The Fault in Our Charas

Chapter 9 Sinkhole

"Okay everyone. We're here." Tadase opened the huge glass door into the conservatory. Amu let go of his hand letting everyone else enter before her. Their gaurdian characters in awe flew around the conservatory remenising their old adventures.  "Wow! Pepe-chu look!" Yaya exclaimed running towards the middle of the garden. "Nothing has changed" Kairi stated going up the steps to their old round table. Rima sat in her old Queen's chair. "It seems like just yesterday we were all just kids" Rima smiled. Tadase looked over at Amu who was still near the enterance of the conservatory. "We came here for a reason" Tadase guided Amu to the round table as the atmosphere shifted into a more series one. "I made this invation out to everyone for an important reason." Kukai stood up taking everyone by surprise. "You? I thought Tadase-" "I asked Tadase to make some aragements" Kukai took a deep breath " I brought us all together here to remember how we were brought together and how important friendship is." Everyone stayed as quiet as possible. Amu brought her chin slighty down to her palm as her arm rested on the round table.  "Amu" Kukai faced Amu bringing everyone else's attention onto her.

"We know what happened with Zero. I wanted you to know we're all here for you. I wish you would've told us how you were feeling. We-". "We?" Amu questioned. Amu stood up in one movement causing the chair to fall behind her onto the cement floor. "Yea. Zero cheated on me with some girl from the town over and everyone knew but me. You call that being my friend? Rima and Yaya knew. You all knew and chose not to tell me. You decided that it should spread like wild fire through out the entire school." Amu grabbed her bag off the table and swung it over her shoulder. Amu began to storm out the conservatory, "Amu!" "Amu-chi!". Tadase flew out of his seat catching up to Amu before she turned around to face him. "Friends don't do that." She said before the heavy glass door shut behind her. Rima turned to Nagi her face flushed and her eyes glossy. Nagi didn't say a word her just bent down and helped her burry her face in his shoulder. Yaya had never looked so serious. Her hands interwind infront of her face, spacing off into nothingness. Kairi looked over at Kukai. Kukai looked deep into the table, wanting it be some sort of portal into a different demension. "She's not completely wrong" an unfamiliar voice echoed through the conservatory. "Chairman" Tadase greeted. "I didn't think you would all be so sad to see me". "Of course not" Tadase said coming over to shake his hand. Everyone stood up and greeted their old principle. "You should all come with me"

-

Amu walked home, occasionally wiping her tears with her sleeve. She kepted walking as it got darker. Amu was in such a daze, she almost tripped serval times too. Amu's daze was soonly interupted by her phone ringing. Mom, Amu didnt hesitate to answer. "Hi mom." "Amu-chan where are you supper is almost ready." "I'm sorry I went out with some friends and forgot to let you know". "That's not very like you Amu. Is everything okay?" Amu paused "Uh. Yea of course. I just lost track of time. I'll be home very soon". "Okay Amu-chan. We will see you at home". Amu ended the phone call and placed her phone back into her blazer pocket. Amu looked at her surroundings and realized she was completely lost. She had wandered into a park. She began to walk slowly along the path of some bushes. Somehow, this seems familiar, Amu thought to herself. The trees and the benches seemed to reappear in her memories. It's been a long time since she's followed this path home. This was the way back home from her old elementary school. Amu remember somewhat the path she use to take. She began to rush alittle bit, than she just began to run and before she knew it she was sprinting. Tears avalaching down her face.

There was a couple of steps aproaching but Amu's gaze was so blurry, she managed to trip and land on her stomach. "Why am I running?" Amu whispered to herself. Who am I running from? Amu sat up and gasped. "This." Amu had fallen off a stage that was in the middle of the park.

Amu mind flooded with memories of a sweet but sad violin. She could still hear it ringing in her ears. His long and dark silhouette lingering in her mind as she imagined him still up there playing. He even let her singing extremely off key to a song with out stopping. "Ikuto"

-

"Chairman, the planetarium hasn't changed a bit." Tadase said gazing up at the projected stars above him. Yaya clanged to Kairi side as they watched the stars together. Rima smiled but remembered Amu, and how upset she was with her. They were best friends how this day turn out so badly. Nagi placed his hand ontop of Rima's and gave her a meek smile, as if saying everything is going to be fine. Kukai sat beside Tadase, "I wanted to do what was right." Kukai sighed resting his head behind his arms. "I know you did, but I think we should give her some space. She'll come around. She knows how much we love her." How much I love her.  "Hinamori-San doesn't seem to be herself does she?" The chairman said turning off the planetarium projector. Everyone looked up at their old principal not knowing how to respond to his question. The chairman gave them an insightful smile "Her heart eggs will give out soon if she doesn't come to her senses". Tadase looked at Kukai. "Her heart eggs? There's no way-" "There is a way." His own guardian character responded. "Hinamori-San doesn't know who she is. She lacks identity and if she continues down this road; Ran, Miki, Su, and Día will cease to exist."
If the room was hard to read before, everyone's mind cleared and focused on one thing. Amu.

"I never thought about our guardian characters having some sort of expiration date on them?" Kukai asked as they all surrounded the chairman in his office. "Your heart eggs and guardian characters guide you into who you wanted to be. They are your true identity. Once you become that, your guardian characters merge with your true self on the inside. Therefore you becoming one. However, when a someone losing their identity their heart egg along with their guardian characters disappears completely. Losing their dreams, hopes and desires. Those people tend to become completely opposite and empty." The chairman explained to the group of his old students. "What do we do?" Yaya asked almost in tears. Rima looks at her guardian character, "KusuKusu there has to be something you can do?! Talk to Ran and the others?". Her guardian character with a frown said "We haven't spoken to them." Rima's expression changed from concerned to complete disarray. Nagi grabbed her hands trying to calm her down but Rima crossed her arms. "No! There has to be something we can do!" She exclaimed in tears.

The chairman rose from his desk, "Have any of you heard from Ikuto-san?".

Tadase alarmed looked at the chairman, "No. We haven't. Can ask what this has to do with Amu-san?" The chairman chuckled. Rima looked at Yaya, her eyes almost popping out of her head.

"Ikuto has everything to do with Hinamori-san" the chairman place a single postcard, a European post card. "Is that the Effie tower?" Tadase asked frantically. "Oh fine, mysteries are no fun anyway." He flipped the postcard.  Rima snatched the post card from the desk. Her eyes filled with tears.

"Chairman.

I am just reporting my ware a-bouts. Still in France. I am not ready to let my sister know where I am. I'm sure she is still looking for answers from our Father and I still do not have them. However I hope she is doing well.

Ikuto"

"How long ago was this?" Tadase asked. "This post card was sent 2 months ago." "So you have his contact information?" "Yes but I am not entirely sure he still live there. He's such a street cat, can't stay too long in one place you know."
"We have to tell Amu" Nagi interjected. "Wait" Tadase said calmly. "The state Amu is in right now I don't believe she'll receive this news well. We don't even know if he still lives at this location." "But we can always try!" Rima urged. "I can not let her down again Tadase. I can't." Rima's face was covered in tears. "I can not have Amu disappointed again because of us. Because of me." " I agree!" Yaya spoke up. "She has always been there for us! We have to find Ikuto! Whatever it takes!" "What ever it takes" Kukai chimed in. "Chairman?" Tadase looked over and their old principal had vanished.