Chapter...Eight, right?!
Japanese notes: 'Aho' means something like 'moron'
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Aoi, Youichi and Mikan spent a lot of time together.
"Hey, where's Aoi?" Natsume asked Ruka.
"With Sakura." Would be his reply.
Hey, his sister just came back to him after being captured by the AAO. Why was she spending more time with that…moron than him?
Well, he decided to find out. As he walked to the Sakura Tree, he heard them talking.
"You're way too early to be able to hit my pitch, You-chan."
"Shut up, hag. Just throw, damn it!"
Mikan laughed.
Whoa. Mikan Sakura was supposed to be cold and rebellious. Why was she so…soft with them?
Was he….jealous?!?!
"That's not fair!"
He snapped out of his thoughts.
Apparently, they were playing baseball or something and Youichi totally missed.
"Life isn't fair Youichi. Welcome to reality." Mikan said.
Aoi laughed.
"For once, Youichi looks kind of shocked," she said, still laughing. Usually, Youichi would stare at someone and the would be
Shit, I've got to go.
Like Natsume.
Youichi's vein popped.
"Oooh, he's mad…" Mikan teased.
Youichi used his Evil Sprites Alice to scare her…or at least try to.
"Youichi, these don't scare me," She said, smiling.
"Hey, it's already going to be 6th period soon. Why are you still here?" Natsume said.
"Playing, stupid. What does it look like?" Mikan smirked.
"…"
"…"
"Baka."
"Aho."
Both of their veins popped.
"Stupid Hyuuga!"
"Ugly Pigtails."
More vein popping.
And they were at it again, using their Alices and arguing with each other.
Aoi and Youichi sweat dropped.
Hotaru appeared out of nowhere.
"6th period." She said nonchalantly.
Where the hell did she materialize from?!
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"Today sucks." Mikan sighed, packing her books. Classes were over for the day.
"Weren't you going to hang out with Aoi and Youichi?" Hotaru said.
Mikan looked at her.
"Yeah, but something came up."
She slung her bag over her shoulder.
"I'm going to central town."
She left as the rest of them were still packing.
Hotaru turned to Natsume and Ruka.
"Don't you think she's changed a lot recently?" She asked them.
Ruka nodded.
"She's become more…open."
Hotaru smiled. "I think so too."
Ruka blushed, and Natsume smirked at him.
Central Town…
Mikan sat outside of a café. (You know how they have tables so you can eat outside? That's what I mean by this.)
She was drinking a cup of hot chocolate.
She sighed. Man…this was boring.
She decided to take a walk in the Northern Forest.
"A giant mutated chick and a moving bear…" Mikan mumbled.
She laughed. The school sure was interesting. She remembered Hotaru telling her about the bear and chick.
She leaned on one of the huge trees.
And thought about things some more.
Flashback
After loosing her parents, she actually WAS brought to someone else's house. But they were rarely home at all, so she ended up taking care of herself.
"Eww…look, it's that Sakura girl!!" Some of the neighborhood boys said as she went to buy groceries.
"Look…people say she killed people before."
"No, people say she had some sort of special power."
She tried to ignore them. She was still only about 7 years old. What did they know? She had started taking care of herself ever since her parents died. How could they know what she went through? She felt the hatred rising up in her like a deadly poison.
"C'mon, show up you super powers, stupid ugly girl!"
"Yeah! Show us you're 'legendary' power!'
They laughed like crazy, and she ran up to them and brought her heel down on their heads.
"Stupid bastards. You don't know what I've been through. You have a mother, a father, and house. How the hell would you know?!"
End flashback
It was snowing. Pretty hard, too. She figured she should head back. But as she started back, she bent down and clutched her chest. No…not now! Why did her sickness always have to come at the worst possible times??
And to make it worse, a group of five girls ganged up around her, with Sumire Shoda as their leader.
"Mikan Sakura…" Sumire began.
"Who do you think you are?! How can you talk to Natsume-Kun so freely?! WE are the Natsume-kun and Ruka-kun Fan club, and we NOT accept this, Mikan Sakura!"
She smiled.
Could anything get worse?
Back at the Academy…
"Mikan isn't back yet…" Nonoko said worriedly.
"Yeah….I hope she's alright…" Anna said.
"Why do you care?" Natsume asked. He, Ruka, Hotaru, Anna, Nonoko, and Koko all stayed behind in the classroom.
"Well…Mikan-chan has helped us a lot recently…" Nonoko explained.
"Yeah…she helps up with Math, and carries our belongings when we have too much stuff in out hands." Anna chimed in.
Natsume raised an eyebrow. She changed so much…
"Hey…has…anyone seen Sumire?" Koko said suddenly.
"No," Hotaru said, looking out the window.
"Why?" Ruka asked.
"Actually…I overheard Sumire saying how much she hated Sakura…do you think…?"
That did it. Natsume, Ruka and Hotaru dashed out the door and into the snow.
"We'll split up," Hotaru said quickly.
"I'll go this way, Ruka, you go that way, and Hyuuga, over there," Hotaru commanded.
None of them had any objections—they didn't really have time to complain anyway.
Hotaru's POV
That idiot! It's snowing this hard and she's hasn't come back…she's probably out there coughing up blood…Stupid Mikan!
Ruka's POV
I don't know where to look! Where is she?!
(He's all in panic…)
Natsume's POV
That little baka! Where the hell is she?!
I…I'm actually worried about her?!?!
She's not anywhere in sight…except…WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!
Normal POV
Steam rose from some part of the Northern Forest. Hotaru and Ruka, being in the two farthest parts away from here, obviously couldn't see it. Natsume on the other hand, saw it like a pile of dog crap in the middle of nowhere, and ran toward it.
"In the end, you're nothing."
"Don't even try; we know you're in one of your weakest states."
He heard some girls talking.
He turned at a large tree, and behind some bushes, he saw Mikan, pretty badly injured with blood all over her. Not to mention, she was already coughing out blood anyways.
"Sakura, just give up. You're useless, ugly, stupid, and unwanted." Sumire said.
That stung her pretty hard.
No one…
Absolutely no one…
Would understand…
What she had gone through.
"SHUT UP!!!!" Mikan screamed, managing to stand up.
"Like hell…you could understand…what the hell I've been through…"
But she smirked.
"Not like anyone felt sorry for me. So I don't except you to, either."
From her pocket, she took out a small packet of pills. She opened one, and popped one in her mouth, and cracked it with her teeth.
Those are…!! Natsume thought.
He was right. Those were Alice amplification pills. They would make you're Alice stronger, but it would drain a lot of energy. Mikan though, she looked exhausted enough already.
She held out her hands, and thick vines easily caught all five of the girls.
But, being exhausted as she already was, she couldn't handle more than fourteen seconds. The vines disappeared quickly, and the girls were released.
"Sakura…you don't stand a chance."
She really didn't—until Natsume came out from the bushes and defended her from the attack.
"Ah! Natsume-kun!" Sumire said sweetly.
"Sakura-san was trying to hurt us…have you come to help us?! Oh, Natsume-kun, you're truly my prince and future husband!"
All she got in return was a death glare. He must've seriously been trying to shoot laser beams from his eyes or something. Would ANYONE, seriously, ANYONE, have bought her sorry excuse for an excuse?
Would you? If you did, please…go get a check-up or something. Daijobu?!
-BBBBBOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!-
Yes, and I will not go into all the horrors of Natsume's attack, let's just say the girls were- uhm-, very badly injured. Notice the bold words!
"S-Stupid…why did you come…?" Mikan said, holding her arm.
"H-Hey…are you…crying?!"
"NO! I-I just…" Yes, of course she was crying. Sumire's words still stung.
Natsume's cold, ruby eyes softened. Mikan looked at him.
"I-I…I'm really not as strong everyone thinks I am…I-I've always been alone…"
Natsume hugged her. Mou…the stupid baka…
"I don't want to be alone anymore!!!!!" She yelled, tears streaming down her face.
"I don't…"
Natsume smiled.
"Idiot…you're not…"
Mikan cried more.
"Because…you have me…"
Her eyes widened, and then she kept crying.
And she put all her trust into him. All her hope and happiness. She trusted him, almost as much as she did with Hotaru. Maybe even more.
Someone finally understood her pain.
She finally had someone to her pain with.
And then, that was when she finally understood.
This feeling…
Was called…
LOVE.
Chapter eight-complete! I hope it wasn't too boring for you guys. Mikan's really changed, eh? She's a lot nicer. I'm finally on the path of romance!
But romance doesn't always work out.
-cough- Nope, I didn't say anything.
Soo…
Review?