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...

22. Chapter XX- A Darkness Looms

IMPORTANT NOTICE!

Crim has posted a poll on her profile asking about the best setting for a first kiss. And yes, this will influence what happens in Cross Ice's future, because I am struggling dearly with it. If you don't like any of the options on there, feel free to shoot me a PM! I'd love to hear your ideas.

Aaaanyway, we finally get back into Shugo Chara's original plot here, with some of my typical OC spins on things. I hope you guys enjoy!

Chapter XX

A Darkness Looms

-Seiyo Academy: The Old Building-

The darkness was so deep and penetrating it was a physical thing. It seemed like if you walked into it to quickly, you'd hit it with a smack, as if walking into a wall. This was one of the main reasons no student dared to eneter the off-limits building on the campus of Seiyo Academy. Under false pretenses, it had always been boarded off until ivy began clawing up the sides of its brick exterior, the outside crumbling and in desperate need of repair. No one understood why it hadn't been torn down yet; after all, it was the building that the so-called "cult" used to perform their rituals before the property was bought and transformed into a school. But that was because they didn't know the truth.

Save for one, no student knew that the Headmaster had transformed this building into something identical to a small planetarium.

The interior of the building was modelled the same way as an auditorium, with comfortable viewing seats that tilted up towards the ceilingin a large, circular formation. In the center of that circle was an industrial telescope that one could actually sit in and view the projection of stars in sharp detail. If the weather was permitting, the ceiling could also open up to see the real stars; however, since winter was just beginning and bouts of snow fell irregularly from the sky, the Headmaster didn't like to take his chances. Instead he was content with gazingly fondly at the projection of the stars, picking out constellations… and guessing at the young Guardians' future.

It didn't take him by surprise when the door creaked open ominously and the young Tadase Hotori stepped inside; he'd been expecting visitors. "I thought I'd find you here," Tadase said as he mounted the steps to where the Headmaster sat amoung the seats, leaning back in the chair with a teacup and saucer in his hand.

The Headmaster smiled warmly at the young King, who reminded him of himself in his younger days. They looked amazingly identical; the same soft, light locks of hair that swept across their brow, the warm-coloured eyes, kind, open faces. The Headmaster sighed as he gazed at the younger boy, thinking back to his youth. "You look more and more like me every day! I wouldn't be surprised if you started acting like it, too."

"That's not really something I want, Tsukasa Amakawa-san." The Amakawas were somewhat related to the Hotori family, something along the lines of second or third cousins, depending on what generation you were in. Tadase always struggled to remember his exact relation to the Headmaster of Seiyo Academy, but he knew they were closely related enough that he had been around and played with him as a child – along with two others he didn't like to think of. He pursed his gentle lips, settling beside his relative somewhat uneasily. Even before he'd arrived Tsukasa had known something was bothering him. He offered the young lad a cup of tea, which he took respectfully, though he preferred macha to the earl grey Tsukasa favoured.

"How's our young Joker doing?" The Headmaster asked, knowing this was what weighed on Tadase's mind. He sighed, not knowing how to put his thoughts into words.

"Not very well. She was upset to learn that Souma-kun was leaving, and now Fujisaki-san is gone as well." He paused, the feel of the words not right in his mouth. "I have a theory that she's come to the conclusion that it's somehow her fault that they left, even though that couldn't be further from the truth."

Tsukasa lets him mull over his own thoughts for a moment, the friendly smile still in place. He sets his teacup on the saucer and gazes up at the ceiling. "You can't truly know what a person thinks or feels; the only thing you can do is wait for them to be ready to tell you. You know that our Joker has a few secrets she wants to keep locked away." Tadase nods, feeling slightly upset that Snow Hisayuki didn't feel comfortable enough to tell him when things were weighing on her mind. She'd been sighing all week, gazing out windows, often taking the time to discuss something with her Shugo Chara alone. Sometimes she came to school with cuts and bruises on her arms and legs that she tried to hide, that she brushed off as nothing whenever he asked her about it. It was starting to frustrate him; he honestly wanted nothing more than for her to rely on him more than she did now. Far more.

"They may be secrets you're not ready to hear," Tsukasa said suddenly, as if contributing to Tadase's unspoken thoughts. The younger boy leaned further back into his seat and sighed. "There are still many mysteries of the world that you've yet to be exposed to. Some that Hisayuki-san has already seen. It could be that she's trying to protect you."

This sparked a very rare flash in Tadase's temper, which most likely flared up due to Kiseki's prideful influence hovering around him constantly. "I can protect myself just fine." He stared at his relative with a withering look, who just blinked at him innocently. "And what, exactly, do you know about it?"

The Headmaster just smiled blankly at him for a few moments, then heaved a blissful sigh. "I cannot wait until I actually get to meet the Joker. There are many things I'd like to speak with her about. Namely her wondrous capabilities with the Shugo Chara."

Of course the Headmaster of Seiyo Academy could see them; he had founded the Guardians in the first place, after all, because he knew of their existence and the existence of X-Eggs. What better place to cleanse young children's hearts than a school? That was why one of his relatives opened it in the first place; because children needed to be protected. The same went for Snow Hisayuki, though she didn't think of herself as a child anymore. She might have been the one who needed that protection most of all. The Headmaster relaxed into a lazy, cat-like stretch, extending his arms above his head and feeling the twist in his legs. After he'd settled down again, he said, "I think it may be time for things to get moving along." With that, he extracted two playing cards from the pocket of his white button-down shirt: a jack and a queen. The two positions in the Guardians that needed to be filled.

Tadase's eyes widened with shock. "You mean-"

Tsukasa nodded. "They'll be here Monday. I'm eagerly awaiting your impressions of them, especially our newest Guardian's."

"I'm not sure; it took her a while to warm up to just us, and now Fujisaki-san and Souma-kun have gone. She's more withdrawn than ever before."

"I'm sure she'll be just fine," Tsukasa smiled, before pointing up at the ceiling and saying, "It's in the stars."

After Tadase had left, Tsukasa began to prepare another cup of tea for the visitor that had been lurking in the intense shadows for some time. "You can come out now," he called softly, and patted the seat next to him when Ikuto Tsukiyomi emerged from the shadows. "You know what they say about eavesdroppers."

"I was just stopping by," his newest visitor said offhandedly, since he did visit the Headmaster every now and again. "I was here first, then Tadase just started talking."

"Well, since you heard it all, how about giving me some of your thoughts?" He handed the newly prepared tea to his older guest, who simply regarded it expressionlessly. Tsukasa pouted; he wasn't being very fun today.

"I've got nothing to say," the Easter employee muttered, finally deciding to take a sip. His eyes widened in shock, then his brows slashed down in fury. "Is there catnip in this? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I just wanted to see how my favourite kitty friend would react!"

"It's only making me dizzy and pissed off."

"Perfect."

Ikuto rolled his eyes, reclining in the chair as Tsukasa entertained Yoru with a cat toy he'd pulled from – somewhere. He stared up at the imitation night sky, feeling suffocated, having decided not to get too close to the Guardians any more. It was too risky, after what Easter had pulled with Snow. She could have died…

He shook his head free of those thoughts, automatically reaching for the tea for something to distract him, then setting it back down upon remembering its contents. He was almost literally staring off into space, thinking about finding a quiet place to play that night, when Tsukasa suddenly asked, "How's your girlfriend these days?"

Ikuto shrugged, completely apathetic and unrepentant. "Who knows." Saaya had decided to muster the courage to ask him out, fully aware that he never said 'no' to any girl who actually had the guts to say it to his face. Though he knew she was vastly disappointed with his disinterested behaviour, as were all his previous girlfriends. But what did they expect? He never said he'd liked them back; they were just building expectations, drowning him in pressure based on the image they had of him. It was always him who got dumped in the end, but it made no difference in the world; there was only one girl who'd ever remotely caught his interest, and he was doing everything he could to avoid her at the time. He pinched the bridge of his nose, dreading returning to school and having to face both Saaya and that pesky Guardian who'd shown up as a spy.

Naturally he'd seen the redheaded annoyance around with Tadase and Snow before, but had never really interacted with him. He was mildly surprised to see him transfer both into his school and homeroom class at the beginning of that week, even more surprised when he fell in naturally with his group of friends. He did his best to ignore him; what better reason would a self-proclaimed 'ex-Guardian' have to come to Mayosu than to spy? Toma and Keigo did not share his total ignorance towards the other boy; they were fascinated about his abandoning the Guardians and transferring to their rival school. He'd overheard that his name was Kukai, and the latter seemed stunned to learn that Ikuto had a girlfriend.

Ikuto had only lifted his eyebrows sardonically in response. "What's so surprising about that?"

"Nothing, I guess," the redhead responded, shrugging. "I'd always thought that you and Snow had a thing. Guess not."

He had fallen silent after that, thinking about the last time he had seen her. The way he'd let his impulses get the better of him, and he'd embraced her so roughly he felt the pressure of her flesh press into him. She was soft as any other girl (especially in the chest area), but there was something that suggested hidden strength in the set of her back and shoulders, like she had the body of a fighter. The only time he'd seen her since then was by coincidence in the mall, and the eye-contact they'd made as she held a bra up to her chest, and he knew without even talking to her that she was mortified. He was absolutely possessed with the need to tease her about it, but he couldn't. He'd simply walked away with Saaya in tow, feeling like he'd left something valuable behind him.

Ikuto groaned, sick and tired of all the memories and drama he felt was flooding on him. All he really wanted to care about was napping and how long he was going to play his violin before he did it. He didn't give a damn about girls or school or Easter or anything; he was desperate to slip into unconsciousness where the real world couldn't touch him. He felt like he was falling asleep right then and there when Tsukasa suddenly said, "Time doesn't heal all wounds. Sometimes you need someone to help heal them for you."

He glared at the Headmaster, wondering how it was that every interaction he had with the man managed to piss him off. "Why do you say that?"

"Who knows; but I think you'll figure it out soon enough."

"I don't need healing."

"I never said it was you." That left Ikuto to ponder in silence, to wonder about why Tsukasa was giving him that knowing little smile he had. He though about the tiny glimpse of scars he'd seen on Snow's back at the sports festival, the way they tarnished her porcelain skin like angry pink flames. Then he left the Academy, suddenly craving the solitude that only playing his instrument could provide.

---

"It'd be a huge help if you stopped struggling."

"That is not going to happen!" I growled at Lee as I tried and failed to rip my hands and legs out of the obsence layers of duct tape they'd been wrapped in. It had been like this all week; he and Ivalthea would pop out at me from out of nowhere, encouraging me to use my powers against them, to do something more than make a measly little ice puddle on the floor from the suddenness of their appearance. While Uncle Lee seemed to have something against physically hurting me, Ivalthea had no such qualms; the amount of bruises and cuts I'd gotten from her scratching and pouncing was getting ridiculous. I'd spent almost every night in the shower cleaning off dried flecks of blood, watching as they faded into smaller and smaller cuts as the days went by. The bruises faded more slowly; by then most of them were the colour of a mouldy lemon.

"This is your punishment," Uncle Lee continued as he wound the rope tightly around my torso, binding me to my computer chair so hard I could barley breathe.

"Punishment? I was just colouring!"

"Punishment for not improving," he continued with a growl. "No matter what we've tried so far, your powers are just out of control. You can't mould them into proper shapes unless you're in deep distress, and even then you can't get a handle on it." He finished tying, and crossed his arms as he examined me finally giving up the struggle against the duct tape. "Hopefully this proves to have better results. Maybe if you can't move, your instincts will encourage you to use your powers more – and without using your hands."

I felt tempter to scoff. Without using my hands – as if I'd been able to control my powers with my hands in the first place. Before Ivalthea could even think of coming at me, I desperately tried to control my focus and summon up icicles, snowflakes, something, but all I succeeded in doing was giving myself a headache and a light coat of frost on my restraints. I didn't understand; whenever I'd used it before, intentionally or not, the power had been explosive, covering surfaces extensively and wildly. It had begun to pain me the more I used them, which was why I was having so much trouble; the headaches were throbbing and killer, my body feeling like all the bruises had moulded together into one giant spot that ached upon the slightest movement. As we got closer and closer to January, the rough estimate of when my demon side could rip me apart, the harder it became to use them. I supposed it was true when Lee said the two sides of my blood were literally waging a war against each other. Whenever I leaned over to much to one side, like suppressing my powers or trying to use them, the other would rebel and start to affect me physically. At that moment blood began to stream from my nose in a slow motion, and the sight of it made Lee growl, as if someone else was the culprit.

"This doesn't make any sense," he muttered, summoning Ivalthea out from wherever she slithered in from. She appeared before me in her in-between form, the one that made me shudder no matter how often I saw it. "You should be able to produce something; you have before." He seemed deep in thought, and I wished he would snap out of it so he could tell Ivalthea to stop looking at me like I was a mouse she wanted to swallow whole. Suddenly his gaze sharpened, eyes going all black, and he looked at me witheringly. "Do you remember how you told me that you thought it odd that your powers had never surfaced before coming here?"

I cocked one eyebrow, and pulled at my restraints pointedly. "Yes. What about it?"

"I'm thinking that you're right; it is strange. You've never seen a demon before coming here, and we're everywhere. You'd never even been approached by one before." When he mentioned it, it did seem bizarre to never have had any experience with demons when they were a surprisingly big part of my life. I stopped struggling for a moment to consider it, and he answered all my unspoken questions when he piped up and said, "I think Glaziel sealed your powers."

"He what? But I've used them before…"

He was shaking his head, his expression growing more certain as he spoke. "Only when you were in this city; never before that. You didn't even know they existed. Demons should have been able to find you easily, since you're Glaziel's daughter, one of the most powerful demons in Hell. Demons find each other through the amount of power they have; they're constantly feeling each other out, scoping out who's a threat or not. And they would have definitely been looking for you. But you were never attacked, not even once."

Everything he was saying began to start connecting puzzle pieces in my mind. Only after I'd come here did my ice powers start to show, and suddenly it was like demons were everywhere I went. A reason my powers could have been so out of control is because I wasn't meant to use them in the first place. Before I could ask why my father would think to do that, Lee's eyes met mine, something akin to affection shining in them. "He did it to protect you," he murmured, the realization cementing as he spoke. "If not even you knew your powers existed, then what demon could have found you and hurt you? In theory, it was a smart thing to do when you were younger. He knew he wouldn't be around to teach you anything about yourself."

Knowing how absolutely certain my father was that he was going to die but still taking the time to protect me from his world and all its dangers made my chest twist to tightly I thought it would split in two. Ivalthea slithered up behind me and undid my restraints, and I rubbed my wrists tenderly, wishing that he were still alive. Funny how you could miss someone you barely even knew – my father kept his entire life from me, yet I still didn't resent him for it, because it was all for my benefit. Just as my Shugo Chara were doing. Lying to someone, or just withholding the truth with them, was one of the strangest ways I could think of to show someone how much you love them. I looked over at the girls, who all had pairs of sparkling eyes that shed the tears I couldn't, and felt even worse about how I'd been so frustrated with them keeping things from me. The redness on my wrists faded quickly, as it always did, and all I could think about was what was the point of doing this if it wouldn't even matter in the end? Did my father know that I would be my own destruction, as well?

"Now, however," Lee continued, oblivious to the fact that I'd basically given up on this training idea already. "It's a bit inconvenient for you to be without your powers."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well." He paused, trying to choose his words carefully. "I have a theory that the more we… fluff your powers, for lack of a better term-" funny how that was the term he decided to go with, "-I'm thinking the less likely it will be that they'll be destroying your body from the inside."

That made me perk up, an excited flutter bouncing around in my stomach. "That means I'll have longer before I die."

His eyebrows wrinkled. "Who said anything about dying?" He turned to glare at the girls, who just held their hands up in defense.

"I figured that was where this all would lead to," I told him, shrugging. "You said no half-demon had ever lived as long as I have before, either because they were killed or destroyed themselves. I shouldn't be any different." He blinked at me, clearly shocked at my nonchalance at discussing my own demise, and I decided that meant it was time to switch topics. "So how do I… unseal my powers, then?"

"I have no idea," he growled, looking like he was about to split nails. "Demons obviously try to avoid sealing their powers, and since there is nothing in our history about half-demons in general, there are no clues as to how to go about it. However, your powers tend to leak through the seal whenever you're feeling severely distressed. Maybe that's somehow involved."

"Maybe," I agreed, admittedly feeling disenheartened. Lee was a very old demon, one who had a vast amount of knowledge about Hell and the human world. If he hadn't a clue as to how to solve this predicament, then what hope did I have? I looked at the backs of my hands, the knuckles standing out against my stark skin. Then veins shifted and twirled as they did when I felt intense emotions, into patterns resembling swirling frost. Strange was the only word I could think of to describe it. I pulled my sleeves down over my hands, not knowing why I felt so subconscious about it in my uncle's presence, but still wanting to hide all the same.

"We'll put your training on hold for now," he grunted as he turned away and beckoned Ivalthea to follow him. "I'll contact you should I find anything out. Good night." For some reason, I felt tempted to call out to him, to reach out a hand and tell him that he didn't have to leave yet. But I kept them in my lap, not lifting my head even when I heard the door to the apartment close with a sharp snap of finality. The girls floated over to rest in my palms, looked up at me pleadingly, but I couldn't think of anything to say. I was absolutely uncertain about the way I was feeling, and all but forgot about my new Egg, abandoned in their basket, a blanket of frost settled over it.

---

School just wasn't the same without Nadeshiko-chan and Kukai-kun there. The Royal Garden was always dauntingly empty with only three members and two empty seats at the table. Sunlight no longer glittered through the glass of the structure, but instead only the gray light of sky filtered through. Winter was almost coming in full force, which was strange, considering the warm climate typical of Japan. Then again, this city was unique – it was, after all, run by an ice demon. Tadase-kun and Yaya-san came to school every day more and more bundled up, when I remained the same, in only a scarf, coat, and mittens that I really didn't need. Their presence just made me feel oddly more alone than before. I remembered my first week here, when Nadeshiko-chan and Kukai-kun had forcibly dragged me to the Royal Garden for the first time as a unit. It was somewhat thanks to them that I even had a place in this school to begin with. Without them there, that place felt as though it had been shrouded by darkness, so that I could no longer find my way to it.

Tadase-kun obviously picked up that something was bothering me, and since he was so sincere about wanting me to share my troubles, I told him as much as the truth as I could. "Just miss them," I'd say with a shrug whenever he asked about my well-being, and Yaya-san would pout and try to change the subject. Apparently she'd been as oblivious as me about Nadeshiko-chan's decision to study abroad. Even the Shugo Chara were down, and Kiseki often complained about losing two good servants. I still hadn't mentioned anything about my new Egg; no time seemed right.

I should have known that those two seats wouldn't stay empty forever.

I stared miserably at Nadeshiko-chan's empty seat in first period on Monday, wondering when I'd ever get over myself and just be happy for her for broadening her horizons. I let out a small groan and rocked back in my seat, watching dazedly as my Shugo Chara were doing some sort of dancing ritual on my desk – trying to transfer positive vibes, they called it. The hum and buzz that accompanied the increasing number of people as more students streamed in the class was all but white noise, and every now and again, I could pick up on certain topics of conversation: how Utau-chan hadn't let out a new song for a while, how there was going to be a new transfer students today, how there was a new dessert shop enviously close to Mayosu… nothing of too much interest. With Nadeshik0-chan gone, that meant I'd actually have to try and make friends with the other kids in my class, and while that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, I wasn't exactly good at it. When the first bell chimed and everyone settled in their seats, I let myself tune out when the teacher entered. My grades had gone down, as I figured would happen with all the extra activities I'd gotten involved in, but what was the point of trying hard in school if I was going to die soon, anyway? I didn't want to become more of a pessimist than I already was, but lo and behold, I was converting.

"As I'm sure some of you know," Mr. Yoshida began after clearing his throat. "We have a new student joining as today." Just one month after me. This school must be getting more popular or something. "I'd like to introduce everyone to Rima Mashiro-san." The girl that walked in immediately after he said her name swiftly stole the air from everyone's lungs, and even I was a little bit surprised.

This new kid – Rima Mashiro – was a porecelain doll come to life. She was incredibly small in stature, a sure match for Yaya-san, and her skin was the clearest and most lovely cream colour with little rosy cheeks. Her wavy golden hair almost dwarfed her already slim and small figure, and a neat little black bow headband kept it mostly away from her face. Big, round eyes stared emotionlessly out at the crowd of students gawking at her, the colour of melted caramel. Suffice to say, she was the most adorable little thing I'd ever seen. And she was heading right for the empty seat where Nadeshiko-chan used to sit. Though I knew it was silly for me to get so defensive over a dumb desk and chair, I still bristled all the same. No one could take her place, and though I knew Mashiro-san wasn't trying to, it put me on edge all the same. The fact that she'd remained expressionless even as the other students smiled at her made me even more aggravated about it; Nadeshiko-chan always smiled kindly at everyone, regardless of who they were.

She did not immediately sit down once she'd reached the seat. She stood in silence for a few seconds, staring at it. Then she looked to the boy who was to sit behind her – Yuzuhara (ugh). Their gazes caught, and after a moment's hesitation, he pulled out the chair for her. She settled in, turned around, and with a gentle little stretch of her small mouth she said, "Thanks", and you could almost hear all the guys howling. I almost rubbed the heels of my hands on my eyes, already exhausted, then recalled I was wearing mascara and opted out of it. Instead I busied my hands with twirling my pencil around my fingers, and then just spinning it in the air when Lilith latched herself on to the end of it to get whirled around. I wondered why someone would transfer in at a time like this, after school had already been going on for some time. Granted, my reasons were pretty convoluted, and I didn't give a straight response when people asked me, but still. I stared at Mashiro-san's back for a few moments, noticing that she didn't make any attempts to socialize with the people around her. And then it hit me that maybe she was just acting a bit cold and standoffish because she was nervous, just like I had been when I first arrived. This academy was awfully intimidating after all, and it was difficult to come around to the idea that the students here were just regular kids and not pompous, rich ones. After class ended and we all stood to make off to our next ones, I took a giant leap, one I hoped would benefit the both of us; I went up to talk to her.

Mashiro-san was taking her time gathering her things from her desk, so I had plenty of time to make a move (that sounded suspicious). I stood from my desk quickly, having already packed up, and took the few short steps to her desk with a pounding heart. I was never good around new people; I was the type to think that if I made a few good friends, I'd never need to make any more. But it was always good to be friendly to someone. This would be a good chance for me to practise being a better person before I no longer had the chance. "Um, hi," I said to her, and had to swallow down the shakiness of my voice. "My name's Snow. I just transferred last month." Her stare was penetrating straight through my skull, but I'd just been to Hell the week before. I wasn't going to let that set me back. I smiled at her, genuinely eager to be talking to someone new, and said, "This place is a little intimidating at first, huh? If you'd like, I could-" I almost stopped myself when offering to show her around campus, because I'd probably end up getting us both lost, but she ended up cutting me off regardless.

"Why are you smiling?" She asked me without even blinking. "Nothing's even funny. Are you stupid or something?" My Shugo Chara were gasping, fluttering nervously around my head, as she continued, "Don't bother me with dumb stuff." She threw her bag over her shoulder and got up to leave, breezing out of the room with a sweet scent following her. I remained still for a few moments, watching mutely as Yuzuhara caught wind of my expression and bolted out of the room with a yelp, then I took one giant step forward. My Shugo Chara tried stopping me by pulling my hair back, because I was beyond furious and looking to freeze some shit.

Are you kidding me? I demand to no one in particular, smiling in a way that made the last lingering students flee from the room. I try being nice, and this is what I get? I'm gonna die soon, bitch, have a little sympathy! I have to make a physical effort to calm myself down, remind myself that that could have just been her being nervous again – or maybe she was just rude. It didn't matter. What she chose to do was her prerogative, and I shouldn't have tried bothering her. I stood still for a few moments in the empty room, watching the dark clouds outside move in a strong winter gust. Then I heaved a sigh, wondered if everything was just pointless after all. A steady fall of snow began outside, and I felt my heart fall into the pit that was my stomach with it. I wondered if my father would think if he saw me now, if he wondered if I was worth sacrificing himself for.

---

At lunch Tadase-kun suddenly announced that we were going to have an assembly third period to – surprise! - introduce the new Guardians. Even Yaya-san hadn't seen them yet; it seemed that Tadase-kun had been planning on keeping it a secret until the very last moment. Some kids in my classes were floating around the rumor that the new girl, Mashiro-san, was going to be the new Queen, and something deep and ugly inside of me was praying that wasn't the case. She could be the damn Queen if she wanted to; who was I to protest? It's not that I particularly had anything against her; if she became the new Queen, it would make Nadeshiko-chan's departure all the more real, and I couldn't handle that. Not when everything else was happening.

But fate works in funny ways. At the beginning of third period I was sitting on a chair, on the stage in our auditorium, forced into the Guardian's red plaid cape by Yaya-san (the method she used was pure madness; she crawled on my back like a damn koala). Tadase-kun was at the podium, speaking confidently into the microphone, and only Yaya-san and I could see the small golden crown atop his head, Character Changed so he could be more comfortable with public speaking. Kiseki stood on the podium himself, enjoying all the eyes that weren't technically on him. I trained all my focus on what he was saying, both so that I could understand and so that I didn't have to think about the darker things dwelling in the corners of my brain.

Yaya-san nudged me with her elbow. I looked over to her begrudgingly, still salty about the cape incident. "You look good in it," she said with a wink, and I bared my teeth at her. She had to restrain laughter just as Tadase-kun announced to the Seiyo Academy student body, "Therefore, I would like to formally introduce you to our new Guardians. Our new Queen is Rima Mashiro-san-" I grumbled a little at the name "-and our new Jack is Kairi Sanjou."

The two new Guardians take their cues and walk out onto the stage from behind the voluminous red curtains. They're both wearing the capes with no suggestion of complaint – it really suits Mashiro-san, making her look like a petite princess. The new Jack chair made me freeze where I sat; his eyes were slanted a tad bit upwards, almost haughtily, and were this gorgeous dark aqua colour, framed by dark hair with a slight evergreen hue that was parted down the middle. He was about a head or two taller than Mashiro-san, his sleek glasses making him look all the more stern and capable. The cape on him, however, looked slightly awkward and out of place; he looked more like the type that belonged in a strapping business suit. Regardless, all I could think when I saw him was he's completely adorable. There was no Shugo Chara around them that I could tell, so they stood alone at the front of the stage with respectful bows as the crowd erupted in respectful applause. Tadase-kun introduced himself, Yaya-san, and I next, and I stood at the end of their line, somewhat out-of-place from the rest of them. Sanjou-san was about Tadase-kun's height, if not a little shorter, so the three of us towered over Yaya-san and Mashiro-san, and I strangely found myself wishing that I was shorter. I'd look more in place with the girls, less inhuman than I already did. I clenched my hands tightly behind my back, so that it looked like I was standing tall and strong when I was actually shriveling up a little on the inside.

The address to the student body continued on, the topics of uniform changes and winter break dominating the discussion. It felt awkward just sitting on the stage in silence while Tadase-kun did all the talking and answered all the questions, but there wasn't much else I could do. I was basically the secret brawn of the Guardians who performed their secret mission of taking out the X-Eggs that popped up, and wasn't good for much else. The auditorium was stuffy and, judging from Yaya-san's shivering, cold, and it was especially frosty up on stage with Mashiro-san sitting near me and pointedly not looking at any of us. It smelled like soil in there, for whatever reason, and some of the crispness of near-winter leaked in through the cracks of the doors, and I tried to keep completely still because the wood of the stage creaked with every movement made. Every now and again my gaze would stray to Sanjou-kun, just because something about his face was familiar (and attractive) to me, but he remained focused on the audience as well. Yaya-san did not give a rat's ass about what was happening and was bouncing joyously in her chair, and the audience laughed when they caught me place a hand on her head to hold her still. That embarrassed me, but only made her laugh and settle down a little bit. When I turned back to my casual examination, Mashiro-san was cutting me a nasty look, and she must have been thinking that I was unprofessional. I turned away from her and couldn't help but sigh, wishing that the assembly could just be over already.

We had to return to class fourth period, and it completely dragged. While I did find chemistry fascinating in some ways (like how one could make ice from nothing) I just wasn't feeling it that day. My packing up was sluggish when the final bell rang, and I was grateful that Seiyo took a more western approach to education instead of having more than four classes a day (or maybe it was Akutetsu itself that was different from the rest of Japan and its norms). There was a Guardians' meeting that day, and I was sure there was going to be more introductions to the new kids, and I wasn't sure I was mentally prepared yet, so I took a few moments in the science room to calm myself down and tried to put on a good face. Tadase-kun texted me to take my time with a smiley face emoticon, and that made my heart give a peculiar little clench. The winter sky was already transcending into early evening even though it was just shy of three, the classroom coloured with hues of pinks and cold violets. Nikaidou had already vacated the room, to do whatever he did in his spare time besides ruin the dreams of children, so it was just me, the girls, and some animal skeletons. And then Professor Kenneth when he strolled on in again. I wondered why he came to the science room so much when he was a math teacher, and recalled that Deryn had told me he was her science prof before they moved here. My stomach twisted painfully when I recalled what had happened with her, how she disappeared in front of my eyes because I couldn't help but be afraid of my friend. I laid my head on the desk, repenting.

"Now, now, what's eating you, Snow?" Professor Kenneth asked when he strolled over to me. I jumped a little, because Deryn wasn't the only vampire in Seiyo Academy. I glanced up at him, wondering how it had slipped past me with his golden eyes and skin as white as a sheet of paper. He was grinning at me, his teeth glinting in the light, and he couldn't have missed me struggling to swallow out of nervousness. That only made his grin widen and tilt into a smirk – a very different reaction than Deryn's, almost like it pleased him that I was nervous, that I was slightly afraid. Something told me that he and Deryn were vastly different vampires. He tilted his head to the side, actually expecting an answer to his question that I forgot to give.

"Um, nothing really," I tell him, my voice impressively steady. "There's just so many new things, you know? Like the Guardians…" I trailed off and gave him a hopeless shrug, because it wasn't like I could tell him-

"And you just learned that you're a half-demon, correct?" He guessed with a glint in his eye that resembled twinkling sunlight. My thoughts froze, and anything I had to say in protest got lodged in my throat. His smirk stretched even further. "Sorry, you clearly didn't know that we knew." We. Meaning he and Deryn – possible even Will knew what I was, and didn't even bother letting me in on the secret. "Your uncle very graciously filled us in. He wanted us to keep an eye on you in school when he couldn't. Very caring of him, no?"

"I… don't know what you want me to say," I whispered, keeping my eyes on my Shugo Chara. They looked just as helpless as me; they hadn't known either. But judging from what Uncle Lee said, he and Deryn might also have been able to feel out my powers and could tell that I wasn't all human.

"Relax," he chuckled, pulling out the plastic chair beside me and sidling in. "I can smell your fear, and you have nothing to worry about. I'm just curious about you. I'm sure Lee Carceon informed you that there haven't been that many half-demons throughout history."

"That may have been mentioned in passing."

He snorted lightly, resting his arms on the desk in front of him and placing his chin on them. "In my time, I've never seen another like you. And trust me when I say that my time has been long." That seemed to irritate him, since his mouth twitched down and eyebrows creased slightly. I wondered how long someone could live past a normal lifespan until they realized that they were bored of living, that there was nothing left for them. It occurred to me that I had a piece of history sitting beside me – dangerous history, sure, but history all the same. I was awkward around people in general, and it seemed that vampirism instilled some horribly awful social skills in me, for I had nothing left to say. It was also quite intimidating that he knew about me, that he said the word "half-demon" without his lip curling in distaste, or calling me an "it". While it was strange to be talking to someone like that, it made me a feel a bit better about my entire situation. But the feeling couldn't last, so I stood from my chair and began gently placing things in my bag, so that he wouldn't think I was leaving in a panic.

"It must have been hard on you," I said to him, but he just waved his hand dismissively.

"It's something I just have to live with. Or… not, depending on how you look at it." His grin melted into a more gentle one, and I found myself smiling back.

"I have a Guardians' meeting," I told him apologetically, and he nodded in understanding.

"Ah, yes, the new kids. Be sure to relax, okay? And be yourself." He sounded so much like a teacher that I was thrown off for a moment, and by the fact that he told me to be myself right when I was in the midst of an identity crisis. I could only fake a smile again in response, and just as I turned to leave, my wrist was captured in a grip like a vise. I twisted my head back to face him, my heart thumping in a frantic rhytm, and before I knew it my Shugo Chara were shrieking in panic and I was pinned to the table, Professor Kenneth hovering above me and pinned to the table, Professor Kenneth hovering above me and keeping my arms securely above my head. He was smiling at me, wide enough that I could see his fangs twinkling a light pink in the sunlight, as if stained by blood.

"What are you doing?" I asked him, and my voice finally gave away some of the true fear I began to feel. I was not sure if my heart was pounding in sheer terror or because there was an attractive man on top of me, but all I could hear was my own frightened breathing and the crashing blood through my ears. That meant he could hear it, too, and his grin took on an edge that resembled a wolf lurking in the darkness, ready to sink its teeth into its prey.

"I've lived for a long time," he said again, ducking his head down to nuzzle my shoulder. I breathed in sharply, and the sound made him chuckle. "As you can probably assume, I've drank from a lot of people. But a half-demon – never. No one has. Demon blood is said to be one of the most delicious, yet unattainable, and mixed with human blood?" He shuddered, which made his body shake on mine, and I desperately tried to throw him off, humiliated and afraid. "You must taste absolutely devine."

My mind was racing, attempting to think of ways to get out of this situation. I flexed my hands under his grip, trying to summon up my powers, but they failed me yet again. My Shugo Chara were pulling his hair, hitting his back, but it was like a rock was stuck on top of me – he would not budge. Not only did this feel extremely violating because it was the first time I'd ever been handled like that, but it was by my teacher. It was like Nikaidou all over again, but instead of spiritual violation, this was physical. I wanted to keep my blood all in my body, thanks. I said stop repeatedly as he brushed my hair away from my neck, and tried to kick my legs out or buck him off, but he was clearly used to dealing with uncooperative victims. Screaming wouldn't do me any good – no one was around to hear. I made a noise deep in my throat, something akin to a whimper, and the sound made him release a hot breath across my neck, which just made me growl.

"How cute," he murmured, and I felt sick – both because that was not consensual, and because I was oddly pleased by those words. "I'll try to be gentle," he whispered, hair tickling my chin, and then I heard a noise that resembled a hiss and felt two needles stabbing deep into my neck.

He had lied to me; he wasn't trying to be gentle at all. He bit down so hard and deeply, like I was a piece of meat stuck to the bone, and the blood was ripped from my body harshly. I couldn't help the pained noises, the small screams that escaped me, and my entire body started to boil when I heard him grunting quietly at my neck. My Shugo Chara had fled the room, hopefully to get some assistance, and I still tried to maneuver my legs in a way that would give me an edge I could use to get away. But I felt significantly weaker, heavy, tired. Sluggish, as if I had just woken up. The smell of his shampoo was right up against my nose, overwhelming my sense of smell, and instead of trying futilely to escape I just thought, a complete stranger is doing this to me. I at least wish it was- and then I didn't finish the thought, because I did not know what would fill in the blank. The animal skeletons in the room all seemed to be staring directly at me as I was pinned under the heat of his body and his fangs were embedded in my skin like thorns, prey all taken by their predators. I was convinced he wasn't going to stop, and that he was going to kill me.

The door to the science room burst open with a deep, vicious scream from someone very furious: "CYRUS!" Only a few people called him by his first name, one of which I had never been more glad to see in my life. Deryn moved so quickly from the doorway to throwing Prof Kenneth off of me that I got whiplash, and was startled out of my trance with the sound of a body crashing into desks. Deryn stood before me in the sun, hair blazing like golden fire, a long, silver weapon with a triangular tip in hand – a spear, with many intricate carvings of dragons and symbols on it. It almost had an ethereal glow to it, as though it were holy. Prof Kenneth stood without me even noticing, and the desks were back in place, as if there had been nothing to disturb them in the first place. My blood was smeared on Prof Kenneth's lips, making him look like he was wearing lipstick, and his eyes were glazed over in something like bliss. I struggled to sit, but couldn't find the strength to move an inch; I could barely move my head back and forth to observe their exchange. When he had been sucking my blood, there was a sharp pain in my neck, but now it was even worse; it was a throbbing ache that felt like it was going to bruise, one that made my head swim and convinced me I was going to faint.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Deryn demanded of him, eyes blazing a strange, inky purple colour – like the colour of spilled oil when the sun hit it a certain way. "You know we're not supposed to feed in the city. And with the mayor's niece? You could have just sealed your own death sentence, Cyrus." She actually looked like she may cry, her eyebrows drawn so far down over her eyes that they were completely shadowed and raging. "And she's our friend. Why would you do this?"

"I just wanted to see what she would taste like," he answered with a shrug, which only made Deryn grip her weapon tighter, and I nonsensically thought that she was going to get imprints from those designs on her hand. "And was bringing Dracul really necessary? I'm not some feral newborn like the people from Sol." Deryn and Will had mentioned that Sol was the name of the town they lived in before they came here – the town the were forced to leave because it was burned to the ground, according to Uncle Lee. From the sounds of it, they weren't the only vampires who lived there. I had no energy to be angry with Kenneth, which was most likely his intention, and began to think about what I still needed to do after I got out of here – I hoped the collar of my work shirt would hide the bite marks.

"Snow, get out of here," Deryn growled, and I had the faint idea that they were planning on fighting it out or something. I wanted to tell her that I could barely move, but my words were slurred. Lilith got the brilliant idea to Character Change with me, and relying on her power and strength, she dragged me from the room in my own body, quickly followed by her younger, weeping sisters. The sight of their tears sent a sharp needle of guilt throughout my system; all I seemed to do was make them cry. She let me change back before we left the school, and I fell to my knees at the front door, panting from exertion and from the fear that was finally sweeping away the shock of what had just happened.

Sluggishly I pulled my phone from my blazer pocket and texted Tadase-kun that unfortunately I wasn't able to make the Guardians' meeting this evening, and that I'd make it up to them tomorrow. I didn't respond when he asked me what was wrong, and instead used a nearby pillar to pull myself up from the ground and make my way off of school property, so that I could just have some time to rest before I went to work, to let everything sink in so I could have a much needed mental breakdown.

Even though that was what I wanted, a mental breakdown never came. I just applied some ice (from the freezer) to my neck to cool down the burning sensation, and hopped in the showed quickly before I left for work. Once I finished dazedly watching a small stream of rust coloured water swirl down the drain, I wiped the steam off of my mirror and examined my neck. Two vicious puncture wounds, just like the girl Ikuto and I had found, were open in my neck – and it looked like they went deep. The area around the bite was still red and angry, and I could tell bruises were going to form. Why had Kenneth done that to me? The temptation to try a half-demon's blood couldn't be that strong. My chest swelled when I remembered Deryn bursting into the room to save me, even after the horrible way I'd acted towards her. I really was a horrible friend.

I tried with all my might not to let my discomfort or the bite show during work. One more little incident and I was sure to be fired, and I needed this job – not to mention I basically lived off of tips, and I had to keep smiling in the friendliest way possible. Louise noticed that I wasn't exactly myself, and we made plans to hang out over the weekend, since I was trying to focus on getting my life at least a little bit together and making more friends. That only reminded me of Mashiro-san and Sanjou-san, and how I shouldn't have bene so quick to judge them. I would try as hard as I could to make nice with them, and do my best with the Guardians, since I may not have been able to help them after my birthday. The thought was grim, and the acrid smell of garlic from the leftover Caesar salad I munched on during my break only made me feel slightly sicker. So did the booze I served to the patrons chortling away and watching a sports event on the television at the bar. Basically I just wasn't feeling too well at all. Yet I finished my entire shift without any incident, and I was mighty proud of myself as I dragged my feet down the snowy sidewalks of Akutetsu to get home.

The wind slipped under my scarf and tickled my bite marks, which made me wince and rub the area around them tenderly. My Shugo Chara nestled underneath the fabric and looked up at me in concern, but I could only shake my head in response in public. I looked ahead into the crowd of people before me, hoping I was going the right way, and saw a familiar tall figure in the crowd with dark hair shining in the moonlight. Snow drifted down from the sky in small, delicate flakes, got caught in his hair, and it felt like someone had reached a hand down my throat and grabbed my stomach in a vise grip. I hadn't talked to him for so long, and before I could stop myself, I was calling out his name. He turned back to face me, curiosity written all across his face, and then his dark eyes went flat and he turned away again. He was avoiding me, for some strange reason. Maybe because of the whole stabbing incident. But the sight of him turning away from me, after everything else that had happened, sent my heart into a panicked state. I couldn't lose anyone else. So I ran forward in a desperate burst of speed and grabbed his hand from behind, which sent a bolt of warmth shooting up my arm.

Ikuto whirled his head around to face me, shocked, and the movement was so abrupt that the violin case strapped to his back jostled slightly. We awkwardly stared at each other for a few moments as people maneuvered around us in irritation, but soon his expression was completely neutral again. His cheeks and nose were bright red from the cold, and I wondered how long he'd been outside. "What do you want?" He asked, his voice empty and foreign.

The lack of caring and recognition made me feel even sicker. I desperately wanted to cry, despite knowing full well that I couldn't. "You're avoiding me." It wasn't a question.

"So?"

"I want to know why."

He stared me down, completely aghast, like I was a three-dimensional puzzle that looked impossible to solve. "Really," he said, sounding hard and cold as ice. "You're asking me why I'm avoiding you after what happened to you? I think you're smart enough to put two and two together."

So it was because of the stabbing incident, then. Even though I wanted to give him his space, and not make him even more irritated than he already was, I couldn't give him up just yet. Yet I couldn't meet his eyes when I said, "I'm sorry you had to see that."

However, that only seemed to piss him off even more. "Why are you apologizing to me when I should be the one saying sorry?"

A deep line formed between my eyebrows as I looked up at him pleadingly. I wasn't sure if I was desperate not to lose any more friends, or if I was just desperate not to lose him. His bangs were casting shadows across his face under the streetlight, and gentle white flakes entangled with his hair and incredibly long eyelashes. He was so much taller than me, which I still wasn't used to, and the thought of not being able to see him anymore or have him tease me was strangely heartbreaking. "I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"Someone from Easter stabbed you," he muttered, shaking his head in bewilderment. "How can you even talk to me after something like that?"

I was officially lost. "What the hell are you on? Nobody from Easter stabbed me." He rolled his eyes lazily and opened his mouth to most likely say something snarky, but I cut him off before he could. "Do Easter employees normally go around stabbing people?"

"Of course not." He shifts underneath his jacket, readjusted the strap of his violin case and shivered a little when a wind blew around us and kicked up dusty snow. "Your Shugo Chara told me everything, so don't even try pulling some bullshit on me. Now hopefully you understand that we're enemies, not friends."

With exaggerated slowness, I turned my eyes down to stare at the girls and put the fear of God into them. They looked immeasurably guilty, and whispered apologies to me before I looked to Ikuto again. They couldn't have just said it was a random stabbing? Really? "They lied," I told him, gripping his hand even more tightly. It occurred to me that he wasn't wearing gloves or anything, and his hands must have been freezing – but I couldn't feel it. The warmth of my hand and the nothingness I felt from his only further reminded me of what I was, but I wouldn't let go. "No one from Easter stabbed me. It was a freak accident – I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Why would they lie?" He demanded, and I reeled back a bit in shock since I'd never seen him quite so heated. He seemed to realize that he was acting out of character and settled back down, pushing his chin under the top of his coat, almost in a pout. "Whatever. It doesn't change the fact that we shouldn't be talking like this."

"But I want to." We were both shocked that time. I'd never so explicity voiced my desires like that to him – to anyone – before, and while it made me feel rotten and selfish, it also made me feel kind of in control (something I'd been desperately lacking lately). "Of course I love the Guardians," I said, surprising myself again. "And of course I want to help them however I can. But you're my friend, too – I shouldn't be made to choose one or the other. And neither should you."

"You're only saying that because I keep saving you," he said, voice flat and toneless again. He wouldn't meet my gaze, and the lack of light in his eyes made me feel both upset and incredibly angry. Why was he being so difficult? Yet he hadn't tried to shake off my hand once, as if he was afraid of hurting me more than his words already were. He was such a drama queen – and my heart was still pounding in my ears, and it felt like I was choking on a piece of hard candy. I knew I should have been thinking of him, of how much I must have been bothering him, but when I'd tried to do that with Nadeshiko-chan and Kukai-kun, they'd both ended up leaving me behind. Just like my father-

Suddenly I knew why I was so afraid of my friends leaving. I had abandonment issues. Like a small child that got lost for a few hours in a department store. "That's not it," I argued, ashamed of myself for acting so immature. "I don't think you're some kind of hero – you're the opposite, actually, and you know it. Why can't I just like you for you?"

"You don't even know me. And I don't really know you, either." He got this faraway look, his hand going limp in mine. His eyes strayed to somewhere behind me, then on my stomach, as if he could see right through my clothes to the scars on my stomach. My hand began to sweat. Then his eyes darted up again, wide but tilted angrily with the slash of his brows changing their shape. "What's that on your neck?"

"Nothing," I responded quickly, too quickly. His eyes narrowed in suspicious; he recognized those same marks as the ones we found on that girl the first time I heard him play the violin. I thought about what Uncle Lee said, about how a half-demon was never accepted by humans or demons. I finally let go of his hand, and I felt the absence of it almost like I could actually feel the cold. He looked like he was about to turn around and leave, his expression completely blank again, but before he could I asked, "Why did you apologize that day in the infirmary?"

"Does it even really matter?"

"It does to me. It sounded like you were saying goodbye."

Finally our gazes met, and my bangs were obstructing my vision, so I hastily pushed them away. Even though he stodd right beneath a streetlight, I saw no light reflected in his eyes, and that made me feel sick to my stomach. "You're very perceptive," he said, almost sarcastically, and then turned and strode away, completely relaxed and not bothered. I gripped my hands into fists and clenched my teeth. Before I could even think of what to say, the girls barged in with an explanation.

"Lee doesn't want you hanging around humans too much-"

"You do only have a certan amount of time, you can't get too close-"

"It seemed like you care about him more than you should-"

Since we were in public, I couldn't say anything in response. I finally gazed dazedly around my surroundings, only to realize that people were staring at me, some at Ikuto's retreating figure. I hadn't known we had an audience. But it was the first time I didn't care about who watch, the first time I just wanted everyone around me to disappear, to leave me stewing in rejection and isolation.

---

That morning I awoke to my new Egg completely coated in layers of frost.

"Why would it be doing that?" I asked the my other Shugo Chara as we made our way to the after school Guardian's meeting. The day had been fairly normal, save for the guys in my homeroom fawning over Mashiro-san as if she were a real queen, and I hadn't seen Kenneth, Deryn, or Will at all. The night before I ran to my apartment, desperate not to run in to Uncle Lee, since I imagined he wouldn't have been to happy to see that I'd gotten bitten by one of his citizens who weren't even permitted to hunt in the city. The bite on my neck was scabbed over now with two rough bumps, and I hid it by wearing my red scarf all day; I supposed it was so cold out no one bothered to ask me about it. Nonetheless, my Shugo Chara shook their heads, just as lost as I was.

"We have no idea. Keep in mind that we were just born – we haven't seen too much of other Shugo Chara to now what exactly is normal or not," Vivian grumbled, swinging her rabbit back and forth with her right arm.

"Fair point." By that time we were in front of the Royal Garden, and I had a horribly malignant knot in my stomach. Things just weren't going very well lately. Now Nadeshiko-chan, Kukai-kun, and Ikuto were all but gone, and the new Guardians did not seem to like me very much. I took a deep breath that I couldn't really feel through the lump in my throat and pushed the doors open, then walked up the stone path to the gazebo. The air was significantly warmer in here for the flowers and for the humans, and I desperately felt the need to tear off my scarf – but I couldn't, lest they start asking questions. The new Jack and Queen's gazes followed me as I sat down in my seat, the volume of their stares drowning out Yaya-san's incessant chatter.

"Excellent, everyone's here!" Tadase-kun began cheerfully as he clapped his hands together once. "Now we can begin with the formal introductions. I'm the King chair, Tadase Hotori."

"I'm the Ace," Yaya-san sang while waving her hands in the air, her pigtails bouncing manically. "Yaya Yuiki! But you can just call me Yaya." She gave me a pointed look at that, and I looked away, embarrassed. There were a few awkward beats of silence that I realized I was meant to fill with my introduction, and then I piped up, cheeks flaming.

"I'm, uh, the Joker, Snow Hisayuki." Very eloquent, Snow, great job. Idiot.

No one missed the sigh before Mashiro-san began her introduction. "The new Queen chair, Rima Mashiro. I'm in the tenth grade. And this," she continued as a little flash of orange zipped up from behind her hair, "is my Shugo Chara, Kusukusu." Her Shugo Chara was practically her polar opposite, dressed in and orange clown suit with white polka dots, and a matching hat that reminded me of a nightcap. Her hair was straight and long, a colour identical to her bearer's, with big amber eyes that had a green teardrop and star under each. The second she appeared and made eye contact with everyone, she began to snicker, as if she just remembered a really funny joke and didn't intend to share it with anyone. Something about it irritated me, because I was a spaz and thought everything had malicious intentions, and Mashiro-san remained silent after that, apparently done talking.

The Jack took that as his cue and cleared his throat. "I'm the new Jack chair, Kairi Sanjou. I'm in the ninth grade, though I am only thirteen-years-old. Charmed, I'm sure."Thirteen? Seiyo's Guardian system was messed up if they let a middle schooler into high school just because he had a Shugo Chara. He must have been massive compared to all of his classmates before he came here, since he was the same height as Tadase-kun, who was fifteen, and I. "This is my Shugo Chara, Musashi." That name sounded familiar, and once his Shugo Chara floated on in, I understood and had to hold back a snort. Musashi was a samurai in every meaning of the word, from the topknot the same colour as his master's hair to the katana (a very small katana) hanging from the belt of his kimono. He even had round little glasses to match Sanjou-san's, and before I could realize what I was doing, I had my hands on either side of the Jack's face. He blinked in astonishment, a little flush coating his cheeks, and he pushed my hands away. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, sorry," I said, holding my hands up in surrender. "I just got the urge…"

Yaya-san was absolutely killing herself laughing. Tadase-kun was smiling kindly, though there was a slight edge to it that only served to confuse me. Mashiro-san just completely ignored what all of us were doing, though her Shugo Chara was teetering on the edge of the table, in the same state as Yaya-san. Kusukusu seemed to be making a good impression on Lilith, since they were just hooting together while Viv just rolled her eyes and Satsuki was staring at… at Musashi. With rosy cheeks and eyes sparkling like stars. Oh my god. He didn't even seem to notice her, but just stood on the table regally with his arms crossed, completely at ease while Kiseki and Pepe sized him up. Two of my little fairy people are in better romantic states than I am right now. What the hell is with that? I looked to Lilith, concerned that she might be hooking up with a tiny boy as well, but when I saw her drooling from laughter and clutching her bare stomach as she rolled around on the table, I figured I had nothing to worry about.

As soon as I finished the thought, she shot up from her position and stared at me. "You just thought something nasty about me, didn't you?"

I couldn't meet her eyes. "No, of course not."

"I'm glad we are all finally meeting one another," Tadase-kun cut in before we could get into yet another of one of our famous screaming matches. "I'm sure we'll all work very well together from now on." Just as he said that, Mashiro-san commanded Yaya-san to fetch her some tea, which the latter complied to with a salute and 'yes, ma'am' before she dashed off. I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. Work well together my ass. Though I didn't want Tadase-kun's efforts and feelings to go to waste, so I made the decision to just keep my mouth shut and be as polite as possible. Tadase-kun cleared his throat before speaking again. "I'm sure this must all be very new to you two, so allow me to explain what it is, exactly, that we Guardians do. First of all-"

"That isn't necessary," Sanjou-san cut him off while he pushed up his glasses, much to the shock of everyone else. "I've already done research on all of you." With that, he whipped out a mountain of files from his bag and slammed them on the table in front of us, which made us all jump about a foot out of our seats. He pushed up his glasses with his middle finger, which made me think he was flipping us off, and scowled a little. "And I've deduced that the Guardians are not efficient enough."

"Oh," Tadase-kun said, obsviously trying not to sound disheartened. He perked himself up quickly enough, and forced a smile on his face. "Well, what do you suggest we do to improve?"

"First," Sanjou-san began, and he suddenly directed a very sharp glare at me, making me flinch. "The main issue we need to address is the Joker."

My shoulders stiffened, and my mouth screwed up in an attempt to restrain any protests. I knew I wasn't the best Guardian, but I was working with what I had. There was always, always room for improvement, but… wasn't that a bit harsh? Since he'd noticed my discomfort with the statement, Sanjou-san heaved a sigh and launched into an explanation that did nothing to make me feel better. "For some unknown reason, the amount of X-Eggs emerging from the younger generation has increased exponentially over the past two months. However, the rate at which the Eggs are being purified is too inadequate – you must be more efficient in order for the Guardians to succeed in their mission."

I couldn't do anything but nod mutely, because he must have been right, or he wouldn't have said any of that. My Shugo Chara looked up at me, concerned again, because I was unable to meet anyone's eyes. Instead I grabbed a strand of hair from over my shoulder and began to braid it nervously, the light making it gleam a slight silver. I noticed that Mashiro-san was staring at it, her eyes slightly narrowed as she lifted a teacup to her mouth and took a delicate sip. She pulled it away from her mouth, frowning. "Yaya, go buy me some hot chocolate. I hate Japanese tea – as well as rice crackers."

Now Tadase-kun reared back in horrified shock, and curled in a ball to the side of the table. "I'm sorry… Japanese tea is all I can make…" Well, he was Japanese, so why the hell not?

"And your hair is weird," she said to me, a judgmental frown warping her gentle features. I squinted at her and said, "Thanks."

"It seems the new Guardians are already falling apart," Sanjou-san continued with a sound that resembled a snort. "If things continue as they are, I'm certain we will fail in our mission."

"Sanjou-kun is right," Tadase-kun piped up as he regained a normal position, much to Kiseki's shock. "There have been more X-Eggs than ever before, and we just haven't been busy enough. So from now on, the Guardians should hunt them in teams!"

Agh. I dropped the braid and tossed it back behind my shoulder, and just couldn't seem to stop nervously fidgeting – I then began to adjust my tie, since it felt as though it was choking me, then pulled my skirt a bit more down my legs. Tadase-kun noticed and just smiled as he put a reassuring hand on mine, which didn't escape the notice of the new Guardians. They chose not to comment, though. He succeeded in stopping my fidgeting and actually managed to bring a smile to my face, something I thought would be harder to do from now on. "First we should help the newcomers out," he resumed, randomly grabbing a piece of hair behind my back and just touching it – which reminded me that at least someone liked it. "Mashiro-san, you'll team up with Hisayuki-san." Aaaaand there goes to smile. Did he not just hear her take a shot at my hair?

"Understood," she said easily, and I resisted the urge to turn to her and demand what the hell she was thinking. It was clear she didn't like me, so why was she agreeing so easily to working together? I frowned, unsure of how I'd be able to work with her, when Tadase-kun placed a hand on my head – touching my hair again – to pat it comfortingly. Strange, considering that I was three years older.

"I believe you can do it, Hisayuki-san," he told me with that smile of his, the one that was so wide his eyes had to squint to accommodate it. "The Guardians have changed since you've come, and you're the only one who can purify the Eggs. You have my total support."

"Thanks," I muttered, trying to conceal a blush.

Yaya-san burst between us suddenly, screeching, "I wanna go too!" Tadase-kun only spun her away by the shoulder, told her to behave, and then we were dismissed to scour the school grounds for any sign of distraught children or X-Eggs floating around.

My long legs carried me at a quick pace as we examined the campus, my Shugo Chara chattering happily around me – Satsuki mostlu gushing about Musashi, which the other two mercilessly teased her about. I realized I hadn't seen Mashiro-san in a bit, and I looked behind me to see her lagging far behind, her breath billowing around her, ears covered with fluffy muffs and a giant baby pink coat making her look like a marshmellow. I stopped and waited for her to catch up, though I was antsy from how close we were to the forest on the outskirts of the school. The walkway had been cleared from snow, so she didn't slip up too much as she ran over, trying to catch her breath. "Was I going too fast?" I asked her, to which she responded with a glare.

"No, you're legs are just freakishly long." The menacing effect of her words was lost when she had to pant in between them.

I raise my eyebrows sardonically. "Need me to carry you?" I asked teasingly, making Lilith snicker and Viv smirk.

"Yes, actually." She wasn't joking, and my teasing grin disappeared.

"I was kidding."

"You shouldn't smile when nothing's funny," she snipped, matching my slowed pace with a little trouble. "It makes you look dumb."

"Well, I don't really care how I look to other people," I muttered, violence barely restrained in my voice. She was really starting to grate on my nerves, and I was overheating just looking at her. My braid thumped against my back as we walked briskly in silence, eager to be rid of each other. I looked to her Shugo Chara, who had a big ol' smile blasting like a ray of sunshine on her face, severely different from the drawn-in expression of her master. It reminded me of how different I thought I was from my Shugo Chara when they were first born (which I still do), as if they weren't different versions of me but completely different people. "You and your Shugo Chara sure are different, huh," I tried, a sorry attempt to get along for Tadase-kun's sake.

"Yep," she said, then nothing else. I pressed my lips together, restraining the need to punch something.

"What's your Character Change like?" I asked, and her Shugo Chara bolted up to answer, but it was smothered by her master's hand.

"That's none of your business," she said without even looking in my direction. Her Shugo Chara was released, and just smiled again like everything was perfect in the world. It was kind of touching, and a little heartbreaking to see, how she had been silenced but still loved her bearer unconditionally anyway. I couldn't help but smile at that, which only seemed to irritate Mashiro-san more. "I can Character Change, but I can do something even better."

At that moment, I saw a small, black floating figure in my peripheral vision. I shoved Mashiro-san out of the way just in time, as it came swooping down to attack us with immense speed. Instead, it nailed my right in the gut, and I'd never been hit so hard by an X-Egg before; it actually managed to toss me a few feet away, and I landed hard on the stone walkway on my side. The impact made me cough and gag, as if I was about to throw up, and I had to face away from Mashiro-san as blood came out from my throat – my body had apparently become much more delicate in the transitioning state. I wiped my mouth on the back of my sleeve and turned back to check if she was alright, only to see something that made my eyes widen with shock and my heart seize in dread.

Mashiro-san was decked out in an outfit typical of Character Transformation. A ladies' jester dress with a huge skirt swirled around her legs. A triangular collar with bells attached jangled with every movement she made, the same colour as the bright red boots on her legs, resembling those of an Christmas elf's, only more cinched. A matching red bow sat on top of her head, a slab of salmon on sushi, and she unabashedly announced, "Character Transformation: Clown Drop!"

Ho, boy. So I wasn't the only one who could Character Transform now. Did that mean she could purify the X-Eggs as well? As I stood there in astonishment, slack-jawed and squinting, she proudly told me to "watch and learn", before she summoned up some juggling pins from the void where Shugo Chara seem to pull all their magic from. She whirled them around with a clown's expertise as I obeyed and observed her, wondering what she could do with those. It looked as if she was rearing up to… it hit me then what she was about to do. My face fell, and my once crossed arms dropped to my side before I bolted over to the X-Egg to grab it out of the way, but I was too late; she hollered "Juggling Party!" and the pins shot straight through it, shattering it into inky fragments of black that only further broke when they landed on the ground.

I fell to my knees, staring at them numbly, when Mashiro-san wandered over to me, a proud smirk on her face. "See," she told me, her voice overwhelmingly haughty. "It's easy to get rid of X-Eggs like that. I think I'd be much more efficient working on my own."

The wound where the X-Egg had pounded me on the stomach throbbed painfully, a bruise begging to form. Gritty pieces of dirt and snow soaked into my tights, making imprints on my knees. But more than those things hurt me, it was absolutely devastating to see those sharp, rounded pieces of black lying broken on the ground, as if I was literally staring at the anonymous person's heart lying destroyed on the ground. "What have you done?" I whispered, so low she couldn't hear me.

Her eyebrows creased in irritation as she put her hand son her hips. "What did you just say to me?"

"What," I said again, my voice filled with a vehemence that made her take a step back, "have you done?" I whirled to face her, eyes blazing and face made of furious stone, and her eyes widened like spreading honey. "Do you know what happens to the kids whose X-Eggs you destroy?" That felt an awful lot like déjà vu, and I suddenly recalled the incident at Utau-san's concert when I'd seen Ikuto destroy those Eggs without a second thought. How it had hurt to seen him so unrepentant about it, since I'd so desperately wanted him to be a good person, and then that had happened. Though I knew better now, it still was like a fresh slice on my heart to see someone else just meddle in another's life so maliciously without another thought.

"It's their fault," Mashiro-san quipped, crossing her bare arms. She must have been freezing, in that sleeveless dress with no tights or anything to protect her legs, but at the moment I just didn't give a damn. "If they're not strong enough to keep their Egg from turning into an X in the first place, then they don't deserve to have it."

I stared her down, my body seizing up with the need to hit something. That was just plain ignorant, and I could barely stand to look as the shards of the X-Egg slowly disappeared, gone forever. "Everyone can dream," I told her, fists clenched at my sides.

"Then you're more naïve than you look," she snorted, her Character Transformation coming undone and leaving her, heads shorter than me yet so much bigger, standing before me with absolutely no regret about what she just did.

"I have to go to work," I growled as I pushed past her to run back the Royal Garden and get my stuff. I felt her eyes on my back, watching me go, but I was far too pissed off to look back. How someone could so mercilessly destroy the dream of a total stranger was just unimaginable to me.

The rest of the Guardians were on their hunting shifts, so no one was there to stop me as I just gathered my things and left the premesis. My Shugo Chara wouldn't say a word as I briskly walked out of the campus, since it felt suffocating, like the death of someone's dream had all but sapped the life out of this place. My legs burned with a combination of running, trudging through snow, and just because my body was getting weaker with each passing day, so I collapsed in the snow, anger still coursing through me, lava flowing through a landscape and destroying every beautiful thing in sight. I clutched my hands into fists as I kneeled there, and I couldn't restrain another cough that made bright red blood bloom in the snow, strangely beautiful in a macabre kind of way. What could I do anymore, if I was physically and mentally bursting at the seams? I couldn't even save one person's Egg from getting annihilated, so who's to say if I'll be able to do anything in the future? Was there any point in being a part of this at all if I was just going to drop dead in a few months?

"Snow, you stop that," Vivian snapped, right in my ear and smacking my cheek. "You said you were going to make the most of the time you had left, remember?"

"I don't…" I trailed off, repressing the need to curl in on myself in a futile attempt to hide from the world and protect myself from any other negative thing hurting me. I was selfish, I was foolish, and I was weak. So what did I have to offer anyone? What was the point of my father giving his life, so influential and brilliant, for mine? "I'm useless," I whispered, still unable to stand.

A piercing crack screeched from my bag, shocking me out of my trance. My hand shot up to open the flap only to have my newest Egg zip out in a blur of blues and whites, and when I caught full sight of it, I let out a choked gasp and my Shugo Chara were a few octaves away from screaming at the top of their lungs. The Egg was completely frozen over, the ice slowly turning purples and blacks as if ink was being spilled into water, and slowly, a big, white, vile X began to bleed out on its surface. I was going insane, muttering 'nonono' to myself over and over again, shaking violently from the absolute horror of the situation.

My Egg had turned into an X-Egg, screaming of broken dreams and a lost soul. A Guardian's Egg had become an X, the very Guardian who was meant to purify them. But something told me there was no way of purifying this one, not when I didn't believe in myself or anyone else anymore. Blood dribbled out of my mouth as I stared numbly as my tainted Egg, and slowly began to drop in the pure white snow like the ticking of a clock.

Somehow, I knew that everything, everything I had tried to build and work for, was over. My heart was officially broken and alone, just like those seeping shards of the X-Egg Mashiro-san had destroyed.

Crimrose: "Sorry, everyone, in case you couldn't tell, I adore Kairi."

Snow: "He's just a lil' baby..."

Kairi: "St-stop! That's embarrassing you know."

Snow: "Oh my god, he's embarrassed! What a doll. I love him."

Ikuto: "I am not liking this."

Crimrose: "Oh, relax. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed, and don't forget to leave a review and vote on the poll!"

Ikuto: "Please do it. I need some inspiration."

Crimrose: "Who said it was you doing it?"

Ikuto: "Wha- but- how could it not be?"

Crimrose: "See you guys next time, and let's all take a moment to pray for Snow!"

Snow: "What does that mean?"