Third to last chapter~

...

"Hyuuga!" She stood over me and her loose strands of hair tickled my nose. I stood up so fast that our foreheads crashed. I rubbed my head sorely.

"I-Imai?" I said with a confused expression. Then I remembered and I felt a feeling of nausea in my stomach. "It's time already?"

"Hn. Let's get going." She had a whole outfit in black and even a beanie. I was slightly jealous of the beanie that I asked her where she got it. "There's no time for small talk."

So I pouted, because it was the only way that I could distract myself from vomiting. I wasn't ready to face anything at the moment and today was the biggest day of my life. It would determine the future and if I make the wrong decision, it could ruin everything.

If a single life is wasted, then I will be miserable for the rest of my life.

"Remember the plan?" She whispered as we crept along the Hanahime den. We'd all known that Aoi was been hidden in here the whole time. It's the garden of forbidden maidens. Where males are prohibited from entering at any times. I nodded and followed her, for now, we'd planned on rescuing Aoi and I then I'd no longer have a purpose for killing Mikan. Even if it came to it, I don't think I could do a thing about it. I don't think I could kill, much less harm Mikan in any way possible.

"..." our breaths began to steadily grow nervous with each minute, like we were disassembling a bomb.

But I was thrilled to sneak in the school. I always had fun breaking the rules in school back when I had Aoi by my side. Now it was impossible to even blink because she would be punished for it.

"Okay. Natsume, hold the door for me." Imai suddenly brought me back to the present. She pick-pocketed the lock and I held it for her. Slowly we walked in and closed it without a single noise. Inside the den was even darker than the night sky was and so it would be impossible without the night-vision goggles that Imai built us. Then it hit me, where are the others?

"Hey, Imai..." I whispered, "Where are the others?"

She looked back with a frown, "Koko and Permy are guarding us, Yuu is hiding to keep an eye out for us, and Nogi is protecting Mikan. I thought I told you this."

"You didn't." I said and we continued on, I felt a little reassured that the others were helping us. "Wait... Ruka is helping us? When was he ever a part of our plan?"

"We've kinda been seeing.. each other." Imai stuttered and threatened to hurt me if I continued to talk anymore. My heart felt heavy when she said that and it wasn't out of jealousy, it was more out of sadness because I couldn't have what they had, with Mikan of course.

So we crept along the long rows of halls and there were times where we had to choose which side of the hall we would go into. It looked to me like a maze, full of different ways and sometimes we'd hit dead ends.

"... Cr... Imai..." A voice had mumbled along our communicators, our walkie-talkie's, that Imai made us. "Bzz.... Imai... Bzzz." The communicators echoed. Imai took hers off and began fixing it so that we could understand what anyone was trying to say to us.

"Hello?" Imai whispered and a voice responded. It was Yuu.

"Everything clear, Imai." He said frantically, ""

"Yes. Why? What's wrong?" She tried to keep her worried tone down and I kept an eye out as she stopped to listen to Yuu.

""

"Shoot..." Imai cursed and typed some stuff on her watch. "Must be a Barrier Alice. I thought Koko got rid of that for me."

"Yeah, well there must be multiple Barrier users." Yuu explained. We could hear him sipping a cup of something, coffee maybe, and typing on a computer. I could only imagine him inside a van, with all his equipment but he was probably inside Imai's room, since it is more convenient.

I heard a small sound, very bright and tiny. My feet walked in that direction and I hear some voices outside so I ducked underneath a window. When I turned back, Imai was gone and I was alone.

"You were the shadow to my light. Did you feel us?"

Then I hear it again, a voice barely audible from where I am. I listen close and it's a song going on.

"Another star, you fade away..."

I stopped and raised my head. I was sure it was her... but what was she doing... here?

"Afraid our aim is out of sight..."

My pupils dilated in fear, I jumped to my feet and ran as soft as I could in the direction of her voice. I was scared out of my life. Soon, Imai was pulling me by my arms, forcefully, to get my attention.

"You hear it too, don't you?" My voice cracked and I was on the verge of tears. "I thought she was back in the hospital..."

"Hyuuga. That's not Mikan." She reassured me but I knew better. I roughly pulled my arm away and raced in the long corridor of hallways. Until I stood before a barred, room. The voice continued.

"Wanna see us... alive..." The singing stopped.

"Mikan?" I shrieked. No answer. "Mikan?! Are you there?" I gripped the bars and squinted to see but all I could see was pure darkness.

"Your not Onii-chan. Who are you? I don't know this Mikan, you're speaking about." The voice didn't belong to her. A sigh escaped my lips but I was still in shock. My spine stopped frozen. I kept talking.

"My name is Natsume. You were... singing? You're voice sounded familiar to me." Like. I thought anxiously.

"Natsume?" I heard the girl stand up in the cell. Her steps were light as she slowly walked towards me. I still couldn't see a thing. "You said, your name is Natsume?"

"Yes?" My heart was pounding, if she wasn't Mikan. Could she be-?

"..." I felt her breath now. She was close enough that I could smell her scent. She smelt of lavender.

Tears welled up in my eyes. They dropped suddenly and quietly. I sniffed and leaned my head against the bars as well.

"I don't know why... but my heart feels warm when I hear your name." My heart dropped. Somehow I knew all along they would do something like this to her. It's been that long... It's been like 4 years since I'd last seen her. I can't even imagine what else they'd done to her.

"Can you tell me... yours?" I said, with as much courage and without tear-sounding hints in it. My nose was turning red and I was beginning to sob but I stopped myself. I didn't want to scare her.

"My name is Aoi." She whispered, "Don't tell Onii-chan. He said I'm not allowed to tell anyone my name. Keep it a secret okay?"

Even when I felt my heart well up with happiness, I couldn't stop myself from crying.

"Natsume-san. Why are you crying?" I heard her voice falter. She held a worried tone and all I could do was chuckle. Even when she was abducted and stolen of her memories, she was worried about me? After all this time, did she not think of why she was here?

I burned the bars and pulled them apart.

"Eh? What are you-?" She whispered, loudly. "Oh, no. Onii-chan will get mad!"

"I'm here to rescue you, Aoi." I wrapped my arms around her stiff shoulders and embraced lightly, as to not hurt her, "You don't remember me but I'm your real Onii-chan."

"What?" She said, surprised.

"" I clicked my right ear bud so I could respond back.

"Yes. I found her." I smiled and bent down to her level. She'd grown a few more inches and her hair was long, well I could feel it as long but I still couldn't see a thing. I remembered that my communicator had some sort of flashlight, and I turned it on. The night vision wasn't enough to see the detail on Aoi's face. "You're really big now... I can't believe how different you look." I wiped my eyes and admired her.

""

"Alright." I mutter and face Aoi once more. "Trust me Aoi. I'm your real brother, I can take you to see dad if you come with me."

"I don't remember who you are, but I trust my gut so I'll go with you." She takes my hand and I lead her out of there. On the way back, I converse with her a little.

"You've grown pretty tall." Back then, she was eight years old and now she was twelve. I had missed 4 of Aoi's birthdays.

"Yes." She held my hand tighter and I could tell, she was afraid.

"Who is this, Onii-chan, you were speaking about earlier? The one that told you not to say your name to anyone?"

Her body froze and I could hear her pulse quicken.

"Well... he's big and scary. His breath smells like coffee and he has black hair like you. Sometimes when he's angry, he hurts me. I don't know his name but he tells me to call him Onii-chan." The person she described was none other than the Principal of Alice Academy.

I felt angry and full of guilt. If only I'd come to save her earlier, but there was no way to. The Principal always had his eyes on me and it was impossible to do anything other than what I was told to do.

"Don't worry, Aoi. I'll protect you this time." I could sense her smile and I felt my own lips curve.

We'd finally met after so many years.

CREAK...

I tightened my grip on her and led her behind me. Someone was here...

"Hyuuga."

I let out a sigh of relief; it was Imai.

"You scared the heck out of me." I replied, but she didn't react at all. "What's wrong?"

"I didn't expect this at all-" She paused as if carefully picking her next words, "I didn't-"

"Imai! What's wrong???!" I whispered, with a hint of concern. I clenched Aoi tightly, like this were the end.

"Nogi didn't find Mikan."

"What do you mean?!" I refused to agree with Imai that the worst could happen. "I thought, you had it all under control!"

"I did, everything was perfectly planned. I even calculated all the different scenarios. I didn't know something like this was going to happen!" We were both arguing and by now, I was going to rip my hair out of my scalp. I wasn't angry, but anxious and worried. I'd thought, Mikan was going to be safe to whole entire night.

"Onii-chan? Is everything alright? Are we in big trouble?" I didn't know how to respond, I kept quiet and instead, squeezed her hand in reassurance.

"Don't worry." Imai smile at her, "We'll solve this. You'll be safe with your Daddy back at home. Right now, I need your brother and you to follow me."

I nodded quietly and followed her out of the Hanahime den. Just like the way in, it was difficult but we persevered. It was still night and a little over 2 in the morning. I threw my hoodie over my head, since I was wearing a black jacket.

Imai led us back to her room and then I let out another sigh of relief. I let go of Aoi's hand and told her to sit on the bed.

I was pacing in the room, my mind filled with wild thoughts. I thought about calling her but she hardly answered her phone anyway. I tried it a couple times, praying for her to answer but nothing came.

Imai was trying to get Yuu to track her but there was no way. How could we have not thought of something as bizarre as this? Of Mikan going missing. For all I know, the Principal could be behind this.

Finally, a call came back to me. I answered it as soon as I read the number. It was Mikan's number.

I didn't answer just in case it was a trap.

"..." Silence over the other side of line. I gulped anxiously, and started to sweat. I ran a heavy hand through my wet hair and began to stare at both my sister and Imai who have gotten silent too. We waited to hear anything, anything at all that could lead to Mikan. I placed the phone down on the table and put it on speaker.

"..."

Nothing came. I was getting impatient and soon, small noises were heard across the line. Like someone walking around.

The phone let out cracking noises then some quiet voice entered the line. All of us, leaned closer to try to hear.

"I've taken everything from you! What else do you need to live? You have nothing left to protect, to love!!"

It was the Principal. But why was the phone letting out his voice.

"Everyone that I have lost, has left me many things. I still do have things to protect, things to love. I still have a reason to live in this world."

Mikan.

I went down on my knees, I leaned my head against the table and resisted to cry again. What was she doing? Did she purposely call me or butt-dial? I tried to hold back the chuckle and my face came back to being serious. No matter how incredibly dumb she acted in the past, this was by far an intelligent move. Now, we just had to save her from there.