Prologue: Captured

by: Berumotto (Cindy)

credit: "Shugo Kyara!" by Peach-Pit

song lyrics and title: "Chiisana Hoshi" by Reiko Takagi

Grammar errors and other typos can be kept by it's finders since I'm a learning foreign English speaker, be kind with me, mhm~kay? And no ship wars as well, please. Just constructive criticism.

Last but not least...enjoy! =)

In the night sky, there are tiny, twinkling stars,

that don't even get the chance to shine in this world.

The earth is shaking and the flower petals can't even avoid the storm.

Ugly, isn't it?

Disheartening, isn't it?

Hopeless, isn't it?

It was a burning pain in the limbs that awoke her. A guttural exclamation that instantly converted into a gasp, escaped her dry mouth. Apparently her voice was gone. So much the worse, her throat felt like a completely dried up fruit.

What happened? Where was she?

Opening her eyes for a mere narrow view she saw...nothing. Solely a great wall of penetrative darkness everywhere. Not a single luminous spot in this endless gloom.

Shaking with pulsative fear Amu chewed on a few loose strands of hair that accidentally found their way among her lips. In a trace of disgust, she spit them out and felt a lone tear running down from the corner of her right eye.

Why didn't she remember a single incident that brought her here? Or could this simply turn out to be a terrible nightmare?

At least she felt tired and worn out, in a sense this could be an alleviative explanation.

Slowly Amu tried to rise and position herself on the lower legs. Which turned out to be not an easy effort, since a thick lace kept her feet captivated together. Her hands were chained seperately with a pair of strong handcuffs. Though this happened to be not the main cause of her present agony. Her shanks felt gluey and seemed to adhere to each other, just like her arms, sending another chill through her body. Blood. Everywhere.

Where did it come from?

The more she calmly tried to examine her current situation, the more questions initiated in her mind. A desperate whimper oozed her mouth. It gradually became bearable for her to deal with the pain and concentrate a bit more on her surroundings.

Seemingly she happened to be located in the middle of a great room, though it was hard to estimate without making out start, end and corners of this room.

No, she was wrong.

There was a dim light coming from above. Eventually she opened the eyelids a bit further and dared to slowly throw her head back and gaze to heaven.

The bundled glow of countless tiny stars reflected in her amber-colored eyes.

No ceiling, a full self-exposure under the night sky, with thousands of small face laughing at her jejuneness. A few puzzle pieces of remembrances on what happened, got down to her as well.

Suddenly Amu knew, where she was, without being familiar with the whole accommodation.

Before coming to realize the whole quantity of factors, an authoritative voice inconspicuously approaching her from afar made her quiver in an instant.

„You woke up I see. Good.", the firm male voice spoke, but Amu wasn't able to account the character behind it. It definitely sounded familiar in a way. All she could see was a shadow-like figure looking at her from behind, what could be assumed, were bars. Amu was able to recognize them now because of a faint candle light burning in a distant pillar at the wall behind this man.

„...water...", she exhaled, though not anticipating her hijacker to even bother about her physical condition.

„There is herb tea and a dinner tray with a few fares a few meters on your right. Serve yourself." With that the man turned around, blew out the candle and disappeared. The last thing Amu could identify was the fairly pompous haulage of a black cloak. And a black little something determining his head.

No stranger at all. There was only one person she could remember, who used to wear crowns of that particular kind. However, only in particular circumstances. Furthermore this took place ten years ago, now they were grown-up and not in possession of any Chara transformation abilities anymore. The Shugo Charas disappeared a long while ago.

More importantly there was this deep penetration in her chest – no.

This bestial delinquent couldn't be Tadase-kun. Amu refused to believe her already enfeebled senses. The one, the most kind, yet shy and courteous person she used to admire and love back then. Even so she painfully rejected his love at the end...

What other choices did she have, captured between two princes who endowed her with the deepest affection they could offer. There'd always be pain, no matter who she would have chosen. Ultimately she decided in favor of the „thieving cat".

Ikuto?

Where was he? Would he come to rescue her?

With all strain she could provide Amu crawled to reach for the life-saving liquid and noticed the food. In crepuscular light it almost looked fondly prepared. Smoothly steaming Miso soup, a basket of sandwiches coupled with a few of her favorite spreads. Aside Amu perceived something else...a carton.

Shakily reaching for it and opening the package her eyes dilated in consideration of content she discovered.

Plenty of first-aid supplies found their way into her pale hands.

Is it true, am I right?

A tear dropped on the equipment.

This was a hopeless and rarely pitiable condition she, yes only she was accountable for.

I want to start over again,

and be completely different.

Because this world is so vast,

I'm just like a small speck of dust.

That's a start. What do you think?