The night was beautiful; clear skies, a full moon, and a warm breeze from the east. But, in the graveyard, a pale figure sighed.
Suzuki sat on her gravestone; that is to say, she appeared to sit on her gravestone. Being that she was not corporeal, she actually floated just above it. Though she had died when she was six, as a ghost she had aged to seventeen. Her entire form appeared gray-white; she wore a flowing sun dress that faded into nothing at the end.
"My boys didn't come see me this year… " she said. Although she had been at peace at her death, she had staid behind to watch over her friends and brother. They had come faithfully each year; at first together, then separately, to leave flowers in her grave. But this year they hadn't come.
As a ghost, Suzuki didn't have much to do. Usually, she watched people that came into the graveyard; or she ventured off to watch "her boys". She had been sad to see that Akihiko had never really made a connection with her two best friends; though she had been happy when he found his own. She had been more sad to see Yoichi and Kyouya grow apart; but there wasn't much helping it, as they were from two separate social classes and went to two separate schools. Still, she had hoped they would stay friends.
"They promised they would come every year," Suzuki said, then shot up from her gravestone. "Those bastards! What the hell do they think, they can just forget about me cause I'm dead!"
"Shut up, Suzuki," another ghost called from nearby. "They just moved on."
"You shut up! I won't take this sitting down!"
"Then it's a good thing you can't sit," a third ghost said. There was a whispering murmur of laughter from the other graves.
"Calm down, dear," a female ghost, less distinct from Suzuki, said. "There's nothing you can do, anyways."
"There has to be something! I'll show all of you!" she said, raising more laughter. She sat back on her gravestone, fuming as the other ghost continued to joke and call insults.
The next day, Suzuki decided to visit Kyouya first. She zoomed to Ouran High School, then fazed through the building, all the way to Music Room 3. There was the Host Club; girls floating around busily, some staying close to their favorites. She laughed at the antics of the other members, then looked for Kyouya.
He was in a back room, checking accounts. Not unusual. Suzuki floated behind him and looked over his shoulder, looking at what he'd stolen to sell today. She got bored easily.
"Oh Kyo-kun, if only you could hear me," she said, floating overhead to sit in a chair across from the desk Kyouya was in. "I'd be able to yell at you for being so boring. I mean, you've got a room full of adoring fangirls, and instead you sit in the back doing accounts. I know it's important and all, but really? It can't wait until later? I mean, what guy stays in the back when he has girls throwing themselves all over him, fanning his ego."
Suzuki rose very seriously, then came to lean over the desk, placing her hand on either side. Kyouya wrote on, oblivious.
"Kyouya, are you, perhaps, gay?"
Kyouya, of course, had no reply to unheard question. Suzuki rose up, smiling evilly as she placed a finger on her lips.
"Yes, yes, I can see it; due to your pride you are unable to admit that you aren't attracted to girls, and thus lock yourself away from them with paper work as an excuse. You really joined the host club because you have the hots for Tama-kun… or perhaps you like the more moe Honey-chan? Or the tall, dark and handsome Mori-kun? Or, possibly, the twincest act turns you on? Hmm, Kyo-kun?"
Suzuki let the silence stretch, listening to the sound of Kyouya's pencil as he continued his accounts. After a few moments, she burst out laughing, then floated back down into the chair as she calmed. She watched Kyouya for a few moments more before raising and placing an unfelt kiss on his brow.
"You really do need to get out more, silly Kyo-kun," she said, then floated away.
Next she rode the breeze into the city. Flying high above the buildings, she almost missed the apartments she was looking for. But, after turning around, she fazed down through the roof until she reached her brother's house.
Akihiko's place was a mess. Papers were cluttered everywhere, along with bear paraphernalia and random garbage he had yet to throw away. Akihiko lay on the couch, smack dab in the middle of the filth. Suzuki sighed and floated down, sitting on the floor next to her brother.
"Oniichan, you're just as bad as always. Look at this place; you should have had Tanaka-san come with you when you moved. I bet you've missed your deadline, too. Aikawa's going to yell at you again, not that it really changes anything. You could make things so much easier if you just worked a little harder, you know. You're handwriting was always so neat, I thought you must have been a neat person, as well. I imagine I'd know very differently if I could smell this place."
Suzuki smiled, then passed her hand on his forehead as if she could ruffle his bangs.
"But you do try to keep my close, naming that bear after me and all. I'm grateful, I really am; and sorry about Takahiro-san, Oniichan. You'll find someone else, though, I know it. You've still got your whole life ahead of you, after all." At this she chuckled.
After a few more moments, Suzuki sighed and rose back out. Then she drifted until she reached Deimon High School, and wandered to the football field. Yoichi was there, training this year's team with his usually brutal efficiency. Suzuki floated to stand next to him as he drilled, yelled and shot at his team. She crossed her arms behind her back, and followed very seriously.
"You always work so hard, Yoi-kun. I mean, really; even when it's something you're not suited for. You've changed so much from the shy kid a knew. I don't think anyone would believe me if I told them about how much of a cry-baby you used to be. Especially not all these people you shoot at. Or the ones you blackmail. I still can't figure out how you have so many people in just that one, thin little book. But, even with all this, you still separate yourself from the others, don't you? They never see you outside of practice, and you don't go visit them, either. I know they're your friends, but I mean really, Yoi-kun, do any of them know you?"
Yoichi, of course, simply continued with practice, moving swiftly through his fast arsenal. Suzuki sighed after a while, exasperated, and floated away, leaving Yoichi to his team.
For a while she drifted aimlessly, letting the breeze take her where it would. Eventually, she returned to her grave, sitting pensively on her gravestone. She sat for hours, arguing with herself as she came up with different plans. As night fell, she flew back to the city.
She went to Kyouya's house first. She sat beside his bed, watching him a moment as he slept. Then, carefully, she fazed her hand into his head.
"Kyouya, you bastard, you didn't visit me this year!" she said. Kyouya shot up, tossing his blankets as Suzuki giggled.
Kyouya sat up stock straight, heart racing. After a few moments, he calmed down, then stared into space for a while.
"Suzu-chan… " he said, and Suzuki kissed his cheek before floating out.
Next she flew back to Akihiko's home. He had moved to his bed. As before, she sat and placed her hand in his head.
"Oniichan, won't you come see me? I miss you," she said, begging shamelessly. Akihiko groaned, then slowly woke up, sitting groggily. He yawned, then looked at the clock.
"Neesan…" he said. Suzuki smiled at him tenderly, then patted his head before drifting out again.
Yoichi was last, and Suzuki was all business as she placed her hand in his head.
"Listen up, bitch, I know you can hear me, and you better come see me tomorrow," she said. Yoichi didn't wake up, but rolled over.
"Shut the fuck up…" he mumbled, but Suzuki grinned, the task done. She flew back to her grave, puffed up with pride at her handiwork. Now, all she had to do was wait for tomorrow…
Kyouya showed up first. He brought a bunch of white flowers with him. He sighed and scratched the back of his neck as he set them down.
"It's been a while, Suzu-chan," he said. Suzuki smiled at the old nickname. "Sorry I missed this year; I got caught up with the Host Club. But I thought I heard you speaking last night, and made some time to come see you…"
"You too?" Kyouya jumped and turned as Yoichi walked up. They said nothing as Yoici came and placed his flowers down as well.
"Hello, Yoichi," Kyouya said at length. "What did you mean by me too?"
"Hearing Suzu's voice. I had a dream that she called me a bitch," he said. Kyouya's face fell.
"Well, at least she called me a bastard," he said, looking at the grave.
"The hell do you think that's suppose to mean?" Yoichi asked, also looking at the grave.
"With Suzu-chan, who can tell?" Kyouya replied. They were silent after that, each absorbed in his own thoughts. After a awhile, the boys turned to the sound of a third person approaching.
"Oh, it's you two," Akihiko said as he neared. The boys moved so he could place his flowers as well.
"Did you hear Suzu tell you to come, too?" Yoichi asked. Akihiko flinched in surprise, then he sighed.
"Yeah, she said that she missed me…" he said. The boys looked at each other.
"That's it?" Yoichi asked.
"Hm? Yeah, why?" Akihiko asked. Yoichi fumed for a moment, then Kyouya chuckled.
"How very like her…" he said, and all three looked at the grave. After a few moments, Akihiko cleared his throat.
"Well… I know a café nearby," he said. "My treat."
The boys looked at each other, then back at Akihiko and nodded. Suzuki grinned, pleased to see her plan had worked so well…
… and then she went to the café. The three of them just sat there, not even looking at each other. At intervals one of them would attempt to start a conversation, but it soon died. In the end, nothing changed. They all went they're separate ways, no closer than they had been before. Suzuki returned to her grave, fuming.
"Why! My plan was fucking perfect! It was beautiful! What went wrong! Why didn't they talk to each other! Agh! Shit!" she raved on, floating back and forth before her grave.
"I could give you a hand," a velveteen voice said. Suzuki jumped, then turned to see a man, well, almost a man, standing there.
He was tall, with tanned skin and black eyes. His hair was black, falling down past his shoulders. Spiraled black horns poked from either side of his forehead, one small pair and one large; and a reptilian black tail switched around behind him. He wore an open vest and tan pants. Suzuki backed away from him.
"Who are you?" she asked. She knew by the look of him he must be a demon. He smiled, showing his sharp canines.
"My name is Mico," he said. "I just happen to be a friendly demon looking for something to occupy his time. Your scheme looks interesting enough."
"And why the hell should I trust a demon?" Suzuki asked.
"You're a ghost. What do you have to lose?" Mico asked, looking up at her seductively. Suzuki weighted her options, then sighed.
"Alright, how do you plan to help?" she asked. Mico chuckled.
"Two ways; one, I will tie the fates of your friends together with this," and he pulled out a spool of golden thread.
"What is that?" Suzuki asked, floating closer to examine it.
"Soul thread. It will stitch their souls together, making them connected unless it's broken," Mico said.
"I see," Suzuki said, floating back as Mico put the thread away. "And the other way?"
"I will make you corporeal in front of them," Mico said. "But only once per person, and only for a short amount of time."
"Really? Amazing!" Suzuki said, the possibilities flashing through her mind. Mico chuckled.
"Indeed. I'll go use the thread now," he said, and Suzuki waved absently as shadows gathered to become his wings, and he silently took off, golden thread trailing behind him.
Mico stopped on top of a building, overlooking the city. He smiled.
"Well, this should be fun."