I randomly got hit by this idea at five in the morning (that blessed time when I get most of my decent ideas) and decided to roll with it. It's my first Gakuen Alice fic so I really hope I get some positive comments!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with the manga or anime Gakuen Alice.
Here we go:
"What do you mean, she's gone?"
Hotaru pushed against the arms restraining her, her face awash with angry tears. "Let me go! I have to find her!"
Her brother looked down at her sadly. "We are looking for her, Hotaru. But it's too dangerous for you. We looked at Hyuuga-san's description of the men that she was with and found a match. They're very dangerous criminals, onee-san."
"No!" Hotaru screamed, struggling harder. Through her blind rage, she was able to focus on a dark haired boy standing mutely in the corner. "Natsume!" she shrieked, abandoning herself to hysteria. "You said you would protect her! You lied! You let them take her!"
Ruka stiffened and took a slight step away from Hotaru, who looked like she might shoot Natsume with whatever weapons she was sure to have on her. Narumi-sensei tried to calm her. "Imai-chan..." "No!" Hotaru screamed mercilessly, eyes locked on Natsume, still struggling to get at him from her brother's grip. "He promised her he would! She trusted him!"
Natsume didn't look at anyone as he walked out. Ruka paused for only a moment before following, leaving Hotaru and her screaming sobs with the adults...
It had been two years since Mikan had disappeared from the academy. A few months ago, despite the protests of Narumi-sensei, Hotaru, Ruka, Tsubasa, and Misaki-senpai (not sensei), the search party had been officially disbanded. It wasn't a rumor that was exactly spread around, but very few believed she was still alive.
Mikan's friends had been hit the hardest by her disappearance. Hotaru was more withdrawn and moody than ever before, Tsubasa stopped causing trouble (which sounds like a good thing, but it wasn't really), Ruka had gone back to his lapse of depression, and Narumi-sensei barely left the teacher's lounge anymore (not that he did that much before, but like with Tsubasa, it was viewed as a bad thing.)
But Natsume was definitely the worst. He didn't talk to anyone except for Ruka, and that was only occasionally. He skipped class all the time, didn't attend any social events, and mostly hung around, hidden, in the grounds. It had been months since he had set anything on fire.
Everyone except for Hotaru was seriously worried about him.
Hotaru had never forgiven him. She still believed it was his fault, and the grief over Mikan, which could have brought them together (not romantically, but at least friend-wise), tore them apart.
It was a lonely existence.
Which was why it was a total shock when a black limo with no license plate pulled up, uninvited, to the academy grounds.
Immediately all the students ran out to see who was so bold as to drive up to the prestigious Alice Academy with no invitation or warning of any kind. It had to be someone classy, if the limo was any kind of indication.
The driver's door opened and the chauffeur stepped out in full uniform, brass buttons, brimmed hat, the real deal. Someone in the crowd whistled their approval. Impressive.
He reached for the passenger handle as Hotaru and Natsume arrived, having been dragged to the scene by Iincho and Ruka. Hotaru crossed her arms stubbornly and Natsume looked away.
A slight girl stepped out, wearing large, stylish sunglasses, a faded rock tee, and ripped denim short-shorts. She seemed to ooze coolness, the kind girls crave but come effortlessly to some girls. That kind of coolness.
She had a short, scooped haircut, dark brown with blond highlights. The yard began to buzz. Was she a foreign superstar? A budding model? She couldn't be from a small village like most of the others at the academy. She was too sophisticated.
Then the girl took off her sunglasses, shook out her perfectly styled hair, and tucked the sunglasses into it. Her all-too-familair eyes pierced the crowd.
It couldn't be her. Sakura Mikan had died, or at least was in unbelievable pain. She couldn't be standing here, eyes cool as moons, face expressionless, as she surveyed her former classmates. She didn't even look like Mikan. Mikan was always emotional, not emotionless. Mikan dressed properly and childishly, not like a rich and famous celebrity. Mikan had long hair teased into pigtails, not short, sculpted hair. Even in her appearance, she had broken too many promises made to the people she loved.
And then from behind her, out stepped another girl from the limo. Unlike Mikan, she was perfectly recognizable. She still had the same reddish hair, the same chilling smile, the same masked wildness behind her sweet eyes.
Kazoumi Luna smiled up at the beating sun and shielded her eyes from the light. With her free arm, she looped elbows with Mikan like they were best buddies. The buzzing at Mikan's shocking appearance immediately ceased as everyone held their breath.
Mikan didn't shake Luna off. Instead, she tightened the link and shut the car door with her foot. She blinked at the school coldly as if it had done her countless personal wrongs. Then she spoke, her voice icy.
"It's nice to be back." she drawled, her voice nothing like the gigglish squeal it had been before.
Luna laughed, an innocent yet foreboding sound. "Isn't it?" she said cheerfully, and she stepped forward, still arm-in-arm with Mikan, and the sun spotlighted them as if it was the beginning of a show.
