Chapter 12 Ami chooses to train with Rima

(Ikuto's POV)

She was so happy to finally find a place where she her parents couldn't hurt her that we didn't want to take away her smile with the inevitable truth. We would be parting ways just like Sora. Her words as we left her brother haunted me. She told me that wanted Sora, that because they were twins, they had never been separated. She cried as she explained that she needed him by her. Then she told me that she would die if she was completely separated from her family. I thought to myself that we would have to tell carefully so that she didn't freak out and fling her magic everywhere.

"Ikuto?" Amu said taking my hand. "You coming? Ami's waiting."

"I'm coming" I said as I closed my hand around hers and walked with her to the dining area of the guild.

"AMU! IKUTO!" we heard Ami yell across the room and just like a school lunchroom, everyone inside lifted theirs heads and looked at us.

"Hey Chichi!" a young boy with long purple hair yelled, "If they have kids do you think they will have purple hair like us?"

I laughed but Amu turned the shade of her hair.

"Rhythm!" Nagi said in a stern voice, "The best first impression is not embarrassment. You may want to stop talking. Go play magicball or something while I get these two comfortable."

"Hai Chichi" Rhythm said as we watched him walk out the side door to another room.

"Sorry about that" Nagi said grinning at Amu's still red face. "He is only 12 and doesn't have a filter yet."

"No, it's okay" I said as I hugged Amu. "I have often wondered what our children will look like anyway and purple hair was one thing that crossed my mind.

"Ikuto!" Amu said in a shocked voice. "That doesn't help!" then she muttered under her breathe, but I have thought the same.

Nagi just laughed more and led us to our table and no one else teased us about future children.

After a while, Rima came back from the hotel to run the guild and asked if Ami would like some help controlling her magic.

"Rima" Ami asked, "could you train me so that I can help Amu and Ikuto defeat the stupid red eyed jerky king? He caused my family to be destroyed and he is still after my sister. They have a battle coming up and I want to help them. Please? Sora is already in training so now I am behind. Please help me?"

"Stupid red eyed jerky king? Who's Sora again? What do you mean battle?" Rima asked with a confused look on her face.

"I'll explain if you like" I told her, "but please have your husband here when I do so that I only have to once."

Rima nodded called Nagi from across the room, he came walking up to use asking if we were all okay. "They are fine Nagi, but there is more to the story of Ami's magic being out of control. Apparently someone wants to kill them all and there is a king who has – "

"– don't say red eyes" Nagi said cutting her off.

"Why" Rima said shocked.

"Rhythm!" Nagi yelled across the room and his son came running over.

"What do you need Chichi? I was playing magical ball! And I was winning!" Rhythm complained.

"It's time we told everyone your dreams" Nagi said quietly.

"But that means that its true. It means that he will attack us. It means that Haha will get hurt! It means that I know who I am supposed to marry. It means that you will – "

"Stop son" Nagi said softly. "We will all be okay. You need to calm down. You're scaring everyone."

"What is he talking about Nagi?" Rima asked touching his arm.

"You know that he hasn't been sleeping well since he was 8? Well, what helped him sleep was a journal that he keeps. It's one that we created together. What it does, is it takes his bad dreams and logs them while he is dreaming them. It keeps track of how many times he dreamed it. It keeps track if the dreams have changed. This journal takes away the feeling that he is out of control and makes him feel as though he is simply watching a scary movie. He tells me about it, we watch it together and he is okay after that." Nagi explained.

"So, that's why he always looks so scared when it's 'movie time' for you both and comes out looking relieved?" Rima asked him.

"Gomen Haha" Rhythm said with tears in his eyes, "I didn't want to tell you because in my dreams, you insist on helping and you get hurt all the time. I don't want you hurt."

"It's okay Rhythm" Rima said rubbing his back. "Nagi, I want to see these movies. Now"

"Unfortunately, we all have to" he told her softly. "Now you know why you couldn't see the face of the princess Rhythm. She was the sister of your future wife and you wouldn't have accepted them otherwise knowing what we are going to have to go through."

"Wife?" Ami said looking at Rhythm and nodding her head. "He is kinda cute." Rhythm turned red and followed his parents and the rest of the group out of the room.

After 3 hours of watching his dreams, everyone knew why he was scared. True, Amu and I had these dreams ourselves, but we saw them through the eyes of an adult once our bodies had turned and Rhythm was still a kid. It didn't exactly help staring at a princess with everything blacked out either. That would have probably scared me too. Seeing nothing but fangs and blood flying everywhere wasn't ideal for good dreams.

"Well," I said, "If you guys want to back out. We will understand. We don't want anything to happen to you or all our friends and soon to be friends. The fairies looked interesting though."

"Amu, Ikuto, I'm not leaving you to deal with that on your own" Ami said while crying. "It's scary, but I can't let you do that alone" then she turned to Rima. "Please help me Rima, you called me your little witch sister last night. Please at the vey least train me so that I don't leave my sister and my brother on their own to die. They will die without help. Please!" by now Ami had two streams of tears in both eyes running down her face.

"I'll help you Ami" Rima said quietly. "I'll help with the battle too. We will win and somehow, we will beat the odds. I will not go blind and Nagi will not be killed. We will change the dream."

"I don't know really what to say except, I'm sorry for the dreams and if you all want to back out, then we understand" Amu said with tears running down her face. "I would never intentionally cause anyone to lose their vision nor would I knowingly lead to someone to their death."

"Where I appreciate your concern Amu, I will help you because this so-called king plans to attack out home and that is something that I will not tolerate. This entire guild will be there to help you. They will all have a choice, but if Ami accepts becoming a member of our guild and they hurt her family; then they hurt our family too." Rima said.

"When you become part of our guild, the family of the member is protected by us too" Nagi said. "Simply put, you will be family Amu and since Ikuto is your spouse to be, he is family too."

After our movie time and discussion, we all left to the main room and Ami started her training. Rima was patient with Ami and showed her how to control her urges. Amu and I stood off to the side watching her learn.

"Amu!" Nagi called, and as she looked up, I watched Nagi fling a fire ball at us. Amu didn't have time to cut her hand to put up a shield but as she flung her hands up, a blood red shield appeared around us and absorbed the blast.

"Why did you do that Nagi?!" she yelled. Then she went to reach for her knife to cut her hand but I stopped her.

"I think he is testing something Amu" I said looking at him glaring. "At least he better be."

"You are right Ikuto" Nagi said smiling. "All day I have been wondering why Rima thought she was a witch. I was trying to figure out why she has an aura of magic around her. I think I know now."

"Care to explain?" I asked him.

"She is not fully vampire" Nagi said with a straight face. "She has witch blood in her. The shield that she threw up can only be done as an experienced witch" he explained. "Her blade is different. It feels like its alive. How did you make it?" he asked her.

"With my blood, don't get cut by it. The poison from my blood will burn and poison you" she warned him.

"That is fairy magic" Rima said in a surprised voice. "What exactly are you Amu? You are showing the abilities of a vampire, a witch and now a fairy. I have only read of beings like you."

"That explains why the house did not change your door color" Nagi said.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because she is meant to save us. You are meant to help her, and we are to be her army." Nagi said. "I will allow you both to stay here a few more days but you have to continue, or everything will end."

"No!" yelled Ami. "She has to stay! I already lost my brother; I am not losing my sister too" she said crying.

"You didn't lose him Ami; Sora is only training in the woods" Amu said softly. "He is still alive."

"Where is he?" Rima asked,

"He is part of Kukai's pack" I explained and her eyes watered.

"I will get to see my daughter again" Rima said smiling through her tears. "We will go see them twice a week Ami. I hope that you accept this. Please. The house is never wrong. You are meant to stay."

"Amu?" Ami asked while crying. "What do I do Amu?"

I watched as Amu bent down and hugged her, "You stay here, and you train. You be with our brother and you tell him I love him too. You never forget that we are family and no matter how far apart we will always be together. You get better at magic you help me fight at the end. After the battle, we will see what needs to happen and we will always be there for each other no matter the consequences."

I knelt down next to Ami and hugged her as well, "You are one special kid Ami, you get to have all different types of blood in your veins. That makes you connected to all sorts of people and those people will always be able to contact us if you need us. Okay?"

"Okay brother" she said. "Amu, Ikuto, I will stay here to train and learn how to fight. I will help you and we will stop them from getting hurt. I will not allow Nagi to die and Rima will not be hurt either."

"Good girl Ami" Amu said smiling. "Now how about we go around town and see what is fun and then tomorrow we will be on our way and you will be able to concentrate."

The day was spent as a family and the following day, Amu, Miki, Suu, and I continued on our journey. Ran chose to stay behind with Ami so that she wasn't alone, and the house accepted her.

As we walked down the road, we left a smiling but crying Ami and Ran waving after us.

Author's notes:

Nikki, thank you for your review it made me very happy!