Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara or any of its characters, nor do I own the amusement park scene.

Meeting a stranger can be totally fleeting and meaningless, for example, unless you enter the individual's world by finding out at least one thing that is meaningful to his or her life and exchange at least one genuine feeling. Tuning in to others is a circular flow: you send yourself out toward people; you receive them as they respond to you.

Two scarred, misunderstood creatures, brought together by a lone night. Not even knowing the name of the stranger they were in the arms of.

"If I fall..." "I'd catch you. Without a doubt."

If I Fall

She walked across the road carelessly, seemingly deep in thought and ignoring the rude stares and shocked cries of warning. Cars' horns signaled their disapproval at her inconsiderate behaviour but the look on the girl's face was simply indescribable.

Her oddly coloured pink hair was chopped so short it could pass for one of a guy's. Her face was blank, almost like a clean slate, from years of practice. There was only a noticeable crease between her narrowed honey gold eyes. If you looked closely, her lips were pressed in a thin, grim line. Her eyes, though, were the most stunning. They were deep, filled with many emotions a girl of sixteen should never have to experience.

She inhaled deeply as she stepped onto the sidewalk. As a stranger elbowed her in the lungs to move her out of the way, she gasped at the impact, and her eyes widened as if she had just realized exactly where she was.

She stood in the middle of the busy street, lighted by the blinding street lamps, seeming almost like a rag doll as she was shoved from side to side by an impatient sea of bodies. The town was just full of people you see around. Her chest heaved as she started to panic, looking like a child who'd lost her mother. She tried to change direction to find her bearings, but was elbowed aside once again. Her eyes were frantic now, darting around quickly to find any means of escape.

The strangers seemed so lifeless, as did herself, wandering like trained robots towards their destination. Their faces appeared so blank to her, and the edges of her vision blurred out as she felt herself start to hyperventilate. She caught a flash of blue out of the corner of her eye, and for a split second, they stared at each other. A fleeting, lasting moment. One person noticing another out of a whole crowd of strangers. Then, he moved out of sight and she started to re-enact her moment of frenzy.

An arm shot out and grabbed her by the arm roughly, pulling her quickly out of the stampede before she even had time to react. When she realized she was no longer being pushed around, she glanced up at her saviour. He was the same guy she had shared a moment with. He wore a hood that covered most of his head, but his navy locks were spilling out. His eyes were dull, a dark colour. His face seemed to hold no expression at all and he didn't even take a second glance at her.

He was just like her, she realized.

"...Thanks." She uttered quietly, but he managed to pick it up. He nodded once in acknowledgement, and they stood in awkward silence for a moment or two.

Then, he started to walked off, still near the edge of the street so he wouldn't get caught in the crowd. She figured, why not? and started to trail him. He noticed, but he just stuck his hands in his pockets and walked a little slower so she could catch up. Now, she realized he had a white violin case slung across his shoulder.

She shouldn't follow him, she tried to reason with herself. He'd definitely think she was a creepy stalker and she'd get arrested in minutes. Then again, she didn't have any meaning in life anymore and he didn't seem to mind very much.

She hurried to catch up with him before she lost sight of him, or before either of them changed their mind.

He settled himself at the front of a dark, abandoned amusement park, where the homeless and poor usually sat themselves. She followed suit beside him in front of the dangerously sharp barbed wire without hesitation and he raised his eyebrow. It was a cold night. She had on nice clothes, had smooth, pale hands that'd obviously never done much work in her life, unlike his rough one filled with multiple calluses. She was lucky.

She wasn't like him, he realized.

He shrugged off his jacket and handed it to her wordlessly as they sat in the cold, in the silence that engulfed both of them. They were each in their own world.

She glanced back at him, staring at him only wearing a tight black shirt, unimpressed. Without his hood, she noted that his blue hair was indeed natural. She did a quick body check and since she had a long sleeved shirt on, she immediately pushed the object of kindness towards him again.

He pushed his arms into the warmth of his black jacket again, not wanting to argue. His lips turned upwards slightly at how well their thoughts complemented with each others'.

They sat silently and unmoving once again, eyes wandering aimlessly at the people around them. She noted a family of two daughters heading their way, laughing and joking and doing everything that a family ought to, and her eyes trailed after them involuntarily, feeling a strong pang of envy.

She shifted uncomfortably on the hard, cold, uneven ground. She missed the comfort of her familiar home, but she couldn't bear to go home anymore. Cool n' spicy... she hated that nickname. So much she would go through the depths of hell and back just to get rid of her now famous identity.

She couldn't help it; she had always unconsciously created an outer "defense" shell or icy persona for herself whenever she was around people, so others wouldn't be able to see the real her, to judge the real her. If they saw her for who she really was, she was vulnerable to the hurt, to the bullets that came with the gun of relationships. She was afraid.

Even if she knew better now, it was way too late to change the course of her fate. Or better said, misfortune.

First, it was her friends. Oh, who was she kidding? What friends? The ones she had only talked with her for any kind of popularity gain. She was a tool, an easy asset for profit gain. She was just like a used tissue or something as bad or degrading; no longer of any value once she was crushed again and again.

Her family was next. At first, they adored her cold personality, but it got to the point where they thought they were a nuisance to her, a hindrance she didn't want hanging around her, where they thought her act was a sign of arrogance. She couldn't hang around her family for they would immediately stop all signs of joking when she stepped in the room, where a tension would build as they made a feeble effort to have small talk with her.

Her mother stopped asking her to do any favours, her father stopped trying to take any pictures of her or shower her with any attention. Her sister, well, that was a whole other story; they may have gotten along at a young age, but as they grew up, Ami started to know what she was going through, but instead of assisting the situation, she did the opposite, bringing their parents' attention to her at the very few times they bothered to make small talk with her; an interaction she actually enjoyed. She haboured a strong dislike for her infuriating sister, but at the same time, she knew it was really, and completely, all her fault. Loneliness was practically an understatement.

At the rare times when she stepped out of the house, she could practically feel her family come back to life. That's why, this time, she was walking out of their life. Permanently.

...That way, everyone would be happy, right?

"Wrong," The boy beside her uttered under his breath dazedly, more to himself than anyone else, though coincidentally answering her unspoken question. She flinched, cursing under her breath for momentarily forgetting where she was.

He clutched his head now, gripping it tightly as if he wanted to crush his skull. He winced in pain as his fingers wound through his shaggy hair. His eyes were glazed over.

She turned her body to face him, worried at the whimpers of pain that came out of his mouth. Grappling quickly at the purse of painkillers she always carried around with her in case she couldn't tolerate the ever throbbing pain in her chest. she popped one into his mouth. There wasn't any water around, so she just tilted his head back slowly, hoping it would be enough for him to swallow.

Slowly, colour returned to his cheeks as he blinked a couple of times, regaining his senses. He stared into her face before shaking his head, awkwardly removing her hand from the back of his neck. "Thanks," he mumbled, leaving the obvious question unspoken, but she still heard it loud and clear. Why would a teenager be carrying painkillers around with them so casually?

Their gaze melded together before they each looked away, flushing slightly at their open display of ogling. His gaze followed a business man in a suit as he dropped a few coins into a hat of a crippled beggar. His gaze softened, but narrowed after a fraction of a second after he saw the logo of the business man's briefcase. Easter. That man had to be new in the corrupted business to still be able to do kind deeds.

He hated it there. He had tolerated with his malicious and self-absorbed figure of a step-father for the sake of his sister. He was abused, and blackmailed into doing work seventeen-year-olds shouldn't be doing at all, if he wanted his sister to stay safe. He had been attacked under any circumstances when his step-father had a rough day at work and decided to take his anger out on him. He was underfed and malnourished, tortured and beaten, degraded and insulted. He led a life of a stray, an animal you kick and take advantage of in a fit of rage. On occasion, he would be tossed in a cell and starved for days, "just for the fun of it", according to his step-father.

He hated that term used, that reminded him that they were, in a very small way, related.

His body was full of multiple scars and physical evidence; he winced every time he laid on his back. Many a time, his trembling hands would be unable to hold up even a cup of water. He limped at the few times he was able to attend school. His already damaged heart cracked at all the times he was called a "black cat of misfortune" or "a worthless, pitiful excuse of a human", his painfully pounding head dulling the unpleasant, hurtful sensations in his chest.

He was already half-dead; the human part of him, all that was left was his vacant skin.

It had been going on for years now. The only reason he stood for it was because of his sister. She had no idea of anything that had been going on, and he wasn't about to abandon her to take his place. She had finally finished of her contract at Easter and gotten a place as a pop idol in the music industry. He knew she would be able to make it on her own; she had to.

That way, everyone would be free, right?

He stood, shaking his head to clear his thoughts, causing the pinkette to jump up as well in confusion.

"Come on," He told her, to distract her from his moment of weakness, gesturing for her to follow him. He leaped lithely over the barbed fence that was only about half his height and held out an arm to the dubious and secretly frightened girl.

She crossed her arms stubbornly. "If I fall..."

"I'd catch you. Without a doubt." His strong, unwavering voice surprised even himself.

Her moment of hesitance was enough for him to lunge her across the wire, the sharp edges missing her bare flesh by merely an inch.

She shrieked loudly, even after they crossed the border, clutching herself and doing a quick once-over. He rolled his eyes but couldn't help but smile at her cuteness.

He quickly walked over to the back of the amusement park and pulled a lever. Within moments, the dull amusement park came to life, all the rides creaking as they started up and the colourful lights flickering on. The girl gaped at him and he shrugged, and said simply as a way of explanation. "I flipped the breaker."

After a moment of silence and she still hadn't moved, he sighed, rubbing his temples exasperatingly. He didn't even know the reason he had brought her to this place full of past memories, let alone encourage her to enjoy herself with him. "It's not going to last forever, you know. Enjoy yourself on whatever rides while you can."

That did it. She broke out of whatever trance she was in, and squealed uncharacteristically, racing off to enjoy herself. His gaze followed her, amused, as she almost tripped in her excitement to get on the roller coasters. One would imagine that she had never been to such a place her entire life.

After riding more than half of the nerve-wrecking devices in the amusement park, she came running over to grab the arm of the surprised stranger who had been sitting on a bench the entire time. "Come on!" Her eyes sparkled. "You haven't been enjoying yourself this whole time. Come on a ride with me?" Her tone was pleading.

He almost relented. Almost. "No." He tried to pry her arm off him, but to no avail.

She laughed, undaunted. "Rock paper scissors?"

He cracked open a eye as an indication that he agreed. He held his fist in the air, as did she. "Rock paper scissors!" She exclaimed, her cheeks flushing with excitement, almost like a kid. He smiled a little at that, but her lips soon turned into a pout when his paper beat her rock. "Best two out of three!" She said stubbornly.

The next thing he knew, he was stuck in a cramped, pink teacup with his knees up to his chest, the upper half of his body sticking out of the little kid's ride while she fit in her petite figure easily. His cheeks coloured a little at the embarrassing situation as the said girl tried her best - note the sarcasm, to stifle her flow of laughter. Her attempt failed miserably.

"You- you're so big!" She giggled softly. "You stick out!"

He grinned, noting another way to make her have that adorable flushing face. "That's what she said."

Her face darkened a shade of red, exactly the response he wanted to receive. "I-I," She stuttered hopelessly. "You pervert!"

"Am I now?" His eyes twinkled mischievously as they shared a laugh, and the silence resumed. Although they had not spoken more than five sentences to each other, the presence of both of them were comforting, not in any way awkward as they sat in their own thoughts, outwardly keeping each other company.

"I've never had so much fun," She suddenly blurted out.

He looked up at her, a tad surprised. He didn't expect his prediction to be spot on. "You've never been to an amusement park?"

"No, I have," She confessed. "But I have a younger sister, and an outer persona, you can say its also a big sister figure." Once she started, she couldn't stop herself from spilling everything out. "Our family will always ride on whatever she chooses, and I can't make a fuss because everyone expects me to be the perfect sister. I pretend I don't want to go on the rides she's afraid of so we can all have fun."

She met his surprised eyes, and lowered her gaze, slightly ashamed. "I know, its really selfish of me, and I'm not proud of my-"

"You're strong," He interrupted gently, turning his eyes away towards to fairground. He placed his chin on the palm of his hand, resting his elbow on the hard pink plaster of the teacup. "I have a little sister too. My family and I used to come to this place, a long time ago. If I could create a persona like that, maybe I would have it easier." He paused. "But it's over. It's all over now."

His shoulders were drooping, and his eyes held that glazed, faraway look in them again. She stared at him, though a little sadly. He must have been through as many things as she did, maybe even more.

She smiled gently at him. "Well, this is my first time here, so its my new beginning. Why don't you make this your new beginning too?"

There was a look of shock and realization on his face as he stared back at her. After a few moments, he quickly recomposed his face and ruffled her hair. "You're such a kid."

She scowled playfully and brushed it off. "You're one to talk, old man."

He grinned lopsidedly at her but didn't bother to respond again, feeling like he had given a large piece of himself away.

"You know," She started saying, surprised at herself, but after seeing the forlorn, lost look she recognized very well on the face of the stranger, she couldn't forget it. Somehow, she oddly felt like she had a need to see him smile. "My mother used to tell me this story, a long time ago." A dreamy smile slowly made its way across her face as she piqued his interest. He looked towards her, intrigued.

"There was a special box holding all human feelings of the heart hidden in the human world. It had a lock on it that had once belonged to a goddess who owned the box. One day, a human boy stumbled across the box and coincidentally also held the key. Curiously, he opened it up and was shocked. Regret, greed, pride, arrogance, loneliness, fear, selfishness, and the sorts flew out of it in a black stream, emerging on the surface of human thoughts. Afraid, he quickly closed the box and ran off, dropping both the lock and the key. But do you know what was the only thing left at the bottom of the box?" She paused for dramatic effect as she smiled at the boy, who seemed entranced by her story.

He gave her a grin but shrugged blankly. "Hope," Her eyes fluttered close. "The one emotion that remains at the bottom of every heart. The one that didn't escape and never will. The one that will always be there, no matter how hard and deeply you have to keep searching for."

His eyes widened at her serene expression before it cracked and slipped off her face, revealing another mask of scars. A tear slipped down her cheek and his eyes followed as it traveled down her chin. It was the only one she allowed herself to release before she dragged an arm across her face.

Her own story had opened a window into her heart.

It had the same effect on him, so it seemed.

They both stood up at the same time, boring azure orbs into honey ones for what seemed like ages before their gaze broke off. They had hardly known each other for more than an hour, and yet somehow, miraculously, they felt like they had healed each others' scars, each word they exchanged as fleeting and gentle as a butterfly's kiss.

They both knew it was time to leave each other, to return to their rightful destinations and face their fate, yet none of them were willing to make a move, lingering. Each one of them was contemplating on their goodbyes; a handshake was too formal after what they had unintentionally revealed to each other, a kiss too intimate for non-lovers. A hug...

He pulled her into the warmth of his torso.

A hug was perfect.

Hope.

Who knew you could find it in the arms of a stranger?

Something was comforting about strangers—it seemed like they would exist forever as the same, unknowable mass.

I had recreated the teacup scene from memory, so it might be slightly different. Once again, I do not own that particular scene. I hope you liked it and thanks for reading. Reviews for feedback are much appreciated.

- J