The Moonlight Masquerade
Final Ending: Relief and Liberation...?
As Haruhi turned to face the host, she closed her eyes. This was all too much. She almost regretted the decision she had made to show him her identity. Haruhi spun slowly on her two-inch heel, the long rose-colored skirt flowing and wrapping around her slender legs. Now fully turned around, she waited for the host's reaction before she opened her eyes. So Haruhi waited. And waited. The steady tick tock of the analog clock seemed to echo throughout the empty music room, thundering off the solid walls. There was no sound from the boy.
"M-milady, I'm nervous," a quiet stutter broke the silence. Apparently, he had his eyes closed too. Haruhi snickered to herself, and then realized she was doing the same, out of fear. It's now or never, thought Haruhi once more, recalling how she had told herself the same thing before she had decided to dance with this boy.
Haruhi nodded in agreement to the host, and felt like and idiot. His eyes were closed too! I wonder what color his eyes are, she thought. Golden, onyx, or a gorgeous violet?
"Milady?" the figure in front of her called out softly.
Oh, yeah. He was probably waiting for a response; he may have thought that she had run away. "I'm nervous too, but I need to know who you are." That was true, her curiosity was eating her alive.
"On three?" was his gentle response.
"One…two…three," she replied and blinked open her eyes. Huge chocolate brown eyes stared up at her date. Her mystery host. Her…?
Ice blue eyes watched her unblinkingly. Emotion glimmered in their daytime sky depths, but Haruhi was too shocked to notice what it was. Blue eyes? Which host had blue eyes? And how was it even possible for someone to have eyes like these? Gorgeous and pure, like an unchanging ocean, a cascading waterfall of light blue beauty.
"I never would've imagined that I spent my evening with you, Haruhi," an amused voice snapped her back into reality.
Her gaze traveled farter up his face, to his hair, to try to break away from his blue stare. Shaggy, light blonde hair hung in a neat mess, framing his pale white face. Haruhi realized that even if his hair was so pretty, she would have never seen it before. These gorgeous, straight blonde tresses were always hidden by a dark wig.
"N-Nekozawa?" Her voice cracked pitifully, like an adolescent's. He gave her a small grin and nodded, his bangs falling in front of his eyes. But how could that be? She was with a host, wasn't she? And did Nekozawa even know her real gender?
"I'm just as shocked as you are," he said, blue eyes twinkling like starlight in amusement. "But I don't show it that easily. Ha ha, is it that much of a surprise that I am your mystery date?"
"B-b-but how?" Haruhi stammered.
"I've always known, Haruhi. Even though some Host Club members were entirely too oblivious at first, I've always been able to tell that you're a girl. You make it so obvious milady, that I'm surprised more people haven't already figured it out. Of course, if they did, then I would be jealous." Nekozawa walked up to Haruhi and brushed back a stray lock of short, brunette hair behind her ear. His icy eyes softened as she blushed intensely. That only answered one question of hers though.
"But Neko-kun," she whispered, blushing even more for using a nickname, "when we were walking here, you said this place was special to you. Why is that?"
Nekozawa sighed and cupped Haruhi's face in his hands. "Because Haruhi, in Music Room 3 was where I first met the person who means the most to me. Inside the Host Club doors was where I first met you."
Haruhi thought back to all the times Nekozawa had peeked into the Host Club. She thought it was to bother Tamaki, but really, it was to watch her. To see her work and interact with the people around her. Watching her was how Nekozawa developed feelings for her, but he was too shy to act on them. It was strange though, and almost hard to tell who he really was. There was the Nekozawa of the Black Magic Club, dark, scary, cat-worshipping, curse-loving. And then there was this Nekozawa. He was so princely, charming and kind, letting his true colors show only once, to be with his little sister Kirimi. It was so adorable.
Flashing back to the beginning of the dance, Haruhi recounted all the guys in that one group. There were only six. All six hosts, plus Nekozawa should've made it a group of seven. That was odd. She went over in her head the group once more. There was no petite boy, no Lolita of the Host Club. Where was Hunny? And if Hunny wasn't there, was Mori? It didn't exactly solve the mystery of how Nekozawa got in with a group of hosts, but it was good enough for Haruhi.
"Thank you Neko-kun," she smiled, getting used to his nickname already. It was so cute that he had liked her all this time! Haruhi never would have had the chance to know how he felt about her if she hadn't gone to the masquerade ball. I'll have to thank Kyoya-senpai later for forcing me to go, she thought, pleased with the outcome of the night.
"But the night is not over yet, my dear," Nekozawa purred, as if he was reading her thoughts. He held out a thin, slender arm, which Haruhi gladly took. She was surprised though at the hidden muscles Nekozawa had. I wonder if he had really nice abs too, thought Haruhi, sounding like a childish schoolgirl. She could picture ripping off his concealing silver-blue suit and…Haruhi tried to clear the image away, before she got too into it. Just focus on him.
Nekozawa led Haruhi out of the music room, making sure to grab their discarded accessories from a table. Proving that chivalry isn't dead, he held open the door for her, let Haruhi leave first, and Nekozawa held onto all of her belongings so she didn't have to carry them. They walked together arm-in-arm down the long, empty corridor, only the faint hints of an upbeat song echoing beneath them.
Sharply, he turned a corner, dragging Haruhi slightly as she stumbled. Wherever Nekozawa was taking her, it wasn't a place she went often, nothing looked familiar. They strolled down the unused hallway, the lights dark, only the reflected moonlight giving them a faint glimmer of light to see by. Where were they going?
Nekozawa stopped in front of a large, towering double door. The pitch-black paint reflected the light rays of the moon, giving the mysterious door an ominous feel. But Nekozawa wasn't bothered by the ominous feeling that Haruhi felt. Leisurely, he easily pushed open the immense door and walked into the thick blackness with a gait that made Haruhi think that he had done this plenty of times.
The darkness was so thick that you could slice it with a knife. Haruhi was scared, but Nekozawa felt at home in the scary pitch-dark room. He walked inside and Haruhi followed, trailing behind like a dog being guided by its master.
"I can tell by your confused look, that you don't know where we are," Nekozawa smiled as he flipped on a set of dim lights. The faint rays casted on shelves of bizarre items. Crystal balls, cat puppets, and different vials of what looked like ingredients. What was all this stuff? It almost looked like it was a magic shop or…. Oh, right, duh. They were in the Black Magic Club room. Haruhi felt like an idiot about how obvious their location was.
"So this is the Black Magic Club. You must have a lot of members considering all the supplies you have," Haruhi said, trying to make conversation as she glanced at the stockpiled shelves.
"Heh heh. That's where you're wrong Haruhi. I am the club's sole member. Well, Belzeneff and I are, that is. I came here to grab a few things I had forgotten before. It won't take long and then we can be on our way, it's later than I thought."
Haruhi glanced out at a nearby clock in the hallway and, sure enough, the ball was nearly over. How sad.
Nekozawa walked over to her, arms full of various items. A medium-sized crystal ball sat on top. Haruhi eyed the ball curiously. It had a mystic quality to it, somehow the dim light of the club room made it glimmer and glisten faintly. Nekozawa noticed Haruhi's stare, so he dropped all of his supplies on the central table of the room and gestured for her to sit down across from him.
"Interested? I can give you a reading, free of charge. Besides, it'll give me an excuse to see your beautiful eyes once more. The eyes are the windows to the soul, you know."
Haruhi sat down across from him, too in awe to speak. Nekozawa was truly in his element now, this was who he was. She nodded to him and Nekozawa began to work his magic.
"Gaze into my crystal ball and I will look into your future." Haruhi did as instructed and tried not to laugh as Nekozawa waved his hands over the ball, doing the classic fortune-teller gesture. "The spirits are telling me that a feeling of relief and liberation will flow your way soon." He met her eyes and moved his hands back into his lap. "I'm sorry, not the best reading I've ever done, but I'm nervous and I guess you should get home soon, so I guess it's a good thing I didn't drag it out any longer."
"No, it was great, really. Thank you." Haruhi stood up and walked to the door, Nekozawa following suit. Relief and liberation? What does that mean I wonder? He closed the double doors and locked it with a bizarre black key, then turned to face Haruhi.
"I had a wonderful night; I can't really put it into words. I have to go though, I'm expected back home soon. I'm very sorry that I have to leave so abruptly, but I must. It'll be very interesting to see you tomorrow though," Nekozawa added with a cat-like purr. He bowed gracefully to her and walked away.
Haruhi left the ball quickly, taking a short cut to avoid hosts or anyone who would see her dressed as a girl. She practically ran home, eager to tell her father the events of the evening. It was still swirling around in her head and Haruhi was excited to get it all out. She opened the door to her apartment to find all the light out and her dad asleep on the couch. She didn't have the heart to wake him; he looked so peaceful, so Haruhi went into her room and got ready for bed. It had been a long, but amazing night, and Haruhi was asleep before the sheets had finished settling around her.
*BZZT BZZT BZZT*
Gah! What the heck was that? Haruhi pounded on her alarm, but still the noise continued. It took her a minute to realize that it was Saturday, and that it was her phone ringing, vibrating on her nightstand. Groggily, she grabbed and flipped it open without even checking who the caller was.
"Hello?" she yawned.
"I'm calling to report that due to a donation of a significant sum of money, you no longer own any money to the Host Club. You no longer have to work for us." There was a hint of sadness to the caller's calm and cool tone, but Haruhi was too tired to notice it, or even to notice who was calling.
"Okay," she said, hanging up. The message didn't really register in her head at all and she fell back asleep instantly.
Haruhi was dreaming. She could tell instantly as she looked around her. The scenery was moving. Different colored roses whooshed past her. Red, white, orange, light blue, purple, pink, dark blue. Haruhi was leaving the odd comfort of the bizarrely colored flowers. For some reason, chains sat on her wrists, but they broke and slipped down either side of her as she traveled farther away from the flowers. The wind whipped back her short hair, and Haruhi could barely make out it whispering something to her. "Relief and liberation," it said. Looking down, she saw her method of travel. A huge, cream-colored tabby cat padded beneath her; somehow she was riding on its back. It was taking her toward a huge black door, but Haruhi wasn't afraid of it. The darkness was welcoming to her. Just as she was reaching out to open the oversized handle to the immense door–
"Haruhi! It's 1:30! I know you're tired, but this is ridiculous! Get your lazy butt up!"
What was that? Who was screaming at her? Shaking off the cobwebs of her dream, Haruhi sat up in bed. The midday sun shone through her curtained window. She slipped on a pair of her ballet shoe slippers and opened her bedroom door. In front of Haruhi stood her dad, hands on his hips.
"I was going to have you tell me about your time at the dance before I went to work," he started, "but since it took you so long to wake up, I have to go now. Lazy child." He threw his arms up in an exasperated gesture. Walking over towards the door, he stopped once to grab his bag before he left. "Oh, and one of those Host Club idiots stopped over, wanting to get something from you. Your uniform I believe. I told him that you were asleep, but that you'd call him later. If you even remember to," he finished coldly, tossing his long hair over his shoulder like a teenage girl. Her father left the apartment, leaving Haruhi all alone and rather confused. What was with her dad? He never normally acted like that, but Haruhi disregarded it and went over what he said. Someone had stopped by. Why had someone from the Host Club stopped…? Haruhi froze. Her eyes grew wide in shock as she remembered the phone conversation she had had earlier that morning. It all seemed like a dream, but sure enough, it was real. Kyoya had called to tell her that SHE WASN'T A HOST ANYMORE!
Quickly throwing on some clothes, Haruhi practically sprinted to Ouran Academy. She needed to talk with the Host Club. Even on weekends, they met occasionally in Music Room 3 to discuss ideas for the week. Out of breath, she pushed open the door and was greeted by six guys with surprised looks on their faces.
"Haru-chan, what do you think you're doing here?" Hunny-senpai called out in a cold tone of voice.
"Yeah Haruhi why are you here?" Hikaru asked icily.
"We don't need you," added Kaoru, just as frostily.
"Haruhi, you are no longer a host, so you are no longer allowed here after Host Club hours," Kyoya said, only glancing up from his laptop before returning back to work.
What? The Host Club didn't want her anymore? These people were her friends! Or so Haruhi thought. Blinking back tears at her friends' cold anger and betrayal, Haruhi turned around from the six boys and walked out the door. It closed behind her with an unwelcome click. She broke down crying, leaning against the music room door. Stupid Nekozawa and his stupid crystal ball predictions! I don't want relief and liberation! I want to be with my friends! I love the Host Club! It doesn't matter if they're incredibly annoying sometimes, they're my friends and I love them!
A warm hand patted the top of her head. A friendly smile told her that he could predict what she was thinking. "I can take back my gift of freedom, if that is what you want…milady."
Haruhi looked up to see two pale blue eyes glowing with love and admiration for her. With a flick of the boy's hand, the world faded to black.
Haruhi felt numb, her limbs paralyzed her whole body immobile. "Gaze into my crystal ball, and I shall see into your future." The sound flooded Haruhi's ears and she blinked open her chocolate-brown eyes to see Nekozawa sitting across from her, a smile on his face, as he waved his hands over a crystal ball. Whoa. Déjà vu. What had Nekozawa done to her? Haruhi was beyond confused. "The spirits are telling me that you will indulge in both love and friendship in your everyday life." Nekozawa was giving her her crystal ball reading from the night before! But something was different. Relief and liberation were no longer his prediction. Love and friendship were instead.
Once again, the world went black around her, and Haruhi felt that odd, numb sensation. What was happening to her?
"Hmm, Haruhi, what are you doing here? You're not helping us by sitting outside silly, and now you're blocking the door. Hahaha"
Haruhi opened her eyes this time to be greeted by violet eyes filled with concern. Tamaki held out his hand for her and helped her stand up. She had been sitting outside of Music Room 3. Tamaki pushed open the door and walked inside. Haruhi followed hesitantly, feeling an awful feeling of dread. She couldn't take the Host Club's rejection.
"Haru-chan! I'm so glad you're here! How was the dance? I'm sorry I couldn't go, but Chika was sick, so I stayed with him." Hunny-senpai bounded up to her with a huge grin on his small face.
"Hey Haruhi, did you have a nice time?" asked Hikaru, flashing her a warm smile.
"We had a lot of fun," said Kaoru, mimicking his brother's smile.
"Haruhi, you're late you know. But considering the late night all of us had, I'll give you a small break. Only five hundred yen will be added to your debt. Oh, and someone is looking for you," Kyoya stated, gesturing towards a nearby door,
Haruhi walked over to it, confused, yet elated at the Host Club's odd change of heart. They didn't seem to remember every being mad at her. What had Nekozawa done to change the past and the future?
A dark, hooded figure stood next to the door, smiling broadly at her. "Is this what you wanted?" Nekozawa asked her. Giving him a million-watt smile, she hugged him. Somehow, Nekozawa had fixed what had happened to the Host Club. She maintained their friendship, and now it was her turn to indulge into love. Suddenly, she didn't care how he had done it, Nekozawa was excellent at black magic, and Haruhi realized that his eyes and smile had cast a spell on her. All that mattered now was being with him and her friends. She wrapped her arms around his neck and Nekozawa moved in to kiss her. Despite the surprised looks of the Host Club around them, Haruhi and Nekozawa kissed passionately, thankful for finding one another.