Of Life and Death

By Smiley Cool Dreamer

©2007

Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice

Chapter 3: Surprises Sunday August 12th 2007

Hotaru and Mikan were riding to the head war camp on Mikan's black horse with Hotaru steering

When they were almost at the camp…

"Hotaru, do me favor. Ok?" Mikan telepathically asked. "Call me Derek when you get there. Don't tell anyone who I am. Don't tell them I really a girl. And just tell them I'm your friend if anyone finds me. I'm going use the total concealment jutsu (technique) so I can check out the camp. Then I'll decide if I'll stay or not."

When they arrived the camp…

Hotaru arrived on Mikan's Black horse. When she was arriving, everyone stepped aside and bowed. Mikan could tell she was very important figure in the camp. So far Mikan liked it. There was respect as far as she could tell right now. Mikan hopped of the horse with out causing a disturbance. She noticed there was someone with an aura similar to Hotaru's, so she deducted it was Hotaru's cousin. Their line of family all shared the same kind of scary ice aura she guessed. Then there was one more person besides herself and Hotaru, it was probably Ruka, Hotaru's boyfriend. Natsume and Ruka nodded.

"Ok!" Natsume shouted to everyone at his camp "Back to work!"

Natsume, Ruka, and Hotaru walked inside with a following Mikan inside to Natsume's tent.

What happened inside Natsume's tent...

"First things first…" Natsume began with a stern voice. "Who's following us Hotaru?"

"How did you know?" Hotaru looked surprised.

"Well he's not the best fighter in Japan for nothing." Ruka answered.

"Come out whoever you are." Natsume continued.

Mikan came out. How this person dressed surprised everyone. 'He' dressed in black and covered himself from head to toe. He was even wearing a mask. That was ½ white ½ black the division line being a little wavy and cut down the middle vertically. (Imagine the colors of the yin yang marble thing but on a wooden mask, a little like the ANBU masks in Naruto.)

"Who are you?"

"Oh, he's my friend. His is Derek. And his clothing, he just likes it that way." Hotaru answered.

"Dinner will be here shortly." Natsume said.

"Everyone go to your tents. Hotaru and Ruka will share one, and Derek and I will share one." Natsume said Derek with a little hostility, and immediately received a glare from Hotaru. 'I'll keep an eye on this new comer' Natsume thought. 'He seems to have unnatural powers…' and with that everyone went their ways.

After Ruka and Hotaru left…

"Hey Derek…" Natsume called in a quite deadly voice.

Mikan was startled although she didn't show it. She hadn't 'heard' anyone call her with such hostility in a while so she needed to get used to it.

"How did you hide your self? And stop trying to hide your aura. I can tell you are suppressing it. I want to see who you really are." Natsume continued to say plainly.

Natsume's answer was just some signs. Mikan just used her hands and put it across her neck like she was cutting it. Immediately Natsume knew 'he' was blind. He also knew 'he was also blind because he didn't have holes for his eyes. But beyond that he really didn't know too much about Derek.

Mikan immediately took out a mini notebook and pen and wrote 'Greetings Natsume, as you've probably deducted I'm both blind and unable to speak. But I also want you to know other things that you must tell Ruka too. Yes I am both blind and unable to speak. But I am also deaf. You may be wondering how I hear things. Well let's say that I just sense them. I can also sense air pressure so I know where things are and what words people speak. And I've decided to help you fight the war by the way. Although I can sense hostility towards me, I will help fight the war with my life to make up for my wrongs in the past.'

Natsume took the paper and read it. This guy had amazingly neat writing Natsume noticed.

"How will you fight if you can't see, hear, or speak?" Natsume questioned in a mocking voice. "You'll probably be the first man dead by crashing into a poll."

'Don't mock me. I'm probably better than all of you in raw skill. I am sure. You guys don't have to suppress your aura that you have. But if I let mine go things miles around me will die.' Mikan wrote quickly and furiously at the comment but kept her emotions at flat as a paper.'

"Fine spar me now and don't hold back." Natsume challenged. He hadn't had good fight in a while the spars were always Ruka or Hotaru. Anyone else he'd spared always end up decapitated in a minute or two.

'Let's go outside. I don't want to destroy your camp.'

"Ok, well go into the middle of the forest over there." Natsume pointed east. The forest was bare and the snow was like a cloche covering its true identity.

Mikan and Natsume walked through the forest path. The dead under bush was poking at their shoes and being cracked like a lean mean chewing machine.

Mikan and Natsume arrived at the forest clearing. Natsume and Mikan faced each other at opposite ends if the field. Then Natsume hyped up his killer intent but Mikan didn't even flinch. Mikan just leaked her own killer intent out and with in 30 seconds. Natsume was concentrating just to not fall on his knees. Then Natsume just called the match over.

'To have this much killer intent' Natsume thought 'he must have gown thorough hell'

'Did I release too much killer intent' Thought Mikan. 'I don't want to lose another friend…' At this thought Mikan immediately suppressed her aura again.

"Ok, just use pure tai-jutsu."

Mikan and Natsume just faced each other like before. But Natsume could never get a hit in. Mikan's defense was the ultimate defense, and the ultimate offense. He had never seen a style like this before. He ran through the lists of styles he knew but none matched this one. Mikan fought in air, low ground, just on the floor, everywhere.

Natsume was about to block but Mikan's speed just kept increasing and Natsume's stamina was starting to wear thin. Mikan landed a blow towards him. Then Natsume noticed 'he' had weights on. 'Damn… I never thought I'd meet someone better than me' Natsume thought, his pride was hurt.

'Thank goodness I didn't have to be tested on aura control…' or I might have lost control…