Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice. Tachibana Higuchi does.

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5 years ago, a certain new student came and was enrolled into the Academy. She was only in search for a friend, clueless that this trip of hers would actually turn her life around.

5 years later, she grew to love the Academy and found herself a family.

Mikan Sakura, 15, a girl gifted with the special Nullifying Alice.

She woke up as streams of light tried to pass through the curtains of her window. She fluttered her eyes open.

She got up and stretched her limbs. Standing in front of her window, she shoved the curtains aside and opened the windows.

Light flooded her room and a gust of wind blew in. Her auburn hair flew behind her and she closed her eyes, savoring the moment. She was lost in her own time, when she heard a knock on her door.

"Mikan!" a voice behind the door called for her. "Come on you're gonna be late again!"

"OMG! What time is it?" She glanced at the clock and was really surprised to see that she only has fifteen more minutes to prepare for that day.

Remembering the person outside, she opened the door to invite him in and ask for him to wait for her inside.

"Ruka-pyon, why don't you come in and…." Her voice trailed off. To her surprise, he wasn't alone. Standing beside him was a raven-haired boy with a cold expression plastered to his face.

"My-my… you've decided to come to my room, Natsume?" She said sarcastically. "I thought you were disgusted with my room?"

His crimson-red eyes turned to face her auburn ones.

"Oi polka-dots, don't get me wrong. I STILL AM, disgusted with your room. The only reason I'm here is because Ruka asked me to come with him." He answered with his usual cold, bored tone. "and besides… I don't want anymore trouble with Narumi asking me to check you out every time you're late."

"Sorry for being such a burden." She shot back. "If you don't like my room, then don't come in." She turned around and pointed to the couch on one side of the three-star living room. "Ruka-pyon, you can sit there."

She then made her way to her room and took a bath. A refreshing scent filled the room and reached the nostrils of the two lads.

Hm. Her shampoo. Or probably her soap? A certain raven-haired boy mused in his head.

Ruka just patted his bunny's head as he smiled to himself, his thoughts hidden in his mind.

Fifteen minutes have passed and she still wasn't out.

"Oi polka!" Natsume shouted. "If you're not out within five seconds, I'm gonna throw a fire ball on that door of yours and barge in there, then I'll drag you into the classroom."

"I don't think there's a need to be that harsh, Natsume." Ruka sweat-dropped.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you just wanted to peep, PERVERT." Shouted Mikan from inside her room, stressing on the last word.

"Dumb ass. Shut up and get the hell out of there or I'll trash your door and burn you into a crisp." Natsume said, then he flickered a small fire on the tip of his finger.

The door opened. Out of it came a beautiful girl. To say that she was simply enchanting was out of the question. "I'm out, baka." She said, as she flipped a few strands of her brown locks to the back. "Like burning me to a crisp would happen." She snapped her fingers and instantly the fire went out. "C'mon Ruka-pyon".

Ruka snapped out of his momentary trance. "Ah… ano-… Hai!"

"Tsk." Was Natsume's only answer. He was annoyed at what she had learned to do in the past five years. Irritate him, annoy him, cut him off, shut him up, answer him back, and most of all, amaze him. She was one of the few people who were able to do these to him and stay alive. His threats never worked on her after she was able to learn how to gain control of her alice.

She walked behind the two and locked her room. She got Ruka's bunny and held it. She was the only person who could hold Ruka's bunny. They proceeded to walk the corridors towards their Middle School class and along the way they passed by Tsubasa.

"Ohayou, Mikan-chan! You look beautiful today." Tsubasa greeted her with a smile on his face.

Mikan smiled sweetly.

"Ohayou, Tsubasa-sempai! " Mikan greeted back with her ever cheerful disposition. "And thank you… You look handsome yourself."

"As always, I guess." He patted the bunny's head when he got near her.

Ruka didn't like the fact that he touched his bunny, but still acknowledged the shadow-manipulator's presence and nodded. While Natsume just shrugged his shoulders and murmured, "Shadow-freak."

"I see you still got your blood boiling whenever I'm around, ne?" Tsubasa smirked.

"Get out of the way or I'll throw you a fireball and make you wish you hadn't come across us. We're late for class." Natsume coldly replied.

Mikan noticed the tension and was getting irritated at Natsume's irks.

"I'm sorry Tsubasa, we need to go now. See you around."

"Wait, this is for you." He handed Mikan a small note. "And don't you dare burn it Black Cat." He referred to Natsume.

"Don't worry. Once you let me go I'll forget the note and burn you instead." He gave Tsubasa a glare. He then pointed to Tsubasa's foot which was stepping on his shadow.

"With Mikan around? I doubt you can do that." He grinned.

"Then I'll just have to hunt you down when she ain't around. His eye twitched.

"You can let him go now. I have the note. And we're late for class." Mikan asked her sempai

He then stepped away.

"Ja ne." Tsubasa passed them and waved his hand.

They continued their walk to class.

"What is with you and Tsubasa?" Mikan asked. "It's like you want to go for each other's throat every time you meet. Why don't you just kill each other?" She said, her voice smothered of irritation.

"I might as well do that." Natsume smirked.

"Jerk." Mikan raised her eyebrow. "Answer the question."

"You don't know?" Natsume eyed her.

"Would I be asking if I did?" she shot back.

"You're fucking dense, you know that?" He said, his eyes fully focused on her chocolate brown orbs.

"Oh yeah?!" Her voice rose. "And you're pissing me off, you know that?"

She clung onto Ruka and started their way to class. "Let's go Ruka-pyon. This bastard just won't make any sense to me."

In class…

"Ohayou minna-san!" Mikan cheerfully greeted her classmates.

Her classmates greeted her back gleefully. She then went over to her best friend's desk.

"Ohayou Hotaru." Mikan greeted Hotaru. Hotaru brought out her baka gun.

"Ohayou. Just don't come anymore near." Hotaru emotionlessly stated.

"Ahehe… yeah sure." Mikan sweat-dropped. This was one of the things they'll never grow up with.

"Why are you late again Mikan? Good thing Narumi-sensei was out in another meeting with the headmaster." Yuu cut them off. The blonde-haired lad fixed his glasses.

"Sorry Yuu. I woke up late again. And don't lecture these two anymore," she pointed to Ruka and Natsume, who just came in. "It's my fault." She apologized.

Mikan rubbed her face with the bunny and gave it back to Ruka. "Here. She held the bunny in front of her. "And thanks for letting me borrow him." She gave Ruka a peck on the cheek, which made him blush wildly.

"Haha… Ruka-pyon is blushing again." Mikan giggled. "He's just so cute, isn't he?"

Mikan proceeded to her desk and sat down. She then remembered the note Tsubasa gave her a while ago.

"Wonder what it says?" Mikan mused to herself. She reached for it from her pocket and carefully opened it.

Let's go to Central Town today. My treat. I'll meet you at the bus stop at 5. See yah.

Tsubasa

Mikan smiled to herself. Good. She can go to Central Town today without having to spend a rabbit. And with Tsubasa around, she's sure it'll be lots of fun.

She didn't sense a pair of crimson eyes and crystal blue orbs eyeing her.