A/N: Thank you for clicking onto my story :D Hah right, so sue me for starting a new story—it's actually to replace "Of Links and Collections" after it's gone, but I couldn't resist the temptation of getting it all out in proper words. I had to do it before my thoughts run away, you know :) Anyway, this story's a pretty exciting one, I'll have to say—pretty much like "Blindfold" in terms of the genre, but yet not quite. It isn't one of those everyday cliche dramas; it has that, you know. Element of surprise and... originality, I guess? The idea just jumped out to me one day, I don't know how I got it either. Oh and, prologue's pretty short. Nonetheless, hope you enjoy it!

Pairings: Basically N/M, R/H and T/M—there'll be more in the story as it progresses I guess.

Warning: It's a little dark. (You could just turn on the lights, though ^^)

Review reply: For the mysterious reviewer who did not leave a name, your reply's at the bottom!

Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice.

Fate's Experiment

By Rock-n-Round

Prologue: The End of Hope

Run.

With that thought in mind, the boy grabbed onto his sister's hand, as he called out to his blonde-haired friend to hurry up. The departure between their parents was made quicker than they liked it to be, but they simply couldn't afford staying for another second. It was dangerous—they couldn't take any chances. Making a turn, the boy tried to adjust his red eyes to the change of light. The sky was getting increasingly dark; but they still had to run.

Run, as fast as you can.

The boy darted his red eyes around, wondering where to go. Now that they were separated from their parents, they did not have someone to return home to; someone to look after them, someone to look out for them, to protect them—all they had were each other. Nonetheless, they still had to run away and live on.

Keep running, and don't look back.

The boy felt someone drag him down—his sister had fallen down. The boy muttered a curse, and harshly whispered to her, "Please get up." The girl nodded, and tried to; however she couldn't. He saw his childhood friend flash a look of worry and alarm, but the boy merely gave a reassuring nod and picked his sister up. The three continued in their way, and the boy's ears picked up a sound.

Tap. Tap. Tap, tap, tap tap—

It was the sound of running feet—heavier, quicker and more trained than theirs.

The boy snapped his head up in alarm, and turned sharply to look at his blue-eyed friend. The ruby-eyed child gestured for his best friend to follow him, and as soon as he saw an unsure nod, the boy quickened his pace and took a sharp turn towards the right.

—tap tap tap tap.

Whoever the person was, the boy knew that they had to get away quickly—the fast-paced footsteps told him as much. He clenched his teeth and looked back, only to find a figure looming right behind them. The boy's red eyes had widened in alarm; they had to lose him soon, otherwise—

"Run all you want, but we'll catch you no matter what."

A shudder went down the boy's spine as the figure spoke. They soon entered a forest, and the boy silently thanked his luck. The forest was a fortunately luscious one—there were many trees and branches sticking out in odd places, which made running through it faster and easier for kids their size. He smirked when he heard a string of colourful words come out of the pursuer's mouth—his theory was right. With that information in mind, the child took many turns, while keeping an eye on his best friend at all times.

Soon after, the tapping of feet lessened, and gradually it had vanished after that. The boy slowed down to a stop, and after making sure that no one was in the area other than the three of them, he laid his sister carefully onto the ground.

"Are you alright?" the boy stroked the girl's hair.

The raven-haired girl managed a smile. "I'm fine—ankle's probably a little twisted, is all."

The boy nodded, and he heard his best friend's voice. "I think we should quickly find somewhere to stay for the night first, at least."

"You're right." The boy stood up and scanned the area. "I'll go look; stay here."

"But—"

The boy whipped around and ran away. He didn't want to hear any protests; the two of them were already tired as it was and he was supposed to be his duty to protect them, anyway. It was what he decided ever since he knew of the situation they were in. The boy never thought that he would have to experience something like this at the age of nine, but now that it happened, he decided that he would just have to survive it.

Run away, and live. Run away, and there'll be hope.

The red-eyed boy was so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't realised the sound of approaching feet. And when he did, the boy quickly made a run for it—no matter how young he was; it still was the survival of the fittest. He darted around, trying to look for a place to hide, but unfortunately he had wandered into a portion of the forest that barely had any trees. The child cursed at the situation he was in now—where could he go?

Run. No matter what, just run.

Even if you get caught, keep trying.

And so he did. The boy heard the footsteps coming onto him fast, and he started to lose that little flicker of hope he had held when they had started running—hope that they would escape, alive and together. The boy paused in his tracks, looking around frantically for a place to hide, but to no avail. Shit, of all times, why now? The boy spotted a thicker part of the forest right in the front, and his body instinctively moved—

Only to be held back by a strong, rough force.

"Told you that I'd catch 'ya, didn't I?"

Run, and there'll be hope.

The boy took a sharp intake of breath, before he felt a hand clamp over his mouth. The child tried to run and struggle free from the man's grasp, but it was all no use.

"Welcome to the company, Natsume—

There was no hope for him now.

"—or should I say, the unlucky experiment number thirteen?"

It was the end of hope.

For him, anyway.

A/N: Alright, I know it's probably a really easy guess to who the characters were, but... if you can guess who the characters are (including Mr. Mysterious), I'd dedicate the next chapter to you. And don't worry, I'll reply your reviews ^^

Right, so if you think my story idea's pretty interesting, or if you spot any mistakes, please do drop me a review. :3 I'd really love that, ne?

Sooooo... REVIEW! XD (Lol how do I get the energy at 1.32AM in the morning, after studying chem for an entire day O.O Oh man I'm weird.)

Review reply to mysterious review: You got the first three guesses right, but oooh. The last one's not Persona ): Don't worry, the story's not dark like rape and blah, but more like mysterious and has lots of plot twists and stuff—nothing seriously depressing though, unlike Blindfold (my other story). The next chapter will reveal more things, so stay around, ne? Anyway thanks for 'hating' my prologue! :D