5 years later…

Hijiri Houshold

"Arrgh! You little pest come back right here!" Youichi was following an annoying 4-year-old who didn't want to go to bed.

Himiko spun around a corner and disappeared too soon that Youichi couldn't catch up with her.

He was near their bedroom, and sighed. He calmed down when he heard the beautiful strings of Mikan's violin. She was allowed by the director of the orchestra to have a little time with her family before she had to go and go for rehearsals for a new concert.

He walked into their room and plopped down their bed, and Mikan spun around her heels with a smile, but then looked alarmed when she saw Youichi's worn-out face, "Dear, what happened? You look so worn out, like you over-exerted yourself."

"Well you don't have to ask me. Why don't you ask your little angel?" Youichi pouted as he rubbed is forehead.

"So she is a pain to force into bed," Mikan laughed at the sight.

"No, I love spending my whole life trying to force the little rascal into bed," Youichi grumbled.

Mikan laughed softly and took the violin with her and Himiko's favorite lullaby sheet music, "Maybe I can add a little bit of magic."

Mikan smiled and walked out the room and went in her search of her little angel.

Mikan swiveled her head to the left and right and called out Himiko's name, "Himiko, Himiko? Mommy's here."

She went into the long corridors and looked in all the tiny corners and went into the living room area where Mikan, without even turning around, knew where her naughty little Himiko was: between a three seat couch and a single seat couch, hugging her knees to her chest and hoping that her father wasn't looking for her.

"I was going to play Himiko-chan a cute lullaby she always loves, but since she is a little sneaky thief and hid somewhere in the house, I guess I don't have to play the violin piece for her," Mikan dramatically shrugged her shoulders because she knew that her daughter would pop out her head and see her.

Himiko couldn't believe it – her mother was home.

And to top it all off – she was going to play her favorite lullaby! She shouldn't let this pass!

"Oh well…" Mikan snapped her binder shut and took her violin and bow in one hand and her sheet music in the other, and slowly started up the stairs.

Himiko stumbled out of her hiding spot, and ran after her mother, and wrapped two skinny arms around her mother's waist, "Mama!"

"Yes, darling?" Mikan smiled, pretending to be oblivious.

"Don't go! Himiko loves Mama! Himiko wants to hear Mama play her favorite lullaby!" Himiko wailed into Mikan's back as she continued to hug Mikan, tightly.

"Darling, please let go of my waist or else Mama will fall backwards and hurt her darling daughter," Mikan gently smiled.

"Okay," Himiko let go of her arms but stepped next to her mother.

"If I play your lullaby for you, then will you go to sleep?" Mikan struck a deal with Himiko.

"Fine," Himiko weighed the options, but gave in.

"Good girl," Mikan smiled.

Himiko giggled and eagerly followed her mother up the stairs into her room.

She opened her bedroom door, and went to her bed, and eagerly tucked herself in and waited for her mother to get a stand, place the lullaby sheet music, and play.

Mikan softly played the notes, letting them slip off her violin and bow and into the air which travelled to Himiko's ears. By the time the piece ended, her emerald eyes grew heavy and closed.

Mikan went over and stroked the amber hairs of Himiko, and whispered softly, "Sleep well my darling."

She then took her violin/bow and music/stand into her bedroom with her husband, Youichi, and smirked at him, "That is how you get a fussy child to go to sleep.

"Unfortunately I am not the one who knows an instrument," he held his hands up in defense.

Mikan packed up her violin and music, and poked him square in the bellybutton, making him double over in sensitivity.

"At least I am not the one who chases around my daughter yelling for her that it is past her bed time, now do I?" Mikan giggled at Youichi's defeat.

"Maybe not," he wiped his temples with his left hand, "but that girl is as restless as you."

"But you know you can't live without it," Mikan smiled at Youichi.

"I know. It is something I can't exist without," he smiled softly in return.

He yawned, and so did his wife, "It is getting late. Call it a day, my love?"

"Yeah," Mikan stretched.

Youichi hugged Mikan's neck by wrapping his arms around it as if she were a giant stuffed teddy bear. Mikan sighed.

"Still do that?" she giggled.

"My habits that I am proud of stick for life. This is one of them," he shrugged.

Mikan giggled as she lifted the covers over them.

"Goodnight," Mikan whispered.

"Goodnight, my love," Youichi kissed Mikan's forehead, falling asleep even if the covers weren't tucked on him.

Mikan could care less, as she drifted into sweet sleep, hoping her daughter's first day in kindergarten was a good one.

[Next day]

"Himiko, you should hurry with your toast, you don't want to be late, now do you?" Mikan asked with worry as she slipped on her coat. For some reason she felt cold.

"I'm trying, mama," Himiko tried to act all cute and innocent to hide the fact she doesn't want to go to school.

She ate the last of her toast, and drank her orange juice and grabbed her backpack.

"Ready to go mama," she said, dreading every word she said.

"Allright, my darling, hop in the car," Mikan had her purse. Himiko hopped in Mikan's Infinity car and Mikan turned the key to start the car.

Within 10 short minutes, Mikan was pulling into the parking lot of Himiko's kindergarten school.

"Come on, Himiko, go on, let's climb out," Mikan tried to ease her little stubborn mule out of the class and into the building.

Going to the classroom that her daughter's teacher's classroom was located, she knocked on the door, and a kind lady, with brown hair tied in a bun, and in a purple shirt and gray sweats, probably in her early 50's answered and kindly smiled at Mikan.

"Welcome! This must be our new student today, am I wrong?" the lady patted Himiko's head.

Himiko gave the expression of yes-you-are-wrong-now-get-your-freaking-hand-off-m e look, but Mikan shot her daughter a glare and she contained herself.

"Yes, this is my daughter, Himiko Hijiri. Please understand her stiffness, as this is her first day. I am sure pretty soon she will open up," Mikan uneasily smiled at the lady.

"No worries, no worries, let's introduce you to the class, all right Himiko?" the lady took the toddler's hand without her consent, and closed the door behind her softly.

Mikan smiled and went to the front of the building only to be stopped by a voice.

"Mikan…is that you…?" a soft feminine voice laced with happiness came from behind Mikan.

She swiveled around to see Hotaru Nogi, with her pixie in place, bangs the same way they always were, and her beautiful amethyst eyes, which were the rays of the sun and never rotten vegetables as the narcissist Takashi proclaimed it to be.

"Hotaru," Mikan ran into her friend's waiting arms, "I missed you."

"And I vice-versa," Hotaru smiled.

"I enrolled my daughter here," Mikan smiled at her work.

"And my son happens to have the same teacher as she does," Hotaru smirked.

"So what is your son's personality like?" Mikan softly smiled.

"Just like me, poker face and all seriousness. Has my hair and Ruka's eyes. Couldn't be happier. Hinato couldn't be more couldn't be more of a joy to me," Hotaru smiled at the description.

Mikan linked her fingers with Hotaru and pressed her forehead to hers.

At the same time, they said, "And now the bond is complete."

Promise me Hotaru, that this isn't the end…we will still be connected through our children…

There is always a link…

We won't be apart…

Promise me, Hotaru…

Please…

I promise, Mikan…

I promise…

They opened their eyes and Mikan said, "We did our share. Now it is time to let the children to do the rest."

Hotaru nodded her head in agreement. This is as far as they can go.

"Come on, Hota-chan, let's go to star bucks," Mikan tugged Hotaru's coat sleeve.

Unwillingly, Hotaru let Mikan drag her to the across-the-street coffee delight shop.

[Classroom]

"Everyone…may I have your attention?" the teacher smiled sweetly.

The kids stopped playing with their toys of all sorts and gave undivided attention to the teacher.

"We have a new classmate today, and she is very shy," the teacher chuckled at the little arms wrapping around her right leg.

"Come out, Himiko, come and make some new friends," the teacher smiled.

Curious emerald eyes peeked out. And quickly went back into hiding place.

"Aw come now, please don't be so shy," the teacher pouted.

The teacher made several attempts and in the end, succeeded in pulling Himiko out from behind her.

"Go on, and make some friends! Let's start our story reading time!" the teacher smiled, oblivious at Himiko's attempts to hide.

Himiko, frustrated, tried to get away from all the creepy girls and stupid boys and crawled into a corner of the rug and hugged her knees to her chest hoping this torture is over and her mom would pick her up, and she would probably never see the creepy lady again.

Hinato stopped reading the book and looked over to the girl with emerald eyes.

His eyes widened. Her auburn hair and emerald eyes were one-of-a-kind. He scooted closer to the girl, very much interested in her, saying, "Would you like to read a book with me?"

"How do I know you aren't one of those creeps?" Himiko pointed an accusing finger to the little toddlers who were yanking out Barbie doll hair.

"Because I don't play 'house' all the time," Hinato rolled his eyes at such childishness.

Himiko was almost awed. She never saw a boy with night black hair and sharp sapphire eyes. That was so beautiful, she never saw such a beauty like that.

"Admiring me?" Hinato cocked his head to the side, an arrogant smirk pulling at his lips.

"You ego, that's what I'm looking at," Himiko huffed and crossed her arms. This guy isn't what he seems like.

"Argh he isn't all prince charming isn't he?" Himiko thought, frustrated.

"She isn't cute, but I guess that is what draws me to her like a magnet," Hinato smirked.

"So are you going to read with me or are you going to let the prince of the classroom to be unhappy?" Hinato shrugged.

"What do you mean by 'prince of the classroom'? Eek!" Himiko shrieked at all the glares the boys and girls were giving to her.

"How dare she talk to the prince like that…"

"Who does she think she is, queen of the world?"

"She doesn't know what she is dealing with!"

"How dare she…"

Himiko glared at the classroom with such a menacing stare that girls shivered at the look and boys had to look down and away from the girl.

"Fine, I'll read the stupid book with you," Himiko huffed, not noticing a medium blush spreading on Hinato's cheeks.

A pale one of her own was on her face, before she knew it.

Himiko huddled with Hinato and opened the book. She didn't have to go one word into the book but when she saw the elegant cover, she made a face at Hinato, "You like fairytales? You are more of a girl than a boy."

"Well I want to learn to be your prince charming one day. Might as well start studying now, should I?" Hinato made a sly smile at Himiko.

"Well I won't be having a cruel step-mom and grouchy step-sisters and scrub, dust, mop, clean plates, take out trash, do laundry, fix dresses, transport materials, make tea, make meals, clean up bedrooms, etc, etc…" Himiko dramatically waved her hands around.

"But that won't stop me from being your special someone," Hinato blushed at this.

Himiko blushed and put her hands to her cheeks, "I would like that too."

They smiled to each other, and opened the book, reading the fairytale, and being absorbed in the wonderful timeless classic that never lost the interest of young girls and boys.

Unknown to them, Mikan and Hotaru came to the windows of the classroom and pressed their hands to the window of the classroom.

Mikan looked towards the sky, through the barrier that prevented her from doing so.

She felt terrible she couldn't fulfill the bond Kaoru Hyuuga and her mother made for her and Natsume to be together. But she felt she wasn't meant for him.

She wants to have wings, she wants to fly. And she knew that when he tried to cage her, she knew that her heart wasn't for him. It was for someone else.

"What are you thinking about?" Hotaru's smooth voice cut through Mikan's thoughts.

Mikan broke her gaze from the window and looked at her best friend.

"I'm just thinking about my past. And am hoping the best for them," she indicated her glance towards Himiko and Hinato, who were immersed in a book together.

"They will be together. Not because I am forcing them, but they seem to be meant for eachother," Hotaru agreed.

"The bond is almost complete," Mikan whispered.

[Up in Heaven]

A woman of 29 with long auburn hair and immaculate bangs and a man of 20 with blonde hair and a split in the middle of his bangs and bright eyes, gazed down at their daughter.

"Our daughter is growing up," Yuka smiled at her daughter in admiration, "and our granddaughter is beautiful."

"I am so happy Mikan was our daughter," Izumi nodded his head proudly.

"She is so happy," another voice softly came. Yuka and Izumi turned their heads in shock to see a lady a few years older than Yuka, with raven black hair and blood red eyes.

She smiled softly.

"Kaoru…" Yuka started off.

"True, maybe our bond was not able to be completed, maybe my son was foolish, but at least they met. And I'm happy for that," Kaoru smiled.

Yuka's eyes watered, and Kaoru held her arms out.

"C'mere, dummy," she smirked.

Yuka didn't try to resist, and let herself melt in her senpai's arms.

"I'm so sorry it couldn't happen," Yuka sobbed. Izumi looked in sympathy at his wife.

Kaoru stroked Yuka's hair and smiled at her, "At least she will be happy. And look, Mikan and her friend Hotaru made a bond, just like us, for their children to be together."

Yuka sniffed and looked down, to see her daughter and Hotaru admire their children in the kindergarten class play together.

Yuka smiled.

"You're right. We will always be together," Yuka smiled.

"Always together," Kaoru agreed.

"Forever," Izumi smiled

Down on earth, Mikan clutched her alice stones on her necklace, squeezing Hotaru's purple one, and Hotaru squeezed Mikan's tangerine one.

"We will be always connected together, forever," they interlocked their free hands and pressed their foreheads together.

Himiko, in the classroom with Hinato, smiled at eachother.

Hinato, pulling the courage, went forward and pressed a sweet kiss on Himiko's cheek.

"I love you, Himiko-chan," he blushed, but made direct eye contact with her.

"I love you too, Hinato-kun," she smiled and hugged him.

And everything couldn't have been too much perfect. Because perfect is too boring, and have no distractions, no villains, and no true love in the end.

And in the end, the light of the journey is found.

This is the place everyone wants to be…

Home.

Thanks to my fellow readers for submitting their responses. The winner of the contest was HeartArcFantasy21 for her winning entry submission girl's name: Himiko, for Mikan's and Youichi's daughter. Thank you for those who have tried to submit your entry responses and PM me if you want another YXM story or RXM story for next GA fanfic!

I will do a poll.

PM me whether RXM fanfic or YXM fanfic and I will do another chapter story ASAP.

Ja, Gakuenians!

InfiniteSnow (previously MetallicTitanium)

*PS* Thank you for reading this chapter story I had a lot of fun writing it. I will do another one if a lot of people like this one.