* This story was inspired by previous works that I've read in the past. Key authors being Holly Black and Melissa Marr. I take no credit for their work. Furthermore, I don't carry the rights for this anime. Some of the characters will act OOC; all of these characters are of age. Constructive criticism is very welcome. Enjoy.


Chapter 17: Amu's POV:

I probably screwed up big time. I probably... Shouldn't have said what I said...

Amu sat in class, tapping her pen against the surface of her desk. She raked her hand through her hair and worried her lower lip. A week later, and the guilt still killed her. Of course, a week wasn't a long time. She wondered how long it would take them to return. For him to return. No matter how upset she was about Tadase and... what happened, she couldn't help but think of Ikuto first. She couldn't help the greater amount of worry she held for Ikuto. He was returning to his realm, after all. With a human, no less. What if he never returned? What if he had gotten in trouble? What if the higher ups found out about his association with her, no less? She soon slammed her pencil down onto her desk with a huff of breath; bowing her head to briefly pinch at the bridge of her nose. This entire situation was a dozen levels of fucked up, and she had no idea how to fix it. Her friends had obviously asked about the situation that happened last night, and the apparent lack of Tadase's otherwise flawless attendance at school didn't help her with answering. In fact, she played the oblivious card. 'I have no idea what was happening with him. He just... lost it.' That got her skeptical looks, but at least it kept them at bay and off of her case. For the time being.

"... Mrs. Himamori?"

She couldn't even focus on her classwork. In fact, ever since she'd met Ikuto, her grades were dropping. No one bothered to scold her for it, or send a letter home; after-all it wasn't a secret that her parents were the biggest failures in the neighborhood. It didn't even begin that way. She remembered the good days, the days that her dad would snap pictures of her baby sister constantly. The times that her mom would cook decent meals. Amu remember the movie nights, the family dinners, the vacations. She knew it was probably just an act, all of it. She knew it, but damn it, good memories are good memories, no matter the behind the scenes.

"Mrs. Himamori?"

Amu blinked. She hadn't the slightest idea why she suddenly began thinking about her parents. Why she ached to sit and chat with them. Maybe it was the only problem that had the slightest chance of being fixed? Being faced with these constant, difficult problems of another realm can change a person, yeah? Ha, she almost smiled at the thought. Here she was, feeling enlightened, even because of the saddening complications she faced. She liked to think that one day she would fix it all. That one day, she'd be able to live in a decently happy home. A nice, compact group of friends. An Ikuto she could touch and show her affections to. She wanted to wake up and have everything be ship-shape; perfect. It was a dream she so desperately wanted.

"Himamori-saaaaaaan!"

Snapping out of her reverie, Amu glanced up at Mr. Nikaidou, her cheeks staining a bright pink. "Yes?"

"Do you have the answer to question 2?"

She sat quietly, because, of course she didn't. She'd been busy worrying about more important things!

"Of course you didn't," he sighed, and she blinked. How ironic. "Mrs. Himamori, stay after class. After school detention is due."

She already knew it was coming, but damn! "Yes sir." She mumbled, slumping in her seat; hiding her face behind her pink bubblegum shaded bangs to avoid the judgmental stares.

When class had finally ended and the bell had rang for the end of school itself, she sat in her seat as her classmates all jumped up and hurried out of the room. Her eyes wandered over the room itself. The desks and chairs were all in disarray on the floor; a lot of the students didn't bother pushing in their chairs after getting up. Mr. Nikaidou seemed to notice in the same time she did, and began walking around, fixing the problem. She wondered if she got up to help if he'd let her off early, but remained in her seat, playing with her pencil on the desk. The silence wasn't uncomfortable; rather, it made her feel content. Which was strange. She was in detention, after-all. She planned on going to the coffee shop with Rima, Yaya and Nadeshiko. It wouldn't have been the first time she'd been late to meet up with them, but she really needed a getaway. This entire week, Amu has been worrying, either ramming herself in her room in hopes Ikuto would be hanging out on her balcony or hanging out at the park in hopes he'd show up there. But with no such luck! She'd hoped he'd give her a call at the coffee shop like he'd done before. Maybe that was why she wanted to go?

She looked up from her desk when she'd heard a soft sigh. Mr. Nikaidou sat on the desk to the right of her, eyeing her with concern. "Amu, you know I care, right? Because I do. It worries me that you've been in a slump for the past few months. The teacher talk."

"I don't care if they talk," she replied, rather coldly. "It's no secret that I don't live in the best household."

His frown only deepened and he nodded, his eyebrows raising. His hair- the color of ocre- was rather long for a male teacher. Long and just like the desks before; in disarray. Amu had always wondered if he'd ever taken a brush to those tresses, or if he woke up and simply left the home like that. It didn't look bad, but it was peculiar for someone who was supposed to be a professional.

"Amu, you have a lot on your mind, I know that. I am sorry that I can't do a thing to help. But I think school is of utmost importance. School is also the only key you're going to get to be able to leave that house and live successfully on your own."

"What? I can just live with my friends, if I really wanted to get out." She didn't mean to sound snarky. She didn't! But the way it came out, well...

"Amu, I don't think you're getting my point... You helped me awhile back, remember? It's only fair that I try and help you; even if it's only advice. I really do think that school should be your main focus."

He was right, and she knew it. There was no point in saying anything childish to him. He didn't get annoyed easily, at least, not like he used to. Back when he'd gotten himself tangled up in depression. She didn't want to say anything that'd push his carefree mood. She instead, she lowered her gaze from him, to her desk. "You're right. I'm going to try harder, alright? You shouldn't worry about me, Mr. Nikaidou."

And then, he smiled. As if he'd faked the entire concerned bit. A bright smile it was, one that would cause the saddest of persons to return it. "Good then. Mrs. Himamori, you're free to leave. I just wanted to have this chat."

"It was a pleasure." Some detention this was. But she wasn't complaining. Instead she pushed back her chair and hopped out of it, moving to walk to the door.

"Mrs. Himamori..." The rather awkward teacher's tone sounded almost pained, and when she'd glanced back at him, she saw him motioning to her chair and desk, both not in the spic-span proportion the rest were in.

"Oh."

Disarray.

*Later.*

"Amuuu, you're late again!" Yaya scolded her whilst the four of them; Yaya, Rima, Nadeshiko and Amu walked to the cafe. The girls hadn't asked about Tadase when they'd met up. But she knew that another round of questions would come as soon as they held lattes in their hands.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Nikaidou had me sit after for a bit." Amu mumbled under her breath, sighing as she walked on the curb of the sidewalk. The ground seemed to still be littered, the concrete old and in crumbles in some places. Even the narrow street bore potholes of different sizes. One could really make the impression of this town being the most neglected town ever known. The only thing that made it better was the hole-in-the-wall coffee shop. Everyone could go there and feel comfortable. It was small, not well-known- Amu didn't even think the government knew about it!

Okay, so, exaggeration. Surely the gov.t knew about it. But at the site of it, you'd think someone just took and abandoned building and slapped a sign on it. And the trees! Trees and vines grew around the sides of it. Molded themselves around it. It was beautiful, yet eerie. Despite the trees, there were a lot of windows. Amu hadn't the slightest idea why. it wasn't like there was anything worth seeing outside. Even with the trees, you'd simply see bark, leaves, and then some beat up old abandoned buildings for something behind them. She loved it. She even knew the exact window Ikuto met her at. The exact room.

"Amu, what're you doing? C'mon! You're letting out the heat!" Yaya complained, her hands straining to keep the bulky door open.

Heat? Huh? Amu shivered and looked around with wide eyes. It was only Fall, which is not the most temperate season, but it's not bad enough to turn on heat. Not usually. What worried Amu was the fact that she could see her own breath before you walked inside of the shop. Had it always been this cold? Yet, no one else seemed to have noticed.

"Aw, I should have brought my jacket!" Rima wailed once they found a spot in one of the back rooms. "I didn't even notice how cold it was until now!"

Ah, so she wasn't the only one.

"Good thing our homes aren't that far away, yeah? I think we'll be fine. Besides, it's warm now, so that's even better." Nadeshiko's calm voice hung into the air. Amu had always that Nadeshko was capable of calming down an entire city during a bombing. With her voice, her grace; the pinkette always had a tinge of envy for it. "Amu-chan? Is everything okay?"

Nadeshiko eyed her in worry with unnatural purplish irises, her head tilting to the side. "You've been zoning out a lot lately. Is it because of Tadase?"

"Tadase..." Well, she could say that. Amu smiled and nodded a bit. "Yes."

"I think it's about time you tell us more about it? You've been dodging our questions a lot, Amu." Rima scolded, tapping her fingers on the large table stretching across the middle of the room.

Amu set down her backpack and slung it over the back of her chosen chair, "maybe we should get drinks first? My throat is unbelievably dry, it's ridiculous."

"I'll have a sweet tea lemonade!" Yaya was the first to shout her order, a wide smile on her face. She slouched over the table, humming to make the small chatter seemingly more enjoyable. She still had those overly done, huge and almost primitive bows tied in her hair. Amu wondered why she was so keen on being childlike.

"I'll have a hazelnut macchiato." Nadeshiko smiled a bit and nodded her head, her long, deep purple hair tied high into a ponytail.

"Just a strawberry smoothie. Coffees ruin my complexion," Rima said, sighing with her nose practically stuck to her phone. Blonde hair framed her face. She truly resembled that of a doll.

Amu stared. These were her friends. Practically her family. If she couldn't tell them about Ikuto, who else could she go to? She was certain that she could trust them, even if they thought she was nuts. She at least wanted a living person to talk to. To vent to.

"Alright, then. I'll see if I can remember them all," the pinkette muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes before she turned her back to them, smiling as soon as she did.

The heat was on in the building, yet she got chills walking to the front counter. A chalkboard hung on a nail behind it, showing the menu in painfully sloppy penmanship.

"You're a flirter, aren't you!"

"Me? Flirting? Of course not, don't be ridiculous! I'm not interested in filthy tengu!"

"'Filthy'?! You take that back! Are you trying to start a fight in my shop!?"

"What would you care? It's only filled with vermin, anyway!"

Amu stared at the pointless argument with wide eyes. A familiar girl with unusual long blonde hair dressed in a white clingy shift stood in front of Kukai Souma; the boy with the cropped brown hair and dressed in an unfitted, loose and rather tacky black suit. His tie was crooked, yet he didn't seem to mind. What bothered her the most was the ice beneath the angry woman's feet. She could've sworn she'd seen her before; not long ago, either. Yet, she couldn't pinpoint who.

"We're supposed to be kept in secret! You're so reckless, just like your brother!" Kukai shouted, waving his hands in the air. They seem to have gathered a lot of the customer's attention with their banter, a lot of people had left between the time period Amu and her friends had arrived.

It hit her then, though. Who this woman was. Amu clutched at the hem of her shirt and cleared her throat, leaning against the counter for her support.

"U... tau?"

Ikuto's sister.


Q: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for the continued reviews and favorites. It makes me very happy!