:Being The Only One Who Knew:
by: Hk Ramos
June 13, 2008

Disclaimer:
Alice Academy /
Gakuen Alice
© Higuchi Tachibana

--

" .. Inspiration and motivation is what the pen is.

Reviews, criticisms, comments, suggestions are the ink of an author's pen .. "

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1 : Unforeseen Cataclysm

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Of all those days were everything could go wrong, it had to be on the night when she was about to finish the blueprint of her latest invention.

Hotaru let out a small sigh as she passed through the road headed for their dormitory. Good thing she recently installed a headlight on her anti-gravity swan bike; otherwise it would've been a hassle to hold a lamp in one hand and to hold onto her bike with the other.

She tried to shift her leg from slipping off, but pain shot from her ankle. Her violet eyes twitched involuntarily.

When I thought I'd be done at last, another lab nearby had to have an explosion, Hotaru thought, recalling the event that happened a little while ago …

She was already adding the final data on her blueprint when she heard something blow up from the adjacent lab, where another Invention Alice user was also making a device. It caused an unnecessary earthquake throughout the building. The sudden shaking was a bit too much for her piled up things; as a result, they toppled down from their cases. Aside from creating a mess from her just tidied-up laboratory, some of them fell on her leg when she prevented a fragile gadget from breaking. Her blueprint wasn't spared; it got crumpled and had ink all over it.

(It was a good thing she kept her video camera at the dorms; otherwise, the souvenir from 'her plan's accomplishment' might have been destroyed as well. Catching Natsume and Mikan's "moment" on film was difficult enough; also, she would lose a valuable asset for blackmailing Luca, Natsume or Mikan. Not that she needed to use that on her best friend -- Mikan was easy to talk into doing something.)

Her fellow Invention Alice user apologized again and again for the damage he brought about to Hotaru as he treated her wounds (he insisted on bringing her to the hospital; but she told him it wasn't needed. So he gave her first aid). Luckily, she remembers what was written in the blueprint; she'd easily redraft it the next day. Hotaru merely requested him to clean up her laboratory once he gets better (he only got scratches compared to Hotaru's broken ankle), and to pay for her broken goods in canned crab meat and Rabbits. She was yet to make a list of how much her inventions cost; with added interest. Why not grab this opportunity for extra cash? she thought then. It would at least compensate with the accident.

She winced at her misfortune. Great way to start high school, she remarked sarcastically.

Hotaru glanced at the moon; shining dimly and giving her surroundings a soft glow. She observed some flowers slowly bloom; those with colors simply ignored in daylight. Waterdrops from the twilight rain added charm to its delicate features. Gleaming fireflies flew silently beside her as it played around. The crisp midnight breeze caressed her ebony hair, and gently tickled her skin. It gave such a cool feeling that was just right for someone wearing a thin T-shirt and khakis. For once, it made her glad she wasn't wearing a jacket.

Compared to how it was during the morning, the plants and trees surrounding the road she's taking was more stunning when bathed in moonlight.

Thank goodness that the night was so beautiful. It somehow uplifted her dreary mood.

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After a few more minutes, she finally reached the dormitory.

Hotaru decided to enter through the balcony; as to not disturb the others with the front door's loud creaking. She had her bike hover effortlessly over it and entered the dormitory with ease. She turned the headlight off and ventured to her room's location. Everybody should be asleep by now…

"Hotaru-san?" a voice called out from below just as she was to go up the stairs.

Hotaru looked to the direction of the voice. Prussian eyes stared back in mild surprise. She was startled to see Luca still up; holding a mug of hot chocolate in his hands. "Ah, Nogi-san. Having trouble sleeping?"

"Yes … for some reason."

It was since the Last Dance that he started calling her by her first name. Her lips curled to a smile when she noticed Luca added –san to it. So he's still a bit uneasy calling her without it, huh? And she thought he was already accustomed to it; calling her by her name during that time. Still, Hotaru really didn't mind. Whether people called her by her last name, first name or a made-up name… Any would do. But, whenever it was this particular blonde friend of hers saying her name … it never failed to send a certain sensation within her.

"Your bunny's sleeping already?" she inquired, noticing the lack of white fur usually perched on his shoulder.

"Yeah, he is," said Luca as he climbed up the stairway. He smiled a little at how Hotaru still addresses him by his surname. Some things don't change, huh? he thought. Sensing Hotaru's eyes at him, he took a sip from his mug; in attempt to hide the blush creeping on his cheeks. He then asked her, "Why are you still awake? And on Speedy Swan, too."

"Oh, just roaming around," Hotaru replied almost instantly, somewhat averting from his gaze.

Luca grew curious at that small movement. The gesture conveyed it was a topic she didn't want to discuss. If she were 'just roaming around', then why be on that anti-gravity bike of hers? For all he knew, she wasn't that lazy. Did something unpleasant happen to her prior to him coming across her? Or … did she have a problem? He wanted to know. However, if he asks, she would tell him that he was poking into a business he shouldn't concern himself with. Unlike with Mikan or Yuu, she doesn't tell him everything. Yes, they were friends now -- but she kept her distance from him. He couldn't help feeling a bit … jealous.

As if on cue to his thoughts, she suddenly commented, "The moon is magnificent tonight, isn't it?"

"Huh? Ah, yes, it is," he replied, glancing towards the balcony.

Luca watched the moonlight faintly illuminate the outside. He imagined that actually being outside was much more breath-taking. Snapping away from the view, he turned to Hotaru in attempt to satisfy his whirling curiosity--but she was already at the second flight of stairs. Luca shook his head at falling for her tactic of escaping … yet again.

Before she totally disappeared from his sight, he caught glimpse of her bandaged ankle. And from what he could make out of it, her ankle swelled pretty badly. It bothered him. Why isn't it placed in a cast? Or better yet, why didn't she go and rest in the hospital? Luca's head ached from the unanswered questions swimming in his head.

What happened to her? he wondered. Opting to ask her about it tomorrow, he made his way back to his room. Luca told himself that he will not be intimidated and he will get the truth from her.

But, unbeknown to them, something was beginning to spread.

An ordeal was about to break loose.