Chapter 2: Courage

They went to the middle school division building. The Principal decided to help them to stop the wrong doings of elementary school division principal.

"What are we doing here, Narumi-sensei?" Mikan asked as they went to the basement area of the palace.

"Ano ne, Mikan-chan, the principal's alice is greater here than in the palace. Her alice is a great barrier. The Hime's (middle division principal) been shielding the academy from the attacks of the AAO. And she agreed to help us. As long as we're inside this palace, the dangerous ability type students as well as the principal can't harm us by their alice." He said smiling at her.

"Honto?" her eyes wide in amazement

"Honto ni. Well, we're here"

Narumi opened the door. And their eyes grew wide as they saw all their friends and classmates.

"Mikan-chan" Anna, Nonoko, Yuu, and the rest of the class B squealed

"Minna-san." She said with teary eyes. She's just happy to see them all alright.

"Sakura, I'm glad that nothing happened to you." Ruka Nogi said as he approached them. Then he turned to look at his best friend. "Natsume, how are you?" he asked worriedly.

Awhile ago, when Mikan and Natsume was fighting against Persona. They were all watching. And he can't help but to be worried seeing his best friend coughing out blood because of using his alice. That's why they decided to summon Narumi and Narumito back them up at the northern woods.

"Don't mind me Ruka." He said as he walk inside.

He know his not okey. But Natsume will die first before he let them see his weakness. Not in front of him, and certainly not in front to Sakura Mikan. He's pride won't let him. And besides he knew him so damn well, his friend doesn't want them to become worried that's why he's keeping it to himself.

"Natsume…" he said while holding his Usagi (bunny)

He was a bit startled when somebody hold his hand.

He look at the pair of amethyst eyes. "I-Imai" he said eyes wide.

"You don't have to be worried baka, I'll ask my brother to treat him" she said as she gave him her rare smile that Mikan is the only one allowed to see before.

He smiled to her. "Arigato ne, Hotaru"

There was a slight tinged of pink at her face as she heard Ruka say her name. She didn't mind it though.

Meanwhile, at the elementary division building.

"Tch! That Natsume Hyuuga, I thought he despise that Mikan Sakura very much. How come that stupid cat fell in love with her." The principal grunted.

Persona smirked. "I knew it" he said

The principal look at infuriated. "How come you never report that to me." he said accusingly

"I never thought that he'll do such extremes." He said nonchalantly

"Hn. Shouldn't he be happy that he'll have his beloved Sakura with him during his missions?"

"She's his light. And seems like he doesn't want anything bad happen to her. The typical martyr. Wouldn't it be our advantage?" he said with an evil grin in his face.

The principal look at him knowingly.

"Those children are very predictable. And they are very emotional too. Once you let your emotion reign on you, you will end up being vulnerable."

With that conversation they start planning on how to get rid of the black cat and how will they lure Mikan Sakura to join the dangerous ability type.

The principal smirk. He never thought that history is repeating itself.

When he found out that Mikan Sakura has SCE (steal/copy/erase) alice where she inherited from her mother Azumi Yuka as well as nullification alice that she inherited from her father. He has nothing in mind but to get her. Be one of his collection in the dangerous ability class

Hitting two birds in one stone. He can have his revenge to Azumi Yuka by using her alice.

Persona was the reason why Azumi yuka's beloved, Mikan's father died.

The principal thought that if he get rid of the sole reason why yuka wanted to live, he can use her anytime he wants. But he's plan backfired to him when yuka decided to join the AAO. Before she leave the academy, she put a nullification alice inside the principal's body so he can't use his alice forever.

When he learned that Mikan Sakura is yuka's daughter. He has nothing in mind but to make her life miserable inside the academy. He never thought that the child inherited her mother's alice. He needed her to remove the alice that yuka planted inside his body.

And he needed her to steal different kinds of rare alices to be planted inside his body. If they're plan succeed. He's going to become an absolute being. He will become powerful and he can do whatever he wants to the students in the academy.

"Persona, anything in mind?" he asked his most loyal servant with an evil smirk plastered in his face.

Natsume was treated by Subaru Imai, hotaru's brother, and he's sleeping in one of the rooms at the basement of the palace. He passed out due to over usage of his alice right after approached the High school division principal.

Everyone knows that he has a life limiting alice. Everyone but Mikan

He maybe the infamous fire-caster, but using his alice in extremes can cause damage to his health and life span.

"Natsume no baka!" she said while wiping her tears with the back of her hands. She was shock when Subaru told her the news after he treated her.

Flashback

"Subaru-nii, Natsume wa?" she asked worriedly when he saw Natsume lying at the cold cement not long after they entered the basement.

"I-I don't know Mikan-chan, his health is deteriorating." He said while looking at her straight in the eyes

"What do you mean? He's just exhausted because of the battle awhile ago right? He'll be fine after he take some rest. I-I won't be noisy so he could rest but after that he'll be back to normal right?" she said keeping her tears at bay.

She can't help but to think the one-on-one lecture she had with Noda-sensei before, about the types of alices. Back then when Noda-sensei said something about life-limiting alice, Natsume suddenly flash in her mind. But then she erased the thought.

"M-mikna-chan" Subaru doesn't know what to say. He doesn't want her to be hurt. He has considered her as a little as well, he's thinking that it's better if Natsume will tell it her himself.

"He doesn't have the life-limiting alice, does he?" she asked while her bangs are covering her face.

He gasp. He didn't expect her to know anything about that kind of alice. He kneeled down and look at the brunette straight in the eye.

And it almost break his heart seeing her face full of tears. And pain is written on her eyes.

End of flashback

"Baka! Baka! Baka!" she chanted as she cried beside his bedside. "Why didn't you tell me, you idiot?! We even fought Persona awhile ago. If I know.. if I just know.. if you told me… we.. we.. could have just run away." She said as tears continue streaming down her face. "Natsume…"

"Hn." He answered. He'd woken up awhile ago when he heard her utter his name. he turned his back on her.

He doesn't want to see her in pain. In pain because of him. He felt like his heart was being clutched away from his chest hearing her sobs. His heart is breaking as well. If he can just do something about his condition.

"Don't hnmed me idiot!" she snapped and punch him at the shoulder blades. "Why, why didn't you even tell me?" her voice full of dejection

"You don't have to know."

"What do you mean I don't have to know?!" she said angrily. "I'm your partner, of course I have to know, I'm your friend of course I care for you, I'm… I'm.." she ran out of words. What is she to him anyway?

He told her that he love her. Remembering that, tears started to stream down her face again.

"Don't you trust me?" she asked anxiously.

With that he faced her and wish that he just didn't.

"You know I do, polka!"

"Some trust, eh?" she said sarcastically.

He faced the ceiling, putting his hands on his forehead. Then an eerie silence passed.

"I knew you'd be acting like that." He said after a while. "You'll just end up worrying to me. you'll be so damn over protective that you might as well throw yourself to Persona to replace me with my missions."

Her eyes widened. So he was thinking about that even before. Much as she hate to admit that, he's right.

"Besides, we can't do anything about it, can we? That's my fate, my alice that I never wish to have." He whispered.

She took his hand and put it in her face. "They didn't call you a genius for nothing huh?" she said while smiling.

He looked at her. He also smiled to her. His oh-so-rare-smile that's reserve only for her.

"You're just very easy to read, Polka"

"Shut up, pervert!" she barked playfully.

"Yes, your Personal pervert." He said teasingly.

She looked at him. Then her eyes become warm and soft as she gaze at his crimson orbs

"I love you, Natsume Hyuuga."

He felt his heart constrict.

He grabbed her hands so she end up on top of him.

"I'll protect you.." with my life, I will not hold back against them. He didn't dare to say it aloud. He know how is she going to react"… no matter what" then he gently crashed his lips against her.

The kiss was so gentle that made Mikan almost weep.

Little did they know, all their friends were watching over them. They might not say it aloud. But everybody make a mental note: to protect those two people who have become so dear to them.

They look at each other then whispered in unison.

"ZETTAI MAKE NAI" (will not lose)

End of Chapter

Siren: this chapter was kind of dramatic.. sob.. sob.. sob.. WTH ?! R&R 

Natsume: urusei baka! You're ruining my image!

Siren: oh trust me, I don't. You have just learn how to admit your feelings, you ungrateful brat!

Natsume: Tch. Whatever !