Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice
Chapter 3. [Arrival]
I entered the room of Class B. Chaos is all I could think of, all that was there. Everyone momentarily stopped in silence, watching as me and Ruka passed the various rows of tumbled desks and tentative Alice students. A girl named Sumire oggled us like a desperate fool, I in turn resisting the instinct to puke. Koko and Kitsuneme waved to me like the bakas they were, causing me to lower my eyes. I continued my steps, dropping my weight in my seat and collecting the unread Manga Magazine I've been saving. Ruka sat next to me and groomed the hairs of his rabbit, hesitant to start speaking with all curious eyes on us.
"Koko." I muttered, scanning the newest action anime produced by Funimation. He poked in out of nowhere, the still apparent smile on his face. "Read me." Why you might wonder? The attention annoyed me. His voice instantly made my peers look away, a certain comfort and discomfort contradicting my space. Flipping through the pages of various animated titles, Ruka began to speak despite the clamor of voices.
"He lied, Natsume. H-He wasn't really going to give you one of your fathers letters." Those words burst the hope inside me, crumpled my thought process and enhanced my need to burn. My hands twitched and I continued flipping through the pages, my blood boiling beneath my veins.
"Hn, not like I didn't know." Sighing, he turned away, solemnly stroking the fur of the rabbit he found at the High School Divisions gardens. I glanced over at him and released a grunt of annoyance, dropping the magazine on my face to rid of my unease and distraught. Ruka wants to be devoured by the Academy, wants to suffer along with me. But he doesn't know everything, I never tell him anything. He needs to stay away from me, I know that, but...I can't lose anyone else. And if they do try something, I'll burn those bastards straight to Hell.
My ears perked as a large consuming ruckus swept through the front of the classroom, whispering voices murmuring back and forth about a new student. Almost immediately I lost interest, closing my eyes to recollect the wasted sleep deprivation of yesterdays midnight round about.
"This is our new friend, Mikan Sakura. Everyone, please be nice to her." Huh? Familiar.
"Hi, I'm Mikan Sakura. Nice to meet..." Her voice was severely wiped out, the substitute quickly bombarded with a swarm of trash, various tones and voices lurking around the room, and all in all, this indefinitely irritated me. Shifting under the texture and paper swifted scent of my magazine, I finally was close to dozing off, the hood of my eyes quivering close. But I doubt my peace will last.
"Hi, nice to meet you!" A high pitched, cheerful voice knocked me back to reality, a figure sitting in my limited space. Of course, damn I'm tired. My manga slipped off my face, the smile of a girl that I was not expecting to encounter radiating pleasantly. Opening her doe-eyed brown orbs, a certain realisation hit her and she froze in complete shock. Slow Baka.
"Oh. It's you." I bluntly confirmed, noticing Ruka jolt in surprise. Remaining with a stoic label on my face, I carefully lowered my manga on the table. "The 'Polka Dot Panty' girl." Her jaw dropped, my eyebrows rose.
"Ah..." She mumbled, staggering back in astonishment, pointing at me with shaking hands. So irritating. "P-PERVERTED MOLESTER!" She screamed in the highest pitch she could possibly muster. I stared at her, processing the words. What in the world?...A MOLESTER!? She stood there, panting with heaving shoulders. My eyebrows scrunched together, my face painted with an incredulous look.
"What the hell are you blabbering on about?" I asked coldly. "A molester is someone with a sleazy ulterior motive," Looking up and down her body, I continued. "As if I'd have a sleazy ulterior motive on you, idiot." Turning away, Ruka passed me a teacup filled with cocoa. Lifting it to my lips, my followers lined up before me.
"What happened, Mr. Natsume?" A nameless rebel asked. "Did that new girl do something?"
"H-How can you do that to a girl!?" Looking over at her, I placed the cup down in leisure. "You're a woman's enemy! A barbarian!" She screeched, flailing her arms. My eyes glazed over as I saw Mochiage step forward. "Apologize you morons!" Clenching her fists by her side, she was suddenly pulled into the air, resembling a dancing puppet on a string.
"Oi! Watch what you say to Mr. Natsume! Besides, why are you acting so high and mighty? Eh, New girl!?" Mochiage had never failed to annoy me. Her face became a tinted pink, looking absolutely out of her wits end. "Are you so stupid that I have to repeat myself? Watch what you say to Mr. Natsume! Eh!?" Gasps filled the class, absolute silence taking place as the teacher whimpered in the corner. Koko hovered near me, whispering something in fine detail between the drum and shell of my ear. Hmm. Class Rep hesitantly moved forward.
"Stop it everyone!" He glanced at the teacher in disappointment.
"Stop him Himukai! How can he do this to a powerless girl!" Sensei cried. My eyes wandered to a dead dazed look on her face, no struggle, no resilience.
"Oh, there's no need to stop." The clamor ensued, my face sagging out of fatigue, and the class all turned toward that girl Sumire. The new girl still lashing out in a chaotic frenzy above our heads. "I thought she was one of us, so I've been listening quietly, but she's been bad mouthing Natsume and Ruka." Her ridiculous poise figure stood straight, hands on the inner wedging of her hips as she tilt her head at me. "Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. This is almost too kind. Ne, Natsume kun?" I stayed silent for a moment. Placing the porcelain feel of the cup near my parted lips, I sighed out of annoyance.
"Let her down." Mochiage stepped back in surprise, sliding the girl down reluctantly.
"Yes, Mr. Natsume." Seaweed head girl sighed dreamily in the corner, fanning herself in a jubilant way.
"I think his generosity adds to Natsume's charm!" Squealing, she wrote down something. Rolling my eyes in annoyance, I quietly watched the Polka Dot Panties girl slump on the ground, dazed with sweat and exhaustion.
"Hey, Mikan are you okay!?" Class Rep swarmed around her like a useless crowd of worker bees to its Queen. I scoffed to myself, and snapped my fingers.
"Yo, Polka Dots." She picked up her glazed orbs of cognac brown, staring me down with a scowl on her flushed face. "What kind of Alice do you have?" The bystanders listened in grave darkness, Polka Dots clenching her fists in shock. It felt as if she had a secret, perhaps Koko can help?
"Pfft! Why should I, tell you?" Tears stuck to her cheeks, her tongue released to mock me. I jolt slightly, snapping my fingers quickly for her to be levitated again. Koko felt close, my mind open so he can read that freak. He stepped out of the shadows, a grin still imprinted on his face. Everyone stopped to look at Koko, not moving an inch to hear his words.
"Come to think of it, I wonder what my Alice is." My tongue clicked, leaning back to watch the reality dawn on her stupefied face. He rubbed his neck at the difficulty of her Kansai accent, continuously twisting his fingers out of hidden guilt but placing them back at his sides."The teacher told me I was an Alice, but I haven't seen any signs of being one..." I crossed my arms, analysing the different types of facial expressions around the room. "Am I really an Alice?" A chaotic clamor diverged soon after, her face wobbling in awe.
"Unbelievable!" Seaweed head girl gasped, spatting in distaste. "She doesn't even know what her Alice is? Then why is she even here!? Huh..." She tapped her foot repetitively in thought. "That's too weird! It's unheard of!" Waving her hands in the air, she looked around the room like some crazed clown on drugs. I lowered my eyes. "Maybe she tricked the teacher into believing she was an Alice! How shameless!" The new girl in worry frowned, quickly ready to fight back.
"No...! I didn't...!" She trailed in a raising pitch. "Mr. Narumi told me that I was an "Alice"!" Her thumb jabbed against her chest to exaggerate her statement.
"Oh?" Sumire challenged, eyes penetrating her in distaste. "Then prove it. You were even doubting yourself just now." Crossing her arms, she stared crudely. Polka teetered back in horror.
"But...I've already told you that I don't really know..." She stuttered, flopping like a noodle in the boiler.
"Hurry up." Sumire snapped, an increase of people layering behind her back. My eyes still lay on Polka Dots, never leaving, and soon that bewildered look savagely switched to a glower.
"Be-Besides! You're so hung up on being an "Alice". Is being an Alice that..."
"Yes, it's great." The new girl deflated at the immediate response. "Of course it's great. Are you stupid?" I felt a small smile curve onto my face, turning toward my manga in disinterest, and sipping the buzzing chocolate suds that Ruka bought at Central Town last week. Out of the corner of my eye he was still grooming his rabbit, watching the hype in a dazed trance.
"We, Alices, use our powers in special fields, and have made enormous accomplishments in many fields such as politics, art and education. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the country's specialists are all Alices. Even the special elites are recognized and protected by the government." Flaunting the Alice statis, she continued, my hands flipping through the latest illustrations of 'Bleach'. "People that aren't Alices are only parasites that gather around them to gain their benefits, or become like worker ants and serve Alices. Basically, they're just there to make us look good. We are chosen people, completely different from those ordinary easily replaceable people." I closed my manga and heard the silence echo.
"N-No way!" Polka Dots denied, still creased on the floor, eyes following the words and movements she made. I stayed silent, averting my eyes. Irritating...
"Hotaru..." She whispered. "Hey, Hotaru!" Imai? Odd.
"If you can't show us proof, then you've practically admitted that you're not an Alice. Hurry up and get out of this Academy." The red hue of my orbs followed the girl slumped to the floor, hands on her knees and the brown of her hair falling against the shadows on her face. She's adapt to be crying, hn, like most others do. Tch, boring. "Hey," Sumire snapped, shaking in rage. "Are you listening!?" The air chilled with a thirsty frost, a dark obsidian aura maneuvering around the still, silent girl. Her pigtails hung over the petite bone of her shoulder, shaking, trembling.
"...NO." Her voice bit, a clamor vibrating around her uneven tone.
"Huh?" Sumire, flabbergasted, stepped back.
"OVER MY DEAD BODY!" She yelled with meaning.
"What...!" Seaweed girl shout back, nervously.
"I'M AN ALICE!" Mr. Narumi said so!" Confidence glazed her words in truth.
"Huh!?" Dubiously, seaweed girl scrunched her face, a certain madness in her eyes.
"I trust what the teacher says. He couldn't have made a mistake." Everyone watched the argument, my eyes widening. Who exactly is this girl?
"On what grounds are you..." Sumire suddenly was cut off.
"But I don't think that Alices are better than others!" Polka proclaimed, her molars grinding to dust. "If there's anything you people have more than others," Swiftly turning her head, a menacing glare branched on the most part of her face. "It's your rotten personalities, morons!" Heaving, she went on. "Why don't you get that useless brain of yours replaced, huh!? AIRHEAD!" I bit my tongue out of surprise, my eyebrows rising and my mouth slightly pushed open. Seriously, who in their right mind would cause more conflict in this place? She really must be an idiot.
"Wha-What did you say!?" Sumire gasped in utter rage, her lackey stepping forward in anger. But that baka kept spouting out nonsensical replies.
"The only thing you can be proud of are your Alices, and guess what!? You're all empty otherwise! Morons! Idiots!" Both of them flailed their arms at each other. What the hell.
"Do something about her!" Whining, Sumire stomped her feet in frustration.
"You!" The lackey grasped her hair, harshly pulling her body to the ground. A flair of continuous heat burned my gut, a scowl creasing my brows together. Screaming, she pushed his face away from hers, a far too sudden mess tumbling on the floor. My eyes writhed in shock when his dirtied fist zipped toward her, my own bloody hands ready to burn him alive.
BAM! CRACK!
Hurriedly extinguishing the fire that I was about to release, out of the corner of my eye I saw Ruka quickly look away. God, this is humiliating. That girl, Imai, was the newest transfer and had the Inventing Alice. It took me by surprise when Polka called her name, and now? That same weirdo punched a guy with a Deer hoof, all the while with a straight face.
"Imai!?" Sumire questioned. Indigo eyes looked up, a sense of danger within them.
"Excuse me," Her face was stoic, but her voice was ice cold. "But I'm the only one allowed to make her cry." Holding up her hoof invention she went on. "So don't lay your hands on her."
Sumire pulled her hair in confusion.
"I-Imai! You...!"
"There goes my best student award..." Imai admitted, I snickered quietly to myself. The weird pair continued with their contrasting relationship, settling things with a forced hug, Seaweed girl growling in defeat, turning towards me.
"Natsume, Ruka!" She shrieked. I shifted in my seat, thinking. Ruka placed a deck of Alice cards in the middle of our table, splitting and dividing them between me, Rabbit san, and himself.
"Yo, Polka Dots." Her head swiveled, heated amber eyes glaring at me in response.
"What?" She bit. I rose a brow, slowly taking my stack of cards off the table, arranging them to my liking.
"I heard that you can't enroll if you don't get along with the people in this class within a week." I clicked my tongue.
"Oh! How do you know that!?" Expectedly, Koko popped in front of her vision, pointing the attention to himself.
"I can read minds!" He stated matter a factly. I peered over the hood of my dire orbs to see a doomed expression cast over her small features. Sighing, I stole Rabbits card and counter attacked Ruka, leaving me the victor as Ruka shook his head, shuffling the cards once again.
"Well, I guess you won't be enrolling at this rate." Flicking my eyes to her stupid front, my lips pursed in bitter. "Although, I could give you a chance..." Recollecting my new stack of cards, Sumire screamed in hysterics, Ruka wincing from the pitch. I ignored her frantic objections and continued. "That is, if you really are an Alice." Meeting her shining eyes with mine, she trembled with excitement and urged me on. Placing the aligned joint of cards in front of me I looked outside the hazy noon of the day, the slight wash of trees entering my line of vision. "You see those "Northern Woods" over there," Tilting my chin towards the dark gloom of the forest, silent eyes watched in anticipation, hanging onto every word I threw. "If you can get through those woods to the High School Division, and leave a footprint there, then I'll accept you as an Alice and let you stay here." I knew full well of the limitations, but if she wants to be an Alice so badly, might as well let the dummy try.
"The "Northern Woods"?" Polka questioned, nervously fumbling with the strands of her mahogany glazed hair. Class Rep shook in worry behind her, nervously protesting.
"But that's impossible Natsume san! Those woods are off limits! E-Even to Alice students!"
"I didn't say she had to." Closing my eyes momentarily due to the dizzy side effects of the pain reliever, I stole Ruka's Ace with ease. "If she doesn't want to, then she can just leave." Sumire and the rest of her friends sighed in content; again, I wanted to puke.
"But...!" His final attempt seemed utterly futile as I turned my attention to Polka's determined figure.
"Are you going to do it?" Lowering my eyes she gulped nervously.
"Hai!" Ruka sat quietly, watching me lean back against the formative wooden seat.
"Oh...I see, Mikan you're going into those woods? Well, I hope nothing happens, take these." Imai pat her shoulder, still monotone and dull as she handed her a box of stale Pocky sticks.
"Since you're new here, I'll let you have a friend who can guide you." I placed the manga on my face and heard Imai dash away, Class Rep making the decision to travel with her. Tch, whatever.
"Then, we have a deal. Let the game begin." The echoes of their footsteps left, all the chaos finally diverged away from the quiet silence of me and Ruka's space. The magazine slipped from my face and I stared up at the ceiling, lost in demonic thought.
"Natsume." I looked over at Ruka with wary orbs. His palm pressed against the desk, pushing him up as he collected the cards that were messily scattered. "Do you know something about that Polka Dots girl? Why go through the trouble..." Something within my mind sparked, wondering why I did what I did, and I turned my gaze away from his scrutiny, looking out the window to see the Northern Woods from afar.
"No...I don't know." Thinking back, I remembered the moment I released my Alice on that girl, the very first moment in my life I felt powerless against someone, felt so weak...is this the feeling of being tamed? Restricted? Damn...! Clenching my teeth, I slammed my fist against the table, feeling the familiar torture of fear tinge the peers around me. Hai...this is how it's supposed to be, the weak don't survive, only the strong do. Laughing under my breath, Ruka stared down at me in a desperate type of pain. Only the strongest survive...but the thing is, there's an exchange. They die in the darkness, are tainted by its sin, and brought back alive, anew. So why when that new girl is here does she smile? Why did she even find her way here? So irritating...she's so irritating. That smile of hers...I'll make it disappear before this Academy does.
A/N: Updated! Anyway, I hope you liked it! Please review/fan/ or follow! And when this is completed I'll start to edit and correct, for now, I just want to write! Thank you for reading and I'll update soon!