AN:
Alright, I had no idea that this would be in first person.
It threw me off so badly, I almost suffered from dozens of dislodged vertebrae. RS decided to pull a fast one on me. I can't believe this. I can't-
I'm a third person kind of writer and dislike POV changes but this had to be done.
Sorry.
Please don't be surprised by the horribly different writing style; we're two different people.
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The rest of the day was silent.
An invisible cloud of depression hung in the air, its radius seeming to stretch on for miles and miles, blocking out the efforts of the smiling sun and magnifying the effects of the dark heavy rainclouds.
Mikan didn't know what to do.
It was difficult for her to act. She was sunshine, yet helpless in the face of rain; a wrong move could make things that much worse. If she tried, however, she could probably make a rainbow. That was what everyone loved about her: her never ending optimism. Yet, there was nothing she could do at the moment; no one wanted to be cheered up.
Yuu had locked himself up in his room. He needed time to embrace the problem by himself and when he was ready, he would open the door. For now, most of them waited, on his porch steps or a phone call away.
Mikan sighed. The cheerful atmosphere of the morning had completely vanished. She had no idea as to where Hotaru had disappeared to. The young genius was probably already cooped up in the grand central library, reading and researching about their Shifts. The clouds rumbled above her head, the grass around her swaying with the dancing wind. She was the only one who had stayed behind in the clearing, pondering.
She couldn't imagine the pain of losing her Shift. It was her identity, no matter how much it humiliated her and how much she wanted a different form. She couldn't hate herself and for that part of her to disappear would essentially be like dying. Her ugly duckling, it gave her the sense of belonging with others that Shifted. It had made her into who she was. It was wrong to take it for granted, yet at the same time, how could she not when she still had the ability? How could she not despise the gray feathers that decorated her small wings, the putrid yellow of her beak and the helplessness of her webbed feet?
Puffing up her cheeks, she prodded at them until she could no longer hold her breath and the air escaped from between her lips. Around her, the forest surrounding the tiny clearing stretched on. The clearing was large, a plate of flat green grass studded with tiny white flowers; a tiny oasis amidst the towering trees. Sunshine poured in from a crack through the clouds, dusting her face with golden rays.
It was ironic, her Shift.
Anyone would call Mikan beautiful. She had a set of soft hazel eyes, wide and filled with mirth, a waterfall of auburn hair slipping past her shoulders and falling against her cheeks as well as the sweetest laugh. She wasn't perfect but she was enough; pleasant to look at, fun to be around and willing to lend a hand or two, perhaps even a foot if desperate times called for desperate measures.
If your Shift revealed your inner personality, did that mean she was an ugly person?
Mikan shook her head. She was thinking way too much; it wasn't healthy. She frowned, as Natsume put it: "When Mikan thinks, another star in the universe collapses on itself and forms a black hole." That jerk, she couldn't stand him sometimes but it was only natural right? After all, she's been in love with him for more than twelve years.
And it took up until two years ago for her to realize this fact.
She couldn't help it; she was slow in those fields, if not a little slow at almost everything. She didn't like to admit it but she was clumsy and not too bright when it came to studies. Her common sense also needed a bit of help. Hotaru liked to call her a ditz and whenever she messed up, everyone would just shake their heads. "It's a Mikan thing" they'd gesture with a shrug of the shoulders. It was kind of sweet, how everyone naturally forgave her for being "her" but at the same time, irritating.
She was independent. No one needed to watch out for her and mother her. If only there was a way to prove that to everyone, when would that chance ever come along?
Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, something flashed by. Every hair on her neck stood up and she tensed immediately. Instincts kicked in and Mikan flattened herself out onto the ground. It wasn't always safe in the woods and without a partner, things could get ugly.
Moments passed and her ears had not detected any movement. Something wasn't right. What was going on? Slowly, she lifted her head over the long grass and glanced at her surroundings. All was peaceful, so what had raced by? Carefully, she picked herself up and dusted off her shorts. Eyes darting around and senses on full alert, she slipped into the forest, heading in the direction she thought "it" had been heading in.
Curiosity killed cats but there was never any sayings involving ducks.
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The front door closed with a deafening slam.
From the kitchen, Youichi raised his eyebrows. Oh, Natsume must be home. He rose from his chair and took his plate, padding towards the sink. The sound of cool water flowing from the tap nearly smothered the noise of footsteps leading upstairs. Youichi paused, hands covered in soap and plate still dirty. His brother wasn't hard to read and without even seeing him, Youichi already knew Natsume was in a terrible mood.
Must be his time of month, he thought to himself before gently setting the plate down in the dishwasher. He loaded all the dirty kitchen utensils into the machine, paying extra attention to Tsubasa's favorite teddy bear cup, and listened as it rumbled to life. He then headed upstairs, perhaps Natsume wanted to talk.
He padded along the hallway and stopped at the third door down. Although he was stealthy, the carpet beneath his feet still managed to give away his near-silent entrance. Natsume looked up, arms entangled in his t-shirt and midriff exposed. He narrowed his eyes.
"Get out of my room, Youichi."
"I refuse." He smirked. It wasn't exactly a Natsume Hyuuga smirk but it was that of a Hyuuga to say the least. He watched as Natsume's eyebrows furrowed further, accentuating his dark eyelashes and crimson red eyes.
"I'm changing, Youichi. Leave."
"And I like to peep." He countered, smiling as Natsume unleashed a snarl. Despite his older brother's protests, he stepped farther into the room and plopped down on the bed. Burrowing his head into the sheets, he watched lazily with one eye as Natsume sighed, threw t-shirt off his body and started to sift through the hangers in his closet.
It was a wonder, really, that they were all related. Tsubasa had been born first, followed by Natsume and lastly, Youichi himself. He secretly suspected that Tsubasa was an adopted child because he acted like Natsume and Youichi as much as a pencil acted like an eraser.
While Tsubasa was sunny and flirtatious, Youichi and Natsume were both reserved and cold (though one was evidently more moody than the other). Tsubasa loved cute things whereas Youichi preferred to delve into the world of grotesque monsters and creatures. Natsume was always reading manga, something neither of the other two enjoyed, and they could be spotted on the shelves along his bedroom wall, number of volumes past the nineties. They all sported different sets of eyes: blue, red and grey; a reflection of their favorite colors. Last but not least, Tsubasa loved girls, Youichi could seriously do without those annoying pests and Natsume, well, he was asexual or something.
Youichi just hoped he wouldn't have to wake up one morning and see another Natsume standing beside the original. Asexual reproduction was a scary thing.
A pair of jeans thrown at his face brought him out of his thoughts. "Don't drool on my bed, stupid." Natsume drawled as he watched, amused, his little brother's expression contort into something utterly priceless. Moments later, he ducked, the belt nearly hitting his cheek as Youichi hurled his jeans back at him, clearly seething.
"What the heck, Natsume." Youichi's indifferent composure always melted into a tiny puddle around his siblings. Natsume always brought out the best in him.
"I told you to get out of my room, not to curl up on my bed and stare into the distance with some glassy look in your eyes." Natsume turned to walk out the door, grabbing his cellphone from his desk and stuffing it into his pocket. "Going out, I'll be back for dinner."
"Wait, what?" But all Youichi got as an answer was the soft click of the lock on the front door as Natsume slipped out of the house.
Youchi frowned. He had forgotten to ask about what had caused Natsume's horrible mood in the first place but it seemed to have lifted after their little banter.
He plopped his head down onto one of the pillows lining the headboard of the bed and grumbled.
It was unfair, stupid Natsume always got the softest ones.
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She should have known it was a bad idea.
Mikan continued through the forest, stepping over stones and kicking up small dust storms of dirt with every step she took. The scenery was starting to look frighteningly unfamiliar and she had long ago lost track of the time.
She contemplated between turning back and going forward. Now would be better than later but what was the point of travelling all this way just to return with an unquenched burning curiosity? Mikan allowed herself a small sigh before straightening her back and continuing forwards. Sometimes, she really hated this stubborn personality of hers.
When the trees began to thin out, she started to walk faster. The sun shone brightly here with no clouds to obscure its rays and few trees to stop them from reaching the ground. From what she could see, she had reached the edge of the forest and she hesitantly stepped out from the safety of the woods.
Mikan found herself standing on the bank of a running stream. The stream was wide and rocks lined its edges, polished smooth by the raging waters. The water itself was frothing white from the speed of the current as it swept south towards the sea.
Mikan swallowed.
This place was absolutely beautiful.
It had an air of serenity, much like their meeting clearing but here, there was no sign of any other shifts. It seemed devoid of life yet at the same time filled with it.
She spread her arms out wide and smiled at the light wind that brushed the hair from her eyes. She marvelled at the blue mountains in the background, their snowy peaks blending in with the white of the clouds. She paused to take in the beauty of the pink flowers that blossomed in bundles below her feet, observing a fat bumble bee as it buzzed amongst the buds, a coat of honey gold pollen on its legs.
All caution forgotten, she stepped towards the edge of the stream. Observing it, her smile grew brighter. It didn't seem impossible to cross and her strength could allow her to swim across, deep in freezing water, to reach the other side where two tall trees grew by their lonesome. One had apples hanging off its branches.
Mikan wiped the drool from her sleeve; she hadn't even realized how hungry she had become.
She walked upstream, knowing the current would carry her to the trees at an angle. Leaning forward, she was prepared to step into the waters when a rustling noise suddenly sounded to her left. It all happened in a second; Mikan's eyes grew wide but before she could whip herself around to face the danger, something was pulled over head and she was pushed into the foaming waters, her scream cut short by a loud splash.
The coldness was the first thing she felt through the chaos, the shock spreading through her body in a wave. Her mouth opened to take in air but it was water that quickly filled her air passageways. Her fingers numb, body struggling to stay afloat, Mikan desperately clawed at the object obstructing her vision while coughing up and taking in more water. The burning of water in her lungs brought tears to her eyes. She couldn't win against the strong current and it thrashed her body about, trying to drag her to the very bottom. There were flashes of color behind her scrunched eyelids and she couldn't think in the confusion.
Her Shift wouldn't help in a situation like this; the small duckling she was would only be further tortured by the raging river. She was helpless.
Someone! Please! Her mind screamed.
Images flashed through her head. Her friends, family, close ones and―
Natsume.
Everything started to fade.
And she was suddenly pulled out of the water. Whatever had been covering her head was ripped from her face and she started to cough up water in chortles. A hand supported her, wrapped securely around her waist as she was propped up against a warm body moving towards the bank.
She collapsed onto the ground, body still wracked with coughs and body still filled with what seemed like ice.
The person who saved her was talking, but she couldn't hear. Their voice tuned in and out and she feebly grasped the grass on either sides of her chest tightly, trying to transfer all the pain to elsewhere. When her saviour attempted to lift her up, she hacked up a stream of water in protest. She could only trust this person to take good care of her as her body wavered between pain and fatigue. The arms around her hesitated before gathering her up and cuddling her against a rising and falling chest.
She didn't remember anything after that.
All she could hear was continued steady beating of her own heart.
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When she woke, it was warm. Her body was nestled in soft covers and it felt unbelievably good against her aching body.
Mikan's eyelids fluttered open slowly to see the ceiling of her bedroom. She was home, away from the dark and away from the raging river. Her body sagged with relief but tensed almost immediately when her door was suddenly thrown open.
Hotaru stormed in, rage pouring like tides from her body. Her eyes had darkened to a deep purple and the twitch of her lip already told Mikan just how much trouble she was in. She winced.
The river was nothing compared to Hotaru.
"It was supposed to be an uneventful day." Hotaru said, her voice a deadly whisper. "Decided to go to the library while everyone stayed with Yuu or went home like I asked them to. Yet, there was one idiot who didn't listen." Her eyes narrowed into slits.
"And that idiot almost died." She hissed.
Mikan shivered, as she listened to the tone of Hotaru's voice. They cut through her ears, razor sharp and lined with poison. Oh dear lord.
"Do you know what could have happened, you idiot? Didn't you grow a brain? You're lucky Hyuuga happened to pick up on your trail mixed in with an unfamiliar scent and saved your life."
Mikan's eyes shot open. Natsume?
"Don't give me that bewildered look, Mikan Sakura." Hotaru continued, advancing towards the bed. "You're lucky you're injured, otherwise, I would have maimed you by now. You are on suicide attempt watch for the next few months. Don't even think about straying out of my sight."
Mikan groaned, face contorting with pain. The muscles in her throat were raw.
Despite the spikes in Hotaru's voice, her hands were surprisingly gentle as they helped Mikan sit up. Her mother was currently out of town. Hotaru was heaven-sent, no matter how diabolic she was. Tears of pain gathered in Mikan's eyes as she slowly laid her back against the headboard of her bed. It felt like she had just done a fourty-eight hour work out at the gym. She waited patiently as Hotaru left the room to fetch her a glass of water.
"You're lucky Hyuuga happened to pick up on your trail mixed in with an unfamiliar scent and saved your life." Those words kept replaying in her thoughts. Natsume saved her? Mikan laughed bitterly in her mind along with her overwhelming gratitude and joy. It was like he was leading her on. He had just given her more reason to fall in love with him and it was working fast.
First my friend is traumatized, then I almost die and finally, I fall in love all over again with Natsume Hyuuga. What a productive day.
"Drink up." Mikan was shaken out of her thoughts when Hotaru all but poured water down the front of her shirt and shoved several bright colored pills into her mouth.
"Hurry up and get better so that I can kill you all over again."
Productive day indeed.
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"So you didn't question her?"
"The idiot is so sore she can't even talk."
"Oh." And with that, Kokoro Yome shut up. They sat in Ruka's living room, running through the recent events. Others were due to arrive any moment.
Hotaru glanced at him impassively. "I know for certain she was attacked, after all, the hat that had apparently suffocated her stank with the scent of another Shift. Hyuuga remembered to bring it with him. He can actually think when he acts," She paused meaningfully, "Unlike many others."
"Alright, just because I steal the attention of your beloved Ruk-" He was abruptly cut off by a punch to the jaw that sent him tumbling back.
"Nice one Imai."
Hotaru directed a chilling stare over her shoulder. Natsume gazed back without so much of an eyebrow rise. He kicked off his shoes and shut the door behind him before strolling around to look for Ruka, ignoring Koko's indignant squawks of "Hey! I'm injured here!" She allowed herself a smile; she had to give him credit for being able to take her head on.
Koko was still whining.
Hotaru stepped on him.
He stopped instantly.
Hotaru: 1, Koko: 0
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Natsume headed upstairs after failing to find his best friend in the den. He paused outside the blonde's room before turning the handle. He almost regurgitated his dinner at the sight before him and could taste the words "I disown you" on the tip of his tongue.
Ruka was preening in front of the mirror, face a tomato red and he fussed over his shirt, his hair and how he should present himself. It was almost pathetic how flustered he got whenever Imai was within a 5 meter radius. He'd clam up and start stuttering, looking anywhere but at Imai's supposed "depthless eyes like a sea of amethyst" as he had practically crooned to Natsume one time.
He couldn't believe he even knew this guy.
"Just get laid already." He muttered, making his way over to window seat. Ruka jumped at his voice, ears flushing and squeaked "Oh Natsume! I wasn't expecting you to be early!"
Natsume suppressed the urge to roll his eyes.
"What are you doing, Nogi?" He stated, eyes roving over his friend's shining hair, pressed dress shirt, and the silver pendant hanging around his neck. "What's the occasion?"
Ruka groaned and slapped a hand to his forehead. "You know fully well, Natsume. Stop teasing me." He stopped and turned his torso to the side. "How do I look?"
"There is a reason I don't have a girlfriend because Ruka Nogi is enough, asks me all the necessary questions and acts like a clingy burr."
"Natsume! I'm serious!" Ruka cried.
"You look fine." Natsume murmured, running a hand through his hair and eyelids falling to half-mast. "Can we just get this over with and go downstairs? I'm tired."
"Sure thing, I think everyone is already here." Ruka gestured towards the door.
"Judging from the noise, yes." Natsume added monotonously as he followed Ruka down the hallway.
By the time they arrived in the living room, it was already deathly silent as Hotaru stood in the middle, regarding everyone with distaste. "Whoever says a word next will die." Sumire, Hayate and various others all shrank back against the walls. Only Subaru looked unaffected by her death threat. It made sense; only another demon could with stand a demon.
"Imai, stop it. We have more important matters at hand." Natsume drawled blandly as he sat down on the sofa beside a grinning Kitsuneme.
Ruka nodded furiously. "Yeah! Let's get things started!" He quickly located a spot on the ground next to Natsume and flashed everyone a bright smile. "So, H-Hotaru." He started, a blush already creeping up his neck. "D-do you-"
Kaname suddenly spoke up. The gentle teenager's eyebrows were knit together in confusion. "Why are we meeting here instead of the clearing?"
"The clearing is no longer safe to use." Hotaru stated.
"What?" Mochiage blurted out.
"This afternoon, after the whole situation with Yuu, Mikan was attacked." A chorus of gasps broke loose and Anna looked near tears. "We don't know the full details of the attack yet as Mikan can't talk at the moment, however we can conclude that we all need to take caution. Please be on alert at all times. The attack must have happened for a reason and if we are being targeted, things will only get worse from now on. Make sure to inform me if there is anything abnormal with your Shift. I wasn't able to find any new information on them at the central library so I cannot do anything about Yuu's condition. We can only hope he gets better."
"Where did Mikan get attacked?" Tsubasa yelled from beside the television. His mouth was set in a firm line and the rage in his eyes was not concealed. Mikan was his favourite and he treated her like his own little sister.
Hotaru sighed. "Beside the stream down south; where the forest ends. I don't know what she was thinking, travelling down there without telling anyone. It was a brainless move."
Luna scoffed before returning all her attention back to her nails. "Watch it Koizumi." Tsubasa snarled. She sneered at him before directing all her attention upon Natsume, trying to undress him with her eyes. Kitsuneme shifted uncomfortably beside him.
"So will she be ok?" Nonoko asked.
"She'll be up and about in a few days but for now, she really needs to rest." The tension in the room had increased by tenfold. Most had brooding faces while others had turned ghastly shades of white. The information was settling down fast. There hadn't been a disturbance like this in ages.
"Is that all? Any more questions?" She turned to Natsume. "Anything you want to add, Hyuuga?"
He gave her a discerning "hn."
"Meeting adjourned." With that, Hotaru turned on her heel and left.
"Thanks for letting us use your house, Ruka," Tsubasa said, tapping on Natsume's shoulder. His younger sibling turned around and stared, narrowing his eyes. "But it's about time we got home. Natsume looks like he needs his beauty sleep." He didn't have time to dodge the flick to his forehead, strong enough to draw blood.
While the brothers fought, Sumire had managed to clutch on to the poor wolf boy and wasn't letting go. She smiled blissfully at the way he was whispering "let go of me, please!" frantically.
Ignoring his best friend's desperate cries for help, Natsume stood, not before sending a look of disgust at Luna, and made for the door with Tsubasa on his heels.
"Try to keep you virginity in tack." He smirked at Ruka's helpless expression and headed home.
Ruka could handle himself.
Well, he hoped so at least. Sumire was quite the handful.
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"Mrs. Sakura?"
Yuka quickly rose from her seat, hands clutching onto her dress tightly, her brown eyes wide with hope. Her adoption home study had come back perfect as well as her interview. The documents and procedures had all been completed correctly. Surely she would be allowed to see her?
"She's waiting right inside, if you would follow me this way please." Yuka's heart started to beat ten times faster as she followed the lady down a white washed hallway. Colourful doors lined the walls and the lights from above cast a warm yellow glow. They stopped at the third turn and she was ushered into a small pink room. A bed was situated in the corner and a stuffed rabbit lay upon the bed covers. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes landed on a small girl standing near the back wall.
Her dark raven hair contrasted sharply with her pale skin. The cloth of her dress shuffled as she tentatively stepped forward. Yuka found herself staring into beautiful crimson eyes.
"Finally," she whispered, taking the small child into the arms, "finally."
The girl clutched at her sleeves, hesitating before burrowing her face into Yuka's neck.
"I can finally be your mother, Aoi."
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A/N 2:
Haha, aren't our writing styles different?
I hope I wrote this realistically enough as I did pull out a lot of hair over the scene in which Mikan almost drowns. Fast moving streams are actually quite dangerous, especially when they're deep. Trust me, first-hand experience.
I finished this in a week, I should get a round of applause :'D
This chapter is un-betaed so please expect punctuation errors and most likely typos.
Next chapter is up to gemire7.
I'm off the hook.
-NxN
EDIT: In case I didn't make it clear enough, Aoi will be adopted by Yuka into Mikan's family.