DISCLAIMER: I don't own Gakuen Alice
REMINDER: If you read this story, please don't forget to leave a review... It would really be appreciated...
"...."- talking
'...' - thoughts
flash backs and Mikan's dream sequence? I don't really know what you call it, hm... like personal views.
CHAPTER 8: REVEALED
The moment I opened my eyes, I saw was myself in the center of ominous darkness. Amidst the darkness were soft bubbles surfacing. The only light at the moment was my pale complexion, contrasting the blackness of my torture. It was sad to tell you the truth- there was no one there to accompany me. I was alone, waiting for… what?
My death?
My savior?
My redemption?
What exactly was I waiting for?
[--
"I know there's something you're hiding from me." the amethyst eyed girl looked at her teacher with a cold glare. Her fists were clenched tightly at her sides and her brows furrowed deeply when she heard no answer from her adviser. "Now, Hotaru-chan. There's no need for hostility."
"Cut the act Narumi-san, you know I know exactly what I'm talking about." Anger was evident in the voice of Hotaru as she sought desperately for the answers she needed. The moment she saw Natsume running inside the medical facility of the academy with Mikan unconscious in his arms, she saw nothing but red. She was angry at herself for not stopping Mikan. She was angry at Natsume for not protecting her. But mostly, she was angry at the faculty for not telling her a thing about Mikan's unknown past.
Hell right. She knew everything what was going around the academy, special thanks to her inventions. She knew that Andou was the one who found the secrets of Mikan before relaying the information to the faculty. She knew about the upcoming interrogations and possible punishment if Mikan wasn't truthful to the faculty. She knew mostly what was going on, yet she remained quiet for most of the time.
"Mikan-chan is currently-" Narumi closed his eyes before looking at the eyes of Hotaru's. "She's suffering from over-strained usage of her alice, right? But her condition's stable, right?" Hotaru's voice wavered silently.
"Yes, her condition has been better than worse and there's nothing to fear about." Narumi explained with a soft smile. "But I'm afraid that her alice is…"
"What exactly are you talking about?" Hotaru inquired, her voice laced with heavy sadness and guilt for the best friend she couldn't help. Mikan had asked her to watch her back yet, she wasn't able to tell her or direct the enemy. "Follow me, Imai-san."
[--
In every end of the journey, the only thing that became apparent in my vision was the sight of blood. The blood always overflows to the point that it'd touch the sole of my feet. No matter how much I try to wash my feet and hands, the red stain never seems to be gone. It's always there, no matter what I try to do. I tried my best to remove them. I tried my best to rid them. But, no matter, it still remains like an ugly scar.
Every time I stare at familiar faces, the red stain is visible on their faces. I don't fear blood, but I fear their lives. I fear what may happen to them if I were to stay beside them. Hotaru, Narumi-san, Anna-san, Ruka-pyon, everyone has blood on them. I cannot comprehend anything what my mind supplies to me. I had come to the conclusion that my hallucinations had been a plausible reminder of my past life.
No matter how strong I am, yet in this nightmare that I'm trapped within now, even I cannot escape this.
--
The night was dark and the only thing that mattered to me at the moment was the hand that held mine so tight. The girl in front of me, my elder twin sister, was running so hard that her breaths came out in 'puffs'. The green fields and white flowers surrounded us as we planned our escape. At the moment, my body was tired and I tried my best to keep up with the pace my sister.
"Hold on," I vaguely registered the voice of my sister, not far from me. "We'll get there soon, please hold on."
I merely stared at my sister before blinking. Though I was the one who initiated the escape, my body was too tired to even run at the moment. I was too tired. The experimentations' effects were taking in and using my alice against the guards inside the mansion was not a good idea too.
"They're here," Miku whispered before stopping, I on the hand tripped on my feet. Miku stared at me quietly with calculative eyes, her expression akin to guilt and sorrow. What was happening with her? Was something going on? Did she foresee that something bad was going to occur? I didn't understand.
"Miku…?" I asked, quite unsure of her feelings. They were mixed emotions. Sadness, tiresome, troubled, sorrow, pain, exhaustion. Turning my head to the other direction, I saw the guards coming quickly. I tried to stand, I did. But, my body didn't listen. My body was disobeying my orders; it's as if someone was controlling my movements. I felt empty and gone. "Get out of here Miku, I'll hold them off as long as I could."
"No," Miku answered with small tears forming at the corner of her eyes. She knelt down towards me and took my hand, placing them on either side of her cheeks. "I'm sorry Mikan, but the future was in set. I couldn't do anything, I'm sorry Mikan. I'm really sorry. I'll have to leave you."
"Then go," I told her passively. "As long as you're alive and safe, I'll be fine. I'll escape again then we'll be together again."
Miku could only shake her head as tears beautifully cascaded down her cheeks. "We were born together, but we will live and die separately. I knew this and I know this. This is the prophecy written for us. The other will have to go while the other will have to face the world with a heavy task. You, my Mikan, were bound for greater deeds while I will have to watch you from afar."
"No, that's not possible… Miku, you're talking nonsense…"
But as quickly as that, Miku was gagged by those guards. The very guards that I came to hate and loathe. The anger that I have tried to held back for so long… unleashed alongside with my alice. Everyone screamed… even my sister and I screamed. I didn't know what happened.
When I opened my eyes, I just wished I hadn't. The guards were all down. The flowers that were once white turned red with blood. And my sister… was down with blood oozing from her abdomen. The wind that blew the fields was cold and chilling… I was scared.
"Miku…!" I crawled going to my sister. There was so many blood coming from Miku's lithe form… My mind was blank. I couldn't think, except preserving what little life Miku had left. I softly placed Miku's head on my lap.
"I told you… didn't I? But even in the end, you're still… stubborn." Miku breathe softly before placing a hand to my shaky one. "You're not alone…"
At that moment, my body felt numb along with the remnants of my emotions. I knew that they were long gone because this person… this person on my lap was taking them with her. Without her, life was meaningless. Without my stigmatic twin, there was no purpose. There were no longer tears awaiting the death of my sister. There was no guilt. There was no sadness. There was nothing. I couldn't feel anything any longer. I could only watch my sister as she writhe in pain.
"Listen Mikan… Only you are the one capable of saving yourself. You are not essentially gone, but at the moment yes, but not for long. Your heart can only be there once you learn to accept the person who cares for you and cherishes you. Only you are the one, who forces yourself to suffer like this. No one has no heart; even the coldest of person has a heart. If someone learns to care, love, cherish and protect, and you accept them, that is the only time that you will be free from your Alice's Phases. Please remember them…" Miku whispered softly as a tear escape her lid. Placing a soft hand to my cheeks, she wiped the trail of dirt not realizing the stain of red she left.
"Do not blame yourself for every mistake… And foremost, do not dwell…"
As the wind blew across the field, the red petals flew across the sky. Somehow, it felt like snowing. But every white snowflakes I see, there was blood in it… It was an odd sight, white tainted with blood like I tainting my sister. Every time the wind blew, I knew that my innocence was no longer a treasure I kept… It was stolen from me, and more importantly, it was stolen through my sister because the 'bad guys' knew that she was the only treasure I had left.
--
Each time I recall that memory, I am forced to detach myself to society. Withdrawing from the human social circle had been my choice… No, it was never a choice. It was a necessity to detach myself from them in order to protect the treasure of other people. The blood that tainted the white lilies reminds me of the death of my sister. Reminds me how corrupted I really was; that I was no longer innocent.
Everything was blank when that incident happened. I no longer bare the conscience of it, but I didn't understand what happened to me and to my Alice. Up to this moment, what happened back there remains a mystery. But there was only thing that I was certain about…
I killed my sister with my alice…
[--
The white door opened softly, letting small light lit the dark room. The room was cold, uncanny and eerily silent. 'What else is to expect from a patient's room?' the young girl who entered the room thought humorously.
True, the room was gloomy and a loom of tension set itself in the atmosphere. But the atmosphere didn't bother the sleeping girl in the bed covered in white sheets. Nor was she perturb by the endless 'beeping' of the heart monitor. She was peacefully sleeping, as if dead but the layer of sweat appearing on her forehead tells otherwise.
Hotaru neared the patient before plopping herself on the seat; her eyes heavy with unshed sorrow and guilt. "Mikan," she called to the sleeping girl. "How is it that you've come to keep these things hidden? How can I help you?"
No reply.
"This attitude is what I really hate. Taking all the responsibilities in your shoulders and never telling those people who are close to you a thing… I wonder how is it that Miku was able to endure your stubborn attitude." Hotaru stated before taking Mikan's hand under the bed sheets. She pulled Mikan's hand close to her cheeks. "Can I at least take a bit of your suffering?" she asked, not noticing the small tear that fell.
[--
'Can I at least take a bit of your suffering?'
Hotaru?
No… I cannot allow that, for the burden cast upon my shoulders is mine alone.
Because in the end, no matter how much I maltreat you, you are one of the people I chose to cherish… that's why I can't and won't allow you to steal the heavy burden cast upon my shoulders… This is my journey alone for my guilty sins… Because, once your hand is stained by countless flow of blood, you're never human once again. Instead, you're a filth of trash ready to be disposed anytime.
[--
Heavy lids started to open, revealing bright brown orbs. Tilting her head a bit, the young girl on the covers looked at her side to see no one. The dark night was not supplying any comfort for her glazed eyes.
"You're not supposed to be moving yet, Mikan." a husky voice reprimanded the girl under the sheets softly. "I'm surprised that you're able to wake up despite your condition."
Mikan let out a soft sigh before acknowledging the voice, "Andou-sempai, so we meet again. Are you going to reprimand me for not joining the extra classes? As my senior, are you going to punish me for my transgression?"
"Stop playing Mikan," Andou said with strained voice. "There's no need to hide everything, I know exactly who you are…"
"Do you now…? Are you sure you know me inside-out? Do you really know me who I am?"
"What happened? You were never like this I-"
"Stop talking Tsubasa-san." Mikan glared at Andou, her eyes glazing with fires and anger. "She was never there. No matter what you do, the girl whom you thought I am will never come back. She no longer lives."
"How come you never tell me? Did you plan on telling me? More importantly, do you plan on telling Natsume all of this?" Andou asked.
Mikan closed her eyes and gave a soft sigh. "I knew, from the start that by coming to this place, the identity that was long gone, would be remembered." she said softly. "It would have been better if you were not so nosy, Andou. Some things are better left unsaid and forgotten, you're very life can be in danger."
"What are you planning exactly? You were never like this before. I thought that when I get to see you, you would-"
"I would what? Be like what I used to be after all what's been happening around me lately? As time passes, you changed along with it. I no longer bare conscience and innocence. They are long gone." Mikan told him with a sigh. "The moment my hands were stained, I no longer remained humane. My humanity died too. Taking innocent lives for another life and doing so without guilt is not what you consider human."
Andou walked across the bed of Mikan and stared at her, hard. His eyes were glazed a bit of melancholic and anger. "I'm sorry… I-I-"
"It's too late to apologize, now. Your parents died in the hands of the AAO because they knew what the twins were capable of. At that time, you were no longer there. You were taken by the Academy and remain oblivious to the happenings outside the academy. It cannot be help." Mikan mused, her eyes dulled for a moment. "Even in their last breath, they insisted on saving the twins, Ren and Rin. A parent's love for their children; how ironic."
"It was never my intention to tell you anything from the start, that's the truth of it all. My secrets are mine alone and I will do as I please. No matter what you do to me or the faculty for that matter, I won't relay any information about it. If you stay in my way and go against me, I won't hesitate to kill you."
Andou cast his head down. "How crude," he whispered. "Even if you say such thing, I know that you're still there. You can't kill me. No matter what happens, you're still that person I'm looking for because the past is who made you. You are and forever and still is-"
"I am no longer her, Andou. After all this, not a person will remember me anyway. That's my way."
"How can you decide things on your own!? Do you think I will let you go ahead and do whatever it is you're planning!?" Andou clenched the hospital gown of Mikan. "I've been trying so hard to find you! Every mission, I made sure to do it earlier before asking your whereabouts to any people! I've been risking my life for every single mission because I was looking for you! Why can't you appreciate anything around you anymore!? Are you that heartless already?!"
Mikan gave a soft smile to Andou, akin to sadness and sorrow. Her hardships and pain all reflected in that single smile. "I lost everything, Andou-sempai."
Andou's eyes widened a bit, his hands relaxing from its hold. Without thinking, he pulled Mikan into a hug. Her face buried deep into his muscled tone chest. Andou held her tight, not knowing what to do. The moment she said that phrase, it was heartbreaking. No matter how much a person changed, their vital organ is the heart. If too much pain is inflicted, it causes depression that sometimes leads to death.
"Please don't look at me with those eyes," he begged helplessly while hugging his sister tighter.
'What is this feeling? My chest… it feels as if it's in pain yet there are no wounds. It's warm and painful like fire…' Mikan thought while narrowing her eyes. Unconsciously, she placed her arms around Andou and closed her eyes. Every second passed made her sleepy and the warmth radiated from Andou didn't seem to extinguish. With the last ounce of strength, she whispered, "I no longer bear you name. Please do not acknowledge me as that girl."
Andou gently placed Mikan's body to the bed and tucked her in. He gave a sad smile before placing a soft kiss to her forehead. "You may think as that but even so, the blood that flows within you doesn't change a thing. From now on, I'll protect you, no matter the cost of it. After all, I may not be 'idealic' person you sought for but no matter what name you change; you will forever and will still be, my dearest younger sister, Ren."
[--
"I hope for your safety, Miss Sakura."
Mikan ignored the nurse behind her. The fact that, that nurse was fretting and fearful was grating on her nerves. True that their first encounter was not pleasurable and civilized but what's past is in the past. After all, that's how she deals with people who take her without her consent. She remembered that day where she threatened her with the needle. How delightful.
Descending the stairs, Mikan tilted her head and stared at the blue sky. The wind blew softly against her skin, ruffling her hair in the process. Mikan closed her eyes in pain. "The light was never my friend," she whispered.
[--
"There she is, the legendary ice princess Sakura Mikan, partner to the heartless Hyuuga Natsume." a voice whispered softly to his companion.
The companion nodded his head. "Yeah," he agreed before taking his camera out. "Who would have thought that seeing her from afar would be exciting and thrilling? Man, check her out. Her pale skin, emotionless face, I could see why people are scared of her."
"But, that just adds another reason why we should do this and convince other people too." the other teen regarded before giving a soft smile. "Damn, I was always in love with that faraway look of hers."
"It was what draws me to her. No matter how hurting her words can be, truth to be told, she's a really warm person. The fact that she saves Hyuuga from those kidnappers give a dead giveaway that she really is a soft person." The man situated the camera in front of him before clicking the button to caption the moment.
Click!
"She looks very beautiful." the teen sighed dreamily.
"Yeah, wait, when do we start our motives? Do you think Mikan-sama will approve of our affections?"
The other teen laughed softly. "Why not? Hyuuga and Nogi have one, heck even Imai has. I don't see the reason why Mikan-sama can't have one, she deserves it!"
[--
"Mikan-chan!"
Mikan opened her eyes, her peace disturb by that single voice. After a couple of seconds, Setsu appeared before her with that goofy grin. "Setsu," she regarded before closing her eyes again.
"Mou, Mikan-chan, you're being mean today. Can't you at least say that you're happy that you saw my face today?" he whined softly and crouched in front of Mikan.
"The fact that you disturb my peace made my mood gloomy. Should I be happy that you're sprawling like an idiot and disturbing me every single moment?"
Setsu frowned at the insult. "You're being so grumpy!"
"Who wouldn't be with that annoying voice of yours? I grow tired of your stupid acts, Setsu. You're not a child anymore that needs to be reprimanded every single moment. You disgust me."
"Why Mikan-chan!" Setsu cried softly, tears flowing down his cheeks. "I know that you like to be alone but that's not what friends are for! I am your friend Mikan and all you do is push me away!" he whined pitifully while looking at Mikan who was walking away.
"Friend, huh?" she asked and stopped. "Although you might have been there for me, I don't think companionship is what you seek from me. In fact, when was the last time that you cared for my welfare? I know what you're here for and I'm not blind to that, Takemura Setsu. I know who exactly you are and what you hide behind that pretty smile of yours, don't think I didn't thought of it."
"I'm here because-"
"You're here because of your duty towards me. I no longer bear ill intention against you like I used to, but I suggest that you stay within the border line. Taking me as a friend is so low because in the end, you're just a vessel towards 'it'."
"Mikan, saying such things and going so far to call her 'it'. I may not be like what I used to be before but I have my debts towards her. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have been alive and here standing in front of you." Setsu stated with anger.
Mikan gave a soft chuckle. "My, the great and sociable Setsu has finally lost his sanity. Who would have thought that you were capable of getting angry after all the façade you place? Touché, Setsu." she stated in a bitter tone. "Do what you must… After all this, I won't become a memory."
"Idiot," Setsu muttered softly to himself. "The reason why I was sent here was because I was burdened by the duty to make your last days worth it before you gave yourself… I didn't come here just because of duty; I came here with my own free will to see you Mikan."
[--
"Fellow teachers, I stand here before you to inform classified information regarding one of our students," Mr. Shun stated while nearing the group of teachers.
Narumi stared at Shun before averting his gaze under his table where Hotaru was hidden. Hotaru didn't say a word towards her adviser and instead glared at him. "Listen carefully Imai-san," he whispered. "The things that I've told you yesterday were only small tidbits of Sakura-san's past. But in this room, you will learn of her Alice and the reason why the AAO are chasing her."
Hotaru nodded her head before closing her eyes. "What is it Shun-san?" Serina asked thoughtfully as she made her way towards the said teacher. "Sakura-san's alice is the art of manipulation."
"Manipulation? There are lots of manipulation alice, Shun-san. Please be more specific with your explanations." Jinno scoffed before scrutinizing the shaking teacher.
"I know what I'm saying. That is her alice!" Shun desperately told the teacher. "She's really dangerous. No wonder why the Rosary of Control couldn't contain and control her alice!"
Jinno snorted softly. "Are you saying that she had destroyed the Rosary through her alice? Impossible." he indignantly stated while arranging his glasses. "There are too many divisions for the 'manipulation alice' such as Shadow Manipulation, Plant Manipulation, Water Manipulation and many other things."
"Wait; don't tell me that-"Narumi muttered before looking at the dumbstruck Hotaru under his table.
Shun nodded his head. "Yes," he answered to Narumi's thoughts. "Sakura-san's alice is not just an alice. Her alice allows her to control anything she wants, be it the alice of another alice user, the weather and possibly our very mind too."
The people around in the faculty room remained silent, contemplating at the new found discovery of Mikan's alice. "So you're saying that Mikan could control almost everything?" Serina asked, doubtfully.
"No, she controls the world with just one thought." Shun muttered mostly to himself before staring at the blue sky.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks everyone for reading this story... Yeah, so there, you know her alice... ::clears throat:: I know there's not yet MikanXNatsume moments but there will be in the next chapter and the chapter after that... :3 I'm sorry for not updating so soon enough... :] anyhow, summers here! HAVE A HAPPY SUMMER EVERYONE!
I would like to thank:
EverlastingBreeze
HarunaNiwa073
l3vA
keraii
uSt To RaNdOm
Tear Droplet
moonacre99
Thank you very much for reviewing my story. You guys are my inspiration to this story and I hope that you'll enjoy this chapter... :p thank you so much! ::cries:: Please don't forget to review everyone! See you in the next chapter! (^_^)
