A/N: Welcome to the first chapter of Erasing the Lines, an Amuto Fanfic. A few notes first, though. This story in set in a feudal-system type of society, but it won't be a perfect example of classism. For one, I had to change a few things for the sake of the story and plot. Two, I don't know everything about classism, so I can only do so much. This is my first Shugo Chara fanfiction, and I hope you enjoy it.

I let out a small noise of discomfort as I lifted the wooden pillar above my head. It wasn't difficult, but I was nevertheless surprised at the familiar strain of my muscles. Only one week out of commission and I was already getting out of shape. But thanks to the rest, my leg healed uncommonly fast. Good as new. You never would've known it was nearly rendered useless due to a rather nasty accident.

My uncle was glad to have me back, I could tell. He needed the extra hands and goodness knows Utau wouldn't be of any help. The Tsukiyomi family specialized in hard labor. Mostly this meant construction, but occasionally a few odd jobs would pass by. Sunday was the only day off around here, if even that, but so is the life of a peasant.

We were at the lower part of the class system, but our family was one of the lucky ones. We had enough food to survive and, sometimes, even enough to call ourselves 'full,' a term scarce around these parts. I was constantly surrounded by the hollow shells of people whose very will to live seemed to be drained out with emaciation. Our oppressed existence itself acted like a cage I longed to free myself from. But those kinds of ideas were for romantics, and my feet were firmly grounded in reality.

"Ikuto!" I could hear my uncle calling me. I turned to see his bond hair and an enigmatic smile. He was a mysterious sort of person and always gave the indication he was only telling you half the story.

"Tsukasa, what do you need?" I balanced the pillar, still in my grasp, upon my shoulders somewhat unsteadily.

"Well, I was – oh, careful now – looking to coming to see how you were – Ikuto, honesty, you might hurt yourself…"

I rolled my eyes and gave him my best smug look. He had often said himself that look could beat out any king or queen easy. It gave me a twisted sort of pride to be more egotistical than a noble.

"Please, you needn't worry, as if I, Ikuto Tsukiyomi, were capable of dropping this. Honestly, someone of my stature? Impossible!" I grinned at him, using my best snobby voice.

Tsukasa simply smiled back at me and chuckled. He reached out and ruffled my hair, which he did often and annoyed me to no end. Then I felt the pillar's weight lift up as my uncle took hold of it. "I'll be taking this. Now get back to work, and be careful!" He smiled again and left.

I rolled my eyes in his absence. "Yeah, whatever." I turned back to the pile of timber and fumbled around in the straw for an axe.

"Ikuto!" My sister, Utau, came jogging towards me, her hand waved as in a greeting gesture. Her smile was particularly large today, and her upbeat attitude frightened me.

"Oh Ikuto, it's just the most wonderful thing!" Utau shouted happily. I got an uneasy feeling. I couldn't do much math (rudimentary education and all that), but I know better than anyone that Utau + Happy = Total Disaster.

"What?" I asked her half-heartedly.

"There's going to be a ball at The Royal Garden tomorrow!" She squealed with delight.

I sighed. "So what?" The Royal Garden was a huge glass building that is mostly used for parties with a strict nobles-only guest list. Even if I had wanted to go, which I most certainly did not, I couldn't have gotten in.

"This is a big one!" Utau exclaimed. "The families are coming together! All seven of them! Hotori, Souma, Hinamori, Yuiki, Fujisaki, Mashiro, and Sanjo!"

I recognized the names; everyone did, even those who couldn't so much as tell you what day of the week it was. Those were the seven noble families of the Southwestern part of the country. We lived in the Hotori prefecture ourselves, and it wasn't uncommon for the other families to come visit.

"And…?"

"And!?" Utau looked at me exasperatedly. "Well, Kukai, the heir of the Souma house, is turning eighteen, and from what I hear the heirs of the other families are around the same age. Of course, Nagihiko Fujisaki and Rima Mashiro are already wed, but for the others it is supposed to be some kind of set-up, to see if they can inspire anymore inter-family marriages!"

"Again, so what? This has nothing to do with us." Honestly, what's so great about that?

"It's intriguing!" Typical girl behavior. Throw in the prospect of marriage and they get all excited. "Besides, maybe I can get in!"

"No."

"But Ikuto…"

"No. You're going to get caught. Not only will you be punished, but also our whole family will be in trouble. Don't you get it at all? You're a peasant and you will always be a peasant, so you should just be happy wallowing in the mud while those bastards rejoice in their wealth."

Utau glared at me and walked away in a huff. She really just doesn't get it.

*****

Next Day, Royal Garden Ball, Amu's Point of View

I clutched the champagne in my hand, the glass still full. It was common for people to drink alcohol at mealtimes, but I never had the taste for it. It gave everything a bitter taste. I had always preferred tea, but that was not an option here. I sighed and brought the glass to my lips and allowed a tiny amount of the vile liquid enter my mouth. With a shudder, I set the champagne on a nearby tray.

These parties were less than exciting. I didn't mind them, and occasionally I would visit with my girlfriends and entertain myself with their talk. But ever since Rima had married the Fujisaki heir, she spoke endlessly of the duties of 'lady of the house,' and Yaya was too immature to make conversation with. Truth be told, I found her carefree attitude inspiring. I longed to be so childish, but I am lady now.

I'm seventeen. I should be a proper women and I should be wed sometime in the next year or two. It is uncommon to still be single after one reached the age of eighteen. My parents were therefore anxious to find me a husband. They would settle for any nobleman, they said, but really they had their hearts set on Tadase Hotori.

Tadase is a kind boy. He's very cute and obviously considers me a friend, if not more. Perhaps I could be wed to him.

In fact, I noticed him walking towards me at that moment.

"Miss Hinamori!" He gave an adorable smile and tapped his glass. "Not much for champagne, either? I prefer tea myself."

"I am the same." I gave him a small smile as the small talk continued.

We spoke only of lighthearted things, such as the weather or the decorations. But our words were soon cut off by a loud commotion from the front of the hall. I could hear cries of 'seize her' and 'how'd she get in?' Tadase and I made our way towards the noise.

"Guards!" Tadase called out. "What is the meaning of this?"

I surveyed the scene. Three guards were currently in process of apprehending a girl. She was very pretty. Her hair was slightly messy, but pinned up into ponytails. She had beautiful violet eyes, which gave off a mix of excitement, defiance, and worry. I began to feel somewhat self-conscious. My looks were meager compared to hers.

"Well," the guard said, answering Tadase's question, "we apprehended this girl because she was not supposed to be let in."

"Is that so?" Tadase seemed to be thinking about something. "How did she get in, then?"

The guard who had previously spoken was about to answer when another guard interrupted. "I recognize her. That's one of those peasants!"

"A peasant?" I looked just as surprised at Tadase. Not only was she far too beautiful to be a peasant, but just the thought of a peasant attending a noble's ball was unthinkable.

"What punishment will you have us give to her?" The third guard asked, tightening his grip slightly. The pretty girl glared at him. Tadase seemed to consider. But before he could say anything, there was another disruption. Only this one came from the doorway. It seemed like something was pushing against it from the outside. Repeatedly. Finally, it gave and the doors flew open.

My eyes widened. There was a boy standing there! He was older than me by a few years, I guessed. He was very handsome, I had to admit. His hair was dark blue, much like the sky between dusk and night. His eyes were a similar color and slanted slightly, which gave him a mischievous look.

I turned my eyes from his face to his attire. He wore a thin, white, short-sleeved shirt what was torn somewhat. His pants were black and had thin, black leather strips wrapped around the legs in such a way they almost blended in with the fabric. His arms, I noticed, were very strong. They weren't ridiculously large like some I had seen on peasants before, but steady and definitely powerful. After all, he's just broken through the hall doors.

The pretty girl looked surprised to see him, but recognition came across her face. "I-Ikuto!"

"Utau…" the boy spoke in a calm, beautiful voice. "Didn't I tell you not to do this?"

The girl looked away from him, shamefaced.

"Heh, Ikuto Tsukiyomi!" The guard who recognized Utau stated. "What a surprise to see you here, huh?"

Ikuto barely gave the guard so much as a glance.

"What a handsome young man," one of the ladies of the party offered. "And so composed as well. His wife must be very pleased to find someone like that among the filth."

"Ha!" The same guard laughed. "He's not married. Already twenty-two years old and not a girl to speak of!"

The party guests looked surprised. How could such a fine young man not have a wife? He was getting old for a bachelor, and at twenty-two he was certainly past the common marrying age. I would think one of the women around his village would notice that this was the best the peasants could expect to get.

Ikuto didn't seem to care much about what the people thought of his unwed status. "May I have my sister back?" he asked the guards.

"Of course not!" They replied. "She has committed a serious offense, and so have you, Mr. Tsukiyomi."

Ikuto opened his mouth to reply, but it was at that moment Lady Hotori intervened.

"We cannot merely let prisoners go," she stated, grabbing Utau from the guards in a gesture. "Peasants are not to interfere in higher affairs, Mr. Tsukiyomi."

Ikuto looked at the woman and gave a sly grin. His long legs made a few quick strides over to her. He leaned in close to her face, causing Lady Hotori's cheeks to go a little pink. His eyes locked with hers, his grin never leaving his face.

"Call me Ikuto," he said, close enough that Lady Hotori could no doubt feel his breath. She blushed a little more and took a step back, but Ikuto fallowed her. I could see the woman become more and more flustered by his close proximity.

"Lady Hotori," he spoke slowly. "May I please have my sister back?"

Lady Hotori blushed madly and she nodded. "S-sure…" She took another step back to give herself some air.

Ikuto stepped back, holding his sister's arm, and smiled triumphantly. I looked at the flustered woman. This man was no doubt used to teasing girls and used to getting these kinds of reactions. 'What a player,' I couldn't help thinking.

"Let's go, Utau," Ikuto said, staring towards the door. By the time they left Lady Hotori had composed herself and was quite embarrassed to have acted in such a way.

"I'm still surprised he could be moving around so well," one of the guards noted.

"Why's that?" I asked him.

"Well, that Ikuto Tsukiyomi… I've seen him before. About a week ago a building collapsed. His leg was caught underneath tons of marble, which took some time to remove. I would think any normal person would take months to recover from that, if not loose the leg entirely. But he's healed so fast… it's incredible."

"Really?" I didn't know much about these things, but it certainly sounded impressive, especially with the guard's awed tone.

"Well that was unexpected," Tadase said, leading me back into the crowds, away from the doors. "And I have a feeling my father won't just excuse the incident."

I glanced over towards Lady Hotori, who was standing near the back of the building, no doubt having been taken over there by Lord Hotori. He was talking to her intensely, and the woman was still blushing horribly. I could only guess that Lord Hotori was less than please with his wife's reaction to the handsome peasant boy.

"Miss Hinamori?" Tadase spoke, suddenly recapturing my attention.

I gave a small smile. "Sorry. What is it you were saying?"

Tadase went slightly pink and looked at his shoes. "Oh, well, I was just wondering if I might call you Amu. It's okay if I can't, I understand…"

"You may," I said, blushing a little myself. "I don't mind, Tadase."

*****

Later That Night, Tsukiyomi residence, Ikuto's Point of View

I sat on the floor as I sharpened some of the work tools. This had to be done quite regularly, for they got dull pretty fast. Tsukasa was still talking to Utau about proper peasant behavior (this has been going on for hours) while mother sat there impassively, occasionally glancing up from her fixated stare at the floor. Tsukasa was really just wasting words. Nothing got through Utau's thick head, I could attest to that.

A knock on the door paused my sharpening. I glanced over at my uncle, who looked back at me, clearly telling me to get the door. Sighing, I got up and walked over, throwing open the wood.

Before I could say anything, the caller bypassed me and entered the room. When he pulled back his hood, I immediately recognized him. "Nikaidou! What are you doing here?"

The tall man turned to me and nodded in greeting. "Ikuto." He turned to my uncle and nodded to him as well. "Tsukasa. Sorry for calling on you at this time of night."

Tsukasa stood and pulled out a chair. "Don't be ridiculous. It's not that late." He gestured with his hands for Nikaidou to sit, which he did gladly. Nikaidou was nearly Tsukasa's age, but he had never married. He once secretly dated the older sister of the Sanjo heir, Yukari, but because of their ranks in society it couldn't last. Nikaidou could never go public with their relationship without fear of being ostracized, if not killed by his lover's family. Since they agreed not to be together, he had never shown interest in a woman.

"I heard what happened today," Nikaidou said. "The whole incident taking place at the Royal Garden. I'm sure I don't have to tell you what an idiotic thing you have done."

Utau blushed a little and looked over at me. I just gave her an 'I-told-you' look, and she glared and looked away. Nothing gets through to her, I tell you.

Nikaidou sighed a little before continuing. "I've been hearing things, and they're not good. Lord Hotori is angry. Especially at you." He turned to give me a look, which I returned with a smirk.

"It's not my fault his wife was so easily persuaded," I said, trying to sound too amused, even though I found it rather entertaining how women acted in my presence. They could be manipulated so easily it was laughable. Well, most of them anyway. Even after years of trying I still couldn't get the farmer's daughter to give me free milk, even though I was sure she rather liked me.

Nikaidou glared at me. "This isn't any laughing matter, Ikuto." He stood, probably to be more dramatic. "Lord Hotori will have you arrested."

"I haven't broken any law," I argued feebly.

"You can't really think that matters!" Nikaidou said, walking over to me. "The Nobles are the law of this land! What they say goes, regardless of fairness or justice or any other idealistic notions!" He went to the door and opened it, glancing back over his shoulder. "My suggestion is run and hide, if you think you can manage it. Or pray Lord Hotori doesn't have your head for this." Then he left.

Tsukasa shut the door after him and looked over at me. For a while there was silence, then my mother's quiet sobs filled the room. Tsukasa went over to comfort her and Utau came over to me.

"I'm sorry, Ikuto," she said quietly. "I didn't mean for… I…"

I shook my head. "He won't have me killed, obviously. Everyone will know why and he's too proud to admit I'm a threat to his marriage." Not that I was, of course. I had not interest in Lady Hotori. "But I wouldn't put it past him to have me thrown in the dungeons or something."

Utau sniffed and threw her arms around me, burying her face into the shoulder. But I wondered if living in a real cage would be so different from living in the invisible one.