As our limo pulls up in a privet airfield outside Paris, I start to feel the beginnings of nerves. My stomach pinpricks wildly as I step out of the limo and clutching Usako to my chest.

Our large borrowed jet stands ready to go, bathed a glaring white from the airfield lights. The moon is high over the airfield, so I snuggle deeper into my thick jacket to avoid the bitter cold winds that attempt to knock me off my feet.

Papa's staff help carry our bags to the plane, and I feel a bit guilty as I watch them struggle with the sheer number of cases. At least my set has wheels.

Mama chooses that moment to come up behind me, and she squeezes my shoulder in what I assume is supposed to be a reassuring gesture. I guess to her it looks like I'm starting to have doubts about leaving. Classic.

"Don't be nervous," she whispers as she pulls my body back into her embrace.

I glance over my shoulder to see her smiling at me, her large hazel eyes sparkling as she tightens her hug. Her long corn silk locks cascade down around us, delicate and soft as the finest silk on earth, yet at the same time she seems to be using to try to create a shield around us.

"Go ahead and get settled," she says as she lets go of me and kisses the crown of my head. "Papa and I will be there in a moment."

I nod, and allow the nearest steward to escort me up the ramp.

The cold is gone almost the instant that I step inside the spacious cabin. Making my way between the two fancy recliner seats that hug the walls of the jet, I toss my small backpack on the recliner closest to me before plopping down on one of the plush couches built into the side of the wall.

I curl up on the end I'm closest to, staring absentmindedly at the coffee table in front of me that's set with three plates and a ton of silverware.

"Can I get you anything Miss?"

A stewardess is standing in the doorway that leads back to the kitchens. Though she is smiling politely at me, she looks a bit irritated. I guess she wasn't expecting to wait on a kid. I was about to refuse, but my stomach chose that moment to protest loudly. I blow my hair out of my eyes with an exasperated breath and change my mind.

"A hot chocolate and a few chocolate chip cookies please," I request.

"Right away miss," she says with a shallow bow before returning to the small kitchen in the back of the cabin.

Flopping down on my back, I attempt to find a relaxing position with less than half the number of pillows I'm used to. My stomach gives another rumble as I wriggle and squirm. I was so anxious to leave tonight I hardly touched my dinner at all.

My stomach protests again, this time even louder than before.

"Here you are Miss."

The stewardess returns, setting my food down on the coffee table behind me. I thank her, but don't take my attention off the current task of scrolling through the playlist I have compiled for the flight. So she gives me another forced smile as I plug my headphones into my cellphone and walks away just as Mama and Papa climb into the cabin.

"We'll be departing soon, ma petite fleur," Papa says as he and Mama move to take a seat in the two recliners near my couch.

"Alright," I reply as I kick off my furry boots and shed my first jacket.

Papa picks up my backpack from his seat and tosses it to me. I catch it with no problem and place it on the floor beside me. And with that my parents relax back in the chairs. The plastic faced stewardess returns to assist them while I rest my headphones around my neck for the first few minutes of the flight.

After she leaves the 'fasten your seatbelt' sign lights up. I strap myself into the couch and grab my cup, taking a small sip as my stomach jitters. I set it back down quickly and nibble on the edge of a cookie as I pull off my second jacket and snuggle into the plush wool blanket folded at the other end of the couch.

I clutch the cup tightly as the jets start up and we begin rolling, and take a few small sips just to be safe.

Takeoff is smooth, and before I know it we're soaring over France. My shoulders pull back on their own accord as I look out my small window to see the countryside shrink away, as if they've just been liberated of a crushing weight.

I'm finally free.

Eventually, I'm able to tear my eyes away from the view, and when I have, the 'you are now free to move about the cabin' sign flashes.

Mama and Papa are talking quietly, sipping champagne in their recliners and make it look like a glass of midnight champagne is a totally natural occurrence.

I just snuggle back into the couch, picking up my mug and another cookie and cuddle Usako close to my chest. A small warmth spreads through me, setting my nerves at ease. This time tomorrow, I can forget about my last few months here.

I can start all over again. Maybe in Japan, I can find people who won't completely suck.

And with that I put my headphones back in place and start up my playlist before drifting into a much needed and anticipated sleep.

XXX

Kumiko Haninozuka sat calmly under the gazebo in her garden.

The morning was crisp and the gentle spring air blew her long blond hair around her, as delicate as falling cherry blossoms.

Mitsukuni and Yasuchika had left for school an hour ago, and Yorihisa was teaching the early morning classes, leaving the lady of the house alone with her thoughts.

It was already a week into the new school semester, and time seemed to be passing her by so quickly.

Mitsukuni was already in his last year in high school now, and would most likely going to attend Ouran's University in the next year, or he'd go straight to carrying on the Haninozuka dojo.

And as for Yasuchika, he would be entering high school next year.

She sighed delicately.

They still seemed so young to her. She remembered when they were still in arms, completely dependent on her and the center of her world. She fidgeted with the hem of her kimono sleeve. This still didn't feel right to her. But then again, would it ever? Her little blossoms were in full bloom, and fast approaching the beginning of their adult lives, where she would no longer be the most important woman in their lives.

"Kumiko-sama?" a soft voice came from a few feet away.

Kumiko blinked rapidly, calling herself back to reality.

She knew who it was without turning. The voice belonged to her favorite maid, Akimi. The girl was in question was standing under the wrought iron entrance arch. It was covered in climbing roses, giving it a fairytale-like appearance that Kumiko was so fond of.

"Good morning, Akimi," she said with a soft but genuine smile. "Please come in."

The girl smiled back up at her and began walking towards the plush outdoor bed that lay in the shade of the gazebo. Akimi was young, no older than fifteen, but she was one of Kumiko's most trusted confidants. There was something about the girl's large violet eyes that just seemed so open and honest. That could be trusted with the closely held secrets of the lady of the house.

Akimi slipped off her shoes before walking up to the wooden platform the bed was mounted on and set the decorative tray in her hands down in front Kumiko. She straightened up again and slipped her hand into her small apron pocket.

"A letter from Yorishia-sama's friend has arrived," she said, handing over a decorative lavender envelope. "I was asked to pass it on to you."

Kumiko took it as Akimi and opened the envelope as the maid took her place kneeled behind Kumiko, and began brushing her hair. The rhythmic strokes of the brush lulled Kumiko into a calm as she slid a small piece of stationary from the envelope.

My dear friend,

It's good to hear from you after so long.

I've considered your offer, and I think it would be good for us.

Amaya has been acting rather strange lately, and I think it would be good for her to get out of France. I don't know about everything that's happened (she wouldn't answer any questions about it), but her grades have suffered greatly, and she never leaves the house outside school hours.

Her time in Japan had cured her once a few years ago, but she soon fell back into old habits. Maybe staying is the best chance to start over and clear her head.

We've decided to enroll her into Ouran, so she could retake her last year of high school with, hopefully better results.

So I've come to the conclusion that it might be wiser to wait before telling them our plans. Let them get to know each other before they feel pressured to like each other.

Sincerely,

Akihito

P.S. Since you expressed your wife's concern about the matter, I've enclosed a few pictures of Amaya so that she might rest a bit easier.

Attached to the back of the letter were three photos.

The first was of a young girl holding a stuffed rabbit.

Kumiko smiled. She looked around eight, with waist-length corn silk hair and large hazel eyes. She smiled sweetly, while playing with the bunny's ears and puffing out her cheeks, as if she didn't know someone was taking a picture of her.

The second photo was of the girl when she was a few years older, around twelve possibly. She was dressed in a snow white kimono with a royal purple butterfly pattern and eating a candy apple. Fireworks were on display in the background, reflecting of her pale hair, which was pulled out of her face and into an elegant yet casual bun held in place by a purple rose pin.

The last picture was of the girl rather recently. She was in her pajamas and curled up in the corner of an elegant bay window with her forehead against the glass. Kumiko's eyes widened a bit when she saw the drastic change of appearance the girl had gone through.

Her hair had been sheared into layers and the last few inches were now blue. Her nails were long, black, and slightly pointed. Kumiko choked back a wave of panic as she glanced at the four ear piercings that caught the light from the window. Are there any other surprises the picture didn't show? Navel piercings, tattoos? But the way her expression was almost completely vacant is what really sent warning bells off in Kumiko's head. Was this really her husband's idea of the best match for their son?

"At least she's pretty," Akimi whispered over Kumiko's shoulder. "Even if it's not by traditional standards."

"She is," Kumiko agreed. "But looks are only half if it Akimi. I don't think I'll be reassured until I've actually met her."

Akimi smiled and nodded, then continued the last of her brushing.

"I'm sure they will be lovely together," she said, as if she wasn't sure if she believed herself at all.

"I hope you're right," Kumiko answered as she turned to face Akimi. "But not a word of this to anyone Akimi."

"Not at all Kumiko-sama," Akimi replied as she stood, and smoothed out her skirts before dipping into a quick bow. "And should I tell the cooks you'll be dining out tonight?"

Kumiko nodded and Akimi left quietly, leaving Kumiko to look back at the pictures.

XXx Honey xXX

"See you tomorrow Takashi!" I yell after the retreating limo.

I continue waving until it disappears around the corner before entering through the grand gates of our family estate.

Today had proved my theory that with the addition of Haru-chan to the club, things are gonna get a lot more exciting. I mean all of Tama-chan's freaking out at the fact she was a girl in comparison to her own apathy had been the highlight of the day. I guess I can expect a really memorable last year in the high school.

I enter the main entryway and make my way over to the grand staircase. But as soon as I'm about to set a foot on the first stair Akimi comes out of the dining room with a slice of cake and a cup of tea neatly laid out on a tray.

"Welcome home Mitsukuni-sama," she says with a warm smile.

"Hi Kimi-chan!" I reply happily as I exchange my school bag for the cake and tea.

"Kumiko-sama would like to speak with you when you are finished here," she says as she tucks the tray under her arm.

"What's wrong?" I ask as I hand her the now empty plate.

"Nothing at all," Akimi reassures as she takes the dishes from me. "So hurry along now. She's waiting under the gazebo."

"Alright," I reply as she turns to head back to the kitchen. "See you later Kimi-chan."

I mull over what Kimi-chan told me as I wander towards the back of the estate. If given the choice Oka-san would keep as many people out of her garden as possible, so she must think that this is fairly important. Her garden is her pride and joy. She grew everything there by hand, and hates for anyone to go there without an invite, for fear that they might do something that would destroy her precious flowers.

But as I step up to the rose covered arch, I'm greeted by an unusual sight.

Chika-chan is already sitting among the colorful silk pillows of Oka-san's gazebo, picking at one of the pillow's gold tassels. But he's alone.

He looks up right then and immediately jumps up, taking a fighting stance. I hold back a huff of slight annoyance. Chika's always so quick to jump to the family rule. Reluctantly, I slip into a loose fighting stance of my own.

He's about to attack as a hand slips onto his shoulder. Oka-san has materialized from nowhere and stands behind him, a stern look on her face.

"Not this time Yasuchika," she orders.

He glares at me one more time before dropping the stance and falls back down onto a pile of cushions.

"Mitsukuni, come take a seat," she commands as motions for me to sit next to her, and across from Chika-chan.

"Why are we here?" Chika asks before I'm even seated.

Oka-san just smiles, her face is calm and serene again, though her large brown eyes are betraying some signs of discomfort.

"We are going to be having a friend of Oto-san's staying with us for a while. His wife and daughter will be here too." She glances over to me. "Amaya will be attending Ouran with you Mitsukuni. She's in your year, so do your best to make her feel welcome alright?"

"Sure!" I reply, smiling as usual. "I'd be happy to show Aya-chan around."

"Good," she says with an approving nod and a tight smile. "Amaya comes from a martial arts family like us, she may be a great sparring partner for the two of you."

Chika looks up, annoyance written across his face.

"You called us here just to tell us this?" he asks, his voice thick with irritation. "Why couldn't this wait until dinner?"

Oka-san sends him a stern look.

"They're due to arrive sometime today. We'll be having a late dinner with them."

Chika looked stunned for a moment.

"Then why didn't you tell us sooner?" he growled.

"Please just go get ready," Oka-san says as she exhales heavily. "And take care of any schoolwork you may have. It might be a late night."

She rises, and Chika and I take that as a sign that we are also dismissed. We bow our heads before turning to leave. We've hardly taken a step when she speaks again

"I want no fighting between you two. As of now, the family rule does not apply. You can pick it up again tomorrow."

And with that she turns to walk her small garden path towards her small koi pond, leaving me alone with Chika. He just refuses to look at me, and we walk in a stony silence back to the house.

The front door opens just as we're stepping off the stairs and onto the second landing. I'm almost halfway down the hall before I notice Chika isn't behind me. In fact, he's crouched down at the top of the stairs, spying on the level below.

I walk back over quietly, kneeling down a short distance away.

"What are you doing Chika-chan?" I ask.

"Quiet!" he snaps as he shoots a glare at me. "Do you want them to hear us?"

He returns his attention to the first floor.

"Looks like they're early."

I have to admit I'm curious too, so we sit in silence until Kimi-chan leads the guests into the sitting room. Her voice soon floats up the staircase.

"Please take a seat, Kumiko-sama will be here momentarily."

She walks off briskly to go fetch Oka-san, leaving our guests to roam the sitting room. There is some rapid fire noises in another language and the chair in my field of vision is filled.

The girl has pale blond hair that was piled atop her head in a large messy bun. It fades into a bright blue, creating a pretty swirled effect. Some strands are loose around her face and frame a pair of large hazel eyes that look fatigued. She was dressed in tight black jeans, an oversized charcoal gray sweater, and chunky black ankle boots. And from where I'm crouching, I can see four distinct piercings on her ears.

All in all, at first glance she looks like she's really tense and needs some sleep.

I watch as she curls up in her chair, and begins fidgeting like she's trying to fight the urge to pull her feet up on it. She takes off a small back pack and places it on her lap, opening the zipper and pulling the front flap down. And to my delight, a small white stuffed bunny pops out. She pinches one of its ears between her thumb and index finger and rubs it in small circles. Her shoulders slowly lose their tension.

"She doesn't look like much," Chika mutters. "It looks like she'd fall over if you just blew on her."

XXx Aya xXX

I let the feeling of Usako's soft Minky fur calm my nerves as we wait for our host family to show up.

And when she does…She kinda scares me.

I never thought I'd meet someone prettier than Mama. But this woman is something else. She's almost ridiculously pretty with her long thick honey-blond that hair cascades down her back. She's real petite, like Mama, but she's also got this feeling of power that surrounds her, completely making you overlook her size. She's got a young face, with large mahogany brown eyes that are soft but stern at the same time. She's wearing a pale green kimono that suits her pallor quite well, and further serves to dwarf her.

If her face wasn't so child-like, I think I'd find her even more intimidating.

"And what a lovely daughter you have."

My head snaps up to see her smiling at me, and I feel my cheeks heat up. Her smile widens and her eyes seem to soften ever so slightly.

"Thank you ma'am," I say quietly, trying to get used to the foreign feeling of blushing.

"I've heard wonderful things about you Amaya," she says as she extends her hand towards me. "I'm Kumiko Haninozuka."

"It's a pleasure Madame Haninozuka," I say as I take it hesitantly.

"Just Kumiko is fine," she says with a pleasant smile.

I nod, and she returns her gaze to my parents.

"Well why don't you go take the chance to relax and freshen up before we head out?"

"That would be wonderful," Mama says as she smooths out her skirt.

"Akimi will show you to your room Amaya," Kumiko says as she gestures towards the doorway.

A girl a little younger than me steps into the room and bows politely.

"This way Amaya-sama," she says cheerily.

I try to smile back at her, but I know I've failed as soon as my cheek starts twitching. I quickly zip up my bag and flinging it over my shoulder, desperate to escape the awkward situation. I ball up the excess material if my sleeves as I leave my family behind, still a little shaky inside.

The maid, Akimi, leads me up the staircase and down a few hallways. We pass in a somewhat awkward silence. Eventually she stops in front of a door and ushers me in.

"Your stuff is on the bed, and I'll come and pick you up in about an hour and a half for dinner," she says from the doorway. "Just call if you need anything."

And with that I'm alone.

I take a brief look around my new home.

The room is just as big as my suite back home. A large bed with a gold trim around the headboard is pushed against the wall. It's got a rich eggplant bedspread and tons of tan, pink, and purple pillows. There is a canopy above it and a plush seat at the foot of the bed. There are twin windows a little off to the side, which are framed by gold and magenta curtains. A large mirror is just adjacent to the bed and rests above a small dresser. The floor is covered in a plush tan carpet the color of sand. All the furniture is the same light tan as my bed, and my walls are painted as warm crème color.

It's really quite nice.

As promised, my suitcases are at the foot of my bed.

Well if I got over and hour, may as well take a quick shower. Setting my backpack down next to the cases, I grab the smallest of the five bags and lug it over to the door that leads to my bathroom.

It's nice a nice large oval shaped room centered around a large tub. Directly across from it is a curved counter top made of dark polished wood. It sits between a large cabinet and another door.

I walk over to the tub, plugging the drain and turning on the hot water.

It's a large tub, so while I wait I go back and grab my portable speakers and plug in my phone.

I put it on shuffle and proceed to pick out a suitable outfit for dinner. Considering what I showed up in, Mama will want me to look nice for tonight.

Digging through the biggest of my cases, I pull out sleeveless red and black checkered baby-doll dress accented with black lace. I toss it on the bed as I go through the second smallest bag and pull out black stockings, and a pair of slightly dressy red and black Iron Fist heels. Ok well, they have bows on them…so they're fancy in my book.

Grabbing everything, I head back into the bathroom, laying my cloths out on the counter a little ways off from my other stuff.

Forty minutes later, I'm out, dressed, and straightening my hair.

Once it finally decides to lie flat, I move onto my make-up. Since I'm more conscious of my face than I have been in a while, I do everything in my power to disguise the puffy dark circles under my eyes. So my eyes get to be dark tonight. One swipe of red lip tint later, I'm sitting on my new bed slipping into my heels and adjusting my first pair of earrings to match my dress.

I'm just finishing up when I get a knock on the door.

"Come in," I call, as I push myself to my feet.

Akimi enters quickly, looking a bit exasperated.

"I'm here to escort you back Amaya-sama," she says.

"Thanks," I say, while grabbing my small black purse. "Are you alright? You look a little…uh…"

"Oh it's nothing really," she says with a smile and waves it off. "I'm perfectly fine."

I nod and allow her to lead me out of my new room. This time trying to be more talkative, seemingly encouraged by my express of concern.

"Mitsukuni-sama is very excited to meet you," she says nonchalantly. "You'll be in the same year as him so if you have any questions he'll be more than pleased to help."

"Thanks," I reply quietly.

My throat feels thick, and my stomach clenches. I'm glad to get out of France, but the thought of my new school hasn't hit me till now. And now that I think about it, I'm scared shitless. My palms start sweating and I rub them discreetly on my skirts.

"They are waiting downstairs," she says as she stops at the top of the staircase. "I wish you a happy evening, and good luck on your first day in case I don't see you tomorrow morning."

"Thanks," I reply without a glance up at her and start to descend the staircase.

XXx Honey xXX

"What's taking so long?" Chika mumbles to himself he throws himself back into a plush chair in the sitting room.

Oka-san and Oto-san are talking with the girl's parents at the other end of the sitting room, promptly ignoring us.

"Just relax Chika-chan," I reply. "You're going to worry a hole in the carpet with all that pacing. Oka-san won't like that. We haven't even been sitting here that long."

He gives me a hard stare before hopping up to his feet again.

"I have more important things to do than wait around for some spoiled brat," he spits.

"You don't even know if she's spoiled yet," I remind him. "For all you know she could be the complete opposite."

"She's a rich girl Mitsukuni," he mutters. "What else is she supposed to be like?"

My patience with Chika is wearing thin, so I just go back to playing with Usa-chan.

"Ah! There you are ma petite fleur!"

My head shoots up.

There she is, still descending the last few steps of the staircase. But she looks so different than she did when I first saw her.

She's no longer dwarfed by baggy clothes, but looks sort of like one of those dolls Tama-chan was talking about trying to dress Haru-chan as. Well minus the blue hair. She glances over at us and bows her head in silent greeting before her father ushers her towards the door. Now that I see her up close, something looks really wrong about her.

What I initially assumed was tiredness in her eyes is more of a vacancy.

XXx Author's Notes xXX

Hey there guys! So, so far I'm keeping good to my promise on that one re-vamp a night thing, so let's see how long I can keep this up!

Yeah! Me FIGHTING!...at least until my teacher gets back from jury duty and gives me more work…

*SOBS*

Lotsa love, Krystal