A/N: Here are the updated chapters. Hope you like them!
Old Sparks New Flames: Chapter One
"WHAT!?" Scarlet shouted. She had just got back from a run with her best friend, Kyle, and still in her black running capris and pink sports bra, her father gave her some news she wasn't prepared for at all.
"I said, you are going to be attending Ouran Academy." Her dad, mafia boss, Soryu Oh of Black Dragons flatly replied.
"I can't attend Ouran! I don't do fluffy pink princesses, nor do I do uniforms. Especially dresses. Dad! You can't do that to me!" She cried back angrily.
"I can, and I will. I am your father. You will do as I say."
"Do as you say? You hardly bring that up anymore. Why the sudden urge for me to attend Prissy Pink Princess Land?"
"That information is classified." Soryu turns to leave, but his daughter grabs his arm with a death grip and won't let go. He slightly flinches, not expecting such a tight grip, but his flinch is not enough for Scarlet to notice. He hadn't realized how strong she had gotten.
"You can't make me do this. I do NOT want to go to Ouran. I want to stay here, at Tekka Heights. Tell me your reasons and I may find them reasonable enough to attend. If not, I might as well just run away." Scarlet replies, both fire and ice in her tone.
"I don't understand you sometimes Scarlet. Why does there have to be a reason for everything?"
"Because, you taught me since I was young to not stop at the first answer, to continue to ask why. And if you ask why too many times, the person on the other end will eventually give in and give you not only the information you wanted, but information you didn't want but is useful."
A smirk plays on his lips. "Ah, I have taught you well… Well, if you must know," He takes a deep breath. "Kyoya Ootori attends Ouran. I was hoping that if you two became friends…"
"Like that would ever happen! I hate him and he hates me! Anyways, what if we, by some miracle, became friends…?" Scarlet pushes.
"I was hoping that you… That you would… fall in love…and get eventually married once you both graduated." Soryu says quietly.
"WHAT? So this is an arranged marriage now!? It sure as hell looks like one to me."
"No, sweetie. It's not an arranged marriage. I just hope it doesn't come down to that. You two are destined to get married. It's the agreement of our two clans. The first born granddaughter of the current head must get married to the first born grandson of the other in order to keep the bonds between our two clans strong." He explains but before he can say anymore, Scarlet cuts him off.
"Sure as hell sound like one to me! But Kyoya isn't the first born grandson. In fact, he's the last. So why him?"
"All the other have been promised to marry other clan's descendants. He is the only one left of the siblings."
"But dad! You and mom didn't have an arranged marriage! You can't make me marry someone I can't stand! My enemy for the sake of it! You can't just-"
"You WILL marry Kyoya whether you like him or not! This conversation is over. Now, go get packed. I will have Margaret bring you your uniform. You will be staying with Takashi Morinozuka for the time being until I can settle this whole deal."
Takashi Morinozuka. Scarlet's other best friend. They have been friends since pre-school. She trained at his dojo when they were kids and she was still learning the mafia basics. "But dad!"
"GO!" Soryu yells at Scarlet. She stomps out of the room, cursing the mafia. "Don't curse the mafia! The mafia is you home!"
"Whatever! It's not like I chose the mafia life!" She yells.
(-)
About an hour later, Luka, her older brother, softly knocks on Scarlet's door.
"Scar? You in there?" He asks.
"Yeah, Luka. I am. Come on in." She says between sniffles. She had been crying.
The door opens with a soft click and Luka Oh, the future head of the Black Dragons walks in. "Have you been crying Scar?"
She couldn't say anything when she looked into his concerned eyes. All she was capable of was nodding her head yes and running into his arms. His hold was strong but gentle and he kept stroking her head like he used to do when they were kids and Scarlet would get teased for being the only girl on the soccer team.
"Hey, hey look at me." Luka says softly, gently holding Scarlet out to arms' length. "It will all be okay. I'm just a phone call away, okay? I love you Scar."
"I love you too Luka. I don't want to do this. I don't want to marry Kyoya. I want to marry…" She couldn't even finish her sentence before more tears were shed.
"Who, Scarlet? Who do you want to marry?"
"I…I want to marry Takashi!" She pushes away from Luka, anger overcoming her sadness. "And now that will never happen because of this stupid arranged marriage! Do you see this ring?" Scarlet holds up her right hand and sitting on her ring finger is a thin gold band with three emeralds, one large one in the center and two smaller ones on either side. Luka nods. "This is a promise ring from Takashi. He made me promise to wait until after I finish college to get married and have a life together with him. I love him! Not Kyoya!"
"Scar… I-I had no idea. I had no idea that you loved Takashi. I'm really sorry Scar. But this is the mafia. You have to do what you have to do and not get yourself killed. If I could change this agreement, believe me, I would. But I can't." Luka pulls his sister into another hug.
"What did you come here for?"
"I uh, I came here to tell you that dad wants you to be in the car at three. Um, I'm going to go wait for you outside in the car, okay? You uh, may want to fix your make up. Your mascara is running."
"Thanks Luka. Tell dad to give me ten minutes." Luka nods and turns away but is stopped by a set of small hands. "And Luka, take care of Axle for me okay?" Axle is Scarlet's very large Saint Bernard.
"No need for that." Luka smirks and Scarlet gives him a puzzling look. "The Morinozuka's are letting you take him with you."
She smiles and nods, turning to pack up a small suitcase of Axle's things, carefully placing his stuffed bunny on top along with rawhides, squeaky toys, and food and water dishes.
She just hopes that everything she does, makes her father proud. Scarlet is always trying to make her father proud and she does, but he doesn't show that he is proud of his one and only daughter. He doesn't want to make her weak and live only for attention.
(-)
2:58 p.m.
Scarlet arrives at the black bulletproof limousine with a butler following close behind with Axle in a bright lime green reflective collar and matching bullet print leash. As soon as the butler closes the door, the limo starts to move. The Morinozuka's live about an hour out of town on a huge 253 acreage with stables and a dojo. Scarlet's stallion, Aztec, and Luka's mare, Calypso are boarded there.
"Hi daddy." She says, hoping to sound as if nothing is wrong.
"Hello, Scarlet." Soryu gives his daughter a disappointing look. "I heard what you had said to Luka in your room. I hope you know that I would never allow you to marry Takashi no matter what. He is not worthy of you." Soryu says with a straight face and cool tone.
"You were eavesdropping!?" She shouts.
"Not so loud, Scarlet. And no, I wasn't exactly eavesdropping. I happened to be walking by when I heard you shouting. So, as any mafia king would do, I gathered intel on the event."
"I can't believe you dad! You weren't supposed to know that."
"I know, but I do know that you have lied to me about that damn ring. You said it was from Luka for you sixteenth birthday but I guess it wasn't." Scarlet's father grabs her hand and yanks the ring off her finger. "Now, I don't want any funny business while you are staying with the Morinozuka's. Since the plans have already been made, it is too late to change them." Soryu throws the ring out of the window.
"Father! Why did you do that!? I CAN NOT believe you!" Tears start to burn Scarlet's eyes and she buries her face into Luka's shoulder as he wraps a protective arm around her shoulders. Axle whimpers and tries to move from his seat but the leash attached to the car seat hook restrains him.
"I can and I have!" Soryu says, raising his voice. "Takashi Morinozuka is not worthy of you. His family may be wealthy, well educated, and run the most popular dojo known to Japan, but you cannot marry him. You can't even be his girlfriend. If any the Fire Dragons find out that you are seeing another man besides Kyoya, they will serve my head on a silver platter."
"Father, would you just stop already? Can't you see Scar feels bad about this? Her loving and caring father is sitting across from her, yelling at her for loving someone. She's been really shut off from the world since mom left and her talking about how she feels is a big accomplishment coming from her." Luka steps in for Scarlet's sake.
"You're right, son." Soryu admits. "Listen, honey. I'm sorry. I didn't realize how much you actually loved this boy and that you were actually telling me how you felt." He rests a hand gently on Scarlet's back and everybody, including Axle, stays silent for the remaining twenty minutes of the trip. The limo smoothly slides to a halt.
They have arrived at the Morinozuka's.