Shards

Haruhi is swimming.

Oxygen fills her lungs with an ease foreign to her.

Everything was just the right temperature, and she knew where she was.

She was the place where she truly belonged.

She turned her head and looked at her kingdom, but it was in ruins. Suddenly the ocean all around her was red with blood (the blood of her people), and she was struggling to breath. Her tail thrashed and she clawed at the place that was her prison.

She was in a net

She was woken up by her alarm and couldn't help but be thankful it was a school day. She knew what happened next in her dream.

'No, not a dream'

She began rolling up her futon to get ready for the day.

'A memory.'

God knows it was going to be a long one.

'It is interesting', she idly thinks 'that in a school such as this no one can come up with a more creative bullying method.'

They insist that they are an entirely separate species from the middle class, yet the schools all seem the same to her. It had been the same in middle school, when there had always been at least one girl who had acted upon a hate for Haruhi. She didn't understand why they hated her, but it all the same.

Haruhi does not wince as she disinfects the cut on her hand, she is no stranger to blood.

Really, a razor in her textbook? It was rather obvious, and entirely uncreative. Though it was effective in achieving its desired result.

At least, she had assumed it was, it wasn't in her nature to understand people's hate for her, only to accept it and move on.

Haruhi's assumption was erroneous, had it done its purpose she would've been far away from Ouran by now.

Far away from her Tamaki-Sama.

The hosts ask why her hand is bandaged, and she only shrugs.

An accident,

She says

Nothing worth worrying about.

Tamaki fusses, and his guest clenches her fist.

Hunny narrows his eyes. The twins move on. Mori watches carefully. Kyoya takes note.

Believe it or not Haruhi, everyone is worrying.

Especially the one princess that sits neglected on Tamaki's couch, wondering what she will have to do to get this filthy dog back on the streets where it belongs.

Least of all Kyoya, who only grants a passing thought on how the bandages were wrapped quite well, but not in the same manner the Ouran nurse usually does.

Somewhere in between is the twins, who saw in class when she suddenly asked to leave (leaving behind only two drops of bright red blood shining on her desk).

The next thing is worse somehow, but Haruhi knows it was just something the person did to remind her that they're there, not really an act meant to cause her pain. Just annoyance.

Yet here she was, and it was worse (oh so much worse) because all her books are in the fountain pool and there is nothing she can do to get them. They had succeeded at some level, they had indeed reminded her of something. They had reminded her of just how powerless she could truly be.

Not that they knew this.

There was nothing she could do, and it was driving her insane. So she did the only thing she could think of and grabbed and large stick to pull her books to the edge of the water, where she could pick them up without fear of getting more than slightly moist.

Hikaru and Kaoru saw her. They knew what this was, they'd been watching things like this happen for years, always from the outside in. This time Kaoru nudges his twin and they rolled up their pants before walking right into the water.

It is cold

Sobering

and a realization seems to come over them (at least subconsciously), that this girl had been at Ouran for quite a while now, and had really only spoken to the hosts. This girl had not asked any of them for any help when it came to her duties as host dog, not even something as simple as reaching the top shelf where the tea is kept. She was small and fragile, and could hardly even get her own books from a fountain, yet she seemed determined to do everything on her own.

Haruhi Fujioka was a walking contradiction.

She was relatable.

Besides, judging by the way they had met (the smell of her had permeated the room, filling every crevice), she would need all the help she could get.

It was unanimously decided that they would be the ones to give it.

Ayanokoji was not happy, and there was a simple reason why. While she didn't particularly care for the the identical redheads of the host club, they were still proper students at Ouran who could actually pay tuition. Yet here this boy was, ensnaring them in his net. It was unacceptable, and Ayanokoji would absolutely not stand for it. No, filth such as that would not be allowed near people such as her. Instead, she would have to snuff out the problem like a rogue flame, destroying and devouring everything in its path. As far as she was concerned, there was only one way to properly deal with a fire.

Water.

A/N: Incase ya'll were wondering, I have an idea. This chapter was more of a setup than anything, but I slept (less than) four hours last night and I kinda want to not do the same thing tonight.

Also, I've decided to make Seika an elf, because they're said to be beautiful creatures with mixed feelings over certain people, capable of helping or hindering them. Basically I couldn't think of anything else so I'm just going to throw that in there.

I'm halfway through with the next chapter of Hermione Granger and the Indomitable Prat and I'm finally going to start the next one-shot in Family Dynamic. I'm already at least halfway done with the next chapter of this (that's how I usually timed my posting on 'Never Alone' and that worked out well).

-Lucas_Gilbert