[Alice Academy][fanfic] A Clockwork Tangerine, Chapter 6.
By Henry J. Cobb

The Gakuen Alice characters and situations are the creation of Higuchi
Tachibana and this parody is not intended to cause any damage to that
property.

Chapter six: A walk in the dark.

No dreams, no flames, no pain, just quiet darkness.  It was bliss.  I could
have stayed there forever, however...

"Natsume!  Natsume!  Natsume!"

It couldn't be hell, Mikan sounded as cheerful as always, or maybe that was
my fate.  I've done some awful things, but surely nothing bad enough to
deserve having to put up with that for all eternity.  Maybe if I just lie
here quietly, she'll get bored and wander off?

"Is this how you wake him up every morning?"  Hotaru asked.

"No, I don't sleep over with Natsume every night."

That's it.  I opened my eyes and looked at Mikan, "Is there anything else
you'd care to confess to before you die?"

"Good morning Natsume."  Mikan was standing by my hospital bed.  Standing
next to her were Hotaru, Ruka and Yuu.  All four of them had their left
arms in slings, but Mikan had a bandage around her head also.

I suppose it could have been the same hospital room at the Academy.  I
certainly hadn't been away from it for long.  As I looked around I spotted
a single star on Mikan's lapel.  I suppose I must have been almost happy
that she was still alive after the mistake I had made. "So how's your arm,
One-star?"

"When I was shot it felt all torn up, but when I woke up there wasn't even
a scratch.  It still hurts a bit though."

"Yeah, they're good at that.  It seems that you have some very good
friends.  Anybody else with their arm in a sling?"

"No, just these three.  They say they all tripped on a tangerine peel."

"You're an idiot.  Now go away.  I don't need you bothering me while I'm
trying to rest.  But hey Hotaru, how's your brother doing?"

"He seems to be doing well."

"Hotaru, you have a brother?"  Mikan put her right hand on Hotaru's left
shoulder, but drew back when Hotaru winced.

"From the looks of things he's the one who healed you, One-star."

"Oh!"  Yuu smacked his right palm against his own forehead.  "How could I
have not seen it?  Principal Imai and Hotaru Imai.  And they look so much
alike too."

"Hotaru's brother is the school Principal?"  Mikan asked Yuu.

"No, my brother is the student representative of the 12th grade class, like
Yuu is the student representative of our 5th grade class and Natsume is the
student representative for the Elementary Branch.  If you will all excuse
me, I too need to rest," Hotaru left and the rest followed her out.

When I was released the next day the four of them were waiting, but I noted
that while Mikan still had her head bandaged, only she and Hotaru still had
their arms in slings, "It looks like somebody gave a little more."

Ruka blushed and turned away, "I've got to get ready for a play."

"I'm sorry Mikan", Yuu said to her, "but Ruka and I gave it all we could.
I felt like throwing up and passing out, but Hotaru kept on going.  She'd
howl out every time, sob and shake uncontrollably, then she'd put her arm
out again and say 'More please' and he kept doing it.  She wouldn't stop
until there wasn't a scar left."

"Somebody hurt Hotaru?"  Mikan asked him.

"You did dummy."  I turned to Hotaru, "Need a hand setting up your booth?"

"Fine," She turned away and started walking, "Just don't bother me with
your sympathy."

Mikan ran up to her, "Did I do something that hurt you?  I'm sorry."

"I said don't bother me, stupid."

I caught up with Mikan as she dropped two steps behind Hotaru.  "I wouldn't
have done that," I said, "not for anyone alive.  So One-star, I thought you
had this great idea for a Special Ability Alice event?"

"Oh, they're doing it, but I'm not allowed up on my flying carpet with my
arm like this.  They didn't seem to have much business when I checked this
morning."

At her booth Hotaru handed Mikan a list, "Here are the prices for all of
the items.  If you make a mistake, I'll demand it out of your allowance, no
matter how long it takes.  Natsume, here's something I need somebody with
two hands to operate."

Hotaru lead me to a field behind her booth with a fenced in area in front
of a stand of bleachers, "I need you to move these chicken walkers into the
arena.  Spread them out around the edges, facing the center.  I'd use my
remote, but I need to explain to the investors why I can't demonstrate
Pigbird for them."

When I got back to the sales booth, Mikan was trying to reach a box on the
top of the shelf at the back, "Natsume, can you open up that box of ladybug
lights, I just sold the last one at the counter."

I nodded, as I didn't have much else to do at that moment.

"Oh, it's Bunny Boy and Raccoon Girl,"  Mikan turned back to the counter.

"I am not a racoon, you stupid, stupid girl," Sumire said from just out of
my line of sight, "Can't you see that this is a Cheshire Cat costume?"

"Hi Mikan, we were just in a play,"  Ruka said.

"Oh, what was it about?"  Mikan asked.

"Have you never read a book?"  Sumire asked her, then saw me as I brought
the box to the counter, "Natsume, why are helping Hotaru?"

"She helped patch up my pet here,"  I patted Mikan on the head, "So I owe
her one."

"That reminds me,"  Sumire turned back to Mikan, "You hurt my Ruka.  He
looked so sad with his arm in a sling, but he took it so bravely."

"Thanks Ruka, One-star here took that bullet for me.  You too Yuu," I
nodded at our class rep as he walked up.

"Oh Natsume, if I had been there instead of this stupid girl I would have
disarmed them all with my Alice,"  Sumire made clawing motions with her
hands, without transforming.

"Why didn't you follow me when I ran to save Natsume?"  Mikan asked.

"All you did was get captured, but I did the right thing and went and told
the teachers so they were able to track Natsume when that barrier went down."

"Close down the booth," Hotaru walked up, "It's time for the chicken match.
Ruka, you can help Mikan sell tickets while Natsume shows the contestants
how to pilot the walkers."

"Don't order Ruka and Natsume around like that."

"Can it, Raccoon Girl.  She's earned that much credit with me," I shut the
front of the booth then followed Hotaru.

"I am not a raccoon!"

After the contestants were seated in the chickens, I joined the group up in
the stands.

Mikan asked Yuu, "Weren't you running something in the latent area?"

"A haunted house, but I'm taking a break right now.  Would you like to see
it later?"

"Oh that sounds great.  Can we go, Natsume?"

"No."

"What, are you chicken?"

"No, it's a waste of time.  Yuu never projects really frightening illusions."

"I offer a full refund if you're not really frightened," Yuu grinned
evilly.

At Hotaru's signal, the match started and the contestants ran the chickens
around the arena trying to snatch flag helmets off each other's heads.

One of the chickens spread its wings and started to fly around the ring
with the boy inside using his height advantage to snatch up a few flags.

"That's cheating!"  Mikan clinched her right fist at the flying chicken and
it fell out of the air.  "Oh no!  That boy, is he ok?"  She hopped into the
ring and ran towards the downed bird.

"This should not have happened.  I did not build any flight abilities into
these chickens."  Hotaru pressed a button on a remote and all of the
mechanical chickens stopped moving.

Mikan helped a kindergarten student out of the downed bird, but he didn't
seemed to be injured.

"Mikan!", Hotaru ran up to her, "I told you to only sell tickets to group-B
elementary students.  That's grades 4 to 6 if you've forgotten."

"But I didn't sell this boy a ticket."

"Ah, that's my fault,"  A sixth grade boy walked up, "My brother wanted to
try the chicken race out so I gave him my ticket."

"What is going on here?"  Syuuichi Sakurano, twelfth grade student and the
Executive Student Representative walked up with Subaru Imai, Hotaru's
older brother and student representative for the twelfth grade, and two
highschool girls who I think I've seen following Syuuichi around before.

"Miss Sakura and that kid used their Alices and caused an accident during
Miss Imai's competition,"  I said.

"So this is Mikan Sakura,"  Syuuichi turned to Subaru, "Make a full report
and bring it to the meeting today," then he walked off with the two
highschool girls following.

Subaru questioned almost everybody there but me and Yuu, and carefully
wrote down their statements.  "Miss Sakura and Miss Imai, please attend the
Student Representatives meeting this afternoon.  In the meantime, Miss
Imai's shop is suspended pending the results of the investigation and
neither of you two are to use your Alices."

"This is serious," Yuu adjusted his glasses, "If they had just wanted to
punish somebody they would have done it.  They must want a recommendation."

"No, Hotaru shouldn't be punished.  She didn't do anything wrong."

"I don't think Hotaru's the one in trouble," Sumire pointed at Mikan's
lapel, "A Student Representatives' recommendation can call for a change in
a student's status.  You could lose that one star.  Hey Ruka, let's go try
out Yuu's haunted house."

Ruka looked towards Mikan, but I turned her towards me with a hand on her
right shoulder, "Let's close up here then I'll treat you two girls to
lunch."

Hotaru shrugged, "Fine, as long as you're treating."

Mikan walked between Hotaru and me on the way to the food court in the
Technical section and asked me, "Who was that guy that asked all those
questions?"

"Subaru Imai, Hotaru's older brother."

"He sure didn't act like a brother when he was questioning Hotaru."

"The first time I met my brother was in the hospital when he came to heal
your arm, but I knew all about his Alice."

"What is his Alice?"

"He heals people by inflicting pain on others."

"Then the person who tortured you was your own brother?"

"She asked for it,"  I interrupted.

Hotaru gave me a really sour look when Mikan turned to me.

Then Mikan turned back to her, "How could you have not met your own
brother?"

"He was taken by the Academy before I was born.  My mother cried the day
she discovered that I was an Alice too.  My parents kept moving around to
avoid the Academy, never staying in one place for more than a few months."

"But you lived in our neighborhood for almost two years."

"I found somebody who was important to me and my parents agreed that it was
important that I stay, as long as I could."

"But not one of your ten most important people?"  Mikan grinned at some
joke I didn't get.

"I think I can name the person who's the one hundred most important people
to my brother."

We got a table outside the cafe where Anna was working during the
festival.  Hotaru placed a really big order, but I didn't mind.  Unlike
most of the other students I don't have anybody to send gifts to and I get
bonuses on top of the special star allowance.

As we were waiting for Anna's special dessert, Shizune Yamanouchi walked
up, "Natsume, can I speak with you for a moment?"

"It's a free country, except for this prison," I remained seated.

"Over there, please?"

"OK, but only one moment,"  I got up and followed her.

"So, that's Mikan Sakura?  She's such a plain girl, and I hear she's a
little slow.  You could do so much better."

"Yes, but she has such a wonderful Alice.  Is that all you wanted to say to
me Miss Yamanouchi?"

"Natsume, there's no need for you to be so formal with me.  We're both
Branch level Representatives after all,"  She leaned over and whispered in
my ear, "I heard that the fix is in for your Miss Sakura at the meeting
today.  You have my vote if you need it, but I doubt it will help."

"Thanks, I figured as much,"  I walked to the table and didn't look back.

"Who was that?"  Mikan asked.

"Miss Yamanouchi, Highschool Branch Representative, she had a question
about the meeting today."

"Oh, that,"  Mikan cut a slice from the pie and put it on a plate.

Hoataru swatted Mikan's hand away before she could put her fork in the
slice, "Anna!"

"What?"  Anna looked up from where she was taking the order of a couple of
students.

"There is a bug in this pie!"  Hotaru pointed at some sort of slug creature
in the pie and it grinned back at her, "I demand a refund!"

The two students whose order Anna was about to take shared a glance, then
stood up and walked away.

"But I baked that pie myself!"  Anna seemed almost on the verge of tears.

"Anna," Milk, an older cooking Alice came out of the cafe, "did you see
that blue package of flour I was going to throw out because it expired last
year?"

Anna turned to Milk and started sobbing, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean any
harm!"

The cafe emptied out in a flash.

"Hotaru, that's too cruel,"  Mikan said to her friend, "You could have just
told Anna that there was a problem with the pie."

"So she's a little embarrassed now.  It's better than you getting sick from
eatting that garbage.  When people misuse their Alices, people get hurt.
It's a lesson she's going to have to learn before she leaves the Academy."

We left the now closed cafe and walked through the Latent Abilities
section, on the way to the meeting.

"Don't read my mind,"  Mikan said, without lookup up from the path.

"But, I'm the mirror of truth," Yome Kokoro complained, "It's my booth.
OK, be that way, I'll just read somebody else's."

"Don't read Natsume's either!"  Mikan blushed.

"Don't worry, I've never gotten through his training."

As we walked along, Hotaru asked Mikan, "What were you afraid of his
reading in Natsume's mind?"

"N - nothing important.  Say Natsume, how could you train to avoid mind
reading, that's not your Alice?"

"There's special training for certain students."

At the Student Representatives meeting most of the other twelve
Representatives were surprised to see me at a meeting.  There were nine
Representatives for the 4th to 12th grades, such as Yuu, Three Branch
Representives, including Shizune and myself and Syuuichi as the top student
for the entire school.

Subaru related the events at the chicken match, Yuu and I added our
observations and then Subaru finished up, "As for the case of Miss Imai, I
must abstain as it concerns my sister."

"It appears to me that Miss Imai took reasonable precautions and the events
that occurred were outside of her control or ability to predict," Syuuichi
said and took a vote, all unanimous, except for Subaru's abstention.

"And as for Miss Sakura," Subaru looked at Mikan, "I recommend that as the
reckless use of her power endangered another student's life that her status
should be altered.  While she was understandably miscategorized as a
Special Ability Alice, she is actually a Dangerous Ability Alice."

"No," Yuu objected, "Miss Sakura isn't dangerous.  Her power can't harm
people.  All she can do is stop other Alices."

Syuuichi was about to comment but I cut in, "Mr. Tobita, you've seen Miss
Sakura drop levitators from a few meters up in the air.  Her range is at
least ten meters.  What would you think would happen if she cut off a
flying Alice at that height?"

"She wouldn't do something like that."

"Dangerous abilities are defined by the level of hazard, not intent.  And
Miss Sakura can't wear Alice control devices.  Would you have every
levitator and telekinetic in the school limited to a height of one meter
and Mr. Nogi forced to stay away from all wild animals?"  I risked a quick
glance at Mikan and noted the horror on her face as she suddenly realized
the potential hazard she was to Ruka.

"No," Yuu looked down at his hands.

"So, do you withdraw your objection to this motion?" 

"Yes."

"If there are no other objections?" Syuuichi took the vote, all in
agreement, and finally got to me, "and Mr. Hyuuga?"

"Agreed," I started writing.

"So that was your plan," Hotaru glared at me.

"Miss Imai?" I asked.

"Nothing," She turned away.

"Miss Sakura and Miss Imai, you may leave now while we consider other
business.  What's this?"  Syuuichi looked at the paper I handed him.

"Our recommendation for Miss Sakura.  If the rest of you will sign it, I'll
take it immediately to the faculty so that we don't have a miscategorized
Dangerous Ability Alice wandering around endangering everybody."

"Very well, we'll still have a quorum."  All of the representatives signed
the paper.

Outside the meeting room, Hotaru reached for Mikan's right hand.  "I need to
get back to my shop now.  Goodbye Mikan."

Mikan watched Hotaru walk away.  "What was that about?  It's like I'm being
sent to my death."

"You are.  Welcome to the Dangerous Ability Alices.  Come on One-star, you're
with me."

"It's not fair.  I'm not dangerous.  Like Yuu said, my Alice doesn't do
anything."

"You have the ability to undo everything.  That's very dangerous around
here."

"Wait.  You called me One-star.  You've been calling me One-star all day.
You noticed!"

"I'm just surprised that Jinno would change his mind about your star
ranking so soon after having your grounding overturned."

"Oh, I didn't get it from Mr. Jinno.  It's from Mr. Persona.  He's the one
who asked me about everything that happened to us while we were kidnaped."

"You really are stupid to be happy about something like that.  Now shut up
and follow me."

"Hmph!"

Next Chapter: "Dog Show"