Author's Note: Soooo, you may notice two different versions of this story (tagged appropriately. Hopefully; I am an air head). The reason being this: this was not ready at all. In its first incarnation, this was plagued with grammatical errors (again, hopefully fixed), just piss poor conventions and cringy, awkward writing. Now, after a few years of trying my hand at few other things, a mental break down, hardware changes, alcoholism, I hope I can do the original work of the 4LS writing team justice, and do justice for myself.

So, anyhow, enjoy the story, rate, review, fav/follow, alltheotherthings! Thanks in advance. (PPS. thanks for making this weird to update, app)


ACT 1: THE NEW ARRIVAL! Enter: Tamaki Zakuri!

Scene One: Introductions are a Drag!

So this is Yamaku, eh?

When I saw that this place was available for me after my second heart attack, I thought hard about what being here might do for my health. Famous 24/7 medical staff. On site gym and physical therapy.

My dad thought it best for me to apply here, especially since my latest tempt of fate nearly cost me more than a leg and a few scars. I nearly lost everything. Again. All for a stupid relationship.

As we walked into the main gate, I notice a sickeningly sterile look to the path that we walk. The greenery, meant not as a sight, but more an image of mental therapy, is succinct in detail, meticulous in placement, and downright creepy in how plain it looks. The atmosphere is reminiscent of everything being replaced by an exact copy.

While I'm in my own thoughts, I fail to notice the fact that we had reached the front door. As my dad opens the door and I stumble in, a man, who bears an uncanny and utterly strange resemblance to a doctor I've seen somewhere, greets me personally.

"Ah, you must be Takari…Zak…?"

"Tamaki, sir. Tamaki Zakuri."

"Yes, that was the name. I'm Mutou. I'll be your homeroom and science teacher in class 3-3. "

His palm is strong, yet cold as a wet noodle. My dad introduces himself, then, ultimately, excuses himself to sort out my situation in the school's office. After a short pause, he returns, handing me a room key.

"I'll talk to you soon, Zak. I've got to get your uniforms to your room. Make me prouder than ever!"

He walks out the main entrance, heading towards the vintage looking buildings. Living on campus won't be so hard. I turn towards Mutou who is currently deciding on which face to make in reaction to my arrival.

"Well, Tamaki, would you like to introduce yourself? No pressure to do so, but if you'd like…?"

"Sure, sir. Wouldn't hurt me to introduce myself to the people I'll be seeing the rest of the year. By the way sir, you remind me of someone I've seen before, a Dr. Howe or Dr. Why, someone like that?"

He makes face that doesn't quite contort involuntarily, as if he were forcing a smile to make itself.

"I get that a lot. Now, to class."

We traverse the stairs to the third floor, finding the door marked '3-3'. Mutou motions for me to stay in place until he gives me a signal. As he begins his almost monotone speech, I block out the endowments of my appearance and being to wonder what I'll encounter in there. I wonder if there is anyone like me in there. Scarred and broken. My overthought contemplations are interrupted by the 'signal' Mutou gives for me to enter.

What I see intrigues me.

An assortment of people, around my age, who all have some sort of struggle they have to overcome. One girl is missing a thumb, one boy relies on a cane, and another girl has bleach blonde hair and red eyes. There's a tan girl, rifling her head with her bandaged arm, staring out the window, more likely out of lack of attention than disregard, and next to her is a light brunette girl who can barely keep her eyes open with her head and arms glued to her desk. But one catches my gaze. A girl with straight, violet hair stares at me back while she fidgets. She has a similar disfigurement. She looks away sheepishly, like a hare who just locked eyes with a fox. I continue on to a brunette who hasn't stopped watching me since I came in. Hakamichi Shizune. I never thought I'd see her feline eyes again. Next to her I see a bubbly, pink-drill haired girl who's blushing from chin to cheek. Kind of creepy. But her smile is still kind of cute.

I center up in the front of the room.

"Well, I'm Tamaki Zakuri. Hobbies, I guess, would include video-games, music, anything that includes computers and video editing. I have a band, of which the members actually attend this school. Anybody know Kowareta Ken or Akashi Hideko? Not a big sports fellow, 'cept for maybe free-running or tennis. If there's anything else you want to know about me just ask me later!"

Mutou points me towards the empty desk next to Pinkie. As I approach the desk, I rotate towards Shizune and sign a few words:

[Hey. It's good to see you again, Shizune.]

[It's been awhile, Zakuri.]

"You must be Zacchan~! I'm glad to finally meet~ you~! Shicchan was telling me about you~. Yay~ yay~! I'm Misha~!"

In those few, choppy sentences her entire personality was pushed forth at me like a whirlwind of bubbles and laughter.

"Eh, yo. I'm Zakuri, but I guess you're straight to the pet names. It's good to meet you Misha. I look forward to working with you and Shizune."

"Shicchan says that we~ should start on this hand out~! She says you'd hate to start the first day failing~!"

It's only now that I'm realizing just how loud a volume Misha maintains throughout the entire conversation. It makes me realize that she is probably an outgoing and REALLY outspoken girl. It is VERY endearing.

I lean over to Shizune's view.

[Thanks.]

She simply nods her head in pleasure, and we continue our work for the rest of the period. It's mostly uneventful, until the amethyst eyed girl gets up with all her belongings and walks out of class. It catches my attention for long enough that Misha and Shizune are staring impatiently, waiting for my input into the problem.

"What's wrong Zacchan?"

"Sorry, that girl just exiting had me distracted. What's her name?"

"Hanako? She's just… I'm sorry, Zacchan~! I don't know what~ to tell you."

Lunch break comes a few minutes later. Since Shizune and Misha are the only ones I know by first names, I automatically follow them to the cafeteria.

Scene Two: Unidentifiable Food Stuffs

"It's the cafeteria~~!"

A grasp of the obvious never seems to loosen for Misha. She yelled that at the top of her current volume, so probably everyone there heard her. I look at the menus and see the full scope of dietary plans this school supports. Every calorie and carb is documented on the menu. This helps those with prescribed daily intake make decisions for what they need to eat during the meal.

Now who has the firm grip of obviousness?

[Hey, Shizune. What kinds of extracurricular activities are here?]

She looks at me with a cold, analytical stare documenting my movements as she ponders what to sign in response. I feel bad because she can't experience the music and sounds I want her to encounter.

[Well, now that you mention it…]

"There's always Student Council~, Zacchan! You already know us, so~ you can join and all of us can have a great time~~! Please, Zacchan~! Please join up!"

"While your enthusiasm is duly noted Misha, I can't help but feel as if you both have a partiality towards me joining Student Council. Meh, plus it's too early to join a club. I was wondering if there is a requirement to join a club at this school."

The lunch bell signals the end to our break and we return to class. The rest of the day passes uneventfully and I ask Shizune and Misha for a quick tour. They show me to my real destination, the Nurse's office, and I thank them as they retire to their quarters.

Scene Three: Spoon Man

I walk into the room after being ushered in. I spy a young man who is wearing a white overcoat typing overly long and complicated lists of documentations and files. He turns to me with a smile noting my presence.

"Hello there."

"Hello. My name's Tamaki Zakuri. I was told to visit your office after school."

"Ah! Yes! Tamaki, have a seat and we'll begin."

"So, it says here you have congenital heart failure, around thirty five percent of your body is covered in scar tissue, missing right leg and are partially blind."

"Yes, sir."

"You can just call me nurse. Everyone seems to. Now, I have your meds, here."

He handed me a box full of medications. I've been taking them for eight years, and they have been streamlined, but they just seem the multiply every time I get a refill.

"So, it's been, what? Eight years? How are you today on your first day at Yamaku? Everything going according to plan?"

"So far, yeah. It's been a cool day. Met a few people and made two new friends, I guess."

"That's good. If you ever need advice, I'll be here. I'm sure you have a need to rest, so I'll let you go to your room."

I find myself at my door, with my hand on the knob.

Scene Four…

As I slowly turn the key to unlock room 122, I sense a disturbing figure breathing down my neck. This shadow is preparing to pounce on me at any moment, its hands ready to grip and slash me.

…It's Your Neighbor, Kenji!

"Who are you?!"

A boy with a Gryffindor color-coded scarf and huge, round spectacles greets me with a massive scowl.

"Well?"

"I guess I'm your neighbor. Name's Tamaki Zakuri. Pleasure to m…"

"Oh! Sup dude! My name's Kenji. I wouldn't head in there if I were you. I saw an older fellow walk in there. He looked like a real feminist follower. He probably planted a trap in there to capture you and convert you, and, if you're their target, that means I'm next!"

So not only is he a Daniel Radcliffe look-a-like, but a conspiracy theorist. And he looks like an expert. Great.

"Watch your back, man. These feminists are everywhere, even stooping so low as to ensnare men to do their bidding! Those witches! And they be trippin' if they think they can indoctrinate me! You hear me you indoctrinating, stooping witches! You'll never get me."

"Hey, Kenji. Are you alright, bro? You look worse than a cherry in summer."

He looks at me with a face of wrinkled, red, sweat covered pain. Kind of creepy. Again.

"Sorry. Feminists set me off."

"Yeah, I noticed. Look that was my dad. And I know that he is not a member of the dastardly 'feminists'. He's an alright guy."

"Oh. Alright. See yah, man. Gotta do some super covert recon stuff. Catch yah later!"

Anything to get rid of him. He must be at least partially blind. Either that or this conversation was entirely conducted towards the wall opposite of me. Even I'm not that blind. I mean, I can barely see out of my right eye, but come ON.

Scene Five: A New Home

I set out my medication on the night stand, carefully settling each bottle as if they were a china doll. I sort my night's medicine, and devour them, making a soured face as I consume the handful. A sharp pain emanates from my throat and I take a sip of water to assuage the fury of agony. I think I could breathe fire right now. No matter how many times I take these medicines, it gets worse with each new med.

A throbbing headache engulfs my cephalic region. God! It's always like this. I take off my right leg prosthetic and wash the amputated region with a wet cloth and disinfectant. Leaning back, I let out a loud sigh.

So, this is my new life as a student of Yamaku academy.

My thoughts are back to that Hanako girl. She was kind of cute in her own way. But what really drew my attention was her scars. She's like a mirror image of me. Which is interesting, because, up 'til now, I was the only special case I had met. Ignorance is bliss, maybe? First day of school and I've already got girls on my mind. I don't even know her, but…

With a sigh, I rest my head on the pillow. Tomorrow I'll definitely redecorated these sterile walls. But, with better judgment, I get up, lock the door, strip to my boxers, put the clothes into a bin in my closet, shut off the light, and drift off into the Fade.

Scene Six: A Bad Memory

"He's flat-lining! Get me a pace-maker and a damn tourniquet on that leg!"

"Over a quarter of his body is burnt. He's losing blood at an accelerated rate! We may lose him!"

"Damn it, don't talk like that! It's our job to believe that we can save him!"

"Y-yes, sir."

"His mother and sister didn't make it. They took the brunt of the collision, but we may be able to save him!"

"Hold on, Zakuri. We'll get you there safely."

Is this…

…what death is, mommy?

Karin?

Mom! Karin!

"MOM! KARIN!"

Shit!

These nightmares haunt me more and more frequently. I thought I was over my ghosts, that if I learned to let go, I might be able to move on. But my subconscious had a different plan in the works. So many bad thoughts and pains rush to me in a single second and are gone before my body can adjust to it.

In a dripping sweat and heat corroded condition, I look at the clock. It's only 2:00 a.m. I place my heavy head on the cloud-like pillow. I don't pity myself, but, instead, curse my body's weaknesses. My heart is heavy, my eyelids are twenty pound weights, my body numb, and my head is sweltering and swollen. I rest for the next few hours, recovering from the episode. I'm strong enough to survive this. I've been through worse.

I look back to discover that it's suddenly 5:00 a.m. and I'm feeling better than I did those few hours ago. It feels like a perpetual cycle of torture.