The Black Fox [Gakuen Alice Fanfiction]

These Bonds: Family

A.N. I'M SO SORRY DON'T BURN ME AT THE STAKE

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The steady beeping of an electrocardiogram filled to room, and I opened my eyes, adjusting to the blinding, sterile whiteness of the room.

I had been in the Alice RPG game with Tsubasa, and the last thing I remembered was feeling faint. Had I overused my Alice? Pulling out the drip I my arm, I swung my legs off the bed, sitting upright. Probably wasn't such a good idea, considering the throbbing pain that pulsed throughout my forearm. What type of school infirmary is this advanced, honestly...

I rummaged for some gauze I could use to keep the pressure on where they had punctured skin to reach my vein. Finding some in a nearby drawer, I pressed it over my wound.

Voices drifted into the room, and I struggled to make them out.

"..okay?"

"Fine. Just..."

"Tired..."

"Take better care..."

"...know him."

From what I could hear, I had indeed fainted from Alice overuse, most likely due to blindly training for missions with no regard for my health. As annoying as it was to admit, I had been an idiot, letting Persona control me like that.

"He's awake!"

The door burst open, and Tsubasa and Mikan rushed in, Mikan enveloping me in a hug as Tsubasa hung around the bed.

"Kai! I heard that you were sick! Are you okay?"

I awkwardly patted her back, not really knowing what to do. "Uh, I'm fine..."

"Should I call the doctor in how that you're up?" Tsubasa had one foot out the door, ready to leave if I gave the word.

"Nah. Don't bother." I stood up, glad I was in my own clothes, not those horrid medical death gowns. "They're a pain."

Tsubasa shrugged before splitting into a wide smile. "Hey, I'm glad you're okay."

"I'm glad I'm okay too." I stretched out, feeling unstable from my period of unconsciousness. My legs felt like they had been turned to mush, and I wanted to get moving soon. Infirmaries were seriously depressing, and did nothing to help my mood. "So can we get going now or?"

Tsubasa seemed to mull it over, and I tapped my foot impatiently. "I guess, but if you collapse again later, I won't be the one to carry you here."

I snorted. "I'm sure I can deal with the ramifications of my own reckless behavior when they come. Leave me on the floor out cold if I faint—someone will pick me up eventually."

"You know, we all have free time right now, so do you want to come around with us?" Mikan grabbed my arm, and started to drag me out the door. "Hurry up, we're wasting time standing here."

"You say that Mikan-chan, but aren't you that cocky brat's slave for a day?" Tsubasa cut in, and Mikan stopped dead in her tracks.

"Uugh! I-I forgot..." She let go of me, and slowly backed out the door. "Natsume said he'd be waiting for me until I got back from seeing you. Maybe we'll go around together later okay?" With a teary look, she bade us goodbye and rushed out.

It was like a whirlwind had cut through, and left confusion in its wake. "I have no idea what just happened," I admitted, and Tsubasa only laughed. "So why does Mikan seem to be Natsume's slave?"

"So while you were all tucked into bed, Natsume went and won our RPG challenge. He was aiming for my lamp, I think, but that mind reader boy messed up and pointed out Mikan's lamp instead, fortunately for me. I get shivers just thinking about what would happen had I been chosen." Tsubasa drew his arms around himself and trembled as if to exaggerate his point.

"Fun," I joked. "I would have loved to see that."

"No, his eyes proclaimed bloody murder, you don't understand. It was terrifying."

"Whatever you say. Are we going or not?" I started walking without waiting for an answer, and the sound of Tsubasa's footsteps on linoleum assured me he followed. Once we were on the fair parameters, I turned on him. "Do you have anything planned now?"

He scratched his neck as he thought about it. "Hm, actually I had some plans to go around with friends."

"You can leave if you want."

If Tsubasa seemed surprised at my attitude, but chose not to comment on it. "Then won't you be alone?"

I considered his words for a moment. Lonely? I suppose most people would consider being by oneself 'lonely', but having spent the majority of my childhood by myself, it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Only since transferring to the Alice Academy did I make friends, and for the first time in my life I felt...attached. "I'd hate to be a burden."

"Don't speak of yourself like that. I don't know what happened before you came here, but now you're a part of our huge and rowdy family." Tsubasa gently ruffled my hair, and I wondered if this was what having an older brother would feel like. It was gentle and warm, and filled me with an indescribable emotion that made my heart ache all the same.

"I...thank you."

"So head up and keep being that annoying brat you are all the time." He grabbed me by the waist and hauled me over his shoulder. "C'mon, we're going."

"Whoa!" I gasped, my legs kicking out futilely. "Let me down, Tsubasa, no!"

"Nope." He cracked up as another student shot us a strange look. "You're just gonna have to deal with it." As he started to walk, I was jolted around weirdly, and his shoulder dug into my stomach.

"Ow, ow, I'll attack you, don't you test me, Tsubasa!" I wasn't whining, of course. How did Mikan enjoy being carried around like this? This was absolutely humiliating; getting heaved around like a sack of potatoes.

"Deal with it just this once and don't try to talk big—I know you won't hurt me."

I flopped in defeat, but not before giving him his comeuppance he deserved. I was still tired, and probably shouldn't be using my Alice, but a little bit couldn't hurt. The satisfaction would be well worth it. Being in the perfect position, I dropped the physical manifestation into the back of his shirt, snickering.

"Shit, Kai, that's cold!"

He squirmed, trying to get the ice cube out, and that in turn made me laugh harder. Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad after all.