Disclaimer! In no way do I own Gakuen Alice, nor do I claim to own it. If I did, I would be a freakin' happy woman!

"Yes"

What is it like to die...?

Natsume Hyuuga is a Grim Reaper - he takes people to Death, where their fate will be decided. However, Mikan Sakura seems to be different to everyone else. Whilst she seems to be on the brink of death, it seems that her life isn't over yet...

This story is based off of the storyline in a video called 'Yes' by Acid Black Cherry. The video is very inspiring and beautiful, and depicts the relationship between a Reaper and a little girl who he befriends. If you have time, definitely check the PV out on dailymotion.

A/UIt has been... a while. For cereal. I haven't really been writing much due to the strains of college, absolute misery and grieving over something that happened back in August. In the end, my time consuming activities have taken their toll, and I have had little time to write, and also, little inspiration. In the end, I did write - and this is what I wrote. This was inspired by a video from a song I adore now, and it turned into a 2-chapter story per request of a voluntary reader (before I uploaded this chapter here)

Anyway, I won't continue this note any further - this story is basically to say 'I am still alive and kicking' and that I haven't disappeared yet. I still have stories to make, and though I originally intended for this story to be my last (due to what it's about), in the end, this story won't be included in my last few stories list. I will count it as an 'invisible document that we shall continue to ignore, despite the fact that it will take my GA story count to 51' ;3

Anyway, please, enjoy - I will upload Chapter 2 shortly.

"Yes"

Staring up at the sky, Natsume wondered when his next client would come along.

Sat on a stone bench near a pavilion covered in white roses, Natsume had been waiting for a while now. He had been told to meet the girl, someone called Sakura Mikan, there. When would she come? Nobody knew. It could take days or even weeks - there was even a time when one of the other Reapers' clients had taken about a year to get to their destination before being taken to Death.

Sighing, Natsume wondered why he was doing this sort of job. He hadn't really wanted to take it in the first place, mind, but being a Reaper was something that lost souls neededto do - they had no choice. To the world of the Dead, the job of a Reaper wasn't pleasent - it meant that you were neither good enough for Heaven, or bad enough for the Underworld. You were stuck in the inbetween, working for Death who would take the clients off your hands once you reached the Hall of Requiem, where the souls would be judged and weighed before they realised their fate in death.

Closing his eyes, Natsume hoped to take a nap before the girl was to come along. If she was going to take her own sweet time, like most of his clients did, then it meant that he had some time to himself. It was much needed time, of course, considering he really did not get along with the other Reapers. They annoyed him, in a way. Then again, everyone annoyed him.

"If you fall asleep here, you'll catch a cold." A voice called from above him. Ignoring the voice, Natsume made sure not to move. Why did his client have to come now, of all times? For once, this one was early.

"Hey~ Do you want a cold? Come on, wake up." The voice called again, and this time, Natsume felt a poke on his cheek. Normally, his clients weren't so touchy-feely, or talkative. Most of them were quiet and withdrawn, always avoiding his gaze. But this one... even though his eyes weren't open, he was pretty sure that this one was looking straight at him. What an annoying personality she had.

As the girl poked his cheek, Natsume managed to stay still. He really didn't want to walk back to the Hall of Requiem just yet, and he was pretty sure that this girl didn't want to go so soon, either. So, why on earth was she making herself so noticeably present? Was she stupid?

Hee hee~

Cracking an eye open, Natsume wondered what that sound was. It wasn't loud, but it wasn't exactly quiet either. None of his clients had ever made that sound, and he wondered what it was - shifting his weight, he opened his other eye a little to see who was stood in front of him. But... no one was there.

However, dangling in front of his face was a red ribbon. What the heck...?

Hehe~

It was that sound again. Sitting up straight, eyes wide open, Natsume turned his head, trying to find the source of the sound. Was this client messing about with him? Was she just being annoying? Natsume wasn't one for playing agmes, in fact, no Reaper was. They preferred the dead to act sullen and gloomy. It made taking them away much easier than having to talk to them during the walk to the Hall. Yes, there were a few cases with people who wouldn't let go of their life, but those sorts of people were always a pain.

"Ah~ You're awake now, I see. Do you like your gift?" Natsume's head turned again, and looking over his shoulder, he saw a smiling girl looking around from one of the pavillion's stands. Staring at her, Natsume found that she was a lot younger than the clients he usually had. She was a young adult, if anything, but she had a rather youthful appearence and smiling eyes.

"You do not give gifts to Reapers." Muttered Natsume, taking the red ribbon from his hair and holding it out to the girl as she smiled, and stepped out from behind the pavillion's stand.

"Keep it, it's a gift for my Angel." She told him, still smiling as she poked his cheek once again. Glaring at her, Natsume thrust the ribbon back into her hand and stood straight. This girl was a lot more annoying than he had first thought. Who did she think she was, going around calling him an Angeland handing him stupid red ribbons as a gift? She was an idiot, that was for sure. Probably one of the bigger idiots who wouldn't let go of her past life.

"Angel? Do you know who I am?" He asked her, a slight snarl in his tone as the girl blinked, as if she was thinking. She nodded, and smiled again.

"Of course I do! You're my Angel of Death, here to take me to my afterlife, aren't you?" She asked him in a cheerful voice. For a moment, Natsume was stunned. She knew that he was going to take her away, and she was happy about it?

"I am a Reaper. We are neither Angels nor Demons. We are the ones who take you to your fate." He hissed back, wondering if the girl had suffered idiocy in her previous life. That was most likely what had happened, considering how cheerful she was. "You know, most of our clients are either unhappy, or they're fighting with the fact that they're dead. You can just cut out the pretense and start crying, you know?" He muttered. Honestly? He would have preffered it. Anything to stop this ghastly amount of happiness exuding from the girl.

"But I'm not sad. It was my time to leave my life, I know that. I'm happy that I did what I wanted to, you know?" She ran in front of Natsume, a slight skip thrown in there, and her smile was even brighter and more noticeable before. Looking up at the Reaper, she straightened and tilted her head. "Hey... what's it like to die?" She asked him, her eyes full of curiosity now.

Staring at her, Natsume wondered why she was even asking him this. She had died herself, hadn't she? Why would she need an answer? She had just told him that it was her time to leave her life, after all. So why would she need to know?

"It's been a while since my death... I don't even remember it. Besides, you're dead too. You should know yourself." He told her coldly, stepping forward as she stared at him, then turned and ran towards the podium once again.

"Hm... well, I guess I haven't experienced it yet..." Her voice was quiet, but she was loud enough for the Reaper to hear. Turning, Natsume stared at her. What was she going on about?

Mikan felt Natsume's gaze on her, and turned her head to smile brightly. "I'm in a coma, you see. The guard at the gates told me that, whilst I'm not dead, I might as well be. My fate will be decided here, won't it? That's why I am here now... to decide if I live or die." As she said this, Natsume watched as her smile slightly faltered. So, she was one of them. The sort of souls who were still connected to their past life, but were also on the brink of death.

"So you're ready to give up your life, then?" He asked her. Shrugging, the girl walked around the stone podium as she looked at the roses.

"I don't know. Is my life ready to give up on me? That is the question." Her smile was back again, and she giggled. That sound that was so unfamiliar to Natsume... why was it so alien but so soothing to him? Staring at her as she ran around the podium, weaving in and out of the stone stands, he wondered just whyshe was so happy, even in near-death. This girl was a weird client, and she made him feel uncomfortable.

"Well, if you're done playing around, we should really get going." Sighed Natsume. This girl was giving him a headache with her all her running around. If she was so ready for death, then he would run along with her to get her to the Hall faster.

"Hm... you're so boring! I wasn't playing, I was spending time with you! Isn't the presence of your clients meant to be enjoyable? I mean, it's the only company you get, right?" She asked him. What an idiotic question. Was she unaware that Reapers didn't like pointless chitter chatter? They travelled with the clients to make sure they got to the Hall of Requiem safely before being judged and weighed. They didn't flit around, playing games and talking about stupid matters like this girl thought. Where in the world did she get this idea?

"If you're unaware, girl, we don't talk. We walk you to your destination, then leave you there to be judged. That is all we do. We hatetalking."

"My name is Mikan, and talking is good for the soul!" She told him, rather loudly, and Natsume felt a little more uncomfortable with her presence.

"I know what the name of my client is, and as for your soul, it is no longer of use to the world you are from. Now, come along so that you can be weighed and judged." He told her, his voice icey and dark as Mikan rolled her eyes and ran up to him. Her smile widened as Natsume started to walk, with the girl following in step. Why was she so close?

"All souls are useful, wherever you are. Whether it is in life, or death. And what isweighing? I mean, I didn't think that I would have gained any weight, being in a coma and all..." Mikan asked, swinging her arms aimlessly as Natsume, irritated by this action she was doing, answered her.

"Weighing is the process of taking your judgements and balancing them out. If your good judgements outweigh the bad, then you are admitted into Heaven, but if the bad judgements outweigh the good, then you are admitted to the Underworld. You humans call it Hell." He explained, staring straight ahead as the two walked.

"And what if they meet in the middle? What happens then?" She asked him, leaning closer to him.

"Then you become a Reaper." Was Natsume's only answer. Mikan's eyes widened.

"So... you were in the middle?" She asked him, her voice nothing but a whisper. This was probably the first time that Natsume had heard her voice in a different tone to her usual happiness. It was... weird to hear such a difference. She shounded shocked, if anything.

Silent, Natsume simply nodded. He honestly didn't even remember whyhe had been balanced in the middle. The only memory he had of his judgement was that his goodness had been tipped upwards before his death, but that was all he knew. It had gotten him out of the Underworld, that was for sure, but it wasn't enough to get him into Heaven.

As they walked, silence blanketed them for a while as they walked down a deserted dirt path. Looking around, Mikan seems curious about everything. All Natsume could do was look ahead. He had walked these roads countless times, with different clients. He knew them all so well now.

"If it comes to my judgment... I want to become a Reaper, too." Mikan suddenly said, looking up at Natsume and smiling. He couldn't help but let his eyes slide to the side, giving her a stern stare.

"And why would you want that? It is endless travelling, clients who barely speak or acknowledge their deaths. It is nothing to be proud of, and certainly something none of us wanted." He told her darkly. Now he believed that she was truly an idiot.

For a moment, Mikan was silent.

"I want it because then I can keep my clients company like you have to me. I want them to be at peace before they are judged and weighed for their death." She finally said, and without hesitation or a second thought, her hand held onto Natsume's. Stopping in his tracks, something he never did, Natsume stared down at the hand that was now in his. No one ever did that. Only children, and they were treated by the Childrens Angels of Death.

This... this was a young woman. Why was she doing this?

"What are you doing?" He hissed, ready to take his hand away, but he felt her grip tighten.

"Give me this. I want to feel at peace before I am judged. I want to hold one more hand before I let go of my life, because no one in my past life can hold my hand right now." She whispered, and for the first time that day, Natsume saw the sadness in this girls eyes. "My family are all gone, but soon I will join them... right?" She smiled through her sadness, but a tell-tale tear slipped down her cheek.

Natsume was unaware that parting souls could cry...

Then again, she was still somehow attached to her life. She was still alive, and so she could probably feel all of her human emotions still.

Sighing, Natsume stepped forward and shook his head. "Fine. You can hold my hand. But we will walk in silence." He told her. From beside him, Mikan nodded and beamed, swinging their clasped hands together. This was irritating, but if it meant silence, then so be it...

It was a while before the Reaper and his client reached the Hall of Requiem, but finally, they were there. As they drew closer, Mikan saw that standing outside of the Hall there was a table that held a set of golden scales, as well as some white or black clothing. Then, one the other side, there stood a wooden podium with a book and a quill sitting atop it. Standing in the middle of the staircase that lead to the halls was a dark figure, robed entirely in black. Their face was not visible.

"Is that...?"

"It's Death." Natsume replied, and lead Mikan towards the figure. Bowing low, Natsume greeted the figure before standing straight. He could go no further, now. Only Mikan could. Turning to stare at her, he wasn't surprised to see that the look on her face was one of fear and nerves. This was the sort of look that most of his clients had, and it was certainly one that soothed him.

But... not this time.

"It is time, Child. Step forth, and weigh your judgements. Reaper, it is time for you to part." A voice boomed from the figure. Natsume nodded, and stepped back. He loosened his hand from Mikan's, however, she never loosened hers.

Staring down at her hand, he saw that her grip was tight. Looking up again, he realised that she was staring at him, tears in her eyes.

"Don't leave me... please..." She whispered, her voice cracking slightly as she tried to pull him closer. However, he couldn't hold on any longer.

"No. It's your time to go. So go. You're ready for this, you said you were." He told her, trying to keep his voice from sounding too angry. But she shook her head, and held onto his hand even tighter. "Why are you doing this?" He finally asked her, realising that she still wouldn't let go, despite what he had said.

"You remind me of someone... You comfort me." She whispered, shaking her head as the tears spilled down her cheeks. "You're the reason why I'm not afraid of dieing. I need you with me!" She cried out, but as she said this, their hands broke away from each other.

Death stood in front of Mikan, holding her other hand in his as he pulled her away from Natsume. Standing there, the Reaper watched as she followed, still staring at him as the tears rolled down her cheeks, her hand outstretched as if she was still reaching for him.

Turning around, Natsume was ready to turn around and walk away, ready to go to his next client. But before he could, Mikan stalled. It was then that she smiled at him, her tears still there, but her smile masking the sadness she had shown. Lifting her hand, she waved slowly at Natsume and mouthed the words "Bye bye"to him, then finally turned around to decide her own fate for the after life.

Heavily turning on his heel, Natsume walked towards his next destination, leaving his client behind with Death. What would happen to her? He didn't know, and he didn't care, either. He wasn't meant to care, he was a Reaper. Reaper's brought the clients to Death to be weighed and judged. They weren't meant to befriend or care for them at all. Anyway, they were on a whole different level...

What is it like to die...?

Why was that question entering his mind? Stopping, Natsume stared ahead. Had it been painful for him...? Why couldn't he remember his death? What had happened to him in his past life, what had he done to become a Reaper? Why?

Who was this girl to make him think like this...?

You remind me of someone...

Blinking, Natsume wondered what she had meant by that. How could he, a Reaper, remind her of someone? They had never met. He had died a long time ago, he had walked this world many times and met many clients, and none of them had said this to him. So, why her? Why would she say such a thing when they had clearly never met...?

... "Hold my hand, Natsume! That way, we won't be alone anymore!" ...

... "Your sins once greatly outweighed your good deeds, however, the act you performed before death has balanced out your scales. But, only just." ...

... "Get out of my way!" ...

... "We're connected now, right? No matter what, we can be together, even if one of us isn't there anymore." ...

... "You exchanged her life for yours, and there is no deed greater than that. However, your scales have realised your fate. You are to be a Reaper. Maybe one day, you will send to me the client that you had saved." ...

Unblinking, Natsume turned around and broke into a run. In all his time as a Reaper, he had never ran before. He had only ever walked in silence, it was what he was accustomed to. But now, he needed to run. He needed to get back to Death before her judgement was sentenced.

They were connected...

She was never meant to die this early - he had prevented it before, and he would prevent it again. If she could cheat Death once, then she would be able to cheat it again, right?

It had been so long ago that it happened... why was he remembering now? Why did he have to remember when there was so little time left? Well, he remembered, and that was good enough. He had saved her from dieing, but at what cost? If she was to die now, then wouldn't his sacrifice have been meaningless all along?

"Natsume! Help me!"

Her voice was echoeing in his head, her smile, her bright eyes... how could he have forgotten everything? They had been friends. They were close... their parents were close. But then she lost it all. Her mother, her grandfather... they all died, and she was left alone. She had only Natsume left...

But then, he died. No wonder she was so alone. She'd had no one.

His feet pounding on the ground, Natsume picked up speed as the Hall of Requiem loomed in the distance. He was closer, but how close? He needed to get there before she could be taken through the doors to the gates where she would walk through, to her final destination. He wouldn't let her lose her life, not now.

"Natsume!" There was a loud cry, and looking straight ahead, Natsume saw Mikan. She was dressed in a white gown, her human clothes left on the table. It was her final parting from the human world - leaving behind everything she knew. But she hadn't gone in, not yet. And she was struggling with Death.

And she had remembered who he was.

"Natsume! Don't leave me!" She cried, pulling away from Death as he tried to pull her back. The tears on Mikan's face were evident, but her strength was full force. Finally, she pulled away from Death and ran down the steps, running towards Natsume. He stood there, dumbfounded at her actions. No one had fought back at Death, not even those who didn't want to leave their past lives. But then again... She was different.

A moment later, Natsume was enveloped in an embrace. The soft body close to his was hers. It was a memory of his past life. This was the girl he had saved before... The girl that he had loved as a child. She was the reason why he gave up his life - because he wanted her to continue on, no matter what.

"Natsume, you idiot... you almost left me again! How could you be so mean..." Her shoulders shook from her sobbing, but Natsume held her close. For once, he was thankful that he had become a Reaper. He had become one because he was meant to see her again. They were, after all, connected.

"The Scales have been turned, and your Judgements rewritten. Life is still on your side, Child. Your fate has been decided."

There was a moments silence as Mikan looked up, still holding onto Natsume as she turned her head slightly to stare at Death. Blinking, her body turned fully as Natsume held onto her hand tightly, watching.

"My fate... is to live?" She whispered, using the back of her hand to wipe away her tears. "But I... I thought I was supposed to die?"

Death's hooded head bowed down, as if he were nodding. "Indeed. However, you turned the scales yourself. If you were to simply allow yourself to give up, then you would have indeed died... But it seems that you still have a reason to live. This Reaper saved you to keep you living, and it seems that you still have time on your side. If you were not to realise his presence, or kept something from your past, then you would have died." Boomed Death as Mikan blinked, then turned back to Natsume who stared down at her.

"You won't be with me anymore, will you?" She whispered, fresh tears springing in her eyes as Natsume shook his head.

"I am a Reaper. My job is here... But we're still connected." He whispered, close to her ear, before dipping his hand into his pocket, and pulling out a bright, red ribbon that he had found earlier.

"You remembered..." Whispered Mikan, shocked as Natsume took the ribbon and Mikan's hand, and began to tie it to her ring finger. Watching as he did so, Mikan shook her head and smiled. A bond that they had created as children was once again being created as young adults.

"I saved you back then because I wanted you to live your life. I had nothing but your happiness, so live long and be happy. Maybe one day I will see you again, Mikan, and we can be Reapers together." Whispered Natsume, placing a hand on Mikan's head as she nodded, her tears falling down to her cheeks as she embraced Natsume once again, sniffling and burying her head into his robes.

"Come... It is time for you to return, Child." Death's voice rose above them. Looking up, Natsume nodded and took a hold of Mikan's hand. They walked towards the Hall of Requiem together as Death turned, and lead them up the steps. Staring straight ahead, Natsume knew that Mikan was scared. Her hand was squeezing his tightly, and she was shaking slightly. But she didn't need to be afraid; she was returning to her life. She would be happier there.

They entered the Hall, and stood in front of them were a set of gates. The gates that lead you to Heaven, or the Underworld. However, this time, it would lead Mikan to the world she knew.

"I will miss you, even more than I used to." Mikan finally whispered, looking up at Natsume. He turned his head and nodded, before lowering his head close to hers. For a brief moment, their lips met. Eyes wide, Mikan wondered what had happened. Pulling away, Natsume lifted her hand and stared at the ribbon.

"I love you. I never said it, because I didn't want you to tell me that you hated me. I did a lot of bad things to you in the past, so I thought you would hate me more if I told you I loved you." He explained gently, then let her hand go and stepped back. "But I don't regret what I did for you. I died to keep you alive, so go and live."

Smiling, Mikan shook her head and lifted her hand with the ribbon tied to her finger, and stared at it. "I would never hate you... because we promised to be connected, no matter what. This is our promise to meet again, Natsume." She told him, stepping forward and placing a hand on his cheek. She then poked him, and stuck out her tongue.

"It is time." Death's voice called, surprising both Mikan and Natsume. Staring at each other, then at the gates that would lead Mikan to her normal life again, they were silent. Finally, with a small smile, Mikan walked towards the gates as they opened before her, a white glow filtering through as she stared in front of her, then turned back to Natsume.

"By the way... I love you too." She whispered gently, smiling as she stared at Natsume one last time before running forward into the light, leaving the world of the Dead behind her...

It is now 5:40am, and I have finished this chapter. I have college in a few hours, and I will undoubtedly be very tired. Damnit! However, I wanted to write this. The video was such an inspiration, I just couldn't leave it! It's been a while since I have felt the need to write something! Sadly, it isn't great, so I apologise. I am sorry.

A/N: When I wrote this, I never anticipated a chapter two, however, one of the volunteer readers requested it, and I was originally going to say no, but the mood to write for this story again struck (albeit a little later...) and I agreed to it, thinking it would be a good idea. Chapter 2 will consist of Mikan's thoughts during the time she spends in the deserted lands leading to Heaven or the Underworld.

Much love,
Blue~

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