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"Serious Dilemma 1/2"
(happened way after last chapter's event)
-Mikan's POV-
OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD! I'm running as fast as I could just to get off that place which is driving me nuts. First, there's Hariko-chan, and then, then, the next thing I know is that I'm hearing that spooky sound from last time again! Oh Kami-sama taskitté!
I didn't bother if my flesh get scratched by the twigs and branches that's blocking my way, all that my brain is telling me that time was to run. Well, I covered my face with both my arms as I run just in case. It hurts, you know! But because of that, I can no longer see what's ahead of me clearly. Not long, I bumped onto someone and I fell on my butt. Ouch.
"Itai… my butt…"
"You really enjoy bumping onto people, don't you?" I heard that annoying cold voice again, grrr! I really hate him, from the way he looks to the way he talks, but this time… I'm so happy he's here.
-end of POV-
Natsume's still wearing that indifferent look on his face as usual. The truth is that he's looking for her all these times and is greatly relieved to see her, just a bit worried because she got bruises on her skin –not that serious bruises- and her dress were slightly torn (don't tell Natsume that I told you what's on his head, or else, he might rip off mine).
What happened to her? Did some stupid guy tried to… (furrowed his brows) I'll burn him, whoever he is, alive!
Natsume's deep in his thoughts that he slightly forgot that Mikan is still in front of him. Mikan raised her head to see the raven haired boy in front of her. She disregarded Natsume's last statement. At that time, happiness is overflowing from her heart like a soul revived –I'm just exaggerating. She's soooo thankful that he's here in front of her, so thankful that she wanted to hug him in her arms. She then, lunged towards him in attempt of a bear hug… "Natsumeeee!…" –tears of joy, just for effect- unfortunately, what met her was the hard ground. Bam!
"Sorry to tell you, chicks wearing childish panties aren't my type."
Mikan instantly regained her posture and stare daggers to him. "BAKA! I'm just glad to see you today, that's why I wanna hug you!"
"That's called harassment. Geez lady, if you're that obsessed with me, you should have said so from that start."
Mikan wanted to punch him and retort more but another voice called out to them. "Mikan-chan, Natsume!" Ruka is headed towards the two with a worried face. "Ruka-pyon?"
"Thank god you're okay, what are you doing near the forest anyway? Didn't we warn you already?!" he lectured Mikan. She in turn just gave him a fake, 'sorry' smile, just to calm him down.
-flashback (continuation from last time's event)-
"It seems you've been sleeping too long, Polka."
"What- What do you mean? (turns to Ruka) Ruka-pyon? Are there really intruders rooming around the campus? Aren't they captured yet? Are they from AAO? Natsume, (turns back to Natsume) what really happened back there in the forest that night. Come on, tell me already."
"Then let Ruka finish OKAY." hissed Natsume.
"What Natsume saw in the forest that night are… how would I put this? They're people."
"WHAT? People don't normally glow, Ruka-pyon."
"The thing we saw was just the outer 'cover' of those large orbs. We didn't notice the ones inside it that time because we hurriedly ran, remember? But Natsume saw it. There's an unconscious kid in each of the orbs, maybe from the elementary division, judging on Natsume's descriptions."
"Then what about the groans?"
"That was… from another… thing. By the time we escaped, Natsume lit a fireball, that's how he saw the kids inside the balls, but the groans… the groans didn't came from those balls."
Mikan is staring at Natsume as he stares up the sky, avoiding eye contact, while listening to Ruka's narration. The wind blew gently along with some of the tree's petals. Natsume…
"Natsume felt another entity nearby so he tried to strengthen his fire, but he was exhausted back then and can't do so. Before he collapsed, he saw another… creature. He didn't got a clear view of what the creature was, the only description that's clear enough for that thing is that it's 'BIG'."
Mikan lowered her head. That's awful! How could I leave him back then? She clenched her fist tightly that its knuckles started to pale, she's also trembling. She don't want to stay for long, not only because she hates everything and anything in relation to ghosts, monsters and others but she also felt more guilty than ever just by hearing these things so she started with her tracks again.
"Mikan-chan.."
"Where do you think you're going, Polka?" barked Natsume.
She just gave them a smile for assurance, "Don't worry, I won't get anywhere near the forest, you can count on it."
But she failed to do what she said. She tried her best fulfill it though, but after all, she isn't successful. How could she avoid something if that thing is just a throw-stone away? She got no choice but to take that route because the fan girls are still on the Natsume-hunt, and to avoid being caught on another stampede, this is her last resort. She's just avoiding those fan girls at first, but, that 'avoiding' led her there, and since no one wanted to take that route anymore, it means no stampede and less hassle, but in exchange, you gain goose bumps. That's when she saw something spark. Curiosity got hold of her and she forgot what her two friends just warned her about just now and she went to check it out. That's how she spotted Hariko on the act –an act of not so pleasing to see.
-end of flashback-
Natsume started to walk, hands on his pockets, "Let's go, Ruka."
"Wha- Where? You're going already?"
"No, of course not. WE'RE going, you're coming with us."
"Huh? Where? Why?"
"Where heading to your best friend." Natsume put in, then added, "Just quit talking already, my ears' starting to bleed!"
Mikan pouted and no longer said a word, she trusts these two, and she knows they won't cause her to get hurt. She just wondered how they knew where Hotaru is. They should've said so before she leave earlier.
Ruka guessed that she's still confused, "We just met Imai's invention, Amanatsu, she told us to look for you because Imai has something important to tell us. Anyway, Mikan-chan, what happened to you, you're bruised?" that is a question Mikan don't want to answer at the moment. What she saw back there –I can't tell you yet- is still perplexing to her, so she tried to lie.
"Uhhh… Mr. Bear wanted to chop off my head, so I ran…" She said with a fake laugh to sound more convincing, but Ruka didn't seem to bite.
"Mikan-chan, you're the worst liar I've met on my entire 15 years on earth, so don't bother lying, okay. In any case, you used a wrong excuse… Mr. Bear… is not around much lately and so are other animals."
That surprised Mikan, "Why?" oops, you blew your cover! But never mind.
"He's locking himself on the cottage for a while now. No one knows why, but it seems he's not planning on even stepping a foot outside… One time, someone came by his house, he said the house looked evacuated, curious as he is, he tried to call for Mr. Bear, the door slowly opened and indeed, Mr. Bear's head stick out. That time the boy got afraid, thinking that the bear might beat him up, but instead of doing so, Mr. Bear just closed the door again, as if nothing happened."
"How come?"
"I myself don't know much. My guess is that it has something to do with the kidnappings. He is, after all, living in the forest. If anything occurred there, he could be the very first one to know, right."
"Are you sure Ruka-pyon? It doesn't sound like Mr. Bear for me."
"Mikan-chan…" Ruka looked at her with sincere eyes, "The guy I was talking about, who went to Mr. Bear… was me." Mikan's eyes widen.
The two chatted without noticing that they've arrived to their destination- outside Hotaru's lab. Natsume was the one who entered, followed by the two. Confusion hit Mikan once inside. "Where's Hotaru?"
They heard soft creak, followed by a familiar voice, "Here!" a certain mind reader stick his head out through the secret passage –big enough for two people to enter together but small enough to remain 'secret'. The three was of course a bit surprised, especially for our brunette. She's the inventor's best friend but she herself never knew that there's a hidden door in such a place. Nobody can blame her because as they say, "you still can't find anything, even thought it is already in front of you the whole time".
The mind reader led them to an underground chamber to meet with the inventor. The only ventilation on the place is the lamp that Koko's carrying, that's why there's no use slacking off, or else, you'll be walking in the darkness. A large solid door met the four at the end of the stairs. Koko stepped before the door and spoke, "We're here." The door slowly opened, giving the four the view of an expressionless inventor together with some of their other classmates and friends. It seems that they're having a meeting of some sort. Mikan's still puzzled with everything, but it was then replaced with excitement when she saw the monitors, just behind Hotaru. "Ehh? That's the building on the forest! That one there is the bench I passed by, and that's the Sakura Tree, there! Hey, that's me, right there! And there's Ruka-pyon and Natsume… and Hota-"
"We know already, so shut up, will you?" Hotaru said without even showing a single emotion. "I know you'll ask me what these things are, so, just to stop you from talking, I'll explain it later." Amanatsu offered them seats to make them comfortable and so that Hotaru can start to discuss things clearly to everyone.
"As I was saying before, I planted surveillance cameras around some places here in our academy. It's initial purpose is just so that I could still guard my and my partner's posts without us attending the place, since for all you know, I'm a busy person and I chose her as a partner to assist me with my works. But since the incident last time with that idiot there, I decided to give my surveillance a wider radius. You see, I was wondering 'why would the Academy let such things pass, as if nothing occurred'."
Mikan is still dumbfounded as ever, so she tried to ask, "What do you mean about 'the Academy letting it pass', Hotaru?"
"Mikan, after the incident, rumors spread madly that students were missing and that they were last found near in the forest, but…" Hotaru closed her eyes and lowered her head.
"But what?"
"They didn't cancel our work on the Northern woods, even though students were obviously missing." Mochu finished Hotaru's explanation.
"Wait, you said it was just rumors, right?"
"Did you forget what happened to Natsume that night?" Ruka put in.
Mikan remembered what Ruka told her before, about the kids inside the orbs… then, Natsume suddenly said, "Do you think Ruka and I were lying, Polka?"
"Enough with that, we've got a lot to discuss, we'll entertain questions later so you should stop your chatters." Hotaru said to prevent further commotions. But Mikan seemed still uneasy.
"Wait, did Mr. Narumi said anything about this?"
The room went silent, then, Yuu was the one to speak, "He is… he's also missing…" his bangs covered his face together with his eye glasses, he continued, "… You all know that as the class representative, I'm the one responsible for giving our attendance to the adviser, but he's nowhere to be seen. I thought that it's just normal since he sometimes does that, so I'm just giving the class attendance to the substitute teacher. But when the time I heard what happened to Mikan-chan and the rest, I was deeply troubled, so the next day, I went to the office to ask if Mr. Narumi went on a vacation or something, I met Misaki-sensei on the way. Knowing that he's one of his close friends, I asked him if he knew anything about his whereabouts, but what surprised me is that he, himself don't know. A day after, Misaki-sensei also gone missing. And the only thing that the office told me is that both asked for a leave, and that they'll be back after two weeks, but I'm not certain that they're telling the truth, no, I believe they're not at all." Yuu clenched his hands harder.
"Anyhow, the Academy did what was 'necessary' at the moment. If they cancelled our project, students will be convinced that there really are kidnappings going on. It will also show that the Academy still controls everything and that students mustn't worry. But for my point of view, GA is really beaten up this time."
"Hotaru, what does it have to do with our project?"
"Listen, Baka, the project started the day after the first kidnapping incident happen, which means that the Academy must be using us as tools to capture the culprits -though the motif of the crime remains a mystery, it is safe to presume that whatever their motives are, it's up to no good. When the kidnapping started, the Academy hurriedly took an action, but seeing as though they can't even pinpoint where the outlaws may attack, they set us as baits." Hotaru then placed a large map of the forest in front of everyone. "Look here, our project area is here in the eastern part of the woods and covers almost half of the entire forest, while the first sign of the kidnappers appeared on the western half of the said forest."
"How did you know the kidnappers were first seen there?"
"I've invited someone who saw them. He's supposed to be here by now…" looks at her wall clock.
"Is it that man there?" Nonoko points at someone on one of the monitors which shows the other side of the door of the place. At the same time, the door slowly opens, Mikan held her breath for a second seeing a familiar face.
"You're late!"
"Sorry about that Imai-san." In came a wheel-chaired blonde with green tantalizing eyes, giving off one of his best smiles to everyone. Most of the girls there almost melted with his stare, especially when he winked at them. Then, he moves himself in, while Mikan's jaw dropped and eyes bulged, threatening to fall from its sockets.
"Do you know him Mikan-chan?" whispered a curious Anna to the brunette, she in turn, nods, "Sort of… I met him this morning!" she said in a low voice.
"Everyone, this is Tatsuki, Yuki from the high school division, he is the one in the rumors. The first witness to the abducting case." Hotaru plainly said.
"Yo!"
"Please take your seat so that we could be through with our meeting." Amanatsu then, came close to give him a seat… but seeing though that he's already have one, "Uh, sorry…"
"It's okay, I know humans make mistakes sometimes." Then, he pauses, finally realizing his error. Everyone was quiet, thinking "She's not a human." They all sweat drop. It's his turn to apologize, "Sorry about that. What I meant is that anyone, whether human or not, makes mistakes sometimes, right?" then he nervously laughs, (he's too obvious).
Every head snapped when they suddenly heard a big boom and saw a rather annoyed Ice Queen with her powerful bazooka at hand.(she has her way of collecting attentions) "Back to the topic, as you see, this is where the building is." Points at a red dot on the map, "and these are where our posts are located…" pointing at the blue points, "…what can you notice?"
Mikan raised her hand, "I know! I know!" everyone gave her a doubtful look. "When you connect the blue dots, it forms an oblong thing!" said the cheerful brunette, everyone just sighed at her observations, what would you expect from her anyway?
Hotaru nods and said, "For once you're right." Every jaw dropped, WHAT? "What else can you notice?" Hotaru added.
"The guarding perimeter seems odd." Said the green-eyed lad. Again, Hotaru nods, "Correct."
Sumire banged her palm on the table, "Hey, what are you guys talking about? All I can see on that map are dots!"
Yuki leaned forward and starts to discuss, "See, this is where you guys were suppose to guard, on this oblong here, as the cute girl said earlier. But as you can see, the building which was supposed to be the main place you're guarding is way across here. Normally, the main guarding place should be at the center of the oblong, or circle, to give it equal security if ever any 'opponent' or most likely thieves –call it what you want- come on any direction, but in this case, you can see that there are lesser posts on the eastern part of the building, thus, giving it lesser defense." He eyes everyone, as if asking if they caught his point, when they nod, he resumes. "Knowing that this arrangement was set by the higher ups of the Academy themselves, we can't just say that it's a coincidence, so…"
"So that means they purposely made the western area of the building a priority because they're expecting the 'opponent' would attack from there. That's what you mean, right?" Natsume concluded.
"So far, that's what my observation's telling me."
"I think the academy plans on making us as measuring devises as well. If the pairs nearest to the danger zone went missing, that'll be their cue to corner the culprits. Judging from my investigations, the approximated time of attacks is from sunset until dawn. If that's the case…" points at a blue dot which is farthest from the red dot and near the western half of the forest, "Hyuuga and Mikan is the pair in charge for this area nearest to the danger zone from sunset till midnight, the Fire Alice is perfect for offense while Nullification can be used to back it up, not to mention her other Alice, that should be a fine pair. And the post near theirs are all guarded by seniors, I guess that's for another back up. But from midnight until dawn, me and my partner are the ones in charge for the posts. That's where a big question mark appears. I know that my inventions can be of help, but for my partner's Alice, we can't make a good team, aside from business. Unless the Academy knows something we don't know about her."
"Wait," Ruka interrupted, "I don't think that they're that simple. They should've thought of something, like making us believe that they really are only following a certain pattern, they should've known the Academy very well. What do we know, maybe they're only deceiving us and their real plan is to attack the students where they never expect them to be!"
"The Academy knows that very well kid, that's why they made a very tempting decoy to lure the felons out." The wheel chaired lad, stated plainly, a trace of… pity?… on his voice, though.
Sumire, wanting to join in the conversation raised an elegant brow, narrowed her eyes his way, leaned closer, and asks, "And that is?"
As if seeing a ghost, Yuu right away stands, unintentionally knocking his seat down, face all pale, his glasses reflected light hiding his horrified eyes behind, he gulped, "Don't tell me…!" he clenched his fist, then speak through gritted teeth, "It can't be… No, it can't possible be… THE HALLOWEEN PARTY?!"
God, my head's spinning and twisting at the same time! Sorry about the names of my characters guys, I'm really having a hard time thinking of any name that won't sound so hilarious, I'm just glad I don't have to name them like Omanjou Ramen! It's also hard to make descriptions, like what their dress looks like, how they look like, etc., I totally drained my brain. To be honest, I really don't give much credits on the characters' descriptions when I'm reading other fan fictions. Sorry guys, I know you all made a lot of effort making careful representations but it's just that even with those descriptions, it's still hard for me to picture them out. Anyways, thanks for the reviews! I'm pretty much overwhelmed by your comments, I just hope I could improve myself even more for you guys.
I'm just thinking though, WHAT HAPPENED TO MY FAN FICTION? Maybe I'm just watching too much TV. Well, nothing much to do about it… Uhm enjoy! …