Enter the New Heroine!

Thanks for everyone who is reading my stories. This is a long chapter and I hope you like. Enjoy.

Rita stared listlessly out the window as the skyscrapers and colorful lights whizzed by the limo. She adjusted the glasses on her face as she heard the tapping of the plastic pencil upon her mothers PDA with the occasional beep signaling the incoming call. Currently her mother was conversing in French using a false coo every now and then to get her point across. "It's sickening…" Remy mumbled from a cup holder and a twitch came upon Rita's lips. When the conversation ended with an air kiss, her mother gave Rita's head a small pat.

"Sweetie I know you're not happy about moving here, but I'm sure you'll like this new school. Your father picked it out himself." Rita gave a cringe of distaste at the word father, biting her tongue which was threatening to urge 'He's not my dad.' But instead she gave a sigh going back to her book as another call came upon her mother's phone and she began to talk again, this time in Japanese.

'I don't mind going to a new school. I just wish you would have signed me up by the first week like everyone else…' she inwardly thought, placing her head against the windshield.

Before the summer

"Yaya…I don't think I can feel my arm anymore…" Amu replied with a forced smile as she tried to pry the nine year old girl clenching vice. "Please don't leave! What's Yaya going to do without you here?!" she whined, tears streaming down her face.

"We'll be next door Yaya." Tadase said with a charming smile. "And we'll miss you as well."

"No you won't! You'll be having fun with the new Guardian troupe that's in middle school now." Yaya replied with a pout, crossing her arms.

"New Guardians?" Amu asked suddenly as she rubbed her arm trying to run circulation through the crimpled aching veins.

"Yes Kukai and Tsukasa-sempai have been arranging so that the Guardians can go onward to Seiyu middle school." Tadase explained.

"But why?" Amu questioned remembering that the Guardians have been active only in Seiyu Elementary since the first king.

"It's important that we follow the joker." Tadase answered putting a hand upon Amu's shoulder. Immediately the pale cheeks of Amu became flushed as she brought her eyes to the side and shrugged her shoulder slipping the King's chairs hand off. "It's not that big of a deal…" Amu replied, but inside her mind was screaming in joy 'Tadase-kun thinks I'm important!'

"Cool and spicy…" Rima interjected with a small smile as Kusu Kusu giggled.

"Sixth grade will be fun!" Ran replied waving her poms poms excitedly.

"But Su will miss Pepe-chan desu." Su said getting a bit teary eyed as she was in a deep hug with the baby chara who was embodying what he represented in his sorrowful fit.

"This will be an interesting experience." Miki stated with a smile.

"A new place to conquer!" Kisiki shouted, fists on his hips, a triumphant smile on his face. "Further on to world domination." He said with a boisterous laugh.

"No kidding…" Amu thought to herself as she stared at her chara's while waving her arm trying to get Yaya off.

Rita opened her mouth, but the rush of wind hit her face as she watched the limo zoom down the road, out of her sight. 'Love ya too…' she thought inwardly, slinging her bag over her shoulder and pulled the glasses from her face. "I'm not looking forward to this." She mumbled to her chara's within her bag as they stared up at her while she cleaned her glasses. "Well either way you're going to have to check in." Koto reminded and Rita gave a grimace thinking of the day ahead at her new school. "You can always ditch." Remy suggested with a smirk which cause Rita to give a small laugh as she thought of the arcade that they passed coming here. "Well that is always an option…" she replied thinking of playing DDR and Tokyo Cop for the next six hours.

"Rita!" Francis and Koto barked at the same time, giving a glare toward Remy for her bad influence. "Okay…okay…" Rita grumbled closing the flap on her bag as she turned around, placing the glasses on her face. She gazed up at the school with stern eyes trying to command feet to begin the first step on her painful journey. A few more second she took in a shaky breath thinking, 'Well might as well…'

Suddenly the world that was once vertical dramatically shifted to side as her cheek had a harsh meeting with cement. "Ow…" she whimpered along with her chara's who felt the collision in their cloth confines as Rita stared painfully at the soccer ball rolling by. "That hurt…" Francis mumbled rubbing his head.

"I'm sorry. We were just playing and…Rita-chan?" a voice uttered and she squinted up, her eyes trying to clear the hazy vision above her. "Sohma-san?" she questioned trying to recognize the voice. "You might need these." She felt the cool metal of her rims upon her eyes, and her vision clearing revealing the smiling boy she had met over the summer. "Are you okay?" he asked holding out a hand as she raised herself to her feet. "Yeah." She replied rubbing her cheek a bit with a forced smile. 'That hurt…really bad…' she thought inwardly. Kukai leaned in holding a gentle hand to her left cheek, the fingertips lightly touching the skin. "Does it hurt?" Rita felt her cheeks flush and she gave a shake of her head. "I'm fine…"

At that Kukai became excited picking up the soccer ball and gripped Rita's wrist tugging her away. "Come on I have to show you something." He exclaimed, dragging her stationary body. "I wanted to show you over the summer, but I could never catch you."

"But I still have to check in!" Rita replied tugging back on her heels as he dragged her. "It's really important Rita-chan!" he urged giving another tug, Rita giving a pained expression as her arms were almost jerked out of her socket.

"But!" the body tug of war was broken when a boisterous chime strung through the air and Kukai groaned running up the steps of the school. "Rita find me at lunch okay." He called out as he followed the rest of the kids in the school. "But..." Rita sighed as ran up the steps as well, losing the sandy haired boy within the flood. 'I was going to ask where the office was…'

"Himamori-san are you paying attention?" Nikaido voice rang causing Amu to snap her head from the window. The pencil in her hand snapped and Nikaido gave a coy smile as Amu dug through her bag trying to find another one. "Himamori-san try to pay attention."

'It's Hinamori!' she screamed inwardly as she began to write some more notes from the book. "Aren't you glad Himamori that I can teach seventh grade now." Nikaido interjected as he walked back to the front of the class room. "Over joyed…" she mumbled while thinking 'Why does middle school have to have a robotics club?'

The whole class room became silent as the door flew open and a darkened figure stood within the door way, hand on the hip as her body leaned against the door frame. "Ah you must be the new student." Nikaido said unfazed with a smile as his hand motioned toward his desk. "Come in please."

'Okay…' Rita thought to herself. 'Time to be true, be yourself just go up there say nice to meet you sit down and it will be all over.' However as she stepped through the door way her shoe caught in the step and she could hear her chara's scream from within her bag as they collided with the hard wood floors. "Ow…" she whimpered as she got up hearing the snickers from her peers as she spat out some hair and adjusted the glasses on her face.

"Class this is Rita Tohashi. Rita do you want to say something?" Nikaido asked cheerful turning to the new student as she dusted off her black uniform. Rita had her arms crossed as she stared to the side and mumbled in japanese. "Not really…"

"Please say something to the class Rita." Nikaido urged and she gave a small sigh letting her arms droop to her sides. "Fine." She replied as she let her arms fall and turned to the class, forcing a grin. "Hello I am Rita Tohashi. I've been in Japan for three months and I'm from America actually from New York so that's pretty much it…" Silence hit her ears and she gave a confused stare to her class mates who were staring at her in bewilderment.

"Rita…" she heard Koto yell from the confines of her bag. "You just said that in English." A hand flew over Rita's mouth as Nikaido gave a nervous laugh putting a hand on Rita's shoulder. "As you can tell Rita speaks English because she is from America. So please make her feel welcome. Rita you can take a seat at the back of the class room there…"

Rita opened her mouth to say something but from the corner of her eyes saw her peers staring at her some with a coy smile as she gave a sigh, pushing the glasses up further upon her face. 'Well that's nice…' she thought with a groan dragging her feet to the back of the class room and took a seat propping her head up on her elbow. 'And another day begins…' she thought as Nikaido took up a piece of chalk and began writing upon the board.

Rita shook a bit as she stared anxiously at the cafeteria, seeing the students within the tables chatting. "Who am I going to sit with?" she asked, gripping her tray as she gazed around the room. No faces popped out as welcoming, willing to let her join their group at the moment as she stood with her red tray, knee's shaking a bit. 'I don't want to sit with them but…it would be weird sitting by myself…'

"Just do it!" Remy urged from her shoulder. "I want to eat the pudding now!" Rita gave a roll of her eyes as she took a seat upon a table, and whipped out a book while her charas picked at her food.

Ayame stared with a forlorn sigh at Kukai Sohma from her lunch tray while the soccer player went down the lunch line grabbing a milk, as he turned she saw his green eyes light up in recognition a bright smile on his face as he ran towards her.

"It's happened!" she uttered in delight. "Sohma-kun's feelings have awakened for me and now a new year will begin with me and him as a couple!" the sparking aura surrounding her while her trio with bright smiles replied "Ganbare Ayame!"

Her green eyes shimmered in romance as Kukai walked towards her the smile growing and growing on her face. The smile fell however when he completely brushed past her and he took a seat in front of the new girl.

"She looks angry…" one of the trio whispered as Ayame seethed biting a napkin. "Why would he go with her?!" She saw as Rita stared anxiously the two talking and the word guardians caught her ears.

Ayame's face became serious and she turned to the table snatching her cup of full instant ramen as she stirred it with her chopsticks. "I'll fix this…" she murmured.

"Gaurdians…?" Rita questioned as she stirred her rice pudding, trying to avoid the boy's gaze. "She's only been here for a few hours. How do you know that she can be apart of this?"

"I already know that you have what it takes to be a guardian." He replied with a smirk as he took a quick glance at the chara's on her tray.

Koto stared suspiciously up at the boy, pushing the glasses on his face. "Can he see us?" he asked Francis and the rocker chara gave a shrug, a chip in his mouth.

"And what's that?" She asked wondering how she and Sohma-kun had anything in common.

"If you come with me I'll show you." He replied standing up holding out a hand to Seika. "Come on." Rita stared at his hand a few moments and then up to his grinning face, and she saw no hint of malice within those green eyes.

"Okay…" she replied raising her hand to take it however a scream echoed through out the cafeteria and she felt a wave of luke warm liquid hit her head, along with the slimy feel of noodles hanging from her shoulders and face.

She saw the rest of the cafeteria staring at her and giggles erupted as she stood up, stray noodles falling on the tiles. 'It's okay…' she thought. 'It's okay.' But the laughter only grew and Rita felt hot tears come on her eyes. Fear of crying in front of everyone only adding fuel to her already growing embarrassing fire, she took off, noodles flying as she ran. "Rita-chan!" Kukai called out as he saw her chara's floating after her and began to run hopping over Ayame who was rubbing her back, as she sat upon the floor with a pained expression.

Rita slammed the door to the bathroom and gave a shaky sigh beginning to wring out her hair which now reeked of salt and chicken. "Bitch!" Remy mumbled as she picked out a chunk of freeze-dried carrot. "You know that wasn't on accident."

"No-duh." Francis replied as he took off a noodle and Rita gave groan leaning against the back of the wall. "This isn't my best day…" Rita whispered as she began to clean her glasses.

"Don't worry it can't get any worst." Koto replied with a smile, but Rita lifted her feet as the door opened and she heard the sound of a girls voice. "Can you believe he invited her to be apart of the guardians?"

"She can't even speak proper Japanese."

"She's so clumsy and meek too." Another girl agreed. "Don't worry she won't last in the guardians." Rita held back a small whimper as the door slid open and closed again.

"Are you okay?" Koto asked putting a small hand to Rita's face. She gave a small nod as she put the glasses on her face. "Are you okay?" he asked again. Rita shook her head as she stepped shakily out of the stall. Suddenly she took off her chara's following behind her calling out to her.

"She's not okay…" Francis confirmed as they made sure to follow while she sprinted through the halls.

'I hate it here.' She thought while she bumped the doors leading her outside as she continued running. 'I don't' belong here…' "Rita!" her chara's called out, but Rita was sprinting, her sneakers threatening to trip her from the loose laces flailing against her ankles. From the corner of her glasses Rita could see the faces of her students, judging her, mocking her. She bowed her head even further, running a black sleeve along her face blocking her vision. "Rita look out!" she heard Koto urge, causing her to look back. She didn't see, but she felt with powering frontal force the metal door against her frame. The door clanked open and Rita fell through into darkness, her knees scraping painfully against the door as her glasses fell from her face clattering to the floor.

"Rita are you okay?" Francis asked as her three chara's floated in front of her with concerned stares. "No I'm not…." Rita uttered in English, raising her face, her green eyes shimmering from the tears hanging from her lashes. "He's right. He was right…"

"No he's not!" Koto raised his voice a stern tone within his words.

"I can't be with people. I'm stupid. I'm clumsy. He's right. I can't do anything right…" she trembled off with a small sob as she brought her back to a wall and began to wipe her eyes, the tears falling more freely.
"Stop it!" Remy shouted. "Get over it right now!" she kicked Rita's knee. "Toughen up."

"Don't be so harsh." Francis said getting out his guitar. "Here I'll play a lullaby maybe that will make you feel better." He began to strum out a few keys and then sing as Koto held up a red leather bound book. "Here fairy tales make you feel better right?" he opened a page and began reading. "Once upon a time there was…"

Rita was able to stop her sobs to stare at her chara's. Remy yelling at her and kicking her knee, Francis singing which was overshadowed by Koto frenzied reading. It was all so much that her body began to wrack as she brought a hand to her face. Her three chara's stopped expecting a complete meltdown but gave a sigh of relief when she began to laugh, giggles erupting from her face as the rest of her tears fell from her lashes.

She took in a deep breath after her giggles and she leaned against the wall staring up. "Thank you guys. I don't know what I would do without you…" The three smiled and then floated to her face carrying her glasses. "We love you too." Francis said with a smirk and Rita smiled placing them on her face once more. As the lens cleared her vision she gave a small gasp of awe.

Above her the ceiling was a firmament of black sky dotted with shining stars within a few seconds the sky morphed to the rising sun then back to the night again. "It's beautiful." She whispered standing up with a smile. "This must be a planetarium." Koto remarked adjusting the glasses on his face. "You can see the constellations Andromeda and Draco." Rita's eyes followed his fingers along the invisible lines that connected the celestial dots.

"Hello…" a foreign serene voice entered and Rita cringed she saw a man with light blonde hair walking down the stairs a warm smile on his face.

"Gomen!" Rita urged backing up, believing she had violated a rule that could lead to untimely suspension on her first day. "She didn't mean to trespass!" she gave a bow as the caretaker walked down and stared at her with a tilt of her head. Rita grimaced some more as she thought 'He's kind of creeping me out…I hope he won't report me. Detention on my first day…then again not like Mom will care.'

"It's quite alright. I hardly get visitors here." He replied as he put a hand on her shoulder, breaking Rita out of her frenzied trance. "I was just about to have some tea do you want some?"

'I hate tea…' she thought inwardly with a grimace, but forced a cheery smile. "She would love tea." She replied and the caretaker gave a small laugh. "I'll make a hot chocolate then." He replied beginning to walk up the stairs. "You can take a seat and watch the show while it's getting ready." Rita stared perplexed for awhile as the caretaker disappeared and she gave a tilt of her head, mouth a bit agape. "You'll let a fly in if you keep your mouth open like that." Francis replied smartly. Rita snapped her mouth shut and gave her chara's a glare as she took a seat and stared up as the scene of the sky shifted once more to the starry night. 'It's amazing though that something like this exists at this school…" she murmured.

"So you speak English?" Tsukasa questioned, the steam lifting from Rita's tea cup as the creamy liquid poured in. "Does her accent show?" Rita asked fearfully, a bit of short bread cookie in her mouth and Tsukasa gave a laugh with a shake of his head. "No it's quite amazing that you speak two languages so fluently." He replied taking a sip of his own tea.

"She speaks three…" Koto entered from his book, turning a page.

Rita took a sip of the hot chocolate and gave a content sigh the creamy chocolate sliding down her throat, warming her insides, a feeling of joy spreading through her body. "Rita-chan if you don't mind me asking, why were you crying?" All the joy that was once spreading rapidly retreated as Rita stared ashamedly at her drink.

"It's…it's nothing…" she stammered.

"It must have been a lot to make you cry." He pried.

"Just…" she clenched tighter to her cup as she closed her eyes still feeling the embarrassment of the peers giggles and judging stares at her. "When she came here to Japan she was scared." She uttered, she waited a few more moments and with a shaky breath she continued on. "She didn't know the language…she had no one else to lean on and…coming here…she…she's shy and…the guardians…and she can't…" Rita brought the cup to her lips, her voice wavering at the last few words. As she swallowed the last bit, the gulp echoing through out the planetarium the caretaker stared up as the sky shifted once more.

"The sky changes so many times. In one day it shifts so radically from the morning to night." He took the tea pot pouring more hot chocolate into Rita's cup and he leaned back as the sky shifted once more, the stars peeping out from the blackness. "It's quite ironic because what people fear the most aren't spiders, the dark, or heights. It's change. It is frightening doing new things. Coming to new places. Change is something we fight but, a star doesn't first start out that way. A butterfly comes from a caterpillar, a cherry blossom tree from a tiny seed. Even a chick comes from the fragile egg. Change happens no matter what, but when it does…" he turned his head towards Rita his eyes staring kindly as she finally brought her gaze up. "Shouldn't we always try to change for the better?"

Rita felt a blush of shame come through her and she gave a small nod. "Hai…" she whispered. "She should…" The caretaker put a hand on his shoulder and gave a gentle pat. "You should probably get going. Your lunch hour is almost up."

"What?!" Rita screamed realizing that school was still in session. She jumped up nearly knocking over the table and gave a quick twitch of her head in a bow. "Thank you so much Tsukasa-sempai!" She blurted, but just as she was about to jump over the railings before he held up a deck of red cards in front of her face. "Can you do me a favor and pick one for me?"

"Why?" Rita asked an eye brow raised, but the director just held the deck closer to her face. "Humor me please." Rita stared skeptically for a second then snatched a card handing it to him. "She's sorry but she has to go!" and she leaped over the railings, and took off the metal door to the planetarium slamming shut.

Tsukasa glanced at the card that Rita picked a black ace of spades staring at him. "Well it might just work out after all." He whispered as he placed the card upon the table, his hand stopping noticing the slipped, revealing that it was covering another. He gave a perplexed gaze as he slid the Ace more to reveal the illustrative picture of the joker card underneath. He gave a small laugh as he picked up the two cards. "A new chapter begins…"