I'm so sorry for the late update!
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Manipulated, Chapter 10
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After the incident with Persona, Mikan became much more cheerful.
"Mikan-chan, can I try your shrimp tempura?" Anna asked, as Mikan nodded.
"No fair! I want to try Mikan-chan's tempura, too!" Nonoko cried, breaking the piece of tempura Anna held with her chopsticks.
"Fine! Jeez, I would have given you half if you just asked!"
The brunette smiled.
She talked a lot more, and she made several friends around the academy.
She was currently eating lunch with Natsume, Hotaru, Ruka, Anna, Nonoko, Aoi, and Youichi. Although Natsume was reading manga, rather than eating lunch.
"Natsume-nii, aren't you going to eat?" Youichi said, handing the flame-caster an onigiri.
"I don't eat during lunch," Natsume replied, though he took Youichi's rice ball and popped it into his mouth, chewed and swallowed.
"Mou, Natsume, you could have just said you wanted it." Mikan said. "Plus you got rice on the corner of your mouth."
She leaned over, and licked the grain off from the corner of his mouth.
He blushed, but it was well hidden by his bangs. He covered his face with the manga.
Ann and Nonoko squealed happily. They had always thought that Mikan and Natsume would be a good couple.
Hotaru and Youichi smirked, and Ruka smiled.
Mikan smiled, clueless.
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She's nearly free…
Her smiles are pure,
She laughs naturally…
She glides through the air like a bird, soaring through the sky…
She could fly…
If only she wasn't still held down by six chains…
If only she wasn't wounded…
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Reo inwardly smiled.
He wore a red shirt and black jeans with a chain belt. A purple earring pieced his right ear.
Azumi Yuka stood next to him, dressed in a maid's uniform, holding several bags.
"We're leaving, Yuka."
"Yes….Master Reo."
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Wake up, WAKE UP!
Who…?
You've got to wake up! For the sake of your daughter…!
My…daughter…?
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Yuka followed Reo out to a limo that was waiting for them.
"KYYYYAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
"REO-SAMAAAAAAA!"
"WE LOVE YOU!"
Deafening fan girl screams nearly shattered all of Alice Academy's glass objects.
"Ah, that's right, Reo Mouri is supposed to be coming today," Nonoko realized, looking out a window.
"Reo Mouri?" Mikan asked.
"He's a really famous star," Anna explained. "He supposedly attended Gakuen Alice himself when he was younger…I believe he was the kouhai of Narumi-sensei…"
Natsume's crimson eyes stared at the limo.
He didn't like the feeling he was getting from this scene.
"…but I don't really get why everyone liked him so much." Nonoko said.
"He's music is great and all…but…still." Anna said.
"You don't go crazy over him like the rest of the girls in this academy," Hotaru finished for her.
"…Something…doesn't feel right…" Anna told her, uneasy. "I don't know."
Hotaru watched as fans continued to scream louder, if that was possible, as the red-haired man stepped out. She narrowed her eyes.
They were right. She felt uneasy.
"Hey, hey, who's that other woman?" Nonoko said suddenly.
"Wha…?" Anna asked, pressing her face against the window. "Who do you—Whoa, you're right...there is a woman...Who the heck--?"
Mikan peered out the window to make out a woman with short, brown hair, and blank, chocolate eyes.
"You've got to be kidding me…" Mikan and Youichi said at the same time.
"What…?" Hotaru said, surprised.
"O…Okaa-san…" Mikan whispered.
The brunette and the silver-haired boy ran down the stairs and outside as fast as they could.
"Okaa-san…Okaa-san!" Mikan called happily.
She was alive! She was here! Her mother…Azumi Yuka!
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Snap. Snap. Snap.
All in one go.
Three chains have broken.
It's crazy.
The shock,
Yet the happiness,
Of someone returning.
After so long, I can finally see her again…mother…
It seems like the light is winning…
Perhaps our wounded bird…
Will fly?
Ahh…
But I forgot to say.
Emotions are quite strong…
It may take a while before the chains completely rust away…
To nothing.
Only time will tell…
Before the bird encased in ice…
Will slowly gain warmth, and dry…
Like a butterfly from its chrysalis,
Its wings must dry…before they spread…
And soar.
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And her mother was right in front of her. She was out of breath…so was Youichi.
But there she was…their mother…whom they hadn't seen in so long…
"Okaa-san," Mikan whispered, still panting, pushing her way through the crowd.
"OKAA-SAN!"
The shout came from both Youichi and Mikan.
Reo looked at them, and inwardly smirked.
So these were her children?
Azumi Yuka stared at them blankly.
"Okaa-san…we missed you so much!" Mikan said, tears slowly running down her cheeks.
The brunette hugged her mother.
She thought nothing could make her happier. You could give her a million dollars, a truck of diamonds, all her favorite foods…but no, it was her mother that made her the happiest.
To bad that that happiness would only last a few moments…
Azumi Yuka's peeled the girl's fingers off of her. Her eyes narrowed, and her hand met the brunette's cheek.
SLAP!
Mikan stumbled backwards.
"Okaa-san!" Youichi shouted.
Their mother never slapped them, or caused them physical harm…sure, she might yell at them, but that was usually it, and maybe a grounding or something.
"Okaa-san…?"
Yuka's eyes narrowed.
"If you would please not get so close and talk to me familiarly. Master Reo is the only one who is allowed to do so."
"You…don't…remember…?" Youichi said, trembling.
"I asked to please not to talk to be so familiarly, little boy," the woman hissed.
And at that moment, Mikan felt her heart crack. Like glass, dropped, shattering into a thousand pieces.
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Snap. Snap. Snap.
The last three chains have snapped…
By darkness. Despair…disbelief, shock…
My own mother doesn't even remember me…
Okaa-san…Don't you….love me?
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ALL THIRTEEN CHAINS HAVE BEEN BROKEN!
It seems…that more chains…have been broken by the light, the happiness…
Love.
But yet…why is the own in such a state of despair…?
The chains have broken,
But the little bird's wounds…
Have yet to heal…
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The brunette dropped to her knees.
"Mikan!" Hotaru shouted, pushing her way through the crowd.
"Mikan-chan! Youichi-kun!" Anna and Nonoko called, also fighting the crowd.
"…!" Natsume said nothing, but he was also worried. He lit a flame and the crowd made way for all four of them.
"You don't remember anything? You really don't?" Mikan cried, tears running down her face, dripping onto the ground. "Okaa-san, please, you're joking right? Okaa-san!"
Azumi Yuka looked at her in disgust, then lead Reo into the building of Alice Academy, pushing back fans.
"OKAA-SAN!" Mikan and Youichi screamed. Hotaru rubbed the brunette's back, trying to calm her down.
"Ugh…!" Mikan sobbed, her body shaking.
She was the one closest to her mother back then…
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"Okaa-san! It's burning, it's burning! The onions are burning!"
"Uwahh! Mikan, Mikan, add the sauce in, hurry!"
Splash!
"Thank goodness…"
"The onions will be a bit softer, but that's okay!"
"Mmm!"
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"Okaa-san…" Youichi whispered, his own tears rolling down his cheeks.
"Hyuuga…bring Mikan back to her room," Hotaru commanded.
"Why—" the flame-caster started, but Hotaru just glared at him, and got the message.
Mikan was still sobbing as Natsume picked her up.
She buried her face into his chest, which made Natsume blush, but no one saw it. He continued to walk.
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"…Are you okay now?" Natsume said, his eyebrow raised. He sat in a chair, watching Mikan blow her nose for who knows what time this was.
She had already filled a large garbage bag full of tissues, and gone through countless boxes of tissues.
"Mmm…but…mother…"
The brunette sniffled, running her eyes.
Natsume sat down beside her on her bed, and she closed her eyes, leaning over, so her head rested on his shoulder.
"Natsume…what's going on…?" she whispered, slowly falling asleep. "Why…mother?"
"…" Natsume opened his mouth, but nothing came out, and Mikan fell asleep.
Before he knew it, he fell asleep, too. They both fell backwards, lying on the bed, with the crimson-eyes teenage cradling the brunette in his arms.
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It's warm…
Do you know why?
…
-smirk- It's him…he cares for you.
Ah…?
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Mikan slowly opened her eyes, everything coming into view. Well, the first thing she saw was a ceiling.
Her head hurt a bit, and she felt a little dizzy. She turned her head…
And they he lay.
Breathing gently, peacefully, and for once, his face showed serenity…
Mikan almost screamed, but she clamped her hand over her mouth before she could do so.
She stared at his sleeping face, before she realized that he was hugging her.
She blushed, and shut her eyes, gently removing his arms.
"Natsume…" She whispered, brushing some hair out of his face. She smiled and giggled softly…she'd never seen Natsume like this.
But at that moment, his hand shot up and grabbed her wrist.
"What are you doing?" He said, smirking.
"N-nothing! I was just going to get changed…"
"Then why don't you?"
Mikan flushed a deep scarlet.
"PERVERT!"
And thus Natsume walked to the door, and put his hand on the knob.
"Ne, Natsume?" Mikan called quietly.
He turned around, and the brunette smiled.
And at that point, he felt warmth flood over his body. Warmth. Something he'd hadn't felt in a long time…
"…Thank you."
He turned around, leaving through the door. As he closed it behind him, he leaned against it.
And it was then he realized…
The former puppet, the little wounded bird…
It was then he had realized that he loved Mikan Sakura.
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Writer's End Notes: Again, I'm so sorry for the late update!
I hope this chapter was okay. It might be a bit short, and if it was, I'm really sorry. Manipulated is going to end soon, so I've got a bit of a block on the next couples of chapters…
But I'll try my best to update sooner. D: