Hey guys, it's Reihime. Some of you know that I am writing Project Living Corpse. Since PLC is a fic full of revenge, hatred and horror and no love, I thought of writing another fic that would involve love, school life, slice of life and friendship. This is the first chapter. Let me know what you think about it. I stole some of the ideas from the fic "The Eight Power". If you haven't read that already then I can say that it is an amazing story. You should read it. I did steal some concepts from it. But I didn't copy the whole thing. So no worries.

This chapter has been rewritten. You should remember:

Italics are thoughts and flashbacks and dreams. Beware of ITALICS.

First let us know about the city where all the main characters reside. The city is called Seiyo which is at the heart of Tokyo, Japan. In Seiyo, there's an elementary school, Seiyo Elementary School. There are three middle schools, one at the middle of the city near the elementary school, one at the south and the other at the north of the city. The one at the middle is called Seiyo Middle School. And there are three high schools as well. One at the middle called Seiyo High School, one all girls' school and the other all boys' school.

Seiyo High which is at the middle of the city and near the middle school has the best academic result out of the three. So has Seiyo Middle School. Students from Seiyo Middle go to Seiyo High without any entrance exam. So all the high school students know each other from before.

Enough with the description of the school. Now let's know about our main characters. Seiyo high school has eight populars. All of them are arrogant. First one is Tsukiyomi Ikuto who is in second year of high school. He is really popular with the girls because of his handsome and gorgeous look. He also plays the violin though not much in the public. He doesn't flirt with girls that much. But he really likes get on the other populars nerves. Some of the populars are too much into violence. Though he normally doesn't fight, but when he does he is always in the winning side. His nick name is the Black Cat for his cat like movement and flexibility.

Then comes Souma Kukai, a second year. He is the captain of the soccer team. He is good in almost all the sports. Though he is the permanent captain of the soccer team, he also plays as a temporary captain of other sport teams. And the reason he couldn't be the permanent captain of other sport clubs is because of a certain person Kukai really hates. Kukai is handsome, sporty and hotheaded. He flirts with girls like there's no tomorrow. He most of the times start a fight with the Thorn Queen or the Snake. Kukai's nick name is Heracles because of his strong personality and toned muscles.

Then comes Hoshina Utau, another second year. She has a great voice for singing. She entered a number of singing competition and came out victorious. But she hasn't become that popular or hasn't released any CD. But she has a dream to become a famous singer. Among the girls, she is the most violent. She has big nails and uses them against the female populars. She is really pretty. She mostly picks fights with Heracles and Odette. Utau's nick name is the Thorn Queen as her words are always pinchy and can make others lose heart in an instant.

Then comes Yuiki Yaya, a first year student. In the past when she was in elementary, she would act very childish. But after getting in middle school, she changed to a completely different person. She insults others like the Thorn Queen, but her words don't leave that much impact on others. She does ballet and is very good in it. She won a number of competitions and is planning on becoming a famous ballet dancer. She mainly fights with the Thorn Queen. Her nick name is Odette as she does ballet.

Then comes the Ice Queen, Mashiro Rima, a first year. The first thing is that she is really short, four feet eight inches tall. Her face is like a baby's so it's hard to understand that she is in high school. Among all the populars, she is the most arrogant one. She doesn't have any female fans whereas all the other populars have fans of both genders. She treats her fan boys like slaves though her fan slaves don't care about that. She received her title of Ice Queen because of her cold personality toward others.

Then comes Hotori Tadase, a first year. Among the male populars, he is the shortest and physically the weakest. He normally doesn't fight and can keep his anger under control for a long time. Even if he can't keep his anger in control, he usually loses the fight whether the fight is physical or of speeches. Normally all the other populars are disrespectful to their teachers. But Tadase always tries to please his teachers. He acts like an angel but won't let the chance of insulting other populars slip by. His nick name is Prince Charming because of his behavior toward girls.

Next is Fujisaki Nagihiko, another first year. He is the only boy in the school who has long hair. His hip long violet hair is beautiful and he can be mistaken for a girl if he cross-dresses. He is the permanent captain of the basketball team and temporary captain of other sports team along with Kukai. The other sport teams decide who their temporary captain will be. Because of this reason, Nagihiko and Kukai are always at each other's throats. He always wears a smile. But his smile gives the receiver a chill. Like Utau, he also says such things to others that destroy their mental strength completely. Because of this reason he is nick named the Snake.

And lastly Hinamori Amu, a first year student. Her story is different. This pink haired golden eyed beauty's name was Cool and Spicy for her indifferent attitude toward others. All through the first and second year of middle school she acted indifferent to the whole school. It was as if she didn't care about anything. Some of the students thought it was cool and she became the Cool and Spicy popular. Among all the populars she was the most silent one. Even though she would sometime insult the populars, she would mostly keep everything to herself. She wouldn't even talk to her fans. But during her last year of middle school, she suddenly changed. The indifferent cold Amu whose lips were always in a straight line changed to a girl who smiles sweet. The one who never talked to her fans started to talk to her fans. She was the first popular to say that her fans are her friends. Before most of her fans were boys. But now her fans consist of mostly girls. And this dramatic change of her behavior changed her nick name as well. Her nick name is now the Radiant Queen which is given by her fan girls.

All the populars knew each other from middle school. Then Ikuto, Utau and Kukai went to high school when Amu suddenly changed. So when the others went to high school, these three got a shock of the previous Cool and Spicy's sudden change.

Now the real story begins. Three months have already passed since Amu and other four populars have entered high school. And Amu's number of fan girls keeps increasing. The other populars wouldn't mind but the fact that she is stealing their own fans pissed them off. Since now ninety percent of Amu's fans are females. The populars were thinking if she was into girls or not. And one of them voiced out his thought and got SLAPPED.

In the hallway, a boy with navy blue hair and matching eyes was rubbing his cheek that just got slapped by a flame head with dangerous green eyes. This boy was none other than the Black Cat, Tsukiyomi Ikuto. And the flame head was the previous school slut, Yamabuki Saya. Saya was a new member of the Amu sama fan club. In middle school, Saya was known as a slut because of her clothing style. She was annoying and was always into Kukai. But suddenly last week she started to hang out with Amu. Her clothing style even changed to decent one. Though she is still annoying, but she doesn't act all that bitchy. Except for the slap she gave the Black Cat.

"How dare you! You stinking cat, how dare you insult Amu sama?" Saya was nearly screaming. There were two girls who were trying to calm the flame head.

"Saya san, please stop. Amu sama would be upset if she hears you were fighting," said one of them.

"What? I only asked if your queen was lesbian or not. Why are you getting so worked up for?" asked Ikuto dropping his hand from his cheek and putting it in his pocket. But the stinging pain was still there.

"You..you..," Saya was going to blow up a storm when a girl named Hatoba Yuki called.

"Saya san, Amu san is calling for you," she said. This Hatoba Yuki was one of Amu's fangirl. She was the only one who used san instead of sama for addressing Amu. She is always by seen Amu's side. There's a rumor that she was the one who was able to change Amu from her indifferent exterior.

Hearing that Amu was calling her, Saya immediately forgot about Ikuto and ran where Amu was. Saya's background which was burning flames changed to blooming flowers in an instant. The other two girls followed Saya leaving only Yuki and Ikuto. Yuki was never the one to start any physical or vocal fight. She was always a very shy person. She only bowed her head a little and followed the other three.

"What? You are choosing him and not me?" shouted Heracles. "He can't even hold the racket properly."

He was in the school tennis court being surrounded by the tennis club players. And the person he hated most, the Snake was there as well. The tennis club chose Nagihiko as their temporary captain. Why? Because Nagihiko was able to punch Kukai in their daily battle last week and the bruise that formed in Kukai's cheek was still visible. "That bastard," Kukai thought.

"Just give up. Take your ugly ass and leave, you baboon," Nagihiko said with a smile. His smile was like a smirk but not completely. It made him look like he was in charge. Yeah right. Like Kukai would ever let him be in charge.

"What did you call me, you cobra?" screamed Heracles.

"Cobra, ha? Now that's poisonous and dangerous. So you are afraid of me that much, ha?" came Nagihiko's reply. Kukai was pissed. Nagihiko was his underclassman. Being beaten by him in physical and vocal fights was not an option. "And if are deaf," Nagihiko started again. "Would you be able to hear even if I do repeat?" He said and put a finger under his chin as if he were thinking. "I called you a baboon because of the monkey like face you have. No, I should have called you a gorilla. You were acting like one up in the stage," Nagihiko said in a very loud voice the way people talk to half deaf persons.

"I was chosen to play the gorilla part and it was in fifth grade," Kukai shot back. "This bastard, every time I see his face I get pissed off," was what Kukai thought.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say King Kong," said Nagihiko as he made a shoo shoo motion to Kukai and left the tennis court.

"That bastard, I am going to get him for this," Kukai muttered and he left the court as well.

"Amu sama, Amu sama, Amu sama. Were you calling me?" Saya said as she dashed to where Amu was. Amu was currently in the art club. Her fans took the art club under their control and made it their fan club and their queen's resting place.

But Saya was greeted with Amu sleeping in the sofa. Her head was on the lap of another flame head, Hiragi Rikka. "Shhh," Rikka whispered. "Amu sama is sleeping."

"But Yuki told me Amu sama was looking for me," Saya said dumbfounded.

"But Amu sama has been sleeping for a long period of time. She didn't call for you," Rikka replied.

"Gomenne, Saya san. But I lied to you," Yuki said as she entered the club.

"Why?" Saya asked pouting.

"Because you were causing havoc," Yuki replied.

Meanwhile in Amu's dream

A woman with light brown hair was holding a sleeping three year old pink haired girl in her lap. The woman seemed to be pregnant.

"Don't worry, Amu. Even if I have another child, my love for you will never run short," she whispered and kissed little girl's forhead.

Amu was in first grade in Daijon Elementary. Before coming to Seiyo, she lived in Daijon. The first grader was on the floor of the hallway with a few bruises on her face and four students of the same grade were surrounding her.

"Pink hair. What a weirdo!" said one of them.

"We have a clown in our class," said another.

"Why don't you just get the hell out of here?" said the third one.

"Never show your face again," the fourth one said.

"Disappear," the first one commented.

"Oka san, I don't like it here. I want to change school," Amu said as she returned home.

"But Amu, there's no other elementary school here," replied Midori, Amu's mother. "Besides it isn't that hard to make friends if you try."

"But oka san, they always hit m..." Amu's pleas were interrupted by a little girl of four years running towards Midori.

"Oka san, oka san. Look, look. I can now write my own name," said the girl as she showed her mother a piece of a paper where she wrote her own name in fibble handwriting.

"Ow, amazing Ami chan," praised Midori. "Now now, you deserve a prize for your hardwork. How about some ice cream?" Midori asked as she picked up her younger daughter and went to the kitchen forgetting about her bruised elder daughter.

Amu was in sixth grade in Seiyo Elementary. In school she was classified as Cool and Spicy and others thought she was unapproachable. It wouldn't hurt her that much if only her family wasn't doing the same. Every weekends her parents would take Ami to anyplace she desired forgetting all about Amu. So one day after returning from school, Amu snapped.

"Why is it always Ami? You only care about her and not me," Amu said in a straight tone. "Why?" her voice broke. "You act as if Ami is your only daughter. What about me?"

"Are you really jealous of your little sister?" Midori shot back. "You are the elder sister, Amu. So instead of acting like a deprived child, be a more responsible elder sibling. Protect Ami."

"Ami this, Ami that. Protect Ami, feed Ami, sacrifice your happiness for Ami," Amu said her bangs covering her eyes. "It's always about Ami. I have no place in your heart. Right, oka san?" Amu asked as she looked up to her mother. There was hurt evident in Amu's eyes.

Midori was quite. And that was all the confirmation Amu needed. Amu ran. She ran out of the house. She didn't know where she was going. But she couldn't stand that woman any longer.

After she came to the main road she looked behind. No one was following her. "They didn't come after me. They don't even care if I run away from home," the sixth grader thought. Tears were flowing down her cheeks non stop blurring her vision. The last thing she heard before falling unconscious were the sound of car horn and the sound of loud break.

Amu woke up in the hospital. Her vision was blurry. But still she could make out the silhouettes of two persons near the entrance of the door of the cabin she was in. Her vision cleared a little and she was able to make out those two persons to be her parents.

"So they came for me," Amu thought and couldn't help but smile. "They do love me."

There was a man wearing white lab coat talking to her parents. "My deepest apologizes, Hinamori sans," he started. "But your daughter..."

"What did he say?" Amu thought. "I couldn't hear the last. Why are oka san and otou san crying? Why did oka san suddenly leave the room? No. Oka san, don't leave me," and with that thought Amu fell into unconsciousness.

A few days later Midori suddenly berged into Amu's hospital room. "You shouldn't just rush into here like that, ma'am," the nurse taking care of Amu said.

Midori ignored her and grabbed the collar of her elder daughter's hospital gown. Amu was shocked. "O..oka san?" she managed to whisper.

"You wrench. If you wanted to die, why couldn't you die properly?"Midori spat shaking Amu a little. "If this was too much for you, why couldn't you just die? Why couldn't you erase your existence and free us from taking care of you?"

And just like that my already ignorant family became even more distant. And I would be feeding on words of hatred every day.

"Just die already." (oka san)

"I wish I never had you." (oka san)

"Such a disgrace to the family." (otou san)

"Giving birth to such a wrench, it must be a curse." (oka san)

"Onee san, drop dead" (Ami)

Amu was waking up now. She could hear the bickering of Saya and Yuki. For some reason,her eyes felt warm.

"You shouldn't have done that, Saya san," Yuki said.

"But that bastard, he insulted Amu sama," Saya tried to reason.

"Hey girls, Amu sama just woke up," Rikka said. Then she looked down at the queen in her lap. "Amu sama,you were sleeping for a quite a long time. What were you dreaming about?" she asked. Then she noticed the tears in her queen's eyes. "Ano, Amu sama. Why are you crying?" Rikka asked.

Amu was taken aback by the question. But when she touched her cheek, she felt liquid flowing down. "Ne, Amu sama. Are you alright?" Saya asked as both her and Yuki came forward.

Amu sat up in the sofa. "I am fine. It was just a nightmare," she replied.

"Alright then," Rikka said. "Say Amu sama, it's a bright day today, right? Let's go to the.." she started to plan for group hangouts.

Amu just smiled at the girl. This girl was dwelling in darkness like her. Not only her, Saya, Yuki and most of her new fans were suffering in their life. Amu felt very happy that she was able to help them. Maybe she can't smile purely herself, but she can make others smile. And it gave her immense pleasure.

A girl slightly older than Amu with orange knee long hair said, "If you die like this, would you be able to forgive yourself? We are all to die in this world. But before we die, shouldn't we do at least one good deed? Shouldn't we sing one happy song? Shouldn't we experience joy, happiness and love? Amu, isn't there anything you wish to achieve?Don't you want to smile for others? Don't you want others to smile for you? Amu, if you give up now, I will never forgive you."

"That's what Dia san said," Amu thought. "I won't disappoint you. I already found a reason to live. I found the light of hope in my dark hours. And I want them to find it as well, the ones who need it the most, the populars."

"Ne, Amu sama. Let's go," said Rikka. "I want to have ice cream."

"Yes, let's go," Amu replied.

"Spring has come to an end. But I want the spring in their life...to start."

Now I have rewritten the second part of the first chapter. Hope it's to your liking. Review if you want me to keep writing.