DAY 1
Ikuto POV
"Ikuto~!"Yoru whines. "Why didn't you take that girl's eggs? Talk to me!"
"Urusai, Yoru." I mutter.
Honestly, I don't know myself. I saw her lying there and felt compelled to pick her up and lay her on the bed beside her eggs. Something told me they weren't the Embryo, but I have to back and check or the Gozen will have my head. I'll follow her today and wait outside her school for her.
"Ikuto~!"
"YORU! I said shut up!"
Amu POV
I wake up in my bed somehow. Maybe father moved me while I was unconscious, I don't really know, or care, for that matter. I stand up and notice my eggs moved to my counter where I kept them last time around- someone who could see them had to have moved them. I don't know who it could have been though. I don't know anyone yet who has Shugo Charas. Who could it have...
"Ahhh! I'm late!"
I rush around, put on my school uniform and run downstairs, slipping on my way down the stairs. 'Ah! I'm gonna die!' Suddenly I do a back flip and land on my feet. 'Thanks for the save, Ran.'
"Of course, Amu-Chan!" I smile at the sound of Ran's disembodied voice.
I run past the table, grabbing my plate and eating my food as I dash back upstairs and grab my forgotten bag and my eggs, which I slide into my bag, tucked snugly in an old baby blanket.
I run to school and when I come across Seichiro I act as I did the last time around because his adoration of me proved useful many times.
I walk to school and see the guardians. I decide to do as I did the last time around so I don't ruin my external character.
It works like a charm.
My usual fans are already screaming about my cool and spicy attitude.
********************Time Skip- During Class*************
Before class and after the entrance ceremony- where, I did not get rejected in favor of a dog- Nadeshiko (giggle, he's a girl again. This is way funnier than it should be.) approaches me with the invitation to the Royal Garden.
Thank God I paid attention last time around, because I did not pay any attention at all to the teacher, I was too excited about seeing my friends again. As soon as class let out, I walked calmly until know one was watching, then I dashed to the garden as fast as I could. When I got to the door I stopped and let my heart rate and breathing settle.
I ease the door open slowly and walk in, stopping dead when the table comes into view. There, alive and well are all of my friends. It honestly didn't hit me until just now that they are alive again. Tears well up in my eyes, spilling over as I crumple to my hands and knees. I hear my friends calling my name, but they sound far away- as though they are speaking to me through water.
"Hinamori- San, are you okay?"
"I'm fine." I whisper. I look up at them and request assistance in getting to the table- I can't feel my legs. "Minna, do you mind if I tell you a story?" Though they are confused, they agree. 'Can I tell them? I'm scared! What if they don't believe me?'
"Then change into someone who isn't scared. Chara change!" Ran exclaims from within her egg.
'Arigatou, Ran.'
"No problem, Amu- Chan."
"Hinamori-San, you can speak with your charas even though they are still in their eggs?" Tadase asks.
"I can."
"How?"
"Let me tell the story, and all will be revealed." I say mysteriously. Tadase nods encouragingly. "Long ago, there was a girl. This girl was shy, and wished to become more honest. She had a facade that she wore every day, even at home. This made her tired. She wished one night for her guardian spirits to give her the courage to change. The next day, there were three eggs in her bed. Ran, Miki, and Su." I push each of their eggs forward in turn. As I push Ran's forward, she comes out of her egg. "That day, the girl met four very special friends- each with a single chara of their own. One of them was pretending to be something they weren't, but that they wished they could be. One wanted to rule the world. Another wanted to stay little forever, and the last wanted to be a star.
"That day, she met a rival and got a magic lock from him. The boy had his own chara born of the dream to be free, and a key that matched the lock. He was controlled by a company that forced him to do things he did not wish to do.
"Many times he fought the girl, and many times he helped her. One day, she got a new egg- Dia." I push Dia's egg forward. "After many years of resisting the company, the company summoned a force to large for even the girl, her friends and their charas to overcome. All but the girl died that day. She somehow purified the attacking X eggs, but it was to late. Only once they were gone did she realize she was in love with the boy. She was consumed with grief until someone approached her saying Eas- the company had cheated by creating something not meant to be created: Ridra. The combination of 10,000 X eggs that hatched. The girl could not have protected her friends from Ridra- she was just to powerful. The girl was sent back in time to defeat the company before Ridra could kill her friends and love. When she awoke there was a new, unknown egg in her bed along with all the others." I finished my story, tears brimming in my eyes. The guardians were dumbfounded. Ran flies up to me and adds:
"That was a true story."
"Hinamori-san, is the girl in the story... you?" Nadeshiko asks me quietly.
"Hai, Nagi- Nadeshiko-san." My tactfully placed intentional slip up is all that is needed to convince her I speak the truth, and she says as much.
"But... then... your friends... the ones who...died, who...?" Kukai asks hesitantly. I look at them all slowly, with pain filled eyes. Their eyes widen as they grasp what I am saying.
"I'm so sorry! I wasn't strong enough to save you! Any of you!" I wail as my tears begin flowing. "I don't know if I can save you this time around!" I cry.
Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice says, " Then why don't you change into some one who can save them?" I look down at my eggs and see the newest one hatching. "I am Silva. I was born of your dream to save your friends." From the egg comes a chara with silver hair held up by a shield hair clip, a light blue tank top on under a black jacket, tight white skinny jeans and black combat boots. She has gorgeous icy blue eyes and freckles across the bridge of her nose. "I can give you the power to protect and save them. Do you want it?"
"I do! Thank you so much!" I exclaim.
"Do not thank me. It is power that dwells, untapped, within you." Silva answers, smiling slightly.
"Wait... so... you have five shugo charas?" Tadase asks.
"I do."
"Then... I think that even if you aren't from the future, you should join the guardians. Again. As our joker. Will you?"
"I suppose. If you'll need me that much." I answer condescendingly before realizing how horrifyingly true my statement is- they will need me. I begin to tear up, then smile Tadase and Kukai's panicked reaction.
"Oh, Hinamori- San, who is the boy you mentioned? The one you love, if you don't mind me asking." Tadase asks, changing the subject.
"Ah! I have to go see him. Come if you like. It's the construction site outside the school." I tell them. They nod, then look at me.
"Why do you have to tell us where to go? We're gonna follow you." Kukai asks curiously.
"You'll see." I say, winking at them. "Ran, do you think...?" I trail off knowing she'll get my idea.
"I do."
"Good." We smirk at each other before I chara change and jump away, waving to the awed guardians. "You should hurry, or you'll miss the show." I call to them.
Then they're out of sight and I'm at the construction site, landing on a beam. I quickly and quietly explain to Ran and Silva my plan to deal with a certain kuro neko. They grin and then settle for a smirk. I hear a thud and look up to see Ikuto with ears and a tail. I grin. He stops a few feet from me, then notices my two hatched charas. He is suddenly in front of me and my grin comes back full force. As Ikuto leans in in an attempt to fluster and distract me, I kiss him and swipe the Humpty Lock then duck under his arm, running along the beam until I slip off to one side.
"Hinamori-san!" I hear Tadase exclaim. Ran then calls my first name worriedly so as to subtly give Ikuto my name. I smirk at him and wave with the hand that has the stolen Humpty Lock and see his eyes widen as he checks his pockets.
"I'm fine! My own heart, unlock! Amulet Heart!" I exclaim, transforming with Ran right before we hit the ground, then I fly jubilantly around for a moment, then shout down to Tadase, "Kiddy King, I'll be fine, I have something to discuss with Tsukiyomi here." I laugh when I see them both register myself using Ikuto's nickname for Tadase.
I hover before Ikuto and Yoru and grin. "Not so nice, being beaten at your own game is it, Ikuto, Yoru? You really shouldn't tempt a girl like that if you don't want to lose something." I tell him, my smirk widening.
He glares at me, then asks, "How do you know us?"
"Ikuto, m' boy, I know as you do if not more. Meet me on my balcony tonight and I'll explain everything, but its up to you whether you believe me or not. I have been through things that would haunt you. Things that would send grown men crying to their mothers. You can never understand my pain, but I know you, you'll try. For that, I am grateful. I know you can find my house."
"I'll be there." Ikuto promises. I smile at him sadly.
"I know you will." After that we go our separate ways.
I fly down to the guardians and he goes back to Easter. I land and Ran exits the lock, ending my transformation.
"So... you love- " I clamp my hand on Yaya's mouth.
"Shh! He can still here us!" I wait until I can no longer sense his or Yoru's presence then nod. "Yes. I love Ikuto. By the way... I could sense his and Yoru's presence. Why?" I ask and Silva points at herself indicating it is one of her powers.
*********************TIME SKIP- AFTER SCHOOL*****************************
When I get home, I find my parents have gone out to eat. As annoying as this would normally be, now I am relieved. I pull out all of our baking supplies then make a tart, but it doesn't taste good.
I suddenly sense Ikuto behind me. "Just what are you doing?" He asks.
"Clearly... I am failing. Ugh! If only I could remember how Su does it! Argh!"
"Why don't I help, then?" Su asks, suddenly hatching. We quickly make a yummy tart, and in the process, I forgot about Ikuto.
"Hey, Amu."
"Ahh!" I jump and drop the tart. "Darn you, Ikuto! Again?" My charas giggle at the similarity between this and last time when I made a tart for Tadase.
"What do you mean, again?" I wave his question off.
"Later." Then he leaves, taking Yoru with him.
Su and I bake cookies and hide them in my room under the bed, covered in foil. Then we make some curry and rice for dinner. I only eat a little so that if Ikuto hasn't had food before he comes back, I have something for him to eat.
After I'm done, I run to the store and buy myself a sketchpad and pencils then go home and start drawing. I draw an image for each scene in the story. Or, I try anyway. When it soon becomes painfully clear I can't draw well, Miki comes out and helps me. We make the girl in the story resemble me, but with brown hair and freckles.
Ikuto comes back around 6 o' clock with a plastic bag full of candy from the corner store. I ask if he ate dinner and when says no, I tell him to stay then run downstairs to heat up the curry and rice for us. I carry it upstairs on two large plates then I swipe some of Ami's small plastic plates for the charas. I find our teaspoons for them to use as silver ware. When they give me strange looks I defend myself.
"Hey, don't judge, it was all I could find for you guys." They shrug and begin eating, even Yoru happily declaring how good it is and I tell them to thank Su.
I quickly eat then tell Ikuto the same story I told the others, but with lifelike pictures drawn by Miki and myself. When I reach the end, the final image is myself surrounded by Ikuto, Utau, Nikaidou, the Guardians and all the others, myself the only one alive. Ikuto quickly comes to the same conclusion as Nadeshiko.
"Are you the girl in the story?" He asks me.
"I am." I answer calmly.
"Then...your friends... that boy..."
"Dead. Like I said- I've been through a lot."
"I'm sorry." Ikuto says, trying to understand.
I smile at him. "I've been given a chance to save you. All of you." He jerks his head towards me, eyes wide. "Ikuto, you are that boy. I love you."