Chapter 10: What does the heart hold?

Natsume's P.O.V

Why am I lying on something soft? I was outside after that bastard Persona had tortured me and then I heard a very familiar voice, but that is all I can remember.

I slowly open my eyes to see my bedroom roof, how did I get in here? I began to sit up, expecting the pain to hit but nothing comes. As I looked down at my body I see no black spots from Persona's Alice, "but how" is the only thing now on my mind.

As I looked at my now Persona Alice free body I hear a groan next to me. I swiftly turn around and jump off the bed at the same time, but all I see is light brown hair, flung all over the pillow. "What the hell" suddenly slipped out my mouth as I remembered that voice that yelled at me before I collapsed, Mikan

Mikan P.O.V

Ahhh, why does my head hurt so much? I thought as I came out of my dream world. Wait a minute, I was outside and Natsume was hurt then… then, what happened next. Oh I can't remember, wait NATSUME!

"What the hell" said a very stern voice. Wait that's Natsume's voice, oh thank you kami-sama. Now just to get up…yes as I said get UP… hey why won't my body move? "Rest Mikan, rest" came Shadow's voice, but it sounded so small and far away.

End P.O.V

Natsume walked around to the other side of the bed to get a closer look at the brunette, while Mikan stayed half asleep on his king sized bed. All was silent except for the sound of birds chirping in the trees out side.

Natsume pulled up a chair next to the sleeping beauty that was lying on his bed and watched the sun seep thought the closed but slightly open deep red curtains. Pushing the hair from her face, he stared at her closed eyes, wondering what happiness she sees thought them when all he sees is darkness.

Mikan on the other hand was trying hard to open her eyes or even move a finger at that moment. Thinking of all the things Natsume goes through to keep this Academy safe, made her sad. Yet she made a promise there and then to herself which she would accomplish even if she had to give her life. "I will smile for Natsume and keep him safe. You watch me Persona I will break your hold on Natsume, just you wait."

Natsume was now staring at the bubbly nullifiers soft pink lips as he so much wanted to take them and claim them as his own. But as he looked at them he began to remember what Persona had told him just after the torture.

Flashback

Natsume had been released from the chains that held him to the ground. All over his body were cuts, bruises and black marks from Persona's Death Alice. Natsume was lucky; Persona had only used enough to make his Black cat in pain for the rest of the day before Persona would remove it.

As Natsume lay out on the ground from pain, Persona sat on a teacher's desk, probably from his ability class. "Now Black cat" Person said in deep cold voice, "I warn you now, if you want to keep those other friends safe and your sister, you won't get in my road again when it comes to the nullifier." He finished with a grim smirk spread across his face.

Natsume looked up to the man he hated so much and tried to light a fire ball to burn that annoying smirk off his face, but nothing would come, most likely from the pain and exhaustion that he was suffering.

Persona saw the tiny smoke come from Natsume's hand and the smirk on his face wiped clean off. "Now, now. Black cat you are given this direct order; if you keep hanging around Miss Sukura I'll be forced to make some of her dear friends disappear because of you. Don't you think she'll hate you for ever?" Then the smirk returned to his face that screamed 'I win.' "How about we start with the inventor Imai then"

Natsume thought of Mikan losing all her friends because of him and her sad face almost broke his heart. "It would be better if I kept away from her then to see her saddened because of me" Natsume thought with sorrow.

As Natsume slowly began to stand up, with much difficulty, he looked in to the cold, black eyes of Persona and gave a glare which warned 'I'll kill you'. As Natsume slowly limped to the two big wooden doors that lead to outside, Persona turned around, "Keep away from my nullifier, Black cat" With an "Hn" from Natsume he walked out of the doors, which seemed to open by itself.

End Flashback

"The idiot probably doesn't even care about me anyway" Natsume thought as he took his eyes off her lips and to the clock. The clock read 10:25, meaning the 1st class was over and the short break was on now. "We must of slept thought the rest of yesterday, lazy polka dots." He said aloud but as hard as he tried he ended up looking at her lips again.

"Just one more before I leave her alone" Natsume thought as her leaned over her. As Natsume leaned over, Mikan somehow managed to roll over to face the roof. Not going to give up, Natsume moved his body so he was now on top of the sleeping brunette.

Moving in closer to her, Mikan suddenly felt the warm breath of someone. Before she could at least try to see who it was she felt a sudden pressure on her mouth. Slowly opening her eyes she saw a blur but it had two round red orbs looking down at her.

As her eye sight came back to her she saw Natsume kissing her. Mikan tried to hit him but her body wouldn't obey her mind. Finally stopping, Natsume rose and looked into the confused hazel eyes of Mikan.

Hotaru and gang

Right now it was midday break and all the students of Alice Academy ran wild doing normal kid stuff, well as normal as any person with special powers. Hotaru and the rest of the gang sat under the infamous sakura tree. Most wondered where the fire caster and bubbly brunette could be.

Hotaru was busy tinkering with one of her inventions, when Ruka finally had enough courage to talk out the question on everyone's mind. "I wonder where Natsume and Sakura are?" Ruka said aloud to catch the rest of the gang's attention. A long uneasy silence fell on the group (hehe gay baby), but finally people began to speak up. "Well Nonoko and I went to see her last night in her room, but she wasn't there," Anna said as Nonoko nodded her head in agreement.

"Natsume didn't answer his door last night when I went to give him that new manga he sent me to get," Koko said as he began to read other peoples minds. Yuu was busy thinking about the things he had heard from the teachers, "Well Narumi was saying that our dorm door was smashed to pieces yesterday" Yuu said as everyone thought who could do that.

As they resumed thinking, a thought crossed the ice queen's mind which made Koko look at her with a face saying why-didn't-you-say-something-before. The gang slowly relished that Koko knew something that he wasn't sharing.

"Koko, what is it?" Anna had just asked the question now in the gang's minds. "Imai has a tracker on Mikan," Koko blurted out while still staring at her. The gang now turned their attention to the ice queen who was still tinkering with an invention.

"The idiot's are fine; if you want to know where they are it will be 200 rabbits each." Hotaru said as she held her hand out, ready to take their money.

"Ummm… it's ok Hotaru, they'll be back soon, right" Nonoko said as they sweat dropped at her payment for information. The gang had a feeling Mikan and Natsume were alright or Hotaru, as mean as she acts, would have been there to help.

The gang went back to normal lunch time activities, while waiting for the bell to ring.

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After the bell had rung, the gang began to walk back towards their classroom for the next class. As Yuu and Koko entered followed by Ruka and the girls, they spotted Natsume lazily sitting in his seat with his feet popped up on the table. Where as Mikan was silently sitting down in Hotaru's seat in the front.

Natsume spotted the boys out the corner of his eyes as they made their way to talk to the fire caster. While the girls walked down to Mikan expecting a warm hello or at least a smile, but nothing came, she just sat there staring at the black bored.

BAKA BAKA BAKA, came the shots of Hotaru's famous baka gun. "Baka stop day dreaming and get out of my seat" Hotaru said in a semi-angry tone, but worry was starting to creep on to her face. Mikan looked up at the girls just realizing that they were there, Gasp escaped Nonoko's and Anna's mouths as they saw sadness and pain smudged across every inch of Mikan's face.

Looking at the surprised/ worrying faces of her friends Mikan quickly pulled a smile onto her face covering the hurt from all, well all except Hotaru who had know her long enough to see it swimming in her eyes.

"Oh hey, so you guys ready for class?" Mikan asked as her friends began to smile and return to their seats to talk. Mikan looked at Hotaru and slightly lowered her head "Oh sorry Hotaru, I just wanted to sit here, but I'll go back now" Mikan said as she began to stand from Hotaru's seat. "Stay Mikan" Hotaru said in a low tone as she sat in her rightfully seat, ushering Mikan to sit in the empty seat next to her. Mikan sat, looked at Hotaru and voiced out a small "Thank you" and went to rest her head on her arms as Narumi walked into the room wearing what seemed to be a cross between a school girl uniform and a cowgirl suite.

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A/N: Ok loving people I'm so sorry for the really really long update. I've just been so busy and I could not get into it. Please don't roast me (arms over head and shaking) I'll try harder next time. I just finished this because I stole my friends lap top and I seem to work better when I sit on the ground. Oh yeah and I've also been writing a few top story notes on a fanfiction under a girl named Mysterious Angel girl who writes these amazing stories, trust me I'm such a critic. The story is "Destiny of the Stars: A Cardcaptor's Journey" and on chapter 5 there is a funny author note at the top. Plus I like to help her a lot, but she is such an amazing girl in story writing.