RESOLUTIONS

By Tsukiko Hitachiin

Notes and disclaimer: Special thank you to BlackRosary for giving me permission to use her OC Aiko from her fanfic "The Solution." Also, I don't own Ouran High School Host Club or any of its characters. That honor belongs to Bisco Hatori. Also, I don't own the OC Aiko. She belongs to BlackRosary. So thank you for not suing or slinging arrows at me.

SPECIAL NOTE: No host club members are present, or even directly mentioned in this chapter. Also, this fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I won't give out further details for fear of spoiling the details of the canon universe.

PROLOGUE: SANCTUARY BY THE SEA

Place and Time: Private beach house sometime in the future, very early in the morning.

Time moved at an unusually slow pace just before sunrise.

That was an inalterable conclusion that she had drawn long ago.

A still-somewhat young woman sat in a white wicker chair and watched the horizon as the early morning lights struggled against the darkness to bring in the new day. As the night stars faded, she smiled a little and looked down at her hands, callused from holding various paintbrushes and not feeling nearly as soft and fragile as they once were.

The woman's name was Aiko, and she was taking a break from her early morning painting. She sipped a cup of orange spice tea and wore a green paint-splattered smock over her favorite purple yukata. Unlike other members of her family, she enjoyed waking up while it was still dark. It gave her time to reflect and work in peace.

Over the years, she had found some comfort working with her favorite oil painting in her private art studio, which was off limits to the rest of the world, during those small dark hours before the rest of the world woke up. With each small brush stroke against the canvas, she could forget her past for a time and quiet the remnants of pain she felt in her heart.

After a few minutes of watching a few more stars getting erased, Aiko stood up slowly, pushing off from the arms of the chair. She steadied herself with her cane and once the pain in her leg subsided, she moved slowly and silently down the hallway and opened the door leading to her art studio, her sanctuary. On the door hung a small rack with two other paint-stained smocks. Aiko slipped her arms out of the voluminous garment and hung it back on the empty hook. She pointedly ignored the old white scars that crisscrossed all over her otherwise soft, pale right arm and the dull pain in her lower leg.

No need for unpleasant reminders.

Aiko reached up and rubbed the remnants of scars on the right side of her face, briefly brushing aside the hair that obscured the sight of the old injuries. Even though she had been able to get reconstructive surgery, a few scars remained on her face and still tingled occasionally. She could still feel some of the pain from years ago, pain that stayed with her as a reminder of her old life.

Today's the day.

And then the chords of her memory began to chime again in time with the small clock in the hallway.

It was now 5 a.m.

One more hour to go.

But how did it all happen? The tall, still-otherwise-elegant heiress shut the door and started back toward the porch. She reflected on her previous life and how unhappy it had been.

Even now, she was still working to rise up out of her former darkness, just as the first red glow of the impending sunrise was fighting to rise up over the horizon.

Setting the cane down by her chair, Aiko opened a small photo album and began to remember.

TBC…

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Author's note: Yes, this is a pretty vague prologue that has no doubt raised quite a few questions. Rest assured; all your questions will be answered. However, it is important to read the story "The Solution" first, since that fanfic will tell you a little more about the main protagonist and her situation. After reading that story for myself, I wanted to expand on the character and see how she finds her way in the world.

Please read and review. And thank you again to BlackRosary for allowing me to use her character in a fanfic. I know it took awhile for me to get started, but I hope it turns out well.