Little Fairytales 2 | An Aikatsu Stars Fanfic

Back Into the Woods

Free from the mind labyrinth that was Nullendroit, Subaru, Alice, Elza, and Otome allowed themselves to rest, no matter how cold or snowy it was.

"Elza," said Alice "I'm .. I'm ... I'm sorry about your ..."

Elza put her hand to her cheek "This? It's just a scratch. It's nothing compared to being a stone statue for a few years,"

"Thank goodness we're out!" Otome cried "I don't hate it. But I really, really, really don't like it in there,"

"I have to go back," said Subaru

"WHAT?!!"

"Subaru, you are  mad," said Elza "You went in there once and barley made it out alive. If you go in you commit suicide,"

"We have to get Juri," said Subaru "We came here for once reason and we can't leave failures,"

"It's better then staying dead!" said Otome

"Subaru's right," Alice said, finally collecting herself

"Alice, you can't -" Elza started

"I can!" said Alice "I still have my star! If I hit on trouble then I can set it off and Otome can come back and get us,"

"I guess, but ..." Otome started "You ... you ..."

"You lost your mind, Alice," said Elza "Only those with complete clarity and truth can go in and out unharmed,"

"The truth ..." said Alice

"She knows," said Subaru

Alice turned whiter then the snow, she turned to Elza "You knew?"

"I've always known," said Elza "I know my own son. Alice, you have quite a lot of lies on you don't you?"

Alice sniffed and gasped as she cried some more. "I still have to go," she said

"Why?" Otome asked

"I ... I deserve it. All of it," said Alice "The pain, the hurt, I deserve it all!"

"No you don't," said Subaru

"YES I DO!!" Alice yelled "You know what the last thing I ever said to Hatter was? I told him he was an insane man human being and he could throw himself down a bottomless rabbit hole for all I care ... How would you what that feels like? You never had to go on living with the last words you ever said to the love of your life being insults, then only to find out he died hours later?!" 

Alice choked and cried. Subaru looked at Elza and Otome to see if they had supporting looks for either of them. Instead, Elza was white. She was in shock. "You didn't know he died," said Subaru "Elza, I -"

"I'm fine," said Elza, her voice actually squeaked "This was bound to be the reason,"

Alice started crying more, her heinous words could only cause pain. "Alice. I'm sorry about the hatter. I don't know what it's like to live with that guilt, but I know what it's like to loose someone you love," said Subaru, Alice sniffed. "Elza is right, you can't go in there Alice, you'll snap like a twig,"

"But you can't go in alone," Alice started

"I don't have a choice,"

"Otome can go with you!" Otome cried

"No," said Subaru "I need you to help get Elza and Alice back to Rose Red and Snow White's cottage,"

"I can fly," said Elza

"In this storm?" Subaru said as a dramatic gust of wind blew past them "And Elza ... you're hurting. In both ways,"

Elza tried to wipe away the blood from her cheek. "I told you, it's just a scratch. I'm fine,"

"Subaru," said Otome

"The cottage is warm enough to keep them safe in the storm," said Subaru "I can't have you guys waiting outside,"

"Subaru, I need to go with you," said Alice

"Alice!" Subaru cried, but ... with a smile "You don't need to feel guilty anymore. It's time to face that there is nothing you could have done,"

"But it feels so bad," said Alice

"And that's okay," said Subaru "But you need to be brave and confront those feelings. So please, go with them,"

Alice took a few breaths then nodded. "Okay," Alice reached into her pocket and handed Subaru her star "Good luck,"

~~~~~

Subaru walked around Nullendroit aimlessly, he didn't know where to start. Come to think of it, he didn't even know what Juri looked like.

"I'll just have to take a stab in the dark," he mumbled, continuing his search.

Then, a light emerged from the darkness, a hooded girl returned from the dark. "Ready for round two?" she asked

"Aine," Subaru muttered with disgust "I'm going to follow you this time, I know your tricks -"

"Trick! Trick! In the singular tense. You have yet to see my other means of desperation," Aine smiled, a shiver went up Subaru's spine. "I'm something you can't escape, much like Nullendroit,"

"You talk about this dump like it's a living thing," Subaru observed

"Isn't it?" Aine smiled again "Come now, follow me,"

"I don't take orders from you," Subaru walked away, but Aine still talked.

"You can't still be trying to avoid the truth, are you?" Aine asked. Subaru didn't answer "There's no use in avoiding it. Sooner or later, you'll have to wake up,"

Subaru tried to walk away but Aine's voice didn't fade away.

"You know as well as I do that you can't make it through here without knowing the truth," said Aine "You know, now the next step is admitting. What is the truth, Subaru?"

"I don't need to talk to you,"

"But you do. What is the truth? Do you want to say it or shall I?"

Subaru's walk turned into a run, still it did nothing. "Admit the truth now! Or you will suffer!" Aine cried "SUBARU!" Subaru slowly stopped in his tracks, he turned around, he was face to face with Aine. "You feel so alone, don't you?"

There was a long pause.

"What would you know?" Subaru asked

"More then you know," Aine Red Riding Hood suddenly vanished, her light turning into smoke.

Subaru tried to keep himself together, he couldn't break down now. Unstoppable tears came from his eyes, like waterfalls, he couldn't stop them from coming.

Then, he heard someone else crying. It was coming from behind him. Subaru turned and saw a girl in a pink party dress that was torn and dirty. Her wavy crimson red hair, also dirty, covered her face along with her gloved hands as she weapt.

"Juri?" Subaru asked, whipping away his tears but only for them to be replaced by more.

The girl looked up, her dirty red face was wet with tears, she shook violently. "Who are you?" she asked, frightened

"I'm here to help you," said Subaru "You need to come back to Contefee,"

"Home?" Juri asked

"Yes, you're going home,"

Juri gave him a dazed look "I dont even remember what home is like. I dont know where it is,"

"Well I can help," Subaru held out his hand, Juri moved back.

"Don't hurt me!" she cried

"No, no, no! I don't want to hurt you. Honest. Just, please trust me,"

There was a long pause beforeHand finally took his hand. Subaru, with his free hand, took out Alice's sparkly star, squeezed it, then it flew up and exploded in the sky.