A Turn of Emotions

…

Miki sketched angrily as she listened to Ran and Su fuss over Amu, who was getting ready for her date with Tadase.

Why did Amu like the King when he didn't seem to fit her at all? Could she be completely honest with him? No, he didn't know why she was Cool n' Spicy or even about Dia's egg! The blue haired girl usually didn't bother dealing with things like this, but this really pissed Miki off! Out of all the boys at her feet, Amu picked Tadase! How frustrating!

Dia chuckled lightly from behind her and the blue haired girl turned to her sister in curiosity. "Miki, you need to calm down; Amu will know who brings out her true self eventually."

"Eventually is not soon," stated the artist, her pencil snapping in her grip. "All four of us root for a specific guy that we think will suit our Amu the best. Ran wants her with Tadase, Su wants her with Kairi, I want her with Ikuto, and you want her with Nagihiko."

"All true," replied the ginger haired girl, nodding. "Ran believes that Tadase will help Amu be more cute and girly, like she had originally wanted when she wished for a new self. Su believes that Kairi will help Amu see others do care for her, and that they will be there to protect her like she will be there to take care of them. I believe Nagihiko will help Amu see that it's okay to ask others for help, and that she's not alone in the world. Aren't these all things Amu wants?" Miki nodded slowly. "Why do you want Amu to be with Ikuto, Miki? Other than the fact that you have a crush on Yoru, of course." The blue haired girl blushed at that, sticking her tongue out at her sister.

"I believe in all those things you said about them," she finally said, her voice uncharacteristically quiet and shy. "Amu does want to be more girly, and honest, and care for others like they care for her, and have the power to ask for help and receive some in return. That's why I think Ikuto is good for her; he was the first person she told about her mask, and she doesn't have to rehearse lines before talking to him so that she can be herself. They never really talk in words, unless he teases her and she says something in return, but they care about each other. Ikuto was the one who came to her when he had trouble with Easter, and even though she said mean things to him, she still went to help him. Amu knew what kind of person Ikuto wanted to be, and embraced who he was and what he suffered through just like he easily accepted that there are four sides to Amu and that they are all Amu. Tadase only sees Amulet Heart; Ikuto sees Amu."

Dia nodded, her eyes wandering to where the pink haired girl was. Her face was bright red as Ran said something, the two Charas giggling. "I see your point, really Miki. I do, but we have no place to say what we think of Amu's dating life just because we have different opinions. For now, we need to support Amu." Miki sighed and nodded her head.

"That doesn't mean I like it," she stated before returning to her drawing. Someone knocked on the door and Amu yelled that she was decent before Tadase appeared in the doorway.

"Hello Hinamori-san," he greeted politely. "You look pretty." Amu blushed, patting down her clothes. She wore a simple red skirt and a black top with black flats that a red bow. Her hair was in the usual ponytail. "Are you ready?" He held out his hand and ended up knocking something on her desk off. "Oh, I'm so sorry; here, I'll clean it up."

"It's okay; it was just garbage," replied Amu quickly, her face still glowing as she took his hand. "Let's go!" They walked out of the bedroom, both embarrassed by Ran's cheering and Su's motherly advice. Dia simply smiled while Miki continued to scribble furiously. Soon enough, the four sisters went off to do their own things around the bedroom.

After a few minutes, Miki ripped up her drawing and crumpled the piece of paper into a ball angrily as she tossed it towards the trash bin. To add to her frustration, she missed by a mile. Ran giggled from a few feet away. She meant no harm, but it still annoyed the blue haired girl as she flew over to the trash bin with the ruined drawing. Her blue eyes landed on the thing Tadase had accidentally knocked over earlier and they widened when she realized what it was.

"Garbage, my butt," muttered the blue haired girl, waving over Dia. The ginger haired girl flew over curiously and her eyes widened as well when she noticed what it was.

It was a small box with a bow on it, and the top had fallen off when it had been knocked over to reveal a beautiful gold necklace with five pendants. One was a pink soccer ball, a blue paintbrush, the third a green cupcake, and the fourth an orange-gold microphone. In between the paintbrush and the cupcake, in the center was a beautiful silver key.

Dia picked up the folded piece of paper that had flown off. "To Amu," she read. "If you want, meet me at the teacups on Saturday at two o'clock." She looked up. "There's no name, but we know it's from Ikuto."

Miki balled up her fists. "That's it," she exclaimed loudly, getting the attention of her other two sisters. She grabbed the necklace and note from Dia before flying out of the room angrily.

"Where are you going, desu?" Su asked.

"To make things right," yelled Miki. Su and Ran turned to Dia curiously.

"What's wrong with her?" Ran asked, her eyebrows furrowed. The diamond Chara had an idea of what her sister was going to do so she explained the situation to the other two, who also grew angry. They each supported their own boy, but they agreed that Ikuto was indeed the best match for Amu considering everything.

"We let our own emotions for the boys' Charas get in the way of seeing what Amu wanted," said Dia. "Yet Miki saw what we did not, and she is obviously fed up with that. We have to help her, or our blindness will cause a good person even more hurt than they have survived before."

"Right," agreed her sisters.

Miki held the two items close to her, flying like a heat seeking missile to her person with an angry passion in her normally cool blue eyes. This was crossing the line. Amu had every right to date whoever she pleased, but it was obvious who she really loved and if Amu was going to be blinded by pretty boy then Miki was going to set her straight.

She smirked when she spotted him in the park, resting on a tree branch. She dumped the necklace on him and he yelped, jumping up only to get tangled. "I need your help, neko, and you will help me." A fierce look was in her eyes.

"…you're even pretty when looking so scary, nya."

…

Amu smiled, kicking her legs absently as she sat on the bench while waiting for Tadase to get their ice cream. She waved to the penguins swimming by; glad she had come to the zoo. It was fun.

Suddenly, Miki came out of nowhere with a furious expression. Amu looked surprised before looking around for her other Charas. "Miki, what are you doing here? Where are Ran, Su, and Dia?"

"Probably at home," replied the blue haired Chara. "How can you be like this, Amu? Do you feel satisfied by this decision?" The pink haired girl looked confused. "That present from Ikuto, why did you call it garbage?" Amu's eyes widened. "Why, Amu? What is so great about Tadase that you have to reject Ikuto like that so coldly? Hasn't he suffered enough?"

"More than enough," agreed the fourteen year old. "But I have every right to date whoever I want, Miki, and I want to date Tadase!"

"Why?" Miki repeated, her eyes cold. "Again, what is so great about Tadase? Is it because he's princely and nice? A lot of boys are nice, Amu, and you have to admit his desire to rule the world is creepy!" She threw the note at her person. "Ikuto has never been interested in any other girl and even if you don't like him, which I highly doubt, don't you think you at least owe that boy a proper rejection? He's probably sitting in that teacup right now, even though its four o'clock, feeling hurt because you didn't even show up!" She took a deep breath, ignoring Amu's stunned look. "You say Ikuto doesn't really care about you, Amu, and that's it all for his amusement. If he didn't care, he wouldn't have been there to save you all those times! If he didn't care, he wouldn't have pushed you away so you didn't get hurt by Easter! You know in your heart that Ikuto is the one for you but you go with Tadase because it's the simpler choice! Why? All your friends approve of Tadase, your parents approve of Tadase, and everyone thinks you are a good match. What about you, Amu? Are you going to let your own heart and someone else's get broken because you want to be approved by others?"

"Miki!"

The two abnormally haired females turned to see Dia, Ran, and Su flying over. The artistic Chara huffed, her breathing shallow as she tried to calm down. "I planned to come here and do something stupid, like Chara change and force you to ditch Tadase, but I will not sink to that level. You're right, Amu; you have every right to date whoever you want and maybe I'm just angry that you're being stupid about it, and I'm sorry. I will not stick around for this though, because I know that the part of you that I am is not happy right now and you can feel it too. I'm leaving now, and I'm sorry I blew up at you, but at least reject Ikuto properly Amu." She nodded at her sisters before leaving; going to find Yoru before he acted on the plan she had told him. It had been stupid, and it was even more stupid since she had thought of it in her anger before thinking it through.

"Miki, nya," called out the very cat she had been looking for. He flew up to her, a sad expression on his face. "I gave the necklace back to Ikuto, nya; he didn't let me see what he was feeling, but I know he was sad nya." Miki simply nodded sadly, the two Charas floating in silence for a few moments. "Do…do you want to go get some fresh air, nya?"

She nodded and followed him. Even if Amu didn't get the happy ending she deserved, it wasn't going to stop the blue haired girl from following her own path.

…

Three years later, seventeen year old Hinamori Amu sat on her bed with a lost expression. Miki had been right, she realized too late. She hadn't even said anything to Ikuto and the cat hadn't spoken to her since then. She never realized how much she valued the violinist until he was gone.

Miki never really spoke to her anymore, the first Chara to go back inside her egg. She learned from Dia, only a few months ago, that Miki left because Yoru was in the Egg Cradle and she didn't want to leave him. Amu later learned that Kiseki had left long before, and yet her other Charas were still there with her. What did that say about her? That Miki was so devoted to the person she loved that she didn't want to be alone, especially with her person who had been too stupid to realize the truth.

After that day, Amu had broken off with Tadase after realizing that she really did only like him because of his outer character. She loved Ikuto, accepting it too late.

Soon after Miki left, Dia did too. The ginger had only said that Amu's true self was changing and she didn't realize it, or accept it. Ran and Su were still there, but it was obvious they missed their sisters.

Amu held her head in her hands, silently crying. What had she done? She had broken off the connections with her friends, only staying in contact with Kukai, Rima, Nagi, and Utau. The others were all but dead to her, and even her four friends' relationships with her were strained. She had changed, and not exactly for the better.

If only she had listened to Miki, that day. If only…she hadn't been so blind and stupid. Now she lost the most important people in her life.

All because she had been pining for other people's approval, rather than her own happiness.

…

I own nothing.

That was a very abrupt and bitterly random ending, I know. I was just writing on a whim and there's no real plot to this, but ah well.

I admit this probably isn't my best fanfiction, but I was thinking of how Ikuto is usually the one in pain and how we see his point of view (typically in FF, I mean) and wondering 'what about Amu; what does she feel while Ikuto is in pain'? So yeah.

Not my best; I think I'll stick to writing fluff for Amuto, because this was depressing (to me).

I know it wasn't very good, really, but what do you guys think? Should I write more like this or keep to writing fluffy stuff?