Amu ran through her new town, not noticing the attention she was drawing to herself, as she ran, a passive look on her face as she did before she stopped by a large candy store, the bright lights piqued her curiosity as she stopped and slowly walked into the shop.

Back in Israel, there were no big candy shops, perhaps the biggest she could think of was the Shekel store, where many kids would go after school to waste their allowance in shekels at a time to buy many different things, including cheap jewelry, pencils, and, of course, candies.

The sheer amount of different colours and shapes was nearly enough to overwhelm the adventuring preteen. Nearly. Amu thought back to the huge ToysRUs she saw in New York and smiled. Not much can overwhelm her now, and it was time to explore.

Now in the shop, Amu could easily feel people's eyes on her as she looked at the packages and tried to decipher the pictures for a hint of the flavour she would be buying, and also try not to blush and snap at the people staring at her that staring was impolite.

"You'll get fat if you eat so much of these." A woman said in a heavy japanese accent, looking at her in mild disinterest, she had beautiful blonde hair in two pigtails and two figures, one of an angel and one of a devil, both looking at her in curiosity.

"Ah… I appreciate your worry, but I won't." The younger girl guarantees. "And I doubt you will, if you let loose for a bit, either." She smiled.

"And how would you know, exactly?" The woman demanded.

"I got a special sense when it comes to people. And besides, you look like you exorcise enough to burn off any excess in any case." Amu whispered, laughing at the look the woman shot her.

At the move of the angel towards her, Amu lifted her arm to allow the figure to rest on her, surprising all three of them, while she kept smiling sweetly.

"My name is Amu Hinamori, I just got here." She introduced, as the angel slowly came down towards her arm.

"Hoshina Utau. I can tell." The woman said and Amu seemed to puzzle over it for a while before coming to a decision.

"So I should call you Utau…-Chan, right?" She questioned.

"No. We're not friends. You'd call me Hoshina-san, at best." Utau snapped at her.

"Ah, sorry!" Amu jumped at the sharp reprimand. "I'm still so new here, I truly didn't mean to offend."

Utau stared at her blankly for a few seconds before sighing. "Fine, since you're obviously new, I won't hold it against you. This time."

"Arigato!" Amu beamed at her, feeling that she had made a new friend.

Utau simply shot her an odd look before she disappeared, taking the small angel and devil with her.

After that, Amu browsed the shop until she found what she was fairly certain was watermelon flavored gum, quickly paying for it, Amu ran out, eager to see more of the city, and unaware of an older teen watching her.

Step one of dealing with depression, fake it til you make it, right? Amu thought to herself as she sat down on a bench, sighing. Oh, what's the point? Everyone expresses so little emotion here. My smile just sets me apart even further.

Back in Israel, if I met someone, I'd be able to call them by their first name immediately, and probably also call them my life or something equally ridiculous. Feels like I'm at the other side of the world in etiquette, and with no idea how to deal with anything!

Amu simply sighed again, watching the people scurry around, all running somewhere. While I'm stuck sitting here, pondering etiquette and trying to make Japan make sense.

She needs to move for me to steal her eggs. Ikuto thought, watching the preteen as she cycled through emotions in her own inner monologue.

Well, that just won't do. I need to act, and not think as much. Amu decided. Mhm! From a girl who only thinks and fears to act, to a girl who can act confidently! Chara change!

Amu launched herself off the bench and ran off in the general direction of home, surprising herself as she did W-wait, what's happening here?! I'm not in control of my own feet? But… It feels nice, to just run.

Yes, yes Amu-chan! Run! It's so fun! The voice called again and Amu looked around her, Who are you?

She stopped before her house, running in and up to her room where she collapsed on the bed, taking in deep breaths as one of the eggs jumped up from her bag and hatched in front of her.

"Hey there, Amu-chan! I'm Ran! I'm your would-be-self!" The little cheerleader called.

"My… Would-be-self?" Amu questioned.

"Mhm! Amu-chan made a wish to discover who she is, so Ran and her sisters are here to help!"

"And it's just that easy? You do this… Chara change thing, and you can make me be someone more like my… Would-be-self?" Amu questioned.

"Well, no! Ran and her sisters are here to help you discover who your would-be-self is! We're all parts of it, though." Ran explained.

"So, what are you, exactly? Beyond a part of my would be self?" Amu asked.

"We're Guardian Angels, no, Guardian Characters!" Ran cheered. "I represent your wish to be more energetic, charismatic, and happier!"

"So, you're magic. That means there is magic. In real life. There's magic." Amu stopped, eyes to the ceiling at that.

"Um, Amu-chan?" Ran asked.

"There's actual, real, magic. And I get to experience it." Amu repeated. "Magic. Magic!"

"Amu-chan?"

"MAGIC! MAGIC, RAN!"

Outside her window, Ikuto listened in to the conversation, and fought back a chuckle.

This is going to be interesting, if the kiddy kid manages to get her into his group.

"Ikuto, nya, there are still more eggs there." Yoru notified, narrowing his eyes at the house.

Hm. Maybe she still has the embryo after all.

Among her complete meltdown last night, Amu forgot to call Nadeshiko, and was feeling guilty about it as she dragged her feet towards the school.

"Amu-chan!" Ran cried, waving her pom-poms around. "You can do it! You can totally do the whole presentation thing! You'll nail it!"

"Eh? The presentation thing's an actual thing? Not just in anime?" Amu questioned. "And, hey! What are you doing out in the open? Isn't that dangerous?" She whispered.

"It doesn't seem that anyone can see me, so I'm guessing not." Ran twirled in the air. "Oh, this is so exciting! And you messaged all your friends earlier, will you be telling them everything that happens today?"

"For sure! I can't wait to tell Raven, or Owl, or Ant about everything that happens today!" Amu agreed.

Amu stopped walking, as she saw a whole parade of people clamour around four kids.

"Eh, what's their deal?" Amu asked as she moved in closer, towering over the shorter kids as she looked, with Ran hovering over her head.

That's Nadeshiko! I wonder if I call for her, or… A group of fans already did so, and Nadeshiko seemed to pay them no mind. Well that answers that, then.

"Hinamori-san?" An adult asked, grabbing her attention as she nodded.

"I will bring to class room." The teacher said in rough English. "You are in Star class."

"A-ah." And with that, Amu walked behind the teacher as the bell rang.

Sufficate to say, the day went… Sort of terribly. At her introduction, she could only mutter a 'Yo.' and stare at the teacher until they told her where to sit, as she glared any company away from herself.

It was finally break time, and Amu mostly just wanted to go home.

"You can do it, Amu-chan! You can make it through the day and turn it around, still!" Ran cheered, and Amu's mood simply floored at that.

All this optimism in such a tiny body… Where does she keep it all? She sighed.

"Amu-chan?" A familiar voice called and Amu lifted her eyes to see Nadeshiko, staring at her.

"Ah, Nadeshiko-chan!" Amu lifted herself up. "I saw you enter, you never told me you were so popular in school."

"Sorry about that, Amu-chan. I must have not seen you." She apologized before turning to Ran. "And who's this?"

"I'm Ran! Me and my sisters are here to help Amu-chan discover her true self!" The chara introduced.

"Ah! You can see her?" Amu asked.

"Mhm! Everyone who has a chara can see other charas. This is Temari, she helps me with my traditional dancing." Nadeshiko introduced as Temari moved closer to Amu.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Amu-chan." The small chara called, and Amu jumped.

"I-it's nice to meet you, too, Temari-...Chan? I'm sorry, I have no idea how to refer to… Magical entities." Amu admitted in embarrassment, the conversation's halting nature seem to be affected her mood, if she's this easily embarrassed.

"Magical… Entities?" Nadeshiko and Temari both repeated, looking lost. "I don't know that word. But, either way. I wanted to give you an invitation to the Royal Garden."

"The Royal Garden? What is that? And where is that?" Amu asked and Nadeshiko calmly explained.

"It's where the Guardians, what would amount to a student council, meet up. You can't come without an invitation, which is why I'm inviting you personally." Nadeshiko winked. "And it's just outside the yard, in the big, glass building over there."

"Eh? Why is it glass? You're in Japan, don't you worry about earthquakes?" Amu asked and Nadeshiko stopped and considered.

"Huh. I never really questioned that."

"You're kidding."

"Not really."

"Any-way!" Amu broke the silence of their staring competition, in which they marveled at this new fact. "Why do you want me to come to this Royal Garden, if it's where your student council meetings take place?"

"Simple, I want you to join us." Nadeshiko smiled pleasantly.

"That's… Not going to happen." At her blank stare, Amu elaborated. "Nobody in my class likes me, and I'm not going to run for the council."

"Run?"

"You know, put myself up to vote, so I can join your council?"

"Vote?"

"...Wait, you don't vote for your student council?" At the silence, Amu cracked. "Well how do you decide your school council then? What's the hierarchy?! How does any of this even work?!"

"Amu-chan, please calm down." Ran requested, eyes wide.

"I want to understand how this whole thing works! How do you even decide who joins your student council?"

"We pick them if they have a chara." Nadeshiko answered plainly.

"Wha-what kind of student council even is this!" Amu asked.

"Maybe student council wasn't the best way to describe it." Nadeshiko winced as Amu kept up her vent.

"What kind of student council depends on magical entities? What kind of school lets it's student council pick deliberately only the people they choose? How does that in any way represent the student's needs? What the hell, Japan!"

Tadase, Yaya and Kukai had gathered to watch the conversation, all staring open-mouthed at the unexpected reaction.

"What is she saying?" Yaya asked, as Kukai burst out laughing.

"That's… I'm not sure, actually." Tadase answered.

"Oh, oh this girl is great." Kukai laughed. "We have to add her to the Guardians."

To that one guest that made my day by commenting! So there you have it, I get motivated by reviews. I'll probably go on to write the third chapter in a week or so, and upload every two weeks, if I can stick to it.

I'm rather fond of Amu's tendency to point out the irregular and strange things around her, so even if she is more eager and accepting, expect some more of that.