A young girl stared out her window, brown eyes blankly searching for any sign of human life outside the four walls surrounding her. Brunette hair hung past her shoulder, a straight silky curtain with only a hint of a curl at the tips of her hair. It was as if the Earth could sense her sadness. Gray clouds gathered high above her head, swirling together in an endless circle. She could almost see the tiny droplets of rain as she watched from behind the glass barrier. Mikan Sakura, daughter of Yuka Azumi and Izumi Yukihara was dressed in her usual school uniform. She faced the bureau in her room and tied her hair into the two pigtails she wore every day. Her hands trembled as she secured each piece of hair with a bow. Her normal routine seemed so tedious now. It didn't feel worth it. She stared at herself in the mirror. Her expression was so cold and lifeless, but she somehow couldn't find the strength to try to change it or put up her happy facade.
Mikan turned as she heard a soft knock. Slowly, she made her way to the door, and opened it for her equally somber teacher, Narumi Anju. He was dressed in a black suit, blonde locks hanging around his face. They exchanged a short glance and stepped into the hallway. Everything was silent as they made their way outside. There were no traces of the gossiping high school division students, or the laughter of the elementary school students. For some reason, the school seemed barren. Mikan took another look at the sky. The rain had started to come down heavier, the droplets growing fatter.
"Take this umbrella, Mikan-chan." Narumi offered her the umbrella, his voice soft and kind even though she knew that he was in as much pain as her. She silently refused and stepped out into the rain. They joined the procession of people, all dressed in black, heading toward the funeral. A lone coffin stood at the edge of the field of grass, men and women lined up behind it. Mikan was given a picture of her mother to hold. In the picture, Yuka Azumi was smiling in a school uniform as a man stood behind her, holding her hand. Mikan knew that the man was her father. To not even know one parent, then lose the other just when you were getting to know them. It all seemed like the world was playing a cruel joke on her. Mikan was preceded in the line only by a few people; Shiki Masachika, Narumi-sensei, Subaru Imai, Kazu Yukihira. These were all people that had known her mother long before Mikan herself had.
As she walked forward, somebody behind her held an umbrella above her head, probably feeling pity for the girl who now had no parents. As she reached the coffin, Mikan rested her hand on the wood. The familiar prickling feeling behind her eyes was there, but no tears would fall.
The boy with the crimson eyes watched the love of his life walk numbly toward her mother's coffin. He couldn't help but hate the way that she could only stare at the ground in front of her and walk like her life had been stolen from her. He couldn't help but want her ever-present smile to return to her. Natsume Hyuuga stood with the rest of their friends, slightly away from the line of people paying their respects to Mikan's mother.
"Natsume-kun! You are getting wet…" Sumire Shouda's voice cut through his thoughts. Like everybody else, she was safely tucked under the umbrella. Natsume ignored her though, letting the raindrops run freely through his hair and drip off of his face.
Mikan was slumped over the coffin, holding onto it like it was the only thing keeping her tied to reality. "Mikan…it's time to move the coffin." Natsume could barely hear the high school principal's voice. Hotaru, Inchou, Ruka, Sumire, and Tsubasa watched Mikan carefully, wanting to comfort her but all frozen in their spots. Mikan looked so fragile, as if at the slightest mishandling she could crack into a million pieces of glass.
Shiki kneeled before Mikan on the dirty ground. He spoke, apparently trying to comfort her, although it did no good. At the edge of his vision, Natsume could see Luna Koizumi and the elementary school principal had also attended the funeral although they had caused Yuka's death in the first place.
All of the sudden, Mikan was being ushered away by Shiki and the elementary school principal. As if they were one, all of Mikan's friends rushed toward her, their expressions stricken.
"Where are they taking you Mikan!" and "Don't go with him!" was shouted from the crowd.
All three glanced back. Mikan looked blankly at her friends while Principal Kuonji looked at them with a small frown on his face.
Mikan turned as her friends rushed up behind her. Why did this have to be so hard? She loved them all, loved them so much. In the crowd, she could see Natsume's eyes staring at her desperately. He knew that he couldn't do anything. Seeing them all worried for her, seeing that they all cared for her so much made her feel a little better. Mikan mustered up the will to smile warmly at them and wave even thought their puzzled faces made her only want to run back to them and wish that it had all been a nightmare.
"Everyone, goodbye!" Mikan said cheerfully. In the back of her mind, she was almost sure that she would never see them again.
Natsume was so far away. The expression on his face was the saddest that Mikan had ever seen. She smiled as she saw him even though her eyes were filling with unshed tears. They pair shared a parting glance and held it even as Mikan was being pushed away. This won't be the end, they promised each other silently. As they got farther away, Mikan felt the hot tears finally drip down her face. Almost unconsciously, her right hand grasped the red Alice stone at her neck.
Natsume roamed the grounds of the academy, never stopping and never listening too long. It felt like forever since he had seen Mikan, felt the surge of happiness that always overcame him when she was near. The chances of finding her were next to nothing, Shiki had told Natsume himself, but he continued anyway. Even if she wasn't here physically, she would always be in his heart. Natsume held onto the bit of orange Alice stone in his pocket even as snow began to fall. He couldn't help but think that maybe Mikan was watching the snow fall too.