Teirra: Bonjour, Friends! Still sick and writing from home again. It's Tuesday, and I went to the doctor with my sister. She has conjunctivitis and I have a sinus infection. We're having a career fair today at school, but I don't want to Dress for Success, and Reichiiru didn't want to sit through two blocks of S.A.F.E. (Sex And Family Education) that's three complete hours of that crap.

Dark: I wouldn't want that either.

Hoshi (OC): I remember when we had to go through that too. Ick.

Teirra: So here I am, at home writing about five more chapters. So far I've writing four chapters from the comfort of my room. Yeah, this story is definitely going to be longer than 25 chapters. Eheh.

Hiwatari: Incompetence to complete this story is not acceptable, Teirra.

Tierra: *Bows head* Yes sir. TT so cruel to me. Ok, I DON'T OWN ANY SHUGO CHARA, SO UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU FANFICTION MODERATORS.

Chapter Twelve

\\Ame's PoV\\

The limo ride to Easter was a scary one, one I refused to take without Mina on my shoulder. I had made sure that Amu would be safe, alone at home without any of the shady men prowling around. I had been asked to take any new music scores or underlays with me.

So, with iPod in ears, I road with about a guard on my left arm, and two in front of me. I was terribly uncomfortable, with their stone faces, and sunglass-hidden eyes always watching me. I stared out the window, listening to my newest song's underlay, the music without me singing over it, and tried to piece my lyrics to it in my head.

I had no intention of giving up my recording deal to Easter. I only planned on doing what I had told Ikuto.

Which brought me back to a few questions.

Ikuto…Hn.

What was that? What we did back then…was definitely something else. I've never even had a first kiss, and I got that. Was that normal when you share power? Or was that a spur of the moment kinda feeling? I personally didn't think either one of us could help ourselves, our inner instincts. But now…I wanted him even more than ever, that was sure.

Shiro… Hn.

What about him? It wasn't fair on me to be so fond of Ikuto, when I barely even knew him. But, I know Ikuto better than I know Shiro. Intimately know him, to be precise. That says something right?

Maybe Shiro and I could just be friends and leave it at that. His memory was only disturbing my heart, saying something was wrong with that, like I was cheating on Ikuto.

But Ikuto had said that we only did that so I could see again. Did that mean that he had no emotional attachment to me at all? And that he and I were just friends now? I liked that, and disliked that. I would much rather be friends with him than to not be friends with him.

I licked my lips, as if they were chapped. I could still taste honey. I smiled. It's highly unlikely that I would ever forget his unique triple-scent/taste.

The limo rolled to a soft, gravelly stop in front of a shiny black skyscraper, with a large limestone sight out front, "Easter" with an ellipse behind it. A large, long length-wise staircase led up to the glassy doors and wall of windows.

Someone came to my door and opened it for me, slipping a hand out for me to use to get out. As politely as I could, I declined and stepped into a light drizzle of rain. An umbrella was snapped open, and I thanked whoever it was.

When we were inside, I was led past the gloomy lobby to a set of elevators, and we ascended to the eighteenth floor. When I stepped into a yellow bright hallway, A girl passed me. She lowered a phone from her lips, snapping it closed.

I stopped to see she had echoed my movements. She was exceptionally pretty, with gold blonde hair pulled up into unruly pigtails on each side of her head, at that alone came down the length of her back. Her face was pale and smooth, Slim pink lips, small nose, and sharp violet eyes that so very much stirred the butterfly holding my memories back.

And some new memories as well. They looked so much like Ikuto's, I actually forgot that I hated her for a moment to recognize the fact that she had confused me.

Hoshina Utau glared at me. "Ame, What a surprise to see you." She murmured pleasantly, holding back her rivalry instincts for curiosity's sake. "What brings you to Easter?"

I raised an eyebrow and threw a fleeting glance at the body guards, who were staring me down. I flinched, and turned back to her. "To tell you the truth, I have absolutely no idea why." I said, shrugging. "But, I've been offered a recording deal here."

She saw the look on my face. She knew I didn't want to be here, but she only laughed once and turned her head. "I hope not, because that would mean you and I would be working together. I wouldn't like that." She smirked a familiar smile.

"Yes, that would suck, indeed." I brought my eyebrows down as I agreed. She was really reminding me of Ikuto. "I would rather us be rivals."

She turned away. "I do hope your new song is worth listening to. Don't waste my time, will you?" She shot a venomous look at me, one so filled with sparks, that I felt a growl rumbling in my chest. "And Stay away from him."

"Him?" I accused, but she just stepped into the elevator, and the doors closed. My eyes narrowed, but I turned away from it and was ushered down the long hallway.

I had a feeling whom she was talking about.

//Ikuto's PoV//

I was in bad shape when I ran into the subway train car. My heart was pounding with over-exertion, like it would explode at any moment. I stumbled into the seat near the window, barely recognizing the person I'd almost squashed. Yoru meowed with worry, and I hissed for a moment as I grappled for the handle above my head, murmuring an apology to the man.

I put my hand over my eyes tiredly, calming my heart.

The exchange I had made with her was undeniably draining me of strength. I knew the lack of strength was strong the first day, but that was an understatement to what I was going through right now. It was like I was a well that had just been sapped of everything I had. I was bone-dry weary. She'd drank away all I had to give her.

I just hoped that I fixed her eyes for a while. My gut feeling was telling me something I didn't like.

My cell phone, which was a Blackberry Storm, vibrated in my pocket, and I answered it. "Hello?" I croaked wearily, eyes on the passing tunnel wall as I took a few steps toward the door in the back that led to the next car.

"Ikuto! Good, God, don't call, why don't you?" I heard Utau growl worriedly from the other end. "Soi's been shuffling around with her Dolls all day today, looking for a empty one. I think she plans on using it on you!" She confirmed my suspicions. "What's gotten into you?" She accused.

So far, Utau didn't know about my secret. I was still hiding Under from Easter. For good reason too, because Utau was Dolled. If I told her, Kuzuomi could use her to get to me to get to Under.

"I didn't feel like listening to orders is all. I didn't know they would take it so personally this time." I replied hoarsely. I slid the door back, revealing an empty cart, spare a girl at the end. I paid her no attention, and sat down wearily at the opposite end.

Yoru was trying to tell me something, but I just flicked his nose and told him to shut up.

"Why'd you choose that mission to rebel?" She hissed. I kept my face blank, aware she couldn't see it anyway. Yoru was being strangely persistent, pointing at the girl at the end of the car. I growled a death wish to him, and he swallowed hard.

"I have my reasons, Utau. And you know them." Well, she knew different reasons from the new reasons that I was in love with Ame.

Her voice was a low whisper. "I thought we agreed to forget about that to protect them." She said urgently in her dark voice. "I didn't go through all the trouble of locking her--" She was interrupted by the ping of an elevator's announcement, and doors slid open. "Got to go." She said hastily, and hung up.

I sighed and leaned my head back against the back of the chair. Yoru yowled, jumping into my face. "Ikuto, this is REALLY important, ~nya!!"

Immediately irked, I looked up at him and snarled, "What?"

He crossed his arms, pointing a clawed paw at the girl again.

"Teirra's here."

My eyes widened slightly, and my hand gripped my phone a little tighter.

Oh no.

The girl was particularly unnoticeable, nothing striking about her, as if she were trying to hide from me. Except for this dangerously leering grin that said she knew something I didn't. Her eyes were narrowed, head propped up against an open palm, which was balance on one of her crossed legs. The most striking thing about her were her wild, golden eyes, the only thing off-set about her small body.

And I was immediately backing away from her. It was natural instinct. Her True Aroma, transitionally, was a soft, fragile smell, like that of a sunflower. The Emotion I felt was inviting me to be friendly.

But I knew better. I flattened myself against the door, just as I heard the mechanisms inside it lock. Crap! She'd cornered me without me knowing.

She stood up and stretched. Then, right before my eyes, she changed from a brunette short-haired girl with large innocent eyes, to a lithe, mean, eighteen year old with cat qualities.

Her hair became a tangled mess of beautiful golden-orange strands, short around her hair with light brown ears flattened down on the sides of her head. The rest of her hair was pulled together in a long, thick braid that was wrapped continuously with a black ribbon, leaving the end in a tuff of fur that just barely touched the floor. It twitched like a cat's tail, and swayed back and forth as she thought.

Her body, well, wasn't exactly small anymore. She was tall, one inch shorter than me, with a model's figure, taunt muscles ready to snap something's neck. Her black pants were pulled tight around her thighs, and ended just about halfway down her calf muscle. She was wearing plain converses with red stripes. Her shirt was long-sleeved that pulled down her arms to a ring on her middle finger, the shoulders cut out to where I could see the bare skin. The sleeves were black, but the material above the cut on her neck and chest was red and had three black slash marks across her chest, which wasn't very flat, mind you. Ame would be jealous. Her jacket was tied around her waist.

My eyes locked onto her hands. Each nail was a curved claw, black and shiny. She licked one of her fingers, and I saw a row of sharp teeth, top and bottom, in her smile. She was teasing me, making me realize how exactly I didn't know what was going through her mind.

Her Aroma shifted as well. It was her natural smell, the one I was used to.

It said, fear me. Get ready to run, it cried, because I want to give chase.

As much of a predator as I was, Teirra was ten times worse. She was a prideful lioness on the hunt, and unfortunately for me, I just happened to be on her menu today.

I saw her Charas appear too. I couldn't name most--She had four-- only Doki, only her lion chara, who was, in many ways, like Tierra at this moment. Eyes dark, hair in a wild mane, claws drawn. That's because I saw Doki the most.

Doki wasn't the cause of her transformation. That was another Chara's power, her dream caster chara. That chara would also be the one putting me through a great deal of pain soon. Oh how I hope this was an accident. That look in her eyes told me that it wasn't.

She shook her head slowly, putting her hands in her pockets, posture aloof for the moment. I knew all too well that she was just calculating her strike plan right now. "Ikuto, Ikuto, Ikuto…" Her voice was like glass, smooth and rang with a clear note of annoyance when you tapped it, which I'd obviously done somewhere along the lines of warranting my Dolling. "I can't believe you'd jeopardize Under." She paused, "Actually, I don't even know why you've done it. Yuuta only said you were getting Dolled." She narrowed her eyes, and Yoru hissed at Doki from my shoulder. What he felt for Mina was only kindergarten stuff compared to his distaste for Doki.

She waited for me to say something, but began to growl when all I did was taper my eyes to slits.

"Explain yourself, before I drag it out of you, Tsukiyomi."

I couldn't let that happen. I had to stall that part for as long as I was able too.

Because not only did I fall in love with Ame, I fell in love with Ame when I wasn't allowed to. And now that I'd given up my second set of power to Ame, and the moment Teirra found out about it, I was dog meat, hypothetically speaking of course. Teirra would rip me apart herself.

So, I said the thing she would like to here. "I found the Humpty Lock."

She looked surprised. "Really? Well, it seems we now have the match to your key, huh, Ikuto?" Her tone was softer. She wasn't as angry as she was a moment ago. "Lana will be ecstatic." She murmured, eyeing me up and down.

I normally didn't mind the hungry stares girls gave me, especially Teirra, who'd had her eyes on me since I came to Under. But now, it just felt wrong. I was obligated to Ame now.

"So, you lied to Easter to hide the fact that someone has the Humpty Lock? I know we don't want Easter to get their hands on it, but you've been rebelling for a while now, and it was bound to happen soon…" She wasn't sure what to do. "Who had it?"

"Hinamori Ame."

She smiled demonically again. "Oh, yes. Lana will definitely enjoy hearing about this. She's been dying to know why I was called away so urgently this morning." She pulled out a phone, running through a random text message. "And I quote, 'It must be something pretty important for Ikuto not to tell me directly and to take matters into his own hands,' She says." She snapped it shut, looking back up at me with those wild eyes of hers. "To put a major Rock star like Hinamori Ame in Easter would be really bad for us, but if she were on our side…well, that would help us oh so much."

She took a step closer to me, and I began to rumble a guttural growl. She didn't flinch, only continued to where she was directly in front of my, moving her hands over my arms in soothing motions. Most guys wouldn't mind dying in her arms, but I sure did.

In what me and Teirra were in, everyone was very close to each other, sparing the in your pants drama and down your throat drama. Tierra was especially attached to me, much like other girls, but she was special. That's why she normally didn't bother me when she came so close.

See, she couldn't take a second power. She already had it when she hatched Doki, her first Chara. She would never belong to a specific male, and she felt ostracized, whether she admits it or not. She would never belong to someone like Ame belonged to me now. (Luckily, Ame doesn't know that.)

This made her ideal for what her dream caster's main job was. But deep inside, I knew she was terribly lonely. Without her life partner, it was like she was an empty shell. That's how either Ame or I would be if one of us died, if we ever got together. Exchanging power had a lot more detail to it than what I'd told her.

She locked her arms around my neck, and tilted her head to where she had to look at me from beneath dark eyelashes. "Ikuto…You understand what I have to do now…right?" She purred (not literally purred) seductively. Her fingers were twisting into my hair, just like Ame had earlier. I could feel the power surging under the skin that touched my neck. Her lioness ears disappeared into a shower of black sparkles, and her braid just hung limp as she switched to her Dream caster's character change.

I stiffened. I couldn't let her. She'll know that I gave Ame the power! She'll tell Lana, who will get so furious, she may never let me Above again.

But it had to be done. If I get Dolled and she didn't do this, Under wouldn't be a secret anymore.

Maybe I can persuade Teirra not to tell Lana until I could do it myself…

Standing on tip-toes, Teirra leaned up…

And a blaring screech ripped into our ears. She drew back to cover her ears, and I immediately undid the character change to get rid of my over sensitive ears. The train pitched forward suddenly, and Teirra fell back. The train had stopped.

"We're sorry for the inconvenience, but the Train is having some mechanical difficulties. We're sorry for any delay in your plans, so please just relax and we'll be moving momentarily." an intercom buzzed.

I smiled and smashed a window open with a clawed fist, nails shining red-silver in the emergency lights. "No inconvenience at all! Yoru!"

Together, we leaped out the window and disappeared into the pitch black of the train tunnel, leaving Teirra behind to deal with an empty train car.

Tierra: How was that? I think it was really fast paced. We're slowly getting closer to what in an Anime would be considered an arch. Told you this would be long. Right now, for the first book, if I consider a sequel, there are about five arches. Oh, and Lana's name is pronounced Lonna. Au-sounding, ball or, baa, or fall etc.

Dark: Samaru wasn't kidding when she said you told her everything to the third movie you made. I should steal this.

Teirra: Nope, she wasn't, and I if you even think about coming out of your story I'll turn you n to the police.

Hoshi: Well what about your Kingdom Hearts story when you go to the random stories you've wrote--Mmpf!

Teirra: You're giving the plot away, like Samaru! And that's my version of the third game that hasn't been created yet. M'kay, quiz answer from last time, and new quiz.

Answer was D! It was all of the above, Duh.

M'kay.

My favorite animal is…

A) Tiger

B) Wolf

C) Horse

D) Monkey

Teirra: R&R peeps! Peace out!