Disclaimer :

Gakuen Alice belongs to the wonderful mangaka Higuchi Tachibana. Oh, how I wish it was mine. Unfortunately, it's not.

FLASHBACK: PHOSPHORESCENCE

A trail of incidents changed Mikan into someone far different from her usual self. This story consists of flashbacks which explain why, how and what changed Mikan so much over these past six years of her life in the Academy. Read and find out. The more you read, more secrets will be revealed.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Chapter 1: Alone in the Night

I opened my eyes indolently and glanced at my alarm clock on the left side of my bed. I didn't even bother to turn my head around and look at it, nor even try to reach the damn alarm clock with my own hands. My eyes were the only ones who moved while the rest of my body stayed in place, motionless, as if a paralysed body waiting for its soul to be ripped out.

4 a.m.

Gosh, it's still very early.

The old me would definitely take a comfy huggable pillow, cover my big innocent head and return to the amazingly exciting dream world of mine which consists mainly of chocolate cakes decorated with various type of berries, ice cream waffle with delicious sweet syrup and irresistible chocolates with multifarious designs, heart, square shaped, triangular, shape of a bear, a kitten, the Eiffel Tower, you name it!

Sadly, the new me would not.

Leisurely, I stood on my feet and walked towards the window. My beautiful night dress skirt danced swiftly as I moved. It was white in colour and it shined brightly under the moonlight. The upper part of my dress was designed as a spaghetti string top, with magnificent embroidery the shape of flowers and hearts. It was supposed to be a very neat and nice dress, if only I wasn't that lazy to hang it neatly on my shoulders, as one of the strings was lying loosely on my left arm.

I couldn't care less; no one would look at me anyway, not at this hour. After all, I was in my own room.

I pushed the glass window open, allowing cool air from outside to enter my little room and flew towards me, causing my long silky brunette hair to swivel around in numerous directions.

Oh, it's so peaceful tonight.

Jii-chan, do you feel the same too?

I gazed at the captivating view in front of me. It was a wonderful sight, with placid lake and thick forest and silent songs of crickets and owls, creatures of the night. To think of it, it was indeed a much more pleasant sight compared to the Elementary Branch dormitory building I left four years ago.

It has been six years since I first entered this Academy. Sixteen of age, all of us were placed in the Middle Branch Building, which is right next to the Elementary Branch's. With so many stuff to carry and bigger things to explore, moving, I must say, was such a dreadful thing. The Middle Branch consists of such a large compound; I remembered how I got lost during my first attempt to search for my room, which was actually right beside Hotaru's. But of course, the girl a.k.a my best friend since five was never any help. Being selfish as ever, Hotaru is Hotaru.

But I, Sakura Mikan, was no longer the brunette haired girl with pigtails and cheerful smile and happy-go-lucky attitude.

I was different then.

And it was all the Academy's fault.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Flashback #1

Location: Jii-chan's house

Mikan's age: 5 years old

"Jii-chan, can I sleep with you? I'm scared; the room's so dark..."

It was almost midnight but I was still unable to force myself to sleep. I tossed and turned around on my bed for what seemed like zillions of hours but the ghost stories I heard them talking anxiously about during school hours were driving me sick, really sick. Glancing around to the left and right every two seconds, I ventured to remain myself in a tranquil mood, unflappable, unperturbed and relaxed.

But gosh, it was harder than I thought.

Thousands of devilish images rushed through my sinless mind, fiend, goblin, imp, spirit and abundant more demonic creatures with bizarre names which didn't even exist in my dictionary.

That was when I thought going to Jii-chan's bedroom would probably be the most appropriate decision to be done under such circumstances.

"Jii-chan, are you asleep already?" I walked nervously towards my grandfather and stood right next to his bed.

"Jii-chan?"

He wasn't moving.

Damn, he was not moving.

He didn't seem to be breathing either.

I panicked.

Failing to control my feelings and fear, I shook him hard with my tiny little hands and cried out loudly, breaking the peaceful silence of the night.

"Jii-chan, don't die yet!!!"

Hey, I was as innocent as a baby. Wait a second, I was a baby, I was only five back then!

"Mikan-chan! Stop screaming!" Jii-chan scolded me, awaked and shocked by the sudden dramatic play.

Relieved, a few angelic tears dropped and ran through my rosy cheeks. I sobbed, which eventually turned into wailing, then weep and then whimper.

Gosh, I was such a cry-baby wasn't I?

"Come here Mi-chan, come sleep beside me," I heard Jii-chan's gentle words.

I hurried next to him and hugged him tight.

Finally, I felt safe.

Jii-chan stroked my hair softly. "Mikan-chan, I won't die yet," he said cheerfully. "See, I am still as fit as a fiddle!"

He laughed then.

We both did.

"Mikan-chan," I heard my grandfather's husky voice, "do you know that a legend once said, crickets bring you luck?"

I shook my head.

Never heard of it, I thought.

"Now, listen," he said.

He closed my twinkling eyes with his rough hands. In a mere second, we were surrounded by complete utter silence.

Or so I thought.

I suddenly heard sounds.

They were coming from outside the window.

"What's that Jii-chan?" The sounds were unfamiliar to me, yet it was undoubtedly peaceful and soothing.

"Now, now, Mi-chan. That, is what we call 'crickets'," my grandfather explained patiently. "They accompany you in the darkness of the night; they'll never leave you lone, just like me. That is why you shouldn't be afraid of the dark anymore; you have many friends to protect you,"

End of flashback

VVVVVVVVVVVVVV

I smiled, thinking of my kind-hearted grandfather who was always there for me whenever I needed him.

I realised then that I missed him.

In fact, I missed him too much.

I punched the nearest wall to me weakly.

For a moment, I was oblivious to the fact that huge tears were flowing through my rosy cheeks.

I was thinking too much about Jii-chan.

I shouldn't have left him alone six years ago.

I should have known that he would never leave me, and I should never be too selfish to fulfil my own desires.

Running away from home, coming here to the Academy, chasing after Hotaru, what was I thinking?

Jii-chan, what have I done?

I began to wail and whimper.

Slapping my mouth shut, I bit my lip hard to keep myself silent. I certainly did not want to wake the others with my endless tiring sobs.

Did anyone accidentally hear me just now?

I scanned the whole building, making sure that everyone was still sound asleep, enjoying their pleasant dreams.

I sighed in relief.

However, it was not long before I realised that a pair of bewitching ruby eyes were watching me intensely from the other side of the building.

Hyuuga Natsume.

I snapped the windows shut instantly.

Panicking, I began cursing under my breath.

That baka! What is he doing staying up so late? Pretending he's a sentinel who watches people's back all the time! Why did he care about me anyway? I don't need his help!
I don't need anyone's help.

I wanted to be alone.

Just leave me alone.

Leave me alone.

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