Everywhere one could look someone was having fun, joyously laughing while dancing or chatting. All but three people who had been hiding into the forest. There were two boys and one girl. The first boy seemed to be around ten years old and had long, messy, raven-colored hair and hypnotic rustic eyes. The boy was wearing a greyish vest and shorts with a white, long-sleeved, button-up shirt with an emerald ribbon; he was sitting cross-legged in front of a jade bush with absolute apathy. The girl who was standing just to the left of him could have been the poster child for an innocent angel. Wearing a white sleeveless dress with a tutu-like skirting and a pair of cream-colored angel's wings, she looked as if she was the epitome of purity. Lastly, there was a blonde-haired boy with piercing bluish-grey eyes who was hiding behind a tree about ten feet away; he was wearing the same thing as the first boy. The little girl seemed to be frustrated at the ravenette who had just turned down her offer to dance.

"Don't be stupid," he replied to her request. His head had turned away from her and his eyes had closed. He looked slightly surprised, but of course, she didn't notice.

"That again!" she had assumed his pose and stuck her nose into the air with her arms crossed. "But you know what, I can understand why you'd say something like that. After all, the Dangerous Ability type class wasn't allowed to participate in the Alice Festival." The girl had her him mumble something along the lines of 'That has nothing to do with it.' "Eh?"

"I'm…different…from the rest of you." He looked tired and troubled when he said that. It made the girl worried.

"Natsume…" There blonde had strained his ears to hear them and had only caught the last part. The bunny that had been perched on his shoulder precariously glanced at his master confused; the orange cake in his hand had been forgotten.

"So that's why… you shouldn't step foot into where I am. Start using that clueless head of yours, and stay away from the darkness that you don't need to see. I don't want you to see it," the newly dubbed Natsume stated. While on the outside he seemed infinitely calm, his insides were tearing up with worry. He didn't want this girl to be caught up in the whirlpool of deception and lies. It was much too dark for the glowing girl.

"Darkness? What do you mean by-"

"Enough! Just go away, Ugly!" he had cut her off to stop the question from flowing out of her mouth. She didn't need to be involved in this!

"W…What? Just when I thought you were being nice you go right back to being your usual self! What's up with you? First of all, why don't you call me by my name already? I've had enough of 'Ugly', 'Polka-Dots', and 'Strawberry-pattern'." She had adopted a high-and-mighty posture and had yet to notice his expression.

"Mikan…" he said seriously; his eyes were hidden behind his long, messy bangs. Mikan turned around surprised. While she did want him to call her by her name, she didn't actually expect him to do so. The quiet atmosphere had been interrupted by fireworks going off in the sky. They must have been set off by accident because they were over quickly.

"Natsume, did you… just..." She was interrupted once more when he said,

"Get going. Don't ever try to come close to me again. Go." He couldn't meet her upset gaze; instead, he stared at his knees with conviction hidden their depths. She walked away clearly upset. She didn't even notice the blonde hiding only a couple feet away.

As she walked back to the party, an announcement came on. "There's not much time till the end of the dance party. This will be the last dance!" A couple came and went and it was finally Hotaru's turn to choose. 'I really need to talk to Ruka without gaining any suspicion…and if I choose him Mikan can take Natsume without hurting Ruka. Now to put those pictures to use…' she thought to herself.Finally, she whispers something to the announcer. He brings the microphone back up to his mouth with a surprised expression and said, "She chose…Ruka! She also tells me to say 'Remember the forest and the roof'…"

Faster than lightning the blonde-hair boy was out of the forest and by the stage. "O-Of course! Imai-sama-a!" he stuttered. A chorus of 'Aww, so cute!' and 'Damn it!' rang throughout the clearing. However, a bewildered Natsume was left sitting in the forest. After a couple of seconds he started to laugh. Not a chuckle but a full blown out laugh. 'Well, I guess that solves that.' He stood up and shuffled over to the crowd.

Meanwhile, Ruka and Hotaru had taken position for the dance. Hotaru was as emotionless as always and Ruka looked really confused.

He was probably going to ask why Hotaru had done that so she said right before he opened his mouth, "I needed to talk to you without gaining any distrust from our classmates. I'm going to be very blunt right now. I know you like Mikan but after what I just saw I think this needs some advice." Ruka's blush had gone from pale pink to a pomegranate red. He looked down in defeat and hid his blurred eyes. "Whomever she chooses in real life, no matter how upset you are, if you truly love her then you will be happy that she's happy. Fighting with Natsume will only make her more upset," Hotaru finished quietly.

"I…I understand…"

After a few minutes, it was finally Mikan's turn. 'I was going to ask Hotaru but she picked Ruka-pyon. And I still want to dance with Natsume… looks like I'm gonna dance with the pervert!' She took a step forward and shouted, "Hey Natsume! Want to dance with me?!" She took another step forward and became quite close to the edge of the stage. She looked giddy and on the verge of jumping up and down. There was a dead silence for about a minute when finally everyone from class B looked to Kitsuneme.

Taking the hint he began to use his Alice. "I really what to dance with her but then again she's not listening to what I told her earlier. Maybe-" suddenly a hand clamped over his mouth. Everyone but class B looked at them weird until someone shouted that he has the mind-reading Alice. Then they started to laugh. Natsume stood stock still, Kitsuneme had already escaped from his clutches and hid in the crowd. Out of no-where a long-haired, blonde man by the name of Narumi-sensei hand pushed him toward the stage.

"Thank you… Naru," he whispered as he stumbled forward. Mikan had seen him move and took that as a yes. She jumped into his almost waiting arms and landed with a crash on the ground. Everyone started to laugh harder. "Didn't I tell you to stop trying to come close to me," he whispered into her ear monotonously. Their tangled limbs had made it hard for them stand up so the resorted to just lying there. Natsume was on the ground and his arm around her middle; He smelled her hair. 'Tangerines…'

"Yeah, but you told me to stop coming closer to you. You never said I can't pull you closer to me," she replied as she picked herself. Begrudgingly, he released her and allowed her to help him up. He walked over to the flickering campfire silently, Mikan trailed slowly behind him. They conversed when the dance partner choosing began again.

"Why did you do that, Swirls?" He smirked slightly when she sputtered. Natsume already knew what she was going to ask. "When you hopped of the stage," he supplied.

"Why'd I do what?" the cherub asked; she looked confused and embarrassed.

"Why did you ask to dance with me?"

After Natsume said that, her eyes softened to a compassionate state. She gave him a tenderhearted smile and leaned forward. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she held him close. Mikan stood on her tiptoes and whispered softly into his ear.

"Sometimes… darkness isn't so scary… when you shine a light in it…"