nope. don't own GA.

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A Sudden Turn

"Come out! Where are you?"

The door burst wide open and a small but poised brunette came storming past the shocked maids who absentmindedly got glued along doorframe.

"Where is he?!"

"I tell you, Jewel, please stop at once. Please, His Respectable Grizzly is sleeping," the alert footman murmured as he walked backwards, trying to comfort the blazing brunette who maneuvered passed him invincibly, "Lady Jewel-"

"Let me through, Alfred! And for once! Quit with that ridiculous nickname!!!" she babbled with a quick jerk of her elbow.

"Pardon me, Lady Jewel but-"

But no matter how much pleading the old butler did, she had fought all her way through the false doors that led to the masters bedchamber.

"Bang!" sounded the final door as it echoed in the dimly lit room. By here the maids and the butler had finally given up with the persistent brunette.

"Grandpapa! Where are you?!" she panted as she slightly leaned along the doorframe.

The room was huge but crammed with different relics which stated the owner's taste for medieval art and formality. Huge old murals of knights and castles hung along its walls; old mosaics of kings and sculptures of philosophers of different sizes occupied its multiple corners and a huge four-poster bed stood giant among them all at the farthest wall from the entryway. A huge lump shifted beneath the covers, but immediately stopped as if it had just sensed the presence of an intruders.

After an awkward silence with only the little brunette's pants echoed the room, the thick sheets moved a bit, revealing a yawning skinny old man still snuggled under the spell of a half sleep. "Oh my dear little Jewel... What brings you here?"

"YOU!" she pointed her index accusingly as she charged the bed, "Explain why my clothes, hats and shoes are stripped off my cabinets! Why a couch is waiting for me downstairs and why a blonde-haired gay old man and a stoic lady of my age are waiting for me at the sitting room and just explained bizarre things about my three-month planned transfer and why you haven't spoken anything to me within those THREE MONTHS!!! GRANDPAPA!!!!!" she huffed, her face turning all red with confusion and fury.

By this moment she had reached the end of the bed, gripping the endboard until her knuckles grew pale,

"And you just plan to get rid of me without even getting up from that molded bed?! WHAT IS HAPPENING?!"

"Lady Jewel, we are sure His Respectable Grizzly is well equipped of the proper expla-" he the old man on the bed motioned his hand.

"Forgive me, My Lord Grizzly."

At this, all the rest took their leave with the little brunette and the old man left in the room.

He slowly lifted his gaze from the closed door to the firm but petite figure which had been standing still but shaking all this time, her eyes evident of the mixed confusion, anger and curiosity. "How come you haven't changed into your proper clothing?" he asked, looking away as he set his foot along the floor beside the bed, "I am sure your ride is due within a few minutes."

His voice was low but loud and firm as he slowly stood up and tightened his robe. With his standing position, he didn't appear skinny at all. Instead, he w as a dark bear with a grim expression out of the sheer disturbance he received from his sleep.

"I demand an explanation," she answered firmly, "Why has this been all so sudden?"

After a long while of silence, the old man slowly paced towards the window and began. "Look at yourself." he cast her a firm look with a shadow of disgust, "Clad in those filthy riding boots, trousers and a shirt that was fit and sewn for a man!" his glare traced her from her dusty shoes to her disheveled hair, "You know very well of our family's reputation, and yet you have brought me shame all in the whole Rudingerfort with your unladylike ways! Shaming me and remaining ill-bred, escaping your tutors to chase rabbits with an undesirable man who-"

"Ruka? How had he-"

"And to address such commoner with such familiarity!" his look was fierce as his canines showed threateningly.

The brunette gripped the sides of her shirt, "He is my friend and being a commoner is not a shame to be uttered with that disgusted face!"

"In a year you shall become a woman, and yet you waste your time with the horses and making close contact with the irrelevant sort!" this time, his grey eyes had shown a slight sparle of red, but once he had caught himself, he breathed calmly and looked away. "Six years had been too much filled with your mischief. I am upon the attempt of disowning you and it shall become visible once you fail me this one last time. "

Her look hung on the blankets as her brows meet still, still not getting much of the puzzle pieces laid before her. (Sigh, yeah yeah... She still quite slow in this fic.)

"I still do not understand a thing."

Her grandfather hid a vein pop as he sighed, "Not to mention your low intellectual quotient! Well let me put this clear and straight."

He paused as their eyes met.

"Mikan Sakura. I have arranged to send you away to an elite school in Paris where you are to become a woman!"

Mikan stood wobbly upon the statement that her dear old billion-dollar worth grandfather had just said without pause. It had caught her way off guard that she didn't even notice him walk passed her and out the door.

Yeah she knew how often times she had shamed her grandfather; in school, parties and even in formal ceremonies. But, never had it occurred to her that a day would come he'd go this far as threatening to disown her. She had grown with her grandpapa by her side since she was small and fear struck her on how this could be possible when he was strict on making sure she was always safely by his side.

"There has to be a reason for this!" she thought bitterly, "Grandpapa... I know you wouldn't. Couldn't...but why?"

"In exchange of this," her grandfather's voice suddenly surprised her from her back, "I believe you will not regret my bargain."

Mikan slowly turned to her back, facing her grandfather with a solemn and curious look.

"Once you have succeeded in this little fit. I shall grant you my will," he paused and closed his eyes, " and the freedom on whoever man you choose to marry...Even if it is the heart of that horse boy you desire."

He could've sworn she saw a tiny spark in her eyes after he mumbled the last sentence. And with confidence that she was sure to agree, he left the room without her reply.

---

Atop a hill, under a young tree, a little swallow perched gently along the grass and hopped daintily until it reached his lap.

The blond-haired boy's usual response would have been to return this affectionate move by either patting the little thing's head or cupping it on his palms and letting it peck on his bare fingers. But this time, he wasn't even paying attention but just glanced blankly at the back of the girl of her dreams, not ignoring but missing the presence of the bird beside him.

"The sky will still be the same, and as well as this place., " she paused and tucked her hair behind her right ear, "and even you. Nothing will change. I hope nothing ever will until my return." By this time she had faced him as she leaned on her left hand.

"The sky changes and so as this place around us, Sakura. If you'd only looked closely... the least, paid attention to class since it was discussed loads of times by Mr. Takefumi."

"Nogi you meanie! How could you joke around even in this time when i'm about to..." she wailed childishly as she shook his shoulder, but trailed off at what her jerking had done.

"Everything will change... Might change." A tear rolled down Ruka's left cheek. "everything else," And after that, more streamed at the sides of his eyes, but his usual faint smile remained as he spoke gently, "But I will wait. If I have to stay as stone here until you come back. or this tree here may grow old and whither with the grass... I will stay and wait for you."

"Ruka, I, " but she couldn't find any words to say until she felt Ruka's lips gently cover hers.

The kiss was gentle, innocent, but filled with longing and Ruka's unspoken love. Through it Mikan felt the years how her best friend Nogi-kun had silently wished to be more than just a friend by her side, his warmth and gentle protection. But that sweet long kiss unlocked the tears Mikan thought she could hold until she was safe out of no one else's worrying eye. She never thought this bold move which turned a once shy and reserved boy into a man. could greatly affect her teen-aged heart that the simple tears turned into sobs and ended with a noisy cry.

"When I'm out there, I will miss Ruka's words...voice...hands." sob, " Ruka's hug. Ruka's comforting smile." sob, "I will learn and become a woman as fast as I could and I promise. I will show everyone. I will please everyone-Grandpapa... Alfred... you."

"Lady Jewel!!!Lady jewel!!!" voices from afar echoed in the wide open space. and this sent Mikan's heart to sting as she locked her eyes with her longtime friend.

She knew it was time to go. To leave. but she couldn't find the words, no she knew the words... but she couldn't let them out her lips. She couldn't say goodbye. She was afraid that after she stepped down the hill, what had just happened wasn't real after all. And at the same time, she wished time would stop at this moment and she wouldn't have to leave this boy's side.

"Lady Jewel!!!"

Mikan's thoughts were disturbed, not by the voices that were nearing by the minute, but by Ruka's face again nearing hers.

"Could this be the second time?" Mikan thought with a blush that darkened at the beat of her heart as she closed her eyes.

"With your absence my heart shall remain frozen," she almost jumped at the sound of his voice, his lips almost touching her ear, " and I shall await that moment when your second kiss will thaw it back."

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Hello guys! well, special thanks to mr first reviewer, i kind of revised this story as far as my busy mind could go. sheesh, do you think this fic will be going somewhere? R&R

anyway, will simply drop it if no one's much interested

Next:

Natsume comes into the picture.