A/N: I don't own Alice Gakuen.

Dreams and Prayers

The November sky was a dusty blue, with frozen clouds slowly pushing across the expanse. It was a Saturday; the streets of Whitehall were bustling. Parents carried their children to the markets as young adults and teenagers alike sat in the cafes. Despite the cold, people sat outside on the cobbled streets, on the little white chairs and tables, smoking while they ate a light lunch.

Everyone was wrapped warmly, wearing colourful scarves that matched with their gloves and hats.

In his gloved hand, Natsume held his little sister's hand.

It was November 27th; Natsume's tenth birthday, and with only his little sister as his company, he walked down the streets of Whitehall.

Ten was an important age in Z. The transition from a single digit to double digits: the first step of independence a child undertakes. And as it was his tenth birthday, as customary to Z tradition, he was making his way to the Stone Sellers. But unlike the rest of the children who also shared his birthday, he was not going with his parents.

His father was already in his office and his mother was busy at the opening of the new art gallery, down south of the river. To make up for their absence, his parents had promised a cake for this evening; before she had left, his mother had left him a purse full of money, bidding him to go buy a stone for himself and treats for his little sister. She kissed them both a goodbye and left, leaving only the scent of her lingering perfume.

The Stone Sellers were located west of the river and so with his little sister Aoi accompanying him, Natsume walked.

"Are you cold, Aoi?" He marked her red nose worriedly.

"No," Aoi happily replied with a toothy grin, "are we there yet?"

"Soon." He promised.

"Are you happy you're getting a stone?" She asked. "I want a stone! I wish I was ten."

"You'll be ten soon," Natsume said, squeezing his little sister's hand, "and when you're ten, mother and father will take you to the Stone Sellers."

"Why aren't they here now? Why aren't they taking you?"

"Because I've got you, silly."

Aoi giggled. "No, you're silly."

They arrived. There was only one shop that sold these stones per city: the shop in Whitehall was large, purple and glittering.

Aoi was practically bouncing when she entered the shop, gasping at all the different stones that shimmered and gleamed. Natsume had never seen so many colours in one place: it was as if a rainbow had descended from the heavens, scattered upon hitting the earth and crystallized in different shapes and colours.

"Wow, Natsume!" Aoi cried. "Look at this one! It's multi-coloured!"

"That's an opal, my dear," a soft, slow and low voice said from behind. Quickly, Natsume and Aoi turned; they found a serene woman with grey hair and brown eyes standing. Despite her grey hair, she was not old: she was young, and the amethyst earrings that dangled and jingled from her ears only added to her ethereal appearance. "You are not destined to have an opal, my child."

Aoi's face fell. "Why not?"

The woman smiled kindly. "It just is so. You are not an opal spirit. Besides, you are not yet ten. Perhaps when you come back, your destiny will be different."

"I thought that we get to choose our stones." Natsume said, defiantly. If his sister wanted the opal, why shouldn't she get it?

"That is true. But as Stone Sellers, we are here to guide you. We are here to help you find your stone, and as she stands right now, the opal is not hers." She inclined her head slightly towards Natsume now; bowing, she announced, "I am Yura Otanishi. I am your Stone Seller. Let me first congratulate you on your tenth birthday."

Natsume didn't know whether to thank her or not; instead, he just nodded.

"Do you know why you are here to buy a Stone today, on your tenth birthday?"

"Because it's tradition. Everybody does it."

"Yes and no. In the past," Yura now sashayed away from them (the Hyuuga siblings followed her, instinctively drawn to her), "people did not often make it past the age of ten. Children died before adulthood. You are buying a stone today to mark your existence. Now that you are ten, you will never be the same again. You will never be a child again. As of today, you have begun your lifelong journey into adulthood. Your stone will be a crystallized token of your childhood. Your stone will represent the purity and innocence of childhood. Your stone will preserve innocent selflessness. Your stone is a part of you. This is vital, for humans often stray from the path of selflessness with age. Let your stone always be a reminder of purity, innocence and selfless love."

Yura was now gazing into Natsume's eyes. Uncomfortable at the intensity, Natsume shifted his eyes away. Aoi, on the other hand, looked wonderstruck (though she did not quite fully understand what Yura's words meant).

"Where are your parents?" Yura asked suddenly, her voice now more pragmatic than celestial.

"Working." Natsume explained. "I've got money," he added, worried that she might not serve him otherwise.

Kindly, she smiled at him. "Money or no money, parents or no parents, you are my customer. Now, what is your name?"

"Natsume Hyuuga."

Yura now took a sheet paper and placed it on the glass cabinet to write all this information down. The Stone Sellers were renowned for their meticulous filing system. "Name: Natsume Hyuuga…" she murmured as she wrote his name down; she double-checked with him to see if she had spelt his name correctly. He nodded, and she continued, "…birthday: 27th November…"

She glanced up at him, looking again at his eyes. "Hmm… as a November child, you have a strong affinity with the orange stone, Citrine. But you will find oranges elsewhere in your life. As a child born during the dying days of November, your sign is Fire."

"Yes," Aoi excitedly clapped her hands, "Natsume is warm!"

Natsume blushed, red.

"I can see that." Yura sincerely agreed, "Pure, small and warm like a shy fire in a homely hearth." Then, it was as if Yura's eyes sighed sadly. "However, the fire will not always be small and pure. This is why you need a stone, to bring you back when you become too big and dangerous."

"Natsume will never become dangerous!" Aoi insisted. "He's too kind and nice, even though sometimes he can be mean."

Yura did not contradict Aoi but she did not say anything else concerning this matter either. It was as if she knew that something cruel, something evil was brewing in the later years ahead.

"Now that you have heard my words," Yura addressed Natsume, "if you had to choose a colour, what colour would you choose?"

"Red." Natsume's response came naturally; he did not have to ponder over this.

"Yes. Rightly so. Your stone is a red stone. Come with me to the Red Room."

Natsume, holding Aoi's hands safely, followed Yura into the Red Room. There, he was met with hundreds of different shades of red. He did not know that there were so many different reds in the world—all the varying degrees and intensities enchanted him, soothing his soul. With his sister, he was swimming and floating in a world made up only of red… and he had never felt more at home.

"Find your stone. It is here somewhere. You," she now spoke to Aoi and held out her hand, "you come with me. We must leave your brother now."

Natsume held onto Aoi tightly. "No, she stays with me."

Yura smiled. "I know you wish to protect her always. But this is your stone: this is something you must undertake yourself. You must focus on it completely and absolutely. Your little sister, though precious to you, cannot distract you from this. We will be outside together, I promise."

Aoi nodded encouragingly to her older brother. "I'll be outside waiting! Pick a good stone for yourself, okay?"

Natsume nodded, and let her go. "Okay."

Smiling, she skipped over to Yura and waved him goodbye. He waved back, feeling slightly nervous without his little sister beside him.

Alone, he searched for his stone. He saw thousands of red stones that day.

Thirty minutes later, he found his stone.

He knew it was meant for him as soon as he saw it. Perhaps to anybody else, the stone would not have looked any different from the others that surrounded it. But to Natsume, it was distinctly unique and specifically his. He could not say why; no words could adequately explain this transcendent moment. All he knew was that he just knew.

He picked it up, and together with his stone, he left the Red Room and his childhood behind.

Now, out of the Red Room, different colours materialized before him: blues, oranges, pinks, purples and greens – yet for some reason, every colour seemed slightly different now. Perhaps being in a room that focused solely on one colour transformed other colours.

"Natsume!" Aoi called, happy to see her brother. "Did you find your stone?" She rushed over to him, her face glowing with anticipated excitement.

"Yes." He proudly confirmed and held out his stone for her to see.

"Oh, it's beautiful! Natsume, it's wonderful! It's perfect for you!" Together, they peered at the stone, adoring the rich redness.

Now, Yura stood beside them and regarded the stone too. She seemed content with his choice.

Then, in an elusive tone, Yura remarked, "It befits you very well, Natsume. But I think that you will find somebody who will suit this stone even better than you in your lifetime."

Aoi frowned. "But it's perfect for him! Natsume shouldn't give it away."

Secretly and quietly, Natsume agreed. He did not want to ever give this stone away. He loved it already so much. Possessively, he held it tighter. If this stone was a part of him, then it should stay with him forever. He did not want to lose a part of himself.

Aoi added, "Not even mummy or daddy have given their stones to each other!"

"Most people do not." Yura acknowledged. "But everybody has a different destiny. Some are destined to give their stones away. Do not look upset, Natsume." she peacefully smiled at him, "You will find perfection not in yourself, but in someone else. That is the meaning of selflessness and true love. When you find that person, you will not despair to give your stone away. You will want to give a part of yourself away to them, sincerely and lovingly. You will give your stone away with a perfectly pure sentiment: it will bring you peace. Remember this, Natsume."

Remember this, Natsume…

Remember this, Natsume…

Remember this, Natsume… Remember…

… … … … …

"Natsume," a soft voice called him away from his dream, pulling him up from the hazy realms of his swirling memories, "Natsume… Natsume… wake up…"

She always said his name so lovingly, as if she was uttering a little prayer.

He stirred; murmuring nonsense, he felt consciousness seep into his body. His senses stirred: now, he felt the familiar contours of Mikan's body beside him; the softness of the sheets underneath him; he smelt the sweetness of her hair; felt the warmth of her presence and the sunshine that illuminated their room. He cracked open his eyes to see her peering at his face; she smiled tenderly at him, happy to see his eyes open.

Her hand touched, then stroked his cheek gently. He brought his hand out of the duvet so to hold her's that caressed him so intimately.

"I'm sorry I woke you."

Natsume grinned sleepily. "No you're not."

She laughed lightly. "I am!" she maintained. "You looked so peaceful and content as you slept… I really didn't want to wake you up. I didn't want to disturb your peace."

Remembering his dream that replayed a special childhood memory, he insightfully smiled at Mikan. Could she, and will she ever know or truly understand how much she really meant to him? "Believe me, I'm finally at peace here with you, Mikan. You have brought me peace. I don't need to rely on my dreams anymore." His arms now encased her, he held her tightly to himself. "I love you so much." He buried his face in her hair, never wanting to part from her. He kissed the top of her head lovingly, "So much."

She chastely kissed his neck. "Come on, we have to get up. Any other day, with an expression like that on your face, I would have left you to sleep and dream. We need to go to the temple."

Mikan had explained two evenings ago in their room that Alicean festival of Good Health was upon them soon. The Day of Good Health was today, and it was part of their tradition that the citizens would go to the temple, pray and offer the gods respect and allegiance on this day in return for good health. Anna and Mikan decided it would be best for them (along with Youichi) to go early in the morning to pay homage to the gods.

"It seems pertinent more than ever to pray." Mikan had told Natsume last night before bed, "I know this is not your God, but if you would like to come with us, please do. Anna will not suspect you if you decide not to come though, don't worry—many people have abandoned faith in these times. The temple will probably be empty, especially so early in the day. I'm not religious myself," she also confessed, "but I feel I shouldn't forget my country's traditions in these times."

"No, I want to go," Natsume had insisted, "I want to go with you, Umenomiya-san and Youichi. Just teach me what I need to do."

Smiling at him, she had held his hands. "First, we clap to announce our presence to the gods." With each of his hands in each of hers, she clapped their hands together, showing him. He smiled, amused. "Then, we bow, as a sign of respect, to show the gods that we are humble." She had inclined her head down to show him, and he mimicked her. She laughed. "Then, we put our hands together," she pressed their hands together, "and pray. We do not pray selfishly to the gods. We do not pray for ourselves. We first thank the gods, and then, we pray for others and for the world. By praying for the world you pray for yourself and those you love, for you are part of the world and the world is part of you."

Now, morning had broken. It was time for them to go and pray to the Alicean gods of Health.

Mikan pressed her lips to his neck again. "Come on, let me go. We need to get ready. Anna is probably already waiting for us downstairs, and can you imagine what would happen if Youichi arrives now? He will bounce his way up here and catch us in bed."

Natsume sniggered, diverted at the thought.

"Come on, let me go."

Natsume refused; he held her tighter and hummed, "Five more minutes like this, please."

He then felt her caress his back; he smiled, victorious.

"I spoil you too much." Mikan sighed, before she agreed. "Five minutes. Then we need to get ready."

He consented, sealing his promise with a kiss to her forehead. "Five minutes."

An hour and a half later, the four found themselves outside the temple's altars. It was so very different to the religious houses of Z; it was not as ostentatious or as impressive in terms of its decorations—instead, its grandeur came from the beautiful and expansive nature that surrounded the temple.

Natsume had not been outside for a long time now. He had not minded being inside Mikan's, but now that he walked and heard the birds and felt the freshness of the air surrounding him, his heart breathed deeply. Nature was wonderful, truly.

Just as Anna and Mikan had predicted, there were not many people at the temple at this time. As far as his eye could see, Natsume only saw six people there, all elderly citizens.

"Ah!" Youichi excitedly shrieked, "Squirrels!" Letting go of Natsume's hand, he zoomed his way over to the animals, his arms spread out wide.

Anna cried, "Don't hurt them, Youichi!"

"I won't!" He giggled and squealed in delight.

The three all warmly watched over Youichi as he played and with the obliging animals. Soon, he zipped his way back to them, panting slightly.

"Let's pray." Anna said.

They all lined up before the altar and simultaneously in perfect sync, they all clapped, bowed, then put their hands together to pray.

Hello gods of Health! I thank you every day for Health! I am thankful for my beating heart, for my arms that help me write, and for my legs that help me run and chase animals! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I pray for everybody's health, especially the health of the Alicean men at war. Please keep them healthy so that this war can end so that I can live with Mikan-sensei and Romi. Anna-sensei is going to be our neighbor so she can make us treats. Those are my prayers! Thank you very much!

Thank you gods of Health for the good health of those who surround me. Thank you; I am grateful. I am here today to pray for Nonoko and Sumire. Please, please, please watch over them. I pray that they are both in good health, mentally, physically and spiritually. I am so, so, so sorry for not being able to help Sumire that day. Please, please, please save her. Please thank Nonoko for saving me. Please. Please keep us all in good health, and watch over us all. Please let Youichi grow up to be strong and kind. Please make sure he does not have to fight in this war. Please watch over Mikan and reward her for her kindness towards Romi and myself. Please let Mikan and Romi's love flourish. Thank you.

Thank you. I am thankful that I am here today, alive, surrounded by those who I love, and those who love me back. I am grateful, I am grateful. I pray for the world. I pray for Youichi: may he never know war, and may his generation be strong and just. May he be healthy, good and kind… and diligent with his work! I pray for Anna's good health… I feel that she is better these days, but I know she mourns for Nonoko and feels guilt concerning Sumire… please, please, give her the strength to forgive herself. I pray for both Nonoko and Sumire, my dear friends… please keep them save, healthy and strong. Please assure them that they are not alone… I… I feel guilty that I am here, surrounded by love, whilst they are out there… Please forgive me for that, please… I'm sorry, Nonoko, I'm sorry, Sumire… I pray for our reunion. I pray for my parents who are in Hina, safe, far away from the borders. May they be healthy for the many, many, many more years to come. I pray for Hotaru who is at the centre of storm; please make sure she eats and sleeps well. I miss her very much. I thank Tsubasa and Subaru for helping us; I pray you reward their kindness. I pray for Natsume's health. I know he is better; he walks fine now, and his wounds do not hurt him, but please help him overcome the wounds in his mind. I know you are not his god, but please be there for him too. I wish him health above anything else. I… sometimes at night, I fear that I am keeping him away from his happiness. I worry that I am stopping him from returning home to his family and friends. I fear that I am being selfish—cruel, even, especially to his family and Luna. I pray for them too—please, please, please let them forgive me for keeping Natsume here with me… I promise to keep him safe and healthy, and I promise I will return him to them in good time. I promise. Thank you.

… In your country, I am known as Romi, but I am Natsume Hyuuga from Z. Right now, my country fights with yours. I know my apology means nothing, but before I thank you, I offer you an apology. I am sorry. I am sorry for my country. I am sorry for the way I acted towards your country and your citizens too. I was consumed by hatred… I lost my way. I… became too big and dangerous. I… I don't know if it was destiny that brought me here—maybe I was always supposed to meet Mikan—or whether it was just chance that brought us together, but I am so, eternally and infinitely thankful for it. Thank you. I have learnt more in these past six months in your country than I have in my entire life back at home. I have regained something I thought I lost a long time ago. Thank you for being such an accommodating host to me… I don't know if I am a welcome guest here in your country, but I am thankful for everything. My prayers go out to everyone affected by this war. I pray for Youichi, Anna… Anna's friend and cousin that are hurting because of me… I pray for them. I am sorry. I… I…. I know I have done so much wrong. I don't ask for your forgiveness, but I ask that you are gracious to all those I have hurt. I am sorry. My repentance is sincere. Please grant them all good health. I pray for Mikan with all my heart. My heart is her's. I pray her health continues. I know of her sadness, and I pray that you help her overcome the grief this war has caused her. Let the war end, please. I ask this on the behalf of the world. Thank you... and I'm sorry.

A/N: So, despite all the horrific changes that have already happened now that the Orange Blithering Repulsive Shakespearian Villian is President, the Women's March across the world really inspired me! It was a great day; I'm so glad I went. If any of you marched, thank you; let's all continue to fight injustice.

I have a few points I want to clarify: instead of replying all the reviews diligently, I'm going to answer a few questions/underline a few points that were raised in the reviews…

1. Koko and Sumire:
Some of you have asked Koko and Sumire to 'be together'. I'm sorry, but in this narrative, that is absolutely impossible. Why, you ask? Well, just re-read the previous chapter. She's said enough. I don't want to paint a rose-coloured picture of her situation: Sumire's condition is brutal, derogatory and horrific. She cannot possible fall in love with any of her captors. We've all learned about the Comfort Women of WW2: the Imperial Japanese Army forced women and girls into sexual slavery. And let's not forget the British Empire too, during colonialism, and their reprehensible behaviour to women across the globe. Colonisers throughout history have been repugnant towards foreigners, but their treatments towards women, is shockingly and morally repugnant, treating them as objects, as if women were only there to simply gratify and satisfy their needs. Whilst I know this is just a fanficiton, I am very aware about the ethics of writing. Ethically, I cannot write a love story between Koko and Sumire in their situation—it's offensive to history and women. Not to mention, there is nothing romantic between them! I really liked BloodRedRubies's review: 'koko still doesnt understand how sumire feels. he didnt ask her properly so he is just forcing her too under the pretense of freeing her.' – exactly. I don't want you to feel sorry for Koko in this instance at all. His arrogant solution (marriage) just exposes his sheer and utter ignorance and naivety towards Sumire's situation. He might be despairing about war, but his previous blindness to the harsh realities of the Pleasure House exposes his (and even his friends) deep-rooted patriotism and the systematic racism that has taken control over their sense of morality. His solution just enforces his own preconception that she exists for his benefit only: not once does he consider whether she would want to marry him (answer: definitely and absolutely not).

2. The anti-miscegenation laws:
Blueabyss16 asked, 'what kind of law forbids interracial marriage? That's just plain racism there!'. Yes, it is a severe form of racism. But these laws really and truly existed. Most famously, only 82 years ago, Nazi Germany passed the Nuremberg Laws that forbade marriage and sexual relations between Germans and Jews/people of African descent/Sinti and Romani. This happened in the US during the 20th century too (google is your best friend). Horrible, horrible, horrible.

3. Where are Natsume and Mikan? Are they in Central?

Mikan's house/school is situated in Hoshikuzu, which is a small region located on the outskirts of Central. Natsume's platoon tried to invade Central through Hoshikuzu but his invasion was met with heavy resistance from the Alicean army, and so, he alongside most of his men fell there.

4. Army ranks

So, I don't know anything about the army. To be honest, I'm not interested in the slightest. I wouldn't be surprised if all my assignments are wrong: maybe Major Generals don't lead platoons for invasions etc. The information I've presented in my story does not correspond with reality. HOWEVER, I have followed the Rank System accordingly (following the British Army model):

Officer Cadet
Second Lieutenant
Lieutenant
Captain: Kitsuneme
Major: Mochu
Lieutenant Colonel
Colonel
Brigadier: Luca; Koko
Major General: Natsume; Hayate
Lieutenant General: Tono; Narumi
General: Persona

This way, you can understand the power dynamics within the Z army, and map out who stands where, under or above whom.

By the way, shout-out to the 'Guest' reviewer who reviewed: 'ARE THEY GONNA FIND NATSUME AND THEN SHIT GOES DOWN FASTER THAN THE U*A GOVERNM*NT JUST CURIOUS ASKING FOR A FRIEND'. That made me LAUGH. But yes, Guest/your curious 'friend' (and other readers), shit is going to down faster than the US government in the next update… just a heads up!