This was a spontaneous post and I'm not sure about this fic but I know I want to write it so here it is.

It was the worst day of my life.

The sun had set, causing a frigid, winter air to settle over the small palace I called home. The luxurious coat I had on easily kept the chill out of my bones. It was made of a fine material imported all the way from China. It was a light blue and reminded me of a clear sky on a warm summer's day. I preferred winter, but sometimes it was good to have a little bit of warmth for the crops to grow.

I looked up at the thousands of stars that dotted the sky with a small smile. They were silver and bright, providing light for the palace guards that stood watch during the long nights. Though, it was cloudy. Mom said she thought it was going to snow and she was right. As I walked under the archway and into the gardens, the smallest flake of snow landed on the ground. She always predicted the weather well.

Soon enough the one flake had increased into many, and a full on blizzard was taking place. My escort, Akame Fujioka, ushered me through the gardens, not giving me any time to admire how the plants looked with beautiful, white snow falling on them.

" We must hurry, Miss. " She said and I lifted my heavy skirts and walked faster, disgraceful and hurried. Mother would've taken away my free time and made me do more school work had she seen me.

" Good evening, Princess Akahoshi. " The guards at the doorway bowed politely as we hurried into the throne room. Akame brushed the snow out of my hair with her hand so I would look presentable to my parents who were starting dinner in fifteen minutes. I was supposed to look dazzling and proper for the guests they always had, but I barely managed to brush my hair and slip into a simple dress. The servants always fussed at me for that.

" You're mother and father will have my head if you're late. " She put her hand on the small of my back and ushered me through the grand room that had crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and heavy, velvet curtains that lined the tall windows. My heels clicked on the marble floors as I made my way to the dining room.

The halls I passed through were open and lit with the scarce bit of moonlight that filtered in through the large windows. I could see the beautiful snow falling, the flakes so big they looked like angel feathers floating down from heaven. I wish I had stopped to admired them, but I was forced to keep walking by my guard.

We came to a set of big, oak doors five minutes later. I plastered a fake smile on my face as Akame opened them with a loud creak.

" Pardon my tardiness. I was caught in a storm. " I said, striding in with graceful steps. The table was just as full of nobles and upperclassmen as ever with my mother and father at the far end. They smiled at me as I walked over and shook my coat off while handing it to Akame.

" That's okay, Sachiko. I hope you enjoyed your walk. " Mom said, cutting a bit of her fugu* and taking a bite. She was just as bejeweled as she always was, with elegant black hair laced with sparkly pendants. I smiled as I grabbed my silverware and cut into my food but don't take a bite. I hated fugu.

" It was lovely. The stars were so bright tonight. " I looked out the window behind my parents and smiled. One day I would be able to see the sky without the obstruction of any castle walls.

The adults started to talk about politics and trading agreements and I made myself busy with pretending to eat. It kind of reminded me of a translucent flower that had these pointy things poking out of the top. It wasn't appetizing and it never tasted good. Always too fishy for me.

" You aren't going to eat? " The guy on my left said under his breath. I looked at him curiously. No one ever talked to me during those dinners.

" It's not favorable. " Just as I said that, my mother face planted into her food. My eyes widened. Everyone at the table fell silent as they beheld their queen.

" Milady! " Akame hurried to my mother's side.

" Arisu! " My father stood from his spot and shook my mother's shoulders. She didn't respond.

Soldiers that were hiding in the dark corners rushed forward.

" Everyone, please exit the room. "

Five of the thirteen guests left, their faces pale with worry. The other eight smiled as they looked down upon my mom and the guy next to me scowled.

" She didn't eat it. " He said and his rough hand grabbed my arm, pulling me out of the chair. I winced as his grip tightened to the point of pain.

" What is the meaning of this? " My father asked, his silver hair falling in front of his eyes. A silent flame flickered behind his eyes, daring the man to harm me. The soldiers drew their swords; the sound of hissing steel filled the room. Then they took their stances and charged.

The man that has my arm pulled me into him and unsheathed a small dagger. He pressed it to my throat and drew a drop of blood that stained my lavender purple dress.

" One more step and I slice her throat. "

" Daddy, what's going on? " I asked, my voice quiet. My heart was pounding with each breath I took. I may have been naive at times, but I was smart enough to know that my life was in danger.

" Everything is okay, " Dad cast a glance at Akame, who barely acknowledged it. I gulped and focused on keeping my tears held back. Healers were swarming my mom, checking for a pulse. Their hands were steady despite the circumstances, and I admired them for that. Seconds later whatever I was feeling was replaced by an overwhelming sorrow as the healer shook her head no.

" You bastards! " My dad screamed at the men in the room. He charged forward with a yell and I felt the pressure on my neck increase but it dissipated a second later. I felt a hand grab mine and pull me away as the man crumpled to the ground.

" We must run. " Akame said as she pulled me towards the exit.

" What about dad? " I asked, my voice cracking as tears streamed down my face. My mother is dead.

" He'll be fine. For now we need to get you to the helicopter. " The sound of clanging steel nearly drowned her out. I ran alongside her until my breathing was ragged and then I cursed myself for declining the training I was offered. I could hear footsteps pounding the ground behind us and I forced myself to run. The hallways seemed times longer than usual, and the stairs seemed to multiply. The paintings on the walls were a blur as we raced past.

We burst through the doors to the roof and out into the blizzard, towards the black helicopter. There was no way we could fly that in this weather, but Akame was determined. She helped me into it and climbed into the pilot's seat, pressing buttons and and flipping switched. She handed me this headset type thing and put hers on and started the engine. The blades started to turn until they were going so fast they were nothing but a blur.

" What about mom and dad? "

" I'm sorry, Miss. We must flee. " Just as she said it people ran out into the blizzard. I could barely make out their shadowy forms but Akame saw them and her brown eyes widened. We started to lift off of the ground and I heard some yelling. Men started to grab onto the floor of the helicopter and I shoved them off with my foot, my heel getting stuck in one of their eyes. I bit back a scream as he fell, taking my shoe with him. He would be okay, right?

" But my parents! " I said as we got far enough off the ground to be considered safe.

" I'm sorry. " She would've dropped her head if she hadn't been so focused on flying the helicopter properly. My dad would find me. I knew he would. He had to. Unless... Unless he's dead.

" Where are we going? " I asked, rubbing my eyes with the palms of my hands. When it didn't help the tears I stopped. The blood drying on my neck became a nuisance and I wiped at it, only irritating the small cut there more and causing a fresh drop of blood to roll down. I gave up and dropped my hands in my lap.

" To my sister's house in Japan. " She said, her brown eyes stern as she glanced at me. I had a habit of not doing the things I was told and defying my parents. Akame thought I would do the same thing.

Japan…? I went there once a few years ago. I didn't remember much. Just that my mom and dad went there to discuss something with a big family and dragged me along. They got a new I looked out over my kingdom—the people I was abandoning. What's Akame's family like?

" She has a daughter your age. You two could be friends. " She said, trying to lighten the mood. A friend? I had never had one. I was never permitted to go beyond the palace walls and the guards ensured that. In face, this was my first time seeing the land I live in and was sure to rule over one day. It seemed more barren than I expected. From the window in my room everything looked like it was flourishing and beautiful. From up here it seemed dead…Poor. Unkept.

" What's going to happen to my parents? " I asked as land gave way into ocean. Akame sighed and closed her eyes for the briefest of seconds.

" I don't know, Sachiko. " She used my name. She had never called me Sachiko. It was always Miss, Milady, or Princess Akahoshi. " But for now, you are no longer an Akahoshi. You're a Fujioka. "

" Who were those guys that attacked us? " A Fujioka. I was abandoning my family name as well as my kingdom.

" Bad guys that will try to track you down. We have to disguise you as a commoner. " She eyed my hair, " That will have to go. "

My hair was pretty unique I guess. Not many people had silver hair paired with bright purple eyes.

" We can't do anything about your eyes, but we can cut and dye your hair. " She paused and took a deep breath, " I'm sorry. "

" You have no reason to be sorry. " I said, wishing I could curl into a ball and forget any of this happen. Maybe I could pinch my skin and I'd wake up in my large bed, wrapped in silky sheets.

But no.

This was my new reality.

I was vaguely aware of Akame nodding her head as I stared at the dark blue ocean, thinking about what my future would be like.

§

We landed in an abandoned parking lot. I had dried tears on my face and dried blood on my neck and dress with messy hair. I probably looked horrible. Akame still smiled at me as she helped me out of the helicopter, and she didn't let go of my shaking hand.

" It's only a block away. We can walk. " She said and I followed her through the parking lot. It was surrounded by tall buildings on all sides, so the helicopter was hidden from the people's view, but if they walked back here they would be able to find it.

I took my other shoe off and dropped it on the ground. My other heel was stuck in some guy's eye. I cringed as I remembered it. He was probably seriously injured or he could've died. I won't know. I would never know.

We walked through an alleyway that was littered with glass and loose papers. I hesitated to continue, my eyes darting from the filthy black pavement to the sharp shards of glass. Akame picked up on this and lifted me off the ground, carrying me easily. I was only ten; I didn't weigh much.

I could hear the sounds of cars driving by and saw them at the end of the alley. I had never been in one—only seen them from afar. They seemed so cool. Is this what commoners use for transport?

" I'm tired. " My eyelids started to droop.

" Just a couple more minutes. We have to get you cleaned up. " She started to walk up the stairs to an apartment complex. The building was plain and drab compared to the palace, but it was for a commoner. Will the people here still be awake? Maybe I was just tired from everything that had happened.

Akame knocked on the wooden door as I rested my head on her shoulder. I felt bad for getting blood on her shirt, but I was half asleep by then so I didn't think about it for very long. There were footsteps coming from inside the room and then the door was pulled open. A man—or what I think was a man—opened the door. He was wearing simple sleep wear with is long hair pulled back into a ponytail. A little girl around my age stood behind him, a curious look on her face. She looked so much like Akame.

" A-akame?! " The man exclaimed.

" I'm sorry for the intrusion, Ryoji. " Akame said while putting me down then she dropped into a low bow. " My sister said she was welcome here if there was ever any trouble. "

" It's Ranka now. " Is the thing he replied with. Akame pinched my leg and I dropped into my first bow, well-aware that I should respect this man. He was the owner of the only place we could stay and he barely even knew us.

" I'm sorry, Ranka. " Akame corrected herself as she rose. I followed her example. " Can we talk inside? "

" Of course. " He stepped aside and we walked in. The room was quaint, with a cherry wood table in the middle. The walls were a plain yellow and seemed drab compared to the palace. " What's the matter? "

Ranka kneeled at the table and looked at his daughter, " Prepare some tea, Haruhi. "

The girl nodded and went into the kitchen. I kneeled at the table with the man, suddenly worried that I might get blood on something. I folded my hands in my lap as Akame sat next to me, feeling uncomfortable in this situation. How should I treat this man? I wasn't a princess anymore, so I couldn't tell him what to do or get what I wanted from him. How would a commoner treat him?

" Ranka, something happened at the palace and we had to flee. This was the first place I thought to come. " Akame said as she bowed her head slightly. Ranka looked at me and the blood at my neck with pity flooding his gaze.

" She can stay. " Tears started to rise into his eyes as the girl, Haruhi, walks into the room carrying a tray of tea. She took the seat next to her father and sat the tea on the table, then poured us some tea. It smelled like honey and spices—chai tea maybe?

" Thank you. " I said, bowing my head as I grabbed the cup Haruhi handed me. Her big, brown eyes landed on the cut on my neck and they widened slightly.

" She can't be a princess anymore. " Akame said, wrapping her hands around the warm cup, " She'll have to be a commoner. It would be preferred if she could have her own tutor. She's already learned everything that most sixteen year olds know. Her hair has to be cut and dyed. "

Ranka nodded, " It was my wife's wish. I'll do anything. "

Akame's lip started to wobble, " I'm sorry I couldn't pack anything, but we were hurried. She'll be fine wearing anything, and you'll have to pardon the air of superiority she'll have for a little bit. She should be grateful enough that she'll accept anything you give her, but she loves the color purple and blue. Her favorite tea is raspberry, but she's a bit of a picky eater. I've been trying to make her grow out of that. "

Akame's voice was cracking by the end. I cocked my head at her as she turned towards me.

" I won't see you again. " What? " Please, don't cause trouble for Ranka and Haruhi. "

She started to stand.

" Where are you going? " I asked, my hand catching the sleeve of her guard uniform. She couldn't leave me here.

" To slaughter the people that killed your mother. " Her face cooled into a neutral expression, " I'll come back to get you when it's safe. " And with that, she left the residence, leaving me with the commoners.

" Akame! " I screamed. She was the only person I had left and she was leaving me.

" Now, now, Sachiko. " Ranka said in a solemn voice, " You have to get cleaned up. "

Haruhi took my hand in hers, " We're here for you. "

She tugged on my hand until I stood and we went into the bathroom. The tiles were white and a small array of soaps were around the bathtub. It was small when you compared it to the one I had, but I couldn't keep comparing everything to the palace. I wasn't a princess anymore.

I was Sachiko Fujioka, a mere commoner in Japan.

§

Five Years Later

My tutor left and I flopped back on the floor, my mind feeling numb. They had to have hired the smartest tutor for me all those years or I wouldn't feel like this. I was a genius but that tutor knew things that I didn't. When I thought I knew most of the coursework, he would dump something else on me and cause my brain to explode.

" Ugghh, " I groaned just as Haruhi walked through the door. She stepped around me and into the kitchen to fix herself a snack. I squeezed my eyes shut and remind myself that I'm taking the advance courses so I'll be able to serve my kingdom to the best of my abilities.

If I even had a kingdom anymore.

" How was your lesson? " Haruhi asked, returning to the room with a bowl of strawberries. She placed the ceramic bowl on the table and sat down.

" Same as always. " I opened my eyes and glanced at her. " Your hair! " I sat up so fast my head started swimming.

" Oh, yeah. Some kid put gum in it so I just decided to cut it off, " She said as she bit into a strawberry. It was very poorly cut and looked ragged. It was so long and beautiful before!

" We could've gotten it out, " I said, crossing my arms over my chest. " It wouldn't have been hard. "

" I was going to get it cut anyway. "

I huffed. I had to keep my hair short and dyed brown because I had to keep my disguise up. Her, she didn't have to. She was so lucky to be able to have such long beautiful hair! I really missed my silver hair and the it shined.

" Did you get into that school? " I asked, taking one of her strawberries. They looked so red and delicious; I couldn't resist eating one. She smacked my hand away and I giggled.

" The entrance exams are tomorrow. " Oh. So, they weren't last week?

" Pshh. " I said with a wave of my hand, " I knew that. "

Truth be told, I was tired of staying home all the time. The only moments I went outside were to go to the grocery store with Haruhi. I had no friends and Haruhi was always at school or studying. I was lonely.

" Can I take the exam too? " She stopped mid-chew, surprised, but then continued.

" I suppose you could, " Haruhi said, " But wouldn't that put you in danger of recognition? "

" I could get colored contacts. " I said, starting to get excited. If I went to this school, how many friends would I make?

" I don't see anything wrong with it. You can go with me tomorrow. " She said with a small smile. I smiled back and started humming as I glanced down at my notebooks. What kind of stuff would be on the test? What was the school like? Even if I was taking college courses and already knew all the high school stuff, I decided to study hard to get into that school.

Ouran Highschool.

I get so nervous when I post a new fanfic ugh. I apologize for the poor writing.

Anyway, I'm sorry if I get something wrong about the characters. I read and watched Ouran a while ago and I don't own the manga. I'm also sorry if I get anything wrong about the Japanese culture. I don't mean to offend anyone if I do.

This will be eventual KyoyaxOC, though.

I wasn't going to post this until next week, but I got impatient. I hope you liked it. Oh, and about how frequently I update, it depends on what happens with an injury I have. I hope to get the next chapter out within the next few days though.

I'm going to go eat some food now.