Well, only one more chapter left and this story will be completed. Also, little note about me-if any of you care-I now have 25% of the Shugo Chara books, which also means I have three. I'm kind of glad that this story is almost over, I love it but it's just that it's close and I'm excited for it.
Well, I've taken longer than I should with this chapter, for several reasons. One of the big ones being that I am in college and have a lot on my plate, I have Biology, Biology Lab, Chemistry, Chemistry Lab, Math, and American Sign Language. Also, though I love Dia, she is a hard character for me to grasp. I absolutely adore her, as I adore all of Amu's Charas, but to me her personality doesn't click in an easy way to know what she will do. Trying to embody that in a chapter? Not as easy as with Miki and Su (who I think my personality is a combination of) or even Ran (who my little brother is a combination of as well as Miki and a bit of Dia so I at least have a good basis for her.) I also am into a lot of fandoms and from out nowhere an idea will hit me, sometimes for a fandom I haven't written, drawn, read, saw, thought about, or watched in a good while and I'll have to jump on it.
Also, embarrassingly, I kind of forgot about the story. I just remembered when someone reviewed and I was like "Oh, a review for Amulet :)...Oh wait! Amulet isn't finished! T_T" Pretty much, that is what happened. As a peace offering, I made this chapter much longer than others, not even counting this ridiculously long Author's Note.
So hopefully the last chapter will be up soon. I'm really sorry for the delay.
Amu smiled as she ran a brush through her hair. She wore a skirt that had yellow in the middle and black on the sides that was slightly ruffled and reached her knees and was held at the waist by a thick black band. Her top was a form fitting long sleeve with the front being yellow and the sides black with a strip of yellow going down the arms. She braided her hair atop her head in a milkmaid style being held with yellow X clips and sandal heeled shoes that were made of wood and yellow fabric. Around her neck was the Humpty Lock and on her waist was her Egg Carrier Case.
Amu's heart beat quickly as she looked up at her Charas, wishing for support. They were the only ones who knew what she was planning today. Mostly everyone else had guessed but none knew the particulars. Yoru and Mamoru probably sensed it and so were prepared, she didn't doubt that her Charas all may have given them hints about it, however she trusted the cat Charas to keep it to themselves. Yaya and Pepe no doubt knew but had no idea how important it was to the young Joker. If Kairi, Musashi, Tadase, or Kiseki knew then she'd be shocked, she was sure they had no idea. The others probably had guessed or wondered at least.
"Stop worrying, Amu." Miki whispered watching her owner fidget. "You've thought this through, I know your sure." The spade encouraged, she was Amu's Chara for being level-headed, this was not some passing whim. Amu changed her mind a lot, but once she figured out exactly what she was going to do there was no stopping her-she was stubborn. Amu is stubborn, there is no denying that, but her stubbornness was one, that if you'd just take the time to learn, you'd have to admire. Amu was a lot like the old scales pharmacies used to use, it'd fluctuate between two extremes but once it set right there would be no changing it.
"Yes, you honestly feel this way and no one is going to change it!" Ran encouraged, the heart was her Chara for honesty. Amu honestly wanted to do this, she had no qualms about how she felt about it.
"I've never seen you so radiant Amu." Diamond whispered, "don't fight it," she added, that was what the problem was. Amu was afraid, she understood but she needed to face her fears. She knew Amu would do it, she'd come too far to turn back now. But a little bit of nervousness was to be expected, Dia was Amu's Chara for confidence, and right now the pinkette really could use some.
"Just go for it Amu!" Su soothed stroking the girl's hair in a mothering fashion. "I know your sure about it, your heart is in on it." She added gleefully, Su was Amu's Chara for following her heart's instincts, and this was important to the girl.
Ran, Miki, Su, Diamond.
Body, mind, heart, soul.
Amu would do this. With a sigh and putting on her brave face Amu stood up. Now was time.
How in the world did I end up here again? Amu thought as she sang with Ikuto's violin accompanying her voice. She enjoyed these times with Ikuto, it felt special to them, she loved to sing with Ikuto's beautiful violin accompanying her. She didn't think her voice was as beautiful as the bow effortlessly gliding along the strings of his violin. To be fair, he had five years head start on practicing then she did and he practiced a lot while Amu had given up actual practice in singing for awhile. Already in the time that he played and she sang she had improved.
After awhile they stopped and Ikuto put his violin away before sitting beside her and Amu glanced at him pensively. Again. What was with her tonight? However she didn't do anything, looking at him nervously and quickly looking away when she saw him looking at her. So for awhile he acted like he wasn't looking but watching her from the corner of his eye.
Finally though it was too much and he turned to her fully. "Okay, what is it?" He asked as she jumped slight and took a deep breath.
"I wanted to tell you that I...who do you like best?" Amu asked, her Charas looked shocked, Su sighed, Miki face-palmed, Ran giggled anxiously, while Diamond just shook her head. They all loved her to death, poor girl was so nervous. It was kind of...cute. All four Charas thought at the same time as well as Ikuto's two Neko Charas, who had no idea what was going on but figured it was big so kept their mouth shut. When it came to Yoru Miki pretty much had to tell him to be quiet and promise him catnip later.
"What?" Ikuto asked confused. That wasn't what she was going to ask him, he could tell by the way she started, stalled and said something different. He wondered what she was planning on asking him.
"Ran, Miki, Su, and Dia? Which one do you like best?" Amu asked with a blush and inside was beating herself up, she wasn't supposed to ask that. Why did it matter? However, a-traitorous-voice in her head told her she knew exactly why; in a way she wanted to be the kind of girl Ikuto liked. No matter how stupid of her that was and how she knew it wouldn't work. Wouldn't make either of them happy, she still wanted to do it, if only for a moment.
"Well I can tell you which ones Yoru and Mamoru likes," Ikuto said and Amu rolled her eyes. Everyone knew that Yoru liked Miki and Mamoru liked Su.
"Come on, I'm being serious." Amu whispered looking at fingers that were fiddling instead of at him. Now that she asked she needed to know, and she was honestly curious-had been for awhile. Ikuto opened his mouth, about to tease her again but stopped. She said she was being serious and she did look serous. Also she looked seriously shy.
"Fine, I like you best." Ikuto said simply as Amu looked at him shocked.
"What do you mean?" Amu asked, not understanding. Sighing Ikuto turned fully to her and took her chin in his hand between his forefinger and thumb and lifted her head to look right into her eyes. Amu's eyes widened slightly and the background faded into nothingness besides Ikuto's face. His warm sapphire eyes being the focal point while his voice, always deep but now slightly rough with emotion, wrapped around her.
"You asked what side of you I liked best. The truth is there isn't a particular side of you-I like all of you." Ikuto explained staring right into her eyes. "I like the preppy and outgoing side of you, I like the cool and calm side of you, I like the clumsy and domestic side of you, I like the optimistic and sparkling side of you, I like the stubborn side of you. I like them all. And do you know why Amu?" Ikuto asked using his free hand to brush a stray strand of bubblegum hair out of her eye. Smirking as Amu stuttered and continued. "I like you just the way you are. Ran, Miki, Su, and Diamond are all sides of you, but do you know what they-along with you-are?" He added as Amu blushed though she didn't know why.
"They, and me are? With all of them, I'm me. I don't have to choose-I can be whoever I want to be." Amu whispered looking up at Ikuto as he nodded with a bit of pride swimming in his already emotional eyes. She knew this, of course, however it meant a lot for Ikuto to be agreeing with her. She trusted him, as obvious as that was, and if he said it was right she trusted he wouldn't lead her astray. No matter how things turned out after her confession, if she ever got that far, she'd trust that.
"Yes, and do you know what else? Your the girl I love." Ikuto added kissing Amu's cheek as she blushed.
"L-love?" Amu whispered as Ikuto smirked. She was just too cute for her own good. He hadn't planned on telling her, but he could be spontaneous sometimes and it just felt right. She was dense, she had no idea that he loved her. When he told her she thought he was teasing her but he wasn't and he'd tell her again. Her lack of belief in his sincerity wasn't as bad as rejection would be, though not as nice as acceptance.
"Yes-love. I've given in, I can't deny it anymore." He answered nuzzling her neck gently. "I'm in love with you, I can't help it, and even if you never love me like I love you I'll still love you. Always." Ikuto promised as Amu's face flushed gently and both of their Charas stared with happy expressions. It was about time Ikuto admitted his feelings like a man, both Yoru and Mamoru thought, though Mamoru was at least a bit more tactful in trying to get Ikuto to tell Amu.
Amu bit her lip and shook slightly. She wanted to say it, but now wasn't the right time-he'd think she was saying it just because he said it and she didn't want to hurt his feelings. Plus she had never been in love before and didn't want to say it, not unless she was sure. In her head it happened so many ways, she was not a player but she wasn't a prude. If she were to go out with someone as long as they were going out she would not even look at anyone else, it was the right thing to do. She would not be a cheater, and if something happened she either breakup with the person or explain what happened to them.
She had, at one time or another, liked five guys. Tadase was the prince and the outgoing part of her personality would do well with him. Kukai who would also do well with the outgoing part of her personality as well as the adventurous part. Nagihiko who would go with the creative and adventurous side of her. Kairi who would go with the serious and perhaps even mothering side of her. Then of course Ikuto. Kukai and Nagihiko she had only liked for a very short time, both being like family now. Kairi and especially Tadase she had liked for awhile but that was gone.
But Ikuto...he was always much more difficult to categorize. Even when she first met him she'd start thinking about him for no reason, it never happened with anyone else. He had been a part of her life for so long and before now she never felt the need to put words to her feelings. He was always there for her, he came to her when he needed help, he was Ikuto. Just Ikuto always seemed to work for her.
However he just told her that he loved her, which she defiantly wasn't expecting. She thought she'd be confessing to him. It wasn't a fairytale confession, he didn't hold his hand to his heart, look at her with big eyes and stutter before getting his bearings and saying it. He didn't even look nervous. It was even better, he was so nonchalant, he had a smirk and he looked unwaveringly into her eyes. He was just honest, he didn't dress his confession up, it wasn't a poem, it was just a statement and a promise. He wasn't lying, she knows that.
"Hey, what's going on up there?" Ikuto asked, knocking his knuckles against her forehead and snapped her from her thoughts. "You don't have to say anything back, it won't hurt my feelings." Amu tried to open her mouth, tried to explain what it was she felt but was silenced as he poked her forehead enough to make her head be pushed back but not enough to hurt her. "Come on." He said, grabbing her hand and pulling her along.
"Ikuto, wait, there is something I want to tell you." Amu said as Ikuto dragged her along.
"What is it, Strawberry?" Ikuto asked still dragging her along. Maybe if he distracted her it would make it easier for her to speak.
Just as Amu opened her mouth to speak they heard yelling and turning they saw Tadase, holding what appeared to be groceries. The prince's face darkened at seeing his rival, "Tsukiyomi!" Tadase growled as Ikuto rolled his eyes at the blonde.
"Hello, Kiddy King." Ikuto said simply as Tadase glared at him.
"Thieving Cat!" Tadase yelled angerly, dropping his groceries. Glaring at him with bright yellow eyes Diamond couldn't take it anymore and quickly Amu's back stiffened as her multiple yellow X clips all became yellow diamonds.
"Tadase-kun you stop this now!" Amu said angerly as Tadase stopped suddenly, surprise in his bright ruby eyes. "Why must you two fight? Your both so radiant! To squander and tarnish that radiance from fighting!" Amu said simply with a sigh, "and your the one who always starts it!" She said glaring at him, "you shine on your own, you don't have to prove it." She said with a smile and a shake of her head. Blinking as the Character Change was done Amu quickly turned to Dia who had a falsely sweet, innocent smile on her face.
"Dia, why must you take control of me like that?" She asked simply with a sigh, Ran took over her the most, Su the second, Miki rarely and Dia almost never. However Diamond was the strongest of them all, when her older sisters took over Amu at least knew what was being done and could react while with Dia she was under her complete control, it even took her a second after the Character Change to remember what had happened. It was unnerving.
"Because it's fun, and it needed to be said and they'd listen to you more than to me." Diamond said simply as with a laugh she flew to Amu's heart. It's time that Amu showed them just how brightly she could shine.
Amu gasped as Dia took over her, it was rare and always left her feeling almost giddy. Her outfit was futuristic with a beige dress that reaches mid-thigh, her sleeves are long and flowing with a diamond shape cut out on the shoulders and yellow frills at the wrist. The collar is a matching yellow and tied in the back with a beige bow which lets the ribbons flow out, as well as a beige with yellow frill extension of the dress that almost looks like wings. Right at the end of the collar is a diamond shaped hole cut out and her Humpty Lock sparkles with yellow light. She wears thigh high wedged boots, the wedge being yellow and the rest of the boots beige. Her strawberry hair is held in neat pigtails, straight with the perfect bounce to the pigtails. She wears a headband with a yellow diamond on it, attached to the headband is a microphone.
"Amulet Diamond!" Amu almost sang as Dia's voice provided a nice backup to her own voice.
Ikuto simply raised an eyebrow as Tadase looked confused. Ran and Yoru started laughing while Miki and Mamoru simply shook their head and Su just smiled lightly. Looking at Ikuto and Tadase Amu smiled, sparkles surrounded her face and Tadase looked speechless but Ikuto didn't seem to be affected, that was how Amu looked to him most of the time.
"Ikuto?" Amu asked smiling at him, "Dia is getting impatient so she has decided to take over and have me admit my feelings so I'll stop chickening out. So I'll tell you; I am absolutely and positively in love with you!" Amu said with a giggle. Ikuto's eyes widened, so that's what she had wanted to tell him.
He wanted this, of course. Hoped for this, that maybe one day it could happen. Now it had, much sooner than he thought it would but he wasn't complaining. Reaching over her grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him, taking her face in his hands so he could look right into her bright, shining, honey gold eyes. "You know how I feel Amu-" he was going to repeat his love for her, neither even remembered that Tadase was standing right there.
Not thinking about it Amu stood on her toes, a lot closer to his height thanks to the heeled boots, and gently kissed his cheek, right beside his lips.
Yeah, the confession...I don't know if it is as anti-climatic as it felt but this is supposed to be a romance and comedy and it's been getting pretty heavy the last few chapters.
Okay, here is something, I was thinking of doing. I did the bonus chapter of Ikuto and Amu becoming Amulet Treasure and Seven Seas Fortune, so I was thinking of doing Ikuto becoming all four of Amu's Charas. I'm not sure of the names but I'm thinking of Dark Heart, Black Spade, Dark Clover, and Black Diamond, unless I come up with better chapter/transformation names. I'm thinking of doing it as a bonus chapter, I'd probably just make it four snippets and not even a bonus chapter in that sense. Because if I did it would either be very contributed and hard to figure out a easy enough line and then probably be very long, or it'd be four additional chapters. I've seen other people do Ikuto transforming with Amu's Charas and I'd kind of like to try it out. Perhaps a story of its own, as a branch off of this one? Or perhaps even a sequel? Considering that there is now only one more chapter and this story is done, let me know what you guys think. I'm open to any way.
The choices, if any of you care is; I can do a bonus chapter and have four little snippets, each Ikuto changing with one of the Charas, which then it will be the next chapter before the ending of this story. I can have another story which can be a sequal or it can be a branch off, or I can just not do anything at all. If the snippets are chosen I'll do them before the next/last chapter, if the offshoot/squeal is chosen I'll do that after this story is finished.