Chapter 17: Kawari; Change

Narumi teleported back to the palace and in his hands, he clutched the antidote. Debating on whether he should attend to the King's Guard first or to report to Kuonji, he paced back and forth at the crossroad to the study and the dungeons.

Luckily for him, he arrived at dawn, where most of the people except the patrolling guards were awake. From the shadows, a hooded figure walked out and Narumi froze in place.

"What are you doing here?" Narumi whispered alarmingly at the hooded figure.

The man lifted his face slightly such that the light from the torches lit the lower half of his face.

"I was… called here." The man replied hesitantly.

"By who?" Narumi narrowed his eyes.

"A friend." The man obviously did not want to disclose his reasons as to why he was in the palace. His gaze travelled to the small green vial in Narumi's hands and he pointed at it. "Antidote?"

"Yes, I had to undergo a lot of trouble to get the ingredients… Wait, how do you know?" Narumi was clearly disturbed by his knowledge.

"I've been told things, seen things. Anyway, Kuonji is still asleep, so I suggest you make your way to the dungeon first. Also, I've tried my best to dilute the water they've been drinking." Then the mysterious man bowed slightly and turned to leave but he was stopped by Narumi's grasp.

"Wait! Why are you here? Why are you not out there?" Narumi hissed.

"How can I abandon a friend who needs my help so desperately? But do not worry sensei, I made sure that they were safe before coming back here. If you'll excuse me, I'll return to their sides now." The man gently pushed away Narumi's hands before disappearing with a pop.

Narumi stared at the spot where the man disappeared from and let out a sigh. Clutching the vial, his legs began to bring him closer to the dungeons. Before he knew it, he was running and gasping for air when he reached the cell which kept the King's Guards.

Noting that they were still alive but slightly weakened, Narumi grabbed the key on the far wall and unlocked the door.

The loud clanking of the locks brought the men out of their sleep and they instantly narrowed their eyes against the brightness in the corridor. Clenching their teeth to brace themselves for another beating the guards seem to enjoy dishing out to them, they were surprised when the lone figure bent down in front of their commander and began talking.

"Took you long enough." Tono joked and winced in pain as his bruised body jerked as he laughed.

Narumi placed the vial on the ground and lifted the tattered material covering the young commander's body. From the small amount of light, he could tell that Tono's body was in a very bad shape. Patches of black and red were seen around his abdomen and chest. Using his index and third finger, he gently pushed against Tono's ribs and Tono instantly lashed out at him.

"WOAH! SHIT! Careful sensei!"

Getting up to check the soldier beside him, noting the same bruise pattern but it seemed that he did not have such a severe beating. Once Narumi had checked all twenty of them, he mentally noted which ones were more poisoned, and which ones required a healing potion.

Uncorking the small vile, Narumi took a small dropper from his side pouch and dipped it into the green solution.

Bending down in front of Tono he explained what he was going to do.

"You all know you've been poisoned right?" Narumi asked and the men started nodding. "I have the antidote here. Depending on your degree of being poisoned, you will receive the relative amount of the antidote. But I have to warn you, it's not going to taste pleasant. Whatever it is, you have to force yourself to swallow it all."

The men nodded in compliance.

"All right, Tono-san, do you want to be the first?" Narumi looked to the boyish commander for an answer.

"Yeah yeah. Anything's better than getting jab in the ribs." Tono replied and opened his mouth.

Narumi lifted the dropper above Tono's mouth and dropped in 5 drops since he had one of the highest degrees of poisoning. Just like Narumi described, the antidote was very bitter and tasted utterly disgusting. However, Tono quickly swallowed it and stuck his tongue out, hoping that the air would remove the bitterness lingering on it.

Once the taste subsided, Tono felt his heart pumping a little harder and blood rushed through his veins. He knew the antidote had worked since he never felt this energetic before.

"How's it?" Narumi asked worriedly.

"It worked." Tono replied and grinned.

Narumi let out a loud sigh of relief.

"Erm sensei… why are you sighing? Shouldn't you be confident that your antidote will work?" Tono asked with his brows raised.

The blonde doctor let out a nervous chuckle, "Eh heh heh. I didn't know it'd work. There are many factors to take into account in the field medicine."

"So you're saying I was your guinea pig?"

"Sort of… but but but! Now I know it will work successfully on your men."

"Great, just great. Hurry up and get to it then!" Tono barked and Narumi chuckled.

Walking to the man beside Tono, he then started administering the antidote.

Koko felt the sun's piercing rays on his face and lifted his hand to block it. A little irritated that he only had a few hours of sleep, he rubbed his sore eyes and sat up. Looking to his right, he saw his junior restfully sleeping on the ground next to him. Stretching a little, he walked out of the little tent which they had built.

"Good morning Yume-san." Mihara's acidic voice made the hairs on Koko's neck stand.

Turning around to face his superior, he bowed and returned the greeting, "Good morning commander Mihara."

"We are going to do another round of patrols today. Go gather the rest of the men with Yoichi." Mihara instructed before walking towards the town, his amour clanking noisily away.

Koko rolled his eyes at the arrogant figure walking away. Unlike the rest of the troops, Koko and Yoichi refused to stay in any of the inns. Not because they did not have the money, but because they were not sent away from the palace to enjoy such luxuries. Commander Mihara on the other hand, spent his pay lavishly on the inns and entertainment. Due to the poor example he set, the rest of the troops followed suit and exerted their power, refusing to fork out a cent at any of the services provided for.

Most of the villagers were annoyed by the army's presence but due to Mihara punishing the few who bravely spoke out, the entire town kept quiet and condoned their act. Mihara recevied word from Kuonji to travel to the harbor town to await the princesses' arrival, but so far they had no luck in finding them.

Entering the tent once again, he knelt on the ground and gently shook Yoichi.

"Yoichi… hey…" Koko softly called out.

Yoichi's brows furrowed, causing creases to appear on his smooth skin. He then started to break out in cold sweat.

"Yoichi, get up… Mihara gave us orders for the day…" Koko was a little puzzled as to why Yoichi had sweat dripping down his face.

Koko shook the younger boy's body a little harder, "Hey Yoichi, wake up. You ok?"

Yoichi turned his head vigorously left and right. Fear began to build up within Koko and he grabbed Yoichi's shoulders, shaking him hard.

"Yoichi! Snap out of it!" Koko raised his voice.

Hearing his senpai's voice, Yoichi's eyes flew opened and he stared straight into the brown orbs which were staring back at him.

"Senpai?" Yoichi was confused. Why was Koko looking so worried? Then he remembered his dream. "They're here." Yoichi whispered.

"What? Who's here?" Koko was obviously lost.

"Hime-sama."

"How do you know? Don't tell me you saw it in your dreams?" Koko tried joking to lift the mood.

Yoichi gave his senior a glare.

"All right all right, don't need to get your knickers up in a knot." Koko threw his hands up in defense.

"They're here and something's changed." Yoichi stated again.

"What has?"

"It seems, they've become stronger. I saw an Alice which is different from what I've been seeing." Yoichi was a little confused at his enigmatic dream, but not knowing how to describe it to Koko, he brushed it aside and gently touched his senior's hands which were on his shoulders. "I'm all right. What's Mihara's orders?"

Koko looked suspiciously at Yoichi, knowing that he was hiding something, Koko decided not to press on it. "We're to gather the men for a patrol."

Yoichi let out a groan.

"I know. We're going to face the wrath of the townspeople, but we have no choice. Come on, up we go." Koko pulled Yoichi up and they both got dressed before mounting their horses and entering the town.

The first thing Sumire did when she woke up was the quietly exit the room and look for a place to wash up. She saw how peacefully her other companions were sleeping and tried her best not to wake them up. Since she had already promised the innkeeper her help, Sumire closed the door behind her and faced the empty dining room of the inn. The crackling of the ambers in the fireplace echoed loudly, bouncing off the wooden interior. Sumire peered out the window near the main door and saw that it led straight into town.

Not wanting to attract attention despite being awake so early, she turned around and looked for the backdoor which they had entered through last night. Walking to the kitchen, she saw the small boy. If her memory served her right, he was named Zen.

Sumire smiled at the 7-year-old who was sitting on a small stool and rubbing his eyes.

"Good morning Zen-kun." Sumire greeted him softly.

Upon hearing her voice, he jumped up and hid behind the preparation table in the middle of the kitchen. Sumire chuckled at the boy's shyness and bent down.

"Zen-kun, could you tell me where I could wash up?" Sumire asked the boy and waited for his answer.

Peeking out from behind the large preparation table, he eyed her before pointing to the door. Sumire looked out and saw a small water pump there. Standing up again, she thanked the boy before making her way to the pump. Having only seen such a pump in books, she remembered that they operated by her pumping the handle up and down. Pushing up her sleeves, Sumire pushed the lever up as high as she could, then using all her weight, she pressed it down and water started spurting out from the spout.

She quickly bent down, allowing the cold water to splash all over her face. Seeing that water was still coming out, she cupped her hands and drank the fresh water. Feeling much more refreshed, Sumire pumped the lever once more, but this time, she pulled up all her sleeves and skirt, without being indecent, and allowed the water to run down her limbs.

"This would be the closest thing to a bath." Sumire thought to herself as soon as the water trickled to an end. Looking around for a small cloth to dry herself, she noted Zen peeking out from the pile of wood which was a short distance from the pump. Once he saw Sumire's gaze, he hid behind the wood again but this time, he stuck out his hand which held a small white cloth.

Sumire walked over to him and gently took it. "Thank you Zen-kun."

The boy held his hands behind his back and looked up shyly at her. "Mama said to hurry in when you're ready. She wants you to help out in the kitchen."

After which, Zen ran back into the kitchen, leaving Sumire to dry herself. Once she was dry, Sumire walked back into the kitchen and the innkeeper immediately questioned her.

"Do you know how to bake bread?" The middle-aged woman asked skeptically.

Sumire shook her head.

Letting out a sigh, she indicated to the dough which was sitting on the cutting board.

"Knead this for 5 minutes before cutting them up into smaller pieces. Then put the pieces on this tray in neat column and place them in the oven. After you're done, call me." The innkeeper instructed and left to clean the dining hall.

Sumire placed the white cloth near the window so it would dry and started kneading the dough. The small ball of flour was initially sticky but the more she kneaded the better it got. Doing as she was instructed, Sumire completed her first task without any mishaps in 15 minutes. At this moment, the innkeeper entered the kitchen and nodded approvingly.

"Good, now I'll teach you how to make a simple soup."

Time flew quickly as Sumire worked in the kitchen and surprisingly she was enjoying what she was doing. Realising that she did not know the innkeeper's name, she asked while chopping up some vegetables.

"Erm… excuse me, but I don't think we've introduced ourselves." Sumire asked though she wondered if the woman already recognised who she was.

The innkeeper looked up from her task and stared at the young lady. "Name's Io. I own this inn and my husband is currently out at sea fishing right now. The pipsqueak you've been seeing is my son, Zen."

"A pleasure. I'm…" Sumire wondered if she should tell the woman her real name or an alias. Seeing how the woman clung to her words and had not thrown them out, she debated that it was safe. "I'm Sumire."

"You and your companions look a little young. What are you all doing?" Io questioned while returning to watch the bread baking in the oven.

"We're… on a journey. We've travelled far and we're in town looking for something." Sumire explained without trying to reveal too much information.

Io looked at her suspiciously but decided to let it go, "many customers that come here are travelers. I will not probe further since you do not want to disclose the details yourself."

"Thank you." Sumire bowed slightly, appreciative of the woman's consideration.

Just then, the sound of armor clanking loudly echoed throughout the inn. A few doors slammed shut and boisterous voices of men could be heard. Sumire froze in her spot, "it can't be the army, can it?"

Io let out a loud sigh and turned to look at Sumire, "looks like those useless soldiers are up."

"WOMAN! Bring us breakfast!" One of the men shouted while the rest noisily took their seats.

"Sheesh, ordering people so early in the morning. The army never ceases to make the townspeople agitated. Hey Sumire, I need you to watch over the bread and the soup. Make sure they don't burn as I go get the plates." Io instructed again, leaving Sumire alone in the kitchen. She immediately moved away from the door and tried to stay out of their view as much as possible.

However, Io was taking sometime with the cutlery and the men were getting impatient.

"HEY WOMAN! HOW LONG ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE US WAIT?!"

Sumire's thoughts went into panic mode; did Mikan and the rest know that the soldiers are just outside their door? Did they suspect that Io was having them as guest?

Suddenly Io returned with her plates and entered the dining room, "be patient! A good meal takes time to prepare."

The men clicked their tongues, "it'd better be good."

Io snorted, "of course it is, even though you're getting it free."

"Watch your tone woman." One of the soldiers eyed her but Io just brushed it off and entered the kitchen.

Sumire stirred the soup before Io once again instructed her to go out and serve the men. Her eyes widened in fear.

"I cannot… please anything but that." Sumire pleaded.

Io noting how fearful the girl was, let out another sigh and took the plates which she had filled with soup, "cut the bread then, thinly. I don't want these men stuffing themselves so much that I'm making a loss."

Glad that the woman gave her another task, Sumire steadied her shaking hands and began slicing the freshly baked bread.

Natsume eyes shot open the moment he heard the familiar sound of metal clanking together. The loud commanding voices confirmed his suspicion that members of the army were staying in this inn. Glancing over to the bed, alarm bells began ringing as Sumire was not in the room. Crouching near the door, he opened it slightly and their royal blue uniform stood out against the shiny silver breastplates. Natsume tried looking past the steps into the kitchen, hoping that Sumire did not venture out into town.

Then he caught sight of her green hair quickly passing the entrance to the kitchen and hiding behind the wall. Holding his breath, he prayed that the soldiers did not pay attention to the movements from the kitchen. Natsume slowly shut the door, finding Ruka and Mikan looking at him. Putting a finger to his lips, he moved back and told them that the army was in the inn they were staying at.

"MOVE OUT MEN! GATHER IN THE COURTYARD!" One of the commanding officers shouted and the men got up noisily.

Sumire grabbed the platter which once held the bread slices till her knuckles turned white. Waiting till all the soldiers moved out of the inn, she allowed herself to take in a breath of fresh air.

Io entered the kitchen and scoffed at the lack of coins which the men left.

"Pigs, all of them. All right now they're gone, please go clean up the dining room. Can't have the other guests sitting amongst dirty plates and dishes."

Sumire nodded in compliance and exited the kitchen quickly. At the same time, Natsume and the rest walked out from their room and helped her. Io, who was tending to the soup got a little shock when she saw four people carrying a huge stack of cutlery. Nodding her head in the direction of the small sink, she instructed Sumire to gather water to wash them. Then dishing out four bowls, she dropped in 2 slices of bread into each bowl and urged them to have their breakfast.

Moving to the back of the inn, the group decided that it was safe to start planning.

"What are we going to do now? The army is already in this town." Sumire whispered, looking over her shoulder occasionally to ensure that no one was eavesdropping. For extra precaution, she activated her Alice. "Ok, we're good, no one's nearby."

Natsume nodded at her quick thinking and spoke, "we can't stay in this inn and hope for them to go away. Someone in the army probably knows that we're here, or that we are going to be."

"Agreed. We should go out in pairs to gather information. Those who aren't gathering information should stay here and help…" Ruka dragged.

"Io-san." Sumire continued.

"Io-san with things around the inn. It looks like she's really shorthanded."

Mikan nodded but raised her concern, "but what if the soldiers come back and they discover either of us here?"

The group thought hard, it would be difficult to move around the inn if the soldiers came back.

Looking to the ceiling, Natsume knew they were in a tight spot. "We have no choice. If they do come back, try your best not to be seen by them. As long as they do not see the princesses, I'm sure they wouldn't be suspicious. Ruka, if you changed your hairstyle… you could pass off as someone else."

"Hm…" Ruka tried playing with his hair and decided on pushing all his hair back. True enough, he looked much older than his current age. "All right, I'll stick with this."

"Ok that's one problem down. We need to find someone who knows the location of the second element. How does the story go again?" Natsume got down to the other pressing matter.

"Along the ocean the little girl danced, admiring the light reflecting off the water's surface. Unknown to her, the darkness began to grow and it stirred up a storm. The people started hating the ocean and started hated water itself due to its destructive prowess. The little girl slowly began to lose hope and consumed by her thoughts, she was swept away into the deep waters. Lower and lower she sank, unable to breathe, unable to swim. All seemed to be lost, until she became one with the water. Then, she saw how much the aqua element lamented for the people on the land." Mikan opened her eyes after the small monologue.

Ruka swallowed his mouthful of soup before speaking, "it seems that this part of the story is a little vague. It doesn't mention any directions and just states the ocean. But like the story, darkness is growing."

Natsume nodded in agreement, it was true the darkness was growing, he could feel it within his bones. Something felt a little different about the air. "It did mention that she was 'swept away into deep waters' meaning we should start at places where the water current is especially strong. A sailor or a captain of a ship would know this. Let's start there then."

"Now that's settled, I suggest Mikan-hime and Natsume should go out into town to look for information first. Sumire-hime and I would stay behind since Sumire-hime had already promised her help to Io-san." Ruka suggested.

At this moment, Sumire's ears picked up the returning footsteps of someone and quickly indicated that someone was returning. Deactivating her Alice, they group finished their breakfast in silence. Io returned and Sumire hastily reported that Ruka would stay behind to help her as the other two had business to take care of in town. Looking at the young adults, she nodded her head and mentioned how an extra pair of hands would never hurt.

When Ruka and Natsume were alone, he passed him his red Alice stone. Aoi appeared involuntarily and started protesting.

"Nii-chan! Don't leave me here!"

"Not now Aoi." Natsume warned her.

"Nii-chan…!" Aoi whined, "what's going to happen if you're in a bind? Are you going to use your al-"

Natsume glared sharply at her and she stopped. Softening his gaze, he tried persuading her, "I promise I won't put myself in a dangerous position. Besides, have I ever done that?"

Aoi shook her head. All this while, Ruka could see the faint outline of Aoi and her jumping about. Though he could not really make out what she was saying, he was sure she was worried about her borther.

"If Ruka and Sumire-hime are in trouble, the only way I'll know if you tell me. Other than you, I have no other connection to them. So, be a good girl and don't give Ruka too much trouble."

Aoi pouted and nodded grudgingly.

Looking to his best friend, Natsume placed his hand on Ruka's shoulder, "sorry, she's a bit clingy to me. If there's trouble here, just send clench the stone and send your thoughts. Even if she materializes, she promises not to be a hindrance. Stay safe."

"You too." Ruka patted Natsume on the back and both went on their separate ways for the day.

Ruka entered the kitchen and following behind him was Aoi.

"So he passed you the little sister?" Sumire raised an eyebrow at Aoi.

Ruka looked back nervously since he could not really see Aoi, "erm… yeah. She promises to stay out of trouble."

"By all means. But if she could help out a little, there's no harm in her being materialised. Look, Io-san gave us work to do. You're to chop up firewood and I'm to prepare the ingredients for lunch. Aoi, do you want to help me?" Sumire regarded the younger girl.

Shaking her head, Aoi spoke up, "not many people are comfortable with the idea of Alice stones. If this Io-san sees something floating in midair, she'll pass out. I'll just follow you around, hime-sama." Curtsying slightly, Sumire smiled a little and grabbed the basket with the potatoes.

Mikan pulled the dark brown bandana over her face and tried her best to hide her brown hair within the seemingly small cloth, taking care especially of the small gold bead braided with her hair. Looking over the corner, Natsume noted that the coast was clear and they both finally made their way to the port.

Moving out from behind the brick wall, the sudden saltiness of the vast ocean rushed into their nose. Stunned for a while, they stood there to soak in the sight that laid in front. Ships of various sizes lined up in a neat row and the wind blew the closed sails left and right. The sun shone through the large wooden beams and the shadows danced on the group.

Closing her eyes, Mikan absorbed in the sounds, the sight and the smell. Never actually been near the ocean at all, everything was a first for her.

"Let's get going." Natsume said quietly and Mikan opened her eyes.

He walked in front of her and up to one of the sailors sitting on a crate peeling a potato.

"What'cha want?" The sailor crudely addressed Natsume.

"Do you know anyone who knows these waters?" Natsume asked.

The sailor chuckled, "Boy, everyone you see here knows these waters."

Natsume raised an eyebrow, "How about someone who knows it so well he can steer the ship with his eyes close?"

"I'd say there are only 2." The sailor thought.

"Spill."

The sailor's eyes travelled to Mikan who was still looking around the place while standing a distance behind Natsume. Natsume caught his shift in gaze and moved to block his view.

"Dang mate… can't you let a man soak in the beauty of this place? I'm not going to be here long to see such…" The man's head shifted to look at Mikan's figure, "a preee-tay thang…"

"A gold coin for your knowledge." Natsume tossed the coin up and down in front of the sailor.

The shiny material caught his attention and his gaze immediately returned to Natsume. Stretching out his hand, Natsume placed the coin within the bony hand.

"First," The sailor threw up a finger, "is the Royal Navy's captain. He's been docked for a week due to some orders by that nut job on the throne."

Natsume was beginning to like this guy, until he stretched out his hand again. Narrowing his eyes at it, he let out a frustrated groan and placed another gold coin in his hand. The sailor looked around nervously then motioned the raven-haired man to come closer.

"The other man is well-known throughout here but those who travel on these waters dare not speak of his name…"

The sailor threw his hands up when he saw Natsume glare at him, "Hold on boy, I'll give you the information, just letting you know the context."

"Hurry it on then."

"He's known as the 'Master of the Sea'."

"A name would do nicely for this title." Natsume gritted his teeth.

However, the sailor just shook his head, "no one knows his real name though. He often docks in this town and rest for a few days before returning to the ocean."

"Why the secret?"

"He has a nasty streak, kill anyone who'd oppose him. Despite that, he's a pretty good guy, sharing his treasures with the townspeople so that they'd prosper. The army has been trying to capture him all this time but their ships could never match up to his speed. Also, no one except the crew knows where to find his mysterious ship."

The man stretched out his hand again.

"Haven't you told me all you know?" Ticked off at the gesture, the sailor's eyes shone mischievously. Seeing that Natsume was not going to take out another coin, the sailor returned to staring at Mikan in a lecherous way.

Stuffing his hand into his pocket, Natsume pressed the coin into the sailor's hand. Biting it to ensure it was made of pure gold, the sailor continued, "though… with all the ruckus here, rumor has it that he and his crew have been out helping the townsfolk. But here's the good part, they're going to leave this port in 2 days, so if you're looking for him, better be quick."

Natsume straightened his back and thanked the man. Walking to where Mikan was, he tapped her lightly on the shoulder.

"Did you find out anything?" Mikan asked with curiosity flashing in her eyes.

Natsume nodded, "he's attracted to the trouble of the townspeople."

"Great! So we just need to find someone who's in help around here!" Mikan chirped.

"Hime… look around you. The town isn't in a good state right now especially with the army patrolling and acting like they own the place. Finding this captain could mean us being captured as well."

Mikan pouted and spoke, "then we just have to stay out of trouble. Come on, let's try to find out more about this guy while keeping our ears out for any citizen crying out for help."

"Easier said than done." Natsume thought to himself while following after the cheerful brunette.

Throughout the day, they enquired after the Master of the sea and found out that he was around their age. He also commanded a crew of very loyal men who would put their lives on the line for him. Those in the crew from the navy had a very different image of him though. They called him a thief and a murderer, often reaching treasures before them and then killing anyone who tried to get in his way.

Just as the sun was setting and the duo moved to return to the inn, the Gods answered their prayers.

"PLEASE NO! ANYTHING BUT THAT!" A woman's piercing scream cut through the humid air.

Both Natsume and Mikan whipped their heads in the direction and looked at each other. Nodding, they sprinted towards the direction of the scream hoping that they could help the woman and at the same time, meet the Master of the Sea.

Mikan and Natsume hid behind a tall bush and watched the scene from the leaves. On the ground kneeling was a woman on the ground begging.

"Silence woman." A man clad in the royal blue uniform sneered.

"They're from the army." Mikan thought.

Suddenly sounds of crashing pots and cutlery echoed through the small cottage.

"Where is it?" The man outside asked threateningly.

"I don't have any more money other than the coins I've given you! Please just let us be!" The woman cried and one of the men from the house threw out an old man.

"Otou-san!" The woman ran up and crouched next to her frail father.

"You… you…" The old man lifted a finger in protest, but he was kicked in the stomach really hard till he coughed out blood.

"STOP IT! We have nothing left!" The woman cried.

"Hmph. You sure you have nothing left?" The soldier waved the torch in his hand around dangerously.

Understanding what the soldier was implying, the woman's eyes widened in fear.

"No…" She muttered softely, "No anything but that… please have mercy! This house is all we have left! Please just take what you want and leave us alone!"

The soldier just laughed and called out to his comrades, "men, get out of this filth. We're burning it to the ground!"

One by one, the men left the house and he brought the torch closer to the wooden door.

"NOO!" The woman rushed to push him away, but she was caught by one of the soldiers.

Laughing at her feeble attempt he set the house aflame and within minutes, the small hut was being engulfed in a large ball of fire.

Mikan clenched her fist so hard that she did not notice her nails piercing her flesh. Anger and shock welled up within her and she found it hard to breathe.

"How could they do this? Didn't they take an oath to protect all the people in this kingdom? How could they just burn down someone's house like that?"

The woman screamed out loud, "NOOO! YUMI! YUMI!"

Natsume's jaw was shut so tight that the muscles started to ache. He felt the urge to run up and slice all of them down, but he had to hold back because he couldn't risk the chance of them being caught.

Then at this moment, Mikan stood up suddenly and walked towards the woman.

"Wha…?! What the hell is she doing?!" Natsume tried to grasp why Mikan was walking towards the group while risking the exposure. Running behind the group, he immediately launched his attack plan.

The soldier who set the house aflame noticed Mikan walking towards him and smirked, "so this is Yumi?"

He licked his lips hungrily and moved closer to her. However, as soon as he was within 10 meters of Mikan, a masked man showed up behind him and took his life. Then just as fast as he appeared, the man disappeared. Mikan watched the man fall to the ground lifeless and eyed him coldly while walking towards the woman.

"YUMI! YUMI!" The woman and the old man cried out loudly.

All the soldiers saw was Mikan walking up to their commander and taking his life without even touching him. Enraged by what they saw, they rushed towards her, but this time, more masked men appeared from the shadows and took them out swiftly.

Mikan knelt down beside the woman and the woman grabbed on to her.

"HELP YUMI PLEASE!"

"Who?" Mikan asked frantically.

"My daughter! SHE'S HIDING IN THE CELLAR! YUMI YUMI! YUMI RUN OUT OF THE HOUSE!"

Natsume was about to attack the commander when he saw a black figure stand in front of him and took over his job. Stunned for a moment, Natsume snapped back to reality and was ready to deal with the rest when they just fell to the ground with a snap of their fingers as soon as the masked men touched them.

Then his ears caught snippets of conversation between Mikan and the woman.

"There's a girl in this flaming house?!"

Mikan looked around and quickly shouted to the masked men who stood over the dead soldiers. "Help her please!"

They looked to each other and back at her.

Deep down Mikan knew that the house had been burn too much and it would be impossible for anyone to enter the house. Then in the corner of her eyes, she saw Natsume grabbing a large pail of cold water and dumping it on himself.

"HYUUGA-SAN!" She yelled at him as he stood at the front door of the burning house.

Pushing herself off the ground, Mikan tried to hold him back, but within seconds he disappeared into the burning house.

"NATSUME!"

Mikan covered her mouth in fear. "He won't make it out alive…. It's too hot… he'll burn with the house… no come back… come back here!"

Someone ran up to Mikan and held her back as she too tried to rush into the burning house.

"Stop it Mikan!" A woman's voice resounded in her ears as she was being restrained.

"NO! Let me go!" Mikan struggled harder, trying to break free.

"I will NOT let you go! You'll burn!" The woman shouted.

"But Natsume is inside. He'll burn!" Mikan screamed. Every moment she spent fighting with this lady meant that Natsume could be burning inside.

At this instance, a figure emerged from the flames.

Natsume ran out of the house and clutching close to his body was a 3-year-old child. He quickly placed her on the ground and checked her pulse. Then putting his ear to her mouth, he heard her faint breaths. Tilting her head upwards to clear her passageway, he left her on the ground. The frantic mother crashed beside Natsume.

"YUMI! Yumi open your eyes!" The girl's eyes fluttered open and she looked at Natsume.

"Onii-chan, are we safe now?" The little girl's green eyes reflected in the night.

"We are Yumi-chan. Take deep slow breathes to clear your lungs of the smoke." Natsume instructed, smiling slightly at the young girl.

"Yumi!" The girl's mother hugged her tight. Then turning to Natsume she knelt on the floor and touched her head to the ground. The frail old man who was nearby also struggled to get up and he too touched his head to the ground.

"Thank you… Thank you so very much…" Both the old man and the woman cried while thanking the raven-haired youngster.

Mikan stared at everything that unfolded. When she first saw Natsume exiting the house, she couldn't believe her eyes. It would have taken a miracle for him to make it out alive, much less with the girl. However, what dawned on her was that Natsume's shirt was burnt badly, however the skin peeking out from beneath it did not seem to be the slightest bit pink.

"How… how did he…" The lady behind Mikan voiced out her thoughts.

Natsume stood up and noted how burnt his shirt was. Letting out a sigh, he knew what would happen the moment he rushed into the house. Looking for Mikan, he spotted her standing with a slightly older lady.

"Are you hurt?" Mikan asked with concern.

"No." Natsume replied, looking at her carefully.

"How…" Mikan didn't know where to begin.

Natsume looked at the woman behind Mikan suspiciously. Suddenly remembering that there was a lady holding her back, Mikan whipped around in fear and came face to face with her lady-in-waiting.

"Misaki…?" Mikan whispered.

The older lady curtsied and took Mikan's hands. "I'm here."

Confused by her appearance and by Natsume's seemingly unscathed body, Mikan didn't know who to start interrogating first.

"Look Mikan there's something I've been meaning to tell you…" Natsume tried explaining but was cut off by a man who appeared behind them.

"Let's leave the Q&A session till later shall we? We're standing in front of a burning house right now and if we're seen here by those pesky army people, we're going to be hauled up and thrown in prison." Once he stepped into the light, Mikan noted how his hair blended into the night's sky and his distinctive tattoo near his left eye.

Natsume immediately stood in front of Mikan, shielding her from the man.

"Move it." The man sneered at Natsume.

"No. Take one step near her and I'll…" Natsume threatened.

"And you'll what? Kick me? Grow up dude."

In that instant, the man disappeared and reappeared beside Mikan. Taking a hand, he dropped on one knee and kissed it. Immediately, he found a knife pressed at his neck.

"I will not permit any unnecessary touching of the princess, senpai." Natsume spat out the last word.

The man snorted and released Mikan's hand. "I don't see you for 5 years and you're still as prickly as ever, dear kouhai."

A loud short interrupted their exchange and the man suddenly stood up. "We best get going. Follow me." The man then started running and everyone followed after him.

"Thank you once again!" The faint shouts of the family echoed through the night as the large group entered the cave by the ocean.

Natsume immediately pushed the man against the wall and this caused the other men to draw their weapons and point it at Natsume.

"So tell me, what are you doing here, Ando-sanpai?"