Chapter 2
Evoked Memories
''Have you found my nephew yet?''
''N-no, Your Highness, '' the guard answered coyly.
''Double the search party and find him!''
''Yes, Your Highness!''
~ Lost Princess ~
Ba-dump. Ba-dump.
Shocked. Furious. Confused. Dazed.
Ba-dump. Ba-dump.
Perplexed. Dejected. Stunned. Mystified.
Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.
Her heart increased its speed.
Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-du…
Breathless.
She deliberately lifted her hand and touched her no longer virgin lips. She noticed a peculiar change about them. They felt somehow…softer…and…hotter. Why? Mikan deemed. Her mouth just came in contact with another mouth. Should it, she wondered, be different? She unconsciously licked them. The brunette not only felt a change on her lips, but also her intestinal. It was undulating and churning as if there was no tomorrow. She was neither famished nor ill, yet she still felt butterflies soaring in her abdominal. But most of all, it was her mind. Her mind was the one that had the most impact. It was throbbing. It was as if firecrackers blasted in her head. She never experienced so much aching in her life. It was killing her. She wondered why all these feelings were happening to her.
Mikan took hold of her head and scrabbled backwards. Groans and whimpers escaped her quivering mouth. The guy in front of her stared at her, puzzled.
''Oi, what are you doing?''
''Stop…stop….''
Another grunt fled from her lips.
''Stop what?''
Her legs turned inward. Her back arched.
''Get away from me.''
With the hand that was not gripping her head, she grappled her blouse. The chestnut damsel couldn't breathe. It was like the air was knocked out of her. Because of that, she felt exceedingly lightheaded.
''It was just a kiss.''
''GET AWAY!''
Her amber eyes compactly folded. Images started to surge through her mind.
''Hi, I'm Mikan! What's your name?''
The imageries were rapidly fluctuating.
''Here enters-''
Crowns. Chandlers. Gowns. Movements.
''You're a terrible dancer.''
''Am not!''
A Sakura tree.
''Why did you bring me here?''
A warm sensation.
''Eh! Why did you do that?''
''That was your birthday present.''
''That was my first kiss!''
Mikan flung her cocoa eyes open. Her inhalation gradually initiated back to its original steady speed. She unclutched her head and chemise. She then shifted her irises from the lush grass to the lad.
''What the hell just happened?'' he enquired. ''Did you have a seizure?''
''No…I didn't.''
''Then why were you trembling before?''
The unfamiliar being reached his hand to the girl. Before his fingers could even reach inches from her, she shrieked.
''Get away from me!''
The brunette laid her palms on the ground and lugged herself up. She rotated her hips and gazed at the area around her. Her chocolate orbs searched and searched. She couldn't find her.
''Where's Pepper?''
Before Mikan could repeat her sentence again, her figure jerked. The lassie nearly let out a squeak, but swallowed it. She twisted her physique and glowered at what she beholden.
''Let go of me!''
''Not until you explain what happened to you,'' he responded, tightening his grip on the girl's wrist.
''Why do you even care?''
''I don't, idiot.''
''Then let go of me, pervert!''
Mikan yanked her arm back and dashed a few feet from the bloke. She afterwards lifted her hand and engaged the tips of her fingers with her mouth. The girl bolted her orbs, took a deep breath, and blew. A whistle. A whistle that resonated throughout the region. When the echo disappeared, Mikan revealed her hazel pools and smiled. She clicked her heels and sprinted.
''Pepper!''
Deciding she would rejoice with her horse at a later time, she hopped on her back and seized the leather reins.
''Giddy-up!'' the brunette boomed.
Her stallion whinnied then galloped. Galloped away from the lake. Galloped away from the man with crimson eyes.
~ Lost Princess ~
Mikan plopped to the ground and laid her back against an evergreen tree. She found herself in such a strange and sticky situation. One minute, she was kissed by a complete stranger the next, unknown memories spiraled in her head like a malfunctioned merry-go-round. She didn't know what to do. The brunette pondered why she was having flashbacks that never happened to her. Or maybe it did happen? Maybe she just couldn't recall them. However, Mikan felt in the pit of her stomach she would certainly remember those memories. The crowns. The ball gowns. The incandescent chandlers. The serene melody. The Sakura tree. They all seemed so nostalgic. She just couldn't believe she would forget a momentous occasion. I know I forget things, she thought, but I don't think I would-
Mikan suddenly winched her hand and clouted her forehead.
''I forgot the bucket of water!''
She was about to ascend, but remained put on the grass when she remembered the ''pervert.'' The brunette defiantly didn't want to go back there if he was there. She wanted to avoid the guy at all costs, so she decided to retrieve her bucket during nightfall. She did not want to encounter him for she was petrified that he might kiss her again. Who kisses women out of the blue? Mikan ruminated. But truth be told, the kiss between her and the stranger felt oddly pleasant. The auburn-head never felt such heat and passion before. It was a new experience for her. The soft texture of his lips was remarkable and the way he kissed was as if she was the last girl on the planet was amazing. It was all so incredible. When she finally noticed what she was brooding about, she smacked her forehead for the second time.
''What are you doing Mikan, thinking about that conceited jerk!'' she bellowed.
She felt she had lost her mind. She was thinking about a fella who she doesn't even know his name and has stolen her first kiss for crying out loud!
''Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stup…''
Suddenly, the sixteen year old perceived something. A weeping. She twisted her head. The wailing grew louder. Mikan transferred to her knees and scuttled towards the sound. When she discovered who the lament belong to, she gasped.
~ Lost Princess ~
''Natsume! Where have you been?''
''Out for a walk,'' the raven-haired lad nonchalantly answered.
''For five hours!''
''Yea, so?''
''Did you have any trouble? Did someone realize who you are?'' Ruka, the golden-haired panicky bloke, interrogated.
''No, but there was this one weird girl.''
''Did she try to give you a gift?''
''No.''
''Did she try to get your autograph?''
''No.''
''Did she try to get you into her house?''
''No,'' he jeered slightly peeved. ''She thought I was the Devil.''
The fair-haired chap stared at his fellow comrade with wide cerulean pools and his jaw slightly dropped. After letting the information sink inside his brain, he spurted into laughter. The bloke with the pitch-black mane narrowed his eyes.
''The Devil! Are you serious?''
''And I thought cows were the dumbest creatures on Earth,'' he muttered.
Ruka dismissed his judgment. ''It is true. You do have red eyes like Satan.''
''Shut up.''
''I got to meet this girl,'' he said among snickers.
''Trust me, you don't want to.''
''I do, it's the first girl that doesn't fancied you,'' Natsume rolled his bloody red eyes. ''What's her name?
''I don't know. She didn't tell me.''
''What's she like?''
''She's a country bumpkin.''
''How do you know that?''
''Her clothes and the fact that she gets her water from the lake,'' he explained while holding the wooden bucket that was once filled with liquid.
''Anything else?''
''She's an ugly tomboy with brown hair and brown eyes, calls her horse Pepper and has an IQ of a mouse. Nothing special at all.'' The corners of Ruka's mouth curled into an enormous grin which caused Natsume to raise his eyebrows. ''Why are you looking at me like that?''
''It's strange.''
''What?''
''You remember those little details about that girl.''
''It's nothing to be all smiley about.''
''Hm, maybe you fancy her?''
''Hell no,'' he instantly replied. ''Even though I kissed her I-''
''Wait, you kissed her!''
''It's just because her stupid horse pushed me.''
''Mhm,'' he hummed still beaming.
''Don't piss me off, Ruka.''
''I'm not!'' he opposed in a high-pitched voice.
''Um excuse?'' The two males turned around and placed their gazes on a bashful maid. ''The King wants you, Natsume-sama.''
~ The Lost Princess ~
A young miss, about nine or ten, had her head submerged in her arms and was producing such anguish cries. The brunette scrutinized the adolescent. She was wearing a plaid red top underneath denim suspenders and old russet boots similar to hers.
The amber-haired miss could not take the agonizing weeping anymore. She tapped the girl's shoulder which caused her to look up. Mikan's chocolate orbs expanded when she took one look at the youngster's face. She had grassy green irises that were slightly red from crying, but that did not stop them from looking enthralling. Her rosy pink mane was tied into two shorts braids that reached down to her clavicle. The brunette could not help, but stare at the girl in awe. On the other hand, she stared at the teen confoundedly.
''Who are you?'' she questioned in a demure tone.
''I'm Sakura Mikan!''
''My parents told me never to talk to strangers.''
''We're not strangers since you already know my name!'' she responded in a sunny manner.
The chestnut lassie let out a chirpy giggle. The juvenile watched in admiration at the beaming girl. She had never seen someone so blissful before. Mikan noticed this and her smile grew even larger. She then leaned towards the girl with her finger near her face.
''You know, you're very pretty for a girl your age,'' she commented as she caught her dwindling tear.
''Really?'' Mikan bobbed her head. ''But farm girls aren't pretty.''
''Yes, there are,'' she protested. ''I'm a farm girl myself.''
''You are? But you're so beautiful!''
Mikan tittered. ''Why thank you, but I don't think so.''
The chestnut girl reached her hand out to the girl and she accepted it. They both arose from the ground and onto their feet.
''So, can you tell me why you were crying?''
~ The Lost Princess ~
Natsume paraded through the manors and when he reached the door, he kicked it open. The bang reverberated across the royal throne room and it took several seconds before it deceased. The King gazed at him with a cross of a fuming expression and a tranquil one. The lad rolled his scarlet orbs and approached his uncle.
''What is it do you want?'' he hissed.
''Is that how you should speak to your uncle let alone the King?''
''Just cut to the chase, old man.''
His Highness grinned. ''I always admired your bluntness, Natsume. I only wish your father was like that.''
Natsume scowled at him. The King dismissed his grimace and sauntered towards his fire embedded throne. He supported his appendage on the armrest and crossed his legs.
''I need you to go on a little hunt, prince of Hyuuga Kingdom.''
A.N. (10/8/11): I truly apologize for the long wait. I was so busy revising I Never Left You, I didn't have a time for this story. But since I'm done fixing the mistakes for I Never Left You, I can focus on this one! Please comment/review!