu is a real last name, though… .__.)
Ikuto sighed "Whatever. As long as no one repeats it again." He muttered to me. "Amaterasu Ikuto…It just doesn't sound natural…" He turned to walk towards the shop. "Amu, I'll be at the gift shop, I think I'll buy a charm or something."
"Um, Ok." I said. What would a cat wish for…?
"Hey, where's Tadase?" Kukai asked.
"Oh, Amu you didn't see him?" Nagihiko asked me.
"Huh?!" I said as I turned my attention away from Ikuto. "Why would I have seen him…"
"Don't you know…?" Rima asked. "He lives a few blocks away from your house and you would've passed it if you walked to this shrine."
"Er…" I tried to remember what happened as I was walking here. "…No, I don't think I saw him." I finally said.
Then I remembered something.
"Ikuto? Why are you staring at that house?" Ikuto was staring at a house. We had just walked a few blocks when Ikuto suddenly stopped.
"Uh, nothing. I thought I saw something flash in that house."
"Something flash?" I looked at the house it was completely dark.
"Never mind, Amu. I was probably seeing things." Ikuto said and walked ahead.
Other than that, nothing else happened. That couldn't have been…Tadase's house, could it?
"Oh well, he'll probably come later, then." Kukai said. "Oh, I still have to make my wish for the New Year!" Kukai said and left the group.
"He just can't sit still, can he?" Musashi said as he adjusted his glasses.
"Oh my gosh!" Yaya yelled. "They're selling candy!" She ran off before anyone said anything.
And just like that, everyone soon found something else to do and I was left by my self. I should go make my wish… I thought as I approached the shrine. I stopped and got ready to pray. …But, what should I wish for? I stood there, ready to pray, but nothing came to mind. World peace? No, been there, done that and it didn't work for the past few years…
"Amu…" Rima stood next to me. "What are you going to wish for?"
"Um…I don't know. Nothing really comes to mind right, now. I guess I'm happy with the way my life is right, now."
"Well, I want candy!" Yaya, who walked up to us with a many types of candy said. "I'm going to wish for lots and lots of candy!"
"Well…That's…" I was at a lost of words. For a girl who acts immature, she can easily think up her wishes. I sighed. "How about you, Rima? What are you going to wish for?" I asked.
Rima suddenly looked sad. "I…I have two wishes right, now. I want them both to come true…"
"Now I'm curious! What is it?" Yaya asked, dropping all her candy.
"Um… It's a secret." Rima said with a small smile.
"Aww! Tell us! Tell us!" Yaya yelled.
"Yea, I mean it's just us here." I said, hoping that would give her some confidence.
"Ok, ok. I'll tell you one." Rima finally said. Yaya and I stayed silent, waiting for her to tell us. Rima started blushing. "I…I…like Nagihiko…"
"EH?!?!?" Yaya and I both shouted at the same time.
"Be quiet. We're free to like whoever we want. Hmph." Rima said and turned back to the shrine to start praying.
"So Rima-tan is praying for her love life…" Yaya said in a soft voice. "That's so mature…"
"I didn't." Rima said, facing us again. "I decided my other wish is more important."
"Aww…" Yaya said as Rima left. "Ah, but I don't think I want to pray for candy, now."
"Huh? Why not?" I thought wishing for candy was good for her, it makes sense anyways…
"I know!" Yaya said and suddenly started praying. "Well, if I tell you my wish, it might not come true…" She said as she finished praying. "But I'll tell you this, I prayed for the person I like most!" She said with a smile.
"H-Huh?!" I said, surprised. "Yaya likes someone too?!"
"I never said that!" Yaya said. "It's the person I liked best… Everyone has someone they like, whether they're a girl or boy, no matter the age! They all have someone who's number one to them!" Yaya said and ran off, mad at me.
"…Why was she so mad…? Does she like someone who's older than her…? Someone who doesn't acknowledge her…?" I said to myself as she ran off. "…That speech of her's sounded so mature…I feel sort of dumb, now."
I sat down and started praying. There's one thing I don't have that I still want… The person I treasure the most right, now…
I wish that Ikuto can be happy. I wish that Ikuto and I can be together.
I stood up with a smile. It was like two wishes, but in the end, I just want the both of us to be happy together.
By 8:30 most people have left. The sun was bright today, melting what's left of the snow.
"Where did Ikuto go…?" I muttered as I waited at the entrance. I looked at all the people passing through, but I still couldn't find Ikuto.
Giving up waiting, I decided to go back in to see if I could find him. After searching through the entire shrine, I decided to look around the woods; there were a few paths that go through the entire forest.
"Damn it." I muttered. "I knew I should've given him a cell phone…"
"Ah! This is great!" I heard someone say.
That's weird, why would anyone be in the woods when the shrine's out there…Well, Ikuto's an exception…
I looked past the bushes and saw two people. One was a blonde girl who looked a lot like Utau and the other was a girl with short black hair. Uh…Are those WINGS?! There were something white on the blonde girl's back, they look like folded up wings.
"Whoohoo! This is awesome!" The black hair girl continued to say. "Before I could only materialize completely at night, but now I'm almost no longer transparent in the day, too!" She said with a grin.
The blonde girl nodded. "Yes, alright, I've answered a lot of your questions over the past few days. Do you have any left?"
"Yea." The girl said with a grin. "Why is Ikuto special?"
Huh?! They were talking about Ikuto?!
"What…What do you mean…?" The blonde girl said, she seemed pressured at the question.
"I already know, Ikuto is a ghost cat who died a long time ago, right?" The black hair girl said.
WHAT?
"I want to know." The girl continued. "Why is his time on earth extended?"
WHAT? Ikuto...Ikuto is dead? Ikuto is a ghost?!
I was shocked and I took a step backwards. A twig snapped loudly as I accidentally stepped on it. Both girls turned to look at me.
"Amu?!" Eru cried out in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"What's going on?!" I asked. "What do you mean? Who is Ikuto really?!" I demanded from them. The black hair girl just looked shocked and Eru looked as if she was apologizing to me in some way.
"Amu, Ikuto isn't –"
"Tell me!" I cut her off.
Then, the next thing I knew, something black covered my eyes. "So, Eru, you've made a second mistake…Heheheh…" A new voice from behind me said.
The blackness left my eyes and I could see who was behind me. It was a girl with dark red hair and black wings.
"Chihana!" Eru cried out in surprise. "What…What happened to your wings?! They're…pitch black…"
The girl grinned evilly. "They're my punishment for meddling with things. Heh. Angels with black wings aren't allowed to be reincarnated. That's fine for me."
"W-What…angels?" I asked, I didn't know what was going on anymore.
"Eru, they've caught on to your mistake, too." Chihana said as she pointed at Eru's wings. One of the feathers in her right wing was turning black. "What you did back then, just because you were weak at heart, you've let Ikuto live."
"What?!" I asked. "Ikuto…Ikuto's not dead! He's not a ghost! He's alive!" I shouted at them.
Chihana glared at me. "And how do you know that?" She asked leaning close to me, grinning. "Can you tell me, why does he turn from a human into a cat? Can you tell me where he is now?"
My eyes widened in fear. I didn't know the answers. The only answer would be that he wasn't real. And I don't want that to be the answer.
"Listen up, Amu. Today was his last day."
"What?" Eru asked. "No way…" She turned to the black hair girl. "Of course…even you've been able to materialize…"
"…Last…day?"
"Yes, the reason you can't find him is because he's going to vanish today."
"But…why?" I managed to say. Tears rolled down my face as I thought of never seeing Ikuto again.
"Tch. Not even Ikuto knows. Eru's never told him." She paused as if thinking about something. She grinned. "Would you like to know?" She asked me.
I starred at her, wondering if I should trust her.
"No!" Eru yelled at Chihana. "Don't…You…can't tell…"
"Can't tell?" Chihana glared at her. "And why not? This is the truth of what happened." She turned back to me. "Well? It's your decision. I won't do anything if you don't want to know."
I pretended to think hard, waiting to see their expressions, but I had already made up my mind. I knew what I would say the moment she asked.
I nodded. "Yes."
"Alright." Chihana said, grinning. "Then let's go visit the past." She grabbed my hand and before I knew it, we were high up in the sky.
"Where…Where are we going?! Weren't you going to tell me…?!"
"Of course. But, telling is easier when you show them what happened!" She stopped and hovered in midair. "Now, don't let go of my hand, understand? Traveling through time is tricky and with you dangling in midair, I could easily drop you and you'll be lost in time."
I nodded as I saw the people on the streets walk backwards as the sun rises and sets, with the moon coming up and going down. I could tell that months and years are going by.
Finally the place stopped rewinding.
"Well, we're here. Now we just have to find them." She flew off in a direction near my house and stopped a few blocks away. "Look down."
I did and I was shocked at what I saw.
I saw a small blue furred kitten held by...a little Tadase?
Bip: Well, this story's almost going to end! Finally!
Gozen: …I'm curious…
Bip: About what?
Gozen: How are you going to post this up? Your computer's broken, the one that goes online.
Bip: Erk… Well…if you're reading this than… I somehow got it on…. For the time being, I'll just type up more chapters… *Sobs…I want the internet! I still have to read the new Shugo Chara chapter!!*
Gozen: …
Bip: …
Gozen: Are you done?
Bip: Yes.
Gozen: Ok then, please review.
Q: Are you lying about your computer?
A: Sadly, no. TT^TT
Q: Then where are you typing this now?!
A: My laptop. It doesn't have wireless and as a punishment for using the computer too long my parents took the wires connecting my laptop to the router thingy away…
Q: =A=
A: So I've been bored enough these days to actually get around to defeating the elite four on my Pokemon Diamond game…
Q: I didn't say anything.
A: Yeah, but I figured you'd be complaining about what I've been doing on my free time since it's July already and I've been out of school since June 20…
Q: …
A: Yes, its time to say bye.
(Q: .___.)
Edit: My computer's fixed now, but its not like it was before, it doesn't have microsoft word .__. so I wasn't sure if I did the line breaks correctly
-__-;; please bear with it until i can get microsoft programs again... TT^TT