Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. They were all made by the amazing work of Tachibana Higuchi.
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Thanks to kawaii animefreak yuuki-chan21, MiNsEi, Niki-Uni, HazZel and CriMson, tullahgirl, CrimsonxHazel, Sunlight210, Sherbear111000, maya884, residenteviler, Emily of the Forrest, xxxeLie3173xxx, kara'mel'-chan, & Moonlightnin for adding Come What May as a favorite/alert. It really means a lot to me and I'd love to hear from you sometime :) If I missed your name, I do apologize!
Note: Eeeeeeekkkk! Here's goes nothing. Hope you enjoy it :)
~oOo~
Chapter 12:
Natsume's POV
"I think this thing is broken! I don't see anything!" Ruka whined impatiently as he poked the monitor with his finger.
"Nogi, keep your hands off my equipment before you break it! I'll charge you double what its worth if you do!" Hotaru threatened, aiming her Baka gun at Ruka.
"Will you two knock it off! Imai, what's wrong with the screen? It's black and all I can hear is static!" I said frustrated and impatient.
"If you two hadn't taken your time in getting here, you would know she is currently in a time portal!" Hotaru snapped, glaring at both of us.
"We had a hard time getting in because of your security robot outside! It wouldn't let Natsume in because he wasn't on the list, so he torched-" Ruka started to answer before I slapped my hand over his mouth and asked her, "What do you mean a time portal?"
"Hyuuga, you owe me for destroying my robot!"
"Fine. Add it to my bill. Now tell me what we missed?" I questioned trying to keep my voice calm and even. I could feel my anxiety building as I ran a hand through my hair, tempted to rip it out with stress. I had been waiting so long to figure out what she was up too, and now wondered if I really wanted to know...
"She met up with Persona on the outer edge of the forest. He handed her a watch and gave her a time, 11pm which is exactly 2 hours from now. She pushed a button on the watch then stepped through a swirling black portal that appeared and then you two idiots showed up. I don't know anymore, so don't ask!" Hotaru stated pushing a few buttons on the keyboard in front of her and increasing the volume.
"But where..." Ruka started to ask but immediately shut his mouth after Hotaru snapped her head around at him. He quietly took the seat next to her as I paced and watched the monitor from behind them intently.
Sudden light filled the screen and a green blur came into view. We all squinted and leaned in closer as leaves came into view.
"Ouch!" we heard Mikan grunt, "Where in the world am I this time?" she said to herself as she peeked through a bush in front of her. Still can't see anything... grrr. She seemed to be struggling with the bush in front of her, trying to get a better view of where she was at.
Why the hell was she still hiding in a bush? We couldn't see anything! We heard her inhale deeply as a loud crashing sound followed. She edged further into the bush and parted it more with her hands. Finally we could see where she was.
"Hey Natsume! Isn't that the school courtyard and your Sakura tree? She's not in time! She's just outside!" Ruka said sounding almost excited as he started to spring up from his chair towards the door.
Hotaru and I exchanged a look. I crossed my arms over my chest and gave Ruka a stern look, pushing him back down in his seat.
"Eh Ruka, what time is it now?" I asked him with a raised eyebrow.
"About 9:15..." he answered cluelessly looking at the wallclock then back to the monitor. "Oh, it's daytime where she's at..." I nodded and gave him another look. He sighed and knew to watch and remain quiet.
Bringing my attention back to the monitor, I now saw 2 teenagers on the screen. It was a blonde haired girl straddling a dark haired guy. Before I could ask, Hotaru zoomed in the camera on the couple.
The blonde girl giggled as she bent down and seemed to be tickling the guy's face with her hair. He quickly swatted her hair away then abruptly sat up, automatically putting his arms around her for support so she wouldn't topple over.
"Before I ask you what the hell happened, did you at least get the stone before you freakin knocked me out?" the guy snapped, removing one of his arms from around her to wipe his sweat drenched hair away from his face... Hotaru zoomed once again as both her and Ruka turned to stare at me.
"Natsume! That's trippy!" Ruka said looking from me to the screen, then back again. I sighed loudly but didn't really have anything to say as I stared at an older version of myself on the monitor. I can't say I looked much different... just a bit older and less childish. He was wearing all black with a serious scowl on his face.
"Well..." the girl paused, as she took both her hands and slicked back the rest of his messy, sweaty black hair, "I got the stone you dropped as well as something else.." she said sheepishly.
"Geez Mikan! Do I even want to know?" he asked her, sounding extremely irritated. I walked closer to the screen. That was Mikan sitting on my lap? I swallowed as I heard Ruka trying to suppress a chuckle.
"Well..." she said hesitantly
He reached up to her face as if he was going to caress her cheek, then with a slight pause began to tug on her blonde hair. She reached up as well and pulled out a few hair pins, shoving them into her jacket pocket then smiled brilliantly at him. I stared at the monitor as I felt my heart stop. She looked like some sort of fallen angel, also dressed all in black, sitting in my lap! Ugh, if I were him... I mean if that were me at this present time...I grunted to myself. He tugged on the blonde hair again but this time it came off, allowing her beautiful long brunette locks to fall perfectly into place freely around her shoulders.
"Mikan... show me the stones..." he said gently but firmly. She reached into a little pouch that was attached to a black utility type belt she was wearing. She opened her hand towards him and showed him one black and one crimson stone...why did that second one look like my alice stone?
"Natsume isn't that your?" Ruka swiftly asked as he turned around to look at me.
I nodded back at him but kept my eyes glued to the screen.
"Okay good, now what the hell happened back there?" he asked exasperated, gesturing her to get off his lap so he could lean against the tree behind him to catch his breath.
"Well, ya see... I thought you were clear once you crossed the lazer field so I started to look around for guards... but then I heard a noise and saw him and I just had to save him. He was trapped under a box near one of the displays and I think I accidentally..." she cut off her sentence, now sounding extremely guilty.
"Mikan..."
"Natsume, please don't look at me so angrily! We got back okay!" she said defensively as he glared harder at her.
"I think I accidentally stepped into the field trying to get him out and that's when I think I triggered the alarm and it sounded. I panicked and tried to get a barrier shield around us both, but you were too far away and before I knew it, you were shooting off fire in all directions. They had you surrounded and I got scared because I heard you coughing really bad & we were outnumbered, so... I stole it, picked up the black stone before you completely pass out and teleported us back..."
He irritatedly shook his head at her. "May I ask, who was this 'he' you were trying to save when you should have been watching my back? Mikan, I can't protect you or myself if you're off doing something else or getting distracted! You know the drill and if anything, you should have let me finish taking out the guard before you teleported us. Now they will know what to expect when we have to go back for the second piece" he snapped.
She pouted in front of him like a child being scolded and put on timeout by a parent, then looked at him upset, "If I had let you finish the guard, I would have had to teleport us straight into the hospital Natsume. You agreed to give me your permission to take your stone whenever I got scared that you were going to overexert yourself remember?"
"Yes but Mikan, you can't just steal it from me in the middle of a mission. My priority is your safety first! Don't you know that? The other part of that agreement was, if anything were to happen to me, you would find your own way back, no matter what" he stated firmly with emphasis as if he were really talking to a child.
Damn... what kind of agreement was this? Under what circumstance would I become such a wussy and agree to let her taking my alice, especially while in combat? I could hardly believe my ears. Never, no matter what circumstance would I agree to that! This girl could kiss my ass.
She began to cry in the next instant as her body looked like it was shaking. "Natsume you dummy! Do you honestly think I'd listen and leave you there to rot! What would I do with your stone and not you? What would I do without you? We've been through so much together and you're like family. You are like an older brother and my best friend. The only reason we came up with this, was so that I wouldn't lose you idiot! We are preserving your alice and your life!" she screamed, choking up the sobs as she buried her face into his shoulder.
He looked defeated as he softly stroked her hair and let her cry. I shook my head in disbelief, older brother? I think I could handle friend, but brother was pushing it.
"Meow" came a noise from inside her jacket as her sobs turned into laughter. He carefully pushed her away a bit to see the small head of a tiny black kitten peek out from above her halfway zipped up jacket then silently raised his eyebrow at her.
"I'm sorry! I couldn't help myself! He was there and he was so damn cute! I didn't want the poor thing to get hurt so I brought him with us!" she spilled out quickly.
He sighed and shook his head, "What is Naru gonna say about that?"
"I know Otosama will love Natty as much as I do already!" she said happily, bringing the kitten out of the jacket and kissing the top of its head.
"Hn. Natty?" he said giving her another questioning eyebrow
"Yes Silly! Because he's a black cat and I adore him as I do you, so... I thought I'd name him after you!" she replied, smiling at him sweetly. He sighed.
Sheesh... when had Mikan learned to work me so well? It seemed like she knew exactly what to do or say to get me to agree to whatever she wanted. I shook my head in disappointment as I watched myself.
She held the kitty towards him and he grunted at it. She held it closer to his face and it rubbed its fluffy black head against his cheek.
"Mikan... get that thing away from me please. Under no circumstance do I want to see 'Natty' in my room, understand?" he said firmly as she gently cradled the kitty in her arms.
"Yes Onii-sama! Natty will stay with Otosama" she said not really paying attention to him and making baby cooing faces at the damn cat.
"Mikan, I'm not done talking to you... I don't think you understand the severity of what could have happened today..." he stated firmly.
"Natsume!" she whined, "I'm safe, you're safe and Natty's safe! Everything is good. We completed the mission and you have enough energy to still be upset with me! That is a record and All is good!" she said in a perky tone then quickly hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. "Dinner is at 7 if you want to join me and otosama!"
He nodded, "Maybe... Mikan, the stones."
"Oh yeah, sorry!" she said reaching down into the pouch again. She handed him the black one, then started fidgeting with something around her neck. Out from under her shirt came a silver wiry looking heart pendant. She opened the heart up like a locket and put the crimson stone inside where it fit perfectly then snapped it closed. "Until you need it, it will be safe and guarded closely to my heart!" she said smiling at him reassuringly, messing up his hair a bit as he helped her stand up. He gave her a couple more instructions then said their goodbyes.
After she had disappeared into the distance, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette... that's interesting... not only did Mikan consider me an older brother but I was also a nicotine junkie? Geez! This whole thing just blew me away... it was so freaking awful. I let out a heavy, irritable, frustrated sigh and Ruka looked up at me and all I could do was shake my head at him. We both turned back towards the screen, wondering how he was gonna light the bud.
He looked like he was trying to light the damn cigarette with his alice then cursed under his breath. Haha! That's right stupid! Mikan took your alice. He slammed a fist against the ground then started digging through his pockets.
Suddenly the monitor started to shake and it looked like my Mikan was walking towards him. Uh oh! I held my breath as I heard Hotaru and Ruka inhaled as well. We watched him scramble, looking around for something when he pulled out a lighter, finally lit the cig, putting it into his mouth and taking a puff.
"What the hell are you doing Natsume Hyuuga!" she screamed as an arm snapped out in front of the monitor, grabbing the cig from his mouth. The monitor spun a bit as it bobbed up and down at his thoroughly shocked and surprised face. I could only guess she was stomping out the damn cigarette... freaking... by this point, I would have gladly picked it up and finished it...
Note: Heh... I hope you didn't get confused at all with the present and future characters... will try to update the second half of this quickly so bare with me! Let me know what you think :p