School

Miki kept a close watch as Amu ran home with Ikuto. There wasn't a doubt about it, that strange vibe was now very clear to her. She felt it and it didn't disappear but no matter how much she stared around her, there was nothing. "Come out," Miki shouted, "I know you're there." Miki waited but it was complete silence and so still it felt to her as if she was alone on the street. There were a few humans staring at her and walking about but there wasn't any signs of demons. Then the vibe was completely gone. "What was that," Miki whispered to herself, "that was no doubt the presence of a demon but…" Miki rushed back home, still feeling uneasy about what she had just felt. When she arrived at Amu's house, she pressed her hands onto the wall and slipped through into the kitchen where everyone was.

"Say Ah," Amu said holding the spoon of ice-cream before Ikuto's mouth.

Ikuto smiled and said, "ah," eating the ice cream.

"Seriously master," Yoru said wiping the cream from Ikuto's face, "please be more elegant. How are you feeding him? Be more careful you stupid girl."

"I'm sorry," Amu said scooping another spoon from the tub.

Ikuto pulled at Yoru's hair hardly, "mean."

"Master," Yoru said with tears in his eyes.

"Welcome back Miki," Amu said, having just seen Miki in the room.

"Everyone's alright…" Miki said sitting down on a chair, relieved.

Ikuto tugged at Amu's sleeve again, "ice cream. Ah."

Amu gently placed the spoon into Ikuto's mouth and let him eat it. She made sure this time he wasn't messy, not wanting Yoru to tell her off again. He was still very scary to Amu.

Yoru stared at Miki who was looking at Amu and Ikuto and he grabbed Miki's hand, pulling her out the room. "Hey, girl, take care of master for awhile."

"Sure," Amu answered, wondering where Miki and Yoru were off to.

"What are you doing?" Miki questioned Yoru.

"Did something serious happen whilst you were out?" Yoru asked directly, "you have that look on your face."

"I sensed a demon in the streets," Miki said, "I'm just wondering whether we're in danger."

"I'll take a good look around tonight Miki, so don't worry. Besides, I don't think anyone would be specifically after master. What's more important is, how are we going to turn master back to normal?"

Miki sighed, "so in the end you still don't like it here yet."

"What's with the yet?" Yoru said, "Are you implying I'm going like this place soon?"

"Excuse me," Amu said knocking on the door.

Miki ran over to the door and opened it immediately then gave Amu a big hug, "Amu, you came to talk to me right. I'm happy."

Yoru frowned, "why are you clinging onto her as well Miki?"

Miki glared at Yoru, "I like Amu a lot. Is there a problem with that?"

Amu walked into the room. "Ikuto's asleep now but I'm here to discuss about something."

"What is it?" Miki asked enthusiastically, "you can ask us for anything you want. There's nothing in this world we can't do."

"Miki," Yoru said in a low warning voice.

"Well, you see tomorrow I need to attend school so I can't look after Ikuto," Amu slowly said.

"SHUT UP," Yoru shouted, "master is always top priority. You can just miss-"

"BE QUIET YORU," Miki shouted over Yoru. "That's not nice at all to Amu. Don't worry, go to school as usual and we'll look after master instead. But Amu, what's school?"

Amu smiled and thanked Miki whilst explaining to her what a school meant. She noticed Yoru who glared at her at times which made her feel uneasy. When she finished, she said good night to both of them and went to rest in her own room. Amu cuddled the pillow in her bed and started to wonder whether it really was fine to start living with demons just like that. It certainly wasn't normal but strangely, she was beginning to like them or at least get used to them a little. "They don't seem bad…" Amu whispered as she fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning Amu quietly sneaked out of her own house making sure she didn't wake Ikuto, since he was bound to cling onto her if he was. She had cooked breakfast and set it out already so Miki and Yoru could eat straight after they woke up. Amu locked the door but realised it probably made little difference to a demon who can pass in and out through walls. She left for school, for the first time ever, looking forward to coming back home; she wouldn't be alone anymore.

It was a few hours after Amu had left the house before Miki and Yoru were woken to Ikuto's crying. Yoru quickly ran to his master's side wanting to calm him down but failed miserably.

"Master, please stop crying," Yoru panicked, "MIKI, HELP ME OUT HERE."

A sleepy Miki stared at Yoru, "you need to be more patient. Master is a 4 year old now. You need to be nice to him."

"I've tried everything I can already," Yoru said, "I gave him sweets, his breakfast and danced in front of him then sang but he won't stop crying. This is really frustrating, I can't cope anymore with this."

Miki knelt down besides Ikuto who was still sobbing. She patted his head gently and asked, "master, what is it that you want?"

"…Amu…I want Amu…" Ikuto cried.

Both Yoru and Miki sighed, realising that their 4 year old master was simply too attached to Amu for them to do anything now.

Yoru put the coat onto his master, "it can't be helped anymore."

Miki stared as Yoru fastened the coat for Ikuto and took hold of his hand. "What are you doing?" Miki couldn't help but ask.

"Obviously, we're going to that girls school to find her," Yoru stated, rushing towards the wall and passing through it. Miki wanted to object to the idea but it was already too late to stop Yoru so she simply followed.

…Sitting quietly by her desk, Amu ate her lunch, listening as the school bell rang to signal 10 minutes before another lesson started. As usual Saaya Yamabuki was surrounded by the entire class as she showcased her expensive accessories. Amu sighed, knowing there wasn't anything else she could do to change the fact that she was lonely in this school. Most of her friends from elementary were attending a different high school which was extremely expensive, so Amu couldn't afford to go. She gazed at the board in front of the classroom with maths equations scribbled all over, her thoughts trailing to nothing. It may be boring at school but at least when she was baby-sitting, she could enjoy it as much as she wanted. There was a reason to why she wanted to be a babysitter and she'd keep that promise forever.

"Amu, why are you sitting there alone?" Saaya asked.

Amu didn't answer. Saaya waited for a few minutes but seeing Amu wouldn't answer, she walked over towards her. She grabbed Amu's shirt collar tightly, "are you this unsatisfied?" Saaya asked, "You originally came from quite a famous elementary school right? Are you not satisfied with this school?"

"Please let go," Amu quietly said.

"Besides me," Saaya continued, "in this entire school, everyone is poor. This school doesn't have a very good reputation compared to the high school most of your friends attend either. You hate this place don't you? That's why you keep to yourself."

"That isn't it," Amu said clearly, "I-"

Saaya let go of Amu, "You will become an outcast." She pushed Amu's books onto the floor, "act more like the others and you'll be fine."

The other students in the room kept very quiet and as Saaya returned to them, they began to surround her again. Amu picked up her books, knowing from the start she wouldn't get along with anyone in this school. Maybe her attitude was stuck up since she came from such a good elementary school to this place but, how could she survive here for another few years. Sometimes when you can't get along with someone, then you can't no matter how hard you try. The teacher opened the door and as he entered, signalled everyone in the class to settle down. He was ignored however as Saaya continued to take the attention of her classmates. Amu tried to concentrate on what the teacher was saying but with the amount of noise in the room, she couldn't hear. Instead, Amu thought the teacher looked weird as always, his mouth opening and closing, saying something that no one would hear that made him look like a puppet. Amu gave up trying to study in this situation, it was impossible. She went out the classroom, not able to stand the noise anymore and began to walk down the corridors with no where to go in particular. It was when she was passing the windows overlooking the school's back yard that she stopped and fixed her gaze upon the faintly glowing light.

Amu pressed her hands against the glass of the window, leaning on it as she stared, "t-that is…"

Across the entire surface of the dusty ground of the yard was a massive black circle, much like the ones illustrated in books which show a magic circle witches used. This black circle was much different from a mere illustration, it seemed to glow eerily and it seemed alive. Amu had been to the yard before but she had never noticed the circle and it was strange how the circle seemed to move in her eyes. It was rotating back and forth, it's patterns changing by seconds. Amu forced her eyes shut and reopened them to stare at a normal yard ground. The circle was gone or rather, the circle was never there. "It was nothing," Amu told herself. She had a bad feeling as she whispered and walked away, "I've seen that circle somewhere before…"