Chapter four! This is amazing! I've written four chapters! That's amazing for me. I tend to procastinate or forget, whichever. Anyway... vote! Seriously vote. Review too! I don't really care if you just say Hi, flames are ok too. I've settled down in the world of fanfiction, I'm ready, I can take the heat!

Masquerade Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Linked

Dangerous, huh? Tara thought as she walked aimlessly around the school after lunch. She had been the only one eating at the Special Star table as Natsume had opted to sit with the triple stars. She wasn't oblivious to what was being said about her either. No matter how uninterested she may have looked.

The rumors had started the moment she walked into the classroom, but with every hour they got more outrageous… and more accurate. Rumors that she had killed off her entire family in a fit of rage over her hair or something pointless of the like, had reached her unusually keen ears about halfway through lunch. At that point she, very suddenly, stood up and left the lunchroom all eyes turning to her exit in silence and fear.

Except for that boy. Natsume was perhaps the only person that wasn't afraid. He even looked slightly understanding, as if he could see how much all of this was really affecting her. Or could at least relate. She had no idea how she could tell what he was thinking so clearly. It was probably his eyes; they were so expressive, even if they did have an older much more mature look than any eleven year old should have.

Even so, he still thought she was dangerous and warned his friends against her. Tara guessed that was smart though. After all, those rumors were mostly true. Not only that but technically she was classified as "dangerous". If anybody actually took the time to look up her file here, while she assumed most of it would be blank or incorrect –-the incompetent fools- it would in-fact label her as being a danger to the rest of the school. She most definitely thought she was a danger to anybody around her. I'll just stay away from everyone then. If there's no one around there'll be no one to hurt. It doesn't look like any one's going to come near me anyway.

She quietly observed her surroundings, hands in the pockets of the shorts she was sure there would be problems about. Yet, there was not a word. Tara now understood the effectiveness of scare tactics, even if they weren't intentional. She knew she was somewhere between the Elementary section and the Middle school section, on the edge of the Northern forest. She couldn't believe how absolutely vast the Academy grounds were. She spotted a clearing on her left that had a small white gazebo.

She sat down under the shade of its roof letting the warm autumn breeze glide over her, closing her eyes and relaxing for the first time in what seemed like forever. She couldn't rest in the classroom. She was just too tense around other people. She chuckled to herself. Was there ever a time she was really comfortable around another person? Probably not. An orphanage was not a place to develop social skills, you would be much better off learning how to fight and defend yourself. So she did. She learned early on that there, you were on your own. Nobody was going to help you, and there was a very strict social class. Personally Tara thought it more resembled a food chain than anything else. Being at the bottom definitely wasn't good, so she rose through the ranks using whatever means available. Be it by force or manipulation she insured her own survival before anything else. She made sure not to make herself too noticeable though. Those who brought attention to themselves were normally targeted first. Eventually she was adopted by a very normal, average middle class family of four.

Which made her wonder how things worked here? There was a definite order what with the Stars, Alice types, and Alice shapes. She figured she was at the top somewhere. Being special star seemed to be some huge deal. Apparently there were less than ten in the entire school. This didn't sit well with Tara, she didn't like the spotlight. She much preferred to stay anonymous and out of the way. She had a feeling that wasn't going to happen here.

Tara's head swiveled in the direction she had just come from not ten minuets ago at the sound of approaching footsteps. A familiar figure dressed in all black came into the clearing and into the gazebo, stopping just in front of her. She stood up and looked at him inquiringly, tilting her head to the side to enhance the effect. "You seem to be able to get around fine on your own." He observed. She supposed he was right, as she had managed to get to all of her classes without trouble. While she may not know exactly where she was at the moment, she knew how to get back. She had an extraordinarily good memory. Most people that have encountered it would probably go as far as to say she had photographic memory.

She didn't reply. He didn't expect her to. He put one of his ring adorned fingers into his pockets and pulled out a folder full of papers. She accepted it from him when he offered it to her. Tara flipped it open and studied the contents. She quickly realized what it was. It was her own file with all of her information, though as she had predicted, there were many blank spots and uncertain question marks. The file also had her schedule and a map of the school which she figured wasn't there originally. Persona must have put it there for me. "The blanks need to be filled in and incorrect information, corrected." Persona informed her.

She nodded absentmindedly, occupied with her schedule for the week. "Uhuh. Hey, what are these Alice based classes? The ones every Saturday?" She looked up at Persona curiously. He looked down at her for a second before deciding to answer her question. Might as well, didn't have anything else to do at the moment. "At Alice Academy, classes based on Alice's are separated into five types where students explore their powers in there designated classes. These are joint classes, which means there is a mixture of elementary and middle school students.

"Most children are placed in the departments of Predisposition, Technology, and Active. Those who don't fit into those three are placed in Special. Accept in the case of Dangerous Ability Types. No matter what type they originally are, if their attitude and or Alice are considered "dangerous" by the school, they will be in that class." This clears up why the Principal looked so smug when he said I was a Dangerous Type, at least partially anyway. Tara looked down at her personal profile again. At the top in the space that said Alice Type: were the words Active and Dangerous. Next to that was, Alice Shape: Unique.

Tara sat down on a bench that was on the inner side of the gazebo and laid the folder and its contents spread across her knees. Persona sat down next to her crossing his legs and leaning back casually. This girl truly perplexed him. She seemed to be completely at ease sitting next to him. He only ever knew one other person able to relax in his presence, and he hadn't seen that person for about eleven almost twelve years. Her head swiveled up to look into his face.

"What is the classification for the other four types?" By other four she meant those that weren't Dangerous. Persona seemed to understand that as well and continued his explanation. "The first one is Active. Most people at this school are this type. The most common powers belong to this class, all of them are traditional Alices so it's the most normal class and everyone is very serious in learning to control their abilities.

"Next is the technology type. People with this type are generally able to make things or perform experiments involving unique reactions. The Invention Alice is a technology type. Most students there are involved in their individual work so it's a more quiet class, they go at their own pace. The second most common Alices are Predisposition types. The students in this class have strong predispositions at specific points in their bodies. Good examples are the Pheromone Alice and Speed Alice. Narumi has the Human Pheromone Alice. He's the moderating teacher of the Predisposition Types."

He paused to let Tara absorb the information. As much as she wanted to act like this was all no big deal, she couldn't pull it off. All of these people with special powers in one place was really overwhelming to a newcomer. She knew she would have to get used to it though. She would adapt and thrive here just like she has every other time in her life she was introduced to a new environment. She committed all of the information she just received to memory. During her time at the orphanage she realized information was a determining factor in most situations. And this whole thing was a situation. She realized just then that in the course of one day, her entire life turned into a situation. A problematic set of circumstances, yes, that would be my life at the moment.

She valued information greatly. Tara knew having information on someone or something could put her in a better position. She also knew that her own information in the hands of others could put her in a bad spot. Which is why she didn't plan on giving the Academy too much information, only the necessities. She nodded at Persona signaling him to continue.

"The students that don't fit into any of those three categories are part of the Special Ability type class. There are very few students in that class and the Alices are very scattered, most of them being unheard of. Most people see it as a class of leftovers but that's not always true. They do have a few useful Alices there, and some have a lot of potential."

Tara leaned back as he finished, closing her eyes, tilting her head back, and sighing. "Ne, Persona? Who's the moderating teacher for the Dangerous abilities?" She asked though she already had a pretty good idea. "I am." Was his short reply. "What's your Alice then?" She asked him tilting her head to look at him, true curiosity in her voice.

He scrutinized her for a moment, wondering what her reaction would be when he told her. Would she avoid and hate him in fear? He was used to it by now though, so it wouldn't really matter. He stood up and extended his hand out to her. "Come here I'll show you." She took his hand and followed him. She nearly gasped in realization. She was completely relaxed near him! Why? How? How could she have not realized that? For some strange reason, that even she could not fathom, she trusted him. Entirely subconsciously she came to trust him. But still why? He had done nothing to make her trust him. If anything he did everything to make her not trust him. It's almost as if I trust him on instinct.

Tara's string of frantic thoughts was cut of by Persona stopping at a rose bush around the edge of the clearing. He lifted his hand as if to cup the rose in his palm. He stopped briefly to turn his head making sure the girl, that oddly enough was still clutching his hand, was watching him. He touched the rose and activated his Alice. For a moment nothing happed, and then all at once the rose turned to ash all the way to the stem. The ashes gathered in his still cupped palm and he brought it down to Tara's level so she could see.

"The Mark of Death. That is my Alice." He tilted his hand over and let the ashes drift away on the warm autumn breeze. Tara's head turned to watch as it floated through the air. She didn't know how she felt. She knew she should be afraid of him now. But with the sudden epiphany she had moments before she couldn't bring herself to fear him. She trusted him, she didn't know why or even when but she did. It was something she couldn't explain, made even harder by the fact that she had never truly trusted anyone before. She decided she would trust her feelings this time. Logically she did need an ally, so she would let it be. It's kind of refreshing to tell the truth. I guess we are similar in a way. I've never been able to bond with other people, we just couldn't relate. Not even by family clicked with me like this. I think I might have finally found where I belong.

The white haired masked girl knew he was waiting for a reaction of some sort. Most likely he was expecting fear or disgust. She felt neither, so she continued to hold his hand like the ten year old she was. "I'm not afraid of you, nor does your Alice disgust me." She stated rather bluntly. He almost didn't believe her but he noticed that not once did her hand waver. She seemed to have come to a decision before he even showed her his Alice. Even now she just stared up at him, not pulling her hand away or trying to find escape. Since when did she become so comfortable? Was it when he gave her the Limiters? That wouldn't make sense, but then this girl didn't make any sense. Perhaps it was the map he slipped into her file to help her around? That had really been the only considerate thing he's done for her.

Persona did feel an odd connection to her nonetheless. He couldn't explain it. He had the most peculiar urge to protect her. Persona was not a man that protected others… but Tara… she was different. He thought it funny the way Narumi instantly assumed the roll as that Mikan girls' father. He wondered if this was what Narumi felt when he was with that girl. Perhaps he was reading too far into this, still there seemed to be some sort of bond linking the two masked Alices. There appeared a silent awareness between them- they would not look any farther into this development then needed. They both were content as it was.

"Oh? Is that so? Well, you'd better get to class before I have to get one of those Punishment limiters for you. Or maybe I'll just put an Obedience tattoo on you. You don't know about those do you?" And suddenly the atmosphere turned playful. This was something neither of them had ever experienced. With there more stoic personalities it was much more subdued than what might have been with others. In fact to any passer by it would seem to be a normal conversation. To them it was much, much more. "Oh! I thought that was a tattoo needle. No thank you, I think I'll just be off." She let go of his hand and waved, smiling. Making sure to pick up her file on the way out of the clearing. Persona twisted the rings on his hand, to get the ashes out from underneath, as he watched her run down the path back to the elementary building.

He walked down the path in the opposite direction only to find Narumi walking towards him. "Ah Persona I've been meaning to talk to you." Persona stopped but didn't turn towards the man. Narumi, taking the man in blacks silence as his queue to talk, continued. "That girl, Tara-chan. You aren't planning on using her the same way as Natsume, are you? She maybe as powerful as you have been hinting, but if these kids are pushed to hard they'll burn out." Persona continued walking as Narumi finished replying in a mysterious way that only Persona could pull off. "I don't intend to bring Tara any harm, and you don't have to worry about her "burning out" as you say. I'll make very sure of her health."

Persona continued on down the path to who-knows-where-Persona-goes. Narumi stood there until Persona was out of view before shaking himself and hurrying off to his class. That man was just too unsettling. He really couldn't stand to be around him. It was times like these when he really felt for the Dangerous students, to have a teacher like that, among other things. It wasn't until later he realized Persona addressed the girl by her name and not by a pet name. He would not know if that was a good thing or bad.

Tara arrived to her class perfectly on time. She assumed her seat at the back of the class as usual. She didn't lie down though, she wasn't tired anymore. Her little encounter with Persona was refreshing to her. It seemed to be exactly what she needed. She looked around the classroom idly watching as a boy floated past and a girl did an unusual dance on top of one of the desks.

Not too soon after Tara arrived Narumi-sensei entered the room. He went to the front of the room and pulled out a language book. Looks like he's actually going to teach this time. "Before I start I just wanted to tell you all:

First semester finals are next week."

Oh my gosh. Conversations between those two are so hard. You can't even imagine... well maybe you could. I think I might be rushing some stuff. I might be draging on too though. I think I can finaly start getting into the plot now. I believe I've set up all I wanted too. The finals are the start of a major arc in the story. The one right after the Reo incident and the Hanahime arc. The one where... oh well you'll just have to see! I've got lots of plans for Masquerade. I might even start another story. A Naruto one this time. I've had an idea in my head for awhile now, so keep your heads up!

As in the words (or word) of Narumi,

Adieu!!