I wasn't going to update today but here I am, posting a new chapter. You have two people to thank --- SKITTLE-LEE (she "threatened" me by calling me a son of a bitch haha too bad I'm a girl) and my first-ever kouhai, LITTLEDOGGY! This chapter is just for them!

Warning: This chapter was written by a depressed female who was too busy wallowing in misery to edit.

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Two Quarters And A Heart Down
15: Secrets
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I lied.

I mind that I have to leave the Academy --- and so soon, too.

"But," I stuttered, "I've only been back at the Academy for less than two weeks. Wouldn't it be suspicious to the student body if I once again disappear so abruptly?"

"Touché," Aoshi-san smiled. "Very clever. However, that has already been settled. We will devise a fake exchange programme with one of our overseas sister schools. It seems plausible enough."

It took me all of my self-control not to burst into big, fat baby sobs in front of the Headmaster. Taking a deep breath, I calmly asked, "Have you managed to find Urumi's body yet?" When Yuu and Sumire had gone to see Narumi-sensei, they were told that no one had discovered Urumi's body yet (keeping it secret from the student body was such a chore).

Aoshi-san stroked his chin with his right hand, peering at the wall behind me in contemplation. "The incident occurred closest to the Elementary Division building, so we assume that Urumi's prone body should be there. The Elementary Division Headmaster is currently in charge of the search."

"No turnouts yet?"

"According to the latest report, Jinno-sensei's search party has seen thick globs of blood near a copse in the Southern Forest."

"And?" My voice cracked.

"Her elbow was found. Nothing else so far."

"I see," I started fidgeting with my skirt. "Ano… if I leave the Academy, I can't go to a normal school, can I? I mean, if Alices can't resist the All-Seeing Eye's power, then surely normal people can't, right? Anyway, what I mean is… um, I need some kind of certificate. If I ever need it for job applications in the future."

Aoshi-san was quiet for a moment before waving his hand dismissively. "There is no need to worry about that. I can have one made for you. Unless there is a field of specialisation you are interested in?" One elegant, sienna eyebrow cocked at me.

"Specialisation", huh? Alice Academy did not cater to tertiary education --- therefore, there was no such thing as let's say, intensive classes in biology or chemistry unless your Alice pertained to them. The Academy pays a lot of attention in Hotaru's technical Alice because they think she'll be very useful in society after graduation.

And then there are people like Anna-chan and Subaru-san. Subaru-san didn't have to spend a decade in medical school to become a doctor --- his Healing Alice was enough and he even got a job at the campus hospital. As for Anna-chan, her Cooking Alice may not be very useful but it's almost guaranteed that the Alice Bakery in Central Town will offer her pay and lodging after graduation.

My Nullifying Alice… It's not at all very useful in the working world. I cannot continue my education in the Alice Academy nor can I enrol in a normal university… Not while I'm targeted, anyway. How can I learn to be a teacher or even an entrepreneur to make a living if I can't even go to school?

When (or if) this All-Seeing Eye dies down, I guess I have no choice but to work for the Academy's secret corps, training young children like Natsume-kun to become dark operatives for the higher-ups…

In a way, I guess I became the one thing that I despised the most --- someone who was all Alice and nothing else.

"No," I said. "Not really. No particular interest."

"I see," Aoshi-san nodded as though he understood but to me, he didn't. He didn't understand at all. How can a father talk to his daughter so brusquely like this? "I suppose you need some thinking through to do. Try to minimise this information. Do not let it spread for security purposes."

"Oh. Okay."

Aoshi-san's eyebrows furrowed in concern. He leaned forward to peer at me. His cold, clammy hand made its way to my forehead. "Are you alright, Mikan? You seem rather pale. Do you have a fever?"

"I'm peachy," I squeaked.

I stood up, dusting my skirt (I had no idea Narumi-sensei could sew, but then again, nothing should surprise me anymore) and flashing a smile at my father. "I… forgot I had to do something. Sorry. I have to go now. See you."

On my way out, I bumped into Natsume, who was carrying a tray of cookies. I mumbled a quick excuse about pads and napkins before dashing out the front door.

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Under normal circumstances, Hotaru would never have let me into her lab while she was working on an invention, but, after screaming and bawling at her security robot, my best friend realised that this instance was an exception.

Hotaru drifted toward me and gently draped a blanket across my shoulders. "Here," she said, handing me a steaming mug of hot cocoa. "This will warm you up."

"Thank you," I said meekly, taking a sip of the warm, brown liquid. It definitely tasted better compared to all the tea I've been consuming lately. "Ano… It's January already, isn't it? It's strange that it's not snowing yet."

"True," Hotaru concurred, pushing her swivel chair over to the window to pull back the lavender curtains. The lawns outside were still crisp and green, despite piles of dead leaves leftover from autumn.

I glanced at the assortment of spare engine parts, nuts, bolts, screwdrivers and wrenches scattered around Hotaru's record room, where she kept research files for reference. It was like Hotaru-sama's haphazard study. "This strange weather… do you think it has something to do with the All-Seeing Eye? Why hasn't anyone else gotten suspicious?"

"It's good to be paranoid with these goings-on," Hotaru rolled her chair toward me. "However, that is not the case this time. Remember that sempai from the Special Ability Class? The one who could control weather?"

I nodded, recalling that strange friend of Tsubasa's.

"After he graduated, he was recruited by some of the Technical Types as a guinea pig for a weather machine. It seems to be working. Oh, and some of Misaki-sensei's biology elective students are breeding tropical hybrid plants. So, they're trying to keep the snow away this year."

"I see." I giggled softly. Even my sempai with that seemingly useless Alice has made himself useful --- he was making a decent living too, I bet.

Hotaru's piercing, cool, amethyst gaze turned on me. "So, what do you plan to do, Mikan?" Her hawk-like gaze developed talons and snagged me in the heart.

"I was hoping that you would tell me," I admitted weakly.

Hotaru sighed. "Childish baka. I'm glad that I am the first person you chose to confide such a secret in but no matter what advice I give you, you have to make the decision entirely on your own."

"It's not like I have a choice," I said shrilly. "What decision can I make? My life's already been decided for me! Even my birth was planned!"

"Is that how you plan on living the rest of your life?" Hotaru questioned calmly. "Are you just going to go along with what someone else wants? Aren't you going to fight the power?"

I looked away and stared out of the window. "I never asked for any of this. I never even asked to be born," I sobbed. "If I knew my life was going to turn out this way… as someone else's play thing… then I should have died a long time ago! Why didn't I die along with the others six years ago?"

"To never be born?" Hotaru boomed. She sounded angry. "Then do you regret being alive? Do you regret meeting Hyuuga? Do you regret loving your surrogate grandfather? Do you regret knowing the truth?" Her voice lowered to a whisper, barely audible. "Do you regret knowing me? I missed you, you know. I waited and waited. And now you're finally here."

A tear rolled down my cheek as I gazed at Hotaru's downcast face. I gingerly stroked her pale hand, which was pressed flat against her knee. "Oh, Hotaru, I'm sorry. I don't regret it at all. I-I'm just angry, you know? Those things just spilled out of my mouth. I can't control my emotions very well anymore. I guess I really am still a child at sixteen." I laughed feebly.

Hotaru lifted her gaze and stared at me, emotions securely masked and unreadable. When she didn't reply, I continued to ramble, "It's not my fault, though, is it? It's not my fault I was saddled with this particular Nullifying Alice and then sent away to train because of it." I shrugged indifferently, biting my tongue before my accusations started to go wild. I wanted to blame Aoshi-san, too… He wasn't a bad father, really, but the thing was, he was a better headmaster than he was a father.

"I'm just the victim here," I concluded softly.

I looked up, surprised, as Hotaru relinquished her hand from underneath mine and got up. She disappeared behind a bookcase and reappeared on the other side, aiming a gun at me.

BAKA!

A tennis ball-like bullet hit me in the head. I winced as I dropped to the floor on my knees, clutching my cranium in a pathetic attempt to soothe the pain. "Hotaru?" I called out softly as she put the gun away and strode over to resume her position on her swivel chair.

"You have changed, Mikan," Hotaru said, staring at me with those indifferent eyes of hers, "and so have I. Let me make one thing very clear, Mikan: I never want to hear those words from your mouth ever again. If you refuse to heed my warning, I can assure you that I will cease to be your acquaintance faster than Ruka Nogi's pictures selling out on a half-price forest sale. Do I make myself clear?"

I could have just submitted to my best friend's wishes but no, I had to be difficult. I was angry --- I came to her crying because I thought she would console me in my time of need; isn't that what friends do? Why was Hotaru treating me like this? Wasn't I important to her? Wasn't I special?

"Look here, Imai! Don't think you can just go on doing that -" I began harshly but I was suddenly cut off by laughter.

"That's the spirit I wanted to see," she said softly, smiling gently at me. "I knew you had it in you, Mikan. Why don't you use more of that spirit than being so submissive all the time? You weren't like that before but it's not like you at all to pin the blame on someone else for your own unfortunate life."

I stared at her, bewildered.

Hotaru continued, "You and I both agree that it seems like you've just been going with the flow --- dragged and tossed along according to someone else's wish. You need to fight that, Mikan. This is your own life. You decide how to govern it. When someone else comes along and thinks that they can make your decisions for you, you need to prove them wrong. You need to fight for your own rights; for your own life. You need to go in the direction you want, not walk a path half-heartedly just because someone else says it is more beneficial for you."

Messy, hazel bangs shielded my eyes as I bowed my head, resuming my sitting position on the chair I had just vacated. There was truth in Hotaru's words --- strong, clear, loud, ringing chimes echoing in the recesses of my mind. When she stopped talking, I looked at her and nodded to let her know that I understood.

Hotaru's smile grew bigger as she took a sip out of her own mug of hot cocoa. "That said," she said calmly, though elation laced her voice. "Let us review the situation once more. Aoshi-san says that you need to leave the Academy. I can give you four reasons for that.

One: the All-Seeing Eye is after you. Even if you are on the move constantly, that charlatan will surely know your location for his title is already self-explanatory. However, assuming that you are never in the same location twice, physically tracking you down is a hard task, unless that charlatan can turn you into a puff of smoke from afar and suck you into a vacuum-prison. Even if that is true, your Nullifying Alice will surely leave that option void. In a nutshell, it is safer for you if you keep moving locations. Aoshi-san is your father, he is surely worried about your well-being, Mikan. I'm sure it pains him to let go of you especially after father and daughter have finally been reunited after so many years."

I was beyond shocked --- never before has Hotaru said so much. The amount of words she spoke in our previous conversation surely outnumbered those she spoke in a month, possibly. That aside, her words spoke volumes of truth…

In a lighter atmosphere, I could easily imagine myself on my knees, nodding vigorously with a hachimaki tied around my head, and scribbling furiously on a notepad, yelling, "YES, SENSEI!" as I absorbed Hotaru's advice.

"Two: this Black Hole business you told us about… That island's activities infringed countless human rights and child abuse laws. I understand the three Headmasters were duped into believing a more suitable training facility was used by some other higher-up, but this operation was carried out in the Alice Academy's name. Somehow, the Japanese government has discovered this (I have many sources of outside information) and are threatening to close down this establishment. However, since many big-shot companies and politicians are backing this school, the government is threatening to sack the three Headmasters for their negligence. Although they are innocent, they are still the figureheads of this institute. Most of the student body do not know about this Black Hole stuff and there might be a rebellion if the three Headmasters were sacked so suddenly for reasons unknown. It's absolutely scandalous. Also, the government will appoint "more suitable" Headmasters to take their positions --- who knows how they're going to rule our way of life? Moreover, they are outsiders --- followers of the All-Seeing Eye for all we know. Either way, the Academy will throw itself into chaos.

Your father does not want you to be caught in the fray. I do believe you are currently the All-Seeing Eye's priority, no? You could be a very useful distraction if undesirable authority should ever take over this school."

I ignored the stars dancing in Hotaru's eyes as I carefully absorbed and broke down the information she was feeding me. I saw her fingers twitch, as though yearning to grope a bazooka. I shuddered.

"Are you following? Good," Hotaru continued. She was looking very pleased, indeed. "Three: those around you will be in danger if you stay at the Academy --- namely me and your boyfriend. It's already a given that the All-Seeing Eye uses manipulation from afar to get what he wants. If he gets hold of a student's mind --- now, Kokoroyomi-kun will be a rather unfortunate but easily susceptible victim in this case --- or even worse, a teacher, then who can we trust if we do not know who the traitors are? Chaos will ensue and students might even resort to mutiny --- in our weakened state, the All-Seeing Eye can send the Anti-Alice Organisation corps to destroy and capture us easily."

At this point, I was starting to suspect that Hotaru just liked the sound of her voice. She has definitely been paying a lot of attention during History class.

Anyway, that was already a scenario Aoshi-san and I had briefly discussed, though Hotaru had painted the possible future rather extremely. Will the All-Seeing Eye really go to such extents just to get hold of little old me?

I guess he will. If that does happen, he can destroy the Academy too so it's like killing two birds with one stone…

Hotaru took a breath before sipping her hot cocoa noisily. I looked up at her eagerly, anticipating the fourth possibility --- one that I had not yet thought of.

Ignoring the chocolate moustache on her face, my Hotaru-sama continued, "Fourth: due to the recent event with Urumi Tenaka, the Academy has called back all trainers for an inspection. They are currently housed in the Headquarters and are under the Middle School Division Headmaster's watch. They have been here for about two days now and are currently undergoing several rounds of tests and interrogations to weed out more traitors and pagan worshippers. Aoshi-san is still too weak to use his Alice --- my brother said that he might die if he interrogated all the trainers at once" --- Hotaru ignored my gasp --- "so it will take a while to discover any more double agents."

"What's your point, Hotaru?"

My best friend gazed at me coolly. "Though these trainers are under heavy surveillance, if they really are followers of the All-Seeing Eye, then it would be easy for them to break out of their confines to come after you. With them so close, you're in more danger than ever, Mikan.

Think about it: despite the circumstances, two people (Persona and Urumi) have already died with the reason ultimately being you. How many more people will die because of this?"

I nodded, taking Hotaru's gentle accusation in stride. I couldn't ignore the heavy factors leaning against me if I stayed at the Academy --- it would be far less selfish if I did leave. At this point, I cannot be afraid of hurting my friends' feelings anymore --- if I stayed, they wouldn't have any more emotions to be hurt anyway. They could very well die in the possible fray.

Manipulating and corrupting young minds was never to be taken lightly. Look at Urumi --- she committed suicide believing the lies the All-Seeing Eye fed her.

As I mulled over the distasteful possibility of my close friends dying, I had no idea that such demise was looming so close by.

So very, very close.

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To be continued…