NekoBerryKisses: Hey, did anyone miss me?

Ikuto: Just where the hell were you?

NekoBerryKisses: Relax, hot shot. I was just taking a vacation.

Ikuto: That was a pretty damn lang vacation if you ask me!

Amu: Ikuto, could you please shut up? I was just beginning to enjoy life without you.

NekoBerryKisses: Aww, Amu. Don't be so harsh on Ikuto. He's still as huggable as ever!

Amu: -rolls eyes- Whatever. Anyways, let's start the story, shall we?

Ikuto & Amu: We bring to you: THE CONSTELLATION! NekoBerryKisses does not own Shugo Chara! Read and enjoy!

"Ikuto…" I heard a voice whisper.

But it's not just any voice.

It's a voice I know very well.

I turn around and open the old wooden door to see my beautiful sister, Utau, lying on a bed made of hay and straw.

The walls were tattered and scratched, but they still held up pretty good.

The room was small, no doubt there.

There was no girl as beautiful or as precious to me as Utau is and there never will be.

It's a promise I made to the said girl and it's definitely a promise I'm going to keep.

I smiled sadly at her before whispering her name in reply.

"Utau…"

She looked at me with her eyes half open, hitched breathing and pale lips that formed a small smile.

She tried to mouth something, but I couldn't quite comprehend what it was, but she was patting her bedside, so I'm guessing that she wants me to take a seat beside her.

And so I did.

Her smile widened and she grabbed onto my waist.

She was hot.

No, I mean literally.

She was hot.

I frowned at her, petting her.

"Utau, you're burning up."

I looked down at her and she looked up at me with a bored expression.

"Isn't me being sick normal to you yet?" I shook my head and clicked my tongue, then sighed.

I looked into her dull eyes.

Her eyes seemed to lose its depth more and more each day.

I would not dare to let anyone know how much this troubled me.

My only family member is sick in bed and to not do anything makes me feel as useless as a used tissue.

Even if the craziest solutions are the only ones, I have to try something.

"It's not that, but it's not normal for people to be sick," I pointed out.

"Well, what if I'm not a person?" She joked.

I ruffled her hair and stood up, chuckling a bit.

She's such a silly girl.

"Then I can't be a person either since I'm your brother."

I began to walk away, but as soon as she heard my footsteps, she shot up out of her bed almost immediately.

Her mind worked like I bomb that way.

It made me feel awkward, but hey, what can I really do about it?

She was born that way and I couldn't do anything about it.

In fact, if I could change it, I wouldn't.

I love her just the way she is.

"Wait, you're not leaving the room so soon, are you? Ikuto?"

I turned to her who was trying to get out of bed, but I rushed to her and tucked her back in.

There is no way I'm letting her out of bed.

Especially in the condition she is now.

"Ikuto!" She protested, trying to hit me.

She coughed a couple of times and tried to cover her mouth so that I don't get sick.

Of course, I grabbed her wrists and brought them down.

That gave me time to explain to the girl.

She calmed down a bit, but still glared at me.

"If you leave me, I swear that I will–"

I brought my lips down and close to her ear.

"Look, Utau, I know how I'm going to make you better, but I need to leave for a couple of days."

I stood straight again.

She coughed a bit more before looking up at me with hopeful eyes.

I know she would never want me to leave her, but she doesn't want to have this stupid sickness.

She was a bit sick a couple years back, but her condition has only become worse since then.

Neither of us wants whatever she has.

Not even her, and she's a very giving person.

"How?"

"I overheard people in the other town over talk about some Star Princess junk. Apparently, she can grant wishes. If she's real, I'm going to make her grant my wish if it's the last thing I do," I swore.

I put my hand over my heart and she put her hands on her hips.

"You're being stupid again. She wouldn't grant your wish just because you ask her to. Plus, we don't even know who or where the heck she is!" She flailed her hands in the air frantically, ranting on and on about why she wouldn't grant a wish for someone like me.

Me, of course, being me, ignored most of what she said and continued with what I readied myself to say.

"I don't need to. I just need to know one small detail about her then I can scout out for whoever it is in the area. If she's not in the area, I will search the whole world. I can't just stand here and watch my sister die." I leaned down and kissed her forehead.

She crossed her arms and looked away, pouting.

How cute.

"Yes, you can. If I chained you to the wall, you'd have no choice."

I growled before walking away.

"If I leave right now, I will." I made my way out, not having any second thoughts about it.

There is no way, I repeat, no way I'm going to let my sister suffer.

"Ikuto!"

With that, I closed the door quietly.

I walked out of the house, feeling the cruelness of the world outside the hut once more crawling onto my skin.

"Utau," I whispered to no one in particular, "I will find her." And the wind attacked my hair as if to say 'good luck' in response.

"Amu?"

"Tadase?" I looked up to my fiancée who was just as handsome as ever.

His ruby eyes reminded me of love and blood.

When I looked into his eyes, you could see me relax.

Being reminded of love and blood reminds me of being protected.

I have no recollection of the events that had occurred before three years ago and crazily enough, that's what Tadase found out about himself.

Something in the back of my mind tells me that we're not the only ones.

I don't know what it was about him that made me love him, but I did.

Maybe it's the fact that I feel safe with him?

Or maybe it's just that I trust him?

I really don't know.

Tadase raised an eyebrow at me. "Something wrong?"

He claimed the chair next to mine.

The screeching of the wood against the floor made me wince a bit.

"What makes you think that there's something wrong?"

I would never admit it, but every time he guesses what's going on – be it a problem or a wish – he's right.

I'll probably never know how he does that, but maybe it's for the better that I don't know, isn't it?

"Oh, I don't know," he drawled. "It's just this feeling I have. Gut instinct, if you will." I could only sigh.

If it wasn't for his 'gut instinct,' I might have gone crazy.

Tadase has been the only person to ever get into my head because to tell you frankly, I'm a very hard person to figure out.

One second I want chocolate milk, the next I want buttered salmon with cream in the middle.

Well, I guess it's no use trying to hide it.

"Honestly, I'm just…scared about tonight. Ami got kidnapped the other day and I'm not sure how much longer I can take it. What if I lose it? What if I'm next? What if… What… if…" I slowly drifted off and I couldn't control the muscles in my face as I pictured the worst possible scenarios.

"Amu, Amu! Get a grip on yourself!" The blonde exclaimed, shaking me back and forth until I slapped him with all my might.

He knows I don't like being shaken.

He brought up his hand to his cheek and rubbed it in attempt to soothe the pain.

"Don't worry, okay? I'm fine." Not even a second after, I sneezed. He frowned.

"How long have you been sneezing? Is there something you're not telling me?" I rolled my eyes playfully.

"Why would I need to hide something as stupid as a cold?"

"Gut instinct."

"Right." I got up and looked out the window and down at Hatsune-san who was busy picking up flowers from the garden – the same exact garden I told her not to pick flowers from. I chuckled.

This girl is too funny to watch.

"Hey, Tadase, you mind if I go down for a while?" He glared at me and I sighed. "It's only for a little while. Unless you want to come along? Ms. Hatsune's in the garden and I'm sure she's just dying to see you," I teased. He shuddered.

I know how she felt about him and how he felt about her.

Ah, a sad, unrequited love.

"Run along now. I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about," he said, not facing me.

I giggled a bit before making my way downstairs.

I had to admit, having to go down a long, red rug seems so awkward no matter how many times I did it.

And the brick castle and spiral stairs?

So overrated.

Why could I live in a normal cottage like a normal girl?

Oh yeah.

That's right.

Because I'm apparently this 'star something' that matches descriptions in old writings and pendants that they found and blah, blah, blah…

Finally reaching the big, wooden doors, I pushed it open quietly and closed it behind me.

Of course, a loud creak was heard throughout the castle.

At last, I was able to see these green fields again.

These green fields that brought life to every corner outside the castle and showed me that there are more colors that the gray, red and yellow I see in the castle.

I see green, blue, white, orange, red and so much more!

When I step out, it's like I never want to go back inside!

I took in a deep breath before stepping forward, only to trip on my dress.

Stupid dress, I thought before getting back up, dusting off the dress.

...It's already stained.

Well, at least I don't have to wear this hideous thing again.

It's so uncomfortable.

"Ah, your majesty, I had no idea that you were in the garden! Would you like to sit down?" I heard a soft voice call out from behind me.

Turning around, I found Hatsune-san smiling brightly with a hand behind her back. Figures.

I smiled back.

"That's alright, Hatsune-san. Oh, and about the flowers you're holding behind your back, go ahead and keep them. I don't need that many flowers for my wedding." She blushed before she hesitantly let the bouquet of flowers stand before me.

The expression of my face transforms from one of surprise to a softened one.

Hatsune-san was very talented at arranging flowers and making dresses, but this seemed so much more than anything I've seen her done before.

How come I've never seen anything like this?

"My, my, Hatsune-san, you've outdone yourself this time. The bouquet is absolutely stunning! Whoever this lovely piece is for is definitely a lucky one," I teased. She blushed more with panic all over her face.

"I-It's not for his highness, your majesty! If that's what you were thinking, then you've got it all wrong! I don't even like him like that! It was just a little puppy crush back then! I swear it's nothing…" She breathed out all at once.

It took me putting my finger over her lips to silence her.

"Don't worry, Hatsune-san. I trust you not to steal my fiancée from me, although I wouldn't mind. He gets on my nerves sometimes," I joked.

She smiled at me once again.

"Doesn't every man? And I thought you hated men," she mentioned. I rolled my eyes.

"Trust me, I do. I don't see why we have to put up with this stupid arranged marriage," I sighed.

She looked at me with a sad smile then came closer, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear

"Hinamori-sama, you don't have to do this. You know that they're only doing this because they think that you are the star pri-"

"Please. Don't say that word. I might throw up again," I told her, gagging a bit.

She only looked at me, so I didn't think she was going to say anything.

I continued.

"Princess is a term used for girly girls who like to show off their crown, dress in expensive dresses and are damsels in distress that are often found in towers guarded either by a witch or a dragon until a prince comes and saves them," I spat. "I don't need a prince to save me." She raised an eyebrow as she opened her mouth to speak, but closed it once again, but opened it once more.

"With all due respect, your majesty, I do not think that is not what your job is really about. You have many responsibilities that you have to fulfill. You are not allowed as much fun and freedom as others. It should be an honor to be someone of your standard," she commented.

I sighed in frustration, turning around.

"I know, but that's just it. I don't want the responsibility of a stupid girl who doesn't know more than how to twirl around in a dress and look pretty." I turned back around to face her, placing a hand on my heart and approaching her.

She backed away a bit.

"Do you really think that I enjoy being locked up in this castle? Not having freedom? Not getting to meet new people?"

"But you do meet new people-"

"I meant people I don't have to meet. Do you know how many creeps have come on to me these past few months? Ever since this whole 'star whatever' thing came up, everyone's been trying to get close to me. Heck, even my old enemies from the market!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in the air then let my momentum swing forward, allowing me to fall on Hatsune-san. She seemed startled, but seemed to understand when I put my arms around her, creating a circle that squeezed her a bit. I lowered my voice. "I just want to go back to my old life, Yuki. Is that too much to ask?" I felt her hand start to stroke the back of my head.

"Hinamori Amu-sama, I don't think you have been listening to what I've been saying, so I'm going to repeat it. You do not have to do this. They believe that you are the star prin…" – glare – "star something. Who knows exactly what it's about, but all I know is that if you can convince them all that you're not the person they think you are then you're off the hook, you don't have to marry Tadase if you don't want to and you can be what you call 'normal'."

I looked at her who was now messing with the petals of the flowers she held in her hand.

Now that I thought about it, she was right.

If I can convince them that I'm not the person that they believe I am, then I'm off the hook.

Could I really do that though?

And where would I find someone else to replace me?

If I know the people at the castle, then I need every last bit of proof I can find.

Thing is, is it really worth going through all that trouble?

Searching everywhere near and far just to escape this prison I must call home?

Then, something just popped into my head.

An idea.

I chuckled lightly before turning around and heading in the direction of the village.

She took quick note of this. "Your majesty!"

"Go ahead and give the flowers to Tadase. Tell him it's from me. I'll be gone for a couple of days and I'm not sure when I'll be back."

Before she could follow after me, I was gone.

The road before me had already started to suck me in as a black hole would.

And so I whisper to the trees above me with a challenging smirk upon my face, "Black hole, to where shall you lead me?"

NekoBerryKisses: So, how'd you like it?

Ikuto: Awful. How come I don't meet Amu yet?

Amu: Because I'm still enjoying my summer vacation.

Ikuto: But it's my birthday tomorrow!

Amu: ENJOYING. MY. SUMMER. VACATION.

Ikuto: You suck.

NekoBerryKisses: As much as I would hate to interrupt your fight, I'd like to point out that this story is a bit Middle Aged, but has some technology in the chapters in the far future.

Ikuto: So you're telling me if I wanna insult someone, I have to talk like my dad?

Aruto: I heardest that!

Amu: This is getting awkward...

NekoBerryKisses: Oh, and I'm releasing an Ikuto Birthday Special one-shot tomorrow, so be on the look out!

Amu: NekoBerryKisses, umm...

NekoBerryKisses: Oh, right, right. Readeth and revieweth!

Amu: She means "read and review"!