New Years Beginning:
A Gakuen Alice New Year and New Beginning
Disclaimer: Gakuen Alice belongs to Tachibana Higuchi. I claim no rights to the characters or setting. Only the story idea for this fanfic.
Author Note: This story was written for the GakuenAlice-Club's Christmas/New Year contest in DeviantArt.
Actually, this didn't turn out quite the way that I had originally planned it to. After awhile the story just started to write itself. I actually like the way that it turned out better then what I originally planned to write.
In fact, depending on the outcome and what everyone thinks of it, this fic has inspired a possible GA II Fanfic series. (Sorta like my CCS-2 series, but obviously different). So please, R&R (Read and Review. Please don't Read and Run ^_^ (It's a joke that Suzaku18 mentioned when I said I wasn't getting many responses about my GA fanfics). Please enjoy!
Mikan collapsed to the floor, gasping for air. He face was the color of red bean paste, though it was difficult to tell if it was from embarrassment or overexertion from Otonashi-san's crazy divination dance.
It was New Years day – and Mikan's 12th birthday. Since she and a majority of her friends would be graduating from the grade school and would soon be starting their new school year at the middle school, they were allowed to participate in the "1st years prayer."
The 1st years prayer was an event for the middle school classes, because there wasn't a temple at Gakuen Alice. Tsubasa and Misaki sempi explained how it worked last new years. The students met with someone with the Divination Alice to do a Divination for the New Year.
"I see….I see…" Otonashi Yura repeated as she looked through her third eye into Mikan's future.
Mikan sat up, waiting anxiously for her fortune. Though she hated the dance, Otonashi had been alarmingly accurate the last time that she used her Alice for Mikan's sake - one week after Mikan first came to the academy.
"I see…. red," Otonashi stated in frustration, squinting with her eyes closed for a better look, hoping the vision would come into better focus. A few moments passed agonizingly slow before she spoke again. This time she opened her eyes and sought Mikan's face. "This year, you will have good luck with romance," she informed.
Mikan blinked and stared at Otonashi in surprise. She was relieved that no one else was around to hear the divination.
"Demo, but," Otonashi continued with a look of warning. "You must hold on to it firmly and be careful not to let go. There are many obstacles before the two of you and in order to ensure that you do not lose one another forever, it is imperative that you have no doubt and that you love unconditionally. For a life depends on the outcome of your decision."
Mikan gulped at the seriousness of Otonashi's tone and was relieved when she was rushed to leave so that the next person in line could receive their divination.
It had been a few months since the conclusion of the battle for the fight to save Gakuen Alice from the clutches of the elementary school principal. The Dangerous Ability Class was disband and replaced with a Special Alice Protection and Preservation Unit which was run by her mother, Azumi Yuka. The Unit, consisting mostly of the students originally from the Dangerous Ability Class along with all of the teachers and anyone who wished to make and keep Gakuen Alice a safe haven for anyone with an Alice.
As she walked down the path to the dining hall where everyone would be to celebrate the New Year, Mikan pondered her fortune. Romance? The word repeated through her mind. A life depends on the outcome of my decision? What could that mean? Mikan almost wished that she hadn't participated in the "1st Year Prayer" after all, for it hadn't done anything but confuse her.
"Mikan!" Called a voice from a window at the dining hall. "Hayaku, hurry up!" Anna waived frantically as if she were trying to wave in an airplane.
Mikan smiled cheerfully at the sight of her pink haired friend and picked up her pace to hurry along.
"Happy Birthday!" Everyone yelled to her as she entered the dining hall and was showered by confetti. "Congratulations!"
Mikan hugged and thanked her friends as she walked past them to enter further into the room. They were currently passing out greeting cards and money packets. She accepted hers from Hotaru with a hug and shuffled expectantly through the cards until she found what she was looking for.
Happy New Year,
How are you? My goodness, are you 12 already?
Happy Birthday, Mikan-chan.
How is your mother? I received your last letter
Saying that she was there with you. I am glad.
You must send me a picture of the two of you together.
I will look forward to it.
Jii-chan
Mikan smiled and hugged the card to her chest. She was relieved that her grandfather seemed to be doing well.
Once all of the greeting cards were read, friends who brought a small pile of gifts for her birthday surrounded Mikan. She was surprised to see her mother suddenly walk in with a cake. Mikan smiled politely when Yuka set the cake before her. Even though it had been a few months since her Mother decided to stay at the academy, there relationship was still awkward. After all, Yuka wasn't around for the first 11 years of Mikan's life. Eleven years that couldn't be made up for.
The birthday candles were already lit. Mikan immediate blew them out, closing her eyes tightly to make her wish. She wasn't sure, however, what she wanted to wish for. She already had everything that she wanted. She heard Otonashi-san's voice replay her divination through her head. I wish for my love to hold true, she said to herself before opening her eyes.
While everyone enjoyed their cake, Mikan took a survey of everyone who was in the room. There was someone whom she hadn't seen yet. Anna and Nonoko were busily chatting to her left while Hotaru sat to her right silently enjoying her piece of cake.
"Ruka-Pyon?" Mikan asked when he walked past her. He stopped to give her his full attention. "Have you seen Natsume, lately?"
"Umm…." Ruka stalled for time as he thought of some kind of excuse. "He should be here soon, maybe he just got held up at the "1st year prayer," he said, while shifting his gaze away from her.
Mikan was suspicious that there wasn't something quite right. She set her half eaten piece of cake down and stood to pull Ruka out of the room. "What's going on?" She asked him expectantly.
Ruka rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Well, uhh… I can't really say…"
The look Mikan gave could have bore a hole through his skull in order that she might see into his mind. "Is he feeling okay?" She asked in worry. Mikan hadn't actually seen him in a couple of days. That wasn't TOO unusual. Since they were on their winter break, she assumed he was probably hiding somewhere reading his latest Manga. Something in the way that Ruka could not seem to directly answer her question, however, send a wave a panic through her.
Ruka still couldn't make eye contact. Mikan's eyes went wide with fear. He was hiding something from her. "What's wrong?" She suddenly cried with alarm.
"H….he asked me not to say anything, because he didn't want you to worry," Ruka finally explained quietly.
For a moment Mikan froze. She stared into Ruka's blue eyes blankly. His words slowly processed through her mind. Then she heard Otonashi-san's voice once again in her mind saying, "You must hold on to it firmly and be careful not to let go. There are many obstacles before the two of you and in order to ensure that you do not lose one another forever, it is imperative that you have no doubt and that you love unconditionally. For a life depends on the outcome of your decision." Mikan blinked suddenly, also remembering that Natsume's alice was the limitless shape, meaning that it shortened his life span with overuse. Fear suddenly registered in her eyes and she took off towards the Hospital, leaving Ruka to stare after her.
No, this can't be happening, why now!? After we have finally brought peace to Gakuen Alice, Mikan screamed in her head. It was difficult to move fast in the kimono that she wore, and she felt a deep sense of urgency to find Natsume. Mikan stopped long enough to tear the bottom of the kimono to make it easier for her to run. She ran, in her tabi socks with the kimono torn up to her knees, as fast as she could to the hospital. Please be alright, she pleaded in her mind.
Mikan entered the hospital in a rush, startling the receptionist who stared at her with eyes wide in concern. "Where…is…Na…tsu…me?" Mikan panted after her long run.
After seeing the young girls state of disarray, the woman behind the front desk didn't hesitate to release Natsume's room number.
"Arigato, thank you!" Mikan called as she ran down the hall in the direction that the woman was pointing. When the elevators proved to be going too slow she took the stairs two at a time. "211, 212, 213…" Mikan counted off the room numbers as she passed down the second floor hall until Natsume's room came in sight. "215," she breathed and peeked into the room through the open door. "Natsume?" She asked breathlessly as she quietly stepped into his room.
Natsume's head shot up from the manga that he had been reading. His expression was one of surprise at the sound of her voice. After taking one look at her torn kimono he nearly leapt from the hospital bed, ready to defend her with his life if he had too. "Doushita no? Daijoubu? What happened, are you okay?" He asked in a rush. He was stopped with one leg hanging over the edge of the bed getting ready to stand, by the look on her face.
Mikan pouted with her bottom lip quivering. A river of tears threatened to flood from her eyes at any second.
"Oi, Stupid! What are you doing here with that ugly face?" Natsume questioned with a hint of annoyance as he sat back in the bed.
"What am I doing here?" Mikan repeated his question and stared at him with disbelief that he had asked such a stupid question. For a moment her tears forgot to fall and she pondered whether or not he was worth her concern. That moment was short, however, and her bottom lip was soon quivering again. "I….I'm here be…cause I was worried about you!" She whimpered through the tears that started to fall. "Why didn't you tell me about this!?" She cried near hysteria.
"I gave Ruka your present to give to you at your party," he replied, as if that would make it all better.
Mikan's tears did cease from her shock at his words. She stared at him in horror as her hands balled into fists. Natsume watched, curious by her reaction. "You Dummy!" She yelled suddenly, causing him to raise an eyebrow. "I don't care about the present! The only thing that I care about is that you get better!" She was crying again.
"You shouldn't be here, Mikan. You're missing your party and I'm sure there are a lot of people looking for you," Natsume sighed in exasperation.
"Let me take it!" Mikan exclaimed, nearly flinging herself onto his bed. She took up his hands in hers and stared at him with large pleading brown eyes. Natsume was taken back by her sudden closeness and met her gaze with his own look of shock. "You really don't have any use for it anymore," She tried to explain convincingly. "We are all safe now."
"Do you realize what you are asking?" Natsume questioned her sanity. "If you steal my alice, I can no longer stay with you here."
"But you'll be alive! You can go home to your father and to Aoi-chan! As long as you are alive then there is hope that I will see you again." Mikan explained in a rush, pleading with him to understand her unspoken feelings.
After a moment of thought, it didn't take long with her looking at him the way that she was, an unfamiliar tenderness came to his eyes and he nodded. "It would be nice to see my father and sister again."