The Guardian of Gakuen Alice: Chapter 3

#06: Gakuen Alice (Natsume & Mikan)
...xXx...

As the shoji door slid open, Mikan stepped inside the dining hall, and the three teenagers looked at her. Sitting at the head of the table, Mikan softly said, "Pardon me for taking too long."

"Please don't worry about it, Mikan-sama," Ruka replied hesitantly.

Mikan smiled at him. "Please, call me Mikan. All of you are my honoured guests."

"I have a few questions," Hotaru stated to the point, and the two boys stared at her, wondering what she was going to ask.

Still smiling, Mikan replied, "You may ask, Hotaru-san. However, I will only answer your question when I see it fit to be answered."

"What guardian are you exactly?"

Mikan started eating her dinner and the others followed suit. She gazed at Hotaru. "I assure you, you've guessed the answer correctly."

Ruka looked bewildered while Natsume glanced at Mikan while wondering if she was truly a guardian of the land, then why did she have a teardrop symbol on her forehead? He then realised … element …

"In this world, there are four main elements that make up the land. I’m one of them, the Guardian of the Water Element to be exact," Mikan explained.

Hotaru nodded in understanding before asking again, "How old are you?"

Ruka almost chocked on his food and looked at Hotaru in disbelief. It was rude to ask that kind of question directly, but Hotaru was Hotaru, and she did have the permission to ask a few questions.

Natsume remained silent as Mikan chuckled slightly. "How old have you guessed, Hotaru-san?"

"500," Hotaru said bluntly, and Ruka choked on his drink.

Mikan looked at Ruka worriedly. "Are you all right, Ruka-san?"

Ruka blushed. Stuttering, he replied, "Y-yeah, I'm all right. Don't worry about it, Mikan-san."

"I like your straight-forwardness, Hotaru-san." Mikan turned to Hotaru. She paused for a few moments. "However, I can't remember how old I am because I live as long as I can remember, but I can assure you that I’m more than 800 years."

Ruka looked at Mikan in disbelief, and Natsume only stared at Mikan unemotionally.

"I know we’re in your palace but where are we?" Hotaru started again.

Natsume watched Mikan drink her water calmly.

Mikan put the glass to the table again and looked at three teenagers. Looking out of the dining hall, there was garden with a small pond and a full blooming sakura tree. She let out a small smile. "As what you've learned, I, the Guardian of the Water Element can control the water as I wish."

Understood, Hotaru nodded.

"We are inside the lake or in a water palace. Since you're human, I already cast a spell so that the three of you can breathe normally," Mikan ended her explanation.

After that, the dinner finished with a comfortable silence without anymore question from Hotaru.

"Please stay for the night because I believe now it's your human time to retire for the night. There will be a maid who will accompany the three of you to your respective room. I will guide you back to academy tomorrow morning, is it agreeable?" Mikan offered.

"Most agreeable," Hotaru replied with a nod, and Mikan bid them, "Have a good night, everyone."

Mikan instructed the maid to accompany the three teenagers to their rooms. After watching the three of them walk out from the dining hall, she stood up slowly and wandered around her castle like she always did during the night. A guardian like her doesn't need sleep like human does. Walking to the east wing of her castle, she proceeded to a garden that was filled with night flowers. In the centre of the garden, there was a big fountain with a maiden statue. Feeling alone, she slowly lifted to the air and stood right in front of the maiden statue. She looked sadly at the statue and whispered softly, "Mother…"

After a few moments, a gush of wind came.

She closed her eyes. "What do I owe this visit, Kazuma-sama?"

"I miss you greatly," a deep and masculine voice replied from behind her.

She slowly turned around while opening her eyes and met the deep green eyes. The figure in front of her was a long dark green-haired man with a green typhoon symbol at the centre of his forehead. She smiled kindly at him. "It's an honour to have such attention from you, Kazuma-sama."

"I couldn't wait until full moon to meet you," Kazuma said as he flew to Mikan and hugged her. He closed his eyes. "I am glad to see you."

Mikan smiled against Kazuma's embrace and slowly hugged his waist in return.

Unknown to Kazuma, there was a pair of crimson eyes watching them.

...xXx...

"Natsume, are you alright?" Ruka asked worriedly because his best friend hadn't spoken a word since they had arrived at Mikan's castle.

"Hn," was his only answer.

Ruka sighed in defeat as he didn’t dare to push the matter if Natsume didn't want to tell him anything.

If only I stayed, I won't have to feel this way. But why did I feel so angry when she was being hugged by other male? Natsume thought exasperatedly. It looks like this Kazuma is also one of the element guardians. He sighed, and without anyone noticing it, he growled to himself. Stop thinking about her, stupid mind!

After three of them had a brief breakfast in their own rooms, they were guided to the place where Mikan had welcomed them yesterday. So here they were now, waiting for Mikan to guide them back to the academy.

"Pardon me for taking too long," a honey sweet voice greeted them, and the three teenagers looked at the person.

Natsume looked away immediately as if he could care less about it.

"Please don't worry about it, we understand who you are," Ruka replied quickly.

"Thank you. I think it's time for all of you to go back now." Mikan smiled and started chanting silently, and in a few seconds, a small pond appeared before them. She gave the three teenagers a small nod. "Just walk to the pond and you'll be sent back to the academy."

"Thank you," Hotaru spoke sincerely before walking to the pond, followed by Ruka. Once they stood in the pond, they were immediately sent back to the Northern Forest.

After a good minute, Natsume didn't make a move from where he was seated.

"All of you are dismissed," Mikan commanded softly.

All the maids bowed before they left their mistress alone with her guest.

Mikan looked at Natsume. "Is there something you wish to ask, Natsume-san?"

He diverted his crimson orbs back to the deep blue orbs and mentally asked, Who is he?

They stared into each other's eyes without uttering any words.

She closed her eyes to break the staring contest and looked away. "I maybe a guardian, but I can't read minds like Kokoro-san."

His eyes widened in surprise.

"I know every single student in the academy, so if you have something in your mind, please don't hesitate to tell me, Natsume-san."

After a pregnant silence, Natsume whispered, "Who is he?"

Mikan's eyes slightly widened as she didn't expect Natsume to ask about Kazuma. She closed her eyes. "I can't tell you much about him, Natsume-san. I know you were there when Kazuma-sama visited me. After all, this is my palace. The only thing I can tell you is he's the Guardian of the Wind Element." He's also the son of the head guardian.

After a few moments, he stood up and started walking towards the pond. He stopped beside the pond and looked at her over his right shoulder. "Can I come again?"

She smiled. "Of course, Natsume-san."

"Natsume," he responded plainly before taking his leave.

"Why?" Mikan whispered as she watched the pond that disappeared completely when Natsume walked into it. She looked at the spot where Natsume had stood as another flashback played in her mind.

"It's really my pleasure to come here, Mikan-sama," Shiro said with a gentle smile.

She smiled in reply. "Please call me Mikan, Shiro-san."

"You will be able to return to academy through the pond," she informed after chanting a silent spell that created a small pond.

"Thank you for the hospitality." He walked towards the pond, but stopped beside it and looked at her over his right shoulder. "Can I come again?"

Mikan smiled gently. "Of course, Shiro-san."

"Shiro," Shiro replied with a smile and continued his way again.

Mikan closed her eyes as she sighed. What a coincidence…

...xXx...

It had been three days since they visited Mikan's palace. Surprisingly, he didn't have any missions for the past three days. He had the urge to find her, but his pride prevented him from visiting for some unknown reasons. Right now, he was hoping to have a new mission so that he could meet her. He tried to deny that he missed her badly. He was the Natsume Hyuuga, and he would die before admitting something so cheesy! He smirked inwardly when he heard a slow movement inside his room.

"Kuro Neko, meet me at the same time and place," Persona informed before he disappeared from his room.

Natsume was happy right now, as he had finally had a chance to meet her.

As predicted, hours later, he was heavily wounded because of the mission. Stupid Persona! He cursed while clutching his right shoulder that was bleeding profusely. He was shot by one of the guards. Persona didn't inform anything to him about tonight's guards. His vision started blurring when he felt a gentle hand led him to sit and lean on to one of trees in the Northern Forest.

"Mikan…" he whispered before everything went dark.

A vein popped on a green-haired girl's forehead. Her blue eyes glared at the unconscious Natsume. How dare he? Calling Mikan-sama without any respects! Ungrateful human! After a while, she sighed and remembered her last meeting with the guardian.

"Fin, I have a favour to ask you," Mikan began.

Fin smiled to indicate her land's guardian to continue.

"I will have a meeting with the other element guardians tonight. I need you to look after Natsume Hyuuga."

Fin's eyebrows wrinkled in annoyance. Of course, she knew about Natsume Hyuuga since her land's guardian was always helping him when he was injured because of his mission that was assigned by the academy.

Mikan smiled. "I know you don't really like him, but I'm worried about him, Fin. Can you look after him until I came back from the meeting?"

Fin sighed in defeat and looked away from her land's guardian. "I will do as you wish, Mikan-sama."

"Fin…" Mikan called softly.

Fin turned to look at her and smiled. "I’m okay. Though, I must admit that I don't like him. He's being rude and he—"

"I know," Mikan interjected and she smiled to the fairy. "He was forced to do something he doesn't like by the academy and was trained to be that way."
"Hmph! Be grateful to Mikan-sama that I helped you now," she muttered annoyingly and held out her wand to heal Natsume's wounds.

Prev Chapter 1—The Unknown Saviour Chapter 2—The Land's Guardian Chapter 3—The Invitation Chapter 4—The Meeting Chapter 5—The Child Chapter 6—The Choices Chapter 7—The Requirements Chapter 8—The Ascendant's Memories Chapter 9—The Guardian of Gakuen Alice Next