Last Chance: Chapter 1

#33: Gakuen Alice (Natsume & Mikan)
...xXx...

Thunder clapped loudly as flashes of lightning followed soon after. Though the storm was raging outside, he felt the strange urge to go out, yet he couldn't bring himself to do so. Playing in the storm was not one of his hobbies after all. However, when he took a step closer the window, he saw a small figure lying before the gate of his house. With the help of the lighting, he confirmed that he was truly not seeing things. Without a second thought, he rushed to the front door. He hissed as the cold rain hit him. Still, he went on. As soon as he opened the gate, he was shocked beyond words. It was a short-haired little girl who didn't look older than 10 years old. Quickly, he gathered her small body into his arms and ran back to his house. Ignoring the fact that he was soaked to the bones, he laid her down on the couch in the living room before going to his room to get fresh towels.
Once he returned, he was surprised by what he found. The little girl was no longer wet. It seemed she was not under the rain just a moment ago. Confused, he blinked his eyes to make sure they were not playing tricks on him. With a frown, he approached the girl and brushed her bangs aside to test her temperature. It was normal. He narrowed his eyes as he found a faint Sakura symbol on her brow. The child was absolutely strange. When the thunder clapped, a pair of brown eyes snapped open and met his crimson eyes. They held eye contact for a few seconds before she blinked and slowly sat up.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly.

A cheerful smile decorated her chubby face as she exclaimed, "Natsume!"

It was hard to believe, but the child successfully tackled him to the ground. Before he could ask how she knew his name, she pressed her lips against his. With widened eyes, he pushed the child away by holding her small shoulders. "What the—"

A finger on his lips stopped him, and she softly muttered, "Sleep…"

Suddenly, he found himself falling unconscious as his vision started blurring and darkness welcomed him.

As soon as Mikan saw his eyes close, she sighed in relief. With a strength that could only be possessed by a man, she lifted him up and laid him down on the long couch. Brushing away his wet bangs, she let out a small smile. Once her little hand started glowing, she hovered them over his body, and in an instant, the evidence of the rain was gone. "Sleep well, Natsume. I shall talk to you tomorrow."

Upon moving away from him, her little back sprouted a pair of black wings. With a snap of her fingers, a transparent screen appeared before her.

"Hotaru," she said as soon as her best friend's face greeted her eyes.

"I see that you made it to his house," Hotaru commented after glancing at the couch.

She nodded.

"How do you feel, Mikan?"

Giving Hotaru a small smile, she shrugged. "I feel fine."

Hotaru sighed. "Are you sure you want to go through this, Mikan? It will be painful for you for the next ten days."

She gazed into her amethyst eyes. "I have to take the risk, Hotaru. This is my last chance. If I fail again, I won't be able to go back…"

"Even if you can't come back, I can still go and visit you once in a while."

A smile graced her lips as she replied, "I know."

"If you're that sure, you may proceed."

"Thank you."

"I wish you the best of luck, Mikan. You have to rest now."

"Good night, Hotaru."

"Good night, Mikan."

When the screen disappeared, her black wings receded back into her small back. Heaving a low sigh, she glanced back at Natsume's sleeping form and made herself comfortable on a couch across from him. After turning off the lights, she allowed sleep to overtake her.

Chapter 1—Prologue: New Charge Chapter 2—Day 1: House Arrest Chapter 3—Day 2: Changing Chapter 4—Day 3: Growing Up Chapter 5—Day 4: White Wings Chapter 6—Day 5: Affection Chapter 7—Day 6: To Know You Chapter 8—Day 7: Matter of Heart Chapter 9—Day 8: Beauty is a Curse Chapter 10—Day 9: Q&A Chapter 11—Day 10: See You Chapter 12—Epilogue: New Life Next