Summary: Mitsuki is a 17-year-old girl battling her own wars. What happens when she meets Takuto--someone who fights as well, but seems so different to her? And what's he hiding?

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Full Moon Wo Sagashite because it's too much of a beautiful series to try and steal.

Anybody know if they're making a season two, by the way?

Hope you all enjoy the story--but give me some feedback okay? I'd really appreciate it!

Thinking.

--

Chapter 1

Mitsuki looked in the clear mirror of the shop, it's reflected surface showing a glare from the overhead lights. The teal framework depicted dolphins racing around the edges, endless…endless. Shaking such thoughts from her head, she gave her red-and-black laced tank top a quick tug downward to erase any wrinkles, knowing all the while they'd be right back the moment she moved. Hitching up her boot cut jeans, Mitsuki bravely turned to face one of her friends from school.

"Hello, Risa." she greeted the brown-bobbed girl.

"Hey--Mitsuki! Where ya been!?" she responded, slugging her shoulder playfully.

Rubbing the area, she laughed weakly. "Just window shopping."

"Come on! You gotta meet the rest of the gang!" Risa pulled her through the crowds easily.

She stopped walking. "New people? What are they like? You didn't tell me I'd be meeting a group!"

The girl continued to pull. Mitsuki's arm was starting to hurt. "Don't be such a baby. You need to work on your people skills, anyway."

"You planned this from the beginning!" she accused.

Risa snickered, but didn't deny it.

She's so guilty. Mitsuki decided, as if a court judge.

She stopped pulling and didn't give Mitsuki time to react properly before she pushed her onto a bench near a pond with fish skimming the surface; their backs featuring sparkling drops catching the light from the sun drifting through the overhead windows.

"Aw! Be more careful!" a pink haired girl scolded Risa. "You could have pushed her into the pond!"

On the contrary, she landed nicely; and iron grip over the edge of the stone seat and feet planted on the floor as if roots had sprung from the tile and latched over them.

Over the course of thirty more seconds, she realized there was someone next to her. Her shoulder.

Looking up timidly, she locked her gaze with a pale-eyed boy. His eyes would have been a spectacular ocean-color, if not for the washed-out attribute they seemed to have. He had sunglasses on the bridge of his nose and quickly pushed them back up.

He didn't say a thing as he turned away from her to look at the fish.

"Takuto! Be nice!" the girl hissed, pulling his ear.

He growled, but she was persistent.

Mitsuki slid away.

"Aren't you going to introduce yourself?" she prompted.

"You haven't been too good either. The whole time she's been sitting there, you've spoken as if she's not in the room." he shot back.

She blinked. Then her faced turned irritated. "Fine then! Go make friends with the fish and we'll just see how friendly they are when I fry them and stick 'em on your plate!"

Huffing away to Mitsuki, her face cleared up. "I'm really sorry. My name's Meroko. 'Mermaid Man' over there is Takuto."

"Shut up, will you? There you go, saying unnecessary thing again."

She scoffed. "You're one to talk."

"Mitsuki." she greeted. "But it's okay. I did land right next to him, so I'm fine with it!" she beamed.

Takuto stood up and touched one of the fish's scales to occupy himself. Mitsuki took it as her chance.

"So, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go look around--see if I like anything here. Bye Meroko, Risa!"

And with that, Mitsuki shot out of another awkward situation caused by Risa.

--

Mitsuki breathed deeply. The air in the wide store smelled of cinnamon, nutmeg, and in some places, lavender. Mitsuki liked the tranquil little shop. A woman tapped her shoulder.

"Would you like some noodles?" she offered a cup.

Mitsuki took out a few bills, but the woman started to object.

"You don't have to pay for it." she insisted.

She pressed them into her hand. "You may need it one day. It's only right to think that way."

The woman thanked her, handed off the soup, and went back to her post behind the counter. Mitsuki went back to eyeing the store.

Green, plush, beanbag chairs were in the comfort section, bath beads in the calming section, and plushies in the cuddle section for children. So quiet was the place, that the booming voice echoing right behind her saying, "No food in here!" startled her frozen.

Her cup took that as an opportunity to slip from her grasp.

She instantly dropped to her knees to pick it up. It hadn't even made impact with floor. The brown haired, business-suit-wearing-man raised his eyebrows, but kept his grim frown. His brown eyes darkened.

"You aren't allowed to eat in this store."

"A girl at the front counter gave this to me." she replied.

"Abigail." he hissed. Mitsuki rose to her defense.

"It's fine--I caught it didn't I?"

"Don't be so sure of yourself." he disagreed, pointing to a stain on the thin, deep red carpet.

"Oh, jeez." she muttered.

"So clean it up and pay me 20.00 at the register for using the supplies and causing a disturbance." the man demanded.

"E-Excuse me?" she sputtered. "Oh, you've got to be kidding! You're the one who came up here with that loud voice in this quiet area and yelled at me--how am I supposed to be calm with that right next to my ear? And furthermore, you use these cleaning supplies of yours everyday. What difference will three paper towels make?" Mitsuki rebounded, poking his chest with every few words.

He slapped her hand away, his face contorted in unsheathed anger.

"That," he declared, "is harassment! You'll be removed by Security and transported to the jail for the record."

"What!?" she shrieked.

"And more disturbance? 30.00." He grinned evilly.

"You are a horrible man." she told him freely. "And I've met many horrible people in my life."

"Haven't we all?" he breezed, leading her to the plump officer. She could see the silver glint from where she was positioned.

Then Takuto stepped into her view.

"Oh!" he sighed happily. She quirked a scared, but confused, eyebrow. "There you are!" he exclaimed with almost false enthusiasm. It was enough to convince Mr. Suit-and-tie.

"You know her?"

Takuto took the still-warm cup from her hand.

"Yes! She's my guide, let her go, if you please." he went on with his eyes partly closed behind the shades.

The man sneered. "Apply the cuffs for proper restraint. No hard feelings, it's just protocol."

The officer snapped it on one wrist and she felt the metal pinch her skin. She bit her lip to silent a squeak of protest. Before he could get to the other, Takuto held out an arm in front of him. He blinked along with Mitsuki.

"As I said, please let my guide go. I could really use her help."

"With what?" the brown haired man challenged.

Takuto removed his sunglasses and stared at the man with his too-pale eyes. Now she understood.

"I'm a good bit blind, so please, let her go." he gave a smile.

The security guy let her arm drop instantly. Mitsuki was aware he'd left the cuff on.

"Why not get a dog then?" he tried, grasping for footholds in his argument.

His flickering smile widened. "She's much cheaper. And lasts longer. No offense to dogs."

Without waiting for the man's answer, Takuto grabbed her free hand and whisked her away through the labyrinth of the shop.

--

"Stop!" she begged hoarsely.

"Why?" he whispered, so their voices wouldn't be heard.

"I don't know--maybe because a blind kid is leading be through glassware, spiky furniture, and screaming-metal-death-trap statues!?" she barked.

"Oh my." he chuckled.

"I'm serious!" she pushed, dodging a wooden chair. "Why are you so calm?"

"For one, so nobody hears my voice. Two, a thief must always be calm. And thirdly…"

He stopped, pulled her, then pushed in front of him. She nearly tripped into a giant porcelain display, but Takuto caught her around the waist in time to stop it. She forgot to breath until he set her back on her feet and they were off once more.

"Thirdly, being blind heightens my other senses. Like touch. Even through the soles of my sneakers, I can make a basic map of all the obstacles around us."

"Like Toph?" she suggested lightly.

"Just like Toph. Except this is real world."

"What's wrong with fiction?" she muttered, unknown to him.

He just led them away from danger, one blind step at a time.

--

Hey, hey, hey! How's everybody doing? I'm great! I made this fiction with a dream I just had in mind. The story was so good, I started making up a plot to go with the first-chapter-ideas!

Audience: Admit it, you're only creative when you sleep.

Me: Considering how we, us humans, are always thinking, I don't see a difference.

Audience: Sure, and uh…how's that working for ya?

Me: God, you're annoying.

Audience: Your own personal critics!

Coming up next chapter:

Porcelain-Carrier-67