Author's Notes: I'M SO SORRY ABOUT THIS

Disclaimer: To Aru would not be this awesome if I thought of it first... and 12:51 by Krissy and Ericka

12:51

"Mikoto-chan?"

Mikoto was hurriedly walking down the staircase of her friend Alice's mansion when her mother caught her in her escape. She stopped short, turning away and wiping her cheeks with her wrists to hide the tears even though she knew Misuzu would've easily seen right through it.

With a stable voice, she replied when her mother called out to her again, "What are you doing here, mama? I thought you had an emergency meeting."

Misuzu stared critically at her for a moment before approaching her and taking a hold of her hand. Without saying a word, Misuzu led her away.

She didn't fight, found out that she didn't have the energy to do so, but she asked, "Where are we going?"

Her mother's expression was serious, "The garden," she responded, not looking at her, "We need to talk."

Numbly, Mikoto followed her mother. She felt so tired and messed up that she didn't even realize they were beside the garden until Misuzu sat her down the stairs leading down from the little veranda.

Her mother sat down beside her, hesitating for only a moment before asking, "You saw him, didn't you?"

She turned her head in surprise, not even needing the confirmation to know who Misuzu was talking about. "You knew?" she asked in disbelief.

Misuzu pursed her lips into a tight line, "Shiina and I kept in touch."

And suddenly, everything seemed to make sense; her mother's odd behaviour the past week and insistence on making her come to a business party. There was no way that the fact that he was here too was a coincidence. Her parents and his probably set it all up, knowing how it had ended between them.

Air left her lungs as realization settled in. And here she thought Fate was playing a bad joke on her.

She turned away from her mother, having no desire to see her face. "Why?" she asked quietly, unable to prevent a little anger from lacing through her voice.

"I thought it would be the best for you two," Misuzu answered just as quietly, "I know the two of you broke off in bad terms. I had hoped you'd get over it after some time but three years after, you still didn't smile quite as bright as you used to."

She let out a breath of bitter laughter, "And what, you think that when we see each other again we'll just go back to what we were? Or are you hoping we'd actually get together after this? The meddling mothers' match made in heaven finally coming true…"

"For what it's worth, Mikoto-chan, I don't want you to be with him anymore," Misuzu admitted in such a serious voice that her gaze snapped back to the older Misaka. Mikoto was waiting for her to explain but Misuzu never elaborated what she meant. "I just want you to have closure. You left hoping he'd care enough to try to stop you, but when he didn't, you forced yourself to forget him yet you can't."

Her fists clenched at her mother's words, unwilling to admit Misuzu was right.

"You're still hoping, Mikoto-chan," Misuzu said, "And I don't think you'd ever stop hoping if you never see him again."

"…closure, huh?" She couldn't stop the scornful smile that crept onto her face, "All this meeting did was open up old wounds, Mama, old wounds and bitter regrets."

Misuzu didn't reply immediately, as if she was pondering over her own actions. Mikoto was a little upset with her for setting the whole thing up, but Mikoto couldn't deny that she had wanted to see him again. Her mother was right, she and that idiot broke off in bad terms, and if given the chance, she would want to remedy that. But not this way; not when she wanted to move on while all he did was try to get her back.

It made her doubt the resolve she had built up the past three years, as if everything she had done to forget him was suddenly thrown away the moment he met her eyes. It had been so full of longing, those blue orbs she used to love so much (and it seemed like she still did), that the feeling she thought she had left suddenly came rushing back to her.

"What happened?" Misuzu quietly asked.

Her hands balled into fists as she recalled everything he had said, "He told me he wanted me back, that he wanted us to have another chance," her mother's hands suddenly settled on top hers and she revelled on the support Misuzu was offering, "I shouldn't care… it shouldn't matter to me anymore but… it does…"

"Mikoto-chan?"

"I thought my feelings were gone," she bit her lip as her eyes began to water, "But it's not, Mama… and I hate the way that I care that he's hurt a lot more than I care that I'm hurt."

"…you told him no…" realization was laced through Misuzu's words.

"I'm scared," she admitted with a tremble in her voice, "I've tried so hard for so long to forget him, but suddenly, he crashes back into my life claiming that he wanted me back? When he had been the one to let me leave in the first place? It's not fair, Mama. I left my friends, my life in Academy City because of him. And now he wants me to do that again?"

Her mother immediately enveloped her in an embrace when the dam broke. She held onto Misuzu for dear life as the older woman whispered, "You don't have to."

"But a part of me wants to." She said, hugging Misuzu closer, "What should I do, Mama?"

"Oh, Mikoto-chan," she felt Misuzu's hands rub her back soothingly and she soaked up the comfort it offered. With a kiss to her forehead, she heard her mother murmur, "Do whatever it is that you truly want. You said you left Academy City because of him? Then let this"—Misuzu put a hand on her chest where her heart was located—"decide again what it is, but this time, use this"—a finger tapped against her temple—"to find out if you'll be happy with that decision. Know that I'll support you in whatever you choose. All I want to make sure is that, this time, you won't have any regrets."

She felt herself calm down at her mother's words. And when she had finally stopped the tears, she repeated, "No regrets?"

"Promise me, Mikoto-chan."

There was a pause before she nodded, "I promise."

Author's Notes:

ohmygosh this is probably the worst chapter yet XP I really don't like how this turned out. and by the way To all who suggested songs, THANK YOU SO MUCH! but there really wasn't any song that got my attention for this chapter... except for that single line in this song, "It's 12:51 and I thought my feelings were gone." the song got me through half way but then nothing

I'm so sorry if this is as disappointing as i think it is. But i really had to show Mikoto's side here before going back to Touma. I posted this because someone already suggested the perfect song for next chapter and I just wanted this to get it over with XDD I'm writing the next chapter now :DDD

Again, sorry

hope you won't stop reading this because of this chapter... hehe

Any violent reactions? please just don't kill me XD

~~61wisampa