Of Life and Death

By Smiley Cool Dreamer

©2008

Disclaimer: Please realize...I don't own Gakuen Alice, just the idea.And also if you think I accidently included something I didn't cite, please inform me. I might have unintentionally included something after reading and seeing multitudes of anime, manga, books, and fan fiction.

Authors Note: Sorry this chapter might be a little boring. I'm trying my best to make this interesting. If you have some good suggestions or advice, that would be appreciated too. Oh and If you get confused about anything you can ask through the reviews. Oh and this story will not only be about Mikan getting amnesia and going through hardships there will be mushy stuff and action too; just to let all you romance and action lovers know. Love you all!

Chapter Two: Revival of the Ancestor

Note: This 1st paragraph is just to describe the house you don't have to read it in order to understand the rest, but it sort of sets the mood, if you know what I mean.

An ancient traditional Japanese house could be seen. There lies a tall thick cement wall and a great iron door as an entrance. When entering there was a main cobblestone road that split into 3 smaller ones. The center road led to the entrance of the Sakura mansion. The forest of Sakura trees and a little cottage was at the left. To the right there was a garden, where life flourished everywhere you set your eyes upon. The grass was a dark lush green and the white pigmented birds were perched on the thin sandy colored branches of the century old Sakura tree; that which was releasing its multitudes of carnation pink Sakura pedals, as if it were raining God's divine feathers. They were chirping happily as if there was not worry in the world. The fish in the pond swam with visible energy, flipping and flapping thorough the faux river and pond that was constructed in the garden. There was a little red bridge that allowed people to cross over the river. Within the garden was a vast flower bed, it had every kind of flower that could you could imagine. Being coated with the morning dew, it seemed like a sparkling rainbow pool. Around the house was a vast plane of green grass. Animals like horses, sheep, cows, chicken, and lambs inhabited this area. They were all minding their own business, quietly chewing away on the breakfast they had scavenged. Beyond the colorful animals and the grass was the forest of many different types of trees, making the appearance extremely dazzling. Many called that the Forest of the Untamed Mirror, for its exterior did not reflect on its interior. It's rumored that if you ever entered that forest you would never return again to the daylights touch. The forest was said to have a way of entrapping its victims. The Old man in the house looked out the window to see it was daytime. He was carrying water by the handle of the tin bucket. He walked paced over to his bed room to gent ally place it down on the wooden floor. Dawn's rosy fingertips had brushed itself upon the Land of the Rising Sun. The day had begun.

The old man had a sense of hope on his face. Working swiftly as if his worries would disappear. He was in a small rectangular bedroom, most likely made for the guests. When he walked around you could see the light brown wooden panels, streaked with the day's sunlight that covered the floor, walls, and ceiling.

A thudding noise could be heard whilst he was pacing back and forth. The old man had short white hair and a u-shaped bald spot starting from right over his forehead, pale wrinkled skin. He was appeared extremely feeble and was very thin. On his body was a faded black traditional Japanese yukata with a white belt, faded from the years, and the washings. He wore no shoes and padded around the house with only his bare feet.

The old man reached to the table propped up against the western styled bed and opened the drawer slowly. The bed had black curtains on all sides, a white translucent veil was sowed delicately over it. The table had intricate florid designs that snaked the edges of the table. It was about 3 feet tall. The mahogany red oak table included 2 drawers. One small one at the top and a larger one at the bottom. The handles were 2 golden colored metal pieces, one handle for each drawer. They had a lion head imprinted on the front. The back was indented for the user to grab and open the drawer.

The old man the grabbed the bandages and a few small bottles of elixirs. He then opened the dark curtains surrounding the bed. A girl lay there asleep. Everything looked as if it was all right, until he flipped the covers over and revealed the girl's body. Although it had healed considerably, it was still pretty bad looking. He unwrapped white bandages that bound the young girl's abdomen, it revealed something horrific. Neat stitches could be seen going around in circle could be seen. As if someone had pressed a large hole puncher through the girl. He took a warm damp towel and wiped the area where the stitches were. Then he carefully bound the bandages back. He then tended to her wrists, dark circular marks could be seen on both wrists, and old lashes on her body everywhere. The old man hovered a hand above the lashes and they became a little more dull then they were before. Then he opened the girls mouth and poured the bottles of elixirs into the mouth of the girl, a faint coughing sound was herd from the girl lying on the bed. The old man opened the intricate drawer once again and put the supplies back and left the bed curtains open. The old man figured that the girl needed some sunlight on such a fine day. The paced out of the room holding the towel and the bucket of water.

Mikan was walking on a very long path. The path was a whitish yellow colored like the sun. It seemed to stretch on for eternity. Mikan kept running foreword towards the speck of blue light that was where the path appeared to end. 'I need to get out of here...where am I?' Mikan thought desperately. She found that she couldn't speak in the vicinity she was in. Only sounds were her rapidly and uneven paced heart and the pounding of her bare feet on the path. Mikan was wearing the same clothing that her parents gave her.

Then the path cracked in front of Mikan. It was a wide gap. If she fell it would be into the endless darkness. Mikan looked hopelessly at the distance she would have to jump. 'I'll never get over, but I can't run back either...Mikan come on. You're a strong sole, you can do it.' Mikan smiled to herself and took a few paces back, ran as fast as she could and took a giant leap. The wind whooshed past her face brining her unruly hair flying behind her head. Mikan's heart was pounding. She was praying to dear god that she would make it. Unfortunately her pleas fell short like her jump.

Mikan lurched forward towards the cracked glass like path. She threw her hands out in a hapless final attempt to save herself. It all happened in slow motion to her. Mikan felt the glass on her fingers biting through her skin. Seething pain was at last not the cause for her falling though. Mikan saw the entire stretch of the path shatter like glass before her eyes. All hope dissipated from Mikan she fell and blacked out.

The girl on the bed had been unmoving for a few weeks already. But today had changed that. Mikan's right index finger moved a little, a few minutes later her eyes shot open to a wave of all different types of lights. Her eye lids fluttered a few times, her pupils needing to adjust to the light. She swung her legs over the bed to stand immediately only to receive a searing pain radiating from her abdomen to the end of all her limbs. Mikan fell to the wooden floor with a loud thud. Her arms landing first cushioning her fall. After not using her legs for weeks they were as useless as week as spaghetti. 'Where am I? Why am I so scared? I feel like someone will come and punish me if I don't get up. I need to start cleaning and making breakfast before I'm late.'

Mikan used her arms to drag herself to the table. Then she used the table in an attempt on pull her self up. "Girl! What in heavens do ya think ya doing?" The old man ran to Mikan and carried her on to the bed again. "Ya severely injured for God's sake! And you're trying to walk? Ye haven't been up for 3 weeks. Ye legs should be like noodles. I even marvel how ye endured that hole in the chest. Most of my old mates would have been sent to Davy Jones locker from nerve overload ages ago. I'm tellin' ya, you're one tough lassie."

"I don't have to make breakfast, and clean?" Mikan asked bewildered. It was a totally new concept to her. The concept where she didn't have to do any work for others, where she wasn't abused. "Won't someone punish me?" Mikan asked in a small voice. She was lying down her arms to her sides clenched in fearful anticipation. Her big round chocolate brown orbs stared in fear at the old man who was standing next to her bed.

"Where in heavens did ye get those ideas from. Let me note, ye is a child, who hasn't evened 10 years yet. Anyways I'm Commander Cortez Sakura, a pirate of the 7 seas. Just settled down and bought me this place a month ago, and a month later, me gets you, a lassie who looks like she's been out to a pirate brawl. And I thought me life would settle down even a bit. Well anyways, just call me Cortez or whatever ye would like to call me. Oh and my cloths, it don't seem like a pirate's right lassie? Well let me give ye a hint on that: Don't wana attract too much attention right? I'd be bad if all ye Japanese found where all their precious gold went...he he he" The old man dropped his disguise with his alice of transformation and appeared in a pirate suit. He had golden hair streaked with brown highlights. The odd way he spoke with that crooked smile reminded Mikan of her grandpa. Mikan closed her eyes and smiled reminiscing, images flashed behind the darkness behind her eyelids.

Mikan only met him once when she was 5. He visited her parents to see how they were doing with a new kid. Even though she recalled her parents adamantly rejecting the idea, he came anyways.

'Me wife is no longer here, so now I have to take over her duties. I'm sure she would want to see how ya three are doing too.' Mikan was in a brown rag bent down washing the tiles in the main lobby of the Sakura mansion. Her parents were talking on the phone right across from her. She could hear the low volume screams from her insisting and unrelenting voice of her grandpa.

Because of the occasion, Azuka and Yuka had to prepare and make Mikan presentable. They remade the whole mansion with in that whole week and made Mikan stay in her room, made her eat loads of food to cover that usual skeleton of a frame she carried around the house. They bought lotions and everything to heal all her scars and bruises. In addition they stuffed Mikan's room with teddy bears and new clothing.

When the day came Mikan was dressed in a pure white sundress and flip-flops with 2 silver straps. She also had a white flower hair tie on her hair to tie up her usually unruly hair. Mikan's hair was a chocolate brown with streaks of black, light brown, gold, and blond in them. Her fingers and toes had a light pink shiny layer of nail polish on them.

Yuka and Azuka were dressed with a red body hugging dress and a black and white straight suit respectively.

A door bell rung. Yuka left the breakfast table where Azuka and Mikan were eating with extraordinary manners. You could hear her heals click then stop to greet Mikan's grandfather.

"Yoshi Sakura-sama! Goodness you must be tired! Caroline take his bags to his room." Yuka spoke with her well versed faux enthusiasm and prestige and bowed. A young maid with black hair hurried over to take the bags to the winding staircase. A rather immodest man walked into the lobby and raised and turned his head left and right to inspect the house.

"Where in heavens would me wonderful grand daughter be? The last few years I couldn't see her, being occupied with me wife's tragic death."

"Ahh...yes she's in the breakfast room eating with her father." Yuka explained with what seemed like a

"Well then what's ye watin' for, take me too her."

"Follow me then."

Yoshi saw a man and a young girl sitting on opposite ends on a long rectangular table. Mikan had been threatened to not say anything of her regular activities, or face punishment. She was trained to be normal, after they found out about the visit that was to be expected from Yoshi. 'This house looks too new to be normal, looks like they just renovated it for my visit. And why is Mikan so seemingly distant from her father?'

"Ahh hello, father."

"Long time no see, right mate?" Yoshi said with enthusiasm. "Mikan if you are done with breakfast, want to go on a expedition with me?"

"Run along now Mikan." Azuka walked over to the other side of the table and lifted Mikan out of her seat and on to the floor and gave her a little push to get her started towards her grandpa.

Mikan walked over to her grandfather and looked up and him with curious eyes.

"Say hi to your grandfather now. Call him Ji-chan."

"Ohayo Ji-chan." Mikan bowed and said her line with a very polite tone.

"Aww... now don't be so cold." Yoshi pulled Mikan into a hug then carried her off to the outside, he called his carriage he was going to take her to the city.

They traveled to the bustling city only a few miles away from the village they were living in. After Mikan had realized that she wouldn't get hit by her grandfather she started opening up. She was bursting with energy, being curious at everything she saw.

This intrigued Yoshi though. The way Mikan acted was not normal. Something was going on, and Mikan was taking the brunt of it. He would fix everything before he left. He didn't need his granddaughter to be killed before she could blossom. Also the way Yuka and Azuka greeted him was also a little weird. Although they did act the same way, when he was around them he felt a chill. A very accurate conclusion materialized in his mind, Mikan's parents were scams and inhumane. The house had something deadly in it, he could feel it. Although the mansion did looked fluffy and inviting, it was like a trap, killing any poor soul who was not strong enough. He intended to keep Mikan out of there for as long as he could, even if that meant kidnapping her. For now he would keep the child happy and spend some bonding time with her.

Although she was a little weird compared to the others in the city, no one complained as the all powerful alice user Yoshi followed behind her, everyone smiled and thought it was absolutely cute.

Yoshi told her about everything, he told her about his life and his alice, the alice of healing. He was a doctor and a very famous one too, his name was known all across the world, but he was old nearing 80 years old, departing from this world could happen at anytime for him now. It would not be surprising. But of course Mikan didn't know about that.

Mikan took in everything he said and never forgot a word. But that's where her memory stopped. She couldn't remember anything else before or after that. Mikan relieved her self from the dark and let the light flood in to her eyes.

A man with a raggedy old suit entered her vision next. Besides the pirate suit, he looked like her grandfather so much. So much resemblance could be seen that Mikan instinctively did something.

"Ji-chan?"

"What?"

"Ji-chan! It really is you isn't it. But why are you dressed like that?"

"I was a pirate just a month ago dear saint, of course I'm in me pirate outfit. And what's all this about me bein' your gramps. I'm only 35 for god's sake. Not even hittin' 40. But seein' ya like this, I'll make ye a deal. How about that mate? Ye can call me Otou-san, since we don't know where ya parents are, I'll be ya father for now. We'll be the best of mates, right lassie?"

"Yea!" Mikan screamed with enthusiasm she only had when she met her grandfather. Only after she woke up did she remember Yoshi ji-chan for some odd reason. "Do ya have an alice?"

"Why of course, I'm the most feared pirate in who sails the 7 seas. I'm sure me other mates were glad I took me self a break. Hei hei hei hei hei." Cortez laughed.

"What is your alice then?" Mikan was finally opening up.

"Well not to boast or anythin' but I got 2 alices actually. Healin' and war'. Bein' born with alices like that was sure handy, didn't need no classes to learn how ta sail me ship or learn war tactics, came like floddin' knowledge. Go by the instincts and you'll surely win, it's natural mate. Cept' for the first time I ever sailed a ship and fought a war, I never lost 1 after that. Picked up the concept's like food and gold. And healin's important too, if my mates eva get hurt, I gotta heal them fast, don't want too many naked skeleyies(skeletons) in my ship. Got enough flies already. Don't want more, I would rather the Lord of the Flies not visit us. I still love me self livin' and breathin'."

"Really?" Mikan was wide eyed and smiling now.

'That smile ought a kill everyone. It's the most angelic smile I've eva seen.' Cortez contemplated. 'Boys would be spillin' all ova' her when she grows up. She's gonna be a real beauty, and I'm gonna nurture her ta be. Always wanted to try bein' a father.' "Now that you're awake, I can use the healin' alice on you, you'll be all fixed up in about 30 minutes. Didn't want to take a risk doin' it while you're sleepin'. If I made a mistake you'd be in Davy Jones locker without ye consent. It's a rather tricky process so I'd appreciate it if ya stay as still as a statue. Ya don't want ye wound to open up again right?"

Cortez went to wash his hands and came back to sit on the chair next to the bed. He lifted the covers and started to completely heal the smaller wounds first so Mikan could gain some energy back. This would make the healing of the hole in her abdomen safer, this way Mikan had enough strength to endure the pain. He unwrapped the bandages on her abdomen and placed his hand where the stitches had been placed to keep the blood from flowing out. "Hmmm....still...These stitches are really expertly placed and sewed, I really wonder though; who was that young lad who brought her in?" Cortez muttered to him self, it had really been bothering him, how he didn't know even the kids name.

"How did I get here?"

"You heard that?"

"Yea?"

"You've got good ears kid. Fine I'll tell ya you ought to know anyhow."

"I swore I was so surprised. Just moved in for days and a young lad wearing all black came knocking on my door 1 in the mornin'. Didn't get enough time to transform so I was still in me pirate clothin'. I still remember him pleadin'. 'Let me in! She need's treatment immediately!' It sounded really serious so I let him in. I thought he was a mugger or one of me own old enemies comin' back to murder me. Well what else was I supposed ta think when some stranger comes knockin' at your door at such a god forsaken hour of the day. When I let him in after takin' his boot off as fast as a mad man, I led him to a this room and let him place ya on here, and when he did and I saw ye wounds, it was horrible, I seriously thought ye were goin' to die, most my mates would have been takin' their dirt nap already. Does it hurt?" Cortez continued hovering his hands over what used to be the hole, trailing over some places longer that others.

Mikan smiled again. "No, I'm fine. And stop flattering me, I'm sure there's a lot worse out there."

"Well I can say there are things worse but ya case is very close to numba 1. Anyways back to the story, I saw there were expertly placed stitches that seemed 100 years ahead of this time. His cape was so damned bloody, you would think he was the one gettin' hurt. You were wearin' his jacket at that time, I guess you lost ya cloths somewhere before you got here. He took off his black hooded cape and put it down, it was porin' and thunderin' out there, I marvled at how he brang you here safely. Looked like he had come with ya from far away. And I know he had no horse. Cuz he was cussin' like no tomorrow about that after we got ye stable. Ah right, he had told me that he tried to stitch you up as best he could and get you to someone's house, but apparently no one opened up till he got to my house. Well I could understand why they wouldn't open up. We got you some water and I healed as much as I could with out putting ya in danger. Ye were in deep sleep lad."

"How old was he? What did he look like?"

"Ahh...well even if I tell you id be no use, he was in a transformation ya know cuz as soon as you were fine the lad rushed out into the rain again and shrunk, into a size of about a 12 year old. Didn't see the lads face, he had his cape n' hood on and his back to me, it was still pitch dark around 5 in the mornin'. Guess he was just too tired to keep his faux appearance up...Here you should be shinin' and new. I'm done here lass. Repaired strength to ya muscles and everythin' ye can think of." Cortez finished his story with Mikan taking in every word he said. Mikan started to bounce around with enthusiasm and smile like a idiot.

"Yea! I was really getting stiff over there having to stay in the same position for so long. How long was I out by the way otou-san?"

"3 long weeks lassie."

"Oh I see." Mikan looked down a little morbid.

Cortez not wanting to see her down immediately tried to cheer her up, "Well while you were out, I got you some pretty clothin' and some other things you see. It's in ye walkin' closet."

"Really? I've always wanted some new clothing!" Mikan's morbid mood turned into something equal of sunshine in a snap.

"But, we haven't discussed the price yet."

"What price?"

"The price fer callin' me otou-san mate. Here's the condition, ya have to do tranin' with me, ya lookin' like a skeleyton, I want a strong daughter lyke me. You're now a great captain's daughter lassie."

"Aye eye sir!" Mikan was ecstatic. "I can't wait!"

"Were startin' tomorow mornin' at 4 a.m. You'll sleep at 9 p.m. everyday. It's gonna be tough, but I'm sure you'll be fine. Ye survived a hole in the stomach after all."

Training started the next morning. Everyday there was a fixed schedule. Wake up, shower, change, brush teeth, wash face, meditation, breakfast, literature, math, science, history, music, dancing, drawing/painting/sculpting, change clothing, warm-ups, endurance training, hand to hand combat(Kung-fu, Tai Kwan do, ect...), sword training, various weapon's training, machinery training, piloting training(piloting ships, trains, flying objects, ect...), lunch, survival training, war and battle tactics training, running training, various sports training, flexibility training, gymnastics, how to behave during war/battle training, obstacle course(This put together everything that she had learned that day and before to use.), shower, change cloths, dinner/relaxation/laughing time, proper etiquette training, socializing training, bedtime stories time, sleep.

Mikan was now 8, and immensely strong, though not even half as strong as Cortex yet. The training was very hard, but she thanked him for even giving the chance to let her learn. Even though on some days it felt like she was going to die, she tried as hard as she could to honor her father and the opportunity she was being given. Sometimes they couldn't get through all of this so they did it in 2 days. For the next year that was their schedule, that was until they found out about Mikan's Alice. The infinity alice. An alice, that creates alices. The most superior alice of all.

Cortez never even dreamed of seeing a person with this alice. It was supposed to be a legend, a tale that only people told. Who knew it was real? This girl had great potential. That's what Cortez thought. He wouldn't let her go to waste, he would nurture her and make her the greatest girl possible.

From that day on, he added Alice training 3 times a day to her schedule. He made her think of new alices and try them out. The first few alices she made were nullification, healing, and intelligence. She was too soft still, not ready for the harshness of the world. So he made her make more alices that were of some use, like a war tactic alice, elemental alices, ect...After doing that for a month, he trained her in them and fought her. At the end of the 2nd year he decided to halt the schedule a little.

"Mikan, today you're gonna battle me. No holding back. It will be a death match. If you hold back, I won't be blamed for your injuries."

"Do we have to otou-san? I don't wana hurt you."

"Are you sure you can even touch me Sakura Mikan?" It was a while since he had used her name. He had always called Mikan lass, or lassie, or girl. This had taken aback Mikan. She knew that him using her name meant that he was serious. She looked to her bracelet for luck and protection.

The bracelet had always been with her. When Cortez had tried to take it off, she backed off as soon as he touched it. It was a prized possession and very important to her though she didn't know why. She felt that if she took it off, someone would be very sad. She had always held on to it like her life line. And even though it was made of string, it really didn't start falling apart till around 2 years ago. It was a really pretty bracelet made only of very colorful, thin strings all tangled into very detailed patterns of stars, hearts, and other things.

The battle started, they both started out running towards each other at high speeds with hands left flying behind them. They did hand to hand combat at first, exchanging blows evenly, they seemed to be evenly matched.

"Ye gettin' stonger than me lass, I'm impressed my work has done so much."

"I know you're trying to get me cocky, its not working very well otou-san, I know you too well, he he." Mikan laughed a little. And then...well she got hit by a punch in the stomach, leaving her lurching over and flying backwards to crash with her back on a tree trunk. Her head drooped over as if life drained out from them.

Cortez saw the scene and got worried immediatly. 'Maybe she wasn't ready for this, God I hope she's ok.' Cortez walked over to Mikan and kneeled down beside her and shook her a little. "Hey Mikan ya still alice? Wake up, come on?" Cortez's voice was getting panicky. "Ooof!" All of a sudden, Cortez lurched forward and flew back 30 meters.

"Ha! Got you there Mr. Softy!" Mikan chuckled. She was standing there in a bent position holding her stomach trying to suppress her unrelenting laughter. "Ought a..." Mikan spoke in broken phrases with laughter in between, "preach what you praise, otou-san...Uggg...."

"And ye, my dear vice captain, should listen to what ye learns from me." Cortez had gotten up while Mikan was hysterically laughing and came up to her to give her a good punch in the stomach.

"Ok now I'm mad." Mikan stared 'down' at her father. She was going to kick his butt.

She started off with throwing kunai and controlling them with her wind alice. Next she used her theft alice and took away her fathers alices.

"Hey that's not fair, taking away me alices Mikan-chi." Cortez whined. In reality though he really didn't need those alices to beat her. Well that's what he calculated at least.

'He's not serious, still. Well I'm going to make him serious, and defeat him. I know I can do it, I just have a feeling I will.' Mikan then charged forward engaging in hand to hand combat.

Block, punch, jump, spin, kick, flip. Blurs of hands and feet could be seen flying between the 2 people along with a series of noises. Then 5 seconds later they parted and jumped backwards. 'Otou san has a broken right arm' Mikan gazed over her fathers beat up body.

'With out the healing alice I'm at a loss. Better get serious, doesn't look like the lass is jokin' with me this time.' Cortez broke a branch off of a near by oak tree and started to use it as a weapon. Mikan took out a sword and slashed it into splinters in what seemed to be one swing. She took her wind alice once again and stirred up the splinters and fired them at her father.

She decided she needed a new alice. She created the alice of the emperors. This alice made what ever she said come true. What she didn't know was the great consequences that came with this alice. Cortez had always told her not to create alices unless he said the alice was ok. But this time Mikan being the person she is, didn't think it through. Mikan started speaking.

"Time stop..." she whispered to herself. Time stopped all around her. She walked over to her father. " 20 feet Iron rope appear as new in front of me." An iron rope appeared in front of Mikan. She picked it up. "Average 30 feet tall oak tree appear behind me." A tree appeared behind her. Mikan dragged her dad through the dirt and tied him up to the tree. "Time resume." Time started again.

"Hun...? What happened? Lassie, Mikan-chan, what did you do, why am I tied up to a tree that wasn't there before what did you do?" Cortez was still in a daze.

Mikan spoke, "Duel over otou-san." The two of them teleported to the house as if the duel was over.

"Mikan don't say anything!" Cortez yelled. 'Did that stupid lass make that alice, the command of the voice? Oh now she is in a deep ditch.' Realization hit Cortez as soon as she said that line.

"You made a voice alice didn't you? Didn't I tell you that you couldn't make alices with out my consent? Now look what you did? You can't speak anymore..." Mikan got scared, by her father's yelling and by what he said last. Tears dripped down her face although she didn't make any noises.

'Otou-san I'm sorry I wasn't thinking.' Mikan said through telepathy. Mikan returned her father's alices back to him. Cortez healed his arm and injuries along with Mikan's.

"It's ok Mikan. Wait here. And you won by they way." Cortez instructed and smiled. He didn't want Mikan to be sad or guilty. Mistakes happen, after all, to everyone. She was sitting on the black colored couch in the living room. Cortez walked out the door. A few minutes later he returned with a box of accessories consisting of rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, anklets, headbands, hair ties, capes, hats, belts, and other things. He plopped the box down on the long brown table in front of the love seat. "Here. These are some alice limiters me has collected on me journeys around the world. They are yours now. I picked out the ones that were suited for you and your alices." Cortez purposely didn't say steal, he didn't want to disappoint his adopted daughter.

Mikan smiled she did not speak though knowing one wrong word could send the world to its apocalypse. Mikan stared at her intricate bracelet she always wore. It was a little more worn out than before. The sting's seemed like they wanted to snap. 'I have to be more careful with my bracelet.' Mikan thought. She then racked through the box of accessories and chose a thin necklace and bracelet of a set to wear. The pendant on the necklace and the flower pedals making the bracelet reminded her of the crystals that were engraved in the middle of her chest. She picked them up and showed them to Cortez. He nodded in approval. Cortez then took the set from her and put them on Mikan.

"Fitting for a princess like ye. "

'I will take care of it.' Mikan replied through her telepathy alice.

They took a shower and changed. Then came down to eat a big chicken feast. Mikan and Cortez were exhausted. After dinner they just went right to their rooms and fell right asleep. Mikan would always remember that night.

During Mikan's sleep, she muttered some unidentifiable words. At 1 a.m. the sound of a crashing door came from Mikan's room. Cortez heard this from his room 3 rooms down and got up and rushed immediately to her room carrying a pocket knife. The door was knocked down and Mikan could be seen wide eyed in fear lying flat on her back on her bed. A sword was held close to her throat threatening to end her life right there and then if Cortez did not make the right move.

"Mikan! Are you ok?" Cortez screamed to Mikan. The attacker wore a black ninja clothing and a full face mask, which did not allow Cortez to see and remember the man's face. As soon as the attacker heard Cortez's scream, he tried to plunge the sword into Mikan.

'No, I'm going to die! Otou-san save me!' A familiar feeling of helplessness rushed into her. And a familiar pain on her wrists started to surface due to Mikan's hallucinations. "Save me!" Out of panic, Mikan screamed that out loud and Cortez came rushing forward due to Mikan's command. And although Mikan was thrown out of the way, Cortez's head was chopped cleanly off his body, a red crimson blood sprayed all over Mikan. "OTOU-SAN! No! Get me out of here! Don't eat me!" A series of images flashed though Mikan's mind. A ember lit basement, a monster, blood dropping all over the cement walls. The bottomless sewer that was below her. Mikan snapped.

The full moon emphasized the dilated eyes of Mikan staring into the attacker, rendering him unable to move. The half crazed smile she had on her face was followed by a witches cackle out of Mikan's throat. She slowly dragged her self off of her bed. The clock could be heard ticking behind her. *Tick tock, tick tock. Her back slightly bent, her shoulders slightly drooped. Her arms and hands lay limp next to her body. The white night gown she wore was sprayed and blotched with blood. She paced over to the perpetrator. Her small bear feet stepped on her fathers dead body and squirted more blood all over the room. A dabbing noise was present due to Mikan padding through the blood soaked floor.

She kicked her fathers head and rolled it with her foot like a soccer ball as she paced towards the wide eyed man. The head was rolling unsteadily seeing that it was not completely round, the broken nose and the ears of her fathers head caused the head to wobble to the side sometimes. Her fathers rolling head had deflated eyes, with the pupils rolling back wards into the skull, and a genuine smile still lay stiffly present. Mikan was humming ring around the rosy and moving her head side to side while walking with her fathers head by her foot.

She dipped her hands in her fathers blood and showed it to the hapless man. He was facing the windows with Mikan's back to the moon. Her shadow on her face made her even more like a mad man's or a demon from the depths of hell. You could almost imagine the eyes, ears, and teeth of a demon that were not visible on Mikan. The atmosphere was pitch black that even hell would spit Mikan back out if she was present there.

"Who sent you here?" Her child like voice pierced the night. All the summer night animals stopped their activities. The man didn't speak. Mikan decided to make herself a solution. "Well then, I guess I'll just take the information from you then. Mikan made an info stealing alice and put her hand on the man's face with her thumb on one temple of the man and the middle and ring finger on the other temple of the man's face. She then squeezed the head as hard as she could and took the info from his head. This was another piece of info she took in and would never forget.

The man screamed bloody murder. It sent the owls and birds flying away, and the rabbits dashing away as fast as their 4 feet could take them. " AHHHHH!!!!! This girl is a monster! Kami-sama be rid of her, PLEASE!"

Mikan did not like his screaming so she took her fire alice and set the man on fire burning him to ashes. She watched as the man struggled and struggled to try and move and extinguish her un extinguishable alice fire. When the man turned into ashes Mikan fell to her knees with her arms still limp beside her in a puddle of blood and her eyes turned to ones of deep sadness. 'Mikan be strong.' Mikan told her self this and used her alice to clean up herself, the house, and burry her fathers body. She looked at her intricate sting bracelet. The colors and the strings seemed to have faded even more than before.

Mikan fell asleep on her fathers grave due to exhaustion. She was leaning against the grave stone in the center of a large round gray marble area that surrounded her fathers grave stone. It had steps going down towards ground level. Her fathers grave stone read Sakura Cortez December 31st 1046 B.C - April 15th 1009 B.C. A former captain of the Dark Star and a absolutely wonderful adoptive father. The grave stone had a Sakura pedal engraved on it along with the Dark Star's emblem of a 13 pointed black star with a white skull in the center. The Sakura pedal was painted a soft light carnation pink the ship's emblem was painted black with the white skull in the center.

Dream land came welcoming her. Mikan was on a light path again she kept walking and walking and this time she arrived at a point where the path split, she chose the right path. and opened the door. Mikan's eyes fluttered open. She blinked a few times due so her pupils could adjust to the light flooding into them."mmmm..." 'Ahhh... nice comfy bed'

She was in a room, a small one. The walls were painted light blue and the twin sized western bed with white sheets and white pillows with a brown mattress entered her vision. The room was packed with a bookcase of various books, small and large that was next to the door which was across from the end of the bed. There was a desk and an unlit white candle with a plain silver coated wax and candle holder next to her bed There was a wooden chair with a fenced back that seemed to be waxed that seemed to be a set with the desk. A plain Oakwood rectangular dresser with 3 drawers and bronze handles lay next to the bathroom door which was across from the left side of her bed. A window with lavender curtains was to the right of her bed. A coffee table was lay right beside her bed inches away from her heavenly fluffy white pillow.

The windows were opened, a bustling town could be heard, along with chirping birds and clashing swords. The sky was blue with only wisps of white clouds. The sun was strong over head causing Mikan to blink while looking at it. Mikan heard foot steps approaching her room. She instinctively stiffened, though she didn't know why. The door opened and Mikan jumped off the bed startling the fairly chubby middle aged woman who walked in carrying a silver platter with a white bowl of what seemed to be food. Mikan instantaneously went to a defensive form preparing to attack and defend at a millisecond's notice.

The woman was wearing an dark red apron and a light brown dress that seemed to be slightly stained with dirt. She stopped at the door when she saw Mikan jump off her bed with her ferocity and her energy. Her surprised look quickly changed to a genuine smile directed at the now utterly confused 9 year old Mikan. The incompatible atmosphere of herself and the woman with the food made Mikan even more confused with the seemingly incomprehensible situation she was in.

Authors Note: So how do you like it so far. I want to make this a unique story with a unique plot line compared to all the other fan fictions of the Gakuen Alice section of . How do think I'm fairing now? LOL. Oh and how'd you like the battle. I never really wrote fighting scenes before so I tried my best. Please Read and Review. And sorry for the grammar mistakes. I know there are plenty I didn't catch even though I went through it many times myself already. Also I love how the story is getting so many hits, but there are few who actually comment. Well I can understand it is quite a hassle. All hale laziness! Thanks and Bye!