Pomp and Oneiromance

"TEMARI!!!!"

Amu's own scream resounds through her dream, as the tiny little Japanese Chara is taken from her. "No! Come back!" she calls, rushing after the little figure. But there's little she can do. She's too slow, too weak. "Nadeshiko needs you! Please, come back!"

Her dreams haven't been this dark in ages. Typically she dreams of boys or trouble with her own Charas, but her dreams have not typically been infected by Nightmares trying to do whatever it is they do.

Maybe it's just that she's been asleep for nearly fourty-eight hours since her spontaneous transformation with the little egg in the midst of the caverns. Whatever the case, this dream is no longer under Amu's control, subconsciously or otherwise, and she needs help.

    After seventy-two hours of gruelling and nightmarish sights, constant battle, and misery, sleeping for a full 48 is probably not out of the question. But that kind of sleep can have dangers all its own. To Amu it must be a terrible nightmare. To lose something so important as the little egg and the tiny Chara residing inside it. A terrible nightmare on a very personal level.
    But one that can probably be rectified with a helping hand, yes. Though left haggard and weary from the rigors of a three day long waking nightmare, herself, Ariel would be remiss in her duty to ignore something like this, while wandering her own dreams and recovering. Perhaps that's why the familiar figure of the massive glowing hound appears first, offering Amu a ride on his back, to make it much easuer to catch up to the tiny figure, darting away.
    "Did you lose someone?" Ariel is of course already on his back to ask that question, as Lucky shortens the distance pretty quickly.

Amu looks up at Lucky and Ariel confusedly, then gladly accepts the offer of a ride. She climbs onto the massive glowing hound gratefully and wraps her arms around Ariel. "Temari," she explains, pointing towards the retreating figure. "Someone took her from me. I've got to get her back. I'm not supposed to have her; she belongs to my best friend and if I don't take care of her, all of her dreams will be destroyed! Please, will you help me get her back?"

    All of her dreams will be destroyed.
    Can't have that, now can we?
    As soon as he hears that, Lucky begins picking up his pace, longer strides carrying the trio through the darkness, while keeping the ride smooth for exhausted and sleeping girls.
    "So go right ahead." Ariel says gently. Silver lips tug into a light smile as she takes the older girl's hand by the wrist and urges her to reach out. Soon enough Lucky has caught up to be within reaching distance. All Amu has to do is finish it and close her fingers. "It says a lot, you know. That you're so willing to protect a friend's dreams."

Amu closes her fingers around Temari very gently, and pulls the Shugo Chara back to her. "Oh my god," she sobs a bit with relief, clutching the little figure to her chest. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost Temari," she explains. "Nadeshiko and I had a fight, and then she must have slipped Temari in my pocket when I wasn't looking. I didn't know. But I can't let her dreams be lost," she explains to Ariel.

As the nightmare fades, Amu slowly rouses in the real world, making soft groaning noises in her bed. She wakes up with the little egg that is Temari resting in her hands.

"Nnnnhhh?" Amu asks, confusedly, as she slowly wakens. Someone has put her back in her bed. They didn't bother changing her clothes from her silly winter outfit, whoever they were, but at least they had the kindness to take her boots off her feet and hang up her jacket. Amu climbs carefully out of bed, revealing that her outfit consists of a warm and wooly black sweater, matching black skirt and petticoats, and wooly thigh high socks.

"How did I get here?" Amu asks confusedly. The recollection of the dream begins to fade from her mind, except for one startling realization: "Temari!" she says, looking down at the little egg.

Of course, Temari doesn't make a sound. Save for the brief battle in the caverns, Temari hasn't made a sound in weeks. "I'm so sorry," Amu says to the little egg. "I'm so sorry I hurt Nadeshiko. I hope you'll forgive me," she begs Temari quietly.

Slipping Temari back in her pocket, Amu makes her way to the sliding glass door, pushes it open, then steps out on her balcony and stares out at the night sky. Leaning on the railing, she sighs to herself. "Did we win?" she asks uncertainly. Some part of her remembers the fight against Melanite and the Dark Guardians. She remembers--very vaguely--a dream about helping Sailor Moon defeat Beryl and Metallia.

    And there. She has it. The little unicorn's smile brightens by a few degrees as her hand lightly rests over Amu's closed fingers. "I don't think I need to tell you to keep her safe until you can give her back, then." It's plainly obvious Amu will do so. "I've never had a fight with a friend." She admits. "But I'm sure they'll forgive you."
    That's the last she gets to say in the dream realm, though, as wakefulness begins to take over. So, that gives a bit of time for groggy intropection and to find Temari, before heading out onto the balcony. It becomes plainly apparent that she's not alone on the terrace.
    A certain, and familiar pair are right there, curled up. Though Ariel isn't in her armor anymore. A low 'wurf' from the massive hound and they stir.
    "Mmf... Good morning." Mumbled blearily while rubbing at an eye. "I... Think so."

"Wahh!~" Amu replies, leaping back a half step and stumbling right into a puddle of water on her little balcony. She holds up her hands defensively, as if worried she's going to be attacked, and then realises two very important things. First: she realises that this is the girl who was just in her dreams, helping her recover Temari's egg. Second: she realises that she has just put thick wooly socks in a puddle of water. Ewwww wet socks. "Ehehhhh," Amu makes a face, lowers her hands, and steps out of the puddle. "Ew, gross," Amu mumbles.

Shaking her foot as if that will make matters better, Amu glances over at Ariel, then blushes a little and asks, "Wait, were you really there in my dreams? That wasn't just a regular dream, was it?" she surmises. "How ... how did you do that? How did you even get here on my balcony?"

    Wet socks. A true waking nightmare from which not even Ariel can save a soul from. But no, Lucky isn't going to attack. He's massive- big enough for a girl Amu's size to hop on. But he's also curled up in a huge ball of complete lazy, flashing teeth and tongue lolling out in a big old yawn. The unicorn-girl sits up slightly, still rubbing the heel of her palm over one eye. It's just the two of them and Amu has already seen her true form, so she doesn't bother hiding a thing. Her yawn isn't as massive as her dog's but clearly proves that the act is contagious.
    "Um. Well yes." She admits honestly. "I needed to return her." She means Temari of course, as she lazily gets her arms around Lucky's neck like a big lazy plush. "You were having a nightmare, too so... Well I couldn't just let it keep going. You were kind of asleep for a long time."
    Not that this answers how she's on the balcony in the least.

Amu stares at Ariel confusedly for sefveral moments, then shakes her head and goes right back through the door. "Come in," she invites. Or is it orders? Amu makes another disgusted face at her wet socks with each step, and so immediately drops onto the foot of her bed and starts peeling tghe socks off her feet. She's been wearing the same socks for the better part of four days anyways, which is pretty darned gross, really.

"I'm Amu," the girl introduces herself as she bundles up her socks and throws them into the corner. "Amu Hinamori. I'm uh ... also I guess the Joker of the Seiyou Guardians, and a member of Virtue. I'm sorry, I should have introduced myself sooner, but ..." well, the north pole was scary. Introductions were somewhat the furthest thing from her mind.

"Thank you," she says. "For Temari, I mean. She really isn't mine, and Nadeshiko needs her."

    That invitation is all it takes. The child is a little slow in detaching from her steed and apparenty warm, fluffy, living bed, but she does. She's not in the silvery armor from up in the poles anymore, but something more of a simple tunic. Also barefoot and less bothered by the conundrums of puddle-splattered socks.
    Ariel follows inside, though Lucky simply pokes his head through the door and proceeds to lay himself right in the threshold. "Oh, I'm Ariel!" Introduction spurs introduction, and now that there's no massive crisis over everyone's heads, she can be just a little more chipper about it. "Mm... I think we were all very busy and had a lot on our minds for a while, back there. At least we got to introduce ourselves, now, right?" No last name yet, like she said; so busy at the pole to even think up a suitable human surname. Give it a day or two!
    The thanks however earns something of an awkward shuffle of her feet, tail flicking as she's stuck in something of a sheepish, bashful, smile. "Eheh heh... DOn't think about it. I mean like I said, your friend must mean a lot to you if you're that protective of her dreams. And really, if anything I should thank you- and everyone else. For everything, up... There, I mean."

Amu pulls the little egg out of her pocket, turning it over and over in her hands. "Well," she suggests, "dreams are important. It's who we want to be, right?" she suggests, showing Ariel the little egg. "And Temari has been with Nadeshiko a long time. The only reason she's stuck in her egg is because I said something hurtful to her."

Amu shrugs, then stands and walks to her desk, where a little red box is set down. Opening the box, Amu gently slips Temari's egg inside the felt-lined carrier, right next to the little blue egg that is the sleeping Miki.

"I don't know why Nadeshiko gave me Temari, but ... I think I'm glad she did. I don't know what I would have done up there without her, and it felt right having Nadeshiko's dream there to carry me through that darkness."

    Duty accomplished. Temari is in safer hands that know how to properly care and handle the important little egg. And a a felt-lined box is probably a safer keeping spot than a tunic pocket. It's only now that Ariel actually gets a good look, when Amu shows her.
    "Mm. Yes, dreams are important. They can be a lot. My mom used to protect them, for people." She confirms softly, before silvery lips purse. "I'm sure she'll come out eventually."
    Actually she's smiling now. I mean, she's your friend's dream right? That might be why she gave her to you, I think... So even a part of her could be there when you needed her."

A brief little mental flashback, and Amu is blushing just a little. "That's exactly what she told me," Amu admits quietly. "She said she'd be there for me, even though she couldn't go with us."

The pink haired girl sniffs a little, and then hugs herself tightly. "I'm sorry, I'm not a great host. I don't ..." she trails off, then takes a deep breath. "So ... how do you wind up in dreams? And ... I know it's rude, but why do you have a tail?"

    A bad host? Ariel is still smiling gently, while Amu reflects. Though two small, supportive, hands set bracingly on her shoulders when she curls in on herself. "I've never been hosted for." She admits sweetly. "So I wouldn't know." It's a clear and blatant attempt to stop that sniffling by simply being sweet.
    As for the other matter, she's a little matter of fact. "Oh um!" She has more than a tail, there is that blunt little horn, and overly pale skin. "Well. That's because I'm a unicorn?" It really is the best answer she can give in regards to her tail. "And I was born in a dream. I actually never thought I'd really see the waking world, to tell the truth."

Blink. Blink. Amu stares at Ariel confusedly, then slowly--very slowly--tilts her head to a side, squinting at her. "Ywhat?" she asks. But then, that really isn't the strangest thing Amu has heard all week. And after all, she has three eggs to her name representing her own dreams, each of which has a little character inside.

"So you're like a Shugo Chara, yourself. Except ... you're also a real girl? Who created you? Are you bound to them? Do you transform with them like my charas do with me?"

    Ariel is still smiling! Though now it is a very blank smile; the kind that speaks volumes about how utterly bewildered the child is about the next stream of questions. But say one thing about her, she's patient even in the face of her own confused ignorance. "I'm not sure?" Clearly the concept of a Chara isn't one she understands. "I was made by my parents." She finally answers after a few seconds of thinking about it, one finger tapping thoughtfully at her cheek. "Well... I'm not really bound to them, I think they wanted me to live however I wanted to, so." There's a light shrug. "I don't think I do it the way I saw you do it, though!"

Amu blinks in confusion. "You were born in a dream, but you have parents?" Amu asks, now extremely confused. "Well, I suppose it doesn't matter. What matters is that you're really fascinating. Why a unicorn?" she asks curiously. "No, I suppose that's not a fair question. Can you tell me about all of this? How you were born and what that adorable dog is and ... what it is your life is like?"

    Why a unicorn? The question earns a slow blink as Ariel's brow furrows. Oh how to answer THAT one? She decides to keep it as simple as she can for the sake of her own understanding, as well as Amu's. "Um? Yes? Doesn't everyone have parents?" But on to the second part of that question, this one comes a little easier; "That's because mom is a unicorn too." Whether the question is fair or not, the answer came fairly easily.
    Though to flat out tell Ariel she's fascinating makes the child's cheeks heat in a dark silvery flush as she scuffs toes on the floor briefly. "Well. I was born because my parents loved each other a lot, I knew that much when I woke up for the first time." She ventures after a few seconds of thoughtful pause. But then a question she can answer a little better! "Oh! That's Lucky." She says, in regards to the dog, earning a low "Wuff." From the balcony doorway.
    "He was my lucky star, before he fell out of the sky. He landed kind of badly, so I had to take care of him for a while, but once he got better, he kind of never lets me go anywhere by myself now. Oops."
    Loyalty is apparently a thing, even among stars, but it's the final question that earns something of a vague shrug. Her life? What's it like? "I'm here, now."

"Yes, but most of us weren't born in a dream!" Amu protests to Ariel confusedly. "That's not normal," she explains, then grins at Ariel. "But okay, I get it, it's not that weird to you." She glances past Ariel towards the balcony, where Lucky is still laying. "But all of this is still really weird to me. I never wanted to be a magical girl."

    Oh dear it's, Amu perhaps doth protest too much, because at the declaration of abnormalcy, Ariel's lips purse; a small bead of sweat rolling down the side of her brow, tail flicking again nervously. One hand reaches up, rubbing at the back of her neck- an act that lightly ruffles her own silvery hair and covers poor Amu's floor in a light dousing of colorful glitter. "Well, this is all weird to me, too." She does point out. "I never thought I'd see the waking world, I'm kind of lost in every way." She admits rather candidly. There is a mild pause before she asks: "Do you like being a magical girl?"

Well, now there's a question. Amu grimaces at it and looks away, only to find her gaze drawn to the glitter on the floor. "I don't know," she admits quietly. "Sometimes I think I do. I like helping people. But I'm scared all the time, and I get really angry sometimes. I feel like I'm not very good at it."

    And this presents a new problem. Now Amu is covered in glitter. This is, perhaps, because the little unicorn has put her arms around the other girl. It's a light hug. As though hugging were her first and ingrained instinctive response to sullen answers. Displaying a complete lack of care for dirty winter clothes, to boot.
    "I think I understand why. all that fighting really was scary." She agrees, but then shakes her head. "I was scared too. And I think everyone else there was, even if they tried to not show it. So I guess that was normal? E-either way, you were pretty amazing."

Amu makes a soft squeaking noise at the unexpected hug. "H..hey," she mumbles, almost put off by the affection. But she isn't, really; there's just a small voice in the back of her head telling her that she should pretend to be, so that she can be cool enough.

She doesn't say it, though. Instead, Amu just sighs and leans on the unicorn-girl just a little. "All my friends keep telling me how amazing I am, but I don't feel amazing. I feel petty and small. I know if they'd had their way, they'd have saved that girl we fought against. All I wanted was to just end her. Villainy like that ... it shouldn't be tolerated. We can't just solve every problem with friendship and happiness. Sometimes ... sometimes you have to do the hard thing to save lives."

    This might begin broaching into awkward territory as the child doesn't quite let go for a bit longer. She's going to have to learn things about this new world, like 'personal space'. But for the time being, one topaz eye peeks up. Though her brow furrows, the unicorn is silent for the span of a few long seconds as she lets that sink in.
    To her credit, she doesn't push Amu away in disgust. But the girl does gently shake her head. "I want to tell you I understand but... I don't." Again her honesty is very candid. "I hadn't met anyone like her before. And I really didn't know her at all. But if she could have changed... Wouldn't that have been a form of victory, too?" It's a wholeheartedly innocent question, clearly with no intent to let whatever answer may come sway her opinion of Amu right now.
    "I don't like fighting. But I know sometimes it has to be done. You just did what you thought was right at the time. Right?"