Mikan's vision clears up from the teleportation, immediately taking notice of the tornado surrounding her. She had been teleported there by the student who had stabbed Natsume, the boy wanting her to help since he knew they were friends. She looks to the center, seeing Natsume unconscious while Akako lays next to him on her back. Her blue eyes blink slowly, staring up at the ceiling blankly. The brunette rushes forward, falling to her knees in front of Akako, crying out her sister's name.
The blonde smiles weakly at her sister, happy to see her face. "Mikan-Nee..." she mutters as Mikan takes her hand in her own. Akako's smile falters at the cuts on Mikan's face from fighting, wishing she had any power to have casted a barrier on her sister to protect her. Mikan takes notice of her sister's pale skin and the sweat that coated her forehead.
"Are you okay?! What's going on? Natsume... he-?" She rambles but Akako squeezes her hand tightly. "Mikan-nee. I need you to help Natsume." Akako pants, "I don't have the energy to use stealing Alice... you need to make him stop."
Mikan glances at her friend on the ground, heart stopping when she sees his back not moving up and down. 'Natsume...'
She looks around at the swirling air surrounding them, seeing flames and others beyond. "Akako, stop the air!" Mikan shouts, "Stop or else you'll get more hurt!" The girl begs her sister. Akako merely closes her eyes for a moment, "I'm fine. Just tired. This... was the only way I could protect him..."
Mikan sees tears fall from her sister's closed eyes, making her falter.
"I can't do anything more... but you can." Akako opens her eyes to stare at her big sister once more. She had faith in Mikan, for her sister always managed to find a way.
The older sister looks to her friend and quickly rushes to his side. Mikan looks down at Natsume's body before glancing back up at Akako who watches her from the floor. Mikan places her hands on Natsume's back and closes her eyes, willing the stone to come out.
"Come on...!" She pleads to the gods, using every ounce of energy that she could muster. A bright light emits from Mikan, shining bright in Akako's eyes. The blonde watches her sister with a smile, almost believing that she was witnessing an angel save her love. The blinding light from Mikan grows brighter and brighter, the energy causing her hair to float up into the air as a warmth spreads throughout her chest.
'I have to save Natsume.... I'll do whatever it takes because he's my friend and.... And it's Akako's wish!" Mikan focuses as hard as she can, 'After everything we've been through... I don't want Natsume to leave like this! Please God, don't take him!'
Suddenly, all the light disappears and Mikan collapses on to Natsume. Akako panics when she sees Mikan's eyes closed, the girl unconscious. "Nee-chan?" Akako rolls on to her side, reaching towards her sister despite the protest of her body, "Mikan-nee?" Her voice cracks this time.
"Wake up." Akako grabs Mikan's arm. While the girl is distracted, her wind stops, revealing the trio to everyone in the room. Tsubasa immediately dashes to the children, sliding on his knees as he reaches them.
"Akako? Are you okay? How is everyone?" The shadow user grabs hold of Natsume as well as Mikan, bringing the two into his lap.
"Mikan." Akako stares up at her Senpai with a terrified expression, "Is Mikan okay?"
Tsubasa nods at her question, hearing the older girl breathing just fine. At his words, Akako sighs in relief though it doesn't last long as she remembers Natsume's critical condition. "Tsubasa-Senpai! Natsume- he needs to go to the hospital!" Akako yells, "He's not breathing!"
Tsubasa's eyes widen and he leans down to listen to Natsume's mouth. When he realizes that the blonde is right, he hands the boy off to the student that teleported Mikan to the room. "Take him immediately! He needs treatment as soon as possible!"
"Capture them!" A voice belts throughout the room.
All heads turn towards the elementary principal who was no longer surrounded by Natsume's flames. He glares at the children with indescribable hatred, "Don't let them escape!"
The Fuukitai don't waste any time and reach for the students. One grabs Akako by the hair and lifts her head up until they can grab her by the arms. Tsubasa reaches towards the floor, grabbing the man's shadow and halting him in his actions. He looks up at Akako, eyes widening at the sight of the girl.
Her eyes are clenched shut in pain from being held up by her hair, tears streaming down her face. His eyes wander down to her injured body that still tries to fight, eyes landing on the collar of her shirt. "Akako..." Tsubasa sees the poor state of the girl, a raging anger filling his being.
His teeth grind together as the boy's eyes zero in on the principal who is screaming like a maniac. "Even at this time... compared to the life of students, his desires even-!" Tsubasa's voice begins raising.
Akako is dropped by the man who held her, crashing to the floor while Tsubasa rushes to his feet to charge towards the principal.
Mikan's eyes slowly crack open as she groans, catching sight of her Senpai who is running towards Kuonji. "Tsubasa-Senpai!" Mikan calls out, not wanting him to get hurt.
Meanwhile, Kuonji takes the moment of distraction to issue new orders. "Attack them from behind!" He yells. Akako looks up from the ground, towards where Natsume is. She watches Fuukitai sneak up from the back. "Barrier users! Block any teleportation!" He screams, the boy who was taking care of Natsume no longer able to teleport.
Akako raises her shaking hand as quickly as possible, blowing the enemy away with a gust of wind and trapping them behind a stone wall.
Just as Tsubasa is about to reach the principal, the small man is enveloped in a pair of arms. He freezes, eyes widening as he smells her familiar scent. "Lu...." His words trail off as she speaks softly into his ear, begging the man.
"Please.... Stop, principal..."
He slowly looks up to the woman, wondering exactly what she was doing. "Luna...." His voice questions, not liking her actions.
Mikan watches the scene before turning around. Her heart worries for Natsume as well as Akako who has lowered her head to the ground. Mikan raises her torso, army crawling towards her sister. Her body wants to give out from the energy she has used, but her will to hold her sister was too great. She slowly reaches Akako, laying next to her sister. "Akako..."
Luna keeps the principal in her arms as she speaks. "Elementary school principal... you are continuously regressing. Do you understand? Not just your body but also your mind..." Luna ignores the shouts of the Fuukitai, using her Alice on them to render them immobile and unable to help the principal. She then focuses all of her energy on the man that she has loved for over a decade, "You have always been a pitiful person who only loved yourself! I realized that at some point but...I always pretended I didn't see it. I did that because of my weakness... I didn't have the courage to admit that because I am always waiting for the day when you will respond to me. I can't bear to give up on that hope."
Mikan and Akako turn their heads towards the woman as she bears her soul to the man who had taken hold of her heart. Both of their chests aching and feeling for the woman.
"But even when it has turned into this situation, you have not changed. Not just that but... compared to the past, you're becoming more and more like an old man who is blinded by his obsession. A pitiful child..." the principal's body shakes and he makes fists, disliking the words that were escaping Luna's mouth yet she keeps going. "The side effects of the Alice stone that Yuka inserted has caused you to regress to this immature path. I can't bear to continue looking at you now." It's hard for Luna to stop the tears that slowly build up in her eyes, finally coming to terms with the fact that Kuonji isn't the same man. He isn't who she always wanted to believe he was and seeing this image of him shatter... broke her own soul into tiny pieces. The glass breaking down into dust that was being blown away with the winds of reality. "Before knowing this, I had lost so many things over a long period of time." Luna sees Yuka calling out to her with her comforting smile, "Because of losing all those unrecoverable things, I finally realized. How stupid is that?" A small and forced breathy forced chuckle escapes the woman. "I have finally obtained it. The courage to take a new step."
Luna closes her eyes, hearing Yuka's voice over and over again. Warmth drapes over Luna as though Yuka were next to her, hugging her old friend.
'Even after I turned into this... you all never left me alone. Now I understand.... Yuka... I'm sorry...'
She takes a deep breath, "Principal." She says, "You were once an important person to me. This won't change, even in the future... so please be at rest." Luna lowers her head, the elementary principal's shouts being muffled by her arm that was covering his mouth. "No matter what you become, I will never give up on you.... Until the end." Her mouth comes closer to the principals neck, "Using my Alice, I hope to release you from the file path that you're on. The side effect that you have suffered from will end your life. If you continue to regress like this, you will one day become a baby.... Until you stop breathing. I will protect you. I will control the time when your life ends. That is my path... to pay for the crimes that you have committed."
She lowers her mouth to his neck, using her Alice on the principal.
"Lu......na..." his voice trembles as he realizes what is to come, "Luna!" He shouts again but it was too late. Her teeth bite into his skin, everything seeming to fade away. The principal's body slowly loses its strength, slumping to the ground as Luna catches his body. Tears stream down her face, staring at the man who she he loved since being a child. His eyes stare upwards, empty and soulless.
The woman stays crouches on the ground, holding the body of her love. In that moment, many people teleport into the room, immediately rushing towards the small group. Akako and Mikan had dragged themselves towards Natsume who was still unconscious. Mikan's head turns towards everyone, relieved to see them all okay.
Hotaru and Ruka immediately rush forward. Ruka takes her into his arms, holding her tightly as tears slowly fill Mikan's eyes. Hotaru takes his place when Ruka leaves to see Akako and Natsume.
Those from time space as well as those who escapes the fire have all returned in order to aid in the aftermath. Subaru and Sakurano also appear, rushing forward to see the situation. Mikan looks up and finds Shiki standing above her as he explains how everyone was able to get there. "The barrier disappeared after the elementary school principal became like that. You all take him to the hospital immediately! I'll deal with Luna." Shiki orders, referring to Natsume.
"Natsume.... Natsume!" Ruka calls out, holding on to the body of his best friend. His heart races when he realizes the boy wasn't breathing. "Natsume!"
Akako's heart breaks at the sound of Ruka's voice cracking, his throat raw and tender from everything that has happened and yet... he still calls out for him. Tsubasa has rejoined the group and holds Akako in his arms. He looks down at the girl, "Akako..." he says, making her blue eyes look up at him. She sees the look on his face, realizing the boy knows. She grabs hold of Tsubasa's hand and turns back towards Natsume and Ruka.
Hotaru had run forward and taken a small spider from Natsume's neck, confusing everyone. Ruka had taken notice of the spider earlier but now the boy realizes that it was from Hotaru.
"This spider is a tranquilizer effect." Hotaru looks down at her invention, "I had an ominous feeling when we separated with Natsume... The spider us an inhibitor. When the Alice user uses their Alice, in order to prevent Natsume from losing his life due to the use of his Alice. I adjusted the inhibitor to the maximum and prevented Natsume's Alice from going wild with this tranquilizer. I think his life can be protected." Hotaru looks towards the boy who has already begun receiving treatment from Imai and Tono, "But for Natsume, whose body is so broken down, will the tranquilizer save his life or instead become a burden and take away his life?"
Her words send shivers through Akako's spine. There was no way that she would allow Natsume to leave this world.
"I know what to do..." her raspy voice whispers from Tsubasa's arms. Eyes turn her way, confused at her words. Akako tries sitting up but fails, only falling into Tsubasa's chest. "I know... how to save Natsume..." her determined eyes travel up to everyone.
"Akako...?" Ruka mutters.
"I know Natsume... his condition... I know. The user," Akako coughs, "The user dies with the use of their Alice." Everyone listens to the girl, already knowing that information. "But Natsume still has Alice.."
She raises a hand, revealing an Alice stone in her shaking hand. It was Natsume's Alice stone that he gifted her for their Alice exchange.
"It may be a long shot... but Mikan." Akako turns towards her sister. Mikan immediately realizes what Akako was saying and jumps forward, taking the stone from her sister's hand. Mikan takes the stone as well as the one she stole earlier and rushes to Natsume. She kneels next to the boy and closes her eyes as the stones slowly begins sinking into his body.
As soon as it enters, everyone watches his chest gasp for air.
Everyone except one person.
An overwhelming sense of glee envelops Mikan as she realizes Natsume will be okay. Those around cheer in relief. Her eyes look around at the tears that were on a few faces, looking towards Akako to see her sister's reaction. Time slows when her eyes reach Akako. All the voices seem to merge together and become muffled. She couldn't even hear herself shout her sister's name and didn't realize at what point she landed on the ground next to her.
Akako's head limply lays to the side in Tsubasa's arms, revealing the base of her neck to Mikan. "Akako...?" Mikan reaches forward, pulling down her sister's collar. Her pale smooth skin was decorated with terrible bruising. Black and blue marks swirled over her skin, causing Mikan to hyperventilate. "Akako?!" She calls out again.
As soon as the relief had come, it left a cold ominous feeling in its wake. Subaru and a few others rush to Akako who was now the priority in healing.
Ruka, who was still holding Natsume, stares at her neck in horror as they tear open the girls shirt until they reach her tank top beneath her button up. Horrid shadowy contusions spread from her chest, different shades of blue and purple mixing with one another.
"Akako..." Mikan sobs, staring at her sister's state.
Blue eyes crack open, somewhat glazed over as Akako stares at her older sister. "Gomene." She smiles up at her sister. Mikan takes Akako into her arms, holding the girl as Subaru works on healing her as best he could... but with the Alice still inside Akako, it did little good. "The deterioration.... It's all around her heart..." Subaru trails off.
Mikan holds tightly on to Akako, "Hold on, okay? Just hold on. Onee-Chan will help a-and then we'll both leave together." Mikan places a hand on Akako's chest, closing her brown teary eyes. With all her might, Mikan tries pulling out the elemental stone.
Akako closes her eyes. One pebble comes out. Then two.... Until it suddenly stops. The warmth in Mikan fades away. She looks down at her hands, tears falling as she blankly looks down at her hand. "What...?"
"Mikan?" Hotaru takes a step forward, wondering what was going on with the girl. There would be no reason as to why she would just stop. "What's wrong?"
Akako opens her eyes, watching Mikan's terrified eyes.
A hand lands on her shoulder. Both girls look up to find their uncle kneeling at Mikan's side. "Mikan..." his voice shakes a bit, making the girl panic. "...You don't have... anymore Alice..."
Everyone goes silent. Their eyes can only stay glued to the sister who begins sobbing. She holds on to Akako's hand tightly, holding it to her cheek. Tears fall from Akako's eyes as well.
"For a while now, there hasn't been much left. You've also noticed it, right Mikan?" He watches his two nieces cry together, "You are no longer an Alice. But I hope you will listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you."
He leans forward, holding out his hand to Mikan. "Mikan, your Alice can be restored a little. There are still traces of your Alice in this stone." He reveals the Alice stone that he picked up from the ground. It was Mikan's that had expelled from her body when she took out Natsume's Alice in order to stop him.
Mikan's eyes widen when those words process in her mind. 'Uncle...'
"With this stone, you'll be able to take the stone out of Akako. It will be absorbed by you as soon as you touch it since it's your Alice stone... but if you use this Alice up, you will no longer be an Alice or be able to stay at here at Gakuen Alice-!"
Mikan swipes the stone from his hand, watching it dissolve into her body. She holds her hand to her forehead, realizing that this was her last tie to the school. To her mother and father... She places her hands on Akako again, and uses the last bit of Alice.
'I don't care if I won't be an alice anymore.... A life without Akako is a life I don't want to imagine! She's always done everything in her power for me.... I need to do the same!' Mikan cries out to the gods to save her sister, 'I'll do anything for my sister.... The one who has always been by my side. I'll give up everything in me.... To keep you in my life.'
More stones come from Akako's body but not nearly enough. Mikan opens her eyes again, looking down at the seven stones that came from Akako's body.
"It wasn't enough...." Mikan exhales, staring in disbelief at the small stones that lay on the ground. "It wasn't enough..." she says louder, not wanting it to be true but she could feel it. There was no more Alice left inside of Mikan's body.
Her heart drops at the realization, staring down at her sister. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, Akako..." Mikan lowers her forehead to Akako's. The blonde raises her hand to cup Mikan's cheek.
"Mikan-nee... I'm going to be breaking my promise. Forgive me for that...." Akako whispers. Mikan opens her eyes to stare into Akako's, figuring out what she was speaking of. After a moment of pondering, Mikan recalls their promise when everyone's souls were in different bodies.
::
"Ne, Akako-Chan.... I'll always be here. No matter what happens or is what to come.. I'll stay by your side."
Her words melt Akako, the younger girl looking at her sister in adoration. "Nee-Chan..."
Mikan now leans away. She grabs Akako's hands in hers and brings them close to her face, not being able to look at Akako. She speaks into her sisters hands, almost pleading and praying.
"You, you will do the same. Right? You won't leave me? We'll be together forever..?"
Akako tears up, wishing and hoping alongside her sister that they will never be separated. She smiles her biggest smile and nods with so much strength and energy. "Hai! I will be with Mikan-nee for forever!"
::
Mikan's tears fall on to Akako's pale cheeks, the ill girl doing her best to wipe them away. "It'll be okay." Akako whispers. She places something in Mikan's palm, causing the girl to look down. A yellow stone glows in her palm. "I made this. I thought of how much Mikan-nee means... and I stored all of my love for her in it." Akako closes Mikan's palm around the stone. "So you'll always... always have Akako's love with you."
Mikan holds on to Akako tightly, body shaking terribly as she relishes the feeling of Akako in her arms. Akako reaches her own up around Mikan, everything slowly becoming blurry.
The Sakura twins hold on to each other for as long as they could..... until the moment when Akako would leave Mikan once again to somewhere she couldn't reach.
Then, for once in Mikan's life....
There was only one Sakura.