I don't own Shugo Chara!

Amu tossed in her bed fitfully, unable to fall asleep.

She had tried everything: sticking a leg out of the blankets, fluffing her pillow, flipping her pillow, sticking both legs out, changing positions, and more.

Tomorrow was the day.

The day the war officially began.

It was a little funny, she thought bitterly, that she had trained so hard for this; the time she would die.

It was no use to be so cynical, she knew, but she really couldn't help it. All the training she had done had stripped her of her happiness and youth.

Amu threw the bright yellow covers off of herself and got up. There really was no point in trying to sleep anymore. She glanced out at the window, and saw the bright moon shining down on the tips of the trees, illuminating them.

She could go for a breeze.

Amu carefully unlatched her window and climbed out, making sure she was quiet and unseen. It would be a pain to get caught.

As she clung onto the windowsill, she quickly grew her pair of wings before releasing herself, letting her wings keep her in the air. She shut the window, making sure it was still slightly open before taking off into the air. Hopefully, no one had seen her.

As she got closer to the forest, she let herself transform further until she was a full dragon.

The wind whistled past her ears and battered her cheeks, but she was unaffected, the exhilaration of flight overtaking her pain. Besides, dragon scales were made to be tough. A little bit of wind wouldn't hurt her.

Amu watched the glimmering moon, wishing that she'd be able to touch it. Realistically, she knew she would incinerate before she even got close, but she was born a dreamer. Wistfully, she reached a paw upwards, imagining that she had finally grabbed it.

She glanced down to see a large lake beneath her, the moon's reflection staring back up at her. Amu suddenly felt an idea fill her head. She knew it was stupid and it could be uncomfortable, but without a moment for hesitation, she flew straight for the water, the reflection getting closer.

Amu reached forward and before she knew it, she had plunged deep into the murky depths. The water wasn't as clear as it had seemed from so far above, and she was surprised at how deep it was. She couldn't reach the bottom.

A rush of adrenaline filled her, and she desperately clawed for the top, reaching for the surface. Amu felt her eyes feel heavy and she fought against the drowsiness-she would die if she let herself sleep now.

Amu felt herself shrink and she cursed; if her dragon form was retiring now, she really didn't have much energy left. Maybe she would die like this. Now this was morbidly funny; dying before the war, she thought darkly. In her contemplation, she felt something grab her waist and hold her tightly. Amu panicked-a sea creature?

No, it wasn't that. She'd been here before, and there hadn't been anything then. She wildly fought against the figure but it only held her even tighter in it's grip. It started swimming upwards and she relaxed slightly; at least she wasn't going to drown.

When her face broke through the surface, the creature released its hold on her and disappeared. She dunked her head down and searched for something desperately, but she couldn't find anything, not even a shadow.

Disappointed, but alive, Amu looked around her and she realized she was in the place she had been aiming for in the beginning.

The reflection of the moon.

It sparkled slightly, and she laughed, falling back into the water, relaxing slightly. The heat from her body warmed the water around her,thankfully, and she wasn't shivering as much.

She was glad that she had been able to make it alive, and she hoped she'd make it through the war.

Ikuto strolled through the forest, his hands shoved deep into his pockets.

The forest was thick and dark, the trees looming above his head menacingly. Kukai described it as the "haunted forest" saying that at night, you'd be able to see ghosts and all sorts of things.

But Ikuto knew those rumors weren't true. The trees were his friends; they hid him from the world. He had traveled into the forest since he was young, and had gone every night since he found it. Every time Kukai would ask him where he had gone, he would shrug noncommittally, his dark eyes staring off into the bundle of trees.

Ikuto trod carefully, aware that there were some rather unsightly creatures within the forest. When he saw a flash of light through the heavy leaves, he knew he was almost there.

Ikuto approached the water's edge, inhaling the scent of the lake and relaxing. He slid into the water, transforming simultaneously. He sank to the bottom, relishing the cool water that brushed past his scales. When he was at the bottom, he closed his eyes and leaned against the rocks behind him. A throe of silence filled the area, save for the occasional fish.

Ikuto opened his eyes and glanced upwards, only to reel back in shock. A carnation colored dragon was hovering far above the water in the air, its wings flapping slowly. The dragon's wings were a gradient from the light pink to a fiery red while its underbelly faded into a white. It was almost like it was an unfinished print.

The dragon seemed to reach for the moon before dejectedly looking down at the water. A slight gasp passed through his lips when he saw the vivid tawny eyes of the dragon. The dragon was absolutely stunning. The dragon was obviously a female, he could tell now. The dragon's figure was smaller and softer, more curved and gentle. What was she doing here though? It was the border of the two lands; no one dared venture that far.

Ikuto realized with a start that the dragon was suddenly spiraling toward the shimmering water-had she seen him? He shifted slightly, peering up to see what she was doing. He watched as she plunged into the water with a splash, frightening the nearby slumbering birds, no doubt. She sank down slowly and seemed to struggle against the water. Soon, her dragon features disappeared and she was just a girl, plummeting in the water.

Ikuto watched her eyes fluttering and cursed; he wasn't an ally of the fire dragons but he wouldn't let her die. He transformed to his human form and swam up to her, grabbing her by the waist. She thrashed against him desperately and he quickly began going up. When she realized his intentions, she calmed down and opted to lean against him, bubbles slipping from her small, pink lips. When they neared the surface, he released her and rapidly made his way back down.

To his utter surprise, he saw the girl floating in the water, swimming about while laughing happily. Ikuto frowned slightly. Was she stupid?

But when he saw her coral hair splayed out in the water above him, all negative thoughts were released.

Ikuto grimaced when he caught himself staring and made his way into a little cave that he usually resided in. A fresh feeling of anger ebbed at his stomach. Falling in love was a terrible choice at the brink of war, but falling in love with the enemy was even worse.

He chastised himself quickly before falling back onto the rocky cave, cursing when he felt a jagged lump stabbing his back. He thought of moving away but decided against it and fell asleep to the sound of the stirring water.

Hello. I'm still deciding whether to delete this or not, but I'll just keep going until I can figure out what I want.

Nekoz Rule: U-um.. Scary xD But anyway, we'll see. -runs away-

magicalbelievers: Thank you!

Amuto1266: Ah, my dear reader, patience. It's no fun if they meet right away, and it's not realistic if they meet each other immediately and love sparks. Because I don't believe in love at first sight. Anyway, thanks for reading!

As always, please review! Drop a comment to let me know how you feel~

-Raspberry