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 17 : Break
"Mikan? Are you in there?"
Mikan quickly stood up and wipe off her tears while dusting her black pants. "Yeah, I'm here Aoi. Just come in."
There were several steps heard before finally two figure emerge from the bushy entrance of the stone cave.
"This should be a good hiding spot," grunted Natsume, looking around in a scrutinizing manner.
Aoi nodded. "I agree. Now you should go nii-san. Before everything become too chaotic."
"I'm going buriko. No need to dispose me like that."
Aoi chuckled. "Just go, nii-san. Be careful."
Natsume look at his sister for a moment before shifting his eyes to the brunette haired girl who looked like has just been crying from her puffy red eyes. "Don't be such a scaredy cat, Polka, crying won't help anything in this war."
Mikan glared at Natsume. "Who said that I'm crying? You stupid jerk. Don't assumed things on your own!"
Natsume arched his eyebrows at the burst of emotion Mikan has just displayed. Its unusual for Polka to be this angry from just a light teasing. "Well, just don't do anything stupid, baka."
"I know. Just go, fireboy," Mikan mumbled and turn away, facing at the rocks.
"Hn." Natsume replied, still confused as to why Mikan acted like that, but he couldn't careless now. He need to finish the war before Mikan getting involve in it.
Sigh. That again. Since when did he concerned of her well being? He should focus on his sister's safety right now, rather than some unknown blend girl.
No, not unknown, you could say her like unidentifiable?
Tch. Whatever. Not important.
Natsume run out, leaving the two girls alone to protect themselves.
"Hey, Mikan, are you okay?" Aoi asked, looking at the puffy eyed girl.
Mikan sigh and rub her eyes. "Yeah I guess. I just .. I just." Mikan take a deep breath. "Beth. She... because of me she.."
"Oh Mikan." Aoi said, enveloping her in a big hug. "It's not your fault."
Everything becomes blur as Mikan break down once again, this time, she really let all of the burdening feeling out, her body shakes so bad that Aoi has to grab a hold on her or else she would fall down.
Aoi just stand there, hugging Mikan while rubbing her back trying to calm her down in without saying anything.
A soft sound of the leaves brushes with each other was heard, before a man wearing all black with blood all over his body emerged swiftly from there, just like a cat.
He look around for a moment, making sure that no one dangerous following him, before finally spotting his sister sleeping in sitting position with her back leaning to one spot of cave which doesn't have harsh surface.
"Where is she?" He ask, shaking his sister awake.
Aoi rub her sleepy eyes and look up to her bloodied brother. "What?"
"Polka, where is she? I don't see her," hissed Natsume, his ruby eyes couldn't hid his worry.
Aoi yawn. "She has gone deeper in the cave to calm herself. She has emotional breakdown a few hours ago."
Natsume arch his eyebrow and take a seat beside his sleepy sister. "Why?"
Aoi frown and rub her eyes again, leaning her head on Natsume's shoulder. "Why suddenly care? Its not like you favor her, right?"
Natsume grunted and push Aoi's head away. "You will get the blood if you stick to me."
"Don't care." Aoi mumbled, leaning again while shutting her eyes.
"You didn't answer my question."
"Do I have to?"
"Why?"
Aoi sigh. "Beth. She blame herself."
"Tch. That stupid girl."
"Beth is not stupid, Natsume. She was just 7 years old."
"No, not the dead girl. Polka. She is stupid."
"Console her then. I'll guard the entrance." Aoi said, opening her eyes and push her brother away. "And you shouldn't talk about dead people like that, Beth was a good girl you know, she didn't deserve that kind of death. I would personally make sure that her killer all rot in hell." Aoi continued in a cold voice, venom dripping from every words she said.
"Fine. Whatever." Natsume responded briefly and get up, started to walk towards the inner cave. "I already avenge her death anyway." Natsume added before vanishing inside the cave.
Aoi just rolled her eyes as a response, and start to walk around, trying to keep herself awake.
"Polka." Natsume called out.
He nearly can't see anything since the inner cave can't absorb more light rather than the front part of the cave. Luckily he is an elf with good eyes and faintly, he could make out a figure curling on the corner of the cave.
He quickly step up there and approach the figure.
"Polka." He called once again.
Mikan didn't give any response and Natsume could only heard a continous, soft, dripping sound.
"Oi baka. Stop sulking will you?" Natsume grunted, plopping down right beside Mikan who is still slightly shaking.
The silence ensued after that is not uncomfortable, its just that Natsume has this nagging feeling inside his heart which keep telling him to make Mikan talk somehow, and stop her grieving. Besides, the situation right now is dangerous enough and they need to be alert.
Natsume sigh. He really doesn't want to be a babysitter right now. Damn.
"Polka. If you not talking to me this instant, I will kiss you."
After a few second, finally a hoarse voice answered Natsume's threat. "This isn't time to joke around, jerk."
"This isn't time to be a crybaby either. This is a war, little girl. Anyone could die, and if you choose to sulking around, it won't help us at all."
Slowly, Mikan turn around, facing Natsume, showing her puffy eyes and runny nose as she wipe them with her sleeve. "You have no heart, Hyuuga." She said coldly, her hazel eyes burning with rage.
"Tch. Whatever you say, Polka. I'm just saying, that if you choose to sulk around like this just because one fallen soldier, you just be a burden to all of us, the Black Tribe." Natsume replied while standing up. "We just risking our life for a coward huh. Who doesn't help us at all besides the fact that this is suppose to be her fight, not ours." Natsume continued and step out, to where Aoi busy walking back and forth.
Mikan just sit there, eyes wide, and mouth slightly opened.
She is speechless, no stunned to be exact with the harshness and the truth behind Natsume's words.
He is right.
The Black Tribe right now is busy fighting her fight, and she just choose to be here, sulking while they are risking their life for her. How stupid she can be?
Mikan quickly wipe all of her tears and snots, looking around to find water.
"Ah, there it is." She mumbled to herself, spotting a small river not far from where she sat.
Mikan wash her face there, half hoping that it will erase all of the crying traces from her face and smoothed out her clothing. She reach up, and redo her hairbuns while shaking her numb legs.
"Guys, I'm back." Mikan said in a light voice, while stepping out from the darker part of the cave.
Aoi's face quickly light up seeing that Mikan is in a better mood. Looks like having her big brother have some talk to her really helps.
"Hey, Mikan. How do you feel right now?"
"Pretty good." Mikan answered, nodding her head. "Thanks to Hyuuga jerk right there."
Natsume just grunted as a respond and roll his eyes.
"What are we going to do now?" Aoi ask, twirling the stick she has found not far from the group of bushes.
"Waiting, until father and the white elf come back here." Natsume answered in a deep voice.
"His name is Ruka."
"Whatever, Polka."
Mikan frown a bit, but choose to ignore him and hope for Ruka's and her Uncle's safety.
"Oh my gosh, Ruka-kun! What happened?" Aoi whispered in suprise, seeing that the blonde haired boy state which is bleeding heavily from the side of his stomach.
Ruka cringed and limped over, while holding his side, trying to stop the flow of blood somehow.
"What, what's wrong?" Mikan run to the front cave, gasping in horror as she saw Ruka.
"Let me help you," said Aoi, panicking and grab Ruka's arm, putting it over her shoulder.
"Where is father?" Natsume ask, scrunitizing the situation while crouching low beside the panting Ruka.
"He – pant – is regrouping – pant – the tribes – pant – right now." Ruka tried to answer, groaning in pain at the end.
"Nii-chan! He is bleeding heavily! You shouldn't make him talk, it would make the wound worse!" Aoi scolded her brother while pressing her hand on Ruka's wound with bandage from her first aid.
Natsume grunted and pull Aoi away. "You won't stop his bleeding that way."
"Move aside, pervert, I will treat him if you don't let Aoi did it." Mikan said, flicking her wrist and conjured some ice on her hand.
Natsume growled. "Do you want him to be alive, Polka?"
Mikan glared at Natsume, but nodded nonethless.
"Then shut up and just take a seat there." Natsume continued, pointing to the corner of the cave with his chin. "But you can put some ice on his wound though, to make the bleeding stop."
Mikan grumbled in low voice about what a jerk Natsume is while stepping beside Ruka, looking at his deep wounds.
"Hold still, Ruka." Mikan mumbled. She covered the wound with a thin layer of ice in no time and step back, allowing Natsume to take care of her bestfriend.
Natsume expertly take out some herbs out from the first aid box, swiftly mixing them and spread some on the wound and the bandage. After that, he wrap Ruka's wound with the bandage and tied it on the side.
"You shouldn't move for a day." Natsume said briefly, wiping his bloody hands off with some tissue. "If you are an elf with good healing skill then you should be good tomorrow morning."
Ruka gives out a weary smile. "Thank you, Hyuuga-san. I owe you."
"Hn."
"I didn't know that you could treat wounds, Hyuuga." Mikan commented lightly, looking at Ruka's way.
"Now you know." Natsume replied nonchalantly.
Mikan rolled her eyes, taking a seat beside her childhood friend. "How do you feel Ruka? Are you okay?"
Ruka weakly nodded. "I lost a lot of blood, but I'll live," said Ruka, chuckling lightly. "It's a good thing that you put some ice on my wound, Mikan. It numbs the pain, even for a few hours."
Mikan smiled. "My ice won't melt Ruka. You know that already, it will stay there until I removed them or being destroyed by another Alice user."
Ruka chuckled again. "Yes, I know that. I just hope that there won't be any attack to this side."
Mikan frown. "You won't go to the battlefield again, Ruka. If you want, you can go tomorrow, but definitly not now."
"But they need reinforce. The Queen is too strong, Mikan."
"I'll go back there with Aoi." Natsume suddenly interupted, putting his sword on his hip. "You should just stay here with Polka."
"Yay, fight!" Aoi stand up excitedly, clapping her hands. "Finally I got some workout!"
"This time it's no game, buriko. You should stay alert all the time." Natsume replied as he start to walk out.
"Alright, alright nii-chan. I will do my best." Aoi retorted in annoyed voice, trailing right behind him.
"Please come back alive, will you?" Mikan softly ask, worry shown clearly on both of her eyes.
Aoi grinned and nodded. "Don't worry Mikan, I'll make it back here with brother with no wound at all."
"I hope that's true." Mikan whispered, looking at the vanishing figures behind the thick bushes.
We are nearing the peak of the fight guys :D Please stay tuned!
Anilissa : Yeah, i'm glad to be back! :D and talking with you again hahaha ah no, they didn't put a kid on the frontline, its just a coincidence that a kid play in the forest when the ambushed happened ;) Yep, fighting! LOL. Thank you for leaving such an amazing review by the way ;D
Newroz : Nope, not giving them a kiss yet XD hahaha Yes! I'm glad to see you too and I hope this chapter didn't take as long as before ;D andd thank you for leaving such a sweet review XD
Valerie1995 : But that's her trademark, i guess (?) hahaha anyway, thank you for leaving a review here XD
Derp1Derp2 : Yeah, shame on them :( bad guys always be a bad guys :(( Thank you for leaving such a sweet review XD
Thank you to you guys who has been reviewing my story! Glad to know that there are people who always support me *teary eyes* :") Anyway, Love you guys to the moon and back!
Aquabluemarine
PS : Please kindly leave some reviews ;D thank you!