JC: Thanks so much for the reviews. This is my first Gakuen Alice Fic and the reviews mean a lot to me. I've finally updated Chapter 2. Things are going to get really confusing here.
Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice.
Forgotten Memories
Chapter 2: Lost Identity
It was a world filled nothing but darkness. Mikan stood alone in this world, feeling the bitter coldness and sadness. There was nothing at all. There was no one there. She walked a few steps, turned her head from time to time, hoping she would see someone. She tried to scream, and even to whisper, but her voice did not come out. She was starting to fear. Her knees trembled and so did her hands. She fell to her knees and tears streamed down her amber eyes. She was so alone and so sad. She felt like dying right there. She buried her face in her palms and cried her heart out.
Just then, she heard a voice calling her name.
"Mikan! Hey! Mikan! MIKAN!"
That voice was so familiar to her. She can't explain why but she felt so happy to hear that voice. She stood from her position and looked around for the source of the voice. She ran through the darkness and came across a path of light. There, she saw the owner of the voice. She paused for a while, as she kept staring at the raven-haired figure before her. She seemed to recognize him but she can't remember his name. Who was he?
The person turned to her, showing her a genuine smile. "Mikan…" he muttered her name with importance.
Mikan couldn't help but cry some more. "You…" She clasped her hands tightly. "Who…are you?"
With that, the world shattered like broken glasses and disappeared.
"Ah!" squeaked Mikan as she arose from the bed. She breathed heavily thanks to the dream she had, or more like a nightmare. She held her temple to sort out her thoughts. She tried remembering the dream again, but it seemed to be a blur to her now.
"Mikan…"
"Eh?" Mikan turned her head to see students surrounding her bed.
On the right side, there stood Hotaru, Ruka, and Nonoko, while on the left side, there stood Anna and Kokoroyomi. Yuu and Sumire were both standing at the edge of the bed. Natsume, by the way, was leaning by the window, as his crimson eyes were fixed on the brunette. Obviously, everyone there was worried for Mikan.
"Thank goodness, you're awake now," Yuu beamed with a tear in his eye.
Anna clasped her hands and smiled. "We were so worried about you, Mikan-chan."
Hotaru placed a hand on Mikan's head. "You always cause us a lot of trouble. A lot of people were worried about you," she said in her usual tone. But, in her heart, she was grateful that Mikan was safe.
"So, Sakura-san, are you all right now?" Sumire asked, slightly concerned and slightly uncaring. She was always like that to Mikan. "It's a good thing Natsume-kun found you. You better thank him."
"That's right. What were you doing in the Northern Woods?" Nonoko asked, taking a seat on the bed. "And why were you crying at that time?"
Mikan gave them a confused look, as if she doesn't understand them.
"Mikan, did something happen in the Northern Woods?" Hotaru questioned with a hint of concern in her voice this time.
"Umm… Northern Woods?" Mikan spoke, looking curious. "What is that? And oh, who is this Mikan?"
Everyone gasped in surprise. Even Natsume, who was keeping himself from asking questions, approached the bed and stared at Mikan.
"Hey, wait a sec, Sakura-san! Don't joke like that." Sumire flapped her hand a little bit as she giggled nervously.
"Sakura? Is that my name?" Mikan said, holding no emotions in her face. Her eyes were also dim and motionless. She appeared different somehow.
"Mikan, don't tell me…" Hotaru muttered, her amethyst eyes growing larger.
Natsume gritted his teeth. "Hey, read her mind." He told Kokoroyomi, and the mind-reader nodded without complaints.
Kokoroyomi eyed Mikan carefully and concentrated his Alice on her. It was going to difficult since Mikan had the Nullifying Alice. He forced his way inside Mikan's mind and heart, and he was surprised to see emptiness within her. "Mikan … She's…"
"What is it? Tell us!" Sumire shouted, clutching onto the mind-reader's uniform.
Mikan didn't know what was going on between the students and remained silent.
"Everyone, this is what Mikan is thinking right now…" Kokoroyomi swallowed hard as he kept his eyes focused on the brunette. "Who are these people? What is this place? How did I get here? I can't remember anything."
At this point, Mikan showed a bit of emotion learning that Kokoroyomi was really reading her mind.
Kokoroyomi was getting more depressed as he continued. "Huh? This guy is reading my mind. How did he do that?"
"Sakura…" Ruka muttered, feeling a pang in his heart. "She can't remember. Why? How did this happen?"
Natsume clenched his fists hard and stared at the floor. He didn't expect this to happen. After bringing her to the hospital, he thought she'll be all right. The doctors with healing specialty Alice have already told him that there was nothing wrong with her. But why couldn't she remember anything? Suddenly, he thought back about what happened between them in the Northern woods.
"Thank you, Natsume," she said, leaning her head on his chest.
He couldn't control his urge any longer. He snaked his arms around her and hugged her so securely. "Mikan…" he said it again.
She was so happy to hear her name coming from him. She would only hear it on rare occasions, since Natsume always teased her with nicknames. She was so grateful to him for granting her last favor. She looked up at him, giving him a wider smile. "Natsume, thanks again, and…" she hesitated a bit. "Goodbye…" With those last words, she fell unconscious in his arms.
"Eh? What?" Natsume's crimson eyes grew wide in shock. He clutched the brunette tightly, preventing her from falling towards the wet ground. He shook her viciously to wake her up, but it seemed she was knocked out cold. "Mikan! Hey! Mikan! MIKAN!"
Slowly, he looked up at the brunette as he felt his heart tearing apart. During that time in the Northern Woods, he didn't know what she meant about 'Goodbye.' He didn't know that she will lose her memories after she fainted. He cursed himself quietly in his mind. He had failed for protect her.
"This can't be really happening, right?" Sumire said, laughing lightly, as she pointed her finger at Mikan. "Sakura-san, stop kidding around!"
"Um… I don't know what you're talking about," replied Mikan, looking more confused than usual.
Sumire shrugged. "This is not good." She ran towards the door and opened it. "I'm going to inform Narumi-sensei about this. Hey, come with me!" She addressed the mind-reader.
Kokoroyomi nodded his head and ran off with Sumire.
"We should inform the class about this as well," Yuu suggested, turning to Anna and Nonoko. Afterwards, the three of them ran out in a hurry.
Hotaru sighed deeply as she silently spun on her heels. She walked towards the door and grabbed hold of the knob. She slightly turned her head back at Mikan, as she felt a prickling pain in her heart. She wanted to cry, but the mask on her face was too tight. She didn't want to reveal her soft side to anyone, not even to Mikan.
"Where are you going, Imai?" Ruka asked, thinking that she shouldn't leave Mikan's side because she was her best friend.
"I'm going to talk to my brother. He was one of the people who checked up on Mikan. I bet he'll have some answers." Hotaru faced the door and sighed once more. "Ruka-kun, Natsume-kun, the two of you will stay with Mikan. You better not leave her side or else," she threatened and then left.
Mikan didn't know what was going on at all. Her head was filled up with questions, but she didn't dare to ask. She observed the two boys who were standing beside her bed. From the looks of their faces, she could tell how sad they were.
She tugged Ruka's sleeves and looked at him innocently with her big round eyes. The animal-lover couldn't help but blush. Even though Mikan lost her memories, she was still the same girl who always made Ruka jumpy.
"Umm… Why did everyone leave?" she asked him, releasing his sleeve.
Ruka sighed deeply. "They just went out for a while. They'll be back, especially Imai," he answered, as he placed his little bunny friend on the bed.
"Imai? Who is that?"
"Imai Hotaru was the last person to leave. She's the one with the short hair."
"Oh… She seems odd for some reason and cold…"
Ruka and Natsume had to agree with Mikan on that one.
"You know, Imai is your best friend," added Ruka, trying to put on a smile.
"Really? She is? But why can't I remember?" Mikan lowered her head as she clutched the sheets tightly.
The two best friends stared at each other for a while before shifting to Mikan. They were both thinking about an answer to give to her.
Suddenly, the little rabbit hopped onto her lap and looked up at Mikan with its adorable eyes and pointy ears. The rabbit could usually make any girl smile, but it was a different case for Mikan right now. Mikan has neither showed any reaction nor emotions upon seeing the rabbit. She merely patted its head and tickled its tummy. "Is this yours?" she asked Ruka without taking her eyes off the animal.
"Yeah… That rabbit is my friend," he replied.
"It's really cute," she said flatly, still not showing any emotions.
Natsume examined Mikan's face, taking note that she doesn't smile anymore. It was such a pain to see her like that. He so wanted to shout out and tell Mikan to go back to her normal self. As if that was possible…
"By the way, what's your name?" Mikan asked, looking up at Ruka this time.
Ruka flushed up a bit before muttering his name, "Nogi Ruka…"
"Call him Ruka-pyon," added Natsume.
As Mikan turned her head at Natsume, she felt her heart skip a beat. But she decided to ignore this so she could ask Natsume for his name. "And you are?"
"Hyuuga Natsume," he said, "Natsume is fine…" He just had to say that. It wouldn't feel right if Mikan started calling him and Ruka by their last names.
"All right." She clasped her hands on her lap and closed her eyes. "Natsume, Ruka-pyon, can you two please say my name? I can't remember what it is but I know you do."
"It's Sakura," Ruka started, as Natsume followed up with, "Mikan…"
And something struck her heart again like a prickle in a rose. After hearing Natsume say her name, she felt her heart throbbing faster than usual. She didn't understand her heart at all. Putting that aside, Mikan bowed her head and thanked the boys. "My name is really nice. I wonder who gave it to me. My father or my mother perhaps? If only I could remember."
The two boys were as silent as a mime. Both were confused and depressed on what happened to Mikan. Not only that, they shared the same feeling of guilt in their hearts. They blamed themselves for not being able to protect her, for not being there when she was in trouble. However, it wasn't their fault. Nobody expected it to happen. The problem just came like a quiet wind. But, as they say, there's always an answer to any problem. If they could somehow find the cause of Mikan's memory loss, then they might be able to cure her.
In the hallways of the high school building, Imai Subaru, a teacher in the academy with the Alice of Healing, walked silently as every student passing by take notice of him. Who wouldn't notice him? He was once a brilliant Special Star student with looks that can kill. He had already graduated from the Academy and became a teacher. He may have a cold personality, but he was actually a caring person. His dream was actually to become a doctor in the future.
He was heading towards the teacher's lounge to meet up with his good friend, Sakurano Shuichi, the previous student council president who possessed three Alice. He also became a teacher upon graduating. Upon reaching the door, he encountered an unsuspecting person.
"What brings you here?" he asked in his usual cold voice.
"I want you to answers some questions," Hotaru replied in a flat tone.
"This is about Sakura Mikan, am I right?"
"It's a very serious case. Mikan has lost her memories."
Subaru's eyes widened. "What did you say? Her memories?" He cupped his chin with his hand. "How can that be? There wasn't anything wrong with her."
"Physically, yes, but mentally—it's a different story."
"Now that you mention it, my co-worker did say something strange when we were checking on her."
"And what is that?"
"He said that someone used an Alice on her," Subaru said, putting a lot of thought into the situation. He was one of the people who vowed to protect Mikan. In the past, he was very fond of Mikan's mother, Azumi Yuka, and he looked up to her. "This Alice must be a Memory-Erasing Alice."
"Memory-Erasing Alice?" Hotaru muttered, realizing that her best friend was in serious trouble than she thought.
Meanwhile, the other students were all gathered in the classroom with some of the teachers, which included Narumi, Misaki, Jinno, Serina, and Noda. After hearing the news about Mikan, all of them got upset and worried. Even the demonic proctor, Jinno-sensei, got worried for the young brunette as well.
"This could be the work of a Memory-Erasing Alice," Jinno said after the explaining he gave about such kind of Alice.
"This is really bad. I feel sorry for Mikan-chan," Narumi-sensei muttered, pulling a sad face.
"Mikan-chan can't remember us at all, sensei," Yuu spoke, clasping his hands together. "What can we do?"
The other students were beginning to panic. Some started to whisper, some stayed quiet namely Yuu, Nonoko, and Anna, while others were starting to argue. It was getting chaotic in the classroom.
Jinno-sensei sent out a few bolts of lightning from his stick into the air to alert the students to be quiet. He hated noises, especially noises made by students. "Calm down and be quiet!"
Despite Jinno's instructions, Sumire stepped out to ask, "Sensei, isn't there a student here with a Memory-Erasing Alice?" But she asked Narumi-sensei instead.
Narumi shook his head. "There's no student with that kind of Alice. The Memory-Erasing Alice is actually rare. It's as rare as Mikan-chan's Nullifying Alice."
"This was done by an Alice. There should be an Alice that can fix this, right?" Sumire insisted, looking so concerned. She did consider Mikan as a friend—even though they were rivals.
"I'm sorry. The only one who can bring back Mikan-chan's memories is the same person who erased them," Narumi sadly said.
Silence enveloped the room as everyone fell into deep sadness. The feeling of not being able to anything clouded their hearts and minds. Everyone there cared for Mikan and they want Mikan to be back to normal.
Natsume and Ruka were shocked to hear Hotaru's explanation about Mikan's condition. They were standing beside Mikan's bed where the brunette had fallen asleep. They couldn't even give a response to what she said. This wasn't just a normal case of amnesia. This was a case regarding about an Alice. Mikan will not be able to recover unless the person who erased her memories restores them to her.
"I wonder who would do such a thing," Ruka mumbled, clenching his fists.
"Mikan has the Nullifying Alice," Hotaru said, brushing some strokes of hair away from the sleeping Mikan's face. "But her Alice didn't work against this mind-erasing person."
"It means that the person has a high-level Alice," Natsume added, feeling aggravated but he kept his emotions well-hidden.
"Here's another question." Hotaru faced the boys seriously. "Why Mikan?"
"This might be the work of the Anti-Alice Organization."
"That organization again?" said Ruka, his face showing fear and anxiety, as he remembered his encounters with them two years ago.
"The AAO is interested in Mikan because of her two special Alice," Natsume explained calmly. It was getting hard for him to stay placid and emotionless, but he had to stay and look strong in front of Ruka and Hotaru. Also, it wasn't his style to panic.
"If that's really the case, then Mikan is in real danger." Hotaru glanced over her shoulder to look at brunette who was still sleeping soundly like an angel.
"But if they wanted Sakura, why did they have to erase her memories?" Ruka asked, his face clouded with sadness and worries.
Natsume shrugged as he leaned on the wall. "It's probably because it's much easier to manipulate her this way."
"The old Mikan would surely resist the AAO." Hotaru pulled out a chair and sat down near the bed. "This must be the only possible option they could think of. How cowardly…" She clenched her fists as she stared at them.
Before the sun had set, the news about Mikan's memory lost has spread out in the entire school, leaving no student or teacher unannounced. Those students who were very close to Mikan became very depressed and they wanted to help her somehow. But the teachers advised them not to do anything drastic until further investigation.
To be continued…
JC: Mikan has lost her memories. She can't remember a single thing, which is sad for her friends. You guys are probably wondering how she lost her memories, huh? I'm not going to reveal it yet. Sorry… Please review, okay? I don't accept flames. I'll update real soon.
