"Imai!" Ruka exclaimed and hugged her.

"Ruka? I'm back in the present?"

"Mm-hm! I worked really hard, Imai! I didn't take a break! I finally brought you back!" Ruka said with tears in his shut eyes.

"You brought me back...?"

"Mm-hm!-!-!"

She looked around and caught Natsume's wide eyes.

Hotaru was back.

But Mikan wasn't.

"Where's Mikan?"

Natsume backed away, away, away, and then ran out.

"Ah, Natsume?" Ruka's eyes furrowed in deep worry.

"Where's Mikan?" she asked, and Ruka turned to her.

"Ah, she... she left... she lost her alice..." Ruka finally answered her question. Hotaru's eyes were wide.

Mikan was gone?! Out of the academy?!

"And she forgot everything?" Ruka nodded.

Hotaru couldn't believe it. Mikan was gone? She forgot everything?

"Did Natsume say good-bye to her?" Ruka shook his head.

Even after she'd tried so hard, risked her LIFE to bring Natsume back?

Her eyelids lowered, "I see."

"Imai, I've been working really hard, and I finally made the time machine that brought you back!"

"What's the cost?"

"Eh?"

"What's the cost for me being back? There's got to be a catch."

"... Th-There is none, what are you talking about?" Ruka laughed nervously.

"Ruka, if you brought me back, there's got to be something taken in retur-" Hotaru noticed the pile of tests in the corner, and all the machines.

"Ruka, what are those?" she asked, pointing to the pile.

"Ah, th-those are... Natsume'd bring all the tests to me... They were tossed there."

"What have you been doing for the past few months?"

"Ah, I've just... been working... on something to bring you back."

"Have you gotten any sleep?" He shook his head. "Ruka, how long has it been?"

"A couple of months. It's January today."

"January...?"

Ruka had worked on it for that long?

Well, that pays off some of the cost, but not all.

He threw some months away, but what else?

That's when she noticed it.

The gash in his chest.

"Ruka!"

"Huh?"

Hotaru frantically dragged him out and into a hospital.

THIS was the price.

Natsume got out My Destruction and wrote yet another poem.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~No Price~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The ruka's love is back.

Yet mine is not.

Why does he get his love back?

Because he constantly obsessed over it?

And nothing went wrong.

There was no price.

How can I get my own lover back into my arms?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Want Her Back~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I cannot stand it. HE got his lover while I did not.

How?

Why?

I want her back.

I want her back.

I only got a few minutes with her.

Ruka's got the rest of his life.

Once I'm out of this confining h***-hole,

I will never be able to be as close to her as I was.

I hate it.

Ruka gets all of his lover.

His lover gets all of him.

I may not even get my lover AT ALL.

And she will not get all of me.

I want her back.

My light.

Natsume slammed the book shut and shoved it into the grave. He ran away and into his room.

He shouted and threw his lamp across the room. It crashed into the window and went through. He shouted again.

Why did RUKA get his lover back?! Why?! Why?!

But Natsume knew the answer and wasn't willing to accept...

Ruka had obsessed over it and tried to get her back.

Fine then! Natsume will, too!

He ran out the door and to the entrance.

Shouting once more, he used his alice to blow the gate up. The guard went down, and the sirens began.

But Natsume didn't care.

The guard tried to hold Natsume back, but Natsume fought, yelled, and screamed. He burned the guard to ash and ran through where the gate once stood.

After a while, he could hear the cars going after him as he ran. His lungs burned, but he wouldn't stop.

He NEEDED Mikan.

She sat in wonderment, thinking about the boy she had met. Mr. Bear was in her lap, watching the news. Mr. Bear's head inclined up, and she looked at him, then where she was looking.

The boy was on t.v. He looked hysteric. He was running as fast as he could.

"Escapee perhaps?" the news person asks.

Cars were chasing him, and amazingly, they hadn't caught up.

But then, a car weaved around him, and he was hauled in. You could hear the screams and shouts he was making even though the news people were in the air. He was fighting.

What was he doing?

Mikan was freaking out. What was he doing? What was he doing? Escapee?

You could hear his screams, and the helicopter got closer, and his head peeked out before being hauled in again.

"Let me go! Let me go!" But then, it all went quiet, and everyone watching was left to wonder.

What happened? Did they kill him? Did they hit too hard, and he fainted? What happened?

Little did anyone watching know, NARUMI was in the car, passenger side. He hadn't been able to get to him fast enough, but when he did, Natsume calmed down. But obviously, it was just Narumi's pheromones at work.

"Man. What on earth made him freak out like that?" Narumi muttered, amazed.

Natsume had NEVER been so desperate to get out, and Natsume had NEVER ran out so fast with no breaks or anything.

Even having fainted, he was wheezing. He'd been running too hard.

It's lucky he doesn't have the teleportation alice or the super-speed one.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have caught him.

But at the same time, he'd been extremely fast. As if running for his LIFE.

It was as if his animal instincts kicked in for some reason.

Narumi decided, just in case, that he should keep Natsume under his watch for protection.

He may just be getting threatened or something. Obviously though, it was by someone who was extremely strong if he was that scared.

Back at the academy, Narumi was the one who carried Natsume inside. To the ESP, he advised how freaked he was.

"Natsume was extremely freaked, and extremely fast. Not many things can get him going like that. I believe we should wait and hear what made him that way before we give punishment. Natsume was extremely desperate, so obviously, it was something important. Did a family member die or something?"

"Not to my knowledge," he replied.

"Hm," Narumi nodded. "Well, good-bye. I hope you take my suggestion." And he left.

The ESP thought about it. It would be interesting to see what got the famous Natsume Hyuuga so riled up.

Yes, he will take Narumi's suggestion. He will wait to ask.

A few days later, Natsume did wake up, and before Narumi could ask anything, Natsume said something Narumi felt so bad for.

"Polka?"

He wanted to see Mikan.

Was that what got him so riled up?

"Natsume-kun?" Narumi asked, worried.

Natsume shifted his eyes to him, "You perverted teacher."

"The second, third and fourth words out of your mouth is that," Narumi tried to laugh, but he was too worried. "Natsume, what..." his mouth formed a very tiny frown, "got you so riled up? What happened?"

"... Maybe you'll see tomorrow. I'm sure he'll get her enrolled."

Narumi's eyes widened.

What? Mikan was enrolling again?

But little did he know, Natsume was talking about HOTARU.

But he found out.

He laughed nervously. "Y-You guys all know Hotaru Imai..."

THIS was what Natsume meant.

He was probably jealous of his friend and wanted to see his own love.

A girl with bright red eyes raised her hand, "I don't."

"Ah, right. Um, Tachi, this is Hotaru Imai. She has the Invention Alice. She got lost in..." Narumi trailed off, realizing something.

Hadn't he forgotten Hotaru in the few months she was gone? Hm...

"She got lost in time by saving Natsume." Tachi stared weirdly at him like 'are you crazy?'

"Who's that?" the inventor asked the teacher emotionlessly.

"Ah, Hotaru, this is Tachi Pokei. She has a rare alice, the Demon Alice."

"The Demon Alice?"

"Yes, not many people know of it. It's that rare and all. Basically, she can sprout wings, horns, fangs, and a tail, but also, she can bring some nasty monsters out. She brought h*** right to her hometown, and that's why she's here. Like Natsume, she's in the Dangerous Ability Class."

"Hn."

"And who's that?" Tachi pointed to a blonde haired boy in the back that had a bunny in his arms. He looked extremely happy.

"Ah, that's Ruka Nogi. He has the Animal Pheromone Alice, and he's been here but... He hasn't been going to class. He's been in his room all this time."

"Hn."

"Now then, let's start cla-" The sirens started going off.

Narumi blinked and blinked.

The sirens were going off NOW? Who on earth was skipping class to do something bad?

He turned his head to the class, but jerked to the empty seat.

Natsume's seat.

He'd blown up the gate once more and was now running again, his lungs burning once more.

Natsume hadn't given up.

Cars were chasing him again, but this time, there was no helicopter.

He ran and ran, but he was still weak.

The cars caught up faster than last time, and they hauled him in.

But he still fought, struggling to get out of the person's arms.

"What the h*** is with him?" one of them muttered as he tried to calm him down.

"I don't think we can keep him in like that..." another hinted.

"Yeah, I think so, too. But when he wakes up, what's gonna happen?"

"We can keep him in a cell. Until he calms down, you know."

"Yeah, that's good. 'Kay then," and the man elbowed Natsume's back, making him scream in pain.

This man had the Super-Strength Alice.

White liquid went out of Natsume's mouth as his eyes went blank.

"Sheesh. This boy's got serious issues..."

"Natsume-kun?" a worried voice came through the bars. The boy inside didn't look up.

"Natsume-kun, can I ask you again, why were you so desperate?" The boy didn't answer. "Natsume, depending on your answer, it may get you out."

"Ruka was able to see Imai by being obsessed," he answered simply.

"So you thought if you were obsessed and tried to break out of school... you'd get her back? Natsume, that's ridiculous."

"No, it's not. For her, I would do anything."

And it was true. Even if it meant his death, Natsume would do ANYTHING for her.

Narumi sighed, "Alright, Natsume. Just calm down, okay? Obsessing isn't always good, you should know. And also, Ruka almost DIED by it." This caught Natsume's attention. His head lifted a bit. "He had a weird gash in his chest. He's still going in and out of the hospital. Supposedly, he's been coughing blood."

Natsume KNEW he'd be punished. He KNEW Ruka would have to pay a price for getting her back.

Natsume's head lowered.

Poor Ruka...

"Good-bye, Natsume. I'll see you later," and with that, Narumi left.

No, he won't see him later. Natsume NEEDED Mikan, and he can't give up.

But they put the restraining mask on his face. Now it will be harder.

But nothing he can't stand.

Just seconds after Narumi left Natsume's cell, he heard the sirens go off AGAIN, and he was so worried that it was Natsume. He saw a flash beside him and knew, it definitely was from someone escaping a cell.

And it was most likely Natsume.

Natsume, feeling extreme pain from the electric shocks, dug My Destruction back out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I Will Have Her Back~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two times already

I tried to escape two times.

I escaped but was chased down and caught.

I want Mikan.

I NEED Mikan.

If Ruka got Imai by being obsessed,

No matter the price,

I will be obsessed of seeing her as well.

And I will see her.

I won't give up.

I CAN'T give up.

Mikan is mine.

I will tell her it ALL.

From what alices are to our first kiss.

I WILL HAVE HER BACK.

You can count on it.

Natsume put it back in, but little did he know, someone was watching.

Narumi had followed the flash to a sakura tree and watched Natsume write.

Once he left, Narumi went in and carefully dug the book back out.

He wiped some dirt away but then noticed something.

A grave.

It read:

My soul lies here. The darkest secrets of myself.

Don't recover unless you want to die in the flames of h***.

~Pervert~

Narumi's face paled.

He wasn't supposed to recover it...

Oh, no, Natsume's going to burn him to ash.

Narumi quickly put it back in but not before seeing the title.

My Destruction.

So ominous. Natsume puts a grave and says his darkest secrets are here, and that if you recover what's in the grave, he will burn you personally. He even calls himself a PERVERT. Then the title of the book inside is called 'My Destruction'.

But Narumi was putting pieces together.

Natsume says his darkest secrets lie here- perhaps it's dark thoughts.

He will burn anyone who digs it up- it's extremely personal.

He calls himself 'pervert' instead of Natsume- he doesn't want anyone to know it's his, and Mikan would always call him a pervert.

The title, My Destruction- Mikan leaving destroyed his world.

Then it's all in a grave- he believes he's died. Without Mikan, he sees himself dead.

The book must be a personal book about his dark thoughts. He wants no one to find out what lies here and who it belongs to. He believes that Mikan leaving destroyed him.

Even by the few things Narumi saw, he could put so much together.

But why would Natsume take the chance that someone may see him?

Wait, that isn't right.

Narumi doesn't know this place well. He's sure that not many people come by here.

It's secluded.

Natsume IS desperate. Perhaps he wanted to write something down before he forgot it.

And didn't think of the consequences.

Yes, Natsume just hadn't thought about it when he came here.

Narumi stood up and left the sakura tree.

'My Destruction... huh?'

Natsume finally reached the second destination- the hospital. He was sure Ruka was there.

He looked around the hospital until he saw the familiar blonde hair and entered through the window, carefully and quietly.

"Ruka?" he said quietly. The blonde head turned to him, and the boy smiled.

"Natsume!"

"Ruka... I'm..." Natsume was choking on the words. Apologies weren't easy on him. Natsume sighed and forced it out, "I'm sorry." Ruka smiled wider.

He knew how hard it was for Natsume to apologize. This meant that Natsume was truly sorry and really cared for Ruka.

"It's alright, Natsume. You were just jealous. Natural. I'm sorry, too. I haven't spent much time with you lately... I was way too obsessed in getting Imai back and... I paid the price. Though little it was, since I'd thrown a few months away." Natsume nodded in agreement. "So, I hear... you tried to escape... really desperately... why?"

"Because I NEED to be desperate. I HAVE to be obsessed. If I want Polka back." The animal lover turned his head back to Natsume seriously.

"You think this because I got Imai back by being obsessed? Natsume, I paid a price. And being obsessed was the ONLY way I could get her back. Natsume, for you, you'll get her back when you get out of high school."

"... No, I won't. I wouldn't be able to show her the true me." He sighed in exasperation, "I need a way for Polka to see my alice, too, or it won't be the same. Maybe obsession is the way."

"Natsume, it isn't. Your case is different. Being obsessed and rude will get you into trouble, and then you may get more time here and won't be able to compromise of letting Sakura know. If you are good, then you may get people on your side, and maybe, you could convince them to let Sakura know of alices," Ruka explained.

"... You think I can handle it?"

"... I think, for Sakura, you can."

Natsume nodded and left.

Ruka sighed.

His friend was so desperate, it was sad.

Ruka wished he could help, and if he could, oh would he.

Natsume walked over to his grave and dug My Destruction out. He noticed that it was less dirty than it should've been.

Someone was here.

He opened the book, but it didn't seem to have been read- none of the pages were dusted off like the cover.

He glanced at the gravestone.

Someone had seen him, dug this out, but stopped when they saw the grave.

They only saw the cover.

But they also saw HIM.

Who was it?

Should he make a different place for his book?

No, there is no other place for this!

He glanced at his book again and wrote some more poems.

~~~~~~~The Viewer~~~~~~~

Someone has seen my grave.

Who is it?

What have they figured out?

What will they do with their knowledge?

Do they understand that if they so much as talk about it, they are dead?

I hope so...

This book, this grave,

Is my soul.

I do not want it figured out.

That person, whoever it is,

Better not tell anyone because I don't want too many people to kill.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Good Student's Compromise~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ruka tells me that I should, instead of being obsessed, be a good student.

I agree with his points;

He makes a good argument.

If I be respectful, I could convince them to let Sakura know.

If I don't, I will have more years in he**.

Perhaps I should try to be a good student.

For her.

He dug it back in his grave and stood.

Now to figure out who knows.

Now to figure out who WATCHED.

He walked away.

"Narumi."

"Hm? Ah, Natsume-kun... What do you need?"

"Were you watching me?"

"Eh?"

Narumi's P.O.V.

I had been walking to a meeting, but Natsume had called my name.

And he just asked me if I was watching him.

It's better to tell the truth than to get killed for lying.

I held my hands up in surrender, turning to him, "It was an accident, Natsume! I thought you were going to break out again, but instead, you went to a secluded place! I only read the grave and cover, I swear!"

"What do you know?"

"Eh? Uh, well, I know that the book, My Destruction must be a personal book about your dark thoughts. You want no one to find out what lies there and who it belongs to. You believe that Mikan leaving destroyed you," I explained.

He seemed to ponder the thoughts, "Alright, if you don't tell anyone, I won't murder you."

I gulped, "Right, I promise I won't tell anyone. Cross my heart and hope to die."

"If you do tell someone, I'd have to kill both you and the people you told."

I gulped, "R-Right..."

"Good-bye then, Narumi. Stop stalking me, and don't ever go to my Sakura tree ever again." And he walked away.

But...

Sakura tree?

That was Mikan's last name... but there are trees called Sakura trees...

I must not have noticed the tree there...