Just a reply to a certain person (friend :3?) who left a review..

Secret.Wings: Thanks! And yeah, fast updates are what I'm good at. When I really want to get something done, I get it done really fast. (Your stories are awesome, by the way :D.) Know any other good authors?

OoOoOoOoOoO

Mikan: Haha.. you're taking forever for this chapter. I find that very amusing..

Me: That's because I'm having writer's block! -throws keyboard- I'm confused because I have two stories running through my head at the moment. This one and another that I'm going to write. I think I need to write the other one down first and then I'll be able to continue.. but I can't think of good ideas for this one..

Mikan: In other words, the readers need to give you ideas and suggestions for this fanfic, right? So it'll make it easier on you.

Me: Yeah, that would help, big time.

Mikan: You heard that, readers. This idiot needs your ideas.

Me: Thanks.Anyway.. I don't own Gakuen Alice, sadly.

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Chapter Four

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Worries

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Wake up, lazy! Baka! Moron! Wake up! Lazy woma--

The shrill sound of an alarm clock was quickly silenced as a very irritated brunette slowly sat up and looked around her room. God, she should just crush that alarm clock so she didn't have to hear its annoying insults every morning.

'Damn it.. why'd I have to let Hotaru choose my alarm clock? She made one herself that's really fucking irritating..' Mikan thought as she got up and headed toward the bathroom.

Mikan's mood was already in a bad state, and thinking of the mission she had that night didn't help, either.

Mikan sighed, shrugging off her troublesome thoughts. She went through her normal morning motions of getting ready, deciding that she'd go without breakfast today. Then, she glanced at the clock on the wall. Heck, she was an hour early! 'Oh well,' she thought, 'I'll just go to class anyway. That'll give me a whole hour to sleep before school starts.'

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'Ugh.' Mikan thought as she opened the door to the classroom. Why did 'he' have to be there? He referred to a certain raven-haired boy with crimson eyes, resting at the back of the classroom with manga covering his face.

Natsume Hyuuga.

Otherwise known as "Black Cat" or "Kuro Neko", this guy never ceased to annoy the hell out of her, though she never showed it. He was a pawn of the academy, but he had never been exposed to the kind of pain and suffering that Mikan's past held, and she hated him for it. She hated him for still having a family, even though he was never allowed to see them. She hated his cold, dark crimson eyes. She hated his attitude. She literally hated everything about him. The worst thing of all was, she couldn't explain her complete hatred for him.

Slowly walking to her seat, she ignored the resting boy. Laying her arms on the table and resting her head in her arms, she closed her eyes and sighed.

"Oi."

"..."

"..Oi!"

Mikan could feel a pair of crimson eyes staring at her from behind. Slightly annoyed, she decided to ignore him. Suddenly, she felt a tug on her hair. Finally, she snapped. Standing up, she turned to face Natsume, her eyes cold and her voice betraying a small hint of fury.

"What the hell do you want, Hyuuga? You're fucking pissing me off. Don't think you can irritate me and get away with it, goddamn it. I'm not in a good mood."

Natsume stared in shock for a moment, keeping his face calm while thoughts ran through his head. Who knew this girl could be set off so easily? And what's with her eyes? They'd turned a different color. Instead of the usual chocolate-brown orbs, they were now a dark black with glints of red. Natsume felt a shiver of fear crawl down his spine. Damn, this girl is scary.

"Tch. Whatever." was the oh-so-genius reply of the fire wielder.

Mikan turned and sat down as her eyes changed back to their normal color again, and she rested her head on the desk to sleep.

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The classroom doors opened as other students began to file in, all heading for their seats or chatting with friends. A certain stoic-faced girl with cold, emotionless violet eyes walked up to Mikan and sat down.

"Mikan."

Mikan sat up, blinking her eyes sleepily and yawning. "Hn." She nodded slightly to Hotaru and then slumped in her seat with a bored expression on her face.

"Bad mood?"

"Hn."

Hotaru nodded. Something was bothering Mikan, she knew it. But she didn't want to ask incase Mikan decided to let her anger out on her. Just then, the door slid open. A man with black hair pulled in to a low ponytail and multiple earings on each ear, with many rings on his fingers walked in.

"Hello class. Narumi had something important to attend to, so i'm your substitute teacher."

Natsume stiffened at the sound of the voice. He knew that voice all too well. Surely it couldn't be Persona. Could it?

Mikan just ignored the new substitute.

Everyone else was muttering.

"Who is he?"

"Look at all the jewelry he has on! Are they all alice prevention devices?"

"This guy looks meaner than Jin-jin."

"I wonder what his alice is?"

"Ne, ne! Is he glaring at us?"

"Scary..."

"My name is Serio-sensei. I expect you to behave while I'm teaching this class. That means stop muttering and pay attention! And no sleeping, Hyuuga." Natsume grunted and pulled his manga off his face, giving "Serio-sensei" a death glare as he sat up.

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RIIIIIINNNNNNGGGGGGGGGG!

The bell rang, signalling that class was over. Everyone started packing up, and the room cleared out. Only Natsume, his friend Ruka, Hotaru, Mikan, and Serio-sensei were left in the room. Mikan got up and was about to walk out, but Serio-sensei called out to her, making her stop.

"Sakura, you need to stay behind."

Mikan turned, irritated. He was pushing her patience to the limit. First, he comes in to their class as their "substitute teacher", calls himself "Serio-sensei", then has the nerve to tell her to stay after class when there were still people in the room! She took a deep breath and turned around.

"Yes.. Persona-nii?" She smirked.

Persona twitched. He hadn't expected her to play along with his act, but he didn't expect her voice to be so acidic when she spoke to him, either.

"..."

Natsume stopped at the door and looked at the two standing six feet away from each other with different expressions. The brunette was smirking at the dark-haired man, at the same time glaring at him. Was that even possible? Apparently it was, because she was doing it. The man, meanwhile, seemed to have a shocked, and a little hurt, expression.

"Hyuuga. Leave." The brunette growled. Natsume was about to retort, but she cut him off.

"I don't want to see your goddamn face, now get out of here." Sensing a threat behind her words, he silently slipped out of the classroom and left.

Mikan relaxed her gaze, smirk disappearing, and turned to look at Hotaru. "I damn well know you're probably going to stay even if I tell you to leave, so you can stay." Hotaru nodded, and Mikan turned back to look at Persona.

"So, Persona-nii, what's your reason for holding me behind?" She asked, a soft tone in her voice.

Persona smirked. This girl can really have fast mood swings, he thought. "Just reminding you of your mission tonight. You'll have a week for this mission, so I expect it to be a success. That's all. Ja." With that, Persona turned and disappeared in to his ever-present darkness.

"..." Jeez, Persona-nii. What the hell is with you? I already know that.

"Mikan..?" Hotaru's worried voice came. Mikan flashed her a rare, pure smile.

"It's fine, Hotaru. I'll be okay. Besides, I've done missions that are a lot harder than this one. It'll be fine." She assured her best friend.

"..."

"..Okay. I guess it's fine, then. If you say so.."

"Come on, Hotaru. I'm bored." Mikan walked out of the room and headed through the building until she reached the doors. Then, she turned and headed toward the Northern Forest. "Let's go see Mr. Bear, okay?"

"...Okay."

For the rest of the afternoon, Mikan and Hotaru sat in Mr. Bear's cabin drinking tea and eating cookies. Strangely, Mikan and Mr. Bear had become good friends. Maybe it was because of their personalities?

"Ne, Hotaru. It's almost time for my mission. We'd better go back to the dorms. I need to get ready, and you need to get back to your inventions.." Mikan's sentence trailed off as Hotaru nodded and started walking toward the dorms.

'Sigh.. this is going to be a long night..'

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Chapter Five

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The Mission

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Next time: The Mission.

Mikan gets ready,

and then heads to the Northern Woods.

Persona is waiting.

Mikan gets a new mask.

Persona gives the finer details.

Setting aside emotions..

Mikan leaves.

It's time for her mission.

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So, how was it? Good chapter? Okay? Boring? Next time is The Mission. Yay, we get to see- erm, read Mikan in action! Read and review!