Of Life and Death

By Smiley Cool Dreamer

©2007

Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice

Chapter 4: Truth Tuesday September 4th 2007

Natsume was really surprised. Derek's Standards had been surpassed by far. This man was a prodigy. But what Natsume refused to admit was that this new comer was better than he was. 'I've got to learn that style'. Natsume thought 'But not in winter snow…'

Winter went by quickly. Natsume just spent his days training his men to top condition and started to teach them new things while Derek was watched him do it. Natsume didn't like it. But he just let it slide for the mean time.

Natsume really didn't like Derek, just because his title of best was in danger. But Derek was still as nice and emotionless as ever and it ticked him off so much. But still he held his temper back. But soon it would snap.

When spring came…

Natsume was in the forest clearing. He was sitting down and meditating. Or more like thinking about what to do about Derek and his style. 'Maybe I should learn it. Yea I'll learn it, that's what I'll do.' Natsume suddenly got up and started to do the bits and pieces of the style that he remembered. To his surprise though, he noticed it was actually bits and pieces of styles he saw. But Natsume knew that there was more to the style. When he was fighting Derek he couldn't even get a hit in. His defense was ultimate. This would take some time. Natsume continued to do what he remembered, until suddenly he heard a voice in his head…

"You know Natsume your doing this all wrong." said the voice in his head. He noticed it was like Derek's voice. And when he opened his eyes Derek was there standing there in front of him.

"You want me to teach you." Derek's voice said. Derek was probing into his mind to speak with him.

"What would you know you blind bastard. I'm not doing anything wrong. And I just want to make this clear. I WAS NOT TRYING TO DO YOUR STYLE!" Natsume whispered in a deadly voice.

Mikan flinched at the aura and air compression patterns she felt. 'Did I do something wrong? ... ' Mikan was worried. She didn't want to upset anyone. She already had a lack of friends but maybe it should stay that way. After all she even didn't know the extent of her powers herself. Mikan just shut up after that and sat leaning on a Sakura tree and 'watched' Natsume practice. Natsume was actually very good. Much better than the average fighter, but she was even better. 'I'll just go back to camp. As long as I'm here he'll practice what he knows. I'll let him experiment…' Mikan thought.

That afternoon…

Natsume was really tired from practicing. He needed a break so he decided to rest by a Sakura tree. Natsume sat there on the soft grass and looked beyond the cliff that was in front of him and looked at the sunset. Mikan was about to call Natsume back to dinner and being the master battler that Mikan was, she always moved swiftly and silently. But when she saw Natsume by the Sakura tree it reminded her of Oji-san and her sitting at the Sakura tree so silently and peacefully and if Mikan had her mask off, you would have seen a little brush of pink creeping into her cheeks. But she snapped out of that faze and shook her head in an instant and proceeded to do what she was asked.

"Natsume dinner." Mikan said bluntly.

"Ok." Natsume said back. Mikan felt the air waves and waited for Natsume to follow her to camp. But instead she ended up sitting against a Sakura tree with him staring at the sunset.

After About 20 minutes Natsume finally broke the silence. "Derek. I have some questions to ask you."

"Go ahead." Mikan replied.

"How did you do that invisibility thing when we first met? You were pretty good at it too. If I hadn't stretched my senses I probably would have missed it."

"That's none of your business."

"Fine."

"Let's go back. The '2 men' walked back to camp for dinner and as expected they already started dinner. Natsume and Mikan just joined. But at Mikan's entrance people were a little surprised. Maybe it was her attire that made them surprised. But they were sure fast to ask questions about the man. But no one answered because Mikan was just the most mysterious man in the camp.

Night…

Natsume was taking his time walking deep into the forest and into the hot spring he found a while ago. He hadn't had time to go there for some time due to his busy schedule. But when he arrived he was in for a surprise. A girl was already there.

Mikan was surprised very surprised. 'At least he doesn't know who I am. No one here has ever seen me with out my disguise on before. 'Mikan thought relieved. Mikan was not embarrassed though like most other girls. Mikan was perfectly fine. 'But what will I say when he asks me a question? What will I do when he finds out who I am? Wait he can't find out and he won't.

Natsume just stood looking at the girl like it was nothing. But in reality his heart was thumping like it never had before. It almost gave him a heart attack when he saw the girl signal for him to join her. And when the girl signaled her he was hesitant to go in with a girl. But the girl kept motioning for him to join her. So he did. Natsume took off his clothing and joined her in the Hot springs. Natsume just kept on staring at her figure. He couldn't take his eyes away. That's when Mikan started to hold her hands up to cover her breasts. It was instinctual for her. After all she was just a 15 year old girl in growing. Natsume immediately stared away. But he turned his head back in a moment and looked at her auburn hair, her petit figure, her face, her breasts, Natsume was 15 it was normal. But what Natsume found un normal was all the scars all over her. He was going to ask.

"S-Sorry," Natsume stuttered for the first time in his life. But he got no reply. "Where do you come from? May I ask? There aren't any towns around here you know. I'm just curious." But he still got no reply. "Answer me." Natsume commanded but he still got no answer. "You aren't one of those spies that those Mesopotamians sent over are you little girl?!" Natsume started to yell and pinned Mikan to the soft grass right out side of the hot spring. For the first time Mikan was scarred she obviously knew that she was stronger than Natsume in skill but not in strength. But she desperately tried to keep her emotions neutral in fear that her power would escape and go out of control. She was scared because of the position they were in. But Mikan tried not to be scared and tried to be the same emotionless girl she usually was.

Mikan shook her head abruptly at Natsume's question. "I don't trust you. Speak please and stop making these motions. She shook her head again. But at that Natsume finally realized the situation. The girl couldn't speak. But he didn't really know the rest. At that Natsume let Mikan go and return to the hot spring together.

Mikan couldn't stand it any longer. She didn't want to deal with this guy. But she couldn't leave. If Natsume saw her clothing it would be disastrous. She would be revealed. But she couldn't wait for him to leave. It would be too suspicious. So what was she supposed to do? 'Oh well if Natsume finds out then I can't do anything about it. But I really don't want to do lie to Natsume because lies hurt. I don't want to break anyone's trust for me…But I can't just tell him…' So Mikan just went over to the bushes and grabbed her clothing and dressed up as fast as she could then she ran away to hide. 'I let him see me… I knew it was a mistake…Now he knows, he'll hate me too…'Mikan thought she started to run even faster but it seemed as though she was getting nowhere.

Mikan fell a few times but just got up and kept going, but to her surprise she ended up at the Sakura tree by the cliff. For the first time in years Mikan was crying and the sky decided to cry along with her along with the trees, the animals, the bugs…. The trees were withering, the sky was pouring, the animals seemed to be mourning and the bugs were chirping sad tones. Mikan was crying for the first time in so many years. She had locked those emotions away since a little child but now they were coming back out. 'Why?' Mikan thought. 'Why am I heaving these feelings now? It doesn't make any sense… Why am I so upset with loosing Natsume? He always did hate me anyways.' But just then realization dawned on her. Mikan Sakura realized she was starting to fall in love with the idiot that hated her. She recalled the times she watched him practice, the moments they sat together by the Sakura tree. But most importantly she remembered tonight: The night at the hot springs.

But she quickly realized too that love would never be with her. She was too dangerous, a danger to everyone around her. She was only an over powerful weapon that was never to be created. For all she knew she could destroy the world in one whole blast. As she thought of these horrible possibilities she put her emotions in check once again. Her emotions affected everything around her, even the weather. Mikan returned to her 'normal state' once again. But she wasn't going to return to camp anymore. Mikan was going to camp out here for the night then set out early in the morning and never come back. She would live in an isolated place like before. But next time she wouldn't come out and try to explore the world. Coming out once was a mistake and she wouldn't do it twice.

Natsume was to say at least very surprised. Derek was a GIRL! That was very surprising and very annoying. It made Natsume mad. He I mean she had been living with them for half a year and she lied that whole time. It was frustrating. Natsume ran back to camp in a very bad mood and stomped his way back to bed. It was only 10 but Natsume decided that he was going to bed early to day.

When Hotaru saw Natsume in such a bad mood she immediately went to her cousin's camp to see what was bothering him.

"What's wrong Natsume?"

"Why don't you tell me what's wrong!? Hun Hotaru?!"

"Why didn't you tell me He was a SHE?"

Hotaru stepped back. She wasn't expecting this. Mikan had revealed herself.

"I'm sorry Natsume. But it had to be done." Hotaru said in and icy tone. "Have you figured out why she needed to disguise her gender? Have you thought about HER feelings at ALL? She isn't just the solid stone girl you think she is and frankly she need support. You don't know her past and how hard she's had it at all!" Hotaru retorted back.

"Well how was I supposed to know that she was a GIRL? How was I supposed to know she had a hard past if she didn't even tell me?! I didn't even know and getting lied to from him frankly doesn't bother me at all! She deserves this treatment. She deserves to die!"

"Well obviously it does if your making such a big deal of it right now. But where is she right now. If you don't care, as her best friend and her only friend I do care! For all I know a great person and a best friend is going to leave me tonight. "

"She ran off. Go find that bitch if you want." Natsume said in a low dark tone.

Hotaru just slapped Natsume hard on the face. She wasn't going to put up with Natsume any longer "Don't you ever talk bad of Mikan again. And frankly I didn't like your attitude these passing days. Ever since Mikan came, all you've been is a bastard. You were so blinded you didn't even see her pain! You didn't see her trying to be nice with you even when you yelled at her and embarrassed her. She was always holding back her power she could save you some SHAME! Think about this Natsume." Hotaru replied coldly.

Hotaru went outside swiftly and started to run in the muddy path in the forest to find Mikan but after a while she still couldn't find her. Hotaru though had no thoughts of giving up on her best friend. And she kept searching.

An hour later Natsume got up and started to put on clothing. His annoying conscience was bothering him and he finally let out all the hot air. He didn't know why but he had a gut feeling that if he didn't retrieve the annoying girl things somehow wouldn't work out.