Mikan's POV:

I tugged as hard as I could at the branches binding my arms and legs but it was no use, they wouldn't budge.

"Shizuko-Chan! What's happening?!" What? Don't tell me… Shizuko is an Alice?

"Shizuko-Chan! Are you doing this? Hey, please listen to me!"

"Shut up," She glared at me, tears overflowing from her eyes, "I really thought… that I had finally found someone I could trust, someone who would never leave me…but I guess I was wrong…"

"You're wrong! Shizuko-Chan, listen to me!"

"Mikan! Are you ok? Wha?" Natsume came running through the bushes. He stopped and stared in shock as he saw the scene in front of him, "What the hell?" He glanced at Shizuko, who was still glaring at me, "You did this didn't you? Let her go!" Flames began to spread over the branches, burning them.

Immediately, Shizuko collapsed in pain, holding her head in her hands, "S-stop it! P-please! I can feel their pain!"

"Natsume, stop! It's ok, I'm fine," He looked unsure but stopped the flames anyway.

"Shizuko, are you ok? Shizuko-Chan? Shizu-" I was cut off by a sudden sharp pain in my body. I cried in pain as the branches tightened, it felt like fire was coursing through my veins.

"Mikan!" Natsume Ran toward me and began pulling at the branches, which only resulted in them holding even tighter.

My vision started to blur and I found it hard to know, all I could hear 'was Natsume calling my name before it all went black…

The gentle breeze flows through my hair as I stare into space. Where am I? I break out of my gaze to take in my surroundings, finding myself to be standing in the middle of a large garden, filled with beautiful flowers of every colour.

I closed my eyes and sighed, before lying down on the soft grass and running my fingers through it.

As I lay there, gazing up at the clear blue sky, the wind seemed to grow stronger and i heard a faint whisper in my ears.

"Help her," I sat up and looked around, there was no one in sight, so where did that whisper come from?

"Please, help her,"

"Help who? Who are you? Who needs help?" I responded, talking to thin air. Are they talking about Shizuko?

Before I could receive a response, the faint cries of a child reached my ears. I looked behind me, towards the bottom of the garden, to see a large tree. Beneath the tree, I noticed a small figure. Moving closer, I realised that it was a young girl. She had long blonde hair that reached just past her shoulders, and looked to be around the age of five. Her legs were pulled up against her chest and her face was buried in her knees as she cried.

I cautiously made my way over to the young girl and knelt down beside her, I gently placed my hand on her shoulder and spoke softly, so as to not scare her, "What's wrong? Are you hurt? What's your name?"

She lifted her head up and looked at me. Her emerald green eyes filled with sorrow as tears overflowed, Where have I seen those eyes before? And her hair… I feel like I should know this person, so why can't I remember who she is?

"M-my N-name is S-shizuko… Shizuko Fujioka…" She replied in between sobs.

Shizuko?! B-but how?! And she's so young…

"I'm Mikan Sakura. Can you tell me what's wrong, Shizuko-chan?" I smiled at her as I wiped away her tears.

"No one…" Her bangs covered her eyes.

"Huh?"

"No one wants me… not my mommy… or daddy… they all hate me… I'm a monster…" She burst into tears again and hid her face in her hands.

"Who say's you're a monster?"

"Mommy… She called me a monster… and I know daddy thinks it all the time…"

"Shizuko-Chan… you can't really believe them?" I reached out to comfort her but she swatted my hand away.

"Stay away from me! I don't want your sympathy! You say they're wrong but deep inside your thinking the exact same thing right!? Just go away! I hate you! I hate everyone! Just leave me alone!" Before I could react, the trees roots rose up from under the ground and wrapped tightly around her ankles. What? What's happening?

"Why can't I just die? Why do I have to go through this? All I want is for this to end… please… just let me die…"

"NO! Stop! Please! What's going on? No!" Shizuko frantically grabbed at the roots around her ankles, trying to rip them off.

Slowly, the roots began to pull. Back into the ground. With Shizuko still in their grasp.

"I want to die"

They began to pull harder as Shizuko reached out for me, "Help me! Please! I don't want to die!" I took hold of her hand and tried to pull her free, which only resulted in more roots surfacing and wrapping around her legs, slowly making their way further and further up her body.

"Shizuko! Listen to me!"

"Help me, please!" She cried harder, both in pain and fear.

"I will help you Shizuko, but you need to listen to me!" She stopped yelling and tried to stop her tears, "Only you can stop this,"

"But, I can't! I'm too scared!"

"I know you are, and so am I. But you need to understand that you are causing this, it is your desire to die that is causing this!"

"B-but I don't want to die!" Tears overflowed again.

"That's what you keep telling yourself, but I know that deep down…that is how you feel. You keep telling yourself that you are a monster, and that is only making the feeling stronger!"

"That's what mommy called me though… she said I was a monster and not her daughter…"

"Shizuko, you are not a monster. You are a just a girl, a special girl. Your powers do not make you a monster, they are what make you who you are. You act all tough and distant on the outside but inside you are crying and in desperate need of a friend. Trust me Shizuko, I know. You are not a monster, no matter what they tell you."

The roots began to loosen and retreat back into the ground, Shizuko leapt into my arms and cried into my chest, "Mommy's wrong… I'm not a monster… that's what you told me right? I'm not a monster…?"

"That's right." I held her tight as the world around me began to fade, and I found myself drifting off to sleep.

Authors note:

Sorry this one took so long, I just couldn't get motivated to write it and I have been really stressed for some reason I don't know why xD anyways hope you like it, I will try to update quicker next time. Please leave a review if you liked or have any suggestions for improvement