The Ice Will Melt Some Day

Chapter Four "Fire Dances with Ice"

Disclaimer: I didn't make Gakuen Alice; it's just another fan fiction update! Enjoy crazy kids.

The maroon shoulder length haired girl dashed over to the door, followed by a dark blue spiked hair boy with a beanie on. Both knocking on the door excitedly, pounding it until no end. They both shouted at the door, "Daichi! Ira-chan! Wake up! It's Christmas Eve! The Christmas ball! Comon, Comon! Wake up!!!"

A messy blue haired girl woke up in coordination with the boy who had black flat hair and green highlights. Both were very sleepy, but when they realized it was the day of the Christmas Ball, they threw off their blankets and got prepared.

Nobara opened the door for Misaki and Tsubasa. Daichi was already in the restroom, changing his clothes. "Oh my! Misaki-san, you look so pretty in that Christmas dress! Tsubasa-san, you are very handsome in that as well. I bet you two are very happy to have such a wonderful partner!" Nobara commented. Misaki was wearing a Santa based dress which was strapless and fit into an hourglass body shape, down to her knees. She wore matching boots and corset, her hair was tied into a ponytail with a red scrunchie. Tsubasa was wearing a darker looking costume, with bat wings and a slightly elfish like costume; he also wore matching boots and beanie.

Tsubasa and Misaki were both happy about Nobara's comments and replied in unison, "Thank you!" Misaki was especially glad to be called 'pretty' and gave Nobara a giant hug. Tsubasa was a little concerned that the hug might be dangerous, but went over to where Daichi's restroom and knocked. Daichi opened the door a little bit and was handed a set of clothes. The door was closed again and Tsubasa went back to where Nobara and Misaki were. He also gave Nobara a package of clothes.

"Here's your Christmas outfit Ira-chan," he smiled. Nobara nodded her head in thanks. As soon as Daichi came out of the restroom with his clothes on, Nobara rushed in so fast, he almost fell over if it weren't for the bed. Daichi was wearing the other style of costume; it was a long sleeved green jacket over a white, black trimmed shirt. He wore matching black shorts with a green trim that went down just below the knees and a pair of black classic school boots.

Nobara came out a bit later; she was back to her shy self and exited very slowly and cautiously. Misaki hurried over and did Nobara's hair quickly and efficiently. When she finally came out in the open, Daichi blushed a little and Tsubasa laughed at him. That's when Daichi also punched Tsubasa's stomach in response. Nobara was wearing the other girl's costume as well, it was a Santa styled halter and knee length skirt. She had black boots as well, but they had a white contrasting flare to them and wore separated arm sleeves. Nobara's hair was still curly, but put into a ponytail that was placed on the left side of her head. Her bangs were clipped to her right side and a flower was slipped in through the ponytail.

Daichi looked down at his watch and looked up at everyone again. "It's time to go you guys," he had a big fat grin plastered on his face. Almost everyone in the academy was excited for the Christmas Eve Ball in the Grand Hall. The four of them exited the room and Daichi snuck back in last second. Her grabbed a purple velvet jewelry box and slipped it into one of his pockets. Then he closed and locked the door and caught up with the other three.

Tsubasa glanced back to see him. "What did you get Daichi?" Daichi looked back confused. "You went back into the room to get something, what was it?" Tsubasa asked again. Daichi put one of his fingers on his lip, signaling to Tsubasa, it was a secret. Tsubasa rolled his eyes. The four of them kept walking down the hallway towards the Grand Hall. Conversing with each other until they finally reached the giant decorated doors. By sending their alices through the door, it opened up to an enormous room filled with hundreds of other students and staff members.

"Wow! Once again, this school never ceases to amaze me," Nobara commented. "It's been such a long time since I was able to go to the Christmas Eve Ball." Misaki patted her on her shoulders and signaled Nobara over. Nobara skipped along, she was very joyful at the moment and nothing could stop her, except for the person who had kept her away from the academy's student, the teacher of the dangerous class.

In their first moments of arriving at the ball, other classmates and students welcomed them. The four decided to stuff themselves full of food because the cooking group had made such delicious dishes and could hardly pass them up. Once their stomachs were bloated, Tsubasa and Misaki had chosen to dance with each other and put on their masks. They went to the dance floor with all the other couples and danced alongside with them.

Daichi sighed at their table, "Having fun yet?" His voice was monotone and he rested his head on the table.

Nobara was having a more gleeful experience and was in awe everywhere she went. "I am," she replied sweetly. She looked at all the dancers, they were all wearing masks. "What are the masks for?" she ask politely.

Daichi looked up at her and replied, "There's a legend that said if you put on a mask and confess to the person you love, that you'll be together forever. If your mask falls off while you are dancing, you will lose someone very important to you. That's pretty much it in a nutshell." He put his head down again.

She thought about it for a moment, and then saw Misaki and Tsubasa dancing together. "Are Misaki-san and Tsubasa-san in a relationship?" she inquired. It was funny how those two were always together, so she had just figured it would've been so.

He raised his head once more and took a deep breath before talking again. "No, but they should be, don't you think?" She replied to him with a nod. "Yeah...together forever eh? Doesn't that sound a little too cliché?" Nobara laughed, but she thought of the other part of the legend. If your mask falls off while you are dancing, you will lose someone very important to you. Kawasejiri Shunko popped into her head all of a sudden.

She hesitated for a moment, "D-Daichi?" His head moved to the side in question. "Did you happen to drop your mask last year?" He smiled at her and slowly nodded. Nobara felt a pang of sadness in her heart, she was afraid that she reminded him of something he didn't want to be reminded off. Her smile morphed into frown and she looked down at her feet.

"Don't worry about it Ira-chan," he started, "Wanna dance?" He grabbed her arm before she could answer and passed her a mask. "Wear this." Before Nobara could get a recollection of what was going on, she put on her mask and they were on the dance floor. He took her hand and put his other hand around her waist. She mirrored him and they started dancing in unison.

It seemed as if the two were the only ones dancing, they were in another world of their own. Suddenly, someone bumped into Nobara by accident, her masked was knocked out of her face. She gasped. As quickly as it dropped, Daichi caught it mid-air. He stood up straight again and wiped the non-existent sweat across his forehead. He returned her mask by putting it on her face again.

He regained composure and said, "There you go. The Ice Princess has retrieved her mask back without too much of a trouble. Would you do me of the honor, of finishing this dance with me?" he winked. With that said, they danced again. Nobara's heart was fleeting with joy.

Misaki and Tsubasa took a glance at Daichi and Nobara, it seemed like they were having a good time.

"Would you look at that Misaki? Daichi's already in love again, I can't believe he got over Kawasejiri so fast." Tsubasa remarked. Misaki looked at him in a disappointed sigh. Tsubasa just had to ask, "What?"

"Don't you remember Tsubasa? Kawasejiri traded her heart with Daichi's heart to save him. It's almost like, Kawasejiri is making him get over her and her heart is slowly transforming into Daichi's new heart. She's resetting his cycle, that's why he could get over it faster than the normal person. Daichi's true heart lay within her body. That is why they changed the name of the garden into Daichi's Eden. It can be considered that Daichi still only technically loves Kawasejiri to this day," Misaki explained.

Tsubasa made a funny face, "I know that, but...I can't help to think that." Instead of continuing their conversation about Daichi's heart, they talked about something else and kept dancing.

In the large Christmas tree that hovered over all of the students of Alice Academy, a boy with black hair and maroon eyes was sitting on the tree branch. He looked down upon the cheerful atmosphere and spotted someone, Nobara. He talked to himself, "What is she doing here? We've been looking all over for her and had to make up most of his missions too." He was about to hopped down to get her, but someone grabbed his arm. "Chiryo Koteihyodan, what are you here for?"

The high schooler gave the boy a serious face, "Don't mess with that girl's fate. You should be more worried about your own. Before I graduate from this academy, I want to tell you something Hyuuga."

Natsume glared back at Chiryo, "What do you want foresighter?"

"I don't want anything else, but a bit of your time. One year from today, you will meet a girl who will be a crucial part of your life. This girl will also become a part of everyone else's life in this academy. I won't be here when she comes, but I know who she is, what she looks like and generally, the dramatic change that she'll bring upon this school," the brown haired high schooled explained.

Natsume raised his eyebrow. "Why are you telling me this now?" he questioned warily.

Chiryo gave a look of satisfaction, "That's because I was stalling you, don't want you getting in trouble with Persona now, you'll be on your own for mission Hyuuga. I won't be helping you anymore." He was prepared to jump off the tree, but he paused to say some last words, "All you need to remember is to watch out for an energetic girl who has pigtails!" With his statement finished, he flew off the branch and landed on the floor with a slight thump.

Before Natsume could ask him what that meant, he saw that Chiryo already left with his girlfriend to the dance floor. "Damn that guy," Natsume cursed. He then realized something, "Stalling me?" Natsume looked down at where Nobara was and saw a tall slim figure approaching her. Pitch black hair, cloaked in an unimaginable amount of alice restraints and he had a white mask on. He gasped, "Persona..." He immediately jumped down from the tree, found Ruka and hurried off into another direction.

"Hey Ira-chan?" Daichi questioned.

Nobara replied with a simple, "Yes?"

"Do you want to rest now?" he asked. She nodded with a smile. The two went towards an empty table hand in hand. As they were arriving, someone stopped them.

A tall man had called out Nobara's name. "Nobara..." he said in a cold voice.

Nobara's eyes widened in fear, tears were starting to stream down her face. She immediately recognized the voice that she had not heard in such a long time. She was somewhat hoping that the day she met this man again would never happen. Her hopes were crushed with a simple say of her name. "P-Persona..." Her hand was shivering in Daichi's hand. He looked up in fear of what he might see. This was the man she had been telling him about that night. The one who kept her away from the other students. The teacher of the dangerous class.

Persona did not even bother looking into Daichi's direction or even acknowledge his presence. He only saw Nobara and said in a low yet stern voice, "Nobara, I think it's time for you to come back with me. You've missed out on a lot of missions lately and you need to make them up to your classmates."

Nobara continued crying, she reluctantly let go of Daichi's hand. Daichi tried to regrasp it, but it slipped away from him. She softly whispered to him, "I'm sorry..." They left without another word and vanished from his sight.

By the time he had regained conscience of what was happening he ran after them with horror in his eyes. As he passed the doorway, he cried out with all his strength, "NOBARA!" It was futile, he fell on his knees. He felt hopelessness all around him. "Nobara..." he quietly cried, "I finally said your name...but why aren't I happy about it?"

With Misaki and Tsubasa leading the way, some of Daichi's classmates and friends came to see what the problem was. When they found him, he was motionless on the ground in front of the doorway.

"Daichi!" Misaki cried. She picked him off the ground; she saw the tears that formed on his face. "We gotta get you to the nurse..."

One of Daichi's friend looked around, "Where's Ira-chan? Shouldn't she be with him?"

Tsubasa and Misaki exchanged looks. A voice came from behind them, "She's been taken away by Persona, the teacher of the dangerous class. Now what will you do, middle school class C?"

Everyone turned their attention to the voice; it was Chiryo Koteihyodan with his girlfriend by his side.

Daichi's twitched; he had woken up due to all of the excitement around him. "W-We're going to get her back," he said with determination in his eyes.

"Good," Chiryo replied, "I do wish to see how you'll complete this almost impossible task. It will be an amusing way to end my final year in Alice Academy. Give me your greatest performance of your life and do not regret a single moment of it." His face was content and his girlfriend found no wrong in his speech.

Tsubasa moved his way towards the high schooler. "You have the alice of foresight, and it is always 100% accurate, can't you already see the whole result of this situation?" the shadow user questioned.

Chiryo laughed alongside his girlfriend, "That's what makes your class interesting. It's all up to what Hanahisaki wants to do, that will completely change the outcome. Kanjo, what's the overall feeling in this crowd of students? Can you tell?" Kanjo Shinmitsukan was his girlfriend's name, she had the alice of seeing people's emotions and had a second alice as well, reading what people's heart yearned for.

"Of course," she said in a sweet manner. She closed her eyes and immediately took a hold of the growing emotions in the room. It was very mixed, and so she stepped back a little due to the emotional overload. "Ah...I think, I good majority does not want to risk their life for Ibaragi-san, but a good portion wants to assist Hanahisaki-san in the retrieval of her as well. The rest are a bit neutral about the situation," she concluded.

Chiryo gave her a peck on the forehead in thanks, she hugged him back. "Well, there it is, now it is your choice Hanahisaki, are you willing to save the Ice Princess from her captor? Or will the Fire Prince back down and wait for another girl to come into his life?"

Daichi stood up with the help of Misaki and replied coolly, "You don't just wait for another Nobara-chan to come around again. You have to go around and search no matter how far, no matter how long, until you stumbled across her path again. There will not be a next time."

Chiryo and Kanjo looked at each other and smiled. Kanjo remarked at Daichi's reaction, "Then because your thoughts are intriguing, we shall help you carry out your plan. Chiryo and I will assist you, but not necessarily with our alices. We offer you our support."

"You guys are just idiots to try and take on Persona," a cold voice rang out. Out came and elementary student followed by a blonde boy of similar age, holing a rabbit. "You say all that crap, but you probably don't even have a plan. Persona has the power to kill you guys in a few touches, and you think you can try to get her back that easily?"

"Natsume..." the blonde boy said with concern.

"Shut up Ruka, these guys don't know what they're saying," he said. Daichi got angry.

"Hyuuga! You of all people cannot tell me what I do with my life! If I rush into death, it will be because I am doing it for something I really care about! You probably couldn't understand this feeling..." Daichi argued.

Ruka's emotions were rising, "You can't talk to Natsume like that!" he tried to fight back, but Natsume put his arms in front of him. Signaling the blonde to stop with the argument.

"Are you sure you want to sacrifice the heart, your old girlfriend gave to you, for another girl? The very heart that allowed you to live to see this very day?" he said without mercy or consideration.

Daichi paused, Natsume was right. Kawasejiri traded hearts with him, in a way they were connected by this. "I-I will...because not only do I love Nobara, Kawasejiri loves her as well. I feel it, right here," he pointed at his heart with a warm smile. Little did he realize he had spoken out a love confession in front of all his classmates. They gasped at his statement.

"Enough said," Chiryo broke in, "Now, Hyuuga, Nogi, it is your choice whether or not to be against us, for us or neutral. Otherwise, it should not be any of your concern right? Like Hanahisaki had boldly stated, if we choose to die fighting for Ibaragi-san, then that is our wish. There is no better argument than that."

Tsubasa finally joined into the conversation again, "Okay, who doesn't want to rescue Ira-chan? Go over to the left side of the hallway." About half of the students moved to the left. Tsubasa sighed and announced in a loud voice again, "Who does want to rescue Ira-chan? Go to the right side. If you are neutral, please stay in the middle." A small group of kids walked to the right side and the rest stayed in the middle.

Misaki was slightly disappointed, but she managed on by saying, "Okay, you guys on the left; we don't need your opinions about this situation. You guys in the middle, we might be relying on your indirect help some time and you guys on the right, I'm glad you're on our side."

Daichi ended with a closing declaration, "We will not be overpowered by Persona!" The group on the right cheered. By the end of the night, everyone had dispersed and returned to their bedrooms. Daichi had returned to his room by himself, which was a first in a while. He slipped into bed after changing. "Nobara-chan...I hope it's warm where you're sleeping." And with that, his eyes grew heavy and he slept soundly for the rest of the night.

Typer's Note -
That was a longer chapter...At least, at least I think it was.
At first I was worried that it going to be too short.
But by adding some unexpected and impromptu parts in it, it got longer!
Woo, a lot longer than I expected.
Review this chapter if you can! I'd greatly appreciate it!
I won't die without them, just be sorely disappointed...

Foot Notes -
All of the outfits that I tried to describe, but failed in doing so, were all made up. Let's just say that Gakuen Alice wanted to try out new styles in clothing eh? Yeah, we'll go with that.
"Chiryo Koteihyodan"
Chiryo = Foresight, Koteihyo = Solid, Yodan = Prediction
"Kanjo Shinmitsukan"
Kanjo = Emotions, Shinmitsukan = Feelings of Affinity
by the way..."Daichi Hanahisaki"
Daichi = Earth, Hana = Flower, Hisaki = Fire