DISCLAIMER: I don't own Gakuen Alice. But I could always dream, right? ;-)

CHAPTER I: The Return to Alice Academy

/ Narita Airport /

"Hotaru!" the 15-year old brunette shrieked with joy as she ran towards the raven-haired girl.

"You haven't change, Mikan," Hotaru smirked. "You're loud as ever."

"It's just that I really missed my bestfriend!" the teary-eyed Mikan replied hugging Hotaru so tight.

"Cut it out, you choking me!" She took her baka gun out and, BAKA BAKA, gave Mikan a taste of it.

"Ou-Ouch! That hurts!" cried Mikan. "You haven't changed either! Why do you always hit me with that baka gun?" She touched the bumped on her head.

'Coz I missed you so much, you idiot! Hotaru thought. Two year's quite long. She aimed the gun and fired it again hitting Mikan on the exact spot yet again.

"I-itai! Hotaru, what was that for?" Mikan screamed, this time with a larger bumped on the head.

The raven-haired girl just shrugged. "Let's go. Yuu and the others are waiting for you at the academy," she placed Mikan's luggage on her cart-like invention.

Hotaru Imai… This is how you greet your friend after not seeing me for a long time? Damn genius. Mikan just shook her head and followed Hotaru towards the cab along with their bodyguards.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

FLASHBACK

"I don't wanna go!" Mikan burst into tears when she found out that she was one of the students who will be sent to other countries to enhance their new Alices.

Everyone who was included in the project protested.

"Matte, Narumi-sensei!" Yuu exclaimed. "The academy never allowed the students to go out till now. Care to explain why do we need to indulge ourselves with this project?"

Mr. Narumi cleared his throat. "Well… You see, our headmasters continually seek children who use Alice. They've also established new academies from other countries."

He paused and glanced at the pupils who were looking at him intently. His sweat dropped.

"The chosen students will be sent to their designated country and from there, they will be thought how to enhance their Alices," he continued. "Yuu, Nonoko, Anna, Sumire and Mikan are the chosen ones."

Mr. Narumi paused. Once again took a glimpse at his students. I don't know how to say this but here it goes, he thought while wiping his sweat. "By the way my dear students, your schedule of flight is tomorrow.

"Eeeeeh!" the students burst out. Then they started to dissent with what Mr. Narumi said leaving him trapped at the corner of the room.

"My my, hold your horses children. You're training should start as soon as possible so the faculty decided that your flights should be tomorrow." Mr. Narumi said calming the students.

"Why so sudden?" Nonoko asked.

"Yeah, we can train here. We don't need to go," Anna followed.

"Yeah, I can enhance my Alice without going to other country. Besides, I don't want to be separated with my Natsume!" Sumire added frantically.

"Ne, Narumi-sensei. How come I have to go? I'm only a one-star student," Mikan tagging Mr. Narumi's shirt.

Mr. Narumi smiled. "Because your Nullification Alice as well as your new Alice which is the ability to enter one's dream are special."

"Demmo-"

"That's enough!" Mr. Jinno cut Mikan off. "The faculty has already decided. Anna and Nonoko will be sent to France. Yuu and Sumire to Italy. And you Mikan will go to Spain! And that's final!" he stated.

"Eh? Nani???" Mikan whined. "How come I don't have a partner? Can Hotaru come with me?"

"You don't need one," Mr. Jinno replied. "Besides, Ms. Imai will go to New York for the upcoming inventor's convention."

Mikan sighed and looked at Hotaru with teary eyes. The blackmailer, with a blank face, started walking towards the door.

"Run along now, children," Mr. Narumi guided the students to the door. "Start packing your things."

END OF FLASHBACK

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

/ Alice Academy /

"M-mikan? Is that really you?" Yuu was amazed with Mikan's transformation - now taller, with longer silky brunette hair and expressive auburn eyes.

"Of course, she's Mikan!" Nonoko patted Yuu. "What took you so long? You should have been here yesterday."

"My flight was delayed for a day because of a storm," Mikan replied then hugged her friends.

"So how's Spain?" Anna was so excited to hear Mikan's stories.

"Ugh! It was so hard at first. I really don't know what the heck they were saying!" Mikan rolled her eyes.

"That's because you're an idiot," Hotaru said nonchalantly.

"Hotaru, you-"

"What a mean thing to say…" Mikan was cut by the blond boy who was walking towards them. On his hands were two bouquets of roses.

"Ruka-pyon!" Mikan ran towards him and gave him a big hug. "I missed you!"

Ruka gave Mikan the bouquet. "I missed you too, Mikan." Then he turned to Hotaru who was still surprised to see the blonde boy. "Like I've said, you shouldn't call Mikan an idiot, Hotaru dear," then gave Hotaru the other bouquet.

"When did you come back from your exhibit?" Hotaru's face flushed with deep shades of red.

The animal lover finally got over his shyness and helped Hotaru sell his photos in one condition – Hotaru will be on the shots too. The academy provided them a museum for them to display their photos which were flocked by Ruka's fans.

"A couple of hours ago," Ruka stared at Hotaru then put his arms around her. "Did you miss me?" he teased.

Hotaru's face blushed more. "Idiot."

Ruka just chuckled and gave her a peck on the cheek.

Mikan's eyes widened as she watched her two bestfriends. N-nani??? Hotaru didn't hit Ruka with the baka gun? And he kissed her! She thought. What's going on? Did I miss something while I was gone?

"You bet, you've missed a lot…" whispered another boy.

Mikan gasped as she turned around to see Koko grinning at her. "How are you, Mikan?"

"Koko! I missed you!" then hugged the mind reader. "Im back, still alive and kicking!"

"You missed me? That's surprising."

"Silly! What's so surprising about that? I missed you all." Mikan stuck her tongue out. "So what did I miss?" Her eyes grew wide again. "She's blushing! Hotaru's blushing, Koko! Look at them, KAWAI!"

Koko laughed. "You haven't changed Mikan. Still gullible as ever. Anyway, about those two, you could say tables have turned between that couple."

"C-couple?!?" Mikan blurted out. "Since when? Why haven't Hotaru told me about that?"

"Sssshhh… Keep your voice down. They'll hear you."

"Oh, right." Mikan whispered. "So spill it out.."

"Ruka's dating Imai now... It all started when Imai forgot to lock her laboratory. She brought all her inventions including Amanatsu. Funny but that's the first time she forgot to leave some security on her lab. Maybe because she was so busy preparing for the convention. She was already in New York when she remembered about her lab so she asked Ruka to lock it for her..." Koko paused and looked at Mikan with her sparkling eyes. She's so cute! Wait, what am I thinking? he thought and immediately dismissed the idea.

"She also told him not to go inside." He continued. "At first Ruka just ignored her to tease her. And told her that he would ask Natsume to burn all his pictures. But Imai told him that she'll blackmail him again if she finds out that he went inside her lab... But it turned out that Imai was the one blackmailed by Ruka or something like that. All thanks to his bunny."

But the brunette wasn't playing attention to Koko's story anymore. For he spoke the name of a person she hasn't heard for a long time... Her mind was suddenly filled with precious memories of a certain person she longed to see for two years...

"Natsume..."

How was it? Boring? Pls review... Flames are accepted. ;-) Next chapter is the continuation of Koko's story... About Hotaru and Ruka with their whirlwind story... And how they end up together... Also, the poignant meeting of our Natsume and Mikan... Enjoy...