DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gakuen Alice

Chapter 7

True to his stupid and goofy nature, Narumi laughed nervously when an extremely icy and over the top pissed off Hotaru came in, with questions he'd expected her to have but not ask until later .. much much later.. But then..

Narumi sighed when Hotaru didn't budge from her stoic glaring stance and so he explained what he knew.. well part of it.

"Her grandpa is dead, murdered to be precise... "Narumi looked for a reaction seeing none, continued,"Mikan was there, saw the whole thing, therefore her current condition".

Hotaru didn't hesitate before saying,"She has Alice!!" It was more of a statement than a question

Yes, I was informed she has, but i am not at liberty to discuss this with you, Sorry". he exclaimed with a small smile.

Hotaru nodded. She didn't care. Next,"When?"

Narumi sighed,"I'm afraid it was a week or few days ago, I was not detailed on the situation either but its recent as you can see her state. And, this is the first time she spoke after the incident or showed any signs of life for that matter". So, the academy higher ups wants you to help her... regain HERSELF. Can you do that?" Hotaru chan".

I freaking will do it but not for the dimwits of the academy or you... screamed Hotaru in her mind. Outwardly, Hotaru just gave a single nod.

Hotaru then left for her own room while Narumi took a final look at the sleeping figure. Making sure that she would be alrite and sleeping till the morning, he went out. He would come and check on her early next morning.

Back at her lab, Hotaru who couldn't sleep started working on her inventions. Whenever she couldn't sleep, she would work, it made her think more clearly without worrying about a certain brunette Idiot of hers.

As she worked, Natsume Hyuuga was walking into the deep Northern Forest. He knew the drill, he'd used his alice again inside the academy on a lot of the fan girls so he knew he'd be called even before the note slipped through his door stating"Northern Forest, Midnight". He'd not bothered to tell Ruka about it because his best friend would know already...

He swiftly jumped from one branch to the next and strangely enough his mind wandered and displayed the image of a sleeping figure in his thoughts. He stopped.. why was he thinking about the new girl at this hour.. may be he was more curious about her than he'd already admitted he was.. Dang.. Where's Persona?" He better not be late, and prolong his sleep deprived state any further."

He reached a small secluded clearing deep in the forest and slumped down under a tree... and that very instant he felt it.

"Stop hinding.. " Persona came out of the shadows just beyond where he was sitting and smirked.

"Heard you were being naughty again, my Kuro Neko".

"Hn".

Persona smirked again," Your attitude only feeds my admiration for you, BLACK CAT". He laughed a mirthless hollow laugh.

Natsume glared at Persona and got ready.

He knew the drill after three years of dealing with the DA class instructor, he'd gotten use to this, the usual punishments he got for using his alice against the lot inside the academy. But he didn't care, he was Natsume Hyuuga.

He was a rebel and didn't care a fib if he pissed Persona every now and then.. almost everyday. He did what they ordered him to and he did it good, the best infact. The underground already knew and feared the BLACK CAT, and the AAO had their greedy eyes on him. But even at the age of mere 10, Natsume was very powerful and everyone treaded carefully where he was concerned, even Persona. Since, Persona knew his weakness, little that they were, the bastard used it to his advantage. Natsume hated Persona's guts and there was noone he hated more.

Except also, may be that Narumi, freakin hag, sicko to the core... with frills and laces.

After a gruelling two hours of fight which Persona called personality development sessions, Natsume was dismissed and he walked off towards his dorm. He had enough of Persona poison for the day.

As he came out through the darkness of the forest shadows, an eagle flew up at the sky ahead of him and he smirked. Ruka must be smirking too..

He was right ofcourse, his best friend and animal phermone user always waited whether he was on a mission or on Persona-lity Deveopment sessions. He was standing on the roof top, and seeing his eagle, he went back in his own room the smirk still plastered on his angelic face. He knew his friend was safe and returning.

Ruka was that kind of guy, he was loyal and cared. Plus, he was the only thing that was keeping Natsume sane and human in the academy. Otherwise, he would be what the others thought he was, A murderer, A Dangerous Ability top class, emotionless monster... which Natsume knew he was .. almost.

Somewhere, inside the technical lab center... a figure worked nonstop into the night and though she looked up to see when the huge eagle flew over to the dorm building, she ignored it and continued her work. She knew whose eagle it was, she knew why it was there, she'd seen it countless of times. She knew the kind of friends they were, she envied them before and she respected them for it.. although she'll never admit. She knew that Ruka was like Mikan in a way, and may be thats why she listened to him at times.. well only at times.

Hotaru was still up and working when the sun peeked from the eastern skies. She had been musing over how to get Mikan back to the way she was, But Genious as she may be, she didn't know what to do. But she'd die before she gave up... Hotaru Imai never gave up...

"Hotaru, Where were you?"

She'd never give up...