No, you are not mistaken. This is ShellyCullen attempting to write yet another Shugo Chara fanfic. Now, before you come at me with pitchforks and torches, know that I did give away most of my stories to be completed and I am not trying to fool you all with my uncompleted fanfics. I could still go back and complete them, they just annoy me at the moment considering I wrote them when I was 14.

Anyway, I hope you will all give this story a chance, without judgement on me!

Amu: Yeah! No meanies for Shelly!

Ikuto: She writes good amuto stories *Smirk*

Amu: I don't like that look... *Looks away, trying to ignore scary Ikuto.*

And a shout out to AmuxIkutolover for getting me back to writing Amuto fanfics! This chapter is dedicated to you :D

Also, I've been away from fanfics for a while so my stories might seem a little more *ahem* mature in some aspects. Definitely not enough to push a mature rating though! It might just be a bit intense...or maybe not, I dunno.

You've been warned.

Cat Obsessed

There have been strange occurrences all over Tokyo where a number of cats in the area have been reported missing. No one knows for sure whether this is coincidence or if a cat burglar is on the loose. Police advise locals to keep their doors locked and their felines inside.

"Hey! Why am I the only one doing this?"

Amu turned, bowl of cereal in hand, to the crying carrot head. Yaya was struggling to drag a beanbag chair into the apartment as a rather bored looking Rima supervised.

Amu smiled, turning off this morning's news and setting her breakfast aside. "You guys are back already?" She tip toed barefoot across cold tile, grabbing the beanbag chair and tossing it easily over one shoulder.

Yaya's eyes sparkled in admiration. "You're so strong, Amu-chi!"

"She's not strong, Yaya. You're simply weak," Rima stated. Her mouth was covered by a cream colored scarf that matched her beanie. She set the tray of coffee onto the kitchen table, unwinding the scarf.

"It's a little early to be arguing, don't you think?" Amu, ever the peacemaker, said as she made her way across the hall. She opened the door to a room that was mostly bare. A handful of cardboard boxes, a bare mattress and dust bunnies greeted them.

"It's only early for you, Amu. Most people consider twelve o'clock the afternoon," Rima called from the hall.

Amu shrugged, setting the beanbag on the bed. "We'll start setting up your room after we go out. How does that sound?"

"Yay!" Yaya cheered, clapping her hands together, before grabbing onto her friend in a bear hug. Rima walked to the doorway, checking her phone.

"Sure, I'm ready now. Should we go?"

Amu held up a finger. "One sec."

The pinkette made her way outside the apartment building, fighting off the bitter chill of spring. She went out back to the shed, greeted with the meows from the missing cats.

No one would hear them though. The apartment complex was too close to the busy street and the shed had been long since abandoned. Amu knelt down to pet one of the kittens, before putting out a fresh bowl of cat food.

"We should get a pet!" Yaya exclaimed on their walk. The trio crossed the city streets with a cup of coffee in hand, each fighting off the unusually cold spring day.

"No," Rima said quickly, sipping her drink. "It's hard enough to take care of you." If Yaya had ears and a tail, she could easily be mistaken for a puppy.

"Aw, but look! The pet store's right there!" Yaya used a mitten to point at the shop. "C'mon, let's just take a peek! Amu-chi wants to see too, right?"

Amu laughed nervously. She was in a losing battle and she knew it. "It wouldn't hurt," she answered, earning a cheer from Yaya and face palm from Rima.

Inside warm air trickled passed their flushed cheeks. It smelled of sweat and urine. Rima crinkled her nose in disgust, hiding even further in the scarf.

"Welcome!" An enthusiastic man said as soon as they entered. He seemed young, their age, maybe older. "Are you girls looking to adopt?"

"Yes!" Yaya yelled at the same time Amu said, "No."

Rima stared at him coldly. "Is that pee on your shirt?"

He glanced down at the stain, laughing. "Sorry. The puppies have been excited all morning. We've been letting them out in the playpen–"

Rima raised a hand. "Don't want to hear it."

The boy laughed again and petted Rima's hat as if she were a dog. "Aren't you cute," he said, earning a blush and glare from the girl. "So, how would you ladies like to see the animals?" He straightened, glancing at Yaya and Amu now.

"Oh, yes onii-san!" Yaya attacked the boy in one of her famous bear hugs.

He grinned. "All right. My name's Kukai, by the way."

"No one was asking," Rima hissed under her breath, but Amu was the only one to notice.

They made their way to the back of the room where the playpen was set up. Puppies ran up to the fence, barking and wagging their tails.

"So kawaii!" Yaya squealed, picking up the puppy.

"Oh, be careful!" Kukai warned, but it was too late. The puppy peed, getting it all over Yaya's jacket.

"Sorry about that." Kukai grinned, putting the dog back down. "They're really excited. They haven't had this much attention in a while."

Yaya, who seemed to care very little about her coat, simply shrugged it off. "They are so cute! Don't you think, Amu-chi?"

Amu surprisingly kept a safe distance from the playpen. Even Rima had warmed up to the animals, gingerly petting one on the back.

"Come on, Amu," Yaya urged.

Amu sighed, approaching the playpen. The puppies stared up at her with big brown eyes. When she stuck her hand in, they barked. Amu jumped back.

"Hmm, do you have a cat?" Kukai asked, staring thoughtfully at the animals. "Sometimes they get excited at unfamiliar animal smells."

Amu shook her head. One of the employees from the back room came out, holding a kitten.

"Ah, here we are." Kukai accepted the cat, holding it out toward Amu. "Want to hold him?"

"Wow, he's blue!" Yaya said, standing to get a better look. "Did you dye his fur?"

"No. They're called Russian blues. Their coats look blue just like their eyes. Pretty cool, huh?"

Amu stared at the cat in front of her and sighed. "I hate cats," she spat, walking out the entrance doors.

Frigid air smacked into her face and she pulled her jacket closer, turning sharply into the alleyway. She didn't know what was wrong with her or why she was acting this way; stealing cats, avoiding her friends. Could it be because her character eggs had disappeared?

She frowned at the thought of Ran, Miki, Suu, and Dia. Rima and Yaya had both merged with their eggs a long time ago. Amu was afraid the same would happen to her, but instead of returning to her heart, the charas became silent in their shells before vanishing completely.

That wasn't normal, was it? Where had Amu's eggs gone? Would she ever see them again?

In the darkness of the alleyway, Amu didn't notice the shadow or that she was completely hidden from the rest of Tokyo. Something shifted in the small space, and a deep voice spoke from behind her.

"I smell eggs."