A/N: Well, this is embarrassing. I never knew that I would be in hiatus for a very long time. I'm really sorry, really. However, I am going to be quite active here in FFN, writing under some other anime as well. Check my profile.
You know the drill. Enjoy and review!
FYI, this story supposedly not to end yet, but who the hell cares, I want to end it now! XD
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Chapter 20 Finale: My foe, My fiancé …My lover.
By Sarah A. Patrick
Dedication: Heartbroken Confession (Thanks for the inspiration, buddy, this chapter is for you… You'll get the drift –ahem2x- XDD)
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Mikan Sakura startled in horror, breathing hard as she woke up from her sleep. She was shaking, her mind went blank, her lips chapped, terrorized. She turned to look around, only to acknowledge that she was alone in the huge whitewashed special star room. She was so tired that she fell asleep beside the tall window while waiting for the rest after using one of her Alice by accident on Natsume, only to find out that he was drowning… and dying.
"Did Ruka managed to get to him fast?" she muttered in chagrin. She stared out of the window, wondering and waiting as the heat of the sunshine that bathed the room was stinging her skin slightly. Mikan then realized that she was again, unconsciously activated her Alice that caused the Sun to radiate harder than usual.
"Argh, Mikan," she snapped, slapping her cheeks. "Be – composed." Pouting, she turned to look out the window again. A dark familiar figure was approaching, then he stopped under a shady tree, starring at her from a distant. Mikan butterscotch eyes widened in disbelief, her jaw fell open.
"N-NATSUME!" she gasped, washed in relief and joy. Tears began to envelope her eyes, she immediately turn on her heels and began to run out of the room. She was so happy to see him, standing there, well and healthy as she ran toward him.
"Natsume!" she cried as she waved at him, wiping her tears away after that. She laughed in the middle of her sobs. Only God knew how happy she was to know that he was alright.
However, her pace began to slow down. She felt something wasn't right. The look given by the raven haired boy was too cold and his crimson eyes were murderous. Being an Alice Master, she could feel the aura of the boy in front of her, it wasn't something that a normal high school boy should radiate. It was almost inhuman, devious,… Mikan stopped in a skip, her chest was stinging with fear.
"N-Natsume?" she called out softly, her eyes met his ones. It felt more like a lion staring at its prey, ready to spring out to kill. "No," she gasped, "W-Who are you? You are not Natsume, …but you look exactly like him," A smirk wiped across his face, glowered in awe. Mikan's heart skipped a beat, petrified.
"I command you as the Alice Master, tell me who you are," she cried, mustering her courage, but the lad merely chuckled.
"How conceit," he took a step forward, away from the shades. Mikan gasped silently as she reflexively took a step backward. "That's why I have been telling Ryuu to just kill you from the start, no need for mercy, no need for some stupid crush…"
Mikan was befuddled. "Excuse me?"
"Ah, I see," the lad mused aloud, realizing the situation. "You look almost like Hitomi if it weren't for the eyes. Hitomi Sakura," Her eyes flinched hearing her ancestor's name, thinking critically how the lad talked as though he knew her ancestor well enough to call her by her name. The lad had a sharp headache as her voice was buzzing in his mind.
"Tsk, urasai! (Shut the hell up)," He clicked his tongue in annoyance, waving his finger slightly, his eyes still fixed on her. Suddenly, a strong blast of wind charging towards Mikan, thrown her off the ground to a distance at full speed and she hit her body on the trees, fell hard on the ground after that. Mikan groaned in pain, her body ached all over. She tried to stand on her two feet, only to fail in chagrin. She was hurt badly.
"That's more like it," he smirked as he saw her coughing out blood, the impact of the hit was great. He walked toward her, and once he was a few inch away, he stared at her at the corner of his eyes, his face ceased in absolute disgust. With a jolt, he kicked her in the stomach. Mikan screamed in pain, she tried to activate her Alices, but to no avail.
"Servant should stay servant." He spat as he grabbed her hair and pulled her up, facing him. "Don't think you could use your Alices against me, a Hyuuga, Sakura," He threw her on the ground again as he activated his Alices, causing her scream in agony. At a point, the pain was too excruciating that she lost her voice but she continued to scream soundlessly.
With a sudden flash of memory, he immediately stopped as he took a step back from her. Mikan fell silent at once, lying on the ground on her front, weak and barely conscious as she looked at the boy through her fading eyes.
"H-How did you do that?" he said, almost whispering as he remembered the bitter memory in his head. He couldn't believe that the Alice he used to torture her mentally backfired. Mikan couldn't move a wink; she just merely stared at him, panting while crying in silent. "You shouldn't,… couldn't use your Alice on me… supposedly…" he grinned his teeth as he spat and ran over her, kicking her on her stomach again. "Servant! How dare you!" He activated his Alice again, wanting to torture her mentally again… but…
"ARRRGGGGHGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Hyuuga Ryo piercing scream echoed through the forest. Mikan managed to barely use the only Alice that she could use on herself: Nullification Alice.
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The familiar darkness surrounded him, the thick suffocating air carried the scent of death, the hard stony wet floor with rough walls like a prison, Ryo knew these all well. It was the very place where he was imprison in for thousands of years. Though there was something different with the smell of the air, it carried a certain smell of a flower.
He gasped, stricken with horror, he swiveled only to witness two people was standing in front of him, preparing to fight each other.
"No, I swear Sakura, if you were to lay a finger on my brother… I'll kill you," shouted a raven haired boy whom he knew was his own brother. The girl scowled at him.
"He's a murderer, Hyuuga. I'll imprison him, lock him up forever, don't you dare to talk back at your one and only Alice Master, Ryuu. Go learn your hierarchy." Ryuu was made to bow on his knee with her Alice and he gritted his teeth in chagrin, he knew that his brother was a sadistic killer who knew no mercy but he was sick in bed. To use that opportunity to capture him was the lowest.
Ryo clenched his hand, he remembered this memory really well, but… among all the memories he has, he wondered why he was brought to this very memory.
"I want you to remember…" said a honeyed voice behind him, he swiveled at once and he was surprised to see the older version of Hitomi was pacing toward him. "…that every time you plan to kill someone, I will bring back to your prison again… no matter when you did it," Ryo crimson eyes widen in horror. It was true, his hands were tainted and it was like a second skin to him to kill, but as an assassin, he never had a taste of fear until he met her in person: Hitomi Sakura. She had always known to be the strongest Alice Master for centuries.
"Time travel is easy like breathing to me, I will see you, even it means I have to see to thousands of years ahead," Ryo fell on his back, he doesn't want to be imprison again, dreaming of nothing but nightmare after one another. With a wave of her hand, chains flew toward him and captured him against the wall.
"I'll let you sleep again, until you learn your lesson, this will be your world, Ryo," she said, and disappeared into the thin air. He was left alone, in the middle of the haze of the memory.
"NOO!! DON'T TAKE HIM AWAY!" Ryuu screaming made Ryo to look at the memory again. He saw himself, weak and panting hard due to a high fever, being dragged off the bed by some guards who worked under Hitomi. "Please Hitomi, he's family, we are family, we're engaged for heaven's sake, at least ask him why he's doing all these!" Hitomi stopped abruptly, turned on her heels and looked at him. Her face was ceased in seriousness and loathing.
"I don't remember me being engaged to a killer's brother before… I trusted you and you protected him to the end. You do realize that he killed hundreds already. I bet you are having a good laugh when you saw me running in circle to search for the murderer. To know that beast was someone I knew, someone close by, it's disgusting. I'm ending our relationship Hyuuga. Don't ever appear in front of me anymore,"
Ryuu's eyes widened in dismay… she was his world, his air, his obsession.
"Oy," he took her by her arm, "Don't - do – this – to – me, Hitomi," he muttered, almost whispering. Hitomi threw his hand off.
"It's you—you did this to me. You lied to me, I can't trust you anymore, I hate you Ryuu, I hate you," she puffed, holding back her tears.
"He's my brother, what should I do? I couldn't sell him off; he's the only family I have. You know that I don't go well with the others," Her lips thinned in annoyance, slapping him after that. She turned on her heels, walking away.
"I hate you. Goodbye Hyuuga," she muttered in silent, leaving the boy, dejected. Ryuu stood there, in the middle of the room, his eyes filled with hatred and vengeance: if he couldn't own her, no one will. He'll make sure she will live in hell as the Alice Master. He left to the Hyuuga main house to be the Family Master and after a few years, everyone in the world knew the infamous heartless assassin named of Ryuu Hyuuga who had finally killed the Alice Master and enslaved the Sakura Family.
A weak smirk tugged on Ryo's lips as the memory faded, began to fill his surrounding to the dirty black cave again. His eyes were fading into unconsciousness.
"I don't care how long it takes, but I will kill all the Sakura…" Tied up, Ryo Hyuuga was in a deep sleep again, little did he knew about his future that awaited him that filled with a different ray of hope. (A/N: A short sequel for this particular guy, either I'll post it in this story or another)
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Natsume Hyuuga coughed hard as he vomited out the water that filled his lung. His chest hurt awfully and his brain was throbbing madly.
"Natsu-e," cried Natsumi, as he gave him a hug. Before Natsume could even think for a minute, he was shot with Hotaru's Super Special Edition of her Baka Gun Upgraded Version that nearly sent him to the brink of death again.
"You idiot!" Hotaru's emotionless voice rose a little in annoyance and worry, took him by the collar and gave him a short hug as well, relief that he didn't die for the sake of her best friend. "That idiot girl is going to blame herself if you died, be considerate a little, baka (idiot)," she muttered quietly, thinking of Mikan (A/N: OOC? I think it's excusable). She broke the hug when she felt him froze in her arms, surprised to see his expression. It was as though he was tortured and he was screaming a silent scream in agony.
"Natsume, Natsume!" cried Ruka as he shook him. Natsume was turning pale, his eyes was again losing his consciousness. Ruka turned to look at Hotaru. "What the hell did you do to him, Hotaru?! It must have been so weird of you to hug him so that he's like this!" Hotaru scowled at him.
"I did not do a thing to him! Mikan told me that whenever if they were in a state of trance…" Hotaru's throat went dry at once, this time her eyes widen in dismay.
"Mikan," she gasped simultaneously as Natsume had found his voice and screamed Mikan's name as well. Both Natsume and Hotaru ran ahead than the others. Befuddled, Ruka, Natsumi, Yuichi and the other Alice Masters followed behind them.
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Mikan was panting, lying on her front, weak and hurt. Her mind was throbbing madly a moment ago now having a terrible spasm. She wouldn't be surprised if it wouldn't work well after all those mental torturing. She coughed, her body reflexively cringed to suppress the pain of her cough, more blood splashed on the dirt ground. Her sight was blurred; she dove into the darkness once a while.
Mikan knew, she was dying, the thought of not be able to see Natsume saddened her more. She didn't want to die, she has so many things to do, Natsume made most of her reasons.
"Mikan…" called an unfamiliar honeyed voice. She wished she could answer her. "Mikan…"
Mikan couldn't see the owner of the voice, the woman must have been really pretty to have such a beautiful voice. She felt her body was lifted and her head was placed on the woman's lap.
"Oh, Mikan… look how messy you are," cried the woman. Mikan had her eyes fixed on her, but it was too blurry to see. Mikan realized in chagrin that she was going to grow blind soon enough. She felt the woman wiped the dust and dried leaves off her face and hair, while caressing her with care.
"Mikan, I'm glad that you got engaged to a wonderful person." The woman smiled, as she caressed her forehead in a motherly manner. To Mikan's surprise, her spasm lessened.
"I'm so glad that the curse can finally be lifted. I'm sorry that things went this way because of me," she continued, with a tinge of regret. Mikan felt her body was aching lesser by the minute. She found herself breathing well this time, the choking sensation had lifted.
"I hope once you get married, be a good Hyuuga alright?" Mikan felt that the woman wiped her hands over her face. She gained her sight back. Mikan was surprised to see how similar they looked like if it wasn't for the clothing and her hair style.
"H-Hitomi-san," Mikan said in a whisper, her voice was still lost. Hitomi smiled at her as she laid her hand on her throat for a few second. Mikan stood on her knees after that, staring at her on eye level.
"You'll make a better leader, Mikan, but it's entirely your choice to whom you want to give it to." She said with a smile before she faded into the thin air. Mikan was confused, she didn't understood what she meant. She was absorbed into her mind that she didn't realized that Natsume had came running, panting hard.
"Mikan…." he had his hands on his knees as he took a deep breath.
"Natsume…?" she prompted, snapped from her thoughts. She raised her head to meet his gaze. Natsume stood straight and stared at her, examine the situation. He thought she was being tortured, he even felt it. Every cell in his body felt like bursting…
It wasn't that he wasn't happy to not see her in a terrible state he thought she would be… though the messy hair, dried tears, ruffled dirty clothes and mud stains on her skin, blood stains… he knew the vision was real, but he couldn't understand how she could be so fine. He wished he could protect her earlier. Whoever it was to make her in this state, that person was good as dead. He couldn't believe how terrible she looked. He wanted to steal that pain away from her and let her live in only happiness, untainted and free. He wanted to say it out but he was breath-taken by her dazzling butterscotch eyes.
Mikan felt disbelief panged on her chest. She knew that this time it was the real Natsume was standing before her. She wanted to apologize, she wanted to tell him that she loved him, she wanted to hold him tight, but she couldn't find her voice. To just look at him, she was washed with joy.
A rush of wind blew past them as they stared at each other for long. Silent words were exchanged between them, once a while their lips parted as though they wanted to say something, but they couldn't bring themselves to talk it out. The moment was so private that even the others who came later had to watch them from a distance.
Natsume shivered slightly, he then realized that he was still drenched like a wet rat. He clenched his teeth in chagrin, he couldn't forgive himself if he had died. The thought that he almost left her alone made him hate himself.
"Mikan," he said, balling his fists. He didn't want to throw his pride away, but this was Mikan he was talking to. He threw his gaze on the ground, biting his tongue.
"I…" he began, but he was cut off immediately by Mikan's sudden rush throwing herself on him for a tight hug. He was taken by surprise. Mikan was crying loudly, burying her face into his chest. He looked at her and found his hands wrapped around her little figure, his lips on her hair.
"I love you, Mikan," he muttered fluidly, activating the Fire Alice to warm themselves up from his drenched clothes. "I will always love you,"
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A twin at the age of six; a boy and a girl and another four year old girl were running about in the garden of Hyuuga's Mansion. They were playing tag while zapping each other with Alices and nullify them before it reached them. The four year old didn't manage to nullify the Alice when her older brother send a spark of fire toward her. She fell on her back, crying out loud due to the slight burn on her hand.
"Yuuki! Didn't I tell you to be careful?" cried their mother as she ran toward the little girl. "Show me your hand, sweetheart," she said lovingly as she wiped the tears away of the little's girl butterscotch eyes. She gave the scar a kiss and with her Alice, it was gone for good. Yuuki's cries turned into sobs. Her mother ruffled her raven hair, straightened her clothes and patted her backside. "Go play, be careful dear,"
She smiled as her youngest daughter ran toward her older twins. The elder brother, Hiroki rubbed the once-scarred spot on Yuuki's arm, muttering apologies under his breath while pouting. Yuuki gave him a hug.
"It's okay, Niichama, Yuuki's fine," she chirped happily, smiling a radiant smile.
"Mikan!!" shouted Natsume Hyuuga in horror as he ran toward children's mother. He was from the main house, doing his work as the Alice Master. Since this the day the curse was lifted, there was only one Alice Master required to rule the Alice community. Mikan Sakura, his wife has the royal blood to take the post, but she pushed the duty sense to him, her husband.
Natsume panted as he stood beside Mikan, catching his breath.
"I heard someone screamed, did something happen?" he asked between his panting. His handsome features ceased in worrisome. Mikan broke into giggles and she gave him a smile as she caressed his cheek.
"It's nothing, they are just having fun, Natsume," she said, sighing in happiness as she watched the children playing around. Natsume hugged her from the back, giving a quick kiss on her cheek and he watched them playing together with her. After a while, a smirk tugged on his lips.
"Oy, polka," he whispered into her ears almost seductively. Mikan began to blush crimson, biting her lips. He saw her white bra with red small polka dots.
"You idiot pervert!" she screamed and threw his hands away, but failed in vain as she was pulled into his tight embrace, his lips on hers, kissing passionately. Mikan melted away in his arms.
Who would have thought…
That her most hated childhood foe,
Was her beloved fiancé…
…and now, her lover for life.
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"Oneechama, what is mama and papa doing?" asked Yuuki, curious as she point a finger that the adults. Hikaru shrugged simultaneously with his brother, dragging her away muttering something that sound like, "Gah—adults are so irresponsible."
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THE END
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A/N: about the sequel, I can't promise you, but the chances of me doing it is pretty high. Forgive me for the OOCness, without it, I wouldn't be able to end this story in a romantic way I wanted it to be.
The children were taken from my one-shot fanfiction: Keeping Up With The Hyuugas. Hope you enjoy reading! Now, please review. Thanks.
PS. I wrote this since 2am to 5.30am, and I didn't even bother to check for grammatical error. I hope this chapter is fine. I'm sleeeeppyyyy….