Chapter 23: Crimson Lights
"Kya!! So cute Mikan-chan!" Anna shirked excitingly.
Before Anna stood a beautiful girl with honey brown hair tied up in the back with long curls dangling down her bare smooth back. Dazzling gold earrings stricken her cheeks softly as she moved around. And the most important item, the gorgeous light blue dress, hugging her curves and flapping a little lose on top.
Blushed raised over Mikan's face as all her girlfriends 'awed' around her except Hotaru who was in an arm chair eating something while robots tidied up her purple dress lined in gold. Anna danced around in a pink dress that pushed up against her thighs. As for Nonoko, an elegant black dress stretching past the knees.
"Guys… what's a dance like?" Mikan asked shyly as she turned around staring at her dress in the mirror.
Anna laughed and smiled. "Don't worry it won't be that hard!"
"But!," Mikan started as she whirled around, "I've never been to a real dance… and I can't dance!"
Suddenly a baka bullet struck Mikan in the face pushing her down to the ground. Anna and Nonoko gasped as they turned to Hotaru still pointing the gun at them, "Don't worry about it…"
Mikan sat up rubbing her head while tears formed in her eyes, "You're so mean Hotaru!"
"Shut up and let's go and get it over with." Hotaru ordered standing up and walking out the room.
Anna and Nonoko looked at each other and back at Mikan who was just getting up. Quickly they both squealed and ran after Hotaru leaving Mikan behind.
"Guys?" Mikan asked finally arriving up into the air space with a smile, "Hello?"
SNAP!CRACKLE! Mikan's body turned to the side looking at the window. More weird noises popped out from the tree outside her window.
"Hotaru…is that you?" Mikan asked surprisingly.
"Ug…" a voice erupted out of nowhere, quickly after a slumped shadow appeared sitting on the branch outside.
Mikan dropped her mouth as the shadow banged on her window. Just as she was about to scream, the window opened making her hairbrush up against her face. The shadow stood nice and tall right in front of her. Mikan stepped back a step in fear, but the shadow followed.
"Who are you?…What do you want!?" Mikan spoke up looking around the room for her special gun Persona gave her.
"What's your problem?" the shadow answered reaching out to her.
Quickly Mikan's hand flicked on the light with a bamboo knife in the other hand.
"Huh?" Mikan said puzzled as her mouth opened in an 'O' shape. Right before her was the one and only Natsume, "Eh!…Natsume!? What are you doing here?"
Natsume took the bamboo knife from her and tossed it aside, "What were you trying to do? Kill me off?"
Mikan laughed fakely as she rubbed the back of her head, "You just scared me! I thought you were a stalker!"
Natsume narrowed his eyes and flicked his index finger at her forehead, "Baka."
Mikan giggled and turned around towards her dresser mirror, "Why are you here anyways?"
"Because I'm here." Natsume answered not wanting to go into details.
"Tell me why." Mikan said bunching up her hair in the back.
"Non of your business little girl." Natsume spoke looking around the idiot's room.
"Well get out then. I'm going to the dance and I don't want a pervert like you in my room." Mikan said pointing out the window Natsume came into.
"I'm going too…" Natsume barked back.
"Huh?" Mikan asked weirdly pushing both index fingers together, "Nani?"
Natsume smirked and graved Mikan's wrist, "You're my date"
Mikan dropped her jaw as she was whisked away by the strange pervert, off to the dance.
XxXxXxXxX
Whispers filled the ballroom as Natsume dragged Mikan in. Quickly people stopped and watched along with all of Mikan's friends.
"Ah Mikan!…Natsume!?" Nonoko said excitingly rushing over to poor Mikan all red in the face.
"Save me!" Mikan whined trying to escape Natsume's grip.
Natsume angrily threw down her hand and stalked over to Ruka hanging out over by the table.
"So Natsume's your date?" Anna giggled smirking at flushed Mikan.
"Well you guys come pretty late…" Hotaru stated throwing food into her mouth, "Did something happen?"
Mikan grew a deeper red showing through the dance lights. Before she could argue back a sudden arm wrapped around her neck, "Gah!!" Mikan yipped in fright.
"Lighten' up! It's a dance. Nothing will happen." Nonoko laughed squishing Mikan's neck a bit.
As the group socialized, Anna kept her distance with an evil smirk plastered on her white face. Both of her eyes glowing a bright red as she started walking through the crowd beyond her group's eyes.
Finally Mikan escaped from all the eyes and laughs. She quietly sank down a dark wall closing her eyes. This 'dance' wasn't turning out the way she wanted it to be. Mikan took a deep breath fixing up with perfume and misty air as she opened her eyes a crack.
"Mikan why are you here?" Anna's voice asked from the shadow down along the wall.
"Anna?" Mikan answered surprised.
Light steps tramped over to Mikan while red eyes glowed down upon the dark hall. Mikan watched Anna come near her full of joy. Suddenly sharp exclusive pain shunted into Mikan's leg making her pounce up the floor yelping in pain.
"Mikan what's wrong? You look like you're in pain." Anna laughed arriving into the dim light.
Quickly a warm liquid ran down Mikan's bare leg. Mikan glanced down and grinded her teeth. Blood slowly ran down her leg to her ankles and onto her new shoes, while Anna laughed. Just as what just happened before a stinging sensation struck her in her left arm. Mikan jumped back holding her arm staring at Anna in bewilderment.
"Anna?" Mikan asked nervously glancing at Anna and back her leg.
"You brought this on yourself Mikan Sakura." Anna said as her eyes joined along with a glowing light form Mikan's breasts.
Mikan quickly dove her hand down her dress and plunged out the necklace Persona gave her. Slightly the light beeped in and out just as what Anna's eyes were doing.
"What?" Mikan asked out loud staring at the red stone on the bottom, What's happening?"
A slight evil giggle bumped the air as a sudden quick snap popped Mikan's ears. Before she could recover from her breath a ring of fire surrounded he. Mikan gasped and glanced around in horror still gripping the pendant.
"Anna! What are you doing! STOP!" Mikan screamed filling up with fear.
The red-hot fire closed in on her as Anna's body figure disappeared from the light. Mikan had tears whelming up in her eyes as one last scream shuttered the air.
Just as Mikan screamed everyone stopped dancing and talking as the eerie scream ran through the building. Before anyone could blink Natsume was off rushing past everyone and down the hallway Mikan went down.
"What!" Natsume growled gliding to a stop. Before him stood a wall of fire staring down at him. Fear ran through his body as his eyes opened wider.
"MIKAN!!"