Chapter Five!:D
For the part where the AAO incident took place in Chapter 4, Natsume didn't really fight much because I figured that since the blow dealt to his head was super painful and all, his movements and all had to been limited pretty badly. Yup, thank you Lee0616 for mentioning that:D I'll try to work on fight scenes.
A big big thank you to the following reviewers: mangaluver123, mae2605, angelgirl251, MirSan.KouKag, dominiqueanne, ami-aim14, Lee0616, Lady Innocence, Jo!
And of course to those who have favourited this story and/or CookieMonsterr. Much love!
Read and review?
Mikan Sakura plopped herself onto her bed, snuggling into her pillows and blanket. She had been hospitalized for a whole week and she definitely had enough of the food, the nurses, the hard beds and the intoxicating smell of antibiotics. She stared at the ceiling, not moving for quite some time. A sudden thought struck her and had Mikan leaping out of bed and scuttling towards his room.
Natsume Hyuuga's special star room, of course.
Mikan pounded his room door, silently praying that he was inside. She heard him unlock the door and took a step back.
"Polka, you better have a good reason for coming," Natsume grumbled, obvious that he was rudely awoken by her incessant knocking.
"Of course I do! Natsume… Did you forget?"
"Hn?"
"We're supposed to go to Central Town! How about now? Before we have to get back to work and everything," Mikan suggested, grinning at the boy in front of her.
She's unbelievable.
"Tch. Fine. Go change."
"I already am dressed!"
Natsume glanced at her attire. She was wearing a white spaghetti top with a pair of denim mini shorts. She wore her hair down, as usual, and presented herself with the familiar cheerful smile. The stay at the hospital didn't seem to wear her down a single bit.
"Fine, come in."
Mikan stepped into his room. She was familiar with it; having been to his room countless times before to aid him after his missions. Natsume flung his wardrobe doors open and took the first thing he saw. He emerged from the bathroom wearing a tucked-out long-sleeved black button shirt, and as usual, folded the sleeves until his elbow. This was accompanied by a pair of denim jeans.
And of course, he looked hot, as always.
"Hai, let's go!" Mikan cheered.
Central Town
Natsume showed a straight face as he walked through the market, hands in his pocket. His partner, on the other hand, proved to be a stark contrast in comparison to him. As he walked, she ran from stall to stall, buying all sorts of food and stuffing herself silly. She finally caught up with Natsume, panting. He frowned when he saw her cradling two large boxes of Howalons and two cones of ice-cream.
"You just got discharged today you idiot."
"I know! But they taste so good! Besides, we were supposed to go last week but the…" Mikan broke off, looking nervous.
Natsume placed his hand on her left shoulder and gave slight reassuring squeeze, reminding her that she was safe with him. Mikan abandoned thoughts of the attack by the Anti-Alice Organisation and smiled again. She handed him an ice-cream before skipping off happily to a nearby Sakura Tree which was located on a slope near the outskirts of Central Town. Natsume relaxed a little and followed her behind.
They sat under the tree for a few hours, sharing the boxes of Howalons, with Mikan occasionally shuttling to Central Town and back for more food. Of course, she ate more than Natsume, and talked a lot more than the latter. Neither had to say it; they both enjoyed each other's company. By then, the Sun was beginning to set and the two of them leaned against the tree trunk, side by side to admire the view, in silence.
"Enjoy it while you can."
They both turned towards the direction of the voice and saw Persona emerge from behind the tree.
"Training for Sakura starts tonight at 1am, be punctual with our Black Cat, at the usual place," Persona informed before retreating again, disappearing as sudden as he had arrived.
Mikan turned her head slowly back to the sunset and watched the ball of fire disappear behind the row of shops, leaving behind a shade of pink in the sky. She had to be mentally-prepared for the training. She had a rough idea about what she had to go through and it would stretch her far more than anything else. She was leaping out of her comfort zone.
I'll be strong. I'll be strong for Natsume.
"You okay?" Natsume asked, staring straight at the darkening sky.
"Hai… Ne Natsume, do you think I'll do alright?" Mikan asked, looking at him.
Natsume turned and met her gaze.
"You will; and don't worry, I'll be there with you. Go back to your room and get some rest, I'll come and get you when it's time to go," Natsume replied, getting up and walking ahead.
Mikan's room
Tap. Tap.
Mikan frowned, eyes closed, trying to shut out the sound and continued sleeping.
Tap. Tap.
She tossed a pillow towards the window.
Stupid bird.
CRASH!
Mikan sat up straight in alarm. She looked around and saw a stone the size of a tennis ball on the floor surrounded by fragments of glass. She gulped when she saw Natsume standing the window sill, arms crossed. The moonlight shone through the window, illuminating Natsume's face and alluring crimson eyes. She noticed that he was holding his infamous Black Cat mask.
"Get up you pig."
"Gomenasai Natsume!" Mikan scuttled towards the toilet and reappeared seconds later in the Academy's Physical Education attire, which was a simply-designed white-coloured shirt accompanied by a pair of shorts.
Natsume motioned to her to follow him. He hesitated for a moment, debating as to whether it was better for Mikan to take the easier way out- the stairs. He settled on the thought that exposure would work best in gearing Mikan up for training. He leapt out of the window and landed on the floor quietly. Mikan stared at the distance between her room and the ground, horrified. Usually, she would be wailing about how impossible it was for her to achieve such a feat, but no, she couldn't hold Natsume back. She couldn't let him worry. Hence, she took a breath and leapt down.
She landed on the ground noiselessly.
She's good.
The Northern Forest
They jogged deeper into Northern Forest quietly, with Natsume leading the way. Mikan was thankful for the moonlight, for without it, they could run with blindfolds on and yet not notice the difference. They finally reached an opening, smaller than the one where the incident with the Anti-Alice Organisation took place. In the middle of the opening stood a naked tree stripped of all its leaves; a stark contrast compared to its surroundings. There under a withered branch stood Persona.
"Glad that you're punctual, Black Cat."
"Hn."
"We'll get started. Why don't you take Sakura for a short run?" Persona instructed.
It was in no way meant to be a suggestion. Natsume nodded and motioned to Mikan to follow him, thus beginning their run. The 'short' run was fifteen kilometers long and completed after two hours and a half. Mikan panted, trying to catch her breath. Over the past five years since she first entered the Academy, her physical fitness had improved drastically; but still she had never attempted running for such a long distance.
"You alright?" Natsume asked, his eyes showing signs of concern.
"… Hai!" Mikan smiled. It was not the total truth, however, as her body screamed silently, demanding for a much-needed rest.
"We will move on. Next we will be brushing up on your agility skills; crucial for survival, don't you agree, Hyuuga?"
"Brace yourself Polka, there are one or two DA students around to facilitate this training," Natsume warned in a low voice.
Mikan gulped and they all remained silent for some time. She took the opportunity to get her eyesight used her surroundings and concentrated to heighten her sense of hearing. She readied herself, legs shoulder-width apart and arms near the sides of her body, for the need of sudden movement.
Mikan heard it.
She took a quick, and noticeably big, side-step to her left, cleanly dodging a boulder that whizzed past her. She gave a small victory smile before remembering and turning towards Natsume. Needless to say, he had swiftly evaded it as well. She grinned at him, who nodded in approval.
"Impressive," Persona acknowledged.
A few more boulders and fallen tree branches flew past and the two were successful in dodging and evading them. The objects whizzed by fast and mercilessly; letting one's guard down even for a short moment then would prove to be a fatal mistake.
And that, was the mistake Mikan committed.
A metre-long tree branch hurtled towards Mikan's from behind at high speed. Unfortunately, the latter was too busy concentrating on what was ahead of her that she failed to pay attention to her surroundings.
"POLKA!"
Mikan widened her eyes and whirled round. It was too late. However, instinct kicked in and familiar blue light surrounded Mikan, at which the tree branch landed on the ground lifelessly. She eyed the now motionless tree branch on the ground in disbelief. Deafening silence engulfed the forest for a moment.
"You're better than I thought, Sakura. Now that I've seen what you're capable of, this session will end now. Tomorrow you'll return to find the training more suited for you and Hyuuga to train together and maximize your abilities. Before you go, Hyuuga will guide you through some exercises," Persona directed, taking his leave thereafter.
"Nani?! You do that all the time?" Mikan exclaimed as Natsume and she made their way back to the dormitories. Her arms, legs and stomach muscles ached from the hundred push-ups and hundred sit ups she did. The fact that she was actually supposed to do two hundred and fifty of each did not help much in comforting her.
"Yeah."
"You're good Natsume!"
"Hn. It's just that you're too idiotic."
"You're mean! But it's rather amazing how you get enough sleep and yet do so well in school," Mikan commented, estimating that there was only about three hours until school starts.
"You adjust. For the past years I get my sleep during class and in the afternoon; you can try that too."
Mikan cringed at the thought of falling asleep during lessons, especially Jinno-sensei's lessons. She couldn't risk getting found out by Hotaru, Ruka, or anyone else for that matter. Her body was going to have to adapt to the abrupt change, one that had to be done as soon and unnoticeable as possible. Just then, Mikan's legs went weak and she nearly collapsed.
Nearly, of course.
She felt Natsume take hold of her arm and put it over his shoulder to support her. She thanked him quietly, assuring him that it was nothing. She steadied herself and continued walking unaided. Natsume watched as she walked ahead of him, humming a happy tune.
"Oi Polka…" Natsume started, causing Mikan to stop in her tracks and turn around to face him.
"Yes?"
"Any regrets?"
Mikan walked back towards and faced him. She stretched her hand out, slightly tip-toeing, to pat the top of his head twice.
"Nope."
Natsume smiled a little, still concerned, however. It was true, and a good thing too, that she was physically fit already. Still, her body would be physically, and mentally, stretched for months to come. It wouldn't be easy to cope with the sudden change. She had to be careful and he had his heartfelt duty to watch out for her. Mikan laughed when she saw his concerned face and playful punched his chest. She then proceeded to grab hold of his sleeve and dragged him along out of the Northern Forest. He gave in to her and followed her behind.
"Oh, Polka?"
"Yes Natsume?"
"You're short."
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