Beginning Note: I highly recommend that you watch the 2016 Chinese Movie Suddenly Seventeen (17 Again). You can easily find it online! Inspiration from this story came from that movie.

Synopsis: 29-year-old Mikan has had a lot of regrets in her life. Not confessing her feelings for a boy she once loved back in her teens, not sticking up for herself when it was necessary, and remaining the greatest pushover in history. But all that changes when she comes across a woman named Yura, who gives her a box of candy that is found to have magical abilities to make one younger again. Frustrated with herself, Mikan decides to take a piece one day and from then on, her life takes an unexpected turn when she wakes up with the mind and body of an extroverted 18-year-old.

Disclaimer: this story is developed from the theme of the Chinese Movie Suddenly Seventeen It does not follow the same plot nor will it ever. The only similarity will be the theme but all other input and plot is my own. In addition, Gakuen Alice belongs to Higuchi Tachibana.

Prologue

The Woman Named Yura And The Candy Box

"Once upon a time ago, there was a beautiful girl with a vibrant personality that made everyone love her. She was the sunshine that melted the icy cold hearts of any person that dared to curse her with ill intentions. Her smile made many swoon and her laughter was music to the ears of all who listened.

She was an angel in the minds of the people surrounding her.

One day, an evil and jealous witch plotted to take her down from her pedestal by creating a spell that would turn the beloved girl into a hideous creature.

For many days the witch spent a lot of time to make sure this spell would come out nice and perform well in her favor. And at last, on the tenth day, it was complete. She cackled wickedly as she closed her book of evil curses and wore her cloak as she made way to find the girl.

She happened upon her sitting under a cherry blossom tree, the girl's favorite place to rest, and the witch disguised herself as an old woman with a basket full of golden apples in her hand. The witch secretly cast her spell on the most delicious looking apple and walked over to the girl who looked up at the sudden presence.

Hello my dear, please enjoy one of these apples I freshly picked, said the witch.

But how can this be? The apples are golden! The beautiful girl said.

Oh my dear these are not just any ordinary apples; they are the kind that will make you remain in full health for the rest of your life. Please dear, take one and you will not regret it. The witch smirked behind her cloak.

If you do not mind, then I shall help myself, said the girl. She reached out to take the most delicious looking apple and brought it to her nose to sniff before opening her mouth to take a big bite of it.

This is so delicious, said the girl. Suddenly, the apple dropped from her hand and rolled from her dress and onto the grass. Her body temperature rose and her face started turning red.

What is happening to me? The girl questioned, fear evident in her eyes as she fanned her face.

The witch removed her cloak to reveal her true form and laughed at the torment the girl was facing.

Because you selfishly decided to keep all your beauty to yourself, I will be exchanging my looks for yours. You will now live a life being ridiculed for your unsightly appearance. No one will ever love you and as for me, everyone will finally worship me! The witch exclaimed, hands raising to the sky.

A dark cloud started to form and lighting struck the tree the girl was sitting under. Her body felt the electric shock of the lightening and she fell unconscious.

The witch, satisfied with her work, summoned a mirror to marvel at her new beauty. She spared a quick glance at the unconscious girl and grinned as she saw the changes happening to her. The witch then turned on her tail and walked away, leaving the girl.

The girl woke up when the next day had arrived, to the sound of gasping. Some children were standing there, looking at her in both disgust and fright as the girl stood up in confusion.

What is wrong? She asked the children who automatically screamed and picked up rocks to throw at her.

The girl lifted her hands to cover her face from being hit by the rocks and ran into the forest. Her feet kept going until she reached a lake where she dropped to her knees and looked down. Staring back was the grotesque refection of a stranger. Her fingers tentatively touched her face and she screamed, realizing it was her own.

She had become a monster.

From that day on, everyone in the village began hating her and shunning her out. She had become isolated from the public eye, meanwhile the witch was the new celebrity. The girl's unparalleled beauty that was once there was quickly forgotten and she lived her life in despair.

That was until one fateful day came upon her and she met a person who would change her life forever. Not only would she be able to get back at the witch who ruined her, she'd be given her life back as well. The end."

"Aunty Mikan, that was the worst story I have ever heard in my entire life," said a little blonde headed, lavender eyed girl who was laying comfortably under her princess themed blanket on her queen sized bed.

"Mizu-tan you're only four years old and that was the best story you would ever hear in your life," the female named Mikan said. She lowered her head to kiss the forehead of the little girl and smiled. "Now go to sleep." She then tucked her in and got up.

"Goodnight Aunty Mikan!" Mizuki shouted at the retreating figure of her mother's best friend.

"Goodnight kiddo," said Mikan who then slowly closed the door. She walked over to the stairs and descended them to meet her best friend who was busy typing away at her laptop. The female closed it when she noticed Mikan coming into the room.

"Okay Hotaru, she's sleeping now," Mikan said as she sat down on the couch beside her friend.

Hotaru tucked a hair behind her ear and shifted her body to face her guest. "Thanks for reading to her again this night, I really appreciate it," she said in gratitude.

"It's no problem," Mikan smiled. "I'm the only one that can bore her to sleep."

Hotaru snorted, "That is true."

"You got that right!" came a shout from a room across. The voice belonged to Hotaru's husband Ruka.

"Wow, thanks for agreeing with me. You're a real team player," Mikan playfully rolled her eyes behind her thick glasses.

"You're welcome. It's my job as your best friend to tease you."

Ruka came into the room with two cups of tea in his hands. "For you two," he said and placed the cups down on the small table in front of the ladies.

Mikan reached out to the cup and carefully lifted it on its plate to raise the rim of the cup to her lips. "Ack, it's hot!" she spat when the piping hot liquid touched her tongue.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize the temperature was that high!" Ruka apologized.

Hotaru, who was casually sipping her cup, shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know what's going on with your tea but mine is perfectly fine." Her nose wrinkled when Mikan suddenly inserted her index finger into her tea. "That is unsanitary," Hotaru frowned. "And now I can't drink it anymore."

"Ruka, why is hers at a respectable temperature but mine is threatening to give me third degree burns?" Mikan demanded, accusation in her tone.

"I'm being honest when I say that the tea came out of the same pot. I don't understand why yours was so warm compared to Hotaru's," Ruka confessed.

"I think it's safe to say that it has to do with her terrible luck," Hotaru commented.

Mikan groaned and tapped her forehead. "Perfect," she sarcastically said. "I need to get home anyway before the landlord goes crazy about me being past my curfew."

"Do you want either of us to give you a ride because we can if you want? It's also faster than taking the bus," suggested Hotaru.

Mikan shook her head and stood up. "No, I don't want to trouble any of you. Besides, I like taking the bus. Helps me think."

"If you say so," Ruka said. He and Hotaru got up as well and led Mikan to the front door to see her out. The three of them said their goodbyes and Mikan walked over to the bus station where she sat on the bench and waited patiently for the bus to come. She busied herself by browsing videos of her cat which currently awaited her arrival at home.

"So cute," she cooed to herself as she watched her cat chasing a laser pen dot on the carpet.

The pitter patter of the rain sound echoed in her ears and Mikan forced her head up in shock. She had not brought an umbrella with her that day because the forecast predicted a clear weather all day.

"Darn," She pressed the phone to her chest and moved further back into the bus station shelter to avoid getting hit by rain droplets. "This bus better come soon," she prayed.

Her prayer was answered when the bus lights shone in the distance. She smiled happily as it stopped in front of her and the doors opened. Up the stairs, she reached into her pocket for change and inserted it into the coin slot, then sat down on one of the empty seats. She took out her earphones and plugged it into her cellphone to continue watching her cat videos.

"That old woman is so weird. She's always sitting in the bus and watching cat videos," a high school girl who was sitting behind Mikan, whispered to her friend beside her.

"I noticed too!" hissed her friend. "Gosh I hope I never end up like her when I get older."

Now, in spite of the earphones being in, Mikan could hear everything the two younger girls were saying. It didn't come as a surprise to her as she was a hot topic when it came to the youth that rode the bus. No, it was not because of her imaginative beautiful appearance. It was because she served as a reminder to the girls that rode the bus that Mikan was the person they aspired not to be. Being the way she was, Mikan accepted it.

The crazy, nerdy, and plain looking aging woman whose past time was looking at videos of her cat.

In all honesty, it felt pitiful.

The bus came to a screeching halt and her body lost balance and flung forward.

"Ow," Mikan said when her head hit the back of a seat.

"You all get out. The bus is experiencing some difficulties so you'll have to get another ride," the driver announced, to the dismay of all the grumbling passengers who filed out of the vehicle and into the pouring rain.

Mikan took a look at her surroundings and realized that she was still far from her home. By the looks of it, it would be a half an hour drive by taxi but she did not have money for one. In depressive conclusion, the only way to get back would be through the power of her feet.

Boy was it a tiresome walk. She was soaking wet, her vision blurred by the rain droplets on her lenses, and her legs were begging to her to give up. To make matters worse, her phone battery was dying. She huffed and decided to take shelter under a covering connected to a building until the rain let up. The journey didn't need that handicap.

She stood under the covering for who knows how long until the pouring rain became drizzles. On the way back to her apartment, she encountered a woman who was sitting on a blanket with a box and an unopen umbrella both set on a blanket. She gave Mikan a wide grin and beckoned her to come over.

Mikan cautiously walked over, eyebrow raised at the peculiar woman who dressed in a strange style. "Did you need something?"

"Hello Mikan!" The woman shouted, causing Mikan who did not expect her to know her name, to flinch.

"Hi?"

"The name's Yura. Are you looking for a new fate?" questioned the woman named Yura. She went straight to the point.

"Uh . . ."

"Oh don't hesitate to answer. I can tell by your aura that your whole life, you have suffered terrible luck. But that won't last any longer because I have something special for you," said the woman.

"Can we first establish how you know my name?"

"Never mind those trivial questions! Do you want to change your fate or not?" Yura nudged on.

"I . . . suppose. My life isn't all too dandy," Mikan replied. "But how will it change?"

Yura lifted up the box and handed it to Mikan. "Wait till you get home before you open this box. In it is a treat that will help you gain the luck you never had."

Mikan crouched down and placed the box back on the blanket. "Actually can I get the umbrella instead and you can take the box back?"

"I can give you both the umbrella and the box. But to get the umbrella, you must take the box," Yura proposed. She crossed her arms in satisfaction when she saw the defeated look on Mikan's face as the girl took both objects in her hands.

"Thank you," Mikan said and then waved with the hand holding the umbrella.

"Don't forget to open the box after you get home," Yura reminded her.

Mikan nodded and opened up her new umbrella, then proceeded back in the direction she was headed. She stopped for a moment to look back at the woman she had just met but was surprised to find her gone.

"How weird," Mikan mumbled to herself and continued walking. It took her an hour to finally get back to the apartment and was strangely lucky to get in before apartment curfew. She closed the door behind her and took of her shoes, leaving the umbrella to dry at the foyer but the box still in hand.

"Hi Whiskers!" she cooed at her furry friend who scurried over to her. The feline purred while it rubbed against her feet. "Good kitty," she fluffed the fur of her cat with her free hand and then carefully walked over it so she could set the box down on the kitchen table.

After taking a much needed warm shower, she tiredly walked back into the kitchen to finally open the box. She sat down on a chair and pushed the box in front of her then gently lifted the lid only to feel a cold rush of disappoint wash over her.

"Are you kidding me? She gave me candy?!"

End Note: And here ends the prologue to this new story. It just came to mind after I watched the movie and I thought it would be a good idea to write something with a similar theme.

Confession: I have an obsession when it comes to creating the next best story. When an idea comes to mind, I lose sight of my previous ideas in my other stories and then I ultimately am unable to produce. And I don't want to force a chapter out if I don't think it'll be any good. I'm sorry that I'm like this but I think that for me, it takes time before I am motivated again to go back. And although I'm grateful for the reviews I have gotten on any of them, I feel like the little I get must mean that the story is uninteresting. So then I feel the need to try to either make it better or come up with something that will catch reader's attention. I just hope that this story is well received. I'll try my absolute best to make it worth a read. The only story I will have completed is Her since it's a short. As for the other two, I will take a Hiatus for them. I don't plan on updating them any time soon but will continue typing chapters for them for upload in the future I return to them.

Thanks for reading. Please review and tell me what you think?

Rated T for minor adult themes and language.

Proof-read: 3/22/2017

Author: Napperon