YOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I'M ALIVE! Sorry about the long wait, but I've at Uni trying to pass my subjects, and so far it's working! So, I'm putting this up in celebration of finishing my assignment which I basically finished the night before/morning of. But anyway, here we go! I think you'll enjoy this chapter.
Special thanks to: MaluDaisdi, DarkStars16, Lizzy Luna Potter, s1683629, Anonymous XX-XX, kai-baekyunn98, harukanakamura, TopazFireCrystal,
Animelover: Dude, that would be pretty cool, but alas it is not the case.
Guest (1): Here you are! I'll get to that soon, I'm actually in the process of writing it.
Guest (2): YOU WANT MORE?! HERE'S MORE!
Guest (3): Ok ok, here you go. Please don't kill me.
…
On Asteria, Zephyra
…
Che' ran her hand through her silky black hair, as she sat waiting for everyone else to arrive. The clink of her spoon hitting the bowl seemed to keep her sane as she thought about what happened to Liam. He sacrificed himself for her. Who knows what Blayze will do to him, just because he helped her escape.
What she remembered of Liam through school - when she wasn't studying - she found him to be a humours kid, but a strong one. He excelled in magic attacks, but lacked strategy, letting his brawns lead the way. She, on the other hand, excelled in strategy, which usually got her a win. She should have stayed, she should have helped. And she knew it.
"Stop thinking about it," Ghost came up on her right, sitting next to her at the table. The rebel camp hidden in Zephyra held so many people. Teens, adults, children…the ones who were driven out of their homes for resisting Blayze's forces.
Ghost set up this camp, hidden high up in the forests of Zephyra. Ghost and his rebels suspended the campsite in the air, and those Night and Day enchanted who live in Zephyra helped to hide it. And it's stayed hidden. Their fire magic cannot detect their base. So for now, they're completely hidden. She knew where her place would be on Zephyra, in the defence of the camp.
Whilst adults have experience, their emotions are too controlled. Emotional energy is the reason that the younger generations have higher levels of wild, untamed magic. And it was strong. The more you can control your magic with time, the weaker it becomes. That's just the way magic work, or at least those are the results of it being tested. Che' tested it herself, based off Koko T.'s research.
She aspired to be like her.
"It's kinda hard not to…" She sighed.
Ghost bit his lip, thinking of the best thing to say, "Cheer up. We're still holding ground at Marilla. The Fireon's aren't getting in there anytime soon."
"But for how long? Those Water and Ice Enchanted can't hold their home forever. Rumours were going around the castle of Blayze possessing ice powers. I don't even know how that's possible! You'd have to go through some really dark magic to even make it so!"
Ghost froze, thinking about what Che' had just said. "Now that's a problem…" He said, but then shook away the thought… "We're pulling another raid on Zephyra tonight. We're planning on taking back the east wing of the country." Ghost explains, giving her that look through the slits for his yes through his mask.
But she refused, "You don't need me there. My place is here. I'll hold down the fort."
Ghost held her forearm, "Glad I can count on you."
Ghost rebels caught Ghost's eye. They signalled him over with the flick of their head, and he returned the action, rising from the table and leaving Che' with a smile.
…
Earth. Georgia P.O.V
…
We were out in the garden today, and apparently Kyoya didn't want me waiting on people. It was honestly a big surprise, but it gave me lots of time to think, calm myself and control my magic. I sat there, watching the tress move with a touch of my own magic. My fingers tap the ground, and the tops of the trees move to my rhythm.
Well, that was until I saw a ball zoom over my face, landing only a few metres to my right. "What the hell!" I shout sitting up quickly, putting my hands on the ground for support.
Two red-headed twins run over, looking slightly worried.
Of course it was them.
"You ok?" Kaoru asks, and Hikaru stands there silent.
I shrug my shoulders, "Yeah I'm fine?" Questing why they would be so concerned. It didn't even touch me. It was an effort, but I got up and chased the ball. It was small, smaller than a soccer ball, but not by much. "I've never seen a ball like this." My eyes wander over it, taking in the pattern.
"It was used back in the old days," Hikaru said, taking the ball from my hand, "The game is 'Kemari'."
"Kemari?" I raised my eyebrow at the name, "Never heard of it."
Hikaru tossed the ball to Kaoru, "It's basically the old style version of 'don't let the ball touch the ground'." Kaoru explained, "Except, you can't use your hands or arms." The twins began to demonstrate, kicking the ball to one another almost too easily.
Kaoru then passed it to me, and it took me by surprise. "Whoa." Almost on instinct, my knee rose up into the air and deflected the ball at Hikaru.
My shot seemed to be very wonky as Hikaru chased the ball, only just managing to get a good kick at it. Like, a really good kick.
I shrieked and ducked, feeling the wind of the ball passing me, pushing my hair. My heart was racing as I stood up looking at a worried Hikaru, "Sorry." He apologised.
"That could have hit my face!" MY instant reaction was to get mad at him. And I did, I could feel it inside of me.
"HARUHI! DUCK!" Tamaki's voice flooded the courtyard, and I spun around just in time to see Tamaki tackle Haruhi to the ground, basically crushing her in the process.
"Holy crap!" My natural instincts took over, and I rushed to Haruhi's side. "You ok?"
She sighed, and slowly sat up, "So much for it being peaceful…" She muttered, and I rolled my eyes, looking back at the twins…not them both, but Hikaru. Every time that something is ruined, it's his fault. Every time he breaks the peace.
"Tell me about it…" My tone sounded unamused.
"Hey, it's your fault for not catching the ball in the first place, boss!" Hikaru defends, "Plus, it was Georgia's fault for giving me a bad pass!"
"Hey! I've never played before!" Kaoru sends me a look, an almost disappointed looking one.
"Yeah, who knew he'd be so bad at kemari? So much for him being the Genji of Ouran academy." I noticed Kaoru hit Hikaru's arm. His brother looked at him, slightly annoyed, but then looked in my eyes.
…but I couldn't. I turned away, I just couldn't. Guys, what's happening to me? I really wanted to give him a good glare, but like…I just couldn't. It's almost as if I was embarrassed or something. I hat- no…just calm down, and breathe. I don't want to react, I don't want my magi to overflow. I don't want to hurt anyone. Even if it is Hikaru.
"What?" Tamaki looks shocked, "You think so? Well, check this out!" I don't know how, but Tamaki changed into soccer gear and screamed, "STARLIGHT KICK!"
That ball went flying. No kidding, it took off, flying through the air as fast as someone firing a bullet. "What the hell! That was so fast!" I say in pure shock. If it was possible, my jaw would hit the ground.
"Take care of yourself! Bye." The twins wave good bye with a hanky in hand.
I was in awe, that kick was amazing! "Come on!" I shout running the direction that the ball went. Honey was right by my side, running almost effortlessly at my pace. And soon, the whole gang was in pursuit until I noticed a hole in a window of the next building over. "It broke the window."
…
"Really, we're terribly sorry about that." Tamaki apologised to the guy on the table with a bag of ice on his head. He wore glasses, with almost grey, creepy eyes and hair that just reached his neck. Not the most appealing look I'd say.
"Don't worry," He waved it off, almost as if not caring, "It's no big deal. Could've happened to anyone, right?" I really don't like him already. "Just a ball flying through a window and hitting me upside the head." Ok, that's a guilt trip. I know one when I see one, and that's one right there. He wants something, but the question is, what?
"Please accept our apology." Tamaki sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.
"Well, this works out perfectly. I was just thinking about approaching the host club about a cover story. I don't suppose you'd be interested." I can see the light in the twin's eyes disappear, and it has me very concerned.
Looking at everyone else, they seem to be doing the same. It's a small change but, it's a change. The only people who doesn't have it is Haruhi and Tamaki. Kyoya is the worst of them all. His face was blank, no signs of interest amusement what so ever, just blank. To be honest, I thought an interview with the Host club would be good business, but Kyoya doesn't seem to think so. Wait, since when did we have one?
"I didn't know we had a newspaper club." I say absent-mindedly, but quiet enough to not cause drama.
"It's more gossip rag than newspaper."
"Yeah, like a trashy tabloid. It's filled with stories about scandalous love affairs, family power struggles, and junk like that."
"It's just a lame gossip rag that specializes in stirring up scandal." The twins speak in turns, one after the other describing these guys.
"Really?" Haruhi questions.
"And everyone knows it's all lies, so nobody reads it anymore." That's a really harsh way to put it guys.
I saw the president sigh, placing his head in his hands, "You know, I guess we have kind of lost sight of the truth because we've been so worried about drawing more in readers. It's a shame we're just now realizing our error .Now that the paper is at risk. We finally realize what we should have been reporting to the students of Ouran.
Help us, please. For our last paper of this semester, we'd like to do an up-close special edition revealing the charms of Ouran's host club members. I'm begging you.
Without your help, our club will close." He begged, looking at Tamaki directly in the eyes.
And of course Tamaki fell for it, "You can count on us. On behalf of the host club, I…"
Kyoya shut him down, "We'll have to decline." He said demandingly, but respectfully.
"But Kyoya, he got hurt because of me! What's the big deal?" Tamaki tried to argue, but Kyoya pulled him away.
"Sorry, we have a policy prohibiting us from sharing any personal information with anyone other than our guests. But we'd be more than happy to pay any medical expenses related to your injury."
Kaoru and his brother then step up, "And another thing. What makes you think we'd want to help you spread more rumours and gossip? We've got a reputation to uphold. And you'd just ruin it." Kaoru states.
"Besides, you guys cause a lot of trouble for other people. And who'd want to get mixed up with that?"
The president looks at them with sad eyes. "I understand. Well, I guess you really can't erase the sins of the past, can you? People won't even give you the opportunity to try and redeem yourself. Aah!" His hands clutched his head as he fell to the desk, screaming in pain about his head being sore, "My head is killing me!" He wailed.
"President!" his two lackeys shout at their leader.
"I'm okay, don't worry, you two" He reassures, "Oh no, I'm getting dizzy again." And he falls down again.
I roll my eyes, "I'll give his head something to be sore about," I say gripping my fist at the patheticness of this whole show. I can understand that they want this badly, but to what extent? Snivelling and faking headaches to get it? Pathetic.
Hikaru and Kaoru smirked in the corner of my eye, and I could see their amber eyes watching with amusement. I rested my hand on my hip, trying hard to stay calm and not slap these idiots for wasting our time.
"I guess all we can do at this point is disband with grace…" The President says with sad eyes cast downward.
Tamaki lifted his chin high, and spoke proudly, "No, you don't have to! You can always make a fresh start. We'll help!" He looks so proud, but I'm not buying it, nope. Not nibbling at the whole 'lets-do-good-thing', "We will rally the power of our host club, and we can re-establish the newspaper club together!"
I had a firm hand take my arm and drag me towards the door. I peered over my shoulder and it was Kaoru who was carrying me away, whilst Hikaru had Haruhi. "Well count us out." they shout in time.
"You're way too trusting, boss." Hikaru complains, "We can't just go along with everything you do forever."
"Yeah, we've had enough." Kaoru adds.
Kyoya and the two seniors turn their backs to the newspaper club and begin to walk away, with Kyoya shouting over his shoulder, "We're leaving too, Tamaki. We're holding an evaluation meeting, mostly about you."
"Tamaki, it's just a load of bull." I point out, wanting to get my say in.
"Hold it!" Our own president shouts holding up his hand, "How can you be so heartless? These men are about to lose their club. Don't you feel sorry for them? Their family is breaking up! As your president, I demand you help them! And that is a direct order!"
I give him the 'are-you-kidding-me' before we all shouted, "WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT!"
…
"Well, he's obviously upset with us." Points to the blond squatting on the floor moving a ball back and forth with his finger.
"Yeah, he hasn't even changed clothes." Kaoru says looking at the clothes he's still wearing form earlier today.
I furrow my eyebrows, "Neither have I." Pointing out my grey marvel shirt and light blue shorts.
"But you're different. You're not wearing a costume."
"True."
"I hate it when he ignores us when we're right in front of him. He's such a child." Kyoya sighs standing to my right.
I can just see all of us caving in eventually.
Behind everyone, Honey sits happily munching down on a slice of cake. "Nah, Tama-chans's just a lonely guy, you know." Those words leave his mouth before he pushes another slice down his throat.
Tamaki glares at his ball, almost if he was glaring at us. "A club is like a family. Their family is about to be broken up. I feel sorry for them." He mumbles. Oh god, he brought up family. Well, to him, the host club is his family. Well, I know he has his own…wait, I don't know anything about Tamaki's family.
I know Kyoya's family deal with hospitals and what not, Honey and Mori both come from families who are heavily involved in the military and martial arts. I know that Hikaru and Kaoru's mother is a major fashion designer, but Tamaki? I don't actually know. I've never heard anything about his family, or his personal life I guess. How much do I really know about Tamaki?
"I hate to give in, but would it really be that bad to help them out with their newspaper?
"I don't trust them. They look like they're going to try screw us over. But I know we're not going to win this fight, Tamaki is gonna make us cave."
"Hey, since when are you taking his side?" Kaoru question's Haruhi, "I think Georgia's gonna be right."
I smile, "Glad know you agree. But seriously Haruhi? You want to go along with it?"
"Just listen, okay? I know any moment now he's gonna look over here with those puppy-dog eyes he uses when he wants something and none of us will be able to say no, and so he'll win." She explains giving us a bored look knowing what's coming next.
"Let me guess. You're speaking from experience, aren't you?" The twins ask together.
Haruhi nods with a sigh, "Besides, maybe I'm wrong, but isn't this the kind of thing you guys usually go for?"
"Yeah, don't you guys usually help out with something like this?" I ask but the twins shrug me off. "But I'm totally not agreeing with it, just saying."
"Well no. This seems like more trouble than it's worth."
Haruhi looks behind her to the senior eating cake, "What about you, Honey senpai?"
"Count me out. I have this cake to eat. And Takashi sticks with me, right?" To which Mori just nods in agreement. Honestly, it looked like neither of them wanted to deal with this situation.
Tamaki kept looking from us to the ball. "Those are the eyes." she said as she walked away, sitting near Honey and Mori.
The twins fell next, "Puppy-dog eyes."
I look up to the older boy standing to my right, "Kyoya, this won't end well. I don't trust them." I fold my arms and Kyoya nods at me. Based on his look, he completely agrees but he does know that Tamaki won't let it go. "There will be some conditions." I shut my eyes and sigh, as Tamaki perks up and woof's like a dog. "The outline for their article will be submitted by us. Interviews are strictly prohibited. And it is vital that our clients' identities be kept confidential." He lays out each of the rules and I think that
Tamaki barked again, and I rolled my eyes.
"Do we agree?"
Everyone else just seemed to shrug. "Well, if you think it's cool, Kyoya senpai." Hikaru gives up with a shrug, and everyone else follow.
"Then we do too."
"I'll do it since Kyo-chan says it's okay."
"Hm."
"That's the shadow-king for you."
They all look at me, waiting for my response patiently. I cross my arms, "Fine, I'll do it. But I'm not going to like it."
…
After we dispatched, I ran up to Kyoya, who was just leaving the door. "You know this isn't a good idea right?" Do I really have to remind the Shadow King of a shady deal? Kyoya is smart enough not to accept something like this. Tamaki is too trusting, way too trusting.
I eye off the box he hold in his hands, a small first aid kit. "I know," He says rubbing his index finger on the box, "However, would you like me to remind you that if we don't do this, we would have to put up with Tamaki complaining like a child all day?"
My gaze falls to the ground, sighing, "Well, what are we going to do? They can't be trusted! And that's just the gut feeling I get. Hikaru and Kaoru have told me about the things they write and they're completely stupid! It's just high school gossip blown out of proportion!
After a few moments of leaving me in silence, Kyoya sighs, lifting a hand to his glasses, pushing them further up the bridge of his nose. He hides his eyes that way, just so someone like me can see what he's planning. "Believe me, I do understand what you're saying. However, I ask you not to bring this up so close to their club room. It would be bad business."
It took me a few moments to realise that we had made it down the hall way, down one set of stairs and around a few corners to the newspaper club. "I didn't know the room was so close to ours…" I say looking at the bland, brown door. I was here this morning, but we went a completely different way. I didn't even realise it.
Three knocks on the door, echoed down the empty hallway, before we were invited inside by the familiar voice.
"Do you want me to come with you?" I ask, watching is blank face.
"I wouldn't mind the company. Just, be careful what you say. We're only here to tell our conditions. As you can probably work out, anything you say can and most likely will be twisted." He reminds me, taking hold of the door handle and opening it to a poorly lit room.
The president smiles as he sees us approach. "Kyoya, Georgia, welcome! I'm glad you're decided to change your mind."
Kyoya steps forward, and I stay behind him. I can see the President eyes us, glancing between Kyoya and I as if trying to work out the ulterior motive. "Indeed, however we do have conditions."
I nod, as if to back up Kyoya.
"One. The outline for their article will be submitted by us, and cannot be changed."
"Two, no interviews, with any of us or our clients." My face was dead straight.
Kyoya then continued, "And it is vital that our clients' identities be kept confidential."
The president and his two friends kept quiet, absorbing it all in. "Of course," The president confirms, "If you'll allow us to cover you, we promise to observe your conditions."
Kyoya and I look to one another nodding. "Well then, you may start tomorrow. "So how is that bump on your forehead feeling?" Kyoya questions, looking at him curiously.
"Oh, that, it's no big deal." He waves it off, and there's not even a mark that I can see on his head, "I hardly feel it any more. I owe a lot to this bump, because without it we'd never have come together for this article."
"That's true, but we're still very sorry it happened. I've brought you a little something as an apology of sorts. This is a first-aid kit, made by my family's company." Kyoya places his box on the table in front of them. He opens it in front of them, revealing its contents.
"Thank you. I appreciate it." He says sweetly.
The looks at me and I can see that glaze in his eyes. He's faking it.
"No problem. Please excuse us." Kyoya says, extending his arms allowing me to exit first.
A gasp came from behind us, "Oh, it just dawned on me. You family runs the Ootori group, right? They manufacture medical equipment, don't they?"
Kyoya just frowns, "We mostly deal with hospital management." He corrects the president.
"I am so glad that we'll been working together. My father is a president as well, of the Komatsuzawa publishing firm."
I didn't know that, "Yes, I am well aware of that. So, being president of the newspaper club is your way of preparing to take over the family company?"
"Well, yes, to an extent," He says, and you can tell that there's more to this, "But I have this younger brother. He is a bright young man, and my father is very proud of him, you see. So now my father's decided to turn future management of the company over to my younger brother. Thereby passing over me, the eldest son, first-born.
However, if I'm able to finish my third year at Ouran academy as the president of a successful newspaper club, I think he may reconsider my candidacy as his successor.
Do you understand? I cannot allow this club to fall apart, no matter what."
I was honestly slightly taken back by it. This club does mean a lot to him I guess. But it doesn't give them the right to exploit people and their stories like that. I still don't trust that this article is going to go well. "Sorry, we need to leave. Please excuse us." I say, continuing towards the door with Kyoya behind me. Kyoya shut the door behind us, not really affected by what we just heard. "Kyoya I don't trust this still. They're going to try to destroy us."
Kyoya pushed up his glasses once again, "Not to worry."
I perked my head up, hearing a murmur through the door. I crept closer, placing my ear onto the cold wood."…my only real enemy here is Tamaki Suou. Originally I had planned to use the power of the school newspaper to become popular here at Ouran academy. But then Suou showed up and started his stupid host club and suddenly he became the big man on campus."
I gasp, pulling away from the door. "I knew it! Kyoya, he says that Tamaki is his 'real enemy' because he stole the popularity of the Newspaper Club with the Host Club." My fingers bend in quotation marks around the words. "What do we do?"
Kyoya barely does anything. Only, pulling out his notebook and writing it down, "Interesting."
I move back to the door again, "All they do in that club is fake romance." I hear him growl, which is true but those girls know it, well at least I hope they do. "Those poor girls who visit them are being suckered. It must be Suou's way of flaunting his power. Using his parents' authority to let he and his buddies do whatever they want with those girls. All of those host club members including Kyoya Otori were supposed to be my underlings. Tamaki Suou, he's more shrewd than you'd expect. He may seem like a friendly guy. He's got the act down. But I'm positive he's got a dark side. I'll dig until I'll find something scandalous that'll teach him a lesson!"
My eyes widen and I back away again, "What did you hear?" Kyoya asks watching my behaviour.
"Kyoya, it was all a set up. They want to expose Tamaki's dark side and teach him a lesson." I say throwing my hands up in the air. "Tamaki doesn't even have a dark side!"
"Say it any louder and they will hear you." he say tilting his head back towards the club room, silently suggesting that we leave.
We need to do something about this, but what? We can't let him bring down Tamaki, he's too good for that. As annoying as he is…I can't let that happen.
…
Sooooooooooooooooooo, what did you think?
Let me know, and I'll try to update this sooner next time!
Until Next Time,
Silva Out!
