Your Typical New Kid

by

Stars of Gold

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All of us leave our loved ones behind one day.

Be it to the afterlife or to the Academy like me, we leave at least one of our loved ones behind.

I left my parents.

I was unhappy, but I found another loved one, one I had not seen in years.

I was happy, for a time. Then that stupid girl comes and challenges me.

I'm sure that he loves me, and I'm sure that he'll never choose her over me - he told me so, and I trust him.

But...

But now I have to join the dark side to save my parents, or stay here, knowing that my parents are being tortured.

I cannot leave my parents.

But thanks to our little agreement, I can't say goodbye.

Perhaps...

Perhaps it is for the better. I suppose, this way, he will not come after me. He will not try to stop me, because he will not know.

But I will know, and I will regret leaving him behind.

I have left him a message. I hope he finds it, and believes my lie. I love him. I love him so much.

But I cannot say goodbye.

Chapter 16: Right?

A lone figure stepped, slowly, towards her. "Stay back," She warned, preparing to fight. The figure chuckled. "You poor girl, thinking that you can defeat me so easily..." She narrowed her eyes. That voice... "Reo..." She hissed. The figure came to a stop and began to clap. "Very clever, my dear. But do you know how I survived your attack?"

Emi gasped. They had attacked him fiercely, leaving a mark that would surely have killed anyone else.

Flashback

"Well, well, well," Reo said, grinning evilly. "I admire your skill. However, Emi, how did you manage to get past the heat detectors when you fell?" Emi narrowed her eyes. "It's none of your business." She growled, anger coming off her in waves. Reo's lips twitched in amusement. "Oh well, it doesn't matter, really. No Mikan to nullify my attack, and no Narumi to protect you. Whatever will you do?" He asked teasingly as he began to fiddle with his earring. Emi spat out a few choice words she'd learned from Taiki. Reo shook his head, sighing.

"It seems that you know a few more foul words. Such a pity; you're such a pretty girl, I might've kept you for my own." Taiki clenched his hands into fists and growled. "I'm sure that that would tear you apart, now wouldn't it?" He asked, a malicious smirk forming on his face as he sneered and fingered Taiki's face. Emi snarled.

Natsume took the opportunity to launch a fireball at the smirking villian. The fireball hit him in the back, causing him to scream in pain. Emi immediately coated him in ice, with the exception of the burning crater in his back. For good measure, Taiki wrapped his frozen and half-burnt body in vines. "Okay, now let's move! I'm sure that other AAO members have been alerted by now." Natsume snapped, running down the hall.

End Flashback

"No..." She whispered, fear in her eyes. "Who...What are you?" Reo laughed evilly. "I," He said, advancing on her. "I am a being that has been brought back from the dead..." He lifted a hand, extending long and sharp claws. "And now you will follow me back to hell!"

Emi awoke with a start, gasping and panting. "Reo..." She murmured. "He's back..."

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"Natsume no BAKA!"

"Actually, that's you."

"GRRR! NATSUME!"

"What?"

"URGH! I HATE YOU!"

"I hate you, too, Polka-Dots."

"RAARRGGHHH!"

Ah, yes, it was a normal day in Alice Academy. Ruka was chasing Hotaru, Mikan was yelling at Natsume, Taishi, Natsume's familiar, was keeping his fan-girls at bay, Taiki was, as instructed by his girlfriend, sticking by Nanaho and Emi...

Hey...Where is Emi...?

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"Dark Ice..."

"Sensei."

"I understand that you had a dream last night?"

"Yes, sensei."

"As did the more sensitive of us. Reo is back, am I correct?"

"Yes."

"There is one fascinating aspect of this dream, however."

"...?"

"He was targeting you. Every one who had the dream saw him walking towards you. I believe that Black Cat has also had the same dream. Dark Forest, however, has not."

"True, he has not..."

"Perhaps, psychically, he is not as strong as we are."

"We?"

"I, too, had the dream."

"Mmm...Very well. I shall ask Black Cat. Let's see his take on the story."

Emi began to leave the clearing.

"Oh, and Dark Ice..."

She paused.

"He wants to steal you away from us."

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"Hey, Hyuuga-san."

"Hn? Ice Girl. What?"

"Are you psychically more aware than others?"

"...I assume you're talking about last night?"

"Yes."

He glanced at Mikan, sleeping beside him, slumped against the trunk of their Sakura tree. She murmured in her sleep and her head fell onto his shoulder. A light blush spread across his cheeks. "Don't mind her. She'll never wake up."

Emi smiled gently. "Indeed." Then her expression turned serious. "Right, Hyuuga-san. In your dream, was Reo heading for me?"

"Yes. I was on the sidelines, watching."

"Mm..."

"He wants to take you away. He wants your powers."

"And what about the other Special Stars?"

"He believes that you have more potential than they do."

"Even the infamous Black Cat?"

"He figures that Polka-Dots over here will stop any scheme of kidnapping me."

"See, Hyuuga-san? Even the enemy knows of your little relationship."

"...Shut up, Ice Girl, or I'll sic Taishi on you."

"Anyway, what does he plan to do? And why do you know this?"

"I asked Koko. He had the dream, and he read Reo's mind."

"And his plan?"

Natsume hesitated.

"Well..."

Emi raised an eyebrow.

"He intends on holding your parents hostage."

"...What?"

"He is kidnapping them as we speak."

"What? No! I have to go save them! They can't fend for themselves against Reo!"

"The teachers aren't going to let you."

"What? Why?"

"Because you will be taken along with your parents."

"I can fend for myself! Is there no way out of this wretched Academy?"

"No. Unless you run off on a mission."

He sighed. "You can't get very far if you do that, considering Persona's annoying knack of placing GPS bugs on his students."

She felt her heart breaking. "But..."

"My family..."

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There is only one way. I have to get out of here.

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"Narumi-sensei."

"Yes?"

"You must promise never to tell anyone of this."

"I promise."

"Good. Now, I want to escape the Academy. I have a dilemma involving my parents..."

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Emi sighed as she stared at the Academy. All the friends she was leaving behind, all the teachers, the memories...

Narumi agreed to help her, because he understood the gravity of the situation. He knew that Emi would never leave her parents behind. Besides, he thought. What good is a war if there's no challenge?

He was going to tell the rest of the school that she was on a mission, and when the time came, they would know the truth. He would tell them of her parents, and how she was going to save them.

Whether she betrayed them or not, Watanbe Emi was going down as a hero.

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That night, I left my friends, teachers and good memories behind. I left so many loved ones, to save my parents. I would surely break a heart or two, but they would get over it.

...Right?

Review, please.

Stars of Gold