I am back with the new chapter. Well, I don't want to say anything anymore. I hope you like this... domo...
DISCLAIMER: The Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi-sensei and Gakuen Alice belongs to Higuchi Tachibana-san. All rights reserved to the both of them.
Chapter 31: Kibou
Chapter Summary: Combining of the seven sins was drawing near and hope was about to be called. They thought that was all but they were wrong about it...
She was speechless. Not because she didn't know how to reply at Yuka's words, she was speechless because she didn't want to register what she just heard a few seconds ago. But her mind was betraying her. The process of apprehension was coming in her mind and comprehension dawned upon her.
"W-what do you mean... I can't remember them?" She walked closer to the force, "T-there's no way right? I-it can't be?"
Yuka just stared at her for a few seconds but did not saying anything.
"Y-Yuka-san..." Her expression was starting to change into despair. The thought of forgetting her friends in Gakuen Alice was too much for her. She didn't want that to happen.
"It is for the better," Yuka said deciding to talk this time, "Once the sins are gathered and the alice has taken away from you, you and all of your friends will return to your world and you will go back to your old life... like nothing happen."
"N-no... I don't want to forget," She said walking backwards looking horrified at Yuka, "I don't want to forget them."
"It has to be," Yuka said staring straight to her eyes, "You will forget us the moment you return the healing alice to us... whether you like it or not."
Sakuno shook her head rigidly, "I don't want to! I don't want to forget my friends!" She closed her eyes trying to hold her tears back, "D-don't take them away... please."
"You don't stand a chance-"
"I don't want to forget Mikan-chan!" She looked at her with determination in her eyes, "I don't want to forget your daughter!"
Yuka was taken aback from her words. She might not expect that from her. The lady's eyes became wide as she stared at her but not until she recovered after a few seconds.
"Coming here was an accident. You shouldn't have been here," Shiki answered for her, "In fact, the alice shouldn't have been inside you in the first place."
She stared at Shiki and she didn't say anything to defend herself. Truth to be told, she was not really supposed to be there if it wasn't for the stones inside her. Appearing in that world was really accidental in the first place.
If it was not for...
"Chigau yo!" She abruptly declined his words, "If it aren't for the stones, I would not have met everyone here!"
"You will be separated soon enough," Reo said looking at her, "Brace yourself then-"
"No, I don't want to!" She stubbornly denied that.
"You-" Reo was about to say something when Yuka tapped his shoulder with her hand. The voice pheromone alice user looked at her as the latter stared at Sakuno without saying and looking at him. Frowning, he looked back and observed her.
Sakuno, still eyes were shut tight, was covered with an almost invisible aura. They had witnessed how her body glowed slightly from her location. Judging from her look, she didn't know what she was doing at that moment. Reo didn't waste time as he step forward to catch her attention;
"Ryuzaki-san!" He shouted a little using his alice on her, "Look at me!"
Not keeping is guard up, she looked up to him, still not aware of her surroundings. Reo touched his earring and spoke with his barritone voice.
"Sleep!"
As she heard that, the aura around her seized as she slowly collapsed on the ground. They just stared at her outside the barrier that Shiki created.
"What was that?" Nobara asked to no one. She was just staring at the 'sleeping' girl in front of her.
"She should not be emitting that," Yuka said mimicking what the others were doing, "Not yet."
"What do you mean?" Nobara looked at her this time shifting her stare from Sakuno.
Yuka closed her eyes as she walked backwards, "They are not completed yet. She shouldn't be rejecting those feelings at all."
"You mean..."
"That's right," Reo said fixing his earring as he looked at her, "She got five sins and expressing her emotions like that would only distort the other sins that are not within her. It would only make it harder for us to get the alice from her."
"We should give the remaining stones to her then." Nobara said sounding a little concern.
Yuka watched the lying girl on the ground, "She's not safe yet. Let's wait for a little more until the aura calms down."
"We cannot upset her or else this will repeat." Shiki reminded them.
Yuka didn't say anything after that. She started to walk away not glancing at them. Shiki followed suit while Reo looked at the ice princess.
"Keep an eye on her."
She didn't reply when Reo ordered that. She just stared at Sakuno who was just lying on the ground. There was still some gust of wind that she didn't know why it was still there. She covered with a complete barrier that even a wind couldn't enter but the aura that she had did. She blinked twice when she spotted something.
Tears.
There were tears on Sakuno's eyes. She knew that she was thinking about it despite being unconscious. Her eyes that she showed to Mikan were cold... cold as ice. Something that had to do with her alice. Something that they would hate. She couldn't blame them if they hated her alice. It was cold. It was ice. She stared at Sakuno with a narrowed expression. No one could guess what she was thinking at that moment. If one would notice, her hands were only gripped to her sides... really tight.
MEANWHILE:
They followed Mikan's footsteps hastily. They left the land of mana and went to a place where Mikan was really familiar with. She only told them where she was but she never told them the place. She didn't let them ask where as she headed towards the location. No one seemed to ask her so she thought that they would just let her.
"Ne, Kokoroyomi-san, do you know where we going?" Eiji whispered to the mind reader.
The mind reader just shook his head much to the acrobatic player's dismay. He looked at him and replied, "I can't read Sakura's mind for she is blocking it."
"Ah right," He said as he looked at her, "I totally forgot about it."
Fuji on the other hand walked alongside with Tsubasa and noticed something, "Where is Hyuuga?"
"Don't worry about him," Tsubasa said not looking at him, "He can easily spot us wherever we are. He can detect us with Mikan-chan's alice."
"Saa..." He responded, "Do you have any idea where she is taking us?"
Tsubasa shrugged as he continued staring at the pigtailed girl who was leading them, "I am not sure but I think I know."
"Really? Where then?"
"Some place where she can feel relax."
"And where is that?"
"You will see..."
Fuji just gave him a smile after that, "You know, you really act like me."
Tsubasa looked at him, "And why is that?"
"You love beating around the bush than telling me the straight answer."
"Really?" He replied sounded amused, "Maybe I just look like you."
"Saa..."
Ryoma was trailing behind them. Hotaru was riding her scooter and Youichi was riding in with her. Eiji was flying and if the scene wasn't serious, he would think that he was competing with the inventor. Momo was just walking below the acrobatic player just the same. The inventor started to move around whenever she liked. She drove to Mikan's location and started talking to her.
"What are you thinking?"
He almost flinched when someone talked to his side. Looking at the corner of his eyes, he spotted the blonde boy who was carrying his pet rabbit in his arms. He stared at him for a few minutes before he looked ahead;
"The same thing that you are probably thinking."
The blonde boy blinked when he answered, "Do you think that we are thinking the same?"
"...guess so."
"You seem so calm," Ruka said looking at his rabbit, "...despite that Ryuzaki has been kidnapped."
He didn't reply but he looked at him. The animal pheromone alice user was staring fondly at his rabbit. Somehow, he missed Karupin at that gesture the blonde boy was giving to it. Sensing that he wasn't saying anything, he looked at him and gave him a surprised look;
"I didn't mean that-"
"She loves animal."
"E?"
"I just don't understand why she is not keeping one."
Silence came after that. They continued walking as they followed the others on track.
"Karupin..."
Ryoma looked at him when he mentioned the name of his cat. He had that idea that Sakuno told him about his cat. He just didn't expect that the blonde boy would talk again.
"She loves your cat."
He looked at him as they walked. He could imagine how the girl described his cat to him. He looked ahead as he nodded, "Aa." He was right. Sakuno loved Karupin. He could see how she stared at his cat. He had witnessed it with his own eyes.
Didn't she save it from the danger before?
Everything started that day, the day where she saved his cat, the day that changed everything. He inserted his hands to his pocket as his countenance changed.
"I'll let her see Karupin," He started making Ruka to look at him, "...once this is all over."
Ruka didn't say anything but he could sense that he was listening to him. He understood so well. They all continue walking to the destination that they didn't know.
MEANWHILE:
She was leaning on the wall when the braided-pigtailed girl gained consciousness. The girl started to move and she watched her look around. Their eyes met for a few seconds before the girl looked away. Her eyes were looked betrayed as she stared at her. She leaned her back to the wall and hugged her knees. The girl's action bewildered her but she didn't show it.
"Aren't you going to say something?" But she talked about it.
She saw her flinch but she returned from being crouchy.
"Aren't you going to ask me?" She stared at the girl who was crouching inside the barrier. What she wasn't expecting was Sakuno smiled timidly.
"I'd rather not."
"Why?"
"Mikan-chan."
She was taken aback when she said her name. Her back distanced away a little from the wall.
"She trusted you," She said as she placed her chin to her knees, "She believed that you were her friend."
"Speaking in past tense, huh?"
Sakuno looked at her, "Then, are you still her friend?"
She looked back at her but she didn't reply to her.
"Are you still her friend then, Nobara-chan?" Sakuno repeated.
"She assumed that we were," She bluntly said as she leaned back on the wall closing her eyes in the process, "She was stupid claiming me to be her friend. I was not the person that she should trust in the first place."
Sakuno didn't speak after that. She placed her chin to her knees once again as she was thinking randomly. They stayed like that and never said anything at all. The other three were nowhere to be found inside the cave. All that they could hear was the fire that flickered and sounded like some twigs had snapped into two. The area was lit because of the fire making everything warm and somewhat comfortable.
...At least for Sakuno.
"I have a best friend."
She blinked when she started talking. If her eyes seemed betrayed minutes ago, her eyes were showing sort of longing and fondness.
"I left her without telling her anything," She said as she smiled a little, "I disappeared without telling her the truth."
"..."
"In fact, I lied to her," She noticed her gripping her hands that were resting on her knees, "I lied to her that everything was all right. She didn't know the stones inside and she didn't know what was really happening to me."
"..."
"Tomo-chan trusted me," Her eyes softened into something hurt, "but I betrayed her. And that is something that I just realized."
Sakuno blinked twice before she lifted her head and slowly looked at her. She was actually closed to tears as she gave her that expression;
"I'm..." She started trying to act firm, "not different from you."
The ice princess stared at her in shock. Sakuno was showing her the pain and regret to her face. She knew that the girl was having a hard time keeping everything from her best friend. She knew.
She had it too and she was right.
"You can change though."
"What?" She started to speak after a long time of listening.
"Mikan-chan is nice. She's here in this world," She said smiling a little, "You are lucky because you can talk to her and set things right," Her expression changed when she looked down and continued, "but I can't do that anymore to Tomo-chan."
"..."
"I'll probably forget everything that happened here and," Her hands were gripping once again for how many times, she didn't know, "Continue spending time with Tomo-chan in our world... not realizing that I lied to her."
"..."
"I never even have the chance to apologize."
"..."
"..."
"Sometimes..."
She noticed the girl was looking at her but her eyesight was on the ceiling as she continued talking;
"Sometimes it's better to keep things left unsaid. You would not know that you did because you would forget about it," She looked at her sideways, "so why focus on something that you would not remember in the future? It does not make any sense at all."
"But I want to remember," She replied moving a little closer to her location, "I want to feel guilty at everything... that I made mistakes and trying to fix them."
"You're insane." She said coldly.
"Maybe I am. They might be right. Coming here might be accidentally for us but I didn't regret it."
Her eyes blinked as she stared at the girl. She was determined and true to her words. Sakuno really meant it.
"I met everyone-I met you," She said placing her hands carefully on the barrier, "I am thankful for that."
They were covered with silence once again. Nobara just stared at the blushing girl in front of her. The barrier was swaying because of her touch and she knew that she could feel the force from it but she ignored the slight pain. The first time she met the girl, she thought that she had no backbone or anything of the sort but when she got to know her better, her first impressions of her changed.
She was unique in her own way... just like Mikan.
Nobara was about to say something when she heard footseps. They both turned at the same time just to see Shiki and Yuka walking towards their direction. The ice princess narrowed her eyes and she sensed that something came up and she wasn't wrong about it.
"They found us."
She didn't say anything when Yuka announced that but she could see Sakuno's reaction from the corner of her eyes.
Sakuno was shocked and at the same time delighted when she heard that.
They found her.
Her delightful expression changed when Yuka walked in front of her and showed her the two sins that she brought out from some sort of magic.
"It's time to call hope."
xxx
They were shocked when they saw Natsume standing ahead of them... facing a small house. The house was natural and simply ordinary. It was convenient to live in since it was surrounded with natural things. The wind blew nicely around them and Mikan couldn't help but stare at Natsume in awe.
"Y-you came ahead of us." She said walking towards the fire alice user.
Natsume looked at the corner of his eyes but didn't take his full attention away from the house;
"I wanted to check something first so I went ahead," He said nonchalantly, "I just arrived a few minutes before you."
"What did you find out?" Fuji asked him who was just behind them.
"Your grandpa," He looked at Mikan who started to worry. Before she misunderstood his words, he continued his thoughts, "...is alright so don't fuss about it."
"Wait, grandpa?" Momo said looking at them, "You mean...?"
"Yes," Mikan looked at Momo before she looked at everyone, "This is my home. I live with my grandpa."
"There's a cave here, isn't it?" Fuji said as he looked around.
Mikan looked at them and nodded, "It's this way..." She pointed out and walked to that area and abruptly stopped by Natsume.
"Careful," He said raising his arm midway as he glared ahead of them, "Someone's coming."
Ryoma and Tsubasa watched where he was looking at. The others did the same as well. They could hear footsteps brushing the ground and the more they became closer the more the became alert. From the dark contour of the cave, a figure was slowly forming in front of them. They stared at the person in front who was smirking at them.
"You came sooner than I thought," The person said looking at Mikan and Natsume, "No wonder you can easily guess our whereabouts."
"Bastard!" Natsume said as he created a fire ball only to be stopped by Mikan.
"Reo! Where's mom and Sakuno?!" She said walking a few steps forward to him, "Where are they?"
"Relax, Mikan-chan," Reo said as he looked down, "You will meet them in a few minutes. Your mom is preparing for the biggest event and rest assured that Ryuzaki-san is alright."
"What do you mean?" Mikan asked gripping her hands to her side.
"Let us through!" Ruka dared.
"Do you think that I'll let you," He said as he closed his eyes for a few seconds before he opened them again. He shouted a little making his voice vibrate the whole area, "Go back!" He waited for a few seconds but none of them reacted at his words, "What the-"
"Your voice pheromone will never work on us anymore," Hotaru said showing something from her palm, "With the same trick I did before. Don't you think you can outsmart an inventor like me?"
The voice pheromone looked at everyone and noticed something in their ears.
"I..." Hotaru smirked as she presented the same invention she created way back, "just blocked their sense of your pheromone... with my earplugs."
Reo glared at Hotaru before he tsk-ed. He had the hint that the inventor had placed those earplugs to them before they went to their location. His expression was somewhat changed when he started to speak, "So full of yourself huh? My pheromone might not work on you anymore," He smirked as he looked at his sideways, "but I don't think it won't be the same in her case."
From where he was looking at, another figure appeared behind him. No one said a word as they looked at the newcomer.
"Nobara-san," Momo walked ahead just to level Mikan and Natsume, "Where's Ryuzaki-" He stopped speaking when some ice crystals darted straight near his feet.
"Stay where you are," Nobara said icily. Her hand was pointed where she placed the crystals to him, "If you don't want me to aim your heart." She raised her hand to his chest.
Momoshiro was somewhat taken aback when she said that. He looked around and behind the ice princess and the voice pheromone user. He noticed the cave behind them. Sensing that they wouldn't go beyond that point, he thought of a possible solution and caught his junior's attention;
"Echizen, go with the others." He whispered next to him.
"What?"
"You want to save Ryuzaki-chan, right," He said almost irritated because of his kouhai's lack of comprehension, "Go now and don't wait here."
Ryoma looked at his senpai before he nodded finally understanding what he was talking about. Without saying another word, he dashed through their location, and was followed by Fuji, Natsume, Hotaru, and Mikan. Ruka glanced at Natsume who nodded and decided to stay outside. He was carrying Youichi in his arms while the boy was carrying his rabbit. Eiji, Kokoroyomi and Tsubasa decided to wait for them.
Reo was about stop the group who ran towards the gate but Tsubasa stopped him with his shadow manipulating alice.
"Stop where you are," Tsubasa said stepping on his shadow that Eiji prepared for him. Eiji did something with the moon's reflection causing him to catch Reo's shadow, "Sorry, but you are outnumbered."
Reo just glared at him, "But you cannot stop everything from here."
From Tsubasa's direction, some ice crystal flew to him but just in time Momo got to him and counterparted her alice with his water. The two alices collided and both collapsed on the ground.
"Out of the way, Momoshiro-san!" She said swinging her hand to her side. She started to create another ice around her, "You don't stand a chance against me."
"Let's see about that," The acrobatic player said gripping his hands to his side, "I trusted you but I just simply won't let you harm my friends."
Nobara flinched when he said that. She stared at him but she never said anything.
Momoshiro looked on the ground where the collided alices was still there. He took a deep breath before he started to raise his arm aiming for that loosen power, "Minna, let me face her," He said looking at the ice princess as he concentrated on his alice. He made the water come to life and raised it up to his own height, "I believe that I should be the one to knock out some sense on her."
LATER ON:
They continued running to the depts of the cave. The place was dark but having a sharp vision, the darkness was a complete no-no for him. He could sense the girl's weak alice and he couldn't understand why it was weak. Having that feeling, he couldn't help himself but feel concern about the girl.
"Something's ahead of us." Fuji suddenly said as he too ran toward the direction.
"I know," Natsume said glaring in front of them, "She's gone insane."
"What do you mean?" Ryoma said looking to his side with his eye.
"We shouldn't waste time," Natsume said instead, "before it's too late."
Mikan knew what he was talking about. She was really worried about Sakuno and she didn't want her mother to do it. Her mother didn't know that consequence of taking the stone without the user's consent. It needed a lot of persuasion before taking it out from her.
No one knew about it. Instead her... and Tsubasa.
Not a minute past, when they spotted a light ahead of them. They should be felt relieved about it but the light was telling them something. Ryoma felt his heart beat faster.
He had a bad feeling about it. Dashing faster to that direction, he only thought of reaching it thinking the name of the girl that it was impossible for him to forget anymore.
They reached the place, only to be shocked.
Yuka was there, standing in front of the barrier. In front of her was Sakuno, standing back right in front of her with the barrier that walled between them. Shiki was just watching them from one of the four corners of the wall. Although, that wasn't the reason why they were shocked at the scene. Yuka's hands were filled with lights. They had the idea of what they were.
Greed and Lust sins.
Their lights were illuminating their area and they became intensely blinding when Yuka forced the lights inside her.
Ryoma felt that something was wrong. As he looked at Sakuno's face, her eyes were closed and she was frowning. Her face was stained with transparent liquid and he knew that she just cried before they came. Her hands were acting like she didn't want those sins to be inserted inside her. She was pushing them away and he knew that he was right.
"Ryuzaki!" He shouted loud enough for them to hear.
Sakuno slowly opened her eyes and looked at him. Her tears started to fall once again, "R-Ryoma-kun..." Then Yuka finally placed the stone inside her.
"Kaa-san, don't!" Mikan took big steps to stop her mother but it was too late. An intense light welcomed Sakuno's body causing Yuka to fall back. The light was really blinding enough for them to see. Natsume grabbed Mikan's shoulder to make her stay still.
Ryoma and Fuji waited for the light to disappear. They watched the light disappear. Yuka was on the ground as Shiki kneeled behind her. The barrier that was keeping Sakuno was still intact and somehow it was strengthen by the power that appeared seconds ago. Sakuno was still inside but something was odd about her.
"N-no..." Mikan said eyeing the braided-pigtailed girl from the barrier, "I-it can't be..."
Ryoma looked at her, "What's happening to her?" He said as he too felt it, "Sakura, what's happening to Ryuzaki."
"She didn't like it," She said still eyeing the girl. Fuji and the rest were doing the same, "She refused the stones inside her."
"What?" Yuka looked at her and then to Sakuno, "It can't be..."
Ryoma looked at Sakuno. There was no wind inside the barrier but she was somehow covered by it making her plaits fly randomly together with her clothes. Her face was unreadable at that moment. Her appearence seemed lifeless. Dark. No sense of living at all. His amber eyes widened when Sakuno lift her face up and looked in front of them.
Her eyes. They were dull.
Fuji was shocked making his eyes open in the process. No one said a word and they knew that something was really wrong. Ryoma bit his lip to bleed as he gripped his hands to his side. He watched the girl inside the barrier and he couldn't stop walking closer to her;
"Ryuzaki..."
Done! How was it. Sakuno refused the last two sins. What will happen next? Will they able to call hope? Find that out. Domo...
Next Chapter: Ray of Light