A/N - Hello~ Everyone had a nice April Fools I hope, as I am back with a new, and rather long, chapter. I apologize if this is a bit of a crummy chapter, I'm not the best at writing action yet XD In other news, after this chapter, there will not be many more after, as this story is coming to an end. Sad but true. I've been thinking about doing a Modern AU for like an epilogue of something, but I'll leave that decision up to you all! Other than that, enjoy the chappie and think about that AU idea and tell me what you think! Enjoy~!
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Obi has moved much faster ahead of the group, desperately searching for a sign, any sign, for the two red-heads. He followed different pieces of information of his tracking skills he had picked up from his many years in combat and as he leapt and sped through the foliage, he soon emerged from the forest and came immediately face to face with the small troop of 5 large men. One man held onto an unconscious Shirayuki, another man was restraining a fearful, rabbed acting Alice. Obi's blood boiled at the sight of her. She was thrashing around violently, as her hand were restrained behind her and her ankles held in a close proximity by shackles. She wanted to shout more than a few profanities, but could only let out muffled as she was silenced by a gag. He found it odd that the violet haired vermin, or Lucifer, was not with them. Obi knew he hadn't been noticed yet, as these men seemed dense as clay, so he quickly stepped back slightly into the foliage and watched them. He slowly and quietly drew a few of his throwing knives and waiting for his moment.
His eyes widened a bit as he saw it and whipped his arm, releasing the knives as they soared through the air and hit one man, his body falling to the ground as one knife pierced through his neck. The remaining 4 guards then saw Obi as he came from hiding and the 2 without a hostage ran to take him on.
Alice was surprised to say the least, she didn't expect Obi to show up so quickly, and much less alone. It was a bad idea, he was strong yes, but these men were tanks. Giant and strong, even Obi would have a hard time. She whipped her head around, her breathing frantic from her gag and slowly building adrenaline. She looked to Shirayuki as she was hoisted over the shoulder of the man standing next to her. She scanned her brain for a strategy, anything would work, just something. She needed to help Shirayuki, after all, she means so much to Obi and her, and Obi means a lot to Alice. Then something seemed to click the moment she saw a dip in the ground a few feet away. She then decided what to do. While Obi was busy with the other two, she would get Shirayuki out of danger, reassuring Obi, it was the least she could do for everything they've done for her.
She lifted her knee, positioning her foot above the man's that held her and rather forcefully slammed her boot-clad heel into his limb; she added a few twisted and turns, inflaming the skin just to piss him off. He clicked his tongue and did the first reaction that anyone human would do when they harmed their foot. He lifted it. She took this change and pushed her back against his chest and worked him backward, counting her steps. Once her ideal number was hit, she shoved backward with her head, hitting the man's chin as he stepped in the dip she had spotted earlier and tumbled with her. She fell on top of him, he released his hold on her, but only as they hit the ground. Alice landed as her arms were still being held from behind and she heard a, surely unhealthy, snap in her shoulder. She gasped and bit at her gag as she rolled over, her arms now free and ripped off her gag from her mouth.
The corners of her mouth and around her face had red raw marking from the cloth, but she ignored the burning as she glared at the man holding Shirayuki. However, naturally the other 2 men who was busy with Obi, took notice and one broke away to deal with her. Obi stared at Alice in shock. It looked like she was running on nothing but will power, pumping plan after plan in her head and thinking of the next moves before they even happened. However, there was one thing he had recognized, something he had only briefly glimpsed before; the look she wore on her face. Her eyes were narrow and she was extremely focused as her body relaxed and she centered on only her battle, it was like the first time they had meet on that day Izana brought them all in to greet Alice properly and Obi and Alice had a quickly and unfinished brawl.
Obi was holding his own against the man against him, but was quickly growing tired of his persistence, so Obi annoyed, quickly lodged a knife into his stomach and connecting a solid blow to his head with his knee. The man fell hard, unconscious, dead or alive, Obi didn't know nor did he particularly care at this moment. He watched as Alice moved like the wind, her moves flowed evenly and without hesitation and she was fast. She soon found herself wrapping her legs around the back of her opponent's neck and bending backward, effectively bring him to the ground. She took this change to then shift her focus to Shirayuki's captor as she used the men beneath her as a push point and jumped onto the chest of the man holding the red-head.
She wrapped her legs around his torso, her hands harshly gripping at his throat as his hold on Shirayuki loosened. Alice's gaze glared behind her at a stunned Obi. She shouted at him as Shirayuki began to slide down his shoulder.
"Get her before she hits the ground!" Obi, shook out of his daze, ran forward, caught Shirayuki before she meet with the hard ground and retreated aways for safety. He then returned his gaze to Alice as the man was on his back, Alice sitting on his chest, squeezing the life from his throat. She applied her body weight as Obi called out to her.
"Alice stop it!" He didn't want to see her like this, she had told him that she was capable of many things, some of which were clean on her slate, but he didn't want to believe it, and if he did bring himself to believe it, be never wanted to see it. So he had to stop her, before the woman he truly loved, commits a crime right in front of his eyes. Alice glared at him before a figure appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, behind Alice and she just tensed up and fell to the ground, rolling off the man as he gasped for breath.
Alice lay on the ground, breathing harshly as her adrenaline wore off and her body began to ache. The burning in her lungs began as her air supply was shortened. Obi stared at her body as it flopped over and then shifted to the person who did.. Something to her. Above her was a man with shaggy, extremely unusual, violet hair the same man he saw earlier in the castle with the first prince. He wore a royal blue tunic and a sick smile as his eyes were narrowed. Alice shifted her gaze to him and she frozen. Her body began to tremble and even with the distance, Obi could see it. Her eyes were wide in the same fear he witnessed before.
"You rat- what did you do?!" Obi held Shirayuki closer to him as he shouted at the man, anger laced in his voice.
"Now now Mr. Cat~ I merely paralyzed her by striking her pressure points that are located at the nape of the neck. I did not harm to her, harm that is long lasting that is." Lucifer bent his knees and brought his body closer to the ground as he then reached out and grabbed a fistful of Alice's hair, lifting her lower body and earning a whine from the girl. Obi tensed and leant forward as Shirayuki began to awaken. Her vision was blurry and her hearing was just a jumble of noises until it cleared. She turned her head and muttered something, gaining Obi's attention.
"Mistress!" Alice snapped her gaze over to Shirayuki and Obi as she widened her eyes as them. She smiled lightly at the girl before the smile was wiped from her face as another gag was placed around her mouth. SHe shut her eyes tight, tears adorning them as Shirayuki struggled in Obi's grip, he only held her tighter as he watched, stunned. Shirayuki then gripped his collar and yelled at him.
"What are you doing?! Help her Obi, Please!" Obi regaining his composure and carefully set Shirayuki down and ran towards Alice. However, he did not get far as one man who was not unconscious or dead quickly came behind him and pinned him to the ground. He looked with a scornful look Lucifer still holding tight to Alice's long crimson locks. He still wore that sickening smile and he then closed his eyes. He then brought a small bamboo stick to his mouth and pushed his breath through it. It shot something and hit Obi's neck. His eye were wide as his sense became jumbled and hazy. He couldn't keep his eyes straight and his hearing was like someone was stuffing his ears full of leaves. The man got off his back and then he went to the side of Lucifer and picked up Alice from the ground, placing her on his shoulded before turning and leaving.
'Dammit, was that poisoned..' Obi felt so helpless, he couldn't move, he could speak, he could do nothing as they walked off with Alice, and with Shirayuki still in a daze behind him, weak from her new consciousness, his mind came crashing down on him as he finally lost his own consciousness. It wasn't long before the group Izana organized found the two and brought them back to the castle, ending their search for the day.
Obi awoke next in a small room. HIs scarf had been removed and he lay in a small bed. Looking around he saw his scarf hanging on a rack next to the door and recognized the place as a recovery room in the pharmacy wing. However, it dawned on him that he was back at the castle. He shoot up and threw the blankets off legs before they touched the floor. However, the effects of the poison dart from earlier were not completely gone and his legs could not support his weight and his knees buckled beneath him, making his body crash to the wooden floors, none to quietly I may add. It was at the ruckus he made when the door was opened and Shirayuki switched on the light, entering the room in a rush with Zen tailing behind her.
Zen picked Obi off the floor, placing him back on the bed before sighing and grabbing a chair from under the desk and offering it to Shirayuki as he took a seat next to Obi on the bed. Zen summarized the events of what had happened, apparently, that poison had him unconscious for a solid 3 days. He was surprised his body even allowed that, but it couldn't be helped as much as he didn't like it. Zen explained that Mitsuhide and Kiki had been working with Zen and Izana with the search and information on the Kou Empire. Obi, thinking about it, could only imagine how Alice felt. Only he and Mitsuhide knew about Alice's past and Kou. She's returned to her own personal hell all because she came to Clarines. At this thought, Kiki came into the room and asked for Zen and Shirayuki to follow, Mitsuhide had something to say to them and Izana. Since Obi was awake now, he was allowed to come as well, but with aide.
All gathered in Izana's study, Mitsuhide hesitantly began to explain Alice's past to everyone. Of course, everyone took it seriously and savored every detail. Once everyone was filled in Izana made sure that no one was to speak of this to anyone, and what was said in that room was kept secret, naturally no one had any problem with it, after all if this got out, it could cause even more trouble. Obi spent the rest of the day with Mitsuhide, gaining back as much as his strength as possible, because the next day, he would set out and find Alice.