I'm back! Well, let's get started! I have a feeling you're going to like this chapter! :P

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Gakuen Alice nor do I own its characters! They both belong to the wonderful Tachibana Higuchi! :D I only own the story plots and characters I make up!

Last time on Outside the Gates...

(:P)

As Ruka and I ate, we talked. We talked about different things but mostly about Mikan. I couldn't stop talking about her. Everything about her was perfect. She was perfect. I want to see her again. I can't believe that I already miss her...

Outside the Gates

~Chapter 9~

~Natsume's POV~

"Hurry up Ruka!" I panted, running towards the Northern forest. It's been half a year, HALF A YEAR, since Koizumi came here and somehow, she has become the president of Ruka and my fan club.

I haven't gone on any missions in half a year too. I miss Mikan more than I can describe! I wish that I could just see her! When will that damned Persona stop torturing me and give me another mission already? I want to see her again!

"I'm coming!" Ruka answered, carrying his white bunny in his arms as we ran.

The Northern Forest was just a few steps away! We can do this! Whenever we had reached the forest when the fan club was chasing us, they would stop on the outskirts. Ruka and I would make our way to another end of the forest so that we could get out and go to our rooms.

A few seconds later, trees were all around Ruka and I, the scream of fan girls distant from us. The two of us ran a little deeper in just in case a girl would become brave enough to follow us. We stopped somewhere in the middle of the forest and rested against giant Sakura trees.

The two of us caught our breaths and we were just about to go out of the forest when we heard voices talking.

"Rei-nii, do you remember Hotaru?" I know that voice...

I quickly made my way towards the voices silently; Ruka followed. I hid behind a tree and peered at the figures standing in a clearing of the forest. There were three of them.

"Yes. How are you Hotaru?" Persona answered the girl, Mikan.

"I'm fine. Do you mind if I see my brother?" Imai asked Persona. Persona nodded.

"Ne, Rei-nii, why do you wear that mask?" Mikan asked cutely. I smiled.

"To be mysterious."

"Well, you look retarded" Imai stated bluntly. Mikan busted out laughing as Persona sweat dropped.

Persona sighed and took off his mask. What I saw surprised me: an older, male version of Mikan except he had a more chiseled look and coal black eyes and hair. He was also more pale than Mikan. But other than those features, they looked really similar.

"Now, don't you feel better?" Mikan asked, finally not laughing.

"Whatever idiot" Persona muttered.

"It's Mikan. Say it with me: M-I-K-A-N. MIKAN!" Mikan said. Persona laughed. Eww.

I had a hard time stopping my laughter. I noticed Ruka gaping at Imai and smirked, turning my attention back to the people in front of us.

"Whatever. I can call you whatever I want. Now, do you want to see Youichi or not?"

"Yay! We get to see Youichi! Did you hear that Hotaru? Yay, yay, yay!" Mikan jumped around the clearing.

"Shhhh! Someone will hear you!" Persona laughed, smiling a bit. Creepy.

"Haha, sorry" Mikan said sheepishly.

All three of them made their way out of the clearing, disappearing before they reached the tree line.

"What was that?" Ruka asked me in a hushed tone as Persona left the clearing.

"Oh, just some family bonding time" I answered. "Come on, let's go. I'll explain to you on the way. Let's just follow them; see what happens."

As we followed Persona, Mikan, and Imai, I told Ruka all about the situation. Soon, Ruka was up to date with everything. Youichi was now with the group, hugging his elder sister tight.

"Mikan-nee! I missed you so much!" Youichi cried...literally.

"Oh, Youichi, look at you! You've grown so big!" Mikan cooed at her little brother. "I missed you soooooo much!"

"Hey freak" Imai greeted Youichi.

"Hi Hotaru-nee" Youichi hugged Imai for a little and then went back to Mikan.

Mikan picked Youichi up and cradled him in her arms lovingly. She had a small smiled playing on her lips as she swung Youichi gently, back and forth.

"Mikan, you can't stay here for long. We've got to get to Subaru and you two have to go. You'll be caught if you stay for too long" Persona said, a small hint of sadness in his expression.

"I-I know..." Mikan uttered, her tone growing dark. "Let's get this over with."

The four made their way to the Alice Hospital, trying not to run into any people. Ruka and I followed quietly and stealthily. I watched as Dr. Imai (Subaru), Persona, Imai, and Mikan all whispered in a heated argument, trying not to attract any attention to the room in which they were speaking in. What are they talking about?

"Are you sure that we'll be able to keep from coming here?" Imai asked. I was able to catch this because the circle broke when Mikan sat on a chair, depressed.

"It's not possible" Dr. Imai said. "You, Anna, and Nonoko will have to come here."

This statement was clearly pointed to Imai...well, the younger one. Mikan was trying her best not to cry when Imai, the younger one, came over to her and hugged her tightly.

"Don't cry, Hotaru...You'll have Anna and Nonoko" Mikan patted Imai's back.

"It's not that. I'll miss you so much... You're my best friend... I'm worried about you" Imai sobbed quietly.

Wow, that's new. From the seldom times I've conversed with Imai, she'd never cried, let alone shown much emotion. All she did was smile a smile that was utterly minuscule. You'd have to have a good sense in sight in order to see her smiles.

Persona rested a hand on each girls' shoulder. "Hotaru, you and the other two will come here tomorrow. I'll have one of my students show you around... if he would listen to me. I'll pick you all up but you have to pretend to be scared of me. Understood?"

Imai nodded.

"Okay, Mikan. You two have to go home now. I'll see you tomorrow okay?" Persona said, ruffling Mikan's hair a bit.

"Okay" Mikan whispered through a tear stained face. "B-but...can Hotaru and I go to the Northern Forest real quick?"

"Sure" Persona said after a minute hesitation. "But you have to make sure you won't be caught. I have work to do."

"Yes Persona-nii" And Mikan pulled Imai out of the room, after giving her brothers a kiss on their cheek, and right in front of Ruka and I. She shut the door behind her.

"Follow me" Mikan whispered to me and Ruka as she pulled Imai along.

The four of us took off to the Northern Forest, going deep in so that we wouldn't get caught. After a little, we finally got to the same clearing as before. Imai fell on her knees, covering her face with her hands. Mikan knelt down herself and hugged Imai tightly.

"I'll be fine Hotaru" Mikan whispered.

"I'm going to miss you" Imai whispered back.

Ruka and I watched as the two best friends whispered to each other back and forth about how they will miss each other. A few minutes after, Mikan stood up, helping Imai up too.

"Sorry for the depressing display" Mikan said, tears still racing down her cheeks.

I walked the few steps between us and wiped the tears off of her face.

"Crying doesn't suit you" I whispered to her, smiling a bit.

Mikan gave me a small smile back.

"When I visit Mikan, I'll take care of her Imai" I told the said girl, encouraging her a bit. "I'll even exchange your letters if you please." Anything to keep Mikan happy.

"Ehem..." Ruka let out an awkward, fake cough.

"Sorry man" I apologized sheepishly. "Girls, this is Ruka, my best friend. Ruka, this is Mikan" I pointed to Mikan "and Imai" I pointed to Imai.

"Nice to meet you girls" Ruka offered a friendly smile. Mikan smiled back while Imai nodded.

"I think they're over here!" I deep voice within the Forest called. He was pretty far, but the voice was getting closer.

"Oh no, we have to go! Natsume, I'm going to teleport you and Ruka-pyon to the High School building okay?" Mikan asked.

"R-Ruka...p-pyon...?" Ruka stuttered.

"Okay, we're going!"

And with that, Ruka and I were teleported to the said place while Mikan and Imai teleported to their own home town.

"Oi, Ruka" I tried to catch his attention.

"R-ruka...p-pyon? Wh-what? R-ruka p-pyon?" Ruka stuttered to himself.

"Oi, idiot!" I yelled into Ruka's ear.

"O-oh! Y-yes Natsume?" Ruka finally replied.

"Will you stop repeating what you stutter? It's getting annoying."

"Oh, sorry..."

"Hn."

"You seem to really like Mikan."

"And?"

"Well, you seemed ecstatic when she was here. But when she left, your facial expression fell."

"Wow, good observation skills Ruka" I said, my voice deeply drowned in sarcasm.

"You know, I'd say you love her, like always, but it seems you already know this."

"..."

"I mean, it's so obvious! You show it so much! I don't think anyone needs to read your mind in order to find that much out!"

"Shut up Ruka."

"Haha! You lovesick puppy."

"Well, you seemed to have a thing for Imai too. The way you just stared at her..." I left the sentence hanging and smirked at Ruka.

"Sh-shut up!"

"Hn. Thought so."

Ruka and I made our way to our classes and silently sat down in our seats in the back. The two of us drowned out the sound of squealing fan girls and let the teacher just drone on and on about his stupid lesson.

Time Skip...

"And this is the high school building!" Ruka pointed out to Ogasawara, Umenomiya, and Imai as the two of us gave them a tour of our school.

Of course, we had our 'introduction' and I wasn't the one telling talking to the girls, Ruka was. I just walked around in the front, not uttering a single thing.

"Natsume" Umenomiya called out. I looked at her. "This place doesn't seem so bad!"

"Well, it's because YOU don't have to go on missions and YOU aren't in the Dangerous Ability Class" I stated dully.

"Oh..."

"But whatever. It's not like it matters" I uttered, turning back around and walking.

"A-anyways" Ruka started as the four of them ran to catch up with me, "this is..."

I drowned out Ruka's voice as he gave them a tour. I was just to bored! I wish Mikan were here... NO! She should NEVER be here. I don't want her to get hurt. She'll definitely be used for her Alices if she were to come here. I won't allow that though. I'll visit her and I'll talk to her. I might even claim her as mine, but I'll never let them take her here.

"-uuga. Hyuuga? Oi, Hyuuga! Will you quit spacing out already!" Imai yelled at me. I turned around, eyebrow twitching.

"What" I asked, trying hard not to set this stupid freak on fire.

"Mikan said to give you this note" Imai said, handing me an orange envelope decorated with pink Sakura Petals.

Without hesitation, I took the note and opened it up. I slowly and carefully read through the note. It smelled like her, like strawberries. I read Mikan's elegant yet neat script:

Natsume,

I'm sorry for not being able to talk to you properly yesterday. We were sort of in a rush... But, I'd just like to ask you to look over Hotaru, Anna, and Nonoko for me. Now that I'm not there with them, I won't be able to protect them and help them. I hope you will do this for me. This is all I ask.

And one more thing, I really miss you! When you came over to my little home and kept me company, I always had fun...though it was just two times... But I can still conclude that you make my day much brighter. I can't wait until you come back! Heh, it sure is lonely here without you or Hotaru, Anna, nor Nonoko...

But please don't worry about me! I'll be fine as long as you and the girls are safe. I send you my regards! Oh, and Ruka-pyon too! Just take care of each other and hurry and visit me! I'll be waiting...

Lots of Love,

Mikan

"She says hi" I told the group waiting for my comment on the letter.

"Oh, okay" Ogasawara and Umenomiya chorused disappointedly.

I raised an eyebrow. "What did you expect?"

"O-oh! Nothing! Nothing at all!" they chorused.

Okay, now I'm suspicious... Ah well, better just leave it alone. I'll figure it out later anyways.

Ruka and I finished giving the girls a tour and we all headed back to classes and started from there. I don't want to describe my day anymore. I'm too lazy. I don't even want to attend here! Sigh. I opened up the letter again, Mikan's scent drifting into my nose.

I hope I can see Mikan soon.

~Chapter 9 End~

Done! Aren't you proud of me? :D

Well, I hope you all enjoyed! I worked hard! And thanks all of you who have reviewed and/or added me to their alerts and/or favorites! I really appreciate it!

Well, I have to go! :D

~natsumikanluverization697 logging off! :D