Yume: *cough* Hey, guys.

Yuki: YOU HAVE NO EXCUSES.

Yume: I have plenty! They're just not very good ones.

Yuki: *rolls eyes* That's the same thing.

Yume: I'd appreciate it if you shut the hell up please. Thank you. Little Dreamers, I'm sorry for the year-long hiatus, but I am back! And better than ever! I've practiced my writing with a few short stories here and there and I am back with a special chapter for you guys! It's nearly 2000 words!

Yuki: Yeah, yeah. Hurry up and thank your reviewers.

Yume: I was getting to that. Geez. Thanks to PandaPuppet, Airi-chan as always, andJinja-chanlovesRimahikoAmuto! And of course to all of you for being so patient with me! Now, let's get this story started!

Nagihiko trudged home after a long, long day. Hiding from fangirls during his break was hard work. A yawn escaped his mouth and he realized just how tired he was. "Ugh," he moaned to no one in particular, "Today was just horrible."

He continued his tired march home, not even minding that he was talking to himself at this point. He didn't care if he looked insane; he was just done with the day and wanted to go home and relax. He must have seemed like a zombie to anyone that passed him, which were the exact thoughts of a young lady that bumped into him.

"Oh, crap," he murmured. "Sorry."

She raised an eyebrow at him, as he didn't recognize her right away. "Is that any way to greet your loving sister?" she taunted.

This caught his attention. "Sister…" he trailed off, finally looking up. Standing right in front of him was his older sister, Nadeshiko, in all her glory. "Nade-nee-san!"

She giggled at his nickname for her. "There's the Nagi I know," she responded, pulling him into a quick hug before letting him go.

"What are you doing here, Nee-san?" he asked curiously.

She wasn't wearing the usual kimono that she usually does when she performs, which meant she didn't just come back nor was she going to a recital. Her hair wasn't up in a bun with the traditional ornaments. She looked extremely casual with her lavender pea coat and a pair of black jeans, and her hair in a loose ponytail.

He noticed the shine in her eyes dim a bit when she registered the question, but thought nothing of it. "Oh, just visiting my favourite little brother, of course," she exclaimed happily, grabbing his hand in a tight hold and pulling her towards their house.

Nagihiko laughed at his sister's antics, allowing himself to be tugged away by the shorter girl. "Okay, seriously, though. Why are you here?" he asked once more.

She turned her head back to glare at him playfully while walking. "Do you not want me here, Nagi?" she teased.

"No, no! Of course not!" he immediately answered. "I'm happy you're here! Just confused. I thought you had a tour going on."

Her smile faltered and recovered before Nagihiko could say anything. "Oh, that? That ended a while back." She laughed a bit but it sounded hollow to Nagihiko.

It was clear to him that something was wrong with his sister and it had something to do with her tour. He thought back to when she told him that she was going on tour. It was two years ago. He was twelve and she was sixteen, when she grabbed his hand abruptly and dragged him to the family theater a few blocks from their house. She pulled him up on stage with her and forced him to be her dance partner, and for a few hours, they had a grand time being brother and sister. When it was all over, she sat down and he followed suit. That's when she told him about a tour that would keep her away from him for at least three years.

He wasn't happy about it; how can you be happy about losing your best friend and confidante? When he was stressed or felt like everything in the world was against him, he always went to Nadeshiko because she just had this way of making things better. She would always let him rest his head on her lap while she played with his long hair. "It's much silkier than mine. It's more like you're my sister than my brother," she'd always say and he'd laugh and things would get better.

Hearing that she would be gone for three years was horrifying, but he knew how much she loved to dance. He knew how long she practiced and how much criticism she received from their father for screwing up, but it never stopped her. He knew how much she wanted this, so he smiled and told her that he was happy for her. The next day, she was gone.

Nagihiko shook his thoughts away as he returned to the present. Nadeshiko didn't seem to have noticed that he spaced out as she tugged him forward in a comfortable silence. 'Whatever the problem is, we can talk about it later,' Nagihiko decided. 'I just want to spend some time with my sister.'

The two continued to walk the seemingly-endless path to their house. It was a beautiful evening. The sun had set hours ago, and in its place was the brilliant, glowing moon. The dark, night sky was sprinkled with stars, each one shining brighter than the last. The faded clouds were lazily moving, tired from the long day. The leaves in the trees shook as the gentle wind danced through them. It was truly a magical sight and both teenagers felt the need to keep quiet as if sound would break the magic.

Slowly, the larger-than-average house came into view. The Fujisaki estate was a vast plot of land surrounded by a tall cement wall. The wall itself had intricate designs engraved along the top and bottom. The opening of the wall was a large, metal gate. It was well-cared for, not a bit of rust on it.

Nadeshiko let go of Nagihiko's hand and pushed the gate open, sighing softly when it didn't creak. She turned her head and smiled at her brother, who smiled back. They walked in, not forgetting to close the gate, and headed towards the door of their house.

It was a traditional Japanese home, with light white walls and wooden floors. The roof was layered with cracked tiles of a faded teal. It was a majestic, if not intimidating home, but the true beauty was in the scene around it.

Leading to the house from the gate was a textured stone path that used stones of many different colors. Had it been spring or summer, flowers would be sprouting to line the path, but for now, it was just green moss. Trees were standing everywhere, all without leaves due to the cold, but it didn't take away from the beauty of it. Through the net of clumped branches, one could easily see the stars shimmering in the sky shine through.

Nearby, there was a koi pond, surrounded by a rock structure. If it weren't winter, water would have flowed from the rocks, creating a small waterfall. However, the cold air just froze the water, coating the rocks with ice and frost, making them shine as they reflected the moon's gleam. The dark gleam of the rocks contrasted heavily with the light shine of the fish swimming peacefully underneath the thin layer

All in all, it was a sight to behold, not that Nagihiko ever paid much attention to it. He lived in this majestic place, so it had lost its effect on him. However, today, it seemed especially magical. Nagihiko decided that it was due to his sister being back. Her presence seemed to bring everything back to life. Even the trees seemed to be leaning towards her. He was shocked at how different everything seemed with her around.

"You coming, Nagi?" Her voice invaded his thoughts and he found that he was left at the entrance of the gate with her waiting by the door.

"What? Oh, right." He quickly walked up to her and smiled sheepishly. She just giggled in reply and opened the door.

"I'm home!" they yelled in unison, leading them to laugh again. Their laughter bounced off the walls off the dark hall, unheard. The huge house was empty, as usual. Seeing as their parents were worth millions, they were always busy and rarely ever home. This didn't bother either teenager. They grew up relying on themselves and each other; they are all they will ever need.

Nagihiko decided to take the first steps in and flicked the lights on, hoping to bring some life into the dreary house. From his spot in front of the light switch, he jumped backwards a couple feet and sank into the couch. "Ah, this is the life," he moaned out in lazy pleasure before shutting his eyes and bringing his arms up behind his head.

He heard his sister laugh at him and opened one eye lazily to peer at her. "Is something wrong, nee-san?" he questioned.

She smirked before sitting on his stomach. His eyes flew open at the weight and he grunted in discomfort. "My baby brother's just a lazy ass. That's all." She shifted in her position, making sure to put all her weight on his poor stomach. He groaned.

"And my sister's a fat ass," he muttered under his breath.

She glared at him before jumping on his stomach. "What was that, you brat?"

He just groaned weakly.

Another jump. "What was that?"

Groan. "Nothing, your majesty."

Smirk. "That's what I thought."

Shove. Thump. "I can finally breathe."

Nadeshiko got up from her spot on the floor and Nagihiko just glanced at her annoyed expression before shutting his eyes again. When he shut his eyes, her gaze softened and she sat down on the loveseat next to the couch, watching her sleepy brother. In a few minutes, his breathing evened out and soft snores began to fill the air.

She smiled at his sleeping figure. He looked much younger than he did when she first saw him. He looked stressed earlier, like he hadn't slept in days. He was sluggish and moody, nothing more than a zombie heading home. He looked like a boy who was forced to grow up too quickly, and she knew that he was. He was trained from a young age to be the best in the business – every business – but as the heir of the Fujisaki line, he was expected to be responsible, mature and more than a fourteen-year old should be. But hearing her nickname once more reminded her that this tired zombie was her sweet, little brother, the one that made her do acting exercises with him and never complained when she dressed him up in girly kimonos.

Seeing him look so innocent and childlike again brought back memories of her childhood. She remembered laughing and smiling, being happy. She loved dancing and her tour – her heart clenched at the thought – but she loved her brother much more and she hated herself for leaving him behind. He brought out the best in her. He made her laugh and cry, just like a little brother should.

She knew she had to tell him what happened with her tour but decided to save it for later. 'I'll tell him after he gets some rest,' she thought to herself before succumbing to the peaceful numbness of sleep as well.

It was a heart-warming sight. The moon covered the household in its light, protecting them from nightmares. The gentle wind sang for them and the trees swayed in a dance they wouldn't see. And the siblings? They were able to be what they should be: two children being children.

Even for just a moment.

Yume: And that concludes chapter 8!

Yuki: I am very impressed. Nice imagery.

Yume: Thanks!

Yuki: Too bad it took a year.

Yume: Okay, I'd appreciate it if you would stick your snide comments up your–

Yuki: Nope! No rude language here. So let's wrap it up.

Yume: Wait! Before anything else, I'd like to thank you guys for sticking by me, even though I'm so crap at updating. I will try harder to update. Also, I have a Twitter account that I plan to use for fanfiction. I'll be tweeting about stories I've read, possible plots for new stories and the progress of my chapters as I write them! Please find and follow me on Twitter. My username is TheYumeTsumetai and I go by the name Yuko Tsumetai.

Yuki: Well, if you're done with that shameless self-promotion... We hope you enjoyed the chapter. All reviews are appreciated, even flames!

Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara nor will I ever. I make no money from writing these stories. I own nothing but the plot and a few OCs. Peace out! ^^