Sleeping Beauty's little Sister.

Chapter 11

Hi!!! So sorry that I didn't update on Tuesday like I thought I would, but in my defence I already had half of this chapter typed. That's gotta count for something, right?

Wednesday was crazy, but I got my driving permit!!! (>O<) Haha, and now here I am typing the rest of the chapter.

This is the chapter that introduces a few more D.A. Class members, but instead of using Yakumo like I thought I would, I decided to use Narumi. I know Nobara and Narumi is a NASTY, DISGUSTING ship, that I myself wouldn't board, but bare with me...

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Gakuen Alice, they belong to Higuchi Tachibana-sama; any OOC-ness is on me. Story inspiration from E.D.B.'s story.

"Where do you want to go next?" asked Natsume. His horse pawed the ground, impatient at standing still. Mikan's horse flicked its ears as if listening for her reply.
It was late afternoon, which meant that it was too late too early to stop for the night, but too late to get very far before nightfall. Mikan peered up the road, using her hand to shade her eyes from the sun. "Where does this road go?"

"Southwest," said Natsume. "If we stay on it long enough, we'll end up in Wryden."
"Sweetness N Light said that Voracia was either south or west, so I suppose southwest is a good compromise. We can ask if people have heard of her along the way."

Mikan turned her horse to ride beside Natsume and sighed with relief. The only sounds she heard were the clip-clop of their horses' hooves and the songbirds singing to their neighbors. She welcomed the quiet after the unceasing noise in Sweetness N Light's garden and was about to say so when Natsume spoke up.

"Do you know what you're going to do once you find Voracia?"

"I have no idea," Mikan replied. "But I'm sure something will come to me. It always does."
"In other words, you have no plan."

"None!" she said, and gave him her brightest smile.
Natsume scowled and looked as if he wanted to argue, but Mikan wasn't in the mood to discuss their options. Instead, she turned her attention to the countryside and let herself relax.

They rode through forest and open countryside without passing anyone and had just entered another, older wood where the trees were taller and the gloom deeper, when a horse whinnied and their two mounts answered. A minute later a man rode up behind them, hailing them as he approached. "Care for some company?" he said once he was close enough that he didn't have to shout. "This forest is no place to be alone after dark."

"Certainly," said Natsume. "The more sword arms, the better. What brings you here at this time of day?"
"I'm Prince Narumi of Bellaroost," the man replied, positioning his horse so that he rode beside Natsume. Even in the gloom of the forest Mikan could see that he was exceedingly handsome, with long, blond hair and chiseled features. "An orge kidnapped the love of my life and I'm going to rescue her. He's taken her to his castle just over the next hill."

"You're going by yourself?" Natsume asked.

Prince Narumi nodded. "I borrowed a magic ax from my father. He got it from his uncle, who got it from his father-in-law, who bought it from someone at a magic marketplace. It's supposed to kill an orge with one swipe. I don't need anyone to go with me as long as I have this ax," he said, patting the weapon that was strapped to the back of his saddle.

They spoke together in low voices while the shadows deepened, but Mikan began to feel uneasy and the young men soon stopped talking as they watched the forest around them. When the road angled uphill, Narumi tightened his grip on his reins, making his horse prance with excitement.