Ari point of vew
"Darn rasafrazen friken fracken..." I slammed my front door open, muttering incoherent phrases to myself.
Trudging over to the dinner table I sat down with a loud thud, lifting my still shoes feet up onto the nearby chair.
"Ari how was your- YOUNG LADY GET YOUR SHOES OUT OF THE HOUSE THIS INSTANT!" in a split second my mom had turned from the docile house wife to the demon's spouse, waiving the kitchen knife in her hand like a murder weapon.
I slid out of my chair, long since used to the antics, and deposited my footwear to its rightful spot, trading the heavy combat boots I wore with my uniform for lightweight house slippers.
When I returned my mom was back to her old self, finishing her previous question
"how was your day at school?" She repeated, flipping some of her baby pink hair out of her face.
Pink hair was a trait that I me and my mother shared, I preferred my hair to hers personally, mine was longer- reaching to my waist, I loved my current hairstyle especially, I left most of my hair down, with high pony tails on either side, I loved the look and it went so well with-
"ARI HAWAZAKI ANSWER MY QUESTION!" the demon mom was back.
"Fine." I deadpanned, lying easily, keeping up my non emotional façade.
Grabbing an apple from the marble counter, I dashed up the stairs to my room before my mom could question me further.
I plopped my black–and-dark-pink bookbag by the door andglanced tiredly at my messy pink-and-black punk rock styled room. I was going to have to tidy up, later.
I sighed solemnly as I fell back on my pink bed spread. Shizuka had done it again. It was the same as every day for the past month, she would avoid me constantly, skipping lunch, and free period, even clean up sometimes to go god knows where. I was losing my best friend... I felt a familiar blurry sensation as long harbored tears sprung out of their hiding spots. I could feel my breath become staggered and uneven as I started to sob and the world went dark.
-Dream world-
I sat in a dim room, the only source of light being a small old fashioned box TV, showing reruns of an out of date fortune telling show, the actors wearing fashions from years ago. I sat down on the old stool in directly in front it. After about two episodes, I felt myself begin to wake up, but something kept me in the dream!
"You there girl!" the old, overweight fortune teller woman screamed. I looked around questionably, who was she talking to?
"NO BAKA! You, the one on the stool with the pink hair!" That really caught my attention.
The woman spoke again, "The only way for you to strengthen your friendship with this girl, Shizuka, is to find your true self. Only then will she be able to understand."
"What do I need to do?" I spoke back almost unconsciously, before I realized, I was talking to a TV. whatever, this is a dream right?
"You must pray for your true self, do so now." The woman in the TV answered me, giving me full assurance that this was a dream.
I nodded and closed my eyes, and channeled every memory, when we first met, our first fight, summer vacations, birthdays, everything, the first time she began to grow distant, up to just two hours ago. I bundled it up into one word, and sent it as far as I could. "Please. "I breathed out, letting everything on my mind and body go. I opened my eyes.
Shizuka POV
I'm terrible.
It feels so wrong to ignore Ari just because of the one question I would one day have to answer, the question of who I liked.
Me, a bookworm.
I had a crush on the popular Daisuke Masizama.
So what if it's helpless? If you really think I care, you're wrong. It's just a little crush. That's all, really.
So why am I worrying so much? I shouldn't be worrying. I should be reading a new book. I don't have time for all this mental chitchat.
I knew that Daisuke-san won't notice me. I'm not stupid. I just wish...
Maybe, just maybe, there was something...
I lay in my plush bed, ready to sleep my worries away. My dirty blonde hair was spread unevenly behind my head, the shorter bit on the side out of its usual ponytail. A clump of hair fell in front of my eyes, dyed red. I blew away the streak and watched the hair fall back into place.
The light was off and the moon shone through my curtains, the thin fabric blowing in the midnight wind.
I like to remember my day, to think about the past and the future. I read somewhere that dreams were connected to reality. Maybe it was true.
I let my mind wander free, careless on the ways of the world. It wasn't that bad. It's never bad.
Unless it involves Daisuke.
I thought today about the book. It said that prayers, when actually needed, are sometimes answered. It said that even if it seemed silly, you could pray.
I knew that wanting him to notice me was silly.
I curled up in a ball and went to sleep, a single word forming on my lips.
I wanted Daisuke to notice me; I wanted to be myself again. I thought back to all the happy memories I had with my best friend, Ari, and how much I didn't want to ignore her. There was only one thing to say, really-
Please.
-x-
I yawned and stretched my arms as I sat up in bed. My alarm was softly playing one of Hosina Utau's songs, but I was too tired to recognize which one.
Something shook between my legs. It was warm and small. Suddenly, I feel really worried. What's wrong with me?
I pull back the blankets and find two small eggs.
The first was a chocolate brown, with dark green vines lining the edges in a mismatched pattern. A golden cupcake sat in the middle, decorated with a lavender icing.
The other was pitch black, with hot pink zigzags making the same pattern the vines did on the first. In the center there was a red heart with a devil's tail.
I shrieked and blinked. Nope, still there. I squeeze my eyes shut, but still nothing happens.
I guess I'll be making another extra stop at the library today.
-x-
**in the library**
I went through book after book trying to find out what the two eggs could possibly mean.
Nothing.
I glanced up at the clock and sighed. Five minutes until homeroom. Just enough time to get through one more book. I sat down and picked up "Psychology for the Soul."
I scanned the index. 'Imaginary friends,' that had to be it, right? I eagerly flipped to page 23.
'Sometimes, people see images of other people. They are illusions. This may be a sign of insanity.'
I stared at the line until the two-minute bell rang. I shrieked and plopped the book on the chair, fixing my glasses as I dashed out the door. I was truly going insane.
I felt the eggs in my book bag, protected by a single thin box.
They were products of my imagination that had to be it.
They had to be hidden.
Ari point of vew
"EGGS!" I screamed, staring at the three objects in question. One was a bright pink with curly cues and microphones forming a band in the middle, the second, black with blue, purple and white flames licking up the sides, the last , a pale yellow with cream, angel pink, and light Green flower accents. "IT'S NOT EVEN EASTER YET!"
Determined to starve my mother of satisfaction, she had obviously put the eggs there, I rushed to my desk, pulled out my large, almost Kirby-ish hammer (don't ask) and slammed down on the eggs as hard as I could, once, twice, three times. No luck. I sweat dropped.
"Well that's a new one"
-Time skip-
"Shizuka. "I walked up to my best friend in the school courtyard after cleanup; No one was around besides the soccer club playing on the distant fields. It was the
perfect time to talk. The blond turned to face me, a nervous smile on her face.
"h-hi Ari. C-come here often?"
I scoffed at her obvious avoidance of the main problem. But I decided to play along.
"Yup, a lot since a particular person started to avoid me."
Zuzu pov
I glanced at Ari, and looked at the soccer fields. 'yup, there he is, chatting away with his friends. Great, just great.' "OH... Who's avoiding you, then?" I asked shyly, trying to keep up my innocent facade but knowing she would see through it.
"You," Ari replied. 'What a great way to start a conversation.' "I-I'm sorry;" I lied, finally starting to feel guilty. "I'll try my best to-"
"No!" Ari shouted. "If you wanted to try your best, you would have done it a long time ago!"
"A-Ari, I'm-"
"SHIZUKA!" I stopped immediately.
"Y-yes?" just her expression was scaring me. It was then I really wished I could show my inner personality...
'From a shy person to someone who's not afraid to be loud and flirty, character change!'
Ari pov
I stared at the girl in front of me how could she? I wanted her to know how I feel, to show her... The true me. The me who suffered the painful sneers and jeers of her classmates, the me who was left alone, without anyone, again.
I heard a monotonous voice sound within me
"from a girl who hides her true emotions to one who fights for her beliefs, Chara change!" I felt a comforting warmth bloom in my chest, spreading out through my body. I wasn't alone.
Shizuka POV
I made a sour face. 'Flirty? Since when do I want to be FLIRTY?'
"Since now!" a little voice yelled, seemingly from my bag. "Flip, flit, flirt!"
I felt the strangest sensation flood my body. It felt like finally, as if I hadn't been able to before, I could be myself, loud and full of laughter.
"Oh my gosh! Did you hear Utau's new song? It's sooo- oop!" I quickly covered my mouth. 'What?' "Sooooorry~" I said cutely. 'This is SO not my style.' "Didn't mean to bother you!" I leaned my weight on one foot and winked.
Ari pov
"flame, fight, fly!"
I felt a blue flame erupt over my left eye. I gasped, not from heat, but from the calming effect it gave. I smiled grimly at the rush of adrenaline, the one thought now coursing through my mind was, 'with this strength, I can speak my mind!'
the voice called out to me again, happier but still monotonous "that's it, feel the need to protect your truth run through your veins! And when you settle this, be a good sport no matter who comes out victorious!"
I stared at my suddenly peppy and slightly ditsy friend. Just seeing her disregard the fight we were about to have just... Drove ME INSANE!
Out of thin air I pulled out a long black kantana with flame designs on the hilt. Grasping said object firmly, I drew back for a strike.
"BLADE OF TRUTH, LET MY HEART BE HEARD!" I slashed, and a flash of light followed.
When it had cleared, there was nothing but a sole bubble in front of me, curious, I poked it. Yet another white light enveloped me and I was suddenly in Shizuka's head, I saw her writing countless sappy love notes, sneaking around, and lastly, her crying over an unknown boy. My eyes widened as I realized that she too had gotten eggs, and how she thought she was going insane.
I felt my eyes tear up, as I wondered if she understood my situation too. Was she crying over my problems? What was she thinking? I closed my eyes to clear the tears, and when I opened them, I was back in the courtyard, Shizuka staring at me with the same look of understanding that she always had. The tears I had just wiped returned as I smiled for the first time in forever. Like a mirror, Shizuka did the same. "Zuzu..." I taunted.
"ri-ri" she shot back playfully.
"Ahem." I whipped my head around to see the king of the school smirking at us, his cocky smile irking me.
That stupid...! He was the charmer of the school, perfect eyes and white blond hair that was cut so it covered one eye, which gave him the brooding prince look that the girls at this school ate up.
Yuck.
The cocky king spoke again "I don't mean to interrupt the heartwarming makeup, but you two need to come with me."
"Why?" I shot back.
"This is a free country." Zuzu finished, placing her hands on her hips.
"Because" the boy shot back "we need to get you and your Charas initiated into the guardians"
Shizuka pov
GRR THIS WILD CHILD! I understand how Ari felt now, but suddenly, BAM! A wild 'prince' appears out of nowhere. Humph.
"You don't need to do anything with us," I said. I grabbed Ari's arm and ran away, shouting, "Catch us if you can!"
We ran for a minute before I finally stopped, panting slightly. I sighed.
"What's their problem?"
"Um, Zuzu," Ari said, worried, "Look!" she pointed her finger. I followed it, and guess what?
The stupid prince was back again.
"You have to come with me!" he shouted.
"As if!" Ari shot back, earning her a glare. "Now c'mon, we have to get out of here fast."
Again, we dashed away, me questioning what the hell was so important he NEEDED us in it.
Ari pov
My lungs were burning, my breathing shallow. Shizuka and I had been running from the brat king for at least an hour. We were both at our limit, but it seemed that every time we turned a corner; he was there, smiling cockily as ever. Whatever he wanted from us, I didn't care, there was no way I was becoming a guardian, something else for them to compare me against her. Amu Hinnamori, the entire reason that this whole mess had begun.
-Flashback-
(three days ago, before Ari got her Charas)
"Gahh! "I gasped as the ice water drenched my skin in the cold winter weather. The mocking faces of the girls above me had no pity in them, only hate. "Serves you right" the first girl jeered
"no one can compare to Amu-senpai!" the second girl added. "that's why we hate you "said the first "you look so much like her, you add on to your uniform like her, you even act like her." exclaimed a third. The first one, obviously the leader spoke again. "the only people allowed to act like Amu are us: the amu fan-club!" the girls dropped their buckets, snickering as they began to walk off."wait!" I called to the group staring blankly at the girls, the mask of no emotion on my face; I shot a death glare at the first girl, daring her to walk away. The wimp jumped back scared at first before retaining her cool demeanor. "What?" she asked. I started to giggle darkly at the girls spooking them again before I spoke: "I feel sorry for you, reduced to bullying so that these poor excuses of friends stay by your side." the head girl grew furious, she slapped me and stormed away, her army of pawns following.
I shook my head to rid myself of the bad memories, and bring myself back to the present. As I did so I bumped into a wall of Shizuka. "Owww" Shizuka grumbled, rubbing her head. "Sorry, why did you stop?"
Shizuka pointed in front of her, as my eyes followed I understood why she had stopped.
"Holy observatory."
Shizuka pov
tall man with blond hair walked out of the shadows. I sighed in relief.
"You really scared me," I whispered.
"I'm sorry," the man apologized, looking sincere.
"Who are you, anyways?" Ari asked.
"Why, I am the caretaker," he replied. "But you two have Shugo Charas. If you're part of the Guardians, how do you not know about me?"
I glanced at Ari nervously. "Umm... Shugo Charas?"
The man was not surprised, as if he had gone through this many times before. "They represent the true you, who you want to, become. Have you two found any eggs?"
"Yeah," I replied, surprised. "I found two in my bed this morning." I carefully took out the eggs from my bag and held them out. The black egg felt slightly warmer, and as I held it out, it twitched. I smiled.
"So, you guys actually have a name? That's pretty cool." I sighed again; really, this was a habit that needed to be stopped. "I seriously thought I was going insane," I told them. "But... I'm kind of happy I'm not the only one. Even though I AM pretty positive I'm insane. That author was more
than reliable." my friend laughed, along with the caretaker.
Ari pov
I smiled at the man in front of us. His light blond hair and blue eyes reminded me of the brat prince, but the way he smiled didn't resemble the brat at all. The man turned to me, his face shifting into a gentler look. "My dear, the stars show that you have eggs also, may I see them?" I nodded silently and reached down to the bottom of my bag, finding the eggs where I had left them, wrapped up in a small black blanket. I grasped the eggs, frowning slightly when I noticed they were colder than they had been this morning. I mentally shrugged, 'oh well.'
The caretaker's eyes widened slightly as he saw my three eggs. I handed them to him, watching as he held them like they were actually real breakable eggs that would smash open when you hit them with a hammer.
"You know" he whispered, still staring gently at the eggs
"there has only been one other person who has had three eggs in the history of the guardians."
I gulped, sinking feeling in my stomach.
he began to continue "that person
was-"
"Hinnamori Amu." I deadpanned, cutting him off.
He raised an eyebrow.
"May I ask how you know?"
Shizuka decided to cut in then: "Ari has always been compared to Amu, on the account of them both having pink hair and alternate styles."
I smiled at my friend, glad that she was finally interacting with me again. The caretaker grinned, and handed me back my now warm eggs. "well…bye" Shizuka turned, signaling to me that it was time to go home.
"Oh, wait." he exclaimed at our leaving figures "I almost forgot" he placed objects in our hands.
I gasped; it was a bracelet, a simple one, made of black leather, with a silver base cleft, the two dots being small diamonds.
"Take these" he smiled as we nodded our thanks. 'BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPP!' My watch sounded off loudly.
"Aiiieee I'm late!" I screamed, grabbing Shizuka as I raced out the door.
-time skip-
Three blocks , one river, one train ride, and one close call with an old lady later, we arrived at our neighborhood, panting. I snuck a glance at my oddly quiet companion. Zuzu was clearly in deep thought, staring into space. Suddenly I saw her flash an eerie smile and sprint ahead, waiving behind her. I grinned as I headed towards my house; I never said that we were normal after all...
Shizuka pov
I stood stuck in my own train of thought, oblivious to everything around me. That was when something seemed to click inside of me, and I actually believed I might not have a mental disorder or something. And even though I was being perfectly serious, I smiled.
Suddenly, I felt all right, although, and mark my words on this-
I. Am. Going. Insane.