A/N: I just seem to have these ideas poking around in my head lately. This one was the dominant one, and it couldn't resist being written down.

This story is written in a different manner than usual, so please bear with it.

Things are still tentative, so there may be some slight adjustments later on.

Summary: I had to erase my past, ignore my former self, and create a new persona, for her sake. But why did I have to hide from her?

Disclaimer: If I owned Shugo Chara, I wouldn't be writing this.

Day 01: Assignment

I was lying there on the roof of one of the buildings of Easter, attempting to enjoy this quiet time I had known as my lunch hour.

Work was hectic today, and this morning was a mess. Ugh. Utau had to make a big deal out of my appearance, my blue attire. She didn't like the way I dressed, and I could care less. Lucky for me that she had business elsewhere at the moment, so she couldn't join me up here. Though all we did was eat our lunches in peace...

I held the key chained to my neck. That girl... What was her name again? Amu or something? Looking at the key I had reminded me of her, the girl who held the lock to the key.

Yoru, my Guardian Character, was off on an errand for me, delivering at note to that girl.

Just then, I received a phone call from the director.

"What is it?"

"Ikuto, come to my office. I have a special assignment for you."

"All right."

Goodie. I wonder what the old man had in store for me this time. More X-egg roundups? A reconnaissance mission? That man was unpredictable.

I walked in, standing in front of the old buffoon sitting at his desk, awaiting his orders.

"Please have a seat." He pointed to the cushioned chair I stood next to.

This was different. Normally he never did this. And if he did, he was really desperate about something, as if I was his last hope.

"What is it?" I asked, trying to get business started.

The director cleared his throat, and then began to speak. "Another one of our bodyguards has left his station. He left a complaint about how unreasonable his client is."

I nodded, trying to pull together the pieces. So he wants me to be a bodyguard?

"This is the twenty-ninth one your sister has chased off! Do you know how ridiculous that is!?" He slammed his fist on his desk, making me aware of how frustrated he really was. Haha, the old man, he'll never learn. He was too stubborn to realize that my sister is strong enough to take care of herself, that she doesn't even need a bodyguard, nevertheless want need one.

"Ikuto, since you are her brother, I am assigning you to be her bodyguard. I assume that you can tolerate her childish behavior."

Me? Become her bodyguard? Utau had this tiny... well, not tiny, but huge attraction towards me. We rarely spent time together during work, and for me to suddenly appear in every aspect of her life at every moment... wouldn't that create some commotion? I could picture the newspaper headline: "Singing Idol Hoshina Utau in Love with Brother!" That wouldn't do her any good at all, considering how she couldn't control herself well around me.

"Of course, I know of the feelings she has for you, so to protect Easter's name and good fortune, I'm having you change your appearance and take an alias during the course of this assignment. 'Mamoru Mizuki.' That will be your name. I am going to have to overwrite your personnel file to match this. Nobody will ever know that Tsukiyomi Ikuto ever worked here."

He's going to erase me from his company and place a new label on me... I could only crawl my hand into a fist to hold back my anger. If I didn't follow his orders, he would torture her...

"You will move out of your home into a new assigned building. I'm giving you the rest of the day off to complete the preliminary tasks. Is all of this clear?"

He's saying all of this on short notice... He expects me to just forget about my past self, take on a new identity, break off my current connection with my sister for a new, isolated nature for her, all in five hours? The director really liked doing this, torturing me, making my life a living hell...

I restrained myself from making an outburst. Orders are orders... If I didn't follow them, somebody had to take the punishment. Too bad I couldn't get fired. I was chained to Easter for eternity... If only if only...

"Yes, sir."

"Report back to me tomorrow at 5 A.M. so we can make your new photo identification card and give you your first instructions."

I have to conceal the fact that I'm hiding from my sister... I slammed my fist on my bedroom door. What the hell, stepfather! I could barely tolerate what you asked me to do, but this... this is over the line! Out of rage, I began thrashing about, carelessly throwing objects in my room at the wall, until I realized that I had broken one of my picture frames. I picked up the photo, careful to avoid the shards of glass, seeing my sister's and my frozen smile. We were dressed elegantly, Utau in a beautiful white gown, while I was in a miniature tuxedo. I would have to abandon all of this, even my past with her... Lucky that no one was around to see me in my weakest moment. If Utau, heck, even Amu, were around... No. I needed to be strong for them. If they saw me crying right now... No. I need to be strong. For their sakes.

Eventually, I was able to coerce myself to get myself to a hair salon. I had to change my appearance somehow, so I decided to dye my hair a darker, midnight blue. Almost jet black, it could pass. Now I needed to change my eye color and clothing... wait... black clothes would be good. Weren't those what the bodyguards usually wear? As for the eye color... I decided to settle on the color of my sister's eyes... purple. It was a couple of shades darker than my sister's violet hues, but it would do.

Yoru came back from delivering the note, stating Amu's reply: "Stop teasing me, you jerk!" I smirked. That was so like her. But I would have to cease my notes to her, leaving her in the dark as well...

Now, I had to hide the fact that I possessed a Guardian Character.

"I need a favor, Yoru. A big one."

Yoru willingly came back inside me, fused together with me. He could come out whenever he needed to, just as long as the situation proved to be dangerous. An emergency button, simply put.

I packed my belongings, bringing only the bare essentials, my clothing, that picture, and my violin. Yes... that violin. You know, the one that I always seem to carry around? The one that my sister persisted that I play? That one.

I was about to exit the house before I felt something stop me. What was it... guilt? Regret? I couldn't pinpoint the exact feeling, but I couldn't just leave Utau out of the blue like this. She comes home, seeing my room, drawers emptied out, broken glass shards on the floor. She'll freak out... I picked up a piece of paper and a blue pen, thinking of what to write to her.

Utau,

That sounded too formal. Scratch that.

My sister dearest,

Much better.

I was never much of a writer, but strangely this letter seemed to flow out of me.

My sister dearest,

I have been assigned on a special mission that will take quite some time. For this reason, I must leave you to yourself alone. I can no longer be present by your side, and we can no longer meet. Do not try to find me; I do not want to be found.

I'm sorry that I won't be around to see your concerts. I wish you the best of luck.

By the way, because you chased off another bodyguard, you're getting a new one tomorrow.

Love,

Your brother dearest.

There. Kind of ironic, how I ended that letter... This wouldn't be the end. I would continue life on as another person, somebody not myself. I had to carefully watch my actions, otherwise I could be spotted. I couldn't talk like I knew her, I couldn't talk comfortably with the people I once knew. I... will have to ignore everybody except my stepfather...

I settled in my new home, quite comfortable and relaxing, though the absence of my sister would soon be something that continued to touch my every nerve. Only now did I realize how much I missed her, when she was taken away. Amu, too... and the little king, Tadase...

I could imagine now how Utau would be reacting. Probably crying, hugging the letter to her chest... Probably. I felt a tang of grief overcome me momentarily, but quickly I assured myself that she would be fine. I would be at her side at all times, I assumed, so it would be okay. Even so, she's strong... stronger than me.

I made do on the memory foam mattress Easter supplied me with, my eyes closing as I dreamed of what would happen tomorrow.

The day finally came, and I reported to my stepfather's office. He seemed pleased at my disguise, almost as if he liked the new me better than my old self. I had my new photo taken, a new background created, and all I could do was accept this as it was handed to me. Beneath my dark sunglasses, I merely closed my eyes and hoped for the best.

I walked up to my former home, waiting outside the front door for my sis- No, my client, Hoshina Utau, to get ready. I had some doubts about myself, that she could see through my facade, that she would derail my mask in an instant, because she knew me so well.

The front door opened, and I eyed her walk out, not once making eye contact with me. "So you're my new bodyguard?" She scoffed, then continued, "I'm leaving you behind if you can't keep up."

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

I had to drive her to the Easter main building, so she wouldn't be getting very far without me.

I followed her to the car, where I took my seat as the driver, then headed towards Easter headquarters.

As I looked at her through my rear view mirror, I saw her seated with her hands together, her head looking downcast, her eyes containing a slight sorrow.

She mouthed something inaudible, something I realized as my name.

A tear threatened to fall, but I held back. This had to be done.

A/N: This isn't written in my best style, but I'm experimenting with the types of stories there are...

I have the second and third chapters completed, but I'm working out the fourth and fifth chapters before I'm releasing them.

Please note that the chapter title format "Day XX: Chapter Title" is just a method of naming the chapter. In other words, the storyline could still be on the second day even if the chapter title is "Day 03".

Oh, and thanks for reading! Reviews are very much appreciated.