Special Alice (Gakuen Alice / Alice Academy FF)

SA 28 - Penguin

{Author}

In the aftermath of their unexpected arrival through the warphole, Natsume, Ruka, Tsubasa, Mikan, and Misaki lay unconscious, sprawled across the earth near a colossal tree with a hollow at its base.

Mikan was the first to stir. As she awoke to her unfamiliar surroundings, she couldn't help but exclaim, " What is this place? A mountain?" Her voice quivered with uncertainty.

Tsubasa, too, slowly regained consciousness and muttered, " Ah..." Mikan noticed Misaki lying beside her and gently roused her with a tap.

Tsubasa, while sitting up, speculated, " This must be the exit point of the warphole." Natsume followed suit, nonchalantly dusting off his uniform.

" The shock from the warphole must've knocked us out," Misaki surmised, standing and reorienting herself. Ruka, also now on his feet, employed his Alice to communicate with a nearby bird.

" Found anything?" Natsume inquired, his curiosity piqued. Ruka scanned their immediate vicinity and reported, " There are only mountains in this area, and there aren't any houses here."

Tsubasa surveyed their woody surroundings, observing a dense cluster of trees, and ventured, " Maybe this place is privately owned by Z's organization. They likely have a hiding place nearby, away from prying eyes."

" What do we then? Being knocked out for a while, we wasted our remaining time." Misaki voiced her concern about their lost time, emphasizing the need for a plan.

" We should gather information about their location so we could manage to catch those fellows." Tsubasa agreed, acknowledging that they should first eat, as they had skipped a meal the day before.  " Ah, right. We should eat first before we could do anything. We haven't really eaten yesterday afternoon."

" We'll look for something on the way." Ruka suggested they search for food along their journey, a proposition met with approval. Mikan, eager to be of assistance, reached for her bag, but to her surprise, found a fluffy, curled ball instead. She gently unfurled the ball, revealing Penguin inside, though their food was already gone. She surmised that Penguin had stowed away for this adventure to assist Hotaru in some way.

" Is this an emergency food?" Natsume asked while grabbing Penguin by the head.

Natsume was keen on pressing forward and locating Z, a mission he deemed of utmost importance. " Why did you bring that here? It'll just get in our way," he asserted, glaring at Mikan and Penguin. 

" We aren't playing here. Bringing along a useless thing will only bring more danger," he added, his eyes piercing as he emphasized the potential risks.

Mikan, however, defended Penguin with fervor, asserting, " You can't say that! I'm sure Penguin's tools will help us. I'll take care of Penguin and bear the responsibility."

Natsume's stern gaze remained fixed on Mikan, but he soon continued forward, leaving the others to follow in his wake. Misaki, mindful of the tension between Mikan and Natsume, walked behind the group, her gentle and watchful presence unspoken support for her companions.

As they advanced, Ruka deduced that a few others had arrived ahead of them, though they had ascended rather than descended the hill. He received two apples from nearby creatures and offered one to Tsubasa.

" We'll climb the hill and search for clues," he suggested. Their path would lead them uphill as they foraged for signs of their adversary.

However, just as they pressed forward, Misaki, walking behind the group, noticed Penguin reaching for grapes on a nearby plant. 

" Ah, Penguin you shouldn't..." She uttered a warning, but it was too late—vines from the plant ensnared Penguin, enveloping it.

"Penguin!" Misaki gasped, unable to intervene in time. Turning back, they discovered a sentient, carnivorous plant.

Mikan and Misaki immediately rushed to free Penguin from the plant's grasp, but as they succeeded, another tree awakened and joined the fray.

Ruka had managed to take shelter beneath one of the trees, but Natsume and Tsubasa found themselves targeted, with the irate tree launching a barrage of sticky sap in their direction.

"Stop shooting your saps everywhere, dammit!" Tsubasa protested, futilely shielding his face as the sticky substance encased him. "My face!"

As they struggled to free themselves from the tree's assault, another tree responded by rustling its leaves, scattering a deluge of leaves upon them.

Ruka seized the opportunity to dash toward Mikan. The tree spotted this and employed its roots to swat at them, successfully striking Ruka in the stomach, sending him hurtling backward, where he collided with a nearby tree.

"Uwaaa!" Mikan cried out, taken aback by the aggressive assault. Ruka, in obvious pain, clenched his back.

" Ruka-pyon!" Misaki gasped and wielded water forming it to an ice blade and controlled it. Cutting the tree's root away as it was still trying to attack Ruka. 

Natsume's anger and frustration were palpable as he locked eyes with Mikan. "You... really want to start a forest fire?" he warned, the intensity in his voice conveying the dire consequences that could result from such an act.

The incensed trees promptly halted their assault, their awareness of the potential threat now apparent. Tsubasa rushed to assist Ruka, helping him back to his feet.

"Are you all right?" he asked, genuine concern evident in his voice. Ruka, in discomfort, confirmed his well-being. "Is your face all right?" he retorted, concern reciprocated.

" Ugly girl." Natsume spat. Mikan trembled before stammering her reply. " Y-Yes." 

" Geez-- she admitted..." Tsubasa shook his head in disbelif. Misaki tied up her long hair as it was disrupting her concentration while she was looking at both Mikan and Natsume. She knew that Natsume wanted Mikan to abandon the Penguin as he believe it would cause lots of trouble. 

" Leave that thing now." Natsume hissed. Mikan's eyebrow twitched in annoyance." We agreed that I'll take responsibility, he just got lost a while ago." she defended, hugging Penguin tightly not wanting to let go. 

" That thing started the mess right?" he looked at Mikan. Mikan got angry and shouted. " What- blaming it all on Penguin?! That's too much!" Natsume looked away in annoyance, not wanting to converse with a stubborn girl. He walked away quietly wanting to calm himself down.

Mikan, stunned by the rapid escalation of events, pondered why Natsume was behaving so sternly. A concerned Misaki offered comfort, gently patting her back, and explained the motive behind Natsume's firmness.

"He's stricter than anyone else, but he knows what he's doing, Mikan-chan," Misaki reassured. Mikan's eyes glistened as she sighed. "He's not angry for himself. He's looking out for others, Mikan-chan."

Apologizing for the trouble she'd caused, Mikan hung her head in remorse. Misaki, supportive and optimistic, offered words of encouragement. " Heads up, Mikan-chan. We've got a long way to go."

With a renewed sense of purpose and unity, they resumed their journey, following Natsume's lead as they ventured further into the unknown. Ruka and Mikan stood beside each other, Tsubasa and Natsume scouted ahead, and Misaki, silent and vigilant, walked behind, safeguarding the group from harm.