Hi, everyone! Thanks to all my reviewers for the last chapter-Friends (Guest), Emily-at-random, and xxmewswesomenessxx. They really make me feel inspired.

So, since I can't reply to you, Friends, thanks so much for your constructive criticism. I can see where this story went wrong now, so thanks. I'll try to fix that. But I just can't get rid of all my one-liners, so I have a couple in there.

Base the ages off of Amu being around fourteen or fifteen, so she was anime-age when she was "banished". Also, she doesn't address anyone formally. This is because I was lazy.

I was dumbfounded. I was so dumbfounded that I let them lead me along like some lost dog over to Ikuto and Utau's house, where Utau gave me a fresh set of clothes and ordered me to change.

"B-but, but…" I stammered, still utterly confused as to why exactly they could see me.

"What are you doing?!" the tall boy, the one who had slapped my back, hissed in my ear. "Don't disobey Utau, unless you want to see her dark side." I still stood there like a deer in headlights, brain frozen like the rest of me. The little blonde shoved me into the room, demanding that I change then explain exactly why I was wailing in the middle of a park in winter.

So I played along, convincing myself that I would find out what was going on later.

I stepped out awkwardly, wearing Utau's overly fancy pale blue sweater and black leggings that were obviously supposed to be tight. What was she, some kind of celebrity?

"So, what's your name?" asked the...the person. I could see that it's hair was long, though bundled under a hat, and it had big, feminine eyes, but it stood like a boy.

"What's your gender?" I snapped back, eyes widening momentarily as I realized that my sassy attitude had made a comeback.

But it's eyes had widened too, and everyone stared at me for an awkward moment. Finally, it lowered it's head. "I'm a guy."

I backed away, flustered. "I'm sorry, I, I just, please don't…"

"Are you stupid? Don't apologize; you're not the problem." the little blonde announced, trying to face me head on but utterly failing. This, because she was nearly a foot shorter than me.

The one with red eyes (though he looked far from evil) gestured me down the stairs. "Don't get upset, it's just that-"

"Tadase." Ikuto muttered, keeping his gaze on the floor.

"Hey, hey, answer Nagi's question!" Yaya edged in front of everybody else, and I had to stop abruptly in order to avoid sending her plummeting down the stairs.

"Uh, it's Amu."

"Amu-chi, huh?"

"Ch-ch-chi?!"

"Amu?" questioned the boy who had scolded Yaya before.

"Yes, it's Amu. Why?" I answered, tilting my head to the side.

"Nothing. That's just an...unusual name." He shoved his glasses up higher on his nose and pulled out fat notebook. "I must research it later." he murmured as he scribbled furiously in it.

Not knowing how to react, I turned my head in the direction of Utau and the sporty boy.

"Hey, Utau, did your next album come out yet?"

"Kukai, you're such a kid. It won't come out till next month, and-"

"Three times." Kukai winked.

"Not here, Kukai! With Amu and all?!" Utau cried.

Kukai chuckled. "Fine, but you better make her extra welcome."

"It's a bet. Whoever treats her worse loses." Utau snapped.

"Twenty bucks?"

"Deal."

And then, suddenly, Utau was leading me down the stairs. "So, Amu, where do you come from?"

I opened my mouth to say something, then realized that I had no home. I came from nowhere, I was nobody-at least until these people found me.

"Utau-chi! You made her cry again!" Yaya grumbled. "That's points off!"

Surprised, I brought a hand to my face and found it wet with tears. I guess I really did break down today.

"So, you're homeless? That's sad." Kukai said, running a hand through his brown hair and tousling it further.

"Tact, Kukai. Points off." the little blonde made a mark on a clipboard that seemed to have come out of nowhere.

"Okay, what-"

"What is with you people? Is that what you were going to say?" Ikuto, who had removed himself from the chattering crowd, raised his head briefly to glance at me.

"Utau and Kukai are overly competitive, and Utau's a pop star. Yaya's a candyholic and Kairi is a workaholic-when it comes to academics, that is. Rima's always cold to strangers and Nagihko crossdresses. Tadase's, well, pretty much normal, except for the fact that he's super polite and wants to take over the world when he grows up. Happy?"

The room was silent.

"Hey, you forgot something. Ikuto's a creepy idiot who makes comments that destroy other people's self-esteem and acts cool but actually play-"

"Enough! Enough, Rima."

"Hey, Ikuto, what do you play? A sport?" I asked, trying to make an attempt at friendly coversation. But where Ikuto was supposed to be, there was just air.

"That's Ikuto for you. He comes and he goes." Utau said almost bitterly. "Want some cake? It was Ikuto's birthday a while ago, and I was stupid enough to buy one."

"Why is that so stupid?" I wondered aloud.

Kairi, the studious boy, chuckled. "He didn't even show up."

"Such a waste of cake!" Yaya moaned.

I laughed halfheartedly along with everyone else. I let the hours pass, I let myself be lulled into a trap of distraction. I needed to get away, before they started asking the questions, the ones I couldn't answer. The ones about school, and family, and everything else that I didn't have.

Thanks to her. She had taken it all from me, three years ago, and yet...it was somehow still my fault.

Nadeshiko...where are you now? Are you safe? As much as I hate you, I can't help but wonder if you finally got your wish….

"Amu." Rima set her teacup down with a little clink. "We need to know why you were so upset."

"Why?"

Rima opened her mouth indignantly, but Tadase shook his head the slightest fraction. "We might be able to help you."

Tadase, Rima, that's sweet, but it won't cut it. It can't be helped. I'm a mistake, a failure of a Guardian.

I'm not even human, idiots.

I stood, setting down my plate, still untouched. "Thank you for the hospitality, Utau, but I really must be going."

"Where? Do you even have any other place to go?"

"...The orphanage?" I faked.

Rima walked over, long locks tumbling down behind her back. "That's stupid, Amu. You're really bad at lying."

"Stay with me." Utau offered. "Mother almost never shows up and we have plenty of room."

"Sorry. Bye." I made an attempt to leave, but Kukai was in front of the door in a flash. "You stay with Utau. I would offer, but we don't have any spare clothes for you in a house of boys."

"Yaya's parents say I can't have friends sleep over, sorry. But Utau-chi is a nice friend!"

"I'm an only child, so I'm afraid you can't stay with me for the lack of girl...necessities." Tadase bowed his head in apology.

Only Kairi was mouthing furious words at Utau, and they had a whispered quarrel of which I only caught things like "Amu" "find out" and "nowhere else to go."

Kairi finally relented, and without any say of mine they all unanimously voted that I was going to stay with Utau.

"But, but…" I stuttered for the second time that day.

"But what? You're staying." Utau shoved me onto the couch. All the others slowly left, murmuring words of farewell as they shut the door behind them. Utau strolled over to the door nonchalantly, and then locked it. I yelped sounds of protest as Utau locked the key in a locked drawer and stored the key in her pocket.

She was, quite literally, trapping me.

"U-Utau!"

"Eat the cake. I'm going to do vocal exercises, and it better be gone by the time I come down." And with that she stalked off, leaving me only with a slice of marble cake and my very own depressing thoughts.

Maybe the reason why I was crying was because of the time of year. Winter...had been the season I had been banished. In fact, December first...two weeks ago had been the third year since Nadeshiko had made all the wrong choices.

Nadeshiko had been my friend, and yet she had caused to be like this. At the cost of my future, my identity, she had chosen herself over me, even though I gave her everything she ever wanted...

"Amu!"

"Huh?" I blinked sleepily and yawned.

"Amu, you fell asleep. Are you sure you're okay?" Utau was looming over me, one hand on my shoulder.

"Ah, sorry, Utau, I just…."

Utau smiled wryly. "You haven't slept properly in a while, I'm guessing."

Not for the past three years.

I shook all those thoughts, those brutal thoughts, out of my mind. I didn't know why Utau and the rest could see me, or why I was going along with it.

But this was my life now. I had secluded myself long enough, wallowing in self-pity until I no longer knew what happiness felt like.

I'm sorry, Nadeshiko, but you left me like this. You shattered me into pieces, and now it's time for me to pick them up, to continue with the shards of hope I still have left.

"Yeah, it's hard in winter…" I tried my best to give her a sad smile, but all Utau did was flinch.

"Is your mouth okay too?"

As we made our way up to the guest bedroom, a slight draft blew my way. I glanced in the direction of the chilly breeze and found Ikuto, climbing through the window like he did it every day.

"Oh, Ikuto." Utau backtracked and made her way to the window. "Amu's got no other place to go, so she's staying here. 'Kay?"

"Fine." Ikuto didn't even look at his younger sister. He simply leaped onto the floor with catlike agility and made his way upstairs.

I stared after him. "Is he always out the whole day?"

Utau sighed. "Yes, usually, but he's got a job too. I mean, my singing brings in lots of money but I have to pay mortgage and bills. Plus, I'm not emancipated-that means I can handle my own money-and my manager doesn't know that my mother is never around and my father...well, he disappeared." A shadow crossed her face as she said that, and I knew not to press any further.

"So, well...what job does Ikuto have?" I asked as we reached the second floor.

Utau chuckled. "It's hilarious. He works at a music store, but only as a helper-so he goes around organizing bookshelves and stuff while staring at all those beautiful instruments."

"Why is that hilarious?"

"Because I hate music." Ikuto had crept up behind me, silent as night. I jumped a foot into the air and whirled around, but he was gone.

Utau shrugged. "That's Ikuto for you. He's probably listening to every word we say." There was still a ghost of a smile on her face as she spoke, and I got the feeling that they weren't telling me everything.

"So, Amu, how does the guest room look to you?" Utau opened the door, revealing a beautiful yet somewhat barren room with dusty wood floors and a bed piled high with pillows. "I'll clean it, you just...go downstairs." Uatu practically shoved me out of the room and I caught myself just before I tumbled down the stairs.

The house was eerily quiet. I tiptoed into the kitchen as jumped backward, once more, as I discovered Ikuto on the counter.

"Wh-wh-wh-"

Ikuto rolled his eyes. "Do I not have the right to be in my own house, Your Majesty?"

"Don't call me that. How is the girl you picked off of the street royalty?" I could hear the bitterness in my voice that sharpened every syllable, and Ikuto's face softened the slightest fraction.

"Whatever, just do what you want. I honestly don't care." Ikuto landed on the tiles and prepared to leave, but I stopped him on the spur of the moment.

"Ikuto, Utau takes care of all the housework, and she brings in most of the money. The least you could do is look at your sister."

His eyes widened in shock for a split second, then he turned and left. "I guess. She's a good kid." The words, spoken softly but still clear in my ears, were the last echo of him that I saw that day.

"Hello?" I hesitantly opened the door. As recompense for Utau letting me stay over, I was in charge of the house and housework every day while she was at work. School was temporarily closed due to the blizzard, so I didn't have to face that problem just yet.

"Utau-chan, we have-oh, it's you, Amu-chan." I froze.

Nadeshiko was at the door.

I blinked. At a second glance, I saw that it was Nagihko. His long violet hair and golden brown eyes were only too reminiscent of Nadeshiko.

"Do you...by any chance...have a sister?" I stammered.

"Where's Utau-chan?"

"Working, but-."

Nagihko groaned. "Ikuto?"

"Out, but-"

"Amu-chan, I-'

"DO YOU HAVE A SISTER OR NOT?!" I bellowed. Nadeshiko...she was just everywhere in him. It set my senses on overdrive.

"I do, but we have more pressing problems."

"Where is she now? Trust me, this is more important than whatever else you may be here for."

"Sh-she's safe. At home."

It must have been just a hallucination. Her face must be fading, blending with the face of everybody I saw with purple hair. Which wasn't many, but still.

"I'm sorry, Nagihko, but I just knew someone with purple hair and brown eyes. Now what was your problem?" I forced another smile.

"Never mind." Nagihko lowered his head, and I frowned.

"I might be able to help you."

Rima staggered into view even as I said those words, panting heavily."Where's...Utau...Ikuto…?"

"They're out, Rima-chan. Why did you come? Are Hotori-kun and the rest okay?"

Rima raised her head, desperation etched on every line of her face. "No. We're losing."

Simultaneously, Rima and Nagihko turned to face me. Nagihko grabbed me by the wrist and started pulling me along. "Amu-chan…please, don't freak out. We need your help, however inept you may be."

Rima handed me a dagger, that glowed with something other than the sparkle of metal-magic. "How well can you fight?"

This dagger wasn't made by humans.

It was one from my world.

Thanks for struggling through this chapter! You're beginning to see that this will be a magic story, though it's also a drama.

I'm trying to change the summary so it doesn't sound so depressing, because even though this is a sad story, it's not a tragedy. So keep in mind that the summary might change. I'm also going to upload a profile picture as soon as I figure out how!

ReachForTheSky is out.