A/N: in this chapter, I tried to make some things like the original series, but I couldn't quite remember what exactly happened, so some things may be a little off :) Thanks for the reviews and adding this story to your alerts/favourites! It makes me happy!! 3

Chapter Two: A Promise

Hotori Tadase walked along the wide path leading into the main entry of Seiyo Academy. He sighed as he heard the tell-tale squeals of fangirls up ahead.

He often wondered why every girl always liked him so much. What about himself was so great anyway? Tadase had a certain hate for being asked out all the time, he didn't have the heart to reject all those girls, and had to chara-change with Kiseki every time.

Tadase merely stared blankly ahead as the girly shrieks became louder.

He mentally braced himself for the onslaught of fangirling when his vision was drawn towards one person in particular. Walking not far ahead of him, was a pink-haired girl with an expression almost as impassive as Tadase's. She didn't seem to like the other screaming schoolgirls that much either.

But that was not what had caught his attention.

What did was that she had not one, but three floating characters around her head.

"She must be the one!" Tadase realise with a start, remembering the words of the founder of the Guardians.

'When you meet a girl with three guardian characters, give her the Humpty Lock. The lock will then belong to her…'

He ran forward to catch up to the girl. Tadase put his hand on her shoulder to get her attention.

"Um, excuse me!" he said slightly shyly to her.

Hinamori Amu gasped when she turned and saw who wanted her attention.

It was none other than the prince himself, Hotori Tadase.

"aieee!! Tadase-kun wants to talk to me! What do I do?!" she panicked to herself.

Her charas seemed just as surprised by the young prince's sudden appearance, and hovered silently as they watched the scene unfold.

Internally Amu was, for the second day in a row, nearly hyperventilating. Though at this point Amu's 'cool and spicy' exterior seemed to be in control while her inside self freaked out.

"What do you want?" she asked blatantly.

Tadase stared blankly when he realised he had no idea what he actually wanted to say. He also should probably inform the other Guardians before acting on his own. This girl was the person they had been waiting for, and having her join the Guardians was of utmost importance.

"…"

"If you have nothing to say, then leave me alone. Stop acting like we're buddies or something"

She slapped his hand away and started walking away from him.

Amu screamed inside her head "Ahh! NOOOO! My prince! How could I do that!! Stupid! Stupid!!"

Amu continued to berate herself for freezing up like that, and also for acting as her outside self.

"Why does that always happen?! Whenever there's a chance for me, I can never be who I really want to be…!"

"Amu-chan, you shouldn't be bothered by what others will think of you, just act yourself, desu!" her maid-like chara comforted. Suu was the sweet and caring character, and disliked seeing Amu being so depressed about the way she acts. The only reason the three shugos were here was because of Amu's want to change, but it appeared she wasn't going to anytime soon with her current demeanour.

"I really wanted to Suu, but I was so nervous, my mind went blank and that was the best I could say"

Amu's shoulders sagged low and her quick pace decreased to a depressed trudge.

"You have to try first before you can give up. If you have an attitude like that, you really never will change!" Miki said, voicing the trail of thought Suu had a moment ago.

"If you can't believe in yourself, it means that you can't believe in us, and we will fade away…"

Her three charas looked at Amu with sad eyes, but eyes also filled with worry and hope for Amu.

Amu looked at her characters, her would-be selves. Miki was right; these three were a part of her! How can she really change if she didn't believe that she could in the first place! She stopped walking altogether and clenched her fists.

"Okay! Next time, I definitely won't give in!" she said defiantly.

"That's the spirit, Amu-chan! Gooooo!" rooted the little pink cheerleader, waving her pompoms vigorously above her head. Miki and Suu nodded their heads in approval.

"Even if people think I'm acting strange" she promised, "and even if you do an embarrassing character-change with me, I'll become my would-be self!"

Amu was slightly nervous at mentioning character-changing, most the time it always ended up going very wrong and further giving people the incorrect idea about herself. The charas seemed very happy at the thought of being able to chara-change and not to get into trouble from Amu.

Just as the promise was made, the bell began ringing signalling to all the students that break was over, and class would begin once more.

Amu hurried along her classroom, but with a light step, feeling a lot better at what the future may hold.

--

A/N: This chapter was a bit short, sorry! I was going to write more, but I decided I am going to put the rest into the next chapter. Thankyou for reading this far