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Chapter 3

Mimori's P.O.V...

I came slowly consciousness, my eyes cracking open a millimeter at a time. I found myself staring at the crystal covered ceiling of the cavern. My body was freezing, my movements stiff. Using my right arm to push me up, I found that I felt nauseous. I squeezed my eyes back shut, hand pressed to my stomach.

Moving even slower now, I began to check over my injuries, tallying the total of bruises and scratches and punctures. My hands roamed, poking and prodding, trying to be as thorough as possible. I couldn't afford to lose anymore blood. Not after whatever had just happened with that pool of...whatever it was. I winced as my hand brushed over my left shoulder. The makeshift bandage I had used was soaked through with blood. Looking at it seemed to remind me that it hurt. A lot. I continued on with my self-evaluation, skipping over the unnoticeable weight of the triangular pendent tucked under my shirt, I ran my hands over my face, recalling that my head had been bleeding. I would have even checked it, but my fingers froze as they brushed my lips.

A rush of coldness filled me, spreading from the point where my mouth and my fingers were connected. Oddly enough, I didn't mind the subzero temperature. It felt...right. Natural. I blew lightly, watching as a cloud of ice formed out of my breath. My eyes were wide as I watched it sink gently to the ground. As it touched the rock, a sheet ice bloomed.

"Wow..." I whispered, gingerly touching the ice. My words continued to expel the frosty air. But this time, I noticed that the tiny ice crystals glowed with a greenish tinge, as did the new markings on my right arm. "So this is Alter?"

My question was answered with answer.

"Enjoying your self, Mori?"

I replied without turning. "I do believe I am." The corners of my mouth twitched, turning upward.

My aunt came and squatted down next to me, also prodding the now melting ice. "What are you going to call it?" she asked, sounding interested.

I was silent for moment thinking. Words flashed through my mind, but it seemed impossible to name this ability. I mean, really, what would you call this? Ice...something, I suppose.

"Hm..." Ria murmured, "How about...Winter Kiss?"

I smiled, genuinely liking the name. "Sure. That fits."

Ria grinned as she inquired. "So, you ready to field test it?"

"You got an idea?"

"While I was waiting, I heard a caravan drive by, just a few hundred yards away. When I went to look, I spotted a HOLY vehicle heading towards one of the smaller villages out here. It's where families send a majority of their kids if they have Alters. There are about ten, fifteen adults who look after them. The number of borders usually varies from five to ten. Although having as many as ten new Alter users is unheard of. But they do get the occasional traveler, so you can count them. It's out of the way, so HOLY has never really bothered them. And when they do, you can bet that they never find anything out of the ordinary."

I listened carefully to my aunt's words. When she had finished, I stood quickly. "Then we need to get there quickly." I began to wade back through the lake. I heard a splash as Ria followed me. "But..."

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure if I have the hang of my Alter yet."

"Don't worry," she assured me from behind, "I'll give you some pointers. All it takes is a bit of practice."

"I can hardly wait."

Ryuhou's P.O.V...

Another annoying Native yelled an insult. Not even acknowledging the man's cry of outrage, my team continued to root through each hovel. Walls were smashed, doors broken down. We took apart anywhere there was to hide.

I would have continued to ignore the angry crowd if I hadn't heard a familiar voice. It was a voice that enraged me at the slightest sound. It was his voice.

"Hey! You HOLY bastards don't know when to quit, do you?"

I turned slowly, striving for self-control. I needed to remain calm, remind myself that I had a mission to complete before I could bash in Kazuma's fucking head.

The red-headed man stood at the forefront of the crowd, that shit-eating grin plastered on his face. People watched him a bit apprehensively, as if debating whether or not he was about to cause them trouble. I could have told them the answer if they would listen: Wherever Kazuma went, trouble and destruction and chaos followed.

Surprisingly enough, it wasn't Kazuma who made the first aggressive move.

A young boy, no more than ten years old, pushed his way to the front of the crowd glowing a bright green. An array of shining arrowheads hovered around his thin body, anger etched in every line of his face.

There were a few shouts of "No!" and "Don't do it!" but then the boy moved, motioning forward. The sharp objects flew toward me, glinting menacingly in the harsh sun.

"Zetsui!" I called coolly, barely exerting effort. My Alter appeared, ready to defend me and my team, and to put down my enemy. Zetsui's razor sharp tentacles raced forward to meet the arrowheads, knocking them aside.

"Hey, over here!"

I glanced over at Kazuma, and saw him glowing as his Alter came to life. His right arm took on its elongated and metallic appearance, the three spikes visible beyond his shoulder. He raised the bronze fist, pulling it back for his trademark Shell Bullet, but stilled when a small voice reached where we were.

"Kazu-kun! Kazu-kun, stop! Stop it!" a young girl shouted desperately, light brown hair bouncing as she sprinted to him.

Sheris was already at my side by this time, awaiting orders. "Sir, do you want the others to handle him?"

I was about to tell her not to interfere when the young boy from before sent another volley of arrows at me. Zetsui parried them neatly, and then aimed at the Alter user. The streamers zipped through the air, heading directly at the boy.

I sensed that Kazuma would not move, not with that girl with him, so it took me a moment to figure out why the boy was not where he had been standing, and who and dragged him out of the way.

I homed in on the newest addition to the mass of bodies. Feeling my eyes widen, I struggled with my sudden urge to call out.

None other than Mimori Kiryu stood about ten yards in front of me on the right. She held the boy behind her with her left arm. I couldn't believe my eyes. Mimori looked so different...

Her hair was pulled back in tight ponytail, leaving only her short bangs to shadow her face. The tan and brown clothing she wore was torn and bloodstained, a strip wound around her left shoulder was pure crimson with her blood. She was barefoot. The familiar pendant, the one I had given her when we were children, swung freely from a black cord. She stood differently; her weight balanced carefully, a trademark of someone who knows how to move in a fight.

But the biggest difference was her eyes. They were still the same shape, still the same beautiful chocolate color, but they were so...cold. It was something that I had never seen in Mimori. She had always been a warm, caring person. Someone was trusting, and kind. But the look she had now... It was like looking into a mirror. Her expression could be considered identical to my own mask.

What happened?

Something tugged on my sleeve, causing me to break from the question. My eyes flickered over to find Sheris still standing at my shoulder, hand fisted in the fabric of my uniform. "Ryuhou, that's her! It's Miss Kiryu!"

I wanted to tell her that I had already known that, that she was a complete idiot for thinking I didn't recognize Mimori. It didn't matter how much she changed. Mimori was the one person I would always be able to find, to pick out, no matter what was going on or how different she appeared. It was just a fact that I knew to be true. Consequently, this is something that I wouldn't discuss with anyone, especially not Sheris.

Fortunately, Mimori responded for me.

"Wow, I so glad you were able to point that out, Sheris." Her words were cold and sarcastic. Again, something that the Mimori I knew never did. "Not only do you all enjoy picking on little kids, you fucking geniuses too."

...This is her right? I examined her again, and she at least appeared to be Mimori. Except, I had never, ever heard Mimori swear. Ever.

She turned to where Kazuma seemed to be arguing with his light-haired companion. "Kazuma!"

The upstart looked up at her. "You! You're that doctor lady from HOLY! You come to help him!" He pointed an accusatory finger in my general direction.

Mimori snorted. "Hardly, and it's formerly of HOLY, thanks. I just wanted to tell you that you need to get your friend and the others out of here ASAP."

I couldn't believe this. She was...helping him? Planning with him? My blood began to boil with some unfamiliar emotion. I was beyond anger. Bordering on surpassing rage.

"And why's that?" Kazuma asked, oblivious to my fury.

Mimori actually smiled at the cocky son of a bitch. She smiled. "Trust me. This place is about to become incredibly unfriendly."

Kazuma frowned, eyes flickering from her to his companion to me. "But..."

"Think of her!" Mimori shouted. "She's depending on you to stay with her!" She pointed at the young girl clinging to the fugitive's left arm. "Now take her and the others, and go!" Her voice left no room for argument.

"That's it," I heard Sheris mutter, "I'm sick of listening to this."

I was inclined to agree with her. But then, Mimori faced me again. When I looked back to where Kazuma had been, he and the girl were gone. Others of the town were hurrying away, following his retreating form, including the boy that had started it all.

Something indescribable passed over her delicate features as we both stared at each other in silence. If I was reading her right, I think it might have been pain. At that second, all I wanted to do was hold as tightly as possible, yell at her for making me worry, ask her why, and where she went.

"Mimori Kiryu," I called, trying to shake off my personal feelings, "you are under arrest for desertion of your post at HOLY, and for treason."

"It's treason now to be disgusted with what Zigmar's doing?" she called back.

"What is she going on about?" Sheris whispered.

I shook my head, unsure. I knew that she had protested to the treatment that the Native Alters were receiving at Headquarters, but she had dealt with it. What was she talking about now?

"Miss Kiryu, we would rather you come peacefully," Sheris yelled, taking a couple steps forward.

"I wish the world was just that easy..." she replied, her expression a touch softer. Her eyes focused on my face again. "Ryuhou... I'm sorry... But, please tell me you didn't know."

"What are you talking about!" I demanded. "Know what?"

"About what they're doing to the Alters you send to the Mainland!"

"They imprison them, run tests. That is hardly cause to-

"Is that what you think is going on?" Mimori said, cutting me off.

"That's it! You, Miss Kiryu, are under arrest. Now, either come peacefully, or we will use force!" Sheris ordered.

"I'm sorry that you think it has to be that way..." Mimori began to raise her arm up to her face, resting the fingers on her lips.

I averted my gaze as Sheris gave the command to the Darth, not wanting to see Mimori struggle fruitlessly against them. Alter flashed in the corner my eye, something I wouldn't think anything of, except for the fact that Sheris gasped in astonishment.

In response, I looked back at the "battlefield" and felt my mouth go dry with amazement and surprise.

All the Darth were frozen, encased in ice. Mimori stood where she had been the entire time, her hand in front of her face, palm facing the sky. I noticed that intricate markings decorated her right arm, and that her lips had turned a pale shade of blue. Frost led outward from her, forming a path to the Darth, not allowing for any doubt as to who conjured the mini-glaciers.

"Meet my Alter, Ryuhou. Meet Winter Kiss."

With those words, Mimori turned and sprinted away like the wind, leaving me stunned and unable to say anything. I had never found myself without words to use, but this... This just left me feeling...unsettled...confused... and well, speechless. I shook it off forcefully.

I ran after her, lengthening my stride to move quicker, while Sheris fumbled behind me. "Ryuhou, where-

"I'm going after her!" I shouted over my shoulder.

I left the blue-haired girl standing in the middle of the deserted town with our new ice statures, staring.

I kept running, chasing the woman who held a mysterious power...and something else that was far more important.

(A.N.) Please Read and Review! Thanks for all your support guys!