Your Typical New Kid

by

Stars of Gold

Chapter 3: Daniel, My Best Friend

NEXT DAY

Emi yawned as she woke up to the sunlight streaming through her window. Birds were chirping, the sun was shining, it was a Saturday and the day was incredibly cheery. Emi groaned. "Stupid birds," She muttered. "Stop chirping!" She yelled irritably out the window. The birds paid her no heed. "Grr…" She growled. She almost froze the birds, but then she remembered that Ruka was an Animal Pheromone Alice, and decided that he might be annoyed if his little bird friends died, so instead she made a thick layer of ice across her window. It filtered out the sunlight as well as blocked out the birds, so she nodded satisfactorily. "Killing two birds with one stone…" She said, grabbing her towel and walking towards the bathroom.

"Hyuuga-san," Emi called softly as she knocked on his door. "We promised Mikan-chan we'd go to Central Town with her." A grunt came from inside and Natsume appeared at the doorway, a grumpy expression gracing his features. "Yeah, yeah." He murmured. "Where's Polka Dots?" He asked. "She's waiting for us at the Sakura tree." Natsume nodded and led her to the aforementioned tree.

"Ohayo, Emi-chan! Ohayo, Natsume!" Mikan grinned as she jumped down from the tree. "Ne, Emi-chan, how come you never smile?" Mikan asked as she noticed that Emi had never once smiled. "My mother's left leg was…damaged in a car accident. I have never smiled since then. That, and my best friend left me when we were 13. He transferred schools, and hasn't mailed me at all. I don't know why…and maybe he doesn't like me anymore…" Emi said quietly.

"Come, Mikan-chan, Hyuuga-san, let's go to Central Town. I'm eager to see these Fluff Puffs for myself." Mikan, being easily distracted, fell for the change of topic and chattered on and on about Fluff Puffs and Central Town. Natsume, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow. "Hmm…13, huh? Malaysian? Could be that Inoue kid…"

"Dark Forest, report."

"Watanabe Emi, 15, Ice Alice. Appears to be able to sense presences, but uses her Alice to feel the features of the person and identifies the person. If she does not recognize the person, she immediately assumes the worst."

"Hm. Tell her she is to report to the clearing in the North Forest, 9 p.m. sharp. She will be having training then."

"Hai."

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Emi narrowed her eyes suspiciously as she noticed a presence nearby, and it wasn't Ruka and Hotaru. "Mikan-chan, Hyuuga-san," She said softly. The two stopped their bickering and Natsume immediately froze. "Someone's watching us…" Natsume and Emi muttered at the same time. "Who's there?" Emi asked coldly. Natsume was similarly ready for battle, and stepped protectively in front of Mikan. 'Dark Forest' stepped out from behind the tree. "Black Cat, New Girl, Nullification, I am not here to harm you. I am here to convey a message from Persona." Natsume's eyes narrowed. "Dark Forest. His other favorite. For the new kid?" He asked, nodding towards Emi. "9 p.m. sharp." Natsume gave a nod and turned to the girls as Dark Forest leapt into the tree and became a black blur, jumping from tree to tree away from them.

Emi watched the mysterious boy jump away in a black blur. For some reason, he was familiar. His voice, his hair and even the way he carried himself, it all seemed familiar. She looked at the spot she had last seen him with a glazed over expression.

"C'mon Polka Dots, Ice Girl. Let's go already." Natsume said, walking ahead. "Huh? Oh yeah. C'mon Emi-chan!" Mikan cried, snapping the girl out of her daze and pulling her along as she ran to catch up with Natsume.

"Hey, Hyuuga-san, what did that boy mean when he said '9 pm sharp'?" Emi asked as they waited for Mikan to get back from the Fluff Puff store. "I'll take you there. It's the clearing in the North Forest, and it'll only be this once. You'll have to memorize the way." Emi gave a nod. "Hai."

Just then Mikan came back from the store. "Emi-chan! You have to try one!" She exclaimed opening the box. "Here!" Emi raised an eyebrow and tentatively picked one up and popped it in her mouth. "Hm…Tastes like cotton candy…and caramel popcorn…and jelly…all rolled into one…" She said thoughtfully. "Interesting…" She said, plucking another from the box. "Rather delicious really…"

That Night…

Emi brushed her hair as she glanced at the clock. "Almost time…" She muttered, tying her hair up into a ponytail. Just then, a knock sounded at her still icicled window. She made a hole and climbed through, sealing the window again behind her, knowing Natsume was outside.

Emi made markers on the path they'd taken on the way to the clearing in the North Forest. "Persona," Natsume muttered as he stepped into the clearing. "Ah, Black Cat, I see you have brought the new girl. "You may leave now." Natsume gave a cold nod and backed into the shadows, disappearing from view.

"Your name is Emi, am I not correct?" Emi gave him a cold look but nodded all the same. "No matter. From now on, you are also called Dark Ice. I trust that you can turn water into ice to save your energy?" Emi gave a cool nod.

"This is to stop you from showing any emotion. Although you seem to be rather good at it, I just want to make sure. You cannot and will not let anyone too close to you, understand?" He asked coldly, clasping another bracelet onto her arm. It resembled Noda's, but was ice blue.

"And this is a control device. It is to control your Alice so you do not get out of control." He handed her a pair of earrings.

"Today you will be training your Alice. I want you to create something of ice within five seconds." Emi quickly made a sharp spearhead, pointed conveniently at Persona's neck. "Oops." She said emotionlessly as the spearhead 'accidentally' grazed his skin.

"Good. Deadly. Now turn this lake into ice. It will be useful when running from enemies." Emi's nose twitched in annoyance, but turned to the lake and stuck a finger into the water. "Time limit?"

"Five seconds." Emi gave a nod. "Beginning now." Immediately, the lake seemed to freeze over. "…Dark Ice, you did not freeze the entire lake." Persona said dangerously. "No, but should my opponents be chasing me over thin ice, their body heat and weight would crack the ice, therefore causing them to fall in freezing cold water and effectively either drowning or freezing them." She said quietly. Persona paused. "…True. However, you have disobeyed my order, and therefore - " She interrupted him. "No, Persona-sensei, I was told to turn the lake into ice. You never specified which part of the lake you wanted me to turn into ice. I have turned the surface into ice, and can fully say that I have completed your request." Persona narrowed his eyes. "Very well, Dark Ice. Now, I wish to know what sort of fear you have. Do you fear for the safety of your friends?"

Emi watched him coolly. "I care for one friend, and one alone. My old friend Daniel, who moved away to an Alice Academy. I do not know if he moved to the Australian one or this very one. However, I am quite sure that he is a Dangerous Ability. His influence over plants, and a strong one at that, was interesting." Persona raised an eyebrow. "Hm. Well, then, Dark Ice, you have a surprise waiting for you. Dark Forest, come."

Emi narrowed her eyes as the boy stepped out of the shadows. "This, my dear girl, is your Daniel. Here, we call him Taiki, or Dark Forest." Persona said, pulling off the mask on the teenager's face. Emi's breath hitched in her throat as she glimpsed the young boy who had left her when they were a mere thirteen. "Jessica…?" He asked hesitantly. Emi looked up at him, her face emotionless. "I have an emotion-controlling bracelet on my wrist. If I show any emotion other than hate and misery, I am sure that I will be electrocuted." Taiki's face fell. "Oh." His face also lost all emotion. "I understand, Watanabe-san." Emi flinched involuntarily.

"But," Persona butted in. "If you're a good girl today and follow my direct orders, I'll take off the bracelet for twenty minutes. You show very little emotion anyway." Emi bowed. "Yes, sensei." Persona gave an evil little smirk. "Good. Now I want you to fight him."

Emi flinched, as did Taiki, but nodded and faced her best friend.

"Okay, Alices only. Ready…Begin!"

Immediately, a huge amount of vines flew from all around her. She created an icy barrier, blocking the vines. She remained inside the protective dome, waiting for the vines to penetrate her ice. As soon as they did, she lowered the barrier and allowed herself to be caught. "I've got you now," Taiki muttered. Emi gave a smirk. "That's what you think," She whispered back as she winked at him. He blushed slightly, but set it aside as he tightened the vines around her wrists. She narrowed her eyes. "Big mistake." She commented, turning the whole lot of leafy plants into ice. She then high-kicked and broke the icy vine on her left wrist. After that, she karate-chopped the ice on her other hand and melted the ice around her wrists.

Taiki narrowed his eyes. "You're my best friend, even if we were apart for so long. But this is what you get when you mess with me." A large clump of branches surrounded her and wrapped her into a cocoon. She scoffed. "Don't you realize," She said from inside the cocoon. "I can ice it and break through?" She froze the cocoon, but took some time to break free. Taiki took this opportunity to close the forest in on her.

As Emi broke her head free, she noticed that she seemed to be somewhere else rather than sparring with Taiki. Then she sensed someone's presence. "Persona…" She muttered. "So I'm still in the same place." Then she frowned as her entire body broke free. "But where's Taiki?" She cursed. "Kuso, his presence is too much like the trees. The baka must've hidden in the trees." Then she began to mutter profanities in her native tongue.

The fruit serving as bombs took her by surprise. They rained down on her, and a few went splat on her head. That was it. She snapped, and all she saw was red. "Daniel Woon Jian Yao…" She growled his full name. "You are going down." She lunged at him, pinpointing his position. She'd frozen his feet to the branch and skillfully climbed up the tree.

Of course, in her normal physical state, she would never have been able to do such a thing; but she had been bombed by a fruit, ruining her hair and clothes, and you know what girls plan when that happens: a total nightmare for the person responsible.

In short, Taiki was going to suffer.

Long and hard…

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Natsume, Mikan, Ruka and Hotaru simultaneously looked towards the North Forest, where a loud shout had been heard, but was muffled in a short time. They all shrugged, and continued whatever they had been doing.

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"Very good, Dark Ice. You have successfully beaten the crap out of a fellow student, just as you were ordered to do. Good." Then he turned to a clump of bushes. "Come out and heal your master. He needs it." A cat that seemed to be made entirely out of plants walked forward, saying softly, "Takumi will heal master. Takumi will help master." He placed both hands on Taiki's wounds and they all healed.

Taiki's eyes flitted open. "Does master want Takumi to get revenge on scary girl who hurt you?" Taiki shook his head wearily. "No. She's my friend." Persona then removed Emi's emotion-controlling bracelet.

"Oh my gosh, Daniel! I can't believe I actually met you here!" She squealed, dashing over and hugging him. The first true smile she'd given for two years appeared on her face. "Jess." He muttered, hugging back, both completely forgetting the horrible stench from the two of them. "I missed you." A tear leaked from her eye.

Persona gave a slight smile as he watched the two. "No one deserves to be emotionless. She can show her emotions. She can has trained herself to stop all emotions if she wishes. She has earned the right to stop wearing the bracelet." He paused. "After all, not many can even catch a glimpse of their long-lost best friend without at least smiling. She, on the other hand, didn't even smirk. She didn't get electrocuted. So she has earned it. Her reunion with her best friend was a test, and she passed; with flying colors."

"Dark Ice." He called as he walked over. "No more bracelet for you. Emotions allowed, as I have given you a test; and you have passed." Emi looked up at him, eyebrows raised. "Alright. I will not question you." She said simply, returning to hugging Taiki. "Daniel, by the way, what's that thing that keeps calling you its master?" Taiki petted the creature's head as it purred. "It's a familiar. It's a sort of assisstant that the more powerful Alices have. It usually takes the form of an animal. Mines a cat. I'm sure you could make one if you tried." Emi's eyes widened and twinkled. "You think? Should I try?" Taiki nodded. "Just concentrate on an image of an animal, preferably your favorite one. Then try to convert that image in your mind to a body of ice out here." Emi nodded.

"I think I shall choose…hm…yeah, that one's good…" She muttered to herself as she formed an image in her mind.

Taiki watched in fascination as the girl before him sat up and closed her eyes, concentrating. Then, a bright white glow came from her outstretched hands as a body of ice slowly began to form under her hands.

"Ruff." The figure turned out to be a cute little dog. It was a purebred Shih Tzu, and though its body was made of ice, its fur was made of snow. "Aw!" She squealed, picking up her little dog. The dog woofed happily. "I think I'll call you…Michiyo!" The dog woofed happily again, licking Emi's face. "Michiyo!" It squeaked. "Michiyo like master! Michiyo stick with master all the time!" She squealed in a high-pitched voice. Emi giggled and petted the little dog.

"Dark Ice, Dark Forest, you may show your familiars to your classmates, but be careful with them. Also, ask Black Cat to attempt to create a familiar. He should succeed in doing so. I will be leaving now. Same time tomorrow, and bring that familiar. Oyasumi." And then he disappeared mysteriously into the darkness.

Rather long tis time, don't you think? Alright, I have to go to sleep now. Please review!