Hello, everyone. I know I haven't updated "Vogel" in a looooong time, but it's because I've been ITCHING to write a shoujo manga type AU with NaruxMai, and here it is!

Please enjoy.

The First Color: Prussian Blue

Normal POV

Taniyama Mai had lived her entire life believing that emotions created a unique kaleidoscope of color for every person to see in their lives. Her mother had taught her that the colors of life grew more vivid the more beautiful the person's heart was.

And well, Mai wasn't sure she believed that as much as she used to.

Grey. Her world was a grey. A grey the color of slate, or the color of the clouds on a rainy day. Her kaleidoscope left her the moment her mother had.

It happened during the first semester of her second year of high school.

Mai spent a long time going back and forth between the apartment she lived in with her mother and the hospital. Her mother, Kaori, had always been the sickly type for as long as she could remember, but just before school began again, her illness took an ugly turn and Mai spent most of her days after school in the hospital, sitting next to her.

The moment the light in her mother's eyes faded, the color in Mai's world was sucked away. It was void and blank, and Mai's eyes looked the same the next week.

Mai sat on her ankles, dressed in black, in front of her mother's shrine as her friends and old coworkers came to pay their respects. The brunette's expression was blank and her eyes clouded-over.

They all whispered to each other in the shadows.

"Who will take her in?"

"Oh, not me. I already have four kids."

"I really can't afford it."

"But she'll end up alone, you know?"

"I wish I could, but…"

Mai didn't really care. She had already lost the most important person in her life, and she didn't see any reason for being a part of the world any longer.

I don't really see any point in anything anymore.

"I'll do it."

Mai tilted her head up slightly at the sound of the voice.

All eyes turned to a kindly woman who appeared to be in her late forties. Her age showed in her face, and her black hair was pulled back into a low bun, and she topped it off with a small burgundy, hair pin in the shape of a flower. Her clothing was as simple as her smile.

"After all, I've taken in a lot of kids in her situation. I took in her mother too, back when she was pregnant with Taniyama Mai-chan."

Mai looked up for the first time, her world in monotone, but her eyes were widened slightly in surprise at this woman who supposedly was close to her mother.

"Come here, Taniyama-chan." She said, locking eyes with the brunette.

Mai stood slowly and walked over to the woman. Her stocking-clad feet padded softly on the tatami mats.

The woman smiled even more kindly, if it were possible, and titled her head to the side. "Would you please come and stay with me?" The woman put her hand out, palm up, and the other hand held her dark grey shall in place.

The woman was giving her a choice, and rather than force her, she was making it sound like Mai staying with her was for her own sake, and not an act of pity for Mai. Somehow, that sounded so much more appealing than going to stay with anyone else…

Mai stared for a long time at the extended hand before bringing her hand up. She didn't even know this woman's name, but her smile was warm, like her mother's had been.

"Hai."

And for the first time since her mother's death. Mai saw a color: burgundy. The color of the woman's hairpin.

Two months later, Mai stood in front of her new home. They waited for the first semester of school to finish before moving her.

It was a nice apartment complex. Slightly bigger than the others she had lived in previously. Its appearance was fairly modern, and the inside of her apartment was large and spacious, especially since she didn't have much furniture. She decided to use the spare bedroom as a practice space for dance, since the floor was hardwood. It reminded her of one of those beautiful apartments she always saw in Korean dramas, especially since she was lucky enough to have her own laundry machines, a spacious kitchen, and a large balcony.

Mai shook her head a bit and pushed away her admiration. A small part of her was more excited than a small child. She had come to this small town looking for a new start. It was even near the city her mother had been born in. As she had passed through, Mai didn't see anything particularly special about it. Maybe, a mundane, neat little town like this was what she needed.

A few hours later, Mai sat at her dinner table across from her new guardian. She had just finished settling in, and it was late in the afternoon.

"Mai-chan," Her guardian began. Mai looked up from the table and snapped out of her daydream. "You dance, right?"

Mai's eyes widened a bit. "Yes. I do ballet. How did you know?"

The woman grinned and put an elbow on the table, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. "Your mother, when she stayed with me, always said that she was going to put her little girl in dance lessons. I remember she used to walk around, so swollen with you in her tummy, trying to stay elegant like the good little prima she was. Instead, she kind of waddled around." The woman laughed.

Mai still felt a pang in her heart from hearing about her mother, but the beauty and marvel of the memory had her smiling a small, lopsided smile.

"She was pregnant with me when she was there?"

"Very." Her guardian, Kana-san, nodded. "Anyway, I enrolled you into the same school Kaori-chan went to. She loved to dance there because they have such a great arts program. I asked your old school to forward your information, and they really liked your grades and your background, so they accepted you with a scholarship."

"Scholarship?" Mai raised a brow.

"Yep. It's something they do for the kids with special situations, like making a long commute, or choosing to dorm here. All you have to do is work at the school. Something like being the librarian a few days a week would work perfectly." Kana-san explained kindly.

"Ah, okay."

Mai was going to live here alone in her own apartment. The rent was very cheap for students. Kana-san lived on the outskirts of town, near the mountains, and she thought it would be better for her to live closer. Mai was asked to come to her home at least once a week as her only condition.

"I think you'll like being here Mai-chan. This school is really good at caring for their students' creativity and education, so you'll come out of this feeling accomplished and like you had a great time. Plus, being in a new place like this is really going to help." Kana-san smiled softly. "I hope you like it here."

"Thank you, Kana-san."

Mai felt hope rise in her chest. Something about getting the chance to start fresh in a totally new environment, where no one knew her, was incredibly heartening.

The two smiled helplessly at each other for a moment. They had only known each other for a few months, and while things weren't exactly awkward, the two weren't exactly close either. Kana-san tried hard, but she knew it was all up to how Mai felt about her.

And right now, Mai was a bit closed off… though she was already getting better. She still cried sometimes, but she knew she had to find something, anything, to hold onto. Otherwise, she would slip away into the darkness again.

"Well, I should go now. The younger kids are going to start getting home from school soon." Kana-san said, interrupting her thoughts.

Mai smiled faintly. "Okay."

Kana-san had other kids at her home that were like Mai. They were all staying at her home for some reason or another. Mai would meet them when the weekend rolled around.

She walked Kana-san downstairs to the lobby of the apartment complex, said her goodbyes, and went back upstairs to finish unpacking. She finished just as the sun began to set.

Mai sat up as she put the last box away, turning her head to watch the sun set over the horizon from her balcony. She checked the time on her phone, her fingers sliding over the keys of her piano themed case.

Mai had plans for the night, so she dressed neatly, grabbed her old satchel, and took the train back to her old town to meet her old friends one more time.

They were throwing a farewell party for her and promises flew around to stay in contact and meet up once in a while. She appreciated the effort, but she wasn't sure if it would really happen. Either way, Mai laughed with everyone, slipping easily into the character they wanted to see from her.

Her smiles and laughter were fake, but not quite forced. The petite brunette partied with her girls in a private karaoke room loaded with food until they were exhausted and dead on their feet.

Sometimes, letting loose like this felt good, but only for a short while. Her world quieted again at the end of the party as everyone said their goodbyes to her. She thanked them all for everything they had done for her - for taking care of her and for throwing the party. Mai told them she was glad they had been friends for the short year and a half they had spent together.

The girls shed a few tears, and Mai was truly happy she had spent time with them.

Mai smiled softly at the faces of her friends around her, a hand raised to wave.

"Bye bye."

She turned away and began walking.

"Mai!" One girl called. Mai turned around again, a brow raised. "That's not right! It's 'see you soon,' isn't it?"

The other girls murmured their agreement.

Mai laughed a laugh that was a cross between a sad chuckle and a joyful one. "Ja… Mata ne."

"Mata ne!" They chorused.

Her world was a lighter shade of grey today.

She was exhausted. After eating all of that food, the only thing Mai wanted now was to fall into a food-induced coma and sleep for forty days. They had danced and played games until they couldn't feel their hands or feet anymore.

Mai hadn't done anything that exhausting in a long time. Her stamina was especially low.

That's why, Mai's eyes were staring at the floor carefully to make sure she didn't fall over from sleepiness. That's also why, Mai didn't see, or hear, anyone coming toward her until she was flat on her ass, staring up at the top of her apartment building.

Hell, she didn't even feel that.

But she did hear a short, strangled cry below her. Mai looked down at the bottom of the long, curved steps that circled around the entrance to the apartment complex. A man lay at the bottom.

"Oh, my gosh!" Mai cried out, realizing that she had crashed into the man and tripped him over so that he fell down the steps.

She scrambled up and hopped down the steps until she was helping the man up. "I'm so sorry, sir! Are you alright?" Her voice was shaking.

The man smacked her hands away, looking up at her with a glare. His black bangs covered half of his face, and he was dressed somewhat formerly. His eyes were a dark slate.

"I'm sorry…" Mai squeaked. "I was just so sleepy and dizzy. I didn't even realize what had happened until I was staring up at the sky."

The man pinched the bridge of his nose with a heavy sigh. "Are you alright?" His voice was cold.

"Yes!" Mai nearly yelled, turning pink down to her neck. "Are you? Can I help you back up to your place? Or should I call an ambulance?" She held her phone at the ready, but her brain was spinning.

Uwahhh.

The man looked down and tried to stand, but his right leg gave way. Mai caught him. "Sir!"

He was wincing in pain and huffing a bit. "I'm going to need your help to get back to my apartment. I've got someone there who can take care of me."

"Of course!" Mai replied eagerly. "Which floor do you live on?" She asked as she put his right arm around her shoulders. He winced again. "Oh my gosh, your wrist is hurt too?"

Mai wanted to start crying. What have I done?!

"I think I fell a bit strangely on my right side. And I live on the fourth floor."

He answered shortly.

"Oh, me too! And I'm sorry. Really, I am. This is all my fault."

Okay, maybe she really was going to start crying.

The man was cold and all of his sentences were short and curt. He was obviously very upset with her, but was willing to cooperate if it meant getting away from her sooner.

They got on the elevator and the man was able to take a breather.

Mai stood there awkwardly, wishing the elevator floor would open up and let her plummet into the earth.

The elevator bell dinged and Mai readjusted her hold on the man before trudging onward.

"Which way?"

He pointed left.

Mai paled. Does he have to live in the same hall as me?!

They went on until they reached the end of the hall, Mai's chest tightening with a bad feeling every step they took. He pointed to the door on the left again as Mai's eyes widened in horror and her breath hitched.

Across from me?!

Mai wanted to bang her head against the wall. Good one, Mai! Why don't you hurt the person you'll be living across from for the next year or so? That wouldn't make things awkward at all!

Mai reached up and knocked on the door, still internally screaming and running around. On the outside, however, she remained composed. "You said someone was home, right?"

"Yes." The man grunted.

The sound of the lock opening was heard and the door swung open to reveal a young man, perhaps a little older than Mai, all dressed in black. His hair was inky black and his eyes a dark, Prussian blue.

"Um…" Mai was speechless, lost in the depths and darkness of the boy's eyes. They were as deep as the depths of a jewel, and as dark a blue as the sea when the sun didn't shine.

"What's this?" The boy's eyes narrowed dangerously and his expression was cold.

Mai felt a winter wind blow past her and her heart break. Never mind!

Before him was a brunette with long hair that reached down to her shoulder blades. Two pieces of her hair above her ears were clipped to the back of her head. Her eyes were the same color as her chestnut hair, if not a bit darker. She was wearing a pale yellow, sleeveless shirt with an oversized collar of the same color. It had some sort of floral pattern on one side and it… was tucked in, just above her hips, into a pair of dark blue jeans. On her hip was a small brown, over the shoulder satchel.

"We crashed into each other outside and I fell down the steps." The man on Mai's shoulders answered.

The boy turned his attention to his guardian.

The petite brunette winced. "It's all my fault. I was just so dizzy and I didn't see him." Mai passed the man over to the boy. "I'm so sorry."

"Dizzy? What, were you drunk?" He demanded, his voice getting colder and harder with each passing syllable.

"What? I-"

"Never mind," The boy interrupted, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Lin, are you hurt?"

"He hurt his right ankle and his wrist. Maybe even his hip." Mai reported, filing away the man's name.

"Are you a doctor? You sure look young." He raised an elegant brow.

"No, but anyone who dances can see injuries pretty easily."

"You dance?"

"Yes, ballet."

"What's your name?"

"I'm Taniyama Mai. I'm a second year. I'll be starting at Sakurado High tomorrow." She answered automatically.

"Okay then, Taniyama-san, I suggest you take your leave for the night. Give me your contact information."

"Um…" Mai pointed over her shoulder, grimacing. "I live here." She confessed, ready to start sobbing. Why me?

There was a brief moment of silence.

The boy put a hand on his hip, the other already in use to support the man called Lin. He seemed unimpressed. "I see."

"So you can come and get me if you need anything." Mai continued, trying to be helpful.

"I understand. Good night, Taniyama-san."

"Good night..." Mai trailed off, giving the young man a chance to tell her his name.

"Shibuya."

"Shibuya-san." Mai finished uncertainly as she turned away from the pair.

Their door swung closed as Mai dug around in her handbag for her keys. She found them soon enough and went into her home.

And after a moment of silence...

"UWAHHHHHH!" Mai cried as she let herself sink to the ground. "Great job, Mai! You've gotten yourself into some real trouble this time!"

She flopped forward onto the carpet and let out her frustration.

"I want to move away again…" She cried mournfully.

The next morning, Mai sleepily answered a banging on her door in her pajamas. She rubbed an eye as she blinked up at her neighbor, dressed for school in his summer uniform. That is, he chose short sleeves today, and the pale, sleeveless yellow sweater with the V-neck that displayed his grey tie. His pants were the same color.

"Good morning, Taniyama-san."

"Oh! Good morning, Shibuya-san!" Mai snapped awake, just realizing that she had answered the door in her PJs.

They were a simple grey tee with the silhouette of a ballerina in an arabesque pose and a pair of short shorts. She knew for a fact that her messy bun looked like a nightmare after an entire night of tossing and turning to adjust to her new mattress.

"I took my friend to the doctor this morning. His right ankle and wrist are both sprained, and his hip is bruised." Shibuya informed her, the same unimpressed expression on his face that she saw the night before.

"Oh my god." Mai's hand slowly dropped down to her side from where it had been resting on the door knob. "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."

"Quite."

Mai flinched.

"Anyway, I have to ask you what you would like to do to make up for this."

"I'll do anything!" Mai cried.

"Ok, well, since I'm sure you can't pay the medical bills, you can take his place." Shibuya said, shifting his weight onto his other leg.

"His place?" Mai repeated.

"His work. We work together and now someone needs to do his job."

"Oh, so your boss needs a fill in?" Mai nodded. I could see that.

"Yes, but he's not my boss."

The statement confused her, so she tilted her head and quirked a brow. "But didn't you just say-"

"I did." Shibuya acknowledged, interrupting her again. It seemed to be a bad habit of his.

"But he's not the boss. I am."

Mai's jaw dropped. "You are? But you can't possibly be much older than me!"

"You seem to think we work some typical white collar job."

That was true. Mai had assumed they worked together in some office or maybe even in retail… though she couldn't imagine Shibuya's expressionless face trying to welcome costumers.

"Welcome, valued customer. How can I help you today?"

Nope. Not happening.

Mai waved away the thought before replying, "Oh, well then, what do you do?"

The teen held up a black case at his side, and his face twisted into a smug sneer. "I'm a violinist. And Lin is my accompanist."

"Violinist? Accompanist?" Mai's head was spinning again.

Uwah…

"Yes, I'm sure you know what those two words mean, right?" He gave her a deadpanned stare.

"Of course!" Mai's nose scrunched up indignantly. This guy is starting to tick me off…

"Then you'll do it?" He prompted, taking a step forward.

And he's pushy!

A question suddenly floated to the front of her mind. "Wait, but how did you know I could play the piano?" Mai asked.

Shibuya looked bored. "It's your phone case, isn't it? I saw it last night."

Mai remembered having it out in case she needed to call an ambulance.

"And you just assumed?"

"Well I don't believe someone who doesn't play is likely to buy a case based on it."

"I see."

"So you'll do it?" Shibuya asked again.

"Ugh…" Mai averted her gaze. She didn't really want to spend time with Shibuya and his 'holier than thou' attitude.

"If you don't, I'll be forced to report you for underage drinking and staying out past student curfew." That smug smirk came back. "That can get you expelled, you know."

Mai narrowed her eyes angrily. She kind of hated this guy. "Alright, alright, no need to threaten me. I'll do it. When do you need me?" She huffed, crossing her arms.

"Most days for a few hours after school. We start today." He said in an authoritative tone.

"Alright." Mai agreed. Yeah, fuck you too.

"Oh, and if you don't leave your place in another five minutes, you're going to be late on your first day." The smirk grew wider.

Wait, what?

Mai took a step into her house and leaned back to see the clock hanging on the wall in her living room. She gaped at the time.

"Oh my gosh, I'm gonna be late!" She screeched, slamming the door and scrambling to get ready.

Shibuya let out a sigh before stalking off. She's thoughtless. And rude. And she got Lin hurt at such an important time…

Mai ran into her new bedroom and threw on her new school uniform. The skirt was plaid - grey with navy and red lines. Shibuya's tie and pants were the same. She was wearing the summer uniform, so the top was a pale pink blouse. It was a little windy today, so she threw on the pale yellow, sleeveless sweater with the V-neck that made room for the bow. Second years wore pink bows, first years wore red, and third years wore grey. Except that boys wore the same grey tie, no matter what year. Their indoor shoe colors were different though, just like the girls.

Today, she chose to wear white, thigh high stockings.

It was a normal uniform for a normal school in a normal town. She kind of liked it though.

Mai adjusted her skirt and ribbon in the mirror before running into the kitchen and throwing in a slice of bread into the toaster and finding her shoes. By the time she was ready to go, her toast popped out.

"Hot!" Mai hissed as she bounced the bread around in her hands. She took a bite and held it in her mouth as she locked her apartment door.

She ran out as clichéd – no, as fast, as she could.

Thirty minutes later, Mai stood outside of her new class, tugging at her hair to make it lay in place. She didn't have time to clip it back today, so it just lay simply over her shoulders.

The teacher's voice sounded from within. "Come on in."

Mai took a deep breath before opening the sliding door to class 2-A. She walked to stand next to the teacher before picking up a piece of chalk and writing her name on the board neatly.

She turned around to face her new classmates and faked a smile.

"Hello! My name is Taniyama Mai. I'll be in your care for the rest of this school year."

The class oohed and ahhed before applauding. She bowed, straightened, and tucked piece of hair behind her right ear with a small, faked smile.

"Taniyama-san used to live in near Shibuya, in Tokyo, but circumstances have led her to move here to Sakurado City for the rest of the school year. Please be kind to her and show her the ropes." The teacher said. He looked around the room. "Now, if we could just find you a seat…"

A girl with pigtails raised her hand. "Sensei, this one's open!"

"Ah ok, then you can go ahead and sit with her."

Mai nodded sweetly and briefly scanned the room. Her eyes caught a familiar mop of inky black hair.

She locked eyes with none other than Shibuya, who sat in the back corner of the room, near the windows. Mai wanted to jump out of those very same windows right then and there, especially when she saw where her seat was. It was two in front of his, also near the windows, and on her right side was the girl with pigtails.

"Hi, I'm Keiko! Nice to meet you, Taniyama-chan!" She smiled cheerfully.

Mai turned to her. "Nice to meet you too, Keiko-chan. You can call me Mai."

The girl in front of Mai turned around. "And I'm Michiru. Can I call you 'Mai' too?" She was fairly cute and her hairstyle was simpler, with her hair parted on the right.

"Okay, nice to meet you, Michiru-chan."

And so, like this, Mai's new life began.

But in the back of her mind, Prussian blue eyes still watched her. They were dull, but burning. She had only looked into them for a few brief moments, but they had captured her and placed her in a deep trance.

For the first time since meeting Kana-san, her kaleidoscope gained a new color. It quietly fell into it, like drops of rain, and spread out to dye a few shards of glass. The rest were clouded in grey.

It was a beautiful color, that…

Prussian blue.

That's a wrap! I hope you enjoyed this. Please leave a review. :)

~Crescent T.