Ruka was walking by the edge of the woods with his bunny rabbit. He was searching for Natsume.
'Natsume…' he was shouting.
Then suddenly, his rabbit got out of his hands and hopped into the woods.
'Hey, come back, it's not safe' he shouted as he ran to fetch her.
The rabbit stopped and stood still on the forest ground.
'You shouldn't run off like that' said Ruka, 'C'mon lets go!'
With that he turned. Only to see not the way back but—
'AAAAHHHHHHH!!'
Ruka's petrified scream terrified the entire grounds. For as he turned, his vision was blocked completely by burning hot fire.
Chapter 3
Natsume hurt Ruka?
Mikan and Taka were at the nurse's office, healing Taka's injuries.
'Ooh… What happened?' she asked when they first entered, Taka clutching his left arm with his right hand.
She asked him to show her his injuries. Taka raised his right hand to reveal a burn mark on his left arm. The nurse was utterly shocked. She examined it and commented that it was no ordinary fire.
'No… I burnt myself in my home eco—' he started.
'Don't waste your breath…' commanded the nurse, 'it's an Alice isn't it?'
'Well…' started Taka.
'Yes ma'am' finished Mikan, in the verge of tears, 'It was Natsume's'
'I figured out that much…' she said and started to heal Taka (by the way, the nurse has Healing Alice)
Light green sparks emerged from her hand and landed on Taka's arm and magnificently, it healed up. The only mark of the fire accident was the tear in his shirt.
'All done!' exclaimed the nurse.
'Wow!' exclaimed Mikan, 'That's so cool'
Taka opened his mouth to say something but he stopped as Sumire and Yue barged into the room. In addition, they were holding someone. It was—
'Ruka!' shouted Mikan.
Ruka was unconscious and carried by both Yue and Sumire.
The nurse placed Ruka in a bed and examined him. He seemed to be untouched by anything. He was completely normal, except—
'Hmm…' she clicked her tongue, 'This is can't be it…'
'What is it, Ma'am?' asked Sumire; Mikan and Yue were in tears.
'He is not at all hurt anywhere!' she exclaimed.
'What?' exclaimed Yue.
'So is he OK?' asked Mikan.
She was silent for a while.
'That, I think is the problem here,' she said, 'This is complicated… I think he is under a spell of some sort… Sumire, go call one of the teachers...'
All the kids were utterly confused at what was going on.
'Taka?' called Mikan, 'Is Ruka going to be ok?'
'Of course' he said.
The four kids were seated outside the nurse's office. A few teachers had barged in a few minutes ago—Narumi, Jinno, and Misaki. Mikan's tears kept falling. Just then two other students showed up—Hotaru and Natsume.
'Hotaru' shouted Mikan and hugged her friend tightly. Hotaru, this time, did not use her baka-gun to hit her cryng-hugging friend. For this time, she knew that she did not deserve this.
'What happened?' she asked slowly.
'Ruka—Ruka—Hotaru—Ruka—'was all our nullifying Alice was able to say.
'Hurt is an understatement' said Taka suddenly.
'You?' snarled Natsume.
'Then what happened?' asked Hotaru with a cold look in her eyes (even though that is usual, this was a little different—something Hotaru never had used on someone before)
'Nogi was attacked and I think—no I heard that it was fire that he was attacked by…' he said looking at Natsume.
'What are you saying?' came out from every other except Taka, of course
Taka just stood there silent when Narumi came outside. He bent to Natsume, a little away and asked, 'What happed Natsume?'
'What?'
'Did you and ERuka have some sort of argument or something?' he asked seriously.
'What are you talking about Narumi?' he asked, with fire in his eyes.
'I'm sorry Natsume…' he said, 'If you don't tell us how to cure him, both you and him might be in big trouble'
'What are you talking about Narumi-sensei?' asked Mikan tearfully.
'Mikan, Ruka has been attacked—' he started
'—by fire' finished Jinno who just came out of the room.
Everybody turned.
'We can't find any bruise or injury anywhere except one—' said Jinno.
'It is some sort of a mark on his left arm' explained Narumi.
'It is a really advanced technique of the flame casters' said Jinno, his frog made its noise and a few sparks flew out of his stick.
'I didn't do anything!' shouted Natsume.
'If my memories serve e right,' started Taka innocently, 'Aren't you the only powerful flame caster in the entire Alice Academy, "Black Cat"?'
Natsume stared at Taka with an unusual look in his eyes.
'You!' he shouted, 'You are the one who did this to Ruka!' he shouted.
'What?' whispered Yuu and Sumire turning to Taka, who just glared indifferently.
'Please… Can't you do better than that?' asked Taka smiling, 'I don't have fire Alice and I was with Mikan at that time… why, I was with the nurse herself, healing the injury you caused me—with your fire!'
'Natsume?' asked Mikan.
Natsume turned to see her. He hoped against hope that Mikan shouldn't believe all this.
'No!' said Mikan.
Taka's eyes widened. Mikan got hold of Natsume's arm and shouted, 'Natsume will never do anything like this! Stop saying it!'
She burst out crying. Natsume was relieved but didn't actually show it.
'Ruka is being transferred to the main hospital…' said Narumi.
There was silence when Jinno left.
'Natsume… I'm sure that you didn't do this… don't worry there is way of finding the person whose Alice was used to do this' said Narumi reassuringly.
'Really?' asked Taka.
'Yes… However it will take around 5 to 6 days for all the tests to complete on Ruka so that he'll be fit enough for the test' said Narumi.
Everybody's face fell.
'Sumire, Yuu, Hotaru and Taka!' said Narumi, 'I have work for all four of you… follow me!'
He dragged them away with a slight smile on his face.
Natsume and Mikan were left alone in the corridor. Mikan had let go of Natsume's arm but hadn't stopped crying.
Natsume looked at her with an odd look in his eyes.
'Oh Natsume…' she cried, 'Who could have done this to Ruka?'
'I have a theory…' whispered Natsume but cut short for Mikan burst out even more and was sure she'll be even more upset if he gave her his theory.
'Hey, polka-dots…' he called.
'Go away Natsume, I don't even have the strength to argue with you—'
The black cat slowly embraced the Nullifying Alice with such grace that Mikan was too astonished to even continue crying.
'Don't worry…' he said, closing his eyes, 'Everything is going to be fine'
A smile bloomed in her face and she closed her eyes too going, 'I'm sure… It's going to fine'
Natsume was so deeply in the moment that he didn't even notice a boy standing on the tree by a window overlooking the corridor. He punched into the tree with such force, it made a crack. He jumped down.
I'm really sorry about the late update... I mean really really late update… I was lost about in exams and other stories that I completely forgot about this one… Hope you enjoy… Please review.
