I opened my eyes to the sound of chatter and someone pulling my hand. But what greeted me was strange, a scene I'd never seen before. And as I became more alert to this, I could see a faint blurry edge around everything, almost as if I were looking through a blurry window and couldn't grasp my surroundings. It was a small room and I sat on a wooden chair near a low window. A small table held a few toys and it was also quite warm. I looked down to see a little girl in a white pinafore dress and light brown hair. I blinked in astonishment as she turned to look at me with the same golden eyes. Ami!

"Huwwy up!" Ami pouted and pulled me harder. "You fell asleep again! I wanna pway in the flowers."

"Amu," a new voice called from another room. I glanced in the direction and saw a small-framed woman with brown hair tied in a neat bun. Her gold eyes shone back with affection on a face I didn't recognize. It was similar to my mom, but too long and looked quite young as well. She handed me a basket with good scents wafting out from under the white cloth covering them. "Be a dear and bring these to Nodoka, please. I hear they have a newborn."

I stared as my hand lifted and said with a cheerful tone, "Of course, mama."

"Promise you'll be back before dinner," she began heading back to the kitchen.

"I promise," I said though I was confused now. I knew I was completely conscious, I wanted to look down but my body didn't respond. Instead I turned to the door and stepped out into a sunny street. "I love you mom, be back soon."

The moment I stepped out I was suddenly alone and - a pleasant surprise - I was back in control. I flexed my hands to confirm this and looked around. An empty street though the weather was pleasant. I looked down and with displeasure, my pajama shorts and flimsy camisole were all that dressed me.

"You're in a memory," I looked up startled. A little ways away, I stood in a long dark dress with white loose sleeves, a hood white cowl covering my head.

"Uh..." I'm surprised I can still speak.

I - she - laughed. "I can see it's quite overwhelming."

"You..." I muttered hoarsely. "You're...me, right?"

"Actually," she lowered her cowl and shook her long strawberry locks free. "Rather, than me being you...it would be you being me."

"Meaning...?"

"A reincarnation of somesort," she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You're the first."

"Then like, how are you here? Isn't a reincarnation a moving of souls and stuff that go into a different life?"

"It's a bit..." she hesitated. "It's complicated. You're my first reincarnation and it's odd. I feel a connection to you and I'm sure it's because of unresolved business I - or actually - you must take care of before I can move on."

"Me?" My voice shot up a few octaves. "Why should I? You're dead and I'm alive, it's not my fault you're dead."

Her expression darkened. "Wandering, lost, a feeling of incompleteness. It's been decades since I've died and I have always wondered why I suffer this way. I have wandered this world in search of an answer and now I have finally found it. You are the ticket to my salvation."

I gaped at her. "Salvation? I'm no saint sweetie, I can't help you."

"But you can," she dropped her look and it changed as she came closer. "I can't move on until you settle my revenge - "

"You're some kind of vengeful spirit then?"

She tilted her head to the side and I tried my best not to be weirded out by all of this. "I suppose I am, however I don't feel particularly vengeful at the moment.

"Suuuure," I nodded. "So you want me to get revenge for your death - "

"And the madness and grief of my sister!"

" - so you can go wherever dead people go?" I stared at her a little more. Talk about out-of-body experience, sheesh, it's like looking in a mirror. "What is this 'revenge' anyway? I don't have to kill someone or anything, do I? I'm a little squeamish about those things."

Amu looked at me for a moment. "I...I don't really know. I have no other unfinished business to take care of. It seems the only way is the get revenge, that's why I'm still here."

"That's great," I replied sarcastically. "You're giving me way too much information, please, do go on with your specific and really easy quest of vengeance."

"I don't know!" Amu reeled back with hurt on her expression. It caught me by surprise. She was usually composed and calm whenever we spoke. Though this was my first time seeing her in person. She hugged herself and the world began darkening. I could feel our time was coming to an end. "I don't at all...I just know I want to go. I don't want to be here anymore."

Her voice was small and full of despair. By 'here' I'm sure she meant amongst the living. It must suck being watching everyone live their lives and change. And it must've hurt when she had to watch them bury her body and attend her own funeral. It must've sucked watching her sister suffer until she died. And she was around the same age as I am when she died, a teen without a clue. Of course she was confused, I realized, she died and it was...

Wait.

She was becoming blurrier and blurrier. I tried to focus on her fading figure. "Who am I seeking revenge on?"

But before she could answer, I drifted to a black and empty dreamless state.

With a gasp, I sat right up and clutched my covers in tight fists. Sun peeked through the window and fell on the floor in distorted rays. I blinked and looked at the clock.

"Crap!" I quickly began getting dressed, promising myself a shower later. I splashed water on my face to wipe any sleepiness from my face. Drying myself, I looked at my reflection. I was still me, my gold eyes were bright and clear. At first it was strange because my family members were the only people I knew with golden eyes like mine. But I accepted it, they were always a part of me. Apparently it wasn't common and it always made me feel special.

Shaking my head, I pulled on a t-shirt and a sweatshirt, slipping into a pair of loose jeans and then sliding into black flats as I grabbed my bag by the door. I finger-combed through my hair as I speed-walked down the hall, shutting the door behind me. I slipped into the classroom and took up a seat in the back before pulling out my notes. The class was still buzzing with conversation even after the appointed class time passed. The teacher was nowhere in sight. Sighing, I pulled out my headphones and plugged them into my ears to listen to the pop rock and turned it up to drown everyone out.

I jumped when the music barely got to the chorus as a headphone was pulled out. "Morning, Amu."

"Hey," I grumbled sitting up and pausing my music. "You're not in this class."

Ikuto grinned. "The perks of being royalty let's me choose whatever class I want and - as you may have guessed - I already passed all these classes, even taught them a few times my self."

"So, what? You copied my schedule?"

"But of course," he pinched my cheek. "What better way to pass the time than to spend it with you?"

"Won't anyone get suspicious?"

"I don't think anyone would be," he seemed a little upset. "Did you not want me to stalk you to all your classes?"

I rolled my eyes. "That's a good way to put it."

"Aw, jeez," he sighed melancholically. "After I went through all this trouble..."

"Hey, I didn't ask you to." I shrugged.

"Your eyes did," Ikuto leaned on his elbow. "Your eyes begged me to be with you."

"What the hell?" I furrowed my brow. "They did not!"

"But they did," he seemed perked up by my change in mood. "Your eyes are always looking to me."

"What're you going on about?" I bristled. "This isn't some kind of anime or manga story!"

Ikuto smiled and leaned forward on his desk, putting his head on his folded arms and looking at the classroom. "Isn't it?"

I made an annoyed sound and went back to my notes. Rumor had it there was going to be a test today and I might as well study. At some point, I looked up to the clock and saw that twenty minutes had passed and there was still no teacher. By the way, our teacher is Mr. Suzuki. He used to be a student here apparently and came back to teach. Everyone liked him because he was a young and easy-going teacher. He was a tad forgetful though and it was also rumored he had a crush on another teacher, Ms. Haruka.

Ms. Haruka was a little plain-looking to be honest, her hair was a brown and usually held back in a ponytail. Usually this is the part where I tell you she has these amazing facial features hidden behind her soft personality but she really was a plain woman. Her eyes were a light brown and kind-filled. Ms. Haruka was a motherly type of teacher, despite her plain looks, students still adored her. It'd be great if Mr. Suzuki and Ms. Haruka got together...

"Does this class normally start this late?" Ikuto looked back at me.

I looked at the clock. Thirty minutes. "No, it's never like this. I don't know where Mr. Suzuki is."

"Why don't you ask someone?"

I pulled back from my book. "I don't know anyone here."

"Then talk to someone."

"It's...I'm okay, really," I averted my eyes and scanned my book.

"Amu, don't you have any friends?"

I scoffed. "Of course."

"Who?"

"You and Rima and..." I pursed my lips in thought. "And Tadase!"

"That's it?"

"Yep," I only then realized how pathetic I sounded.

"You're a great girl, Amu," his gentle words stirred an emotion in my heart - which I firmly squished back down. "You should have lots of friends, I know people'll like you for sure."

I pulled up my hood and folded my arms across the desk for a pillow. "Shut up."