AAAAH! I'M BACK I'M BAAAAACK! Wahahaha.
Thank you for all your wonderful reviews! -bows- I was so touched when one reviewer said that they cried for Mikan! And I'm really glad that a lot of you hate Urumi! I created her solely for that purpose ehehehe. Alright, this long-awaited chapter may not make many readers very happy so I'm ready for flames...
Oh, and I'm considering starting the second part of The Baka's Guide series, which is The Baka's Guide To Dating A Teenage Superhero but I'm currently in a dilemma. I need suggestions on a wacky superhero name for Natsume! Ahahaha.
Disclaimer: Oh dear. I forgot to put the disclaimer in the last chapter but seriously, WHAT IS EVEN THE POINT! Gakuen Alice is the brainchild of Higuchi Tachibana-sama, whose manga I can't seem to get hold of in Singapore... If anyone knows where/how to get the GA manga in Singapore, let me know, onegai! Arigatou!
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Two Quarters And A Heart Down
6: Propaganda
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I broke out of the dense forest and gasped for air, bending and grasping my knees for support.
My blue sweatshirt clung to my body and dripped heavy with sweat. Brushing my damp bangs out of my eyes, I straightened my body and turned my attention to the inferno before me.
The glaring, furiously blazing fire currently consuming the smooth, white walls and the brick red shingles of the Elementary Division dormitory caused me to squint as I tried to identify its source. The heat made me sweat even more.
Please don't let it be Natsume…"Mikan!"
A breathless Aoshi-san joined me in my optical pursuit of the firestarter. The rising flames bathed our surroundings in orange, creating an unworldly atmosphere. His blue tie was askew and he hastily unbuttoned his thick blazer and threw it to the ground. I couldn't blame him though, it was scorching.
My father's emerald eyes narrowed dangerously. "Where are the students?" he whispered, barely audible above the crackling fire. "Come, Mikan. Let us search."
I nodded and followed him, my head whipping around for signs of students in the vicinity. There were none.
My long hair uncomfortably stuck to my neck. Something wasn't right in this picture: the dormitory was on fire yet there were no screams and no evacuees. No rescuers either.
All was silent; only the furious crackling of the fire feasting on the building could be heard.
I voiced my worries out to my father. He stopped walking and I banged into him. Geez, couldn't he at least warn me first before stopping like that!
I closed my eyes and rubbed my nose, wincing slightly. When I looked up, I saw my father staring at something behind me, his eyes wide with shock and his jaw set tight with grim foreboding.
"Mikan," his voice wavered. "Run."
But it was too late to warn me.
Hello, darkness. NOT.
Before the diabolical man in a black tuxedo and shades (seriously, who wear sunglasses in the night?) could elbow me in my cranium to knock me out, I ducked and kicked his legs, knocking him to the ground.
I quickly flipped him over and pulled his wrists firmly behind his back. I grinded my right knee into his spine, causing him to grit his teeth in pain.
Aoshi-san (it still feels weird to call him "my father") whipped out a pocket knife and pressed it to his throat. "Who sent you?" he demanded, his voice calm but volumes of unspoken threats resonated in the air. "What have you done to my students?"
When the man in black didn't answer, Aoshi-san pressed the knife even closer to his throat. A small trickle of blood spurted out.
Ouch. Nasty.
"Relax, Headmaster," an eerily familiar voice drawled. "Your elementary students have all been evacuated. They're all safe."
"Tenaka!"
My father looked furious. He glared at the abomination and pressed the knife even harder. I glared at Urumi but I was careful not to loosen my grip on my would-be attacker's arms.
"I believe I have relieved you of your duties for this evening, Tenaka," my father stated.
"Sir, I am well aware of that," Urumi drawled again. "However, when I saw this building on fire, I immediately took action and helped with the evacuation. You wouldn't want any of your precious students to die, yes?"
"Is this an attempt to redeem yourself, Tenaka?" My father's sarcasm rivalled Urumi's. "The dormitory only became ablaze shortly after you left. You've not the Alice of Speed therefore I do not believe you could have rescued my students so swiftly."
Score! The look of glee erupting on my face was hard to conceal.
My grip loosened and Shades-san threw me off his back. I screamed and landed hard on my butt.
Shoot, I let him get away!
Before I could get up and pursue him, a dark figure dropped out of a nearby tree and pacified Shades-san. AKA Persona knocked him out.
"Aoshi-dono," he nodded, slumping the hapless man in black against a tree. "Sakura-dono. I'll take care of things here." By "things" he meant Urumi. "Forgive my moment's ignorance when this woman slipped my grasp."
Aoshi-san nodded and pocketed his knife.
"You," he rounded on Urumi, "where are the students?"
Urumi inclined her head slightly towards the forest. "By the big sakura tree. Some older students are taking care of them."
Aha! So she definitely wasn't the one who rescued them! Not like I expected her to do something like that anyway.
Aoshi-san nodded and took my hand. "Let's go see them, Mikan. I believe Narumi should be there too."
Just like what the horrible woman said, the students were all gathered around the sakura tree. The same sakura tree Natsume liked to hang around in…
The sound of laughing and crying children filled the air. I looked around and saw the distinct silver hair and olive green eyes amongst the sea of children.
Youichi would be nine now. He didn't look like he had grown much though.
A little girl who ran past tripped and her crying immediately snapped me out of my reverie. I ran to her side and helped her up. "Are you okay?"
Aoshi-san saw our situation and held the crying girl. "Sssh, it's okay," he softly assured the girl. His voice was soothing and fatherly. "You're a strong girl, right? You won't cry any more, right?"
I wasn't wearing the Emotion Control any more but I felt a sharp pang in my chest as I watched the two of them.
The girl was about six years old with violet hair. Her eyes were tinted a light pink.
She stopped crying and gazed at Aoshi-san. "Waaaaaii!" she suddenly exclaimed. "Sugoi, you look just like Papa!" She squealed in delight and flung her arms around my dad. "Waaaaii! Papa came to Alice Academy just for me! Papa's the best! I love Papa!"
I narrowed my eyes.
Aoshi-san looked like a little lost sheep. His green eyes pleaded me for help but I merely looked away and crossed my arms. My cheeks puffed out a little. Hn. It's not my problem. He has to deal with her himself.
"Uhhh…" he laughed nervously.
But I didn't miss that look in his eyes.
One of astonishment and happiness.
Was he glad that a complete stranger referred to him as her father?
I stalked off, looking for the older students Urumi said were taking care of the little brats. I wasn't jealous. I wasn't.
Hands on my hips, I walked (okay, more like stomped) around the area, sidestepping the annoying midgets that ran around playing tag. All the movement of the little kids made me feel like I was in an ant colony and sure enough, I started feeling thousands of imaginary ants crawling under my skin.
Shuddering, I turned around and spotted Hotaru, visibly taller than all the others.
"Hotaru," I said upon reaching her. "What happened?"
"Fire," she simply stated, pointing at the orange glow in the distance. "I was walking back to my room from the lab when I saw the dorm catch fire."
"How'd it start?" I asked.
"You can ask him," she said and pointed at a figure slumped against the sakura tree's large trunk. "Now if you excuse me, the fire's getting worse and I have to put it out before it spreads to the forest."
And she walked away with her water-storing elephant invention trailing behind her. Sure enough, I could see big balls of fire spewing off the top of the burning building, like lava bombs spewing out of a volcano during an eruption.
I glanced at the figure under the sakura tree. He was partially obscured by the shadows but I saw the unmistakable gleam of ruby red where his eyes should be.
"Oh, hi, Mikan," Ruka said. I was so distracted by the foreboding sense of dread that I didn't even notice him approach.
"Ruka-pyon!" I exclaimed. I was truly happy Ruka was around. I even started calling him by the suffix I had given to him all those years ago. With him around, I could buy some time before Natsume approached me regarding that kiss…
"Hey, have you seen Imai?"
"Hotaru?" I cocked my head to the side. "Yeah. She just left a little while ago to put out the fire."
"Thanks," he said and hurried off in the direction Hotaru went.
"No! Ruka-pyon!" I screamed, flailing my arms wildly. "Don't leave me alone!"
I was about to chase after him but a sea of toddlers blocked my path. Gah, curse those snivelling brats!
I sensed Natsume's presence leave the sakura tree's shadow and approach me. I tensed. I was afraid to turn around.
"Don't move," he said. He didn't sound angry…
I felt his fingers brush lightly against my hair. When he drew back, a small, yellow flower was in his hand. He held it out to me, palm open and I took it tentatively. Then, he began to walk away.
I closed my eyes and felt a sudden urge to call out to him… to reach for him… to hold his hand…
"Natsume! Wait!" I cried out. He stopped and his shoulders stiffened. He was still in uniform and his hands were stuffed in his pocket.
I shifted from foot to foot. The world seemed to consist of only him and me now. The voices of the children seemed to fade away as well.
You could have cut the tension in the air with a knife.
I looked skywards at the moon and at all its round, silver glory. I closed my eyes, took a breath and closed the distance between us.
I collided with his body but his legs didn't buckle. I clutched his right arm and pressed it against my own body.
"Natsume… You didn't start the fire, right?"
Silence.
"Mikan," he began. His voice was hoarse. "I wish I could tell you it wasn't me but then I'd be lying to you."
I tightened my grip on his arm. I found a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips.
"It's okay, Natsume," I said softly. I breathed in his scent. "If it's you, then I'm sure there's a good reason. You never do anything for no reason at all."
I still couldn't see his face but I swore I felt him smiling. He just seemed to have a happy aura around him…
Or maybe that was just wishful thinking.
"Six years ago I told you not to poke your stupid head into my business," Natsume said. His voice sounded cold and harsh.
"Natsume?" I asked. I loosened my grip on his arm. My instincts were screaming at me to get away from him.
But too late.
I felt a powerful Alice activate the same time Natsume tackled me to the ground.
The surrounding area seemed to ripple as I felt a strong barrier engulf the makeshift refugee site. No one could get in and no one could get out.
The children started screaming again.
My attention reverted back to Natsume as I felt both his arms clasp my neck.
"You got too close to me, little girl," he hissed. He was grinning widely and a manic glint infested his crimson pupils.
"Now, you die."
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To be continued...
Reviews are much loved and much appreciated!
If I can, I'll update later tonight too.