Hey, guys! This is my first story, so let me know what you think. If you have any suggestions or anything, just let me know. :) I'm not sure if this should be just a Rima and Nadeshiko friendship or a Rima and Nagihiko relationship, so I want your opinions.

I hope you enjoy!

Mashiro Rima groaned as she sat up in her bed, blonde curls a tangled mess about her. It was her first day back to school after the winter break, and putting on her outer façade to spend time with people (most of whom she didn't care about) was not a priority on her list of things to do.

She forced herself out of bed after snoozing her alarm two or three times, sleepily collecting her school uniform from where she had laid it out the day before. And the Guardian's cape… where was it, again?

…Oh. I put it up in the closet. That's right. Crossing the short distance from her bed to the closet, she pulled open the door and started sifting through the clothes. Cape… cape…

She frowned as her eyes settled on the pale peach kimono in the corner of the small area. It still fit her, she was fairly certain, the orange flowers beautifully accenting the amber tint of her eyes. The outfit was paired with a buttercream yellow obi that rested patiently on top of the whole ensemble, waiting to be worn once more.

Rima planned on never wearing it again.

.~*~.

Rima glanced around the large dance studio, her wide eyes never fully settling on one aspect of it. The one-way mirrors that covered the walls, the balance bars bolted to the ground… The benches, barren floor, and lithe forms driven by nothing but their will alone. It was unfamiliar to her; it was only the first week of classes and she already found herself lonely and challenged. The traditional dance classes had been her mother's idea, seen as a different kind of hobby. But without a friend or the necessary skill…

Rima sighed, looking down at her lap and twiddling her thumbs. She had attempted the routine so many times, and yet, was still unable to get through it successfully; she had given up after the first half hour and settled for watching the others practice.

One particular girl had captured her attention. She had shoulder-length purple hair that was tied up in a neat high ponytail and the warmest amber eyes. Her expression was one of determination as she flawlessly completed the routine that even some of the better dancers were

having trouble with.

Breathing heavily as she finished, she looked around for the nearest bench. There was one right by her, but seeing Rima alone, she thought better of sitting there and started walking over.

Rima was fiddling with the hem of her shirt as the stranger walked over and took a seat; a gentle, musing voice disrupted her thoughts moments later.

"Hello," the girl said with a warm smile.

"Hi," Rima mumbled, giving a timid wave. "Your dancing was really pretty."

"Really? I don't think so; there were more than a few mistakes in there…" She took a moment to clear her throat. "What's your name? Are you new here?"

"Yeah, I am," she said quietly, though she was smiling. "My name is Mashiro Rima, but you can call me Rima-chan, if you want."

"And I'm Fujisaki Nadeshiko. But you can call me anything. I've been here for a long time, and dancing for even longer. It's my passion, I guess you could say." Nadeshiko held out her hand for Rima to shake. "It's nice to meet you, Rima-chan."

"Likewise," she nodded, reaching out to shake Nadeshiko's hand. A comfortable silence ensued before she continued. "…Is it okay if I call you Nade-chan?"

"Of course. It's cute," she smiled softly.

"All right." Rima started to fidget. "Um… could you help me out… with the routine?"

"Sure," Nadeshiko nodded, standing and offering her a hand. "What parts are you having trouble with?"

"Everything," she admitted, taking her hand and standing up. "I can't do it."

"Don't say that. Let's take it bit by bit, from the beginning. You'll know what to do by the end of the day, I promise. Want to watch me do it one time through? And then you can try it and we'll work through the trouble spots."

"Okay, got it," Rima nodded.

As Nadeshiko began to dance, Rima couldn't help the smile that crept onto her lips. She couldn't be lonely anymore; she had made a friend. Her first real friend.

.~*~.

Shaking her head to clear her mind, she looked away from the kimono and grabbed the cape off of its hanger. I don't have the time to relive stupid memories. Wouldn't want to be late, after all…

Even though she was in high school now, and KusuKusu as well as everyone else's charas had disappeared, the memory of her time with the Guardians was a fond one. It was no longer a requirement for them to wear the cape, but wearing it had become a habit that Rima had never been fully able to ditch. The high school uniform was only slightly different than the junior high's; girls wore a white blazer with a red tie, a red skirt, and black tights, while the boys wore a white blazer with a blue tie and black slacks.

Once Rima had changed out of her pajamas, she grabbed her hairbrush and attempted to run it through her tangled tresses. "Ow, ow, ow, ow…" she whimpered, pausing halfway through to let the throbbing in her head subside. She all but threw her brush back into the drawer once she was done, placing a now familiar white headband upon her head. She looked over at the clock, cursed, grabbed her bag, and dashed out of her house with an exasperated, "Bye, Mom! See you later!"

It wasn't even four minutes in the cool winter air before her legs almost gave out on her. She had hoped that her athleticism would improve over the years, but to no avail. There wasn't a day that she didn't curse her puny limbs for being so pitiful.

"Amu," she wheezed, spotting the familiar pinkette in the distance. "Wait – wait up…"

"Ah, Rima!" she grinned, reaching down to adjust her leg warmers. "How was your break?"

"It was good," she nodded, managing to catch her breath and straighten up with a smile. "Pretty boring, but… really, what isn't, nowadays? How was yours?"

Amu rolled her eyes, "It was… okay. Ikuto visited from college, so…" A slight blush crept onto her cheeks as she noticed the face Rima was making at her. "What? We just… we hung out a little."

Rima wiggled her eyebrows at her friend. "Oh, I see. You hung out a little."

"Shut up," Amu mumbled. "It was nice talking to him. You don't get the chance to catch up with old friends that often, know what I mean?"

Oh, Amu, you have no idea. Rima suppressed a small frown as she thought of a response that didn't make her sound so bitter. "I… yeah. I understand."

A few moments later, just as the bell decided to chime loudly across the school grounds, they reached the school entrance. Amu grabbed Rima by the wrist, a sly grin replacing her subtle smile. "Sorry about this, Rima, but I really don't want to be late." And with that, in a very Kukai-like manner, she dragged Rima in through the lavish double doors and to their homeroom.

Rima rolled her eyes as Amu bowed and hastily apologized to their Sensei for showing up late.

With an audible 'humph' and a warning look to the adult at the head of the room, Rima took her seat at the back of the classroom.

Their Sensei cleared her throat and stood up, smiling as she looked out at her students.

"Welcome back, class. I hope you enjoyed your winter break – but before we begin here, there's someone I'd like you to meet. Please give a warm welcome to our new transfer student; some of you may know her from Seiyo Elementary, but those of you who don't should really try and get to know her because-" She was cut off by her students' expressions, most of which said, "stop talking and show us this kid already". Laughing nervously and clearing her throat again, she continued. "You may come in now."

The door was opened gently, making Rima perk up from her usual position of boredom. She started pulling a textbook out of her bag, keeping her eyes on the front of the room. The sound of light footsteps gave way to the appearance of a tall beauty, her waist-length purple hair fastened in a high ponytail that she fiddled with as a sweet smile graced her lips. She smoothed down her skirt, amber eyes finally focusing on the class. "Hello, everyone. My name is Fujisaki Nadeshiko. It's a pleasure to meet you all." The girl bowed politely before straightening up.

Golden eyes met amber.

The book slipped from Rima's shaking hands and hit the floor before she had the chance to react.