Nala came to on a warm cloud.
Does this mean I died and went to heaven? I'm cool with that, it's warm and soft…
She snuggled in closer on the bed, and the person with her made a noise of annoyance and poked her side.
Wait… Person!?
Snapping her eyes open, she all but rolled off the bed in her state of panic, flailing her arms, and dragging the sheet with her.
"NALLL-CHAN IT"S COLD NOWWWW!"
"HONEY!?"
"GIve me back the blaaannnket!"
"Why the heck were you in my bed?! And how did I get here!?"
Nala looked around in shock. She was definitely in her bedroom, and that was definitely Honey bouncing on her bed, but how had she gotten there? Honey cocked his head at her, his big brown eyes regarding her thoughtfully.
"You don't remember?" Nala shook her head at him. "Oh! Well, After the twins took care of the Manananggal, you passed out from shock, and then we brought you here. Kyoya and the rest are in the living room talking, but I got cold so I came to snuggle with you!"
Nala searched his face at the last words, but saw nothing creepy or malicious as you often would when someone of the opposite gender said them, but instead all she saw reflected in his honey brown eyes was pure sincerity. She smiled at him softly.
"Thanks Honey, I should probably go out there, those things told me some stuff I think I should relay to Kyoya."
So saying, she stood back up, and beckoning at Honey to follow her, they left the bedroom. Walking into the living room however, was like walking into a war prep room. There were several large maps of city of Ouran laid out on the ground, there were photos up on the walls, some of Tokiya, others of various shady looking characters, some of Nala herself. Notes were scattered in piles around the floor, and around the room itself, stood the various other hosts. They seemed oblivious to Nala and Honey entering the room however, and continued talking; Tamaki's annoyed voice taking precedence over the others.
"-doesn't make sense! We must be missing something, or someone, because these all look like regular humans. They have to have someone with magic controlling it all!"
"We agree boss, but it's not like we can just go out there asking everyone if they've seen some creepy man in a cape summoning demons."
The twins deadpan voices made Tamaki snarl at them in annoyance, and Haruhi stroked a hand down his back in a soothing manner.
"Would it help if I had a name for you of this person?"
When Nala chimed in, the other hosts jumped, and Kyoya turned away from the pictures he was studying of Tokiya on the wall to face her.
A brief smile slid over his lips, before it turned into his signature smirk, and stepping away from the wall he came to stand in front of her.
"That would help somewhat, of course in theory if you actually had it which I think we all would deserve since you keep recklessly putting yourself in danger."
She cocked an eyebrow at him.
"In theory, you know totally hypothetical really, but if this person's name - or what other people seem to call him - was "The Sorcerer" would that help?"
The real smile was back on his face, small though it was.
"In theory my dear Miss Fuyumi, that would narrow down the search exponentially considering how ridiculous of a name that is."
"That's what I was thinking too!"
At Nala's words, Kyoya let out a chuckle, before brushing a hand over her shoulder, and turning away to pick up his phone and dial someone's number. He stepped into the hallway to make his call in private, and Nala - not intentionally wanting to ignore the others, but needing to see - stepped up to the wall to look at the photos of the man who had been a constant shadow over her life for the last few months. The one behind every attack, every threat, her constant fear, and now that this could possibly end because they might have found the leader was mind boggling.
Her eyes trailed over his face slowly, filling in the little features that the grainy photos didn't have. The cruel twist of his mouth, the cunning, snake-like expression in his eyes. She shuddered, her mind flashing back to the day in the police office with Maria when he had been there staring at her, knowing all the things she didn't know. With a sigh, Nala turned away from the photos and pasted on a smile for the other hosts in the room who were watching her with wary eyes as if they expected her to start screaming hysterically at the sight of the photos. Haruhi was the first to snap out of it, and nudged Tamaki hard in the side.
"Anyone up for a snack? Nala and I can cook it now while we wait."
The twins cheered, and Honey and Tamaki both turned big, hopeful eyes towards Haruhi. Nala laughed.
"Well, I guess we should take that as a yes Haru!"
The other girl laughed, and Nala and Haruhi walked into the kitchen with the cheers of the other hosts ringing behind them
*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*
An hour later found the hosts scarfing down as much food as they could eat, while Kyoya stayed in the girls bedroom to keep investigating the strange man that Nala had told him about.
"Can I have another rice ball Nal-chan?" Honey, who was sitting across from her at the table turned his bes puppy dog eyes on her in an attempt to get her to help him fill his seemingly unfillable appetite. 'Just one more?"
"Mitsukuni." Mori, who was sitting at his cousin's side looked at him and shook his head. "Don't beg."
Honey pouted, but didn't say anything else. Nala smiled to herself as she looked around the table. The twins were bickering over who knew what, Honey and Tamaki were gobbling down as much as food as possible while Haruhi and Mori tried to slow them down for fear of them ending up with stomach aches, and Kyoya wasn't in sight but knowing he was there made Nala happy.
I should probably go check on him, see if he wants anything…
She stood up from the table - the other hosts too busy to notice - grabbing a plate of food as she went and walked down the hall to her bedroom. She knocked briefly, but went in without waiting for permission.
It's my room anyway so I don't think I need to worry about it.
Kyoya looked up as she entered the room from where he was sitting stretched out on the bed, his dark eyes looked tired behind his glasses, and his normally smooth, always perfect hair was mussed as if he had been running his hands through it constantly. His eyes flickered from her face to her hands and he smirked when he saw the food.
"You're definitely not worried about trying to mother me are you, Nala?"
She laughed, shutting the door and crossing the room to hand him the plate of food.
"Definitely not, besides I was pretty sure you don't have the ability to magic up food for yourself and I knew you hadn't eaten since I woke up which was a while ago so I figured I'd bring you something." She hesitated, before gesturing at the bed. "Can I join you?" He raised an eyebrow and she flushed bright red, smacking him in the shoulder. "Not like that you weirdo!"
It was his turn to chuckle, but he patted the bed next to him and she plopped down onto it. He had obtained a laptop from somewhere, and she watched curiously as he typed out information rapidly. Clinical information about the case, details about herself, her father, Tokiya, the events that had happened so far etc.
"You're looking for a common connection between it all aren't you?"
He didn't lift his eyes from the screen as he typed, but his answer was calm and collected as if all his attention was on her.
"Yes, we've missed something, there's some piece that is connecting it all and we've been blind to it all along. I have a theory, but I'm waiting for a call from my family's private police force in order to know if it's accurate."
She bumped his shoulder with hers.
"If it's your theory then it's accurate. I trust you Kyoya."
He paused his typing, sucking in a quick breath, before resuming.
What was that about?
Nala stared at his profile curiously, and she could've sworn his cheeks were dusted faintly red, but it was gone so fast she couldn't be sure.
"Trust is a weak illusion in the real world. It is something that the powerful buy from the weak, and something that is crushed and thrown away when it is convenient." Nala's mouth snapped open to angrily tell him he was wrong, but he cut her off before she could even start. "That's how it has always been in my house. Affection, trust, feelings, none of it matters more than logic. Being able to calculate the outcome of any situation and planning it to your own success is what matters, but I've found that in the last few months that might not be so true." His eyes slid towards her as he turned his head, there faces were so close their noses were almost brushing, and Nala could smell the mint on Kyoya's breath as he spoke; his eyes still locked on hers. "Tamaki trusts me no matter what because he knows I'm smart enough to get whatever it is done. Haruhi trusts me because she knows I'm ruthless enough to accomplish what I say I will. The twins, Honey and Mori trust me because they admire my abilities both magical and non-magical. But you? You have been a puzzle to me since the first day Nala. You trusted me blindly without any reason too just because you could. Even when I threatened to cut you off if you hurt the club, you handed my threat right back to me, and kept trusting." His dark eyes flickered down to her lips and back up again and Nala vaguely noticed that at some point his glasses had disappeared making the heat that glimmered in his expression seem ten times stronger. "And, I do believe that the last time I woke up with you in a bed with me I warned you of the dangers of being alone with a man in a bed."
Nala laughed at him, low and cheerful.
"And I remember flipping you off the bed easily Ootori, I think I'm safe if I'm ever caught in a bed with a strange man."
His eyebrows went up.
"Oh really? And what about if you're caught in a bed with a man who isn't a stranger hm?"
Nala's heart began to thump, because oh yes he had definitely been looking at her lips when he said that.
"Well, I assume there would be a good reason for me to be in the same bed as him then."
"Mm I'm sure. Doing something like helping save the world?"
"Always."
He definitely just leaned closer, I'm not crazy, oh em gee is he gonna kiss me-
...
...
His cellphone rang.
Kyoya jerked as if waking from a trance, and grabbed his phone to answer it leaving Nala in a heady state of confusion and whatever hormones were surging through her with how close he had come to kissing her.
Of course his frickin phone had to ring. Damn it!
Kyoya reached down and slid his glasses back on, making a few noncommittal noises into the phone before hanging up without even a goodbye.
"What did they say?!"
Nala waited with bated breath for Kyoya's response, as he turned his dark eyes towards her. They were suddenly serious, any heat that had been in them before wiped clean by whatever the person on the other end of the line had said.
"They found what I needed."
His voice held almost no emotion, and his eyes were cold as he spoke. When she first met him Nala would've taken his response for anger, but now, no now she knew better. Whatever he had been told had shocked him greatly, maybe even scared him a little bit and he was shutting down in order to hide that he was nervous.
"And?"
She prodded him, waiting breathlessly for his response.
"We're looking for a dead man."
*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*
"WHAT!?" Tamaki gaped at Kyoya and Nala in shock. "A dead man!? Like a vampire!? It can't be possible! I would've known! As the vampire prince I am required to know all of them, he couldn't have gotten by me!"
Haruhi, who like normal stood by his side nodded in agreement.
"He can't be a vampire, Tamaki is right, and he wouldn't have been able to stay undetected for so long if he was."
Honey's eyes were thoughtful as he and Mori glanced at each other,and the twins were all but vibrating with anger, but Kyoya spoke first.
"He's not a vampire. My sources have confirmed who he is however, or was." He strode forward and sat on the couch, tugging Nala to sit with him. "His name was Goro Hiroto, and he was an alchemic magician for the Circus of the Damned. It was an evil place that the country fought to have shut down - without alerting the common people - due to the ideas behind it. It was a place that worshipped the Waru, believing that if they payed homage through the circus that they would be bestowed with powers by the devil himself. It mysteriously burned to the ground in 1967 and there were no survivors. However, soon after it burned down, statesmen across the country who had been fighting to have it shut down, and who many believe orchestrated the fire to burn it to the ground, were found butchered brutally in their own homes. Signs of alchemy were found, and it was discovered that all the bodies had been experimented on before they died. Tortured to death in the name of alchemic science. Along with the bodies there was always the alchemic symbol for fusion, and a calling card for a mysterious person who called himself "The Sorcerer". Due to his position as an alchemic magician at the circus there was always speculation that it was Goro Hiroto, but he was never discovered and eventually is case file fell away as time went by and no new kills were made."
"How the hell do we find this guy then!?"The twins' voices were full of annoyance. "It's kinda hard to fight a ghost."
"Not as hard as you would think." Honey quipped from the side. "Do we have any clues on this bad man Kyo-kun?"
Kyoya shook his head.
"Almost nothing. He practically is a ghost. All we have is that he seems to be the one orchestrating everything behind the attacks on Nala. Even," He paused for a moment, his dark eyes cutting to said girl, before he spoke. "Even the supernatural ones."
And that was when the real outrage filled the room. Everyone was talking at once; the twins were shouting in shock, Tamaki and Honey were trying to deny how that was possible, while Haruhi and Nala were shouting for everyone to be quiet so they didn't disturb the neighbors. Mori, to the shock of everyone in the room, became the voice of reason.
'Everyone, stop talking." And with those three words, utter silence filled the room as the other hosts turned to gape at him. Mori for his part just raised his eyebrows at the rest of them, and sat down in the closest chair. From his spot on the couch, Kyoya let out an annoyed sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.
"I understand that it shouldn't be possible to control those supernatural as most of them are quite powerful; but the low level ones such as the Aka Manto would be easier. Also, since he was, or is, an alchemist we all know that they have touch with things far darker than any of us care to think about. Honey and Mori here are probably the closest to him in that regard, but they use natural means to fight back taking strength from nature whereas alchemists create unnatural strength. It upsets the balance so no, I don't understand how he's doing it, but we will soon. I'm already looking into it."
There is a collective silence from the other members in the room, which was broken by Nala.
"So you're telling me that the guy behind everything, the person my dad sold me to for money is actually a crazy magical scientist who probably just wanted me for his experiments, but since I keep slipping out of his grasp he's upping the ante and comin for me more and more? Well that sure makes sense."
She threw her hands in the air in frustration.
How did my life ever get so crazy again?
*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*
Somewhere across the world in America
Maddy stared at her parents in surprise. Her father was holding the ticket out to her with a cold expression of distaste, and her mother was doing her best to ignore her by inspecting her nails. Maddy winced on the inside but kept a straight face as she stared at the ticket; refusing to let her mother's indifference to her sting like her father's hatred was beginning to.
"What is this for?"
Her father stared at her with frosty eyes and a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"The... modeling company sent you a ticket. They want you to come a few days early in order to go through paperwork that they need you to sign in their office with the CEO present."
Maddy couldn't help lift her eyebrows slightly in surprise as she reached slowly towards the ticket.
"Must be some pretty serious paperwork if the CEO has to be present."
Her father pinned her down with a chilling stare before speaking again, seeming to pretend he hadn't heard her murmured comment.
"You will conduct yourself in a way that will not bring shame to my name, or I will send your resignation papers and have you locked in this house so quickly you won't even be able to say "Aye". Understood?"
Maddy gave a jerky nod of her head, dropping her blue eyes towards the floor.
"Also," Maddy's eyes snapped towards her mother in shock when the woman spoke. "You will be surveying the dating pool, out yourself out there, but for the love of all that is dear don't whore yourself out. Insert figuratively, not literally or it'll be me destroying any chance you have at this silly attempt at independence."
Maddy pasted on a bland look of understanding, but on the inside her mind was absolutely whirling. The idea of freedom, even coming only a few days early, lit her up on the inside, but it was with a deferential nod and a murmured promise of obedience that helped her flee the room with the ticket safely in hand. However, as she dashed up the stairs towards her room, ticket in hand something very close to a squeal sounded in the air.
*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*
Officer Tokiya shifted uneasily from where he stood hidden in the shadows at the mouth of a dark, dank alley.
"Sir they know. They've figured out who you are and-"
A voice that sent shudders up his spine as if death herself had drawn a cold finger up his spine, crawled over him from the shadows; cutting him off and speaking its' mind.
"And nothing. They have nothing to go off of. They are powerful, but their power is splintering, The Hitachiin twins do not have long until their minds shatter, Kyoya and Tamaki are caught up in protecting their own women, and the priests are children too young yet to understand how to face me." There was a brief pause made by the unseen speaker, before he emerged from the shadows. Tokiya couldn't contain the fear that crawled through his body at the sight of the skeletal hands with clawlike nails, the eyes that nearly glowed in the dark,and the slow rasp of the sorcerer's feet as he walked slowly back into the alley. "However, I sense something stirring. There is a shift in the balance and the world I come from knows it. We can sense it coming to them, and we must get rid of it first." A low chuckle sounded from the creature as a noise like a grate being shifted squealed across the silence of the night. "It's imperative we move quickly before the power balance shifts Officer. These are delicate matters I don't expect you to understand, but we need to get rid of the girl. We are being paid to do a job, and I intend to see it through no matter what, or who, gets in my way."
The deathlike silence that had slid over the night lifted and the bugs began to sing again as the shadows in the alley seemed to lighten too when the monster disappeared from it.
Tokiya let out a sigh of relief at the creature's absence, before lifting his phone from his pocket and making a call.
"It's time for the next plan. Scaring her isn't going to work, so we're going to take what she wants away."
*V*V*V*V*V*V*
Later that same night, oblivious to the turmoil and evil brooding in the darkness outside in the city, Nala lay on her bed unable to sleep. Images from the day before flashed through her mind; running from the monsters, Kyoya almost kissing her, the realization of who was chasing her, Kyoya almost kissing her… Honestly, there was too much to think about, she was going to go crazy. The hosts had opted to stay the rest of the night, all of them still unsettled from the attack on her, and how everything was developing around them. Nala sighed and rolled over onto her side, her mind still whirling even though she was physically tired.
A buzz sounded from the nightstand beside her, and Nala grabbed for her phone ready to welcome any distraction she could get at the moment. A text from Maddy wasn't what she had expected though, and her eyebrows lifted in surprise when she read it.
Company I'm workin for sent a ticket, they want me to come in a few days early to sign paperwork. Gettin there in two days instead of five now. Srry for the late notice!
Nala sighed softly, a warm, happy feeling bubbling up inside of her, and putting the phone back onto the table without responding - deciding to save it for the morning instead - she managed to fall asleep with a smile on her face.
**Authors Note**
So I got a job :D I'll admit, i'm a little bit nervous since my second official day is next week and I have no idea what I'll be doing for it, BUT here's a new chapter guys! I'm also alive too, and sorry for the prolonged absence. I have the ending scene all written out already, it's just a matter of conquering writer's block to fill in the details between now and that ending scene. It's lookin like we only have two chapters left of this story though guys! Thank you so much for reading it! As always, reviews are greatly, greatly appreciated.
Shout out to…
Dragonsheartsong + JustAnotherKawaiiOtaku + LizzyRose797 +Padgemb + Dec Jane + Thalia Phantomhive + SuagSugaX (THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE FOLLOWS AND FAVS GUYS!)
animegal1357 (she fainted because of shock! And thanks! I read a lot on them before I added them in so I wanted them to be accurate!)
swimmer1102 (oh darn! And I'm not super comfortable putting my age out on here sorry, too many strange/creepy people who can use that Info weirdly. It happened to a friend of mine so I'm hesitant about personal information.)
killjarkidranger (haha thank you!)
ktmyldy28 (thank you, capturing personalities is definitely the trickiest thing)