A Mild Case of Amnesia
By: Cherishxme
Disclaimer: I do not own Gauken Alice in any way or form.
Authors Note: I really enjoy writing this fanfiction. I don't want to drag this story on too long, so I'll try to keep it short and sweet for everyone! Ten chapters at the most, five at the least! I really like Natsume and Mikan. They're so cute... 3 I can't wait to start writing the best parts of my fanfiction. YOU know what I mean!
A few shout outs for the first three reviewers! Thanks to MeIsWatIam, AzurEaqua, and KMAC 08! I hope you guys will enjoy this chapter just as much as the first and this story comes out better than you expected!
I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. Please remember to read and review!
-/-/-
Chapter Title: Let's Torture Mikan!
-/-/-
Already, Hotaru had set a plan in motion.
"Why did you gather everyone here Imai-san?"
Shumire, Koko, Mochu, Natsume, Ruka, Tsubasa, Yuu, Youichi, and pretty much everyone in class including Mr. Bear were sitting around the picnic table.
She had sent everyone a message through turtle mail to meet her there after class.
"I need everyone's help. But first…"
She passed around a bucket with a sign that was labeled "please pay 50 rabbits for good cause".
The bucket went around halfway around the room before Shumire grabbed it and threw it at Hotaru, her eyes glowering.
"What the heck! You greedy money troll! What're we paying 50 rabbits for?!"
"A good cause. It'll cost 100 rabbits for me to say it right now, or you can just pay 50 rabbits and find out when everyone else is finding out." Hotaru replied as she picked up all the rabbits off the floor and put it back into the bucket and passed it around again.
"Grr… you better be glad I'm curious Imai." Shumire hissed as she ran a hand through her curly black hair before reaching into her purse to take out 50 rabbits.
After the bucket made its way around (Natsume avoided paying for it) Hotaru had a small treasure-hunting mole pick up the bucket and dump it into a safe in its chest panel to keep it safe.
"SO what's the good cause? It better be good or I'm going to get my money back!" Shumire said haughtily.
"Bringing back Sakura Mikans memories."
There was a brief silence.
"How're we going to do that? Yuu asked timidly.
"The trigger can be very hard to find. It might take a few months, but they said the amnesia was temporary…"
"Doesn't Sakura Mikan usually irritate you anyways Hotaru? You always complain!" Mochu said loudly.
"Yeah. Mikan usually irritates me, but it irritates me more she doesn't remember me." Hotaru said with an evil glint in her eye. "She owes me a considerable debt, and if she doesn't remember, that is no good to me."
"Whats the plan?" Ruka asked.
"Lets try to get a bunch of memories that Mikan would put as "unforgettable memories". Like the dance, the forgotten woods, and her first hazing in class. Lets re-enact them." Hotaru replied.
"This means Natsume has to participate."
"Hn. Why me?" The raven-haired boy said with a look of annoyance.
"Would you rather her forget you?" Ruka asked with a sigh.
"Yeah." Natsume replied. 'It's better off that way anyways. I'm the last thing she needs to remember.'
Hotaru looked at Natsume for a long time, her cold calculating eyes observing him.
"You know, Natsume, you're going to lose if you don't participate."
"Lose what?"
Hotaru raised an eyebrow.
"Lose her."
There was a long silence.
Natsume got up from the seat and walked away.
"You guys do your dumb plan but I have no interest in this matter. One less moron for me to deal with. Come on Ruka."
The blonde haired boy didn't get up to follow his friend away from the meeting.
"I said… Ruka…"
"I'm staying Natsume! I want to help."
A strong look of stubbornness crossed Ruka's pretty features.
"I care about Mikan. I want to do all that I can to get her memories back. The special memories we've all created together. I want her to remember them. I don't like how long its taking for her to remember. I want her back now."
Natsume stared at Ruka, his eyes narrowing slowly as he realized what he was saying.
'An indirect confession of his crush on Mikan… how cute…' Everyone but Hotaru, Shumire, and Natsume thought.
"We're with you Nogi…" A classmate said with sparkles flying around him.
"I'm with you too Ruka, you doting little lover you." Tsubasa said, a knowing smile on his face.
A red blush rushed over Ruka Nogi's face.
"S-stop… I-i…"
"It's love." Misaki said with a smile. "What a blushing little shy boy…"
"STOP PICKING ON HIM! They're only friends!" Shumire screamed, breaking the sudden aura of pity on the love struck little boy.
"Right Ruka? You don't like her or anything?"
Ruka's face was bright red, and he opened his mouth to answer, but could only make strangled noises and finally decided to give up and turn his head away, hiding as the "watching over Ruka and Mikan group" looked at him adoringly.
"Tch. What a waste of time. Do what you want."
Natsume didn't want to watch his love struck friend anymore.
"N-natsume…" Ruka said quietly as his friend walked away.
Hotaru rolled her eyes.
'A stoic idiot.' She thought to herself.
Well, it was time to get started on the plan.
-/-/-
'Poor idiot.' Natsume thought as he watched the girl from his seat next to her. Little did she know, but the hazing she had already went through once during the beginning of her elementary school years was about to be repeated today. Minus his participation.
"You're not concerned about Mikan not remembering you?" Ruka asked with skepticism.
"I hate her. I don't care. It's better this way. I hope she never remembers me." Natsume had replied.
'It's true. I don't care if she remembers me.' Natsume thought quietly as he looked at the smiling girl. 'She's always smiling, the longer she tries to get to know me, the more she'll lose that smile of hers.'
A pang of sadness reverberated through his inner being. It was something he was used to.
'Another person to lose in my lifetime, it's not a big sacrifice. As long as I'm near to protect them it's all right… wait… stop. I sound like I care for that ugly girl. I really don't.'
"HEY SAKURA MIKAN!"
Shumire stood in front of the startled brown haired girl with an evil smirk on her face.
"W-what?" Sakura squeaked, surprised and confused.
"Since you don't remember us, you have to go through a test to be accepted by our class. If not, we think you should start over and drop out."
"H-hey, isn't that a little mean?" Sakura said quietly, her eyes looking a bit hurt.
"You have to pass a test. You have to go to the Forgotten Forest and uh… get through it unhurt."
"W-whats the Forgotten Forest?"
"A dangerous place." Mochu replied, "You better pass it or…" He used his telekinesis to bully the poor girl and lifted her off the ground.
"Or you'll regret coming here."
"B-but I came here because… because…" Sakura trailed off.
'Why am I here? If people don't want me…'
"I'm here because I followed someone here!" Sakura bursted out. Letting out her nullification Alice and falling flat on her face.
"Who?" Hotaru asked as she gently sipped her crab miso and watched her friend.
Sakura looked dumbfounded, and felt sweat drop down her back as everyone looked at her expecting an answer.
'I faintly remember… following someone… feeling sad…'
"Someone? I don't remember?" Sakura said with an awkward laugh.
This only earned Baka bullets to her face from Hotaru.
"Forgotten woods. Now." Shumire said with a threatening look.
"EEP!" Sakura replied as Shumire dragged her out to the woods.
"I'll help you Mikan!" Yuu said quickly, following Shumire out.
"H-hotaru and I both will! We're class representatives!"
After the commotion died off, Ruka and everyone sat there nervously.
"You think the plan will work?" Ruka asked everyone.
"I don't know. That's not exactly how Sakura stared off here." Koko said with his ever-carefree smile.
"We're missing a key bully here, and that's Natsume." Anna said with a bright smile, only to be glared down by the fire caster.
"Mr. Bear and Mikan were just starting to get along… and now Bear has to beat Sakura up like he did when he first met her…" Tsubasa muttered.
"Why are you here?" Natsume asked pointedly as the shadow controlling special student came in through the classroom window.
"Oh. I had to ask Mr. Bear to do us that favor. He didn't want to, because now he cares about Mikan, but he says he'll do what he can to help Mikan remember the good times."
PIYYYOOO!
Everyone jumped and sweat dropped.
"Seems like the mutated chick is already making its way towards the forbidden woods…" Tsubasa said quietly. "I hope this works or we will have to move onto plan B."
-/-/-
"OWWWW!" Sakura Mikan was holding her cheek from getting beat up. It wasn't the fact that it was humiliating, or that she lost, but it was just the fact that she was being beat up by a teddy bear.
Not just that, but a giant chick was following them too.
A really big fluffy yellow chick.
"I'll trick Ruka to come help us with his animal pheromones!" Yuu said eagerly, closing his eyes and sending Ruka the signal to come do his part.
But something didn't go by plan.
"Piyo?"
The giant chick suddenly stopped chasing them and turned a sickening color.
"Hey… Hotaru… can chicks turn green?"
"…"
Piyo looked very sick.
"Piyo… piyo piyo…" (Translation: I… feel a little sick…) The chick squeaked, holding its beak with its small wings as a deep grumbling noise shook the whole forest.
"GYAAACK!"
Vomit flew like a waterfall out of the giant chicks beak.
"AHHHH!" Sakura Mikan screamed.
Hotaru managed to get into her caterpillar sleeping bag that was built like a bomb shelter and avoided the flood of half digest chicken feed and fruits.
Sakura and Yuu were not so lucky.
-/-/-
"EWWWW GROSSS!"
The whole class ran away from the smelly class president and troublemaker Sakura Mikan.
They stank like vomit and looked very very tired.
"I had to swim through the vomit." Yuu said, looking downcast.
"Amazing how much vomit a giant mutated chick can spurt out." Mikan said with a wan look in her eyes.
Luckily, Ruka made it in time to calm down the poor distraught chick. The giant chick apologized for ruining the plan, telling him that he had ate some bad chicken feed for breakfast.
'I have to let them know to check the expiration date on the chicken feed.' Ruka thought as he looked at the dirty pair. Only one person remains clean.
"Hotaru." Shumire pulled the cold-eyed girl away from the two stinky classmates.
"Our plan backfired!" The girl hissed.
"Plan B." Hotaru replied simply.
"B-but… that's too cruel…" Shumire said worriedly.
"You had no problem being mean to Sakura before." Hotaru replied coldly.
"W-well… now that we know her… everyone doesn't know if this is a good idea." Shumire replied.
Hotaru just looked at Shumire.
"Her crying and sad face is so cute. It's okay. She's Mikan. It'll jog her memory."
'For Christ sakes… is she really that girls friend?' Shumire thought with a large sweat drop. 'That chick is one cold hearted and cruel friend…'
Mochu was looking at her for the next step.
'Plan B.' The curly girl mouthed to Mochu.
"Oh god you stink." Mochu said loudly, shoving Sakura away with his telekinesis powers and holding Sakura at dripping arms length in the air. "You completely failed the test. What a loser."
"Jeez, what're you doing in this academy, you can't even get through the Forgotten forest…"
"Gosh she stinks, she deserved the puke all over her…"
"Go get washed." Hotaru said to Sakura Mikan. "You really messed that one up."
Hotaru felt a twinge of guilt in her usually cold heart when she saw Sakura Mikans dejected look as Mochu put her down.
"S-sorry… I know y-you're my best friend… that's what everyone told me… I-I can understand why you might be so cruel to me, and even hate me… because I forgot you right? I really want to remember Hotaru… I really wanted to… go through the forest and do what you expected to make you happy… S-sorry…"
Sakura Mikan looked very sad as she bowed her head at her friend.
"I know I'm a burden to you guys… especially Hotaru… because I don't remember… so maybe you resent me, but it's hard for me too. I want to remember the memories I've had with everyone…"
"Mikan…" Hotaru started, suddenly feeling very tired. "I--."
The brown haired girl turned around and ran out, looking upset.
There was a long silence.
"I don't think that worked out Hotaru…" Tsubasa said from his seat at the teacher's desk. "You've got the teachers to not come to class so you can try this mean stint of yours… but…"
"Lets just stop this! Plan A! Plan B! Plan C!" Ruka said finally. He got up and glared at Hotaru. "This is a little too cruel! Yes! It's true we were mean to her in the beginning of the year but we care about her now! It's not going to jog her memory, but hurt her more! Forget it. I want no part in this."
Ruka got up to leave.
"Me too!" Shumire said, following after Ruka.
Hotaru looked a little sad. Just a little. The blonde haired pretty boy caught that look and found himself taken aback.
"I'm a bad friend huh? It's my fault she got hurt and she can't remember…"
Hotaru got up.
"Sorry."
The dark haired girl got up and silently left the room, leaving everyone in an awkward silence.
-/-/-
'That was a dumb idea.' Natsume thought as he watched them try to re-enact the day where Sakura was accepted into the academy and her peril in the Forgotten woods.
'Things never happen the same way again.'
When Sakura left near tears, and everyone started to argue, he got up quickly, feeling a little concerned.
While the others were arguing, he trailed after Sakura Mikan, and found her at the school water fountain pretending to take a drink, but her shuddering shoulders told him that she wasn't really drinking the water.
"Oy Strawberry prints."
"What is it Natsume…" Sakura replied, her voice a bit hoarse. She had her back facing him.
"You really can't remember?"
"No…"
The birds chirped as the sun started to set in the horizon.
"W-what're you doing here…"
"I wanted a drink of water." Natsume replied. He quickly pushed Sakura Mikan out of the way to pretend to take a gulp of water.
Instead, she twirled around to face him just as he reached over to pull her away from the fountain.
They were face to face, and her eyes were wet with tears.
"Uh…" Natsume said, his brain blanking out at the proximity of their faces.
"Why does everyone hate me? Is it because I was a bad person?"
Natsume mentally kicked himself in the head as he quickly took a step away from her.
"No."
"I feel stupid crying over something I don't quite remember… when I try to remember things, I get a bad headache."
More tears started to flow down her face.
"Even if I don't remember them, I feel connected to them, and because they're being mean, I feel even more hurt because I feel like they shouldn't be doing that…"
"Hey… you know, the Mikan we all know never cries, and always smiles and laughs. That's what we like about you most. I think they miss that, so they tease you because… they miss you."
Tears stopped flowing.
"R-really?"
Natsume felt tongue tied and looked away from her tear-wet eyes, which looked at him hopefully.
"Tch… how should I know." He replied quickly.
Sakura Mikan looked at him curiously, looking hurt at first, and a look of realization suddenly dawning on her face.
"Oh.., this feels really familiar… but somehow… I feel happy. Thank you Natsume."
A smile engulfed her face.
"I'll do my best to regain the memories that everyone finds so precious that they get irritated I don't remember…"
The girl wiped her tears with the back of her hands and giggled at Natsume's confused expression.
"Okay, I'll get back and apologize to everyone."
She hugged Natsume, making his eyes widen in surprise. But his nostrils flared for another reason.
"Thanks…"
"Teme… you stink. Get away from me."
"OH NO! I'M SO SORRY! GOMEN NE!"
-/-/-
The blonde haired boy found Sakura Mikan dressed in a regular t-shirt and a pair of sweats in front of the laundry room.
"Hey…" Ruka said quickly, stepping in front of Sakura Mikan with a concerned look on his face. "Are you okay? About… before…"
Surprisingly, she looked very chipper.
"Yes! I'm okay. I'm waiting for my clothes to dry… but I wanted to apologize to the whole class and Hotaru…"
"Apologi-- you? Why?" Ruka asked, his eyebrows rose.
"Because… I should try better to remember you guys." She giggled.
"I know you all care about me a lot. See? You're here."
Ruka felt his ears grow warm.
"Ano… I'm sorry I was part of the whole plan…"
"Plan?" Sakura Mikan asked, her eyebrows knitted in confusion.
"Er… well… we wanted you to remember us so we tried to re-enact your first days here to see if it'll work… it backfired on us… Hotaru actually cares a lot about you. I think she's frustrated you don't remember her."
"OH." Sakura replied. A warm feeling was welling up in her.
"That feels familiar." Sakura said with a warm smile. "I think, for some reason, what you're telling me is the truth…"
They stood next to each other in silence, both having slight blushes on their face.
"Ruka-pyon… what were you to me? I feel… a connection with you… did I like you before I forgot my memory?" Sakura asked suddenly, making Ruka let out a startled yelp and squeeze his bunny rabbit really hard.
"Um… I don't know… but.."
"I think maybe I did. I feel very strongly about you Ruka, and you're so nice to me… I hope I remember soon."
Blushing slightly, she hesitantly gave him a light kiss on the cheek.
"Thanks for being so concerned. You and Natsume are both so sweet. I'm going to go find Hotaru tomorrow and talk to her… Oh! I think my laundry is done!"
She left Ruka looking dazed as he touched his cheek with his hand.
'I'm never going to wash this cheek…' He thought dreamily.
-/-/-
Natsume watched the whole thing from the hallway. Just when he heard their voices, for some reason, he hid from their sight. He was holding the plastic hamper handles tightly. He had come down the hall to do laundry, and just happened to be there.
'So annoying… if Ruka can just flirt with her somewhere less public.' He thought tersely.
"Ruka-pyon… what were you to me? I feel… a connection with you… did I like you before I forgot my memory?"
He heard Mikans voice and felt his spine stiffen, and although he didn't really want to spy on his best friend, he found himself peeking around the corner to watch them.
He saw Sakura Mikan bring her cute little face close to Rukas cheek and kiss it lightly. Of course, he could not miss the blush that went across his friends face, or the light blush across Sakura's face.
He felt something snapping. He looked down blankly.
His tight grip hand broken the plastic hamper handle.
'Damn. I have to get a new hamper.'
(Don't be ridiculous Natsume! It's just the handle!)
He heard Sakura skipping away and footsteps coming down the hallway towards him.
"Natsume!"
"Oy." The black haired boy said with no expression on his face, nodding to Ruka in acknowledgement.
"Laundry." He replied to Ruka's questioning look.
There was a long silence as they both stood in the hallway awkwardly.
"Oh… er… well… Sakura Mikan looks all right… I mean… I hope she gets her memory back soon." Ruka stuttered, looking at his friend and feeling heat rise up and making him redder than he already was. Actually, he was turning a bit purple from all the blushing that day.
Ruka wasn't stupid, he was sure that Natsume had some feelings for his crush, but he wasn't one hundred percent sure.
Not just that, but he wasn't sure if Natsume saw or heard everything that had been happening.
"I hope she doesn't remember me. Correction. I would rather she forgets about me and gets out of my life." Natsume replied without thinking.
"Why?" Ruka asked, looking a bit confused.
"Because."
Natsume didn't really answer the question.
"Why?" Ruka prodded again. "C'mon. I'm your best friend."
"Because I hate that idiot." Natsume snapped.
"Oh."
Ruka and Natsume blinked.
"S-sakura-chan…" Ruka managed out as they turned around to see Sakura Mikan staring at them.
There was a long silence and several tumbleweeds passed by before someone managed to talk.
"Umm… Okay. I'll get going now." Sakura responded quickly. Laughing loudly. "Whoops! Ahahaha! Bye!"
Sakura Mikan turned to run away quickly, her mind screaming at her to get out of there.
"Mikan."
A hand grabbed her arm, surprising Ruka and Natsume himself.
The black haired boy was holding her arm.
'What the hell are you doing?' He thought to himself.
"Y-yes?" Sakura said, shaking slightly at Natsume's dark look.
"… He's better for you…" He replied.
He quickly let go of her arm and pushed past her.
'What was that?' Ruka thought blinking in confusion.
'What the hell was that?'
-/-/-
To be continued…
Preview for next chapter:
Chapter Title:I Remember Tsubasa-senpai!
"Oh!"
Hotaru, Ruka, and Natsume whipped their heads back at the girl who was rubbing her head after her rough fall off the tree branch.
"Oy. You Ok? Because if you got another head injury, I don't think you would be able to handle any more brain cells being lost moron." Natsume said with a tint of annoyance.
"Tsubasa-senpai..."
"Huh? Yes?"
The handsome shadow controlling middle schooler leaned forward, hoping that Sakura wasn't injured.
"You okay Mikan-chan?"
"S...s-senpai... SENPAI!"
To his surprise, the young girl jumped up and hugged him.
"W-w-whoa! Y-you're going to get me killed girl!" The black haired dark eyed boy yelped as he gathered the girl up in his arms.
You couldn't miss the two deathly glares coming from the two hottest young elementary students in the school. You couldn't forget the fact that one of them was a dangerous alice.
Tsubasa felt his life on the line.
"S-sakura you..."
"I was so scared senpai! I missed you! I really am glad I remember you!"
"What? You remember me?"
