Author's Notes: this whole story is dedicated to my best friend who hasn't finished a single story yet even though she really wants to. And since Gakuen Alice is her favorite show, I decided to make this.

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE SHOW…capeesh? (is that how you spell it? hehe)

Chapter 1:

She screamed for help but at no prevail.

She cringed in pain but it was futile.

She thought hard but her mind was blocked with a blank color.

Frankly, she didn't expect one of her inventions to start rebelling against her. She peered over at the neighboring pumping machine that was constantly releasing a deadly looking black cloud, which was slowly drifting into Hotaru.

Recently, the cloud had entered her body with the first general gasp of air she took in through her nostrils after adding the last few finishing touches to her new invention. It was too late by the time she realized something had barged into her body.

She felt pain churn in the middle of her chest. The dark cloud had already surrounded her heart, pounding itself outside the organ in an attempt to control the last bit of her conscious soul.

She fell onto the floor, struggling with uneasy attempts of oxygen and difficult resistance to the temptations voice that cornered her mind, deceiving her into giving up her soul, making it easier for the cloud to control her.

Her body lay flat on the floor as she felt like every part of her joint was being electrocuted...

like her bones were lessening their cells in each passing moment...

like her head was being attacked by hundreds of needles...

It was no doubt tear-jerking painful...but she couldn't give up.

There was no way she was going to let go of her soul, now that her body was taken over by the unknown creature.

She had to hold on.

"Imai, what are you-?"

that voice.

The mentioned girl unwillingly glanced at the familiar blonde haired boy from behind her purple emotionless eyes, the cloud observing the newcomer through them as well.

The boy was young, having shown two large unfraternal pairs of beautiful sky blue orbs positioned perfectly on his face, a small button nose that pointed down to the obviously worried expression his lips were mimicking and a little bunny that his hands held protectively.

Hotaru's heart skipped a beat at his sudden appearance, and unfortunately it didn't go unnoticed to the freeloader in her body.

The boy quickly went over to Hotaru's side and crouched beside her.

"I heard you scream, are you ok?" Ruka asked her, concern definite in his question

"no" her voice reacted, unfortunately the spirit had manage to control that too.

"you are unnecessary, get lost!" Ruka seemed taken back by her words as so was the real Hotaru.

Tears started curling at the corner of her unrevealing eyes, sliding down her pale ivory cheeks. The reason of the breakdown was unknown to her but the cloud knew immediately, after feeling those salty tears reach the bottom of her chin and crash onto the concrete floor below, why she was crying.

"I'm trying to help you here"

"I don't need your help, boy" Ruka ignored that last comment as his eyes drifted over to the invention breathing beside him.

His small nose flared, noticing the treacherous odor slowly being released by it. He swiftly clapped a hand over his nose, sniffing his own lemon-scented alcohol that he had poured onto his hand that morning and turned back to Hotaru.

"there's something wrong with your invention"

"there's nothing wrong with Hotaru's invention, its simply just malfunctioning"

"malfunctioning? Imai…you have to get out of here! It might…"

"Hotaru is not leaving here"

"would you stop using yourself in the third person, we seriously have to get out of here!"

"Hotaru is not leaving!"

"Imai…"

"No!" It seemed unusual for someone to shout when they were on the floor, especially when little pricks of tears came out of that person ever so occasionally at each shouted claim and order but Ruka couldn't take much more of it. The scent was probably getting to his head after all he never really would have given up on anyone especially with someone he considered a friend.

But that was exactly what he did.

Ruka stood from where he had knelt down and clenched his fists in thrusted disappointment.

"fine…I see, your as…cold as ever, Imai" Ruka's bangs fell to cover his hurt expression. Unfortunately from Hotaru's view looking up, the pained look didn't go past her intelligent eyesight.

"and to think I thought I was going to help you but..." he didn't allow himself to finish that sentence as he stood up and headed for the room's exit.

Hotaru's heart cracked slightly but it was enough.

It was enough for her to hear it echo repeatedly inside her two intact ears.

It was enough for Ruka to stop and ponder on the peculiar sound.

It was enough to allow the cloud to enter her heart and gain her soul.

"Imai, did you hear that-?"

BOOM!

Hotaru's beloved research home had exploded.


Through the hot flames and hovering smoke that centered inside the building, there was a laugh.

A loud sinister laugh.

One that bursted out of a certain short raven haired female, and resounded every time it bounced off the building's close to demolished walls.

Fresh air cooled down the girl's sweaty face as she breathed in the terrible aroma of smoke and continued her long session laughing disturbingly, if you asked the real owner of the body.

"would you shut up already?" Hotaru's voice scolded the spirit (known before as 'the cloud') inside her mind.

"Hotaru, your still alive? That is very...surprising" a voice hissed angrily back at the girl but Hotaru took no threat.

"ok...let's get some things straight here, alright? First, I don't laugh. Never did, never will…a short giggle will be fine but if your trying out a villainous profile, it would be advised not to laugh in MY body" she spoke calmly at the spirit, strange for a girl who has just lost control of her body but then again...this was Hotaru not your usual average grade school girl

"second, what was with those tears before? I never cry because of a boy, let alone someone who carries a bunny"

"actually...you were the one that-"

"third, your leaving my body in the middle of a sea of flames. Whatever your planning, you should first get out of this building and run to a nicer venue instead of being stuck inside, correct?" The spirit narrowed his eyes impatiently at the girl.

"you're the one that's stuck inside your own head, your not in a good position to command me"

"its called advice, you idiot…I see your new to being the villain, might as well take advice from someone whose a professional in that subject" Hotaru mused, tackling the spirit's pride mercilessly without much of an insult. He refused to let the argument pass right through his fingers, getting that Hotaru was winning.

"you annoying little brat! Speak again and I will allow this body to be consumed in flames" prompt silence and wished peace was soon restored inside Hotaru's mind, allowing him to think about the situation at hand.

He knew that her conscience was the only reason that she still remained alive, forcing her to live inside her own mind and to be fairly aware of any whereabouts he would do whilst being inside her body. It was also because THAT boy (Ruka) had only made a tiny crack in her heart, so it didn't entirely kill her conscience but instead leave it less determined.

Hotaru (now controlled by the spirit) peered over at the unconscious boy on the ground, fire slowly engulfing his small figure.

"If it wasn't for you, boy...I wouldn't have gained control over Hotaru, for this I share my gratitude" said the spirit, using the raven-haired genius' low female voice.

He instantly heard the sound of sirens approaching the facility, warning an immediate retreat. He surveyed the room for a safe exit, finding only an open window with burned curtains flapping angrily thanks to the wind.

As if he was a trained circus tiger jumping through a flaming hula hoop, he jumping out through the window, landing safely onto the grass spread out below.

"hehe, sorry that I couldn't get your boyfriend out, Hotaru" he chuckled, knowing that the girl could hear him.

He gave one last glance at the burning house before departing the area and secretly formulating the first few bits of his 'evil' plan.


At the back of her mind, sat a very small Hotaru, hugging her knees, her chin nestled atop the warm clothing garment she wore.

Very small.

That was the limit of her control. She still controlled half of her soul but that was nothing compared to what the big honcho had currently owned.

She had heard the spirit's faint voice teasing her about Ruka, resulting her to two different reactions.

First, she grumbled distastefully at the word 'boyfriend', it was a ridiculous idea for her to end up with that animal lover. His blonde locks were too bright for her taste, same with his eyes. Two words: too cheery. She wondered how she put up with those picture sessions of him, let alone enjoy them. Sure, she made some profit out of those photos but it seemed unexplainably odd that she would find it as something fun to do.

Second, a tear rolled down her cheek as she saw Ruka on the floor, another one tumbled after the other, seeing the realistic scenario of herself leaving him in that dangerous rampage of fire.

Why did that make her sob?

He was just a really close friend, nothing more.

And the fact that she cried silently for three hours straight thinking about that incident, did NOT count as a reason to promote that point.

Author's Notes: Well? I know that its mostly RukaxHotaru but hey I see a lot more NatsumexMikan fanfics in majority than this couple, putting that aside… hope you enjoyed this =) (pls review)