Writer's Notes: Ummm…so…I doubt I'll be updating much. D;
School really takes up my time, and I'm not getting those ideas I really like and want to make into a chapter much anymore. D;
Updating will only be occasionally. D;
Sorry. D;
Moonlightnin: Haha, sorry for all the explaining~: sweatdrop:
Speak of the devil and the devil shall appear. ;D
…Or is it your wish is my command?
Soon, at least. Very very soon. Next chapter. ;D Part two.
-/MyLadyWolf/-
They say a full moon holds power
Or a full moon makes humans behave oddly
Or to the wolves in ancient stories,
A full moon changes their very being…
Kaede, in human form, sat upon Mikan's boulder, watching the night sky, looking at the few stars that were scattered across it.
She sensed someone or something coming closer, and she immediately recognized it as Katana through his scent.
"…Tomorrow's going to be a full moon." She stated simply without taking her eyes off the sky.
"…" Katana said nothing at first, only staring at the sky also. "…I suppose we should prepare, then. Perhaps warn Velvet Rose…if…that happens, we can only hope they'll help us."
Kaede did not respond, only nodded, her expression unclear in the darkness.
In the morning, Mikan woke feeling…slightly strange. Her memory was a bit fuzzy, and everything around her seemed slightly clearer. However, these were just minor things, so she just brushed it off and dressed for class. Today, it was a simple red and white Lolita-style dress and brown boots.
Checking on the wolves as usual, she found quite a most of them looking at the sky, or on edge.
"…Is something wrong?" she asked quietly to Tanpopo, the nearest to her in human form.
"…It's a full moon tonight," the golden-haired girl whispered.
"Ah…"
Now, Mikan understood. She didn't exactly know if like in the legends, they turned into werewolves or beasts or something, because on every full moon, her memory of the night was completely gone. However, during the day of the full moon, all the wolves seemed cautious and on edge, like now.
Quietly creeping away, she met Nobara and Sumire at the entrance of the Northern Forest.
"Tonight's a full moon," Mikan told them, and her two friends exchanged glances. Their expression was something the brunette couldn't really understand…it was almost like a babysitter's frazzled expression while she was taking care of an extremely troublesome child.
"Oh," was all Sumire replied.
"H-How are the wolves?" Nobara asked nervously, peering into the forest.
"On edge…I don't think I'll bother them too much today…"
As they neared the entrance of the school, they could hear a faint ringing noise.
"Crap!" Sumire shouted, her eyes widening. "Late late late!"
She ran off to the high school division, while Mikan and Nobara dashed for their classrooms.
"Alright, calm down, class is getting started," the science teacher Misaki shouted, clapping his hands together.
Of course, the class never quieted down completely, but Misaki was used to it and continued.
"Today's lesson is the study of animals. Wolves, namely."
The students murmured, a few angry, others frightened, a handful excited or interested.
"If Miss Sakura could lend us her assistance with her friends, it would be greatly appreciated."
Mikan, who had been staring out the window the whole time, murmured, "….Tonight's a full moon. They're on edge."
Turning her head, she now stared at Misaki, her chocolate eyes boring into his muddier-colored ones.
"…However, if you wish to continue the lesson, extra caution should be taken."
Smiling, the science teacher responded. "Please."
Mikan returned the smile with a small one of her own, and stood. "I will be going ahead, then."
Her boots made a light noise as she walked delicately towards the door and made her way to the forest.
Airi raised her head and sniffed the air.
"…Master?"
The brunette appeared a few minutes later.
"…We're studying wolves today," she told them.
Kaede was in human form. She shrugged, and stared at the sky. "Fine. They'll obviously have to be more careful. We're not dogs, and tonight's a full moon."
Katana appeared from behind trees and lick his lips, most likely coming from a meal. He morphed into his silver-haired, gray-eyed human form and wiped his lips with the back of his hand to clean any excess blood off.
"Even light provoking will cause fatal damage, depending on who is provoked. Kaede, Hatsu, Sumi, Shiro and I are a bit older so the full moon affects us slightly less."
"…Only slightly." Shiro said, also morphing into human form to talk. "Only that we have slightly more control over ourselves during the day. If any of the younger ones lose control, we may not be able to stop him or her at such a close range."
Sumi barked something, and Kaede translated.
"…The full moon holds extraordinary power. Thus, our abilities, senses, and strength are increased dramatically. If anyone is provoked and we respond, the student will not live. I can guarantee that."
"There is no chance they will escape, even with critical injuries?" Mikan asked.
"None," Katana confirmed. "A full moon is dangerous for humans to be around wolves."
"Well, if the teacher really needs to carry out the lesson, all I can say is 'be careful.'" Shiro sighed, and Sumi opened her mouth, a mischievous yet warning look in her eyes as her teeth gleamed.
Misaki sighed. "The testing for this marking period revolves around wolves. With…distractions and interruptions during several lessons," He glanced at Luna, who was not paying attention, "we need all the observation time we can get."
Mikan curtsied and repeated the wolves' warning. "...Extra precaution is vital."
The class shifted nervously.
"Provoking them is an extremely stupid move," Mikan continued. "Do so and I can guarantee that you will not live."
"Murderer…just because we're not like her…" someone murmured, just loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Don't you mean that she's not like us?" Natsume said, his voice so sudden in the quiet of the classroom. The students went deadly silent and the brunette sighed.
"Such is the nature of all humans. They tend to shun things that are different. Not always, but sometime in their life." Mikan said.
"…You speak as if you aren't one," Hotaru told her, and the wolf-girl smiled.
"Well, I suppose living in a different…world has given be different views."
Misaki clapped his hands, talking loudly. "Alright! Let's get this lesson started."
And Mikan led them all into the forest.
"Scientific name is canis lupis, the gray wolf. They are carnivorous, and…"
The brunette didn't bother listening; she knew all of this already. She slipped off her shoes and dipped them into the nearby pond.
"KYAAAA!"
Mikan turned, and Airi was growling, a little saliva dripping from her mouth. The wolf's fur was bristling, ears erect, lips curled back to display her incisors.
"Y-You disgusting—" One student began, but squeaked and stopped talking as Airi snarled.
"Airi…" Mikan sighed, her voice gentle. The pink-tinted wolf growled softly and back away, morphing into her pink-haired, red-eyed human form. The brunette tossed her a towel to cover up her nudity.
"If you were alone, if Master was not here…" Airi told the student, her eyes narrowed, "…I would have ripped you into shreds for insulting her…"
"Please," Luna scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Disgusting, warped freaks can just live in their own twisted, warped world. Don't interfere with my perfect one."
She clamped onto Natsume's arm and attempted to kiss him, but Airi morphed back into a wolf and jumped on Luna, knocking her over before she had a chance to do so. Sorano joined in the fun.
Luna crawled backwards, stumbling as she stood, pointing an accusing finger at Mikan.
"Y-you bitch! You wild beast! You made them attack, didn't you?"
How stupid can she get? Hotaru thought, sighing. Natsume seemed slightly amused.
Snarling, Sorano jumped the same time Airi did, flying through the air in perfect sync. Their mouths were open, teeth ready to sink into flesh.
Gasping, the other students took a few steps backward, Misaki's eyes widening.
Something moved, and suddenly the two wolves' teeth had sunk into each of Mikan's arms.
The rest of the pack had moved forward to stop the younger wolves, but their Master, the closest, had gotten between Luna and the two attacking wolves in the blink of an eye.
Growling and still snarling, Airi and Sorano did not let go. Blood splashed to the floor, and Natsume's eyed widened slightly.
"My own blood will not trigger the beast," the brunette told him, and flung her arms down.
The pink-tinted wolf and the blue-tinted wolf yelped as their bodies hit the ground rather harshly.
"Stand down…" Mikan said, her voice neither loud nor angry sounding. Airi and Sorano however, flattened their ears, tucked their tails between their legs and whimpered, backing away slowly.
Another wolf barked, and the two scampered away.
Sumi trotted up to her master to check if she was alright. She suddenly stopped, her ears flattening a little. Her master's eyes scared her… the authority in them…the intensity that could make any animal surrender to her command, the gaze that even a lion or a panther would shrink under…
Mikan blinked and her expression returned to normal.
Cho also came up and sniffed the brunette's wounds, whining.
"I'm alright. Nothing I can't live through."
"I knew this would happen!" someone shouted, fear evident in their voice. "They attacked Luna-chan again!"
"You twisted wolf girl!"
"Go back to where you belong!"
"We don't want you here!'
The students began to throw rocks, branches, dirt, anything they could get their hands on. Misaki tried in desperation to calm his class down, his voice lost in their screaming.
Katana and Kaede then snarled, their voices ripping through the air, much louder than any other voice. The students quieted down at once out of fear.
"Leave." Shiro commanded, in human form. "We warned you, and you did not heed our warnings."
"Why is it that humans have that burning curiosity to do things they are told not to do?" Masaki asked, rhetorically, obviously. "Are all humans just that stupid?"
"Wha—"
"Maybe it's her, you know? Blondie, there? She's the leader of everyone apparently, so she's the cause of their stupidity." Masaki continued airily. "They do say idiocy is contagious."
"Don't—"
Smirking, the light brown wolf sighed. "It really makes me wonder why people look up to her, one of the many unsolvable mysterious of life, I suppose."
Suddenly, she stopped smiling and her face became blank, her body shaking. Masaki morphed back into wolf, but it seemed as if the Alice was forcefully commanding her body to return to her normal form. Letting out a howl, the class cringed at the sound, although as always Velvet Rose was unaffected.
"Masaki! Get out of here! GO!" Shiro commanded.
The rest of the pack, aside from Kaede, Katana, Sumi, Hatsu, and Shiro, the oldest wolves, began to writhe in pain.
"OUT! OUT! LEAVE!" Shiro was bellowing, and he turned, glaring at the Misaki's students. "Leave, humans. Get out of the forest."
"What makes you think—" someone began again, being both idiotic and defiant.
"GET OUT." The white wolf snarled, his eyes flashing, letting his Alice weaken to show his sharp incisors. "You don't want to be here, and we don't want you here. Now get the fuck out!"
White with fear, the majority of the students scrambled out of the Northern Forest, tripping over rocks and each other. Misaki, with sense, also left. Velvet Rose, Mikan, and Nobara remained.
The sky began to turn orange, the sun slowly sinking out of sight.
Panic showed in the oldest wolves' eyes, and Katana turned to human.
"Get out! Take master away!" He shouted, glancing frantically at the setting sun.
"W-Wh—" Ruka stuttered, confused.
"TAKE HER OUT OF THE FOREST!" Kaede screamed, trying to work her Alice, but only managing to get out her human voice.
"Don't let her return until tomorrow morning, after six." Katana told them, his breathing heavy. "Don't let her return, no matter what happens."
"Katana?" Mikan found her voice, worry in her voice. "What's happening?"
She stepped forward, and suddenly all strength failed her. "I don't….understand…" the words left her mouth in a whisper, and she started to fall.
Natsume reached out and caught her before she collided with the ground. The brunette's body was limp, all consciousness leaving her as well.
"…Take care of her, fire-caster," Katana told him, and the last wolves ran into the trees in a blur, leaving the humans alone.
"…"
Hotaru remained silent, with nothing to say and her usual stoic expression.
Ruka remained silent, confused and at loss of what he should say, wondering is Mikan was okay.
Natsume remained silent, more confused and at loss of what he was supposed to say than Ruka, although his face showed nothing.
Nobara remained silent, standing in the back where Velvet Rose couldn't see her expression. Massaging her temples, she sighed quietly. Full Moons…were extremely troublesome.
She stared at the crimson-eyed fire caster.
This was going to be a long night for him…
And night began to fall.
~./End Chapter Eight/.~
…And that's all?
Writer's End Notes: Hmmm…a little longer than what I usually write…eight pages. O: Not bad.
Alright, so this ends part one. =3 Part two will include all the wonderful Natsume/Mikan moments. Mwehehehe…
