Cross Ice

by Crimrose-A-Bee

Snow Hisayuki moves to the mysterious "Lost City" of Akutetsu in search of closure for a damaging past she could never truly overcome. When she becomes faced with pure magic, friendships she feels she doesn't deserve, and the burden of her first love, she realizes just how much of her life she lost to despair. However, she soon realizes that she holds a deadly mystery of her own...

10. Chapter IX- What It Means To Dream

...Well, at least it was sooner than last time!

These chapters just keep getting longer and longer, like ugh. Not to mention Tumblr keeps distracting me. The allure of the internet is too much for me to resist. But anywaaaaaay, I could keep rambling on about how unorthodox I am, but please, I'm sixteen. I'm supposed to be unorthodox.

I realized I've forgotten the disclaimer these past few chapters, so here's that:

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN SHUGO CHARA EVEN THOUGH THAT'S OBVIOUS

I really, really hope everyone enjoys this chapter XD I was really excited about writing it. And there's more interesting stuff to come!

~Crimrose

Chapter IX

What It Means To Dream

It was just one of those mornings when you couldn't decide if you were happy or not to be going to school.

On the one hand, I was completely exhausted. The entire week had been dedicated to preparing everything for the sports festival. That meant ordering jerseys for those who required them, getting the funds for new equipment, purchasing refreshments and rewards... it was a lot more work than I had ever anticipated, never having done something like this before. One the other hand, I was excited to participate. It was a whole day without any books or lessons, just action and fun. The very thought made my heart beat faster in anticipation. And that's what lead me to believe that I was more happy than not, which motivated me to slide out of bed, on to the floor, and inch into the bathroom like a worm.

Lilith, Vivian, and Satsuki were still sleeping soundly in their makeshift beds, but the first-born stirred and snorted with the large bump that came with my body falling to the ground. How kind of them to be so aware and concerned for my safety. I washed my face with a refreshing cleanser to wake me up, brushed my teeth thoroughly, and did what little makeup I had to. I wondered what to do with my hair, something I hadn't done in quite a while. I opted for just scraping it into a neat ponytail with two braids along the sides of my head, and smiled at my reflection. That was also something I hadn't done for a while.

What little money I had left after paying rent was put towards groceries and a Seiyo Academy-issue jersey. For females, it was a simple red tracksuit with white lines along the sides of the pants and across the chest, with the small crescent moon insignia with a star in the middle above the heart (how lovely). There was an identical short-sleeved tee-shirt with inverted colours to put on underneath. I dressed in it happily, even humming to myself, since Tadase-kun had said to just go to school dressed in them at the Guardian's meeting yesterday. I wondered if other people would as well, or if they'd just change into them later. Before I began to feel horribly self-conscious again, I pointed at my reflection in my closet's floor-length mirror and pointedly said, "You are hotter than hell." Although that seemed fairly contrary.

Because I had ice on the inside.

That ended up making the girls wake up at a horribly awkward moment. I only noticed while I was making poses in the mirror when Lilith snorted. When I whirled around, my face a mask of mortification, they were all busting a gut. Why were they so mean to me? I didn't understand. Maybe it meant that the pieces of myself I longed to have actually clashed a lot.

They only bothered to stop laughing and come out of my room when they smelled food. They collectively floated out at the speed of small rockets to stand on the counter and watch as I put last night's leftovers of garden salad and tortellini into containers to eat for lunch. They accomplished something that left me impressed: simultaneously raising their eyebrows.

"You never pack a lunch," Lilith stated, scooping a halved strawberry out and splitting it amongst the three of them.

"I don't feel like buying anything today," I stated simply, snapping the lids on the containers shut tight. "Besides, I'll be too busy. Not only am I participating in some of the events, but the Guardians helped to organize the whole thing. I'll be leading events and monitoring them as well." My heart was suddenly at the pit of my stomach just thinking about it. I had just arrived to Seiyo Academy, and it already felt like I had huge responsibilities I never had before at any school. I never liked to stick out; but with all the classes practicing for their events, I had to order them around and state the rules. I felt completely embarrassed and presumptuous, especially since hardly anyone knew me.

My face flushed furiously at the memory. Just why? The whole week was a slow, downward spiral to Hell. I remembered there was a kid in my English class who wouldn't listen to what Nadeshiko-san or I had to say, and I let my temper get the better of me again. My dialect was exposed to the whole class, and his ear was still red from when I pulled on it and yelled. I had never received so many intimidated and confused looks. But Nadeshiko-san just started laughing, already used to my erratic behaviour. If I was being honest, the whole experience might've actually helped me to fit in more. People knew my name now, and exactly who I was, despite when it was announced officially in front of the school at the annual Guardian's Assembly. I had a reputation of being pleasant enough, but a piece of work when I got angry. I couldn't tell if it was a good or bad thing yet.

I paused in preparing waffles to heave a sigh and reflect seriously on what my life had become. That caught the girls' attention, and they took a break from munching on their strawberry to look up at me. "Whatcha thinkin' 'bout?" Lilith asked, her mouth full of fruit and dyed a deep, deep red.

Before I responded, I took the whipped cream intended for the waffles, pressed the nozzle, and sprayed a bunch in my mouth. The fluffiness and creaminess made me feel giddy as I broke it down thoughtfully. "I was just thinking," I began, wiping the excess rabies-looking cream from around my mouth with my bare arm, having rolled up my sleeve. "My life has changed from the second I came here. I start living on my own, going to school in a new country, making friends, becoming a sort-of student council member..." I blinked a few times before going any further. "...Finding out about the existence of... magic and stuff, like you guys. I never would've thought I'd be talking to three little Thumbalinas in my whole life. And also..."

I squeezed my hand on the side of the counter. The pressure seemed to make an electric current shoot up my arm, and it felt as though my very blood was swirling inside of it, and something else was flowing out. Ice was beneath my hand before I knew it, five grooves in its surface to accommodate my fingers. "This happened," I finished, flexing my fingers like could still feel the power running through them.

On top of preparing everything for Sports' Day, I had also spent the week further investigating the whole ice business. I did internet research, and searched books at the library, but what was I thinking? There was little to no information on abilities like what I possessed. And what was mostly originated from old legends and myths about devils and yukionnas... which left me little to hope for. I was really a freak. A freak with some weird ability I couldn't understand or control. I also thought there would be a huge uproar over the messes I left in the alleyway and at the dance studio, but the next day, each was gone. Like it had never even been there. At first, I presumed it had just melted, but Satsuki shed a bit of rare light on the subject saying that it was impossible to melt with natural elements. Whatever that meant. It didn't change the fact that they had mysteriously disappeared. Maybe someone had broken them on purpose.

Which was indeed possible, if you tried hard enough. Another thing I learned was that this mystical ice was incredibly hard to break. It required actual tools and force, unlike the kind you'd find on the roadside in winter. Which reminded me that I had another mess to clean up. I retrieved the hammer I had purchased at the beginning of the week with a roll of my eyes, and set to work smashing it off the counter. It was a real pain in the ass, but nearly impossible to avoid and ignore. It involved prying, pulling, smashing, and even kicking. Eventually shards of it fell to the ground with dull clunks, and I kicked them away in frustration. The whole thing was stupid and ridiculous. Maybe I was cursed or something. Maybe this was divine retribution for all the wrongs I had committed. Whatever it was, I wished it would piss off.

Satsuki, Lilith, and Vivian each looked like they almost pitied me, and I hated that. I didn't want to be felt sorry for. That made me feel weak and exposed, like I couldn't defend myself. But I could. I was an adult, and I could take perfectly good care of myself.

"We should go," said Vivian from the counter, who was looking at the clock on the microwave that read 7:47. "We have to be there earlier than usual."

"You're right." I minded my step around the carnage and set to packing my lunch in my bag and putting on my running shoes. Today I remembered to actually put on a coat and scarf. The weather forecast said it'd be slightly warmer than normal, but I didn't know what normal was in the colder seasons. Better to be safe than sorry.

"Is everything ready to go?" I asked them just as I was shutting off the light to the apartment. There was murmurs of positive replies and a thumbs-up from Lilith. It felt strange, speaking like that to what should've been an empty apartment. It felt kind of like I was talking like a mother.

The day was what I considered to be quite nice. The sun was only just nervously peeping from out of the clouds, meaning it wouldn't be mercilessly beating down on my back like it always did in the summer. A wind would blow by every now and again during the walk, never cold to me, but always like the breeze you feel on the beach during a simmering summer day; not exactly cool, but relieving all the same. It carried the scent of crispness that only came with fall and winter preparing just above the clouds, the bite of frost a promise carried on the breeze. Leaves kept crunching underfoot as I walked, and I had to resist the urge to giggle. I had always loved that sound, though winter was admittedly my favourite season. Well... it used to be. Now I had a sort of vendetta against it.

I was humming to myself completely unconsciously, even without my headphones in. That was another first for me. I listened to the conversations the girls carried on, which were mainly complaints of the Guardian's Shugo Chara (and by Guardian's, I meant Tadase's Shugo Chara, Kiseki). Kiseki was bossy. Kiseki was a prick. Kiseki needed to learn that the world wasn't there to serve him. His cape made him look overly flamboyant. It was funny to hear them talking about that, almost like they were talking about the popular but asshole jock at a high school. Hearing their voices had became so normal to me that it was honestly hard to imagine any time without them. Although I had lived eighteen years without.

I wondered why they never even showed up when I was a kid, like they were supposed to.

Upon climbing the hill that lead right to Seiyo Academy's gates, I could already hear the collective hum and murmur of excited and agitated students all gathered in one place. People walked in front and behind me, blessedly wearing their respective jerseys so I wouldn't have to be on their hide about it.

"Snow, stop that," Vivian chided me, earning a jolt. "You're grinning creepily."

"Oh, sorry," I said automatically, then figured I had nothing to apologize for and got all defensive. "Everyone does it sometimes. It's completely normal to smile to yourself."

"But not to talk to yourself, so don't respond anymore."

Their presence was so constant and demanding, I would always forget other people couldn't see the Shugo Chara like I could. I shifted my bag further back over my shoulder with a self-pitying sigh and finally reached the wrought-iron gates to my school.

And then nearly reeled back in shock.

There was a thick tension flowing throughout the air, an apprehension so strong it almost seemed as if an eerie black cloud drooped over the whole school and cast it under a spell of strain. The students worse expressions of anxiety and ferocity, all wild animals just waiting eagerly for small, unsuspecting vermin to wander within their sights to be devoured. They were clearly all revved up by the upcoming competition with not only each other, but also Mayosu Academy. At that moment, I noticed the first letter of each academy equated to S and M. I hoped that didn't actually hold any significance.

I stepped through the gates cautiously, almost like being mindful of not stepping on mines, and right near the entrance were my fellow Guardians, all jerseyed up. Kukai-kun looked totally at ease on his blue version of mine, all relaxed posture with his hands shoved in his fraying pockets, whereas Nadeshiko-san looked way too elegant to be caught in something to plain and understated. Yaya-san looked... well, like Yaya-san, but Tadase-kun just looked plain friendly and sporty and... all popular and cute-like, damn him. But each of them carried the same sort of rigidness in their shoulders, like steeling themselves for battle.

"Uh, hey," I called to them once within a reasonable distance. Each of them smiled, but it all looked like a facade. "What's uh, going on here? I know we're competing with Mayosu today and all, but I really didn't think it was that big a deal."

Kukai-kun actually laughed aloud, and I cut a glacial glare into him. "Hisayuki, it can't be helped since you're new," he began with an attempt to sling his arm around my shoulder, but I flinched away and it dropped, still not too used to overly familiar contact. "This whole rivalry thing is taken seriously by everyone, students and teachers alike. It's been going on ever since Seiyo popped up in the district when Mayosu was the most prestigious high school, but then we easily took that title and pretty much flaunt it in their face, what with the location and all. So now everyone's gunning it for each other, and whenever the two schools get together for any sort of event, you can always feel the sparks fly."

"I see," I said slowly with a nod. I thought stuff like that only happened in books and television shows, but who was I to judge. I had ice powers and three little fairies following me around all day. "I guess I'm even more surprised because you guys are all fired up, too. I expected you to be kind of like overseers in this mess."

"Normally, we would be," Tadase-kun amended, his usually gentle voice carrying a sharp edge to it. "But they're coming today, and we just don't know what to make of it. Last year wasn't too big of a deal, considering that he skipped out, but not I'm not so sure, what with you being a new Guardian and all-"

"Wait, wait, wait, hold up," I interjected, holding up a hand for him to stop. He clamped his mouth shut and cocked his head to the side, curious. I ignored how the sun chose that moment to glint off his hair and make it shine in a golden halo, and pushed on with my question. "Who are you talking about? Do you have rivals or something in Mayosu?"

They all exchanged a wary glance.

"What?" I demanded.

"Well." Nadeshiko-san shrugged, looking a bit uncomfortable. "It's just that Utau Hoshina-chan and Ikuto Tsukiyomi-kun are students there and will be coming today. We thought you knew."

The words echoed through my head again and again, but they didn't properly register for a while. I was so frozen to where I stood that I had to check to make sure I hadn't used actual ice to freeze myself to the ground, then what she had said finally clicked. "So," I began, my voice bordering on hysterical. "They're coming here? Both of them? Today?"

"Yep," Yaya-san sighed, shifting her weight to one hip and resting a hand on it, a strangely effeminate and womanly pose for her. "We have to be on extra-super-guard-duty today, especially with the sudden rush of X-Eggs."

I hadn't even thought about that. All I could focus on was that Ikuto, infuriating, cold, lecherous Ikuto, was coming to our school today, participating in sports events, watching me perform sports events. The very thought of his intelligent cobalt eyes observing my every move brought the most intense shade of lust red to my face, and I felt even more mortified then than I had when instructing my class. No, even more mortified than when Mao came to visit me at Mary's house when we were fifteen and I had just been in my Hello Kitty pink and white-striped undergarments (and that got him a bloody nose from a vicious beating), with my scars completely exposed- oh yeah, and my boobs too. That was important.

And also besides the point. The last time I saw him, he had been horrible, breaking children's eggs in his pale, aristocratic hands like it was nothing. And despite the circumstances, I had been horrible for shamelessly yelling at him and punching him. Before that, he had carried me like some sort of princess, and touching skin-to-skin made me feel like I had been losing my very mind. He was evil and a jerk and a pervert and he was coming here today and it was far too late to turn tail and run now.

Officially, I decided that I most definitely was not happy about going to school today.

}{

"I'm really sorry, Hisayuki-san," Tadase-kun said earnestly for what seemed like the tenth time that morning. The information about Ikuto and Utau-san's arrival had been me in a less-than-hospitable mood, and I wasn't really feeling up to talking. He must've assumed it was his fault for my shortcomings, which lead him to plead forgiveness many a time without a response. "It was just so natural to us that they'd be coming that I suppose we forgot to tell you. Please don't be angry."

There was a throbbing sensation pounding in my left temple, a sure sign of a headache coming on. The day was just getting worse and worse, but I didn't have to drag anyone down with me. It was horrible of me to make Tadase-kun feel like he had done something wrong, especially since all he had done since we had met was be nothing less than kind and considerate. I heaved a heavy sigh and shifted in my seat at the table in the Royal Garden, where we were preparing just before going out there and beginning the announcements, to look straight at him. His light eyebrows were drawn down and furrowed in worry and apology, his eyes expressing nothing but regret. And I hated that more than anything ever before. I was surprised to realize that I had such feelings of animosity towards his expression. It seemed to be the only way he'd ever look at me. I wish he'd smile naturally like he did for the others. I wish he could be happy around me.

It was my fault for making him feel so uncomfortable. More than hatred, I felt shame and repentance. I was always so rude and harsh not just towards him, but everyone, and that needed to change. They were willing to put up with me and I was more than happy to be with them, and it was about time I started showing it.

"I'm not angry at all," I assuaged, a gentle smile forming on my face. "I'm just not too sure what I should do now. Should I go about the day like normal, while keeping an eye on them?"

His returning smile was clearly relieved, and far more genuine than mine could ever be. I felt a pang of something sharp in my chest, almost like envy. "Yes, that would be best," he said, shuffling some papers he had pulled from his bag that were apparently the speech he was going to make as King welcoming Mayosu to our school and setting down the rules. "And if they pull anything, we must take action. We'll be counting on you again for that." He paused before sincerely adding, "I'm sorry."

I was my hand dismissively. "Oh, it's no trouble at all. You know, at first I was kind of iffy about this whole Guardian thing, but now I'm more than happy to help." The thought of how much had changed in so little time forced an almost hysterical laugh out of me. "I guess you influenced me the right way."

"No, not at all," he responded almost instantly, which took me by surprise. He had this look on his face I had never seen before, one that made him look older and more mature than he really was. It was thoughtful and intense, but kind all the same. "I think you're just naturally that way. From the moment we met and from then on it was clear that you were fair and just. It's odd," he stated suddenly with an almost embarrassed laugh, "but I guess I kind of thought you were like an angel."

When I didn't respond for a searing length of time, Tadase-kun caught himself and must've assumed he'd done something wrong. "I'm sorry, that sounded odd, didn't it? I didn't mean anything funny, it's just that the way you came in and took us all by surprise and essentially saved the Guardians-"

"No, no, it's not that," I said quickly, and I hated how my voice trembled. I just hadn't wanted to respond for that very reason. After he had given me such a compliment, my pulse picked up so quickly my throat seemed to close, and my face might as well have been burned to a crisp. "It's just... no one's said anything like that to me before," I shakily confessed, unable to look at him. "I don't know if all that's true, but... thanks anyway."

This always happened when the two of us were alone. We may have been friends, but there was always this type of barrier between us, one that shook and trembled with every word that was said. Then again, that was the same with me and everyone. But it was different with Tadase-kun. It was hard to block him out, to ignore him and hide what you felt. He was so open and honest you wanted to naturally do the same. It made me horribly self-conscious, being left with nothing to hide behind, no masks to throw on my face. My emotions were always stripped and laid bare in front of me. The barrier was cracking and shimmering in colours of rose, like the aura I always got when I was around him was... just happy. And embarrassed.

Then awkward silence would follow as we each stewed in our own feelings, both of our faces red. This was completely new to me, the feelings of bubbles or something filling up my chest and threatening to make me explode. I tried to focus on the scenery around us as we waited for the other three Guardians to take the attendance and report back. Despite the rapidly cooling weather, the flowers remained radiant and alive, the Royal Garden having a heating system that allowed the climate to be controlled. I heard the gentle flow of the stream, the sound of water sliding off of rocks, smelt all of the fragrances. It was humid, like a summer day, but pleasant enough.

I was jerked out of my reverie when Tadase-kun suddenly spoke again. "Um, Hisayuki-san?" He asked, his expression shifting between embarrassed but anticipating.

It took effort to, but I was able to drain the flush from my cheeks and smile pleasantly at him in return. "Yes?" I asked, wondering if he wanted a favour. If he did, I'd do whatever he asked. It was the least I could do for being such a pest all the time.

But he seemed really unsure about it himself. He shifted in his seat uncomfortably, chewed his bottom lip. I cocked my head to one side, the smile still in place. What could he possibly be asking? He looked up from staring awkwardly at the table right into my eyes, seeming to come to a decision with himself that he was extremely determined about. "It's just that... do you remember last week, when you came to school with bed hair and Fujisaki-san brushed it out for you?"

I flinched from embarrassment at the memory. I looked like a ball of lint you'd pick off an old sweater. "Yeah, I remember."

"Well... this may be slightly odd to ask... but when she was doing that, your hair just looked really... soft," he finished all in short breaths, his pitch lowering and lowering as he went on. I blinked, and was about to say thank you, but then he asked something that made me freeze, ice or no ice. "So I was thinking about it, and I was just wondering... can I... touch it?"

I blinked again, more quickly this time. He wanted to... touch my hair? Because it looked soft? Good thing we were alone, otherwise I would've fled the scene from disconcertion alone. No one had ever asked to touch me so familiarly before, and it seemed like he was really intent on doing it. So I nodded rather slowly in response, the blush making an astounding reappearance. "Uh, sure," I mumbled, looking down at my hands clenched in my lap. "You can... touch my hair, if you want."

Thank God I had washed it last night. My hair was long, longer than normal, and was a real pain in the ass to care for, but I always made an extreme and dedicated effort to do so, because I myself loved it. My father would always try and style it when I was younger, which of course Mom was better at, and he told me that I should never cut it because it was so pretty and unique. That was pretty much lost on me when both of them disappeared from my life, and I had attempted an image change by chopping it all of to my shoulders.

It had grown back to its full length in a week and a half. The caretakers at the orphanage were more than speechless, and they said it must've been a sign not to try to mess with it. It was beautiful and had to be properly maintained. I had done so ever since, even if it lead me to fall asleep late or be tardy in the mornings. Thus I was relieved that I had done so all my life, as if the preparation was leading up to this very moment. My heart was jumping in my throat again, making it flutter and my eyes remain wide and irked. I visibly flinched in surprise when Tadase-kun's chair scraped back as he rose after a long stretch of silence, and my collarbone creaked and ached with the strain I was putting on my jaw by clenching it.

I felt his presence behind me, saw the shadow the sun cast against the table. My pulse raced and threatened to make me collapse. I was so distracted with trying to keep myself from fainting that I barely noticed when the weight of my hair had been lessened slightly, and Tadase-kun delicately held the length of my ponytail in his hand. But I noticed the slight tugs I felt when he pulled it gently, as he felt it through and combed it with his fingers. "It really is soft," he murmured under his breath, and I remained as still as a stone statue. It had been so long that I had nearly forgotten; my hair was my weakness. Whenever someone would play with it or pull on it, even lightly, I would virtually melt into a puddle and become a useless little thing. I shook with the effort of not completely relaxing and letting Tadase-kun hold it.

"White hair's so pretty," he said, almost to himself, but more like to ease the tension that was so thick in the air you could cut it with one of the knives on the table. "I've never seen anything like it. It feels so soft... just like fur..." He seriously needed to stop. I was about to spontaneously combust.

As if hearing my thoughts, he delicately smoothed it out one more time and placed the ponytail over my shoulder so it hung down and over my chest, then he peered around from my back and grinned at me sheepishly. "Thank you for letting me do that. It was fun." My brain probably exploded.

The other Guardians thought that would be the perfect time to come strolling and chittering on in, but they stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Tadase-kun and I locked in a sort of intense smile and gazing contest, his hand resting on the table and the back of my chair, mine clutching at my knees.

Then Yaya-san started screaming and the moment was broken. "AHHHH! SNOWCCHI AND TADACHI ARE LOOKING AT EACH OTHER LIKE LOST LOVERS HOLY COW WHAT HAPPENED WHILE WE WERE GONE-"

"Seriously," Kukai-kun chortled, effectively cutting Yaya-san off (bless him). "You two should save that stuff for a more private setting. We know there is clearly some sexual tension there, but-"

He was stopped by a sudden and spontaneous spear of ice zinging right by his face. His expression still held a smile but melted into one of fear, as the other girls looked the same with with a mix of also being impressed. Luckily, no one had noticed that I had formed it in the palm of my hand from nothing; just that I had thrown it, from the way I stood panting with my arm extended and my face the colour of a firetruck. "You shut up!" I screeched, bolting towards him. He looked like he was getting ready to bust a gut and run, but instead I did something completely out of character; I ran straight to Nadeshiko-san and hid my embarrassed face on her shoulder, feeling like I had been doing something I shouldn't have.

She smoothed her hand down my back like a big sister, despite being younger than me. It felt nice; I had been without such caring human contact in so long that I felt tempted to all-out cry. "That's enough, Souma-kun," she warned defensively, resting her other hand on the back of my head. "No need to tease her."

"But it's so darn fun! Look at her, she's like a scared little kitten!"

"Remember that kittens have claws," I hissed against my friend's shoulder, though it came out more as a menacing mumble.

Yaya-san and Tadase-kun were simply laughing at the exchange and my reaction, but I could still feel the latter's touch on my hair as if it was another limb of my body, shooting little jolts of electricity all through my nerves and making me hyperaware. It was the first time all day that I prayed for a distraction.

And regretted doing so almost immediately.

Standing in front of a crowd was something I was never good at, and so I had always avoided to do so at all costs. But there I was, standing in front of about two thousand students, with such a fake smile plastered on my face that clowns cried for me. It wasn't easy to hide the fact that I was shaking, but I was able to by folding my arms behind me and across my back, generally standing like a soldier. I supposed that made me even more intimidating, because unfamiliar gazes kept returning to me despite Tadase-kun's speech to inform them of the rules, regulations, and to respect each other and the school otherwise there would be severe consequences.

The Mayosu students had arrived at eight thirty, unloading off of the traditional ugly yellow monsters of school busses in clusters of the dark colours of their school, simply black and royal blue. There were no gender differentiating uniforms, which was fine within itself, and their sigil of an ornate cross was over the left side of their chests- well, those who chose to wear them anyway. Upon entering our campus, their eyes were immediately alert and aware and ready for anything, and I got the significant feeling that I had really underestimated how seriously the two high schools took this competition. And being the center of all their attentive and malicious stares was not doing anything to calm my nerves at all. My heart wasn't beating as quickly as it had with Tadase-kun, but it was a close second.

Tadase-kun was speaking strongly and without a single hitch. He would've been considered such a magnificent public speaker, but those of us with the Shugo Chara sight could plainly see the ornate golden crown resting atop his head, meaning he had Character Changed with Kiseki. My eyes scanned the crowd, having already been through this speech many a time. I was shocked to find Deryn and Will within the swelling mass of teenagers, since Deryn's hair stuck out like a sore thumb. Will waved like an idiot, and I almost broke into laughter up there on stage. He really was so silly sometimes.

"For those of you who don't know," Tadase-kun continued, adding more emphasis to his voice and earning my attention. "We on the stage are the Seiyo Academy Guardians. We protect and help the students in whichever way we can, and also the Mayosu students so long as they respectfully stand on our grounds. If you need any assistance whatsoever, please do not hesitate to come find or ask for us. I am the King's Chair, Tadase Hotori." He gestured to each of the other Guardians in turn with their introduction, and we were lined up in order of our position and the status that came with such. "The Queen's Chair, Nadeshiko Fujisaki. The Jack's Chair, Kukai Souma. The Ace's Chair, Yaya Yuiki. And finally, our newest addition, the Joker's Chair, Snow Hisayuki."

My heart leapt even higher than before upon hearing my name, but I made no change of outward appearance, of which I was extremely proud. I would've broken into spontaneous dance then and there- you know, if it wasn't completely unprofessional. The eyes of the crowd, eager for action, scanned each of us when our name was announced, and when everyone's eyes turned to me, I still didn't lose face. My back remained straight, my hands behind my back, my face now erased of its smile, and stared right back at them. Little did they know I was screaming internally like a small child.

However, my composure managed to almost completely fall apart when I saw a certain pair of eyes in he crowd, despite the distance and number of people. When everyone moved their attention back to Tadase-kun, who kept speaking like a professional, Ikuto's gaze remained locked with mine, unflinching and sucking me in like a black hole. I tried my hardest not to glare, but it turned out to be in vain. My eyes narrowed and shoulders stiffened, watching him with eyes like a hawk. He continued staring at me, watching, not paying any attention to what was being said at all.

Then, very slowly and deliberately, he smirked and winked.

I felt so, so tempted to snatch the microphone from Tadase-kun and chuck it at his face just to wipe the irritating little smirk off of it. What the hell was his problem? You can't just act like a complete and total douchebag and then be all charming the next. That wasn't fair; it was just frustrating and made me want to wrap my hands around his pale throat and shake and shake and shake. I tore my eyes away with effort, determined on kicking his ass in every way possible today.

Or so I believed. When the opening ceremony was finally over, everyone gathered in their predetermined groups that had been designated during the week according to their class and grade. I was the group leader of my first period English class, along with Nadeshiko-san, and we wore red ribbons tied around our heads to show it. I had a clipboard in my hands, which made me feel immensely official and superior, and I pretended to flip through it as I spoke, when in fact I had everything basically memorized.

"All right," I began, and was satisfied to note that my voice didn't waver at all that time. "I know I'm repeating this, but you have to listen just one more time to make sure you don't get into any trouble." I glared at one student in particular, Chiaki Yuzuhara, who had been the one to receive the previous punishment of not simmering down while we spoke. Admittedly, it was harder to remain still and calm with competition crackling through the air like electricity, and the beautiful autumn day, but he was just going to have to deal with it. "Our first activity starts at nine, which is in precisely ten minutes. In the morning, we start off with the easier sports, such as basketball, baseball, soccer, volleyball, tug of war, ball toss, sack races... you get the point. Each event should last up to half an hour or more, all depending. There's an hour break for lunch and refreshments at one thirty, and festivities continue until five o'clock, and the day is effectively ended with a parade and the announcements of the winning classes."

I paused to take a breath in my long explanation, feeling incredibly proud of myself, grabbed a nearby tennis ball, and hurled it at Yuzuhara's head. He jumped and turned around to glare at me, mine returned just as fiercely. "Pay attention when I'm talking, unless you want a repeat of last time." He rolled his near-black eyes, but fully turned his body away from taunting nearby Mayosu students to focus wholly on me. "We will meet up here after each activity, right by the soccer field. You have time to get quick refreshments and prepare for the next activity, which you should all remember. You will be going up against both students from our school and Mayosu students, and you are expected to behave in a sportsmanlike manner." I paused again. "Yuzuhara."

He crossed his skinny little arms and huffed like an angry animal. "I already promised I'd be civil."

"I'm holding you to that. If there are any issues, health or otherwise, make sure to find either me or Nadeshiko-san." She had been standing quietly by my side, beaming ear-to-ear in the friendliest and most supportive way, and her presence helped me to feel more at ease. "If neither of us is nearby, go to the closest group leader or teacher. Try your best not to interact with Mayosu students outside of the competition- doesn't that seem a bit ridiculous?" I added, leaning closer to Nadeshiko-san to point the paragraph emphasizing no contact on my thick stack of papers attached to the clipboard.

She simply shrugged. "That's just the way it's always been. Just try to follow the rules to the best of your ability, okay?" She added sternly to the rest of the class, and they all droned a collective "yes" in response. She grinned in satisfaction and settled back into her original relaxed position.

I scanned through the papers one more time for show. "And... that should be it. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask." Yuzuhara raised his hand, and I didn't bother to conceal my groan. "Yes?"

"Yes, I have a question," he said, and I twitched with barely-concealed irritation.

"I know that. What is it?"

"Say we wanna hook up with a Mayosu girl," he began with a waggle of his eyebrows, which in turn made the other students giggle. "Like, is that a thing, or...?"

I clutched the clipboard with such force it cracked. "Yuzuhara, I swear to God-"

Nadeshiko-san mercifully jumped in before I had to deal with anymore of his class clown bullcrap. "Strictly prohibited," she said with a sense of finality, which made him wilt like a flower without rain. "Unless you'd like to deal with Snow-chan's wrath a second time." Her eyebrows were peaked, daring him to talk back again.

He scrunched up his face and absently rubbed his ear at the memory. "I think I'm good, thanks."

I nodded. "Good. Then let's start getting ready for the first activity." I dropped the clipboard on the ground, informal and- quite frankly- uncaring, and held my hand out to the rest of them, palm face-down. "You guys ready?"

It was completely cheesy and unorthodox, and I didn't expect anyone to follow suit. I was new, bossy, and acted like I owned the place despite just becoming a Guardian. So it took me by a complete shock when the other students followed suit, Nadeshiko-san first, then more and more hands until we had a heaping pile. Yuzuhara was the last to put his hand on, begrudgingly at that, but he grinned over at me all the same.

In my sense of absolute giddiness, I beamed back at him, an excited flush covering my cheeks. I counted down to one from three, then said, "Let's go!" And we all through our hands in the air with a collective "Woot!" I felt so accomplished that I practically skipped over to the clipboard again, and received many high fives from my classmates along the way- all of their names memorized.

It was the first time I felt like I truly belonged somewhere.

Our first event was probably the easiest; the ball toss. Tall baskets made from bamboo towered over everyone under them, even people over six foot, and balls of red and white littered the ground to be plucked and thrown mercilessly. No one bother to stretch except for Nadeshik-san and I, just to be safe. We were up against a class from Mayosu first, which made me more nervous than I would've been, but I controlled my jitters and instead bounced on each of my feet, making my ponytail swing back and forth like the tail of a white mare. I heard the unfamiliar students snicker about "white hair" and the word "freak" floated around a bit, but I was able to ignore it. Until I heard one voice say it that was vaguely familiar.

High-pitched, nasally, and sounded like your classic mean girl. I cocked my head to the side, listening carefully. I knew that voice. I remembered it with great clarity because the first and only time I ever heard it was when Ikuto was present, and my memories with him in them tended to stand out more than the rest. I whirled around once I was able to match it with a person, and sure enough, it was the snooty blonde that had been chirping me a few weeks ago when I took her order at East Side. Of course it was. I just couldn't catch a break today.

"Well, well, well," she drawled, a slight, mocking laugh at the end of it. "Look who it is. I see you haven't become any less of a freak since the last time I saw you. And it looks like Ikuto's completely lost interest." I didn't know where he was, but I was just grateful that it wasn't anywhere close to here. This was getting on my nerves. "Poor thing. I guess that's to be expected though."

"Contact between Seiyo and Mayosu students is forbidden," I droned mechanically, showing her that no, she was not going to get a rise out of me. "If you had any amount if intelligence in that blonde head of yours, you'd be smart enough to listen to instructions to not get in trouble. Now get back to your team and don't bother me."

I was pleased to note that her jaw had gone slack, her venomous green eyes narrowed. Before she could come up with some "witty" comeback, I was marching back to meet with my group one more time, leaving her staring after my "weird" white hair. Yeah right. The weirder one was someone who didn't have enough self-restraint to compete fair and square and opt to make people feel bad about themselves.

We went over a strategy one more time- well, not so much a strategy as going purely on the offensive. Just get the balls and go, no matter what. I could already see Yuzuhara completely transform into a wild child and howl and crow and push people... ugh, he annoyed me. But he was admittedly a good player with all the energy he had. We were relying on him to do his best and bring most of the balls over.

We assembled into two opposing lines facing each other, the blonde girl catching my eyes and sneering. Her teeth were crooked, so I just flashed a brilliant, toothy smile in return. I could feel anger churning in my stomach, already heating up my body before the game had even started. But I had to squash it down and ignore it. I couldn't let anything get me angry. I had to keep myself in control, otherwise the playing field might be covered in ice before I knew it.

A whistle blew overhead, signalling the start of the game. Announcers were already blasting out play-by-plays as the crowds erupted in cheers, but all I could really focus on was the complete and utter madness swelling around me. People were jostling, shoving, kicking, colours of black, blue, and red mixing together like different blends of poison. I was no better, though, as I dove for shots of red on the ground whatever chance I got and chucked them overhead without really looking, still managing to get some in. Flashes of white kept whizzing by my face, the balls the Mayosu students were supposed to be gathering, and I had a slight idea why they would be doing that even though I was relatively far from the baskets.

"Yuzuhara!" I screeched suddenly, and his dark-haired head whipped around to look at me in return. He already had some flush to his cheeks and sweat beading out on his forehead, but he rushed over nonetheless. "What's the matter?" He demanded hurriedly, already scooping down and gathering another red ball.

After he had thrown it and successfully gotten it in, he was completely shocked to feel my hand suddenly wrap tightly around his. His already red face became even more so, as red as the crimson balls we were throwing willy-nilly, and he started to sputter. But he didn't have enough time to ask me what I was doing, for I winged him behind me and used him as a shield just as a white ball came flying through the air at full speed and beamed him in the face.

"WHAT THE HELL, HISAYUKI?!"He screamed, rubbing his nose as I let go and got another in.

"I didn't want my head to get hurt," I said simply, smiling sweetly at him.

"SO IT'S OKAY IF MY NOSE GETS NEAR-BROKEN?"

"Of course." I threw a smirk back at him as I rushed over to assist Nadeshiko-san. "I'm group leader."

He looked absolutely appalled, and I was quite proud when he merely shoved his nose once more and began scooping up balls again. Yuzuhara may have been annoying, but he was really dedicated and driven, so I had to admire him for that. But then I felt a prickling sensation at the back of my neck, the sense of my skin crawling like I was being watched.

I chucked another ball in and turned my head slightly to glance behind me, the direction the stare was coming from. Granted, a lot of people were looking at all of us, but this stare felt more... intimate, somehow. Not as censored, like they were used to looking at not just people, but me specifically. I had to admit I wasn't surprised when I saw that it was Ikuto staring at me completely unabashedly.

I was, however, surprised to see that he was not just staring, but full-on glaring at me, as if I had done something wrong.

WHAT?! I wanted to scream whilst throwing my arms up in the air. WHAT THE HELL COULD YOU POSSIBLY WANT?! What did he have to glare at me about? It wasn't like I was the one who erased some children's dreams from existence. I wasn't the one that seemed to follow him wherever he went, disturbing shit all along the way. I wasn't the one who smirked irritatingly at the other, like I knew something he didn't. None of that was my fault; it was his. No one had ever frustrated me this much before, making me completely lose myself in simply thinking about them. I didn't even understand what was going on around me half the time. Why oh why did he just have to come today? He seemed like the type to skip this sort of thing!

To vent my anger, I scooped up as many balls as I could at once, throwing the red ones in the direction of the basket and the white ones viciously to the ground. Nadeshiko-san jolted in surprise at my sudden rush of anger, and she quickly asked what was wrong as I kept working away, my face looking as if it should'v been covered by the mask of a demon to hide its hideous expression.

"God I hate him but he's so hot," I growled, getting another goal. She did a double-take, and then it seemed to dawn on her who I was talking about. But before she could comment on it, the whistle was blown again, almost drowned out by all the cheers and screams, but everyone dropped what they were doing regardless.

Ikuto, however, did not avert his eyes, and I could feel heat crackle all along my skin, making it hyper-sensitive and aware. It was more intense than that morning with Tadase-kun, and that was saying something. All I really wanted was for him to just leave me alone. I didn't like feeling like that, so vulnerable and insecure, around someone who was my enemy. Even though he wasn't looking at me like I was his.

}{

With a large, collective groan, all of the Guardians- myself included, of course- collapsed underneath a shady, towering willow tree whose branches dusted the ground, making a cage of nature around us. It was finally midday, the first half of the activities over, and while they weren't difficult in themelves, they were long, and Mayosu Academy students weren't to be underestimated. The crackling air of competitiveness that sizzled all throughout the day was almost a taste in your mouth, and I finally understood how much the two schools truly despised each other. Which didn't make sense, since the students themselves didn't have particular problems with one another.

Well, besides the Guardians and the two Easter employees. But that was more of a secret rivalry.

Ikuto- surprisingly enough- did participate in a few activities, which not only threw me for a loop, but the Guardians as well. They said he had never bothered to even show before, and wondered why he would now. As for the other employee, Utau Hoshina, she participated as well, both elegantly and standoffishly. Even Seiyo students gushed over her idol prowess and gorgeous appearance, while I stood off to the side and made weird, dissatisfied noises. She was a load of trouble, that's what she was. And a stalker to top it all off.

However, none of us felt inclined to discuss such matters at lunch. It was finally our time to kick back and relax for the first time in what seemed like all week, and we were using it to our full advantage. We took out our lunches like every other student and chowed down, gulping down water and juice along the way. I was lucky to have thought to pack my own lunch today; the cafeteria was most likely jammed with ravenous, anxious students looking for the free refreshments. Good call, Snow.

"Hey, Snowcchi," Yaya-san said, grabbing my attention when she pointed down at the salad in my lap. "Did you make that yourself?"

I blinked slowly, as if waking from a nice sleep, then smiled easily. "Yeah? Who else would?"

She and Kukai-kun suddenly buckled back in a melodramatic show of fake tears. Tadase-kun, Nadeshiko-san and I were left staring at them like they were being possessed, and they both looked at me like I was an abandoned kitten in a box on the roadside.

"How honourable!" Kukai-kun began, holding his fist to the sky as if to pump up the heavens. "You live all alone, go to school, work, and even cook your own meals! You're truly an inspiration, Hisayuki! I must learn of your ways!"

Thankfully, he fell completely silent when I threw a leaf of lettuce at him and it got stuck in his hair. Not only that, but he froze as well, like my ice had been attached to the green and channeled throughout his body. I nibbled on a cherry tomato with an agitated expression, saying, "Quit making fun of me, Souma. I'd like to see you fend for yourself."

Yaya-san wasn't as silent as her male companion, however, she had ceased the teasing and was instead busting a gut at his expense. He plucked the leaf out of his hair, glared at it, and popped it in his mouth and began to chew.

I made a face. "Ew."

Suddenly a crunching noise was resounding throughout my ears, and I narrowed my eyes at the source. It was coming from the fallen, crusty autumn leaves tumbling across the ground in a brisk breeze, Kukai-kun marching through them and causing them to crack. He grabbed a large amount, enough to capacitate both hands, and smiled at me.

The leaves were already being viciously tangled in my hair before I had even realized what he was planning. I yelped and growled and clawed for him to back off, but he and the rest of the Guardians just laughed heartily, and I soon found myself giggling along. My hair was an absolute mess of feathery white, scraping across my eyes with pieces of scarlet, orange, and musky brown caught in it. I looked like I had just crawled out of the earth or something. I could feel a mass of frizz on the top of my head, my ponytail coming loose, and I grumbled about having to fix it later as I picked up my pasta and continued eating.

"What, no classic Hisayuki trademark comeback?" Kukai-kun snickered, and I neglected to point of the salad dressing that still mussed in his hair. "How sad. You must have less guts than I thought."

"Oh, I'll get you back," I said between bites, smirking like a queen. "And you'll regret ever having messed with me."

"Ooh, I'm scared," he retorted in a mock version of my voice, which earned an over-exaggerated eye roll. Secretly, though, I was so glad that we were all getting along like old friends. My first real friends. Inside my chest was sunshine exploding over a dark horizon, though the outside merely picked at the scraps in her hair and shoved more food in her mouth, as was the usual. Nadeshiko-san giggled and offered to get it out for me, and I happily asked her to oblige.

She pulled out the comb she had used last time and gently pulled the elastic out of my hair, earning a sigh from me. I thought it had looked so nice today, and look what happened. She tugged each little scrap from my hair carefully, and combed it out like it was precious silk. It felt like the way a mother would do her daughter's hair, and I kept my expression carefully cheerful as I munched away at my food. I was getting better at this. It was easy to not let the things that used to eat away at me effect me now that I had distractions.

Clearly, my facade wasn't nearly as foolproof as I thought, for Tadase-kun changed his expressively joyful face to one of concern when our eyes met. I simply grinned and looked away, pretending to observe the students and making sure they didn't get into trouble. Instead, I found something that actually did grab my attention: Ikuto Tsukiyomi walking around the corner of the school, rubbing the back of his neck as if he was exhausted, and Utau Hoshina toddling after him like a baby chick.

Many thoughts began to flash through my head all at once, bolts of lightning crashing right into the pit of my stomach in time with the rapid beat of my heart. They knew each other? Well, I supposed that made sense since they worked for the same company. But they were close enough to talk beyond that? Was he uninterested in any other girl, like the blonde had said, because he already had a famous idol at his side? Did they work together to bring misery? Did they do it happily? As a... couple?

I had no idea why I suddenly felt so furious. Maybe it was the fact that I assumed they worked together as partners to destroy X-Eggs or something along those lines. Why hadn't I expected them to know each other? And why was I so... I don't know, livid about it? It's not like it concerned me at all. I just needed to focus on stopping the both of them, and that was all. Regardless of whether they worked together or not.

Again I looked away, turning my back on issues that pressed and urged at my mind like an unsatiable itch. I smiled at my companions. "So, are you guys ready for the next event?"

Kukai-kun raised his eyebrows. "We should be asking you that. You are the long distance runner in the relay race, after all."

My spontaneous freezing had nothing to do with the ice inside of me.

All too soon, lunch break ended. My hair was fixed perfectly yet again, courtesy of Nadeshiko-san, and I was stretching in preparation for the long run ahead. I was the last runner in the relay race for my class, while Yuzuhara was first, then another boy named Amakawa, and after him was Nadeshiko-san. Yuzuhara and I exchanged venomous glares while we continuously stretched, electricity crackling across the field. In a way, it was kind of funny how competitive we were despite being on the same team. But then again, his very presence was like a buzzing mosquito to me, and I was telepathically shoving as much pressure on him as I could.

You'd better run like your life depends on it, I urge at him from across the field, the expression on my face causing others to back away. Oh, yes, you'd better. Otherwise I'll have no qualms with punching you in the mouth and making you eat your own teeth. Normally I wouldn't be so violent and tempted to do so, but I was irritated ever since lunch time, and didn't feel bad at all about taking it out on him. Small villages will yield to my wrath if you dare try and play another one of your little gimmicks-

My mantra was very suddenly interrupted by a sharp yank on my long ponytail that made me jump and squeal "Kya!" like a little girl. I whirled around, putting every bit of agitation I felt creaking in my bones into my glare, and nearly bolted out of sight when I saw that it was Ikuto still holding the end of my long white hair as if it was the tail of a cat, looking very amused and satisfied.

Pressing my lips together to conceal the hiss that already had formed on my tongue, I pulled it from his grasp and turned away from him again. "What do you want?" I demanded, attempting at nonchalance and failing. "Seiyo and Mayosu students aren't supposed to have any contact-"

"I just saw you around," he interrupted, making me even more on edge than before as I turned to narrow my eyes into slits at him, "and thought it would be rude if I didn't say hi." His mouth easily ran into the patented smirk. "Hi."

I nodded in return. "Yeah, hi. Now, thanks for pulling on my hair, it felt great and all, but you ought to return to your class. I don't want to get in any trouble, and you're bothering me." To be honest, I didn't want to talk to him at all. All I really wanted to do was focus all my negative emotions and the energy I felt when I was around him into thinking that he was evil, that he was the enemy, but it was gradually getting more and more difficult to with him towering over me like a melancholy shadow, his eyes sparkling in interest but also gleaming with a concealed solemness. My thoughts kept returning to how attractive he was, like a model in some advertisement for something stupid and manly like sports cars- I had no idea what I was talking about- and how he easily suited a pretty platinum idol with snapping byzantine eyes. And suddenly I was irate all over again, needing to release a deep, hot breath to calm myself.

"You don't mean that," he purred, tilting his head to the side so the sunlight made his eyes jump up and sparkle like stars in the midnight sky. "And besides, you're so fun to tease."

My jaw unhinged from my head- a pattern that I noticed was beginning to form whenever he was around- when he admitted to playing with me. Is that all this was to him? A game to bat his hands at like an uninterested cat, waiting to see if a dead mouse would wake back up and dance for him? Nuh-uh. I was not going to deal with that.

"Move it or lose it," I said, moving to step around him and having my way blocked by his chest. I had moved so quickly in my attempt to flee that my head bounced off of it, making my flinch away like he had burned me.

"Nah," he purred, leaning forward until he was eye-level with me, which was surprisingly a lot. My breath caught in my throat when I saw how close his deep, ocean-in-the-night eyes were to mine, and I could feel the ice trapped within my body begin to prickle all over my skin like frost. "I'm looking forward to seeing you run." His mouth twitched as if remembering some kind of inside joke. "It should prove to be... interesting."

I lowered my head so that my eyebrows were severely drawn over my eyes, in a sorry attempt to come off more threatening than I really was. "I hope you're not planning anything nasty."

He actually laughed in my face, and the ice that had once been crawling all under my clothes and over my skin seemed to melt at the sound of it. "Trust me, personally, I am planning something nasty." That was definitely an innuendo. Even I caught that. My face flushed so much I a firetruck looked at me with envy, but he pushed forward. "But that isn't exactly what I was referring-"

"Ikuto," another voice suddenly cut in, and the look on his face soured a tad, like eating a particularly tart lemon. I snorted at the expression, earning another tug on my ponytail as we both turned to see who was calling him. You could almost hear the sound of thunder crashing to the ground behind me when I saw Utau Hoshina standing there, hands on her small, hourglass hips, her platinum hair swinging in her high pigtails. She seemed more ticked than ever just then, and it took me a minute to realize that it was because of him. Ikuto was more than likely a prime reason for her malice towards me. I bit my lip so hard I almost drew blood and scowled at him, but he only chuckled and muttered something like "here we go again". Pretentious jerk.

Utau-san marched right up to us, her uniform sliding over her curvy figure in a way that made the boys around us- except, oddly enough, Ikuto- drool. She stopped in front of me, almost the same height, and narrowed her eyes. "I don't see why a Guardian would be getting involved with and Easter employee," she practically spat, violet venom leaking from her gaze. I suddenly felt as though I was a mouse in the presence of a hungry snake, despite the difference in size. "Mind your own business. You're going to be losing soon, anyway, so don't bother trying to sweeten us up."

My eyebrows skyrocketed. "Oh really," I cooed, mirroring her position. "What makes you say that?"

Her nose was so high in the air I was surprised she didn't fall backwards. "Because you're going to be running against me. And as if I'd ever lose to an Amazon like you."

What was with people and that cursed word? I wanted to strangle the person who came up with it. "We'll see about that," I snorted, suavely managing to keep face and get my bangs out of my eyes with a flick of my head. Ikuto's expression was definitely humoured now, his mouth formed into a full-blown (gorgeous) grin and his eyebrows almost reaching his hair line. I glowered at him. "All you do is bring me trouble," I hissed, and he actually started to chuckle again. "Why don't you just go bother someone else from your own school because your place definitely isn't beside me."

For a moment, I believed those words actually wounded him. His expression instantly went from amused to a face identical to someone who had just been slapped hard in the face. An apology was right on the tip of my tongue, though I didn't know why, but it was blown away with the wind left behind in Utau-san's wake as she rushed to his side and clung to his arm, making sure it was securely pressed against her chest. My hand extended towards him as a sign of good will dropped with my entire expression.

"Don't talk to him that way," she growled, gripping his arm even tighter. I was shocked that someone so aloof didn't just shove her off, but there he was, not even attempting to move her, but instead keeping his expression blank and letting her cut off his blood pressure. A wandering, blasphemous thought flew through my mind for just a millisecond, wondering how it felt to be touching him like that, but it was banished with the flare of my temper and her next words. "He's sensitive."

He clearly was not. He was humoured all over again and obviously enjoying seeing me stand there and get angry for reasons unbeknownst to me, and he relaxed more easily into his partner, which took even her by surprise. "Yeah, Snow," he tantalized with a voice as smooth as what his personality was turning out to be. "I'm sensitive." He planted a perfect modelesque pout on his face, and I actually laughed at the sight of it, though it came out more like an insulted scoff.

All at once, I was aware we had an audience. Students from both schools were discreetly circled around us, staring unabashedly at the scene before them. Utau noticed at the same time I did, and nonchalantly flipped her hair over her shoulder, while Ikuto never removed his gaze from me, seeming to be searching for something in my eyes that my voice would never willingly give away.

The intense and sizzling silence was suddenly shattered by a loud crunching. Kukai-kun was also standing a safe distance away with the other Guardians, who looked mortified, while he had his hand in a bag of potato chips and was mowing away. "Wow," he said around a mouthful, though it came out more like a yell with the volume he always spoke with. "This is way more interesting than last year!"

With a collective grunt of disdain, the crowd that had gathered parted, Seiyo students gravitating towards one end of the field, and Mayosu students the other. Kukai-kun blinked innocently, as if to say What did I say?, and I only swat him upside the head and kept moving. We were all moving towards our respective places in the relay track, which meant I was standing on the last leg of eight four hundred meters. On the track beside mine, Ikuto and Utau-san stood there, talking such low tones that I couldn't hear over the wave-like chatter of the crowd. Not that I'd want to listen anyway. He peeled her hands off of his arm and stalked over to where his school stood and cheered, meeting my following gaze with a grin. I looked away angrily and focused on the distance in front of me, practising breathing exercises as I stood and waited for the race to begin.

After a bit of pondering, I decided to shuck off the Seiyo Academy issue crewneck zip-up sweater and left in on the ground, meaning that left me only in the white short-sleeved tee shirt with red lines encirlcing the bottom and the sleeves. People gawked at me like I was crazy, but I knew that if I ran with it on, I'd definitely overheat, especially with the sun pounding down on us. Thank God I had chosen to wear a sports bra for this. That would've been a bad mix.

Utau-san glared at me like my temperature issues were my own fault, and I glared right back. The animosity she felt towards me was completely unnecessary, especially since the only way I thought of Ikuto was as an enemy. The energy that sparked between the idol and I was almost visible as charging lightning, and I could already hear Kukai-kun hooting from the crowd. Dumbass.

Just before the race began, my Shugo Chara floated over to me with grins on their faces, and I nearly panicked before remembering that almost no one else could see them. Satsuki came to float in front of me while the other two planted themselves on my shoulders. "We just came to say good luck," her small, helium-like voice said with a gentle laugh. "Deryn-san and Will-san said so as well."

My expression brightened at the mention of their names, and I dared a look over to the red and blue Seiyo crowd to see them standing near the front, looking right at me. Will started waving and cheering like a fool, while Deryn merely mouth-twitched again. I waved cheerfully- and, admittedly, embarrassedly- and she returned it by merely raising her hand. I turned back to look at Satsuki, then at Vivian and Lilith on my shoulders. "Thank you," I said with one of my first genuine smiles of the day. "I'll do my best."

"That's not good enough," chirped the irritating little red head, and my fleeting good mood was already chased away. "You have to win. Especially against that idol." She jerked her thumb beside me to express who she meant. "She gets on my nerves, bitching at you for no reason."

Even though I knew they were, I checked to make sure my shoelaces were properly tied. "I'm sure she has a reason," I grumbled, not too enthusiastic to be covering for her. Why was I, anyway? She irritated me, as well.

Vivian snorted from the left. "Yeah, probably a stupid one. Well, we should be getting back. We'll never be able to catch up to you once you get running."

I glanced over at her, confused. "How would you know that? I don't think I've ever really run around you."

Oddly enough, the three of them looked as if they were caught committing a crime. They flinched in unison and rose to float away, and Satsuki seemed bizarrely nervous from the way her laughter began barking out of her. "Oh, you know," she said, clearly fumbling for an excuse. "We are part of your heart, after all. We, uh, know how well you can run from the, er, number of times you have over the years."

My eyebrows furrowed, since it was obvious they were trying to hide something from me again. But I heaved a sigh and let it go, since I had already realized that they really were only doing it for my sake. "I suppose that makes sense," I said, and they did a horrible job of hiding their relief when they gave a three-way thumbs-up. I had a Deryn moment when my mouth twitched into a small smile at their expense. They were pieces of the self I thought I had lost. I had to learn to put more faith in them.

They darted off only a few seconds before the whistle to start blew. It seemed everyone was holding collective breath for it, the strain in the air making everyone tense, and I looked back to keep an eye on the runners in the legs before me. And then, loud and clear, it blew. Then the entire crowd was screaming, hooting, and cheering for the runners that sprinted all through their legs. Yuzuhara was fairly fast and covered a lot of ground quickly, easily handing he bright red baton over to Amakawa within a minute or so.

He ran a tad bit slower than his forerunner, but still quickly enough to keep pace with the other runners. I became a tad bit worried when he handed it over to Nadeshiko-san, but she was able to keep up easily despite her earlier comments of possibly being the slowest in the class.

My heart leapt into full-throttle as I watched her run closer and closer to the place of handing over the baton between our two legs. I was already bending down into a starting position, preparing to bolt, and I saw Utau-san mimic my pose. We stared at each other momentarily in a sense of competitiveness before turning to look back at our runners. It wouldn't be long now. Every muscle and vein in my body was already running when Nadeshiko's sweaty hand slipped the baton into mine, and she panted, "Good luck, Snow-chan!" before I darted off.

Anything physical had always been a strength of mine, despite my laziness. Running came naturally to me, as natural as breathing, so I was able to remain completely at ease and dedicated as I kept pushing myself into a run. I blocked out all the noise around me, and the forms of the other competitors running almost alongside me, and instead focused on the feel of my sneakered feet pounding against the ground, each step rattling and pushing my body further along. My breath was evenly paced even as it turned into pants, and I kept pumping my burning legs along into a run even as my chest ached and my throat ran dry. For the briefest of moments, I glanced to the side to see that the only one really keeping up was- what do you know- Utau-san, her porcelein face flushed red and sweat beading out along her forehead. I turned my attention back to the track before me, pushing myself even faster. It was a good call to ditch the sweater; I was already severely overheating, and if I had kept it on, I would've collapsed from exhaustion a long time ago. Briefly, I wished that I could run in shorts as well to keep just a bit less warm. But it was too late for that.

I could see the red ribbon that universally indicated the end of the race rushing up to meet me. However, I didn't allow my legs to relent, and kept them burning and burning and burning until I felt as though I couldn't keep running anymore. But finally, I felt the push of the ribbon right against my midsection and charged right through it, though it wasn't alone. The loud, chirping whistle blew once again as the crowd erupted into more ear-shattering cheers... despite the fact that the race had ended in a tie.

Handing the baton over to Tadase-kun, who was standing by and ready to declare the winners, I bent forward and placed my hands on my knees, releasing hot and exhausted breath into the air. Utau-san was right beside me, her position nearly identical, using her sleeve to wipe sweat off of her forehead. I swiped sweat off the back of my neck and used my ponytail as a cooling device by waving it against me, and turned to glare at her. She was shooting daggers at me as well, and she panted, "No way that... was a tie."

"You're right... there," I wheezed in return, and we closed the small distance between us until our heads were practically smashing together in anger. "You lost."

"Hell no," she retorted, the heat coming from her body less overexertion and more anger. "You did. I touched the ribbon first."

"You did not," I hissed, about ready to grab her by the collar and rattle her.

"Ladies," Tadase-kun murmured, stepping between us and gently pushing me to the side as he followed. I noticed that he kept his hand pressed against my shoulder, which ignited more heat in that spot than the rest of me. "By all means, it really was a fair tie. You should be pleased you both came in first."

We both ignored him, huffed, and stalked away like children to our individual schools. Man, she was annoying. And a tie, of all things. I was obviously far too presumptuous by assuming no one would be able to keep up with me. Along with feeling awful for not winning, I also felt shame for just assuming I was the best and being let down. I'd have to remind myself not to get so cocky.

My walk was more of a stumble with my aching legs as I went towards Yaya-san and Kukai-kun, who were fanning Nadeshiko-san. Kukai-kun tossed me a water bottle, which I accepted gratefully and gulped down in one large swig. Other students milled by us and would pat my shoulder or my head or something and say, "Congratulations", though I could tell they were slightly disappointed for not winning altogether. I'd have to try way harder next time.

Just as I wiped my mouth with my arm to get rid of the excess water, there was a heavy smack right on my back that made me whirl around and snap my teeth. Yuzuhara, Deryn, and Will had joined the small gathering we had going on, with the former's hand extended, meaning he was the culprit. I was about to smack him right back, but stopped abruptly when he grinned a toothy grin and whooped, "You're awesome, Hisayuki! All we could see was, like, a flash of white! Even I'm impressed!"

Deryn nodded in agreement. "Me as well. You really ran your hardest."

Will, on the other hand, was practically dancing. "I'm so proud of you!" He sang while holding his hand up for a high-five, which I slapped dazedly. "We may not have won, but that has to be a new record or something."

"I may have to make you my pupil, Hisayuki," Kukai-kun muttered with such a serious expression that I laughed.

"I don't think I really want that," I said in return, but I was honestly ecstatic. They really knew how to cheer someone up. "I'm going to go to the locker room to freshen up. You coming, Nadeshiko-san?"

She shook her head, her inky ponytail swinging back and forth. "No, I'll catch up later."

I shrugged. "Suit yourself." Before I began heading off towards the locker room, I hesitated and looked at them with a red face that had nothing to do with being tired. "Um, thanks, you guys," I said, and quickly jogged away before I got a response.

After a run, it was good to remain in motion so your muscles didn't ache as much. I kept that in mind as my legs continued to burn with my jogging across the field and into the gymnasium, where smaller indoor events were set up and ready to go. Girl's volleyball was next, so female students milled about on the glossy gym floor in padding and uniforms. Some of them waved at me as I slowed my jog to a walk, and I waved in return. While I was embarrassed being known by practically the whole school, it was nice not being ostracized for once, and instead being accepted as one of their own.

I was overwhelmed with that classic locker room smell upon entering the room that mixed with girl's strong perfume and deodorant. I wrinkled my nose but headed towards my assigned locker where I had stowed my gym bag during my first week here, you know, when I wasn't so busy flipping out over the spontaneous existence of little eggs that just popped out from your heart. Taking a shower would've been pointless, considering I was just going to get all sweaty again so I just slicked off my tee shirt, applied some deodorant, and reached in the bag for another I had, just in case.

It struck me as odd when there was no small voices constantly pressing and pestering beside my ear. The girls must've still been with Deryn and Will. Maybe they were looking for me right now, and didn't know where I was. It'd be a pain to try and find them in this huge school, with a sea of students crashing everywhere I looked. I'd have to wait for them to find me. I heaved a sigh and shifted my weight to my right, and the reflection of the movement in the floor-length mirror caught my eye. Thinking it was a different person for a moment, I whirled around and covered myself with the shirt, then felt like a fool when I realized it was only my reflection. I laughed at myself and approached the mirror, trying to fix my bangs again. The dampness from sweating made them curl outwards into wings like they naturally did, and my attempt to smooth them back was a complete failure. I gave up and lowered my hands, and my almost-naked torso stared back at me from the mirror.

Admittedly, it had been a long time since I'd seen myself in full-length like that. A long time since I'd looked at my scars. Sometimes they were easy to ignore, since I never really wanted to look at them, but others it was impossible to. Whenever I felt insecure or scared, they would begin to ache, as if a knife was cutting me all over again. I blinked rapidly a few times, trying to get out of a daze, then gently smoothed my hands over their pink surfaces. Against my pale stomach, they were quite easy to see, but I had noticed they didn't appear in my Character Transformation. Maybe it was because the person I wanted to be didn't have such scars, and so the form I took on was merely an illusion.

They looked kind of like a game of tic-tac-toe on my stomach, and they also reached up my back like flames. It was because of all my thrashing and resisting when my mother had come after me, which was really, really stupid, in hindsight. Now they covered a lot of area all over my stomach and back in a clumsy yet precise way, done hastily but with the intent to kill. For the first time in years, I wondered why my mother had done it. Why she had wanted to make her own daughter scarred and bleed to death. But I shook my head clear of those thoughts, threw on my shirt, and sprayed on some body spray scented like vanilla. Before leaving the room, I tightened my ponytail one more time. Then I stepped out- and was swarmed by panicking girls about to play volleyball.

"Hisayuki-senpai!" Said the dark-haired one right in front of me, her hazel eyes round and pleading. Eeeee, that's the first time someone called me senpai! "There's been some kind of mistake, and someone forgot to get the volleyballs from the equipment room! Do you think you could please, please, please go get them for us?"

I really didn't mind doing that. But first... "Someone forgot to get the volleyballs... for volleyball?" I asked, eyebrows raised. I didn't think there was such incompetence at this school. Who does that?

My junior rolled her eyes with obvious disdain. "I know, right. Some people are just..." The red shade of her face implied she was way angrier than she let on, but she managed to let it all out in one, deep exhale. "Are just dumb."

"Sure, I'll get them," I said with a nod and smile, and she looked so happy for moment I'd thought she'd hug me. But she kept herself rigid and just saluted me instead, which almost was enough to make me laugh. "I'll be right back."

I probably had some time before the next event I participated in, but I still jogged over to Mr. Nikaidou, who happened to be the closest teacher standing by. Albeit begrudgingly, I explained the situation to him, and he smiled goofily at me before handing me the keys, and I was off. I turned the latch on the equipment room door and left the key hanging inside of the lock, and went to dig around for the volleyballs, the only light coming from the crack of sunlight peering in the door. After searching almost blindly with my hands, I found them wrapped in a netted bag, and carried them out the door. But before I could lock it up and head back to the gymnasium, a ball got loose and rolled away from the bag. I set it down outside of the door and bent to pick the other one up when I was roughly shoved from behind and landed face-down on the hard cement floor.

There wasn't a sound to be heard as I laid there for a moment, but then I supported myself only with my arms and whirled around to yell at whoever did it. However, the light that was in the equipment room was slowly fading out, being cut off by the closing door. In complete darkness, I rose and fumbled towards the door, but my heart almost stopped working when I heard the turn of the key in the lock, trapping me inside.

What the fuck? was my very first thought as I banged on the door with both of my fists. "Let me out," I said sternly, not near yelling yet but getting there. "Or I'll tell the teachers what you've done and you'll be sent home for the rest of the day and possibly suspended. I hope you're ready for that."

All I got for a response was giggling from the other side, which surely meant the culprits were girls from the high-pitched tones. "How can you tell on us... if you don't even know who we are?" All to be heard after that was more giggling and the crunch of gravel underfoot as they walked away.

I groaned and banged a fist on the door one more time while simultaneously rolling my eyes. I knew who did it, alright. It was the bitchy blonde and whoever the members of her posse were. I recognized that voice immediately, and only someone that petty and filled with jealousy would pull a stunt like this. She wasn't very smart, I had to admit, especially for picking a fight with me. I would wonder why they picked on me alone if I didn't already know the answer.

Turning around and leaning back against the door, I slid down it until I was sitting on the ground with my knees drawn up to my chest. The only thing I could do was sit there and wait until I heard someone walking by and then call for help. But I didn't think anyone would for a while, since the volleyball match was already starting. If anything, I at least hoped those girls got the equipment to the group that was playing. Just because they had some sort of issue with me didn't mean they had to make other, uninvolved people suffer.

Besides that, I had nothing to do to pass the time. My phone was in my bag tucked away in the Royal Garden, my iPod with it. It wasn't as if I could see anything to begin with. I attempted to wave my hand in front of my face, and while I felt the movement for sure, I saw absolutely nothing. That gave me a sense of being disconnected, which in turn made me feel insecure and impatient, making the scars begin to itch.

In the time since my Shugo Chara had been born, I had never been this alone except for sleep. They were with me almost every minute of every day, and whilst their presence could be annoying, it helped to reassure me. An aching in my chest was a surprising sign that I was feeling lonely, all by myself in this dark, enclosed space. That I missed them, even if it was only for a while. I felt my face heat up and I turned my head to look away, though there was nothing to look away from. I guessed it was just a habit of avoiding eye-contact whenever I was embarrassed.

I heaved a heavy sigh and shifted my position so my butt didn't hurt as much. This felt like something that would only happen in a shoujo manga. People were honestly that hateful towards one another. The thought made me snort as I thought of my mother again, her eyes filled with so much incomprehensible hatred and emptiness. Today had started out as relatively nice, but now it was taking quite a sour turn, especially with the past coming up from the deepest part of my memory and slapping me in the face. To ward it off, I tried to remember things that made me happy.

There were a lot of things in my life I had to be happy about, far more than the things I was sad about. Like when Mao apologized for making fun of me and my scars despite having the crap beat out of him by me. When we spent those times in the backyard of the orphange, ripping up grass from the lawn and mixing it with mud when we played 'House' and I was his wife making him a "delicious dinner". I remembered I honestly expected him to eat it, and was very disappointed when he didn't. To compensate, he ate one of the caretaker's prized tulips, and she yelled at us for half an hour and put us on time-out. I remembered when Mary and Jack came to adopt me, simply because they thought they were unable to have children but wanted one anyway. Their home was filled with the warmth mine used to have, with their smiles and comforting hugs I had longed for. They lived just above the bakery they owned and worked at, so there was always a smell of sugar, flower, and even cinnamon. I remembered when they were completely astonished to find out that they were actually going to have twins, even when they thought it was impossible. When Theresa and Nate were born, I remembered feeling that I was going to be disposed of. Because they had their own children now, who could easily fill my place and be a real part of the family. They didn't have freakish white hair or blue-ringed violet eyes. They weren't as pale as untouched snow. They didn't have scars all over their bodies.

That sense of insecurity violently rushed back all at once, and my heart pounded in my chest harder than it had in the relay race. I blindly clutched at my chest in an attempt to slow it down, and I squeezed my eyes shut, which didn't really change anything. If anything, it made things worse, for the images of my childhood played out on the backs of my lids, of being excluded at school, of feeling unwelcome at family gatherings, of being all alone in a hospital room without shedding any tears. Just wondering why. Why I had been left all alone.

I clutched at my head, trying to make the stupid images go away. They were all in the past, and didn't matter now. I wasn't alone anymore. I had the Guardians, and my Shugo Chara. But even they kept things hidden from me. Even they didn't fully trust that I was mature enough to handle whatever they had to tell me.

The telltale sound of high-pitched cracking began resounding in the room, meaning that my emotions were getting out of control again. Ice was starting to form right beneath where I sat, and soon it would spread throughout the entire room without my being able to stop it. Even if someone came, I'd be frozen in here forever, my time frozen in the past and my body cloaked in my own ice. I'd be imprisoned, and no one would ever be able to save me.

Everything- including the ice- suddenly came to a halt when I heard a shuffling on the other side of the room. I gulped in the most bizarre, frightened-animal noise and started shrieking, memories of The Grudge rushing back all at once. While I kept thinking of dark, frightening phantoms crawling out from the ceiling in a pool of black hair and demonic expressions, a tennis ball suddenly came flying right at my face and into my forehead. I winced and rubbed it tenderly, and started yelling obscenities at whoever- or whatever- did it, even while I was still scared.

"Shut up," hissed another, deeper voice from the room, and even though I couldn't see them, I recognized it as well as I had the blonde's outside.

Are you fucking kidding me. "Ikuto?" I asked, squinting into the darkness. "Is that you?"

"The one and only." He finished the sentence with a large, groaning yawn, and I glared at the place where I heard his voice coming from.

"You... weren't sleeping, were you?" I demanded, and I got a snort for a response.

"Not like there's anything better to do here." There was a shuffle as he must've set himself into a sitting position. "Now, what are you doing in here? If you wanted some alone time with me, all you had to do was ask."

I scoffed. "Of course not. Your little fan-club decided to play dirty and shoved me in here and locked the door." My eyebrows drew down as I thought of something. "How did you get in here, anyway? The door was locked."

"I'm a cat," he simply said, and even I was beginning to think that was the truth. "I have my ways. And no one else bothers to come by here, so it was the perfect place to nap."

"I don't get you," I grumbled as I readjusted my position again. I had momentarily forgotten my little episode and the ice result of it, and slipped on my own-made phenomenon, which got a loud scraping sound and the bang of my head hitting the floor.

Iktuo was clearly trying not to laugh. "What happened?" He asked, his voice a higher pitch than usual and small snickers coming through. "Are you okay?"

"What do you care." I tried picking myself up off the floor and slipped again. "I just... tripped. It's not like I can see anything."

"Seriously, all you need to do is ask for my company," he chuckled, and I was about to retort when there was a single, rectangular beam of flourescent light in the room. He was holding up his cell phone, which meant he could see me lying face-down on the floor like an idiot. "There, is that better?"

"Don't mock me," I quipped as I reached my hand out towards non-iced floor and pulled myself to my knees. I shook out my hair and checked my face for any indication of wounds. There was a bump forming on my forehead. "You threw a ball at me," I accused as I kept touching it tenderly, and I realized that if he was still unable to see me, I probably would've been able to form some ice to put against it to make the swelling go down.

"You woke me up," he shot back, and I saw his shadow shift into a more relaxed position. His one knee was drawn against his chest while the other stretched out, one arm extending the phone and the other resting on the floor. I wondered how he could be so at ease around me, an enemy, and realized that it was because he didn't see me as much of a threat. My face slipped into an angry pout as I sat cross-legged and blew out an angry breath that ruffled my bangs.

"So," I said slowly. "We're locked in here together."
Even though I couldn't see it, I could feel him grin. "Yeah, we are. Why don't we make the most of it."

"Don't think so." It was getting easier to put off his innuendos. Why was he hitting on me, anyway? He already had an overly possessive girlfriend who had no problems with clinging to him. I became even more irate than before and started to braid my ponytail to get my mind off of it.

"You should come sit closer."

"Hmm, I wonder why that seems like a bad idea."

"Seriously. I won't try anything. Plus I'm cold," he added for good measure, and I could see a shiver that didn't look entirely fake.

"I'm probably no better," I muttered. "Even though I can't feel the cold, that doesn't mean I don't feel cold, you know?"

I thought he shook his head. "You're not. Just come here."

"No."
"Then I'll go over there. There's no sense in backing away, so stop it. You'll just run into a corner and be trapped."

I stopped my edging away and glared at him. "Stop sounding like a really experienced kidnapper."

"I would if I could." I hate you so much. "I don't get why you're hesitating so much. You have no reason to be afraid. Besides, I think being together in a small space is better than being alone."

I raised an eyebrow, even though he might not have been able to see it. "Of course you'd think that way." And of course he didn't understand why I was hesitating. I didn't want to be close to him. He was my enemy, and I didn't particularly enjoy sitting that close to anyone. My thoughts were completely dashed when I looked up from staring at the ground and saw him right in front of me. On all fours, as if he had just crawled over, holding his cell phone next to his face, and staring right at me. My heart seemed to pummel down to the pit of my stomach when I stared into his eyes that were so close I was almost going cross-eyes, with the way the light reflected in their near-black surface and seemed to smolder like blue flames.

"Why did you suddenly get all red?" He asked, inching closer still with a smirk forming on his face.

If I thought I was overheating during the relay race, I was sorely mistaken. I had no choice but to look away from his persistent gaze and could only stutter, "Y-y-you're not s-s-supposed to bring your phone h-here."

He actually laughed at my expense, which made me both completely mortified and angry. "Right. I'll turn it off then." He did as promised, plunging the room into complete and utter darkness.

After a few moments of being suffocated by the pitch black room, and being pestered by his presence right in front of me that emanated nothing but warmth, I mumbled, "Turn it back on." The screen lit up again, showing me that his smirk had become a toothy grin.

"That's what I thought," he said, and retreated back to sit against the wall where he had originally been. He raised his eyebrows at me, beckoning me over, and I hesitated once more. But then I slowly crawled over and sat next to him, maintaining an obvious distance. His eyebrow raised, but he remained silent, thankfully.

"How did you get locked in here, anyway?" He asked, settling more comfortably against the wall. He had returned to the position I saw him in originally and didn't bother making eye contact, which was fine with me. I'd rather not look into his again myself, of having that feeling of my heart completely stopping in my chest, almost like... enchantment.

I shook my head clear of the idea viciously and didn't bother concealing my bitterness. "Like I said, some girls that seem to have a problem with me walking on the same ground as you shoved me in here and locked the door. We're stuck until someone walks by."

"What a thrill."

"Shut your mouth." I didn't care if he was being sarcastic or not; the low tone of his voice still managed to make heat rise to my cheeks. "You'd better hope you just had a break when you were sleeping in here and not skipping out on an event. You'll be in trouble otherwise."

His mouth stretched into another wide yawn. "Doesn't matter to me. This is the first year I've really done something like this. It requires more effort than I usually give."

And so the recurring question of why he chose to participate this year and not any others popped up again. "Why are you doing it now?" I asked, still not making eye contact. I tried to direct my thoughts away from his warmth beside me, from his lithe form that made my hands clench into fists, by thinking how I wanted to let my hair down. I didn't like having it up too often. It left me feeling too open, to exposed.

But the distraction failed miserably when I began to wonder why he was taking his time answering. When I finally let my gaze travel over to where he sat, my eyes widened in surprise to find that he looked slightly troubled. "Dunno," he said, and I groaned at the noncommittal response. "Maybe I thought I could stir up some trouble."

I responded immediately without even looking at him. "I wouldn't let you," I said. "Whatever X-Eggs you tear out from those poor kids and want to break, I'll stop you. That's my job."

"But it's not only that," he interjected suddenly, making me flinch. "You have your own reasons for wanting to purify them, don't you?"

Our gazes met for the first time since the last, and neither of us tore away. His expression was blank while mine was narrowed and suspicious. "So do you," I said, and the only change in his face was his eyes blinking quickly. But it was enough for me to know I was right. "You have your own reasons for working for Easter."

"Touché," he murmured, and my breath caught. I was shocked to find out how relieved I was to hear that, at how my heart settled into such a peaceful rate. He wasn't completely evil. He was doing this for a reason, whatever that reason was. The darkness that had previously clouded my vision of him began to filter away, bit by bit. Idly, I wondered if it would one day clear away completely.

"I'm tired," he groaned, and I snorted.

"I can tell."

"I have an idea."

Suddenly I was inching away from him again. "I don't want to hear it."

"Oh, but I think you do. See, I'm really tired..."

My mantra of "No, no, no, no..." seemed to go completely unheard when I was eventually backed into a corner, like he prophesized, and he crawled right after me, a smile breaking out on his face like a cat finally cornering an evasive mouse. My heart fell into a completely panicked frenzy, but then stopped suddenly when his side pressed against mine and his head fell on my shoulder.

I immediately tried shoving him off, but he wasn't moving. "Get offa me," I hissed, my dialect forming more from embarrassment than anger. I had never, ever been that close with a boy before and it seemed to be giving me severe organ failures. "I'm not yer damn pillow!"

He only nuzzled further onto my shoulder, and I sucked in a completely shocked gasp. There was a small click as he turned off his phone again, and we were plunged into darkness once more. That only made me feel all the more suffocated, completely smothered by the feel of him pressing up against me. Was it normal to feel this way? To crave more touching from another person? There was this squirming feeling in the pit of my stomach, one I had no idea what to do with, but all I knew was that I had to get him off of me. I felt like crying, like screaming, the feeling you get when you're about to charge at full speed down a huge drop on a roller coaster. He was so warm, despite his earlier claims of being cold. His hair was soft, softer than I'd ever imagined a guy's to be, and it tickled my neck so gently I froze.

"Lemme sleep," was all he said, but it was enough to make me attempt to shove him off again.

"Stop it!" I quipped, sick of not being able to see anything and being left alone with my thoughts and feelings. This was ridiculous. Why was he making such obvious attempts to tease and flirt with me when he already had someone else to do it with? Someone who wasn't his sworn enemy?

I relented with a massive groan and hissed, "I hate you."

"I know," he murmured, his voice more gentle than before. It frustrated me that I couldn't see his expression, because then I would've known that just because he sounded sad didn't mean he really was.

"Why can't you just sleep over there? As a matter of fact, why do you have to sleep at all?"

I felt him shrug against me, which made a rush of lightning ignite in every vein. "I'm tired? You're far more comfortable than the floor, obviously, but..."

His hesitation piqued my interest. What could've been wrong? What was it about me that made him uncomfortable? I didn't see why it should've bothered me, but it ignited my concern. "But what?"

"You're getting a bit hot, don't you think?"

"GET OFFA ME!"
"Nah, I'm staying. I didn't say it was a bad thing."

But I was. I kept shifting uncomfortably against his head, and he kept grunting at me to stop it. I couldn't help it. The pressure of his head on my shoulder, the very presence of his body so close to mine, made me feel uncomfortable... but not in a bad way, which was the worst part. In a self-conscious way. In a way I shouldn't have been feeling towards an Easter employee who had shattered people's dreams in front of me.

Yet I did.

How could it have come so easily to him? To look so blank as he did it? He must have done it often to craft an expression of such... nothing. That bothered me even more than witnessing it. What was really going on with Ikuto Tsukiyomi? Why was he doing this right now, especially when he should have been making every attempt to stay away from me.

"You smell nice," he whispered, his voice smothered and amplified in a different way by the darkness. The comment made me flush, and I nearly slapped myself for feeling grateful that I had put on body spray.

"It's vanilla," I said flatly, shifting again.

He ignored it. "Did you know that the scent of vanilla is a libido enhancer?"

Never in my life had I shoved someone so roughly before. But all it did was exert a laugh from him as I flushed and fumbled for a response. "YOU'D BETTER SHUT YOUR FREAKING MOUTH!"

"I like your reactions," he explained simply, completely nonchalantly resting his head on my shoulder again. "They're like the sea. They're so calm sometimes, but when provoked by changes in the weather, they roar up and make people scream." When I was stricken into horrified silence, he added, "It's funny."

"Well, I'd appreciate it if you'd stop it," I grumbled, but I couldn't deny it either. He was right. But I had never had such large swings in my mood before. He really was the type of person who could crawl under anyone's skin and make them squirm.

"Not a chance." I just sighed at his response, and moments of silence ticked by in the darkness. Slowly, very slowly, I began to actually feel comfortable the way we were, with his right leg, arm, and his head pressed against me. I felt... at ease. I noticed I hadn't once thought of everything I had earlier, the things that made the ice explode from me like a time bomb, simply because he had distracted me so well. And for that I was grateful.

Very quietly, so much even I had to strain to hear him, he whispered, "Snow."

The sound of his voice muffled by the darkness made me feel the need to shiver, but I held it back so he didn't feel it or my weakness. "Yeah?"

"Why do people have dreams?"

The question shocked me for a very long time. What right did he, one who took dreams away from people, have to ask me that? Why would he even want to know? And what made him think I knew? Because I didn't. I questioned why I seemed to have remaining dreams every day. But the question was still entirely valid, considering the entire Shugo Chara mess we were involved in. I surprised myself by relaxing against the wall and him, distracted yet again. Why did people have dreams? What purpose did it serve? Why were they there if they never seemed to work out?

"Probably because people need something to believe in," I murmured.

I felt him smile against my shoulder.

And then I heard his breathing slow and fall into a more relaxed state. He had actually fallen asleep. I didn't think it was possible for someone to do that so easily, but there was living proof right next to me. And my eyes began to suddenly feel heavy as well, as if an invisible weight was pressing against them. I felt so serene, so much warmer than I did sleeping all by myself in my near-empty apartment. Maybe this was what it felt like to have someone sleep beside you, like your parents or a close friend. Completely comfortable, and... safe.

My breathing lulled into a more relaxed pace, matching with his perfectly. I had been up rather late last night, worrying over today. But now that those worries were virtually meaningless, well... it was easy to fall into a short cat nap, especially with one sleeping trustingly beside me.

}{

The awakening was quite rude, especially since the light suddenly burned into my eyes.

I rarely ever felt completely groggy, but right then, I wanted to roll over and shut out everything and fall right back into a dreamless land of serenity. The pressing warmth beside me made that all the more tempting, as did the feeling of silk against my cheek. But then my mind actually began to work. Light? Silk against my cheek? What was going on?

The door was open.

I gasped and wrenched myself awake to find that my head had fallen against Ikuto's in my completely uncalled for nap, and he didn't even budge. He still slept soundly against me, warm and comfortable. And above me was all the Guardians gawking down at us.

"W-w-w-wait," I stammered, trying to get up but weighed down again by the heavy teenager. "This isn't anything, I swear. We were just locked in here together and-"

"Snowcchi," Yaya-san hissed, sounding horrified but intrigued all at once. I looked up in shock to see that she was blushing. "You're so bold."

"No, nothing really-"

"What's... going on..." groaned Ikuto's deep voice from beside me, and I shoved him off again, succeeding since he was still weak from sleep. "Just when I was having a nice dream, too..." His eyes opened groggily, and the scarlet afternoon light streaming in through the door made them seem almost violet. Then they blinked in full awakening and he just said, "Oh."

"Yeah," I grumbled. "Oh."

Tadase-kun was absolutely livid. He was shaking so much I thought his skinn form would shatter. "Just what is going on h-"

Before I could say anything, Ikuto was standing and walking off. "It was me," he said, rubbing the back of his neck the way he did when I first found him. "I trapped her in there with me to get some Guardian secrets out of her." The other Guardians around me gasped and glared at him, but I was shocked into a cold, foreboding silence. What was he saying? That wasn't what had happened at all! "But she ended up saying nothing at all, and we both just fell asleep with nothing to talk about." He threw a smug glance over his shoulder, his smile made from the most freezing of ice. "She sure was warm, Tadase. Try not to be too jealous."

And then he walked so far away from me he only became a shadow.

Tadase-kun visibly calmed down once he had left, his shoulders mellowing out and his expression turning to concern. "Are you alright, Hisayuki-san?" He asked me, his voice tender, along with the hand he rested on my shoulder.

No, I wasn't. There must've been something wrong with my expression, because all the Guardians suddenly looked worried. I knew that it was completely blank, as closed off as the fortress of ice inside of me. I had a feeling why he had lied like that, why he had changed so much from the guy that kept teasing and snuggling against me in the darkness. He was covering from me, so the Guardians didn't know how comfortable I had been with him, an enemy. So they didn't become suspicious of me.

He was only playing the bad guy

I smiled at Tadase-kun and said, "I'm completely fine. He really only asked me questions. He didn't do anything." The less I said, the less obvious it would be that I was lying, that I was secretly reaching my heart out to wherever he had gone. It was the first time ever that I wanted to talk to him, to hear his voice and sort everything out. I wanted to tell him what I already knew all too well: playing the bad guy only made everyone suffer. It provided no benefits, despite what he thought.

"What time is it?" I asked, rubbing my eyes gently so not as to smudge my mascara.

Kukai-kun grunted and checked his watch. "Almost four. We have one more event and then it's the finale." His gaze when from concerned to the familiar, mischievous one I knew all too well. "Speaking of, Hisayuki, we have a favour to ask you."

I hugged myself in a suspicious shiver. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

}{

Stupid.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi could only continuously curse himself as he sat in the bleachers of Seiyo Academy's state-of-the-art indoor pool, caved in on himself in misery. What had he been thinking? He was so convinced that Snow Hisayuki was his enemy, was someone who he should stay away from at all costs, but anytime he saw those mysteriously coloured eyes of hers, it was hard to resist feeling a gravitational pull. She only dragged him down from the throne of thorns he rested comfortably upon, but he didn't particularly mind. What he minded was that he only made her bleed.

"Uwah," said his companions, Touma and Keigo, from either side of him. A hand clapped harshly against his back, and he tried not to lash out on his friend for annoying him when he was already repeatedly hitting himself. "I've never seen you so visibly depressed, man. Did something happen?"

"Chin up," Touma said, as spirited as the wily black hair on top of his head. "This is the Girl's Swimming Relay! You should be freaking psyched!"

His voice was muffled from having his head in his hands, but Ikuto murmured, "Do all girls smell nice?"

Keigo glanced at him in suspicion, since he was used to his friend being uninvolved with members of the opposite sex, but answered regardless. "That tends to be a trend of theirs, yes."

"Do they all have really soft hair?"

"Uh, maybe?"

"Are they all soft?"

"What the hell, man?" Touma was shivering in something like fear now, clutching his at his arms. "I've never heard you sound so into girls before. If this was anyone else, I'd think they'd just come back from a make-out session."

I wish. He immediately chased the thought away from the fiery recesses of his mind. No, he did not wish that. He was just agitated, was all. The feeling would pass soon, as it always did when he left her. He would return to feeling numb and cold, passing the days as just another dreamless figure in the streets.

Yoru, his cat Shugo Chara and only trustworthy companion, snickered from his shoulder. "Utau would definitely be mad if she knew you were getting turned on by another chick."

Ikuto's friends saw him merely rest his hand on his shoulder and start rolling it as if to chase away an ache, but in reality, he was smothering someone who was getting too annoying to handle.

The last of the students filed into the chlorine-smelling hall, each individual murmur evolving into a roar of excited voices eagerly awaiting the result of the last event. Ikuto kept repeating to himself that it was almost over, that soon he would be back in his home that might as well have been empty and away from the strange heat he was unused to feeling, and the idea stuck in his mind and gave him a sense of ease. Of the usual distatchment he felt. He was able to rest easily again, his posture returning to one of uninterest, even as the females clad in school-issue swimsuits filed from the locker room and some of the other guys around him hooted and hollered.

But then he saw a shock of pure white hair against Seiyo Academy's telltale red swimsuit and he wanted to throw himself out of the window.

They had to be kidding. Another girl was said to be in the lineup. But sure enough, Snow Hisayuki stood on the wall of the swimming pool, hands over her chest and weight shifted to one hip, looked irritated and begrudging. As if she had been forced into that. Whispers of what had happened- the other girl being injured in another event- flowed and rushed around him, as did irritating comments on all of the females. His leg bounced impatiently as Touma commented on how strange her white hair was, on how nice her legs were, and he attempted to drag his gaze away.

But something caught his eye as she idly flicked her hair over her shoulder.

Instead of irritated, he instead became curious. The school swimsuits covered as much skin as possible, front and back. However there was a slight dip in the fabric so they wouldn't be too inhibited from swimming, which allowed some insight to her pale, almost pallid back. Its pure white colouring made the two jagged lines of pink stand out spectacularly, and he was suddenly at a loss for words.

He knew what those were. Those were scars.

But why did she, of all people, have them?

They were on her back, so they couldn't have been self-inflicted, unless she was like a contortionist (which was both frightening yet fascinating at the same time). That could only mean that someone had intentionally wounded her, even if the aged looked of the scars implied that they were from long ago. Which meant they were inflicted when she was a child. Even though he knew he shouldn't, he couldn't help but feel undeniably angry. It wasn't his place to be so possessive, as if wounding her body was like wounding his own, but he couldn't help it. Every part of her, from her small shoulders to her soft hair the colour of ethereal snow, seemed so gentle yet fragile. Just like her unwavering electric violet eyes, there was a core of defiance and rebellion in her, but it lost to the kindness of her gaze. Someone who would want to hurt that fleeting, dream-like existence was no better than the demons the reverends at his school preached and warned about.

Keigo elbowed him in the side, and he managed to remain completely stoic and expressionless as he elbowed him back. "It's starting," his friend said, but all he could really focus on was Snow's expression.

She looked nervous. Frightened, even. There was no sign of that courage and determination she had during the relay race. Her tall, almost too-skinny body was rigid, a hunk of ice amidst the excitedly flushed, summer-like competitors. She had on a showy smile, but it was clearly wobbly and twitchy. Her eyes were steely, even from a distance, looking more blizzard blue than violet. The swimmers crouched into their dive-ready positions, looking completely professional in their swim caps and goggles, but Snow went without either. All of her hair probably wouldn't have fit in a cap, anyway, so she just kept it tied up, the way it was earlier.

The telltale whistle that signaled the start of the race trilled through the air, turning the hushed conversations into hooting roars of cheers and excitement. Keigo and Ikuto remained silent yet attentive as Touma stood and hooted at the girls flying through the air like winged fish and delicately splashing into the crystalline water.

Even Touma had to admit that it was hard to cheer for their own academy when they saw Snow Hisayuki in the water. It looked as if the water's persistent consistency meant absolutely nothing to her. She flew straight through it all in a flash of white, her arms resurfacing like the blades of a wind turbine to pull her through. The coruscating surface of the water lit up against her body like a slip of translucent silk. It looked almost as if she was completely a part of it, with the way she moved in perfect sync with its rushed waves.

No one could remember the last time she came up for air.

Before anyone could bat an eyelash, she was pushing off the opposite side of the pool and shooting her way back to the starting point. The whistle was tweeting again as she touched the starting wall before anyone else, signifying both her class and Seiyo Academy had won the swimming race. She didn't bother waiting for the other competitors to finish; she clambered over the pool's wall and collapsed on all fours, her back heaving with laboured breath. Light tinkling sounds resounded through the air like the teasing of fairy bells as droplets of water slipped from her body and hair to the ground, as if turning solid before they fell.

Tadase Hotori materialized at her side out of nowhere, gently pulling her up by the arm, oblivious to his clothes rapidly wettening. Ikuto felt that detestable twist of envy curl up in his chest, but remained seated, fully aware she would never let him get so close to her again even if he wanted to. He crossed his arms to try and prevent the incessant twitching in his hands. It helped only a fraction.

However, it proved to be futile when she flashed a sharp-toothed white smile at the younger blonde boy. He released her arm but remained notably close and returned the gesture, leaving Ikuto to twitch and wonder how the hell he could stand in front of her like that and not let his eyes go astray. He knew for certain that he didn't have that kind of self-restraint. Maybe that was his problem. Tadase was a saint, and he clearly was not. He blew out an exaggerated breath that sounded more like a laugh, which earned his friends' attention.

"That Guardian chick is good," Touma commented oh-so-helpfully. Like I didn't know that already, Ikuto thought in response with a roll of his eyes. "Good-looking, that is." He twitched. "I wonder where she came from. She's too... I dunno, Albino-ish to be from here." As if hearing the comment, her head swiveled over to glare in our direction, and he shut up with a nervous grin.

New Orleans, Ikuto remembered idly, which didn't make too much sense, either. But it didn't really matter to him. She turned his life into a flurried snow storm from the moment they met, regardless of wherever she fell from. He felt sorely tempted to laugh at the joke, but it was meaningless without her there to scowl but attempt to hide a smile at the same time.

At that moment, she smoothed her wet bangs back from her face and laughed at something Tadase had said, which made her big eyes sparkle and Touma fan his face as he stared unabashedly at her. But he missed what Ikuto didn't even need to squint to see. She was laughing to cover up how scared she was. He knew because her eyes were almost too big, and she was shivering, despite earlier claims of not being able to feel the cold. It was possible she was afraid of the water, but was unable to turn down an oppurtunity to help someone injured.

"Whatever X-Eggs you tear out from those poor kids and want to break, I'll stop you. That's my job."

It definitely seemed like something she would do.

Iktuo blinked slowly, almost tiredly at her, observing in a way only a cat could. She was interesting, if nothing else. A walking contradiction. And she really got on Utau's nerves, which would be prove to be more entertaining than anything.

Staying away from her was pointless, it seemed. She always seemed to find him instead, whether it was by coincidence or because she was interfering with his work. And besides, those being smothered by darkness naturally attracted to the light. He might as well stay and play for a while, since the invitation was so... tantalizing.

"Whoa, Ikuto's smiling," Touma gasoed from beside him. He leaned in closer, a slightly lustful flush covering his cheeks as he scanned each swimmer emerge from the water and towel off. "See something you like?"

"Yeah," Ikuto murmured, his smirk growing. "I do."

}{

I hated the water.

People probably thought the exact opposite when they saw me swim, flashing before their eyes and away before they could barely see. I was a natural with the water, as I had been ever since I was a child. But that was only because I couldn't wait to be out of it. It was more than mere contempt that I felt towards it, it was unfiltered fear. Not fear of something mundane like drowning, of losing your breath and being completely aware that there was no way you could escape the prison that made you slowly sink. No, it was more than that.

It was the feeling I got whenever I dove in. The feeling that, the second I broke through the surface, the water and I were one entity. Of belonging, of never wanting to resurface and face the day again because I could live in it forever. To me, it actually felt possible to become a part of it completely, to lose a physical form altogether and just float along. And that frightened me more than anything, the thought of not being in control of my own body, of having it whisked away from me. Even in pools, I would always envision phantom hands made from the very water I was in stretching out towards me, readying to drag me down and never release me from its depths again.

Not to mention that I could feel the water solidifying into ice around me.

When I clumsily threw myself out of Seiyo Academy's turquoise pool, reeking of chlorine that made my nose scream for help, every droplet of water that slicked off of me had formed into teardrops of ice before hitting the ground. Now I had even more reason to be afraid. None of the comfort I felt with Ikuto earlier that day was with me then. Not even when Tadase-kun helped me up and worriedly asked me if I was alright. I could only force a smile and lie.

I must've been a master of false bravado, though, since I was able to remain calm yet enthusiastic during the small parade and winner's ceremony. Though Mayosu students were filled with nothing but bitterness with the announcement of Seiyo Academy's overall win, and my class' win within it. There was uproarious cheers and cries of rejoice, and the prize was my greatest dream made real: free cafeteria meals for a month. Yuzuhara was in tears. "Manly tears," he'd announced as he wiped them away.

Afterwards was drinking. And by drinking, I meant Sprite and Coca-Cola was passed around to everyone who wanted it by the Guardians and teachers. Everyone cheered and toasted like it was the lottery, and no one felt the least bit tempted to try and slip any alcohol in with all five Guardians lurking nearby. We had stationed ourselves under the same shady willow tree we had at lunch, with a picnic blanket this time, watching all the other students and making idle conversation as the sky quickly began to glow in lights of red and gold.

After the swimming race, I had let my hair down to dry without getting all kinky. It tickled my face as the refreshing autumn breeze blew through the grounds and made the trees leaves quiver in a comfortable swishing sound of nature. It was nice to see every students aglow with excitement and accomplishment, regardless of whether they won or lost. Laughter was all that was to be heard around the campus, and for the first time, it felt like all the stress of the week had finally bled away into the moments of the gorgeous sunset glowing over the horizon, beyond all of the tall buildings to be seen from the top of the hill Seiyo Academy was stationed on. Everything had been set ablaze with nature's light, even my own smile. My heart was filled with a swelling warmth that could only mean one thing: true happiness.

Despite everything, no X-Eggs had been released that day, either.

...Then why were Ikuto and Utau-san even here?

I let more Coke slide fizzily down my throat to cool my rapidly heating face. I would never, ever, ever admit to it out loud, but... I was the slightest bit glad that they were. It made things all the more fun and interesting, and... Ikuto may not have been as bad as I originally presumed. My positive mood was cooled down a bit when I recalled how he had made himself into even more of a bad guy for my sake. Why had he done it? Why not just let me take the fall?

Because that's how he shows his kindess, a small voice in the back of my head whispered. My mouth twitched into another smile, warmer than before, when I realized how much of a bullseye that probably was, regardless of whether or not he was my enemy.

To shake my mind off of it, I unfolded myself from my cross-legged position and stood with a cat-like stretch. "I'm gonna patrol around a bit," I told the Guardians after a short yawn. "Just to make sure no one's getting into trouble."

Kukai-kun lifted his Sprite in a toast to me. "All the more power to ya, Hisayuki."

I grinned at all of them. "See you in a bit."

The yellowing grass swished underneath my feet as I practically skipped around the campus, glancing left and right to make sure nothing was getting too out of hand. I waved at those who greeted me, and thanked every "congratulations" I received for my class winning the events. The good vibe I had going must've been rubbing off on my Shugo Chara, because they seemed to be playing games of their own, flitting around and giggling like very miniature children.

"Did you guys have fun today?" I asked them, my voice muffled by the plastic cup pressed against my lips.

"Yeah, lots!" Lilith squeeled, wheeling through the air with a happy face that strongly resembled an emoticon.

"But it wasn't as fun without you there," Satsuki sighed, her little lips slipped into a pout. Even her pigtails seemed droopy in disappointment.

My heart stuttered and swelled at the looks on their faces, like they had actually missed me for all the hours we were apart. "You're the cutest things ever," I hissed, crushing the empty plastic cup in my hand from being overwhelmed by their adorableness. After a moment of contemplation, reflecting on everything that had spun and twisted my mind in the sports equipment room, I added some words that I hadn't said in years: "And I love you guys."

There was a moment of stunned silence as they all stopped in midair and I hurried my pace, embarrassed with the completely unfamiliar words coming from my mouth. But then all three of them were hugging my face and near-sobbing, saying, "We love you, too!"

I felt even more filled with joy than ever before to hear those words. We were all giggling together, almost like a family, as we rounded the far left corner of the school, the one that showed the walkway that lead to the Royal Garden. But then I completely halted my pace and ducked behind the wall as soon as I saw the three people that stood there, a completely unlikely bunch that, for some reason, I thought would never cross paths.

All of us were hushed as we observed the scene unfolding before us, Ikuto slouching against the red-bricked wall as Deryn and Will stood before him, Will completely at ease and smiling while Deryn seemed rigid and the sunshine made her hair glow completely gold. She was staring him down hardcore and he looked right back just as blankly. I blinked innocently, wondering what on earth they were talking about.

"You're funny," Deryn said, which made me whip my head in her direction with shock written all over my face. "You're probably the type of guy who thinks he's just a bundle of danger that only hurts those whoever gets near him. But in reality, you have no idea of how dangerous what you desire actually is."

Ikuto raised his eyebrows, looking both confused and amused. "Oh? And what would that be?"

"Her."

He didn't seem to need any indication of who she was talking about, but I did. But it wasn't like I could just pop out and demand to know who they were talking about, especially since I wasn't supposed to care, anyway. His expression turned from being interested to sardonic. "What makes you think that?"

"She's my friend," Deryn explained, her gaze completely headstrong and boring into him. "I know. And I saw the way you looked at her during the race."

Ikuto just kept firing her questions back at her, whether he really wanted to know or if he was buying time beyond me. "How, exactly, was I looking at her?"

Deryn pondered for a moment. "You look at her the way I look at William," she said finally, indicating the tall boy standing beside her. "Like you want to treasure her more than anything... but also like she's something to eat."
"D-Deryn," Will gasped, his face turning as red as the setting sun. "You aren't supposed to say stuff like that out loud. I'll get embarrassed." Ikuto looked kind of disgusted as he watched the two of them get all shy around each other, and I imagined that my expression was quite similar. They really should've saved stuff like that for when they were alone.

"Shut up or I'll suck you dry," she said back, completely point-blank.

Everyone's jaw was shot off from their heads. Even Ikuto looked astounded at what she had said, his eyes wide and mouth slack in shock. Will, on the other hand, just giggled like a sheepish little girl. "That," Lilith hissed from beside me, her face matching her red hair, "was the biggest innuendo I've ever heard."

"That wasn't an innuendo," Vivian choked back. "She just said it."

"I'm leaving," Ikuto said abruptly, turning in the opposite direction with the most bewildered expression on his face. I almost laughed at how much it didn't suit him, but tried to remain as quiet as possible so no one would know how embarrassed I was just to be hearing this conversation.

"Wait," Deryn called, and he stopped, his back to her. She placed her hands stubbornly on her hips, but her mouth screwed up in the way that indicated she was trying really hard not to smile. "I suggest you be careful around her. Sometimes she can get a little too cold. And even though you don't know us, trust us when we say that you're getting in way over your head."

"Why do you care so much, anyway?" He asked, a breeze blowing through his hair and making it seem more blue than black in the sunlight.

She shrugged. "Like I said, we're friends. And there are lots of things in the world no one can understand." For the first time ever, I saw her mouth screw up into a haughty smirk, as if she was referring to herself. "Things beyong even your all-mighty comprehension, and they're bloodthirsty for thrills."

He was silent for a long time, remaining completely still as he seemed to mull over what she said. "I'll keep that in mind," he finally muttered, and stalked off to be alone again.

Which left me standing with my back against the wall, more confused and befuddled than ever.

Crimrose: Wow, things got hella hot in there.

Snow:... I feel dirty.

Crimrose: Good. This gives me entertainment. Aren't Deryn and Will funny? I find them more comedic relief than anything.

Will: Deryn's a lot less innocent than she looks. Wait- that's not entirely right. She just doesn't understand when she makes an innuendo.

Deryn: Because my intelligence is above that.

Will: Also because she's like that.

Ikuto: You guys a riot. I love intruding on these conversations for this very reason.

Snow: *shoves his head* You weren't invited.

Crimrose: Anyway. I still haven't got the next chapter very planned out yet. I mean, I could continue on with the main Shugo Chara story line from the manga, or I could put in some Cross Iced versions of the filler episodes from the anime. I might have to re-watch it all. *weeps*

Snow: It's your own fault for starting something that requires so much work. They don't even know there's two story lines-

Crimrose: YOU SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH YOU FREAKING DINK.

Everyone: *stunned silence*

Crimrose: Ahem. So. Tell me what you think should happen next to help the next chapter come along faster! And, as always, reviews are appreciated! See you next time!

Ikuto: You know what I think?

Snow: Uh-oh.

Ikuto: I think Snow and I should get locked in a closet again. Topless.

Snow: HOW ARE YOU NOT ASHAMED TO SAY THINGS LIKE THAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND