Hey everyone! I'm so sorry it's been such a long wait. Please don't kill me. But I did warn you that I am a slow writer. Anyways, chapter 2 is finally posted! Woohoo! I would like to thank everyone who reviewed (you know who you are). Please enjoy! (even though it's crappish)
Amu: Yay, I'm so happy that you posted Yami!
Yami: I am too. Some of my friends were starting to threaten me if I didn't hurry up and post. (they know who they are)
*evil voice*: Yami...
Yami: Oh crap! Please don't kill me Ikuto! It was just a harmless prank, you know. I mean, everyone locks their close friends in the closet and accidentally loses the key. Right Amu-chan? -glances hopefully at Amu to see if she has the heart to help her out of her predicament-
Ikuto: Oh sure -very sarcastic-. Sorry Yami, but Amu isn't going to help you now. -lifts giant cat paw and is about to strike Yami-
Amu: -fires squirt gun- Bad Ikuto! Don't hurt Yami-chan.
Yami: *eyes sparkle with hope*
Amu: You can hurt her later when no one is watching. Remember, there might be kids reading this. No violence from you while viewers are reading.
Yami: Amu-chan... *starts crying*
Ikuto: Come on, Yami. Let's go for a walk to the torture chamber away from the readers. -drags me away-
Yami: No! Never!!!
Amu: *sweat drop* Yami-chan does not own Shugo Chara! or any of it's characters.
Key:
"Talking"
'Thinking'
Kukai's handwriting
Amu's handwriting
* = referenced word/Japanese that is translated at the bottom if you don't know what it means
Master of Shadows
Chapter 2
Amu's POV
"Oh my gosh, I'm so nervous," I fret while standing just outside the door of my new classroom.
A pink egg with hearts on it floats in front of my face and hatches, releasing a tiny pink figure. She had pink hair up in a small ponytail that was slightly darker than mine and pink eyes. Atop her head was a pink sun visor with a giant heart on it. Her attire consisted of a pink cheerleader's uniform, a pink bandana around her neck, and she was holding pink pompoms. This girl was the first Guardian Character I ever had; her name is Ran.
"Doushitano,* Amu-chan?" Ran asked.
Before I had the chance to reply, a blue egg with spades floated up and hatched, revealing another figure. This character had short blue hair and blue eyes. Most of her head was covered up with a light blue artist hat with a giant blue spade on it. She wore a cute navy blue shirt with a rounded white collar and blue shorts, and she always carried a light blue bag over her shoulder wherever she went. She was my second Guardian Character to hatch; her name is Miki.
"Isn't it obvious, Ran? She's nervous," Miki stated, shaking her head. She glanced at me and stated, "Although I'm not really sure as to why you are, Amu-chan. After all, you are one of the world's most elite bounty hunters. So I don't see why you can hunt down and capture dangerous criminals and anybody else you're hired to hunt when you can't seem to be able to handle your first day of school that is part of your cover." Turning her attention back to Ran, she continued from earlier, "You really can be clueless sometimes."
"I am not clueless!" Ran shouted, waving her pompoms over her head. "Besides, at least I don't act like a stubborn old hag like some people I know do!"
Miki's eyebrow twitched, but she quickly recovered her poker face. "You mean yourself?" she asked slyly.
Ran's first reaction was taken aback, and then her cheeks puffed out in frustration. "That's not what I meant you idiot!"
Miki's eyebrow lifted slightly and she crossed her arms, a playful smirk on her lips. "It takes one to know one."
Ran's face flushed with rage, her eyes becoming blazing infernos as steam poured from her ears. But before she could even lay a hand on Miki, a calming voice responded, "No need to fight, no need to fight."
With that, a green egg with clovers rose up between the quarrelling pair. The girl that hatched from the egg had soft blond curls and bright green eyes. She wore a green maids dress and a white apron over it. She wears a cream-colored hat with a giant green clover. She's my third Guardian Character, Suu.
"Fighting is not the way," Suu chimed. "Compromise is best."
Ran and Miki pouted, but the two eventually gave the other a stiff "I'm sorry." After watching this whole scene, I couldn't help but sweat-drop from their ridiculous argument.
"But Miki is right though, Amu-chan," Ran turned to me, worry in her bright pink eyes. "You are one of the world's best bounty hunters. You have to handle stress that I guarantee most kids your age don't have to worry about. You're always getting injured and have to continuously move around with each new target, never settling in one place. It must be harder than you let on. Are you sure you're okay?"
"Don't worry about it guys," I said.
Just then I heard a muffled, "Now, let us all give a warm welcome to her", from behind the door.
'Crap,' I thought, 'that must be my queue to go in.' With that, I take in a deep breath and step inside the classroom. The moment I step in I could feel everyone's eyes on me, their gaze starting to suffocate me. My legs turned to jelly as I made my way to the front of the room.
"Minna*, this is Himamori Amu-san. Do you have anything you wish to say Himamori-san?" my new teacher asked, a goofy smile plastered on his face. Just seeing it ticked me off. Plus, he said my name wrong.
"It's Hinamori. Not Himamori, I explain, taking care that my voice is steady.
Instead of apologizing for the mistake, he shrugged it off and continued to go on as if I hadn't said anything. And, if possible, that stupid grin on his face seemed to grow bigger. Man, I wish I could wipe that stupid smirk off his face more than anything at the moment.
"Everyone please take care of her. Now, Himamori-san, you will be sitting next to Tsukiyomi-san. Tsukiyomi-san, please raise your hand." A boy near the back raised his hand, and I made my way to my new seat next to his. While unpacking my things, I couldn't help but notice that he was actually kind of cute. He appeared to be around the age of 17, and he had messy, midnight-blue hair. Without adding anything to the dull uniform they make the boys wear, he pulled it off; I had a feeling you could make him wear a duck costume and he would still be able to look stunning. Even though he was sitting down, I could tell he was tall, with lean arms and a flat stomach. Something told me he was strong, but I could be wrong. But the feature that captured my attention the most was his eyes: dark orbs of sapphire shrouded with mystery. I felt that if I looked long enough at those deep, unending pools that they might show me the 8th wonder of the world. I'm probably reading into it too much, though.
Realizing I was staring, I quickly snapped my full attention on what the teacher was saying. Something about this year's curriculum or what not. Peeking from the corner of my eye, I sigh with relief because he hadn't noticed my ogling. Actually, his attention was directed to the guy sitting in front of him. The two were whispering and glancing around as to make sure their discussion remained private. The kid in front of him looked my way, and my heart sped. Did they notice? Have I been caught? My heart slowed back down when the kid turned back to the blue-haired guy and they continued.
It wasn't long before a folded piece of paper landed on my desk, nearly hitting Suu in the process. I hesitated before opening it. What if it was a bomb and the moment I opened it, it would blow up? 'No, it can't be that. It's just a note.' I cautiously open it up, the possibility of it being a bomb still lurking in my mind, only to find a messy scrawl I could barely read. I look up only to find the kid in front of the blue-haired guy winking at me.
Hi, my name's Kukai! How do you like school so far?
So, his name is Kukai. From what I could tell, Kukai didn't look half bad either. He has messy bronze hair –even messier than the blue-haired kid– and light green eyes. He has a small silver stud in each ear and an elfish grin. His clothes were wrinkled and soiled, and I could tell that he was about an inch taller than me. I look back at the message again and reply.
What, you don't have a surname?
I fold the note back up and toss it to him. I watch him as he reads it and cracks me a grin. He scribbles a quick reply and tosses it back. 'No wonder his handwriting is messy. He writes too quickly.' My eyes scan the note.
You know what? I like you, you're funny! You pass!! Yeah, it's Souma.
'Pass? Pass what?' I quickly decide that Souma Kukai and I are going to get along well. Great, I've made my first friend in no time.
Hey, if you don't mind me asking, who's your friend? You know the blue-haired guy right behind you?
I didn't have to wait long for a reply.
Oh, you mean Tsukiyomi? His name is Ikuto. We're pretty close buddies.
Tsukiyomi Ikuto? I think I heard a group of girls screaming his name earlier...
That's when I spotted it. Kicking a small soccer ball on Kukai's desk was a little person. He has turquoise hair and light-brown eyes. His attire consisted of a yellow baggy T-shirt, white gym shorts, and white and yellow tennis shoes. On his head he was wearing a white sweatband with a yellow star on it, and he had a grin just as big as Kukai's. 'Kukai has a Guardian Character!' But before I could ask Kukai who his Guardian Character is, the bell rings.
"Well, see ya' later Hinamori!" Kukai chortles before running off, his Guardian Character following close behind.
XxXMasterXxXofXxXShadowsXxX
A lazy breeze gently ruffles my strawberry hair as I walk across the courtyard. White clouds streak the sky as sunlight streams in between them, warming the earth. It is such a beautiful day today.
"Ah, it's so nice out today, isn't it Amu-chan?" Ran chimes.
"Yeah, it is nice," I sigh with content. I guess my first day of school hadn't been so bad so far. Sure, I'm the center of everyone's attention, and I've tripped over my feet more than once. But, it's been pretty good so far. I just wish I could see Kukai again; he seems like a really fun guy to hang around wi-
"Yo, Hinamori! Whatcha' doin'?" a carefree laugh startles me as a strong arm wraps itself around my neck and a hand tousles my hair, disrupting my thoughts. Ran, Miki, and Suu quickly hide themselves in the small pouch that I keep clipped to the side of my belt loop just for them.
"Ack, Kukai! Don't startle me like that!" I exclaim to the bronze-haired kid, who, of course, had a sloppy grin plastered on that elfish face of his.
"Come on, Hinamori, let's go! Everyone's waiting," Kukai grasps my wrist and starts to tug me in the direction where a group of kids lounged beneath a sakura tree. I let him drag me over to the group, too dumbfounded to object. "Hey, everyone! This is Hinamori Amu, the new kid," Kukai introduces me as everyone greets me warmly.
"It's nice to meet you, Hinamori-san," a boy steps forward with a gentle smile. "I am Hotori Tadase." Tadase has blonde hair the color of sunlight and eyes that are (surprisingly) the same shade as my hair. He was thin and small in comparison with the other boys, but about the same height as me. Even though he wasn't as big as the others, strength and kindness resounded in his somewhat childlike voice. Something told me he was the leader, and that everyone respected him. Once again, I might just be reading into it too much.
"Likewise," I nodded coolly to him. Since Tadase had already introduced himself, the others felt braver and started to introduce themselves. The first to do so was a boy the same height as Kukai with purple hair that was freakishly long for a guy. His name was Fujisaki Nagihiko. His eyes were liquid gold and he acted like a pure gentlemen… most of the time. As it happens, it turns out that not only is he really good at basketball and really popular, he and Kukai are real jokers within the group.
Next was a really short (and I mean at least a head shorter than me) girl with extremely long blonde waves of hair. Her name is Mashiro Rima. Her eyes were pools of honey, that of a fawn. She was really cute though, as if she were royalty. I later found out that that is exactly how some of the boys in class treat her. Right now, she was in a grumpy mood and didn't loosen up a bit until later in the day, even though she glared and kept her distance from me.
Afterwards was another short girl (who was just a little bit taller than Rima but was obviously younger) with short brown pigtails with red ribbons. Her name is Yuiki Yaya. Not much to say about her except that she loves sweets and acts like the baby of the group.
Once the introductions were done, I realized a very crucial fact. "You all have Guardian Characters!" I exclaim. Tadase's was a miniature version of himself, except he was an arrogant king with purple hair and light blue eyes. Nagihiko had two, unlike everybody else. The first was miniature version of Nagihiko with large headphones around his neck and was wearing somewhat gangster-ish attire. The second one confused me. The second one was a girl with purple hair pulled back with light pink flowers. She wore a white yukata with pink flowers; I was starting to doubt that Nagihiko was really a guy. Rima's was a clown with straight blonde hair who would not stop giggling for the life of her. Yaya's was a baby clad in pink (that explains her baby-like character).
"Yes, we do indeed," Tadase said politely. "This is Kiseki," he motions towards his own Guardian Character. Then he goes down the line, introducing each. "Fujisaki-kun's Characters are Rhythm and Temari; Mashiro-san's Character is Kusukusu; Yuiki-san's Character is Pepe; Souma-kun's Character is Daichi."
"Um, Nagihiko, why is Temari a-"I start.
"A girl? It's a long story," he finishes, grimacing slightly.
"But if Amu-chi can see our Guardian Characters, then she must have one, too," Yaya chimes.
Before I could come up with an excuse Kukai cuts me off, "Yep, she does. I saw them myself this morning. She has three of them!"
"Shh! Kukai!" I whisper, but it's too late. Everyone starts bombarding me with questions and asking to see them. Even Rima seemed interested.
"Okay, okay, I'll show them!" I surrender with a sigh. I open their pouch and whisper, "Come on out girls. Everyone wants to meet you." The trio happily glides up in front of me and gives everyone an enthusiastic 'hello'. "Minna, kore wa Ran, Miki, Suu desu,*" I introduce them, pointing at each Guardian Character as I said their name.
"It's nice to meet you," the trio chimes in harmony to everyone.
"It's nice to make your acquaintance, too," Tadase says. Then he turns to me, "Hinamori-san, would you like to meet with us at the Royal Garden after school?" I was about to refuse, that is, until he gave me the most adorable puppy eyes I have ever seen, and I felt my will crumble within seconds.
"Of course I'll come," I smile sweetly. Gosh, what was wrong with me today?
"You don't know where the Royal Garden is, do you?" asks Nagihiko. I then realized I didn't have any clue as to where it was, or what the heck it is, for that matter. All I could do was shake my head.
"Don't worry, I'll show you!" a way too cheerful Kukai volunteers.
"Okay," I sighed. The truth was, I already had plans later, and I needed the time after school to help me prepare for this evening. But backing out of this seemed next to impossible at the moment, and I guess I could make room in my schedule…
"We better start to head back," Kukai sighs while standing up and stretching from his spot on the lush grass.
"Aww, but I don't wanna!" Yaya complains, pounding her fists on air.
"Come on, let's go," Rima coaxes Yaya to stand up. She then took her hand and dragged her away; all the while Yaya was throwing a tantrum.
"We'll see you later Hinamori," Kukai smiles. "Do you need help finding your next class?"
"No, I think I got it. Thank-you though," I reply.
"'Kay, see ya later then!" he shouts as he and the others go the opposite direction. Then I was left all alone.
XxXMasterXxXofXxXShadowsXxX
My footsteps are heavy as I trudge across the sidewalk, trying to find the main path back to the school. Classes were bound to start any minute now and here I was stranded in the middle the campus. Did I mention that the school property is widespread and that they have a freaking forest in here?! Well, they do. And I'm lost somewhere in the middle of that freaking forest! I should have taken Kukai up on his offer to show me to my next class. Now I'm going to be late.
I'm silently moping when Miki whispers, "Shh, Amu-chan do you hear that?" I look up and close my eyes, letting my sensitive hearing sweep the area for what Miki heard. In no time at all I could make out a faint snore that was barely audible. Curiosity getting the better of me, I stealthily start to creep forward, doing my best not to make a peep.
"Amu-chan, what are you doing?" Ran urgently whispers to me. "Let's go back, it might not be safe."
"Yeah, let's go back Amu-chan," Suu whines. "It could be a serial killer or a ferocious bear!" Suu starts to cower in fear. Yeesh, these three's imaginations are too vivid for their own good. I just ignore them, honing in on the light snores that were, step by step, starting to become louder. Well, they were not exactly snores; they were more like deep, even breaths.
Pulling away some low-hanging branches to the side and tearing my way through the bushes, I finally stumble across a scene that makes my eyes go wide with awe. I was standing in the middle of a field of lush green. Colorful flowers swayed in the teasing breeze as cherry blossoms danced in the wind. The source of the cherry blossoms, you ask? Standing right in the very center of the picturesque field was the largest cherry blossom tree I had ever seen in full bloom. Who knew that there was such a beautiful place right here on school grounds? Speaking of which, I had completely forgotten about school and remembered that I was going to be late for my next class. I started to turn when I heard it again. Turning back, I scanned the field, carefully examining anything that might make such a sound, until I finally found the source. What I found came as a shock.
It was a boy! Lying on the grass right beneath the cherry blossom tree was a boy. Silently I made my way over to the figure and immediately recognized him. It was the blue-haired boy from class! What did Kukai say his name was? Oh, that's right, Tsukiyomi Ikuto.
Looking at him now, he seemed a lot younger, more peaceful, than he had in class; he looked as if he hadn't been sleeping well for the past month. But now, he seems perfectly at ease, as if he's having a good dream. I then realized that earlier I hadn't done his appearance any justice. Earlier, I had thought that he was cute. Just cute. Now I see that I was wrong; he is drop-dead gorgeous. Hot would also be another appropriate term.
I sit there for a few moments, just admiring the beautiful boy before my eyes. His midnight hair glistened in the sunlight as cherry blossoms swirled around us. His soft lips were set in the slightest of smiles, but a smile it still was. This moment was timeless for me, almost magical, and I promised myself right there that I wouldn't ever forget it, even though I barely knew the boy in front of me.
"It's so beautiful out here, isn't it?" I ask for no particular reason. I watched as a cherry blossom petal landed lazily on Ikuto's cheek. "What am I going to do with you, Ikuto?" I sigh, and gently brushed it off. Then, completely enthralled with him being right next to me, I delicately pull a strand of his dark hair from his face and tuck it behind his ear. I close my eyes and breathe in the sweet fragrance of the surrounding flowers.
"What are you doing?" a husky voice startles me from my reverie. Who could it belong to? The only people here are myself and Ikuto…. I open my eyes only to find sapphire blue ones staring back. Ah, crap.
Yami: There you go, everyone. Hope you enjoyed it! I tried to make it longer this time to make up for last time.
Amu: Uh Yami, what are you doing here? I thought Ikuto had dragged you off to certain doom.
Yami: Nothing, I escaped. *smiles innocently*
Amu: *suspicious* Yami, where's Ikuto?
Yami: Who? Oh yeah, him. I remember now! Yeah, just before he could force me into a pool a electric eels, I tricked him into getting me a snack (don't ask how). When he got back I tazered him with a doorknob (once again, don't ask how) and dressed him up as a pretty pink princess while he was unconcsious. Speaking of which, he should wake up any minute now...
Ikuto: Yami! Why the hell did you tazer me!! That's it, you're going down!
Yami: I'm sorry, but I can't hit a lady... *evil smirk*
Ikuto: What are you talking about-
Yami: *holds up mirror*
Ikuto: *first goes from deathly pale to dangerously red* Yami!!!! You are dead!! *starts chasing Yami around the house*
Amu: *sweat drop* Please R&R if you have a heart!
Dictionary:
Doushitano= What's wrong?
Minna= everyone
Minna, kore wa Ran, Miki, Suu desu= Everyone, this is Ran, Miki, and Suu.
Yami: Hey everyone! This is just a bonus, completely optional. I have a trivia question (that has absolutely nothing to do with SC) for a few of you who think you're up to the challenge. If you decide to answer, your answer goes in your review. Here's the question: In Final Fantasy: Unlimited, what is the name of White Cloud's older brother? Whoever answers correctly (besides Zany-Siri) gets an awesome consolation prize! (not telling what it is unless we have a winner) So, fellow readers, are you up for the challenge?
BTW- I'm not expecting anyone to do it. It's just for fun.