Ruka, Natsume and Mikan captured…
Ruka's POV:
Were 15 now, Natsume and Mikan are together. I'll live with it even though I think, every time they are near me, that could have been me there with Mikan… I love Mikan, but I also love Natsume… It's all just so difficult! Natsume never told me that he had the 4th type of Alice, I mean doesn't he trust me? I'm his best friend; I would do anything for him…
Everyone's POV:
Ruka laid on his bed trying to sleep, but with those thoughts running through his head he just couldn't. No matter how hard he tried sleep just wouldn't come…
But he was too tired so after a while he drifted to sleep. Falling deeper and deeper into darkness.
Ruka's POV:
What was that? Are that someone's footsteps I hear?
"Natsume, is that you? Nats…!"
What? Someone just grabbed me from behind. Help! What's happening? He just put something over my mouth! I have to get out, but no matter how much I struggle he just wont let go! Huh? I feel… dizzy. Someone stop him… I'm slipping away…
Ruka lost consciousness.
Everyone's POV:
"What did you do to him?"
"Umm, it was kind of difficult he put up a good fight. We didn't have a choice… I mean he is the black cat… We just knocked him out cold."
Huh are they talking about Natsume? Where am I?
"You idiots! You can't even handle a little child without using such methods? Man I need some better agents!"
The footsteps head out the door. Ruka slowly opens his eyes and looks at his surroundings; at first it's a little unclear.
He's in a small room with gray walls and a door at the end. Who's there? It's Mikan and Natsume! Ruka crawls over to the first person, which is Mikan. He grabs her shoulder.
"Mikan? Are you awake? Mikan?" Mikan begins to stir awake.
"Huh? Ruka? OH YEAH I WAS KIDNAPPED!" Mikan begins shouting, now fully awake.
"Shhh… Do you want them to hear you?"
"Oh, right sorry… What do we do?" Mikan looks so intently at Ruka, that he has to avert his gaze.
"I think we should start by waking Natsume. He'll know what to do…"
"Is Natsume here? Ohh behind me…"
They both laid their attention on Natsume. He had blood running down the side of his face. Otherwise he looked quit peaceful.
"Natsume what have they done to you?" Mikan said as she touched Natsume's forehead and ran her fingers through his hair.
"I heard them talking about it. The leader seemed really mad at the others for doing this to Natsume. They said he had put up a fight."
"Natsume. Natsume! It's me Mikan!"
"I don't think he's going to wake up for the time being. Lets try to figure out our situation." Ruka said.
"Yeah, lets do that…" Mikan sighed.
"There's a barrier up so we can't use our Alice's, even though I don't know if Natsume can I'd hate to ask him…"
"I couldn't agree more." Mikan smiled that sad smile of hers.
"Uhhh… What the hell…" Natsume placed his hand on his head.
"Natsume! Your awake!" Mikan gave him a big hug.
"Hmmm, Polka where are we? Ouch! What happened?" Natsume sat up and looked at Mikan and Ruka.
"We don't know we've all been kidnapped! What are we supposed to do Natsume? What happened to you? Ruka just woke me up a little while ago. Are we going to die? There's a barrier up so we can't use our Alice's. Can you?" Mikan talked so quickly that Ruka and Natsume had to strain their ears to hear what she said.
"Slow down Polka, talk quieter. Of course we're not going to die! They hit me in the head with a… What was it? …A chair? Maybe. I think that I can use my Alice, but only a little. So we have to wait for the right moment." Natsume explained, "Are any of you hurt?"
"No we're not Natsume." Ruka said.
Natsume stood up. He swayed and grabbed his head but continued to stand on his feet.
"Natsume, are you sure its okay for you to stand up?" Mikan said.
"I'll live. I've got to check something." Natsume walked over to the wall and placed his hand on it. Then he started tapping the wall moving further and further away until the wall gave a hollow sound, "Here!" Natsume raised his hand just as the door flew up. Mikan, Natsume and Ruka turned around to look at the 3 men that just entered the room.
"Well, well. Trying to escape now are we? But don't worry we've got it covered; you can't use your Alice's here." The man looked over at Mikan and Ruka, "tie them up!"
His henchmen went over to Mikan and Ruka and held them down.
"Now we can talk openly to each other without interference, Black cat."
Natsume glanced over at Mikan and Ruka. "What do you want?"
"Nothing much, just information."
"And what makes you think I'll give it to you?" Natsume made a very small flame in his hand.
"Ah, ah, ah. I'm not sure that you should do that, because if you hurt me your friends will also be hurt." He looked at his 2 henchmen, who nodded back at him, "Even though I am impressed that you can use your Alice in this kind of barrier, it must be tough. Especially with your type of Alice! Don't you feel your legs shaking and a burn in your throat? Well I'd hate to hurt you even more than what you are now, but I have little time, and I need answers! Oh by the way call me Masaru"
Masaru pushed Natsume into the wall. "Now please tell me everything you know about the dangerous ability class, Persona and the ESP."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
Slam! Masaru hit Natsume so hard that he fell on the floor, and then he sat on him. "I asked you nicely, but if that's not going to work then I need to use harder methods!" He pulled out a knife.
"No! Natsume just tell him!" Mikan shouted.
"Yes I think you should listen to her."
"No. As soon as I tell you you'll just kill us, because we are of no further value to you." Natsume glanced over at Mikan.
"You'll die anyway it's just a question of suffering or not. I'll give you a taste of it!" Masaru took his knife to Natsume's left arm and cut him.
Natsume scowled. "Ugghh…" *pant.
"Don't hurt him! Natsume!" Mikan had tears in her eyes.
"Shut up little girl! As soon as I'm finished with him, I'll make you next!" Masaru looked down at Natsume, "I'll give you some time to think about it. Enjoy while you can! I'll be back before you bleed out, I hope *Evil laughter." The 3 men walked out of the door.
"Natsume!" Both Mikan and Ruka ran over to Natsume, Mikan tore the bottom of her shirt to make some bandage and wrapped it around Natsume's arm.
"Thanks, Mikan…" Natsume said, as he stood up.
"Sorry Natsume, its all our fault if we weren't here then you could have fought…" Mikan said with a pained expression.
"No, it's not your fault. They kidnapped you, you couldn't do anything about it." Natsume said as he walked over to the wall he had almost destroyed before.
"Okay, so this is what we do," Natsume said, "I'm going to blast a hole in this wall, I need you 2 to stand behind me so that the flames won't hurt you. After that we run and don't look back. Keep behind me at all time's, no matter what happens! Okay?"
Both Mikan and Ruka nodded.
"And I need both of you to do what I say at all times, no matter what I say. Do you understand?" Natsume asked while he looked at them.
"Fine, but I won't let you die!" Mikan said with determination.
"Nether will I!" Ruka said making the same expression.
"Hmmp," Natsume smirked, "Fine, then get behind me! …Are you ready?"
"Yes!" They answered together.
Natsume closed his eyes and started to focus, he felt the energy and warmth building up in his hands. He stretched them out before him and opened his eyes.
"Now!"
Bum! The wall smashed making a lot of noise, some fire came towards them but Natsume protected them by absorbing the flames.
Natsume stood there panting and clutching his arm.
"Natsu…" Mikan started.
"And now we run!" Natsume said and ran through the hole.
Ruka and Mikan followed him always staying slightly behind him. When they came outside the building they saw a forest to their left. Natsume ran towards it so Mikan and Ruka followed. Enemies had started showing themselves behind them, and they were now following them inside the forest. The ones with Alice's started using them and Natsume did the same. It was like a war while they ran 1 against 10 always flashes of light. They weren't outside the barrier yet; Ruka and Mikan still couldn't use their Alice's. Natsume was turning pale rapidly and started coughing from time to time, but there was nothing the others could do, there were still 5 enemies left. It was a miracle that none of them had been hit yet, it was probably because Natsume was leading them in and out of the trees.
Flashes of light… Natsume had hit one more. They kept running.
"Ruka, Mikan. Hide behind some trees!" When Mikan and Ruka didn't do what he asked Natsume yelled: "Do as I say!"
Reluctantly they did as told. As they did it Natsume spun around and faced his enemies and all hell brock loose. They sent attacks and so did Natsume. Flashes of light, occasional screams, panic. Ruka and Mikan could just watch understanding why Persona wouldn't let go of Natsume.
Then the last attack from Natsume, the last scream, everything was quite…
Natsume leaned against the tree behind him, slowly sliding down it until he sat on the ground.
"Natsume!" They both screamed and ran towards him.
"We… need to… get out… of the barrier… so that the academy… can find us…" Natsume said panting.
"We know… But Natsume, you…" Mikan said with tears in her eyes.
Natsume tried to stand up but he fell back again. Natsume started coughing, first quietly and then gradually more and more violent until he stopped. There was blood on his hand, but he didn't care he still used that hand to reach inside his t-shirt and pull out his healing stone. Natsume looked at Mikan and saw that she was crying. He put his arm around her waist, pulled her into a hug and rested his head on her shoulder. After a couple of minutes they heard shouts heading their way. Natsume lifted his head off Mikan's shoulder and looked at the direction the sound had come from.
"We need to move." Natsume said. He gently pushed Mikan off and stood up leaning against the tree.
"I wonder how far there is to the end of the barrier." Mikan said looking anxiously at Natsume who was leaning against the tree with his eyes closed.
Natsume opened his eyes, "now or never." He pushed himself away from the tree and started walking. Ruka and Mikan followed behind him, like he said.
Then they saw it, the barrier. It was right up ahead.
"Natsume, Ruka we're here! It's the barrier!" Mikan started laughing, "we made it!"
Natsume and Ruka smiled at Mikan then all of a sudden Natsume fell to his knees.
"Natsume!" Ruka and Mikan shouted their smiles vanished as they ran towards Natsume.
"I'm fine…"
Both of them could see that he wasn't fine, maybe his face didn't seem like it but there was pain in his eyes.
"Lets take a short break," Ruka said.
"No, we can rest when we're outside of the barrier… It's just a little further." Natsume said slowly, the last part mostly to himself.
Natsume held his hand out to Ruka, who took it and pulled him up on his feet. Ruka put Natsume's arm around his shoulders and supported him as they walked towards the barrier.
The second Mikan and Ruka stepped outside the barrier they felt their powers returning to them. Ruka let Natsume stand on his own.
"Thank you Natsume we wouldn't be standing here if it wasn't for you." Both of them said as they looked at Natsume.
"We got out… I did it…" As soon as those words left Natsume's mouth, he fainted.
"No! Natsume!" Mikan screamed and ran towards Natsume, she cried on his chest.
"You promised… We just got out… Hang on; the academy will be here soon… please… Natsume!" Mikan cried through sobs.
Some time after they saw Narumi and Persona run towards them.
"Mikan-Chan! Ruka-pyon! …Natsume?" Narumi stopped dead and stared and Natsume searching for a sign of life. Luckily you could just see Natsume's chest heaving up and down as he slowly breathed, "Thank goodness!"
"Mikan and Ruka what happened?" Narumi asked the 2 of them.
"Well we… What are you doing?" Mikan stared at Persona who had started moving towards Natsume.
Persona ignored her and continued towards Natsume. He knelt down beside him and took something out of his pocket.
"Natsume are you awake?" Persona asked. When Natsume didn't show any sign of waking up, Persona slapped him. "…Apparently not."
"You bastard!" Ruka only made it a few steps before Narumi stopped him.
"Ruka… I'm sorry but you know you can't… both of you." Narumi said standing between them and Persona.
Persona poured something into Natsume's mouth. Almost immediately Natsume curled over and started coughing. Then he rolled over again to catch his breath.
"What did you tell them?" Persona shouted at Natsume.
"What are you doing here…?" Natsume looked a bit confused.
Persona grabbed Natsume's shirt, forced him up and pushed him into the nearest tree.
"I asked you a question!"
"I didn't tell them anything. Why would I?"
"You think I don't recognize torture when I see it?" Persona grabbed the bandage on Natsume's arm and pulled it off, "come on Natsume, even you aren't that resistant to pain! Now what did you tell them?"
"I told you, I didn't tell them anything!" Natsume shouted in Persona's face.
"You 2!" Persona pointed at Mikan and Ruka, "Is he telling the truth?"
"Yes, he didn't say anything. So please don't hurt him!" Mikan yelled.
"Well then I'll believe it for now, consider yourself lucky." Persona said smiling, "What's wrong black cat? You're looking rather pale. Is it your Alice? Seems like I can't misuse the little remaining time I have with you. I would really hate it if you got hurt."
Persona hit Natsume so hard across the head that Natsume fell on the ground and stayed there.
"Natsume!" Mikan shrieked and put her hand on her mouth.
"Oww… That hurt!" Persona blew on his hand with a smile on his face, "Oh, yeah Natsume, just kidding!"
"Persona! What are you doing!" Narumi ran towards Natsume.
Persona walked away towards the barrier and through it.
"I'll take care of the enemies." Persona said as he walked away.
"That bastard!" Narumi looked down at Natsume. He was unconscious again.
"Narumi, why did you stop us?" Ruka said gazing unhappily at Natsume.
"Because I didn't think Natsume would have wanted anything to happen to either of you…" Narumi answered painfully.
"But what about him? Didn't you think of Natsume? …He's been hurt more than anyone, always alone with no ways to get out of it… Didn't you think of him? Natsume's having nightmare's, mostly he takes sleeping pills and medication for his Alice, but when he doesn't take anything he usually comes stumbling into my room just to see if I'm still there, that he's not alone…" Mikan said this while tears were running down her cheek's, "Do you know how many times I've gone into his room just to find him on the floor gasping for air? How many times I've seen him cough up blood? And still he usually ends up comforting me even though it should be opposite? How many hours I have waited hoping for him to come home from missions so that I could treat his wounds? …And there's nothing I can do! Nothing! I can't do anything but be by his side!" Mikan broke down crying on top of Natsume.
"Mikan… Chan… I… I'm so sorry…" Narumi looked up at Ruka, who had tears in his eyes. And then looked at Natsume, he had watched him grow up in the academy; he had known what they were doing to him, what they were making him do. For 7 years he had only watched as Natsume's light had been put out slowly.
"Mikan-Chan, I need to carry Natsume to the car. Can you move?" Narumi asked Mikan. She nodded and stood up.
They began the quiet walk to the car, none of them could think of anything to say so they just walked in silence.
When they came to the car Narumi laid Natsume down on the back seats, Mikan sat beside him and stroked his hair. Narumi got the emergency-kit from the trunk and handed it over to Mikan. She started treating Natsume's wounds.
And then they were off to the academy.
Natsume's POV:
Is it raining? Something wet is landing on my face. All I need to do is breathe in and out, in and out… It hurts… It hurts so badly… I can't take it… But I have to I have Mikan. That idiot would probably cry if I died… Silly girl, I love you.
My eyelids are heavy but I still manage to open them. …Mikan is crying… I hate making her cry…
"What… are you crying for…? Polka…?" …It hurts…
"Natsume! You're awake!" Mikan smiled at him.
"I… love… you… Mikan…" I manage to say before I start coughing up blood.
"Natsume!"
It's no use my consciousness is slowly drifting away… I head towards the darkness that I hate… I can't see you anymore… my only light… Mikan…
Everyone's POV:
"Narumi drive faster!" Mikan cried.
They were almost there; Gakuen Alice was right up ahead. They drove straight to the hospital, Narumi carried Natsume into the hall where a doctor came rushing towards him.
"What happened?" The doctor asked while taking Natsume's pulse, it was faint but it was there, "He's alive, but only just."
"He used his Alice too much, inside a barrier." Narumi explained.
"Inside a barrier? How strong?" The doctor asked as he led them into a hospital room.
"Mikan and Ruka couldn't even use their Alice's inside it…"
"Damn… Put him on the bed Narumi."
"Please do something." Mikan said to the doctor.
"I'm sorry, but there isn't anything I can do…" The doctor said while putting an oxygen mask on Natsume.
"What do you mean you can't do anything?" Mikan asked the doctor.
"It's his own Alice that's doing this, his own body. If there were a cure, then I would have used it many times by now… I all depends on Natsume, whether he wakes or not… The only thing we can depend on is his strength and will to live… But you know he's been suffering like this for 6 years… The chance's that he will survive this time are-"
"Don't say it!" Mikan cried, "Don't say it… Don't say it… Don't say it… Please, Natsume… Please… Don't leave me…" Mikan sat down beside Natsume's bed and held his hand.
"Please isn't there anything you can do?" Narumi pleaded.
"I can only take care of his injuries, after that it's up to himself…" The doctor said as he removed the bandage on Natsume's arm and began stitching the wound together.
Ruka sat down beside Mikan and stared at his best friend who was fighting for his life.
"Ruka, can you tell us exactly what happened?" Narumi asked.
And so Ruka started telling the doctor and Narumi what had happened from the time they had been kidnapped till Natsume had collapsed in the forest.
"Natsume really did all that? I'm surprised that he didn't collapse sooner, he must have had an enormous will to protect you." The doctor said with an astounded look on his face.
"Ohh, yeah! Doctor, when me and Persona came to the scene, Persona went over to Natsume and poured something into his mouth to make him wake up." Narumi said.
"He did what! I swear someday I'm gonna kill him!" The doctor said furiously and went out of the door. Sometime after he came back with a bottle in his hand.
"Doctor? What exactly was it?" Narumi asked.
"It's a temporary solution. It gives the victim about 15 minutes of consciousness without pain. But there is a price… When those 15 minutes are over the victim will be in more pain than before…" He explained as he poured the contents of the bottle into Natsume's mouth.
"What's that?" Ruka asked.
"This? It's the antidote. Of course Persona didn't care about giving it to him." As the doctor explained, Natsume slowly opened his eyes, but he quickly closed them again.
"Natsume?" Mikan said.
"Natsume can you hear me?" The doctor said as he went over to stand beside him.
"Mm…"
"Natsume I know this is going to take a lot, but can you move your left hand? I need to see if there is nerve damage."
You could see Natsume's hand twitch and then he slowly curled his fingers into a fist and out again. Natsume opened his eyes and looked at the doctor, his glassy eyes showed sign of pain.
The doctor looked as if he had just realized something. He put his hand on Natsume's forehead.
"You have a fever. Oh no… Natsume, you need to control your Alice!" The doctor said. The room started to heat up but then slowly the temperature came down again.
"Good job Natsume. Natsume?" The doctor looked down at Natsume, he started gasping for air and he'd closed his eyes.
"Natsume are you still with us?" The doctor asked Natsume.
You could just barley see Natsume nod.
"Can't you do anything?" Mikan asked as she stared at Natsume.
"I can't. And Natsume knows that as well. This is his fight. I'm going to go out and check on some other patients. Call me if something happens." The doctor said as he went out through the door.
"…I love you too Natsume, so please fight." Mikan said.
"…You're my best friend Natsume, so please fight." Ruka said.
Natsume opened his eyes and looked at the 3 of them, and then maybe there was a little smile on his face until it became too much and he went back to gasping.
"Ruka-pyon, Mikan-Chan and Natsume I have to report this to the HSP so I'm going now. Get better Natsume." Narumi said as walked towards the door.
"See you, Narumi-sensei." Mikan said.
The doctor was in his way into another patient's room as his phone rang.
"Yes, Hello."
"Hello Doctor, this is Sakura Mikan. You told me to call you if something happened to Natsume."
"Yes, I did. What happened?"
"He lost consciousness again."
"I'll be there in a couple of minutes."
"Thank you."
The doctor rushed to hospital room and pushed open the door. Mikan and Ruka were standing beside the unconscious Natsume, he was still breathing heavily and cold sweat was running down the side of his face. The doctor went over and took Natsume's wrist between his fingers and checked his pulse.
"His heart is beating too slowly… It's failing."
"No! No it can't fail!" Mikan said.
"His body has been pushed to its absolute limit, I'm not sure he can keep this up. Look at him… Hasn't he been through enough pain already?"
"Please Natsume… Please don't leave me…" Mikan whispered through sobs.
Natsume's POV:
Am I dying? My body feels so light… No pain, how long has it been since I had a moment were I didn't feel any pain? Years, maybe… It wouldn't be so bad just to stay like this, just stop fighting… I feel like I have forgotten something very important to me… Oh, yeah. That annoying idiot that comes up to me every morning screaming 'good morning' in my face… The idiot that cry's all the time… The idiot that always need's me to save her… The idiot whose smile brightens even my darkest hour… The idiot that always takes care of me… The idiot that I love with all my heart… The idiot that for me is the most beautiful person… Mikan, the reason for me to fight, the reason for me to live, the reason for me to not give up no matter what. No matter how much pain, she's the reason for me to go back… Live so that she won't shed anymore of her tears… Live so that I can see her smiling face once more…
Come on heart! Lungs! You can't fail me now! I want to live! I want to live now more than ever! Pain come back! I've lived with you for 6 years! Who says I can't take another! I love you Mikan, so please come back! Let me see her just one more time!
Everyone's POV:
"What's happening? His pulse is rising again! Is this only willpower? He's out of the woods for now."
"Natsume, your awake!" Mikan said happily as she stood up. She still had tears in her eyes.
"What are you crying for…? Baka! I'm not dead yet… Promise me you'll always smile…" Natsume said as he lifted his hand and dried the tears off her cheeks.
"I promise Natsume."
"I love you Mikan… More than anything else… Your smile lights my day…"
"I love you too Natsume, more than anything else." Mikan wiped away her tears and smiled.
"Good… Mikan… That's all I needed… to… know…" Natsume said through gasps.
"Natsume?" The smile faded from her face.
Natsume curled over to one side and went into a coughing fit. Coughing more and more violent until it slowly died down. There was blood on his hand…
"Oh no!" The doctor exclaimed.
"Smile… Mikan… I'll… always… love… you…" Natsume died with a smile on his face.
Mikan just sat there paralyzed. "Natsume…"
"I'm sorry Mikan…" The doctor said. He didn't know what to do.
"I promised not to cry… I promised I wouldn't cry… Smile, Mikan… Always smile…" Mikan sat frozen with a smile on her face, but the smile quickly turned into a frown trying to hold back her tears. Mikan started crying heartbreakingly. Soon a scream could be heard all over the hospital.
"Natsume!"
On Natsume's tombstone stood this:
HERE LIES NATSUME HYYUGA
15 YEARS OLD
EVERYONES HERO…