i could practically feel the steam coming out of my ears as i paced my new bedroom. Tora was a fool! Why would she do something like this!? Although if i was in her shoes….. I glared at the carpeted floor, which any other day i would've marveled over, but at the moment i could care less. Damn you Tora for making sense! I kept up my pacing as the events of the previous day went through my mind.

* *The previous day* *

"Deal." Mori and i gaped at her, as she spoke, her eyes turned from liquid silver to hardened steel as she stared the twin devils down.

"Wonderful." The identical smirks on their faces made me shudder, while their eyes, which had previously been so cold, now ran up and down Tora with matching predatory looks.

"What are you doing Tora!?" They all turned to face me as i stood there gaping at her in shock and anger. "Why would you do that!?" Her eyes softened as she gazed up at me.

"I think once you think it over you'll understand why Kana. Don't be mad" The last was a whisper as she embraced me. "I'll get out of this, you know i will." Something in my gut twisted and told me that neither of us really believed those words.

"Well we are now faced with a dilemma." We all turned to face Prince Kyoya as he adjusted his glasses. Wait when did those get there…? He eyed Tora and I coldly, with a detached attitude like we were cattle going to the slaughter. "Everyone out in the main room will have noticed our prolonged absence and be curious. We don't need rumors spreading, so" His eyes turned on me, all cold, swirling darkness. "I'll have to choose you so no one suspects anything." My stomach flopped pitifully at that.

"Uh, no don't worry i wouldn't tell anyone…"

"Regardless, we cannot take that risk. You will be coming with me." My abject horror must've shown on my face, because he smiled at me coldly. "Don't worry i'm sure we can make this business arrangement quite comfortable. Nothing will be done, and we only need be by each other when a public event happens to come along. Aside from that you are free to do what you like." So saying, he stood and left the room, saying something about assuaging the other candidates, leaving Tora, Mori and myself speechless in a room full of royalty. What exactly just happened?

* *End Of Flashback* *

After that, the three of us had been escorted to different rooms by several serious looking guards, and i hadn't seen Tora and Mori since. Apparently, from what Renge had let drop when she'd visited the night before, was that the other girls weren't happy about what happened. Especially since it was, as far as they were concerned, three nobodies from nowhere with no family background. Hah! If only they knew.

"This is ridiculous!" I stopped my pacing and kicked at the carpet.

"Is it really?" With a yelp, i spun to find Prince Kyoya there.

"M-my lord." I began bowing, but when he let out an annoyed sigh i knew i'd done something wrong. "S-sorry…"

"It's quite fine." Glancing up, i found him smiling at me, but the smile was painfully fake to someone schooled in reading those kinds of looks. It changed to surprise though, when i said,

"No it's not. I know you're lying, please tell me what i did wrong so i don't make the same mistake in the future. I don't like to repeat myself twice, especially if it's in something wrong." His eyes widened slightly, before his indifferent look slid over his face.

"Alright then, if that's what you'd like." I nodded slowly in confirmation of his unasked question. "If we are to make this look real then don't bow to me, we are for better or worse, a couple now. Or at least, you're my consort. Anyone will see through this in a second if you keep bowing to me." Blushing i looked away.

"I'm sorry my lord. I will try my best."

"Don't call me that." His tone was harsh.

"E-excuse me?"

"Don't call me my lord. Did no one teach you what to do as a consort?" Fiddling with my hands awkwardly, i shook my head.

"No, we..well my village wasn't really training me for that stuff." Looking anywhere but at him i kept talking. "I was an orphan and well...i was under Mori's protection, and everyone was kinda scared of him for his silence, and relation to your family, while the girls were jealous. Then when we took Tora in it only made it worse. She and i were ostracised for, in both of our cases for our connection to Mori, than in hers because...well i've said enough." He was retaining all of what i'd just told him, you could see it in his keen slate eyes. "Anyway, is there anything else that i need to do to make this authentic?" He nodded briefly, and in one swift motion, stepped forward, grasped the back of my head, and kissed me.

I couldn't move for a few moments, it was like i was frozen in time standing there, before suddenly i regained my senses and with a soft cry i yanked myself away. Staring at him in confusion and horror, i gaped and raised a hand to my lips. He merely straightened up, and in his totally logical way explained,

"This way if we have to do it in public no one will be able to tell we hadn't done it before The rest will rely on your public acting ability." As he spoke a scowl etched itself onto my face, and in a move that would've made Tora proud, i lost my temper, and stomping forward smacked him in the chest.

"You jerk! Baka! Why would you do that!? That was my first kiss! And you just took it!" He stared at me as i stood there smacking his chest and snapping angry words. Suddenly. i froze. I'm only railing against the prince….. Leaping back, i bowed low. "I'm so sorry. I beg your pardon i lost my temper." After a few moments of silence i glanced up to find him smirking as he wrote something down in a little black book, having pulled a quill from inside his kimono and borrowing the ink well on the desk.

"So you do have an attitude." I winced. I didn't normally let it get the best of me, but there were times, like now, that it just popped out of no where and reared it's ugly head. It's not fair for him not to expect me to have one! That no good prince ugh! Evil Kana was bouncing up and down screaming on my shoulder as i glared at the prince. Grinding my teeth, I struggled to regain my carefully wrought control from wherever it had just been shoved.

"I would appreciate not being touched so casually if you don't mind. I've seen more horrors committed by human hands than i care to think about, so i have grown averse to casually being touched by all but a select few." My voice was firm, and i could sense the Shadow Prince's surprise at the tone and how i was suddenly not cowering back from him. Nodding graciously he conceded to my wish.

"As you like Kana. Unless it is necessary to the survival of the kingdom, or my family's reputation." Since when did i give him the permission to address me with such familiarity?

"I can agree to that. Thank you my- Prince Ootori." Pleased that i had caught myself from making the mistake, i dipped my head in respect. "Is it ok if i visit my siblings?" He frowned at me.

"I don't care. I do not control where you go or who you see. Just remember," His glasses flashed, "Just as long as it doesn't endanger this household." So saying, he nodded his head to me, and swept out of the room. Well someone has his priorities straight….

However, less than an hour later, i found myself in a room with Tora and Renge. Tora was wary of her, not letting anything slip, but aside from that she seemed to like her well enough.

"Prince Kyoya visited me earlier today." That got their attention, and they both turned to me, their eyes alight as they waited for me to explain. With a put upon sigh, i did just that. "Well he kissed me," Tora let out a growl, "So it would be easier to fake in future," Renge rolled her eyes in obvious understanding of his method but not approving. "And then he got a little upset with me when he realized i have no idea what to do as a consort…" Here i trailed off unsure of what to say when i saw Renge's eyes widen.

"YOU WERE NEVER TRAINED IN WHAT TO DO AS A CONSORT!?" Tora and i winced, and slowly backed towards the door as she began ranting on and on about scripts, and training me to perfection. A glance at Tora showed her to be just as lost as me, and with a slow shrug as if she was trying to not attract Renge's attention, she slid towards the door soundlessly. Without really thinking, i took Tora's appearance in. She was dressed in a gorgeous blue kimono shot through with silver overlay, and little pink flowers, but she looked tired. There was a look in her eyes that i hadn't seen in a long time. A trapped, helpless look that belied her stubborn appearance on the exterior. It was a look that meant she didn't have a plan, and when Tora didn't have a plan, bad things happened, or as she liked to say, 'Shit hit the fan'.

I hope she's ok...i haven't seen her like this since...well since she, Mori, and I got trapped in that cave with no way out. But even then she made it work out eventually…. As we backed out of the room from Renge, i caught Tora's hand in mine and gave it a reassuring squeeze. I knew she knew what it meant if the gentle pressure back said anything at all. With a gentle tug, and a finger held against her lips, she ushered me out of the room and slid the door soundlessly shut on the still ranting Renge.

"Well that was rude." The words were playful, and Tora flashed me a grin before responding in the same low whisper.

"Did you really want to get stuck in there listening to that? We can probably get better training from Mori." She paused for a second, before her face lit up. "Speaking of which let's go see him!"

It took some searching, and some not so subtle questions on our part, before we finally found his room.

"Mori!" Tora barged right in without knocking, "Can you believe this! This is-" She broke off suddenly, staring in shock at something in front of her. When i stepped around her, my jaw hit the floor as well at what we saw. The prince who'd chosen him, heir to the throne of Ouran, was curled up on Mori's lap asleep. Mori appeared to have been asleep to, but if my guess was right, then Tora's loud, sudden entrance had awakened him. His eyes were shooting warning signs at both of us, and he didn't move from his position. Tora got whatever secret message was in his expression, and slowly started backing out of the room, motioning for me to follow. Once we were back outside, she whispered to me in a low voice.

"That prince, and the shadow prince, are notorious for being evil demons upon being woken up and known to slay anyone who attempts it."

"Oh…" So they're like Tora? i didn't voice my thoughts out loud, but they must've been evident on my face, because Tora rolled her eyes and sighed heavily.

"Yes like me Kana. Except all i do is chuck pillows at people." With a laugh, i ruffled her hair gently.

"I know little kitten, i know." She bared her teeth at me playfully, pretending to make claws with her hands.

"I'm not a kitten! I'm a tiger! Fierce and dangerous! I eat rabbits like you for breakfast!" With a grin, i gently flicked her nose, before bounding off calling over my shoulder,

"Only if you can catch me!" I took off across the gardens as fast as i could. It was an old game of ours, to lighten the mood when someone was down. Of course, Tora had never caught me. Like my spirit animal, i was fleet of foot, and able to escape any situation i found myself in through my cleverness and quick thinking.

* * Kyoya's POV * *

Laughter drifted to my room from the gardens. A soft undertone, warm and light. It reminded me of my mother's laugh before she'd passed away. Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, i went back to trying to concentrate on the reports from generals in the field about the neighboring kingdom of Lobelia, and their new troop movements. However, i couldn't seem to regain my focus, so instead, i stood and went to the window that overlooked the garden. Two figures dashed through it, carefree and happy, one was the strange looking girl, with eyes the color of melted silver, and hair as white as the moon. The other, was the girl, Kana, who i'd been forced to choose to keep face. Her golden hair swirled around her as she twisted back and forth, and i could almost picture how her green eyes would be alight like they'd been when she'd snapped at me earlier. With a smirk, i stared down at the two girls.

"They have no idea what they're in for."

* *Author's Note* *

Hey all! So i hope you're all enjoying the story so far, what do you guys think of Kana and Tora? Tora seems to have a bit of a mysterious past hmm? And Kana is the glue that keeps everyone sane. The voice of reason, anyway let me know what you guys think of them! Also if you're into supernatural fanfics, check out Lollicatt's story 'Cat's eyes'. She's helping me co-author this story, and she's a pretty snazzy writer! In it Tamaki is a vampire, the twins are shifters, honey and Mori are some madly skilled priest's and Kyoya is...well he's something haha! But yes definitely check her out! Here's the summary

Cat's Eyes - Genre Supernatural/romance

Haruhi's best friend Nala has never had it easy but she's never given up. After her drunkard father tries to whore her out for money Nala runs to Haruhi for help for the first time and ends up dragging not only her but the host club along for the wild ride as well. Join Nala as she plays matchmaker, struggles to find her way, and finds romance of her own along the way.