Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters, but I wish I did x)
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Chapter 3: Twisted Journey in the Maze
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Sensing her upcoming protest, he sternly commanded, "Walk." His tone was the same, demanding her silence.
The brunette had a lot to say, but something in her told her to hold them up that she could only wrinkle her eyebrows downwards and twist her wrist in hope of its and her freedom.
Much to her dismay, her struggles resulted for him to tighten his grip on her as the entrance of the maze got nearer.
Upon stepping her foot in, her lungs drastically squeezed itself, her struggles seized and feet were walking again, giving the raven headed stranger to drag her easily.
Mikan looked back to the entrance that went out of her sight when they rounded a corner. She turned her head back with a close of her eyes in regret.
Uncomfortable silence defined their trip in.
After several short walks and turns, he finally stopped while she unintentionally bumped at his back. He glowered in annoyance as she immediately backed away without uttering a word of apology. The rude treatment pushed her not to. Then, her wrist was given its freedom.
They ended up, rather Natsume brought her to the center of the hedge maze she deeply despised. The clearing and the wonderful fountain were the visible proofs.
She turned on her heel to the path they came from. She stared at it as her heart hammered in fright. Letting the stranger to drag her in was a big mistake. Now, she is trapped. Helplessly.
In hope to contain her anger, she dug her short nails to her palm and bit her lower lip while a muscle under her eye twitched.
Mikan then swished her head and saw the raven headed stranger in a distant, sitting comfortable on the grassy ground with his back a few centimeters from the wall. With a frown, she rampaged her way to him and stopped a meter or two from him.
"You!" She pointed an accusing finger. "Why do you have to BRING me HERE?" She snapped and used that same finger to point to the ground she stood on.
He sighed in infuriation before glancing up at her with a glare, "You're going to report me."
The brunette crossed her arms over her chest and lifted an unfazed left brow," Of course. I caught you stealing."
This girl… His short brows arched down. "Can you not comprehend that I am not a thief."
Both of her brows rose up. Afterwards, she squatted, "No thief would give themselves away. Then, can you tell me what were you trying to do?"
He stared intently at her as if to threaten her, well he was. The look on her face told him that she was not taking a 'no' or a refusal as an answer.
He frowned away, though, that did not save him from seeing the look on her never change through the corner of his eye. She's too darn annoying.
She coughed, impatient, "I prefer words than plain silence."
The prince ignored her impatient complain and rested his right arm on his bended right knee. "Just because I thought you're cu—"He faked a cough to cut himself from saying that foreign word and rephrased it, "—ugly."
"Sorry if I am. You have to partially live with it. Now, answer." She pointedly pointed with a throbbing vein on her forehead. She averted her head as she finally came aware that she was bending her anger to him.
She closed her eyes and apologized, half-heartedly, "I apologize for my words awhile ago."
He casted her a glance though the corner of his eyes.
Minutes passed by and he didn't hear a single complain, clearly declaring that she was patient this time.
"Will you tell anyone?" Natsume cut his silence in an emotionless query. He concentrated his eyes to the opposite hedge, mentally wondering why he was talking to her.
"Hmm…" She mused, turning her head to him. She smiled, "Maybe… not."
"Maybe." He deadpanned, meeting her eyes.
Her smile dropped, "Alright. No, but if—"
The following words were predictable that he cut her, "How many times do I need to repeat myself." He was growing tired of the accusation. She seemed to be aware of that since she just chuckled in return.
He rolled his eyes and looked at the hedge again, "I wanted some fresh air."
She tilted her head and blinked, confused, "Isn't the air in her fresh?"
"No."
Mikan nodded in understanding and said her next question, "What about the bag?"
He groaned, "I was planning to make a visit but it was ruined." It was obvious that he was blaming his failure to her.
"You should have told me earlier."
Natsume grumbled something under his breath before muttering, "You won't even listen."
"…Pardon?"
He shrugged his shoulders and chose not to bring it up. "Oi. It's my turn to ask." He flatly announced to stop her from throwing more questions on his direction.
"Ehh?" She blinked upon discovering that he had turned the tables before she could even notice. She had more in mind. Her lips transformed into a straight, neutral line and she shook her head.
"Alright." She declared, defeated.
"What brought you to this side of the Palace?"
That made her heart sink. She dropped her head as she plucked a leaf blade using her slender fingers, and after a few moments, she admitted. "…I lost my way though the hallway."
Natsume blinked and looked like a pause button was pressed. Afterwards, he let out a low laugh.
An embarrassed flush stretched across her rosy cheeks as she tossed the leaf with her thumb and faked a smile instead, "Funny, right?"
His laugh ended. He rolled his eyes that were displaying his amusement.
The brunette pouted and looked away. She was saving her self-esteem from possibly dropping low, moreover, to drive away that uncomfortable nervousness in her.
"What are you doing here?"
"I am attending the awarding ceremony with Okaa-san since Onii-san was one of the graduates." She answered with a ghost of a smile surfacing on her lips.
He nodded. Then, he secretly tried something again and received the same outcome like his other attempts. Nothing. Discontented, he scowled.
"Are you an alice." It was a statement and not a question.
"…yes. It's nullification." She replied and answered his follow-up question. He calculated that anyway.
Similar to that of a long, lost puzzle piece was found, his confusion involving the oddness that was lingering that had started when he met her was answered.
Nullification barrier.
"Are you capable of deactivating it."
The brunette faced him. "Hai." She prompted, unconsciously taking his bait that he smirked.
Out of all her expectations at the deactivation of her alice, a portion of her bangs was on fire, alarming her. She used her palms to slap her forehead to extinguish it, sadly it roughly helped. Lastly, she brought her barrier up again and the fire from nowhere disappeared in a flash.
"WHAT was that for?!" She barked, sure that he was the cause.
His smirked widened in amusement and satisfaction. An exchange for ruining my perfect escape plan.
As his silence fell to her dictionary of several pointless responses, aside of her brother's and best friend's treatment, she balled her fists and but her bottom lip in anger. Her burnt bangs showed itself in front of her. Even though she wanted to leave, she had to bottle it a bit as she grab hold of his left wrist and shoved her handkerchief to his hand.
"You have scratches on your palms. Throw, burn it or do whatever pleases you to… that handkerchief, but before that, at least use it to clean those." She strictly instructed, withdrawing her hands back. Her voice matched her facial expression, a combination of irritation, strictness and a hint of worry.
Without further ado, she went to her plan, forgetting that she could be lost within.
Mikan walked away, leaving a dumbfounded prince. Nobody ever walked out of his presence, although, she just committed it without sparing another second to re-consider. In addition, she did not even looked back or returned to ask forgiveness. Not that he was expecting for her to do those, he plainly found her actions extremely annoying.
She simply reminded him of Narumi's restless defiance. The difference was that, her defiance and stubbornness defeated his attendant's; plus, his attendant had his father's command by his side. That automatically promoted her as champion, effortlessly.
Breaking free from his trance, he checked his left hand that had the handkerchief. He opened the other and saw the scratches he unknowingly acquired. True to her words. The scratches were shallow and it ad some dried blood and dirt were stuck on them.
His eyes narrowed on them.
"You have scratches on your palms. Throw, burn it or do whatever pleases you to… that handkerchief, but before that, at least use it to clean those."Her words, along with its tone, rung in his head, momentarily stopping him from doing anything he could do.
How she know about the scratches?
He absolutely had no idea.
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Mikan's every step decreased her anger; and at the same time, increasing her nervousness. She rounded to the corner where they came out and caused for her moderate walking pace to slow down that it rivaled a turtle's.
She frowned. Hallways have confused her. How much more a twisted maze whose about her very own height?
"You're so slow." A mock came.
She froze from her spot. She jerked her head in a dreading manner and discovered that the raven headed stranger was already walking alongside her. Based on her intuition, he went in a jog before he had reached his current place.
She huffed and walked with her turtle-inspired pace. Slow."My speed is none of your business." Slight irritation was still laced on her tone, even though, it was almost loosing its touch in her.
Natsume rolled his eyes. In his newly-made plans, heading back earlier than expected and be locked up were not listed. However, for some reasons, his body moved on its own and he was not with the brunette.
Silence ruled after their short argument.
She tailed behind him with a two or three gigantic, adult steps away from him. Her reason was his lack of explanation involving her burnt auburn bangs. Admittingly, the silence this time was more comfortable compared to silence on their way in. She did not take any notes of the turns of the maze. She won't be stupid to step in the place again.
Soon, the entrance slash exit was in sight as it took its appearance of a light in an endless tunnel.
When she exited the twisted maze and in the garden that had her in its spell before, she unconsciously heaved out a sigh of relief, causing for the other to smirk. He then looked over his shoulder to witness the look on her face and that also allowed her to see that amused look on him.
She hissed in frustration with a close of her eyes and she lowered her head. Her right hand gave her left arm a squeeze. His smirk was starting to irk her.
Calm down. Calm down. Calm down. She mentally soothed her re-occurring annoyance. Without him, you're in high possibility that you're walking—Her eyes flung open—Wait. She raised her head up, "Did you go through this trouble to guide me out?"
After a span of time, he arrogantly scoffed, "I have a reason. So, don't misunderstand anything."
"I do not look on people's action with mislead thoughts." She defended.
"Hn."
"Ne," She called out.
He sighed. "What now." His eyes dropped half-lidded. Uninterested and tired.
Mikan pursed her lips and said, "You stopped me from asking this awhile ago, Why were you in the Palace?" His clothing was not out; however, it was suspicious. A noble young man who fell from a Sakura Tree. That was not common. Also, of all venues, it just had to be in the Royal Garden.
Natsume halted on his tracks. He turned his head in time that she arrived at his side. He intently stared at her, waiting as if she would say the catch. But who was he kidding around? From that short time with her, he knew she meant the question.
She tilted her head.
Frankly, he could have lectured her for her boldness; except that, her obliviousness prevented the action to take place.
"Oi. I'm 2 years older than you. Can you add respect when you talk to me?"
She blinked, "So, you're 15?"
A hand traveled up and landed on his forehead. Oh. Darn it.
"I would not say that if not." He stated through gritted teeth. Then, he levitated his palm, let his pointed and middle fingers to glide about his brow and used them to massage his temple. A headache hit him two seconds ago.
"Oh." She cued.
"Why were you in the Palace?" She urged.
Natsume clicked his tongue, bringing his hand down. He glowered, picking up that nothing changed in her question; it did not even drive away the look on her face.
He sighed, annoyed, "I am,"
She raised a brow since nothing came after it.
After a few seconds of silence, he repeated, "I am… a Palace Guard Apprentice."
Natsume blinked, maintaining his stoic mask in tact, while she was quiet with an unreadable stare directed to him. He hated that her eyes were making him feel uneasy deep within, deriving him with the sense of insignificance.
They stayed like that; and when he was about to break it himself, she beamed, "Ne, I know someone who was once like you."
"Hn."
Hearing his nonchalant response, she had the look of discontentment before she shrugged her shoulders and turned her head to the path before them, "I just felt like saying that." She murmured whereas he didn't say anything.
Then, they began walking again.
Without making it known, Natsume felt relieved that she believed him and she had finally stopped her restless questions or else, he might question his very own sanity. She was driving him crazy just by her questions. But, fate doesn't seemed to desire for that feeling of him to stay for when they reached half-way from the huge opened access of the Palace.
A Palace Guard passed by and disappeared; excluding that, he re-appeared and his eyes were set to the raven headed prince.
The Palace servant by the door was undeniably one of the people who were searching for him.
The presence of the older man made him realize that his lie would be uncovered this instance once the other opens his mouth, while she—
Would she treat him of respect? Or hate for his lie?
— He found himself not wanting to know that.
Before he could do anything, Mikan want to the Palace Guard.
She bowed her head in greeting and started, "Ano…"
"Your Highness," The older man begun.
Those two words earned a confusing look from the brunette and it didn't take her more than five seconds to realize that he was staring past her.
The Palace Guard was staring to the raven headed stranger she was with.
xoxoxoxoxo
Author's Note: Thank you for reading this chapter^^ I hope you enjoyed it.
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