Disclaimer : Cha cha cha...I do not own Gakuen Alice!
The tenth Chapter! Firstly, I want to thank all reviewers. I'm touched! T T ...so, just read and enjoy...
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Natsume's POV
Three days. Mikan and I have been here for three days. We were expected to be back in the academy today, but who cares…Mikan, Naru and I are staying.
I went to the large window in the room, lurking outside to see the black rainy clouds. It has been two days since the rain starts to fall and it last till now, yet, there are no sign that the rain will stop. The drains were almost full with rain water. If this continues, floods may occur.
But…that's not the main problem.
I turned to see Mikan who is lying on the bed, still breathing hard. She has been like this since the day before yesterday. Her forehead was wet with droplets of sweat although the temperature was very comfortable.
I walked to her side, wiping the unwanted droplets with a piece of white cloth that are readily provided by Mikan's mother.
'Mikan…what had happened to you?'
Flashback
"Natsume!! Look!! It can rain this heavy in Malaysia! The sound of water sounds just like a war…hehehe" Mikan said, pointing at the rainy yard outside. I just manage to let out a snort. Mikan and I were gazing at the black sky. It is 3 in the evening but the sky looks like it had struck to 7 in night!
"Ne, Natsume…" She called. "About my decision…it's okay if you voice out your disagreement. I admit that I didn't really think of your situation back then." She said, staring at my face. I avoid her stare and let out a snort. "Don't think too much. I myself hate that corrupt headmaster…besides…" I paused. "I promised to be with you, protecting you…forever." I said shakily, focusing my vision to the rainy yard.
Then, I felt Mikan's grip around my waist, She was hugging me...from the back. I heard her sobbing. I turned around stiffly and she hugged me tighter causing me to blush a good red. I lifted my hands, both of them and returned Mikan's hug. And I said something...which was...
"I love you, Mikan."
Mikan pulled herself from the hug as soon she heard the words. She looked shocked. Realizing what I had said to her, I send my vision away, protesting to look at Mikan's reaction.
Suddenly, I heard a heavy thing banged onto the ground. I glance around…only to find Mikan's body lying helplessly on the floor, blood rushing out from her pitiful mouth.
Without any hesitation, I heaved Mikan up and brought her to the doctor who is, her mother. She was utterly shocked that I swear she could faint. However, she managed to pull herself up and examined Mikan carefully. Unfortunately, the cause was still unknown.
She asked me whether Mikan had coughed blood before and I nodded, counting how many times I've seen/heard that blood flowed out her mouth. I recalled that the first time was in her bathroom…the bloody handprint. 'Ugghh! How stupid of me! How can I not realize her bitterness back then!'
End of flashback
I hold Mikan's cold hand, lifting it to my chin where it settles. "Hold on, Mikan. Your mother is on the way of getting other professional doctors. You'll be okay…" I muttered to the sleeping Mikan. I gripped her hand tightly as I send my gaze outside the window.
"It's raining."
End of POV
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Back in Japan, where Gakuen Alice located…
"It's raining." A blonde haired boy stated.
"I know. I can see." A raven haired girl replied. "Where's Yuu?"
"He's having a meeting with the Active Type." Ruka answered. "Natsume and Mikan are sure late. They are scheduled to arrive one and a half hour ago right?" Ruka said, trying to get a topic.
Hotaru didn't answer, instead; she took a red apple from the bedside table. "Want some?" Hotaru invited Ruka who back off. "It's not poisoned you airhead. Come, I'll peel it for you." She said monotonously.
Ruka raised his eyebrows. 'This is not the usual Hotaru. She would ask me to pay for the apple. Besides, being an ingenious inventor, she peeled the apple manually!' Ruka thought.
"Are you okay, Imai? You don't seem like yourself." He blurted out of concerned. 'I'm doomed! Hotaru gonna kill me now!' he thought, regretting what he had said to her. Ruka waited for the baka gun to be in action but to his surprise, it doesn't.
Instead;
"Ouch!" A certain raven haired girl shouted in pain. "Oh no, you cut yourself!! Blood…blood!!!" yelled a panic Ruka. Hotaru kicked his leg to calm him down. Fortunately, he did.
"I'll get the first aid kit." Ruka said before dashing out.
Hotaru, remained as calm as ever, went to the window staring emotionlessly at the water from the sky. She changed her focus to her stinging wound. A blood dripped out and went all the way down onto the clean spotless floor.
Hotaru's eyes widen. Her heart is pumping fast.
"Mikan…"
///-
Yuka's POV
The door was shut leaving me and Mikan in her room. The last doctor has just left in vain. He too, didn't manage to find out the cause of Mikan's illness.
I look at my daughter who was sweating hard. Her clothes were seen wet. "Mikan, let's take a bath okay?" I said to her believing that she needs refreshments. She nodded, unable to even speak.
I stared at my poor Mikan. She cannot get up. She's too weak for that. "Don't worry. Mom will heave you, Mikan. Don't push yourself." I said, heaving Mikan on my back. She's light; as light as a feather.
I brought her into the bathtub, full with water. She settled in the clouds of bubbles happily but weakly. I scoured her softly, cleaning her from any dirt and odour.
I saw Mikan enjoyed it very much. She smiled peacefully as I rub her back and rinsed it with plentiful of water; and that's when I saw it…a red mark at the back of Mikan's neck. The mark was blood red. It consists of a circle and a red thick dot in the middle. There is a single curved line that pointed away from the dot.
My eyes widen to its fullest. I went stiff. 'This is…the cursed mark.'
End of POV
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"What did you say again?" A certain ruby-eyed boy asked.
"There is an Alice Limiter on Mikan's body in the form of cursed mark." Yuka answered, staring at her sleeping daughter.
"So, do you mean that the mask is not really Mikan's Alice Limiter?" Narumi asked. "Maybe it is. Mikan's Alice should be much stronger than what she had always used. She can actually do many more tricks with her Alice." Yuka said, folding her arms around her waist.
"I don't care about that. What is actually this thing called cursed mark?" Natsume asked, feeling that the conversation has gone off topic.
Yuka unfold her arms. She clutched her fist and clenched her teeth. She went to the curved bay window in Mikan's bedroom. "The cursed mark…it is one type of Alice Limiter too; but this one is much stronger…It's fatal." Yuka said in a whispering voice after pausing for a several minutes.
'So…Mikan will die?' Natsume thought. He fell onto his knee unable to believe what he had heard.
"Is there no other way of saving Mikan, Yuka?" the teacher asked. "Can't you remove the cursed mark or do something to stop it?"
"Even with Unlimited Alice…the cursed mark will be unstoppable. The only way to remove it is by the hand of the people who placed it."
"In another word…"Narumi face turned pale.
"Em…it can only be remove by that sadist, Aoshi." Yuka said shakily. Her body was shivering with anger and sadness. "Damn him! He knows Mikan is his daughter! He knows placing that cursed mark will cause her death!" shouted Yuka all of a sudden. "He planned this! He knew I would fetch Mikan someday. He wants to make use of Mikan and then kill her when she of no use!"
"Damn him!" Natsume shouted, punching the carpeted floor several times. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!!!" Tears starts rolling out from Natsume's eyes. "I promised I would protect her…and now…I can't do anything! Not even a single useful thing! It's my fault…it…it is my fault— If Mikan dies…it is all my fault!"
"Shut up!! Mikan won't die! I won't let that happens…not when we're finally together." Yuka shouted.
"So…you did think of a solution then?" Narumi asked, brightened by new hope.
"Not really…but I'll ensure Mikan will be alive…even if this means that we would be separated again."
"What do you mean Yuka?" the teacher asked.
"I will…send Mikan back to Gakuen Alice."
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To be Continued...
Yes...I know it's short! But I'll compensate it by updating faster, okay? I'm so sorry that I didn't really show Natsume's and Mikan's lifestyle in AAO very much...cause it's already the tenth chapter! I don't want a super long fic...
I've done with my part, so, do your part by submitting me some reviews okay?