On High Guard
Aspirator
SIX
Natsume, they discovered as they travelled, surprisingly knew many of the lords and ladies of Aqalia - even some royalty of the neighboring kingdoms.
After the polite talk and his promise of allegiance and his men, Prince Nogi turned to their Commander of the High Guard.
"Hello, Natsume." The Prince addressed him with mirth.
He gave him a curt nod, but not the stiff shoulders kind. Koko was astonished that his next words were not 'It's Commander Hyuuga to you' like he is so used to hearing, but rather a monotonous, "Long time no see."
The young prince chuckled. "Yes, indeed." He turned to the questioning gaze of their queen. "I have been attempting to buy the High Guard for a long time now. I came for them, say, six or seven times."
"I would hardly count the last two times serious." The Commander commented.
"Yes," The Prince grinned, "perhaps I had resorted to pissing Persona off more than anything."
"Foolish." Natsume retorted.
"But brave," Ruka answered, nothing could wipe the grin off his face now, "isn't that what you said?"
"Hn." The commander grunted, a corner of his lips lifting just slight upwards.
The prince looked like he couldn't possibly be any happier at his success in comradeship.
Koko was nearly taken aback at how easy the Prince had won the Commander's friendship. But then he realized, as he got to know the man, that Natsume Hyuuga treated those he respected much differently than everyone else.
Koko cornered Mikan one day, impatience getting the better of him.
"So?" He asked her, "I know you gave him your thank you present because you two won't make eye contact."
Mikan fidgeted with her hands. "Um, I think he liked it."
"And you?"
"I, um..." She need not go on; Koko understood from the flush that overcame her cheeks.
"So he reacted well, then?" Koko motioned for her to go on.
"I don't know, he looked..." the sorceress giggled, blushing at the memory, "I've never seen him look that way. Surprised, I think. Like he didn't know what to do with himself, or his hands. He just...looked at me."
The advisor couldn't help but grin. To be honest, Koko wasn't completely sure how the Commander would react. He'd already seen too much of the Commander's reactions to most things - instinctive reflexes as fast as lightning that could have easily evaded the boldness of a rosy sorceress if he wanted. Ah, Koko thought to himself, but he didn't want to, did he?
The sorceress continued, breaking the advisor out of his thoughts. "But he's avoiding me." Mikan frowned, "I don't know. I'm getting mixed signals here. Not that I'm feeling much better. I don't know if I'm glad he's ignoring me, or I should be angry."
"Do you like him?" Koko realized he hadn't thought to ask her this before.
"Yes." Her answer was immediate and firm - then her brows furrowed as if she was surprised by her own answer. But it was not her reaction that caused the Advisor to step back, it was the uncertainty in her eyes.
She's not sure how strongly she feels about him, Koko quickly deduced. He returned to the prior topic; "he's avoiding you because he just doesn't know what to do with you."
Mikan sighed resignedly, frowning, "well, I don't know what to do with him."
I don't know what to do with the either of you, the advisor thought. Perhaps he had meddled too much the past few weeks. Perhaps they weren't ready, after all. Koko stepped back from his meddling, opting for a thoughtful answer. "You're persistent." The advisor reassured her, "keep at it."
When he walked away, he heard the sorceress mutter to herself, "what does that mean?"
Koko realized too late that being vague in his advice was detrimental - especially when it comes to the sorceress. When he told her to be persistent, he meant her relationship with the Commander, not this.
It started when Koko sidled up next to the Queen to look out onto the Nogi Palace Courtyard, where a certain Sorceress and Commander interacted. The Nogi's were close family friends of the Imai's, so knew of their Magical powers and where its real origin was. Thus, Mikan's identity was safe in the Nogi palace.
Koko turned his focus on the scene in front of him. With furrowed eyebrows, he asked the Queen, who had been watching this interaction for a while, "what is she doing?"
The aforementioned sorceress was frowning, waving her arm carelessly in an upward motion. In a quick rustle of leaves, a green blob with roses for eyes and a branch for a crooked mouth towered over the Commander. The leaves rustled again as the blob took the shape of a bear and moved to consume - or rather in a very odd way, hug - the Commander.
Natsume didn't look amused. He picked up a long branch from the ground and whacked at the green monster's arms. The form immediately fell apart, scattering leaves all over the grass they stood on. He seemed to be scolding her harshly, but one couldn't really tell by his emotionless face or strict stature. No, Koko deduced from Mikan's frown and defensive stance. And especially by the way she angrily retorted.
"She says she wants to help," the Queen rolled her eyes, "help him with his Magic. Teach him how to control it better, so the side effects - whatever they are - won't get to him." Hotaru relayed to the advisor, "it's useless. He won't reveal his Magic unless absolutely necessary."
Koko agreed; whatever Mikan does, she will not be able to draw out the Commander. He watched apprehensively as Mikan's attacks turned from playful to aggressive, as he could see the frustration become clearer in her body language. She stomped in annoyance as the Commander attempted to walk away - creating a sudden blue wall of ice, in the middle of a bright, sunny day.
The Commander merely sighed, and walked around, but the wall stretched to block his path.
"It's modified." Hotaru spoke up, as if skipping forwards in their conversation.
"Hm?" Koko answered intelligently. His brain quickly processed the Queen's words. "Your analysis of his Magic? From the little that we've seen so far?"
"I've met some Enhanced in my lifetime, but not like his." The Queen, in a rare mood, provided a lengthy explanation for the advisor. "His powers are modified to be mostly of the combative nature. I would not be surprised if he starts to conjure magical weapons."
"That would explain why he doesn't carry much weaponry, not that he even needs them in the first place." Koko thought aloud, remembering the many instances the Commander barely broke a sweat taking down an enemy.
Hotaru nodded acutely, then continued her analysis, "He controls the elements, but has honed them to be used for fighting. Other than that, he can heal, which is obvious why that was important. We know he can sense Magic, but I believe that comes with having Magic in the first place."
"I think Mikan mentioned that to me once, too," Koko agreed, "but it varies with their Magical power. Some weaker Magicians can only sense Magic when it is being used. Other Magicians have honed that power specifically so they can pick out Magicians across kingdoms."
As their discussion reached a lull, the advisor turned his attention back to the situation outside. With a start, he realized that Mikan was attacking the High Guard Commander uncontrollably now, shaking with frustration and anger at him. Her attacks came with every word she shouted, but in the chaotic wind that surrounded the pair in the courtyard, Koko couldn't catch a word she said.
He could only watch in trepidation as her magic became more Pure, as a show of her power. Orbs of pure blue light whirled around the Commander, who dodged with his lightning fast reflexes. The grass underneath them flattened in a large rectangle, signaling the bubble in which all her magical attacks are contained. When Natsume dodged a blue light attack, it dissipated in the air as soon as it reached an edge of that rectangle.
Outside that rectangle, everything remained normal. But inside that rectangle was chaos. Mikan's eyes were locked onto the Commander's form, her body still as her hands glowed blue. She clenched them into fists as her mouth moved, but Koko couldn't hear what she was saying. The Commander was interrupting her, intermittently responding in the midst of the chaos.
Suddenly, blue shards of light, as if a meteor shower, rained down upon the rectangle.
Gasping in alarm, Koko moved to interfere - but a cold hand to his arm held him back. He glanced questionably at the Queen, protests already rising from his throat and warnings to Mikan that 'you can't draw out Natsume's magic like that' and 'are you out of your mind?!' But all of that died on his lips when Hotaru sent him a commanding glance, forbidding his interference.
"She won't hurt him."
The Commander crouched, bracing himself and throwing his arm over his head in protection. As soon as the first shard of blue light fell upon his forearm and singed through the first layer of cloth -
Everything faded.
The Courtyard suddenly seemed dull, despite how sunny it was. The grass was upright again. Mikan, though no longer glowing with power, stood completely unharmed. Natsume on the other hand, was another story. He barely acknowledged her gaze boring into him. Standing up, he dusted himself off, as if that did anything to his resolve his minor injuries.
They could hear her clearly now, because she was shouting at him with a heated expression. "Why didn't you defend yourself?!"
Dazedly, Koko followed his Queen as they moved closer to the scene of the crime. He vaguely acknowledged some concerned High Guards moving in as well.
"You are not my enemy," the Commander stated simply. He turned to leave, weariness weighing down his shoulders.
"You have Magic!" Mikan shouted at his back.
"So do you." He didn't turn around, but they all heard him clearly. "Look what you've done."
The words appeared to have hit the sorceress physically. She stumbled back, right into Hotaru. The Queen merely reached out to place a hand on the sorceress' back, but said nothing. That seemed to have brought Mikan back to reality, however, as she stepped forward again in reinvigorated steps. She marched to catch up with the man, crying out, "You're not alone! I know you-"
That stopped him. Something flashed in his scarlet orbs when he whirled around sharply, glaring down at the petite woman. "You know nothing."
"I," Mikan gasped, grounded. "I understand Magic-" She reached out, her hand shaking slightly as if to feel the Magic within him.
"No," the Commander interrupted harshly, slapping her hand away. "You are a Pure. You were born with Magic. You have no fucking idea how it feels."
"Then tell me," the Pure begged in a hoarse whisper. "Tell me how it feels. Let me in."
For the longest five seconds of his life, Koko watched as the Commander remained silent, his dark gaze locked into her soft brown eyes. Finally, Natsume broke the eye contact to glance down as a drop of blood splashed on his boots. Mikan followed his gaze to look over the small scratches that trailed up his strong arm, horrified at her work.
With a trembling hand, Mikan reached up to touch the center of his chest, her hands glowing blue. "Let me heal you -"
- but the Commander stepped back and out of her reach. He turned away quickly. "I don't want your help."
"Bullshit!" Mikan shouted after him, but he did not respond.
The small party was sad to depart from the Nogi Kingdom. They were treated well, given real food, real beds, and better care than they had seen in a long time.
They were not to leave in the same numbers they had arrived in, however. With his blessing, Prince Ruka had sent with them half of his army for the inevitable final battle.
"I will not travel with you," Prince Nogi stated sadly as he bid them farewell, "but I will come visit in a few months' time, when the kingdom is won over and more stable." His faith in their success was admirable, but not misplaced. "Let my Commander Mochiage here show you the path through the snowy mountains." He frowned ever so slightly, as he continued seriously, "beware of the Ibaragi's. There are rumors surrounding them. None of them could be proven, but I doubt they are completely unfounded."
They mounted their horses and even Koko found himself sad to part with the cheerful blonde.
"Also," Ruka smiled, directly at Natsume. "Please, take Anna. One of my best Healers." Natsume sent him a sharp look, in which the Prince easily waved off. "I know you'll need her." The Prince smiled at the man, answering an unspoken statement, "You're welcome."
The Commander looked as if about to argue, then thought better of it. He gave the Prince a curt nod in return.