©Alphaα & OmegaΩ©
"They say with every beginning, there's always an end
But can it also be with every end, there's a beginning?"
A Sweet Pix original
Chapter Four;
Do you remember?
Do you remember,
Do you remember ,
Do you remember
All the times we had?
Let's bring it back
He had hated that power.
With fervor passion.
Even now, as an adult, he was only neutral about it on good days, no need to mention the bad ones. As he matured, he had learnt to accept it, for this was his lot it life and he could either deal with it or end up drowning himself in misery and hatred.
Naturally, he had chosen the former, which led to the person he was today.
Even so, there were occasions on which he wished he did not have to deal with his wild and problematic power, which pretty much was most of the time.
However, this time, for the first time in his whole life, he was finally starting to be partial towards this power.
And it was all because of that.
That single slice of bittersweet paradise that warned him of the start of the earth's doom…
It was also the first time that he felt that he had a purpose in life, a desire to walk down this path of life, instead of being the wandering spirit he was, going wherever the wind took him.
But still, was it a blessing or a curse?
He still could not tell…
"Onii-tan!" The sweet melody rang through the air, standing out clearly among the whistling of the breeze and rustling of the leaves and grass.
Slowly turning his head around, his cobalt locks whipping around along with his movement, the young only managed to catch a blur of brown before the air in his midriff was completely knocked out. Any remaining air was let out in a sharp gasp as the grip around his waist tightened painfully.
"Onii-tan, onii-tan, onii-tannnn!" The musical voice wailed pitifully as ivory arms locked around the well-built torso of the dashing young man.
"Why have you been gone for sooooo long? I've been so worried, you know! I haven't been able to eat or rest peacefully since the day you left! Bad onii-tan, bad onii-tan!" With that, the young, ethereal beauty loosened her grasp on the young men and instead, started pounding upon his muscular chest.
"Ow, ow, ow! Stop it! That hurts, you little squirt!" The young man grumbled audibly as he tried in vain to stop the hard blows that belied the child's appearance from raining down on him.
"It's. Your. Own. Fault. For. Making. Me. Worry!" The delicate hands punctuated each word with a strike from the merciless fists they formed as big, rolling tears of anger and relief poured down the angelic countenance.
His irritation hit its peak as he turned a strong glare full force upon the ostensibly beatific figure before him.
He seized the unforgiving pair of fists in a tight clench with one hand as he shouted, annoyance deeply colouring his tone, "That's enough, Youjo!"
The young girl ignored him and continued sobbing, wailing loudly still, "It's all your fault onii-tan, all your fault! It's all your fault the other kids are laughing at me! It's all your fault for not protecting me! It's all your fault Mama died!"
At this, the young man finally understood the reason behind the young girl's actions as he blew out a heavy sigh.
Letting go of the young girl's hands, he bent down and gently brought her into his arms, while soothingly rubbing her back in slow motions as the young girl wept piteously.
"It hurts, onii-tan, it hurts so much, onii-tan…"
"Shhh," the young man hushed the young girl, unable to listen on any longer.
He knew what happened and it broke his heart into two. But he also knew that it was a problem that he could not solve for her. There would be more setbacks and obstacles in her rocky future than ever and she had to learn to be strong and steel herself against such things aimed her way.
However, at that moment, Mikan's trembling frame felt so fragile in his arms, he couldn't bear the thought of exposing her to great waves and storms of this dangerous ocean of a world. He yearned to keep her in his arms like this and protect her from any threat that came her way.
But he knew, that was not to be.
Pulling the young girl away from his shoulder, he looked her firmly in the eye, resolve hardening as he said decisively, "Mikan, I know this hurts but you have to be strong. Be strong and face this all like the brave soul I know you are. Be strong for your Papa and onii-chan. Be strong, no matter what happens in the future, and remember that Mama, Papa and onii-chan will always watch over you…"
Watching the young girl's determined expression and great efforts to clear her angelic face of tears, his heart sung with pride, pride for this strong imouto he had…
[~α&Ω~]
Sniffling, a teary-eyed Mikan dramatically waved a white handkerchief in the air, then dabbing at the corner of her big chocolate orbs with it.
"Goodbye, my beloved friends. Goodbye, my beloved family. Goodbye, my beloved- Ouch! That hurts, Hotaru!"
The brunette wailed as she rubbed the spot her best friend had hit her with the horse shoe glove.
"Stop acting like a Drama Queen. Narumi gave us three hours and it's still far from ending," was Hotaru's cold reply.
"But, but, but don't you feel sad, Hotaru? You won't be seeing your best friend for a long, long, LONG time!" Mikan exclaimed, bottom lip trembling slightly.
"What are you saying? I'll always be able to see money," Hotaru replied vaguely.
"Huh? What are you talking about, Hotaru?" a confused Mikan questioned in return.
"She means money is her best friend, Baka Youjo."
Natsume appeared behind them, pointing out Hotaru's obvious jibe to the slow Mikan.
"Natsume! Don't scare me like that! And how can you say that? I'm definitely Hotaru's best friend!"
And the bickering commenced again.
Giggling, Anna commented, "They're so cute! Even up to the last moment! Squabbling like a-"
At this Nonoko cut in and both said in unison, eyes sparkling as they clasped their hands together, "Married Couple!"
The group chuckled in both amusement and agreement as their gaze swiveled to the wrangling young couple.
They were attracting quite a number of stares by now, with their raised voices and fiery atmosphere (note: mostly applicable to only Mikan. Scratch that, it was ONLY Mikan) as they were strolling (supposedly) through Central Town.
The lot of them decided to spend their last moments having fun at Central Town, and with that, fulfilling Mikan's last wish. But, predictably, they ended up watching Mikan and Natsume daily dose of childish banter. Again.
And it was in this manner that the day was spent. The last day that they would see the girl for a long time to come, the girl who had brought the light and laughter into their days.
This particular matter had been flung to the back of their minds for most of the time, this much was clear, as one could see the wistful looks their countenances took upon at times as their eyes fell upon the laughing brunette, realising yet again their time together was quickly spiraling to an end.
However, there was not anything that could be done to remedy it.
Yet, when the end had finally come, it was still hard for them to accept the fact that the young girl who had literally brought the life into their lives, was going to be gone from their side, and for a very, very long time too…
[~α&Ω~]
It's been a week since he last saw Mikan.
The dull throb in his heart reminded him constantly of the absence of the sunshine in his life. She was gone to God knows where and despite a daily dose of threats and insults, Narumi's lips just wouldn't loosen.
No one had the slightest idea of the reason behind Mikan's hasty departure, though Natsume's intuition led him to suspect the High School Divison Principle involvement. After all, it was only after her meeting with him that Mikan began acting strange.
Truth to be told, there was another reason for Natsume's persistent perusal of Mikan's whereabouts. Lately, he was plagued by a set of reoccurring dreams that left him feeling extremely uneasy and unsettled, a set of dreams that contained Mikan. As hazy and vague as they were, Natsume got a distinct vibe that they were trying to send a message to him. The content of the message, however, he wasn't sure.
He just knew, deep down inside, that he shouldn't have let her out of his sight.
And he was right.
[~α&Ω~]
Mikan spun in a slow circle around her, gaping in awe at the grandeur of the structures towering above her all around. Their exquisiteness and majesty simply radiated off them, reaching the Mikan that dwarfed in comparison to their splendor.
Completely oblivious to her surroundings, Mikan continued her examination of the beautiful campus as she paced backwards, her thoughts of wonderment and admiration a clear statement upon her countenance. She never noticed the soft footfalls approaching, neither did she notice the rustling of crisp pages sounding just behind her.
"Oof!"
Mikan felt the breath knocked out of her midriff as she impacted heavily against another body, landing her behind gob smack upon the concrete path.
"Itai…" she mumbled, screwing up her eyes tightly as she rubbed her sore behind, all the while refusing to leave the ground.
"Gomen. Let me help you up," a gentle voice tinkled quietly, resounding pleasantly in Mikan's ears.
Mikan tilted her head up to face the source of that sweet voice to find a breathtakingly beautiful young girl around her age offering an alabaster hand to her. The vision of the girl shimmered and merged with another, where the same fair skinned girl was donning an old-fashioned, vividly red dress as Mikan was struck with a distinct sense of déjà vu.
Shaking her head violently, Mikan cleared her mind of the strange feeling and image. Opening her eyes, she was relieved to find the image had disappeared and that the girl was sporting the familiar uniform of the Alice Academy.
"Hey hey! You're studying here, aren't you? You see, I'm new here and I wonder if you could show me around. I mean, this branch of Alice Academy is soooooo big and as much as I'm having fun admiring it, I really need to get to know the place soon. I can't be getting lost every single day here, can I? I mean, that would completely whacko and stuff and I would be getting into totally deep trouble if that happens. Especially if the teachers are like Jin-Jin back in my old Alice Academy. He goes completely gaga when you're even one teeny second late to his class! Isn't that totally psycho?"
Mikan being Mikan had gotten up on her own in her excitement, completely oblivious to the hand that was proffered to her, and almost immediately started babbling to this absolute stranger of a girl.
Absorbed as she was, Mikan did not noticed how the girl's olive orbs had glazed over and her delicate brows had knitted together to join in the middle. Yet, through it all, her gaze never once left Mikan's face.
"… And he was like, I expect to see your notes fully complete! And no copying! Hey, are you alright?" Mikan's animated gestures halted to a stop once she finally noticed the girl's out of ordinary behavior, her voice taking on a concerned note as she questioned the girl.
Snapping back to reality, the crease between her brows smoothened as her delicate features took on an expression of indifference.
Picking up her books that scattered across the gravel pavement, she gave a curt nod to the baffled Mikan before striding away quickly, soon leaving Mikan's line of sight.
Slow as ever, Mikan only reacted when the girl had long vanished out of her vision.
"Hey wait! You haven't even told me your name!
[~α&Ω~]
Humming to herself merrily, the girl danced along the pathway lined with Sakura trees. She was only too happy to realise that this Academy had her favourite Cherry Blossoms.
Engrossed as she was in her newfound joy, though, her keen eyes did not miss the lone figure that nestled in the shade of an ancient looking Cherry Blossoms. She could vaguely make out the shape enough to identity his gender yet it was not to enough to sate that wave of curiosity that rose within her.
Warily, she made her approach through little strides, all the while her obsidian orbs seeking the solitary form ardently.
Seated under the tree, his back leant against the sturdy bark of the aged Sakura as he slumbered peacefully under its protection. His lashes fluttered gently in the slight breeze, as did the ruffled locks of his silky navy hair. His lips looked soft and delicate as they parted slighted in his sleep. His chest rose and fell with his soft breathing, creating a lovely rhythm in the quiet noon.
Hikaru stood entranced before the striking man, drawn in by the utter peace and contentment his countenance held while he dozed on. Her breathe caught in her throat as she found an unknown ache rising in her chest, pouring into every fiber of her heart and soul, while she persisted in her examination of this complete stranger.
Yet, it did not feel that way. It seemed like her entire being was calling to him, her heart thrumming to a beat that was only found around him, singing for him, drawing them together.
A familiar wave of dizziness washed over her, as her vision blurred before her. The quiet echoing of nature faded around her as another kind of quiet replaced it…
Sobs tore out of her lips as they wrecked her delicate frame. She could not believe that he was leaving her. It was too soon! Far too soon! They had only been together for three weeks and now he was going off on another of his expenditures!
"Shhhh…" the gentle lull of his voice combined his tender strokes soothed her jangled nerves immensely.
She could not except that she would be able to hear that reassuring voice for another three months! Their time together was always too short. When would they ever be able to stay by each other's side forever?
These doubts wrecked havoc upon her wretched mind, tearing her apart from within.
A bitter chill struck her as the warmth of his body left hers. She did not care. Her heart wrenching cries persisted as the man left her side.
The mattress sunk in with his weight as he settled down once again on the spot beside her. She felt him slip something around her neck as he pried away the fingers that she had buried her tear streaked face into.
Looking down, she saw their ring hanging on a simple but elegant chain.
"This is my promise to you, as long as you wear that ring, as long as there are still Cherry Blossoms around you, I will never leave your side…" his clear, resounding voice cut through her melancholy as she tilted her face up to look into those startling orbs an icy shade of blue…
Jolting back to reality, Hikaru could feel her heart going a mile a minute in its cage.
What was that?
The feelings that were stirred within her were unsettling to say the least. It was entirely different from the vision that had brought her here in the first place.
It was almost as if… her heart was trying to make her remember. But what?
At this moment, the young man stirred from his deep sleep, almost as if he had heard the frantic thoughts running through her mind as loudly as it would have been if she had uttered them.
Frozen in her spot, Hikaru stood motionless as she watched him lazily rubbing his eyes while his pale pink lips formed a small 'O'.His eyelids fluttered open, revealing his mesmerising eyes to world around him.
Hikaru felt the world about her stop as she suddenly lost her ability to breathe. His eyes were the exact shade of shockingly pale blue!
What was happening here?
Meanwhile, Haru was completely oblivious to the attention he had garnered and was frankly still rather out of it. He just could not keep his mind off the dream that had plagued him since the prophecy had first been set in motion. It had almost completely shattered his past beliefs of his accursed "special" Alice and he was still reeling from that.
Finally focusing on his surroundings, his alice blue orbs were met by a pair of shaken hazel ones.
A shiver of electricity ran along his skin.
They were so familiar. And entrancing. They drew him in completely, leaving him sinking in a sea of alluring hazel. There was something about that exact shade of brown that felt so close to his heart, that hit that sweet spot right into his soul.
It was only when the same sick surge of dizziness did the warning bells start sounding. She was one of the others, he was sure of it. The stunned expression upon her lovely countenance was just another confirmation to his theory.
Fighting for control over his mind, he forcefully pushed away that feeling before he could be dragged into the trench filled with those dreaded fuzzy images.
This is not the time for it, he reasoned with his mind and heart, there was too much to be done and too little time.
Plastering a serene smile on his countenance, he lifted himself off the lush grass, brushing past the shell shocked after he had dusted himself off, ignoring the relentless tugging on his heart that fought for his attention.
[~α&Ω~]
Esmera strolled along the long corridors, seemingly floating with her inborn grace and petite form. Her orbs of jade were trained upon the lines of words that spanned the page of the lengthy volume she cradled in her slender hands, but that was all they were to her– empty words strung together to make sentences that held no meaning to her.
Her mind was too far away to ponder upon their significance.
Flashes of her earlier incidental meeting assaulted her mind, coupled with the overlapping of certain images stolen from the dream, or more appropriate, the trance that had brought her here.
She was quite certain that the girl in her dreams and the girl she had met earlier were one and the same. They held the same sparkle in their warm chocolate orbs and the same enchantment in their brilliant smiles that when united, created an picture that she would not be able to erase from her memory for the rest of eternity…
The little garden was filled with blooming flowers that held an otherworldly beauty.
Yet, there was a single flaw to this picture of perfection.
Within it's grounds lies a weeping figure with the hem of her exquisite dress muddied and soiled from her prolonged resting upon the wet earth, so full of melancholy that clawed at any by stander who happened to stumble upon this heartrending sight.
However, this would have been applicable to all but one person - the very same girl who stood before the miserable young girl.
"Why do you cry?"
Her voice was as soft as the wind that was whispering in her ears yet it lacked the gentleness of the soothing breeze. In place, there was nothing but an empty void of monotone.
The tear streaked countenance that met her surprised her.
There was hope shining through the veil of grief that coated her chocolate orbs. A flicker of warmth bled through Hikaru's cold exterior to her chiseled heart of ice.
"You don't hate me too, do you?" her tiny voice trembled as she questioned timidly.
Hikaru shook her head lightly.
How could she hate this girl? She looked so utterly helpless and vulnerable that Hikaru had the strange urge to protect this fragile creature.
A small smile broke through the tears as the girl asked, "So will you play with me?"
Cocking her head, a puzzled Hikaru answered with a question of her own, "How do you play?"
Abruptly, the little garden of Eden was full of ringing peals of tinkling laughter that filled the uncomfortable silence from before. The girl's gloomy demeanor had vanished and in place were sparkling hazel orbs with deep dimples that twinkled on both sides of her slightly parted cherry pink lips.
Skipping onto her feet, she offered, an immense joy soaking each of her words as she spoke, "Come, I'll teach you!"
Grabbing the momentarily stunned Hikaru's hands, she pulled her into the shade of a young Sakura tree.
Her smile was so bright... She was so radiant...
Hikaru was sure that they were one and the same. And she had a feeling that they would meet again. Her intuition has never failed her.
[~α&Ω~]
"You silly goose! Wandering around the north wing all this while! We waited for you so long!" the ridiously bubbly woman exclaimed in her equally hyped up voice, with each sentence punctuated with an exclaimation mark.
Mikan could not help staring at the woman in a kind of horrified fascination. She never thought it was humanely possible for someone to be this happy and loud about it at the same time.
"The north wing is the newest of our campus! It was only added in the last decade! Isn't that just amazing?"
Mikan had long since tuned out to the upbeat lady who continued her high spirited demeanor, completely unaware of her inattentive charge. She glanced around, gaze never staying long on an object before another caught her eye.
They were walking through the main body of the campus, where the buildings mostly dated to a few centuries ago. Her short attention span had acquired from the woman that this was where Alice had all begun before it had shifted to something else more interesting than her high strung voice.
They turned down a lane that rested in the shade of numerous cherry blossom trees. Mikan was once agin struck by a profound sense of Deja vu. Flashes of images were running through her mind as she walked the path lined with rows of blooming Sakura trees, passing too quickly for her to make out a thing.
She stared into the horizon beyond the little winding path, ignoring the beauty of her beloved trees. She could imagine the solid palace walls just off in the distance, dauntingly magnificent, bearing down on any who dared entertain the thought of conquering it; from outside or within.
Flash…
Peals of bubbling laughter escaped her lips, echoing vibrantly in the open. Each delicate hand clutched a coarse rope as she was once again thrown into the air. The sky seemed so close, she thought, loosening her hold on one of the ropes and reaching out, almost as if she could touch it…
Another flash…
The prickling branches of the bush were poking into her flawless skin irritatingly. Even so, she kept her silence, muffled giggling escaping her as she pressed a soft hand to her lips. There was no way he was going to find her again this time.
"Gotcha, squirt!"
Flash again…
She sniggered mischievously as she darted between the trees, running swifter than the breeze that tousled her honey brown locks.
The heavy footsteps and harsh panting following closely behind only serve to delight her further as she chanted playfully, "You can't catch me, you can't catch me!"
"Young Mistress, come back here, you brat!"
She made a face at the formal address. It made her sound so old and... Boring. Yuck.
"How many things have I told you not to call me that!"
"'Kay fine! Mikan! You stop where you are right this instance and stop torturing your poor maid!"
Mikan simply giggled in response.
"MIKANNNN!"
"…Mikan?"
Mikan's eyes flew open. She hadn't even realised she had closed her eyes. The harsh sunlight pricked her eyes, as they slowly adjusted to the change in brightness. A worried countenance was focused before her, a hand waving frantically in her face.
"Mikan, are you alright?"
Blinking dazedly, Mikan stared at the woman before her stupidly.
What was she doing? What had happened just now?
The woman, however, took her blank gaze as an affirmative to her question and almost immediately bounced back to her vivacious ways.
"Just up ahead are dormitories! I think you'll be able to find your way from here on so good luck! Hope you'll be able to fit in quickly! Bye bye!"
With that, the upbeat woman pranced away, leaving a stunned Mikan in her wake.
That's it? No map? No instructions on her classes?
How odd... Seems like that was the only element of her new life at this academy since she arrived this morning.
Shaking it off easily, Mikan skipped down the winding path, completely oblivious to the two groups that slunk within the safeties of the shadows, their gaze holding fast upon her.
[~α&Ω~]
"She's finally here... Play time has just begun..." a dark voice spoke, the thinly veiled threat in it's words echoed ominously in the quiet.
[~α&Ω~]
How has it been? I simply can't remember. Same goes to those who reviewed this pathetic story. I'm really sorry I didn't reply each of your reviews personally coz I really can't tell whom I've replied and whom I haven't. So sorry!
As for this story, don't expect too much. It's been a really busy year for me what with the choosing of courses and taking the reins as seniors in the school among other stuff. This chapter was a result of a lucky bout of inspiration so I'm not sure if that inspiration will continue coming in a steady stream, yeah. But I'll try. I seriously have close to no idea as to where this story is going so I'm basically just going with the flow for now.
But if I get more reviews I may be a tad bit more inspired to write the next chapter which is currently not in exsistence. So yeah, keep the reviews coming and I promise I'll answer each one personally this time. Pinky swear! (:
xoxo
Sweet Pix