"The Legend of the Twelve Dancing Princesses?" I repeated Hino's words as my eyebrows twisted confusingly. "Haven't you heard of 'em?" She shot back, leaning her back onto a green colored plastic chair.
"The twelve princesses, being born into the world by the same mother on the same day, caused the death of their mother. Besides, they bring curse to the country." She explained the legend while her index finger busy twinning her long hazel hair.
"Oh. Then…?" I responded, rather half-heartedly asking her to continue her story. Reaching for a ball pen, I started sketching on the plastic table of modern ages. I realized that the patter of feet outside the class was getting louder. In a tick of the clock, the chime of school bell fills up the air space.
"Opss… I'll be late for class. I'll continue the story later, okay Mikan-chan!" Hino exclaimed while making her way out to her class. I let out a small sigh as I search my bag for my Physics textbook. Ready for the first period, I flipped the pages to the summary of the chapter. Analyzing the laws, I shook my head assuring myself that the story was just a legend. It does not exist.
Just then, I heard a singing voice vibrating my eardrum. My senses were activated as I turned my head around to search for the source. Suddenly, everything turned mute, except for the singing voice which was getting thunderous.
Unconsciously, my hand wrapped my shivering body. Frost escaped together with my breath as I scan the square class with my blurry vision. White figure came into vision, together lavender fragrance that somehow soothed my anxious heart.
I lifted my blurry vision to have a glimpse at the anonymous figure. However, in a nick of time, I was pulled backwards by some force before a sharp blade of a long sword gashed my poor vandalized plastic table into two.
My eyes dilated widely as I regain my clear vision. My heart skipped a beat as I stared at a girl figure in front of me. The beauty with long black hair was clutching a long sword which measures three quarter of her body size. Without warning, she sprinted towards me while gripping her sword tighter. Feeling helpless, I closed my eyes tightly as I lift my arms to shield my head. Ready for a deathly impact, I held my breath within me.
The clattering sound of swords was heard. Slowly, I opened my eye lids to see Natsume Hyuuga, the class president of my class in front of me, holding a sword too. His sword was Japanese made and he has the lid or saya on his other hand.
Dumbfounded, I let my jaw dropped open. Alas, the time for me to gape was short. I was warned to scram from the incoming attack. Feeling the dryness of my lips, I got onto my feet hastily and scampered towards the exit. Like a slip of fate, I was grabbed by the leg from behind causing me to lose my balance and thus, fall onto the hard cement floor.
I turned my head to steal a glance at my attacker who was a man in white, just like the girl with sword just now. "Stop right there or I'll kill this girl." I heard Natsume's voice behind his gritted teeth. He was holding the girl in white by her neck and was pointing the blade close to her stomach, ready to slash it open.
I gulped my saliva down my throat as my cerebrum busy interpreting the odd situation I am facing. "Could this be a dream?" I thought as I pinched my left cheek. It felt hurt, assuring me that this was a reality.
I felt the grip on my leg loosened. Without hesitation, I kicked my attacker with all my might at his patella. The man in white fell down onto the icy ground while I took the chance to continue my escaping plan.
A sharp blade of kunai went through my left cheek leaving a shallow cut. Blood stream out as I groan, bending my feet to the ground in process. Then, I heard a scream of pain penetrating my sense of hearing. Red liquid with iron smell were seen spreading on the girl's white dress. Natsume had stabbed her.
"I told you I'd kill her." The raven haired president said coldly as he pushed the feeble girl onto the ground without mercy. The man in white caught the girl just before she touched the ground. "Jiru!" The man called, stirring the bleeding girl gently.
Unconsciously, I got onto my feet as Natsume came towards me. I took a step backwards on impulse, trembling in process. "No need to afraid. I'll be by your side." He said in a low voice as though he understands my anxiousness.
"What's happening?" I asked desperately for answer. "This is the fate of the twelve dancing princess." The boy answered as my memory drifted to the legend told by Hino earlier. "What do you mean?" I shot him a question as my hand tried to grab the president's stained uniform. Much to my surprise, the unsociable Natsume stopped for me. He pointed his fingers towards the couple in white.
I let a gasp escaped my breath. "They are dancing." I whispered practically to nobody.
At the back of the class, we were isolated from the normal ongoing world. And the girl… was erased from the world slowly as she danced beautifully on her pale feet. The singing voice rang my eardrum again as the sound turned into a hum and be gone forever.
I too, experienced the blurry vision again as my world turned dark.
/-
The next morning, I woke up to find myself on my sleeping mat in my very own apartment. I scouted my room, trying to recall yesterday's incident. As usual, I saw nobody in my room. "That's right, I live alone." I said to myself, half chuckling. I got out from my thick winter blanket towards the toilet. My hand was stretched out to reach for my toothbrush as I stared my face on the mirror. Instantly, I saw a plaster on my left cheek. "It wasn't just a dream after all." I whispered, wondering what happened after I collapsed.
"You'll be late for school, idiot." I heard a boy voice. Shrieking excessively, I turned my head to see Natsume Hyuuga at the entrance door. He plunged his earlobes with both his palms, looking annoyed.
"Why are you here?" I said with shaking voice as I tried to conceal myself behind my toilet door. "Never mind it. Just be fast, okay! I'll wait downstairs. I'll give you only five minutes, got it?!" And with those words, he disappeared behind the door.
Half conscious, I quickly cleaned up myself and dashed to wear my black school uniform. Hastily, I ran to fetch my schoolbag and flee out from my apartment, ignoring my growling stomach.
Natsume was seen leaning himself against the brick wall at the lobby of my apartment, eating a melon bun. "Why is he here?" The question lingered around my mind. Summoning my strength, I made my way towards the guy in black uniform, gripping my schoolbag tighter than ever.
"Good…Good morning." I blurted out with a cracking voice. Without caring to reply my greeting, Natsume finished up the last piece of his melon bun and bent down to get his own schoolbag.
"Let's go." He said monotonously, walking in a rapid pace in front of me. Feeling annoyed, I puffed my red cheeks but decided to follow him soon after that.
"Faster." He commanded as if I am his maid. Nevertheless, I still adhered to his order as I liked to know what had happened yesterday. Then, I realized that Natsume was carrying something behind his back, something that is long and is wrapped with a thick dark green cloth.
"Her name is Seiryu." I suddenly heard the cold voice of the raven haired boy. "Huh…?" I was dumbfounded.
Natsume stopped to let off the burden on his back. Unexpectedly, he held over the long thing to me. "Take a look at her." He told me, urging me to take the long thing.
My heart beats rapidly as I stretched out my hand to grasp it.
"It's the sword." I said knowingly in a low voice.
"Precisely." Natsume replied. His crimson orbs were fixed on the sword which is still wrapped in the thick cloth.
Suddenly, I felt anxious upon holding the blade. Spontaneously, I threw away the sword to the ground, taking a step behind at the same time. Almost instantly, Natsume extended his hand to seize my right hand and let the dark green cloth containing the weapon fell onto the hard tar ground.
Silence fell.
Slowly, the raven haired boy shifted away his hand while his startling crimson eyes were thrown elsewhere.
"Sorry." He apologized. Then, he picked up the fallen sword and continued his way to the school. I can just follow behind him quietly. My hand was trembling. I can still feel the shiver down my spine.
"The sword had killed many living things, especially human. Your reaction is just normal. Don't worry too much." I heard Natsume Hyuuga said behind his back.
My lips curled to form a small smile. The anxiousness instantly disappeared and my body stopped shivering. "Em…"
Suddenly, I felt that my shoulder was penetrated by a very sharp blade from behind. Blood froze in my veins as my eyes dilated to its fullest.
I crashed into the tar road. Blood started oozing non-stopped from the wound, staining the white colored snow on the street.
"Mikan-hime!" I heard Natsume's voice called as my vision started getting blurry. Nonetheless, I still make the effort to lift up my head to see my attacker. He was wearing black uniform like us. His hand was wielding long sword like Natsume's. 'What is all this?' My hypothalamus speculated the unfortunate situation.
"Tch. She managed to avoid us injuring her vital point in the nick of time." I heard a familiar girl's voice.
"Who is it…?" I whispered with all my strength.
Abruptly, I felt my pain getting worse. Someone was stepping on the wound! I groaned loudly due to the biting pain. Then, I heard a singing voice. The surrounding turned voiceless except for the soothing singing voice which was again, getting deafening.
My body started to crack. The shuddering of my body is more visible than ever. I felt burning hot even though it was winter time. My stomach bloated and I felt like vomiting. 'Am I going to die…?'
Flashback
"The last princess is born." I recalled hearing a male voice announcing my birth.
"They are cursed. They bring calamity to the country. We must eradicate them." Another male voice answered.
"The King won't allow this."
"This is for the sake of the country."
"But…They're just babies!"
"We MUST kill them! Do you want to jeopardize the peace of our country?"
"…"
"We have no choice…"
/-