So this is chapter 10. I really can't contain my excitement anymore, my hands are itching to touch our keyboard. Pfft. Stupid sister. Anyways, I chased her away already so I have the whole day to write this chap!! Yayy.

DISCLAIMER: Blah blah blah. Can't the word 'disclaimer' serve its purpose already? Sure, it's capitalized.

NatsuMikan383 signing in!

Chapter 10

Alliance

For what seemed like a millionth time, Natsume tried to accumulate some fire from his palms to burn the sturdy ropes binding him on a wooden chair. Or make the chair alone burst into flames, but someone nearby would eventually nullify his alice. "Don't waste your time, kuro neko. You'll only tire yourself," the foxy woman smiled mockingly. "Damn you!" the crimson-eyed boy cussed. Yuka's voice suddenly became gentle, "Oh! Aren't teens supposed to be respecting their elders? And what harsh language--"

"Something happened with your daughter, Mikan." The flamecaster said solemnly, his eyes were hid behind his raven locks. This caught the AAO member's interest in an instant. Her chocolate eyes clouded with worry, she gasped. "She isn't...dead yet, is she?" The brunette asked, hoping the boy would say 'no'.

Natsume smirked inwardly at his distraction. Maybe the woman could be his ally. But still, she's an enemy. Better be careful..."Release me first then I'll tell you," he conditioned. With a blink of an eye, the rope was gone and Yuka had him by his shoulder, shaking him as she begged for some piece of information about her neglected daughter. "Tell me! What happened to her?" she pleaded.

"She's still alive, okay? And it's nothing physical. Don't fret," the raven-haired boy finally spoke in a blank tone. The brunette took in a sharp breath, and sighed. She let go of the boy's shoulders. "Sorry for the outburst. It's just...I care about my daughter more than anything else in the world. Even just from afar. She's the last memory of her father..." Yuka said. She then turned around, her back facing Natsume, realizing she had said too much. But then she heard the ruby-eyed boy mutter, "If you love her that much then why are you out to destroy the place she loves the most?"

The woman scoffed, "Love the Academy? I did, too, for once. Because I was so dense back then until I realized that the Academy just treats us as puppets and nothing more. It shouldn't exist. It lacks love and compassion..." She faced the boy. "What do you know about love? You abandoned your daughter to keep her away from Alice Academy. But look at where she's standing now. She loves the Academy as much as you hate it," Natsume reasoned.

The brunette glared at him as the kuro neko smirked. "Well I didn't know she'll get an icy bestfriend in which she follows to the Academy. I'm not psychic, you know. That's beyond my power," she retorted, crossing her arms across her chest. The raven-haired guy's lips twitched in amusement, gaining the knowledge that the woman was still updated with her daughter's life. And also, how Mikan got her stubborness. "I don't care. Can't you see? She can befriend any kind of people. Even dangerous ones like me. She wants to protect the Academy to protect her friends. Not because she was forced to. And even though that would mean she would have to fight her own mother," the boy with crimson orbs said bluntly. The woman muttered something unintelligible.

"Enough of this pep talk. Can't you just tell me what happened to Mikan?" she asked, as she sensed that she would be no match for the kuro neko in talks like these. Such a sly kid, she thought. The flamecaster looked straight into the brunette's deep amber eyes. "She has amnesia," he clearly informed her. The woman smirked. "That's good. Maybe that way, she would forget her love for the Academy..." She had said the word 'love' like she was quoting it. "That's impossible. Memories can be erased, but feelings are hard to forget." Natsume said. "What I'm concerned about is, she's not her old usual self...well, not that I liked it but, it's just..." he trailed off, bowing his head in despair.

A sudden realization hit the brunette. "Oh. So that's why you're here? To get Ni'ji Yuuki to heal my daughter? Not to spy us or anything?" she asked incredulously. He hesitated before answering, "Yeah. Sorta like that." Yuka broke into a wide grin. "Aha!" She clasped her hands excitedly. "Is this what I'm thinking? That the cold kuro neko likes my dense, cheerful Mikan?"

He growled at her. "Okay! No need to be hostile," the brunette patted his pack encouragingly. "You're secret's safe with me..." she whispered that made the teenage boy look away, in efforts of hiding his blush. However, it seems that our kuro neko wasn't the only one who had keen eyes, the childish woman was observant too. "You're blushing," Yuka prodded. "I'm not," Natsume retorted, teeth grinding. The AAO member pouted cutely, just like Mikan, but was a more mature expression. "Hmph. But you were. It's no use hiding it from me, sooner or later, you'd be pleasing me just so you could ask her hand in marriage..." she grumbled.

The raven-haired teen rolled his eyes. "Right, like that would ever happen." Suddenly, the woman bursted laughing, clutching her stomach. "What?" irked, Natsume hissed. Then he sighed, "Yeah...like mother like daughter..." Wiping tears from her eyes, the brunette said in between giggles, "Nothing. It's just, do you like Mikan that much? Imagine, you went here, alone, just for her. Do you even know what dangerous situation you would be in if I wasn't the one to abduct you?" Yuka sighed dreamily, her eyes sparkling. "That's so kawaii! You're like Mikan's knight in shining armor..."

"Will you just shut it, you traitor?!?" the flamecaster was truly mortified by the things the mother of the girl she loved were saying. His hot temper never was useful in times like these. Yuka stopped laughing abruptly that she looked like she was out of her mind. Humor in her warm chocolate brown eyes was gone, changing into the color of burnt umber.

"What did you just call me??" the brunette woman managed to voice out through her clenched teeth. She got Natsume's collar and raised him to her level. Since Yuka was a little bit taller than the spurting teen. Fierce, cold eyes striked angry walnut orbs. The intensity of their glares sent electric shocks through the air. "Traitor," the kuro neko spat venomously, that it sounded like he was cursing.

"If you ever call me that again--" the threat was interrupted by a series of pounding on the door. "Yuka-sama! Master has called upon you to show up in his study room at once!" A big voice from a probably big man came from outside. Panic shot through the brunette's body. She put down Natsume without a sound. "Kuro neko, hide, I'll help you heal Mikan. Just wait for me here. I have a plan..." she whispered. "Whatever" Well, you know who said that.

"Coming!" she called out and went outside to find the two guards of AAO's hideout. "Go back to your posts. No need to escort me," the woman commanded as the men nodded and disappeared in a flash. Yuka then walked silently to the said venue. She knocked on the mahogany door, and trembled when she heard the leader's voice. "Come in..." a mild voice came from inside the room. When she opened the door, she was suddenly in a man's arms.

"I missed you..." he mumbled in her ears. She hugged back willingly, thinking this was another friendly hug. "Yes, yes," she laughed briefly, before pulling away. "Niji-san...is that the only reason to why you called me?" she asked with petulance but was deep in side, she was nervous. She stepped back, taking a good look at the leader of the AAO. He was slightly taller than her, with blond hair and pale skin. He had alluring dark midnight eyes, and a remarkable crescent moon symbol just below his left eye.

He smiled gently, "Of course not. I called you because Regina was out, and left some unfinished business that's needed urgently. Can you help me finish the work?" Yuka started to get suspicious. Regina? Out? What does that mean? Regina Kyoku had been AAO's secretary long before she even joined the Organization. The purple-haired 10-year-old-girl with honey-gold eyes was a very sweet girl. Her spiky hairstyle made her look like a pixie. She was very beautiful. It was baffling to why she never aged, and remained in her current state and is technically older than Yuka.

What was more surprising, she had the Second Sight Alice. Which mean she's sensitive to paranormal things and can foresee the future. However, not vividly, as the future is changing every second. And nothing related to remain a child. Niji even told Yuka that Regina was going to live forever.

Nevertheless, the little girl never left Niji Yuuki's side.

"I'd be glad to," the brunette said and smiled at him. The man really had this light aura around him that you can't help not to feel enthustiastic or happy whenever you're around him. Yuka then started looking at some papers on the table, when suddenly, she felt arms snaking around her waist. When she turned around, her lips met another set of lips, kissing her hungrily. She didn't like this one bit. Instead, she took advantage of the situation and started stealing his alice, slowly, a golden alice stone started forming in her hands. They broke away, catching their breath.

She gasped at what she did. She just kissed the person she considered as her bestfriend! "No, this isn't right. You're my bestfriend and..." she couldn't force out any words anymore. The blond frowned at her reaction. "But we could be more than just friends," he whispered and stroke her cheek gently. Her grip tightened around the hidden alice stone in her hand. She looked down when she remembered Natsume's words. Or rather, word.

"Traitor"

The word clouded her mind. "Sorry..." she said before swiftly exiting the room.

When the brunette was gone, a violet-haired girl came out from a dark corner of the room. "I didn't have to watch that. I'm too young for kissing scenes," she scolded in a childish voice. The blond ran a slender finger through his hair before chuckling, "Sorry. I'm just afraid that I'll never see her again...so I grabbed my last chance," he stared after the door pensively. "And what are you talking about you're too young? You're even older than me, technically." He added without taking his eyes off the entrance of the room.

The little girl laughed impishly, scratching her head, "Ahh. Right, I almost forgot. But I don't look old, though." She followed the guy's gaze. "What are you gonna do about this now? She stole your alice so you're gonna be useless for sometime. What if she won't come back? What will happen to the AAO?"

Niji finally faced the 10-year-old. "Ask yourself. You're the psychic."

Natsume had fallen asleep while waiting for Yuka in a place he identified as a storage room. What with the cobwebs and unbelivably thick dust that seem to envelope the whole place. He dreamed of an unfamiliar song, but sang by someone he never knew could sing. Himself.

'Maybe tomorrow you'll say that you're mine

You'll realise I could change

I'm gonna show you I'm in it for life

I'll get you back some day

Maybe tomorrow...'

"KURO NEKO! Wake up, you arrogant, always-smirking brat!" a feminine but fiery voice woke him up.

He sat up and found the brunette woman. "Oh. I thought that Yuuki whatever his name was already murdered you," he said coldly. She grimaced at the boy's statement. "We've got to go now. Before he notices I stole his alice," Yuka said, her voice was strained. The raven-haired boy noticed this, of course, but chose to ignore it. "Good. Sounds like a hell of a plan," he commented. The AAO member smirked at him and so did the kuro neko.

Oh yeahhhhh!!! It's finally coming together! But still, there are so many things to be revealed. Bwehehe. And oh, I wanna tell you some trivia; Niji Yuuki loves Yuka but she, too, is dense like Mikan. BTW, I love Regina's character. She's like Alice Cullen. Haha. But has purple hair. Hmm...so did you like it? I feel bad that nobody's reading this anymore. (T^T) Please, please. Is it so hard to review??? If yes, then just story alert. That'll make me feel better. I'm not gonna post the next chap until I get at least 5 reviews. Just five. Some encouragement, please?

NatsuMikan383 signing out!