Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN GAKUEN ALICE OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS

A girl of about eighteen marched past the congratulating faces of relatives and friends alike. Her simple yet elegant flowing gown of white silk reached the floor and its train held up by two little girls. Her hands clasped on a simple bouquet of white and crimson roses. Brown curls framed her delicate face and eyes twinkling of excitement.

In front of her stood her bridesmaid, wearing a shorter white dress with a deep red belt around her waist. The bridesmaid's raven hair tied back with strands of hair messily yet attractively falling from the bundle, some even falling in front of her crimson eyes.

All eyes were on the bride but the eyes of the bride only gazed at the man near the altar. And no, it wasn't the minister. They lingered to a man with jet black hair that shined under the sunlight. His crimson orbs looked back at the brunette alight with what you'd call amusement but in truth, it was his way of showing love.

Love. Such a strange word. We don't know its definition yet we always say we love this and we love that. When do we really know when we TRULY love something or someone?

But if you saw both their faces, you'd have no doubt that they DO love one another. Just by looking at them, you'd feel that love was defined into exact words.

The bride, finally, reached the altar and held the groom's hand. At last, after all of Natsume's waiting, he'll finally get Mikan. Well, officially. They say their vows underneath the Sakura tree. And after the sweet words of "I DO", they share a short yet passionate kiss as the audience watch in awe.

After the wedding ceremony, Natsume literally swept Mikan off her feet and carried her towards the carriage. Yes, they used a carriage.

Natsume was in front of an altar in the church and he was wearing a tux. He saw a familiar pair of shining crimson eyes and raven hair, Aoi. She walked alongside Youichi as they smiled at Natsume. A wedding song was played and the bride slowly walked down the aisle with her parents. But much to his dismay, the girl had a veil covering her face and wore a long white dress with spaghetti straps and a pink belt across her waist. It had pink and red Sakura petals near the hem.

He started to sweat but heard Ruka whisper beside him, "Natsume, this is the time you've always waited for. And guess what, I chose this day to propose to Hotaru." The bride reached the altar and stood beside him, they gave their vows and whatever you do in weddings.

"You may now kiss the bride." The priest declared. Natsume lifted the veil and revealed Mikan.

He pressed his lips against hers and wrapped his arms around her waist. They pulled away and Natsume twirled her into the air.

The after party was composed of a couple of surprises.

As Ruka said his wishes for Mr. and Mrs. Hyuuga, he guided Hotaru beside the podium and said, "I'd also like to take this chance to do something I finally had the guts to do." He knelt down on one knee in front of Hotaru saying, "Hotaru Imai, may I have the honor of taking your hand in marriage?" The mentioned girl just stood there expressionless. "Hotaru, will you marry me?" Ruka said in the manner of talking to a child. The expression of the raven-haired, amethyst-eyed girl changed to what was annoyance with a tinge of joy and tears rimmed her eyes. "I got it the first time, baka." And Ruka, not wanting to wait any longer started, "So that's a…?"

"Yes," Hotaru whispered but it was enough for the blond boy who knelt in front of her for him to lift her up into his arms and held her tight to him. He brought out a ring with an amethyst attached to it. "Just like your lovely eyes."

While Natsume and Mikan were about to release the doves, young Aoi sat on a chair of a table at the corner of the garden. Youichi sat beside her and held her hand. She looked pale as if she were to die any second. A smile lingered on her lips but her eyes were vacant if not sorrowful.

"Youichi. I'm glad you're with me. I'm so glad for Natsume-nii and Mikan-nee. I love them both oh so much. They both looked after me, not like other older teenagers who brush of the younger ones. I hope they enjoy their wedding tour even when I'm gone. I love Hotaru-nee and Ruka-pyon as well, they should be happy together. I wish I'd be invited to their wedding. I love Yuka-san and Izumi-san for they took me in when I was an orphan. They're my parents until in a few moments. I miss mommy and daddy and I'll soon see them again. But most of all, I wanted to say, I love you, Youichi. You were so good to me even if you knew I was an orphan." She narrated as she looked ahead of her, her vision not at all focused. "Aoi-chan… what-?" Youichi was cut off when Aoi suddenly looked at him with tears in her eyes, dangerously closed to rolling down her cheeks but still the smile lingered. "Please say you love me, too. I just want to hear you say the words even if you don't mean them."

" I love you. And I mean it." Youichi said firmly as he gripped her hands tighter with a feeling that she's going to slip from his grasp any moment. Unconsciously, his fingers wound around her wrists. There, he felt her pulse, faint and even.

Aoi looked back at the newlywed couple and the tears ran down her delicate skin. "I'm glad." She announced and took a deep breath. "Goodbye." Youichi's eyes widened when the pulse under his fingers died away as Natsume and Mikan released the doves. His tears flowed freely from his eyes while whispering, "Aoi" over and over again as if chanting her name would bring her back to him, he said her name as if it was the only music that could ever comfort him of this tragedy.

Youichi was later on found shaking as he held the hand of Aoi who looked peacefully asleep. Natsume and Mikan saw Aoi first, smiling in her slumber and were amused by the tought that she exhausted herself from dancing. Then, they saw Youichi whose face told exactly what they feared, Aoi was gone.

"Remember me and smile, for it's better to forget than remember me and cry."

They all loved and lost a dear friend with dazzling ruby eyes but none was hurt more than the lover boy who heard her last words. The trauma drove him near madness but he remembered her and instead of mourning he rejoiced. His love's sorrow was ended and she was reunited with her parents. He's now a successful lawyer at a very young age.

A queer couple was reported by various sources to be worshiping some spirit every now and then. They aren't the usual old superstitious couple, they're teenagers! One source said they just went out of their cottage and walked to the garden, crying yet smiling and talking to the wind. It's like their talking to an invisible force, even having conversations.

They had one daughter with Natsume's crimson orbs and his jet black hair but her personality was of Mikan. Her name was Aoi, after her dear little aunt she never met. Her parents believed she was a reincarnation of their sister. Aunt Aoi was very special to them, they mourned for her until their daughter was born. But their little Aoi knew they loved her for her, not because she looked like Aunt Aoi.

"I did not begin when I was born, nor when I was conceived. I have been growing, developing, through incalculable myriads of millenniums. All my previous selves have their voices, echoes, promptings in me. Oh, incalculable times again shall I be born."

—Jack London, The Star Rover

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