Disclaimer: Tachibana Higuchi owns Gakuen Alice – not me.

One Wish

-;-

"When you like someone, you like them in spite of their faults.

When you love someone, you love them with their faults."

There were beautiful, sparkling stars littering the dark, Tokyo night sky.

Mikan Sakura stared up wondrously, slowly taking in the breathtaking view of the wonders of space that seemed to be endless. She took a deep, refreshing breath in before heaving it out into a long, drawn-out sigh. She couldn't help but feel pathetic; here she was, in nothing but her teddy-bear pajamas sitting in the semi-darkness, alone and tired, while everyone else in the academy took a well-deserved rest in their dorm rooms.

It was just that she couldn't sleep when her head was filled with troubled thoughts. She was at the point of heaving another sigh when a dazzling burst of light streaked through the dark blue sky interrupted her, leaving behind a beautiful, arched tail of radiance. Mikan gasped, it was a shooting star.

Make a wish...

She let her tired eyes close for a moment before clasping her hands into prayer.

Mr. Shooting Star, please listen to my pleas. Once, my deceased mother told me that "all human beings are born with a cause," they are born with a talent, and a reason for their existence. But maybe God forgot about me. Maybe he abandoned me! I have neither talent nor a reason to be alive even at this moment. So, please, Mr. Shooting Star, would you help make my wish come true tonight?

I want to live for a cause. I want to be the reason for someone to be alive. Mr. Shooting Star, I want to be happy.

The next day started off with Mikan's hurried steps to the classroom as the bells began to announce the start of homeroom. "Good morning," she exclaimed, bursting in through the door just in time.

Embarrassed to see that the entire class was already seated and waiting for their homeroom teacher, she quickly made her way to the empty seat next to Imai Hotaru before throwing herself down and flashing a smile. "Hey, have you finished that assignment Mr. Jinno assigned last week?" she asked as she hastily tied her messy bed-hair into the usual pigtails and smoothed her wrinkled uniform out. "It's due in two days and I haven't even started it yet. Talk about being screwed!"

Hotaru glanced coolly at her best friend before replying in a matter-of-fact tone. "If only you'd started it when it was assigned, you wouldn't be in trouble." She rolled her eyes, "You idiot."

The brunette's face dropped slightly. "I'm not an idiot," she frowned. "And yes, I know I should have started it a long time ago. But I've been so stressed lately that I couldn't bother to get to the assignment on time! You know, it's just been -" Mikan was stopped abruptly as Hotaru raised a hand, stopping her from her endless blabber. "It's your fault. Don't come to me the day before the assignment is due with excuses and whines for help. Take care of it yourself." She looked at her best friend before coldly adding "Baka" again.

At this, Mikan's face instantly swelled up with anger. She puffed her cheeks dramatically before scooting as far away as she could from Hotaru's side of the table. "I know that! And don't call me idiot," she scowled darkly. She began to draw a line through the middle of their shared desk and directed her finger at it pointedly when she had finished. "Don't cross this line. Don't talk to me. And don't even try to look me in the face today. I don't like you." She threw an angry glance at her best friend before slumping dejectedly in her seat, frowning furiously at the teacher who had just arrived, as if he had done something to have provoked Hotaru into calling her insulting nicknames.

Hotaru arched a brow with amusement before staring at the teacher as well. There was something wrong with this girl today. "Whatever, stupid."

After homeroom, there was a short break in where the students shared snacks, gossiped endlessly, or in some cases, desperately finished their assigned homework due that day.

In Mikan's case, she did neither.

She was gloomily slumped over the desk with her head in her palms, muttering quietly to herself.

Ruka looked curiously from Mikan to Hotaru, before silently asking his unvoiced question with the tilt of his head. Hotaru merely rolled her eyes and shrugged back. He blinked at her nonchalance. Then, his expression turned into one of great worry. "Are you okay, Mikan?" He nudged her gently as he sat down on the empty seat in front of her. Mikan grunted with irritation. "What?" She raised her head slightly before blanching, her eyes round with shock. "Oh. I'm so sorry for snapping at you, Ruka-pyon!"

"I-It's okay." Ruka stuttered. He had never seen Mikan in a worse mood before. He cleared his throat hastily before continuing, "I was just wondering whether you wanted to talk about anything? Is something wrong?"

She smiled meekly back at him. "It's nothing." After a moment of pause, she turned swiftly back, her face lit up thoughtfully. "Actually, would you answer some questions?" Ruka tilted his head.

"Sure. Go ahead."

Mikan sat up in her chair. "What do I mean to you?"

Ruka blinked. Then his face instantly flushed with red. "I, I… What?"

"No, no!" Mikan put up her hands, shocked at how blunt her own words had sounded. "I didn't mean it like that, I swear! I just meant," she paused, thinking of how to rephrase her question. "I mean, am I… important to you?" Ruka pondered on her question slowly. "Well, you are my friend." He finally answered, emphasizing the word 'friend' before his face began turning red again. Mikan nodded once. It seemed she was unaware of his blatant embarrassment. While Ruka recovered shortly after, she bit her lips wondering how to phrase her next question.

"A-And, my second question is... Do you think I have any talents? Any skills?"

Ruka looked troubled at this.

"W-Well, everyone has some sort of talent, so I'm sure I can think of some for you…" He began to chew the inside of his cheeks as he looked down at his feet. "I, I… You…" She understood. Mikan cleared her throat in disappointment, smiling gently up at the startled blond boy. "It's okay, Ruka-pyon. You don't have to think about it so much. It's nothing serious anyways." She got up from her seat. "Thank you for answering my questions honestly."

With a bow of thanks, she left the classroom leaving Ruka looking deeply upset with himself. He looked towards Hotaru for help.

She sighed. "Okay, fine. I'll go talk to her." She rolled her eyes before stalking out the door to confront her best friend as well. Mikan was found, shortly later, sitting at the base of the staircase with a dejected look. The raven-haired girl started, annoyed. "Okay, you." Mikan was only Mikan when she was smiling like an idiot; this gloomy person sitting before her was not her best friend, and she didn't like that. She hissed, "Spill it."

Mikan stared up at Hotaru, wide-eyed. She was caught off-guard by her best friend's sudden hostility.

"Oh. Uhh…" She blinked. Then she quickly put two fingers up hopefully, "C-Could you just answer me two questions?" Hotaru stared back coldly. "I'll stop being angry with you then. Please?" After a moment, Hotaru finally heaved out a sigh. Frowning, she sat down next to Mikan on the stairs and faced her.

"This better be fast."

Mikan lightened up noticeably. "Oh, it will be!" She clapped her hands together before facing her best friend. "First question: Am I an important person to you?" Hotaru's expression turned bland. "Just answer the question, Hotaru!"

"Sakura Mikan," she stared deeply into Mikan's eyes. "You're my best friend. God knows if you aren't an important person, then who is?"

The brunette couldn't help but feel a smile spreading to her lips. "Okay, then here's the second question: Do you think I have any talents? Skills?" There was a pause. Then the smile that had been plastered across her face instantly fell as she stared at the expression Hotaru gave her. "Oookay, I don't think I want to hear your answer after all." Hotaru laughed humorlessly before shrugging, "Yeah, I thought so too." The girl stood up and stared down at the brown-haired teenager that was her best friend before lightly tapping her head. "Now stop being all glum and depressed, and return back to your normal self. Got it?" She gave a small wave before walking off towards her next class. Mikan nodded back, a sheepish smile on her face, before returning a wave of her own.

But as soon as the raven-haired girl had turned a corner, her face dropped noticeably.

Was she really a useless girl, after all?

It was almost nightfall again at Alice Academy.

Mikan hugged her knees as she stared up at the reappearing stars in the darkening sky. It was just so unfair. Even the stars seemed to have a reason to sparkle, yet, here she was, a lowly, little girl who seemed to be… well, completely useless. She blinked furiously to stop the tears gathering in her eyes. There was a crunch of leaves behind her.

"What are you doing here," a low, soothing voice called out.

Hyuuga Natsume – maybe he knew the answer to her questions.

After all, he was supposed to be a genius, right? Mikan buried her face in her chest. But Hotaru was a genius too. Even she had failed to find Mikan's answers, so what proof did she have that claimed Natsume knew the answers? She sighed. Maybe she just needed to accept she was a useless girl after all.

"I'm thinking Natsume." She heard a snort. Mikan was tired, annoyed, and angry and she definitely didn't need someone poking fun at her when she was already feeling so horrid. Her head snapped up as she faced the boy who was now standing next to her. "What? Is a girl not even allowed think when she wants to?" She grumbled loudly as she looked up into the dark, crimson eyes of Hyuuga Natsume. He was so beautiful that she felt her rage vanish. His long eyelashes, his straight nose, his sharp chin – but what really got to her were his eyes – his unbelievably beautiful, mysterious, and haunting red eyes. But, at that moment, the said handsome face was contorted into a amused look as he stared down at her, apparently seeming entertained by her sudden burst of anger at him. Well, wasn't that just nice.

Mikan groaned, lowering her head once again. She gave up trying. "Go away, Natsume."

But he didn't. In fact, he did the exact opposite; he sat down next to her. Okay, so, that hadn't gone as well as she'd planned.

She could feel her anger threatening to unleash once again. Why did he have to be so stubborn? "If you're going to be annoying, then why don't you just go make yourself useful by jumping off a cliff and making my life easier?" She sniffed, "I was having an emotional moment, if you didn't notice, so I would very much like it if you left me alone. Thanks very much." He snorted once again. Mikan actually thought for a second that strangling him would be a good idea.

"Fine. Since you insist on staying and annoying me to death, then I'll just have to ask you some annoying questions."

No answer. Well, then she would take that as a 'yes.'

"Here's the first question." She breathed out loudly before facing his direction. "Am I an important person to you?"

He stared up into the sky, non-responding.

Mikan grumbled loudly. Of course, she'd been stupid thinking that he would respond to her annoying questions. She was just about to lower her head back in between her knees resignedly when he murmured softly. "There are thousands, even millions of stars in the sky."

She was confused. "What about the stupid stars," she snapped, edgily. Mikan saw him smirk at her impatience.

"Let's just say that out of those thousands and millions of stars, yours shine the brightest."

What?

She gaped openly at him. Boy, had she not expected that. In fact, she found herself completely dumbfounded. "O-Okay. Well, h-here's the second question then." Mikan spluttered, a blush starting to creep across her cheeks. She paused to chance a glance at his face again - he was still looking up at the stars - before continuing. "Do you… do you think maybe I have any talents? Skills?" She looked down at the ground before quietly adding, "Actually, do you think maybe I might be useless?"

There was a silence. She fidgeted awkwardly before starting to ramble, "It's just, I've been thinking about this for a while and it seems like I'm a good for nothing nobody. For one, you obviously know that I'm not very bright in my studies, and it's not like I'm particularly good in any sports either. It's not like I'm really pretty, nor can I cook that well. I also sort of have this gullible personality and my Alice is next to useless, and-" She was stopped abruptly as a warm hand pressed into her lips. Mikan's eyes widened, fluttering towards her companion in shock. He had finally taken his eyes off the sky, his dark scarlet eyes brooding silently over her light, hazel ones. Her heart thumped maddeningly, her gaze captive to his; but what he said next made her want to kick herself hard for her involuntary cardiac reactions:

"Are you really that stupid?"

Her eyes flashed. "What?" She pushed his hand away, her face flushed. She couldn't help but feel the sting in her eyes at his sudden betrayal of attitude, tears beginning to well up angrily.

Nonetheless, Natsume continued aggressively. "If you're just going to list all the stupid flaws you have instead of trying to look for your good points, then I don't think I'll be listening to your little stories." Little? Mikan snarled – how dare he? – She started, "I just poured out my soul to you and -" But Natsume interrupted her mid-sentence, standing up and glowering down at the brunette. "If you haven't noticed, if you look at the world with that pathetic attitude, then no one is fucking perfect." He poked her forehead roughly before continuing, "If you have the time to sulk about your many faults then how about using that time instead to look for a good point, or – hell – making up a good point? Stop whining about your pitiful life and suck it up, Polka." Mikan couldn't help the tears strolling down her cheeks now.

"B-But that just means I'm a useless girl, right?" She sobbed. "That just means that you admit I'm a good for nothing nobody, right?" Natsume heaved a sigh as he sat back down in the grass, this time facing her.

"Stop crying, Polka Dots," She hiccuped, sobs threatening to break out once again. "Stop it, Mikan."

Had he just called her name?

Mikan stopped mid-sob. She still couldn't believe it - had he actually said her name? A small smile fleeted across her face. "Y-You c-c-called me by my name." She laughed weakly. "You said m-my name. Not Polka." Natsume smirked at her reaction. Abruptly, he grabbed at her cheeks (earning him a good yelp) before stretching mercilessly so that she was forced to remain in that smile.

"This is my answer to your question."

"What are you doing?"

"You asked me what your talent was," He pulled her cheeks once more and she squealed in pain. "And here's my answer." He smiled as she pulled at his hands desperately. "Your smile - it has this amazing ability to make people around you happy. It's warm, it's contagious, and it's like a drug." Mikan blinked, stunned. She stopped mid-pull to stare with large, curious hazel eyes at the boy, tears still glistening on her eyelashes. "'A winning smile makes winners of us all,' don't you even know that phrase? Tch," he gave her cheeks a final tug before letting go."Smile, you idiot."

He was on his feet and walking away. Mikan stared, open-mouthed, "W-wait… What?" before she quickly jumped up as turned wildly. Natsume was already gone.

Your smile has the ability to make people happy.

She rubbed her sore cheeks with a wince as she looked back up at the now twinkling sky. A Shooting Star flew across the night, brightening the darkened heavens, and Mikan just couldn't help but break into a large smile.

Thank you, Mr. Shooting Star.

~ Nemesis of Truth

I wrote this back when I was in 8th grade and thought it was awesome. But now that I'm in 12th grade, I just cannot explain to you how horrified and embarrassed I am at my messy 8th grade writing. Let me just say that it gives me great satisfaction to edit this ugly shit off the face of this world D: I hope you enjoyed it!