Writer's Notes: Well, here's chapter four of The Key to my Heart! Sorry for the wait. XP
Mikan held the book to her chest as they walked out of the mansion.
"I'm kind of hungry…" Ruka sighed.
"Then go test out those apples." Hotaru responded, pointing to a large tree, full of large, red apples.
"Y-You're using me as a test subject?"
"Bingo."
"B-But…"
"You idiot. You're too slow. I already used this poison-checker."
Hotaru and Ruka walked to the tree, picking the ripe fruit.
Natsume was nowhere to be seen.
Mikan looked around cautiously, before staring at the Book of Revival.
"…"
Her hand shaking, she opened the cover, before slowly flipping through a few pages.
"…What are you doing?" a masculine voice came from behind her.
"KYAAAAAAAAAA!!"
The brunette screamed, dropping the book. She turned around, her eyes flashing with anger.
"What the hell was that for, Natsume?!"
His hair was wet; droplets of water sliding down his face.
"…What happened?"
"I was looking for water, little girl. You still haven't answered my question."
"You haven't either, Natsume."
"I was washing my face, all right? Now, why did you—"
Mikan covered his mouth with her hand.
"S-Shut up, Hyuuga. I don't need anyone else to know. I…"
"Hurry up. Whatever you're doing over there can wait later. Pick up Laviver, Mikan, and let's go. We're still on a job." Hotaru's voice was slightly muffled, as she was eating an apple.
Natsume glared at the brunette as she picked up the book and ran to her best friend, without looking back at Natsume.
"Let's go."
"Where?"
"To return the book."
"There it is!" Mikan said, as they continued to fly (with Hotaru's invention, the Duck-Scooter).
A huge, white laboratory came into view as the four members parked their scooters.
"…Hello?" the brunette cautiously knocked on the white door.
It slowly creaked open.
"…"
"Do we go in?" Ruka asked, peering into the darkness of the building.
"…That's rude, Nogi." Hotaru told him.
They all waited for a couple of minutes, but there seemed to be no sign of anyone.
"…Do we go in now?" Ruka asked again, smirking slightly.
"Shut up, Nogi."
"…Pardon our intrusion…" Mikan called, as she opened the door a bit more, entering the white laboratory.
"…You're Team 1 from Alice Academy, I presume…?" a feminine voice said from somewhere in the darkness.
Mikan and Ruka jumped slightly as lights were flicked on.
Before them stood a tall, slender woman with short dark blue hair held back by a white headband and lighter blue eyes. She seemed young, about 24, wearing a white lab coat.
"I suppose you are Natuki Mistumi-san?" Hotaru said, as the woman nodded.
"H-Hai…" Mikan answered. "We've come to deliver Laviver…"
"Ah, the Book of Revival…" another voice said, a male voice this time.
Mikan and Ruka jumped again, upon seeing a ghostly figure step next to the woman.
His skin was very, very pale, almost white, and slightly wrinkled. His hair was lighter than Natsuki's, and his eyes were a grey colour. He was old, probably around 48, also wearing a white lab coat with large pockets on the side.
"…And you're Natsuki-san's father, Ruuya Mistumi-san?"
He nodded.
"You've brought Laviver?"
Mikan held out the book, her hands shaking again.
"H-Hai…"
Ruuya looked at her for a minute; his eyes seemed to look right through her.
"…Revival requires great sacrifice, miss. And if you fail to complete the ritual for revival, what you will have is a chimera."
He still didn't take the book. Mikan's hands still shook as she looked at the ground.
"…Oh?"
"…A loss is a loss. Reviving the dead just bring both sides sorrow. The dead must rest in peace."
"…"
The brunette said nothing as the man lifted the book from her hands.
"…This book causes nothing but failure and sorrow…"
He reached into his pocket, bringing out a box of matches. He lit one, dropping both the book and the match onto the floor.
Everyone took a step back as the book burst into flames, crackling occasionally until the flame died away, leaving nothing but a pile of ashes.
"…"
"Mission complete…" Hotaru said quietly.
Natsuki and Ruuya walked back into the darkness of their laboratory as Mikan, Natsume, Hotaru and Ruka flew back towards Alice Academy.
"Good Job!!" Narumi shouted, as the four members opened the door to the faculty room to report.
"The client was very pleased!"
"…"
Mikan said nothing.
"They sent the rewards here because you guys left without them giving it to you."
The teacher handed them each a small bag, which most likely contained the reward money, and a golden key to Mikan.
"…Sagittarius." She said, linking it onto her bracelet.
"…Are you okay, Sakura?" Ruka asked. "You seemed kind of absent minded after we gave Laviver to Ruuya-san."
"E-Eh? I'm okay. I think I'm just tired…I'm going back to my room for a little…"
"Ah, Mikan-chan, don't forget to take your share of 2,000 rabbits." Narumi said, throwing a smaller bag to her.
She caught it without looking back and left the room.
"…"
Natsume stared at her as she left, closing the door quietly.
"I'm going back to my room."
And he left.
Although Mikan never went back to her room.
The brunette had gone to the back of the Academy, where a large sakura tree had bloomed.
She leaned against the wall of the Academy, staring at her keys.
She closed her eyes.
"…"
The wind caressed her hair as the pink petals from the tree floated around.
"So?"
Her eyes snapped open to see the fire mage right in front of her.
"Why were you trying to read the Book of Revival?"
The Stellar mage tried to run, but Natsume grabbed her wrists and pinned her to the wall.
"You never answered my question."
Mikan's eyes suddenly turned cold.
"I…I don't need to tell you."
Natsume tightened his grip.
"You've escaped once, and you're not getting away this time."
The brunette closed her eyes and sighed shakily. What else was she supposed to do now?
"…I've tried it."
"What?"
"I've tried it. Reviving someone. I tried to revive my dad. I failed, and I turned him into a chimera. Okay?! Are you happy now?! I turned him into a chimera, and I had to kill him!!"
She broke, falling to her knees, sobbing.
"Chimeras are just monsters…but I made him with my dad's remains. He can never rest in peace this way…"
The tears were endless, her chest hurt, but she couldn't stop. She covered her face, embarrassed, her tears soaking her hands.
Natsume put his hand on her head, and looked away.
"Stop crying. It's all in the past…you don't need to remember."
Mikan hiccuped several times, rubbing eyes.
"I can't believe I let you see me like that. I rarely cry in front of even Hotaru…"
The fire mage smirked.
"Then I can blackmail you."
The stellar mage gasped, before getting up and trying to punch him.
"YOU'RE JUST LIKE HOTARU!...Almost!"
Natsume smirked.
"You know, you stopped crying pretty fast."
"You expected me to cry for an hour? I'll do that when I'm alone."
He raised an eyebrow, before turning to walk away.
"…Hey, Natsume?" Mikan's voice was quiet.
"Hn?"
He didn't stop walking.
"…So...what are you searching for? I never got an answer, either."
The fire mage stopped.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…Natsume?"
He turned to look at her, and Mikan was slightly surprised when she saw his face.
He looked hurt. His eyes said everything, like he didn't want to talk about it.
Natsume's face still held the normal cool expression, but she could tell.
"…My…sister."
"…What?"
Mikan froze when she heard this.
"…What was her name?"
"…Aoi."
Natsume answered, slightly suspicious of Mikan's reaction.
"W-Was her real name…Aoiyuki? The 'Blue Snow'? And she should be a year younger than us, 15?"
The crimson-eyed lad narrowed his eyes.
"…Why do you know so much about Aoi?"
"When I was eight…she…she…was the one…who taught me magic…"
"What?! Aoi couldn't use magic!"
"But…she told me since her family was a line of fire mages, she did her best to study magic so she wouldn't be looked down on. But when she met me, she taught me magic."
"…She taught you fire magic?"
Mikan shook her head.
"Didn't you know? Aoiyuki has a miscellaneous power that distinguishes what type of mage someone is. So if someone hasn't learned magic yet, she can tell what mage they qualify as. She said I was going to be a Stellar Spirit mage, and so she taught me summoning magic…"
Natsume said nothing.
He hadn't known. Aoi could never use magic.
"A-Aoiyuki studied the all sorts of magic, even though she couldn't use them, so she made me promise I would be the best Stellar Spirit Mage…she was a very good friend, so that's why…I'm trying to collect all the Ecliptic Zodiac keys…after I moved, I never saw her again…"
"…I didn't see her either." Natsume said flatly. "When did you move?"
"March 27…"
"Then, three days later, she disappeared. I went to her room, and it was literally torn up. Her bed was flipped over, her clothes were thrown everything, and glass was broken. And then…there was a huge splatter of blood."
From a pocket, he fished out a picture and tossed it to Mikan.
She gasped as she saw the scene.
"…I…want you…all…dead…?" the brunette read. The blood was smeared onto the white walls.
"T-Then, Aoiyuki…?"
"I don't know if she's even alive."
Writer's End Notes: Well, that ends chapter four. Sorry that it's kind of short. D:
Aoi's real name is Aoiyuki (Blue Snow). At least, I'm pretty sure it is.
So…yeah.
I'm kind flustered right now and how to continue…mostly because since after my spring break ends, I have state testing…and my break is ending pretty soon…NOOOOO!!
So yus. I'm a little stressed, but I'll try my best to keep updating. XP