Hello hello! Sorry for the long hiatus! Staring uni in a foreign country has been really hectic and the work load has been taking up all the time. If I have the time, then I didn't have the energy or inspiration to write. So now as things have lightened up due to end of semester exams coming, I've sat down and written this for all you lovely supporters! I know you all have been patiently waiting for this long awaited chapter soooooo HERE IT IS!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters.

Chapter 35

"Checkmate Natsume." Kuonji gloated in front of the bleeding teenager.

Natsume's party was too stunned to do anything and just stared in horror and he fell to the ground with a thud while trying to apply pressure to his wound. Beside him, Mikan began to see black spots on the room. Looking at her arm, she saw how the wound was starting to fester and the piece of cloth that wrapped around it was soaking in blood. Slowly, she felt that it was getting harder and harder to breathe. Turning her head the left of her, she saw Natsume struggling with the same symptoms but the blackness overcame her, and with a few sharp breaths, Mikan succumbed to the death she never saw coming.

"Mi… Mikan?! No…" Natsume squirmed on the floor in pain, trying his best to ignore it, he could not bear the sight of his love die a second time. The fact that hit him worst was that she was going to die in front of him, when he could have prevented it. "Mikan! I will NOT see you go again!" Natsume took Mikan within his arms and shook her. "WAKE UP!" Natsume screamed.

"She's not going to wake up just because you scream at her you know?" Goshima circled the party, noting valuable pieces of treasure that was added to the treasury.

"Shut up!" Natsume shouted in denial.

"Throwing a tantrum won't do you any good Natsume," Kuonji sneered, "now then, we just need to do a little tidying up and I'll be ruling this kingdom. Goshima?"

Within a blink of an eye, Goshima ran up behind each person in the group and viciously stabbed them in the back. Smirking at his handiworked, he nonchalantly mentioned, "oh I forgot to mention, your deaths wouldn't be as painless as Mikan here. I've been preparing this poison for a long time, the beauty of it is that you'll die in a quick way, but the excruciating pain that you'll be feeling will be something that you can't forget, even in death."

One by one, Natsume saw his comrades spasm on the ground with immense pain and in a short moment, each of them scream as the pain surged up their bodies, engulfing them in death. First was Sumire, then Koko, who despite his circumstances, inched as far as he could so that in their near-death, he could tell Sumire that she was not going to be alone in the afterlife. Following them was Youichi and then Tono.

"Bye kid, see you… behind the veil." Tono managed a chuckle and he breathed his last.

Once they lay motionless on the ground, the feeling of loneliness hit Natsume like a wagon filled with steel. He was alone, once again, in this cold dark world. However, he willed himself to stand. Using his jelly like arms to push himself off the ground, he stood on his feet, wobbling as if someone had gotten rid of his sense of balance. Kuonji and Goshima were oblivious to the fact that Natsume still lived and assume he had already gone to the nether world. They took their time to inspect the treasures on the shelf, and Natsume took this opportunity to strike.

Unsheathing the dagger he kept under his left forearm, he released it with deadly precision and it penetrated through the skull of Goshima. As soon as he felt the dagger leave his hand, he charged towards Kuonji, grabbing the sword that was hanging on the limp falling body of Goshima. With the momentum that he had gained, Natsume used his body weight and tried to thrust the sword into Kuonji's body.

However, the sword merely bent and fell away from Kuonji's armoured body. Initially being in a state shock, Kuonji laughed at his attempts. Walking towards Natsume's body, he picked him up by his throat and despite being smaller in size than Natsume, the armour gave Kuonji superhuman strength.

"Boy, no human made weapon can ever come into contact with my skin with this armour on. Your efforts are pathetic you know?" Kuonji spat in Natsume's face.

"Well… at least… at least… I tried." Natsume panted, he could see the surroundings slowly blurring out.

"How about I end your suffering for you?" Kuonji's eyes twinkled with malice and his lips played on a smirk.

"Do what… you want, but… but… you won't see… the end of me."

"Brave words for someone who's about to die." With that said, Kuonji crushed Natsume's windpipe and release the lifeless body.

Looking distastefully at Goshima's facial expression, which was a mixture of horror and shock, he kicked his body out of his path and simply let out an evil laughter.

"Finally, Firenze and the throne is mine!"

Seeing the sword that he once held when he was king lying in the glass cabinet, Kuonji walked towards it. Raising his hands high above his head to smash the glass casing, he brought his fist down as fast as he could, but was puzzled when the glass did not break. Looking closely at the top, he noted that not even a dent was made to the case. In his frustration, he tried again, giving multiple blows to the impenetrable glass cabinet.

At the same time, unknown to him, the door to the treasury started to close and Kuonji only stopped hitting the cabinet when he heard the locks bolt back in its original place. Panic started to rise in his stomach and if his memory served him right, there was no way out of the treasury unless it was by brute force. Looking down at his body, he realised that he was still wearing the armour and this gave him some sort of comfort as it could give him enough strength to tear the steel door from its hinges if he had to. Turning back to resume his conquest of the sword, his head suddenly snapped back to the surroundings of the room. The body of the mind reader was not amongst the pile of corpses on the floor. Not believing his eyes, he rubbed his eyes and found that Mikan and Natsume's bodies were gone as well. Doubting what he was seeing, he got up from his position and stood in front of the body of the man with long hair. Raising his leg to give him a fatal kick, just to test that he was dead, he was stopped in mid-air by the familiar voice he thought he had gotten rid of.

"Arrogant as always." Mikan's voice rang throughout the room.

Kuonji placed his feet back on the ground and looked around for its source.

"He thought he really got rid of us. Pity him. The chess innuendo was dumb as well." Now that arrogant brat's voice was in his head.

"Give him some credit; I didn't know the floor was tiled black and white as well. You know… he's thinking that he's hearing voices in his head Natsume." Could the mind reader read minds after he was dead?

"For a king who ruled for 100 years, he sure is dumb." The high pitched voice of Sumire drawled on.

"Stop it Permy, you're causing my head to throb with your voice. Look even the glass cases are vibrating." Koko mocked Sumire.

A loud resounding smack was heard throughout the room.

2 things: Either Kuonji was turning mad, hearing the voices of the dead in his head, or they were still alive but he could not see them.

The ghostly voice of Youichi spoke up, "I think his height is causing him to look for things at eye level."

"So speaks the 4 year old who is now in a teenager's body." Tono teased his companion.

Turning round and round looking for the voices, Kuonji yelled out in frustration.

"Sheesh old man, you got to widen your horizons." Koko mocked Kuonji.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Kuonji was spinning even faster and he looked up at the ceiling, finding what he saw very infuriating.

Sitting on the top of the beams that held the chandeliers, sat all the people he presumably killed. They were alive and not in the battered state which he last saw them in. Looking back to the ground, he saw the corpse of Goshima. If Goshima died in this conflict, didn't that mean that the rest did as well?

"I did warn that you wouldn't see the last of me." Natsume drawled on lazily.

"Damn the Hyuuga brat!"

"Damn the Hyuuga brat!" Koko voiced out, trying to personify Kuonji and causing the group to laugh.

"Why the little…"

"Why the little… Hey I'm not that little anymore, old man." Smirking at the small boy, as if cajoling him to make a move.

Willing the mark of death alice within him, he summoned a large cloud and directed it to the group but Mikan merely nullified it. Together with Natsume, Mikan leaped off the beam they were sitting on and landed on the ground in front of Kuonji.

"How… how?!" Kuonji spluttered.

"For someone who ruled for a century and more, shouldn't you already know the inner workings of this treasury? Because if you don't, it says a lot about you and your ability to rule." Mikan crossed her arms and looked Kuonji in the eyes.

"What does it have to do with anything!?" Retorting with as much acidity as he could.

"It just means that you've become complacent. Do you really think that my father would not have upgraded the security of this place?" Natsume poked a hole in Kuonji's imaginary confidence.

Not wanting to hear another word, Kuonji ran to the steel door and using all his might, tried to punch a hole in the door.

"Yeah, the door is one of the smaller upgrades." Natsume's voice caused the young boy to stop pounding at the door. Turning on his heels, Kuonji stared back at the couple, with fear flashing through his eyes. He was trapped.

"We suspected that you would try to take the fragment, or if anyone did, they would be invincible, as you would have felt for the past hour. So we upgraded the door, infusing it with various elements such that it would be unbreakable. Just like the glass case which holds the First King's sword, something you obviously wanted very much to hold in your hands again."

"That doesn't explain how you are still alive, stupid boy."

"Easy, we used the spirits to take our places. Using them as a puppet, we merely gave them voices." Mikan entered the conversation.

"Don't think I'm stupid, I know that spirits can't enter this place. I made that change knowing that pesky people like him up there could easily waltz in and take my precious fragment."

"True, but what you didn't understand is that if the body of the person who controlled the spirits entered the room, so could the spirit. You see, in the past, all you've experienced were people who manipulated the spirits around them so that they could enter the treasury and retrieve the fragment. What you didn't count on was the spirit controller himself entering the room. Why would anyone put their own life on the line? That was your flaw and our greatest gain." The group on the beam laughed as Mikan explained to Kuonji as if he was a 10 year old kid, then realising that he was stuck in the body of a 10 year old, they laughed all the harder, with the exception of Youichi.

"Youichi, watch out, I can't see Kuonji's future anymore!"

Immediately after hearing the priestess' voice, Kuonji willed a hand blade to him and successfully sliced Mikan's cheek and stabbed Natsume in the thigh.

"Shit!" The entire group exclaimed. Trying to jump down from the beam to aid their friends, Koko and Tono realised that they were glued to their position.

"What's happening?!" Koko yelled out, while Natsume collapsed once again to the ground in pain. Mikan on the other hand sustained another injury to her arm after Kuonji slashed it. Right now, he could be described in one word, delirious.

Kuonji slashed at anything that came into contact with the blade, and that was mainly Mikan's body as she could not move away fast enough.

"It's the armour! It's sensing that Kuonji is threatened and its exerting a force on those in the room so that they can't aid us!" Natsume yelled in between the waves of pain he was getting. Tears were welling up in his eyes as a new wave of pain rushed through his leg and into the rest of the his body.

"Move Mikan, MOVE!"

Natsume willed her go keep moving as he struggled to stand. However, within seconds, she tripped over Goshima's dead body and stumbled to the ground, with her back towards a large shelve of books. The multiple wounds on her entire body had her bleeding from various places and landing on the ground only caused the wounds to open even further. Forgetting the poison that she was initially inflicted with when she was first stabbed, it now truly ebbed away at her life. The world was spinning, fast at first then slow, and by the time she cleared her vision, Kuonji was mere inches from her, mad as he was, she saw in slow motion, the movement of the hand blade making its way slowly to her heart.

"Mikan!" The group shouted, "move move! Don't sit there!"

"MIKAN!" Natsume shouted and felt a warm feeling within him. Suddenly out of nowhere, his alice was activated but it felt a lot stronger. Closing his eyes, not wanting to see Mikan getting stabbed in front of him, he was surprised to hear a loud scream.

Opening his eyes and directing his vision to the source of the scream, he saw Kuonji with his arms tearing at his own flesh, "GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!"

The armour on Kuonji was red hot as if something was heating it, and within moments, the entire thing burst into flames. Looking at his chest, he saw the purple pendant glowing and it was shrinking in size. Realising that the flames were coming from him, Natsume wanted everything to end. He wanted the tyranny of this mad man to cease, for Mikan to return to Nula and rule her people properly, for Persona to live a proper life with no manipulation. As if sensing his determination, the flames engulfed Kuonji. He was running around the room, trying to find a way to put the fire out but as he ran towards Natsume in hysterics, the armour melted off him and his skin was charred. Within one body's length of Natsume, the running charred man was reduced to ashes and with it, the molten remains of the golden armour.

Once the pendent disappeared, so did Natsume's fire alice and as everyone stared at the remains of what was once Kuonji, he felt someone slip their hand in to his.

"It's finished." Mikan whispered as she held onto her lover's hand.

Finally, after 6 long years of torment by this man, she was finally free.

With her conscious last breath, Mikan collapsed onto the ground but it was different than the previous times which she has succumbed to her unconsciousness. This time Natsume was there to catch her.

Feeling as if here eyelids were replaced by lead, Mikan struggled to open them. After opening them, she quickly squeezed her eyes shut as the bright light hurt her eyes. Bringing her palm up to her face to decrease the intensity of the light, Mikan open them once again and noted the whiteness of the room. The satin curtain fluttered gently with the breeze and the warm rays of the light slowly heated up the room. Adjusting to the light, Mikan placed her hand on her stomach, realising that she was lying in a bed with a light orange cover. Attempting to get up, she felt soreness at her side and lifted up the light cotton shirt she was wearing. Noting the bandage that wrapped round her petite body was already loose, she pulled at one of the layers only to be faced by a faded scar.

"Curse that Goshima and his dagger."

Suddenly feeling thirsty, she glanced at the clock sitting on the bedside table and was surprise to find that it was only seven in the morning. Bracing the pain, she pushed her legs out of the covers and stood, wobbly at first but after finding her balance, she smoothened out the bed sheets and the bed cover. Mikan made her way to the wash basin that was prepared for her under the mirror and washed up. Staring at her own reflection, she noted little scars all over her hands and her face. Carefully taking a handful of water, she splashed it onto her face and the cold water brought some colour into her cheeks.

"I look like a deranged woman! Where did all the fat in my cheeks go?"

Combing her hair absentmindedly, she incorporated a thin white ribbon that she found on the writing desk into her hair. As she stood to walk to the wardrobe, she found a creamy yellow sundress that was hanging by the full length mirror.

"Misaki does a good job at looking after me."

Pulling down the matching cotton pants, she let it pooled at her legs as she noted that she was wearing her favourite pair of undergarments, the one which had a white background and light pink dots. Then crossing her arms, she lifted the shirt over her head but stopped halfway as pain surged through the wound and she heard a familiar voice resounded in the room.

"Nice to see you all well, polka."

Immediately pulling the shirt back down, she tugged at the ends, willing it to cover her lower half.

"PERVERT NATSUME! GET OUT OF MY ROOM!"

Only to note that at the door way stood Ruka whose cheeks had flared a bright red, Hotaru who had her head in her palms and was shaking disappointedly, Koko who was bouncing behind Ruka trying to see why Natsume had stopped suddenly and Natsume, who wore a huge smirk on his face.

"After all these years, her taste in underwear hasn't changed." Koko voiced out loud the thoughts of the Firenze prince. This earned him a shot from Hotaru's Baka gun 6.8 and a death glare from his raven haired friend.

"Ouch." Was all Koko could say before Sumire caught up with the group and stared at Mikan. "You know Mikan, we should go lingerie shopping today."

This earned her a supporting nod from Hotaru and Ruka merely blushed a deeper shade of red, anymore and he would have burst.

"All right guys, shove off, let the injured woman change in peace. Go prepare whatever you were doing before barging in on Mikan's room unannounced." Sumire clicked her tongue disapprovingly and pushed everyone except Hotaru out of the room.

Mikan gave Sumire a look of thanks and attempted to lift the shirt over her head again before being stopped by the pain.

"Here let me help," Hotaru offered and placed her newly improved Baka gun 6.8 on the table nearest to her. Running over to her friend, she slowly lifted the shirt over her head while Mikan kept her arms out straight. Similarly with the sundress, she pulled the material over Mikan's head and helped her to zip up the dress.

Sumire busied herself by choosing a pair of shoes from the 3 that was already laid out and helped Mikan into them.

Not liking the silence in the room, Mikan spoke, "how long have I been out?"

"3 days. You developed a fever after the wound and it wouldn't break, till last night." Sumire quietly told her.

Remembering Keiko and Tetsuya, she enquired after them, "where are the children?"

Hotaru exchanged glances with Sumire and looked into her best friend's eyes, "they're gone."

Mikan's eyes widened in fear, the only thought that entered her mind was that they got mixed up in the commotion and got killed.

"They didn't die, if you're wondering about that. They just disappeared, or rather, because the effects of the potion were disappearing, they disappeared as a result of that."

Looking down at her own palms, tears welled up in her eyes. She loved those two children as if they were her own, well Keiko was sort of her own. She regretted not being able to say goodbye.

"I did manage to record down their last moments and they sent a message to you." Hotaru took out a small video camera from her pouch that hung at her side and played the video.

"Hi ka-san! Hi Mikan-hime!"

The voices of Keiko and Tetsuya rang out and Mikan sniffled.

"Sorry we couldn't see you one last time, it seems that the effects of the potion is diminishing. Anna-san told us about it. You're probably still unconscious at this moment…"

Mikan noted how her daughter and Tetsuya's body were becoming translucent.

"Thank you for everything that we have experienced. You were a great role model and mother/aunt for the both of us. We don't regret ever coming into this world temporarily and you shouldn't regret not seeing us off as well! Keep smiling and know that we'll be always around, watching over you. It's time for me to go meet my mother." Tetsuya's voice rang with a tinge of excitement.

"Thank you okaa-san. I love you."

"Goodbye"

As the final words were said, the two children disappeared, waving to the camera and smiling brightly. Wiping the tears that were streaming down her face, Mikan closed the screen to the video camera and hugged the two girls tightly.

"We tried to wake you, but you were too deep in a sleep, so we didn't wake you up," Sumire explained.

"Misaki-sensei said that if the fever didn't break, you would have either stayed permanently in the coma or succumb to the poison and died. But you didn't and that was all that mattered." Hotaru wiped the fresh new tears that were rolling down Mikan's face away.

A knock on the door brought the little trio out of the sadness and with a command, the door opened, revealing Natsume standing at the door. Nodding to Hotaru and Sumire, the two girls walked out and taking Mikan's hand, led her down the hallway towards the courtyard.

There the sight of her horse brought joy into her heart and she ran to pat her companion's strong legs.

"How are you Seabiscuit? I hope you've been fed well old girl." The horse blew out air and shook her head as if offended by being called an old girl. Mikan chuckled and gave the horse a hug.

Suddenly she felt a pair of hands circle round her waist and she was hoisted up onto the saddle. Looking down, she noticed that Natsume had carried her up and seeing him walk to his own horse as if that act meant nothing to him, she felt something stir within her heart.

"Let's go." Ruka cleared his throat and the group trotted to the nearby forest. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, they reached their destination and dismounted their horses. Koko carried what seemed like a huge pile of picnic things and walked hazardously towards Sumire. However when Sumire moved to the right, so did Koko and similarly when she moved to the left, Koko subconsciously did as well. Everyone broke out into laughter but Mikan felt arm being tugged on as Natsume grabbed her hand and dragged her deeper into the forest.

"Where are we going?" Mikan asked.

"Just follow and stop yapping polka," Natsume answered without looking at her, concentrating on the path he was supposed to take.

Mikan puffed up her cheeks in a mixture of anger and embarrassment, "for someone who barged into my room this morning and saw me in my underwear, you should be apologising before dragging me around like some dog."

"Do you ever stop talking? You'll forgive me, soon enough. We're here."

The sunlight glittered as it was reflected off the small waterfall which was in front of her. Realising that she was standing on a bridge which overlooked the river, she gasped at the magnificent sight before her.

"Wow… I never knew this place existed." Mikan whispered, as if her voice would break the tranquillity of the scene.

"It's… it's a place I just discovered and it helps me calm down. It helps me think." Natsume stuttered.

"Thank you Ruka." The crimson eye boy silently thanked.

"Pft, you actually use that muscle in your head?"

"The brain is not a muscle you know. That's beside the point, enjoy the scenery. It's to … keep your mind off… yeah."

Mikan's mind immediately remembered her children and she was sad once again.

"Did you see them off? Did you tell them that I love them and that you did as well?"

"I did. Don't cry polka, it's not going to bring them back and they're going to get upset when they see you crying."

"You're right." Sniffling again, Mikan laid her hands on the railings of the bridge and watched how the fishes below her feet swam around. "Wait, why are you being so nic…" Mikan was cut off as she saw Natsume kneeling on one knee.

"What are you doing?"

Natsume sweat dropped, "you sure know how to destroy the mood. I'm tying my shoelaces idiot."

"Sorry I'll be quiet, please go back to what you were intending to do." With that, Mikan turned around to the face the scenery, ignoring Natsume who was still on one knee.

"All that fighting must have killed off her feminine side. Guess she's not one to take hints." Smiling internally to himself, Natsume got up from his position and grabbed Mikan by the shoulders. Spinning her around, he cupped her chin with his right hand before planting a soft kiss on her lips.

At this stage, Mikan was obviously shocked at the sudden movement before she felt Natsume's lips on her own. This was different from any kiss she had received from him before. It was loving and tender, almost afraid that she would disappear, but she relished it, liking the way everything felt right. Placing her hands on Natsume's chest, she felt his heartbeat race under her palms as she closed her eyes to live in the moment.

Breaking the kiss, Natsume wrapped his arms around Mikan's small waist, taking care not to apply too much pressure on the wound. He put his forehead against hers so that he could stare into the brown abyss of her eyes.

"In those three days which you were unconscious, I thought I would lose you. I thought you were going to leave me again. But I remembered how strong you were, how much you wanted to accomplish many things and how you loved your people, how you loved your friends and knew that you wouldn't give up so easily."

Natsume brushed a stray strand of Mikan's hair out of her eyes and continued, "In those three days, I also grew to realise that if you were gone from this world again, I wouldn't be able to live through it; not after I had spent time with you. Life couldn't be so cruel to me and take you away. You wouldn't go away from my thoughts, everywhere I went, I saw you. Running down the hallways sticking your tongue out at me, sitting by the fountain playing with the water, or under the sakura tree taking a short nap."

Mikan saw how Natsume's eyes twinkled when he spoke about her. She smiled and touched his cheek gently.

"I'm not going anywhere Natsume."

"After news of your fever finally breaking at three in the morning, I suddenly felt life surge back into me. The fact that you're standing here in my arms is something which hasn't sunken in yet."

"I heard you, in my sleep." Mikan admitted, "I heard the things you were saying to me. I heard all your fears, how you got angry if I let death win, how you cried."

In his 17 years of living, Natsume had never cried in front of anyone, but yet when she had mentioned him crying in front of her unconscious self, he no longer felt embarrassment. He only felt his resolve grow larger.

"I love you Mikan. I love you with all my heart and soul. I would love you till the world ends and I love you even though you have an atrocious sense for lingerie."

Mikan playfully hit his chest but he grabbed her hands.

"Do me the honour of being the happiest man alive on this planet. Marry me Mikan." With that, Mikan felt something cold and hard within her palms. Opening them out, she saw a silver ring with a small diamond on the top.

Taking a step away from Natsume she examined the ring and her feelings. Was she really ready to marry Natsume? After all these years of running around and defeating Kuonji's minions, she never had time to examine her own feelings. Would she make a good wife for him? She had other responsibilities, she had to rule a kingdom. Now since Luna was dead, there's no one to look after her people in Nula. But could she live apart from him? She knew that last 6 years were torture because she saw how Natsume would pace up and down in his palace aimlessly, as if looking for fragments of her soul. She knew that every night, she fell asleep knowing that her heart belonged to one person only and that was Natsume Hyuuga, the insufferable prick who dissed her on everything he could.

Natsume saw the conflicting emotions that played on her face and he knew that he was pushing it too fast. He knew her well enough. She would place her people before her own happiness that was what made her such a desirable ruler. She had to right the wrongs that were made in her kingdom. She had to gain the trust of her once forgotten people. Letting out a sigh, he took a deep breath in, wanting to tell her to not think about it, that it was a joke. He would rather crush his own happiness than to see her sad and put on a spot, but Mikan spoke first.

"I love you Natsume. You know that."

He nodded.

"For 6 years, I had tabs kept on you. Whenever I was in Firenze for a mission, I would detour on my way home so that I could see you. However, in those 6 years, your emotions never changed. It was irritated and angry on the front, but once you were alone, you would have this sadness written all over your face. You were inconsolable for 6 years."

"If you saw me, why didn't you…"

"I couldn't. It was a promise I had made when I took on the role of Shadowfox and besides, I didn't want you to be in danger. It tore me up inside, not being able to tell you I was alive. It ripped my heart into pieces, seeing you cry all alone. Then I saw how your eyes lit up when you saw me at the selection test. I knew that my presence would bring on a whole cascade of emotions but I couldn't admit anything for fear that you would get hurt."

"However also in those 6 years, I saw how much my people suffered. They are in poverty. They have no food to eat, they live in rags and people are dying of diseases. Luna didn't do her duty to her people and now news have spread that I am alive, the lost princess of Nula is alive and I don't think I can let them down like that again. They need me and I need them. I love you Natsume…"

"But you love your people more." Natsume sadly pointed out.

"I love my people Natsume, but I also love you. And I know you well enough, that if I don't say yes, you would go burn Koko's butt."

Natsume turned his back and walked away. He did not want to hear her ultimatum, he did not want to suffer the embarrassment of being rejected. Then he stopped in his tracks.

"WHAT?!"

"I said yes."

He just stood there staring at his lover. She crossed her hands behind her back like a little girl and smiled at him. He wanted to rush over and pull her into his arms and give her the most passionate kiss, but he knew her well enough.

"What's the catch?" He asked with raised eyebrows.

"Dang, Natsume Hyuuga saw through me," Mikan pouted with fake disappointment, "I will marry you, but not right away. Your birthday is coming up and I think the people would want some peace before the news of us getting married is pounced on them. They need some sort of closure and I need to fix things on my side."

"All right, here's the plan, you will marry me, one year from today. That would give you enough time help your people and for me to comfort my people. One year from now, you will be walking down that isle. Got it?"

"Gotcha. Just don't be a runaway groom on that day." Mikan teased.

"Who said anything about a runaway groom?" Rushing up to her, he carried her and twirled her round. A little disappointed that he would have to wait a little longer before she could be together with him, he knew that he could survive that. Besides, he had waited for her for 6 long years, what would another year be to him?

Kissing the top of her nose, Natsume claimed Mikan's lips once again with the wheels and cogs in his brain winding as he thought of various wedding plans.

Sorry if there are grammatical errors. I have been pushing myself to turn this out because I know how bad a cliffhanger feels. Sad to say, the next chapter will be the last. :( I am currently coming up with ideas for the next fanfic, so if you want to have a part in the next one, do send in your ideas! Do tell me what you love about this fanfic and what you didn't love so much, I will try to tailor it if there is a general agreement on what they like. Most likely it'll still be the monarchy type cause I feel there's not enough of such stories and I really like writing this type. :D THANK SO SO MUCH TO ALL WHO HAVE REVIEWED! YOU HAVE MADE ME FEEL SO AWESOME!

On to the replies:

Lovely Queen Witch: Hello hello! haha I love cliffhangers because they make you, the reader, imagine what will happen in the next chapter! Also, it gives me more room to develop the story as I'm not constrained as to what to write. :) This story was meant to be humorous in a way, but I think it took quite a dark turn. The next one would be slightly more humorous though. SO... keep reading!

Shimmerinq: Thank you for the review! I hope I got all 3 deaths in. hoho, sometimes when you're writing you get so lost that you forget how many people you've killed. haha. Hope you like this chapter!

MistiLove: Yeah I know its ending, it's sad for me as well. But i'm going to write another one so look forward to that! :)

Blueberryxn: Hello my good reviewer! :D you're very welcome. So sorry for the lack of updates on my part, and worst still with such a cliff hanger. hee hee. Do give feedback as to what kind of story you want to read next from me and I'll try to incorporate it into the story forming in my head!

RandomDalmation326: Yeah I do feel a sense of loss while its ending, but... I have another story formulating in my head! It's very exciting for me. haha I think you can kind of expect what kind of ending will happen in the next chapter.

akjupiter: sorry for the unsettling feelings that I left you with. haha. As you can see, it's all good! Thank you for all your support!

PearlyWirly1: Thank you so much for your compliment! I'm really glad that you like the story. Yup yup, there will be more to come!

Lessthanthreeanime: Well I miscalculated a bit, the next one will be the last. No more false alarms! Yeah their story has been told, but there are other ways of retelling it!

Lover's red rose: Really? I thought everyone knew Kuonji was this madman who wanted control over everything. haha, wouldn't be surprise if he did more things that what i've stated.

Amari Mizuki: Awww! Thanks! Yup I will, do help me by telling me what you would like to read about as I'm plotting another fanfiction!

Guest: I have no idea who you are but thank you for the compliments! I would have used your idea but it's too similar to the manga, so can't really use it, otherwise it'll be plagiarism. :( do suggest for the next fanfic!

Chelsea Dawn: IT'S FINISHING SOON! haha, sorry for the really long hiatus. I have no idea when i can start on the finial chapter though but i'll try my very best!

Ddilfany: oh oh I missed your birthday! Happy belated birthday! Nah you're never too young to start. I'm 19. haha, got inspired to write by my brother. I've seen 11 year olds post fanfics, so yeah, if you've got a great idea, share it with the community! :)

Anime-LoverGirlPop: OMG! I'm the first fanfic you choose to read? Very honoured. Welcome to the wonderful world of fanfiction! :) I hope that you've enjoyed the ride so far!