Chapter 2: The promise

It was the second January, a Saturday and the students in Gakuen Alice were eager to enjoy their free time. They wanted to spend their money in Central Town and the younger ones hoped for an increase of the snowfall, so that the still flat, white glistening hills would further pile up.

Mikan was in her room, sitting on the window-sill. She hadn't slept since Natsume left her alone, but stared the whole night at the hypnotizing full moon which seemed to suck in all of her sadness. She had watched how the sun rose up to the sky and tried to send a few rays of orange light through the clouds.

Now all she felt was a great emptiness. No pain, no tears, just her thoughts that reflected her loneliness. She knew all to well that she couldn't stay in her current condition forever.

When she compared her previous experience with the dead of an important person, she came to the conclusion that she matured. As Hotaru's penguin robot died five years ago she felt so helpless, useless and guilty, but now by her grandfathers dead she realized that he had led a happy life and had been content 'til his last moment. With this final thought that reassured her that she couldn't have done anything for him, she noticed the urge to lie down in her soft bed, shut her eyes and slowly drift into a sleep that would help her to recover.

~~~~~ Mikan POV ~~~~~

I opened my eyes and watched how a new world unfolds itself to me. The first thing that occurred to my mind was that I believed to recognize the surroundings.

I saw large trees with leaves in every shade of green that formed a small forest. I stood at its edge and walked in, conscious of following a sudden intuition. There wasn't really a path, but for some reason or other I knew exactly how to move and which way to take in this wood that appeared to be like a maze.

After a time period that felt like eternity I reached a lovely little glade with flowers of every shape and color all over the place. There were tiny white daisies that were hardly visible in the high grass, sweet smelling wild roses, lilacs in a rich purple tone, bright yellow sunflowers and poppies in a shining red.

I heard the splashing of a brook and noticed a young girl with her brown hair in two pigtails sitting next to an old bald man on a huge stone. As I walked towards them and took a better look, I saw that it was me and my grandpa. I stopped a few meters in front of them to listen to their conversation; somehow I was pretty sure that they couldn't see me.

"Mi-chan have I ever told you about your grandma?"

"No Ji-chan." little Mikan replied cheerfully.

"Unfortunately she died before you were born, but she was the most beautiful and nicest woman I ever met. Everybody loved her. I met her when I was 16 and it was love at first sight. She was always energetic, optimistic and brought happiness to everyone around her."

"Woooow! She must've been amazing. Aww I wish I could've met her." Mikan said while pouting cutely.

"Mi-chan would you promise me something?"

"Of course!" Mikan answered immediately, stopped pouting and looked with big eyes full of expectation to her grandfather.

"Please be always so happy and smile brightly. I bet you will also help someone with that attitude of yours and change this person's life for the better. Just like your grandma did, for a poor guy that just recently lost his parents. She gave him hope and encouraged him and he turned out to be the luckiest guy on earth because she also married him."

"It was you?!" Mikan shouted surprised.

"Yeah it was. So tell me, will you keep that promise?"

"Pinky promise" Mikan said and reached out her pinky to intertwine it with the pinky of her grandpa.

"Pinky promise" he agreed, intertwined the two pinkies and after sealing the promise he began to lightly stroke her back.

~~~~~ End of POV ~~~~~

Suddenly the view of 15-year-old Mikan became blurry and then all she could see was plain darkness. At the beginning she felt a little bit frightened but then she heard a song and all her fears flew away.

With this song in her mind she fluttered her eyes open and awoke to reality. She looked around in her room and until her eye caught sight of the alarm clock. It was already 5 p.m.

She stood up from her bed and opened the window to breathe some cold, refreshing air. Slowly the images she had from her dream came to her mind. She remembered this promise; she made it with her grandfather as she turned 8 years old. The song also kept whirring in her head and because she found it so beautiful she began to sing.

(song by Leonard Cohen: Hallelujah)

Now I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew her
She tied you
To a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
You say I took the name in vain
I don't even know the name
But if I did, well really, what's it to you?
There's a blaze of light
In every word
It doesn't matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though
It all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

After she finished singing she felt surprisingly better, not just better, she kind of felt determined. And then one thought crossed her mind.

"I'll keep that promise. I'll keep it with all I've got for my Ji-chan."

Of course she wasn't so stupid as to try to immediately act as the same happy-go-lucky girl as always in front of her friends. So she decided to stay in her room for the whole weekend and keep a low pace to return to her normal lifestyle.

"But maybe….maybe I could change a little. I mean just to show that I can compensate this tragedy and not just put up an act to satisfy the people around me.

I want to change, so that I can bring even more joy into their lives. What do you think Ji-chan? Can you hear me up there? If yes, then just watch me. I'll make you proud."

In the next chapter the romance will finally start. Until now I needed to explain a lot of things so thanks for being patient. ^^