A/N: So, after lurking around in Fanfiction FOREVER, I have decided to write my first Fanfic, ever! *FIREWORKS!* be nice, mmkay? Constructive criticism is expected, and valued!

Still trying to figure out where this will end up, but so far it's a make-it-up-as-we-go-along fic. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Do not own Gakuen Alice, but one can dream.

o-o-o-o

It all started out simple.

Just a girl with her happy go lucky personality, twinkling hazel eyes, dancing the night away; and the boy with cold, unnerving eyes, hiding behind his carefully built façade.

They were worlds apart.

o-o-o-o

"Hotaru, where have you been?" Mikan reached out to take Hotaru's wrist in her hand. "I was worried."

"Taking a walk," Hotaru answered, keeping her face void of any emotion. "I'm tired, see you tomorrow." With that, she pulled away from Mikan and headed off to her room.

Mikan furrowed her eyebrows as Hotaru vanished around a corner. She twirled a piece of her chestnut hair around her finger.

Hotaru had been acting weird lately. She never showed up at the cafeteria for dinner anymore, she always makes half-hearted excuses for her disappearances, and she was late for classes more often than not. Mikan yawned. It was evening, and the skies were dyed a navy blue, fading into black. She climbed into bed, leaving her window open to let in cool air on this hot, suffocating summer night, and drifted off to sleep.

Mikan opened her eyelids drowsily, her hazel eyes stared into hypnotizing sapphire ones. She let out a muffled shriek and backed up into the headboards. Upon getting a closer look at the intruder, she visibly relaxed.

"Hotaru," Mikan breathed, shaken. "What are you doing here?"

Before her was a girl with short black hair, reaching just past her chin. She was looking down; her bangs fell in her eyes, preventing Mikan from getting a good view of her face.

"Hotaru," Mikan called again. "Hotaru!" She grasped her best friend's shoulders and shook. Hotaru pitched forward, landing in Mikan's lap face-down. Mikan brought her hands up to her eyes. They were stained a dark color, unidentifiable under the limited moonlight. Her insides did a somersault. She turned her friend over, eyes widening.

Hotaru's usual warm amethyst eyes were gone, replaced by a shade of glassy, watered-down purple. Her mouth hung open slightly, and there was a brand on her shoulder, scorched on by burning metal.

It read: Zero.

Mikan sat up in her bed with a start. Her breaths came in small gasps. She reached out for the digital alarm clock on her bed stand instinctively. It read 3:25. It was still early in the morning, and the sun shone dimly below the horizons, waiting for the perfect moment to rise up into the sky.

She threw on a pair of shorts and tank top, and ran a brush through her frizzy hair in an attempt to tame it. She gave up quickly. No way was she going to waste a nice, cool morning going through a million beauty routines. Might as well take the time to explore campus, she thought.She pulled on a pair of sandals, and slipped out the window, onto the branches of a grand cherry blossom tree by her window. As of early August, the tree was adorned with thick, green leaves, making it a perfect spot for an afternoon nap—or, an early morning escapade.

Mikan hopped down from a lower branch cautiously. Following a cobblestone path, she arrived at Alice Academy's very own town square.

Yes, town square, an open, public place for community gatherings. The Hyuugas sure know luxury—they own this place after all, and that's like, four times the size of Rogers Arena, Mikan thought bitterly. This school for hand-picked elite, genius, and prodigy; what am I doing in a place like this?

She crossed the square quickly, paranoia welling up in her as her sandals slapped against the ground with what seemed like deafening pounding to her. No one is supposed to be up before six, a part of her mind tried to reassure; I am not supposed to be up before six either, the other part argued.

I won't get caught, she finally decided as she slinked into the shadows offered by large maple, glad to be out of the open. She sat down under the leaves, and took out a small notebook. Inside, she sketched a rough map of Alice Academy—or what she's seen of it.

"What time is it?" A silvery voice yawned from above her. Before Mikan could react, there was a small thud to her left. She let out a startled 'Eep!' and found herself looking up at a boy—no older than herself—with bright azure eyes and golden hair. He rubbed his eyes sleepily, and regarded the pretty girl shrinking away from him curiously. "Is there a fire-breathing dragon behind me?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Mikan opened her mouth, and closed it again. Her mind was going a mile per second.

Who is he? What is he doing here? No one was supposed to be up! Oh God, I hope he's not a Hyuuga. Those green eyes better be real, if they're contacts, and they turn out to be red eyes, then I'm royally screwed. Oh what am I babbling about? Calm down. Yes, nice and calm. Deep breaths, in—

"Hello?" The boy waved his hands in front of her eyes. "Don't zone out on me, girl. I still need the time."

"Oh, umm," Mikan pulled a small ladybug necklace out of her top, and clicked it open. "T-ten to four," she answered.

"Oh, we still have a lot of time then," He smiled as he lowered himself to the spot next to Mikan. His arm was draped over his bent knee casually. "What's your name?"

"You-you're not a Hyuuga, are you?" She blurted out, and immediately flushed at her rudeness. She had heard things about the owner of the academy. If the rumors were true, it would be a severe understatement to say these people were cruel. They were more like, the Devil's incarnates. Although Mikan wasn't sure, exactly of what these people did, but she had enough common sense to stay away.

The boy blinked, and laughed awkwardly to cover up his surprise.

"Nope, not a Hyuuga," The boy assured her. "I'm a Nogi, to be exact. Nogi Ruka." He gave her a sunny smile.

"Sakura Mikan," She said uncertainly, still analyzing whether Ruka was to be trusted.

"Pleased to meet you, Sakura Mikan."

o-o-o-o

Hotaru pushed herself up from her bed with a groan, ignoring the throbbing pain in her temple as she recalled snippets of last night.

"Do what they want you to, and she'll be fine." The crimson-eyed boy had said in what he hoped was an assuring way. Hotaru grimaced.

"Don't give them any reason to use her, Imai." He warned darkly. "Because they would, and everyone you love will be hurt. Everyone."

Hotaru stifled a violent coughing fit, and stood up quickly. She wobbled to the washroom, fighting the wave of light-headedness threatening to overtake her. I promised Mikan we would have breakfast together this morning, Hotaru reminded herself. Filling a plastic cup with tap water, she popped a pill into her mouth and washed it down with water. She sat down against the wall and waited.

Heat began to spread in her body. It started in her stomach, and made its way up to her chest. She felt an indescribable pain grip her heart and she gasped, clutching her chest with one hand. Just as quickly as it had come, the agony evaporated, leaving tingling sensations in her body. Hotaru slumped against the wall and looked up at the florescent light on the ceiling. She drew in a quivering breath, and rose to her feet.

The worst was over.

o-o-o-o

A/N: So tell me, how was it? Suggestions? Criticism? Praise? Leave a review?