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...

11. Chapter X- The Wrath of the Gods

Awww yeah, not even two weeks this time! Though I just barely made the mark...

I just want to thank all my new viewers and reviewers SO MUCH for liking this story and going to far as to favourite it! IT'S SUCH AN INDESCRIBABLE FEELING AND IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME THAT CROSS ICE IS SO LOVED AND JUST THANK YOU SO MUCH!

I'll give a fair warning; this chapter is slightly on the darker, more gruesome side. That's saying something considering Snow's whole mother situation, so READER BEWARE!

Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara.

~Crimrose

Chapter X

The Wrath Of The Gods

"Be more gentle," Lilith scolded, looking like she was about ready to rip all of her hair out and shove it down my throat. "Like cradling the neck of a newborn baby, not snapping it in two!"

My jaw fell slack, and I dropped my outstretched hands. "That's horrible! How could you even think to make a comparison like that?!"

Her golden eyes snapped and flickered beneath pure crimson lashes, a fire with excessive amounts of gas being added to it. "It's not my fault that you can't handle things delicately! Try again! If you ever want to be able to control this, you need to learn how to control yourself first!"

"Alright, alright, already!" I snapped as I raked my bangs away from my face and aggravation. I had done as such so much throughout our lesson that my French braid was in a horrid dissary of white, sticking out in every direction like a snowflake. "I got it. Stop pressuring me." When she glared at me after that last part, I looked away and pretended I hadn't said anything.

Vivian and Satsuki heaved synchronized sighs from the modern glass coffee table as they watched Lilith trying to teach me how to control my ice abilities on the Sunday after the sports' festival, clearly as frustrated with me as she was. It was immesenly difficult to go about controlling something you didn't even understand, like a person with schizophrenia trying to maintain a calm environment at all times and relaxing into who they were. Actually, "control" might've been too harsh a word; it was more like she was trying to teach me new ways to formulate the ice, as if she was trying to get me to accept it rather than get rid of it. Well, that wasn't happening. I hated to be stubborn, but I couldn't take yet another oddity to make things even more difficult than they already were.

"Try it again," Lilith repeated, her voice more gentle this time. "I know it's hard, but this is for the greater good."

"Remind me again what exactly I'm supposed to be doing," I emphasized, slapping my hand on the table twice. "I can't know unless you're precise."

She rolled her eyes heavenward, then they came to rest on me again sardonically. "Like I don't know that already. Alright," she began, showing me what to do with her own hands, "extend your dominant hand forward, with your palm facing up. Keep it as straight as possible, but make sure it's not tense. It needs to be relaxed, to be gentle to get the effect we're going for."

I obeyed the first set of instructions, sliding a slightly suspicious glance down to her small figure reflected on the glass table. "And what effect are we going for, again?"

This time all of them rolled their eyes- even Satsuki. "We're trying to create you," she said.

I blinked.

"Snow," she explained with a heavy groan. "We're going to try and create snow- or snowflakes, more like. If we tried to just make outright snow, we'd probably need to be shovelled out of the apartment."

"I resent that," I quipped, swivelling my head to glare at her. "I can't be that out of control."

"You have no idea," she hissed, closing her eyes in frustration. It slightly got on my nerves that she was acting like she was so much older and mature than I was- when in reality she had been born only about three weeks ago. I slipped my lips into a frustrated pout, but she completely ignored it. "Let me say this: this power of yours didn't come from nowhere. It's been lying dormant inside of you for your entire life. The more you try to repress it, the worse it becomes to try and control it. It may seem impossible but..." Her golden eyes darkened to the shade of amber, simmering just underneath the surface as if being melted. "Your power, it... it kind of wants to be released, you know? The more you prevent that from happening, the more it pushes against you until..."

She didn't even need to finish. The power would keep pushing me until I wouldn't be in this unstable state anymore; I wouldn't be able to control it at all. I imagined sitting in the Royal Garden, surrounded by the people I cared about, cheerful and without a care in the world, and suddenly they were cloaked in an impossibly thick layer of ice that would keep them eternally frozen. I shivered, as if it was already trying to break out.

It was difficult for me to think that I've had this power for my entire life. Why did it manifest now, of all times? Why not when I was a child, and even more incapable of controlling it? Especially since my emotions were so irregular back then. It didn't make sense. Maybe it was only happening now because I needed a reason for self-defense; I was all by myself in this city, without family or anywhere to run if things turned awry. It made sense... but somehow left me with a sense of insecurity.

"Are you listening?" Lilith demanded, snapping me back into attention. I smiled innocently at her, and she rolled her eyes again. "Pay attention! Okay, now that you have your hand in the right place, focus on positioning your body just right. Puff out your chest and strain it- no, you're just making your boobs pop out." I snorted, but inhaled a deep breath and forced my torso to be rigid, as if keeping something captive inside of me. My chest immediately began to ache from forcing it so much, but Lilith was nodding in approval. "Good. Now breathe deeply, until you can feel it absolutely fill your lungs to their capacity."

"I don't see how this is helping me make snow," I said skeptically, but followed her orders, nonetheless.

"You'll see. Be patient."

"I don't want to hear that from you."

Her calm, sensei-like tempermant finally snapped. "DO YOU WANT TO LEARN OR NOT?" She screeched, her red hair actually flying loose from its bat clip and flying everywhere like splattered red paint. I maintained my position even though I felt oh-so-tempted to burst out laughing. "SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH, THEN! NOW TENSE UP YOUR HAND AND SPLAY IT AS IF YOU'RE FORCING SOMETHING OUT OF IT!"

Vivian and Satsuki actually did burst out laughing at their sister's frazzled disposition, and even I had to snicker as she huffed and puffed like an angry, tensed-up cat with its fur sticking on end. However, I did try what she told me to do, remembering to try and be gentle. This was supposed to be a snowflake, after all. They melted just from touching someone's hand as they drifted from the sky in a silent, hypnagogic fashion. Trying to make one from nothing, well... it seemed impossible, let alone increasingly fragile. But I had to try.

Without needing Lilith to tell me, I tensed my hand along with the rest of my body, as if I was physically expelling something from it. In a weird sort of way, it kind of felt like trying to make yourself throw up, but when I splayed my fingers wide, I could feel something. When I thought of snow lazily drifting from the sky, blanketing the world in nothing but white, I got lost in the fascination. Each and every snowflake was different, piling on top of one of another to make patterns on the ground so intricate that no unaided eye would ever be able to see them.

Suddenly, it felt as though a wound had opened right on the palm of my hand, and even though I knew it wasn't real, it felt like blood was pooling inside of it and covering my hand in its warm, sticky liquid. Sparks of heat kept igniting all along the nerves of my fingertips and palm, and I was almost afraid to open my eyes, which I had closed in concentration. But when I heard all three of the girls suck in a collective breath, I dared a glance at what was happening.

The second my eyes opened, they widened in a stricken kind of wonder. I did it! It was small, and intensely fragile, but there were tiny sparks of translucent blue twinkling on my fingertips and palm like tiny stars, seeming to float right up from my skin. A teeny white snowflake followed, its pattern looking like an elegant spiderweb dragged down by condensation, but it was there, twisting and twirling off my skin as if it had been resting there my whole life.

I couldn't help it. "Ohmigosh ohmigosh ohmigosh ohmigosh," I gasped, fanning the hand that wasn't holding a small miracle in it on my face. "I did it ohmigosh look it's a widdle snowflake!"

"We see it," Satsuki squealed, her voice turning into excited little giggles. Mine quickly followed as I dared to move my hand slightly, leaving the sparkles to drift to the ground and leave little frost patterns wherever they touched on the floor that evaporated soon after. More snowflakes drifted up from my skin, and I was sounding more and more like a very small and excited monkey by the second.

This power frightened me. I was afraid of being unable to control it, of hurting people with it. But it felt as if a whole new world had opened up to me at the same time, one of ethereal snow and triumph. It was beautiful, and trembling, wavering in front of my vision like a dream, but it was there. As much a part of me as my unique eyes and vividly white hair.

I twisted my palm so it faced outward, and even more little snowflakes flew out from it, a miniature blizzard right in my apartment. I kept sucking in breaths that sounded like the yelps of puppies, flushing with excitement and smiling like a child that had made the biggest discovery of their life. My Shugo Chara flew up from the table and went to go twirl around in it, making the entire scene seem like a tiny, airborne dance.

Vivian was shivering. "It's cold," she chuckled, clutching her rabbit to her chest. "It's real snow, alright."

Before I could start outright screaming in pure delight, there was a brisk knock at the door.

Everything fell apart as if made of glass. I jerked out of my focused position and the snow stopped falling, melting into a small puddle on the floor. I quickly grabbed a throw pillow and threw it on top, too rushed to grab a towel, and the girls floundered about as they tried to dry themselves from the melting snow.

I was rushing to the door before I could even think of who it may be. Since I had moved here, I hadn't gotten a single visitor, a sad but unavoidable truth. In a way, it felt kind of nice to be wrapped in complete solitude like this, with only my little housemates to worry about, but I couldn't deny the excitement I felt wondering who it could've been. My heart began to flutter, and I stopped right before the door to smooth back my hair and make it look like I hadn't just been doing something so uplifting it felt like I had become enlightened.

I poked my head just outside of the door in case it was someone who I really didn't know, and said, "Hello?" Only to find Kukai-kun's face peering into mine with a smug grin. My face contorted into shock as he ripped the door from my hands and invited himself in, the rest of the Guardians following close behind.

"Wh-wh-what are you guys doing here?" I stammered, closing the door behind them.

"We wanted to see what your place looked like!" Yaya-san giggled, bouncing around the glossy wood floors. "It's so nice! Like a desinger cataloge!"
"You have really good taste," Nadeshiko-san agreed, picking up one of the light blue throw pillows with floral brown stitching.

"Well thank you," I muttered, flushing slightly with the compliments. "But seriously, what are you guys doing here? It couldn't have been just to hang out."

Kukai-kun deftly avoided the question again. "Did you know they have a freaking indoor pool here? And a games room, too! Why the heck didn't you tell us?"

I leaned against the wall by the door and sighed. "That stuff costs a membership, and I'm not gonna bother if I just work and go to school all day."

Tadase-kun smiled at me, though I noticed it seemed kind of melancholy. "You work hard all the time," he murmured, leaning on the wall next to me. My heart began thundering in my chest when I noticed we were eye-level, but he still had the figure of a guy. "It must be hard."

"It's alright," I said with a smile. "I was the one who wanted to live alone and still go to school. I wouldn't have done it if I thought I couldn't handle it."

He chuckled, and made my face burn bright red when he placed a hand on my head and ruffled my hair slightly. I should've been annoyed that he was treating me like I was younger than him, but I really didn't mind. "What a good girl." Okay, now I was slightly annoyed that he was talking to me like I was some pet.

"Anyway, there was a reason that we came here," Kukai-kun continued, making himself right at home by parking his butt on the couch. "Today is the Guardian's meeting of the week."

Of course I had remembered, but... I was taken aback slightly by what he was suggesting. "You want to have it here? You should've called me! I would've cleaned up a bit!"

All of them looked at the perfectly meticulous apartment and asked, "Clean up what?"

I crossed my arms and huffed. "You know what I mean."

But Kukai-kun just laughed it off with a dismissive wave of his hand. "The thought was tempting, but no, we weren't thinking of having it here."

My eyebrows crinkled. "Then where?"

"The weather's really getting colder," Tadase-kun said suddenly from beside me. "We thought that, before it isn't warm anymore, we should go out for a picnic or something. As a belated sort-of celebration for your becoming a Guardian."

My grin broaded as an excited flush livened my cheeks. "A picnic? Really?" He nodded, already smiling back. "That does sound fun! But how will we get there?"

A snort sounded from the couch. I rolled my eyes towards Kukai-kun, who was smirking like Tadase-kun during a Character Change. "I can drive, Hisayuki," he said.

"What?!"

"No need to sound so surprised." Now he just looked offended. "I have a liscense and all. The truck may be a bit shabby, but..."

"A bit shabby?" Yaya-san demanded, her carrot-coloured eyebrows peaking. "That thing's a piece of crap. I thought we were gonna die on our way over here."

"Shut your mouth," he hissed back. "Betty is beautiful and works like a champ."

He glared over at me when I started laughing. Through my snickers, I asked him, "You named your truck Betty? How awful is that?"

"Not at all, thank you." He settled further into the couch, tucking his arms behind his head. "Do you want to go or not? I doubt Betty will feel like driving you if you're just going to be a bitch about it."

I rolled my eyes yet again. "Yes, I'd love to go. I still wish you would have told me in advance." My mouth slipped into a pout. "I would've made something."

"Who needs homemade when we've got store-bought?"

My gasp sounded like that of a dying animal's as I reeled back in shock. "How dare you?" I demanded. "You have no right to say that here!"

"Nobody expects you to make us lunch," Tadase-kun chuckled. "You work yourself too hard as it is. It's fine to treat yourself just for the day."

I bit my lip and winced when he said "make lunch", for it reminded me of something. "You know, I actually may not be able to go." When his brow wrinkled in concern, I tried to explain. "You see, I already promised-"

With impeccable timing, another knock sounded at the door, this one almost hesitant. I looked at them apologetically and went to receive my newest guest, who I had already known would be coming. I opened the door fully this time, allowing Lee inside without needing an introduction. He smiled at me, adult-like but charming at the same time. "Hello, Miss Snow," he said as he stepped in. But he dropped the pretense when he saw that I already had four guests who were staring at him like google-eyed amphibians. "Oh, was I interrupting something? Sorry, I can-"

"No, no, it's okay," I laughed nervously, gesturing him to come inside. He obeyed, but his steps were careful and measured, like he didn't trust any of them. "They were just inviting me out for a picnic."

"Oh!" He looked at me with an apologetic smile. "Please feel free to go! I don't want you to miss out on fun times with your friends on my behalf."

Kukai-kun seemed to have gotten his voice back, for he leapt up from the couch and demanded, "Hisayuki, is this your boyfriend?" Tadase-kun jerked at the word and looked at me pleadingly, and I instantly felt guilty and the need to explain.

"Of course not!" Lee and I said at the same time with identical red faces. "This is my next door neighbour, Lee," I murmured, and he waved half-heartedly in response. "I said I'd make him lunch today, because apparently his cooking skills leave much to be desired."

His broad shoulder shrugged underneath his black vee-neck sweater. "What can I say," he chuckled nervously. "I've never been one of culinary prowess."

"We can wait!" Yaya-san cried cheerfully, her smile blindingly bright. "It shouldn't take too long, right?"

"Yes, of course," Nadeshiko-san agreed before I could say anything. "It's our fault for coming here unannounced, after all."

"Is that alright with you, Hisayuki-san?" Tadase-kun hedged gently, giving me plenty of freedom to say no. My heart swelled at the hopeful look on his face, his deep burgandy eyes sparkling in the sunlight streaming through the bay windows, and I knew I was already sold.

"Sure," I grumbled, looking away so I didn't have to get lost in his eyes anymore. "Make yourselves at home." As the rest of them whooped enthusiastically, I almost missed the look Lee was giving me while I was turned away. He was looking at me with something like disdain in his eyes, as if the response I gave had been a mistake.

The four Guardians clustered together on the couch and started watching television with all of our Shugo Chara chittering on the table, and Lee and I gathered in the kithen as I cooked. He took a seat at the island, dwarfing the stool beneath him, and began to chuckle. "Your friends seem very lively," he said, glancing over the half-wall that separated the two rooms at the TV.

"Yeah, I guess so," I muttered, pulling out the ingredients for kielbasa with peppers and potatoes from the fridge. Then I couldn't help but giggle slightly as I thought of the sports festival, the ballet recital, basically everything we had been through in the little time we'd known each other. "We haven't known each other for very long, but..." I turned to look at him, flushing slightly and glaring a bit reproachfully. "Promise not to tell anyone?"

He nodded, looking eager and attentive.

I tugged on a piece of loose hair beside my face. "They're the first real friends I've ever had. And I want to treasure them more than anything."

Moments of awkward silence followed, and I thought I had something something too personal and made the atmosphere tense. But when I finally turned back to look at him, my eyes widened in shock and astonishment. He was smiling at me, but it was so obvious to tell that he really wasn't. His eyes darkened quite a few shades to the colour of midnight forest, and his eyebrows were drawn down. Never in my life had I seen someone look so... just unbearably sad. My chest physically ached just from looking at him. "Is that so?" He murmured, pushing his mouth into a wider smile that wasn't really there. It was like he was a ghost, staring at the life he once had and trying not to be bitter about it. Before I could say anything, he turned back to watch the TV, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I returned to chopping up the vegetables as quickly as I could without hurting myself, reminiscing on what I knew about Lee. He was my next door neighbour, and I reminded him of someone he used to know. There was obviously some bitterness in the memories of that person from the way he acted around me sometimes, but he was able to remain civil and adult-like. He was kind of like the big brother I never had, perfectly willing to help me out in whatever way he could.

Which was how we got to be in this whole lunch arrangement. Yesterday we had met up in the hallway just as I was leaving to shop for groceries. As yet another apology for the way he'd previously acted, he'd taken me out to lunch at Jack Astor's. We talked as we ate, gradually getting to know each other, and he mentioned that he couldn't cook worth a damn. And so we developed a little deal: if he gave me a ride to some places when I needed it, I'd cook for him whenever he liked. It was the last thing I'd ever think of doing with a stranger, but I had to admit, it felt like I'd known him all my life. He was just a naturally charismatic man to be around, yet kind and modest. He really was an adult- twenty-six years of age, to be precise. That was yet another topic that had come up, and it still took me by surprise. Honestly, he just looked like a very tall and very well-built teenager. The man was a beast.

"I have an idea!" Yaya-san suddenly crowed, bolting up from the couch. "Let's go invade Snowcchi's room!"

"Yeah!" Kukai-kun agreed, and the two troublemakers took off down the hall. Nadeshiko-san sighed but couldn't conceal her grin as she followed, and Tadase-kun was close behind, saying something about how it was rude to do that without permission.

My heart was in my ears, and I was wondering if they were just saying that to bug me, but when I heard the door open, I groaned and yelled, "COME ON!" To which they just laughed at like hyenas.

Lee was chuckling again, smiling broadly at their yells down the hall. "A lively bunch, indeed," he said with an almost-genuine smile.

I rolled my eyes and set his lunch before him, which made him clap and almost drool. "Yeah, right."
He eagerly took a bite after I took out some cutlery for him, and then he really did smile. "This is delicious!" He declared excitedly. But he looked confused at the same time as he chewed thoughtfully.

I laid my arms on the island and leaned forward, cocking my head to the side. "Is something wrong?"

He shook his head. "No, it just... doesn't make sense..."

"What doesn't?"

He jerked as if he was suddenly shaken from his thoughts. But then he laughed nervously and kept shovelling food into his mouth. "No, it's really, really good! I just didn't expect you to be such a talented cook, is all!"

I smiled at him and shrugged. "Yeah, well, I was taught to cook by my... my mom where I used to live. She and my d-dad run a bakery, and she thought I should learn more about cooking and baking to help with the family business."

His chewing was now less-than excited, and he had that same lachrymose look on his face. "Really," he murmured. "Sounds like your parents are hard-working."

To me, it still felt wrong to call Mary and Jack my parents when I knew my mom was still alive and my dad was- somewhere. Maybe he could tell from my hesitation that I wasn't used to referring to them as such. I shrugged one shoulder self-conciously and giggled. "They really are."

He was quiet for a moment, and I noticed that he had already finished in just a few bites. I turned to wash his plate off in the sink and retrieve some juice, setting it in front of him without asking. He took a large sip, then almost whispered, "Do you miss them?"

"Sometimes," I admitted, putting the dishes away and grabbing my purse from where I had set it on the end of the counter. "But I call them almost every day. Besides, I had been planning to move out for a while, so..." I smiled at him again. "I prepared myself for it."

His head jerked up from staring at the red liquid in his glass. "You'd been planning to move out of the country for a while?" I nodded. "Why? I mean, I know you told me you wanted a new start, but it seems a little excessive to come all this way..."

I pursed my lips as I drummed my fingers on the countertop, my purse already slipped over my shoulder. "There's something here I have to find," I finally said, taking his already empty glass from him and rinsing it.

"It's here and nowhere else?"

"Yes. I've known it was here for a while, but... it took some courage to actually come and look for it."

"Have you found it yet?"

I struggled with my next words a bit. "I have. But..." I wrapped my arms around myself slightly, clutching at my bony elbows. Every time I thought of my mother, the only thing I could seem to remember was that crazed look in her eyes as she cut me over and over again. But there was more to it than that. She also looked... empty. Like she had her very heart torn from her rib cage and was forced to live without it like a robot. "It's just hard to actually go out there and get it. I may seem like a coward, but-"

I fell silent as I felt his presence right behind me, strangely emitting no warmth, just comfort. His large, pale hand rested on my head momentarily, his attempt at consoling. I looked up at him, my eyes big and incomprehensive, but he just smiled. "You're not a coward," he said softly. "It is hard to go and face something you thought was always out of reach. That's why you should just take your time."

I flushed slightly, but smiled up at him. "Thanks," I murmured, and I noticed my Shugo Chara staring at me with looks of cautious happiness as they took in the scene from the island.

"Are you two sure you're not a thing?" Kukai-kun asked as he peeked from behind the corner of the wall, making me jump and Lee tear his hand away.

"Of course not!" We hissed again, making us seem more guilty than we really were.

We went our separate ways after that. Lee and I said our goodbyes cheerfully as I locked the door to my apartment and he retreated to his, then I followed the Guardians down the hallway to the elevator, our thunderous footsteps muffled from the carpet. The elevator felt much more crowded than usual, not only because it was packed with five bodies clustered together, but also because of our voices reverberating within the reinforced walls. The Guardians reflections in the mirrors actually gave me some comfort in being in that small, confined space. I wasn't left to simply stare at myself and whatever expression I would have.

Since the parking lot was tenants only, Kukai-kun had parallel parked haphazardly just on the other side of the street. And Yaya-san wasn't kidding; the truck was, admittedly, a piece of crap. Its colour was that of the fallen leaves skittering along the road in the brief gust of wind, a combination of a dying orange and rusty red and brown. There was duct tape along one of the back windows, and the front right tire looked like it wouldn't hold put for much longer. There was a long, precise crack along the windshield, and the passenger-side mirror was about dusted, as well.

When he noticed my staring at his beloved "Betty", Kukai-kun frowned at me and demanded, "What?!"

I strolled up to the hunk of junk and gently patted its hood. "It's been hard on you," I murmured with a fake sob, and the other Guardians nodded in agreement.

I was already laughing by the time I heard Kukai-kun's footsteps storming behind me and didn't stop as he very gently wrenched open one of the back doors and shoved me in that direction. "Shut up and get in," he growled, but his twitching mouth became a full-blown grin when I elbowed him in the ribs playfully.

The torn leather of the seats grated against my jeans as I scooted over to the back passenger side, directly behind Tadase-kun and squished next to Nadeshiko-san. It smelt of old cigarette smoke that was probably permanently imprinted on the seats, and also of some sorry attepmts of air freshener. When I asked Kukai-kun if it was safe to open the window, he rolled his eyes but gave the okay. After we were all loaded in, he turned the keys in the ignition- more than once. It took a few times before it actually started, and when he turned back with an excited expression and said, "Okay, we're taking off!", he saw the pitying looks we were giving him and grumbled something about being ungrateful.

"Where are we going, exactly?" I asked, realizing how little I knew about the city and its surrounding area. During the taxi ride here, I had been too focused on calming my heartbeat and sorting every detail out in my head; I had no time to really look at the scenery or the city itself. My heart rate turned from sufficiently pleased to excited as it began to sink in that this was kind of like a mini adventure.

"Oh yeah," Yaya-san hummed. "You've never really been outside the city before, have you?" I shook my head. "It's pretty basic, actually. The standard loooooong stretches of highway and open fields beside it."

Nadeshiko-san nodded, and turned her head to look at me. We were on eye-level when sitting down, and she seemed to need to do a double-take before continuing. "There's some parks stationed around it as well. We're not so much as going to one of those as a nature reserve beyond a forest." When she saw the look I was giving her- one of shock and mortification- she laughed and elaborated. "It's hard to explain. You'll know it when you see it. It's pretty rainy around here when the season's right, so there's some bluffs as well, caused by the recession of groundwater and all that."

"I see," I murmured, understanding completely. With the humid and generally hateful climate of New Orleans, I knew all too well what lots of precipitation (and not to mention hurricanes) could do to the georgraphy of the area. But Akutetsu city wasn't like that at all. The streets were even and clean, surrounded by land on all sides. But I hadn't lived here for long, so who was I to say about the climate or anything.

All of our Shugo Charas gathered on the center console to discuss whatever it was they talked about. When I realized that I never knew what their lives consisted of without me, what they did when I wasn't around, I decided maybe I should tune in instead of ignoring them like usual. The rest of the Guardians carried on with their conversation- about maybe stopping by a convenience store and grabbing more chips- but I leaned back in my seat as I eavesdropped on the conversation of the little people.

"This picnic is a perfect opportunity," Tadase-kun's Shugo Chara, Kiseki, was saying. "With the limitless skies and open terrain, it's the perfect place to train for taking over the world."

This again? As if mirroring my thoughts, the others gave a collective groan. "Haven't you had enough of this?" Daichi, Kukai-kun's Chara, demanded. "You push us like a slave driver almost every day for nothing. It's good that we keep getting stronger and all, but shouldn't we be more focused on helping our owners?"

"Who cares?" Lilith piped in, and my heart swelled with something unknown- pride, maybe?- as she took part in the conversation. She was the only one lying down, and it was on Satsuki's lap as she sat in zazen, the vacant look in her starry eyes indicating she was trying to uncover the secrets of the universe. "It's entertaining. It's always good to see how far we can push ourselves!"

"I'm glad you agree!" Kiseki laughed haughtily. "At least one of you has enough sense to understand the importance of our tasks!"

"Just because we don't enjoy it doesn't mean we don't get it," Pepe, Yaya-san's Chara, groaned. "It's boring. And Daichi was just saying that we can't really do anything without our masters anyway, so what's the point?"

"This is exactly the kind of attitude I'm talking about!" The tiny king screeched, his fist flying in the air. "If we rely on our owners so much, then what will become of us?! This is why I have Tadase so whipped into shape!" Which was funny, considering the very master he was referring to was humming along to a Bruno Mars song on the crummy radio. "You all need to train harder if you ever want to be as great as me and have your owners in the palm of your hand!"

Refined and neutral as ever, the Shugo Chara of Nadeshiko-san, Temari, whipped her head away to stare out the window. "I'm perfectly satisfied between the relationship I have with my master."

"AND THAT IS WHY YOU'RE SO INADEQUATE!"
Suddenly Kiseki was crouching down and clutching at his head, Vivian standing behind him and holding her rabbit like a lethal weapon. "That's enough out of you," she growled, wrapping the stuffy in her arms protectively. "You're so annoying. Just because we aren't pretentious assholes doesn't mean we're weak."

"I beg to differ," he scoffed, earning him another vicious hit on the head that made him curl into the foetal position.

"Hey," Daichi said suddenly, focusing on the only one who hadn't contributed to the conversation. "You've been quiet for a while, Satsuki. What's on your mind?"

"Maybe it's yet another intelligent follower who is cooking up a scheme for me to conquer the world." Now Vivian was just stepping on Kiseki, which made him almost immediately cry Uncle.

Satsuki blinked, coming out from her focused trance. "Hmm?" She cooed, her voice gentle and quiet. "Oh, I was just wondering what kind of flowers would be there."
"Seriously...?" All of them seemed disappointed at the answer, to which she nervously fluttered around and tried to make amends.

I couldn't help the slow smile that spread across my face. This was probably similar to dropping your child off at school and watching them talk with the other students and make friends, as if they had no cares in the world. You felt proud, and so happy to know that, in that moment, they were completely fine and safe. My chest grew warm, but it was comfortable, unlike the sun beaming down from the sky. Leaning down, I started rolling up the old fashioned window crank to let some cool air inside the vehicle that was quickly turning sweltering. I didn't even need to ask if the air conditioning was out of comission, as well; I could guess.

After, I dug in my purse and slipped on mirrored aviator shades, and I would've felt really cool if I wasn't riding in a scrapyard on wheels. But the quick breeze blowing through the window felt nice as we crawled through the busy streets. People on the sidewalks and in the cars below us actually looked at the truck and laughed, but I didn't change my expression as I rested one arm on the side of the door. I had never noticed the city's true layout and appearance before. While there were modernized buildings like the one I lived in, there was also timeless places like Seiyo Academy, made from bricks and carrying an air of history. Little awnings hung over some of the smaller establishments that were all part of one building, their small display windows advertising their wares. It was kind of amazing how you can be in one place for a while and never notice the things around you. This city almost seemed like a diorama. Like it was handcrafted.

The thought should've been comforting. But it just made me feel uneasy.

In the end, the question of whether or not to stop at another convenience store was vetoed, and we continued along the road of the city, making the occasional turn here and there. Despite himself, Kukai-kun was a pretty smooth driver, even if his age insinuated he had just gotten his liscense.

Eventually, the clusters of stores and townhouses and tall buildings began to disperse into scattered fragments of such, and we were outside of the city limits. The open expanse of fields beside us were dying colours of old green and yellow, a sign of nature falling into autumn's cool clutches. There were more trees here, far more, varying from all different shapes and sizes, but most having lost their leaves, left with their twisted talonlike branches tearing at the fierce blue sky. It was strange to see such a thing, the land so dry but healthy, as opposed to the muggy marshes I was used to. Some trees were even collapsed and burnt, as if they'd been struck by lightning during a storm. We continued to flash by all that, the wind whipping at my hair and making strands of white escape from my braid and fly at my face.

"Your hair's getting in your face," Nadeshiko-san commented, watching it curiously.

I shrugged. "I don't really mind. It's actually kind of nice."

"Wow," Yaya-san giggled from the other side of the Queen. "You're actually pretty wild, huh, Snowcchi."

I made a face. "I don't actually like being inside for too long." Just like being confined in the hospital for days on end, watching nothing but the hours tick on by on the wall clock? No thanks.

"Good thing we chose to go out today, then," Kukai-kun crowed from the front seat. His eyes met mine in the rearview mirror, and I stuck my tongue out at him. They sparkled when he laughed in response, the colour of absinthe green, and returned to the road before him with ease. It irritated me a bit that he was able to drive before I was, but I had never bothered going for a license. That would mean needing a car, and no way I was going to pay for that. Mary and Jack would've insisted on paying for it for me, knowing them, so I figured it was better to not even bring up the subject at all.

They did talk about it, however, on the day I turned sixteen. They just asked if I was thinking about getting my license, and didn't seem too surprised when I said no. Walking everywhere was good exercise, and I did have a bike at the time. Cars were overrated, anyway. When I thought about my "sweet sixteen", how I had spent it at home with my adopted family and ate so many of Mary's beignets I almost blew chunks, I grinned ironically. I felt so old now, being in a car surrounded by kids younger than me, filled with vitality and bursting with youth.

I had to remind myself that I was only two years older than them, not twenty. But sometimes it felt like my youth had just slipped me by. Well, given the circumstances, I supposed it had. But now, when I was a legal adult, magical eggs that were only said to come from children were always by my side. I supposed that meant my mentality hadn't grown up at all. I couldn't tell if I was happy or sad about that.

When I looked at the people around me, smiling and chattering excitedly as we approached our destination, I decided happy. Definitely happy.

I heard the tires of the truck crunch over gravel as we rolled into a lot surrounded by nothing but nature. There were no buildings in sight, just grass that had yet to die, trees, flowers, and a massive lake that spanned across the horizon like the ocean. The sunlight glittered off of it as it rolled to the surface and back again, and even from a distance away, I could hear the sound of the waves rushing and crashing, like cotton had been stuffed in my ears. I couldn't jump out of the truck quickly enough when I smelled the air, the freshness and crispness of it. Before I bothered to help the Guardians get whatever picnic stuff they had out of the back of the truck, I was jumping over the fence made of logs pieced together and out towards the swishing field of green delicately balanced on a bluff with another all-natural fence in front of it.

My heart began to pound excitedly as I rushed through the grass, my feet pounding against it with the sounds of swishing, near to the edge of the bluff. It had been so long since I'd actually been outside like this, surrounded by nothing but nature, with no sounds except the wind in the trees and the crashing of waves. I leaned over the log fence slightly to stare at the beach below, the sand more gray than white with the weather, the roiling waves a gaucous blue and capped with white and sparkles, like diamonds were trapped beneath the surface of each one. And just above that was the sky, ethereal and endless, with only a few white dustings of clouds floating overhead. I hadn't felt so free in a very long time. It felt as though when I took a breath, not only my lungs were full, but my heart was as well.

"Hisayuki, get your skinny ass over here and help!" Kukai-kun called, and I quickly made my way back to the truck, where they were unloading a picnic basket and coolers. I grabbed the checkered picnic blanket supplied by Nadeshiko-san, the same one we used at the sports festival, and carried it over to where Tadase-kun waited with a wicker picnic basket in his hands.

I laid out the blanket and immediately collapsed onto my back on it, gazing up at the refreshing sky through the filtered glasses. Everyone else joined me, except in sitting positions, and began to spread out food and drinks. Even from inside the picnic basket, I could smell various cold cut sandwiches, fruits, vegetables and dip, desserts, and chips. I didn't get up even with the wonderful-smelling temptations flowing through the air, and Kukai-kun grunted from beside me.

"Hurry up and eat, Hisayuki," he growled, ripping off my sunglasses so the sun singed my eyes. I groaned and glared up at him, and his jaw dropped in shock.

"What?" I demanded.

"Your pupils just shrank like a freaking cats!" He yelled, his eyes sparkling with the excitement of discovery.

"Of course they did," I scoffed as all four of them leaned over me to get a closer look. Each one of their expressions looked pensive but appreciative. "It's sunny out."

"Yeah, but I've never seen pupils get that small before!" Yaya-san giggled. "They look just like slivers!"

"Piss off," I growled, and they all retreated to their original positions with a laugh. Except for Tadase-kun, who lingered even as I sat up and grabbed a sandwich off of the platter, shoving it in my mouth greedily.

"I don't mean to be offensive-" He began, but I cut him off.

"You usually aren't."

His mouth screwed up into a wry grin. "Yes, well, I wanted to ask... is that really your natural eye colour?" I completely tensed up and felt my cheeks burn as he brushed my bangs aside and to the side of my cheek, caressing it softly like I was a porcelain doll. "I've never seen anything like it before."

"I-i-it is," I stumbled, trying desperately to ignore the suggestive smirks from the others. "My dad had the same eyes as me. It's hereditary, I mean."

Even though Tadase-kun nodded thoughtfully, his eyes darkened until they looked almost somber as they stared into mine. I smiled shakily and tried to avoid his gaze by looking to my left, and saw something that completely distracted me from the conversation and made all the blood drain from my face.

Tadase-kun suddenly became wary, as if my being afraid of something was reason to be more on guard than usual. "What's the matter?" He demanded, scanning the area with the other Guardians.

All of their faces scrunched up in confusion when I simply squealed in delight and took off running so quickly I was just a flash of white. Tadase-kun's mouth puckered in surprise, his hand still extended like he was touching my cheek, and he blinked once in shock. "What... just happened?"

Satsuki floated up to him, explaining with ease while I was very busy. "Red spider lilies," she sighed, shrugging her shoulders like it couldn't be helped. I nodded eagerly from a distance away, not caring whether or not they actually saw me; I was too busy examining the flower that bloomed more upwards instead of outwards, like vicious tongues of flames trying to kiss the sky. I had never seen one in real life before; they weren't native to North America, and instead I admired them from afar in Mary's gardening magazines and the internet. But now a whole bunch of them were right in front of me, swaying lazily in the breeze, their sweet smell wafting towards me and knocking me right in the nose.

"They're her favourites," Vivian added with a grunt. "And she's never seen them before. So she feels the need to act like an immature child."

I turned away from their delicate beauty to scowl at her. "I'm not acting like an immature child. I'm just excited."

"There's nothing wrong with that," Nadeshiko-san giggled, coming to kneel beside me as I delicately placed a finger on of the thin and fragile crimson petals. Though her countenance was relatively cheerful, the look on her face was rather thoughtful.

"Something wrong?" I asked, unable to keep the happy lilt from my voice.

"They are very gorgeous flowers," she admitted. She touched a petal next to the one I still had a pale finger on. "But its their meaning that's slightly... hmm, not depressing, but rather ominous."

I had never bothered to discover what they meant. I perked up in excitement as another fall breeze drifted through the field, making the green stems bow and the flowers tilt to the side. "What do they mean?"

She pulled her cream-coloured hand away and just stared at the flowers. "A forgotten memory. Never to meet again. Abandonment. In some of our old legends, its believed that red spider lilies are the flowers of Hell, since they bloom near cemetaries and are said to guide the spirits of the dead along the path of reincarnation."

"Oh," I murmured, staring at the bulbs, stilled once again. "Well then."

"We use them a lot in funerals here," she added thoughtfully. "In hopes of the dead spirits having a safe journey."

Apparently, she was not expecting me to lean even closer to the flowers, for she jumped slightly and stared at me. I let one petal dust my cheek, and smiled melancholically. "I think that's a beautiful meaning in its own way," I murmured. "At least the dead aren't completely alone, what with such pretty flowers beside them."
"You're so weird," Kukai-kun crowed from behind me, making me flinch and glare at him. "Who really believes in that stuff, anyway?"

"If Shugo Chara are real," I began, not believing that the words were coming from my mouth, of all people's, "then why aren't they? Just because we can't see them doesn't mean they aren't there. Just like the Heart's Egg."

"That's not a very comforting thought," Yaya-san hissed from behind him, hiding behind his muscle tower of a body. "If those things are real, then who's to say things like vampires and werewolves aren't?" I reeled back in shock, my lip curling away from my teeth in disgust. I had just dug my own grave. Now I had even more reason to believe and be afraid of the paranormal since I had just given a valid reason to their existence.

"You guys are forgetting why you're here," Lilith snapped seriously. We all glanced at her in surprise. Her small body was shaking in midair, her face as red as the flowers with anger. "You're supposed to be having a meeting, remember? Forget about all that stuff for now and work, you lazy bums!"

"Are those things real, Lili-tan?" Yaya-san asked her curiously, more poking fun than being serious.

"How should I know." It wasn't a question; more like an aggravated statement. "I've... never seen anything like that. As far as you guys are concerned, the only supernatural thing out there is us, and we're born from humans in the first place." She turned away to join my other two Charas, floating uneasily in the air as they gazed at the lilies. "Forget about demons and all that. Just focus on finding the people you want to be. That's what we're here for."

"She's right," Tadase-kun admitted, coming to stand behind me. My mouth screwed up in a nervous grin as I felt his presence tower over me, and I almost punched myself in the face to keep my thoughts from going to dirty places. Never before in my life had I been nervous and embarrassed by a guy simply standing near me, but Tadase-kun apparently made that completely void. "We should really get back to the meeting. Plus, I'm still pretty hungry."

I laughed at the statement, since Tadase-kun usually wasn't one to express his own needs. Nonetheless, Nadeshiko-san and I swooped up into a standing position together, green grass stains covering the knees of my blue jeans. That didn't really bother me; they were only clothes, after all. "Sorry," I laughed, sounding more carefree than I ever had before. "I guess I got a bit carried away."

"A bit?" Vivian snorted. "You were practically drooling."

As we made our way back to the picnic blanket, I stuck my tongue out at her and grabbed another sandwich to accompany the root beer I had swiped. "Whatever," I grumbled, taking a large bite and an even larger swig. "I just thought it was pretty cool, is all."

"Enough about Hisayuki's strange flower obsession," Kukai-kun snapped, collapsing beside me and shovelling potato chips into his mouth greedily. "We've got bigger fish to fry." He gestured to Tadase-kun with flourish. "Take it away, King."

Tadase-kun sat on the other side of me, his expression saturnine. "Souma-kun is right," he began, his voice strong and unwavering as it was whenever he had something serious to talk about. He took a conservative sip of a bottled lemonade, his lips puckering slightly with the tartness. How cute... wait, what? "There has been a rush of X-Eggs recently, far more than we're used to."

As I came down from my flustered high over thinking Tadase-kun was cute, my brows furrowed when I took in what he said. "More than usual?" I repeated, and he nodded, completely taciturn again. "But there's only been almost one a week. That doesn't seem like a lot to me."

"You're new here," Kukai-kun said with a shrug. "So you don't know about our previous encounters with the X-Eggs... which, in truth, is next to none at all."

My once excited heartbeat completely stilled in my chest, as if the sun had frozen over. "Seriously?" They nodded gravely. "That sounds so strange. Why would they just suddenly..." Like a blade suddenly being drawn from its sheath, a memory sprang up in my head and sliced through my train of thought, and I was sitting on my knees spontaneously with a tortured expression on my face.

"What's the matter?" Nadeshiko-san demanded worriedly.

"I just remembered something," I hissed, my eyes narrowing. "When I was at the ballet studio with Yaya-san, the day we purified Maika-san's egg, someone was there. I couldn't see them because it was so dark in the hallway, and they had their back turned to me, but they said something about having to work harder to turn Heart's Eggs..." I paused momentarily to gulp down the burning lump that had formed in my throat. "Into X's."

Their reaction was identical to mine. They reeled back in shock, their eyes widening in horror, and their mouths going completely slack. "How is that possible?" Kukai-kun demanded. "And what kind of sick bastard would do that to kids?!"

I shook my head despondantly. "I have no idea."

"Maybe," Tadase-kun began, his lips slipping downward in concentration, "since they have knowledge of the eggs in the first place, they might have had one of their own. We've never seen what happens to a person after their egg goes to far into the darkness to come back... do you think they'd be able to develop powers like that, to spread that darkness to others?"

"Sounds like a good theory to me," I growled. "But that doesn't make it any less horrible."

"You couldn't see them at all?" Nadeshiko-san pressed, her hand held to her chest protectively.

"Well, they were tall enough to be an adult," I said, which seemed to shock them all the more. "And judging by their voice, they're male. They also sounded vaguely familiar..." I pinched my chin between my forefinger and thumb, mulling over where i had heard it before. "But I can't put my finger on it. It was kind of like hearing the warped version of the voice of someone I knew, like they had twisted it somehow."

They exchanged a collective suspicious glance, the only sound between us now the mourning howl of the wind making all the nature around us droop. But then a new sound reached only my ears, carried by the wind, and my head perked up in the direction it came from, as if someone was rushing up the treacherous hills oof the bluffs. The Guardians followed my gaze, and we all visibly concealed a groan when a familiar carrot-coloured mass of cowlicks began bobbing up from the preciface, a hand waving excitedly in the air.

Mr. Nikaidou stumbled and tripped just as he came up from the bluffs, a fishing rod flying from his hand and fish toppling out of the white and blue cooler he sported. He quickly picked himself up, his idiotic laugh audible even from a distance, and dusted himself off, gathering his belongings and rushing over to us.

"What a coincidence to see you kids here!" He exclaimed excitedly, inviting himself to sit on the blanket with us and dig into the sanwiches. I forced an awkward smile along with Tadase-kun and Nadeshiko-san, but the other two didn't bother to conceal their identical expressions of disgust. "I hope you're not here without adult supervision! It's dangerous around here!"

I jerked my chin up at him. "I'm here, aren't I?"

He blinked once innocently, his complete semi-circle of a smile still in place. "And?"

"I'm eighteen," I elaborated, and he bonked himself on the head with a fist.

"Right, of course, Himayuki-san," he chuckled, to which I just sighed. "But you're still a young woman yourself. I'll stick around just to make sure you kids don't get into any trouble."

This time, Kukai-kun and Yaya-san very loudly and obnoxiously voiced their complaints with groans torn viciously from their throats. Mr. Nikaidou simply laughed at them, while the rest of us looked at him reproachfully. He was far too airheaded for his own good.

"So," he began again, munching on a strawberry. "What were you kids talking about, all the way out here?"

"The next school events," Tadase-kun lied subtly and perfectly. I was kind of impressed at how point-blankly he concealed the truth. "Since Halloween is coming, and we've already held the sports festival, we were planning on withholding a dance and instead letting the students come to school in costume."

I twitched, that having been the first time I'd heard about it. I hoped it wasn't mandatory; Halloween was never my kind of holiday. When I was little, Dad never took me out trick-or-treating. Instead we always stayed inside and watched cartoons, for the entire day, and we pretended we weren't home so we didn't have to answer the door. Mom had never participated in the holiday herself, so she didn't really mind, but they both seemed to be on edge for the whole day. Like they were expecting the house to get egged, or something.

"That sounds like fun!" Mr. Nikaidou gasped, startling me out of my reverie. "I'll definitely participate as well! If the teachers do it, the students will feel more inclined to as well, right?"

Tadase-kun plastered on his most polished and civilized smile. "I think so, as well. It'd be great if you participated."

"What are you planning to dress up as?" Nadeshiko-san asked Yaya-san, who just shrugged and munched on a chocolate chip cookie.

"I don't know yet," she said, her voice muffled from the food in her mouth. "Maybe a baby?"

Kukai-kun narrowed his eyes at her. "Wearing something you are every day isn't a costume."
She swat him over the head, but was giggling like a little girl. "I know, right! But I'm going to go all-out this time!"

"Hisayuki could just, you know..." He gestured at the Humpty Lock, which was swinging from a delicate golden chain around my neck today. It was a generally good idea to just Character Transform, considering that it cost me nothing, but when I looked over the two I had done in my head- the hardly-dressed Lilith and steampunk Vivian- I shuddered and shook my head. I'd be far too embarrassed to try something like that.

The two Charas look affronted, but Satsuki just laughed gracefully, her cheeks flushing in delight. "She has a point," she snickered.

They both turned to glare at her. "We don't want to hear that from someone who hasn't even done it yet," they growled.

Satsuki just shrugged, her expression gentle. "It doesn't matter to me. Whenever Snow-sama wants to do it, I'll be there to help her no matter the cost."

I smiled in pleasure, my cheeks flushing at how adorable she was. Why can't you two be like that? I thought, directing a dirty look at Lilith and Vivian, who glared in return like they could hear me. I batted my eyelashes, since I couldn't say anything with Mr. Nikaidou present. But he seemed to be blissfully unaware, gulping down another bottle of lemonade like his life depended on it.

Lunch was finished in that same pattern relatively quickly, most of our conversations censored with the uninvolved bystander lurking all around us. Despite being grudgefully store-bought, the food was pretty good and almost sated my man-like hunger. Even though our purpose for coming here was served, we figured we should hang around a bit and just relax and play. Kukai-kun had brought many outdoor activities from his house- which was evidently a hotbed of sports and physical activity- and the four Guardians with the annoying teacher laughed and played away while I went to go explore.

The scenery really was gorgeous, looking more like a painting than an actual landscape. The grass was miraculously still a brilliant emerlad green, but the trees all carried the rosy hue of autumn and the flaming orange. I sat under a shady tree, enraptured by the scent of the earth around me, and almost felt tempted to fall asleep gazing at the crystalline blue waters rocking just beyond the edge of the bluff. Each and every breeze was refreshing and so crisp it almost cut into my nostrils, but that was just what made autumn my second favourite season, a close second to winter (naturally). My eyelids were actually drooping down behind my sunglasses, the hush of the wind carressing the tree's leaves a lullaby, but then something caught my eye from a distance away. I stood and removed the glasses, squinting only a little bit, to see that there was a natural trail made of dusty dirt leading uphill to somewhere. Right at the beginning of the trail was a small statue, and when I jogged over to get a closer look, I saw that it was a small, cracked shinto shrine.

"Huh," I said, more to myself than my Shugo Chara who had followed. "What's a shinto shrine doing all the way out here?"

"It makes sense," Satsuki said. "Maybe because it's so natural here, ever inch of beauty perserved, that people wanted to honour the gods of nature for such a wonderful place."

"You two are whack," Lilith snorted, resting on the shattering roof of the small stone shrine. "What the heck is this thing, anyway?"

"It's a shinto shrine," Satsuki explained, resting a small hand on a huge fissure forming along the side of it. "They're stationed in places to honour the gods, and people can leave offerings there to obtain good fortune. They're usually in places surrounded by nature like this, since that seems to be where the gods obtain the most peace."

"Not that they exist," I intervened, which made all three of them give me a look. "What?"

"You just said earlier that because we're real, other supernatural things could be as well," Vivian muttered, raising one elegant, raven's wing eyebrow. "Doesn't that mean that gods could be as well? Who's to say we're not gods?"

"You're not gods," I said easily, and Vivian and Lilith looked offended again while Satsuki just calmly nodded in agreement. "You don't seem... benevolent enough. Plus, I don't think any god would want to get this close to a human."

Lilith's brows crinkled in the middle, expressing her confusion. "Why's that?"

"Well, humans are foolish," I stated simply, making all of their eyes snap open in shock. "I speak for myself as well, of course, but people are really digging their own graves. They destroy the only place they'll ever have to truly live with killing the environment, and they destroy each other over stupid strifes of power and greed. It just seems stupid to me, is all, so I highly doubt a benevolent being like a god would even bother with a world teeming with idiocy."

"You..." Vivian hissed, making me look at her. "You're really pessimistic, huh?"

I shrugged. "The truth isn't always pleasant. We all know that too well." They nodded, and I stood from my crouch to gaze further down the dirt path. A small shadow stood crouched and immobile in the distance, surely yet another shinto shrine. I glanced back to the Guardians, who were completely enraptured in their game of frisbee, and shrugged to myself again. "It wouldn't hurt to check it out, don't you think?"

"Oooh, an adventure!" Lilith cried, her golden eyes flaring up in anticipation. "Let's go, let's go! I wanna see what's up there!"

My eyes crinkled in the corners as I smiled down at her. "Okay, let's go!" We took off down the trail, the dirt crunching underneath my feet and my braid flying out behind me. Sure enough, it was another shinto shrine down the trail, and even further down was another one, each cracked beyond repair.

"This is strange," Satsuki muttered, examining one from above. "They shouldn't be cracked like this, even if they are old."

"Maybe someone did it on purpose," Vivian suggested, and when she saw the look we were giving her, she snorted. "What? It's just like Snow said; humans are foolish. They don't have problems with disrespecting divinity, because they don't believe in it."

"Vivian's right," I said, watching as the tall grass lovingly stroked the side and back of the shrine, as if to console it. "Lots of people just ignore things like this, and even when they don't, they trash them. I'll bet we'll find even more like this if we keep going."

True to theory, each shinto shrine we passed had some sort of fissure along it, like someone had destroyed each and every one on purpose. I looked to the sky to find that the day was taking a turn towards darkness with a mass of angry clouds gathering ahead, blocking out sunlight in premonition. Nonetheless, it didn't occur to me to go back to the Guardians; instead I continued along the path, determination on finding out what was going on in each step. Who would do something like that? Regardless of whether or not I believed in gods (which was more not), it was still disrespecting the people who did, and sending a message of total diregard to the people who went to all the effort to set up the shrines in the first place. It wasn't right.

As I reached what appeard to be the end of the trail, I sucked in a gasp as another, more savage breeze blew through the area, baking the grass and plants bend more willfully than gently. Just in front of us was a towering case of stone steps, cracking with age more than neglect, and a a tori such a courageous red that it seemed to be an icon against the foreboding sky.

"It's a shrine," I murmured, my Charas completely slack-jawed beside me. "I've never seen one before. Mom told me about them when I was little, but..." I sucked down the nervous lump that had developed in my throat. "I didn't expect them to be this... intimidating."

"It's amazing," Satsuki agreed, her silvery eyes sparkling in awe. Her electric blue pigtails whipped against her face in the wind, matching my white braid in fashion. Then her expression darkened, and she seemed to shy away from the bold stone steps. "We should head back."

"What?" I demanded, looking at her in concern. Vivian and Lilith matched her uncertain posture, hugging their arms around themselves in protection. "I thought you'd love this sort of thing. We should check it out, since we came all the way here."

"I do love it," she admitted begrudgingly, but her eyes clouded with worry. "It's just you I'm worried about."

I actually laughed out loud, although it was suffocated by the wind. "Me? Oh, come on. I'm sure I can handle whatever this shrine's got." With that, I began to mount the stone steps, the girls cautiously hovering behind me. There was quite a lot of them, enough to make someone get completely winded at the middle, but my stamina was impressive. I could make it to the top breathing only a little harder.

When I came to stand just beneath the tori, a chill seemed to course down my spine and rock my entire body, despite being desensitized to the cold. I crossed my arms and clenched on to my elbows, my heart pounding in my ears as the wind settled slightly. What was this feeling in my chest? It felt like... guilt, as if just standing beneath the heavenly gate was wrong for me to do. I supposed I was intruding, but this was a shrine. It was open to the public. I shook my head, the elastic holding my braid together flying out and making it come loose, and set foot within the shrine grounds.

Instantly, my heart gave one pound so strong I was knocked to my knees, the breath completely stolen from my lungs in one powerful gust of wind. All three of my Shugo Chara came to hover and worry over me as I gradually began to stoop lower and lower to the ground, feeling like I was choking on absolutely nothing. It was like the air around here was so fetid and forceful that it made me completely unable to breathe. With great difficulty, I struggled to lift my head, squinting one eye in pain, and took in the scenery to see if anything was wrong.

The shrine looked like any other I had seen on the internet or in manga. It was polished and clearly well-maintained, the lush dark wood shining pristinely. The screen windows played a production of shadows as the trees surrounding the holy place blew in an agitated breeze, dusting scarlet leaves across the black pagoda roof with golden statuettes of birds placed along each peak. Holy statues depicting divinity and signs reading of stories and legends forgotten seemed to glare at me from their posts, and I turned my head slightly to examine anything else. Right beside the tori, on either side, was a huge statue of a snarling fox, a piece of bright red cloth tied around their necks.

"An... Inari shrine...?" I gasped, curling in on myself even more. I didn't even look up when I heard hesitant footsteps clacking in high sandals approach me, and a light touch gently rest on the top of my head.

"Are you alright?" A small, effiminate voice asked, and after a beat of silence, I looked up to see a young woman, younger than me, dressed in the attire of a shrine maiden, with poofy red pants and a crossed white kimono shirt. A straw broom was in the hand that wasn't soothingly caressing my head, meaning that she must have worked here. Her eyes probing me worriedly were sorrel-coloured, like those of a tentative squirrel, and her hair was a gorgeous light chocolate brown that was tied at the very end with a white piece of cloth. Her face was the colour of cream and childlike, with big eyes and a nose tilted up slightly, and held the innocence you could only find in a child. When our gazes met, she gasped and retracted her comforting touch, and exclaimed, "A yukionna!"

"I AM NOT A YUKIONNA!"

She cocked her head to the side, examining more thoroughly. "You're not?" She murmured, and I nodded gruffly. "You sure look like one." Well, she was brutally honest, I had to give her that.

The harsh wind seemed to die down a little, letting the hair that was swirling around my body like a blizzard come to rest around me like a curtain of silk. It laid in delicate swirls on the ground, and looking at that and my eyes and skin, I could see how she had gotten me confused with a yukionna. The pain in my lungs and chest seemed to gradually subside, and my breath came back in calm, deep gulps, and I shifted from my doubled over position to sitting on my knees in front of her. I smoothed back my untamed hair and stared at her head-on, daring her to call me a yukionna again.

"You're so pretty!" She gasped, taking me aback. "Er, no, that wasn't what I meant... well it was, just not so bluntly... that's not to say I'm calling you ugly! You just looked unearhtly to me! Ah, wait, that wasn't it either..."

Her flustered face the colour of the tori actuall made me laugh. She was a lot like me, socially awkward and struggling for the right words. "I get it," I said cheerfully, smiling at her. "I'm Snow Hisayuki. Sorry for just completely intruding on your shrine," I added, scratching the back of my head shyly. "I just got, um, a little dizzy."

She was instantly empathetic, waving her hand side to side so quickly it was just a blur. "Oh no, it's completely alright! As long as you're feeling better! And," she began nervously, giggling slightly, "this is my grandfather's shrine. I just clean up everyday and help with the offerings." When she noticed my staring at her unabashedly, she gasped and let the broom slip from her fingers, and suddenly she was on all fours in front of me. "I'm so sorry, I forgot to tell you my name! I'm Ayame-san Ounomori! It's a pleasure!"

She brought me to laughter yet again. "Likewise. Um, you can get up now." She instantly flashed up from her bowing position into a standing one, and I followed suit, except far more calmly. "So, is this an Inari shrine?"

Ayame-san nodded eagerly, her dark eyes brightening so I could actually differentiate the pupils from the irises. "It sure is! Though it's one of the lesser-known ones." She paused to heave a sigh, her body drooping forward like a wilting flower. "We hardly get any visitors anymore, actually."

"I hate to ask this," I began, remembering why I came here in the first place. "But do you know who destroyed all of the shinto shrines on the path here? I noticed that they were all... broken."

She laughed, though it came out far more forced than natural. She idly kicked on of the stones on the ground, and it came loose easily, no doubt from being around for a very long time. She calmly settled it back into place, her eyes taking on a certain look of forlornness. "Oh, it wasn't a single person," she sighed lightly, though I could tell it bothered her a lot more than she let on. "It was a lot of people, all at different times. It started with just some teenagers coming around and they broke the first shrine when I was a little girl, saying something about how the gods were completely useless. Any people who came by after that seemed to just follow suit, until all of the shrines were broken." Her gaze lifted to stare at the slate-coloured sky, as if waiting for rain to fall on her wilted form and bring her back to life. "Now all the little stray gods have nowhere to go. I feel bad for them, but... it's hard to repair those shrines nowadays. Hardly anyone carries the materials anymore."

I frowned at her expression as she lead me to stand in front of the shrine, before the offering plate and the bell to ring in prayer. "Do you... believe in the gods?" I asked her, for the first time not caring about having an odd conversation with a stranger. It was almost like speaking to myself, as I watched her slip different expression over her face like a mask, going from laughter to sadness in merely a heartbeat.

Ayame-san laughed again, but this time, it sounded genuine. "I suppose I do. I've been coming here since I was a little girl, and it's like... you can feel something in this area, you know?" She asked, and I had to agree. The entire plains seemed to be throbbing with some sort of life and vitality, carried in every sway of grass and wave of the lake. "Like something- or someone- is watching over it, protecting it. It makes me feel safe. I want to believe. Because if I don't, who will?"

I instantly felt guilty for doubting their existence myself earlier, when someone like Ayame-san believed in gods so wholeheartedly. From the pureness and straightforwardness of her gaze, she seemed like the type of person to do things for the sake of doing them, not to obtain something in return. That was what true kindess was, and she displayed it so unknowingly and innocently. Briefly, a flash of white-hot envy struck my heart like lightning, but I shook it off. Ayame-san was the kind of person I wanted to be like, with a heart made of not bold gold, but pure, understated silver.

"You're right there," I agreed, staring out at the fox statues remaining quiet and stone, unmoveable guardians in the midst of their master.

Taking me completely off-guard, a small speck of white floated down from the sky and melted on my nose. For an instant filled with panic, I thought it was me doing it, with the strange reaction I had to this place earlier, but then I realied upon looking up at the sky that it was really just snowing. The dainty little flakes twirled down and down to earth, and I couldn't help but feel a little sad each time they touched the ground and instantly disappeared.

"It's you," Ayame-san joked, which earned a roll of my eyes. "Well, 'tis the season. But I didn't think it would snow today."

"I know," I said with a nod. "It was so nice earlier."

"I like snow, too, though. But it has a sort of... melancholic feeling."

I tilted my head to the side to get a better look on her face, and my eyes widened upon seeing hers. It was like all light had been cast out of them and tossed away, and her lips were quivering slightly. "It's beautiful, and so pure and white. But... it kills everything."

"Snow, get away from her!" Lilith exclaimed suddenly, tugging a strand of my hair so roughly I stumbled back a step. But I couldn't take my eyes off of Ayame-san-san. Now her whole body was shaking, and her breath was coming out in clouds of white. I didn't know how cold it was getting; what if she was freezing, and there was nothing I could do?

"Snow kills everything," she repeated, looking straight at me with those same fathomless eyes. Even I was shaking now, my knees knocking against each other so hard I almost collapsed to the stone ground. "Hey... do you think the gods will forgive me?" And now tears were streaming down her cheeks, her brown hair flying loose of its tie in the wind and letting it fly around her like a spider web covered in old blood. "For not believing anymore? For not protecting them. There's nothing I can do anymore. It seems that everything up until now-"

"I bet a million dollars she's going to say it," Vivian interjected with a snort.

"-Was useless."

"You called that," Lilith said to her ebony sister, giving her a fist pump.

Vivian nodded. "I totally did."

"That took a turn for the worse very quickly," I murmured shakily, deeply disturbed by what she had said. But I didn't have time to focus on it; Ayame-san-san's body was suddenly collapsing to the ground, the telltale X-Egg black fog emanating around her as her body fell through the air. I caught her before she smashed against the stone ground and set her down more gently, and an X-Egg shot right out of her chest and narrowly missed knocking my nose off. I flashed into a standing position, my hands curled into talons at my sides, as it bounced around and kept crowing, "Useless, useless!"

"What is with X-Eggs and that word?" Yaya-san's squeaky voice chimed from behind me, making me screech in surprise and whirl around. All four Guardians stood there, an unmoveable and intimdating force, but the effect was kind of ruined by their breath coming out in clouds from their mouths and their teeth chattering.

"Is it really that cold?" I sighed, wondering why I was still surprised by their sudden appearances.

"It's hella cold," Kukai-kun yelled at the sky, shaking his fist as if to curse the weather. "So, I take it this pretty little thing had a problem in her heart?"

"I guess so." I paused as the X-Egg bounced around and cracks began forming in its sides. "She's troubled that no one comes to the shrine anymore. She thinks it's pointless to even try anymore."

"Good enough," Tadase-kun grunted, the small golden crown of his Character Transformation popping on his head in a flash of gold sparks. "Now it's our job to fix that!"

The other three followed his example and Character Changed; Nadeshiko-san obtained cherry blossoms in her hair and a long- and terrifying- naginata rested firmly in her grasp, Yaya-san's bib and rattle popped into existence, and Kukai-kun's wild hair donned a star hair pin and a skateboard appeared at his feet. There was a small feeling of reassurance in my chest, knowing that people were there to fight with me again.

Soon enough, the X-Character emerged from its egg, but its appearance stopped all of us in our tracks and made our jaws drop. It wasn't the pitch black with a giant red 'X' on its head, like we were used to; it seemed to made of completely ethereal light, shining in all different directions like a shooting star beaming across the night sky. Its eyes were beady and black, two shiny black buttons staring out at us, and the X on its head was so white it matched the snow falling from the sky.

"What the hell," Kukai-kun breathed, not asking a question but rather stating his utter shock. I shook my head, not understanding it either. Why did it look like that? Why was it made of light instead of darkness?

"It's because Ayame-san-sama was in service of the gods," Satsuki cut in, her face grave. "She has their favour, and thus they back her up in a fight. This is the smallest fraction of their power expressed through a human being."

"They're real," I gasped quietly, more to myself than anyone else. My pupils were darting everywhere, from Ayame-san-san sweating and panting on the ground to the expressionless X-Character made of light, nervous and apprehensive. "The gods are real."

"And you, of all people, need to stay away from that thing," Vivian snapped. She seemed to hesitate for a second, thinking something over, and then she took a deep breath that made her entire tiny figure puff up like a balloon. "That kind of power is most effect against you, since you're not-"

She was cut off by the first move, made by the X-Character. It rose higher into the air and spread its arms, as if it itself was a god delivering their good graces, and laser beams of light shot out everywhere. All of us tried to move out of the way, but they followed as if they had eyes, and we were all hit individually and automatically screamed in response. But the four Guardians stopped for a moment and blinked, patting themselves everywhere.

"Huh," Nadeshiko-san mumured, examining her completely spotless cashmere sweater. "Nothing. I feel nothing."

"Same here!" Yaya-san giggled, hopping up and down like she was on a pogo stick. "It kind of tickled, actually!"

The X-Character remained expressionless at their offesive words, completely unlike all the ones we had encountered before. Tadase-kun turned to me, an excited expression dawning on his face as he realized this would be an easy win if it couldn't even hurt us, but it immediately shattered when he caught sight of me.

"Hisayuki-san!" He yelled, catching the attention of the others, who each gasped and rushed over to my side. I clenched my teeth together to keep a scream from coming out as he carefully lifted me in his arms and set me on his lap, looking over me worriedly. "Did it hurt you? Why-"

"I don't know!" I screeched, and all of them flinched in shock. My eyes felt like they were bulging out of their sockets, my skin carrying the smell of fetid, burning meat. Those rays- whatever they were- had not wounded the Guardians in the slightest, but took the worst possible toll on me. They burned my skin and seemed to strike me right into the core, and it felt like every inch of my skin was set in merciless flames that teased and licked every folocle of hair. I clenched my eyes shut and kept wincing, over and over again, as they worried over me and set me to the side.

"No," I protested as Tadase-kun smoothed back my bangs from my face, which were drenched in a very unladylike sweat. How embarrassing. "You can't purify it without-"

"We'll find another way," Nadeshiko-san assuaged, pressing a hand to my forehead. It only made the heat worse, and I turned away, which made knives of pain slice along my neck and actually got a groan out of me. She retracted her touch, holding her hand against her chest protectively like Ayame-san-san had not long ago, and the set of her jaw became determined. "Just wait a little longer, and then we'll get you to a hospital."

That made my eyes widen even more, and I grasped her hand as she prepared to turn away. "No!" I pleaded, even more vehemently than before. "Do not take me to a hospital. Don't take me there!"

While her expression still carried a shadow of worry, it had become more frightened than anything. The reflection of myself I could see in her amber eyes explained it all- my eyes looked as if they were lit on blue fire, my hair hanging in shags across my face. I looked... well, I looked like my mother. She pressed her lips together and said, "Don't worry." With that, she took off to assist with defeating the X-Character with the other Guardians, leaving me to lay there and burn.

"Snow!" My three Shugo Chara were crying, actual tears streaming from Satsuki's eyes. "Are you okay? Tell us you're okay!"

"I'll be fine," I grunted, my breath hot and panting. It was quite the obvious lie; my skin felt like it was being peeled away from my bones, torn apart piece by piece until I was just a lump of flesh.

"I told you to stay away from those!" Vivian screeched right in my ear. I cringed away, but she simply floated along with me, her eyes knives stabbing into mine without relent. "They're the worst kind of attack that could ever be used against you! EVER! Do you hear me?"

I really didn't. I just laid there as my breath kept bursting out of me like gunshots, each more painful than the last and digging deeper into me. But gradually, little by little, the sinus-singing scent of burning person began to subside, as did the sensation of burning. Whatever burns covered my skin began to shockingly knit themselves together. It was odd and- just horrible to watch. Millions of spiders shooting out threads of web at each other, until they crossed a flesh-coloured gasp with the combined strands. I wished it could've been like in animes, where people just healed in a flash of pretty lights, but it was actually very disgusting, and completely blew my mind in the first place.

Capable of actually sitting now, I shifted onto my butt and flexed my once-scorched hand in front of my face. Not a single scathe remained. I turned it over and over again, still remembering the feeling of being struck by lightning, the sight of a beam piercing right through it pale surface, but nothing was there.

"How did..." I breathed, unable of even forming the question. When the sound of a large crash came from the nearby shrine, I quickly looked over to see Nadeshiko-san stabbing around the X-Character with comendable speed, but it easily dodged each time, a flash of light flickering from side to side like a flame. Whenever it shot out another attack of light beams, Tadase-kun would shout, "Holy Crown!", and they would be protected by an orange jelly-like crown that absorbed each one. I supposed they didn't want to take anymore chances with the attacks after what had happened to me.

I averted my eyes and clenched my hand into a fist on the grass underneath me, ripping it out and throwing it aside as I struggled into a standing position. The girls hovered around me, telling me just to rest, but I shook my head fiercely. "They need me," I gasped, clutching onto a nearby tree for support. "Ayame-san-san needs me. This shrine means so much to her." I gritted my teeth. "And so do the gods. We need to get this over with as soon as possible."

"Oh?" Said a dark, foreboding voice from behind me that made me crush the bark of the tree in my hand. "I'm looking forward to watching that. Please, give me the utmost entertainment, Snow Hisayuki."

I didn't even bother to look back, watching the Guardians grit their teeth and firing counter-attacks of the darkness made of light. "I don't have time for you now," I spat, stepping out of the shade of the surrounding trees and onto the stone. "But just to let you know, I'm going to beat the living shit out of you when I'm done here."

The disembodied voice belonging to the culprit of the X-Egg epidemic chuckled in the darkness. "Yet another thing to look forward to."

"Satsuki," I hissed, and she came to rest on my shoulder and press her warm hands to my face in concern. "Let's do it."

"Snow-sama, you shouldn't-"
"It doesn't matter!" I yelled, noticing that the last flake of snow drifted to the ground and faded away, and the sky began to lighten. "Ayame-san-san is hurting far more than I am right now. I'm not going to stand by and do nothing when I know I can help!"

She heaved a light sigh, but complied and pressed her small hand to mine. "That's what I love about you," she murmured, her voice dripping with affection that made me blush. "You always put others before yourself."

"That's not true," I chuckled humourlessly as we became engulfed in azure blue light. "It's probably more... for self-gratification."

And then I was drowning in that water-like blace, light hitting each and every turn and twist of the wavy air and making it shine electric blue. Absentmindedly, I worried over the slip of fabric- or rather, lack thereof- I felt with Satsuki's Character Transformation, but was comforted by the feeling of hilts in both of my hands. We emerged from the in-between space to the light of the sun beaming down from a break of the troubled clouds in the sky, and stepped into to ring of the Guardians' battle, catching their attention and making their faces go slack with honest relief.

"Character Transformation," I began, a smirk on my face as I felt even stronger than I had before, brandishing both katanas in my hands at the X-Character. "Blooming Moon!"

The name definitely suited the Chara it belonged to- Satsuki. As did the outfit that was inevitably embarrassing, a regrettable pattern forming with each one of my Shugo Chara. It composed of a short, completely sleeveless kimono that barely grazed the tops of my thighs, which faded from a light baby blue into a royal one as it travelled further down, silver blossoms covering the bottom in a flying pattern. Tight, black shorts that actually felt a bit like spanx covered the red of my legs, going from full material to a criss-crossed pattern as they passed my thighs. Long kimono sleeves of the same colour clung to my elbows and fell close to my knees, grazing the hilts of the twin katanas in my hands. A white obi held it all together, tied into a large bow at the big, similar to the two that held my hair in high pigtails identical to Satsuki's. The top of the kimono was more of a halter than anything, and clenched into a choker at my neck. The best thing about the outfit was the shoes; regular, practical black flats. Thank goodness for small mercies.

The katanas caught and reflected the glare of the sun, the blade of one an iridescent blue and the other a glassy red. Akai Yoru and Aoi Yoru, Satsuki cheered in my head, and I got her sudden impulse to dance that was repressed with all the force I could muster. Red Night and Blue Night. They cut like a dream; I can tell even from in here!
"Don't say 'in here'," I hissed aloud, somehow easing into holding the blades at a ready position without knowing how to handle them whatsoever. "It sounds creepy."

"Hisayuki-san!" Tadase-kun cried for the second time that day, and before I could even look in his direction, I saw a beam of light coming directly at my eyes. But it was blocked out by a dark figure knocking me to the ground, and it hit a nearby tree which smoked and smelled of burning wood.

I blinked and immediately became as red as the blade in my hand as I registered his weight pressing down on me, his soft hair grazing my cheek like feathers. He quickly scrambled off of me, equally as red, and held out a hand to help me up. "Thanks," I mumbled slowly, looking everywhere but him.

"N-no problem," he stumbled, backing up a step. Despite the situation, the other Guardians were actually leering at us, their mouths twisted up expectantly.

"Grow a pair, Tadase!" Kukai-kun crowed, which earned a swift reaction of covering his ears and loudly going "LA LA LA" from Tadase-kun. I deftly dodged another ray attack, making everyone snap back to the present, and did an absolutely impressive flip in the air and onto the roof of the shrine to dodge yet another. They just kept firing away, and I smoothly danced out of the way of each, my legs feeling disconnected from my body and just going. Satsuki's transformation gave me a sense of security with each and every movement, as if we had rehearsed for it for years. I couldn't help but laugh at the uplifting feeling in the pit of my stomach, like butterflies were taking off and carrying me away.

What do I do now? I asked Satsuki as I grit my teeth and held up Aoi Yoru to block a beam of light, which simply bounced off and into the sky like a firework. The blade didn't even sing in pain, but completely withstood the hit, making me gaze down at it in shock and wonder what the heck it was even made of.

No point trying to figure that out, Satsuki chuckled. After all, it's magic, and magic can't be explained. I blew out an irritated sigh that lifted the bangs away from my face, and yelped as another light laser came flying at me. I dodged by bending back into a bridge, which got a disturbingly appreciative sound from Kukai-kun that made me want to punch him in the face.

Now, hold the blades in an X in front of you! She began cheerfully, exploding with the same glee in freedom I felt but didn't express. I followed her orders, and the criss-crossed blades began to emanate a light that resented purple flames, flicking in the autumn braze and cowering under my resentful gaze directed at the godly X-Character. Wait for the flames to build up. And then slash them apart, yelling 'Break X- Uchikudaku!'

Ooh, my very own attack and name! I ignored my internal squealing and waited until the violet flames covered the entirety of the blades, and then I slahed them apart and yelled, "Break X- Uchikudaku!"

The light X-Character turned around from attacking the other Guardians to emotionlessly gaze out at the brilliant electric violet X charging right at it in midair. The katanas were resonating and trembling in my hands from metal hitting metal, reminding me that all of this was real, so completely real. The X came into contact with the Character and completely blasted all of its darkened disposition away like shattered glass, shoving it into the breeze and fading away. What was left was Ayame-san's real Shugo Chara, a miniature version of her, miko robes and all. She smiled at me and waved cheerfully before being enveloped in the safety of her egg again and returning to her master.

Yaya-san was staring up at me on the roof, and even I had to admit I looked cool with blazing swords resting at my sides and my white pigtails blowing in the breeze that was left as the aftermath of my attack. "That was awesome!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, and I even struck a righteous pose just to become her ideal. "You're so cool, Snowcchi! I've never seen anything like that before!"
"It was all right," Kukai-kun grunted from below, kicking up his skateboard and catching it in his hand. I smirked down at him, but then braced my knees for the jump I was preparing for, and leapt off the roof into the mush of trees beside the shrine. For the few moments I was airborne, my heart thudded in my ears and blood rushed through my veins with the feeling of absolute freedom and whipping air lashing at me, but it ceased quickly when I crashed through the tops of the trees and into the spot where the perpetraitor had once stood. Even upon a thorough exmanition of the area, it was clear he had fled.

Letting out a frustrated grunt, I sliced a branch off of the nearest tree with Aoi Yoru, and it collapsed to the ground with a heavy and shuffling thud. I stood there for a moment, shaking in anger at myself, but then let out a sigh when I noticed frost tickling the edges of its browning leaves. In a burst of vibrant blue sparks, my Character Transformation came undone, and Satsuki was floating in front of me, grinning ear-to-ear.

Before she could begin gushing about her excitement of the Character Transformation, I was jogging back to where the Guardians stood, their Character Changes undone. Nadeshiko-san and Yaya-san were assisting Ayame-san in her struggle to get up, apparently conscious again after that whole incident. When we saw me, her expression was confused and very disoriented, but I flashed her a reassuring grin.

"You're awake," I stated, captain of the obvious. "Thank goodness. We were just talking by the shrine and you suddenly collapsed." The story had obvious gaps, I admitted, but I wasn't the best liar. "Are you alright?"

She pressed a small, long hand to her head, and shook it slightly, her silky brown hair swinging side-to-side. "I... I think so," she murmured, blinking rapidly. "I just feel like I had a very strange dream." Then she seemed to noticed that she was being supported at the elbows by two complete strangers. "Uh, hello. I didn't know we had more visitors."

"These are the friends I came here with," I explained as the two girls let her go and smiled comfortingly. "When you collapsed, I called them here to see if they could help."

"Oh," she said slowly, owlishly, still completely dazed. "Well, thank you." Her smile was small and a bit forlorn. "This is the first time so many people have been here. It's kind of nice, actually."

"Well, expect us a lot more from now on," Kukai-kun preened, letting loose his shy grin. We all looked at him like he was speaking Klingon. "What? All I'm saying is that this is a pretty decent shrine. I'll be coming here with my friends whenever I need to pray."

Just like that, Ayame-san's chillind mood blew over instantly like the autumn wind, and her smile was so white the sunlight glinted off of it and threw glares. "Would you really?" She gasped. "That'd be wonderful!"

"Same here!" Yaya-san giggled. But then her demeanor fell with a sigh. "I need all the help I can get with my grades. I'm willing to resort to begging to the gods."

"It really is a lovely place," Nadeshiko-san contributed, as graceful and gentle as the light snowflakes that had been falling from the sky only a bit ago. "So well taken care of. I'd be glad to pay my respects here."

Ayame-san jolted in surprise when I stepped in beside her and clapped a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at me, a few centimeters between us, and I winked. "Being forgotten hurts a lot," I told her. "But so long as just one person remembers and believes, the gods can be at ease. That's why what you're doing, no matter how insignificant, isn't useless. It's a miracle."

She stared at me for a long time, her woodsy eyes glossing over with unshed moisture. Then she whined, "Snooooooow" and tried to wrap her arms around me, but I put my palm to her forehead and held her back automatically. "Yeah, yeah, you're welcome."

Peeling away, she flashed yet another grin at me, and turned to walk away. "I can't wait to tell Grandpa!" She shouted enthusiastically, throwing her arms to the sky. "I hope to see you all again soon!" And with that, she took off behind the side of the shrine, humming to herself along the way.

"Well, glad that's over with," Kukai-kun groaned, rolling his shoulder back and forth, the joints cracking as he did so. "I've never seen an X-Character like that before. And I sure hope I never do again.
"Same here," I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest and trying to repress the memory of the burning I had felt.

Tadase-kun was suddenly right in front of me, grabbing the hand that had previously been bubbling with ferocious burns and gently cradling it in his. I clamped my lips together and failed at supressing another blush, trying not to meet his concerned but demanding expression. "You're alright?" He asked, seeming a bit breathless. "You really don't feel any pain any more?"

"Nope," I said easily. I was more than unwilling to tell him, let alone anyone, about the strange way my skin had just mended itself together after only a few minutes. "I'm completely fine. Maybe it was just a fluke?"

"I hope so," Yaya-san cooed, suddenly attaching herself to my back like a koala. I didn't struggle under her weight; she was as light as a small child. But I still attempted to buck her off because I didn't like her arms strangling my neck or her legs clinging to my stomach. "I was sooooo worried! I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Me as well," Nadeshiko-san murmured, joining apparently what was becoming a group hug and wrapping her arms around my neck with a sigh. "Don't scare us like that again."

"I won't!" I choked, struggling for air beneath both of their vise-like grips. "Please get off of me." They grumbled, but obeyed and slinked away. "Well, I guess that's our cue to go home for the day."

"Totally." Kukai-kun's mouth stretched into a large yawn as he regarded the sky that was taking on a more violet hue than an alice blue. "I have to say, today was a pretty eventful day. I'm happy we decided to do this."

They continued to prattle on about the day as they descended the steps, but I lagged slightly behind, taking in the atmosphere of the shrine grounds one more time before we left. The trees swayed in a calm breeze, the exact opposite of the storm of fury earlier that shook the plants and made the ancient wood of the shrine creak in protest. I heaved a sigh, not either content or aggravated, just pensiveness. I had saved another egg; for that I was grateful. But I wished the culprit hadn't gotten away. I hadn't even known anyone else was around besides us and Mr. Nikaidou; I would've been more on-guard if a stranger was lurking about.

My Shugo Chara rested on my shoulders in an attempt at comfort, and their light yet solid presence filled me with a sense of security. At least I had them. Whatever difficulties arose, we would get through them together. I wasn't letting my dreams go anymore, even if I didn't realize what they were yet.

A smile of satisfaction twisted up my face, and my march towards the stone steps was confident and unwavering. However, I stopped dead right before I stepped under the tori, my entire body tensing up and my eyes widening in shock. My leg had began to sting in a very familiar way, one I recognized from childhood; the pain of being stabbed in several different places at a close distance all at once. Fire was shooting up my leg once again, and warm liquid began to dribble down from my calf and staining my jeans and socks. Shaking slightly, I looked behind me with a frightened gaze to see what was happening.

Time seemed to slow as I registered what was happening.

Everything moved as if underwater, lagging and wavering. My eyes widened until they were about ready to explode from my sockets, and my heartbeat slowed and slowed until I feared it may stop. My entire body began to shake, even my leg within the jaws of the massive white fox with a red triangle of fabric secured around its neck. Lilith, Vivian, and Satsuki were lifting away from my shoulders slowly, their expressions those of pure terror, and they hovered by my head uncertainly as they took in the great beast baring its shiny white fangs at me, its fur standing on end and savage bright yellow eyes snapping.

"What..." I began slowly, hardly believing what was happening. But it was real. I wasn't just seeing things. The pain of its many teeth sinking into the flesh of my leg was so harsh I nearly buckled to the ground, the red staining my jeans unmistakeable. I shakily glanced to the pedestal where the guardian foxes of the shrine were supposed to remain forever immobile. Both were empty.

The stone foxes had come to life and were standing right in front of me, thei gazes fully intending to kill.

The one with its fangs in my leg snarled and bit even deeper, causing me to cry out and collapse to the ground in a twisted position, my jaw smacking off of the hard stone of the ground. My Shugo Chara screamed my name, but remained still in the air when I held up a hand in warning. The ferocious animal's twin brother at its side peeled back its black lips from its big, shiny teeth gleaming with drool, its expression turning to that of fury and utter disgust.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, my voice so quiet it was barely audible. I didn't even bother to struggle out of its jaws; I knew it would only hurt me even more. Surprisingly, the guardian loosened its grip a bit, and its mouth unbelievably twisted up into a snarled smirk.

"This is sacred ground," said the one whose mouth wasn't busy mowing my leg off, its lips not moving to form words, but simply flapping open and closed and letting them flow out. "Atrocities are not welcome here."

How rude. "I don't understand," I choked out, shifting my legs slightly to try and make it somehow hurt less. That only resulted in the fox clamping down even harder than before, and I supressed a blood-curtling scream.

"Your kind are the bane of our existence," it continued, each word precise and measured, as if they were separate sentences. "You are to leave this place and never return. Never set foot on these ground again, or next time it will be your head."

Chompy (as I had adequately dubbed him due to his less-than-hospitable treatment) practically threw my leg soaked in blood out of his mouth and narrowed his eyes at me. Just before they turned to leap on their pedestals and form to stone once more, it said a word that left me blank, emotionless, white as a sheet of paper.

"Monster."

I didn't even questioned why what had just happened, happened; I just ran and didn't look back.

Though running down a huge flight of stone steps was not an easy feat with a nearly-detached leg. It turned more into a clumsy stumble, my blood leaking into my shoes and leaving slight traces of red footprints. My breath was rushing out of me in laboured, frightened pants, the images of the foxes' spiteful eyes never to be chased from my mind.

"Snow-chan!" Nadeshiko-san yelled shrilly as I fell to my knees at the last step. "Oh my god, what happened to you? Were you still hurt after all? Why didn't you say something!"

"I-it's nothing," I spluttered, fear coating my voice thick and making me tremble. "P-please don't tell the others. It'll pass soon."
Her eyes were flashing with anger and nothing but worry. "I think it'll be pretty hard to hide with your jeans completey red! How could you leave them in the dark like that! Don't you trust-"

Her words faltered when I pushed myself up and into her arms. Her body completely tensed up beneath mine, any kind of touch from me completely foreign, but soon she relaxed when she felt my trembling. "Please," I begged again, relaxing only slightly when she smoothed the hair at the back of my head consolingly. "Just keep quiet."

This time, all of my Shugo Chara were in tears as they clung to the sleeve of my shirt, Vivian being the most shocking one of all. They shook so much I swore they were just a phone buzzing against my arm, and I couldn't do anything to assuage them. We had all witnessed what had just happened, and the scars that would inevitably form on my legs were undeniable proof that there were worse things out there to be afraid of than having your dreams stolen away.

}{

Moonlight filtered in through the wide windows in the living room of my apartment, providing the only light I was willing to tolerate. Everything else was cast in darkness, lengthy shadows cast across the gleaming floor and haunting the silence. Since I had gotten home, I hadn't done anything besides collapse on the couch with my wounded leg propped up on a few throw pillows, courtesy of the girls. They sat on the coffee table, a constant worrying and pressuring presence, their eyes becoming more and more heavy as the hours of my silence ticked by. I couldn't speak. I was still trapped in the nightmare of what had happened that afternoon, the golden eyes of the kistune looking at me from every place the light didn't touch. My wound had already healed, pink crescent-shaped scars being the only thing that remained, along with the pair of jeans with a completely red leg that laid discarded in the trash, filling the apartment with a tangy metallic scent that highly resembled copper.

Restlessness was all I could feel. At any moment, I expected something to jump out at me and just swallow me whole, calling me a monster as the guardian had earlier. Why was I a monster? Was it because of my ice powers? Why did that make me a monster? My fist clenched on the smooth fabric of the cushion I rested on, my teeth grinding together. Something had to be wrong with me. I knew I was the farthest thing from normal, but saying that I was a monster seemed a bit over-the-top.

"Hey," I said to my Charas, whose eyes snapped open in full attention and focused on my worriedly. "Why did those beams only hurt me?"

There was precisely eight of my steady heartbeats drowned in silence before one of them spoke. Judging from the velvety, deep voice, it was Vivian. "Like Satsuki explained, it was because Ayame was in service of the gods, and they channeled a fraction of their power through her to combat a threat. The beams of light we saw today- the whole spectacle, as a matter of fact- was a little something called 'The Wrath of the Gods'. Whenever they see an impurity in the world, they seek to eliminate it." She paused for a moment to take a deep, shuddering breath. "And that kind of attack only works on non-humans."

This time around twenty heartbeats passed, picking up the pace one after another. When I finally spoke, the uncertainty was clear in my voice, even though I forced what I believed to be a strong smile. "Oh, I get it," I murmured, making their eyes widen in shock. "It's because I've Character Transformed, right? And you guys aren't human. So made me temporarily inhuman, right?"

Their silence was more painful than the throbbing in my leg.

With a heavy grunt, I sat up and took my legs off of the cushions and planted my feet on the floor. They followed me to my room as I shrugged on a pair of black leggings, and again when I slipped on my red boat shoes and slipped my purse over my shoulder.

"Where are you going?" Satsuki asked quietly, no trace of her earlier excitement remaining in her voice.

"To the store," I said lightly. I was very proud to note that my voice didn't even waver. "I'm not getting anything done, so I'm gonna by some snacks and pig out before I go to bed."

"You'll get fat," Lilith muttered absentmindedly.

I snorted. "My metabolism is far too awesome for that."

Being outside late at night didn't bother me in the slightest, even after what had happened on my first day in the city. I loved the smell of the night the most, the appearance of the stars winking and the moon bursting with light and serenity. The streets were quiet as I wove through the few people still roaming about, not even my music to accompany me. I just wanted to hear nothing but the world around me so I wouldn't get consumed in my thoughts again. I couldn't deal with them right now. My problems were nothing; I had to shove them to the darkest recesses of my mind to have nightmares about later. My time awake was reserved for my duties as a Guardian.

The cashier at the 7-eleven close to my work looked at me strangely through hooded eyelids, trying to determine whether or not I was up to mischeif this late in the night. Judging from my purchases- chocolate wafers, beef jerky, sour candies, and rooy beer- he determined I couldn't be too much trouble and checked me out without a word. The ding of the electronic bell as I exited the store was disturbingly cheery, and I immediately ripped into a piece of jerky and chewed on it as I walked.

My steps faltered when I heard a twang of something carry through the clean night air, then stopped completely when it seemed to turn into the sound of an instrument.

It was coming from far away; so far it sounded faint even to me. It wasn't coming from any of the surrounding stores; most were closed for the night and had no music leaking from the speakers. But it was undoubtedly an instrument I was hearing, one you didn't come across every day unless it was in the soundtrack of a tragic or romantic film.

Not truly understanding what the words coming out of my mouth meant, I turned around to face the public park far at the end of the block and murmured, "Is that... a violin?"

Crimrose: Like I said, on the darker side. But I still hoped you liked it, nonetheless! I feel like a lot of story got covered in this chapter, but I assume you guys still have questions... this is good. Guess you'll have to keep reading to find out! ;D

Snow: You're absolutely horrible to me, you know that.

Crimrose: *waves hand dismissively* Oh, you're a masochist at heart. You don't mind it as much as you say you do.

Ikuto: *ears perk up from a distance* What is this juicy tidbit of information I hear?

Snow: Oh, be quiet. You didn't even show up this time.

Lee: BUT I DID! *does some strange ritualistic dance* AND I GOT GOOD FOOD! WHAT A DAY!

Crimrose: *facepalms* Sometimes it's hard to believe you two...

Snow: Two what?

Lee: *smacks hand over Crimrose's mouth* Hard to believe how well we get along, right?! HA HA HA haaaaaa...

Ikuto: *narrows eyes*

Crimrose: Oh? A delightful development?

Snow: I think not. Our relationship is strictly platonic.

Ikuto: *grumbles* Ours sure isn't...

Lee: *growls*

Crimrose: I'M LIKING THIS. I'M LIKING IT A LOT.

*The only sane person in the room, Tadase, takes the lead!*

Tadase: *smiles brilliantly* Thank you so much for reading this chapter of Cross Ice! Your attentiveness and patience is greatly appreciated! Please review if you enjoyed it, and we hope to see you next time.

Lee: Vanilla.

Tadase: P-pardon?

Crimrose: *nodding* Vanilla.

Tadase: Please stop it, you two! I have no idea what you're talking about, but I'm certain it can't be good!