HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Have any of you ever wondered why I titled this story "Two Quarters And A Heart Down"? Well, if you listen to "Dance, Dance" by Fall Out Boy, the line goes "I'm just two quarters and a heart down, and I don't want to forget how your voice sounds." I don't know if I'm right, but my interpretation of this is that there's a "missing link" between two people. I might be crapping here, but I relate this to Mikan in this way: she doesn't want to forget her friends, even though they've been separated for six years and have surely changed. Remember what I said in the first chapter, that she's most afraid of confronting her old friends? Well, she was scared of that "missing link". I hope you understood that. If you didn't, and you want to know, just tell me in your review.

I think this is my longest chapter up to date.

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Two Quarters And A Heart Down
19: Bury Your Head
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Hotaru and Ruka came running to us, and I asked that they inform Subaru-sensei, Aoshi-san and Narumi-sensei of the situation. Without hesitation, the two ran off to find them. Now, Kenta and Hiro were being treated by Subaru-sensei, while Natsume and I conferred with Aoshi-san and Narumi-sensei. Aka was being held in custody by Misaki-sensei and Jinno-sensei.

"So, it's Seta-kun…" A dark look had taken hold of Aoshi-san's features. "We're at a standstill here."

"There's nothing you can do about it?" I asked hesitantly. I had never seen my father look so… malicious before.

"It's one of the three Headmasters, Mikan," Narumi-sensei explained gently. "It will be a public scandal if we arrest him. Moreover, this may strike confusion in the student body, and it will be the perfect opportunity for rebellious students to break out. Thugs from the outside world might see it as the opportunity to break into the Academy and kidnap students as well."

"Yes, but," Aoshi-san cut in, "what I'm more concerned about is the group of bandits following Seta. This Black Hole project was carried out by Seta, and he handpicked the trainers and students for this. Why would he go through so much trouble just to get Mikan? That aside, we now know that we have foolishly brought over a whole assembly of powerful Alices, all of whom are loyal to this charlatan. If we tried anything now, look at the chaos that might ensue from his band of renegade Alice trainers. I mean, look at what Aka alone did." He spread his arms wide for emphasis, indicating our surroundings.

Natsume and I sweated. The stone fountain was completely smashed, with the water spilling over the rim, like an overflowing bowl. A colossal tree was dunked unceremoniously into the misshapen fountain, ashen and black from Natsume's flames. In fact, the flames were still burning furiously and were consuming more of the poor tree with every passing second. Black smoke from the accidental bonfire was rising high into the air in foul tendrils. I was amazed why multitudes of curious students hadn't gathered yet.

"A-anyway," I cleared my throat. "I understand we can't arrest Seta for this, but is there really nothing else we can do?"

If it was possible, Aoshi-san's expression darkened even more. "If he hasn't escaped already, that is." He turned to Narumi-sensei. "Narumi, contact Serina and report to me on Seta's activities."

"Hai." Narumi-sensei sprinted away from the battle scene.

"Mikan, are you packed and ready to go?" Aoshi-san said seriously.

"Yes, I am," I replied, just as seriously.

"Hey, wait a sec!" Kenta cried indignantly, twisting away from Subaru-sensei's grip. The annoyed doctor shot him with a bolt of electricity from his fingertips, making Kenta whimper and lie still on the ground.

"Aoshi-san, please," Hiro reasoned for Kenta, "it's dangerous for Mikan to be alone on this journey. Please let Kenta and I accompany her."

A soft smile graced Aoshi-san's lips. "I will consider it. However, I'm not sure if it's safe for Mikan to leave the Academy right now. If Seta did indeed escape, he and his army of five or so men will surely wait in ambush."

"So can she stay in the Academy?" Natsume raised an eyebrow at Aoshi-san.

Likewise, my father raised an eyebrow at Natsume. "Definitely not," he huffed. "If Seta did escape and Mikan is still in the Academy, he will surely turn teachers and students into his puppets to try and harm her. In fact, the same goes for you, Hiro-kun and Kenta-kun. You might not be able to protect yourselves from this black magic. Only Mikan's Nullifying Alice can protect her from Seta."

"But we'll always be around Mikan," Kenta whined. "Surely we'll be in her Alice's territory!"

"If Mikan had to protect others with her Alice all the time," Aoshi-san explained, "she'd be constantly drained. If she only had herself to protect, her Alice will always be unconsciously active inside of her, protecting her from any intrusion attempts."

"Not fair." Kenta pouted cutely, then his lips twisted into a grimace of pain as Subaru-sensei applied pressure to his joints. "Ouch! Watch where you're poking me!"

"I am merely checking for broken body parts, aside from your mouth and brain of course," Subaru said calmly.

I bit back a snigger and attempted to flash a sincere smile at the two amber-eyed males. "What my dad is saying is true. I'm sorry." I turned to my dad. "What now?"

"For now, we wait."

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It was nightfall, and Narumi-sensei and Serina-sensei had yet to penetrate the All-Seeing Eye's defensive barrier. A few other teachers had tried to infiltrate the Elementary Division Headmaster's office, but it was bolted shut. No one could break down the door.

I offered to sense the presence of Alices inside the office, but my father insisted that it was too risky. So, we waited for Narumi-sensei's report. However, we didn't just sit around and do nothing while waiting. No, we formulated a plan to ready ourselves for Seta's attack. It was bound to happen; we couldn't remain in this uncomfortable cease-fire forever.

But still, Seta had to be the first to strike. In the meanwhile, we waited.

"Ano…" My eyebrow twitched and a vein throbbed in my temple. "I know we're getting ready for a war here…"

Natsume threw his cards down and drawled, "Go fish." He raised an eyebrow at me.

"What are all of you doing in my room?!" I snarled.

Eight pairs of eyes looked up from piles of cards to meet my furious gaze.

Youichi fidgeted in Natsume's lap, holding his cards in his little hands. Does this kid ever grow? He was with Natsume because the fire caster thought it was too dangerous to leave his kouhai alone in his room.

"And what's wrong with that?" Kenta muttered impatiently, throwing his cards down in exasperation. "Dammit! Why do I keep getting the bad cards?"

Hiro chuckled. "Keep that temper in check, Kenta." He flashed his cards, showing four aces. Kenta swore.

Subaru put his cards down calmly. "We're preparing for a war here. Any casualties, I'm here to heal them."

Hotaru shuffled her cards unblinkingly. "Why can't I be here, Mikan? You never tried to push me away before. Besides, I'm rewinding some research tapes in my lab; it'll take all night to be done."

Ruka sweated. "I can leave if you like, Mikan. It's about time I checked on my animal spies anyway."

"Oh, I didn't mean to sound so mean," I muttered, twiddling my thumbs. "You don't have to go, Ruka."

"Yes, Nogi," Aoshi-san ran a hand through his chocolate brown hair. His blazer was unbuttoned, his tie undone and his shoes were off, exposing his black socks. "Check on your animals and report to me quickly. Better safe than sorry." Ruka left and Aoshi-san glanced at his cards. "Kuso! He's got a better hand than I do!"

Kenta and Hiro exchanged a glance, before roaring with laughter. "The esteemed Headmaster just swore!"

Soon, the rest of us joined in the laughter, save for Youichi, who was starting to get sleepy. Even Natsume managed a few chuckles.

However, our laughter was short-lived.

Explosions resonated in the distance, and the colour of bleeding orange filled my windows. The building shook with every explosion.

Screams reverberated throughout the dormitory, and a pair of heavy, rushing footsteps stopped outside my door. We crouched, ready to attack.

The door opened and Ruka stumbled in, carrying a bleeding hawk. His spy was killed.

Aoshi-san adjusted his necktie. "It's time."

My hand fisted into a ball. "Roger that."

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I looked overhead from my hiding place amongst the trees and bushes. Ruka was soaring overhead, dangling from the hoop his giant eagle always carried just for him. He was wearing one of Hotaru's panda communication headsets; we all were. Even Natsume – but teasing him wasn't the matter at hand.

According to Ruka's reports, Seta's five cronies had set off bombs at random locations in the Academy – just for the heck of drawing us out, it seems. Since the elementary schoolers were holed up with the senior students, only the Middle School Division was in danger. Teachers were dispatched to evacuate them, while Aoshi-san and Hiro were looking for Seta.

I was alone with Kenta, hidden in the bushes near the Academy gates. My suitcase was hidden beneath a pile of leaves, just in case it was my opportunity. Hotaru was in the headquarters with Narumi-sensei, surveying the enemy's movements and dispatching orders via the communication earphones.

Subaru was back in the dormitory, tending to the injured. He disallowed Natsume from doing the physical labour, as he was worried about the fire caster's condition, especially after the fight with Aka. He had set off a pretty big fire, after all. Youichi was with Natsume, naturally.

"Mikan?" my earphones buzzed. I pressed the 'talk' button. "Hai?"

"We've got a situation," Hiro whispered.

"Eh?" My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. I glanced at Kenta, who was intently listening to what Hiro was saying.

"Sssh," Hiro hissed urgently. "Aoshi-san is in a bit of a predicament. There's no time to explain. Mikan, you have to leave the Academy. Now. It's your only chance!"

"What?" I was confused. "What's going on?"

"No time to explain!" Hiro huffed. It sounded like he was running. Running away from what? "Mikan, they can track you easily with these headphones. Leave them and go! Did you hear that, Kenta? Make sure she leaves – AAAGH!"

"Hiro? Hiro?" Silence. It was only static on the other end.

I turned to Kenta, who was hurriedly fishing my suitcase out of the leaves. Hotaru's voice clicked into the earpiece, "Mikan. I am viewing your father's situation on camera. It's not pretty."

I felt like crying. "What's going on? Why won't you tell me?"

"Hayasaka was right," Hotaru retorted. Her voice was steely with irritation and urgency. "No time to explain. Leave now, Mikan! Leave the headphones and don't look back!"

Tears were already coursing down my cheeks. Hotaru sounded panicked – I knew this was serious. "Alright, I'm leaving." I snatched my suitcase from Kenta and whipped off the panda earphones.

Footsteps crunched on the crisp leaves and twigs littered about the forest floor. Kenta crouched low, propping his right arm on his raised thigh. "I'll fend them off," he whispered, not even looking my way. "Run as fast as you can."

"Arigato," I whispered, then I turned on my heel and ran.

I turned my head halfway; to see a large man aim a right hook to Kenta's head. I gasped when his meaty fist collided with Kenta's head. I didn't have time to cry out for his pain, for I slipped into a crevice in the ground and fell.

Before I was enveloped in darkness, I swear I heard Natsume's voice, though I knew I wasn't wearing the earphones anymore.

"I'm coming, Polka-dots."

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I closed my eyes and prepared for the impact, but my butt glanced off something hard… and curvy… before I landed unceremoniously on the dirt.

"Itai…" I murmured, rubbing my sore butt.

"It's you!" a voice exclaimed, shocked. The voice was erratically familiar…

"Chisa?" I called out unsurely.

A flashlight flickered on and I looked at the elementary schooler's shadowy face. It was Chisa Mawako, all right. Unmistakable.

"Sakura-san…" she murmured, refusing to look me in the eye.

I sighed. "You're still working for them?"

She nodded slowly, still refusing to meet my gaze. "Hai. The Academy let me go, because I was still a minor. Then I heard of this plan and…" She bit her lip.

I stood up, dusting off my skirt. "You still want to do this, huh?" I looked up the way I had fallen in. I could easily climb out of this place.

"Y-you're not going to capture me?" Her voice shook.

The way she wouldn't look at me, I also refused to meet her gaze. I placed one hand on a protruding rock on the dirt wall, and ground my foot into a hole in the wall. "Hmm? What good would that do me? It's your life; your choice. You want to do this? I'm not stopping you. Your life is yours to live."

I left her, dumbfounded, as I crawled up and out of the crevice, Spider-Man-style. Tucking my suitcase under my arm, I ran deeper into the forest without looking back. I'd hate to be caught by the men who captured Kenta.

I couldn't very well just walk out of the gates, seeing as those evil men were lurking near there. They were probably followers of Seta, and forget what others said about him knowing the future – he was still human, after all, and humans are not gods.

For now, all I could do was hide out in the forest and wait it out.

Then, I could make my move.

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I could see the clock tower from where I hid, and about fifteen minutes had passed since I settled down there.

The Academy grounds were still tinted orange from flames; the screams of frightened students were only getting louder. Shadows danced on the trees and on the floor; I could no longer tell which was animal, tree or human. My heart beat was getting faster with every passing minute, and I was amazed that I hadn't died of a heart attack yet.

I started thinking about what happened to Aoshi-san… And Hiro-kun… And Kenta… I just left them all behind, and I didn't even know what had happened to them. I began whimpering.

My whimpers turned into sobs, and I couldn't stop myself from crying. The enemy could very well hear me and find me soon…

Like speak of the devil, heavy footsteps trudged through the leaf litter on the forest ground. I tried biting my lip to stop the wails, but I couldn't. A new shadow intermingled with the dancing ones, large and threatening. I trembled.

I closed my eyes and stuffed my fists into my mouth in a pathetic attempt to muffle the sobs. It was already too late, however, because a pair of legs was placed squarely in front of me.

"Ssssh." The owner of the legs knelt in front of me, and engulfed me in a warm embrace.

Recognising the familiar scent, and not to mention my Alice finally kicking in and identifying it, I buried my head into Natsume's chest and heaved big fat baby sobs.

"I'm here," he said, stroking my head and back lovingly. "Don't cry any more, I'm here."

"Gomen, gomen ne," I choked into his neck. "I said all those mean things about you. I don't care anymore! I love you, Natsume. I love you!"

Natsume pulled me away from him, and looked intently into my tear-streaked face. I felt dirty and ugly. "I've never been one to use words to get my point across," Natsume breathed, before cupping my face and dipping low to capture my lips in his.

My arms snaked around his neck, but our "love-love" session was interrupted when a gunshot was fired into the air. Which brought me back down to Earth, and I realised that I had to get away right now.

I clutched my suitcase to my chest, getting up. "Won't you come with me?" I pleaded with Natsume.

"Iie." He looked genuinely sorry. "It's my sister." He plucked a leaf from my hair.

I gave his hand a squeeze. "I understand."

"Let's get you out of here." He led me into the night, and out of the Academy.

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We were on a hill, I think, overlooking the Academy grounds. The buildings were still burning. No one could see us, as numerous sakura trees were hiding us from view. However, far outside the Academy campus, it was snowing, the way things should be in January.

The sun was rising in the East, illuminating the white, snow-covered grounds. I still hadn't let go of Natsume's hand.

"I have to go back," Natsume said quietly. I did not answer.

"Isn't it beautiful?" I murmured. "The snow… The bare trees… This chill."

I felt Natsume shrug. "It's the way things should be."

The way things should be… "Ne, Natsume," I said.

"Nani?" He knew he had to go back soon, but he didn't rush.

"Promise me something," I said, resolve seeping into my otherwise soft and weak voice. "Promise me that… we'll see each other again in three years. And, if we still feel the same…"

I looked at him and put down my suitcase. I clutched both of his hands in mine. They were warm, while mine were cold.

"Let's get married."

His crimson eyes widened in shock, before settling back into their usual expressionless state.

Natsume did not speak, but instead kissed me once more. He smiled at me, before turning around and leaving.

"I promise you, Mikan."

He didn't look back as he trudged down the hill, but raised a hand in goodbye. I waved back, although I knew he did not see. As I looked at his retreating form, I couldn't help but let a small smile graze my features.

When I could no longer see Natsume, I walked down the hill as well, but turned to a different path.

The sakura trees were bare, the animals were hibernating, and the birds were off south. The wind was chilly, and the snow wouldn't stop falling. It was so cold, and my cheeks were stinging from the iciness.

I was walking alone in the snow. My face was covered with grime, and my uniform was dirty, but I didn't care.

I was still smiling.

This is the way things should be.

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The End.

Final chapter - ghost readers, speak now or forever hold your peace. You guys really don't have any opinions on this story? D:

Anyway, this is the end of Mikan's POV, at least. Next chapter will be a short epilogue.