DISCLAIMER: I do not own GA.

CHAPTER 14: Nothing actually means something

"You called for me, your majesty?"

"Yes." King Izumi replied. "Have a seat, Natsume." He ordered as the flame caster did what he was told. "I assume that you already know why I called for you." Izumi spoke while Natsume nodded.

"Another mission." Natsume mumbled and this time, Izumi was the one who was nodded. "What is it about this time, your highness?"

"As you know, the prince of the pheromone kingdom and the princess of the technology kingdom are going to stay inside this palace until the wedding of my daughter commences." The kings started as Natsume listened.

"The technology and the pheromone kingdom are also one of the most famous kingdoms here in the whole of Alice. And now that the AAO members know that the two of them are staying in our palace, they would grasp every single opportunity of capturing either the two of them."

"And according to the sources that Jun told us, he discovered that some of the AAO members are planning an attack tonight on Hotaru and Ruka's quarters. I know that you are only obliged to do missions with regard to Mikan and Youichi but this time, I want you to be the one guarding the two of them. With your hands, I know that the two of them would be safe and sound tonight." Izumi explained further.

"I understand, my Lord." Natsume spoke. "Do they know that I would be the one guarding them tonight?" He asked.

"Not yet. They do not know that the AAO members are coming for them tonight. It's up to you to decide on what to tell them. Just don't tell them that the enemies will be coming or else they might panic. We don't want that to happen, don't we?"

"Pardon me, your highness." Natsume interrupted. "I know that you want me to be the one protecting them but is it necessary that I would have to stay inside their quarters with them? I am quite sure that Princess Imai wouldn't want me hanging around in there."

"You don't have to be in their quarters." Izumi stated. "Just stay close to them and be on guard. Do your best, Natsume. I don't want the two of them to be hurt because if they do, my Mikan-chan would be hurt as well and I don't want that to happen."

"Hn." Natsume uttered as he stood up and was about to leave.

"Oh, and one more thing, Natsume." Izumi added while Natsume stopped his tracks and listened. "Try to accomplish this mission with the least injuries that you could possibly acquire. I know how worried my daughter gets whenever she sees you after doing a mission. Just, be careful."

"Hn."

"A shirt, a bow and a high fever…" These are the words that have left the mind of the great Hotaru Imai hanging. She's currently sitting down on her bed as she was reading a book about nanotechnology. But apparently, her attention was not completely focused with whatever she was reading.

"Ugh. What the heck? How on earth would I be able to get the memories of Natsume with these things? These are too random! I can't think of a way to put these things together!" Hotaru screamed in thought as she closed her book shut and held out a deep sigh.

"Hotaru? Is something wrong?" Ruka asked his fiancé as she glanced at her with a worried look on his face.

"Nothing."

"Really? You seem to be in deep thought just a while back." Ruka replied as he went towards Hotaru and sat right beside her.

Hotaru then leaned her head over Ruka's shoulder. "It's nothing major. Don't worry." Hotaru mumbled as she gave Ruka a peck on the cheek.

"Something that makes your book close that way is not a nothing. Is it something that you can't tell me?"

"Some things are better left unsaid." Hotaru replied. "You will know about it when the right time comes."

"Okay then. It's already late. Why are you still up?"

"Reading."

"You know, you can't understand anything that you're reading when your thoughts are drifted off to something else." Ruka said as he stood up, grabbed the book, and placed it on the table. "Shall we get some shut eye? Staying at the barn drained all of my energy and I bet you're tired from all of the inventions that you're trying to finish."

While Ruka was about to turn off the lights, a loud crash was heard and the glasses of the windows near Hotaru's bed were shattered. The smoke was thick and Ruka could barely see.

"Hotaru! Hotaru! Where are you?!" Ruka shouted as he heard a shriek from the girl that he was looking for. The smoke finally faded and there revealed a helpless Hotaru in the arms of a few AAO agents.

"Let go of her." Ruka ordered the guy who was holding his fiancé.

"Just because you're a royal means that you can boss me around." The guy replied as Hotaru struggled in his arms. "If you want your little fiancée to be alive, then you should come with us now." He added while Hotaru gave him the don't-you-dare-go-with-them type of look.

Ruka then whistled and a bunch of crows came in and pecked the AAO's heads continuously. The guy then let go of Hotaru as she made her attempt to escape. One of the other AAO members has the barrier alice and he created a barrier on them so that the crows wouldn't hurt them anymore.

"Ok, no more Mr. Nice Guy." The AAO head stated. "Boys, take the two of them." He ordered and then all of the other members were about to attack and get the two of them but then again a wall of fire suddenly appeared and Natsume stepped into the picture.

"Haven't you people heard of trespassing and invasion of privacy?" Natsume state with a smirk. "Leave the two of them alone and just go home. You don't belong to this palace."

"We don't take orders from a mere commoner like you." One of the members spoke out loud.

"Tch. So? I never asked for your opinion. I'm giving you five seconds to leave this room or you'll have to suffer the consequences." Natsume declared as he lit fire on both of his palms. "The two of you should stay close to me." He whispered to Ruka and Hotaru.

"Finish him off and then get those two." The AAO head ordered and then they started battling inside the quarters.

Natsume battled with his fire and physical fighting skills, Ruka called for his animals and then Hotaru used a whole lot of her inventions. The fight lasted for almost an hour. Everyone was panting but neither of them wanted to give up. But the one who is in the worst condition would be Natsume since he has cuts and bruises everywhere.

"Damn. If this keeps up, I would pass out." Natsume thought as he hit every person with a fire ball every time that they make an attempt to get near Hotaru and Ruka. "This thing needs to end soon."

Natsume then concentrated as he created a fire wall around every AAO member, destroying the barriers that the one with the barrier manipulating alice. And then little by little, the fire went closer to those people and in a little while more, the fire reached then reached their skins and they were all incinerated, having third degree burns.

The AAO leader then blew a whistle as someone else teleported inside the room and then he teleported the rest of the AAO people back to the headquarters. Ruka and Hotaru gave out a sigh of relief once those people were gone. On the other hand, Natsume plopped himself onto the floor due to too much exhaustion.

"That was close, thanks for coming, Natsume." Ruka uttered. "But how did you know that those people are after us?"

"He was on a mission." Hotaru mumbled as she kept all of her guns back in their respective cabinets while Natsume gave a thumbs-up as a sign of agreement to whatever Hotaru said. "But I thought you were only sent for missions for my idiotic best friend? Why didn't they send someone else?"

"I don't know *pant* and I don't *pant* really care about it. *pant* the king told me *pant* to protect the *pant* two of you so *pant* I was on guard the *pant* whole night." Natsume replied in between pants. He then stood up and headed towards the door while holding his bleeding shoulder.

"And where do you think you're going?" Hotaru demanded while Natsume cocked an eyebrow. "You can't just come out of here looking like that. Mikan told me a while back that she would be staying at the music room for the whole night."

"So?"

"Baka. Your room is right in front of the music room. She might see you and she would be worried as hell when she sees you in that state."

"You can stay here for the night." Ruka butted in.

"And see the two of you being all mushy right in front of me? No thanks. I'd rather be in my room."

"Well, you could at least let me treat your wounds." Ruka stated. "Take it as the repayment for saving our lives."

Natsume was still thinking twice about Ruka's offer but when he turned his head towards the other direction, he already saw the Ice Queen aiming her baka bazooka at him. "If you disagree, you will suffer further than the wounds that you already have. Don't be stubborn and get yourself treated because I don't want Mikan to be overreacting tomorrow when she sees those cuts."

Natsume sighed in defeat as he headed towards Ruka and then the animal lover treated all of his wounds. After for about an hour, all of the treatments are over. Ruka stood up and headed to his closet.

"Here. Take these. You can change inside the bathroom." Ruka offered as he handed Natsume a shirt and some extra jogging pants.

Natsume then accepted what Ruka was giving him and once he took them, he suddenly fell in a daze.

"Natsume? Natsume? Are you alright?" Ruka called out while Natsume snapped back to the world of reality.

"Are you alright? You seemed to be in a daze." Ruka stated again while Hotaru was watching the whole thing.

"What happened to him?" She asked curiously while Ruka shrugged. "Oi, what happened to you? A normal Natsume Hamamoto doesn't doze off right in front of other people."

"Nothing." Natsume mumbled. "What was that? I know that the boy I saw was me, but who are the other people?"He thought to himself. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go now." he mumbled. "Thanks for everything."

And with that, the flame caster left. "Something's not right." Ruka spoke once Natsume left. "That nothing definitely meant a something. What do you think it was?" He asked the raven haired girl.

"I don't know." She replied.

"But I definitely have to find out. One of the clues of that girl from the festival was a shirt. And just a few moments before Natsume was in a trance, Ruka handed him a shirt. This might be interesting. That girl may be telling the truth. I wonder if there are any signs that came true for Mikan?"