The most terrifying demons you'll ever face come from within. At least that's what they said. So then, Haruhi wondered why the Hitachiins were giving her inner devils such a run for their money.

"Pretty sure you're not supposed to play with that," she murmured as they roughly tossed a cloudy crystal ball back and forth, turning it over and over in their hands, their amber eyes flashing with curiosity. They took turns placing it in the hoods of their forest green vests just for the hell of it and she rolled her eyes. No matter how many times they'd been warned against it, the two insisted on molesting every spooky object in the macabre show room. "Nekozawa-senpai said not to touch any—"

She drew in a breath as the ball tumbled from Kaoru's hood and crashed to the ground, splintering into hundreds of tiny pieces. "… thing."

The twins' eyes slowly slanted toward the front of the chamber where Nekozawa danced from artifact to artifact, prattling on about his family's dark, twisted history. Mori and Hani nodded astutely and Kyoya perused an Iron Maiden in the room's rear. When Nekozawa didn't so much as break for a pause, the twins began to whistle lowly, their eyes drifting toward the ceiling.

"Not our fault!" they sang together before turning to leave her alone with the broken glass. They were abruptly met with the pale ghost of a face, abject horror etched upon its features.

"Hikaru…Kaoru…" Tamaki spoke in a grave tone as he hovered over the twins."I told you not to touch anything!" Tamaki— who hadn't let so much as a thread of his sky blue jersey brush against a single relic — kneeled over the shattered glass, palms outstretched. "Now the children of our children will be cursed for centuries!" He turned teary eyes on Haruhi. "Haruhi's destitute family has enough misfortune as it is!"

Again with that? She gave him a blank gaze. "It's really not like that, senpai."

"Yeah, yeah," Hikaru sighed, he and Kaoru batting their hands at him in unison.

"Don't you think you're overreacting, MiLord?" Kaoru asked.

"After all, we stapled that shrunken head to your back two hours ago," they shrugged. "And nothing exciting has happened yet."

With nearly perfect timing, Tamaki fell into a fit of curses and shrieks, his hands clawing desperately at his back as if he'd been attacked by an army of rabid fireants.

Haruhi sighed deeply and turned away from the fray. She couldn't bare it any longer. Especially not since... Her thought process trailed off, a feeble attempt at avoiding the inevitable.

She couldn't believe she'd developed a crush on that idiot.

It was already incredibly confusing to figure out why and moments like this made it all the more baffling. To think that she'd entered Ouran Academy a nervy honors student with common sense. As of now, she'd become a crossdressing gigalo with a penchant for vain, hopeless crybabies. Oh, how the honorable had fallen.

Frowning, she folded her arms and leaned against an obsidian plated table lined with glowing, gothic candelabras, a Ouija board and a necklace with an eye centered in a triangle. She scrunched the sleeves of her navy blue hoodie over her hands and pulled the material into herself. Did the Nekozawas have to keep it so cool in here? She supposed the seemingly endless arching ceilings didn't help the temperature or the general feeling of unease... It was as if an evil spirit had hijacked a Western cathedral. Not to mention all the weird portraits of cats...

She glanced up just in time to see Nekozawa draw yet another item from a nearby pedastal.

"And this!" he ran adoring fingers over the black dagger. "Is the family blade! The wielder of this dagger and its dark power can absorb the lifeforce from his victims until his strength is unstoppable!" He jabbed the dagger a few times toward Hani, who yelped in response. "Fufufufufuuuu!"

Mori grunted, eyes narrowing.

"Ahem," Nekozawa cleared his throat. "On to the next cursed item! Fufufufu…" He chortled from underneath the black cloak as he crept over the wooden floors to the adjacent table.

"Are you okay, Hani-senpai?" Haruhi frowned at the still trembling senior as she walked toward the less spastic half of their group.

"Haru-chan!" Hani leapt at her with teary eyes, hands outstretched. She stumbled a bit as he caught her around the neck and sobbed into her shoulder. "It's scary here! I just want to go home and eat cake!"

"We're bored," the twins had followed her, apparently tiring of Tamaki's antics. "We thought there'd be ghosts."

"Wouldn't you be scared out of your mind?" Haruhi raised an eyebrow, recalling a certain first year Halloween event.

"Kyoya!" Tamaki groaned as he lumbered over, his shirt severely ripped and stretched, a tiny, wrinkled head rocking on the ground behind him. "This is unacceptable!" He clamped his hands down on the Shadow King's shoulders. "Why did you bring us here?!"

Kyoya sighed, grey eyes unfazed by Tamaki's distress. "Have you forgotten already, Tamaki?" He jerked away and Tamaki nearly toppled over. "We're making up for your mistake."

"He's right, MiLord," Hikaru nodded.

"If you hadn't vacuumed Beelzenef," Kaoru continued.

"We wouldn't owe Nekozawa-senpai anything in the first place," they finished together.

"I- It shouldn't have been in the club room to begin with!" Tamaki stammered. "Nekozawa-senpai knew Haruhi would be using dangerous commoner tools for the 'How to Live as a Commoner' seminar! Why should we have to suffer like this?!"

"He only asked you to stay at the Nekozawa historical estate, Tama-chan," Hani pointed out.

"We only came because you begged us." Kyoya rolled his eyes.

"So we really didn't have to be here…" Haruhi grumbled.

Tamaki had taken to crouching underneath one of the many show tables, his knees pulled to his chest, a curtain of blond falling over his eyes.

"Fufufu! Now gather round!" Nekozawa announced from the head of the room. "It's story time!"

They all drudged reluctantly toward the area, where a grand fireplace launched flame from its entrails. It licked seductively at them and they hurried a bit quicker at the promise of heat. Kyoya was first to take a seat on the jet black, cushioned rug before it. Mori followed, holding Hani steadily to his chest as the boy lolita cast wary eyes upon Nekozawa. The twins had looped their arms around Haruhi, intent on sitting with her until Tamaki sprang from his crouching spot, adamant on the same. This tug-o-war game went on for at least a minute until Nekozawa let a particularly creepy 'fufu' ooze from his lips and they all froze immediately in place: Tamaki, Haruhi, Hikaru and Kaoru all lined up respectively.

"Now I will tell you the tale of Nekozawa Hametsu," Nekozawa began, an eerie grin splitting his lips. "And the black candle."

"Does it have pictures?" the twins asked dully, eyes bored.

"Fufufu… Yes actually." He raised his arm and flourished grandly at the portrait just behind the fireplace mantle. A Caucasian and Japanese man with jet black hair sat behind the oil and century old wear, his hands folded in his lap. He was a thin man, but his stature emitted an air of grandness and power. He sat in complete darkness. Even the linen of his coat and the leather of his shoes bruised black. Perhaps most alluring were Hametsu's deep, dark eyes. In fact, the painting seemed mundane until Haruhi caught a glimpse of them. They bore into her with too much fervor and a strange familiarity, as if every facet of her mind had been laid bare. Her gaze dropped to realize that his lip was turned up slightly. He was smirking, all the while probing intensely into her, his eyes dancing with secrets. The painting seemed suddenly grotesque. She dropped her gaze completely and noticed that the rest of the room had fallen silent. Had they all experienced the same effect?

Nekozawa just grinned before continuing on with his story. "It is said that Hametsu journeyed far to the Western islands where his crew protected a local tribe against a band of pirates. Before he left, a child of the tribe gifted him with a single, white candle.

'Although he thought it an odd gift, he accepted and his ship set sail back home to Japan that night, for he missed his beloved fiance— the person he cared most for in all the world. Just before the ship docked, he decided to propose to his love of many years, but he was a shy man. He chose to present his declaration of love in writing. When he went to the task, he found that the oil in his cabin light had diminished. In his lovestruck haze, he forgot the boy's warning and lit the candle, eager to begin. He didn't notice the white wax as it blackened suddenly and bled under the flame or his shadow as it disobeyed him and soon disappeared altogether. The flame burned throughout the night.

'That evening, as he slept, he dreamed that he opened his eyes to see his own reflection staring down on him with a twisted grin, eyes unblinking. When he awoke, he shook the nightmare off and continued to sail the ship home to safety.

'Just before daybreak, he raced to his estate, the letter in hand, impatient to see his love. When he opened the door to her chambers, he found her tangled in his own arms. Though, it was not him, but the malevolent double that had hovered over him as he slept the night before.

'He pleaded for his love to return to him, but it was too late. She had succumbed to the mark of the demon and as such, belonged to it. With his love lost to him, Hametsu fell into a deep depression, his will gone. Upon the first light, the flame flickered dead with a mysterious gust and the true Hametsu vanished into darkness forever."

"Fufufufufufu…" He gazed upon all seven of them to gauge their reactions.

"Was that actually supposed to scare us?" The twins yawned.

"That's it?!" Tamaki demanded, his fingers digging into Haruhi's and Mori's shoulders, as they sat on either side of him. "But that can't be it!"

"I know, Tama-chan!" Hani cried, tears flowing, and the two embraced. "So sad!"

"So ultimately he became the shadow of his shadow due to his own carelessness and inadequacy," Kyouya stroked his chin, a slight smirk on his lips. "Interesting."

Haruhi tensed, eyeing him from the side. Perhaps they should have been more wary of the shadow demons actually in their midst…

"So let us get this straight," Kaoru sighed.

"The kid gives him a candle and tells him never to light it?" Hikaru asked.

"What's the point in that?" they leaned toward Nekozawa.

Haruhi nodded. "And if Hametsu's shadow demon survived, why did he stick around to carry on the Nekozawa lineage?" she asked, her brow raised. "Why didn't he abandon Hametsu's fiancee as soon as he succeeded?"

"Fufufufu… naive boy," Nekozawa chuckled. "Shadow demons are mirroring creatures. Even though they are separate of intention and logic, they will always take on the memories and emotions of their human counterparts."

"So he loved her?" Tamaki asked, completely enraptured.

"Perhaps," Nekozawa nodded. "But any sinful aspects of a person are extreme in their demon form," he explained. "So he was quite the adulterer. And there were several mysterious murders on the estate during that time."

Tamaki gasped, his hand flying to his lips.

Haruhi frowned. "Ah…" Her eyes hovered over the painting once more, only glimpsing the eyes for a split second. They stared at her expectantly, the glint of malice ever present. She wouldn't put it past him.

"You don't believe this stuff, Haruhi?" Hikaru turned to frown at her.

"Yeah," Kaoru leaned forward to catch her eyes. "We expected that sort of gullibility from MiLord."

"But not from you," they finished.

"What did you say?!" Tamaki demanded, fists clenched. He looked down to face Haruhi and her breath hitched at the sudden eye contact. She wanted to slap herself. Was she honestly that overwhelmed by this idiot? She averted her gaze.

"Don't listen to them, Haruhi!" He shook a finger at her before putting a closed fist to his chest and assuming a brooding pose. "I just find it so tragic that a simple object could cause so much harm."

"It's okay, Tama-chan," Hani reached out to pat his junior's head, although tears still brimmed the rims of his honey colored eyes. "It's just a story. It's not real."

"Fufufufu… But of course it is."

They all watched as Nekozawa pulled a thin white candle from his robes, the length of a human hand.

"GYAAAAAH!" Tamaki shrieked and cartwheeled three times backwards.

"Takashi!" Hani looped his arms around Mori's neck and the Wild Type stood and backed away, eying the candle warily as if it would grow teeth and take a bite out of his cousin.

Despite her general disbelief in the whole thing, Haruhi found herself scooting a space back unconsciously.

The twins just eyed each other, feline grins stretching across their countenances. The fire cast a wicked glow on their features and Haruhi swallowed hard.

Before they could commence to do terrible things, a soft clapping began and they all turned to see Kyoya rising to his feet. "Alright, that's enough of Occult 101," he sighed. "We should start heading to bed." He immediately turned to an obviously distraught Nekozawa. "Thank you for having us, Nekozawa-senpai. As you know, we must depart early tomorrow morning, but we've thoroughly enjoyed—"

"It's kind of small to do so much damage, isnt it, Kaoru?" Hikaru asked from Nekozawa's left side.

"Definitely, Hikaru," Kaoru agreed from the right as they circled him, hands folded behind their backs. " And why's it still so white after all these years?"

"B-Because!" Nekozawa stammered, his attention completely on the twins now, despite Kyoya's exasperated sigh. "It's cursed of course! Cursed items can maintain their likeness for centuries!"

"Ah," Kaoru frowned.

"Well, there's only one way to know for sure…" Hikaru surmised, his sneer reaching his ears.

"Let's test it!" they announced, seizing the candle from Nekozawa's grasp and sprinting toward the fireplace.

"W-Wait!" Nekozawa cried.

"NOOOO!" Tamaki immediately shrieked, his feet fast on their heels. "HIKARU! KAORU!" he bellowed with much authority. "Stop this immediately!"

"Hika-chan! Kao-chan!" Hani wailed. "If I get turned into a shadow, I can't eat cake anymore!"

Breaking out into a run, Tamaki flung himself into the twins, arms stretched around their legs. Cursing, they tumbled to the carpet, the candle still held high in Hikaru's hand. Tamaki climbed up the older twin like a ladder, hand outstretched for the candle when Hikaru tossed it to Kaoru. Snickering, they engaged an unwilling Tamaki in a frenzied game of Monkey in the Middle. Exasperated, the Host Club King let out an enraged cry, his cheeks reddened.

A tired sigh. "Will you three stop playing around?" Kyoya groaned, fingers massaging at his temples. "You can't just light century old relics on fire without permission." He reluctantly stepped toward the chaos. "You do know we can be sued?"

Per usual, the voice of reason was ignored and their game continued. When Kaoru edged closer to the fireplace, Tamaki snapped around to face the person closest to the exit, eyes panicked.

"Nekozawa-senpai!" He called upon spotting him. "Take Haruhi and run!"

"Eh?" Haruhi barely had the time to utter when Nekozawa's arms closed around her waist.

"Right away, Suoh-kun!" Nekozawa nodded, happy to oblige his kohai before hoisting a bewildered Haruhi from her feet and racing toward the arching doorway that led out of the chamber and into the equally chilly, depressing corridors.

Rustling continued inside of the room until Mori calmly sat his cousin upon the carpet, walked to the fireplace and promptly stomped the fire out enveloping them all in darkness.

"Takashi!" Hani cried "It's dark!"

"Dammit!" Hikaru cursed.

"M-MiLord!" Kaoru rasped as if in a chokehold. "Let me go! We can't light it anymore!"

Tamaki panted. "Th- thank God..." he sighed in relief. The rustling sounds quieted and not long after, Haruhi heard footsteps ambling softly her way.

A sigh from Hani. "That was close, huh, Takashi?"

Tamaki grunted in agreement, his breathing still labored. "Good thinking, Mori-senpai."

"Not that good," two twin voices dissented at once. "Ever heard of lighters?"

Before anyone could react, a faint clicking noise echoed off of the ceilings and a small, but growing orange glow brightened the room. Two sinister sneers hovered just above the flickering candle. Zoning out Nekozawa's sudden shriek, Haruhi leaned into the room to see six still shadows reflected against the arched stone walls.

The wax shrank from the wick, curling and then blackening under the flame. Hametsu grinned malevolently at her from the illuminated portrait, his expression more startling, more eerie than ever under the dancing candlelight.


A/N: A couple of things. Firstly, this story takes place (manga spoiler ahead) sometime at the point when Haruhi has realized that she has a crush on Tamaki though she isn't accepting of it. Which only happens in the manga.

Secondly, this story will have some dark themes. It will be creepy at times with instances of non/con and dubious consent so if you are easily triggered by either of those, this isn't the best story for you.

Thank you for reading! Please review.