Hi everyone!

Finally back to normal POV, huh? It's about time! ;)

Since the big explanation part is done, let's go full speed ahead (well, at least soon)!

This chapter, I'm putting in one of my favourite characters of all time from the original manga.

He's back and as adorable as ever (and, though maybe not in this chapter, he plays a very important part)!

To XxMidnightPrincessxX: Read and you'll find out! ;) Later on, I might post a chapter on Kimi and Yoshi's past, as well as Sora and Mikan's and a few other side characters, but only if you want to read about it.

But I really need to get in some NatsuMikan moments in soon! That's my main priority!

So, chapter 10 (woo! We're finally in double digits!) is here, and eleven will come up as soon as I finish writing it!

Hope you like it! :D

She's not my onee-chan

The gloves were sticky on his skin, the air thick and dry. Ever since he decided to stay at the academy after he graduated to be a doctor, this was the only type of air he breathed in now. Practically all his time was spent in the hospital, since it was his job to clean up the DA students' wounds, and the man hardly had any time to himself now.

Not that he minded; he had always wanted to help people despite his cold exterior.

But every single day, kids, much younger than he was, would come into his care with injuries he couldn't even fathom.

Especially her.

She was his sister's best friend and total opposite. She was the girl who brought happiness to all the students of the academy, the one who brought changes—for the better. Yet almost every day he would have to treat her wounds, because every day she would risk her life for the sake of the kids in the academy.

And he had to watch.

Subaru Imai was a smart man; he excelled in all his classes, knew things people much older than him couldn't understand. But whenever this particular girl came in, he never felt more clueless in his life. It wasn't just because her attitude could persuade others to do things her way without anything even being said, and it wasn't just because she believed in things that most people had long forgotten.

No, it was because even though she was the sunshine in the academy, he could never do anything to help her.

And not being able to do anything wasn't something he liked.

At all.

Being as careful as he could, the man used his tweezers to pick out all the small pieces of glass that were stuck in her stomach. He could still hear the arguing going on outside his door; Kimi was extremely loud when she didn't get what she wanted. And at that moment, there was nothing she wanted more than to come into her best friend's hospital room.

He could almost remember Persona's face when the girl had commanded him to watch the parents so she and her brother could come with him to bring Mikan to her hospital room on the top floor of the building. He hadn't been very happy. After all, firstly, he didn't like 'babysitting.' Secondly, he would've much rather been watching over his little white flower.

So Subaru was just sitting there, fixing up a girl he thought of as his little sister, and one thought came to his mind:

It's going to be so much harder to hide everything when my real sister gets back.

Then the door burst open, and in came three people he could've done without.

"Miss me?" Kimi asked.

Not even close.

-xox-

She plopped down on the edge of her bed, feeling tired but only a little better than she had been an hour before. When she had woken up, Yoshiro was waiting there for her as well as Subaru and Persona. It was an ambush. They had each commanded her to heal herself, since Sora wasn't there to do so and Subaru wasn't able to, and they said that with the strain Alice's effect put on, it would only be a matter of days before she met her death.

And with the thought of leaving the academy grounds unprotected, Mikan had no choice but to do so.

Still, I would've thought they'd be a little less demanding to a girl who'd been unconscious for the past day, she couldn't help but think.

Persona had also warned her that the telepathic twins had learned the AAO secret when she was out, and that they'd be ready to attack her for info as soon as they got back from a small mission he sent them on. Mikan knew that they'd find out sooner or later; she just hoped that it would be willingly after everything was settled.

Yoshiro told her that they went on an EmTrip.

With that boy she was surprised didn't recognize her from two years before, and the other boy who was the center of the AAO, the things they saw probably wouldn't have been very good.

That was how she knew that the way they'd learned about it wasn't exactly under good circumstances.

Speaking of not very good circumstances, apparently Natsume had been looking for her by the Hanahime den. The good thing was that Kimi had managed to divert his route; the bad thing was that they had met and talked for a good five minutes.

I'm going to have to talk to her about that.

Mikan looked at her clock. It was eleven o'clock. She'd been passed out for a while. Thank goodness it was Saturday, so nobody would be suspicious since she didn't miss any school.

On the other hand, there was still a boy who was always suspicious.

"Natsume," she sighed aloud. She couldn't believe he had actually been looking for her so late the night before. Of course she felt horrible about it, and of course she felt horrible about having Kimi and Kouta take care of her so late too, then having to go on a mission in the early morn. If anyone was suffering because of her, of course she'd feel bad.

Of course she'd want to do something to make it up to them.

All she needed was an idea.

Right now, she had a whole day of free time since Persona had refused to give her any missions, and school wasn't in session.

All her classmates were in missions: well, most at least, excluding a few helping or training with Persona.

All her senpais were busy: Tsubasa was in soccer practice; Misaki was kicking butt in tennis; and Tono was just chilling out with all the girls of his grade (typical, typical).

All her friends were out: most at Central Town for some kind of carnival.

And there was no way she was going to Natsume after what happened last night. He'd be sure to interrogate her, and she hadn't even gotten her story straight yet. She just wasn't ready.

So one little boy with silver hair and the cutest green eyes she ever saw came to her mind, and she decided it was about time she went to see her favourite little brother.

The thought of the evil spirit controlling little boy, who had idolized Natsume and become attached to herself, made her smile. He was about five now, although, as a result from swallowing a Gulliver candy that Hotaru had lent him to make him look older, he could now switch between his normal kindergarten self, to a version that looked ten years older. It was random though, and at many times while in his older form, he would carry Mikan.

With that thought in mind, she laughed as she skipped down the hallways to the kindergarten's single star section of the elementary school building.

When she arrived, she caught the robot maid's attention and asked, "Could you please show me to Youichi Hijiri's room, please?"

The robot nodded before wheeling off.

Mikan was actually really happy to be able to see the little guy. In the beginning, he had been just as cold to her as Natsume had been, but now both boys' opinions were much more positive. Youichi always clung to her like paper and glue, no matter which form he was in.

Arriving at the door, she took a deep breath before knocking.

There was no answer.

She knocked again.

Still nothing.

Frustrated, Mikan knocked harder, and this time, the door popped open. Thinking of this as a welcoming, she stepped inside.

BOO!

"Eep!" Mikan screamed playfully as a whole bunch of evil spirits surrounded her, whispering haunting taunts and threats. "You-chan! Get your ghosts to leave me alone!"

Immediately, the ghosts dissipated, and a five year old boy turned his head to look at his favourite sempai. "Onee-chan!"

"Hey, You-chan," she greeted him as he rushed up to give her a hug. She picked him up and sat on the edge of his long bed (just in case he morphed in the middle of the night), keeping him on her lap. "I missed you!"

He nodded. "Me too."

"Sorry I haven't came to see you yet; it's been really busy!"

The small boy waited, expecting a full-out explanation of her day and an infinite amount of stories about what happened during the two years she was gone. But he got nothing. Mikan just sat there silently, thinking about how much she should tell him, not even noticing that Youichi was studying her every move very carefully.

"You're different," Youichi said pointedly.

"What?"

"You're different," he repeated, his voice still as monotonous as ever.

"What are you talking about, You-chan? I haven't changed a bit!" she exclaimed.

This time the little boy pushed himself of her lap to stand in front her, so their eyes met at an even level. "You're not my onee-chan."

Mikan furrowed her eyebrows and glared at the boy. "I am too your onee-chan. Why are you saying such strange things?"

"My onee-chan wouldn't have been laughing as soon as she saw my ghosts; she'd be crying." Youichi put a finger on his palm, as if counting off the reasons. "My onee-chan wouldn't apologize for useless things; she would be more meaningful even though she acts like a pig. My onee-chan wouldn't be so quiet; she'd be talking so much that I'd want her to shut up. And my onee-chan would never be here for more than a minute without making me smile; she's always stupid—"

"Hey!"

"—but she loves to make people happy." The boy pointed at her. "You. Are. Not. My. Onee-chan."

His comments were so forward, so observant, that Mikan had to take a few moments just to gape at him. Youichi may have been five years old, but even when she had first known him, he had always acted so much more mature for his age. He had always been smarter than she once was. And the fact that he was so little gave him the power to say whatever he was thinking without pause, a quality Natsume didn't have to pointing out his accusations.

So the first thing that came to Mikan's mind, the one thing she could say without fully lying to him was, "You're right."

Youichi's eyes softened slightly. "Onee-chan, what's wrong?"

Her mind stopped working. For a second, Mikan actually considered telling the little boy everything—out of all the people, her heart wanted to tell him the most. About the missions, about what she did, about everything.

But she couldn't.

Him knowing the truth wouldn't do him any good. It wouldn't have been a great idea for her to tell such a small boy about the academy's big problems, and it definitely wouldn't have made life any easier for him. But still... she had the urge to tell him, even though the reason wasn't one good enough to put the little boy at risk:

Just because she wanted to.

Mikan sighed. "You-chan, I—"

Tell him.

Her eyes widened at the voice in her head. It was one she knew well, but there was no way that that person would be telling her to do that...

I'm serious.

Oh my gosh, it was totally him! She blinked, telepathically asking why she should.

Mikan, you'll need a person outside of the class to confide in. Hijiri had been in the class before, but unlike the black cat, he won't stop you. He'll only be there to help, because he knows that it's all on you. And we won't let anything hurt him; you know that.

As soon as that comment made its way into her brain, she was practically dancing with joy on the inside. Getting permission to tell Youichi; getting assurance that he would be safe; getting a person she cared about from the outside to help her, even a five year old, was exciting to her.

Thanks so much! she replied back with glee. By the way, Rei, I don't think you've ever said so much at once before.

She could feel Persona roll his eyes.

Now that was something that was always the same.

And she couldn't help but love him for it.

"You-chan," Mikan said, with a new light in her eyes that Youichi had taken notice of.

"What is it, onee-chan?"

"If I tell you what's going on, will you promise you won't tell anyone?" she asked, taking his hand to sit him down beside her.

He paused, then nodded.

"Especially Natsume?" She had to make that part very clear so Youichi wouldn't think it was fine to tell his onii-chan about what she was doing.

The boy raised his eyebrows.

"Please, You-chan? That's the only way I can tell you."

Youichi bit his lip, like he was thinking about something. Then he nodded. "Okay, onee-chan. I won't talk about this to anyone but you."

Mikan smiled brightly at the boy for his understanding. "Thank you, You-chan! You're the best!"

And then she told him her story.

-xox-

Mikan felt a thousand times lighter as she walked out of Youichi's room and down the hallways of the place she had once called home. Not that it wasn't her home anymore (because it was), but it felt less like the safe haven it should've been. Her Jii-chan had already passed away, so she had no place there anymore. The places she and her mother had stayed in for the short time they spent wandering weren't even real homes to her without her mother.

So the only place she really had was right there.

She sighed slightly, remembering the small pieces of advice the five year old had given her. He was smart; she had to give him that, and in the time she had been gone, he'd matured more than she thought he would. That she was able to tell at least one person, and that person being someone who knew her well enough, being someone who'd support her no matter what she did was something she couldn't have been more happy about.

As she made her way up the long corridors of the middle school dormitory, she couldn't help but add a little skip to her step. It was as if an all new beat was playing in her mind..

It shouldn't have been such a big thing. Telling one person shouldn't have been such a big deal, but to her, it was. It meant getting support from someone on the outside.

It was comforting.

And You-chan could help ward off Natsume.

Mikan was about to turn into the area for the MS division's special stars when she ran into someone.

Oh, crap.

Remember the one saying, 'speak of the devil and the devil shall come?'

Yeah, well Mikan couldn't help but think that there was no quote more appropriate for her at the moment than that one.

Because with crimson eyes flashing, he didn't exactly look happy.

Doo doo doodle doo :)

Review, anyone?

-Starlight Curse