Hey guys! Sorry for taking so long before I updated. I had to reread the whole story so that I won't miss anything! Haha. This chapter is too serious…but it's where you'll be able to read everything that has been going on.

In a way, this is where everything will be cleared up. Hehe. So for those who have been puzzled, here're the answers to your questions!

I hope you enjoy!

~(*o*)~(*o*)~(*o*)~

Collide

"Your plan failed, Ioran." He remembered his mother's mellow voice tell him.

They were still in Himemiya's place then. And he was staring out towards the ocean with the old woman when she told him that out of nowhere. He remembered facing her, only to see sad glints in her eyes as she, also, looked out.

"It was you, wasn't it?" he heard her say. "It was you who delayed Luna's arrival. You were planning on delaying her for two weeks and arrange the marriage ten days early so that when she arrives, it would have been too late."

The Emperor stayed silent as he gazed out to the sea again. What his mother said was true but he couldn't bring himself to admit it. He knows that he failed – Luna's here.

"I'm not giving up, Mother." He told her quietly.

She must have smiled then, the Emperor thought now as he peered out of the window, reminiscing that day.

"No." she replied. "You mustn't."

Ioran felt his eyes enlarge for a second before he faced the old woman again. "What do you mean?" he asked her.

He watched as her chest heaved up as she sighed. "What I did to you and Kaoru is enough." She told him seriously, refusing to meet his gaze. "I never meant to do the same thing to Natsume and the young lady. I am simply trying to correct my – no, our ancestor's – mistakes."

The Emperor frowned at this. He doesn't understand. "What do you mean? Weren't you the one who invited Luna and wrote that contract?"

She nodded solemnly. His son narrowed his eyes, uncomprehending. "Mother, is there something you need to tell me?" he asked even though he already knows the answer.

There was a long pause before she answered.

"I am simply trying to correct our mistakes, Ioran. Upon learning that Natsume was already engaged, I arranged it so that I can come back as soon as possible. Trouble is brewing and you had no idea. I thought it was up to me to act upon it before it's too late." She replied as a matter-of-fact.

A frown started to form on the man's face. "Mother, what are you talking about?"

The ex-Empress sighed before answering. "Kuonji's plans were revealed to me, Ioran. He was planning on announcing our family's crime during Natsume's wedding. I cannot simply sit and watch as he does that. I knew that I must do something."

"Our family's crime…?" Ioran repeated, dumbfounded. "You don't mean?"

Youko nodded. "The descent of the Yukihiras from the throne." She said. "If that was to be revealed to the public, monarchy in Japan will fail completely and the government might have to change to democracy. It will leave the highest position open for Kuonji to claim."

The Emperor shook his head in disbelief. It was all he can do.

"Unfortunately," the ex-Empress continued. "Kuonji knew that I was aware of his plans and struck a bargain. I had to agree or else, he would reveal what he knew much earlier. I had to let Luna replace Mikan – that was his condition. Although I knew that all of you would be strongly against it, I figured that it must be done. After all, it is also convenient to keep one of your enemies close. I thought that if I watch over Luna, I would find a way to prevent their plans."

"And? Have you found anything yet?" Ioran asked seriously.

Sadly, she shook her head. "I am lacking time, son." She said which made the Emperor flinch. She rarely calls her 'son'. And her calling him that right now oddly doesn't give him any pleasure. "I can feel my plans backfiring. I am guessing that Kuonji is aware of my plans and that they are working on something to stop me."

"What do you want me to do, Mother?" he asked generously.

This time, her gaze met his and held it for a few seconds. Then, she resumed looking at the ocean. "They will try to kill me, Ioran. The moment that happens, Mikan will be replaced and Natsume will have to marry Luna. It is a part of the contract they forced me to make. When that happens, Kuonji will find ways to rise to power."

She breathed for a moment then continued.

"The only way you can terminate Kuonji is to expose his plans to the public. That way, he would have no chances of returning to position. But for that to happen, we need a lot of sacrifices." She muttered sadly then looked at her son. "You must let Mikan go."

A loud knock was heard as the Emperor composed himself. He couldn't believe that it had just been three days since that encounter and look how much things had changed.

"Enter." He said.

Moments later, he found himself face to face with the Palace butler, Sebastian. The old man bowed. "Your Highness," he greeted. "You called for me?"

The man simply nodded. "Please bring Mikan here."

~(*o*)~(*o*)~(*o*)~

The brunette leaned against the headboard as she stared at nothingness. She had been secluded inside her room for more than 18 hours now without anything to do. She feels extremely bored. Had it not been for her iPod, which had been on constant playlist since morning, she doubts that she will still be in her right mind.

One of Taylor Swift's songs is now playing but she can barely hear the lyrics. She let her mind wander. She must have been spacing out for some minutes when she heard someone pelting her floor-to-ceiling window.

Slowly, she got off the bed and walked over to it, pushing the curtains to the side. Crimson eyes met her hazel ones. She was about to ask what he was doing here and if it was okay for him to show up but no voice was coming out of her lips.

Natsume sat down on the ground. Then after a while, she did so too. They just stared at each other.

Open the winow, Natsume mouthed.

Mikan shook her head. The raven-haired lad tapped the small square portion of the window.

Open it, he said.

The brunette simply looked at him quizzically but tried to open the tiny square glass anyway. It didn't budge the first try but after a while, swung open. It was as if something fluttered alive inside Mikan.

Both of them just stared at each other. It was awkward. But they were both glad.

"Hey," Natsume smiled as he set his back against the window. Mikan did so, too.

"Hey," she replied.

Silence.

"What are you listening to?" she heard him ask, still his back facing her.

She didn't tell him. "Here," she told him instead, as she offered him the other part of the earphones through the small opening.

Gingerly, Natsume plugged the earphone in his left ear while Mikan has the other one in hers. She closed her eyes and listened as the music started to play. She recognized it immediately.

Collide by Howie Day

The dawn is breaking
A light shining through
You're barely waking
And I'm tangled up in you
Yeah

I'm open, you're closed
Where I follow, you'll go
I worry I won't see your face
Light up again

Natsume smiled as he listened. He smiled at how the song seemed to perfectly describe what he wanted to tell the brunette – how he wanted to tell her that he's so caught up with her that it's crazy. He wanted to tell her that wherever she goes, he'd follow even though most of the times, they wouldn't even see eye to eye. But most of all, he wanted to tell her that he's so afraid…

…because he might not smile again after she's gone.

Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills my mind
I somehow find
You and I collide

I'm quiet you know
You make a first impression
I've found I'm scared to know I'm always on your mind

Collide – Mikan smiled. Their worlds collided. That's where it all started. She remembered how she met Natsume and how she was gradually attracted to him until he was the only thing in her mind…even when she finds herself falling down.

Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the stars refuse to shine
Out of the back you fall in time
I somehow find
You and I collide

Don't stop here
I've lost my place
I'm close behind

Mikan listened sadly. This is where it stops. She's fallen down. She lost it. And she's fallen behind. It's time to stop. Once is enough.

Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills your mind
You finally find
You and I collide

You finally find
You and I collide
You finally find
You and I collide

It's enough that they collided.

"Mikan-chan-sama?" Mikan sat up in a jolt, disconnecting the earphones from both of them.

"Natsume!" she called in panic. He has to go. They can't catch them both together! She reached out against the glass and met his hand reaching out for her. Then, she pulled away and closed the curtains just on time.

Sebastian looked at Mikan skeptically. Tears were falling from her eyes.

"Mikan-chan-sama?" he asked. "Are you alright?"

Mikan wiped her tears away hastily as she looked down. "Y-yeah. I…-um, got some dust in…so…yeah." She looked up when she was sure that her tears were gone. "Uh…did you need something?"

Sebastian took some moments before he answered. He nodded. "The Emperor wishes to speak with you, Mikan-chan-sama." He told her. "Come,"

Sebastian was already outside when the brunette started to move. But before she left her room, she pulled the curtains aside again.

But Natsume was gone.

~(*o*)~(*o*)~(*o*)~

"Mikan-chan…" the Emperor greeted as the brunette entered the room. She was looking at the ground and wouldn't meet anyone's gaze.

She wasn't ashamed. After all, she didn't do anything wrong. It's just that…

It's just that…

She wasn't a saint. And she hates herself for feeling that way. She hates herself for feeling angry – angry with the people around her. She didn't want to feel that way but she does.

So she doesn't look at them. She averted her gaze from everyone because once she looks at them in the eyes, she's afraid of what her eyes might tell them.

"Mikan-chan," the Emperor breathed. "I – " he hesitated. It's such a rare occasion that one can catch the Emperor stuttering. "I'm…" he sighed, unable to convey what he really wanted to tell the brunette. "Let me explain." He finally said. "Come."

Mikan followed wordlessly.

~(*o*)~(*o*)~(*o*)~

They walked through a secret passageway and through a flight of stairs. It lasted for about half an hour that Mikan began to grow tired and have wild ideas inside her head like being assassinated or murdered secretly before they reached the place.

It was a small room – smaller than the ones in the Palace anyway – but arranged in an elegant manner. It was painted bleach while and decorated with a gold motif. There were a couple of couches and a coffee table with a flower vase on top. A painting of a lake with a cottage adorned the room while a big window illuminated the small space. There, on the center, meanwhile, was a queen-sized bed.

What baffled Mikan, however, was nothing of the above. It was the occupant of the bed. Somehow, she can't believe her eyes.

The dog died last night. Did the dog die?

The brunette froze on her place as the riddle repeated itself in her mind once more. It had been giving her the creeps since Luna kept on chanting it before her but it was just on that moment that she realized the answer.

It was…

No.

"Mikan-chan…" someone called her. It was just on that instant that she travelled her gaze to the people inside the room aside from the Emperor and Sebastian.

There, by the window, was her cousin – Shuuichiro – smiling at her quietly. Beside him was her father who, for once, wasn't wearing his easy-going smile and next to him was her mother who looked dead serious.

"Mama…" she whispered. "Papa...Shuu-chan…why are you all here?" she asked stupidly. Then, she moved her gaze to the figure lying still on the bed. Carefully, she took small steps towards the bed and knelt. She wanted to touch her hand and see if her hands were still as cold as the last time she held them.

But she was afraid.

So, instead, she looked up and for the first time, met the Emperor's eyes. "Is she alive?" she asked.

He nodded.

The brunette returned her gaze to the old woman's figure. Slowly, she extended her hand to hers and held it. It felt warm. She smiled. It lasted for a minute until questions started to flood her mind.

She stood up and faced the Emperor. "How did this happen?" she asked. "I saw her dead. Isn't that why you…" Mikan looked away. She couldn't bring herself to say it. Besides that, she couldn't imply that she was accused of something she didn't do.

The Emperor simply nodded. "I'm sorry but…can you please let me explain this over tea?"

~(*o*)~(*o*)~(*o*)~

Mikan couldn't believe what was happening. But then again, she faces the same predicament everyday since she started living in the Palace. So what's new, right?

It's just that she can't believe that she was having this kind of serious conversation over tea as if it was the most casual thing around. In fact, since the Emperor started prattling on all the stuff regarding the hocus-pocus in her life, she hasn't moved even an inch. Her tea had been cooling and untouched since half an hour ago just like how the ex-Empress hasn't moved even an inch.

She was listening. It's just that…she can't believe any of it.

"Angel," she heard her father call her. She can sense worry all over his tone. "Are you okay?" It was a stupid thing to ask but Mikan was aware that it was all he could ask her right now.

She didn't budge.

"Just…" she said. She can feel all eyes on her. "Let me get this straight. The Empress isn't really dead – just in comatose. This is because before Luna can even poison her with that thing in the vial, Hotaru was able to make an exact replica, which only induced a death-like trance on the ex-Empress? And she replaced that with Luna's real vial?"

The Emperor nodded.

The brunette shook her head in confusion. "But I don't understand. If you knew that Luna was going to poison the ex-Empress, then why didn't you just catch her? Why did you let everything lead on to…this?" she asked.

She watched as the old man sighed deeply, as if wanting to breathe out all the stress he's been carrying. "Mother insisted." He told her. "She told me that for our plan to succeed, we would need sacrifices. She was willing to sacrifice herself. Besides, they still have their edge on us because of their knowledge of what happened generations ago. Even though we are completely selfish about this…it's just that…"

The brunette looked at the man seriously. "Is this about reinstating our family to the throne?"

Everyone was obviously taken aback by what the brunette said. While it is true that the Emperor disclosed their plans about reinstating the former Royal Family to the throne, he said nothing of their identity.

"Mikan-chan…you…" she heard her father say.

She nodded. "I read it about a week ago in the library. The ex-Empress assigned it as homework for my Princess Lessons. Now I know why." She muttered.

"Mother must have been preparing you." Ioran told her sadly. "For the complete safety of the throne, we must install both bloodlines in it and reunite them. It was a coincidence that Natsume picked you, Mikan-chan but we are lucky. It's about time we made peace with both families."

Mikan just shook her head. "But you're sending me away. You branded me as a murderer!" she said rather too passionately. She can feel most of her sentiments forming into words. "Natsume can't marry me."

"No…" the Emperor agreed. "Not anymore."

It was Yuka's turn to speak. "So, what are you planning now, Ioran? You can't let my daughter go through all the shame of owning a crime she didn't do. More so, when the media hears about this…"

The Emperor nodded again. "I know that we must let mother stay dead in the eyes of Luna and Kuonji for the plan to work. Knowing that she's dead, it means that they will start exposing their plans and it will be easier to catch them and collect evidences. With this, we must inform the mass."

"But the problem is how to inform them without blaming Mikan." Izumi said.

Ioran shook his head hopelessly. "Sadly…we can't do that. They have to know."

The brunette stayed silent.

"Ioran!" Yuka protested.

The man raised both his hands to silence the couple. "I know, I know. It's preposterous but it is the only way. However, your brother, Izumi, has already proposed an idea to make things easier."

"Eh?" Mikan's father replied disbelievingly. "Aniki did?"

"Yes, I did."

~(*o*)~(*o*)~(*o*)~

"Kazumi-san…" the Emperor said as the said man entered the room.

He looked like Mikan's father – only more handsome and respectable, unlike her father who's easy-going and jolly. For some reason, his name tickled Mikan's mind. Then it hit her!

"Uncle," she said. "You're Alice Academy's principal."

The said man smiled as he nodded.

'The school was once owned by Mrs. Alice, she was your fiancé's ancestor, I think. Actually, the founder of the Academy was the wife of the Emperor years ago but now it's owned by Kazumi-sama.'

"You…you own the Academy."

Her uncle nodded again as he sat beside her.

"Mikan-chan," her father called now. "Have you ever wondered why Papa and the rest of our side have blond hair?" he asked. Now that he mentioned it…it's true. Mikan peered over to her father, uncle and to Shu. They all have blond hair.

He smiled at her. "It's because your great-great-grandfather married a foreigner – a beautiful lady with a blonde hair. Her name was Alice. This was also the reason why our family was dethroned. It is forbidden for the Emperor to marry a non-Japanese wife since it is sacrilege to our traditions but it happened. And Emperor Ren made sure of that by pulling some strings. That was Natsume's family's crime."

Mikan stayed silent. "So that's why Uncle owns the Academy? Because it was founded by my great-great-grandmother?"

Her parents nodded.

"Anyway, your proposition, Kazumi-san?" the Emperor reminded.

Mikan watched as her uncle look at everyone around seriously. "Izumi, let me finish before you spout your daddy issues around, got it?" he told his younger brother sternly. The latter nodded. "The best way for Mikan-chan to avoid the hate she will receive from the public while they're oblivious of the real circumstance is to…

…send Mikan-chan into exile as a punishment."

The words haven't sunk in to the brunette's consciousness yet when she found herself face to face with the man. And seriously, he told her…

"You will have to leave Japan, Mikan-chan."

~(*o*)~(*o*)~(*o*)~

Soooo…how did you find that information overload? XD Was it too much? If there's anything bothering you, don't be shy to say so through REVIEWS! Or PM me. I'll gladly clear anything up…except of course if it'll spoil the surprise hehe!

SO…REVIEW! :D