Black and White
Please enjoy the story! Hope you like it ;D
-Sorry for bad grammar and tenses-
Disclamer : I do not own Gakuen Alice
Chapter 2 : Memento
The rain made a pitter patter sound on the ground as the sky darkened, showing the incoming rainstorm. The clouds are really thick, covering the sun completely that it seems like its already evening.
Faintly, squishy squashy sound could be heard from the small path which lead to the cemetery gate, as a yellow colored umbrella emerged from behind the swaying trees.
Under the bright colored umbrella, a girl around 17 years old, wearing a white rain coat and black high boots, looks happy, judging by the big smile which decorated her full cherry shaped lips.
She kept on walking down the path, towards a smaller gate in the corner of the big cemetery.
As she reach there, she opens the gate and walk in, and she approached a normal looking tombstone which has fresh flowers on it.
"Who did come here before me?" She mumbled to herself as she put her own bouquet of flowers right beside the other fresh flowers.
As she does that, she kneel down in front of it, caressing it gently like she is savoring the moment.
"Grandpa.." She whispered softly. "It's been two years since you left me, Grandpa. Living alone is no fun at all. I miss you so much. Very, very much." She stop for a moment. Tears pouring down slowly on both of her cheeks, while she bit down her lower lip, as she tried to stop the tears from falling.
"I want to show you many things, like when I get my first best friend, when I won my first national cooking competition, when I get in the high school I've wanted, or when I got into the college for a first time." She smiled sadly, and wiped her tears with the back of her hand.
"You know, I have been having these bad dreams back this past week. I never get enough sleep every single night. Do you know why, Grandpa? Back then, you always said that I am a special child, that I have many things to be told about my past, but you won't tell me grandpa, even in your death bed. I always wondered, where are my parents, what are you hiding from me?"
The girl let out a long sigh. "I know that I shouldn't be sad and thinking something like this. You want me to be always happy and carefree, right? I hope you are happy too up there, Grandpa." She bowed her head once to give her respect before she got up, and started to walk out from the cemetery.
A girl wearing a simple white dress and brown strappy sandals is standing in front of a beautiful big house. Her long wavy hair was blown by the wind as she walk up the stairs, knocking several times on the big oak double door.
Not long after that, the door opened, and there stood a beautiful woman. Her hair was pinned up into a neat bun, and she was wearing a black blouse and striped-pattern skirt. Her pointed ears look beautiful, adorned with long earrings. They were made from bright blue stones, which represent the Nogi's family.
As soon as she saw the girl, her red lips flitted into a motherly smile, while her green eyes soften.
"Good evening, Mrs. Nogi." The girl bowed respectfully.
The woman shook her head. "My gosh, Mikan. I already told you to call me auntie. Stop being so formal, I have known you since you are 5 years old, dear."
Mikan chuckled sheepishly. "Alright, Auntie. I'm sorry for intruding like this and at this time."
Mrs. Nogi waved her hand. "It's not even late, Mikan. It's only 7 o'clock, and you are always welcome to come to our home."
"Thank you so much for all of your kindness, Auntie. I don't know how to return it." Mikan said in a small voice, feeling guilty.
"Don't mind it, sweety. Just be happy, that's enough for me." Mrs. Nogi said, wrapping her arm around the girl's small shoulder, guiding her inside the house.
"Is it really okay for me to have dinner here, auntie?" The girl – Mikan – looked up to the older woman with her big, hazel eyes.
Mrs. Nogi stopped her steps, sensing the girl's discomfort. "Mikan." She said gently, looking straight into the eyes that she knew have tasted too much sadness for her age. "Please, let me help you. I want this, and I don't ask anything in return for my help. Could you make this easier for me by accepting it?"
"Yes, auntie. I can." Mikan nodded slowly, a small smile bloomed on her face.
Mrs. Nogi pat Mikan's head in a motherly manner and give out another smile to her. "Good. Now please wait here while I prepare the dinner. I have called Ruka before, he should be here in a few minutes."
"Thank you so much, auntie."
Mrs. Nogi chuckled. "You are most welcome." She said, before she vanished behind the door.
"Hey Mikan! Have you waited long?" A boy around Mikan's age run down the stairs swiftly. His blonde hair swept back by the wind as his blue eyes glittered with happiness.
Mikan shook his head and beamed up at him. "No. I just sit here a few minutes ago."
"I'm sorry if you wait long. I was taking a bath just now." He said, dropping himself on the sofa right beside Mikan.
"I don't mind, Ruka. Thank you for having me here." She smiled again.
Ruka grin. "You are too polite for your own good, Mikan. We are family right?"
Mikan smiled sheepishly. "Well, yeah, that's right. But I'm still aren't part of the Nogi's family."
"You are." Ruka said, stubbornly.
Mikan shook her head again. "No, Ruka. I know that someday I must follow my own path of fate."
Ruka scrunched his nose. "You sounded like an old woman, Mikan. Stop saying absurd things like that."
Mikan laughed, her voice tinkling through the living room of the Nogi's house just like a clear bell. "Well," She is back to her serious face. "I know that it sounded absurd, Ruka. But it often pop out on my dreams. An old man saying that I must follow my path of fate."
Ruka frowned, disliking the idea of Mikan having a strange dream like that. "Do you still have bad dreams?"
Mikan bit her lower lip, averting her gaze away from her best friend since little.
"Mikan." Ruka called out gently. "You know that you can tell me everything. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
Mikan let out a long sigh. "It's not that I don't trust you, Ruka. I trust you, a lot. But its just that the dreams I got are getting weirder and weider. I have so many sleepless night because of that."
The crease on Ruka's frown is getting deeper as his face changed into a thinking expression. "I was thinking last night, perhaps there is some connection to your past?"
Mikan shrugged. "I don't know myself, but I really don't have any information about my past, only bits of it. Grandpa won't tell me."
"What do you know about it?"
"I only know that my parents name, how they died, and their memento for me."
"What kind of memento did your parents leave you? You know for us, the elves, memento from their late parents are really important."
Mikan nodded. "I know, grandpa told me about it, that a memento from your parents must be guarded until our death, because it always helps us somehow." She stop for a moment, rummaging through her brown sling bag which she brought with her.
"Ah, here it is." Mikan brought out a beautiful charm bracelet made from white gold. There are three charms, the first one is a sword, the second one is a lightning streak, and the third one, the last, is a blood red stone which is really small but you could feel a powerful pulse from it.
Ruka peered on the charms, examining it one by one. After a few minutes, he finally straightened his posture again while letting out a sigh.
"What's wrong Ruka? You can't get the meaning behind them?" Mikan ask, tilting her head a bit to the side.
Ruka is known as the smartest elf in the Alice Land, he often interpreted many things. Many elves come to him for his help, even the King and the Queen.
"I know that the stone is your family stone. Just like mine which is blue." He gestured lightly to the ring on his finger which has a blue stone, just like his mother's earrings. "The sword represent bravery, and someday it could be your own weapon if you have mature enough Mikan. About the lightning sreak, I never seen it before, but I think its for your protection, just in case you are in dangerous situation."
"Wow, you are so smart, Ruka!" Mikan replied excitedly. "I don't even know anything about it before you interpreted them for me, thank you!"
Ruka's cheeks quickly reddened when he heard Mikan's praise, but he tried to compose himself and let a charming smile emerged on his lips. "It's nothing Mikan. I just want to help."
"No, I still want to say thank you." Mikan said, putting away the charm bracelet into her bag again.
"You are welcome then." Ruka replied, keeping up his infamous smile which has made many girls fall head over heels for him.
"Children! The food is ready!" There come Ruka's mother voice, calling for dinner.
"Come on Mikan." He said as he stood up from his seat.
Mikan stood up too, following after Ruka to the dining room.
"By the way, Mikan. Tomorrow is your birthday." Ruka said when they have reached the dining room which already fragrant with many wonderful smells. "What do you want?"
Mikan took her seat beside Ruka and smile at him. "I don't want anything. Perhaps just a cupcake and a single candle will do, just like last year."
"But I want to give you a birthday party." Ruka protested, not liking the idea.
"I don't want anything grand, Ruka. Just like that is enough for me. Too much glamour will only make me sad." She said softly, while switching her focus to taking the food in front of her.
"Well, I just want to make you happy, Mikan. That's it." Ruka replied in the same soft voice.
"Then just that will do, Ruka. Please, I don't want anything else. Besides, I've got to spent my birthday with your family, it's good enough."
"Alright Mikan, I got it."
The night look so bright, with a full moon and many stars shining so beautifully.
Mikan is sitting on the green grass, enjoying the cool night wind which was blowing softly on her face.
"Mikan. Do you want to tell me about your bad dreams?" Ruka asked in a gentle voice as he took a seat beside her.
Mikan sigh. "I don't know where to start, Ruka. I think the point isn't about my bad dreams, but my past. Does your mother know any of it?"
"I don't know, I never ask her that. Do you want to try? Or I could ask it instead of you." Ruka offered kindly.
Mikan shook her head, and let out a short laugh. "You are too kind to me Ruka. Let me ask that by myself. Perhaps tomorrow when I come here again."
"Why not now?" Ruka look at the girl beside him with confused look.
"I just don't want to." Mikan replied simply. "Let's just enjoy the night, Ruka."
Special thank to Ladyshennamae, Anilissa (Hello again ;D no, I won't change her name lol. Let's find the answer about Yuka in a few chapters ahead hahaha), newroz, CC, undertheskys and VampireWitch123 for leaving many lovely reviews on this chapter XD Love you guys!
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Aquabluemarine
PS : For those who don't know, please kindly check out I Am A Vampire since updated another chapter as an epilogue. Thank you!