Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club (manga, anime, characters, pets places, etc.) It's all Bisco Hatori and her accomplices.

Author's Note: Spelling, punctuation, sentence structure and wordings in this story are horrible and the plot-line is luke-warm, for that I apologize. I must say though, I have never written anything other than poetry and essays so... I'm okay with it.
Please, feel free to read and review! I would love your thoughts!
(constructive criticism, nothing blatantly rude, please.)

"What did we do?"

The boys gave a startled jump when the Shadow King cleared his throat.

"Yes... What did we do?"

~O~O~

"Fujioka-san!" The hooded teen shouted while he tried to rouse the petite brunette. His voice was firm, almost commanding, as he held her crumpled limp form to his chest. He gave her cheek a couple of firm pats and jiggled her body minding her head.

What person in their right mind would face darkness head on as a sacrifice?He studied her face, lightly tracing her jawline with a feather-light touch.

"You're so small. So.. Feminine." He'd never gotten to look a her close before, he'd only heard the rumors. Possibly gay, scrawny with honest eyes and a straightforward view. Though, with a closer look, those descriptions could hardly do her justice. Her skin reflected the candlelight beautifully, her lashes long, draping her rosy cheeks and flawless skin. So soft. There was no sign of scarring, no premature wrinkles, and eyes so clear, so deep. Pools of golden brown that caught the shadows and the light...Nekozawa jumped a little, taken aback by her sudden waking.

"A-a-are you okay?" He tried to make his voice sound strong, but it crumbled into a whisper regardless. He always tried so hard to remain strong and sound frightening when it came to the Host Club, but for some reason, this particular person didn't fill him with the need to put up that barrier.

Haruhi gave a pained groan, trying to support herself. She rubbed her head, feeling a large bump and let out another groan.

"What happened?" Giving the bump another rub, she winced and sighed.

"Well, Fujioka-san..." He took a breath to prepare himself for what he was about to say, hoping that it wouldn't be too much information at once.

"Your club-mate happened to run into the Black Magic Club on a day that we were to strengthen our companions with spirits of darkness. He interrupted and with focus on him, spirits from realms beyond took shelter within his being. His livelihood was being sapped, drained and semi-mutilated and you came to me saying things like: 'Hey, I really want all these dangerous things in me, transfer them please!' But as soon as you said that I blacked out, or something, and when I came to consciousness, I found you laying up against the desk in a very uncomfortable position. I picked you up like this and tried to wake you up and now here we are." He sucked in precious air as he watched her take in the information he gave. He noticed how her brows both arched and furrowed, scrunching her face, pouting all with a multitude of emotions showing in her eyes. It only took a minute, but she looked at him straight and righted herself.

"Okay. Thank you, Nekozawa-senpai."

"U-hu-hum? Okay?" This confused him. He expected some tears, maybe a couple things being thrown through the air. A couple of punches to be thrown, yelling, denial... Wait! Denial.

"Do you fully comprehend the things that I've just told you?" He couldn't help the amusement that inflected his voice nor could he help the small smile that formed, or the chuckle afterward.

"Well, I'm not in pain other than the bump on my head, so that's a good thing." She shifted so that her legs folded underneath her as she brought her finger to her chin, resting her elbow on her other open palm. She gave a couple of taps, a thinking gesture that Nekozawa could almost call adorable if it wasn't a guy. He doesn't call guys adorable.

"My friend is... Hopefully, cleared of whatever happened." She looked up at him with a gleam of triumph sparkling in her brown orbs.

"...and now, I have you to thank for it all. So, thank you, Senpai! I really must be getting back to the Host Club now, if you'll excuse me." She brushed off the particles and debris that was clinging to her uniform, stood up and made her way to the opening that led to the hall. She turned half way and flashed him her genuine smile, the very one that secured her title 'The Natural'. She gave a little wave then turned to be on her way and then... the world went black. Again.

~O~O~

"You see, gentleman. Haruhi is not at all an entirely happy creature. She's apathetic really, which is one of the things I noted from our rendezvous with Nekozawa-san. If you were paying attention, that is what those 'things', if there are any, feed on. Our undercover princess should be safe for the time being. Also, since her debt is no longer a concern, we can focus on our profits. That is something we would not have been able to do had Tamaki not been drained of the worry, or those so-called 'spirits'." Kyoya paused to take a look around, gauging the reactions given by his fellow of them laced with contempt. None more than Tamaki himself.

"Kyoya, to tell you the truth, mon ami," Tamaki snarled, "I don't really recall anything that has happened today. Then now you want to tell me that this is all so that our club's profits can grow? Are you being serious right now? This is Haruhi, our little girl. Our princess-incognito..." His tears flowed free, raining down, joining in with those that the little senior at his chest were shedding.

"Do... you realize... how absolutely cruel you are?" Kyoya looked stunned. He'd done some questionable, horrible things and had never heard Tamaki speak anything ill of him. He's shattered businesses with a single phone call, driven an entire family or two to leave Japan due to some misunderstandings... never once had his friend looked at him the way he was now. Kyoya thought he was helping her, he didn't believe the horror stories of the Black Magic Club. He replaced his mask of perfect composure and began making his way across the rooms to his station. Pausing only for a moment.

"You are all free to go home, we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow." Continuing once again his steady stride.

"Do you believe that asshole?!" Hikaru shouted and buried his head into his brother's neck.

"Yeah, ... Actually, I don't think he actually gave us the whole story." Kaoru reached up to rub the back of his brother's head in comfort.

"Takashi... I think we are missing a big piece of this puzzle."

"Yeah."

The entire ensemble of teens were suddenly filled with exhaustion. The need to return to their homes, to their beds, consumed them. Each filed out of Music Room Three with blank eyes and empty minds.

~O~O~

Ah man, this mattress feels fantastic! Haruhi inhaled deeply in an attempt to stay asleep. She snuggled deeper into the silky soft pillows. Uh... silk? She shot up to a sitting position and wiped the sleep from her eyes. The room was dark, and she was in nothing but a large shirt, bra, underwear and socks. Lucky me, I didn't go for the thong and mesh bra yesterday. She gave an undignified snort, flipped the covers off of her legs and stood up to look around the dark room. What time is it? Where the hell am I? She walked slowly on unsteady feet, feeling around for something to get her bearings. Running her hands along the mattress, she found that the bed she was occupying was a rather large, possibly custom, four poster canopy with thick velvety curtains and carvings on the posts. "Ermmmppftt!" She rammed her foot into a squat chest near the end of the bed and decided to venture blindly until she stumbled upon what felt like a firm leather sofa. Unable to catch her balance, Haruhi's hand landed on something hard and... Fleshy?

A loud snort and bouts of sputtering filled the silence, and in her shocked state she stumbled backwards and landed on the hardwood floor with an audible plop.

"Eh-hemmmmm... Well, at least you woke up." Umehito Nekozawa cleared his throat, trying to erase the awkward awakening.

"Uh..." A nervous chuckle escaped her. "I'm sorry about your... um...face?"

"Well, now! That's not very nice." He grumbled in a mix of half-sleep amusement. "So, you're a girl, huh?"

"Ehhhhh?!" She scooted back, a little horrified.

"Come now, calm down." He waved his hands down over and over, gesturing her to a serene state hoping she could see it. He continued only when he heard that she stopped scooting away.

"I tried to get you into some different clothes to sleep in so that the staff could get your uniform cleaned. The club room floor is not known for its impeccable cleanliness." He gave a little shrug, trying to convey innocence. "It is in a basement after all."

"I got your pants down and... well... Your underwear is tight.. no lumps..." For some reason he was finding it difficult to keep his throat from closing up. He cleared his throat again.

"One of my maids finished the job."

"Oh, well... Good." She let out a hefty sigh of relief. "So ... uh, what happened?"

"Ah... well.. You see..." Nekozawa rubbed the bridge of his nose trying to figure out what to tell her. "You lost consciousness, and you didn't wake up after I waited for a couple of hours. So, I brought you to my home so that you weren't just abandoned at school."

"I don't want to be a big bother, but would you mind turning on a lamp or something?" Amused, he stifled a little chuckle at her lack of comfort with conversation in the dark. With a lithe grace and quick feet, he made his way over to his large desk grabbing the box of matches and lighting his three candle candelabra. Clutching the base, its metal cooling his hands, he sat back onto the sofa and set it on the end table to his right.

"Your wig and cloak! Where's Bereznoff?" She'd seen him without both before, but it warranted notice. His blonde hair slightly mussed gave him the appearance of sexy bed-head, his bright blue eyes were pleasantly accented by the golden tresses. To top it off, she'd never once imagined that he, descendant of royalty, would be wearing a black A-line shirt and black striped flannel pajama bottoms.

"Ah," He chuckled a bit at her small realization, feeling a bit overexposed and vulnerable. "Well, I am at home, and it is dark enough for me to move about comfortably without the protection that my garb provides... Besides, I sent them to be cleaned, as well." Tilting his head a little he made a small gesture and pointed to the far side of the room towards what looked like a shrine or alter where Bereznoff, his dark-spirited companion, lay upon a pedestal. "My dear friend is over there, soaking up the remainders of last night's offerings."

"Um... So, no one came for me? At school, I mean... No one even looked for me?" She shifted a bit uncomfortably when it dawned on her... Her boys, they possibly abandoned her.

"No. I'm afraid they didn't. I'm truly sorry Fujioka-san." He noted the sadness in her eyes. The darkness and glazed-over, unmistakable look of someone realizing that something very important has just been lost.

"No, no, no!" She waved her hands in front of her face and shook her head as a way to keep the negative at bay. "Thank you for taking care of me." She flashed him one of her warmest smiles for a long moment, and then refocused hey eyes to her folded hands in her lap.

An awkward moment passed, where all that could be heard was the light crackle of the little flames and breathing. Haruhi shifted a bit, trying to coax the hem of the borrowed shirt down.

"So, ...can I have some pants?" She giggled nervously in her discomfort.