Chapter 4~! How is the story so far? Please do R&R.

"A-A dead end!" All five of them gasped as they see the path in front of them was nothing but a wall blocking it.

"Did you bring us on a wrong path, Hotaru-nee san?" Tsubasa asks.

Double checking with the map that Shiki gave, she shook her head. "I'm sure this is the right path."

All of them stood there thinking silently until Ruka broke the silence.

"The Alice stone that Shiki-san gave us!" Ruka exclaimed.

Hotaru puts her hand in her pocket and took the stone out. And indeed, the stone seems to be resonating.

Hotaru threw the Alice stone towards the wall and the stone passed right through it. They stood there for awhile to see if anything happens but to no avail.

"Let's go." Hotaru said and walk right ahead.

"W-Wait a minute, you will just bump onto the wall!" Tonouichi tried to stop her.

But what surprise all of them is that Hotaru passed through the wall.

Seeing that phenomenon happen, Natsume followed behind her and passed right through as well.

Knowing that the wall is an illusion to them, Ruka, Tonouichi and Tsubasa also followed.

They passed through the wall and came to a long corridor. Hotaru and Natsume started running, followed up by the other three.

And finally reaching the end of the corridor, there is a door.

Hoping that Mikan is in that room, they all sped up towards the door and made a stop in front of it.

-Inside the room-

Mikan heard many footsteps running towards her room. She immediately went and locked the door and hid farther away from it.

Bear was also in the room, doing some air-boxing. He is all prepared to stake his life in protecting Mikan.

"Bear…" Mikan called out worriedly.

Bear looked back and glance at Mikan and nodded his head.

Bear took his position in front of the door as the footsteps stopped and knocking and banging can be heard at the door.

-Outside-

"The door's locked!" Natsume cursed as he turned the knob repeatedly.

"What should we do?" Tsubasa asks.

"I'll burn through it." Natsume said and ignited a flame in his palm.

"Stop Natsume! You might harm Sakura that is inside the room." Ruka persuaded.

Considering Ruka's comment, Natsume puts out the fire.

"Let's see if we can pick the lock open then?" Tonouichi suggests.

As the four guys were discussing what to do, Hotaru was by the side, preparing her mecha.

As soon as she was done, she positions herself in front of the door.

"I suggest you all make way." Hotaru said coldly as she loads her new upgraded Baka gun. It totally transform into a Bazooka, which can blast anything away.

Looking at the mecha she was holding, they all find it wiser to make way. They all moved behind her and wait for Hotaru to work her magic.

-Inside the room-

"Those voices… I know them! It's Hotaru and the others!" Mikan thought.

She was about to approach the door to unlock it when…

*BANG*

A huge blast from Hotaru's latest upgraded Baka gun, blast the door open.

The four guys were staring in awe as the door breaks open into two. Hotaru was standing there, having a proud aura surrounding her.

And as for Mikan that was inside, got almost shocked to death.

"Mikan!" Hotaru called out as she tosses her gun aside and entered the room.

The guys subsequently came back to earth and entered the room as well.

Mikan let out a few coughs from the dust and smoke from the blast just now. She heard a familiar warm voice called out for her name.

"H-Hotaru!" Mikan called out and coughed.

The two of them finally saw each other as the smoke starts to clear from the room.

Mikan finally reunited with her best friend, Hotaru. She could not control herself and ran up to hug her.

"HOTARU!" Mikan called out as she lashed out to hug her.

Hotaru opens up her arm to embrace Mikan as well, "Mikan, I missed you." Hotaru whispered in her sweet gentle voice that you would seldom hear her speak in.

The guys that entered the room also felt heart-warming and happy to see Mikan.

"Tono-sempai! Tsubasa-sempai! Ruka-pyon! Natsume!" Mikan called out to them and hugged them one by one.

She ran out from Hotaru's embrace and went into Tonouichi's, Tsubasa's and Ruka's embrace.

Tonouichi and Tsubasa hugged her back. Ruka frozed when Mikan hugged him. His face was flushed red.

"Natsume…" Mikan called out to him again before approaching him slowly and gave him a soft and warm embrace while she dashed out violently and gave the others a quick hug instead.

"Why does Natsume and Imai gets different hug from Mikan while our's were like… Quick, short hugs?" Tonouichi complained.

Hotaru and Natsume shot him with a death glare.

Ruka laughed. Tsubasa patted on Tonouichi's shoulder, as if telling him not to inquire further.

"I will fulfil my promise from that time." Natsume whispered into Mikan's ear and place his hand around Mikan's waist to embrace her.

Inside Natsume's embrace, Mikan shed tears and nodded her head.

The next moment, they heard Hotaru loading her baka gun. She's not so happy because Mikan was embracing Natsume longer than her.

"Mikan, let's go." Hotaru said coldly.

"Okay…" Mikan said, wiping off her tears.

"Are you alone in the room, Mikan? No one is here to protect you?" Tonouichi asked as he scanned around the room.

"Bear is here…" Mikan replied to his question but there was a short pause at the end, "OH NO! Bear!"

Mikan ran around the area, flipping through the furniture that was blast all over the room to find Bear. The others also gave her a hand.

They all found Bear being trap under the coffee table. They hurried move it away and got Bear out of it.

"Bear, I'm sorry! Are you alright?" Mikan asked worriedly, holding Bear in her arms.

Bear recovered, he launched a straight punch at Mikan which she swiftly dodged it.

"Looks like you're fine!" Mikan chirped.

"And looks like Mikan is getting used to Bear's punches." Tsubasa says. The rest nod their head in agreement.

"Anyway, let's get Mikan out of here already." Natsume says impatiently.

"Right… Let's go." Tonouichi says and turned around to the door and stoned there. He saw someone unpleasant.

It was the ESP and Persona.

"Game's over, Sakura Mikan." The ESP said in a taunting tone.

Natsume and Tsubasa stood in front with Tonouichi behind them. Hotaru and Ruka were shielding Mikan behind them.

"We're not handing Mikan over to you!" Natsume said furiously.

"We'll see about that." The ESP said and snapped his fingers.

Persona stood out in front of ESP, and the ESP took a step back.

Persona still works for the ESP and now engaging battle with Mikan and the rest.

Thank you nikki500 for adding my story into your favourites.

Hehe, I am really glad that people are reading my Fiction. :)

A little belated greeting to everyone: Happy New Year. May all of you have a merry 2012 year ahead! :)