The Swingset is the Place to Be Emo o1 - Shugo Chara! しゅごキャラ!

Fellow speculating charas noticed how everybody seemed to run to swing-sets crying or feeling miserable.

It might be that the swing-sets carry some sort of curse, as KusuKusu had suggested. Kiseki had tried to call a meeting concerning the matter, but as usual, everyone simply ignored him.

Ran, Miki, Su, and Dia had other ideas about the swing-set.

Day 1 -

Amu. Perhaps she was still in denial about Ikuto, or perhaps not. She was sulking over Tadase. "What kind of girl am I? Tadase-kun CONFESSED to me!" Yet poor Amu could not stop the feelings that beat alongside the pulse of her heart.

When Ikuto returned some time later, Amu was overjoyed to see Tadase and him were getting along fine. When both of the approached her, then all of a sudden... she was at lost for words. She felt guilty, because she knew it was because of Ikuto's presence. Had she betrayed her prince, her king, Tadase, the one who had helped bring the world of her true nature into play? But... was it only Tadase who had done that, or was it Ikuto as well? The only word she could utter was 'Oh...' and could only wear a melancholy expression instead of a happy one.

Her frustrated tears started to fall. They dribbled down her chin and fell into her lap. Ran, Miki, Suu, and Dia could say nothing. "I, myself confessed to Tadase! But why is it that these feelings... I can't block them out! I can't get rid of them!" she seemed more irritated than sad now. Then, just as her vision cleared up a bit, she felt one of the chains being gripped.

There was Tadase next to her, his eyes soft. "Amu-chan... I love you..." Amu found herself blushing. "But I already promised that I would be the king of my own world. I would make you happy in it. So if you can't be happy with me... be happy with Ikuto-oniisan."

Amu's eyes widened. "Tadase-kun... you heard all of that?" He nodded.

"It's alright. I understand," he said.

"Th-thank you..." she murmured. And when she saw Ikuto the next day, she stuttered out the anguished decision that Tadase had made for her. Ikuto kissed her forehead, telling her he was still trying his hardest to make her fall in love with him, making her blush.

Day 2 -

Rima. She never wanted to admit that the one person who seemed to understand everything that she did, everything that happened to her, was her one and only enemy.

She pumped her petite legs... back and forth... back and forth... then dragged to a stop, groaning in frustration.

Rima had been walking home from school. Unfortunately for her, Nagihiko happened to be walking right behind her, claiming he had an errand to run. It was all her fault that there was a little slip and the mystery of her kidnapping was revealed to Nagi.

She had to vent out all of her story once again, anguish rushing out of her body. They had a short conversation, but Rima was surprised to know that Nagihiko understood her far better than anyone else she had even known, even Amu and Yaya.

Of course, she had been discreet about his secret. He would have to repay her and be nice to her. But this sort of atmosphere in the air was... different. It was almost like...

And thus, she had enough of these strange feelings. That afternoon, she decided to treat Nagihiko rudely, and wrapped herself in an air of elegance. It was like the first meeting all over again.

After a horrid argument between her parents, she had shouted at both and ran out the house, despite her fears about kidnappers. She was too riled up to care about that at the moment.

"Why?!" she asked KusuKusu. "I'm supposed to hate him! And I do! Yet I LIKE being around him!" she turned abruptly to her confused chara. "I'm not a hypocrite, right?!"

"No, Rima-tan!" KusuKusu wailed frantically. "You're not a hypocrite! Not a hypocrite!"

"I feel..." she muttered something. "Even if that's true... he'll hate me for today..." She nearly jumped up like a rocket when the swing next to her made a squeak. Somebody had sat down on it.

She was almost relieved as she saw it was only Nagihiko. "What are YOU doing here?"

He chuckled. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to stay out here alone."

"Who asked YOU to be my bodyguard!" Rima shot back.

"I'm your friend," he shrugged it off. "And even so, I wouldn't hate you." Rima's face turned red.

"Why did you eavesdrop?!" she demanded.

"I'm sorry," Nagihiko apologized calmly. "But I wouldn't hate you for what you did today. I can tell that something is bothering you, right?"

"N-no!" she waved her arms frantically.

"Rima likes you!" KusuKusu said cheerfully.

"KusuKusu!" Rima scolded. The chara covered her mouth, embarrassed. Nagihiko looked surprised for a moment, then let out another small chuckle.

"I like her too," he answered.

"S-stop joking!" Rima warned. "We're ENEMIES!"

"Whatever you say, Your Highness," but this time, there wasn't as much as a humorous edge to his voice. Nagihiko's swing... well, swung back and forth. Rima hadn't realized that her swing was also vigorously pumping. It was embarrassing, since that was the highest she could go.

The two were at the same level at at the moment. They could live with that.

Day 3 -

Yaya.

She whimpered. "Is Yaya really that annoying?"

"Hmph. That jerk needs to learn manners, dechu!" Pepe declared scornfully.

Kairi had finally lost his patience. It wasn't like him to do so, but somehow he did.

Yaya, indeed, had been annoying him with her childish voice and bossy demands, but the words he yelled was enough to make Yaya's sensitive heart feel awful.

'You are incredibly annoying; it's starting to give me a migraine!'

It could've been worse. It could've been worse.

But Yaya was still tempted to cry. Yet she couldn't, which was just strange, as she was a baby and babies seemed to find their deepest pleasures in bawling their eyes out.

"Pepe-tan..." she asked. "Why can't I cry right now?"

"Beats me, dechu," Pepe answered. "Chara change!" It didn't work. "Chara change!" No response. "CHARA CHANGE, DECHU!!!" Nothing.

"Uuuuuuu," Yaya murmured. She heard footsteps approaching. There was Kairi.

"Yuiki-san, forgive me for my outburst," he said in his usual formal manner. Yaya looked at him skeptically.

"You said Yaya was giving you a migraine!" Yaya sobbed. The tears strangely flowed with Kairi there. Kairi had an apologetic look on his face.

"Yuiki-san, I understand your reasons for not forgiving me," he told her. "It was unforgivable to burst out at you suddenly. I wish to apologize with sincerity."

"The only way you can apologize to Yaya is... is..." Yaya seemed at a loss for words. Then an idea blossomed in her head, making her eyes light up brightly once more. (She cheered up quickly, Pepe and Kairi noticed) "Push Yaya!"

"Excuse me, might I ask what you just asked for?" Kairi asked, surprised.

"You heard Yaya!" she protested. Finally, Kairi's face broke into a grin.

"Sure." The creaking of the swing-set was a familiar and joyous tune in the evening.

Amu's charas were pretty sure the swing-set had nothing to do with a curse. It was a simply a place where it was easy to vent all your feelings out.

Or... put into simpler words, the swing-set was the place to be emo.


Alright, so this one-shot is just a speculation. In the anime (first two seasons) and the first Encore! chapter, many of the characters who walk around town freely use the swingset to sulk. So I was trying to make some lame joke that the swing-set is the place where you're allowed to be emo. Yes, this is what I do in my spare time. (jk... *shot*)