Black and White
Please enjoy the story! Hope you like it ;D
-Sorry for bad grammar and tenses-
Disclamer : I do not own Gakuen Alice
Chapter 4 : Running Away
"Ruka, are you sure this path is safe?" Mikan asked while running. She panted while keep looking back, as if afraid that somebody would appear suddenly.
Ruka nodded, keeping up right beside Mikan. "Yes, I think so. The guards can't get here I guess."
"I don't know that they are that fast. I thought that the Queen would give orders to them before they'll try to run after us."
"They are trained guards, they already know what the Queen wants before she needs to tell them anything."
Mikan laughed and shook her head. "I really don't know anything about the court and the castle."
"It's okay. I am not either."
"But my mother is a princess, Ruka. Shouldn't I be a ruler now?"
Ruka stayed silent for a while, thinking of the answer. "Yes, you are suppose to be. But I think your mother doesn't want that."
"Why?"
Ruka smiled, Mikan's way of thinking is always way too innocent although she has faced many hardships in her 18 years of living. "Look at my mother's story about your mother. She chose to run with your father and live in a peaceful place. Doesn't it show that your mother didn't want to be a Princess, living in a castle and all?"
"But she is running away and lived in a different place because of father right?"
Ruka nodded. "Indeed. But I think your mother could plead for your grandparents' forgiveness if she wanted too. I heard that the late king was searching for his daughter until his death."
"Really? Do you think she could do that?"
"Yes, of course. My mother told me more about your past actually, so I can give out some analysis." Ruka smiled sheepishly. "She said that just in case she doesn't have time to tell you all about it."
"Really? Then tell me now." Mikan half shouted with an excited face.
Ruka shook his head. "I'm sorry Mikan, the time is not enough for me to tell you stories about your mother, and we are being tailed by the guards."
Mikan's look quickly change from happy to dejected which made Ruka feels guilty.
"I'm sorry Mikan, but I promise I would tell you everything I know when I've meet you again."
"When you catch up to me?"
"Yes." Ruka nodded, smiling.
"Really?"
"Of course, why not?"
"Thank you Ruka. That means a lot to me." Mikan beamed up prettily at him.
Ruka chuckled. "You are always welcome. Now you should hear me out about the list of do's and dont's when you are on your own."
"Say it out, capt." Mikan replied, chuckling all the way.
"Here, we will build our tent right here." Ruka said, stopping at a place behind trees and big bush so they are hidden from any unwanted danger.
Mikan dropped herself on the ground and let out a huge breath as she wiped away her sweat using her shirt which is already dirty from running through the forest.
"Are you tired, Mikan?" Ruka ask, started to take out their tent and build it in swift moves.
Mikan nodded, rummaging her bag, searching for a bottle of water. "I'd never run that far, or that fast before." She replied, chugging down the water.
"Careful there, don't finish up your water, Mikan. Just in case you didn't find any fresh water on your way there."
"I know." Mikan answered, putting back the bottle. "Your mother give me three bottles. I think its enough for me to survive three days ahead. Moreover, we can drink from the river right?"
Ruka shook his head. "Our river on Alice Land could expose you to the guards Mikan. It's too dangerous."
"But tomorrow I would already go past the border right?"
"Yes, but just keep your track hidden." Ruka answered immediately. "I just don't want something to happen to you." He added softly, taking Mikan's hand.
Mikan smiled gently, putting her hand on top of Ruka's. "Thank you for worrying over me Ruka. I promise I would stay hidden, now you must go back right? The sun has went down an hour ago."
"Yes, I should go now. The tent has been set up, you know how to put it away right?" Ruka ask, his eyes radiating nothing but worry.
Mikan chuckled. "I'm already 18 years old, Ruka. Stop worrying over something non trivial like that!"
Ruka laughed. "But you are just like a little girl!"
"I'm not Ruka." She said, smiling. "So stop worrying and hurry back."
Ruka nodded. "As soon as any kind of checking done by the Queen, I will catch up to you. Okay?"
"I will wait for you wherever I would be."
"Be safe, Mikan."
"I will."
As Mikan watch Ruka vanish behind the swaying trees, she took her bag and go inside the tent, preparing for her sleep.
"Mother, is everything okay?" Ruka rushed inside as soon as he arrive at his own home.
His mother is sitting on the sofa with his father sitting right beside her. His father look collected and calm, just like his everyday look, while his mother look nervous.
"Ruka! My baby! You finally back. I've been worrying over you." Ruka's mother quickly jump and give him a bear crushing hug and kissed him on the forehead.
"I'm okay mom, don't worry." Ruka said in a soft voice while returning the hug.
Mrs. Nogi let go of the hug and start checking her son.
"I'm really okay, mother, please."
"Let go of him, dear. I think he is okay." Mr. Nogi finally said. "How's Mikan, Ruka? Is everything okay?"
Ruka nodded. "Yes. I'm sure she can go on her own safely."
"That's good."
"How's the situation, father?" Ruka ask, taking a seat across his parents.
"Luna has heard of Mikan disappearance and the guards have gone to catch her they said, but no further information is provided by the messenger." replied.
"Ah, the guards." Ruka said solemnly. "They had almost catch up to us and if I don't use some shortcut we would have been caught by them."
"That's really dangerous, Ruka!" Mrs. Nogi half shouted, putting her hand over her mouth with a horror stricken look on her face.
"We didn't get caught mom." Ruka told his mother gently.
"But still, that's dangerous." She fired back stubbornly.
Mr. Nogi let out a low chuckle, dissipating the tense atmosphere that's hanging over from when Ruka hasn't arrived. "Dear, both of them are totally fine, stop worrying, we need to think about the next step when Ruka catch up to Mikan."
"Yes, father, how about the plan?"
"I've think when you escort Mikan, that the best plan is this.."
Mikan woke up to the ringing of her alarm on her phone.
She rubbed her eyes to make the sleepiness vanished as she got up and started to prepare for another journey.
"5.30 am. Good. I think I will arrive at the safe place Ruka has been talking about at dawn." Mikan said to herself, putting on her hat and started to walk.
Mikan keeps walking and walking non stop, afraid that if she stop the guards would somehow catch up to her although she is already beyond the border of central town. If she is thirsty, she would find a hidden spot to rest for a few minutes and have some drink, after that, she's back to the track she has been walk down.
"Hey you there! Stop! Base on Queen's order, you must be caught!" A shout suddenly heard throughout the forest, which make Mikan froze in fear before she took off in an amazing speed, even for an elf.
Mikan feels like her legs burning after running for a while, but she doesn't care, her priority right now is to lose the guards on her back.
She keeps running and running, past through the bushes and trees, she feels that the branches and the thorns scraping or stabbing her arms and legs, but she won't stop, even for a breath.
"Come on." She mumbled to herself, forcing her legs to move faster.
After a moment, she dared to stop and look back, finding that there are no guards on her tail anymore, but she doesn't stop, instead resting, she chose to keep walking until the sky painted with red and orange, showing that its already dawn.
Seeing the sky turn colors, Mikan let out a sigh and slump herself down on the nearby tree, checking for her wounds.
"Wow. These are really something."
Most of the wounds are not deep or dangerous for an elf, but for sure they hurt like hell when Mikan try to move her legs or arms around. Besides that, there is one big wound on her upper right arm which is really big that she thinks it need for some stitches. But sadly, she can't have it now.
First thing first, she washed up herself at the nearby river, daring to expose herself even after nearly caught by the guards.
Lucky for her, she could take a bath with peace since there is only some howling wolf heard from afar, nothing sounded like the guards' steps or shouting. After that, she rummaged through her bag, searching for some bandage. When she found them, she quickly wrapped it around the big gash on her upper arm which was still slowly bleeding even until now.
"That should hold the bleeding down for hours." She talk again to herself, tying up the bandage with super effort since its hard to do that with only one hand and a little help from her mouth.
"Evening child. Do you need any help?" A gentle voice pierce through the silence of the night in the forest.
Mikan jolted up in surprise as she take anything from beside her to be used as a weapon.
"Who are you?" She ask carefully, assessing the form who is standing in front of her.
A man around 40's is standing proud and tall across her. He wears a simple green tunic with black pants, while carrying a long sword on his hip. He has a wavy, black colored hair with kind looking green eyes, but she couldn't just trust anybody with kind eyes of course.
"I am just somebody who is passing by." The man chuckled lightly. "No need to be so nervous, I promise I would help you."
"Why would you?" Mikan replied, still feeling nervous and suspicious.
The man shrugged. "Why do I help people? Do an act of kindness needs reason? What do you think child?"
Mikan stay silent for a moment before finally shook her head, indicating a 'no' for an answer.
The man smiled. "That's it. Now, you look wounded, let me help you?"
"Alright, but please put away your sword." Mikan said carefully, eyeing the man all the time.
The man laugh. "Okay, here, I put it down." He said while putting away the sword quite far from his reach. "Would you let me take a look at your wounds now?"
"Here."
The man check all of Mikan's wounds swiftly, as if he is accostumed to treat people injuries.
"Are you a doctor?" Mikan ask softly, after seeing that he is fixing some bandage here and there.
"Perhaps." The man answered lightly. "I just love to help people."
"But your skill is good."
"Nevermind that." The man replied, chuckling again. "Now, I have fix your bandages but it looks like that wound, " The man pointed at Mikan's upper arm. "Need some stitches. Will you come to my house to have that treated?"
"I don't know you." Mikan quickly replied, stepping back a little.
The man smiled again, kindly. "Then let me introduce myself first. I am Ioran Hyuuga. What's yours?"
Anilissa : Nah, she doesn't :p lol. What do you think? Natsume will be better from Black Tribe or White Tribe? :D Yeah, the idea kind of random, but i think i made the right choice making her the Queen, and i will tell the history later on in the future chappie ;D
VampireWitch123 : He will meet Mikan soon =D
JZ56 : Yeah, sorry about that, i've indeed updated the third chappie, but its kind of had several mistakes in grammar, so I took it down and fixed it before updating it again :)
Thank you for leaving some review! Love you guys to the moon and back!
PS : And Please kindly leave some review :D It would really helps a lot XD
THANK YOU ~
Aquabluemarine