There had been screaming, then searing hot pain. And more screaming to follow.
Nala wasn't sure if she was the one screaming at this point or not. There was a roaring in her ears even as the fire from the Aka Manto's claws seemed to be spreading farther down her spine. Vision going spotty from pain, because Nala didn't have a high pain tolerance and she wouldn't try to argue otherwise, she heard a thud above her and an angry shriek that left her ears ringing.
Someone was shaking her shoulder and jolting her back. It made her cry out, and suddenly those jarring hands were gone and she was scooped up into someone's arms and cradled against their chest as they began walking.
She knew she should be fighting, struggling against the hands that held her, but those hands were so cool against her skin as she was laid down on a soft couch. They feathered over her face in the most gentle way possible and slid down her neck and over her back in light soft touches.
"I think there was some sort of poison in the claws. She wouldn't be this bad if they were just regular claw cuts. We need to get her to my family's hospital."
The words slid in one ear and out the other, and Nala drifted off into the inky blackness of unconsciousness.
*V*V*V*V*V*V*
Beep beep beep.
The annoying noise was the first thing Nala heard. Groaning. She rolled over the smack her alarm clock off. Only to A. almost fall of the bed, and B. to feel a sharp searing pain slide up her back along her spine.
"Ow ow ow ow ow."
Gingerly, she sat up in the bed. Her eyes cracked open and she winced at the nearly blinding light that was streaming through the window. After her eyes stopped watering, she glanced around the room slowly.
It appeared to be a small, private hospital room of some sort.
Hell is a lot nicer that I thought it would be…..
Her eyes trailed over the room taking in the two side doors, she wasn't sure where they led too, but they were there, the couch under the window, the chair at te side of her bed.
Her bed
Oh right.
She took stock of her own injuries finally. There was definitely bruising on her knees and elbows form when the Aka Manto has thrown her down, and the throbbing in her back must've been from its claws. She shuddered, bile rising in her mouth as she remembered it throwing the couch back from her and grabbing her by the hair when she tried to scramble away. Her legs had been too numb from crouching to do anything but let them hang almost limply as it threw her down.
Another shudder slid over her body as she remembered its angry words hissed in her ear.
"Found you little no-magic. You didn't choose, so I had to choose for you."
It had almost sounded like it was pouting as it spoke. As if this was a game to it and she was the toy. Or as if the Aka Manto was the parent and she was the disappointment.
Bile rose in her throat and she shook her head like a dog in an attempt to clear it of the thoughts in it. She couldn't seem to shake some of the things it had said though.
What was it talking about me and mine and magic?
Sighing as a headache began to form behind her eyes, she slowly scooted off the bed to approach the doors.
Which one is the way out? Does whatever afterlife i'm in have bathrooms? Cause i really need to pee….Wait. She stopped walking towards the doors, and turning away from them scanned the room. What if this is the Aka Manto's lair? I need a weapon
The only weapon like thing she seemed able to find in the room, was an expensive and heavy looking vase. Snorting, she picked it up off the edge of the little table it was sitting on.
"Looks like something Ootori would like. Kinda like those fake vases that merchant was trying to sell...except...nicer."
"I'm glad you think I have good taste."
She screeched, and swinging around, flung the vase at the person's voice. There was a smashing noise as it shattered and a groan as the person dropped to the floor heavily. Nala was already darting towards the door, when she realized she knew that voice.
Dear mother of pearl please don't let me have done what I think I did…
Turning slowly, hesitantly, she took stock of the situation on the floor in front of her with growing horror. Because, on the floor at her feet, was lying a furious looking Kyoya, with a large bruise forming on his forehead and the vase shattered around him on the floor.
"You wouldn't happen to be feeling generous right now if I were to ask you not to add that to the debt Haru has?"
He glared at her, his glasses in his lap so she got the full affect of those dark eyes on her. It made her stomach stir and her heart beat a little faster.
"You're right, I am feeling generous so no I won't add it to hers." Nala sagged in relief at those words. "I'll let you start one of your own."
"WHAT!?"
He smirked up at her shocked and horrified expression, but winced as he tried to stand up.
"I may be willing to lessen it if you help me off the floor before the others get back and don't tell them that I was taken down by a pipsqueak of a girl with a vase?"
She all but scrambled forward to help him up, ignoring the uncomfortable pull of the skin on her back which she assumed to be stitches. It hurt to help lever him up, but she figured she deserved it for braining him. Noticing her wince however, his eyes went wide behind the glasses he'd replaced on his face, before narrowing.
"Get in bed."
"Aren't you gonna buy me dinner first?"
"he cocked an eyebrow at that.
"Nala, not only is that the oldest and most used response there is, you are also in need of sleep and you haven't healed fully if the look on your face a second ago was anything to go by. So," his eyes caught hers in a staredown. "Either you get in that bed, or I'll call Haruhi in here and make her get you in bed. She knows how to deal with your stubbornness better than I do."
She shuddered. Haruhi could be downright scary when she got man, and she didn't want to risk that. As it was, Nala had a feeling she was in for an unpleasant conversation later with Haruhi and the rest of the hosts as it was.
So, without further argument, she turned and walked across the room before sliding into the bed. Pouting at him like a child, she muttered at him under his breath for being a jerk.
He heard her, and as he rang some form of bell that she assumed was to call a servant to clean up the mess, he called from across the room.
"And this jerk, Miss Fuyumi, saved your life. You should be grateful about that."
"You what?"
Turning to face her, he spoke calmly.
"I had a vision, announced you were going to die if we didn't hurry, and started running. We got there to find you on the ground unconscious, the twins attacked with Tamaki, Honey, and Mori while Haruhi and I got you to safety and to my family's private hospital.."
"You...ran…?"
His eye twitched with pent up aggravation as to how that was the only thing she seemed to notice. and he ground out the word yes.
"Thank you."
There was so much quiet emotion in the two words, that Kyoya's annoyance disappeared, and a softer look filled his eyes. His eyes were on hers from across the room, and again, that strange heat curled low in her stomach as she just watched him. He stepped forward, opening his mouth to say something, but before he could there was a loud crash from the hallway outside, and suddenly two rambunctious tigers were in the room.
"NAL-CHAN!"
Honey's sweet voice accompanied them as he launched himself across the room through the door to her bedside.
"Nala you're ok!"
Haruhi and Tamaki were right behind him with Mori in tow. Even Mori looked visibly relieved to see her up and moving, and stepping up to the bed, he ruffled her hair gently. With a smile at him, she managed a small hello before Tamaki was swooping in.
"My darling daughter are you ok!?"
It was her turn for her eye to twitch in annoyance.
"Tamaki i'm fine. A little scratched up, but i'm fine. Now," her eyes caught on the tigers crouched across the room, "Come here you…." Nala's voice trailed off as her eyes traveled over the muscular bodies of the big cats and she felt her eyebrows furrow in confusion. She couldn't for the life of her tell which one was which.
Well that's a problem.
They stood slowly, stretching, languid, but those movements did nothing to ease the sharp fear that coiled in her stomach at the sight of the sharp claws on their paws, and the fangs that dropped from their mouths. Nor did it to anything but amplify the deadly grace with which they moved as they crept across the room on soundless paws that were easily as large as her hand spread out.
Sharp golden eyes watched her as they came closer, and the one closer to her sniffed the air slightly before it's nose curled and it nudged the other. The other repeated the process, and something flashed through it's eyes before it let out an angry growl.
She stiffened, and she felt more than heard the rest of the hosts go very still and silent as the tigers' moods shifted.
The one who had nudged the other curled its lip at her, which earned it a swat from its twin.
"Gentlemen, please take this outside. You don't need to be here in tiger form at the moment. Come back when you've shifted."
They turned slowly, eyes unmoving as they pinned on Kyoya. For a very tense moment, no one in the room moved as the tigers watched him. Until, suddenly, one of them made a low noise in it's throat, and began to creep out of the room.
As soon as the last bit of a flicking tail was no longer visible, the occupants of the room visibly sighed with relief.
"That was close."
"Too close."
Nala was surprised by the seriousness in Tamaki's tone as he responds to Kyoya.
"What do you guys mean?"
She new something had been said wrong as soon as the words were out of her mouth. The rest of the hosts turned to stare at her after she spoke.
"No one has told you have they?"
Haruhi's words spurred Nala to shake her head no.
"Oh, well it's simple really Nal-chan."
Even as Honey spoke, Nala turned her eyes to Kyoya and Tamaki.
"You guys are hiding something. What is it?"
"Nala, it's sensitive."
She twisted to face Haruhi as her best friend spoke.
"Sensitive? Haru, you guys risked your lives to save me from the Aka Manto. You could've been seriously hurt. I'm one of you now, I think I deserve to know."
As she spoke, the hosts exchanged glances, and finally, Kyoya nodded.
"Ok. We can tell you what we know." Her eyes lit up. "However, it stays in this room and you do not approach the twins about it. Ever, understood? And after we talk about it, we have to discuss a more serious problem. Mainly the call we received from Maria about half an hour ago."
Nodding solemnly, Nala reclined on the pillow behind her to wait for him to begin the story. She had a feeling it was going to be a long story.
**Author's Note**
Ciao minna! Yes I'm mixing languages I know, but i'm trying to practice my Italian. So, we're about to get some serious background information on the twins be prepared for mystery, angst, and serious stuff to go down. I know a lot of you were expecting a fight scene, and obviously I did something different, but bear with me there's a reason. Mainly, I feel like I drag them out too much, and it would detract from the storyline to have three chapters of the hosts fighting the Aka Manto. If you want, I can add in a bonus chapter at some point of Kyoya's POV of the fight, but i won't be writing out an entire chapter focused on it.
What do you guys think of the new chapter? Subtle fluffiness hehe.
Shout out to…
Rainbowkitsune (Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it! Also, I love your username - just as a side note, pardon my randomness.)
ocean full of lies (As requested, a quicker update! I tried, and you have? Glad to hear I'm not the only one who knows about these things!)
animegal1357 (Pff Nala ain't goin down that easy!)
wajagirlliz (Why thank you :) I actually did have fun writing this chapter! I hope you liked this chapter!)
AnimeLuva4Life (Nah thank YOU)
ktmyldy28 ( I worked hard to get this out to you guys! I hope you enjoyed this one!)
killjarkidranger (Right?)
siriusstarruth + AnimeLuva4Life + Cookiegirl226 + DoctorReidIsInTheHouse (Thanks for the follows/favs guys!)