Marionette

A/N: Hello, everyone! ^_^ I apologize for the delay of this chapter! Mimi-chan hasn't been feeling well lately, so she was unable to update as quickly as usual. Huh? Don't you know who I am? Well, you should! Isn't it obvious?! It's me, Alison! Honestly…, I can't believe you mistook me for that idiot author ( -_-) She's sooo stupid! And she keeps coughing and spreading germs. Gross! And Takuma foolishly thought it was a good idea to give her a bell. She kept ringing that stupid bell and it started to get irritating, so I had to hit her with it! Well, she stopped ringing it and stopped coughing, so I think it helped! Actually… she also fell asleep and wouldn't wake up for hours after that, not that I'm complaining, but everyone else was really worried ( ._.) I don't know why, but anyway I'm supposed to thank some people. Thank you everyone who is still reading Marionette and thank you those who added Marionette to your favorites and followed. Special thanks go to Incendo (Grr… as usual!), Fangirl1567 (Mimi-chan said she likes your fanfic), princess240 (I hope you're happy!), Twilight Dark Angel, Zeroishot (…Really?), Its a Christine, and Twinwolfsister. Please go to the Review corner once you are done reading. Also, please look up any music that is mentioned! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter of Marionette ^_^

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight, if I did then I would steal all of Smug-ass model's pocky, steal Takuma's manga, make everyone hate Aidiot, and set the Moon dormitory on fire ^_^


Takuma: A-Alison…

Alison: Hmm… What is it? ^_^

Takuma: Isn't that disclaimer a bit much?

Alison: Nope, not at all! ^_^

Takuma: *sweatdrops* I see…

Me: Alison! When I said cover for me, I didn't mean- *cough cough*

Alison: Shut up! You're still sick! Just sit down somewhere!

Me: But- AHHH!

Alison: *pushes down flight of stairs* Whoops! Unfortunately, Mimi-chan will have to go to the hospital. Please leave reviews for her recovery ^_^

Takuma: *shivers* A-Alison…


Chapter 7: Marionette's Requiem

A girl with light blonde curls quietly sits at an ebony piano. Her fingers hover over the keys of the piano before she tentatively places a finger down. With a single touch, the silence in the room is disturbed. The girl pauses before taking her finger off the key.

"What are you waiting for?" asks a stern voice.

Her hands begin to tremble. She takes a deep breath in hopes of calming herself down. 'I…I can do this.'

"Proceed," says the sharp voice.

The girl takes another deep breath and begins to play. Her fingers gracefully dance across the white keys of the piano. The soft melody fills the room in nostalgia…, but why? The girl does not know. 'Chopin's Nocturne No. 2 in E flat major… Why does it feel like… I heard this song a long time ago? I… can't remember. Why can't I remember? Oh… that's right. Because of 'that'… Or at least that's what they told me. Still… it seems so familiar. I wish… I knew why.'

The girl's eyes become tainted in confusion and sadness as she loses herself in her thoughts.


"Alice… Do you like this song? It's Chopin's Nocturne No. 2 in E flat major," say a tender voice. The little girl nods her head rapidly, "It's pretty!" The voice laughs, "Is it? Well, if my darling Alice thinks so, then it must be!" 'What… is this? Who… are you? How do you know my name?'

The light song slowly comes to an end. The little girl looks up with a sweet smile on her face and says, "Papa, play another song, please!" The man at the piano gives a teasing smile. "You want me to play another song? But I just played one!" says the man in fake astonishment. "Please, daddy," pleads the girl. The man ponders, "Hmm… Well, I guess if that's what my little Rose Princess wants, then I'll have to comply." A kind smile grows on the man's face as he says, "Your wish is my command, my Princess." The little girl giggles at the man's antics.

'I don't understand… Who are you? Why… do I look like you?'

"I love you, Alice…"

'Why? How… can you love me?'

The girl looks up at the man, about to repeat the same words, but she ends up screaming. To her horror, the man she was about to tell, "I love you, too, Papa" was drenched in blood. Blood gushes out of his forehead and falls on the little girl's head.

"Papa! Papa! What's wrong?!" the little girl screams in terror. 'Pa… pa?'

The man before her merely smiles and then disappears in her arms. She puts her head in her arms that are now holding nothing and screams, "PAPA! WHY?! WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME?! DON'T GO! PLEASE DON'T GO!"

Blood coats the interior of the room. The once pearl-white keys are now tainted by deep crimson splotches. The keys shatter and turn to dust. The room spirals and the windows break. Sheets of music whirl around the room as if there is a tornado. The little girl sees crimson eyes staring back at her and then her vision slowly fades to a deadly, bloody red…


With a gasp, the girl snaps back to reality. Without realizing it, she had abruptly slammed her hands on the keys of the grand piano. A grotesque and disturbing sound echoes in the music room. It is not soft, it is not pleasant. The room is not bathed in light, it is not warm.

"What are you doing?!" yells a harsh voice.

The girl begins to uncontrollably shake and her eyes widen. Everywhere she looks, there is blood. Splotches of the crimson liquid taint the pearl white keys. Though she has stopped playing, she hears a distorted melody. It's Chopin's Nocturne no. 2 in E flat major, but… everything is played out of tune. The demented sound bounces around her head and causes the girl to have an excruciatingly painful headache. The girl grips her head and squeezes her eyes shut. 'Make it stop… Make it stop…'

The distorted melody of Chopin begins to clash with an even more demented sound. It sounds similar to the sound one hears when they go to the circus. The girl starts to hear a haunting chant:

"…Marionette, Marionette. Crystal tears you shall cry.

Voided of life, our empty doll with no soul.

Marionette, Marionette. Did you know it's only a matter of time before you live our lie?"

"Are you having a goodnight's rest, our precious 'Marionette'? Have you been torn apart by the endless nightmares yet?"

"MAKE IT S-"

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

The girl suddenly opens her eyes and looks around the room again. Her vision is blurred until she is suddenly grabbed by her shoulders.

With a sharp, menacing gaze, a man says, "I see you don't want to play the piano right now. Very well, then; if you don't want to behave, then you shall be punished!"

The girl shivers and tries to pull away, but the man's grip tightens. 'No… Please don't…'

The man briefly lets go of the girl and pulls out a thin stick and commands, "Put out your hands."

The girl cowers and hesitates to put her hands out.

"Put out your hands!"

The girl jumps and throws her hands out.

"If you refuse to play the piano like a good girl, then I'll make it so you can't play the piano."

The man raises his arm and repeatedly hits the girl's hands. Red marks start to form. Tears fall down the girl's porcelain face. 'Please… stop.' Bruises start to form. 'It hurts… IT HURTS!'

The man continues to hit the girl's hands until she slightly begins to bleed. "Now do you still intend to misbehave?"

The girl trembles and rapidly shakes her head.

"Good. Now play it correctly. Do not make any mistakes. Understand?"

The girl nods her head and rushes to sit in front of the piano. Again, she tries to play the piano, but her wounds start to open and fresh blood drips onto the piano. Tears silently trail down her round cheeks and land on the white keys. It's as if the tears are trying to wash the blood off. 'It hurts… so much.'

Out of pain, the girl accidently hits the wrong key.

"Didn't I say 'NO' mistakes?" the voice roars.

The girl trembles and squeaks, "I'm sorry…"

"You're 'sorry'? Don't do it again! Now, play it right!"

The girl tries to play, but her hands are trembling so much that she can't control where they go. She is unable to differentiate which key is which due to her vision being obscured by her tears.

"Again!" the voice yells. "Again!" it repeats. "AGAIN!"


The cruel piano lesson finally comes to an end. Her strict instructor, hired by her 'father,' raises his glasses and says, "Understand that failure will not be tolerated. Make sure you practice. I expect to see an improvement, next time." The man checks his watch and says, "Well… I must go and report today's lesson to your father."

The girl's mouth falls open. 'No… please don't. Anything but that! Anything! I'll even take another caning! Just please not that! Please don't tell him!'

The man walks out of the cold music room and thrusts the double-door open. The girl is left there to stand alone in emotional distress. The silence in the room is interrupted by the slamming of the door closing. It brings in the fierce wind to dance around and freeze the already cold room. It's as if the wind is mocking the girl. The wind is free and careless. It has no worries. Because it has no worries, it leaves destruction in its path. It's all the wind's fault. Yes, it's truly all the wind's fault.


The girl with light blonde curls nervously stands in front of a grand chestnut-colored double-door. Trembling, she reaches a hand out to knock. Just as she is about to knock, a deep voice says, "Come in."

The girl gulps and slowly opens the door. She keeps her gaze down and walks over to a desk. She stands in front of it and says, "You wanted… to see me, Father?"

With a sharp gaze that would make anyone cower in fear, a man says, "Yes. What is this that I hear about you having trouble with the piano?"

The girl opens her mouth to speak, but the man continues. "Are you misbehaving?"

The girl, once again, has no time to answer. "Are you trying to embarrass me? Understand that the Rose family is a prestigious family. We do not have time for your incompetence. Do not let that happen again. I am very disappointed in you. Do you understand?"

The girl nods her head.

"Understand that we took pity on you. You are able to live this great life because of us. Other children do not have the benefit of living in such a beautiful house and being educated. As such, the least you can do is benefit the family as thanks. Understand?"

The girl nods and says, "Yes, Father."

"You are forever indebted to us. All we ask of you is to behave and obey."

"Yes, Father."

"Well… I heard that you have been punished already for misbehaving during your lessons… Let me see your hands."

The girl nervously puts out her hands.

"Hmm… It seems he did a good job in punishing you. Well, in that case, your punishment is to play the piano for three hours straight."

The girl gulps.

The man takes a sip of wine and says, "I already informed the housemaids that your hands may not be treated." He places the glass down and grabs a pen. "Well, go on. I must return to my work."

The girl nods and prepares to walk out of the room. She is stopped by a voice.

"One last thing. Do not embarrass me any further."

The girl looks back at the man and waits for another order.

"What are you still here for? Go!"

And with that, the girl scurries out of the room and rushes to the music room for her agonizing punishment.


"Get back here!" a young voice yells.

A girl with soft pale blonde curls runs through the corridors of a mansion. Trailing behind her is a girl with straight black hair that reaches her waist.

Panting, the girl with blonde curls yells, "Just leave me alone!"

The girl takes a corner in effort to get away. She keeps running until she hears a crashing sound. The girl turns around and gasps. Behind her, the girl with black hair is looking at shards of glass with a pained look.

"Oh, no! Mother's vase!"

Both girls are left in shock and unsure of what to do. Suddenly, two maids run up to the girls and one of them says, "What happened here?!"

Both of the maids gasp. "Milady's precious vase!" They give the two girls a disapproving look and ask, "Who's responsible for this?"

Just as the girl with blonde curls is about to speak, she is interrupted by the other girl. "Alison was running through the halls! I told her to stop because someone might get hurt, but she didn't listen!"

'That's not… true. You bumped into the vase…'

"Then, when she wasn't paying attention, she bumped into Mother's vase and broke it!"

"T-That's not true!" the blonde speaks up. "You bumped into the vase because you were chasing me."

"Stop lying!" the other girl yells back.

The maids walk over to the blonde girl and grab her by her arms. "You little brat! How dare you break milady's vase?!"

"But it wasn't me! I didn't do it! Misa-"

"Stop lying! This will be reported and you will be punished!"

"But I-"

"Can't you stay out of trouble?! You're always causing problems for everyone!"

The girl starts to cry and wails, "I'm telling the truth! I didn't do it! I DIDN'T DO IT!"

The maids start to pull and drag her away. The girl starts to put up and fight and screams, "NO! I DIDN'T DO IT! I DIDN'T DO IT! I'M TELLING THE TRUTH! PLEASE! DON'T!"

The girl with straight black hair is left alone only to smirk at the despair of the girl with blonde curls.


Walking down through a grand mansion, a girl with light blonde curls hears glimpses of whispers and gossip. Though the maids pretend to work, it's obvious that they are watching the girl and talking about her.

"There she is… Did you hear about what she did?"

"Yeah, she's always causing problems."

'…They're talking about me again.'

"I still can't believe the Master took pity on her…"

"Yes, but her and her brother basically grew up here."

'Shouldn't you be used to us by now? We've been here for as long as I can remember…'

"Speaking of her brother, he seems to be less of a nuisance."

"Yes, he is a respectable young man. It's hard to believe that they are even related."

'Alex and I… are blood-related…, right?'

"…Are they really? Yeah, they were both there, but even they don't remember."

"Yeah, and she has that creepy purple eye unlike her brother."

'I know my eye is weird…'

"Honestly…, her looks can never compare to Misaki."

'I know she's prettier than me…'

"Are you kidding me? She and Misaki aren't even on the same level. Don't put them in the same category!"

'I know that…'

"Shh… She's looking this way."

'I can hear you.'

"Tch. Who cares? She already knows it. If she doesn't, then she's just in denial."

'…I know.'

"But honestly…, I pity that girl for being cursed with such hideous eyes."

'I know… I'm cursed. I'm ugly. My eyes… are hideous. Everybody says so…'

"Yes, what-"

"-Hey! You girls should be working! Quit gossiping and get back to work! This place needs to be spotless for tonight!" orders a young woman wearing a suit and with black hair pulled back in a ponytail.

"Yes, ma'am!"

'It's… her. She did it again…, but why?'


A girl with soft blonde curls quietly sits in a drawing room with a novel in her lap. Enthralled in the novel, she carefully analyzes each page. She is left alone in the serenity of the drawing room. The soft, warm sunlight enters through the bay window and bathes the room in light. The girl feels nostalgic somehow, but she doesn't understand why. She doesn't understand how she can feel a comforting and safe feeling in 'this' house. This house… cannot even be called a home. A home is a place where one can feel comfortable and at ease, or… at least that's what the girl thought. It does not matter, the girl knows no other way. This is how things… have always been.

The girl is interrupted from her reading by someone entering the room. A girl with straight black hair enters the room and marches up the girl.

"What are you doing?" the girl with black hair asks.

"…I'm reading," the girl answers.

The other girl ignores her answer and says, "I'm bored. Play with me."

"No. I don't want to…"

"Why not?"

"Because… I hate you," the girl spits. "It's all your fault that I have to suffer."

The girl with black hair takes a moment to answer before bursting into a fit of laughter. "It's all my fault? Hahaha~ you're too funny! Isn't it obvious… that you have always suffered since birth?" The girl sneers and says, "Oh, well! Nobody cares about a worthless doll like you!"

The girl snatches the novel out of the blonde's hands.

"Hey! Give that back!"

"Oh? You want it back? OK," the girl with black hair says. The girl then raises the book up above her head and acts as though she's about to hit the blonde. The blonde flinches out of fear of being hit. The girl chuckles and repeats the action. "I thought you said you want it back."

The blonde narrows her eyes and snarls at the girl in front of her. "Give it back!"

"Hmm…," the girl with black hair hums. A sadistic grin forms on her face and she begins tearing out pages of the book. The blonde gasps in disbelief. "Do you still want it back now?"

"Y-you…"

"This all could've been avoided if you had just listened to me from the start," the girl sneers.

"You… HOW COULD YOU DO THAT?!" the blonde yells. The blonde reaches for the book. Just as she's about to grab it, the other girl quickly moves to the side. The blonde falls and painfully hits the floor. The girl with black hair begins to kick her.

"Learn your place!"

The blonde starts to cry out in pain. Pathetic and weak, she seems similar to an abused puppy.

The girl with black hair climbs on top of her and starts hitting the blonde with the destroyed novel. "If you want it so badly, then here! TAKE IT!"

"Stop! Stop!"

"Not until you apologize!"

The blonde whimpers. Her pride won't allow her to apologize, but she knows she must for her own sake.

"Apologize!"

"I'm… sorry."

"Again!"

"I'm sorry…"

"Say it like you mean it!"

"I'M SORRY!"

The girl with black hair climbs off of her and says, "There. Now was that so hard, Marionette?"

The blonde keeps her gaze down. A trickle of blood drips down her forehead and lands on the polished floor. Her cheeks are tear-stained, her lip is busted, and her face is left with cuts and bruises. "...Don't call me that."

The girl with black hair looks at the blonde in confusion and wonders why she is only standing there. "What?"

"Don't call me that."

All of sudden, to the girl's surprise, the blonde tackles her to the floor. "DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

"Why do I always have to suffer because of you?! Why can't you just leave me alone?!" the blonde cries. The blonde starts to repeatedly punch the girl. "Why? Why? WHY?! WHY IS IT ALWAYS ME?! WHAT DID I EVER DO?!"

The girl beneath her starts to cry out in pain. "Stop! It hurts! STOP!"

All of a sudden, the door to the drawing room is abruptly opened. "What's going on here?!"

"Mother!" the black-haired girl cries. The blonde girl jumps off the girl with widened eyes.

"What happened?!" a young woman shrills.

The girl sniffs and rubs her eyes. "Alison attacked me!" The girl wails as she hugs her mother.

'…What? But you… started it.'

"What?! Why you little brat!" the woman yells. The woman then marches up to the blonde girl and shouts, "You! We took pity on you and this is how you repay us?! That's it!" The woman grabs the girl by the arm and says, "Obviously, you need to be re-educated!"

"N-no! She started it!" she cries.

"Enough! Everybody is tired of listening to your lies! You caused enough problems for everyone!"

"But I-"

"I said, ENOUGH! Your father will hear about this as well."

"No! Please don't! I didn't do anything! It was her! IT WAS ALL HER!"


I wake up in shock and my eyes widened. I look down and notice I'm still sitting at my desk with my notebook and pencils. Why… did I remember that? I don't want to think about that…

I dazedly look around and my room. Everything seems so blurry… After approximately five minutes, I start to become aware of my surroundings and senses. That sound… Chopin? I look around my room and notice that I left my music on. I must've fell asleep at my desk then… I slowly rise from my chair and begin to walk to my stereo to turn it off, but I begin to sway out of dizziness.

"…failure will not be tolerated."

Huh? I gasp and begin to tremble.

"…the Rose family is a prestigious family… Do not embarrass me any further."

What?

"Can't you stay out of trouble?! You're always causing problems for everyone!"

"…such hideous eyes."

"Learn your place!"

I begin shaking so much that I have to put my hands on my desk, in order to keep my balance.

Why… am I-

"Ahh!" I softly cry out in pain. I squeeze my eyes shut. All of these memories are bouncing around my head and dancing in and out of my mind. It… hurts… I purse my lips to suppress another cry.

"Alice… Do you like this song? It's Chopin's Nocturne No. 2 in E flat major."

"That… voice. It's the one I heard… that night," I gasp.

"…if my darling Alice thinks so, then it must be!"

I don't understand… Who are you? Why don't I remember?

"…if that's what my little Rose Princess wants… Your wish is my command… I love you, Alice…"

Love… me? How could anyone… love me?

My vision starts to focus and I look down at my open notebook. That's right… I wrote a poem. I read my poem to myself:

"Trying to belong,

I kept this mask on.

The sweet words long gone,

I wonder…, will you still listen to my song?"

My head starts to throb as I hear two familiar voices.

"…You promise you'll practice every day?"

"I promise!"

"Well, then I guess I have no choice…"

That's right… I made a promise, but… I haven't kept it. I'm sorry…, Father. Please forgive me…

I properly stand up and comb my fingers through my hair. I guess… I'll practice now.

I pick up my folder filled with music and quietly leave my room.


"I can't believe that girl! How dare she?!" Ruka yells with her hands on her hips.

"Now, now. Alison is a nice girl," Takuma cheerfully says with a joyful smile smeared on his face.

"Her?! Nice?! How?!" Ruka exclaims.

"Haha~ she just has a different way of showing it. Right, Senri?" Takuma says.

The apathetic merely shrugs and continues to eat his pocky.

"That girl is so irritating!" Ruka yells.

"She's irritating," Hanabusa says, "but that was hilarious back there. HAHAHA~ I can't believe she called you 'K9'!"

"Grr…"

"And then 'old hag'! HAHAHA~ why didn't I think of that?!" Hanabusa laughs.

"Because you're an idiot!" Ruka growls. "Why didn't I think of 'Aidiot'? It's perfect for you!"

"Why you! Ruka, do you want to die?!"

"Now, now. Let's all get along here," Takuma says. Takuma then notices something. "Kaname, is everything alright?"

Kaname closes his book and says, "Yes…, that girl-"

"Hmm… Alison?"

"Yes…, she seems rather interesting."

"…Kaname," Takuma says with a small, uncharacteristic frown on his face.

Ruka makes an inaudible growl and her face contorts to a frown. "Why that girl… Troubling Lord Kaname like this. I'll never forgive her!"

"Calm down. Frowning like that will only give you wrinkles," Akatsuki muses.

Hanabusa falls out laughing. "HAHAHA~ He said it!"

"You know what?! Mind your own business!" Ruka yells.

Senri slowly rises from his seat and heads to the door. Rima looks at him curiously and ponders if he's going to leave class again.

"Senri?" Takuma asks.

The model ignores him and the stares of the other students and calmly strolls out of the classroom.


Where is it? It has to be somewhere around here… I slowly walk through the halls of Cross Academy without making a sound. I've never been to a school that doesn't have one. I take a corner in hopes of finding what I'm looking for and look up at a door. I wonder… I shake my head. Might as well give it a try. I carefully open the door and peek inside the room. This is it. I walk in with my folder pressed to my chest. My jaw drops in awe. Amazing…

To the side of a large window, is a grand ebony piano. The large elegant window beside the piano reveals the beautiful night. I can clearly see the crescent moon and the twinkling stars. The trees gently sway; their leaves gracefully dangling appear as though they are dancing. It truly is a beautiful night. A beautiful night such as this deserves to be graced with only the finest music possible. Yes…, then this night truly would be perfect. The nightmares would end and an everlasting dream would appear. Yes…, tonight. I look around me and see a vase of lovely red roses on top of a pedestal. It only adds to the class of the room. It's… beautiful.

I walk over to the piano, but hesitate before sitting down.

"If you refuse to play the piano like a good girl, then I'll make it so you can't play the piano."

I shudder and tighten my grip on my folder.

"Alice… Do you like this song?"

I slowly tilt my head up. Pa… pa?

"…You promise you'll practice every day?"

My mouth falls open and begins to quiver. I raise a trembling hand to cover it. …Papa, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry… I can feel my eyes well up with tears, though not a single tear falls.

I can't cry. I refuse to cry. I have to be strong. I have to be… strong.

I remove my hand and gaze at the grand piano. I haven't kept my promise, but… if only once, I'll play for you. So, please…, will you still listen to my song?

I sit at the piano and take out my music. That song you played… was Chopin's Nocturne No. 2 in E flat major. It was so beautiful, but… I want to play you something else. I take out sheets of music and begin to play. Papa…, did you know that all this time… I have been so sad? The solemn melody takes over the room. The stars no longer look like bright lights in the sky, but rather crystal teardrops. The crescent moon, once was a smile, now is a frown. The trees look as though they sway in remorse. Their leaves, now weak, appear as though they are being pushed against their will. The wind has no mercy against such weak things. It only laughs at them and mocks them. I felt so alone… A gentle breeze now enters the room. I can feel it brush my skin and I can feel a shiver slide down my back. The scent of the crimson roses fills the room with their sweet scent. Why? Why did you le-

"-Alison?" says a blank voice.

I immediately stop playing upon hearing it. That voice… is it him? I timidly turn my head around and see that smug-ass model standing in the doorway. "W-what do you want?"

"What are you doing here?" he asks, ignoring my question. He enters the room with his hands shoved in his pockets. "…Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"Shouldn't you be in class?" I sharply ask. "How is what I do any of your business?"

He takes a moment to ponder and says, "Well…, couldn't I ask the same of you?"

"Grr… That's not the po-"

"-That song you were playing just now…," he interrupts. He takes a moment to study the piano. "…Was it-"

"-Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven?" I interrupt this time. "Yes…, why?"

He leans against the side of the piano and looks at me from the corner of his eye. "Nothing… It's just such a solemn song."

"And what's wrong with that?!"

"…Nothing," he answers. He looks as though he wants to say more, but he doesn't say anything.

I cast my gaze down and say, "…I just thought… it was perfect for tonight."

"…What makes you think that?"

"Because… it's such a- wait… I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU!" I yell, looking at him.

He only sighs and closes his eyes.

"…What are you doing here anyway?" I ask.

"…What are yo-"

"DON'T. DO. THAT. AGAIN." I command.

He looks at me as though he is challenging me and slightly raises an eyebrow. "…What are you doing here?"

"ARGH!" I yell as I rise from the piano bench and march in front of him. "I. SAID. DON'T. DO. THAT!"

He looks me dead in the eye and says, "Actually…, you said, 'don't do that again.'"

"YOU…, SMUG-ASS MODEL! YOU'RE PISSING ME OFF!"

He nonchalantly says, "That isn't new."

"Grr… THEN YOU'RE DOING IT ON PURPOSE?!"

He ignores me and asks, "Are you going to continue playing?"

"Am I going to continue playing? Let me guess… NO!"

"…Why not?"

"Why should I?"

"Why shouldn't you?"

"You…," I darkly say.

He continues to look at me and I can see the question in his eyes; "Why won't you continue playing?"

I sigh and say, "The mood… is completely ruined for me to play!"

"…Is it?"

"Yes!"

"…Why?"

"BECAUSE YOU'RE HERE, THAT'S WHY!"

He hums to himself and says, "Hmm… Then I guess you're not that great of a musician…, if you can't play in front of an audience, Napoleon."

*twitch* This guy… "Take. That. Back," I growl.

He takes a box of pocky out and starts eating the treat. He takes his time to answer and finally says, "….No."

"Grr… YOU'RE PISSING ME OFF!"

"Hey, Napoleon…" *twitch* "Why did you make such a sad face earlier?"

What? How does he- Why does he- I don't… get him.

I refuse to entertain his question and I look away from his piercing eyes that seem to see right through me.

"…Did something happen?"

"…No," I curtly answer. "That's none of your business anyway…"

He sighs and crosses his arms. "Alis-"

I start to walk away from him. "-You still didn't answer my question. Why are you here?"

"…I heard you playing."

"…I see."

A moment of silence comes upon us. He continues to eat his treat and I return to sitting at the piano.

"…You like the piano?" he asks.

I furrow my brows and take my time to answer. "…Truthfully, I do not know myself."

Senri slightly raises an eyebrow in confusion.

I continue, "I… hate the piano, but… I love it."

"…A contradiction."

"Yes, that's right… A contradiction. I despise… playing to please others, but I still love the piano. I love the beautiful sound it produces. I love… playing as me, not as someone else."

He looks at me intently for a couple of seconds and says, "I see… That… makes sense."

"Heh. Does it? I don't think I do."

"Why?" he softly asks.

"…I just don't."

Another pause comes between us before I disturb the silence by tapping a key. "…Do you like the piano?"

"…I guess."

This peaks my interest. "Really? Then… can you play?"

He takes a moment to answer before responding. "…..Yeah, I guess."

"Then play something," I order.

"…What?"

"Play something, anything."

He walks over to me and hesitates before shaking his head. "No… I rather hear you play."

"Ehh? Why n-"

"-You came here to play, right?" he asks. "…That's why you bought that music, right?" he adds. He doesn't wait for me to answer. "So… you should play…, not me."

I sigh and reluctantly say, "Fine…" I start thinking about what song I should play. I grab my folder and go through my pieces for piano. Looking at the piano, I ask, "…Will Chopin's Waltz in D flat major do?"

The apathetic model nods his head and patiently waits for me to start playing. I take a deep breath and begin.

After about two minutes, I finish and say, "There, satisfied?"

The model nods his head with a stick of pocky in his mouth.

"Good," I sigh. I look back at the piano. I still want to play…

"…You're not going to keep playing?" Senri asks.

I look back at him in shock.

"…Could it be because I am disturbing you?" he ponders.

I shut my eyes and ask, "Why the hell would you think that?" I don't give him a chance to answer. "You're not disturbing me…," I say as I open my eyes, "although…, I didn't expect anyone to show up."

He tilts his head and says, "Anyone would show up…"

"Huh? Why?" I ask, confused as to why he would think that.

"Because… you play so well."

I brush off his compliment and say, "I do not play well."

He shakes his head at me and says, "Yes, you do."

"No, I don't…," I reaffirm. "…I haven't practiced in a while. I'm... definitely not that great," I mutter.

He opens his mouth to say something, but I interrupt. "So… I just have to keep practicing, don't I?"

"I don't understand… Why do you insist on practicing so much?"

"Because… I made a promise," I vaguely answer with my bangs casting a shadow over my eyes.

He pauses before briefly closing his eyes and saying, "I see… Well…, don't push yourself."

I nod and begin to play Chopin's Grande Valse Brillante. I can feel Smug-ass model hovering behind me and his cold eyes piercing my back.

"…You must really like Chopin," interrupts a monotone voice.

Continuing to play, I ask, "You recognize the song?" I answer his question and say, "I do… Just not as much as someone else did."

"Hmm?"

"The person who taught me… loved Chopin."

Smug-ass model doesn't respond, but I can feel him walk closer to me. What the hell is he do-? Ehh? AHH!

All of a sudden I see another pair of hands playing along with me. Our fingers start to get tangled together.

"Take the high part," says a soft voice.

I snap my head around and look at Smug-ass model. "W-what are y-you doing?!" I stutter in shock. To my dismay, Smug-ass model came up behind me and started to play along with me. "Y-you know this isn't a d-duet, right?!"

"Yeah…, I know," he nonchalantly answers.

"Grr.. THEN WHY THE HELL ARE YOU PLAYING?!"

He slightly tilts his head away from the piano to look at me. I can feel his hair tickle my ear. "…Didn't you want me to play?"

"Y-yeah…, BUT NOT WITH ME!" I yell. "Grr… Move your hand! You're in the way! And- HEY! DON'T TAKE THE LEAD!"

He looks back at the piano and says, "Well…, we are playing a waltz… So isn't it only natural that I should lead?"

"Grr… YOU-"

"…What? The boy always leads…"

"Yeah…, well I like to be the dominant one!"

The apathetic model only sighs in response. "Napoleon…"

*twitch* "WHAT?! And stop calling me that!"

"…Be quiet." …Wha? "You're being so loud and noisy…" Grr… "You're ruining the mood." Grr… THE NERVE OF THAT GUY!

"Grr… How dare you say that I'm ruining the mood! I was here first!"

"…Didn't you say that I'm not disturbing you?"

"YouDON'T USE MY WORDS AGAINST ME!"

Senri just sighs again.

Our playing finally comes to an end. "Hmph! I can't believe you did that!"

The model ignores me and continues to play a different song. Ballade No. 4 in F minor…, Op. 52? Hmm… He's better than I thought, but there's no way he's better than me!

"…I'm not surprised you picked this song."

"Huh?"

"A light, soft, and calming song… yet sad and solemn at the same time. Somehow… it seems so very fitting."

"…Alison."

"It's a beautiful song, but… it is Chopin after all."

I can feel the emotionless boy nod behind me.

"You play… rather well, you know."

"…Thanks, but… I don't play as well as you."

I smirk. "Heh. Of course you don't! I'm way better than you! You're not even at my level! Consider yourself blessed to be able to play with someone as great as me!"

"…So arrogant," Senri sighs. *twitch* …What?

"What did you say?" I growl.

"I said, 'So arrogant,'" the model answers.

"Grr… WHY YOU! I'LL SHOW YOU 'ARROGANCE'!"

I interrupt his playing and begin to play Fantaisie-Impromptu.

"Hey…," he drawls.

"Hmph! It's what you get for insulting me!" I yell. I look at him and stick my tongue at him.

"Honestly…, how childish," Senri sighs.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!"

He sighs again and proceeds to play with me.

"HEY! DON'T PLAY WITH ME! YOU'RE GONNA RUIN IT!"

Senri looks me dead in the eye and stares at me. Grr… He's doing 'that' again. I stare back at him and refuse to look away first. Neither of us looks at the piano as we continue to play. I wonder how long he can keep up…

"…Will I… or will you, Napoleon?"

I crash my hands into the piano, creating a disturbing sound, and yell, "THAT. IS. IT!"

"What's going on here?" asks a familiar voice. Huh? Don't tell me… NOO! NOT THEM! I CAN'T TAKE MUCH MORE OF THIS!

The door opens to reveal the rest of the Night class. The rest being Mr. Happy-go-lucky, Wild, K9, Aidiot, and that girl… What was her name again? Rima, right? She… models with Senri.

"Takuma…," Senri says.

"Grr… More of you? What are you doing here? Just what the hell do you people want?" I snap.

"Haha~ we heard you guys playing and wanted to check it out!" Takuma answers.

"Well…, we heard you guys playing until we heard you yell," Akatsuki says.

I notice Rima looking at Senri, but then she looks at me. Why is she looking at me like I'm responsible for something bad? I didn't do anything…, so stop looking at me like I ran over your pet or something.

"Senri~ how much longer are you and Alison going to stay in that position?" Takuma teases. Huh? …This probably looks really odd to others. I can feel sweatdrops slipping down my head. I see… That's probably why that girl is looking at me like that.

Senri moves from behind me, but I notice that he takes a moment before he actually moves. I move my gaze to the other students. OK… Why are they looking at me so intently?

"…What?" I sigh.

"Who knew… that you could do something other than piss people off," Hanabusa answers.

"Grr… I don't want to hear that from you, Aidiot!"

"YouSTOP CALLING ME THAT! MY NAME IS HANA-"

"OK…"

"Huh?"

"Then would you prefer it if I called you, 'Hana'?"

The blond boy gapes at me and says, "YOU-"

"-I'm sorry, but you're interrupting me. All of you are," I interrupt. I proceed to play the piano again. "I was peacefully playing the piano and minding my own business until Smug-ass model showed up," I say while glaring at Senri.

Everybody looks to the boy, but he ignores their stares and starts to eat some pocky.

"You... Why were you here?! And why with her?!" Hanabusa asks.

"It's not fair that Senri got to spend so much time with Alison~" Takuma pouts. He walks up behind me with a stupid cheery smile on his face and places his hands on my shoulder. "I want to play the piano with Alison too…"

"HEY! DON'T INTERR-"

"Can you even play, Takuma…?" Senri asks.

"HEY!-"

Takuma nervously laughs and scratches the back of his head. "Ehehe… Well, no, but still…"

Everyone sweatdrops at the blond's stupid comment.

"Then what's the point of wanting to play with me if you can't?" I ask.

The optimistic blond smiles and chuckles, "Haha~ I just want to spend time with Alison!"

"…That's weird."

"Ehh?"

"I agree with her, something I thought I would never do," Ruka says. "That is weird. Why would anyone want to spend time with her?"

"Ruka…," Akatsuki scolds.

"Tch. I could say the same about you," I say back.

"HOW DARE Y-"

I stop playing the piano and nonchalantly say, "Honestly…, what a waste. You may have a pretty face…, but your personality is revolting. Why would anyone want to spend time with someone like you? They're likely to have their head bitten off just by being a foot away from you…, K9."

"YOU-"

"Pfft! HAHAHA~" Hanabusa starts to laugh. He begins to laugh so much that tears well up in his eyes and he holds his stomach in pain.

"HOW DARE Y-"

"Oh, I'm sorry," I apologize.

Everybody looks at me in confusion.

"I should've said that they would've turned to stone because of your fierce glare, Medusa."

"A-Alison…," Takuma scolds.

"HAHAHA~ GOOD ONE!" Hanabusa laughs.

"Why you-" Ruka says, but Akatsuki grabs her arm.

"Ruka, just let it go," Akatsuki says.

"But she-"

I stick my tongue at her and say, "Yeah… Just let it go."

"Grr…," she growls at me.

I look back at Takuma and say, "Well…, I should be going." I rise from the piano's bench, collect my music, and walk to the door.

"A-Alison?" Takuma asks in shock.

Along the way, I catch Senri's eye, but I continue to walk forward. I open the door and leave with a back wave. "Bye."


"Grr… What is up with that girl?!" Ruka yells, her face contorting to a scowl.

"Hahahaha~ I like her when she bothers you!" Hanabusa laughs with a cocky grin on his face.

"Grr… Of course you would!"

Akatsuki sighs at his cousins' antics and shakes his head.

"Alison is amazing!" Takuma exclaims.

"Huh?! Her?!" Ruka asks in shock.

"She can play really well! And doesn't she also play the violin?" Takuma asks looking at Senri.

The boy chews on a stick of pocky and says, "Yeah…, she does."

"Hmph! I'm surprised that girl can do anything!" Ruka yells.

"Now, now. Alison already left, so let's all head to class," Takuma says.

The other Night class students nod and leave the music room to head to class.

Senri takes one last glance at the piano before following his classmates. This doesn't go unseen by his friends, though. Rima narrows her eyes at Senri and Takuma gives him a knowing glance.


I enter my room and throw my music folder on my desk. I open my wardrobe and take out my nightshirt. I better go to bed… If I don't, then I'll probably wake up late and be super cranky. I change my clothes and slip into bed. I hope… I don't have another dream.


This morning, I am awakened by the blazing sun shining into my room instead of my alarm clock. I stretch my arms and yawn. Guess I better get ready for school. I clumsily climb out of bed and head into the bathroom for my morning routine.

What should I wear today? I look through my wardrobe. Hmm… I guess I'll wear the sweater vest again. I pull it out and look through my pairs of tights and stockings. Which one? These? I pull out a pair of sheer black tights with dark black hearts. I nod to myself in satisfaction and put on my uniform. I decide to pull my hair in a high side-ponytail. I place a white bow with a black heart in my hair and prepare to leave. I grab my bag, throw my headphones around my neck, and head out the door. To my surprise, once again someone is at my door, err…, a couple people are.

"Good morning, Alison!" Sakura greets.

I blink in confusion and say, "…Hi?" What the hell do you people want?

"Hehe~ we thought we could all walk to class together," Kimiko says. Yeah? Well I don't want to.

"Really? That sounds like a great idea! Hehe~ Thank you for waiting for me!" I say with a 'sweet' smile. I don't want to hang out with you people.

"It's no problem! We already had to wait for Emiko, who takes forever to get ready," Sakura says.

"Hey! I had to do my makeup!" Emiko snaps. Yeah… And you probably get up before all of us and still take the longest.

"Yeah, yeah. Cool it, Supermodel," Sakura teases.

"Hmph!" Emiko pouts.

"Erm… Let's go to the dining hall," Kimiko awkwardly interrupts.

I nod my head and 'cheerfully' say, "Yeah! Let's go!"


Class is now, thankfully, over. I winded up spending the whole school day with those girls. It was painfully exhausting. I had to pretend to listen to their gossip and pretend to be interested in whatever else they had to say. Then those guys decided to join in their pointless conversation. Honestly…, so stupid and annoying. I have no further need to interact with 'these' people. The girls start to excitedly run over to the Moon dormitory's gate, but I walk away from them.

Sakura notices me walking away and calls out to me. "Hey, Alison! Where are you going? Don't you want to see the Night class students?"

"Hehe~ I'd love to, but I have some things to do," I 'kindly' answer.

"Huh? Well, OK. Bye, Alison!"

"Bye!" I yell back. The gate of the Moon dormitory starts to open and the fangirls start to scream. Ugh… I better hurry up and get out of here. I speedwalk back to my dorm room and try to ignore the commotion that is going on behind me. It feels like someone is looking at me… I refused to turn around and look back and continued to move forward. Little did I know that a pair of slate blue eyes were following my every movement.

I walk into my dorm and room and toss my school bag on my bed. I grab my bag for dance and grab my things. Let's see… Leotard? Check. Tights? Check. Hairpins? Check. Shorts? Check. Wait… Will they even let me wear them? I guess I'll bring a skirt, just in case… What else do I need? Oh, that's right! How could I forget? Shoes. And check. That should be everything… I hope. I better bring a bottle of water and a hoodie, just in case. Alright, I'm ready to go!

I grab my bag and run out the door. I hope I do well…


I take a deep breath and walk through the doors of the dance academy. I see Sylvie talking with another instructor, but she catches me walking inside.

"Alison! You came!" she excitedly says.

"Yeah… Is it OK if I start today?" I ask.

"Of course it is!" she says with a big smile. "Go change right away."

I start to walk to the changing room, but I stop at the sound of Sylvie's voice.

"And one more thing, Alison… Don't think I forgot about what happened last time."

I gulp and nervously walk into the changing room. Please don't kill me…


The lovely sound of a piano is heard in a grand dance room. The soft accompanying music bounces off the mirrors in the room. Graceful dancers practice along a ballet barre. Commands and encouragement is heard over the music.

"-Demi-plié. Move with your hand. Good. Grand-plié. Slowly come up. Now, relevé. Yes, beautiful! Now, ports de bras. Follow your arm. Yes. Good, Alison."

The music slowly comes to an end.

A tall, pale woman with her lavender hair pulled back in a bun says, "Very good, everyone. Let's practice rond de jambe. Start with rond de jambe à terre three times, then rond de jambe en l'air four times around, then demi-grand rond de jambe three times, and finish with grand rond de jambe five times around. Repeat that two times."

"Yes, madam."

I am currently in ballet class. Apparently we are allowed to wear lounge shorts and Sylvie said it's OK if we wear a zip-up hoodie because it's a little cold. I'm still a little nervous because I don't know anyone. At least Sylvie's here…

I gracefully move my left leg.

"That's it. Brush your foot through first position."

I… have to be the best. I will be the best. I… definitely will be. I promise…, Mother.


"We are now going to dance across the floor," Sylvie announces. Huh? "Alison, why don't you go first?" What?!

"Yes, madam," I politely answer. Ugh… I don't want to go first. I gingerly piqué across the floor and stop once I come near the center. I… want to dance my dance. I start to gently move my arms as if they are wings. As if they are the wings of a swan. That's right… I'm like the ugly duckling. I'm always made fun of for my hideous eyes. I'm always being compared to 'her'. I'm… not pretty enough, but… one day people will think I'm beautiful too…

I bourrée en couru backwards and continue to lightly flap my wings. It's funny really… In a way, I am like Odette. We may have wings, but we can never fly far. As graceful as we may be, we are still locked up in a wrought-iron cage… We were both taken. We both live in misery… and foolishly hope for a better future, but… there is no bright future. Not for us, at least. We will always live in despair even after our death. Heh. Death… we'll both have tragic deaths…, won't we? The only difference between us… is that I don't have a prince. But I don't need one... A prince was the cause of Odette's despair and tragic death...

I return to where I was and gently bourrée en couru around in a circle to face the wall. I then go into an arabesque and elongate my arms above my head. I chaînés tournes across the floor and plié to leap into a grand jeté en arrière. I chassé backwards and ease into a pirouette. I lightly sway my hands above my head and piqué back in a circle. Once I reach the center, I gracefully raise my arms above my head and bend my knee as if I was going to curtsy, but I do not rise. I gently lower my arms and my head to signal the end of my performance. I wonder… do I dance as well as you…, Mother? I am interrupted by the sound of applauds. Huh? I slowly rise and look around.

"…Why… is everyone clapping?" I quietly ask.

"That was amazing, Alison! Simply amazing!" Sylvie praises. "I knew you would be great, but that was better than I expected! You completely captured the innocence and loss hope of Odette and made it your own. Excellent job, Alison!"

"T-thank you, madam," I stutter. The other students walk over to me to congratulate and praise me.

"Wow, you're amazing!"

"I didn't think you would be that good…"

"Not bad, newbie."

"That was beautiful!"

"Where did you study?"

"Umm…" I'm starting to feel overwhelmed. "I studied in France… because I'm French."

"Wow… You're French."

"No wonder she's so good."

"Wow… I wish I could've studied in France."

I sweatdrop feeling overwhelmed by everyone's comments and start to slowly back away until I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"That was really good, Alison," Sylvie says. "I'm impressed."

"…Thank you, but… it's not good enough."

"Huh?" she asks with widened eyes.

"No…, it's nothing."

She gives me a long look before narrowing her eyes and continuing class.

Why did she give me that look?


"Well, that's all for class today," Sylvie cheerfully says.

Everyone leaves with a "Good bye, madam."

I walk into the changing room to change into my uniform and grab my things. Some of the girls praise me, but most of them glare at me. Umm… should I be sorry? Whatever. I don't have time for this.

I take my bun down and put my sweater vest on. There… I better leave before these girls kill me. I scurry out of the room with my bag in tow and run into Sylvie.

"Madam?"

"Alison! Let's walk back together!" Sylvie happily says. Walk back together?

"…What are you talking about? What do you mean 'walk back together'?" I ask, confused as to what she means.

"Hehe~ I can tell by your uniform that you are a student at Cross Academy. I have to go there too," She giggles.

Huh? "…Why?"

"Because I work there!" she answers with a smile. I just stare at her. "What? Hmph! What's wrong with having two jobs?! Teaching doesn't pay that well!"

We start to walk out the doors of the dance academy.

"…I see. I didn't know you worked there…," I say.

"Of course you didn't! I teach the Night class," she answers.

"Oh… Then shouldn't you be there now?" I ask.

She shakes her head and says, "No, my class is late at night."

"I see…, but isn't it irritating having to work so late?"

"Heh. No, it's irritating having to work early. I could never teach the Day class, not that I would be allowed to anyway, but I would never choose to."

"Huh? What do you mean 'it's irritat-'"

"-So Alison, is there anyone in the Night class that you like?" Sylvie teasingly interrupts.

I look at her from the corner of my eyes and say, "…No, I don't like anyone."

She stops walking and says, "Ehh?! Really?!"

I kick a pebble on the sidewalk and say, "They're all cocky and annoying."

She catches up to me and asks, "Really? Well, did you know that some of them have been talking about you lately?"

I look at her in shock and ask, "They have? What… have they been saying?"

"Heheh~ you're curious, aren't you? Well, too bad!" Huh? "I'm not going to tell you!"

Grr… "I think the reason why people think you're so young is because you act like a child," I bitterly say.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!"

"Well… I should be going," I say as I walk away from her.

"Grr… Get back here, Alison! It's dangerous!"

"Yeah, yeah. You're just saying that because you're scared, aren't you kid?" I yell back.

"GrrGET BACK HERE!" Sylvie angrily yells as she runs after me.


"Well, I need to hurry to my class. Hurry up and go to bed, Alison. Make sure you get plenty of rest," Sylvie says.

"OK… Good night and good luck with your class, Sylvie."

"Haha~ Thanks! Bye, Alison," she says while running away with a smile and a wave.

"Bye…," I weakly say with a slight wave.

I sigh to myself. I don't want to go to sleep… I'm scared I'm going to have another nightmare. I walk away from the dorms, past the fountain, and make my way through the endless maze of greens and browns. I carefully walk over tree roots and push tree branches out of my way. I finally reach the clearing with the beautiful glistening lake. I sigh in relief. I found it…

"…What are you doing here, Napoleon?" questions a blank voice. Ehh? Napoleon?

I walk further into the clearing and peek around the tree. I see that stupid smug-ass model leaning against it with his hands behind his head. "-Smug-ass model?!"

"Yo," he nonchalantly answers.

"Grr… What are you doing here?"

"Didn't we already have this conversation? I told you… this is my spot."

"Grr… Yeah? Well, I don't see your name anywhere!"

The apathetic model takes a moment to ponder this and says, "…Touché, but… it's not your spot either… and I was here first." Grr… Why you… The boy merely ignores my growing anger and sticks a pink piece of pocky in his mouth. "…Want some?" Senri asks while holding a stick out.

Well… he is offering food… "Fine…," I sigh and bite the pocky. I sit beside him and watch the stars. A peaceful moment comes between us until he quietly speaks up.

"…Alison?"

"What?" I sigh.

"…Why aren't you in your room? And why do you have that bag?" Senri asks.

"You're asking too many questions," I sharply say with my eyes closed. Senri opens his mouth to respond, but I cut him off. "I'm not in my room because I don't want to be in my room. And I have this bag because I'm carrying several things. There, happy?" I ask and open my eyes.

Senri meets my gaze and raises an eyebrow at me.

"What?" I ask, questioning why he gave me that look.

"I didn't say anything…"

"I know you didn't, but you gave me a look… Why?"

"What look are you talking about?"

"ARGH! FORGET IT! I WAS JUST WONDERING WHY YOU RAISED YOUR DAMN EYEBROW!" I yell in frustration.

As I'm about to get up to leave, Senri says, "Because… I could tell that you were lying."

"Excuse me?"

"That's not the real reason why you're not in your room… You also avoided answering the second question."

I look at the emotionless boy in shock. "How did y…" I stop myself and decide to say something else. "S-so what if I lied?! T-that's none of your business!"

His gives me another long look and sighs. He moves his gaze to my bag and asks, "Do you dance?"

"Do I-? Y-yes…, I do."

"…I see."

"…Do you dance?"

"Huh?"

"Do you dance?"

"…No, not really. It's tiring and exhausting…," Senri answers as he brushes a hand through his hair.

"That's not true! It can be tiring after several hours, but it's really fun!" I argue.

The boy just gives me another long look and says, "…I guess. So you like to dance or… is it another contradiction?"

My eyes widen in awe. How… did he know again? "I-it's… a contradiction."

Senri nods his head and says, "I see…" He opens his mouth to say something else, but the serenity of the clearing is interrupted by a loud scream.

"What was that?!" I ask in shock. I leap up off the ground and take off sprinting towards the direction the scream came from. I wonder what happened… I hope everyone is alright…

I keep running and get lost in a blur of browns and greens, but I refuse to stop moving. I have to find out what happened. I have to… make sure everyone is alright. I continue to sprint until a hand pulls me back by my wrist.

I look back at who grabbed me and see Smug-ass model. "YouJUST WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

"Shouldn't that be my line?"

"What do you… mean?"

"Why did you take off running?"

"Because someone screamed… They probably need help. We have to go find out what's going on!" I answer. I try to pull my arm out of Senri's grip, but he refuses to let go.

He shakes his head out me and says, "It's probably just some Day class students that were caught by the disciplinary committee."

All of a sudden, we hear a loud gunshot. I gasp in shock. What the hell is going on here?! I struggle against Senri's tightened grip and try to run away to find out what's going on. "Senri, let me go!"

"No…"

"Senri! We have to find out what's going on!"

He shakes his head at me and asks, "Why are you so adamant about finding out what's going on?"

"Because someone may be hurt! Now let me go!"

"Even if you went over there… what could you do? How could you help?"

"I-"

Senri interrupts me and continues to speak. "That was obviously a gunshot… What would you do about it? What could you do about it? …You couldn't do anything."

"You… You don't know that!"

"I do know that. You can't even get out of my grip, so how would you be able to help?"

"I can get out of your grip!" I fight back.

"You can't… That's why it's pointless to run over there… You would only get hurt. Why would you want to risk yourself to danger?"

I look down at the ground and grit my teeth. "Because… Even if it's pointless, I still want to try. You're right… I may not be able to help…, but we don't know that yet. If I can help… even just a little bit, even if it means risking my life…, then I would do it without a second thought."

Senri loosens his grip on me and lowers our arms. He looks me dead in the eye and says, "…Then, you're an idiot."

"You're right… I'm an idiot…, but that doesn't change anything. I would still rush out to help even at the cost of my own life."

He starts to pull me back to the direction of the clearing. "You may be an idiot…, but you're a kind idiot."

"I am not kind," I firmly say.

"You are… Why don't you think so?" he asks, looking back at me.

"…Why do you think so? You don't know me that well."

"…You're right… I don't, so… let's get to know each other better."

I look up at him in shock. I stare at the back of his head and continue to follow him through the forest. "…You would hate me if you got to know me better."

He looks back at me and asks, "Why would you think that?"

"I told you… Because I'm not a nice person…"

Senri sighs and says, "Fine…, you're not a nice person." He stops walking and stares at the ground. "…You're just nicer than most people." He continues to walk again with my wrist still in his hand.

I sigh, "Why are you so adamant about me being nice?"

"Why are you so adamant that you're not?"

"Not this again…," I say as I rub my temple with my free hand.

We finally reach the clearing and Senri says, "…I'm not going to change my opinion."

"You're so stubborn…," I sigh.

"So are you."

"Fine! We're both stubborn! Happy now?"

Senri sighs and picks up my dance bag… that I accidently left. Whoops… He throws my bag over his shoulder and starts pulling me away.

"Hey… What are you doing?"

He looks at me from the corner of his eye and says, "I'm walking you back to your dorm…"

"…Why?"

"So you'll go to sleep," he bluntly answers.

I sigh and say, "This again…"

He continues to drag me until we reach the entrance of the Girls' Sun dormitory.

He lets go of my wrist and hands me my bag. I take my bag and prepare to walk inside, but he stops me.

"…Make sure you get plenty of rest. Sleep well, Alison."

I swiftly turn around and look back at him in shock. "…O-OK. T-Thank you…"

He nods his head and starts to walk away. He gives me a back wave before putting his hands in his pockets.

I sigh to myself. That boy… is so weird. I walk through the doors of the Sun dormitory and sneak into my room. I toss my bag to the side and throw my school bag off my bed. I wash my face and change into my night shirt before slipping into bed and falling asleep.

~Sweet dreams, our dear Marionette. Tell me, is it better to be happily foolish and believe in lies or is it better to know the truth and live in constant torment?~


A/N: Ok, so that's the end of Chapter 7. Did you like it? I hope you did! I'm so sorry for this chapter being late, so I tried to compensate by making this chapter as long as possible. By the way… There is no way to rant during a review. There just isn't, so don't worry about it and if you are worried that you are ranting, then please continue to rant XD Anyway…
*Please read* I am considering creating an "Ask Alison Corner". Basically, in your reviews you can ask Alison whatever you want. You can even tell her things or even give her things. I'm sure she would appreciate some cakes ;D However, please note that she cannot give information on things she does not know. If you ask her about her past, she can't respond because she doesn't know her past. Also, she cannot comment on future events because they haven't happened yet. You can ask her about future events that she knows about, like her sister coming to Cross Academy. Also, if you're gonna ask how she feels about Senri, then I'm going to tell you now that she can only answer how she's feeling at the moment or what stage they are at. So… please don't be upset if you don't get the response you want or were expecting ( ._.) If Alison receives enough questions, then this will be added immediately to the next chapter ^_^ So please ask some!

*Please read this too* As you all know, Alison's past is a mystery. She does not know what happened to her, she isn't even sure what happened to her parents. She only knows what others tell her and she can only go based on what they say and her memories. I'm sure you all are starting to form an idea of what happened to her. That's good. I want you all to start questioning what happened to her and what is truth and what is false. Please don't post your theories yet. I want you all to wait before you do that. In the future, I will give an introduction in the beginning of a chapter (you'll know when you see it). After that, I will ask you all to post your theories or questions. Know that if you post a question it will not be answered. This wouldn't be fun nor interesting if you knew right away, right? Anyway, the point of this is so it feels as though you are unraveling the truth of Alison's past with her. I hope that you all will eventually take part in this. It should be fun ^_^ I also recommend that when the time comes that you read other people's comments/theories and see what other people think. By the way, you're welcome to make wild guesses, but it's better to have evidence to back up your theory. Additionally, your theory can change over time. Haha~ there's no rules or anything! Also know that false information may be shown even as one of Alison's nightmares. It's your job as readers to decide whether you want to believe something or not. Start questioning things, start asking 'why' and 'how'. I hope you all participate! Remember, don't post them yet!


Review corner: Thank you soo much for reviewing! Today's treat is… Macarons! Please enjoy ^_^

Incendo: OMG Alison was not raped! Aww… You can hug-I meant you can't hug Alison. She's threatening me right now TT_TT I'm glad that you are becoming attached to Alison. You should hate those people XD Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and continue to read Marionette

FanGirl1567: Yeah! Way to show Ruka who's boss! XD Yay! I'm glad you love the suspense! It just makes everything more awesome XD Hehe~ Again, Alison is not related to Rido at all! I generally don't answer questions, but I'll make an exception for that one. I hope you liked this chapter

princess240: I. Finally. Updated! I know it took me forever X( Anyway, I hope you are satisfied with the SenrixAlison moments in this chapter. We all feel bad for Alison TT_TT

Twilight Dark Angel: I'm glad you love it ^_^ OMG I didn't realize it was similar to Pandora Hearts until you mentioned it O_o I can assure you that "Alice" being Alison's nickname is purely a coincidence, plus, you don't even pronounce it the same way :D

Zeroishot: LOL nice username XD Thank you for reading Marionette and giving it a try

Its a Christine: Ugh… My computer wants to change your username to "It's a Christine" X( Annoying computer! LOL Anyway, thank you for complimenting my fanfic ^_^ I'm glad you like Alison and the story! OMG "Aidiot" too funny XD Yeah, I know what you mean. I do not intend to rush this story at all. It just wouldn't be as great. Anyway… Oh, you just proved Alison wrong! Alison is gonna be so mad! XD

Twinwolfsister: Oh trust me… Alison can be scary kekeke XD I'm glad you like the story so far and continue to read Marionette! ^_^


Sylvie: Well, that's the end of the chapter. Please leave a-

Alison: -Nobody wants to hear that from an old lady

Sylvie: WHAT WAS THAT?!

Alison: Well, I'm just saying that if you're not a kid then you're obviously an old lady

Sylvie: WHY YOU!

Takuma: Erm… Should we do something?

Senri: How troublesome… It's best to not get involved ( -_-)

Takuma: *sweatdrops* But someone has to say-

Hanabusa: Hello, ladies~ please leave a review and continue to read Marionette

Senri: ...There. Problem solved ( -_-)

Takuma: *sweatdrops*