Disclaimer: I don't Gakuen Alice
Painful. That's what my first thought was when I woke up in Luna's body. I had almost forgotten the feeling of pain, its searing hotness and angry rhythm was almost lost to me. But this didn't make me sad, if anything, I was happy. Feeling pain meant I was alive again; the jabbing needles at my sides and this bruised body gave me a feeling of bliss. I turned my head to the side and saw Kitsuneme staring down at me. When he met my eyes he smiled a congratulatory smile my way.
"You made it; she has given you full control of her body. I'm surprised she didn't even ask for a contract." Kitsuneme said rubbing his chin.
"Is that bad?" I ask. Wow. That cannot be my voice. I know that it was me who said the words but the voice wasn't my own. It was sweet, soft and velvety. Man, this girl had it all, the face, the body and even the voice. I would say that I'm not envious but then I'd be lying.
"Not really, it just means that if she wants, she can take her body back before the one hundred days are over." Kitsuneme said thoughtfully.
"Don't worry. You can have it for as long as you want, in fact once you're done with it, I wouldn't mind if you discarded it for me." The sound of the voice was identical to the sound that came from me but this time it wasn't me that spoke the words. The sound had come from my left, towards the corner of the wall from where I could make out the soul of Luna Koizumi floating.
She floated towards me, stopping next to my bed…or her bed? She gave me a long look and then turned her attention to Kitsuneme. Her eyes were ice blue; they were cold and distant yet remarkably beautiful.
"Don't stay that. If you don't have a body, how will you live?" I told her.
She gave me a flat look. "I wonder. Oh wait, that's right, it's because I don't want to live. Why else would I jump from a ten story high building?"
"You-you were trying to commit suicide?" I gasped. I couldn't imagine why someone would want to throw away there lives.
"Not everyone wants to live in this cruel world you know. If only we were given a choice before we were born of whether we want to or not." She finishes her voice getting sadder and her eyes angrier.
I simply stared. There was nothing I could say to this beautiful girl who was so ready to throw away so much that she was blessed with.
"Where are you going?" Kitsuneme asked Luna, "Now that you don't have a body to return to, are you just going to wander?"
"Yeah, maybe I'll find a way to end my life out there." She said and then disappeared through the open window.
Kitsuneme and I just started at each other. Unbelievable. Were there really people out there who were ready to throw away everything? Do they not know what it means to only have one life?
My thoughts were interrupted when the door flew open. A girl with long black hair and familiar green eyes walked inside. When her eyes found mine they stopped, she froze and looked completely baffled. I was surprised by her painfully familiar face. She had gotten green highlights and her hair was longer. But she still had those exotic emerald eyes and the same delicate features.
Yes, this was the girl who I had lunch with when we were in elementary school, she was the girl who fell head over heels for Natsume and became the president of his fan club, she was the one that beat all the girls in school and courageously confessed her undying love for him in middle school. And even then, when he rejected her, she smiled and never gave up, always loving him deep inside; she was the girl who bullied me when I first came to Alice Academy, and then protected me from the same bullies who were her friends. She was the one who sadly smiled when I told her that Natsume became my boyfriend and told me that if he ever broke my heart, she would beat him to a pulp. She was the loyal girl who had sacrificed love for friendship. I held her gaze feeling a hundred different emotions coursing through me. Sumire.
"Luna? No way. You're awake, oh…Oh my God!" Sumire made a beeline towards me and threw her arms around me crushing me against her chest and the needles.
"Yeah, it's good to see you too but ouch…this kind of hurts." I said, my voice muffled by her hair. I was so happy to see her; I didn't know what to do.
"What? Oh. Sorry." She said releasing me. She looked at me and smiled and then a look of shock came across her pretty features.
"Wait. Why are you happy? You should be mad. You would have never let me touch you like this." Sumire looked at me sadly and then suspiciously.
"Did you hit your head? The doctor said there was no damage to your skull…"
"Oh, maybe I did…I'm sorry, Sumire. I shouldn't have jumped. It was wrong; it must've made you sad right?" I said. I had no idea what Luna's relationship with Sumire is like but then even if it is bad I can't bring myself to be mean to Sumire. It has been so long since I had last seen her after all, so for at least these hundred days until Luna comes back, I will act like Mikan Sakura and talk to my best friend.
Sumire didn't reply, she was still shocked, but then she saw something on my face and got momentarily distracted by it.
"Luna, what happened to your eyes?" She said staring at my face.
"What? What happened to them?" I asked her.
"They're not blue anymore…they changed colors." She said inspecting my eyes closely.
"What?" I looked sideways at Kitsuneme who looked at my eyes in disbelief as if noticing the difference only now.
"They're the color of your eyes. They've turned hazel; even their shape has become wider. They look identical to yours," Kitsuneme replied, shocked.
Sumire was still staring at me when the door swung open and a young woman walked in. She didn't look past thirty with dark brown locks that cascaded down her small clear face. Her eyes were green, the same foreign color as Sumire's but they were a bit too small. But then when I looked closely I realized that all the features on her face were tiny. She had a button nose, thin pink lips and tiny yet sparkly green eyes. Her face also, was small. She was cute, in a childish yet mature way.
She was dressed elegantly and her every step was laced with dignity and grace. I could've mistaken her for a Queen if not for Sumire's breathless voice when she said,
"Mother."
The woman looked at Sumire and her eyes softened but then her eyes landed on me and a look of disgust crossed her small, delicate features.
"I see you're finally awake Luna, I'm so glad." She looked anything but glad to see me.
"Your father is in an important meeting right now and I'll inform him of your recovery right after he's done. In the meantime would you care to explain to me what the hell you think you were doing when you jumped through that window? Do you have any idea what people are saying? Do you know what I have been putting up with? Do you know what I suffered through all because of your stupid tantrum?"
"Mother please, she just woke up-" Sumire started only to be cut off by her mother.
"Not now Sumire. I need to teach this bitch a lesson." She said looking at me with such hatred and disgust that I cringed away from her, "Do you even know how to commit suicide? If you wanted to die so badly, there were better ways to do it. You weren't even successful, you stupid girl. You're awake and now I have to deal with you all over again. If only you didn't exist." She finished and slumped on the chair next to Sumire with her elbow bent on her knee so that her hand was holding her forehead.
"I'm sorry?" I hadn't meant for it to come out as a question but it ended up becoming one.
The woman's eyes snapped towards me and a look of disbelief crossed her tawny features.
"Mother, Luna regrets what she did, she wants to be better, and she won't do anything to you so please…" Sumire couldn't continue as the woman walked up towards me and slapped me right across the face. The sound reverberated throughout the whole room. My head spun and I saw white hot pain. The needless jabbed into my skin and my sore body burned because of the sudden movement.
"Mother!" Sumire shouted running towards me.
"What the hell? Did you break your head bitch? 'I'm sorry?' Who do you think you're screwing with? I hate you. I hate every single thing about you. If you didn't exist I'd be the future owner of the Koizumi Hotel Chain. Are you trying to make amends? Lure me in with your non-existing kindness. You know why I married that idiot father of yours. I want the company, and I will make you go through hell and back until you give it to me.
I never thought I would actually meet the she devil. Her gorgeous, cruel eyes were inhumane. And to think that not only was she Sumire's biological mother but Luna, or my temporary, step-mother?
Sumire was crying on the floor as the she-devil left through the hospital door off to do no good, and ruin more lives probably. I sat up with a lot of effort, taking out the needless and resting against the fluffy pillow behind me.
"Sumire don't cry. Come here." I ushered her towards me.
She stood up sniffling. "I'm sorry Luna, I've been trying to do something about her, but she won't listen to me. I hate her so much for doing this to you. I hate her," She said holding my hands tightly and sobbing.
Things were starting to make sense now. Luna Koizumi, the girl who has it all, the looks, the money and the family, has actually been suffering. She has a distant father, an abusive step mother and her only solace, is a loving step-sister. This is quite a Cinderella Story.
Except maybe in this twisted story, I might be her prince. Only I too have a prince to save. I look over at Kitsuneme and meet his eyes, knowing that we're both thinking the same thing.
What have we gotten ourselves into?
The next day I am to get released from the hospital and I meet daddy dearest. He came to pick me up from the hospital. The doctor's orders are to stay in bed for at least a week. Fat chance of that, I had already wasted one day and I wasn't going to spend another minute lying down doing nothing. I can see that Mr. Koizumi is not a man of many words as he looks at me once then motions for me to follow him. In the car, on our way home, he asks me if I'm hurting and I reply with a 'no' we don't talk at all after that and we reach home a few minutes later. I look out to see a mansion, scratch that, a palace. It's huge and it takes up as much space as my whole village did back in my hometown.
I try not to fall as I stare up at the house and walk towards its shiny white door. The inside is even more lavish and beautiful. Crystal chandeliers and cozy warm walls, I could see a big fireplace towards the end of the large family room.
I catch Kitsuneme looking at me through the kitchen window in the corner. I tip toe my way towards the window and open it.
He smiles down at me, "Do you like it?"
"It doesn't beat the higher ups palace but it comes close to it," I answer him, grinning.
He grins back and says, "Come on, I'll show you your room."
I follow him up a grand stair case, aware that maids and butlers have their eyes on me. When we reach the end of the hallway he opens the last door to the left, which I'm guessing is my room. I enter it only to be struck but how dark it is. Black walls, Blood red covers and the darkest shade of purple are my curtains. How does someone sleep in here? There is a computer off to the side and a large walk in closet that barely has any clothes in it. The only clothes that habitat with in it are black or shades of grey. What is wrong with Luna?
The one light piece of clothing that I see is hung to one side of the closet away from all the other clothes. I venture deeper into the closet to inspect the outfit. It's a uniform, more precisely Alice Academy's uniform. It was hung with such care and pressed pristine that it made me wonder about Luna and her thoughts on Alice Academy.
I ran my hands through the familiar fabric with a sense of nostalgia bubbling within me. It was funny, whenever I pictured this moment it was always my daughter's Alice Academy uniform I would be looking at.
I closed the closet and went to sit on the bed. After a moment I hugged my knees to my chest and put my chin on them. I suddenly felt nervous. I would go back to school and meet Natsume again, except, he wouldn't know that it would be me.
I fell a sleep in that dark room exhausted by my thoughts of tomorrow.
I awoke with a start. I blinked and focused on the alarm clock by the side table. 7:41.
Crap. Class was going to start in less than twenty minutes. I jumped off the bed and ran to the bathroom, swiftly brushing and cleaning my face. I had a strong sense of Déjà vu remembering how my mornings would always start like this. I changed out of the jeans and t-shirt I had fallen asleep in and threw on the short checkered skirt and pale white blouse of Alice Academy's uniform. I was surprised by how I remembered to swiftly put my hands and legs through the right holes. Once I was done, I checked my appearance in the mirror. Hazel eyes stared back at me. I remember I had read somewhere that the eyes are the windows to a person's soul. Looking in the mirror I could say that I was now a believer of that.
Luna's hair was a mess. I had horrible sleeping posture and would always wake up with bed head that took me hours to fix. My hair I could deal with, Luna's on the other hand I was scared to infiltrate. I glanced at the clock to see that it was now 7:45. Ok, my plan to look good on my first day has flown out the window. Sighing, I grabbed my hair and put it in a messy ponytail at the top of my head.
With that I flew down the stairs, nearly tripping over the last step but catching myself on time. I hurried into the kitchen and made a beeline for the fridge. I chugged down a bottle of milk and grabbed a toast from the table, ignoring the stares that the chefs were giving me.
I ran outside to see a black limo with an elderly man sitting at the driver's seat. I paused in front of it. I blinked and then remembering that I couldn't afford hesitation I jumped in the car.
"You're going to be late Young Mistress." The man says.
"Yeah, I know, Can you please hurry? Just this one time can you please try and cross as many lights as possible?" I pleaded to the man from my backseat.
He blinked at me as though I had spoken in Arabic, but then he recovered and swiftly put the car to drive and raced down the road.
I had to hand it to him, the guy was a really good driver, and I probably wouldn't have been able to pull off half the sharp turns he took. We arrived in front of Alice Academy five minutes before I was due for classes.
"Thanks!" I yelled at the nice old driver and grabbed my bag pack. I made a run for the doors and made it inside before they closed. I ran towards the high school building and saw Kitsuneme standing there leaning casually against the wall.
"Wow, you actually got here, I was convinced you wouldn't make it." He said giving me an impressed look.
"Nice to know you have so much confidence in me." I said bitterly. This was not how I had pictured my return to look like.
Kitsuneme just grinned.
Apparently Kitsuneme had gotten here earlier to find out information on Luna in an attempt to keep my cover. She was in class 3B, which would be starting in exactly one minute. I rushed down towards the class making it in just before the bell rings. I gasp out of breath. Take that Time, it's my win today.
I look up to see familiar and foreign faces staring at me with identical looks of shock. Then the whispers started.
"Did you hear? She jumped from a ten story building."
I cringed and made my way towards the teacher who was busy taking attendance.
"I heard someone pushed her."
"What? Hey, maybe it's Sumire."
"No way! Actually that's very possible considering how she is."
They giggle. I throw them the dirtiest look I can muster and they shut up immediately.
I sigh. High school.
"Ah, I see your back Ms. Koizumi. Please take a seat in the top back," He looks back and adjust his glasses then turns to me again, "That's right, I almost forgot, your former partner was transferred while you were away so you'll be assigned someone new."
I nod and make my way to the top. A serious sense of Déjà vu washes over me as I encounter lethal eyes and prejudice smiles. I meet familiar amethyst eyes which widen when they see me. Hotaru. I almost start crying when I see her but hold myself together remembering that I'm not currently in my own body. She's become more beautiful. Her hair is longer, past her shoulders now, she still has the same neutral face but her features are more angular now, no longer holding any signs of childishness.
I walk up, higher and stop again when I see familiar blue eyes. Ruka. He looks at me once and then does a double take. I smile at him and he returns it hesitantly. He looks taller, more mature, no longer a bashful boy. He still looks like the typical Prince Charming that every girl dreams of with his bright blue eyes and golden hair.
I sit down a chair down from him. I look at the person in the middle of me and Ruka and see a thick coat of Raven hair. I gulp. He has his head in his arms and I can hear light breathing. He's sleeping. Natsume is sleeping. I sigh in relief. The situation seems surreal. Just two days ago I was watching him from a crystal ball where he was a world away and now he's at arm's length but I don't know what to do.
Life really has a way of torturing you in the weirdest ways. I want to see him, talk to him, touch him and make sure he won't disappear in a puff of smoke but all I do, all that I can do, is sit there, frozen to my chair.
Years pass, and centuries go by. When class finally ends and I hear the familiar bell I feel like I've lived a million lives. Everyone gets up and Natsume shifts a little.
"Get up, class is over. Finish your nap in the next class." Ruka says to the boy next to me.
I stay frozen not sure if I want him to leave or stay. The teacher makes the decision for me.
"Natsume, you don't have a partner anymore right? Pair up with Koizumi, her partner transferred." The teacher says and then leaves the room.
I turn my head to Natsume's direction and find his cold stare on me. He looks at me for a heartbeat then narrows his eyes and walks away. Ruka gives me a sheepish look and then he too follows his friend out the classroom.
I slump in my chair as the boys leave. I sigh. I bury my head in my hands. A year of no contact and a simple look from him has my head spinning and my feet frozen.
A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews, reading them makes my day!