Through many years and many reviews and many anxious faces, I present to you the first chapter of the much awaited sequel for An Old Fairytale. I'm sorry for leaving everyone at a cliffhanger but here it is! I hope everyone enjoys! :) Also have a Merry Merry Merry Christmas and I hope the following year is a good one, Happy New Years!

Thank you for putting up with my non-consistent updates and supporting my stories to the very end even though I cause so much frustration because of my slow work…

Might I also warn everyone that my writing style may have changed through the years and so I hope that it's improved and to everyone's liking.

This is a SEQUEL which means you would probably have no idea what is going on without reading the first book, An Old Fairytale.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

~~Once again, I repeat I do NOT own Gakuen Alice. Only this story/series-ish~~

~~~Also most of the quotes at the beginning in italics are not mine but suggested or something I read somewhere - I do not own them~~~

The Return

"If you never break, you'll never know how to put yourself back together"

Five years.

It's been five years since she's last been here, standing here at this airport in the chilly air. Five years since she'd last been in Japan. Five years since her grandpa called her back to America.

Five years since she'd last saw him.

Mikan heaved a sigh into the air and watched as her breath come out in a frosty puff. It was cold tonight, just like that night five years ago when she first set foot here. She looked around. There were only a few shops still open at the airport; a coffee shop, a souvenir shop, and a cake shop. She decided against the cake shop because she already had a piece of strawberry cake on the plane and opted for the coffee shop. The airplane food was tolerable this time, much more so than last time.

The coffee shop was a pretty big in size. The lights were dim as it was night time and there were three other customers there, two of which were fast asleep. The third smiled at her as she walked passed him but she couldn't bring herself to smile back. It was way too early in the morning and plus all the past memories were swirling around in her mind at the moment.

She took a seat near the window and watched as the waiter came towards her. He wasn't such a smile person himself.

"Welcome, what would you like?"

Mikan didn't even bother to look at the menu he'd placed in front of her.

"Just a latte thanks"

He nodded before briskly walking away, glaring at everything in his path. Mikan rolled her eyes. He wasn't the only one having a bad day. The only reason she'd even come back to this place was solely because of Hotaru and Ruka-kun. They were engaged and now Mikan was back for the preparations and the wedding. Mikan didn't think Hotaru would choose her as her bridesmaid but apparently she did and now she was able to spend lots and lots of time with her to pick out dresses and measures sizes and do all the girly things together. Mikan was giddy just thinking about it. She was happy for them of course. She knew Ruka-kun and Hotaru made a good couple. Ruka-kun loved Hotaru and Hotaru loved Ruka-kun, no matter how unlikely it seemed with their complete opposites. Mikan sighed.

Maybe it was true love.

The waiter brought her latte to her table and walked away before Mikan could utter a thanks. She brought the cup to her lips and tasted the rich bitterness. Bitter thoughts almost immediately surfaced.

She'd have to see him again.

She sighed. She'd being sighing a lot since she'd arrived here. Probably because of what's to come. She was excited for the wedding, but she was anxious to meet him again. Ruka-kun would definitely have him as his best man. They were after all best friends.

She took a sip from her latte again before standing up and gripping the handle of her luggage tightly and bringing out her phone to give Hotaru a text. She was in no mood to talk.

She wasn't planning to stay for long, only a few months but even then she'd need to plan a strategy on how she would survive. She'd heard from Hotaru that he had ran to see her at the airport but was too late. She'd heard that he had begged Hotaru to tell him where she'd left.

Even then, he didn't chase after her though.

What was she thinking that just because she left for America, he would chase her half way across the world just to see her again. She was still stuck in that memory, that fairytale from when they were little where whenever she ran or was upset, he would come chasing after her no matter how fast she went.

But that was only once upon a time, where all stories always began and would then end with a happily ever after. But their story didn't end in a happily ever after. And so all Mikan can do now is wish for the best for Ruka-kun and Hotaru's happily ever after.

Mikan had walked through the gates of the airport by now and stared up at the hint of light from the rising sun that now turned it's surroundings into a bright red dawn. Maybe, just maybe, Mikan hoped that she too would soon find someone to share a happily ever after with. Or just even an ever after. A future with someone. She didn't even care if it wasn't happy, she just didn't want to be alone anymore.

"Mikan"

Mikan turned around from the sky and stared into the familiar dark purple eyes of her best friend. She smiled.

"I'm back Hotaru."

So how does everyone like it? I really hope I'm not disappointing anyone. And I'm sorry for my new writing style, but I'm just so used to it now and I'm not sure how to change back. Reading An Old Fairytale now I just keep cringing at the way I used to write, and my grammar is terrible! I HOPE I've gotten better, I know there are still some mistakes here and there. This chapter doesn't have much in it but it will get much much much more interesting and there will be A LOT of drama ;)

This is the only chapter that will have such long author notes because I just wanted to say hi to everyone and thank you guys again for your support. Until next time then!

xx -A