ME: for all you out there reading countless fanfics, you may think that this is no different… Amu 'n' Ikuto fall in love and live happily ever after; but this is waaaaay different. IT IS 100,000,000 BETTER THAN ALL OF THEM SO READ ON!

IKUTO: You just ate some sugar, didn't you?

ME: Yup. ;)

AMU: Focus guys! *mutters*

IKUTO: You just can't wait till we kiss, can you?

AMU: No! I just want to get this over with… WAIT, WE KISS?

ME: Yup. Hooray for the internet! XD

AMU: I could just kill you.

ME: On with the show!

IKUTO: Me doesn't own Shugo Chara, Shugo Chara Doki, Shugo Chara Dokki Dokki, or Shugo Chara manga, or Peach Pit, or Shugo Chara Encore, or Shugo Chara merchandise, or Shugo Chara cosplay, or even the Shugo Chara animation team. (Not to mention the voice actors.) *passes out from lack of air*

Chapter 1: The Celebration

In a small village in the rural mountains of Japan, everyone was getting ready for the big day. Each year the people of the village all got together and dedicated an entire day to the celebration of the town's patron gods, Aphrodite: goddess of love and beauty, and Eros: god of desire (procreation). There were games, food, music, and above all; at the end of the day, the people would choose of the virgins of the population, one female and one male to act as "sacrifices" to the gods, to do with as they see fit. With the gods watching eagerly from Mount Olympus, we turn toward the heroine of our story, Hinamori Amu. Fast asleep in bed…

"Wake up Onee-chan!" Ami screamed as she jumped on top of me.

"Go away, let me sleep…" I muttered in response.

"Mama says you'll be late if you sleep in anymore." Ami warned. Gasping, I sat up in bed. When I saw the clock, I nearly screamed; I was supposed to be meeting with everyone in 45 minutes! Throwing my covers off in a frenzy; I tore into the bathroom and to my extreme distress, found that the water was turned off for maintenance.

"MOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM! YOU KNOW THAT I TAKE A SHOWER IN THE MORNING SO WHY DO YOU PICK NOW TO GET THAT LEAK FIXED?" I shrieked, trying to figure the likelihood of fitting into the kitchen sink.

"Amu, calm down. It is not ladylike to scream. Don't fret; I have had a warm bath prepared for you in the garden. You will have complete privacy so you need not worry. Maybe this is the year you are to be chosen for Eros-dono…" She trailed off as I ran past her to the garden.

"Mom, really? I am getting kind of tired of hearing that. You say the same thing every year and the turnout is always the same… I never get chosen." I was scrubbing my hair viciously, trying to untangle the knot of painful snarls that had accumulated at the nape of my neck whilst I slept. Mom sat down behind me on the soft grass and with her delicate hands began to untangle the mess I had made. That was one thing about mom. She was like a lotus blossom, delicate and airy as she moved, her voice like the rustle of leaves in the fall trees. She was graceful and gentle, with such a soothing aura around her that even the most stern of people softened while in her presence. I was her complete opposite in every way. I was wild, outspoken, and full of energy. Mom often called me her panther daughter because I always had a way of sneaking up on you and then popping out of nowhere; this behavior had gotten me scolded by the elders of the village time and time again, but they didn't punish me too harshly because I was the daughter of one of the priestesses of the temple. I didn't get how mom could stand to be a virgin for the rest of her life. Even though she calls us her daughters, we were just some dying orphans lying in the street that she felt pity on and adopted. Never being allowed to fall in love, get married, have children; or to die for disobeying that rule… I know I could never do it.

She finished just as I was standing up. A gust of air chilled my naked body and I darted back inside to don my special holiday kimono. My little sister was already dressed, looking adorable in her sakura petal kimono with a pretty pink ribbon taming her abundant curls. Clopping over to me in her little sandals, she stared, enraptured, as I turn my wet mop into delicate curls; and the neatly folded pile of clothing on my bed becomes an elegant silvery kimono with black swirls trailing down the long sleeves. Mom walks in and ties the back of the kimono, gently turning me around so I can face the mirror. I have transformed. I am no longer the bedraggled girl of an hour ago; I am an elegant lady, with my hair done up just so, and the beautiful kimono my mother made herself making my body look trim and perfect. There is no need for makeup; my pale skin is flawless, with the exception of my rosy cheeks. I feel beautiful. I am beautiful. My chrysalis has opened to reveal a perfect young woman, so different from my true face that it takes a moment for me to realize that this girl is me.

"I made this specially for you in mind, knowing that you will be leaving us next year for a new life in Tokyo. I am a vain woman. I wanted my daughter to stand out in a way no one could hope to compare to. I want everyone to remember you as you are now… my daughter."

"Oh, mom. You're not selfish; you're the most unselfish person I have ever met! This is more than I could ever have hoped for." I sniffle, my eyes misty as I try to compose myself. There is no need to cry… this is going to be a fun day, I am looking forward to moving out. So why do I feel such a sense of homesickness? I haven't even left yet!

"Onee-chan is pretty! Onee-chan looks just like a goddess!" Ami shrieks excitedly. I smile and grab her tiny hand in mine. I'm gonna enjoy this party for her, even if it kills me.