Meyumi-chan: So, oneshot got the most votes, so here goes! Sorry for my recent inactivity-schoolwork in the way. I hope to be posting more soon. In the meanwhile, enjoy this one (possibly more) shot!

She rejected him. He loved her, and she rejected him

How dare she.

The twelve year old sat back on his heels, reflecting that day, oh-so-long ago in Seiyo, where he met her. Amu. Hinamori Amu. The first girl ever not to fall on her face, in love with him.

His first crush.

So, predictably, he went about it the wrong way. But in doing so, he learned something that he could hold over her head. Suitable blackmail. Or something that could count as such to the majority of the human population. He smirked.

Revenge is a dish best served warmed. And this was a payback that could not go wrong. He called out. "Pearl! We're going to Seiyo Elementary again."

"Okay, Shuraiya-sama."

And so it was set. And Amu would become his queen. Whether she wanted to or not.

The rumors started to fly around Seiyo. The prince was coming back! Wild and Gorgeous! (AN: I can't believe I actually remember that from the anime. xD)

Soon, the Guardians caught wind of it. Predictably, at the word 'prince' Kiseki went ballistic. And so did Tadase. Handy buckets, those. Then came the confusion - was totally unplanned. They would have heard about the arrival of a new student before it happened. Especially since he had a chara.

Even so, none of them seemed particularly worried. After all, this was Shuraiya they were talking about. It would be right after the crown prince celebration thingy.

Why thingy? Kairi was the one who knew more about it, so until further notice Yaya had christened it 'thingy'.

And because of that, it made no sense that he was out of the country he was going to rule in perhaps thirty years. No sense at all. But, they reflected, when did anything that Shuraiya do make sense? He was more nonsensical than Yaya at her worst. Which was pretty bad, trust me.

Instead, they just plastered smiles to their faces, talked about Shuraiya, X-eggs, Pearl, Easter, and various other issues of a similar topic. Nothing particularly interesting was happening at the present. So it eventually dissolved into disorderly chatter. Suddenly, a large rumbling noise and a lot of screaming was heard from the outside. Shuraiya had arrived.

The Guardians walked out, capes fluttering in the light breeze. They had even convinced Amu to wear hers today, and that accounted for an extra bit of swooning by the student population. Once they reached Shuraiya Tadase, who was walking in the front, stuck out his hand.

"Shuraiya, it is good to see you again." He said politely, voice strained a little. Unnoticeable to none but the Guardians.

"And you." He said. He stuck out his hand, but he was looking at Amu when he said it. Weirdly, that went unnoticed, as the three girls were chattering about something. He let a few words reach his ears. It wasn't about him, was all he could think. Definitely not about him. He definitely would not dirty his royal self with dirt from sports, and was certainly not as casual as the one they discussed. Still, it bothered him that the girls were talking about a boy. That Amu was. In his presence.

How dare she. Perish the thought.

After another rather loud giggle by the girl who kept bouncing around, with orangish hair held up by red pigtails-Yaya, he finally remembered her name, he burst.

"How dare you! You-" Shuraiya cut off suddenly as a piece of something jewelry-like appeared over his head, below his hairline in the front and wrapping around to the back of his head. His posture straightened, and it was easy to see his resemblance to his father. But the Guardians knew better, and Ramira appeared from behind Shuraiya's head.

"Shuraiya, calm down! What would your father say? What would he do? How can you act like a proper king if you get so worked up over naught!" He put his hands on his hips and flew into Shuraiya's face.

Amu grinned. So THAT'S the kind of chara Ramira is. She thought, shaking her head in an attempt to suffuse her laughter.

Pearl and Lulu appeared behind the two of them. She saw the golden band on his dark hair and shook her head, sighing. Then she turned to the Guardians. "Do you guys have a bucket?"

Tadase gave her a look of confusion, while a grinning Yaya handed her the light blue sand bucket that served as their protection when Tadase character changes. Kiseki sent aglare at it, and was momentarily blinded by the reflected light's glare on the side of the bucket. Pearl took it, and turned to her chara. They shared a smile as she pulled the smallish bucket over the child's large ego.

When it came off, Shuraiya was glaring at Pearl, Lulu, Ramira, and all the Guardians too. I mean, seriously. Could anything go right for him? Could anyone tolerate him? He walked away silently, deciding that the cold shoulder approach was the best. He even stopped Ramira as he tried to follow. Even though he had no clue where he went, he walked, and walked, and walked his feet off, grumbling at the ground itself. Eventually he came to a bench and sat on it.

It was near a pouring fountain, and familiar somehow in a way he could not for the life of him remember. The place was so full of life, quiet except for the sounds of the park itself. He thought a moment of going back to Ramira and his friends, and then decided not to. Notwithstanding, he didn't even notice as he drifted off into the land of naps.

"-ya." "-aiya." "Shuraiya!" Amu yelled in his ear, poking at his vulnerable stomach. "Oh, you're awake." Her cheeks were slightly tinted with pink, and her smile was large and caring. "We didn''t know where you went, so we split up to look for you." He had already figured that out, as was the case, because Amu was alone. No, she wasn't alone-he was with her.

He wasn't sure how to ask such a delicate question as he had in mind, but he felt no want to beat around the bush. He looked up at her, and sighed. There was only one way to do this. "Amu, I love you. I know you turned me down before, but will you marry me?"

And she laughed. And laughed. And laughed again. Not that she didn't look cute while she laughed...but she was laughing at him, and what he thought was a serious question. "Amu, please." He gave her as pleading a look as he could, but he didn't know how long he could keep up that front-nerves were snapping in animalistic rage.

After her laughing quieted to a level at which he could hear her voice, merry and colored with that oh-so-hateful recent laughter. "You were serious?" Then she saw his taut expression, and the undertone of laughter died out entirely. "Shuraiya, go find someone else. I don't - and doubt I ever will - love you. So give up on this childish infatuation already!" Her hands were on her hips, and one look at those expressive golden eyes told him she spoke what she truly thought.

He slumped down, further on the bench. He barely heard her say "C'mon, Shuraiya. Everyone's looking for you. We'll meet up with them at the Royal Garden". He made no resistance as she pulled him up off the seat by yanking on his arm, and dragging him. In fact, he never got past the shock that she still wouldn't marry him. So many others would love to be in her place, be the one he doted on.

Amu was quietly thinking to herself - Shuraiya was kind of heavy... And then she felt a tug from behind. She pulled harder on his wrist, but he didn't budge. Instead, he grabbed her wrist, making her let go. That grip stopped her from tumbling to the ground, he thought with a smile. Then he saw her nervous glare. "Shuraiya, no nonsense now. Just let us go back to everyone else. I know Pearl was worried about you." She pulled free from his grip and started to walk away. "Come on"

"Only if you'll be my bride." Shuraiya couldn't stop the words from flowing off his lips.

"No."

In that instant, Shuraiya felt something inside himself break. "You'll be my bride!" He screamed loudly. People at the park who had been minding their own business before turned to look at him. A nearby baby cried, and the unlucky parents sent a glare at the guilty youngster before turning to coo at the baby. He didn't care. In fact, he didn't even notice.

He glared at her. "You Will!"

She glared back at him. "No."

And just like that, her magic worked over him. He felt his knees buckle, his glare falter, the tears - no he wouldn't cry - not him, he couldn't. He felt his heart turn to fragile crystal and shatter into a million pieces as her words hammered it.

And just like that, the Guardians materialized by Amu. "Amu-chan, are you alright?" Her friends asked uneasily.

She sent them a entrancing smile and replied. "I'm fine. Does anyone have the bucket?"

Rima produced it. "One bucket, for the prince." She held it out.

Amu grinned and took the large, light blue beach bucket-the one the Guardians had seemingly found multiple uses for. "Thanks. I'll just-"

Nagihiko snatched it back from Amu. "No. The guy's in love with you-no telling what that could entail. Stay back-and did Rima say prince?" Both of them covered their glances as the heat from Tadase's fiery aura finally reached them. The rest of the Guardians and Pearl shared variants of one thought-Oh Bugger.

Nagihiko held the single bucket, and sighed as he made his decision-going and ramming it over Shuraiya's head, holding it there. That left Tadase. Who had, of course, by now started his rant, screaming louder than even Shuraiya had managed. About a dozen and a half babies had started showing tears, and everyone was glaring now at the extremely unpopular king, who had yet to notice.

Then, miraculously, it stopped. Amu turned to see Pearl holding Tadase under the streaming fountain and stared, giggling at the blonde's predicament. Then she raised an eyebrow at Rima.

"We kept hearing about 'the prince' in school, and not having the bucket at them time meant we had fun coming up with creative ways to shut him up. Pearl also got pretty good at coming up with them." Rima replied, grinning wolfishly. "And then we went back for the bucket." She said, as if it were self explanatory.

By then, Tadase was sane, if soaked, and Pearl wore a sheepish expression and was expressing her sorries at Tadase, who waved them off. Then they all looked at Shuraiya. In his struggles against Nagi and the bucket, he had somehow gotten it stuck on him. Even after Nagi stepped back, deeming his presence unnecessary, he simply could not get it off his head.

Amu shrugged. "What goes around comes around."

"Agreed"

And Amu and Rima started to walk away from the scene, Nagi trailing them. Yaya was saying "Should we help him-wait never mind. He hurt Amu-chi." Then she scampered after her departing friends. Pearl looked like she didn't know what to do, and eventually Shuraiya got the bucket off.

"So, I guess that's a no." He said. Then he squared his shoulders and glared at the ground. "She will marry me. She cannot reject a prince like me-she has to marry me. She must." Although the holes his eyes burnt into the ground were impressive, Pearl thought, he wasn't being rational. Still, emotions and love did that to people. And there's that old addage - If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.