~ It's Magic, It's Alice, It's Real ~

"Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen."

- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe -

Mikan never thought that her life will change forever because of one word : Alice. From the girl with family conflicts, school issues, she encounters reality, revealed secrets, love, and danger. Imagination coming true, and becoming superheroes? Might be.

PROLOGUE

`Saturday, November 13th 2008`

They say life is too short. But never even once that phrase came into my mind until these past days.

I glanced over at my surroundings. Everybody wears black. Black blouse, black shirt, black skirt, black pants, black heels, black shoes, black purse. Everything's black. Even Tanaka-san, my Nanny, who despise dark colors, is wearing a long black dress and a pair of black low heels.

My dress is also black.

This morning, Nanny gave it to me and told me to wear it, and I just took it without a word. It's actually very pretty, with gray laces at the bottom and a few ribbons at the waist line and the collar. I also wear my plain black flat shoes. My hair, which is tied in pigtails as usual, is complemented with dark black rubber bands. Unfortunately, despite of my beautiful outfit, I don't care on how I should dress myself today.

The adults who come in the ceremony always look at the-twelve-year-old me with sympathy and concern. Some of them honestly gave their sympathy and condolences, but the rest were only sweet talks, as they proceed to the seats and laugh with their friends.

A bald man, the priest, recited a few words from the Bible, about how the couple laying in the coffin may rest in peace. Yes, hopefully they can rest in peace forever and ever. I wonder where they are now. Are they watching me right now? Do they actually want to leave me here? Are they happy? Why did they leave me behind?

Do they know that I'm still too young to be left alone? Do they realise that I miss them badly right now?

Too many questions lingered unanswered.

If only I knew that this was going to happen, I would try harder to become a better daughter for them. If only I could spend just one more day with them, to tell them how much I love them.

"Here," a woman's voice whispered in my ear. I looked at my right and saw a cream colored handkerchief handed towards me.

I lifted my gaze up and see a blurry sight of Nanny. She forced out a smile, and slowly wiped my tears away. I didn't even realize I was crying. I tried to smile back at her, but I just couldn't change my expression. I could only stare at her with an unpredictable look.

A new and fresh hole on the ground was in front of me, and a few men lifted a big white coffin with beautiful carvings on every sides. The upper part is made of glass, and I could clearly see a man and a woman laying there. I felt my eyes stung when I tiptoed slowly to see them clearly for the last time.

The man, with pale bronze hair that reaches the back of his neck, wears a pure white tuxedo suit and a pair of white shoes. Next to him, was a gorgeous woman with long chestnut hair, who wears a long white dress that fits her perfectly, with a pair of white flat shoes. She held a bouquet of white roses and lilies, with a few stalks of small orange daisies, her favorite flower.

They both have their eyes closed, but I clearly know that the man has deep sky blue pair of irises, while the woman has light brown irises. The two of them looked so perfect together, as if they were just married. But the truth speaks the other way around. After that day, I never saw them in person again.

Their coffin is now inside the hole, and my chest felt really hurt to see them so far away. The priest say another few words before he look at me and cleared his throat, "Mikan, this is your last chance to say your last words of goodbye."

Tears started to fall down from my eyes, as my body started to tremble. Nanny immediately holds my shoulder, trying to stop me from shivering. I slowly opened my mouth, but not a single word came out. I felt a lump on my throat, and my stomach feels really hurts as if I wanted to vomit. I sniffed and cleared my throat badly, and said in a shaking voice, "I-I just want to say to th-them...that I love you mom..and I love you dad..always, forever, a-and..-"

After that, all of the walls I've built collapsed as I started to cry my heart out. Nanny hugs me in her embrace, and I desperately hug her back.

The few people that came started to whisper, some of the females started crying as well, but for me, I feel the world's turned to silence and I could only hear my sobs. Memories of my parents started to flow in my head and I cried harder. How they smiled at me, hugged me at night, listened to my stories about my school life, and so on. It just wouldn't stop. I tried to stop thinking about them, but the memories just get more vivid every second.

I started to loosen my grip on Nanny, but she still holds me carefully, as if I'm very fragile and I could break any second. I looked at my parents sadly for the last time, and let out a whisper, "I h-hope you are happy there. I will never ever forget you both,"

My sight blurred again, as warm tears started to fall on my cheek for the hundredth time. I took a deep breath to ease the pain in my head, but it didn't work out.

Another adults started to make short speech of their beautiful experiences and memories with my parents. But I could only hear nothing.

A while later, a few men started to bury them with the reddish-brown soil ground. I restrained myself to not scream at them to stop. But I felt so weak and helpless, thus I could only see the ground solemnly.

Never have I imagined, that at the age of twelve, was the last time I saw my parents in this world. Ever since, my wheel of life turned with no direction at all.

"How are you today, Mikan-chan?"

I shot a small smile at him, and replied in a small voice, "Good."

He smiled back at me and said, "I know it might be early to discuss this, but under the circumstances we're having, we can not delay this important matter. Your parents are the owner of big companies, so to maintain the companies' productivity, we must discuss this matter as quickly as possible."

I nodded unwillingly at the middle aged lawyer, and I know he can sense the uneasy feeling I have.

Yoruku Kierachi sighed deeply and continued, "I'm sorry, Mikan. I know that it is hard for you to talk about your parents' properties and your inheritance, and you're still very young, but I'll try to make it a fast discussion and understandable for you, okay?"

Of course it is hard. It hasn't even been a week since the funeral, and my condition is still unstable.

"Thank you, Yoruku-san," I decided to say. You're strong, Mikan, you can do this.

"No problem, Mikan. Do you want to see when the discussion's going on, or-"

"I want to see when the discussion happen." I said firmly.

Suddenly, Nanny went inside the room, and Yoruku-san stood up to walk to the door. "Excuse me, Yoruku-san, but they have arrived."

A man and a woman walked in, and I couldn't help but being curious.

Who are they?

The man with light gray hair and a pair of gray eyes was wearing a suit, and not a fancy one for sure since it looked kind of dull. He might be on a lunch hour, since it's 12.00 pm now. While the woman…well..uh..shortly, I don't like her much. She wears too much make ups, with a shocking red lips colour that you can spot from 10 meters away. Her clothes seemed really expensive -on the contrary with the man- and she had ugly beige colored hair in high ponytail. Her big earrings were dangling, and it only made me feel more uncomfortable.

She held her head high, and from the look on her face, she was slowly observing her surroundings. Meanwhile, the man was very impatient and kept on looking at the watch on his wrist.

Yoruku-san asked them to sit, and finally introduced them to me, "So, Mikan-chan, they are your Uncle and Aunt, Sasuko and Matsuki Nakigawa. Matsuki-san here is your mother's older sister."

I stretched my hand to shake theirs. Uncle shook my hand almost immediately, indicating that he wanted to get out of fast, while Auntie winced and reluctantly touched my hand with the tip of her fingers, as if it was dirt.

I blinked a few times at her reaction. What is her problem?

Yoruku-san smiled at my politeness to not show any negative emotions, and he finally started the real discussion.

"Without any hesitation, I will say this bluntly. After Izumi and Yuka Yukihira passed away, Mikan Yukihira, their daughter, is all alone now. She needs to be taken care of by her relatives, or she will have to go to the orphanage."

I bulged my eyes in shock and immediately stared at him with disbelieve. An orphanage. I never really thought about that.

He gave me a weak smile, as I bit my lip and started fidgeting my fingers.

I took a glance at them, who seemed to be angry and surprised, as they started whispering with each other.

Oh dear, they don't look so happy with that idea.

"Doesn't she have any other relatives?" Matsuki-san squint her eyes at Yoruku-san, who replied smoothly, "She has an Uncle, from her father's side, but he didn't or hasn't get married. From my point of view, as well as what I believe will be the court's decision, it would be best to raise little Mikan within a complete family, that is consists of a father and a mother."

I looked at them hopefully, who looked back at me with hatred.

"We don't need any...kid, to interfere our peaceful life." Uncle started to speak.

I quivered lightly at his word. So that's how they see me thus far. A 'turbulence' in their lives. No more than that. No pity at the small girl who just lost her parents. No caring for their own small relative.

Yoruku-san looked at them in disbelieve, "But she's your niece!" He said with a higher voice that made me winced. Maybe orphanage is my next and best destination after all.

"Yes, but we need to spend more money for her as well! We already have all the financial troubles we need without her help. I have many debts to pay and I have enough troubles to handle here." Uncle said icily, as he stared at Auntie who rolled her eyes.

I gulped and said softly, "It's okay, Yoruku-san. I-I'll go to the orphanage."

He shook his head at me and continued his debate, "As you all can see, the Yukihira Chain Corporation has a developing and promising business industries. They had a number of big companies and a few large factories as well, and they all are inherited to Mikan."

My eyes widen at the news, I never really thought about my parents inheritance. "Unfortunately, she will not be able to own the company until she reaches the age of 21. Until then, the companies will be taken care by her caretakers."

That time, I swear I saw Auntie's eyes glint and her lips pursed a big grin, while Uncle looked shocked.

"With those incomes on the business, you both can cover Mikan's daily needs, plus you can enjoy the money as well ; that is until Mikan reaches the age of twenty." He finally ended his sentence, leaving everyone in the room dumbfounded.

I don't know what to think. Everything's coming together. My mind's all blank, but I had a bad feeling.

My heart immediately fell when I saw Auntie looked really excited and chatted with Uncle, who nods and agrees with her words.

Suddenly, I heard a glimpse of Auntie saying one thing that makes me shivers.

She said, 'Nine more years.'

That's twenty one minus my age now.

I felt a pat on my shoulder, and I realized that Yoruku-san is comforting me.

"You're going to be okay, Mikan. Trust me."

I nodded stiffly, and whispered, "D-do I have to live with them?"

"They will stay here." He replied. I looked at him with pleading look, "No."

"I'm sorry Mikan. I'm so sorry." I closed my eyes, and he whispered, "You'll get to know them more in real life."

I looked at Uncle and Auntie who are in their own world now, chatting about the lift of their living standard, before I asked, "Did they come at my parents' funeral?"

Silence.

Then, I looked at Yoruku-san, only to find him dumbfounded at my question, and shook his head slowly.

I knew it. These so called relatives will take the benefit of my parents' hard works while they don't even care about my father and mother at all.

This world is not fair after all.

"You're special Mikan." Yoruku-san suddenly said.

I looked at him with confusion. What does he mean by special?

"Well, at least that's what I read from your parents' letter to you. Sorry I read it." Yoruku-san gave me a small envelope, and I looked at him with more confusion.

"We found it on your parents' room. It's addressed to you. I think they prepared it in case…anything happened." He continued, while I observe carefully the white envelope with my full name written on it. It's mom's handwriting.

"Why special?" I asked him slowly, while he slightly lift his shoulders, "I don't know. But the rumors I heard from the police and their colleagues are that, 'The Yukihiras are special' or something like that. Most of the talks indicate that there's something…different about you and your parents that only a few number of people know. It's a secret."

I looked at him with disbelieve. Is that true? My parents never discussed this with me, have they?

"But, Mikan. Just don't tell anyone about it, okay? I'm not sure either, but something tells me that you better keep it for yourself."

I nodded slowly at him, and promised to myself.

It's a secret.

But is it true? I'll just have to find out.

my deepest apology for the very late update :(

also, i revised the first chapter into a prologue, so the story can come out clear ^^

i'm almost done editing (and changing the characters) of the first chapter, hope it can come out soon.

i really hope you enjoy this prologue, and i really appreciate if you'll leave a review, so i would know what should i 'do' with this story :)

thanks a lot for reading, and sorry for any grammatical errors XD

~best regards, stars-dream18~