Threads to Life Chapter 32: Ray of Light, a Prince of Tennis + Gakuen Alice Crossover fanfic

Hi there! I am back with the new chapter. This is coming to an end. Thank you minna for staying with me all this time. Domo... ^^

Chapter 32: Ray of Light

Chapter Summary: Everything was in chaos. No one expected that it would happen to her. What would Ryoma and the others do? Find that out.

'I can no longer return to those days.
I still can't do anything.
The shards of my memories with you are disappearing one by one…

If my teardrops become rain,
I will look up at the never-changing shining stars.
The drifting clouds are filled with color…'

~ Ray of Light – Shouko Nakagawa ~

The group remained stunned at their location. In the cave. Ryoma didn't care what was going around him. He ignored Yuka and Shiki's shocked expressions who were still stumbling down on the ground. He also ignored his senpais and friends who were doing the same thing like he did. What he focused at that moment was the person inside the barrier.

The person who was locked inside the barrier.

The cave was lit because of the fire that was being created. The area seemed to be filled with mist that came from the barrier where she was in. The wind was causing all the quiet fuss around them.

Ryuzaki Sakuno, trapped inside the barrier, was somewhat different in his eyes.

"Mother..."

He barely heard Mikan's words but he didn't look at her way even when she continued calling her mother's attention.

"W-why?" She said staring at Yuka who was still staring at Sakuno, "Why did you do it?"

Shiki looked at her instead, "What do you mean by that? We gathered all the sins inside her body."

"By forcing her?" She said walking a little closer, "It will be useless if you do just that."

Yuka and Shiki were taken aback from her words. Judging from their reaction, it was hinted that they didn't know what she was talking about. Mikan bit her lower lip as she looked at her mother and Sakuno alternatively.

"Seeing Ryuzaki-chan's reaction now, she never intended to accept the remaining stones, am I right?"

Ryoma, for the first time, looked at Fuji who was just beside Mikan, "What do you mean by that?"

Fuji looked at Mikan first who was curiously staring at her. He closed his eyes before he said his thoughts, "Greed is selfish and lust is obsession. Ryuzaki-chan doesn't feel that way negatively."

"The other sins are all negative." Natsume butted in not taking the silence anymore.

"True," Fuji nodded, "but these two sins are not her nature to feel. It doesn't mean that she feels all the negative sins inside her, those sins that made her feel them within her."

"I still don't get it," Yuka interrupted standing up, "Why is she rejecting the stones inside her body?"

"I believe it isn't about the stones." Fuji said closing his eyes this time.

"What do you mean?" Shiki answered for her standing as well.

"It's about something else," Fuji continued and looked at Mikan afterwards, "Am I right, Mikan-chan?"

Everyone looked at Mikan who flinched. Natsume was still holding her to her shoulder. Hotaru looked away as she gripped her hands. Ryoma remained silent as he braced himself to the revelation. Mikan recovered after a few seconds and looked at Sakuno;

"You are right," She said trembling in the process, "She is rejecting the stones because of something else."

"What is it?" Ryoma said walking closer to Mikan. Mikan stared at him before she looked back to Sakuno's direction.

"She refused to forget us."

"What?" Ryoma and Fuji said at the same time, not really getting what she was talking about but not until she cleared it to them.

"She didn't want to forget her alice user friends," She said looking down, "when all of these are over."

"..."

"Once you all return to Seigaku, you will forget us like nothing happened."

Meanwhile:

The place was cold outside. Ice crystals and water droplets were scattered all around the ground and to the trees. Ruka was on top of a giant chick still carrying Youichi while Eiji was just flying around. Tsubasa lost Reo when a stray ice crystal broke between them. Kokoroyomi was with Hotaru whispering Nobara's movements and giving directions to Momo's next moves. Despite the accuracy and aiming, Nobara was still faster than their calculations.

…Resulting for the area to be really cold.

Both liquid users were panting at that moment. Momo was already soaking wet. He was still panting. His knees were already bent; his hands were dropped down in front of him. He requested everyone that he would only deal with her, meaning that no one would interfere their fight just in case. He lifted his head up and stared at the ice princess.

Just like him, Nobara was also wet and catching for her breath. Her hands were also dropped down; one arm was in front of her while the other was pointing at him. The place was cold as ice. After a several moments, Momo looked down and started to snicker.

The witnesses blinked and showed different reactions. Nobara was also shocked and almost sweat dropped when the dunk smasher gripped his stomach and continued snickering and turned to laughing.

"Holding it up is bad, Momo-chi!" Eiji shouted a little who was still flying above them.

"What's so funny?" Nobara frowned as she couldn't help but react at his behavior. He was getting insane in her opinion.

"You are right," He said as he looked up once again, stopping from laughing in the process, "This is all funny. What we are doing right now is really funny."

"What?"

"Haven't you noticed," Momo said standing up ignoring the cold temperature around them. He spread his arms as he continued talking, "We were acting like playing at all."

"What?" She repeated her reaction.

The others who were watching them sweat dropped in the process. Somehow, they couldn't get what he was getting at.

"I used to play something similar like this," He said standing straight dropping his arms to his side this time, "I missed playing tennis," He turned around sideways as he raised his hands to his head, "I want to go home already."

Nobara flinched when he said that. Somehow, she knew what he was talking about. The rest of the group was just staring at them. She was staring at him. She stopped using her alice by the time he stared at her. Momo faced her completely, looking all serious at her.

"Nobara-san, I still trust you," The dunk smasher said not tearing his eyes on her, "I know that you still want to go to our world and I will keep my promise."

"..."

"They say you are dangerous?" He walked closer to her, "I don't see why they said that."

"Don't come near me!" Nobara said creating another set of ice crystals and pointed them at him. Momo ignored her alice as he continued walking.

"Momo-chin!" Eiji said flying a little closer to his kouhai. Momo just gestured him that it would be alright. Tsubasa, Kokoroyomi, Ruka and even Youichi were just watching them silently. Reo was observing the whole conservation between them.

"All I know is your life is really in danger," He said as he continued walking towards her, "the more you use your alice, the more you lose your life."

"I said stop!" She released her alice towards him but Momo didn't avoid them, resulting to hit him at several parts of his body. Momo almost stumbled causing everyone to be alert but Momo glared at them. Nobara was visibly shocked when he didn't even avoid her attack, "You are crazy! You guys are all crazy!"

"I guess we are," Momo said wiping his cheek that had a cut from her attack, "Get used to it."

Nobara glared at him still activating her alice, "I serve the AAO. I betrayed Mikan-chan. I betrayed Ryuzaki-san. I betrayed you all."

"You betrayed us, yes," He replied and continued walking to her, "you betrayed us because you did not have a choice. You betrayed us because you wanted to be close to Mikan-chan."

"What?"

"That was the only way to approach her, wasn't it?"

Nobara caught her tongue that moment. How did he know? How did he know that she was only agreeing to the term because she could be closer to her despite that she would hurt her in the end?

"Or because you thought that it was the only way to approach her."

"Shut it!" She threw some ice crystals at him once again shutting her eyes in the process.

"Momoshiro-san!" Tsubasa tried to run at him but Reo just stopped him by shooting a gun at his feet.

"Just enjoy the show." Reo said smirking in the process.

The shadow manipulator looked at him and hissed inaudibly. He didn't have a choice but to watch them and so as what the others did. Momo was on his one knee after the second attack he was holding his shoulder with his other hand while he was soaking wet at the water that he received.

But he endured all the pain.

"I like you, Nobara-san."

She flinched when he said that. The dunk smasher tried to stand up slowly as he looked at her. Her heart skipped a beat especially when she saw the seriousness in his eyes.

"You are kind, you think of your own situation, you know what to do," He said as he started to walk to her once again, "you worry about the others."

"I don't worry about th-"

"You do," he cut her from her words, "I am the witness of it. You cannot completely hurt your friends at all."

"I don't have one."

"You do have one, you have me," Momoshiro said approaching her in the process, "you can't hurt me... completely."

Nobara glared at him as she created another set of ice crystals, "Don't provoke me!"

"I am not provoking you," He continued speaking staring straight at her eyes, "I am telling the truth. You can't-no you couldn't hurt me at all."

Nobara screamed as she aimed her alice at him. The others watched the anticipated attack but before it could reach Momo, the crystals dissolved right under his nose. She was panting as she dejectedly dropped her arms slowly. Silence was welcomed around the area. She only looked up and saw him standing in front of her, smiling genuinely at her.

"You would've killed me from your first attempt but you couldn't," Momo said still smiling at her. The crystals that melted and splattered to his face fell like tears from his cheek, "Because you are good enough just to kill someone."

Nobara just stared at him, couldn't believe what she was hearing. The boy in front of her read her like an open book. This boy in front of her, the boy who only focused at going home and playing tennis could express his thoughts like that. She blinked when she thought that something fell from her eyes. She touched it and realized that it was her tears. She had been staring at her hand that she didn't realize that Momo started to hug her.

"I still believe in you, Nobara-san." He whispered softly to her ear brushing her hair.

Her eyes widened when she heard that from him. Knowing that he still believed her felt like a big relief for her. She couldn't stop herself but cry for the first time. She had forgotten the last time that she did and she couldn't imagine that it was him who could make her cry again.

"Nobara!" Reo shouted calling their attention, "What are you doing? Getting your enemy's sympathy! You know what you should do!"

"It's time to stop, Reo," Tsubasa said facing him, "You cannot control everything. Let us through now!"

"As If I would let you." Reo said touching his ear as he braced himself for using his alice.

"You know that's not going to work." Ruka said as he faced him as well.

"Let us through," Momo said still hugging the ice princess, "We won't fight you anymore."

Reo was about to retort when they felt a strong force that came from the cave. The voice pheromone user's eyes widened and walked back inside the cave without glancing back at them. Tsubasa and others outside looked at each other before they too followed the former. Momo released Nobara and pulled her by the hand without any intention of letting her go.

INSIDE THE CAVE:

The walk that they started to do became a walk-run when they spotted an intense light that was coming from the further side of the cave. They abruptly stopped when they were in front of it. Their eyes widened when they witnessed what was in front of them.

Ahead of them, there stood Ryoma, Fuji, Mikan and Natsume. Not far from them were Yuka and Shiki and they were all staring in front of them.

Ryuzaki Sakuno was inside a barrier, covering in an enormous aura and on top of her was a light.

A dark light.

"What is that?" Momo said walking closer to Fuji, "That isn't hope, is it?"

"I am afraid so," Fuji said eyeing the light that was on top of her. It was dark and eerie. Its dimension was swirling around to form a circle and the light from it wanted to spread all over but somehow, it was being stopped by something. It had the same size as the seven sins, "It isn't hope at all."

"What's that?" Eiji said dropping his feet off the ground and was doing that same thing.

"That's tamatebako and it's bringing despair to her." Tsubasa answered for him who was also looking at the dark light. He was showing a terrified look as he stared at it. Fuji looked at him. He thought that it was a stare as if he knew something that he didn't want for anyone to know so he tried to hide it.

"Why is she having despair?" Momo asked him.

Fuji faced the newcomers and explained what Mikan had explained to them, "Our memories in this world, once we go back to our world will be erased when we accomplish our task here and," He said ignoring their shocked expression as he looked at Sakuno who remained unresponsive inside the barrier, "She refused to accept that causing the sins to effect on her negatively."

"The sins are already negative," Kokoroyomi asked matter-of-factly, "aren't they?"

"That's why she must not feel those emotions when she has those," Tsubasa said staring at Sakuno. His expression was still showing that odd look to the girl. He gripped his hands to his tight, "I knew that this would happen."

"What do you mean?" Fuji asked him, "And what does this tamatebako do to Ryuzaki-chan?"

"I've been observing her changes everytime she feels something upsetting," He narrowed his eyes as he continued looking at the girl, "She's becoming different... she's not herself and I didn't do anything to stop that. Tamatebako is a legend and I never expected that she has it."

"Why do you say that?" Momo faced the shadow manipulator.

Not tearing his gaze to the girl, he started to explain, "Like in Pandora's box, Tamatebako has the same legend. It is a story of a fisherman who saved a turtle who was actually a princess and was invited to the sea by the dragon god. He stayed there for three days under the sea but when he returned to the land, he discovered that it was already three hundred years has passed. The princess gave tamatebako but instructed not to open the box. However, realizing the situation in land, he absent-mindedly opened it turning him into an old man."

"How does it relate to Ryuzaki-san?"

"Pandora's box has hope but tamatebako has the old age of the fisherman," He said, "He opened it due to despair of knowing that it was way beyond his life when he returned to the land. In this case, Ryuzaki-san chose to open tamatebako's box instead of Pandora's box because she is really experiencing despair."

"You mean?"

Tsubasa nodded, "She's the vessel of both boxes and it is up to her which box to open," He concluded, "She was not ready to accept of forgetting us that's why she opened the fisherman's box… but this has to stop or she will not forget us… she will forget everything at all."

"…"

Tsubasa looked at them and continued, "She will remember no one at all… permanently."

Ryoma, who was quiet all the time, almost cursed when he heard that. He noticed it too. The way the girl was changing, her attitude her moves and even the color of her eyes.

They were blank.

But he ignored all of that just like Tsubasa. He observed her once again. Her eyes were completely dull and from the looks of them, he had the instinct that she would not recognize them at all. Something happened to her and they didn't know what Sakuno wanted.

Ignoring the other people enchanging of words, he continued walking closer to the girl in front of him. Yuka and Shiki were the only people who called their attention.

"What do you think you are doing?" Yuka called out to him but he too ignored her as well.

"Echizen!" Tsubasa tried to call out as well, "Don't! We don't know what will happen if we oppose her."

He continued walking closer to her still ignoring the people around him. He only stopped from walking when Tsubasa caught up to him by grabbing his shoulder.

"Stop it Echizen, we don't know a-" He abruptly stopped when Ryoma glared at him. He slowly let go of him causing him to continue walking forward.

Mikan watched Ryoma walking towards Sakuno. She too was worried about the girl. They all completed the sins all of the sudden but then something like this happened. Sakuno was standing in the middle of the barrier unresponsive. Her eyes were dull and her lips were slightly opened. The dark light was still on top of her and they didn't know what the light would do next. It wasn't just Mikan, they were all worried about the consequence.

The force was great that the wind almost cut Ryoma's skin. He was standing right in front of her, with the barrier that walled between them. He looked at her eyes and so as she but she seemed like she was not doing the same thing... like she was staring at a distance, like he was not in front of her.

He placed a hand to the barrier. At first, it gave him a static reaction causing him to draw his hand back but he placed it back on the barrier making some waves coming from his palm.

"Oi, wake up!" He started still looking at her, "Wake up from there!"

Everyone was watching him but he ignored them. He couldn't care less. All he could think at that moment was the girl who was in a different dimension from them.

"What's with the 'erasing your memories and despair' issues?" He retorted as he glared at her with the hope that she would flinch if he did that, "Why is that holding you down?"

"Echizen..." Ruka whispered as he looked at the tennis prodigy. Natsume heard his best friend but he didn't stay focus on him. He too was preoccupied at the commotion in front of them.

"You are clumsy, that's given," He said gripping his hands to the barrier now, "Not fluent in English, directionally-challenged, hair is too long, and you stutter a lot."

Fuji, Momo and Eiji, despite the condition, were able to sweat drop. The youngest regular member was able to mention the girl's flaw in times of pressure like that. The former looked at the people around him and they seemed to be thinking the same thing... even the AAO members.

"But you aren't like this."

They were snapped back to reality when Ryoma continued speaking.

"You don't let negative emotions overcome you like this," He said punching the barrier this time, "Wake up there and let's finish this damn mission!"

There was still no reaction from the girl.

"Ryuzaki!" He raised his voice a little although he could still act calm but his eyes and hands were becoming fiery, "Are you listening to me?!"

"Echizen, calm down." Momo tried to stop him but it was no use.

"You are more than this. Don't you want to go home?"

They flinched when Sakuno reacted a little. Ryoma also saw that. He gritted his teeth as he pounced on the barrier harder ignoring the pain it was creating to his hands.

"Do you want to see your best friend, right?" He said not caring the commotion he was doing at that moment, "You will cheer for us again with that loudmouthed friend of yours!"

They were certain that they saw the pigtailed-girl's eyebrow's twitch. The geniuses looked at the pouncing boy in front of them.

It seemed that they had an idea what he was doing.

"You have to keep your promise too!" He narrowed his eyes at her making sure that she would understand what he was talking about, "Stop being stubborn and let's go home!"

They gave the opportunity to Ryoma trusting the boy that he could save the girl from the barrier. Mikan and even Nobara were looking at the scene. Ryoma's expression was something a normal person could show. At that moment, he was like a person who was utterly worried to the person that he visibly cared about.

He wasn't like that at all... not at least visible to the naked eyes of the others.

"Wake up!" Ryoma pounced the barrier for the last time before he leaned his own head to the barrier itself. He ended up gripping his hands to the wall that was separating the both of them, "...Sakuno."

The whole area silenced after that. He didn't even know if the others heard what he had said last but he didn't care at all. He only whispered his last word and hoping that everything would change after that.

"Echizen, look!"

Hearing Momo's voice, he looked up and stared at Sakuno. His amber eyes widened when he noticed something from the girl. Tears were slowly falling down to her face, the thing that had disappeared when she was enveloped with the dark aura a while ago.

Sakuno was crying once again and to his even more surprise, her face turned a little to his direction. A tear fell to her neckline causing the both of them wrap into a sudden white light. The area was covered with light making everyone to protect their eyes. Ryoma, despite having a sharp version, closed his eyesight and walked backward a little.

"What's happening?" Eiji said still his eyes blinded by the light despite having the second best eyesight in the group.

"I don't know!" Momo answered him as he looked at Nobara who was just behind him protecting her own eyesight.

Hotaru closed Youichi's eyes as she looked away. The others did the same as well.

Ryoma peeked a little at Sakuno. He noticed that the barrier was gone. Sakuno was still standing at the same location. There was a strong light floating in front of her... different from the dark light on top of her.

The light was small but it was shining more intensely than the dark light. He took a step forward towards the girl ignoring the fierce wind around him. He could spot the girl who was still crying there. Everything started with the necklace that he gave to her. He should be the one to blame but the girl never did that. In fact, she was thankful that he gave it to her. She was thankful that he gave it to her. Not admitting it, he was also thankful as well. With the necklace, the journey and the short time that they had been together, he slowly realized the importance of the girl in his life.

The necklace made him realize that.

And there was no way that he would not let her slip off from his hands.

"I know you can hear me," He said as he reached out to her, "Snap out of it!" He grabbed her hand and at the same time, the intense light in front of them covered them completely. Fearing that the girl would disappear in front of him, he hugged her tightly, making her feel that she was not alone.

The area felt like a deaf place to him but he didn't care. He knew that he was holding her and that was what important for him. He would save the girl no matter what... even it would have consequences or not.

"T-Tomo-chan..."

He opened his eyes when he heard that. He slowly looked at Sakuno. His eyes widened a little when he saw Sakuno... with her hazel eyes that were filled with tears.

"Tomo-chan isn't loudmouthed," Sakuno said crying in the process... and blush was present to her face, "R-Ryoma-kun no baka!"

He smiled a little before he slowly hugged her again, "Un."

"Ryoma-kun..." She closed her eyes as she let him hug her. The light slowly disappeared for a few seconds. The dark light was consumed and became a white light somehow.

They broke the hug as soon as the light disappeared. Sakuno looked at her neckline and showed it to him. It was the thing that was shining a while ago.

"P-Pearl-san gave me this. It's the teardrop crystal stone," She said covering the jewel in her palm, "She's right. It did save me."

He placed his own hand to hers, "It did."

She didn't say anything but blush. He was glad that she was back to normal.

"Ryuzaki-chan!/Mikan!" The group called out to them. Sakuno looked at them and smiled a little. Fuji stared at the light on top of her head. There was no doubt about it. It was...

"Hope."

They looked at the last person who talked. They were shocked when Yuka got the light in her hand all of the sudden. Now that the first trial is over, the main event would come next. Mikan stepped aside as she faced her mother.

"Mom, please stop this," said staring straight to her mother, "A lot has happened now."

"That's the point, a lot has happened," Yuka said staring emotionlessly at them, "it is impossible to stop now."

The rest covered Sakuno with the lead of Fuji and Tsubasa. No one said a word. Nobara was just standing between the group and no one could her read what she was thinking. Reo joined the two as Yuka continued talking;

"Face it, the situation will still be the same," Mikan's mother explained, "Once the healing alice is taken away from her, she will still forget all of us here in this world."

Sakuno's eyes widened when she said that. She was right. Nothing had changed at all.

"Face the reality and accept your fate."

Done! How was this chapter? This is coming to an end. Haha... I hope this ends well too. Anyway what will happen next. Find that out in the next chapter... Domo...

Note:

Tamatebako – A Japanese Legend, a story of a fisherman called Urashima Tarou who saved a turtle which happened to be a daughter of a dragon god in the sea. He was invited by the dragon god and met the princess there. He stayed there for three days and discovered that he had disappeared from the sea for three hundred years. Due to the upsetting truth, he opened the box the princess gave her. A white puff appeared from there and transformed him into an old man despite the princess' warning not to open the box.

The italic message above is from the ending song of Fulmetal Alchemist Brotherhood. It is translated in English.

I do not own the legend and the song. Not related just love sharing it. ^^

Reviews please! Need to hear your thoughts.

Next Chapter: Her Alice