Mikan's POV

"Goodnight, Natsume!" I giggled. "See you tomorrow, pigtails." Natsume said with the faintest trace of a smirk. We went our separate ways, each heading to bed. "I love you, Natsume," I sighed as I pulled the covers over my brown bangs. As I closed my eyes, I thought I smelled a familiar, herby smell, but then dismissed it as nothing. Please let me dream about howalon…Oh, yeah, Natsume, too… Was my last thought as I was lulled to sleep by the perfume-y scent.

Natsume's POV

I walked towards my room, smiling to myself. Mikan's too eager for her own good. We're total opposites. But I still love her. Of course, if anyone asked, I'll deny. But it was no secret. I quickly leapt into bed, drawing in my notebook as I tried to get some sleep. Just as I closed my eyes, an acrid smell drifted and curled around me. It smelled sort of like burnt leaves. I'm not going to worry about it… I thought drowsily as I drifted off.

I blinked open my eyes, feeling confused. I didn't know why, but I was. I looked at the sheets around me. Pink? Since when were my sheets pink?! I scrambled out of bed, heading for the mirror above the ridiculously girly sink. Oh…hell…no." I whispered in that girly voice I had come to love. Those chocolate brown eyes that were now mine. I tried to conjure a flame on my palm, to no avail, as I had expected. I was a girl…even worse, I was Mikan! I slammed my fist into the wall and said a lot of words that will get edited out for you little ones who shouldn't even be reading this kind of stuff. Jeez, go watch Elmo or something.

Mikan's POV

I yawned as the morning sun hit my face. Time to get up already? But my bed felt especially warm and comfortable… When I opened my eyes, I saw the reason. My bed was very wide and plush. And…my sheets were black? I curiously surveyed the room; it looked very Natsume-ish. I smiled happily. Had Natsume carried me here while I was sleeping? He was so sweet! "Are you here, Natsume?" I sing-songed, but my voice sounded different. Weird. Not me. I jumped up quickly, searching desperately for a mirror. Finally I found one (yeesh, Natsume was so unconcerned about his appearance!) and screamed. In Natsume's voice. Which sounded super gay. I blinked back tears as Natsume's crimson eyes looked at me, also filled with moisture. I swept his raven black hair out of my eyes--his eyes--and dressed for class, determined to find the meaning of this.

"Natsume Hyuga!!! What the hell?!" I shrieked, stomping into the classroom and pouting quite nicely. I gulped as I realized it would look really foolish for Natsume to scream at himself and spit like a mad cat. I blushed furiously. Luckily, the only people in the room were me and Ruka-pyon. "Hey, Ruka-pyon!" I greeted him cheerfully. Ruka-pyon gave me a WTH-has-my-best-friend-gone-mad face and said, "Hey Natsume. You look happy today." "Of course I'm happy! Look. The sky's blue, the birds are singing, and everyone's healthy. Isn't that a good enough excuse to smile a little?" Okay, I was over doing it--a lot. But, as I had expected, it drew Natsume/Me in like a moth to a flame. Him being the flame and I the moth!

Natsume's POV

I was wearing a skirt! A SKIRT! And I was not happy, either. I stormed into the hallway, hoping no one would be able to see through my ruse as Mikan. And, hey, this thing only lasted an hour, right? Right?! As I snuck towards Class B, I heard snatches of my own voice, sounding a lot cheerier than I thought was possible. When I heard the part about sunshine and birdsong, I moved a lot faster than I thought Mikan's legs could go. "Why, hello Nat-su-me," I growled through a forced smile. Mikan giggled, and I felt hot fury race down my spine. "Oh, hi, Sakura. You're wearing your hair down today." Ruka commented, giving me one of those mushy looks he usually saved for his animals. Ugh. I shuddered. "You're right Ruka-pyo… Ruka. I wonder why she's wearing her hair down." Mikan said, her…no, my eyes flashing briefly. "Can I talk to you for a moment, Natsume?" I muttered, taking my own arm. Damn, that was creepy. "Mikan, why did you switch us?" I sighed in frustration. "I didn't do it! Anyways, it's only a harmless little prank. It'll wear off soon. Don't look so sullen." she laughed. She reached up and ran her hand against my--her--jaw. That doesn't make one grain of sense. "Hey, why'd you put my hair down?" she questioned. "You're lucky I didn't chop it off!" I shot at her, then sighed. "I always tell you I like it down, but do you listen? No. So I'm taking matters into my own hands." She giggled again, and I battled internally about knocking her unconscious until the effects of this thing wore off. Decisions, decisions…

Mikan's POV

"Time for class, everyone." Jinno-sensei ordered. I scrambled to find Natsume's seat in this class; he nodded at a seat in the back. Of course. I once again began playing with Natsume's black hair. Several people turned around in their seats to give me funny looks. I stopped twirling Natsume's hair and faced the teacher, which was possibly even more unusual. "Is there something you would like to share with the class, Hyuga?" Jin-Jin asked with a poisonous glare. "Yes. That necktie is a lovely shade of blue that really compliments your eyes." I said, grinning foolishly. Natsume glared at me from my normal place at the front of the room, then began to scribble furiously on a piece of scrap paper.

Quit acting like yourself!Natsume had written. Hm, his handwriting was still his, even though he was in my body. How weird. I'm only trying to be optimistic. If you're so concerned, I give you permission to do whatever you want with me. Natsume grinned, which looked beyond strange on my face. Anything? he wrote, smirking. Knock yourself out. I wrote, knowing this was not going to be good. "Sensei, sensei! I have something to share with the class!" Natsume said, waving his hand around in an awful impression of me. "Yes, Sakura?" Jin-Jin said coldly, and I braced myself for the worst. "I would like to confess something…my undying love…for--mmmph!" that was as far as that boy was going to get! "Natsume you dirty perverted fox! You baka! You freak! You hotheaded son of a--!" I shrieked, smacking Natsume as hard as I could. Suddenly…ZAP! My hair, well Natsume's really, started smoking. I tried to shake off the shock of the electric jolt I'd received. "Hyuuga! Sakura! Detention! Out of my classroom!" Jinno-sensei roared. As I shuffled out of the classroom, head bowed in shame, I heard whispers coil around me. "I didn't know Natsume could scream like that…" "Yeah, and Mikan seems kind of mean lately…" "WHAT IS UP WITH THOSE TWO?!" "Well…you've really done it now, polka-dots." Natsume sighed. "Me?! You were about to say I was claiming undying love for someone!" I squealed. "You gave me permission," he reminded me. I let out a breath of air I didn't know I'd been holding. "You're right." I whispered. And then I started crying. Then I remembered I wasn't me anymore. I was Natsume. Natsume was me. That only made me cry even harder. Natsume put an awkward hand on my shoulder, probably alarmed to be watching himself crying. Then I looked up and saw Natsume wearing a skirt, and I started laughing. "Tch, you girls are so emotional. C'mon, we're skipping today." Natsume grunted, helping me to my feet.

Natsume's POV

I hauled polka-dots to her…my feet. "Wipe those tears out of your eyes. You look prettier when you smile." I told her, knowing flattery would perk her up. She sniffled, and smiled just as I'd told her to. My eyes watching me…it was unnerving. Suddenly a silhouette could be seen up ahead of us. It was Sidney, followed by her usual swarm of cats. The ones with problems always seemed to love her the most, though. The one she was holding had only half an ear, and one of its eyes was looking in on the other one. It was a very small kitten. "Hi, Sidney!" Mikan greeted her. "Oh, hi, Mikan. Natsume." Sidney said, sounding subdued. "What's wrong?" Mikan said, instantly picking up on her mood. I cursed Mikan internally; what did she think she was doing, using that soppy tone while in my body? "Well, I can't find Felix. He's been gone so long…" Sidney whispered. Felix was her favorite cat, the one she'd brought over from America. He had deformities on all of his paws. But that wasn't the strangest thing. Only Ruka and I knew that Felix was actually her brother who had the Alice similar to hers. He could transform into a cat, but he'd been stuck since she was a baby. "That's too bad. When did you notice he was gone?" I asked carefully, trying to sound as Mikan-like as I could. "About the time when Sumire put that medicine bottle in my backpack…It was labeled 'Soul Shuffle Aroma'. She wanted me to give it to you, Natsume, but I didn't know what it was, and…" she muttered. "What do you know about that?!" I demanded impatiently. "Natsume, quit being such a dictator! The truth is, I'm Mikan, and he's Natsume." Mikan explained. "So that's what that medicine does to people." Sidney murmured. "Apologize, Natsume!" Mikan ordered sternly. "Sorry," I mumbled. "Could you please describe the bottle thoroughly?" Mikan asked sweetly. "Hm…The label said 'Soul Shuffle Aroma.' Two people who are truly in love with each other will have to use it at the same time, and then they will switch bodies. The stronger their love is, the longer they're stuck." she recited. "Ah. So Sumire thought she would switch with Natsume." Mikan giggled. "Well, if Perm only planted one bottle, then where'd the other one come from?" I pondered. "I have a feeling Hotaru has something to do with this!" Mikan declared. The school bell suddenly sounded for dismissal. "Oh, sorry! I've got to go! Pudge! You shouldn't wander off on your own!" Sidney fretted as the deformed kitten galloped away. "Where should we go now?" Mikan wondered to herself. "Well, Jinno only serves detentions on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I think we have some free time." I replied. Well, today was Friday. "Can we go see Ruka-pyon for a while?" Mikan begged. "Whatever, polka-dots." I said, about to suggest the very same thing.

When we found Ruka, he was, of course, with his animals. "Oh, hi, Natsume! Hey, Sakura!" he greeted us, rubbing a horse's head as it nuzzled him. Giant Piyo was watching with envy through a window. "Hey, Ruka-pyon! How are you?" Mikan giggled. Ruka looked at my body with something close to alarm. "Hey, Ruka." I said casually. Ruka's head whipped back and forth between us, and I could tell he knew something was up. "Natsume?" he said to me, sighing. "Yeah." I responded, embarrassed, wishing desperately that I could get out of this skirt. "This whole thing is such a mess," Mikan sighed, flopping down on a pile of straw. "Permy." Ruka said wisely, and Mikan and I both made noises of disgust. "I'm going to burn her to death." I growled. "Not until you get out of my body--you can't." Mikan reminded me. "Damn it!" I yelled out of pure frustration. "You've got my nullification." she reminded me, and I struggled not to say, "What good is your stupid nullification?! I can't put anyone in the intensive care unit with that!" but didn't because we were on good terms, at last. "Hey, Sakura. Try using Natsume's Alice." Ruka suggested. She looked surprised, like it had never occurred to her. "Okay…Natsume, how do you do it?" she asked me tentatively. "I dunno…just think of something that makes you mad." I suggested, not liking having to describe how I started fires that killed people. "I can't do that! I m-mean, it's not possible!" she squeaked in alarm. Hey, Mikan. I know what color panties you wore yesterday." I told her. "No you don't!" she protested. "Oh yeah? Pink and blue stripes. Frilly trimming." I said smugly. "You bastard! How could you?!" she screamed. "Natsume, look!" Ruka whispered. A small flame appeared on Mikan's palm. "Quit flailing around!" I ordered her. She stopped, and looked in wonder at the tiny fire she'd produced. "It's like…a tiny heartbeat! It feels alive!" she breathed. "It needs oxygen to stay alive, just like humans. It breathes and moves and grows." I said, which had to be the most touchy-feely heart-on-my-sleeve thing I'd ever uttered. Ruka and Mikan looked at me in shock, but I didn't meet their gaze. "It's getting late. I'm going to go." Ruka said to break the awkward silence. "I'm going to bed, too." Mikan said, but I grabbed her. "Won't it seem a little strange if you're sleeping in Mikan Sakura's room? And vice versa?" I pointed out. "You're right. But I don't want you going through my stuff!" she said stubbornly. "I wouldn't do that," I lied soothingly. "Still…" she grumbled. "Hey. We could…share a room," I muttered almost inaudibly. "What?" "I'm not going to repeat myself." "I heard you, but…why?" I sighed. "Remember that one time, when we were 'stuck together'?" she nodded. "Well, we can just say that we accidentally came across that sticky powder again, and no one will be the wiser." I explained. "But we can't walk around like that!" Mikan said hotly. "We can use other excuses every day. We'll just make it up as we go along." I told her coolly. She calmed down a little. "Okay. Who's room are we sleeping in?" she asked with a straight face. I smacked my palm on my forehead.

Mikan's POV

I nervously wandered into Natsume's room. It had been a few months since I had really examined it, and hardly anything had changed. There was always that smoky scent, and the same black sheets and blankets. One thing did stand out, though. A dark blue notebook that lay open on Natsume's desk. He kicked it under the bed when he thought I wasn't looking. "Make yourself at home." he said, flopping onto his bed. There was silence for a second. "How long do you think we'll be stuck like this?" Natsume asked. "I dunno. Howmuchdoyouloveme?" I blurted out at the end. Natsume looked up in surprise. "We're screwed." he said affectionately.

Soon the stars began to shine weakly as the moon came out. I made tea and Natsume and I had an honest-to-goodness conversation. Not once did he call me polka-dots or me call him perverted fox. Sure, we argued every once in a while, but that was to be expected. Finally, when the moon was high in the evening sky, we called it a night. I curled up beside him, trying to exert my newfound control over Natsume's fire to make us warm. As soon as Natsume's breathing was even, I reached under the bed and picked up the notebook. Flipping through the pages, I bristled with surprise. There were pictures of me! And a list of what underwear I wore each day?! How was his information so accurate? I would have to thoroughly scour my room when this whole thing was over… As I snuggled closer to the sleeping Natsume, my last thoughts were of fire…everywhere…

Natsume's POV

It was strange, I hadn't slept so soundly in months. But what woke me up were polka-dots barely stifled shrieks as she writhed around beside me. "Mikan!" I whispered. She was covered in sweat. Running a high fever. "Grandpa, it hurts! Help!" she squealed. I started to panic. Okay, what did I do when I got a fever? Um… Uhhh… "I'll be right back!" I promised, then darted for the hospital. One nurse sat at the reception desk, reading a magazine. "Please help! Natsume!" I panted. The nurse looked up, recognition in her eyes. "Hyuuga again, huh?" she muttered, plopping the magazine down and following me back to my room. Mikan was still panting, but she seemed too tired to keep thrashing around. The nurse was about to go back for a stretcher, but I told her I would handle it. She looked like she was about to argue, but in the end, she left it alone. I tried to pick her (me) up as best as I could, but Mikan wasn't as strong as I was. By the time we reached the hospital I was out of breath, but determined to get Mikan some help. I didn't want her to suffer the way I did. As my body was hooked up with IV's and all that stuff, I realized that I had to get Mikan out of my body right now. How could I let her go through this? I was about to go find Ruka, and see if maybe he knew someone with a knowledge of herbs and all that, when I overheard people talking about me. "Hm. That Natsume boy again?" "Yes. Persona is working him so hard." "I heard Persona died…so the class is discontinued. Why is that boy still in such rough shape?" "If he overworks himself in this condition, he'll…" the voice trailed off. I immediately turned around and sped back towards Mikan. I couldn't leave her. Finding a way out of this would have to wait.