Author's note: Welcome to chapter 14, dear Reader! Grab a snack, this one's kind of long!

Trigger warning: Not too terrible this chapter, but much less fluffy than the last. There's a bit of violence, a small amount of bloodshed, and some general bitchiness. Oh, and Sky's foul mouth, as always. Otherwise, fairly harmless (for the Reader) chapter.

I still don't own Ouran or the Hosts, dash it all. Two random OCs are introduced in this chapter, but they are fleeting characters, and probably won't be reoccurring. As always, reviews are welcome!


-School, the next morning-

Sky took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, and walked into school with her head held high. She ignored the stares and comments, striding down the halls with a little bounce in her step. She walked into her classroom with a little smirk gracing her full lips and shook her head, causing her rainbow locks to flutter and her dangling skeleton earrings to jingle merrily. There were more murmurs as she stalked toward her seat, but the only sound she allowed herself to hear was the shocked gasp and excited little squeal that came from Honey, who bounced up onto his desk.

"Pixie-chan! You're not wearing your wig! Oh my gosh, you look so cute!"

She laughed quietly and tousled his hair, and he threw his arms around her neck, hugging her tightly. She hugged back gently before nudging the little blonde back to his seat with a small grin.

"And you look just as adorable as always, little bunny."

Just then, the teacher walked in, and all were silenced. Sky took her seat quietly, ready to learn, just like every other morning. But she couldn't help the little smirk that seemed to take up permanent residence on her face when she thought about all the dirty looks she'd gotten already. The girls in this school were so lame!

-Lunchtime-

Lunchtime already? How'd that happen? Sky could have sworn the day had just started. But sure enough, there was the lunch bell, and all her classmates took off. She stood and stretched, then rotated her sore shoulder. She was just reaching for her bag when the little blonde whirlwind popped up beside her.

"Pixie-chan, Pixie-chan!"

"What's up, Honey?"

"I know you always say no, but I thought since today is so different and everything, you might say yes this time, so I have to have to have to ask, will you please come eat lunch with us? Pretty please?"

He looked at her with such a sincere wish in his big, imploring eyes, that her heart just melted. It took every ounce of willpower not to scoop him up and twirl him around. She plastered an indecisive look on her face and pretended to contemplate the idea for a moment. Then she huffed out a lengthy sigh of mock frustration and waved her hands at him before grinning radiantly.

"Of course I'll eat lunch with you, my adorable little bunny."

"Really?! Yay!"

She couldn't help the giggles that bubbled up at his happy squeal. Honey grabbed his tall friend's hand and dragged her out of the room, bouncing and chattering excitedly. Sky couldn't get a word in, but that suited her just fine. She was content to just walk along and listen to her friend's happy yammering. As they neared the lunchroom, she saw Takashi waiting for his cousin. He looked shocked to see her, and she thought maybe she saw the slightest smile tug the corner of his mouth as they approached. He eyed her hair and earrings, and gave her an approving look.

"No more hiding?"

"No more hiding."

"Good."

He reached up to stroke her hair briefly, and she smiled broadly at him. She wrapped an arm around his waist and gave him a little hug, and was delighted when he slung his arm over her shoulder in return. Honey grabbed her free hand, and the three walked into the lunchroom together. They hadn't taken more than a few steps before a loud voice rang out, echoing through the room.

"Ma cherie!"

Sky swore in every language she knew, causing several questioning glances aimed her way even before Tamaki reached them. She wondered if her ears were literally bleeding as the over-excited blonde came to a screeching halt in front of the trio.

"Pixie, my little unicorn! You look so radiant today!"

"Thank you, chardonneret, now how about taking it down an octave or two while I still have partial hearing?"

Tamaki grinned broadly and pulled Sky away from Takashi and Honey to hug the tall girl tightly. She smiled and hugged back gently before ruffling her silly friend's hair. She doubted the lads could see the death glares she was getting, but they made her smirk in defiance.

"As adorable as you looked with long hair, I think this style suits you so much better, ma cherie. Our unicorn princess just isn't herself with ordinary hair."

"Aw. I'm glad you think so, Tamaki. I'm so over wearing that damned wig every day."

"Good. The rainbow is so much more fitting for you."

Sky ran her fingers through her hair with a little rueful grin. She was glad that her boys were so supportive. She went through the line with the lads, and had to stop Honey from adding dozens of sweets to her tray. She shook her head at her silly friend and just stuck to a small salad and some strawberries.

"That's not very much, Pixie-chan!"

"It's fine, little bunny. I'm not very hungry, and the strawberries have plenty of natural sugar. I'll be fine, honest."

She patted the little blonde head and smiled reassuringly before following Tamaki to their table. She was glad to see the rest of her boys already seated. She set her tray down and took an empty seat next to Hikaru, giving him a little bump with her elbow.

"So, how are my boys today?"

Kyoya and the twins chatted with her while the others finished getting settled in. Sky noticed more death glares and less-than-quiet mutterings, and couldn't quite stifle a little snicker. Takashi sat next to her and gave her a questioning look. She waved a hand in dismissal and picked up a berry, rolling it between her fingers.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just listening to the little chickens clucking. They're rather upset about the unicorn in the menagerie."

Her reply earned several more questioning glances from the lads, and she giggled.

"Questioning my sanity, boys? All I meant was that the local girls are quite offended by my very presence. I'm sure they think I'm corrupting their sweet innocent Host Club with my filthy, common ways."

Her sarcastic tone was met with derisive noises and eye rolls. She grinned broadly at her boys and popped the berry in her mouth. She could feel the eyes trying to burn holes in her back, and was grateful that looks can't really kill. She would've been dust the moment she walked in.

"You wouldn't corrupt us, Pixie-chan, you're too sweet!"

"And besides, we're not really all that sweet."

"Or innocent."

"Hey! Speak for yourselves, you shady devil twins!"

She was unable to stifle her laughter at the boys' comments. And especially Tamaki's overly offended look directed at the twins. After a minute, she noticed something missing from her tray and stood, uttering a quiet oath. She waved her hands at the lads, motioning them to keep their seats.

"I just forgot a drink. Be right back."

She was well aware of the looks she was receiving from the female populace, and did her best to ignore them all as she sauntered across the crowded room. She stood in front of the drink choices, contemplating, idly reaching up with one hand to play with the skeleton dangling from her ear. Hmm… Caffeine is always good. But water might be a better choice today. Damned indecisiveness…

She was so busy with her own thoughts, she didn't hear the footsteps behind her. She finally chose a bottle of water and turned around, almost slamming into a yellow-clad harpy. Sky issued a tiny squeak of surprise, but managed to not drop her water. She inclined her head in apology and started to step aside, but the girl grabbed her wrist tightly. Sky yanked her arm back and spoke with as much sarcasm as she could muster.

"Can I help you with something?"

"You can stay away from Tamaki and the other Hosts. They're ours, and we don't share with freaks."

"I see. Well, unfortunately for you, it is actually illegal to own another human being, so those boys are not, in fact, yours. And since they do not belong to you, they can befriend anyone they so desire."

"You're just a filthy commoner who came into some money, you're not even one of us."

"Yes, and thank all the gods and goddesses ever worshipped for that."

"Ugh, what is wrong with you? Are you just too stupid to know when you're being insulted?"

"Oh, I'm not being insulted. You see, for it to actually be an insult, I would first have to care about your opinion of me."

The yellow-clad girl could no longer control her fury, and slapped Sky across the face with a crack that echoed around the room. There was a massive thunder of clattering chairs as the Host Club all jumped to their feet, but Sky was quicker. She clamped her hand around the girl's thin, almost frail wrist, causing a squeal of fear. Sky spoke quietly as the lads rushed across the room.

"Touch me again, and I'll break your Goddamned hand."

She curved her full lips up in a large smile as her boys approached, and let go of the girl's wrist. She waved a hand lightly.

"It's alright, boys, everything's fine. Just a little disagreement."

"But, ma cherie, she slapped you!"

Sky gave a little shrug, ready to brush off the whole incident. But the little harpy just had to open her mouth. She had gasped, horrified, when Tamaki used the French term of endearment, but didn't stop there.

"Tamaki, how could you call her that? She's just a commoner, and a freak! She's trying to corrupt you, all of you!"

"Pixie-chan isn't a freak, Izumi. She's our friend! You did a very bad thing, and you should apologize."

While the girl sputtered and whined, Sky let out a soft laugh and shook her head, reaching out to ruffle Honey's hair.

"Oh Honey-chan, I am a freak. But that's not an insult, it's a badge I wear with pride, silly bunny. Besides, this girl… Izumi, you said? She's allowed to have her opinions, and I honestly couldn't care less if she hates me."

"That's an admirable trait, my dear. But nevertheless, this girl has used violence against you, and we won't stand for that."

"Aw, Kyoya. That damn little girly slap barely counts, it didn't even sting."

Izumi had finally gotten her speech back, and let loose a tirade.

"How can you all be so blind? Look at her, she's so far beneath you! She's crazy and common, and she's trying to corrupt you! How can you stand to be friends with someone like her? She's…she's…she's…"

"Crazy, and common, yeah, we got that already. Oh, and foreign, might as well throw that in, too. God forbid I corrupt you boys with my filthy American presence, and my common, low-born ways and foul mouth."

She couldn't even finish with a straight face, breaking out in laughter. The boys were glad that she wasn't hurt or upset, but they weren't letting this go so easily. The twins each put a protective arm around her waist, and Takashi stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders. Honey stepped in front of her with Kyoya, shielding her while Tamaki took a step toward Izumi, who was nearly apoplectic with rage. The Prince was gone, and Tamaki's voice was low, his hands clenched into fists that he kept shoved into his pockets.

"Izumi, you couldn't be more wrong. Pixie is the sanest, sweetest, most generous and loyal woman I've ever known. She has the biggest heart of anyone I've ever met. And frankly, my dear, she has more class and character in her little finger than you have in your whole body. She may not care what you think of her, but I will not stand by while you assault her. I have never hit a woman in my life, but if you touch her again, or say a single word against her, you will be the first."

Even Sky was shocked by Tamaki's words. Izumi paled drastically, then burst into hysterical tears before running out of the lunchroom. Her wailing and hurried footfalls were the only sound for several seconds before the rest of the students resumed their conversations. Sky cleared her throat and nudged the other boys out of the way so she could step over to Tamaki.

"Goddamn, dude. That was…kind of hot. And about six different kinds of awesome."

When his head shot up, she gave him a grin, and he let out a little laugh. His hands trembled lightly as he ran them through his hair. Sky shook her head slightly and pulled him into a tight hug. He put his arms around his tall friend and hugged back fiercely. After a moment, she pulled back and ruffled his hair, giving him another little smile.

"I mean it though, chardonneret, that was amazing. Thank you. Actually, thank you all. See? I told you guys you were knights. Running to a lady's defense like that."

There was light laughter all around, and the crisis passed. She grinned at her friends. They really were so sweet. But as much as she enjoyed their company, she had completely lost her appetite.

"I think I'll go sit outside for the rest of lunch though, guys. I'm really not hungry."

"But Pixie-chan, you hardly ate anything at all!"

"I know, Honey. I just…don't have any appetite right now. But don't worry, I've got a protein bar in my bag in case I start feeling down. Go on, seriously guys, go finish your lunch, I'll be fine, I'm just going to soak up some sun, ok?"

She waved her hands at the boys before anyone else could voice their disapproval, and strode out of the lunch room. She made her way outside, happy to see no one else around. Looks like everybody decided to stay in for lunch. Good. She wandered for a minute, then found a secluded little clearing with a pretty little stone bench right up against a sturdy tree.

She sat on the bench and breathed deep, enjoying the solitude. After a moment, she decided to get comfortable, so she loosened the silly tie and flicked open the top two buttons of her top, then shrugged out of the light jacket and set it aside. She would probably get in trouble if anyone saw her, because the top she had on wasn't the one that came with her uniform, but a plain white sleeveless one instead. She didn't figure it mattered, since no one would see her without the silly jacket on anyway.

She leaned against the sturdy tree and relaxed. She scratched her wrist absently, then remembered the strawberry candy she had stuck in her jacket pocket that morning. She fished it out and stuck it in her mouth, being sure to shove the wrapper back in her pocket before leaning back against the tree again. She closed her eyes and savored the candy, a little hum of satisfaction sounding in her throat.

"Well hello there, new girl."

Sky bolted upright at the voice, her eyes opening wide. She looked up at the newcomer, a tall and rather imposing figure with long, sandy blonde hair and a sinister grin. She huffed out an annoyed breath and crossed her arms, hiding the scars on her wrists. She raised an eyebrow at the young man, and tucked the candy in her cheek, speaking around it.

"Can I help you with something?"

He smirked and stepped closer. Sky trembled internally, but kept what she hoped was a bored look on her face. Breathe. Just breathe. He was looking her up and down with a decidedly lecherous grin.

"You know, I figured you were just another boring little princess when you got here. But I've got to say, this whole rebel, bad girl look is pretty hot. And I saw the way you handled Izumi back there. Pretty badass, but I'm surprised you didn't hit her."

Sky's heart was thundering in her chest, and she had a desperate urge to just run away. But she knew she was trapped, this guy could grab her before she could even stand. She racked her brain for ideas, even as she shrugged and gave a calm-sounding reply.

"She wasn't worth the effort. Just a spoiled little girl who didn't get her way. Hitting her would have caused more trouble than it would have been worth."

He laughed and stepped even closer, and Sky's heart leapt into her throat. Stay calm. Stay calm. Stay calm stay calm stay calm. She stood and picked up her jacket, clenching one hand into a tight fist that she hid beneath the light fabric.

"I think lunch is about over, so I'll be heading back to class now."

His laughter stopped abruptly as he blocked her path. Sky swallowed thickly, wishing she had stayed with her boys. She turned to step in a different direction, but a large hand grabbed her arm.

"And just where do you think you're going, babe?"

Sky's fear was overshadowed by a sudden, seething anger. A rage she hadn't felt before made itself known in that moment. She turned slowly back to face the intruder, and her voice was quiet, deathly calm.

"Take your hand off of me, or you'll regret it."

"Aw, don't be that way, babe. I'm sure we could have a lot of fun."

He was smirking at her again. She closed her eyes for a brief moment and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. When she opened them again, a haze of red had settled over her vision.

"You were warned."

She grabbed the offending hand, digging her nails in as hard as she could as she ripped his hand off of her arm. He grunted in pain and tried to jerk away, but that only caused her nails to slice through his skin. Her jacket fell to the ground, unnoticed, as she reached back and slammed her fist into his face. He fell backwards with a howl as his nose gushed blood.

"Sky!"

"Pixie-chan!"

Sky's vision cleared and she looked up as Takashi and Honey burst into the clearing. Her eyes darted back and forth between her boys and the bloodied one who was busy scrambling to his feet. Honey knocked him back down effortlessly as his cousin approached Sky cautiously.

"What did you do to our Pixie-chan?!"

"Nothing! I was just talking to her, and the crazy bitch cut me and broke my damned nose!"

Takashi took Sky's trembling hands in his, looking for any signs of injury. There was blood on her hands, but none of it seemed to be hers. Her fear had come back with a vengeance, and she couldn't stop shaking. Her eyes were wide and shocked, and suddenly rolled back in her head as she collapsed in her friend's arms. He scooped her up and held her close to his chest.

"Mitsukuni, she fainted."

"Right! I'm on it!"

Takashi took off running for the infirmary while Honey picked up Sky's jacket and brushed the dirt off. He grabbed the offender's hair and dragged him along as he headed after his cousin, the offender cursing and yelping in pain, stumbling along after him.

Sky came to before they got to the infirmary, jerking awake with a sharp gasp. She panicked for just a second before realizing the arms holding her were Takashi's, and not the unwanted thug from the clearing. She clung tightly to her friend for a moment, then noticed they were moving.

"Wait, wait. Stop. Hey, stop, put me down."

"No."

He slowed, but didn't let go. She could feel his heart thundering against her, and she wriggled in his grasp.

"Takashi, please."

He made a disapproving sound, but finally stopped. He set her on her feet, but still wouldn't let go. She was grateful, because she was unsteady and weak. She kept a firm grip on his arm so she wouldn't fall down.

"I'm ok. He didn't…he… I'm ok. He just grabbed my arm, he wouldn't let go. Everything went red and kind of fuzzy… I… I think I might've hit him, I don't remember… But my hand really, really hurts, so I think… Oh, God… I'm pretty sure I hit him…"

Her trembling rebounded and her knees gave out. Takashi gathered the shaking girl in his arms again, and once again set off for the infirmary. Sky laid her head on his broad shoulder and cried quietly in shame and fear.

Honey caught up to them before they got much further. The thug was still stumbling along, muttering and cursing. Sky gasped at the sound of his voice and buried her face in Takashi's jacket with a little whimper.

"It's alright Sky, we won't let him hurt you."

"Hurt her? Hurt her?! I barely touched her, and the crazy bitch broke my nose!"

There was a resounding crack and the thug fell silent. Sky didn't have to look to know that Honey had hit him. She kept her face hidden and tried desperately to stop trembling before she literally fell to pieces.

A door opened, and Sky flinched, but Takashi quietly shushed her, cradling her close. She focused on the way his arms felt, and how warm he was, and the comforting scent of whatever soap or cologne he used. Her breathing slowed, and her trembling was finally starting to calm as Honey spoke. The adorable note was absent from his voice, which was eerily quiet and far too calm.

"Pixie fainted, and she might have injured her hand. This one has some scratches and a bloody nose."

Sky lifted her head to look at Honey as Takashi sat beside him, keeping the girl secure in his arms. The little blonde looked angrier than she would have thought possible, and her heart hurt for him. She sniffled and cleared her throat, then spoke quietly.

"Honey, are you alright?"

"Are you alright, Pixie? That's much more important. Did he hurt you?"

He looked so worried on top of the anger, Sky almost started crying again. She reached out and took his hand in her uninjured one.

"He didn't get a chance to hurt me, I don't think... He, he uh… He grabbed my arm and wouldn't let me leave. And, I don't know, something just…snapped. Everything went red, and fuzzy, and… I don't know… There's blood on my hands, so I must have hit him…"

"Good. He deserved it, he should have never touched you."

There was so much venom in his voice that Sky gasped in shock. She racked her brain, trying to think of something to say, but then she was shocked even worse when the little blonde burst into sudden tears. She immediately slid off of Takashi's lap and pulled Honey onto her own, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace. He threw his arms around her and clung to her, weeping against her shoulder.

"We were so scared, Pixie-chan! Don't go off on your own like that again, ok? Ever ever ever! We can't protect you if you're all alone, don't scare us like that!"

Sky kissed the top of his head and held him close, stroking his hair softly. After a moment, his tears stopped, and he lifted his head, sniffling. Sky laid one hand tenderly on his cheek and spoke quietly, and with feeling.

"My darling Mitsukuni, you already do protect me all the time. You and the rest of my boys have given me so much courage. I've never stood up for myself before today, and it's because of you that I could. Ok, so I went all girly and fainted there at the end, but it went really well until then!"

She ended with a little grin, and was thrilled when Honey smiled back. She breathed a little sigh of relief and leaned her head back on Takashi's shoulder.

"Thank God for the two of you. I honestly don't know what came over me, I've never been so furious in my life."

"You're not that scared, defenseless little girl anymore, Sky. You're a warrior."

A little blush crept up her cheeks at Takashi's comment. A warrior? She shook her head slightly and laid her injured hand over his, delighted when his fingers curled very lightly over hers.

"Nah. If I was a warrior, I wouldn't have fainted. And I wouldn't have broken my stupid hand on his stupid face. I guess I probably should have just run away, but I must have used up all my smart ideas for this month."

Honey giggled a little, and even Takashi chuckled softly. Sky was glad that everyone was alright now, and the somber atmosphere faded. The nurse walked back in at that moment, and Sky steeled herself for a different kind of battle. She hated doctors and nurses of all kinds, and the school infirmary was too much like a hospital for her tastes. But her hand really hurt, so she gritted her teeth and prepared herself for the torture to come.


A/N again: Woo, got a little rough there. Don't worry, Pixie-chan isn't REALLY gonna be tortured! Thanks for reading, hope to see you again soon!