DISCLAIMER: Hans Christian Anderson looked at the world through REALLY screwed up eyes! You know the drill. I own nothing.

Ouran High School Black Magic Club: Chapter Thirteen

(Jesus, and I'm not even into the plot yet)

She heard the heavy footsteps of her pursuers slow down and halt completely right where she was supposed to be standing right now.

"Where did she go?"

"I don't know! She was right in front of us!"

In the darkness, her abductor let go of his grip, and although his hands were gone her back remained rigid and she made no sound. One of the hands now tugged at her wrist, indicating that he was moving to her right.

"Well she couldn't have gone that far."

"Tono's not going to be happy about this…"

With a hand still firmly on her wrist, she was motioned further into the darkness. The voices of her chasers became smaller and smaller, while her hearing range became weaker and weaker. Apparently they were walking, but she could not see her dubbed 'molester' anywhere in sight. All she knew was that he must have been in front of her, guiding her through the pitch black secret passageway.

"At least, I think it's a secret passageway. If it's not, what else could it possibly be, really?"

"What are you going on about, Hanako-chan?"

"I'm talking about the…" She stopped mid-sentence. Turns out her molester wasn't really even a molester after all.

"Senpai! I haven't seen you since this morning." Truth was, she couldn't actually see much of him. She was certain he was wearing his signature cloak with his faithful puppet by his side.

"Yeah, what have you gotten yourself into?"

"Hey," she protested to her president, "I did nothing. I was trying to get a friend when out of the blue, Suou Tamaki pointed at me and started screaming about items and love, and then ordered his twin minions to catch me, and let me tell you. They were onto me like a rabid dog fetching a stick."

--

"Kasanoda-kun always looks so angry."

"Oh I'm scared"

"Don't look into his eyes…"

'Why, am I always…'He thought to himself as he stood in his secret sanctuary. This garden labyrinth of rose shrubs wasn't really secluded from the school grounds, but it gave him a place to hide out, to collect his thoughts. The red roses matched his pinned hair, and complimented his mahogany eyes, though the atmosphere was not one a person would expect. His terrifying presence had been deteriorating since he entered this school. With the cold words and spiteful remarks from his classmates his self-confidence had now been shot at many times, and like a great bombarded wall, was crumbling down before him. Like his figment wall, he crumbled to the floor in despair and self-loathing. Hands raked desperately through his thick hair as his eyes flamed with anger and certain sadness. In the distance, he could have sworn hearing a voice, but he was too wallowed in self-pity to recognise it, or realize its presence let alone the impact it would have on him in the future.

"I'm like some hideous beast from Hell!"

"You're not a hideous beast from Hell…"

Startled, he jumped back at the sudden voice. His face was flustered and his eyes wide in embarrassment. Had that person been here this whole time? Blinking back the initial fright, he adjusted his eyes for a better look. The person who startled him was a girl. Most likely his own age, and much shorter than he was. Her brown hair was light in the windy breeze and its choppy layers flew around her face, though she did not seem to mind. Her saffron orbs gazed at him innocently as she stood above him. A soft smile graced her lips and her bangs came down, almost covering her left eye. She contemplated to herself, her index finger pressed on her lip,

"In fact, you're not even a flower from Hell."

"That's supposed to make me feel better?!" He hollered in disbelief. He wanted to be alone. He was always alone before, and now this sudden reaction was too much for him to handle. But she did not back away, or go running or crying in fear as most girls have done in his past. She stood there, and thought over what she had just said.

"You're right; I shouldn't have said that…"

"You think?!" he shouted at her again, though he sighed afterwards, realizing that was probably the best apology he was going to get from her. Though the thought was nice, no one else ever thought to apologize.

"What's wrong?" He jumped again, as he glanced to see that this girl he did not know was sitting beside him on the ground, enquiring to his sadness. Again, he was shocked that she was going to such lengths, just to know what his problem was. This girl was strange, different, and maybe perhaps even stupid. But it was nice to have someone asking him.

"You wouldn't understand…" He scoffed and raked his hands through his hair again,

"Try me"

"It's just…" He began to start, but a thought immediately replaced his words, "Why do you care? I don't even know you"

"My name's Kosaya Hanako and I just want to help"

"Why?"

"Just because…"

"Why?"

"Because I said because! That's a good enough reason!"

"No it's not! Why!?"

"Because I hate seeing people sad alright!?" He stopped, and realized that her intentions were genuine; he heaved a heavy sigh and continued,

"It's because of this face."

"Hmm?"

"Everyone is afraid of me. They hate me .They stay as far away from me as humanly possible. They have started spreading rumours, and their words just strike me, and they keep striking and soon if it keeps happening, I'm going to start shutting out the world and then everyone will be even more afraid of me! I don't know what to do. I can't do anything to help me, only to make things worse."

"Seems like you're lost."

"Damn right I'm lost!" She paid his scream no mind.

"Well then, listen to the Egg of your Heart" Her dramatically shoujo-child themed phrase confused him.

"What?"

"Your true self. You don't want to be hated by everyone right? You want everyone to see past your face, for what you really are."


"Yeah, and?"

"That's your would-be self. Friendly and Happy. But the words these ignorant classmates say are making you scared and sad. You mustn't let those words ensnare you as they are now."

"Well then what am I supposed to do!? Make a friend? It's kinda hard to do when everyone is afraid of you!"

"I'm not." Her simple statement baffled him, and his eyes grew wide, and a small blush crept up his neck.

"Mah!?" She nodded, and he shook his head and continued.

"But you probably wouldn't have time to deal with me…" Suddenly, her happy shining eyes dulled down and her disposition became saddened by his words. She spoke out sullenly.

"That's not true."

"Eh?"

"Actually, I haven't been friends with anyone for about two years."

"What about before the two years?"

"I had a very close companion. I followed him around like a baby chick would its mother hen. But in the middle of middle school we drifted apart. I don't talk to him much anymore…" She muttered under her breath 'though I wish I could'.

"Seems like he meant a lot to ya."

She nodded, "He did, and he still does really. But I realized I can't be happy again until I move on." She decided now to stand wiping off her crisp new dress. She had her back to him, and once he sighed she turned back to him.

"What's your name?"

"K-Kasanoda Ritsu."

"Well, Kasanoda-kun," She extended her arm for him to take. It was a slender arm, though that wasn't really a surprise because she was also slender. Her fingers were long and elegant; he immediately assumed she played piano. "Come with me, we'll go to class together."

At her words and her kindness, his eyes began to water, though he didn't quite understand why they were. He was happy, he shouldn't be crying. It was the happiest he had ever been, though he hesitated to grab her hand.

"It's okay. Wipe your tears. It's going to get better for us now." And he grabbed her hand.

--

"And, that's how I met Hanako. I wonder where she is right-." He looked up to see the blond ringleader, the redheaded twins and Haninozuka-senpai with tears streaming down their face. Also club members sitting around the four also had tears in their eyes, and were crying out of the beautiful justice from the story. They also gave their insignificant feedback, and so did the Host Club,

"That was such an amazing story!" Tamaki snivelled through his violent nose-blowing attacks.

"So tragic…" One of the twins stated as he wiped his eyes,

"But so touching as well…" The other twin concluded for his brother as he sobbed into a handkerchief.

"I'm so glad you two found each other!" Haninozuka-senpai blubbered with his big, liquid honey eyes. While most of the Host Club wept, the non-criers stood by a nearby table, watching the scene with blank eyes. The Shadow King however had pushed his glasses up to his nose after the Yankee wrapped up his story, exposing the glass' harsh and impenetrable glare. This action if noted upon would show that he were trying to hide his true emotions towards the story, though the emotions could not be seen by people, the guilt lingered in his mind,

"So that's how it is…" Haruhi absentmindedly noted his remark, and turned to him,

"Don't you mean 'was' Kyouya-senpai?" He didn't listen to her, as he closed his laptop's screen and made his way for the exit.

"Kyouya-senpai?"

"Mommy? Where are you going?" Tamaki interjected, finally recovering from the story's beautiful ending,

"I'm just going to the library. I shouldn't be long."

"Mommy…" He watched his friend leave the Club room, with sad eyes, and a heavy heart as he began to wonder how his greatest friend took Kasanoda's story.

FINALLY DONE!! And...OH NO!! I've got like 11 more days of summer left!! T.T so sad. At least, I THINK I have 11 more days (I'm not very good at math) But I've become a little bit obsessed with CSI: Las Vegas, and I know I said I'd update really soon, but i was distracted by seasons 1-4 and GSR fics on here, so forgive my tardiness. I hope you enjoy, and ya... ENJOY!! Fanexpo is tomorrow and I can't go! T.T But a friend of mine said he'd buy me a little trinket to keep me happy so "YAY FOR MATERIAL GOODS!"