Disclaimer: Yes... It's disclaimed! (holds up certificate to verify that it is in fact a disclaimer)
Now that Mikan is dead, does that mean Risa has finally won? Evil has prevailed over good and now Natsume is left all alone in the world. Aoi and Mikan are gone, so is Ruka. The Angel is dead...
Fifty-One
So
Much for my Happy Ending
As Natsume and Tsubasa fought Risa, they never noticed that something had started to happen. Whilst they ignored Mikan, her head suddenly fell, her hair covering her face and neck. Her body became limp and cold, she was still, and her final tear had been shed. It fell into a pool of her blood as the thorns stopped piercing her, feeling her body die by their touch.
She was dead...
The only ones that noticed Mikan's fate were the thorns and the cards that stared at her with their swivelling eyes that shined in the darkness of the night. No more blood was shed, only the blood that dripped down her arms as the thorns loosened around her, letting her go. Mikan's body fell to the ground with a thump, and she lay there, pale and cold as ice.
Her hand lay on the ground, her fingers slightly closed, her other hand was across her stomach and her hair was strewn across her face while blood dripped from the wounds the thorns inflicted. It had seemed a vein had popped.
She was laying on the King of Hearts which Natsume had dropped when Risa had flung him towards where Mikan had been held captive. No one noticed that she had left them for good, they didn't even hear her body fall onto the ground as the vines let her go. Risa was too pre-occupied with trying to destry Natsume and Tsubasa, and Natsume and Tsubasa were trying to get rid of the self proclaimed 'Queen'.
"Yuka! Yuka, where are you!" cried Nina as she ran out of the room to find her friend as Mizuki followed, seeing his younger sister laying dead on the ground. It worried him. Was Risa really winning?
Nina found Yuka, she was sitting on a rock in a wood that she had created herself. It was a replica of the woods she used to love. Nina ran towards her, gasping for breath. Yuka looked up at her best friend.
"Yuka! Come quickly!" cried Nina as Yuka stared at her sadly.
"What's happened?" she asked, still worried despite trying to stay calm as Nina gave her a worried glance, then pointed towards the door which she had come out of. Yuka knew something was wrong with Mikan instantly.
"Mikan... She's dead!" cried Nina, and Yuka jumped up, gasping and shaking her head like it couldn't be true. She ran into the room and stared into the mirror that showed Mikan laying on the ground, dead, and it also showed Risa batteling Natsume and Tsubasa.
"No... Mikan!" Yuka whispered, tears filling in her eyes. She ran back out of the room again, crying as Mizuki and Nina watched. Yuka ran towards the lake in which she had also created from her memories, and she fell onto her knee's, staring itno it as she cried.
When she looked at her reflection, all she saw was her crying face. Then, one of her tears hit the water and ripples started to come over the face, and soon her reflection returned after minutes of ripples, but she gasped when she saw Mikan's face instead of hers.
Why was Mikan's reflection in there, and not hers. She turned around, seeing if Mikan was behind her, but she wasn't. Where was her daughter then? In the water? No, she couldn't have been.
Why had Mikan appeared in her reflection? Was she sending a message that she was coming into the after life? Yes, that was it. It was true, Mikan was dead, and Risa had won. But that never stopped Yuka from praying that Natsume and Tsubasa would win the fight...
"Once I'm done with you fools, that little princess is next in line to death! Then I will prevail and conquer all!" cackled Risa, and Natsume stared over at Mikan finally, and saw to his horror, that she was actually dead.
"No! Mikan!" Natsume yelled, and both Tsubasa and Risa turned to see the crumpled state of Mikan on the ground, her breathing was lost and her skin was pale and cold to the touch. She was limp and no more tears spilled from her eyes. Her wings had disappeared, leaving her back bloodied and scarred from where the wings had appeared, her clothes torn. Yet, she still looked peaceful as she lay there.
"Mikan! God, please! Mikan!" Natsume cried, running towards her as Risa gasped happily, grinning from ear to ear. She had won, she had finally won! Mikan was dead, the Angel was gone and that left Risa as the winner.
"As I said before, God can not help you now! She's dead, and now Hell will become mine along with the Earth!" cried Risa with deligth as Natsume snarled, he then held the limp Mikan in his arms, tears in his own eyes as he held onto her. Then he saw something in her pocket, and took it out. He paled. The Joker card.
On the card was a picture of Mikan holding the rose that was black and wilted, her eyes closed and she was wearing a black dress. Her hair was limp and her head was tilted to one side. Blood was dripping from small punctures across her arms, neck, face and legs. There was a baby cradled in her other arm, and angel wings forming from her back.
Even in that she looked truly peaceful. Natsume then let his tears fall as Mikan lay in his arms, and he put his head on her neck, crying as Risa grinned, her pointed fangs gleaming while all the eyes on the cards turned to stare at Natsume crying with the dead woman in his arms.
"No... Mikan, please, don't die... You can't die..." he whispered, then put his hand in hers as Tsubasa felt tears in his own eyes, and he fell onto his knee's as Risa cackled, the sky turning crimson red, like blood. The clouds in the sky disappeared, there was no sun, and Risa was having fun.
"Words can't save anyone now! She's gone, and good riddance! Now it's time to make my debut as the new ruler of Hell! Heaven and Earth will be destroyed now that I have the power of all the Heart cards in my deck!" yelled Risa as Natsume hugged Mikan, shaking his head while her head tilted back, lifeless as a porcelain doll.
"Mikan please wake up... I'll take over the throne for you, you can live in the country side... You can't let her win!" whispered Tsubasa as he stared at Mikan through his tears as Natsume hugged the girl close to him.
"This is taking far too long! Joker, you're mine now!" screeched Risa, holding out a hand as the cards flew towards her, and Natsume gasped when the sky started to swirl in a mist of black and crimson. Risa cackled as all the cards started to fly around her, blurring as she tilted her head back and laughed manically.
"Now I have enough power! Along with the cards of Spades, Diamonds and Clovers, I complete the deck with my Heart cards and the last Joker! Now I can rule the earth and destroy man kind! I will bring all evil to this ground!" she yelled as her hair flew upwards while acid rain fell towards the ground, burning all the plants and grass. Destroying everything good in it's way as Natsume watched from underneath a rock he had taken his dead wife to so that no rain could hurt her.
"My princess... Sleep well." he whispered, kissing her forehead soundly, he then lay her down and ran out into the open, and threw a large rock at Risa, who stared at it as it hurtled towards her, fire encasing it.
She hit it away like it was a tiny speck of dust. Natsume's eyes widened, and Risa descended upon him, grinning from ear to ear, showing her ugly rows of teeth.
"You're powerless against me! Not even God himself could defeat me! I weakened him, his barrier's gone! i killed the only protection on earth! First it was her pitiful father, then all I had to do was destroy her and I was finished! There is no more protection in the stupid world! The last Nullification Alice is finally dead!" screeched Risa, and Natsume stared at the crazy old witch.
"You... Killed her father?" he asked, and Risa stopped laughing horribly, and glared at Natsume with a twisted grin to her mouth.
"Me!? No, I wasn't even born then you idiotic fool! I wasn't the one who killed him. To be frank, it was none other than my darling brother! I guess it is right to guess me, we are after all from the same blood line, but so is your pitiful mother... Good thing we weren't related." she hissed as Natsume paled, hearing Risa took poorly of his mother.
"Reo killed Mikan's father!?" he cried, and Risa smirked.
"Why do you act so surprised, Natsume darling. You knew that your darling half uncle was a blood thirsty train wreck! He loathed the man for taking his crown, for taking away Yuka. My brother hated them both. He never loved Yuka, he just needed her to be the Queen. She was the pawn in his little game, but he lost at it. He then took his revenge by brainwashing the King and then the idiot made him comit suicide. He's killed many people in his time, did my darling brother... One of which was your grandfather!" snapped Risa as Natsume stared at her, feeling hatred flare up inside him.
"If you hated him so much... Then why do you act like him!?" he snapped, and Risa threw her head back, laughing.
"Why? WHY? Because, you pitiful King, I want to show him what real power is all about. He's already died twice, he's just too weak, like your little wife. I am also like this through revenge towards him. He was the one who took all my mothers love because he was the dark prince! We may have been born to different fathers but we are still the same, yet she treated me differently!" snapped Risa, growling and hissing venom as Natsume let his fist clench, and he gave Risa a cold look.
"You sick woman." he hissed as she shrugged.
"I am a sick woman, am I not? But look where all my mistakes got me? I'm powerful now and the queen of Alice and the world! All I ever wanted was to prove mother wrong, and then I could one day show her my true greatness. Too bad the scum bag is dead! She can't see what her darling daughter has become! HAHAHAHAHA!" she laughed loudly as Natsume hung his head low, feeling tears in his eyes as his fists tightened. Risa took no pity on him at all.
"Why do you cry? Because I killed half of your family? Like little Aoi? It was at both mine and Reo's hands that your family are dead. Reo killed your stupid mother, I killed Aoi, Reo killed your grandfather. I wouldn't wish to be in your shoes, darling boy. You seem to get all the misfortune, and now your wife has died at my hands? Oh, what a wonderful life!" she said, clapping her hands together a few times as Natsume glared at her, wiping his tears away and breathing deeply and heavily as Risa stared at him, then at all her cards which were swirling around her with a buzz.
"It isn't wonderful, you evil bitch!" he yelled, and ran towards her, ready to punch her as she laughed, and Natsume went through her, falling to the ground in a heap, shaking as Tsubasa watched, hugging his cousins cold body...
"Yuka! If Risa keeps this up, she's going to turn heaven into Hell along with Earth!" cried Nina as Yuka sat on the rock, shaking her head and crying into the lake as imaginary swans swam there, they were her images of Mitsuki and the sister that was never born. She sighed, and wrapped her arms aroudn her knee's as she brought them to her chin.
"I don't care anymore... Mikan's dead. She's never going to come back..." Yuka whispered as her tears fell from her face and her wings drooped low while Mizuki put a hand on her shoulder, and closed his eyes.
Why did his little sister have to die, why did Natsume have to be given such grief? It was too much to bear for both the Sakura and Hyuuga families. No one could have had more trouble than them. First the curse of the swan towards Nina, and then the death of her father. Then Yuka had been given a life of ignorance from her grandparents whom blamed her for her sisters curse, and then she lost another sister. Then as she grew, her grandparents died at the hands of her first love. Worse to come, her first child died of a miscarriage, and then her husband left the world. Yuka had the toughest life.
She never wanted Mikan to follow it, but it seemed History enjoyed repeating it's self, but it became worse for Mikan, instead.
"Crying cleanses the soul, you know. It makes your heart pure so... Keep on crying." came a soft voice, and Yuka looked up, staring at a new comapnion, who smiled when she looked up. Both Yuka and Mizuki gasped, staring at her wide eyed as the new angel smiled.
"Nice to meet you again." said the girl in a bubbly voice that sounded like Mikan's. So, she had finally come to heaven. Yuka put a hand to her mouth, and shook her head.
"Mikan! No! You can't be here! This isn't right!" cried Yuka as Mikan stared at her blankly while Yuka sank down otno her knee's, crying heavily as Mizuki ran to get Nina.
"You can't be here! You can't, not now." cried Yuka, repeating herself as Mikan stared down at her sadly, closing her eyes and shaking her head, then she opened her eyes again and smiled.
"I have to be here... Am I supposed to be somewhere else?" she asked dimly as Yuka shook her head, and Nina stared at the girl, gasping. It was true, Mikan was really dead. She had become an angel.
"Don't cry. I never liked it when you cried. I know it cleanses your heart, but tears never dwell well in the waters of a pure lake, do they, Yuka?" Mikan asked as Yuka stared up at her, crying her eyes out and shaking her head.
"W-What do you know about my crying in the lake, Mikan!?" cried Yuka as Mikan smiled and put a hand on Yuka's head.
"You know, you really do confuse me, silly little girl. She's so much like you! But I always looked like you. We all looked the same! But it took you the longest to get here. I was waiting for so long!" cried Mikan happily as Yuka stared at her, and Mikan wiped away her tears, then stood up straight, still smiling her sweet smile.
"Wh-What are you talking about? You just died, mikan!" cried Yuka, and Mikan shook her head.
"No... I haven't just died. I've been here for over 40 years or more, Yuka. I didn't think I would see you again, not after that horrible fire. I missed you, big sister." Mikan said, and Yuka's eyes widened, suddenly realising that the girl in front of her was one of the swans. Her little sister who had never been born. She looked like her daughter so much...
"What... So where's Mikan?" she asked as her sister stared nto the lake, shrugging.
"Her soul is probably still on the earth. Risa won't let her get away, you know. She wants her to stay and watch up front, not from the heavens that will soon be destroyed. Did you really think I was your daughter?" she asked, turning to Yuka with a sad look in her eyes, and Yuka gave a nod, wiping all the tears from her eyes as Mikan gave a saddened smile.
"I guess she has to. She's my reincarnation, after all. But... I never expected her to have my name. I guess you remembered it from what Mitsuki-chan told you? She saw you every night and loved you very much..." Mikan said as Yuka stared at her, and Yuka felt more tears prick in her hazel eyes.
"Oh... You have papa's eyes... And mama's hair, too! You were the one who looked alike the most..." Mikan said, wiping away the tears as Yuka stared at her, then noticed that her sisters hair was actually a silvery chestnut colour, and not just the chestnut shade Yuka and Mikan had.
"Mama really wanted you to have a sister, Yuka. She wanted another child, and she wanted our grandparents to love you, and not just Mitsuki. Mitsuki hated them because they hurt you and abandoned you." Mikan sighed, turning back to the lake and putting a finger on the water, and she watched it rippling.
"If only you had seen Mitsuki's face when she saw you... She told me her eyes lit up when she saw you. I was a young swan then, and she told me all about you, and she said I looked like you. She said you were our parents combined. Wind and water." she said, swirling her hand in the cool water, then bringing it out again, water dripping from her palm as everyone watched her.
Then someone walked up behind her, and she turned, smiling.
"About time! You know that everyone who loved you won't be happy with your departure!" Mikan said as Nina gasped, seeing the familiar face while the person chuckled.
"Don't worry, they won't mind... I mean, I died twice to save everyone... In that game if you die twice, you can never come back." the person said as Mikan smiled, nodding and taking his hands in hers, then sighing and turning to everyone.
"Hotaru's gonna kill him when she gets into Heaven... Right, Ruka-pyon?" Mikan asked as he grinned.
"Only if she gets to Heaven." he laughed...
"It's been ages! Why aren't the Horror Cards forming Hell!?" cried Risa in a panic as Natsume stared from the ground, and saw Tsubasa hugging Mikan's body close, crying. It was no time to get jealous, but he hated the idiot for hugging Mikan. But she was gone... How could he be jealous? Even if she was dead, he still loved her to bits. But he needed to kill Risa before he killed that Shadow dude for hugging his wife.
"Maybe they don't wnat you as their ruler!" snapped Natsume. Risa glared at him coldly, but turned back to her cards, screeching with rage.
"This can't be! The Horror cards obey whomever has every part of the deck! This isn't a mistake, it can't be! These cards... What is wrong with them!?" screeched Risa, tearing her hair as Natsume watched, then looked at the cards himself. Even he didn't understand it. He had seen Mikan's card! She was the Joker!
"It's because all the cards are not in play!" cried a voice, and they all stared around, wondering where the voice was coming from. Who was it? Where were they coming from and why did they know that all the cards weren't in play.
"Who are you!? Show yourself!" screamed Risa, and the person laughed.
"Gladly, Risa Mikota." the voice said, and Tsubasa stared in shock as Mikan suddenly stood up, her eyes half open as she groaned in pain, holding onto a bleeding arm. Her large wings spread from her back as Natsume stared in disbelief and Risa looked on in absolute horror.
"What!? But you're dead! I have the Joker with you imprinted upon it! This can't be, you're dead!" screeched Risa as Mikan gave a weak half smile, shaking her head.
"On the contrare, Risa... I'm alive as day. And as I said, not all of the cards are in play." she repeated her words, and Risa paled, making her almost invisible as Mikan stared at the cards, then pointed towards them.
"Observe." she said, and the cards started to slow down, showing each picture of the card. Risa stared and stared, then realised that the red Joker was in the Ace of Hearts place!
"What did you do!? My cards, you tricked me!" she screeched as Mikan smirked, nodding.
"Yes, I did, didn't I? I'm guessing you must have forgotten one tiny detail in your Horror Cards game, Risa... The cards will go to their owner. I saw it happen with Natsume's card when he fell at my knee's..."
Natsume fell in front of her, and he gasped in pain. He then got up again, and ran towards Risa, ready to keep on fighting. Mikan then saw something laying in the pool of blood by her knee's. It was the King of Hearts. It had returned to Natsume, Mikan realised that it had left the circle that was staring at them and circling the garden.
"I just saw it laying there, and realised that if you're in trouble your card will willingly leave even the circle to aid you in your time of need. So, I called my card and changed it! These cards can manipulate their state! You forgot all of this because no one has done it before, I'm right, aren't I!?" Mikan yelled as Risa stared in horror, and took steps back as Mikan limped towards her.
"You... You didn't remember anything because you were so caught up in being a murderer. I changed my card into a Joker to trick you, then I feigned my death. I stopped breathing long enough to make your thorns believe they had killed me. Once I was on the ground, I scratched my skin where a vein was in order to make you believe a thorn had popped a vital vein, then I lay there, limp and cold. It didn't take my husband long to find the card, showing that I was dead. But it fooled everyone... I beat you, Risa. I actually beat you." she whispered, and Risa shook her head.
"No... No. No one can beat me, no one!" she screeched, but Mikan shook her head. She held up a hand, and her Horror card flew into her palm, showing her Joker trick.
"Jokers were always the tricksters, and it looks like I am one, Risa... But this trickster will always win." she whispered, and threw the card at Risa, who screamed a horrible loud and long scream that made them all hold their ears. The card sliced through her, and she started to disappear, screaming that she would have her revenge. And then, before they could blink. She was gone...
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"You are alot smarter than you look, Mikan... And I'm so proud of you." Natsume said as the couple embraced while Tsubasa watched, smiling as Mikan sighed, tired and weak from the long battle that she'd had to endure. She gave her husband a small smile.
"I try to surprise you alot, don't I...? You did good, too." Mikan whispered, then spotted something on the ground, and picked it up.
"What's that?" Natsume asked, seeing her stare at it. Mikan turned the card to show him, and he sighed. It was the last Horror Card. The Red Joker. It had a picture of Risa on it, laying dead on a floor with her goblet of poison on it's side, leaking blood. Natsume took it, and ripped it in half.
"That's enough play time, Mikan. We need to get you home." he whispered as she stared at him, smiling as her arms wrapped aroudn his neck, and he picked her up. She felt like a bride all over again, but more like a corpse bride.
"Home... I like the sound of that, Natsume... I want to be home, where all our friends and family are." she whispered, her head laying on the crook of his neck as he smiled a little, then indicated to Tsubasa to follow as he walked towards the double doors, and into the maze.
It was silent for a while, but then Mikan's silent, weak voice came out and she spoke to Natsume.
"I-I'm so sorry..." she whispered as Natsume carried her through the maze that was safe now. He stared down at her, and stopped for a moment as her head came up, and he looked into her tear filled eyes.
"For what?" he asked as Mikan weakly closed her eyes, then tried her hardest to wipe the tears away.
"I... I couldn't protect Aoi... I was there, and I could have died for her... But she... She died instead of me." she said sadly, tears splashing down her pricked cheeks as Natsume held her close, shaking his head. He too had tears in his eyes.
"Mikan... This was Risa's fault, it wasn't yours..." he said, but Mikan shook her head as violently as she could.
"No... I did this... Risa came because of me. I would rather die than have Aoi taken away... She was my baby." Mikan whispered as Natsume sighed, kissing her forehead gently, then he wiped away the both of their tears.
"She won't regret dieing, Mikan. Aoi was never the one to regret." he said, then looked up and saw some light shining at the end of the maze. It was their gateway to their palace. He smiled, then stared down at Mikan who had fallen asleep. He then walked into the light, followed by Tsubasa, and they returned to Alice...
In the maze, all that was left were the Horror cards, but when Mikan left, they suddenly turned into Holy cards, showing Angels on them. And the Jokers disappeared. The Ace of Hearts showed Mikan Azumi, Yuka's little sister, smiling as she prayed happily...
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And Chapter 51 ended! Next chapter is the last chapter! Sayonara!
Love Kelly-chan!
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