Chapter 3: You were the Prince...But Am I a Princess?

Amu cupped her hands over her mouth. She blurted it out! She really said it. She lifted her head to expect to see Tadase stunned, or offended, but instead she watched his eyes close to a small laugh.

"What?" She said quietly.

"Amu, I told you I would always be your Prince." He smiled with a small blush.

"I know...but I think thats something different."

"How so?" Tadase asked, not offended but interested, as he sat on the bench on the path to the road from their school.

"Well...I was never one for fairy tales or anything." Amu tensed up a bit, turning into her "cool and spicy" self for a moment, "But I think love is something different." As she sat down beside him.

"Well I do love you Amu, if that is the answer your looking for." Tadase smiled.

"Then I only have one more question..." She said with a small blush. "If you had to choose between me and myself as Ru...or as Amulet Heart...what would you choose?" Amu asked. She needed to know. Maybe everything around her was causing her to mature, or maybe because she knew she was going to high school soon but something about who she was wasn't settled until she knew who she actually loved...and who loved her.

"Honestly?" Tadase started. "Well at first I fell for Amulet Heart...but then I started to notice you as you became more like Amulet Heart...caring and kind, looking out for others and daring."

Amu smiled at him. She couldn't help it, he always was so caring and innocent but... "But what about Amulet Spade or Amulet Clover ...or Amulet Diamond...I mean even as Amulet Fortune I was more than Amulet Heart..."

"I think I get what your saying." Tadase smiled.

"Really?"

"Yea, that your more than just one Character?"

"Yea...i guess like that."

"Amu are you trying to tell me something? You know even if... I mean i'll always be your Prince."

"Tadase I..." Amu started to see the flicker in his eyes. "To be honest...when we went on our first date..." Amu smiled at the recollection. "...I was so nervous. You were the P...uhm p-word..."

"Prince?" He smiled.

"Good recover!" Su added.

"...and you are and so perfect and I just couldn't handle myself. But when it came down to it...you bought me this...and it fit me...it just wasn't really me."

Amu pulled out the black heart clip from her pocket. "I love it still...but I'm not just a heart...I am a clover and a spade and sometimes a diamond...all in one."

"Amu, do you actually know who you are now?" Ran asked, appearing.

"She does! Or she's starting to!" Miki added.

"Amu is it that you love someone else?" Tadase asked.

"Well...no...maybe...I'm trying to figure it out. I don't know why, your so perfect, your the perfect prin-...uhm you know... but I kind of feel like..."

"The light in her heart is not at the right place." Dia finished.

"I think I understand." Tadase agreed. "I will always love you Amu, especially if you need a Prince but maybe you don't need a Prince...maybe you need something a little more or less...kind of..." He put his arm behind his head and shrugged shyly.

"Your not actually going to say it?"Kiseki asked, "As future King of the World I demand you, as your Guardian Character not to stoop so low as to say..."

"...more feline." Tadase said, friendly like but with a tinge of reluctance.

Amu stood with her eyes wide.

"F..f...feline?" She repeated.

"Heh, heh, you know what I mean..." Tadase suddenly widened his eyes as it seemed there was awkward air between them.

"Leave it to Amu to make things awkward..." Miki muttered.

"...I'll see. Heh, Heh." Amu casually said, giving a small glare to Miki.

"Well I'll be seeing you tomorrow then, we need to make sure everything is ready for our Graduation." Tadase got up and gave a smile and a small wave about to leave.

"Tadase..." Amu said wondering if she'd hurt his feelings.

"Yea?" He turned and looked at her.

"Thank you!" Amu suddenly leapt up and somehow mustered the courage to give him a big hug.

"Amu!" He said surprised but then smiled. "I'm glad I could be your Prince for even such a short time...and I will continue to be your Prince!"

Amu nodded and smiled. She took the hair clip and put it in her hair. "Still look good?"

Tadase blushed a bit. "Great Amu. C ya tomorrow!"

Amu watched him walk off. It hurt a bit that she was denying the boy she once stood up in front of the whole school to call out that she liked, but now...now...he was just...her very close friend...or as he liked to call it Prince.

"Amu you were so brave!" Ran proclaimed.

"And graceful with your words!" Su added.

"And Tadase still is friends with you!" Miki added.

"Yea but what now?" She put her hands behind her head stretching as she walked to her house.

"What do you mean what now?" Miki asked.

"Well...nothing."

"Your love life will not prosper if you don't do something about it. Your inner sparkle will only shine when you know what you want!" Dia reminded.

"I think I know what I want...but... it's complicated." Amu sighed as she entered her house, hoping for a nice long bath and sleep to clear her head from the day.