Chapter 2: Fight to the Finish

Mikan covered her mouth, her eyes widenned in horror.

"But he's not here? He's far from here." Mikan tried to reason. Shaking her head furiously.

"He's back. He was asked to come back by the Elementary School's Principal." Natsume said looking away from Mikan.

"Where are you hurt? Tell me every spot that you got hurt." Mikan demanded. She was going to burst in tears any moment.

"I'm fine, don't worry." Natsume tried to assure her. "Do you want Howalon or not?"

"I do, but won't he come looking for you?" Mikan asked worried.

"I can handle it." Natsume said starting to get annoyed, but trying to keep his patience.

"But-" Mikan started.

Natsume pulled her into a hug laying his chin on her head.

"Don't worry." He said.

Mikan exhaled, trying to calm herself.

***

When they got to Central Town they noticed Hotaru and Ruka in line too.

"Oi, Ruka!" Natsume called.

"Ruka-pyon! Hotaru!!!" Miakn yelled.

Hotaru ignored her. Typical. Ruka waved.

"x( Don't even say hi to your best friend…" Mikan hushed under her breath sarcastically.

The line was getting shorter and they were almost at the front.

"A large box of Hawalon, please!" Mikan told the lady at the counter. "Oh!' She turned her head toward Natsume. "What do you want?"

Hotaru and Ruka laughed.

"You're gonna eat a large box of Howalon by yourself. You're gonna get fat!" Natsume smirked then stuck his toungue out at her teasingly. "Fatty!" He called out to her.

"Oh YEAH! BLEH!!!!" She said sticking her toungue out at him.

"I'll have a small box." Natsume said to the lady at the counter.

The lady got the Howalon and handed it to them.

"Have a nice day!" The lady said as they walked off.

They were still sticking their toungues out at each other. Ruka and Hotaru found a nice spot under a sakura tree and called Natsume and Mikan over to sit with them. They walked other and Mikan automatically opened her box and started eating away. Natsume and Ruka opened their boxes slowly and started eating. Hotaru would steal pieces of Howalon from Ruka, since she finished her small box. When Mikan finished ( she finished first ) she tried to take one from Natsume and failed.

"I'm hungry!!" Mikan wailed as she waved her arms around.

"Then you shouldn't be having sweets, you should have a proper luch." Natsume said finishing his last Howalon.

"BLEH!! Fine! C'mon Hotaru! Let's go." Mikan grabbed her best friend's arm.

For a change, Hotaru didn't use her BAKA gun. They marched to a restaurant in which their friend Anna-chan worked sometimes.

"Mikan-chan! Imai-chan! What would you guys like?" Anna-chan asked.

"I'd like some green tea, please." Hotaru answered.

"THAT'S IT?! Well in that case, I'd like the biggest meal you have!" Mikan told Anna-chan.

"Okay. Be back in a sec." Anna-chan dashed off to the kitchen.

Anna-chan brought their food and drink. Mikan finished real fast. Hotaru sipped slowly. By the time Hotaru finished her second cup Mikan was done. She waited for Hotaru.

"Ummmm, Hotaru." Mikan started slowly.

"What is it?" Hotaru asked.

"Did you know, ummm, that Persona's back?" Mikan said quietly.

"Yes, I did." Hotaru answered then took another sip of tea.

"Oh, really? This morning was when I found out. Natsume had wounds all over his body." Mikan said, worried.

"Don't worry about him. That only makes him worry about you more." Hotaru said.

"It's just, well, he's always mad when Persona's here and I don't like that side of him." Mikan said.

"It's okay." Hotaru simply said. Then Hotaru's face changed to disgusted. She was looking behind Mikan then said, "Hello Persona-sensei." She said with gritted teeth.

Mikan's eyes widened. Then she turned around.

"H-H-Hello Persona-sensei." Mikan stuttered.

"Hello Mikan and Hotaru-" Persona began.

"I'd like it if you called me Imai." Hotaru interrupted.

"Of course, Imai. Well how's your day so far, dears." Persona asked.

"Fine." Hotaru answered calmly.

"Well it was nice to see you two. I was just wondering-" Persona was interrupted again by an oh-so-familiar voice.

"Get away from them."Natsume said loudly.

"Now Natsume is that some way to speak to your sensei?"Persona said more than asked. Ruka had rushed over to Hotaru and Mikan and they had just taken a step (trying to escape) before Persona turned around to look at them.

"Now where may you darlings be off to?" Persona asked the three horror-struck students in front of him.

"Getting away from you." Natsume said again loudly.

"Now I think that's enough. Don't you think a little punishment should be given to you for such rude behaviour?" Persona asked as his lips curled into a smile.

"Do anything you want, just don't go near them. ANY of them." Natsume answered.

"Well I must say that is quite a unfair it would be fun to have you punnished." Persona took a step toward Natsume.

"STOP!" Mikan yelled. She was now in front of Natsume her arms spread open.

"Step aside." He said unpatiently now.

"No!" She yelled.

"Well this could be fun." Persona said smiling evily.

He had started a black cloud of smokethat was coming towards them. Mikan used her Nulliflication Alice to deflect it, but it had some effect on her. It was very strong and she was weak within one attack. Her knees wobbled as she fell to the ground.

Natsume was furious. He tried to attack Persona, but Persona had already started to send another cloud towards him. Mikan got up as fast as she could and deflected it again. This time she collapsed. Hotaru and Ruka rushed towards Mikan. Hotaru stood up, anger rising. Ruka got up too. Hotaru pulled all sorts of inventions and just started attacking. Ruka had called some animals then sent them away. He realized that the animals would have gotten severely damaged if he had tried. He decided to help Hotaru and attack with anything he could get his hands on.

"STEP BACK!" Natsume yelled at them. It was bone-chilling scary the way he yelled, and they obeyed.

Natsume was extremely mad. He used his Alice to attach Persona. He was getting dizzy then he remembered Mikan. He kept on going. Ruka and Hotaru had no choice but to watch. They rused over to was half awake and really weak.

"Don't let him fight alone…" Mikan was able to say.

"He won't let us fight." Ruka said.

Then it happened. Natsume collapsed. He was unconscious. Persona smirked. Then stepped over him and left.

"Natsume!" Ruka rushed over to him.

Ruka and Hotaru carried Mikan and Natsume to the Hospital Wing. Mikan was back to normal in no time, but Natsume lay there deep in sleep for a long time. Mikan stayed there and didn't leave. She was gonna stay until he woke up.