Money, Happiness, and Love
They say Money can't buy you Happiness nor love that Families thrive more on Love and Happiness then Money, getting threw hardships together. To have none of that... means to desire Money, Happiness, and Love, but is it possible to have it all?
Chapter 7: The Dark
"Mari-chan? Are you okay?" Honey asked Anna, still rather chunky at the time, who was staring blankly in front of her as she sat in the Haninozuka dojo, trying to meditate with the high school boy, but the heavenly smell of butter cream frosting wafted off the little blond next to her. Even if he didn't have the cake with him, his breath was ripe with the sweet scent.
"H-hai. Not to be rude or anything Hani-sensei but did you brush your teeth this morning?" she asked the blond who looked at her in shock before he looked away before he answering. "Y-yeah, I always brush my teeth when I wake up. What makes you think I don't?" he asked the chubby girl before adding on.
"There's still some cake leftover form my midnight cake party if you want some."
There was a rather loud thump, before the cake loving blond looked at her again, finding her face down on the floor next to him, and when she lifted up her head, her face was bright red from the impact to the floor and her wide dark brown eyes held back ripe tears.
"MARI-CHAN! Are you okay!?" the blond asked in shock, seeing her almost tears.
"H-hai... Hani-sensei... I was just... shocked..." she told them as she lay on the floor, looking down to study the grain on the wooden floors.
"Shocked? By what? My midnight cake party?" he asked frowning. He didn't know the girl that well, her father having brought her to the Haninozuka home to ask his father to train her. It was a cultural misunderstanding by her father, Honey didn't like the blank face the girl had on when they first visited, however his father allowed it and so he was more or less teaching her self defense, which she seemed to pick up rather quickly within the span of a week.
"No... y-you offered me cake...Sensei." she told him and the blond looked at her, confused as he could see her tears darken the wood below her. "Has no one ever offered you cake before?" he asked her and she shook her head, shocking the Haninozuka. "N-no... not since I moved here... I'm forbidden from having much of anything, let alone if it has sugar in it." she told him, making Honey's eyes go wide as he looked at her with horror.
"NO SUGAR! THAT MEANS NO CAKE!" He shouted in shock as Anna just looked at the floor in shame, covering her head, muttering something he didn't register as he called for his silent guardian and cousin whom was waiting for him just outside the dojo.
"Takashi! Mari-chan needs cake right away!" Honey yelled as the Morinozuka came over and picked up the chubby girl to sling her over his shoulder, however his hand accidently landed on her butt triggering a reflex that cause her bare foot to crash harshly with his family jewels and drop her.
"Takashi!?" Honey called his cousin's name in worry and shock as he saw the very tall male curl up into a small ball in pain, and Anna with her back pressed into a solid wall, paling as she realized who she just kicked.
-*The Dark*-
"Beaten again." Anna sighed as she stripped out of the Kendo uniform in the changing room after sparing with the younger Morinozuka, leaving her in a black sports bra and spandex shorts, slipping on her tank top and then her black pants, leaving the hoodie open as her skin was still hot from sparing with Satoshi, and being beaten by him in front of the Kendo club. It was a bit embarrassing for her to be beaten by an under classmen, even if it was at the hands of a Morinozuka son, no one could honestly say she didn't have any skill in kendo.
"At least I didn't have to correct you this time, Nee-chan. Your form has gotten a lot better since you first started with us and with just a year of training that's impressive." Satoshi voiced from the other side of the screen door, standing guard for her ageist any peeping toms.
"Thanks, but we both know I was a disaster to begin with." She responded, rolling her eyes as she heard Satoshi chuckle."Yeah, you always had your hands in the wrong position, that is until Taka-bro corrected you... the first dozen times~." The Morinozuka teased, knowing Anna was blushing in the changing room but not for the reason many would think. "Y-yeah, Takashi was very patient with me." She said, not noticing she used the older Morinozuka's first name.
"Aww~ do you still have feelings for Taka-bro, Nee-chan?" Satoshi asked, grinning as Anna came out of the changing room, only to give the little brother a nice hard punch in the shoulder."Ow! Nee-chan that was mean!" Satoshi cried out in mock hurt as he held the shoulder she had hit. Anna rolled her eyes at his reaction, but there was a small smile on her face as she looked at him.
"My feelings for Nii-san are the same as yours, Sato-chan. There's nothing romantic about it, there never was." She told him honestly, as she saw the boy pout. "But I like calling you Nee-chan, and I know you like it to. Why can't I say it in front of other people?" he asked, crossing his arms and looking serious."Because people will miss understand it and think I'm Nii-san's fiancé. It would look bad when he's actually looking for a bride to be." She told him, sighing as she also crossed her arms facing him.
"We could always ado-"
"I haven't been disowned yet, Sato-chan." Anna cut him off, knowing what he was about to say as they had talked about this before, she frowned looking at him seriously. "I don't plan to be but I would hope the Morinozukas would adopt me should that ever happen. After all..." Anna uncrossed her arms and set a hand gently cresses Satoshi's left cheek. "Y'all have been more like family to me in the past two years then my own father has my whole life." She told him, with a gentle smile blooming on her face, Satoshi smiled happily with her in return before chuckling.
"Also because you like having Mom and Auntie dressing you up in cute Kimonos. You would be the only girl they can buy cute things for all the-OWW OW OW OW OW!" Satoshi told her before her gentle hand on his cheek became a harsh cheek pinch.
"That too, but I suggest you not try to distract me like this again Sato-chan." She told him but he only grinned before she was lifted up onto someone's shoulder, and her bag picked up in a blur of blue, black, and a little blond.
Satoshi cupped his injured cheek, still smiling before he went back to the dojo.
-*The Dark*-
"So why are you guys kidnapping me?" Anna mused as she was folded over Mori's right shoulder, his right arm locked over her knees to keep her from falling off his shoulder as he ran thru the halls of Ouran, and from getting kicked in any vital areas again. Honey giggled as he followed behind to talk to Anna, who did not look amused perched on the tall senior's shoulder.
"Tama-chan didn't want you going to the Black Magic Club, so he asked us to come and rescue you since we knew where you would be." Honey told her as they got odd looks from the remaining students at school, but they could only see the blurs they left behind.
"I would have made my way to the Host Club on my own, Nii-san. Nekozawa-senpai said there was something he would like to give me." she told him, blushing as she pouted, disappointed she could not meet the handsome dark creature at the appointed time. In her mind she was looking forward to meeting the Club president alone in a dark room only little by dim candles to revile their forms in the dark.
"Aw~. Mari-chan has a crush on Neko-chan~!" Honey said happily as Anna turned a deeper shade of red.
"M-mitsukuni!" she shouted at him, hitting Mori's back with her fist, making the senior cringe from the sudden powerful force to his back. "S-sorry, Nii-san." She apologized to Mori and glared at Honey, but her reaction only made the blond senior speed up as he laughed at her tomato red face. Anna groaned as she lowered her head in defeat only now she was looking at two round firm lumps stretching the black uniform slacks, she closed her eyes and sighed, willing away her blush.
"Takaishi. As attractive as your butt is, I can use my legs to walk to the host club you know." She muttered loud enough to be heard by the one carrying her and to a quiet room.
"Wow! That's pretty bold.~"
Anna went rigged as she recognized the synchronized voices, and she was put down gently by a blushing Senior, who didn't look at her as he set her down and held out her bag for her to take. Anna took it from him before zipping up her hoodie before facing the rest of the host club.
Kyoya, Tamaki, and Haruhi where looking at her in shock, more so Tamaki with his mouth wide open in disbelief, Haruhi looked a little more weirded out and Kyoya's glasses hid his eyes so Anna couldn't tell his reaction from so far away, but the twins where grinning like cats who got away with eating the canaries.
"Complementing Mori-senpai's butt to a whole room like that takes guts." One twin started turning to his brother, pretending they were whispering, even cupping one side of their mouth while taking to each other. "That's also kinda pervy don't ya think?" his bother added on as they snickered, seeing Anna's pink face as she looked at the twins who had their sides to her. She narrowed her eyes at them and looked them over for a quick moment before turning to a still shocked Tamaki.
"I'm here now, so what's the whole Commoners event thing about Suoh-san?" she asked the blond host crossing her arms and ignoring the twins, not wanting to justify herself to them for appreciating a firm backside.
"Ah! Yes, today the Host Club will be investigating the Ramen of the Common Folks!" Tamaki said dramatically as he showed them the multitude of ramen packaging that seemed to come out of nowhere, all the brands coming from a Commoner's Super Market that was nearby. Anna and Haruhi became in synch as they reacted unimpressed with a bit of doom, conflicting with the Host's excited and amazed reactions as Tamaki gave them different cups of ramen to make, even giving Anna a spicy shrimp flavored ramen. However it was switched quickly with a normal Beef flavored one by a small hand before anyone really noticed anything.
"Each of you will be in charge of making a different type of Ramen of the Common folk, athletically bought from a Commoners' store. Now I will turn you over to our instructor." Tamaki said as he and the other hosts then turned to Haruhi, who now had a sash that read Instructor across it; they looked at her eagerly awaiting instructions.
Haruhi was still in a bit of shock and disbelief as she looked at the hosts, before coming across Anna's face that gave her a kind and apologetic smile. It relived Haruhi a bit to know she wouldn't be going thru this craziness alone, and she wasn't the only sane one dragged into it.
"All right." the younger girl gave in and taught them how to make the instant ramen.
-*The Dark*-
"Is this how you're going to pay them off, Haruhi-chan? It seems like you'll be their dog for a very long time or until you die at this rate." Anna talked with Haruhi, helping her with cleaning up the disaster that had been the Hosts attempts at commoner ramen.
"Y-yeah, who knew there was so many ways to mess up instant ramen." Haruhi cringed as she looked at all the charred and spilled ramen containers that she had in a trash bag. Anna chuckled softly as she cleaned up the spills from the ramen experiment, leaving the hosts to tend to their guests, and Haruhi to handle the trash from their failed attempts.
"Why are you helping me, Vargas-senpai? Aren't you here for Mori-senpai?" Haruhi asked, glancing over at the tall host and smallest one entertaining their guests. "Ah. I hope you will forget that vulgar comment from earlier. I don't like being picked up, let alone being carried like a sack of rice. The only reason I was still on Mori-senpai's shoulder was because he restrained my legs, so I couldn't kick him like last time." She told the younger female with a small laugh as Haruhi nodded in understanding, not asking any questions. "Conceder it forgotten, Vargas-senpai."
"Vargas-san~." Tamaki called over the older female, smiling. "It's so kind of you to our help the poor commoner clean up, please let me honor you with a reward." Sparkles flew around the blond host, giving Anna a flirtatious wink that only made her take a step away from him.
"Thanks, Souh-san. No reward is necessary, really. I was happy to experience Commoner's ramen with all of you. I'm sure your guests would love to see you now." Anna told him, attempting for him to leave her alone, as she gave him a forced smile, a bit over whelmed by his cheerful aura.
"Yes, but as a former commoner I'm sure you've tasted all flavors of Ramen many times before. So allow me to offer you time with any of our Hosts as thanks." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into the main hosting area, Anna looked back at Haruhi for some help but the younger female was at a lost of what to do.
"Now what's your type Princess... I'm sure there is a prince here that suits your tastes." He presented the other Host club members to her, all having to no longer be with their customers.
"I'm sure you've gotten a taste of the Strong and Silent type." Tamaki indicated Mori who glanced at her, Anna was a bit confused as she blinked to clear her vision of the Blue roses that where suddenly around the tall senior.
"Perhaps you would like to sample the Boy-loita type?" Anna looked to Honey who was now surrounded by Pink roses as he hugged his beloved bunny and gave her a cute smile.
"We even have the Little Devil Type if you would prefer?" Tamaki indicated the twins who smirked wickedly at their upperclassmen as Orange and Light Blue roses surrounded them.
"You could also enjoy your time with the Cool type." The blond indicated his dark haired classmate, who turned to them, his sharp eyes narrowing at Anna form behind his translucent glasses made her lightly blush as she saw Lavender roses around him, for a moment she could feel some darkness ebbing off the cool type.
"Where are all these roses coming from?" Anna asked, not directing her question at anyone, confused as she kept seeing the roses around the hosts but Tamaki turned her head to look at him as they were surrounded by pale green roses, their faces where centimeters apart and getting closer."Tama-chan is gonna get hit~." came Honey's eerily sweet voice as he watched the other blond host get to close to his honorary little sister, not seeming worried as Mori took out an ice pack, nodding in agreement.
"Or maybe you would like to be held close by, me, the Pr-"
Before Tamaki could finish his introduction, Anna's fist connected with his jaw, sending him flying backwards a few feet, getting everyone in the room to gasp in surprise, save for Honey and Mori.
"TAMAKI-SAN!" The guests that were watching shouted out in horror and confusion.
Anna was frozen in shock, fist raised as realization hit her like an iceberg.
"Tamaki! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hit you; I was just so... shocked! I-I-I didn't mean to hit you again!" Anna said in a panic as she went over to the fallen prince to inspect the damage, not caring about the glares she got for just calling him by name.
"Ow... T-that was quite a punch there princess." Tamaki laughed a little as he touched his bruised chin, hissing in pain. Mori held out the Ice pack to Anna who took it and held it to Tamaki's chin. "It's cold!" Tamaki complained, making Anna roll her eyes. "It's an Ice pack, of course it's cold. Just hold it to your chin for a bit and it shouldn't burse as badly." She told him and Tamaki blinked as he looked at her stern expression.
"What?" she asked him, noticing his strange stare; it made her a bit unconformable even when he smiled at her. "You're very kind princess; I should be the one apologizing to you for such a dishonorable intrusion of your personal space. I hope you will forgive me." He asked her, still smiling as all eyes shifted to Anna, who ignored them and let herself get a feel Tamaki in a non physical way, standing before offering him her hand with a small smile.
"Fine, but don't do that again or you'll get the same result. I may not feel like apologizing for it anymore." She told him sternly as she blinked in confusion when he smiled and took her hand as she gently pulled him up off the ground and on to his feet again. "Of course Princess, would you like to spend time with me then?" he asked her, coming close again but Anna's other hand shot out quickly to grab another host, pulling them in between her and the invader of her personal space before she hit him again.
"No thanks. I rather spend time with him if you don't mind." She told Tamaki as she held the person in place in front of her but got a confused look form the blond instead, so Anna looked down to see who she grabbed, noticing the mop of brown hair.
"Oh!? You want to request the errand boy?" Tamaki asked, a bit shocked, but there seemed to be something spinning in his head as he looked at the scraggy commoner. "I see... well then Haruhi-kun, it seems you have your first ever client. So let me teach you the finer points of Hosting~." Tamaki smiled, releasing sparkles as Haruhi started to question Anna's intentions.
"Ah? Boss?" One of the twins tried to call Tamaki's attention as they leaned agents each other. Tamaki turned to them with a smile."Call me King~." Tamaki requested happily, but he was ignored.
"You can teach him all the basics of Hosting." The twin on the left voiced. "But he's not going to get very far with the ladies if he doesn't look the part ya know." The right twin said their piece which confused Anna a little as they seemed to think to Haruhi as a boy. The one that was on the right came over to Anna and Haruhi. "He's not exactly Host club material but-" Anna still held Haruhi in front of her, holding her by her upper arms, preventing her from stopping the red head from removing the large glasses.
"Maybe if we remove his glasses it will help?" he started to say before his golden eyes widen in surprise once Haruhi's glasses were off her face. "Hey. I need those!" Haruhi complained, wiggling in Anna's grasp a little, Haruhi raises her hands to retrieve her glasses form the little devil, his brother only added to the confusion as he stood by his brother to see what had caused him to pause. "I used to have contrasts but I lost them on the first day of school." Haruhi told them but they didn't move until Tamaki split them apart and stared at the first year girl.
Tamaki's hair hid his eyes as he snapped his fingers.
"Hikaru. Kaoru."
The little devils saluted as they were summoned.
"Got It!" They echoed each other before each taking Haruhi's wrists and pulling her out of Anna's weakened grasp and heading into the back room with their captive. Tamaki then pointed to the Cool type who already had his cell phone out.
"Kyoya! My hair stylist."
Kyoya's response was his phone beeping as he dialed a number of the Stylist. Then Tamaki turned to the tallest host pointing at him as Mori caught Anna's eyes as he looked at her and then Honey before she nodded in understanding as he looked back at her.
"Mori-senpai, Go to the eye doctor and get him some contact lens." Tamaki commanded him and Mori dashed away to go get the requested item, before Honey came up to the taller blond with pink flowers around him as he looked at Tamaki with glee.
"What about me Tama-chan!?" Tamaki lowered his finger to Honey's level as he spoke to him. "Honey-senpai." Tamaki used the same commanding tone when addressing Honey.
"Yes Sir!" Honey exclaimed happily, excited about what was going on.
"You… go have some cake." Tamaki ordered the little senior, who went to a little table off in a corner with the pink bunny and some cake. "It's just us Usa-chan, everyone else said they were too busy." Honey muttered sadly to his stuffed bunny as he ate his cake in that slightly darkened corner.
"Um? What just happened?" Anna asked confused by sudden the whirlwind of events, worry seeping into her for the other girl and Honey. Knowing he would be alright for a bit she decided to check on Haruhi in the back room.
"Haruhi-chan?" Anna called out as she poked her head into the back; she heard a ruckus going on behind some of the curtains and the twins voices chanting loudly over a struggle.
"CHANGE! CHANGE! CHANGE!"
Anna's anger spiked as she stormed over to the curtains and opened them, glaring at the twins and unleashing malice onto the red heads who had frozen in place as had they hands their hands on Haruhi's sweater and slacks, about to remove the articles of clothing from the young girl's body.
"S-senpai!" Haruhi called out, pleading with her large doe brown eyes that sparked something inside the upperclassmen. Anna grabbed both twins by their neck ties, pulling them off of Haruhi, choking them as the twins looked at her with a flash of fear in their golden eyes.
"D-don't hurt them, Senpai! They just wanted me to change into the boy's uniform." Haruhi pleaded shakily with the older girl who glanced at her and then at the twins, her dark brown eyes seemed to have slits in them as the twins felt her slowly raise her hands that held their ties, tighten them around their necks like a noose.
"Alright, Haruhi. Both of you, out!" Anna told them, letting go of their ties and letting the twins breathe easily again before they were picked up by the back of their shirt collars and thrown out of the changing room. The twins managed to throw their hands out in front of them before their faces kissed the double doors leading back to the 3rd music room. They blinked and looked at each other in confusion before piecing together all the clues with Anna's rather extreme reaction.
In the changing room Anna sighed, calming down from her rage before turning to Haruhi with a small smile. "I'll be here if you need me Haruhi-chan." she told the first year, confused by the upperclassmen's change in attitude but didn't get to question her as she left threw the curtain.
-*The Dark*-
Anna smiled at how cute Honey looked as he took a little nap after eating so many cakes, having joined him and Usa-chan once she knew the first year girl was okay. Mori came back with a new set of contacts for the new host, which he gave to the first year after her hair had been done by Tamaki's hair stylist, after that Haruhi had to slip on the uniform again after it was tailored to fit her. All the while Anna was just finishing off the last slice of German Black Forest Cake when a voice spoke up from behind the curtain.
"Um? Senpai?" Anna looked over, as did the other Hosts who were waiting around for her after their guests had left for the day. "What? Aren't you done changing yet?" Tamaki asked before Haruhi pulled back the curtain, impressing the hosts and Anna.
Before them was a rather innocent looking, handsome young boy, dark brown hair neatly styled with some bangs to complement his large doe brown eyes that were no longer hidden by large ugly frames, gone was the baggy, formless sweater, replaced by the elegant light blue blazer, crisp white shirt and perfectly tied black and purple striped tie, tailored black slacks with correctly sized black dress shoes.
"You sure it's really okay for me to keep this uniform?" Haruhi asked, a bit unsure as to why they had given her the boy's uniform, and that it cost $3,000. Anna chuckled, getting Haruhi's attention.
"It looks good on you, so why not?" Anna asked with a smirk on her lips as the other hosts had similar reactions. "Mm! I Agree Anna-chan! You're as pretty as a girl. Adorable." Tamaki gushed as he squished both his cheeks, sparkles all around him and sprinkled over Haruhi who was adjusting the tie a bit. Not seeing Anna bending her fork backwards as he called her Anna-chan.
"Haru-chan you look so cute!" Honey exclaimed from his seat, admitting the pink cartoonish flowers again.
"If we had known that's how you really look-"
"-we would have helped you out sooner."
The twins commented, smirking before their eyes shifted to Anna, wondering if they could do the same with her. She gave the boys a glare and they looked away from her, acting innocent.
"Who knows, maybe he'll draw in more customers." Kyoya mused, nodding his approval of the new host.
"Well that's just what I was thinking when Anna-chan requested him." Tamaki's boosted as most of the hosts looked at him with a disbelieving deadpan look before he went on."It seems our errand boy is quickly moving up in the ranks." Tamaki mused before turning to point at Haruhi, looking proud of himself.
"Starting today you are an official member of the Ouran Host club. I will be personally training you to be a first rate host. So if you can bring in 100 customers to request your service, then we will completely forget about your $80,0000 American, debit." Tamaki told her, as Haruhi looked uncertain of her future in the host club, looking at the other handsome young men before her eyes met with Anna's, the older girl giving her an encouraging smile.
"Then I get first appointment, I am the one who requested him~ in the first place." Anna mussed, as Kyoya opened his black notebook and wrote something down. "Very well, Miss Vargas. You have Haruhi's very first appointment right when the Host Club opens for tomorrow after school." Kyoya told her, a smile on his face that Anna felt was not all that true without even turning around.
-*The Dark*-
"Nekozawa-senpai?" Anna called into the darkness of the Black Magic Clubroom. Letting her eyes adjust to the darkness, she found some diming candles on a table in the middle of the room. She could see no one else as she looked around, she couldn't feel anyone either much to her disappointment.
"Did he leave when I took too long?" she asked herself sadly, looking down at the dimming candles, a book with a little piece of paper on top of it had her name written on it in beautiful gothic lettering. Carefully she picked it up and read its contents by dim candle light.
'Dear, Mistress of Poisons and Potions
I am sorry I could not wait for you any longer, as a special girl is awaiting me this evening. This book is what I wished to give you when we met. Alas it was not in Lord Beelzenef will that I gift it to you in person. Inside this book contains records and seeds of some of the darkest crafts the Nekozawa Family has learned in their long history. This gift is my gift to you, my gifted crafter, for the night you came into the world of the living. I'm sure you will find much more use of it then I. Until we meet again, my poisonous princess.
Sincerely,
Umehito Nekozawa'
"A birthday present? From Umehito?" she questioned before blushing, making a quiet squeal to herself in happiness as she jumped up and down before picking up the book, feeling the dark aura around it, she let it seep into her pours as her fingers ran across the embossed lettering on its dark well worn cover before opening it, the smell of ink and paper with a hint of something spicy hit Anna's nose as she inhaled it's scent, shivering in pleasure a she let out a slow breath from her mouth, tasting it on her tounge.
"I certainly will put this to good use... Ume-kun~." Anna whispered into the darkness, blushing as she was very excited about the present, a deadly smile creasing her lips just as the candles give out and plunge the room into compete darkness.
-*The Dark*-
A 12 year old Anna was curled up around a 6 year old girl pink blanket in-between her legs, and a little 7 year old boy covered in a faded blue blanket on her left as moon light slipped threw a small crack in their dark hiding place, a very thin door on Anna's right separating them from the chaos on the other side of the door, the three frozen in fear as there was yelling and the sound of things breaking on the other side.
The little girl in the pink blanket sniffled in the small space, making it seem louder than it really was, getting a quiet shush form Anna as she held on to her and the little boy tighter.
"It's going to be okay. I'll protect you. I always do." She said with a sad smile as something broke ageists the thin door to their hiding space, making the three flinch in fear, but the door still protected them.
A.N. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and hopefully more are to be published near the same time next week. Please leave a review and tell me what you think. Thank you/ :)
