Black and White
Please enjoy the story! Hope you like it ;D
-Sorry for bad grammar and tenses-
Disclamer : I do not own Gakuen Alice
Chapter 10 : Fight
"You are such a burden." Natsume grumbled as they run through the forest, searching for a good hiding spot. "If you are not here, we won't be in this situation."
A pang of guilt stab Mikan's heart. She already know that everybody in a mess because of her, and she doesn't need a jerk to clear that up.
"Hush, brother. Don't say something like that." Aoi calmly said. "Don't worry Mikan, everybody in the village are looking forward to this fight, they are excited to release their power after so many years living in peace. And you are clearly not a burden."
Mikan bit her lower lip, trying to ease her own feeling. "Really? They want to fight?" She ask softly.
Aoi nodded. "Yes, they are. They like to live in peace of course, but they won't reject a fight like this. We are the Black Tribe anyway." A mysterious glint passed Aoi's crimson eyes.
"This spot could do." Natsume suddenly said, stopping at a big bush which has thorns everywhere.
"Are you sane brother? We can't hide in that!" Aoi replied incredulously.
"Baka Burito." Natsume emotionlessly said, flicking Aoi's forehead. "Of course we won't hide in there. Are you stupid? We hide here." He continued as he stepped over the side of the bush, vanishing behind it.
Aoi look at her brother, and then at Mikan. "Come on, let's follow him."
Mikan only nodded and trailed along right behind Aoi.
"Wow, this is a great one!" Aoi commented as soon as they get behind the big bush. "We can see clearly from here, but we are completely hidden from prying eyes!"
Natsume give out a smug smirk. "I told you so."
Aoi rolled her eyes. "Yes, sure. Thank you so much brother for founding a perfect hiding place."
Natsume ignored Aoi's sarcasm and choose to take a seat under one of the big trees which surrounding their hiding place.
Aoi huffed and take Mikan's hand, dragging her to the opposite tree.
"Just let the jerk be. He is here just because father don't let us girls alone." She grumbled.
Mikan only smiled hearing Aoi's protest. She knows, she can see it that Natsume cared for Aoi, despite his action like that. Because unlike Aoi's treatment, Natsume purely act mean and being a total jerk in front of her.
"Hey Mikan, what do you think if the soldier can catch us up?" Aoi ask excitedly, she really doesn't look afraid of going face to face with the White Tribe's soldiers.
Mikan quickly snap out from her thought as she rolled her eyes in Aoi's way. "Don't get excited like that. It's dangerous you know facing the soldiers."
Aoi chuckled. "But I don't think so. You haven't know the power of my Alice, Mikan, and you never seen the Alice that my brother has too."
Mikan arched her eyebrow. "Then, what is your brother Alice? Is it different from yours?"
Aoi grinned. "No, Me and my brother both have the same Alice, that is the Fire Alice. But I must admit that the diffrence between my power and him are quite great and there is no fire wielder stronger than brother." Aoi glance the sleeping Natsume for a second before continuing. "But we have different techniques for fighting, while brother prefer to have melee fight, I rather choose a distant one."
"So, you prefer to shoot your fire from afar?"
"Yes, absolutely." Aoi nodded. "Because of that my preference of weapon is bow and arrows, not sword like brother."
"But isn't it stupid? You know that the Alice can be used either narrow or wide range, why bother with the technique?"
Aoi shrugged. "It's just the taste, Mikan. I bet you will understand later after experiencing more fight."
"No. This is not happening." Aoi whispered in horror as she watched a few soldiers looking like searching for something, or to be exact, someone near their hiding spot. "They aren't suppose to be here."
Mikan could feel her heart pounding too as she see around 10 soldiers lurking around while slashing each branches or bushes to see if there is something behind it.
"Why impossible, Aoi?" Mikan whispered back, still eyeing the soldiers.
"Because father and the others suppose to defend the forest. Their goal is not to let any soldiers arrive in this area."
Mikan's eyes widen as she realize the meaning from Aoi's statement. "Is.. Is uncle gonna be alright?"
"Stupid hag. Of course he would." Natsume suddenly appeared beside Aoi, glaring at both of the girls at the same time. "Everybody can take care of themselves. I think the soldiers are here just because they came from different direction."
"What do you mean, brother?" Aoi frowned, looking at Natsume with questioning looks.
Natsume sighed, he looks like tired all of sudden. "I don't want to explain it to you, buriko. Just bear with the knowledge that it is possible for them to infiltrate here."
Aoi pouted. "You are so mean!"
"Shh.. Aoi. Not so loud," whispered Mikan, her hazel eyes still locked on the soldiers.
"What should we do now, brother?" Aoi asked, crouching low right beside Mikan.
An unreadable glint pass through both of his crimson eyes as a smug smirk found its way to his lips. "Do you want to fight?"
Aoi squealed while grinning wide. "Yes! Of course!"
Mikan gaped at both of them. Did they lose their mind already? Any sane person would avoid fight especially battle between life and death, and they are outnumbered for goodness sake!
"No, you can't. We better stay hidden. We would fight them if only they threatened us first." Mikan said firmly, not leaving any space for argument.
"No one asking you, little girl. So just shut up and watch if you don't want to fight." Natsume replied haugtily, his crimson eyes boring deeply into Mikan's.
Mikan could feel her blood boil at his reply. That stupid jerk. He will endanger his sister life if he act recklessly! He is trusted by his father to take care of his sister and he just want to jump into a fight like it was nothing.
Mikan lift up her chin, staring equally vicious to the crimson eyed boy. "Just do what you want, but I won't endanger my life unecessarily, and please don't bring Aoi into the mess you would make."
Natsume rolled his eyes, obviously annoyed with the way Mikan act, but still, it didn't make his spirit to fight the soldiers gone.
"I just want Aoi to have fun. You are hindering her." He said pointedly.
Mikan gritted her teeth. "I'm saving her life!"
"You don't."
"Yes, I am! I'm not like you, you – "
"Uhhh, guys?" Aoi said cautiously as she stood up and pulled out her bow.
"What?" Both of them answered while turning their focus to where Aoi was crouching.
Right in front of her, where the big bush should be standing proudly and covered their hiding place is gone. Replacing that, three surprised looking soldiers stand with one of them holding a sword which was used to cut down the bush.
"Damn." Natsume cursed under his breath as he jumped quickly beside Aoi and summoned a tall wall of fire while pulling back his sister.
"What should we do now, brother?" Aoi ask in an excited voice, her eyes full of fighting spirit which make Mikan face palmed herself.
"We would fight. Stay here, Aoi, with that hag. I will confront them. Just make sure you keep firing your fire bow or throw some fireballs." Natsume instructed in a fast pace. He stop for a milisecond, before turning and stared at the confused looking Mikan. "Little girl, it would really help if you can do something with your lame Alice."
Mikan growled. "If its lame then why do you need my help!"
Natsume shrugged. "At least it will block one soldier."
Mikan clenched her fist in anger. "I can make them vanish!"
"Guys!" Aoi half shouted, as she loaded her bow with fiery arrow, aiming it to one of the soldiers. "Just keep your arguing later! We have enemies to fight!"
"Just make sure you do something, little girl." Natsume said shortly before drawing out his own sword, and started fighting with metal on his right while fire on his left hand.
Mikan didn't have time to be mad any longer, since the ten soldiers already march towards them.
She tried to asses the situation quickly.
Right now, Aoi has make three of the soldiers busy with her fire arrows, too bad the soldiers are way too skilled to be burned by that. If only Aoi's arrows can make them face death or at least make them handicapped, it would help a lot.
By seeing the soldiers fighting, she know all of the three soldiers posses the Alice of water since they keep fending off Aoi's arrow with that.
Mikan turned her attention to the older Hyuuga who is busy fighting two on one. But although he is fighting alone, he doesn't seem have a hard time, even if the soldiers really skilled in fighting and have water Alices too. Well, that's good to know.
Alright, so now what she needs is to block the other 5 soldiers from advancing towards them, especially Natsume who is engrossed in hand on hand fighting.
She takes a deep breath to calm herself and quickly started to freeze the soldiers feet.
It didn't really stop the soldiers, but at least they are busy with breaking the ice now.
After that, she summoned a tall wall of ice which is really thick to buy them some time.
"Aoi!" Mikan shouted over the sound of metal clanking with metal. "Can't you kill them?"
"No! The three of them are so skillful in using their Alices, we must fight with our swords or we never defeat them." Aoi shouted back.
Mikan bit her lower lip. She has been training her swordfighting skill these past month, the same with her alice, but its only been 18 months, and she wasn't sure if her skill is enough to fight the soldiers.
"Just jump in, Mikan. I can cover for you." Aoi encouraged, smiling while keep firing her arrows.
Mikan gulped and nodded as she pull out her sword from the scabbard, challenging one of the water user.
She started the attack with a swift move of slicing the sword flatly towards the soldier's chest. Automatically, he jump back, drawing out his own sword while summoning a wave of water. Mikan calmly wave her hand, freezing the water and make it move towards the owner in form of icicle as she charge forward in the same time.
The soldier tried to make another wave of water to wash away the icicle, but because of that, he missed a move from Mikan which is consisted of stabbing cleanly through his left chest with her trusty sword.
The soldier cough out blood and glaring at Mikan with his emerald eyes, ready to fire back with his water when an arrow nest in his throat, effectively burning him until there is no remain of his body.
Mikan take another breath, she tried to hold back her puke as this is the first time she killed someone. She holds her sword stronger, afraid that it will slip away due to her sweaty palms.
'Okay, there is no time to think about it. Fight Mikan!' She told herself while jumping to another soldier.
This time, she jumped silently behind the soldier who is busy fighting with Aoi's arrow, and brought forward her sword, effectively decapitating the soldier's head.
Two other soldier notice her presence in no time, and started to fight her two on one, just like Natsume's fight.
Mikan took a step back, her forehead already sweating from the fight and nervousness.
Left. Right. Jab. Turn. Stab.
"No, I can't do this." Mikan muttered, while trying to make every water attack into ice and defending herself from the sharp metals in a form of swords at the same time.
One of the soldier make a swift move in blocking Mikan's sword, and in junction with it he with his partner summoned a blast of water towards her.
Mikan, being already tired from fighting two on one since its her first time fighting real, only can make the water turn into ice and vanish, while she is late in blocking the sword.
Her scream pierce the heated battlefield, as the sword going through her right shoulder.
"Mikan!"
Mikan could hear Aoi's shout as she clutched her bleeding shoulder and fall down on her knees. Spontanously, she conjured up an tall wall of ice, hindering the two soldiers from attacking her in her injured state.
Mikan take a careful, but quick look to her shoulder and as she asses her wound, she conjured a thin ice to cover her wound and stop the bleeding.
"I guess this should do." She mumbled.
Mikan is going to stand up and make the ice wall vanish, when the ground shook vionlently, which resulting in the ice wall gone inside the earth while she fall down because out balance.
Mikan cursed under her breath and will the ice to protect her from the incoming soldier as suddenly, like out of nowhere, Natsume appeared beside her and start to fight.
"What are you doing?" Mikan hissed to the fighting figure in front of her.
Natsume swiftly throw some fireballs as a distraction, as he quickly shoot one of the soldier down with a big inferno, and the other with a clean cutting move of his sword.
He turn around with a smug smirk etched on his lips. "I'm trying to save your life you know. You can't do it with injured shoulder like that."
Mikan frowned. He totally look down on her. "I can do it well, Hyuuga. Stop bothering me! Just focus on your own fight!"
Natsume shrugged. "Fine, just don't come to me when you need it."
"Stupid jerk!" Mikan cursed, clenching her sword.
Natsume turn to the right way, approaching a fighting Aoi. Looks like he wants to help his baby sister despite the fact that he said Aoi can do it by herself, when Mikan saw two soldiers running at his way. One has summoned a tall wall of water which surely would wash someone away, while the other ready with his sword pointing to Natsume's back.
'No! He will be too late to notice them!' Mikan thought in panic. She didn't think about the fact that she hate Natsume at all. The only thought that in her head is that he couldn't die like this.
Mikan started to run, although there is a big possibility that she won't make it, seeing the pace the soldiers go, but she still running nonethless.
With a determined heart and thought, she jumped right when the soldier push his sword and the other send his wave. Mikan willed a quick ice wall to appear, although she knows that it won't hold off the attacks.
The last thing she heard was Aoi's scream before everything around her turns black.
Derp1Derp2 : There you go ;D the answer to all of your questions, hope that this chapter will satisfied you ! XD Thank you so much for leaving a sweet review here :D You rock!
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Aquabluemarine