Summary~ Mikan Sakura may seem like your average teenage girl but the truth is…she can see outer worldly creatures such as spirits and demons, and to be more specific she is the only female heir to the Sakura clan making her the blood maiden…Mikan's duty: Make sure the balance between the Sakura clan and the demons stays in complete order, even if it means being married off, even if it means being eaten alive. All seems okay but when Mikan's birthday is just a few weeks away and she is about to be of age, she must choose: to be engaged to Natsume Hyuuga the infamous Kuro Neko demon or forfeit her life in order to maintain her family's pride and name.

Disclaimer - I do not own Gakuen Alice or its characters.


Chapter Two - First Encounter

The more complete one's life is, the more…one's creative capacities are fulfilled, the less one fears death…people are not afraid of death per se, but of the incompleteness of their lives. On second thought, to the atheist, death is the end; to the believer, the beginning; to the agnostic, the sound of silence.

- Lisl Marburg Goodman

- Mikan's POV-

I sat up slowly at my desk and grabbed a hold of my bag and heaved a sigh, and walked over to Anna and Nonoko who were both gathering they're things "Do you guys want to have lunch together?" I asked them. Anna smiled and looked at Nonoko, who in return nodded her head, and almost as if they were exactly one person in synchronized rhythm "Sure" they chirped happily.

As we walked down the hallway, I stared out the open windows that we passed. 'Why did I get the feeling that someone was watching me?' I thought as I quickly turned around to find the source of my discomfort. Behind me in the shadows of the hallway 'A person?' I questioned myself as I continued to stare at the figure that was well hidden. "Mikan are you coming?" Nonoko asked me. I snapped out of my daze and looked at back at Anna and Nonoko "Coming!" I said running after them.

Anna basically decides that we would have lunch outside. We sat underneath a sakura tree that was planted at the beginning of the school year that was still in bloom. I watched as Anna and Nonoko talked and laughed with each other. I smiled at them tenderly and dropped my eyes sadly 'I'm such a lair…so deceitful' I thought as I fixed my eyes on the bento box that was unopened in my lap. "Are you okay Mikan?" Nonoko asked me, her voice ringing through my brain. I looked up at her and nodded my head "I'm fine" I lied, I had to make them believe that I was okay. I opened my bento box and stared in wonder at the treats that was inside. Three rice cakes, a small cup of yock, a few slices of beef, and some chopped vegetables. I took my chop sticks and broke them apart and started eating.

When lunch was over. Anna, Nonoko and I, parted ways and went to our different classes. I went to government, and found my seat inside the classroom and sat down. After a few minutes the teacher came into the room only to tell us that he had an important meeting to attend and that we would have free period. Instead of staying in the classroom, I decided to roam the halls. When I was in the hallway a group of girls walked passed me and I only caught bits of their conversation, one of the girls in the group was in my English class "Ah-Sakura-senpai, I heard that your birthday is in two weeks, am I right?" she asked me, I think her name was Hana Ibuki "Yes you heard right Ibuki-san" I said to her "Why do you ask?" I asked her. "I was thinking, that since you've been such a nice upperclassman that I should try and pay you back by throwing you a small party, I just needed to confirm the date, how old will you be?" she asked me. "Seventeen" I told her "When are you planning the party?" I questioned her. "On the tenth of January, I know that it's a little late after your birthday, but I'm trying to raise some money to make the party a little worth while" she told me with a nervous chuckle while scratching the back of her head. I smiled at her "No that's fine, if you'll excuse me, I have to go" I told her "Okay, see you in English" she said to me, as her and her friends continued down the hallway. I watched as they rounded the corner. I continued walking, though I had no destination.

My eyes dropped to the ground 'I…I wish they would all just leave me alone…just living this life is painful enough, the last thing I need if for them to keep reminding me even after I force myself to forget' I thought as I unconsciously started to pick up my speed, I started off walking, then fast walking, then into a sprint, a jog, then a full blown run. I didn't stop, I refused to stop. I rounded the corner and bumped into someone, I looked up at the person and stopped running, I quickly bowed my head "I'm sorry" I said as I lifted my head, and continued to keep running. I continued to do that until I finally ran out of breath and couldn't force myself to run anymore. I leaned against the wall, and shook my head "Pathetic" I said aloud, making sure that I could hear myself. "I'm pathetic" I told myself again. I pushed myself away from the wall and started walking down the hallway repeating the only words that would make me keep going 'I'm pathetic' I told myself.

When school was over I walked to the front entrance and met Anna and Nonoko. They had been waiting for me. I walked over to them "So what do you guys want to do for fun?" I asked them "There's this new cake shop that just opened in front of the station, I think we should go" Nonoko said, hearts in her eyes, I had forgotten that cake was her favorite desert to consume. "Cake again, if you keep eating all those fatty foods you'll get fat, then we won't look like twins anymore" Anna whined at Nonoko, even though Nonoko completely ignored her. I smiled hearty at them "I think we should go, something sweet does sound good" I said to Anna and Nonoko, I watched as Anna smacked her forehead and Nonoko chirped happily about receiving some cake from the new shop that she had brought up. "Which way is the shop?" I asked Nonoko, who in turn rejoiced and told me and Anna to follow her.

When we got to the cake shop, we sat at a corner booth, after listening to Nonoko talk about what she wanted to buy from off of the menu, and Anna telling her that she couldn't go over budget, I bought a strawberry short cake, when I took a bite out of the cake, I smiled eagerly at Nonoko "Your right the cake here is good" I chirped happily "I should take some of this home for Serina, I haven't seen her enjoy anything lately" I said as I took another bite out of the strawberry short cake then I wrapped it up. I sat and talked, laughed and had fun with Anna and Nonoko for about another hour, then I bid them goodbye outside of the shop. I looked up at the sky, the sun was beginning to set. 'I should hurry home' I thought.

I finally got home when the sun had finally gone down. I opened the front door "I'm home" I said. I took my shoes off at the front door, and walked completely into the house "Serina I went out to a nice cake shop, and I brought some treats home for you to try-" I stopped when I came into the living room and saw my Father sitting down on the couch talking with the person that I had bumped into earlier in the hallway at school. "Mikan you're home. Good I'd like you to meet Natsume Hyuuga, you're fiancé" my Father said to me "My Fiancé?" I asked.

To Be Continued…