Sleeping Beauty's little Sister.

Chapter 5

Hello! I know I said I wouldn't update for a couple days, but I'm not getting picked up till 2, and I'm bored, so here's another chapter, and this is the last one for a couple days. Promise.

Haha, remember to review.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Gakuen Alice, they belong to the wonderful Higuchi Tachibana. Story is inspired by E.D.B.'s story.

Mikan didn't stop running until she reached the edge of the forest and began to creep from one tree to the next, hoping to find the children there waiting for her. No voice responded to Mikan's calls, no figure emerged from the darkness under the trees. Although Mikan was afraid of what she might encounter in the woods at night, she was too worried about the children being alone in the dark to give up. If the full moon hadn't been out, she wouldn't have been able to continue searching, but there was enough light that she was able to make a complete circuit of the woods fronting the clearing, stumbling over roots while twigs scratched her face and snagged at her clothes and hair.

Mikan heard the fairies before she saw them. Exhausted, she had stopped to lean against a tree for a moment's rest when she heard sprightly music and the sound of laughter. Thinking she might have finally found the children, she followed the music deeper into the woods. Rounding an old oak, Mikan nearly stumbled on the fairy ring. Made of red mushrooms sprinkled with white polka dots, the ring was aglow with the light of fireflies. At one end of the circle, a strange little group of musicians created the music. Crickets chirped, frogs croaked, and birds sang while squirrels thumped out the beat with their hind paws. Fairies no talled than Mikan's little finger were dancing in the circle, hopping and skipping in time with the music.

Mikan backed away, hoping she hadn't been seen. After hearing so many stories about the mischief that fairies could do, she had no desire to meet them. It was too late, however, for a cry went up before she'd taken a second step, and suddenly the air around her was filled with curious fairies, their brightly colored wings fanning the air.

"It's a boy," cried a fairy dressed all in yellow.

"No, it's not," said the fairy beside her. "It's a girl dressed as a boy. Can't you tell the difference?"

The first fairy shook her head. "They all look alike to me."

"She's come to join our dance!" cried a third fairy.

"Step into the ring!" sang out a chorus of fairy voices. "You can dance with us until dawn!"

"No, I can't," Mikan hurried to say. "Thank you for asking me, but I'm too tired to dance with anyone. I just want to---" She staggered into the ring when a dozen fairies pushed her from behind.

"Dance like this!" a fairy dressed in all green cried, twirling on her toes.

"No, like this!" another wearing a hat of moss shouted as he flailed his arms and hopped.

A fairy with pink hair and dress made of pansy petals flew into the air in front of her to say, "It doesn't matter how you do it, just dance!"

Mikan sighed. She was so tied that all she wanted to do was lie down and go to sleep, but she doubted the fairies would let her. Perhaps if she danced for them for a few minutes... Shuffling around the ring, she followed the fairy in front of her. She flapped hands now and then to make it look more like dancing than walking, but paid little attention to the dancing fairies other that to try not to step on them. The fairies seemed to think that was enough and continued to cavort with her. After a time her eyelids drooped and her pace slowed until she was doing little more than swaying on her feet.

She scarcely felt the fairy who landed on her shoulder until he shouted, "Wake up!" directly into her ear.

Mikan's eyes shot open as she clapped her hand to her head, missing the fairy by inches when he flew out of the way.