I'm updating, I'm updating! Really, I have an ocean of ideas for this fic so I was thinking, better write it down than lose it. So, I'm still making up for the past months that I didn't update...do you forgive me now? This is my third chapter for this month, and I'm very proud of it. Review and enjoy!!!
DISCLAIMER: This thing is getting old. I do not own Gakuen Alice. Just this plot. What a shock.
NatsuMikan383 signing in!
Chapter 9
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Hotaru was in the cafeteria, buying some of her favorite food when she saw some of her classmates in a rush towards a certain with her a jar of crab brains and her blackmailing skills, she followed the gang, unnoticed. She stalked them until the group entered the Academy's hospital. From afar, she could clearly identified the crowd; Sumire, Koko, Anna, Nonoko, Yuu, and Ruka. The raven-haired girl muttered, "It's only minutes away from class. What are these idiots doing here?" Still invisible, she crept up behind them as she figured they were talking to a guy in a white coat. She fished out something from her backpack. It was a headband with a cat ears. What was it? You ask, and so the inventor started her lecture:
Invention No. 164 - Special Neko-Mimi
It widens your range of earshot by 10 meters and is designed like a cat's sensitive ears. It also can translate what you hear into a language you can understand. Now for sale at 100, 000 yen.
She then wore the headband, letting her eavesdrop on what the gang and the doctor was discussing about. She first heard Ruka's sad voice, saying, "And most of all, she doesn't smile anymore..." She? Were they talking about Mikan? She wondered as she took involuntary steps towards the group. Then the girl with midnight blue hair said like she was wrapping up the whole conversation, "The Mikan now is the opposite of Mikan before."
She listened well, unknowingly taking steps closer to them. She couldn't make sense of the other sentences until someone said, "The last emotion that she experienced before her brain cells got locked will be what she's feeling right now. Most likely, amnesia cases like this is caused by continual physical abuse, specifically the head. It's either frustration, anxiety, anguish, betrayal or...pain."
Pain...it was what Mikan was feeling now. That's why she's so suspicious and wary about everyone. But she would believe anyone that knows about her past. She would try to accept her past, even though deep inside, she was in agony and lonely. I was the one who caused her pain. And I was the last one before she forgot everything...
"It was all my fault," Hotaru absentmindedly realized.
She dropped the jar she was holding and ran away. She was too upset to turn around and clean the mess she done. The Ice queen took off her invention and her backpack. It had hurt her that she was making her bestfriend suffer. The innocent, dense but nonetheless a great friend, Mikan.
"Imai-san!" A gentle voice made her snap out of her trance. The amethyst-eyed girl turned around to see the blond-haired animal boy and out of depression, she threw herself at his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Ruka seem shocked by the blackmailer's actions so he stood there stiffly, unable to make out the right reaction. Just then, he tried to soothe her by stroking her back.
Her muffled voice was clearly strained, "It's my fault. I'm the reason why she's like this..."
"Don't blame yourself. It started out as a joke but...it just didn't turn out right," Ruka softly comforted. "No," she pulled away. "I'm not stupid. I know it was me," she argued and locked gaze with the boy in front of her. Amethyst versus Aquamarine. Hotaru slowly composed herself.
"Okay, okay," the blonde boy gave in. "I'm a little bit angry at what you did to her. But not you. I know how hard it is for you to watch her suffer while blaming yourself." The short-haired girl nodded with eyes full of gratitude. "And now Hyuuga wants to fix this mess while I was the one who made it..." she told the boy, utterly distracted. The animal-lover was caught off-guard by the statement. Surprised, he asked, "What?!?" Hotaru slowly bowed her head again, now with regret of letting the kuro neko have his way.
Ruka tilted her chin up so he could look at her teary eyes. "Tell me..." he pleaded. She slapped his hand away before raising her head high with newfound confidence. "The last time I saw him was at the hospital. He said he's gonna get Niji Yuuki to heal Mikan--" but before she could finish, Ruka had cut her off, "But you know how dangerous that could be! You should have stopped him!" his voice was suddenly raised than usual. "I did! I warned him, but he just mocked me by saying..." she stopped in mid-sentence as she recalled the black cat's words.
"By saying what?" Curiousity got better of the blonde boy. Hotaru looked up with a smirk, "If I tell you, I'm gonna have to blackmail you to keep quiet." The animal boy shuddered at that thought but was partly glad that the cold girl that he admired for long was back at her usual self. Well, not that it was in favor for him. "Don't worry. I won't ask..." he murmured to her. "...EVER," he added inadibly.
Out of the blue, Hotaru punched him playfully at his shoulder. "Just kidding. Your bestfriend told me not to blackmail you so he would forgive me for hurting Mikan. He didn't exactly said that but it seems like that. Is that okay with you?" the raven-haired girl babbled lightly with a small smile touching her lips. All Ruka could reply was a soft whimper, "Ow." The Ice queen suddenly worried. "Are you okay, animal boy?" she asked, biting her lips, nervous that she had hurt another person again. She muttered sadly, "Maybe I just can't do anything right, can I?"
The blondie shook his head, "No. I'm fine, really. Just..."--he winced in pain--"...taken off-guard." She threw a worried and apologetic glance at him.
"There you are, tour guide." A voice of a girl said. Hotaru replied faced her coldly, "Yeah. Sorry for leaving you. C'mon. Let's head back to class before we're late, Mikan." When the brunette saw Ruka, she yanked the inventor's arms back. "Hey, hey. He seems familiar..." the nullifier mused. "He's our classmate and Hyuuga's bestfriend. Of course he's familiar," the inventor said lazily. Just then, Mikan remembered the boy in the picture that she found in her bestfriend's backpack. "Oh. He's that boy with many pictures in your backpack, right?" she asked Hotaru, making the latter look away. Ruka, hearing this, flustered ten thousand shades of red.
The tangerine-named girl then looked straight into the boy's ocean blue eyes. She grinned widely and gave out her hand, in a sweet voice, she said, "Hi. I'm Hotaru's bestfriend...but I bet you already know that. What's your name?" The animal lover stammered in return, his cheeks flushed. "I-I'm Nogi Ruka," he said as he shook Mikan's hand. Then suddenly, the girl's grip tightened, making him grimace in pain.
"Look, Ruka, if you ever hurt her, I swear I'm gonna kill you. Friends before, or not. Got it?" Mikan threatened him. The poor boy quickly glanced at the raven-haired girl behind the brunette and answered nervously but truthfully, "Y-yes." In the corner of his eyes, he saw Hotaru roll her eyes before saying, "Mikan, give it up. He's not gonna hurt me. Trust me..." she reassured as she gave the boy an evil smirk. Ruka suddenly felt that the wind was turning wintry.
Mikan finally let go of the blonde's hand and walked away with her bestfriend. When the two girls were out of earshot, he said, "Not gonna hurt her? Pfft. The most likely she is to hurt me..." And he walked back to the gang.
"Did she hear us?" Permy instantly asked as soon as he walked in. He replied a soft "Yes" as he rubbed his sore shoulder. And cramped hand. "Those two surely were aggressive..." the blondie grumbled to himself. "What happened to you? You look like you've seen a ghost," Anna asked. "Close," Ruka breathed. The mind reader suddenly bursted out laughing as he read his mind. The poor blondie was still thinking about the scene a while ago. Nonoko sighed, "Oh boy, being a mind reader sure keeps you updated..."
Everyone stared at Koko like he was crazy. Well, crazy is not the right word for him but rather, weird or freaky. "What?" he said innocently and continued laughing. His laughing was reduced to a cough when the animal boy elbowed him. "Piyo is hungry. No, starving. And one more thing, he likes junk food..." Ruka said in a deadly tone. The freak shuddered and hid behind Anna. "I changed my mind. It sucks to be a mind reader!" the girl with dark-blue hair said. The gang bursted out in laughter. When the signal bell suddenly rang, they frantically ran back to their own classrooms.
A certain boy with raven locks found himself tied up to a chair in the middle of a small room. He looked out the window and saw that it was already morning. "So the kuro neko awakes," a mysterious voice said from behind him. "Let me go..." he said through his gritted teeth. "Not so fast." the source of the voice suddenly came to Natsume's view.
The flamecaster can't help but gasp at the sight of his abductor. She looked exactly like Mikan, but without the pigtails hairstyle. Her warm chocolate brown eyes scrutinized the boy's movements.
"Yuka...Azumi?" he croaked out as the owner of the name smiled smugly at him. "Surprise, surprise..." she said sarcastically. "Wandering too far, ne? Kuro neko?"
Hurray for chapter 9!!! Sorry for some Hotaru OOC but it was just fun to make her look weak than her usual uncaring front. Anyways, I told ya I had better plans for Mikan's mother. And some hint to what I'm planning to do...Yuka Azumi has the Steal, Copy and Erase Alice. It's gonna be real handy in this story so watch out. This is almost getting to where the Rising Action is. Yayyy. And oh, the last part of this chap is like the prologue for the next one so...it's kinda exciting, don't you think? No? Aw, c'mon!
Please review, review, or review. If not, then story alert or favorite story or favorite author me. It's all in the same button so just make use of it, kay? Haha. I'm so silly. Can't wait to write the next chappie! I'll see ya soon!!
NatsuMikan383 signing out!
