Authors' Notes: This is the edited second chapter to "Finding Hotaru." We hope you enjoy it!

This story is written by co-ordinate efforts of: Edwardelric108, Sonic-Keyblade007, NeverLookBack756.

Warning: Contains spoilers from last three chapters of manga. Story starts off immediately from chapter 180.

Chapter 2: First step

Two hooded men made their way into the abandoned warehouse on near the port. They knocked twice at the iron door. A man slid open a small window revealing only his eyes.

"Password," he demanded.

"Shometsu*" The man closed the window. A few minutes later, with a creaking sound the door was ajar. The hooded men walked in to be greeted by gunpoint.

" You can't handle a 16 year old girl!" the woman holding the gun demanded. She has long red hair tied up in a half pony.

"I'm sorry madam, but- "

"I don't want to hear your excuses. You have some nerve showing up her without the girl!" She stepped toward to them slowly. The closer she got, the more anxious they became. "You're a shitty excuse of a man!" She punched the man hard in the stomach with so much force, that he dropped to his knees. "Pathetic. " She hit his head with the gun's handle, causing the poor fellow to spit blood out from between his lips. His partner shook in fear. He was next in line.

"Scarlet, let him finish."

A cold, thin voice came from the shadows. He was a masculine man, clad in black from top to toe. The second he walked onto the premises, the air got icy. He looked well in his twenties but the several scars on his body told that he had fought many fierce battles. They were his scars of glory. One such scar adorned his left cheek. His black attire almost camouflaged him in the shadows. Scarlet bowed down. The other men did the same.

"Master!" they greeted in unison. With a slight nod, the dark figure signaled the men to stand up. Every single of them obeyed.

"Speak up !" He ordered to one of the men.

"Osouji-sama, the girl was not alone. They were there. He was there."

"They?" Scarlet enquired.

"The pheromone guy, that shape shifter and...well..." His partner replied for him, but couldn't finish the sentence.

"Speak up you coward!" Their Boss had obviously lost his patience.

"...And...the Kuro Neko..." He whispered in fear. Everyone, including the lady and the Boss, stared at him in awe.

"He's alive?" Scarlet whispered in disbelief.

"Kenji!" The Boss ordered. A bespectacled teen of around 13 came and bowed to him. "Is he telling the truth?" Kenji walked upto the two men. He brought up his fingertips and touched their foreheads. Images of fire and a tall guy controlling it rushed into his mind. The image of a few teenage girls by the sea followed. Then all of a sudden one of the girls turned into a grown man. A feminine guy with curly hair appears from behind, knocking the two men out.

Satisfied, Kenji withdraws his hand. He bows and replies, "Hai, Osouji-sama. They aren't lying."

The Boss smirks, to everyone's surprise. "So my men were defeated by a traitor, a gay and a zombie. How very pitiful!"

This was not good. The Boss was angry, and those two knew this was their end.

"Lemme take care of these two wimps, Osouji-sama." Scarlet said while pointing the gun at those two.

"I'll deal with them myself" He drawled, cracking his knuckles. The men screamed in pain. The Boss wasn't even touching them, not even twitching or blinking. Simply by his gaze fixed on those two, he inflicted them unbearable pain.

"Scarlet, I want you to investigate where they are heading. And why. I want the report by tomorrow," he ordered before leaving.

"It'll be done, Osoujisama." She bowed.

"I'll be needing your company after dinner tonight. My headquarters," the Boss ordered Scarlet. Kenji blushed at the thought of "company". He knew well what his boss meant, but he dared not to chuckle. Scarlet bowed down in delight.

"I'd be happy to accompany you, my lord." He smirked as he walked back into the shadows.

"Okay! Journey to find Hotaru commences! " Mikan announced as she walked out of her house carrying her suitcase. Natsume, Ruka, and Noda-sensei followed close to her. They smiled at her enthusiasm. Same old Mikan. Time doesn't change everything.

"Be careful now, Mikan, you hear!?" Ji-chan nagged her.

"I know. I know," she replied. She wrapped her arms around his frail body, giving him a goodbye hug. "I'm not alone, you know. I have Natsume, Ruka pyon and sensei."

"Don't forget me," a familiar voice called from behind. She turned to discover Shuichi Sakurano standing beside the van. He had braid up his hair neatly and was wearing a coat, seemingly ready for an adventure.

"Sakurano-sempai?" She was confused.

"I can't allow you guys to go and rescue the Imai siblings by yourself. Subaru's my best friend, I'll tag along too."

"Yay! The more, the better." Mikan cheered. Ji-chan was relieved that someone 'mature' was accompanying the gang.

walked out of the house, finally to wave her goodbye. He refused to see her all morning, he was upset that she was leaving, but he managed to come and say good bye. Mikan shook his hand and hugged him tightly. "Take care of Ji chan, Mr. Bear." He nodded.

"Let's go then." Noda announced.

"Make sure you write to me." Ji-chan said as he waved.

"I will. You take care now." Mikan said as she got into the car. "And don't forget to inform my school that I'm sick or something. "Ji-chan didn't need to be told that, he was an expert of making such excuses for Mikan's absences.

"Don't worry about that. You just bring Hotaru-chan home."

With the goodbyes taken care of, the group filed into the car. Ruka took a window seat while Mikan took the other with Natsume beside them in the middle. Sakurano rode shot gun as Noda drove ahead. Mikan happily hummed a tune.

"She looks overjoyed." Ruka whispered in Natsume's ears, " You must have had a great time last night. " He winked. "So how was it? Your first time? " He continued teasing. Only Ruka could dare tease Natsume that way, or Mikan for that matter. Had it been someone else, they'd be toast right now.

Natsume hated when Ruka wanted details on his love life. Even during that time on Christmas Eve, he avoided telling Ruka about those kisses and vows. After all, Ruka was his former rival in love. Besides, to brag about his relationship with Mikan seemed a little cruel and insensitive. But he owed Ruka too much. He was his best friend and he deserved to know. Ruka was there all along with them through those 4 years, keeping him mentally strong that Mikan would definitely remember him and that she wouldn't have found someone. That was the worst fear he had for the past 4 years: Mikan finding new love. It was Ruka who helped him overcome that fear and have hope. And it was Ruka who managed to convince him, not to burn Mikan's boyfriend, if she had one. So he decided that Ruka deserved to know.

"Wet."

"Naturally it would be." Ruka replied. Natsume noticed his cheeks reddening. Ruka misunderstood. Wasn't Natsume supposed to be the perverted friend?

"No, I mean wet from tears."

"Oh!" Ruka comprehended "So you guys-"

"-didn't do anything" Natsume finished for him. That made sense. They wouldn't have changed so fast. Mikan was still the same Mikan they knew four years ago. Ruka was kind of relieved.

"What are you two whispering there?" Mikan enquired.

"Nothing," they said in unison. "Not something little girls like you should indulge in."

"Shut up you meanie."

"Strawberry patterned."

"Pervert."

"Stupid."

"Nasty fox."

"Cut it out you two!" Sakurano settled them. "Act your age."

Yeah well some things never change no matter how old you get. Mikan got back to humming her song. "What's that song you're humming ,Sakura-san?"

"Oh! It's the song Hotaru and I sang at the karaoke competition when we were in elementary school here. That competition was the start of our friendship, so I thought it'd be a good luck charm along the way, right?"

"Yeah." Noda sensei said scratching his French beard.

"So where are we going by the way?" Mikan asked.

"You weren't paying any attention to what I was saying last night?" Noda said.

"Actually it was all too much for me to process, so I stopped understanding about halfway through." Everyone sweat dropped.

"We are visiting an old friend of mine. He's also a time walker like me. He's a lot more skilled, actually. He's strange and mysterious, it's hard to find him because he keeps moving from dimension to dimension, barely staying few days in the same place. I had a hard time tracking him down and contacting him. It took me two whole years to locate him. He's waiting for us at Tokyo." Noda tried to simplify as much as he could.

"Wow, that sounds like a lot of work." She was obviously impressed.

"Yeah well we all just didn't sit and laze around in the last four years," Natsume commented.

"So what's his name?" Mikan asked.

"He never reveals it. He's a timewalker, but he's also able to change dimensions. With that sort of power comes responsibility, and he needs to be far more careful about revealing his personal details. I just merely skip time, so its okay for me, but he lives in obscurity. He calls himself Paradox."

"Apt." Sakurano comments. Mikan wondered what "Paradox" meant.

"..." Mikan sulked "...I'm bored..." Sakurano was busy studying the road maps to guide Noda, Ruka was napping. And Natsume, well our kuro neko was busy reading Fairy Tail chapter 345.

"We've only been on the road for a half hour." Natsume commented, obviously irritated from being disturbed while reading his manga. He put the manga on his lap to entertain his fiance.

"So what? It's boring. Let's play a game, guys! "she suggested.

"How about we read your diary and entertain ourselves." Natsume took out her Pink Journal from his backpack and waved it in front of her. Her eyes widened. How did he-?

"GIVE IT BACK!" Mikan yelled. "NATSUME!" She started throwing punches at him and tried to grab her precious journal from him. "Where did you even get that!?" He stretched his hand high up beyond the reach of his fiance. His tall masculine hands made it difficult for her to grab it. Ruka stirred in his sleep. Without even opening the diary, Natsume spoke.

"When I get out of here, I want to go to the beach with everyone. I want to ride a train with Natsume...Aww..." He recited the words from his memory with perfect accuracy. He had managed to learn every single word from his fiance's diary, and actually he found it quite amusing. Despite Mikan's constant punches, he continued. "I want to go on a date with Natsume. I want to- Oi! Cut it out Mikan!" He couldn't finish reciting because of Mikan's constant tickling and punches. "If you continue to punch me, I won't take you on a date, you know," He teased her.

"I don't wanna go on a date with a meanie fox like you." She tried to reach the Journal again.

"Is that so? It also says here that you wanna have a grand weddi-"

"Shut up Shut up Shut up! Natsume you're such an idiot!" Mikan screamed from embarrassment.

"Guys keep it down please. I am trying to catch some sleep." Ruka complained.

"Sorry Ruka-pyon. I can't help it! Natsume's bullying me. Again. Make him stop!" Mikan showed crocodile tears.

"Shut up Polka." Natsume was irritated at the fact that Mikan was ignoring him.

"Pervert." Mikan couldn't stay mad at him. She wouldn't admit it out loud, but it was nice to have Natsume back. She grabbed his fingers in hers and laughed.

"Are they always like this?" Sakurano asked Noda.

"That's their way of flirting, I guess," the time traveler replied.

"Ne, Noda sensei how much longer?" Mikan asked.

"Almost there, just a few minutes more. I am looking for the park Paradox told me about. Sakurano san can you find it on the map?"

A young man dressed shabbily, hair unkempt and a stubble which badly needed a shave was swinging on one of the tiny swings in the park. The buttons on his coat were dangling some even missing. A tattered hat sat on his head, leaving an ounce of shade right on his eyebrows and eyes. In his right pocket he kept an old cigar and in the other, was a pocket watch from the 19th century. He took out his pocket watch, which amazing was still in working condition.

"If my calculations are right, Noda should be around the next corner, probably confused about the roads." He sighed. He continued talking to himself, "Maybe I should go and guide him here. But then again I haven't done that in past. He'll find his way to the park using that pretty girl's advice. Maybe I should wait." He fidgeted with his dangling button and concluded his debate, "Yes I'll wait. Don't want to mess up with time. I have already altered it too much. He'll be here in 7 minutes and 58 seconds anyways. Meanwhile let me watch the grass grow by 0.0002 millimeters. How very fascinating!" He chuckled.

A/N- Thanks for reading! We appreciate any feedback and comments you'd like to share, so make sure to review if you're enjoying the story! This chapter was written by Edwardelric108 and edited by Sonic-Keyblade007 and Neverlookback756.