Disclaimer: I do not own the Gakuen alice characters and settings. Although I own the characters that have and will appear that is not in Higuchi Tachibana-sama's works.
Previous Chapter:
"You're really serious about selling them huh?" Mikan asked as she ordered strawberry parfait.
"Yes I can almost see the money." Hotaru said.
Mikan, Koko and Chii sweatdropped at her action.
"Well just be careful not to reveal personal dark secrets okay?" Mikan said.
"I'm not stupid like you." Hotaru said emotionless.
"Hey! I'm not stupid!" Mikan replied.
All of them laugh at Mikan and Hotaru's conversation.
"Okay you girls let's just talk about the secrets okay?" Koko said.
"Hai." Mikan replied.
Start
It's a cold night, everyone is probably sleeping peacefully except for a certain raven haired inventor who was having a dream of the past.
Hotaru's Dream: 7 years ago
"Hotaru-chan! Wait for me!" the seven year old Mikan called.
"If you don't hurry I'll leave you BAKA!" shouted Hotaru.
They were running on a field of daisies up in the mountain. Mikan's family invited Hotaru for vacation in their Villa down the mountain. Hiro, Mikan's cousin was with them but he was lying on the grass taking a nap. While Hotaru was far ahead from Mikan, she accidently ran through the brittle cliff. The cliff broke down and Hotaru fell. She was able to hold on a stray branch.
"HOTARU!!!" Mikan shouted while running to Hotaru's aid. Hiro woke up from the noise.
"Mikan....I'm scared....." Hotaru told Mikan with tears in her eyes.
"Ru-chan don't worry we'll save you!" Hiro assured her.
"Hotaru hold on!" Mikan said with tears in her eyes. "I'll use my magic to save you!" Mikan shouted.
Mikan began to concentrate, a magic circle appeared below her, and a bright white light covered the surroundings. Hotaru woke up safe in her brothers arms.
"Subaru-nii-san" Hotaru murmured.
"I'm glad you're awake Hotaru." Subaru told her with a smile on his face.
"Where is Mikan?" Hotaru asked.
"Aunt Yuka took Mikan and Hiro outside they were casting a spell a while ago." Subaru told her.
"I want to see them. Take me to them." Hotaru asked him.
"Are you sure?" Subaru asked her hesitantly.
"Yes." Hotaru answered.
Subaru escorted Hotaru outside where they saw Hiro and Mikan almost kissing below them was a magic circle emitting a red glow. Mikan saw both of them and stop the spell.
"Hotaru, I'm glad you're awake." Mikan said with a hint of sadness in her voice as she hugged Hotaru
"What are you guys doing?" Hotaru asked.
"Um.... it's a temporary pactio. Hiro and I will be partner for a while." Mikan answered.
"Why do you need to have a pactio?" Hotaru asked curiously.
"I kind of emitted too much magical energy when I saved you and destroyed the top of the mountain luckily Okaa-chan and Otou-san managed to cast a renew spell on the mountain. To stop too much releaseof my magical powers, Okaa-san and Otou-san decided to make a pactio curse for me and my chosen partner is Hiro-chan." Mikan replied.
"So it's all my fault that you can't use your powers anymore?" Hotaru asked with sadness in her voice.
"Of course not! Hotaru I'll still be able to use my power but only 1/20 of it. If Hiro opens our contract I'll be able to use my full powers. Plus the pactio will be broken by the Sakura family by my 15th birthday. So no need to worry." Mikan assuring Hotaru.
"Gomenasai." Hotaru whispered to her. "You better take good care of her Hiro. Or else." Hotaru threatened Hiro.
"Don't worry Ru-chan." Hiro told her nervously.
"Now now Mikan let's continue the pactio." Yuka said.
"Hai." Mikan replied.
The moment Mikan kissed Hiro, a small black star appeared above Mikan's chest.
End of Dream.
Hotaru wakes up from the bright light coming from her window. "That dream again." Hotaru murmured to herself. Hotaru prepared herself for the annual Northern Forest cast a spell-a-thon. Attending is mandatory plus who ever wins first place will get 100,000 rabbits. As we all know Hotaru Imai will never pass a chance when it comes to money. She arrived at the Northern forest. Mikan welcomed her with a hug but she put a barrier spell on her.
"Mou Hotaru!" Mikan whined.
"Never hug me BAKA." Hotaru said.
Narumi announced the contest in a very cheerful voice which made some of the students annoyed including a certain black cat.
"Minna, today is our annual spell-a-thon. There are certain points in the Northern Forest where some teachers and staff are going to test you and your partner with spells. All you have to is cast the spell well and you'll get to the next level. I have already handed out these stamp cards. Every time you pass a level you'll get a stamp. Complete all 5 stamps and be one of the first 5 to reach the top of that hill where your last spell will be fireworks display! Easy right?" Narumi twirled around the stage, not minding the weird stares of his students.
"Waahhhhhhhhh! Hotaru I want to be your partner!!!!" Mikan whined because her partner is none other than Natsume.
"Shut up Polka. Your making my ears bleed." Natsume said.
"Pervert!!!!" Mikan shouted at him.
"Baka Couple." Hotaru said.
"We're not a couple Hotaru!!! He's a pervert!!!!" Mikan said. "Chii-chan please be my partner!!!" Mikan pleaded Chii.
"Gomen Mikan-chan but I'm not joining this year. Serina-sensei asked me to help her as a medical help." Chii replied.
"Eh!!! How about you Koko-kun Onegai be my partner please!!" Mikan begged Koko.
Before Koko can answer a certain raven haired lad glared at him making him nervous.
"Sorry Mikan but I have a partner already." Koko said nervously.
"Eh????Then I'm stuck with him?!!" Mikan said.
"I'm afraid so Mikan-chan." Chii said.
"Wahhhhhh!" Mikan whined.
Natsume pulled Mikan's right pig tail dragging her to the forest.
"Let me go pervert! I can walk you know!" Mikan said.
Natsume let goes of her pig tail and said "If you really don't want me to be your partner Mikan it's okay." with a hint of sadness, his back facing Mikan.
"Natsume...." Mikan said clearly guilty.
"Just kidding." Natsume said in a teasing tone.
"Mou Natsume!" Mikan complained.
"Polka shut up let's just finish this already. Your stupid best friend blackmailed me into this." Natsume said in a cool voice.
"Hai!" Mikan answered running to him and holding his arm.
"And by the way my name isn't Polka it's M-I-K-A-N" Mikan said still holding his arm.
Natsume can't help but blushed at her action. It seems she still hasn't notice she's holding his arm near her chest. Thankfully Natsume's bangs covered his blushing face. (A/N: Natsume's a pervert! Hahaha)
"Whatever Polka."
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Ruka' side
Hotaru was Ruka's partner. They already finished 4 of the 5 tasks. They were heading up the mountain, Hotaru was riding her magical staff while Ruka was walking. They took a wrong turn and ended up near a cliff instead of the mountain top.
"Sorry Imai-san but I think I took a wrong turn." Ruka said.
Hotaru remained quite, she was actually shivering because of the cliff and she was floating above it. She had a trauma because of the accident years ago.
"Imai? Are you okay?" Ruka asked.
Just then Hotaru fainted, she fell below the cliff. Ruka being alert quickly cast a flying spell on him and jump off the cliff to catch Hotaru who was still falling. Ruka hugged Hotaru in mid air protecting her from the impact. A branch from the trees wounded Ruka's right arm causing it to bleed. When they landed on the ground Hotaru was still unconscious safe and wound, Ruka was holding his arm because of the pain.
"Imai, Imai get yourself together. Imai wake up." Ruka trying to wake up the sleeping inventor
It started to rain; Ruka carried the sleeping Hotaru to near by cave to take shelter from the rain. Ruka's arm was still bleeding; it was too bad that their things were left off on the cliff because there was a first aid kit in there. Ruka's magical powers were exhausted because of his bleeding arm and lack of energy. Much to their bad luck the cave was actually home to a pack of wild wolves, the wolves smelled Ruka's blood. Ruka hugged Hotaru to protect her from the wolves and casted a small barrier around them. The wolves then began attacking one by one but due to the shield, it stopped them. After a few more minutes Ruka's magical powers reach its limit. Ruka hugged Hotaru a tightly and murmured something before the wolves attack them.
"At least I got to protect her." he murmured.
The wolves attacked.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
To be continued.........
Title: Hotaru Remembers
Minna, thank you for reading this chapter of Secret of Magic. I left chapter 2 hanging so it will add a bit more suspense. By the way I changed a detail in my story, instead of a rose with a feather, it turned to a black star kind of reminds me of Tsubasa. I like him very much! Thank you to those who reviewed, I appreciate it very much! PLEASE REVIEW!
Sweetmint