CH 12: A WARNING

The days were going on quite lovely. Mikan was out of bounds of joy to be with Natsume. He was equally happy. Their relation was going on quite smooth. The friends all stuck together. Soon Koko proposed to Anna which she accepted with joy. It seems Nonoko helped Koko with this thing. And Yuu was a too timid guy to dare to ask someone out. Well Nonoko knew it and so she did what was best according to her. She proposed to him. Yuu's blush was worth seeing when that happened. He had the same crush on Nonoko. So it might seem weird but the 8 friends group was now a 4 pairs group. They even decided to extend their treat to all: each had to do one thing anyone else asked without fail. But their friendship did not wander and they stuck to help each other when necessary. The class had divided opinions on them, some liked, some disliked, others did not care. Well that did not matter to them.

The treat thing became a big joke amongst them. Everyone was out there to embarrass the other. Koko first asked Hotaru to let him take a picture of Hotaru kissing Ruka and not to destroy it afterwards. Oooo their faces were worth watching. Ruka blushed mad, while Hotaru became red with blush and fury. A more comedy one was Anna asking Yuu to dress up and put make up like a girl. He was definitely embarrassed to max. Nonoko asked Anna and Koko to do a dance holding both hands all the while. It was recorded by our quick inventor, and man it was funny because they played a very slow comedy song for them and then a very fast beat one. Ruka dared Natsume to dress up like a cat and be Mikan's pet for an hour. Natsume burned with fury and embarrassment, but had no choice. Seeing him on fours, with whiskers, tail, and cat dress was hilarious. They could not control laughter for the whole 4 hours. His every meow was filled with embarrassment and fury. He was ordered to do this and that by Mikan, patting and cuddling him. Natsume was so furious that he ordered Ruka to do a make out session in front of them for the same time. Ruka was taken aback. He did not expect Natsume to order such things. But Natsume was a devil when angry. So Ruka went to angry Hotaru and started it with lot of doubt. But in a few minutes, the doubt all seemed to vanish. They were kissing with such ferocity that it seemed that they forgot that anyone was there. It went on for 30 minutes more than expected. The others just watched blushing themselves. They never knew Ruka this fierce. Nonoko was asked by Mikan to make a documentary about how why and when she loved Yuu and what all she did with him, to be told all the truth. The truth was ascertained by Hotaru's invention which could tell if she was telling the truth and if there was anything still hidden. Yuu asked Koko to do frog hopping all the way to classes. He was the laughing stock that day. Hotaru asked Mikan to do the reverse to whatever they said that day. But the orders were just reversed. She was told not to kiss Natsume, told to walk with eyes open, told not to dance, told not to serve them like a maid when they gathered that day, told not to flirt with Natsume, and a lot more. Over and all, the few days were fully funny and joyful.

Well not completely. All the students of dangerous ability were being given more and more missions because the activities of the anti-alice organizations were increased. Natsume was tired every time, but now he was careful to limit his alice usage so that he could spend more time with Mikan. So instead he became a skilled hand to hand fighter. But the missions were taking their toll. He was becoming more tired with every mission, and not getting any rest to recover. He skipped a few classes, and Mikan was always by his side. One day Mikan had a slight fever, so she stayed back. Natsume had a mission and he had to use a lot of his alice to defeat them. His body ached so horribly that he fainted the moment he stepped inside the academy. He was taken to hospital. His heartbeat was very fast, as if it was trying to keep him together. The alice was effecting him and was out of control. He was crying out with pain, and his body was so hot that even the needle melted the moment it touched him. He was panting hard with pain and was unconscious all the time. The doctors were trying their best but his body temperature was not allowing them to do anything useful.

Mikan was lying on her bed very weak, when Hotaru came flying to her window.

"Mikan, Natsume is in the hospital. His life is in danger."

As soon as Mikan heard it, all her troubles were forgotten. She jumped out of the window onto Hotaru's air bike which sped to the hospital. There she heard no one. She rushed to Natsume's side, holding his hand. Her alice was on, so she did not feel the heat. But it also nullified the doctor Imai's alice. He was trying to cure Natsume.

"Sakura I know you care for him. I am trying to cure him. Please put off your alice. It is not..." He looked at the monitor which showed that his temperature was coming down and that his heart beat was slowing. Mikan turned off her alice and the readings went up again.

"I am sorry. Please save him. I love him. He is strong. He won't be hurt."

"No wait, turn on your alice again." She did and the readings came down. "very well your alice might just save him. Keep it up. My alice's contribution does not stand as much as yours. Maybe he will recover like this too, but I am not sure."

Koko said, "Ruka I don't think it will help."

Imai looked at him. "You are the mind reading Alice boy right? Did you just read his mind?"

"um yes I did."

"Come here fast." Koko came near but Mikan did not notice him. Her eyes were crying for Natsume.

"Now can you read my mind?"

"Yes I can. You just thought of your breakfast today."

"Mikan, listen. Does your alice has any distance limits?"

"I don't know", she said crying. "I could nullify upto my class distance."

Koko was nearer than that. Imai had a thought,

"If you can control your alice range so as to nullify Natsume but not me, maybe we can save him. Try Mikan."

And Mikan tried. She tried with all her heart which belonged to the boy lying in front of him. There were many failures, but by the end of the day with all her friends' help, she learnt how to control her alice. It was then the doctor started operating on Natsume. He was healed quickly. The doctor was tired. He said to Mikan,

"Stay here for tonight. He needs to be kept away from his alice. Then he will be out of harm by morning." And they all left. Mikan sat beside him crying and praying. He just lay there. In the middle of night, he opened his eyes. He saw Mikan sitting and sleeping beside his bed, his hand in hers. He was in control of his alice now. Anyway he could not build fire as Mikan was nullifying it. But his trial woke Mikan. She looked at him awake, and smiled in relief. She hugged him like crazy and kissed him.

"I love you Natsume. Thank god you are safe. How do you feel now?"

"Good. Only my injuries hurt a bit. What happened?"

"Well Hotaru said you were in trouble. My nullification worked on you. Then I tried and made doctor Imai's alice work but not yours. And then everything was fine."

He touched her cheek, only to find it very hot. "You have a fever Mikan. Go back. I will be fine."

"No way. I am not leaving you. You said we will go through anything together, and so we will. Don't deny it."

Natsume was touched. He nodded.

"Wait here. I will go and call the nurse." And she left. The moment she left a new pain enveloped him. It was because of his alice. But it wasn't there with Mikan, and it vanished the moment she came in again. The nurse checked him and told he was okay. When she left, Natsume looked at Mikan,

"You know what, you are a good charm. I understand now. Your nullification alice helped me always. You nullifying the effects and after-effects of my alice too, so I heal faster. It happened when we first met, and every other time you were with me when I was hurt. I thought it was because I was thinking something else, but it was you, always you for every good thing in my life. I am happy that you are mine. You are a saviour light in darkness."

"You are exaggerating Natsume. If you think I am good, just don't leave me, ever, forever, whatever happens. Rest. I will be here."

The next day also Natsume was in the hospital, Mikan with him. That's all then. He was in for only a day. Then he was released. He went straight to the dangerous ability teacher, Serio.

"Serio, before I fought them, they were talking about an attack on the academy. When they noticed they tried to kill me. That's why I had to use more alice. They are doing so many small attacks so that we get tired and they can have advantage. I think they are planning an attack soon, and by their talks, there is someone amongst us who is on their side."

"Very well. We must be aware then. I will try to find out the culprit. Spread this warning amongst all dangerous ability."

Natsume did that and went back to his room. As he opened the door, ha heard a loud cheer,

"Welcome back and a very Happy Birthday." Gosh, he had completely forgotten. Not that it was something to remember. He never celebrated his birthday. There were many people, his friends, the fan club and whoever was affectionate of him. Even Luna was there. She tried to flirt, but he dragged Mikan and kissed her in front of everyone. She blushed hard and fainted. Later she gave him a gift in secret; it was an alice stone of her. She had finally learned to control her alice. All of them enjoyed the meet. Well Natsume was still sulky man of less words, but he was not irritated. He kept up, all the while thinking of the warning.