JC: Chapter 48 is ready! This chapter is pretty rushed actually. I had to finish this in only a few hours because of my cheering practice sessions. Anyway, I'm glad that my story is nearing to an end. I won't make it pass 50, okay? It's kinda tiring to write such a long story. When I first wrote this, I didn't think it would pass 20. Oh well… We'll see if Aya is going to survive or not here. Please read on.
Disclaimer: Gakuen Alice characters belong to Higuchi-sensei. Sugita Aya is a cross-over character from Kodocha. My own characters in this fic are Kawashima Kyo, Kawashima Asuka, and Hibiki Ryou.
Obsession
Chapter 48: The Memory Lingers
"Aya-chan, wake up!" A familiar cheery voice came from outside. The young Sugita Aya slowly opened her scarlet eyes. "Aya-chan, rise and shine! C'mon, let's play!" The voice brought a smile upon her face. She hopped out of bed, walked across the room to draw the curtains. Peering through the window, she saw her favorite brunette friend and waved a hand at her.
When her parents died, she thought it was the end of the world for her. She thought she was going to be alone forever. However, an extremely bright and lively girl walked up to her two days ago and comforted her. Since then, they've been the best of friends. Aya had always felt an overwhelming happiness whenever she was with her.
"I've just woken up, Mikan-chan," Aya said. "Wait there and I'll open the door for you." With that, she dashed out of her room, descended the stairs, and almost lunged towards the door. When she opened the door, Mikan surprised her with a hug attack.
"What took you so long, Aya-chan?" Mikan said, pulling away to face her. "And didn't I tell you to wake up early today so we could go on a picnic? Jii-chan has already reserved a good spot for us at the park and I made cookies. I know you love them, right?"
Aya nodded her head as she smiled. Mikan's cookies were the best she'd ever tasted, she thought silently. "I'm sorry for oversleeping. I guess I was a bit tired from playing yesterday. I wished I had your energy, Mikan-chan."
Taking Aya's hands into hers, Mikan led Aya outside. "I'm sure you won't feel tired after breathing some fresh air," she said, raising her arms up high, as she drew a deep breath. "The morning air is always relaxing. C'mon, Aya-chan, let's do breathing exercises. It's fun!"
Anything Mikan does was always fun to Aya. Mikan was a very interesting girl to her and she felt lucky to be her best friend. Eagerly, she took a deep breath and exhaled. "Hmm… Mikan-chan, you're right. It is relaxing." She inhaled and exhaled once again. "Maybe I should do this every morning from now on."
Mikan nodded her head in agreement. "Breathing exercises are also good for the lungs. Jii-chan told me that."
"Speaking of your jii-chan, I better get ready for the picnic," Aya said. "I hope you won't mind waiting a little bit."
"I won't mind," Mikan replied. "Besides, I know it won't take you hours to change."
Aya hurried back inside the house and into her bedroom. "A picnic with Mikan-chan…" she muttered to herself, twirling around. "I'm sure it'll be wonderful. Come to think of it, it's going to be my first time going on a picnic. My parents never took me outside because I was sickly before." She walked over to her study table and looked at the picture of her parents. Silently, she thanked her parents for giving her the Alice to overcome her sickness and told them she'll keep on living for them.
After taking a short shower, she came out of the bathroom and dressed into a white blouse with a flower design and a pink mini-skirt. She then tied her hair into two low braids and slipped into a pair of white sandals. "There, I'm all set," she said excitedly. She turned to face her parents and smiled. "I'll be going now, Otou-san, Okaa-san… I promise to be back home before dark."
Aya spent the whole day with Mikan and her grandfather. Not once did she ever felt tired or bored because the Sakura family made sure she was happy all the time. After having a good meal at the park, she and Mikan played at the playground. Mikan even introduced some games Aya never played before. And when she came home with them, Mikan's grandfather told them so many fascinating stories. Aya really felt like she was part of their family and Mikan was her very own sister. She wondered if she could be adopted into the Sakura family. She had no other relatives or guardians, and she was living alone at home. But she couldn't muster up the courage to ask Mikan or her grandfather about it. She also thought of not wanting to be a burden to them.
It was going to get dark soon. Knowing how dangerous it was to go home late, Aya decided to bid farewell to Mikan and thanked her for giving her such a wonderful time. As she was about to leave, she was startled to hear Mikan asking her grandfather for permission to sleep over at her house. Aya's heart skipped a beat as she heard the old man saying yes.
"I can sleep over!" Mikan cheered, hugging Aya. "We're going to have a slumber party, Aya-chan!"
A smile gracing her lips, Aya hugged the brunette back. "I'm going to have a slumber party with Mikan-chan," she muttered. "I feel so excited." Because it was going to be her first slumber party ever.
Once the two girls finished dinner and set up their sleeping bags at the living room, they entered the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around their petite bodies. The bathroom was big enough for them to run around. There was a Jacuzzi and a hot shower. Mikan was astounded to see such an extravagant bathroom inside a simple two-storey house. Aya explained to her that because of her weak body, she had to be given aroma therapy and spa treatment on occasional basis. Mikan didn't ask anymore questions and pulled Aya into the Jacuzzi. They bathed together, and then whey they finished they dressed into their pajamas.
"Aya-chan, don't you get scared staying here all by yourself?" Mikan asked as she grabbed a brush from the dresser.
"Well…I'm kinda used to being alone…" Her trembling voice could scarcely mask her true emotions. She settled herself on the seat in front of the dresser and faced the mirror. "How about you, Mikan-chan?"
Mikan started brushing Aya's hair when she answered, "I get scared a little bit… Jii-chan told me that a person can never live without others. He said that 'no man is an island'. I didn't understand it at first, but I kind of understand it now."
No man is an island. A person can never live without others. Aya understood those worlds completely. Without her parents, she might have never survived on her own. Without Mikan, she would have never been able to move on. As a person, she needed others in order to gain the strength to live. "Mikan-chan, you know what?" she asked, and Mikan paused to listen to what she has to say. "When my parents died, I became a lonely island. But when you came into my life, I became part of a continent again. Thank you so much."
Tilting her head in confusion, Mikan placed a finger on her cheek. "Um… You're welcome… But what you mean by becoming part of a continent?"
Aya could not suppress a giggle. "You'll understand it soon," she said. Her scarlet eyes twinkled in glee.
For the next few days, Aya and Mikan became inseparable. And after having a long talk with the old man Sakura, Mikan immediately informed Aya about the great news—the news about her being able to move in with the Sakura Family and become a family member as well. Aya was so happy that she cried tears of joy and hugged Mikan with all her might. Her wish of being part of Mikan's family has come true. She felt a little sad about leaving her home, but she knew her parents would like it if she stayed with the Sakura family. Her happiness lied within Mikan.
But on the day of her move, as the two girls were crossing the street, Aya accidentally dropped the keychain Mikan gave her as a welcoming present. As soon as Aya went to pick it up, a speeding car was heading right towards her. At that moment, Aya thought she was done for, but Mikan suddenly pushed her out of the way and got hit by the car instead. Aya landed roughly on the road, smashing the keychain with her weight in the process. Worriedly, she looked up only to see her best friend lying unconsciously on the road, heavily bleeding from her injuries. Aya clamped her mouth as she shook her head in dismay. "No… This can't be really…" She trembled. "Mi…Mikan-chan!!!" It didn't take long for tears to come out.
Aya paced back and forth in front of the operating room with a mixture of fear and guilt in her heart. She had been crying non-stop ever since she got to the hospital. It was supposed to be her inside the operating room right now, getting treated, not Mikan. If only she didn't go back to get the keychain, then Mikan would not have been hurt. If Mikan would die, she will never forgive herself.
An old man was rushing towards her, and she lowered her gaze to the floor, knowing he would be enraged to know what happened to his granddaughter. It was her fault why Mikan got hurt. Although she was afraid and hesitant, she still told the old man, in a trembling voice, about the accident and how she ended up being safe and unscratched. And when she was done telling her tale, she shut her eyes tight because she expected to get hit. However, the old man did nothing to hurt her. He simply placed a hand on her head and said it wasn't her fault.
Shocked and disturbed, Aya looked up at the old man with wide eyes. "But it is my fault…" She looked away and then said, "It is… Mikan-chan got hurt because she saved me. I was so stupid."
Trying to act as calm as possible, the old man smiled at her. "Mikan would save anyone in danger. She would do it without thinking twice. She's the kind of girl who values others before herself." He placed both hands on her shoulders and knelt down to her eye level. "It's not your fault why things have ended up like this. I don't think Mikan will like it if you keep blaming yourself."
Speechless, she bit her lower lip and clenched her hands. "Still… The accident could have been prevented if I didn't—"
"You can't tell when and where an accident may occur," he said. "These things just happen."
"You're right…But Mikan-chan's in there right now…" She turned to face the operating room and deeply sighed. "And the doctors are doing the best they can to save her life."
The old man was extremely worried as well. If possible, he would rush into the operating room and pressure the doctors to make sure they will save his precious granddaughter. But he managed to stay composed, although his hands were secretly trembling underneath his kimono.
Aya could hardly breathe when a doctor came out. She and the old man Sakura were so nervous to hear the results of the operation. They heaved the sigh of relief when the doctor told them that Mikan's life was saved. But the doctor was sad to tell them about the bad news. "Sakura-san, your granddaughter has suffered from severe head trauma," the doctor said, and Aya's eyes grew as wide as saucers. "Now she's in a coma."
The shock was evident in the old man's eyes. "Do you mean to tell me my granddaughter is in a deep sleep?" he asked, and the doctor nodded his head. "No… Doctor, isn't there any way to wake her up?"
The doctor adjusted his glasses. "Comas generally last a few days to a few weeks. But some have lasted as long as several years," he explained. "We can't be sure when she'll wake up, but she'll be in intensive care from this day on."
Emotionally weakened, the old man sat down and placed a hand over his face. "This can't be happening…" he muttered under his breath. His granddaughter's life was still at risk and there was nothing he could do. "Doctor, please take care of my granddaughter… Please... I don't want to lose her."
"Don't worry… I'll do whatever I can," the doctor assured him.
Feeling guiltier, Aya blindly ran off until she reached the stairs. She leaned herself against the wall and started weeping. "Mikan-chan…I'm so sorry…" she said, her voice cracking. "It's my fault. It's all my fault." She dropped down on her knees and buried her face in her palms.
All of a sudden, a man appeared at her side. He said, "Are you crying for your friend?"
Aya raised her head to look up at the man. He had slick black hair and menacing sharp eyes behind the glasses. "Who—who are you?" she asked, sniffing.
"As you can see," the man said, tugging his white lab coat, "I'm a doctor. Can I speak with you?"
"Um…Sure…" She wiped away the tears and stood up. She figured the doctor might tell her something more about Mikan's condition and she hoped it was a good one.
The doctor said, "It's possible your friend may never wake up again. Her injuries are very severe. If she does wake up, she might not remember you at all. A head injury usually causes amnesia."
The words were like a blow to her head. "Mikan-chan will never wake up again…?" was all she could say.
"I heard you were at the scene of the accident. Is that true?"
Aya grimly nodded her head. "I was the one who was supposed to get hit by the car," she said. "Mikan-chan pushed me away and got hit instead. She saved my life."
The man's lips curved into a sinister grin. "So, it's your fault why your friend is in a coma," he said.
Shutting her eyes tight, Aya trembled in shame. "Yes, it's my fault…" she murmured. "I'm not worthy to be Mikan-chan's friend anymore."
"That's because you're different from her. You're no ordinary girl, Sugita Aya."
Aya gasped. "What…? How did you know my name?" She took an involuntary step backward. "And what do you mean I'm different from her?"
"They say your parents died due to an accident. I've done a little research and found out that they were actually killed by an Alice." The man grabbed her wrist and gripped it tight. "They were killed by you."
"No… That's not true…" Aya turned her head away in fear. "I didn't kill Otou-san and Okaa-san. It was all an accident."
"Well, you could say it was an accident. After all, your Alice of Manipulation went berserk so suddenly. It took control over your parents, leading them to their deaths."
"I…I…" Her lips trembled. "I wasn't even aware…"
"A Dangerous Alice such as yourself would only bring misfortune to normal people," he said bluntly. "You don't belong here."
She shook her head violently. "I've already learned to control my Alice. It's not a threat anymore. Mikan-chan got into an accident because she pushed me away. It's different from what happened to my parents." She was getting frantic. Her heart was sinking lower and lower. "So…No matter what you say, I'll stay by Mikan-chan's side forever. I won't leave her."
"But what if she finds out about your Alice? Would she still treat you as a friend?" The man knelt down to her level, noticing her stunned expression. "You may not know this but an Alice is always shunned by others. The life of an Alice is never easy. An Alice will never truly belong in society."
"Mikan-chan would never do that!" she retorted. "She's my friend!"
"Hmm…" The man chuckled. "So, you're willing to stay here and bring more misfortune to your friend. How do know you've fully mastered your Alice? You're still a little girl and the Alice of Manipulation is a high-level Alice. If it ever goes out of control again, you might endanger the life of your friend."
Swallowing hard, she lowered her gaze to the floor. Although she said she learned to control her Alice, the truth was she was still afraid of it. The other day, when she went on a picnic with Mikan, she unintentionally used her Alice of Manipulation on a cat up a tree and let it fall on the ground. The cat died on the spot. She didn't tell Mikan about it in fear of being hated. "Am I destined to be alone again?" she muttered. "Do I only bring bad luck to those around me?"
The man hugged her. "If you stay here, then you'll definitely end up being alone again," he told her. "But I know a place where you can be happy—a place where you would truly belong."
"Really? A place for an Alice like me?"
"Yes… And you would be together with other Alices too. I'll take you there if you want."
"But I don't want to leave Mikan-chan."
"You can come back when you're stronger, when you're confident enough with your Alice. Right now, you're still unstable. Your Alice is too dangerous. For the sake of your friend, you have to distance yourself from her."
Aya cried harder. Although it was a tough decision to make, she knew the man was right. She had to learn to control her Alice and to learn to become stronger. It would be the best for her and for Mikan. "I'll go with you…" she said. " Please take me away and help me…"
"You made a wise choice, Sugita Aya…" he said with a wicked grin on his face.
"No, Aya-chan! Don't go with him!" Mikan yelled at the illusion present before her eyes. She finally remembered everything about Aya before the accident. Her coma only lasted for two weeks, but the head trauma made her forget all her wonderful moments with Aya.
"It wasn't a wise choice," a voice coming from behind Mikan said. Turning around, Mikan was surprised to see Aya. "I shouldn't have gone with him. I was such a fool."
Mikan noticed how weak she looked. It was like she would crumble any second. "You're also the Aya-chan I know from the academy, right?" she asked, and Aya nodded her head. "And you're also the silver-haired girl who caused a lot of problems for everyone."
There was no denying that fact. Aya looked down and sighed. "Before I left, I went to your room and said my goodbyes. I made a promise to you that I will surely come back. I did return after five years and learned that nobody in town recognizes me. Even your grandfather seemed to have forgotten about me. I thought they merely forgot because I've been away for so long. When I found out you were enrolled in Alice Academy, I wanted to study there as well. However, the leader hated that school. He told me it was like a prison and that the sole purpose of the organization is to eliminate the academy." She dropped on her knees and coughed violently. Mikan immediately rushed over to her. "He brainwashed me with his words. He made me hate the academy so much. That's why I wanted to get you out of there. And I've recently found out he was the one who erased the townspeople's memories of me." She coughed out blood and clutched her chest tightly.
"What's happening to you?" Mikan asked.
"Without the Copy Alice, I'm pretty much dead," Aya replied. "You see, my Alice of Manipulation slowly diminishes my life. I've been able to survive until now because of my Copy Alice. One of the copied Alice I had was the Regeneration Alice I copied from an acquaintance of my father. It was able to support my life. My father also gave me other Alices to copy like strength and speed." She coughed out blood once again.
Quick hot tears sprang to Mikan's amber eyes. "Aya-chan…" She squeezed her hand gently. "Hang in there! Don't die!"
Aya smiled tenderly as she started crying. The fact Mikan was still encouraging her to live made her very happy. "Mikan-chan…I'm so sorry for all the things I've done. I know you won't be able to forgive me." She closed her eyes as she remembered the good times she shared with Mikan. "Even so… I want you to know I still like you so much, because you're my very first friend! Mikan-chan is the most important person to me! Argh…" Her chest was throbbing in pain. She felt like she was going to explode.
Mikan was frantic over Aya. "Aya-chan, don't die on me!" she told her. "Now that I know the truth about you, I won't let you die. I like you too, Aya-chan. I really do." She hugged the scarlet-eyed girl so tight and cried on her shoulder.
"I'm so glad, Mikan-chan…" The pain in her heart increased. She vomited a lot of blood and tried to push herself away from Mikan. However, the brunette refused to let go of her. "My time is running out. I'm going to die."
"You're going to live!" Mikan shouted as she activated her Stealing Alice. She wasn't sure if she could steal all of Aya's Alice with only a small portion of her power, but she didn't want Aya to die. Aya was her friend. Despite all the sins she committed, Mikan couldn't force herself to hate Aya. After all, Aya was merely used by the organization. She was a victim too. In addition to that, Aya was still important in her heart.
"And that concludes the tour around the academy," a blonde teacher told a dark-haired girl wearing the standard summer middle school uniform for girls. She was a new student in the academy and the teacher had just given her a grand tour around campus. "Now it's time for me to escort you back to the dormitory." The teacher gave off a very charming smile.
Bowing her head as a sign of gratitude, the new student said, "Thank you so much for your time, Narumi-sensei." As an undercover agent, she had to pretend to be a kind and sweet girl. "I think I'm really going to like it here." She seriously wanted to pull her tongue out for saying that.
As they reached the middle school dormitory, Aya saw a lot of boys lining up by the stairs. "Um… What's going on?" she asked. She didn't want to sound nosy, but curiosity got the best of her. "The boys seem to be waiting for someone to come down."
"They're waiting for their princess." Narumi ran a hand through his blonde locks. "Just wait and see, Sugita-san," he said.
Before Aya could wonder any longer, a middle school girl appeared on top of the stairs. Aya lifted her head to look at the girl. With soft and silky brown hair that reached up to her waist and innocent amber orbs, the girl looked like an angel. "She looks familiar…" She almost gasped loudly when she recognized the girl. "Mikan-chan…" she muttered under her breath.
The boys cheered and howled in admiration. They were all fans of the brunette girl. Aya got annoyed by their noise and wanted to shut them up with her Alice. Unfortunately, she has to stay calm and focused. She can't let herself be exposed carelessly. Drowning the boys' noise into the back of her mind, she set her eyes on the brunette and sighed dreamily. She couldn't believe she was seeing her friend again. She had to admit that Mikan has grown from a cute girl into a real beauty. Her admiration for Mikan increased by a hundred, she mused.
When Mikan reached the ground floor, the boys scuffled around her. "The boys are just crazy about Mikan-chan," Narumi-sensei said. "Well, she's friendly and cute, so it's no wonder she's popular. She's also a Special Star student."
Aya's eyes shimmered in awe. "Wow…She's impressive. I wonder if I could be friends with someone like her," she said.
Narumi looked at her and smiled. He noticed the warm expression on her face while she was staring at Mikan. He found her expression to be adorable. "If it's Mikan-chan, then you could definitely be friends."
"Sakura Mikan-chan…" Aya said as one of dark eyes turned scarlet.
All of a sudden, Aya opened her eyes and looked around, shivering and panting. At first she thought she was dead, because she felt completely numb. Then she realized that she was still in AAO headquarters. "I'm alive?" she muttered, placing a hand on her temple. "But how? My Alice should've killed me."
"Sakura saved you from death," Ruka said, walking over to her and kneeling down to her level. "She used her Stealing Alice on you."
Surprised, the only word she could utter was "What?!"
Curving his lips into a tender smile, Ruka placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sakura was amazing. She didn't give up all of her Alices to your boss, which is why she was still able to use the Stealing Alice on you." He pulled out a black stone from his pocket and showed it to her. "Sakura stole the Alice of Manipulation and turned it into an Alice Stone. You know, she got really tired after doing so and almost fainted."
"Mikan-chan saved me…?" She wasn't looking at Ruka anymore. Her eyes were fixed on the Alice stone as she remembered what Grandpa Sakura told her. Mikan would save anyone in danger. She would do it without thinking twice. She's the kind of girl who values others before herself. She turned her eyes at Ruka then, with a pleased look. "This is the second time Mikan-chan saved me," she said softly.
"She would save you every time you're in trouble," Ruka said gently as he stood up. He reached out his hand to offer his help. Under these circumstances, Ruka no longer felt any hatred for Aya. Those bitter feelings in his heart simply disappeared. "Now let's go to where Sakura and the others are."
Aya scanned the room for any sign of Mikan. "Where did Mikan-chan and that Hyuuga go?" she asked, taking hold of his hand.
Ruka's expression became a little grim. "They went after the leader. I stayed behind to watch over you since you were still unconscious."
"Then we can't waste any more time here," Aya said with a determined look. "Even though I don't have my Alices anymore, I can still kick butt. Are you ready, Nogi-san?"
"Do me a favor and call me Ruka," he told her.
Aya looked at him in surprise. "Are you sure about that?" she asked, and the blonde nodded his head in reply. "All right… Let's go, Ruka!" With dawning hope and determination, she started off, dragging Ruka right behind her.
The flame-caster went looking for the AAO leader together with Mikan. She had said he had the most powerful Alices in his grasp and it will be difficult to defeat him with only the fire Alice. Natsume had felt his abilities weakening. And now he wasn't so sure if his stamina was enough to let him endure another fight. Having the fourth-shaped Alice was a burden, but he couldn't let Mikan fight on her own—even with the Alices she possessed. Facing the AAO leader could mean death for the both of them.
They scrambled down the stairs and into the basement floor, where the AAO leader made his way across the room and opened a portal. With a venomous glare, Natsume sent his fire into the confines of the room. "Give her Alices back," he demanded. Then he punctuated the demand with a sizzle of fire along the portal.
Lips smirking, eyes staring at them menacingly, he dispersed the fire with Nullification. "Do you think I would be swayed with such threat, Black Cat?" he said. "Hmph… You wouldn't be alive right now if it weren't for the boy with the Magnetism Alice. I pity him for dying at a young age."
Natsume sent a fireball towards him, but the man merely used Nullification to shield himself. "It's your damn fault why he died," he grumbled, clenching his jaw. "You're nothing but a cold-blooded murderer."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Mihara said.
"Bastard!" Natsume charged towards him and launched a series of fire attacks.
Mikan forced herself to think of plan to outwit Mihara and get her Alices back. His obsession for power must end. It wasn't going to be easy. From personal experience, she knew how powerful her Nullification Alice was. In order to overcome it, she had to catch him off guard. She could see that Natsume was doing a good job fighting against him, but she knew he wouldn't last long because of his condition. And when Natsume was blown away, Mikan finally had thought of something good yet reckless at the same time. Swallowing hard, she put up a strong front and called the AAO leader's attention.
Mihara adjusted his glasses as he set his eyes on the brunette. "Do you want to fight me as well, little girl?" he said. "Without your Alices, there's no way you could defeat me."
"There is still one person who could defeat you," Mikan said confidently. "Have your forgotten about my mother?"
Mihara grimaced in surprise. "Of course… How could I forget?" He started walking towards Mikan as he gripped her neck with Telekinesis. "I still have to get my revenge. I'm sure Azumi Yuka will do anything for her lovely little daughter." His evil smile was back on his face.
Wincing in pain, Natsume tried to stand up. "Let go of her!" Before he could even summon his fire, Mihara pinned him down on the floor with Telekinesis. "Damn…"
"Of course, I also need you as a hostage in order to steal your uncle's Alice." Mihara tilted her chin up with his hand and leaned his face closer to hers. "Hmm…I think that Animal Pheromone boy didn't mess you up completely. You still have the courage to face me like this. I wonder what would happen if I do it with you." His arms came round her waist and pulled her tightly against his body.
She shivered a little, reminding herself to stay calm. While she stood frozen in his arms, focusing her energy, he had been staring hungrily at her. Then she was pushed down on the floor. For a few seconds she was frightened, but she fought him, and eventually he slapped her across the face.
Burning in rage, Natsume scrambled back to his feet and kicked him away from Mikan. "How dare you?!" He conjured a flame in his hand. He would never forgive any guy who would lay hands on his girl. "You're going to pay, bastard."
Mihara shrugged. "Am I supposed to be terrified?" He smirked. "I have Nullification. Your fire is useless against me."
"I don't think so," Mikan muttered as she stood up. She noticed the inquiring expression on his face and smiled. "You really didn't notice a thing, huh?"
"And what do you mean by that?" Mihara narrowed his eyes. "Are you trying to play a trick on me, little girl?"
She motioned over to Natsume's side and winked an eye. "I already did," she said teasingly, lifting her hand towards the fire, putting it out, as she clasped Natsume's hand.
Mihara gasped. "How did you…? No, it can't be." There was only one logical explanation for her to be able to extinguish a fire made by an Alice. "How did you steal it? I thought you—"
"She didn't give you all of her Alices," a voice spoke as the sound of a reloading gun was heard. Stepping out of the shadows, Mouri Reo pointed his gun at the AAO leader. "With the little portion of her Alice left, she still managed to steal all of your Alices. You've been duped, Mihara."
Powerless and shamed, Mihara immediately backed up. His face was white and dumfounded. He was confronted with three people who were ready to bring him down any second. Resisting would be futile at this point. He lost the battle. He could no longer do anything but to surrender. Dropping down on his knees, he lowered his gaze to the floor. He figured Reo and Natsume may kill him on the spot, knowing how frightful they could be. Much to his surprise, Mikan went in front of Reo and told him to lower his gun. "I don't need your pity, little girl," he muttered. "Thanks to you, my plans are all ruined. Why don't you let Reo kill me? Besides, don't you want to avenge your friend's death?" He shut his eyes and clenched his hands on his lap. Although he was prepared to die, he couldn't help trembling a little.
Mikan heaved a deep sigh. "Killing you won't bring Hibiki-kun back," she said. "And if I let Reo-san kill you, that'll make him no different from you."
Mihara shrugged. "Have you taken leave of your senses?" He glared up at her. "I'd rather die than live the rest of my life in humiliation and—"
"Shut up!" Natsume interrupted harshly. Eyes narrowed and teeth clenched, he grasped the man's shirt. "You're one insane bastard. Right now, I have the urge to kill you. You should be grateful that Mikan is willing to spare your life." He shoved Mihara away.
Reo removed the bullets from his gun. "Like the Black Cat, I also want to kill you," he said as he threw the bullets and the gun away. "But I don't want to be a murderer like you. Working with you was the biggest mistake of my life. I've been such a fool for a long time. Aya must be feeling the same way."
Mikan watched Reo balling his hands into a fist. She remembered that Aya treasured Reo and looked up to him as an older brother. Taking Reo's hand, she gave him an Alice stone and smiled up at him. "I believe this belongs to you. It has the same color as your hair, Reo-san."
The singer brushed his hand through his unruly auburn hair and nodded his head. "Yeah, it is…" he said. "Thanks…"
"You're welcome," Mikan said. She then saw Aya and Ruka standing across the room, totally bewildered. "Ruka-pyon and Aya-chan are here!"
His heart skipped a beat as he heard her name. Grinning in triumph, he turned around to face the dark-haired girl and opened his arms. "Aya, we're finally free," he said. "We're no longer servants of the organization."
Aya sprouted tears in an instant. "Ani-sama!" She dashed towards him and hugged him with all her might. "Thank goodness you're all right. I thought the leader did something terrible to you."
Natsume took the liberty of trapping the AAO leader with a ring of fire to prevent him from escaping. "I can't believe you won't let me beat the stuffing out of him," he said, gazing at his girlfriend, who showed him a cheerful smile. "You're still as forgiving as ever."
"So true!" she told him. She reached out, grabbed his uniform and pulled him towards her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him sweetly on his cheek. "I'm so excited to go back to the academy. I'm sure Hotaru and others are worried sick about us."
"I think you're only anxious to get in bed with me," Natsume teased in a laid-back tone, making her blushed ten shades of red. "Judging from your face, I'm right." He took her in his arms. His touch was tender and gentle, his crimson eyes full of the love he felt for her.
Pouting and blushing, Mikan turned her head away. "How can you think of perverted thoughts at a time like this?" she said with a shrug. "Honestly, you're really something." She looked at him again, and then he took her head in his hands and leaned down to kiss her. However, their blissful moment had to end as the alarm went off.
"What's going on?" Ruka asked.
Mihara started laughing maniacally again. "This is too good. Someone activated the self-destruct sequence. This place will explode in no less than ten minutes."
"We have to get out of here quick!" Aya said, taking Reo's hands. "Ani-sama, there's a warp portal near here. We have to get there now."
"Wait a minute, Aya," Reo said. "I want to know who set off the self-destruct sequence."
Aya shook her head violently. "There's no time for that, Ani-sama!" She also grabbed Ruka's hand. "Ruka, Mikan-chan, and that annoying guy, let's hurry!"
A vein popping on his head, Natsume glared furiously at Aya as if he'd wanted to murder her. "Remind me to pound that witch once we get out of here," he told Mikan as he gripped her hand.
Letting out a light laugh, Mikan sweat-dropped. Her boyfriend still had some issues with Aya. "Natsume, please bear with her," she said. "You know she's my friend, right?"
Natsume sighed in frustration as they started running out of the room. "I swear you make friends with the weirdest kind of people," he said nonchalantly.
"That includes you, Natsume," she said with a giggle, and Natsume shot her a glare. "Hey, I'm only stating the truth." She winked a playful eye at him.
The couple ran out of the room first, followed by Ruka and Aya. Reo noticed Mihara wasn't following them, so he turned around and went back to the room. There, he saw Mihara standing still in the middle of the room, staring blankly at the floor. "Are you planning to die?" he asked, and Mihara faced him with a smirk. At that point, Reo understood what his ex-leader was thinking and sighed. "Suit yourself…" With haste, he ran out of the room.
When all five of them reached the portal, they were surprised to see a shadowy figure standing beside it. Thinking it was an enemy, Natsume immediately created a line of fire before them and Reo demanded the person to show himself. "Calm down, everyone," the figure said. He came out of the dark, revealing his platinum-blue hair and heterochromatic eyes. "I'm an ally."
Overjoyed, Mikan ran towards Kyo without waiting for Natsume to put out the fire. She managed to run through the flames with her Nullification Alice. She gave Kyo a big hug. "I'm so glad to see you, Kyo-kun," she said. "I thought you already went back to the academy."
Flushing as red as a bright Christmas bulb, Kyo nervously wrapped his arms around the girl and smiled. "I could never leave you behind, Mikan-sama," he said. "I stayed here to help you. I'm sure Ryou would have done same thing if he was still alive." The mere mentioned of Ryou's name made him a little sad, but he kept smiling for Mikan.
Still holding him close, she looked up at him. "Hibiki-kun wanted me to give something to you," she said, reaching into her pocket. "He asked me for a favor before he left this world."
Ruka felt jealous seeing them together, but he didn't say anything.
Natsume, on the other hand, couldn't stand their closeness anymore and decided to tear them apart. "Enough with the drama," he demanded, pulling Mikan away from Kyo. "The whole place is about to blow up and you're here getting all dramatic with him." He shot a glare at Mikan then at Kyo.
"Hyuuga, you get jealous way too easily," Aya commented, shoving Natsume away and embracing Mikan as if she was a teddy bear. "Your attitude is not a good influence for Mikan-chan."
"I'll seriously burn you," Natsume said, creating fire balls in each hand.
Reo let out a sigh of frustration. "I'm surrounded by immature brats," he grumbled. "Hey, boy with weird colored eyes, were you the one who activated the self-destruct sequence?"
Kyo folded his arms and narrowed his eyes at Reo. "I have a name and it's Kawashima Kyo. And yes, I was the one who activated it. Why? Got a problem with that?" He walked towards the portal and inserted his hand into it. "I was watching you all from the control room and heard everything. You guys did a great job in defeating the leader. I wanted to do something to help, so I decided to destroy the organization's headquarters."
"You did the right thing," Reo said, lowering his head. The speaker voice announced there was only five minutes left till self-destruct, and Reo felt hesitant to go back to the academy. "Aya, come here…"
Releasing Mikan, she pranced towards Reo and asked, "What is it, Ani-sama?" As she saw the sad look on his face, she grimaced at once. Somehow, she had a feeling that Reo was contemplating over himself and understood what they have to do. "Ani-sama, I'll be here for you." She held his hand and squeezed it gently.
Kyo was prepared to leave. "I'm going in first." He turned to Mikan and winked an eye. "I'll be sure to catch you once you'll get there, so you don't have to worry about a thing. Bye for now, Mikan-sama." After saying that, he went into the portal.
Through gritted teeth, Natsume said, "There's no way I'm letting him catch you." There sheer thought of Kyo touching Mikan again made his blood boil. "Come on, let's go."
"I'm going in as well," Ruka said. "See you back at the academy." He then went into the portal.
"Aya-chan, Reo-san, let's go together," Mikan said, offering her hand towards Aya.
Reo heaved a sigh as he activated his Voice Pheromone Alice. "Hyuuga Natsume, leave this place immediately!" he commanded.
Both Mikan and Natsume were surprised at his sudden command. "Reo-san…?" She looked over at Natsume and saw him entering the portal without her. "N-Natsume?!" She became more shocked when she heard the speaker saying there was only two minutes left.
"Mikan-chan, we're not going with you to the academy," Aya started in a solemn voice. "Ani-sama and I don't deserve to be there. Although I feel sad to be separated from you again, I'm relieved to know you still consider me as your friend. Mikan-chan, thank you so much for everything. I will never forget the kindness you showed me."
An awkward moment of silence followed. Mikan kept her eyes on Aya, pretending to be calm, but mostly trying not to cry. Finally she said, "I respect your decision. I don't know how to say this to you, Aya-chan. But I'll say it anyway." For a moment she closed her eyes and then turned around to face the portal. "I was really hoping we could start over again once we get back. No matter… I understand how you feel. Aya-chan, I want you to know we'll always be friends no matter how far we are." She peered over her shoulders and smiled cheerfully at her.
Aya smiled back. Yes, Mikan was right. They will always be friends. "Before you go, please tell that annoying Hyuuga this…" She flipped her hair and placed one hand on her waist. "If he makes you cry, I'll hunt him down. Oh, please be careful when you're around boys too, Mikan-chan. They can be such perverted wolves. By the way, thank you giving me my Copy Alice Back." She showed her a Scarlet Alice stone.
The singer chuckled and said, "Please apologize to Naru-senpai for me and tell him I'll definitely come and visit Alice Academy someday."
Reo's brilliant smile and Aya's giggles loosened something inside Mikan. She nodded her head. "I'll be sure to tell him," she said, waving her hand at them. The speaker announced there was only 60 seconds left. Mikan was a bit worried about them, but she knew they were going to be fine together. "Take care, Reo-san, Aya-chan!" She took one more look at them before she jumped into the portal.
To be continued…
JC: The AAO arc has ended. Next chapter will be the second to the last one, people. Will Reo and Aya return to the academy together with Mikan and the others? What is the academy going to do with Mihara? Of course, there's punishment waiting for them. Does Kawashima Asuka know about the death of Ryou? Find out soon. For now, please send in some reviews. No flaming.
