I apologize for how long this took, hopefully we'll be able to update sooner. -Silver Quil

Edlyn still hadn't come back.

Time passed by swiftly with nothing but the sound of their breathing. Tamaki started shifting uncomfortably, fingers tapping worriedly on his knee and eyes pointed out the window.

He looked down.

Violet eyes widened in surprise at the figure below in the pond; he leapt to his feet and shot out the door.

"Edlyn dearest! Don't worry, cousin's coming to save you!"

The hosts left behind stared down the hall where a whirlwind of dust was the only thing to be seen (as well as some brightly shining tears, but that was beside the point). Haruhi walked over to the wide glass window, fawn eyes widening as well. The other hosts rushed forward, hands pressed against the translucent glass.

Tamaki was attempting to lift the sopping wet figure from the school pond below the window; it seemed like an immensely difficult task, considering how whenever the strong teen tried to lift the girl, he nearly fell over in the pond and- was that a glint of silver?

Eventually managing to stumble out of the pond and up the steps of Ouran Academy, Tamaki raced (or rather, tried to) to Music Room Three. His hair was ruffled, strands sticking up everywhere; his rolled-up pant legs dripped with water, a mash of grass and plants on them. A little bit of red stained his blue -almost purple- jacket.

His eyes were narrowed in concentration, and if you looked closely you could see the rising panic in those mauve eyes.

"She's hurt."

Kyoya caught a glimpse of Ed's face. Her wet hair clung to her head, a strand or two dyed red from the deep red substance that leaked from the side of her mouth. His dark eyes widened.

Tamaki twisted his head from side to side, he looked at each host directly in the eyes. All of them felt a chill run down their spine, Tamaki wasn't being his usual adorkable, over-the-top self. His lips curled into a thin line.

"We have to take her back home."

…

Within thirty minutes, the host club had called in a medical excuse, gotten a car, and were arriving at the Suoh family mansion. Tamaki quickly heaved Ed past the doorway and into the immense mansion, setting her down on the nearest place available (which just so happened to be the sofa). Her breathing seemed ragged, as if there was a broken filter in her throat.

She was quiet and still while Tamaki called for his maids, and they hurriedly applied cold cloths to her burning forehead. Kyoya stood off to the side with the rest of the host club, a small expression of concern coming over his normally indifferent face.

Edlyn's eyes flickered under her closed eyelids, her non-metal arm twitched along with her flesh foot. Her golden orbs snapped open, flickering in a surprised manner to each maid near her. She bolted to her feet, then swayed, plopping back down on the couch. Her eyes had a hazy quality to them, none of their intelligent sharpness showing through.

Tamaki rushed to her side, the maids scrambled away and out of the room giggling behind their hands.

"Edlyn! Are you alright?! You were collapsed in the pond and-!"

She chuckled dryly, waving her hand unconcernedly "Nah, m'fine Tamaki. Y' shouldn't be worryin' so muc-?" A cough racked her small frame, her hand covered her mouth.

"Edlyn, lower your hand. This could be serious."

"Nah, it's nothin'."

"Edlyn please-"

Sighing, Kyoya walked over with the rest of the host club. He placed a firm grip on Ed's slim wrist and gently tugged it down. A crimson splotch covered her palm, creating a stark contrast against the perfect snow-coloured glove.

"Miss Elric," Kyoya turned to her, "this isn't nothing."

A little bit of the haze that covered her eyes seemed to go away. She looked away guiltily.

"How long has this been happening?"

Ed turned away.

"Couple months, maybe longer."

At this point, all of the host club was gathered around Edlyn. Hikaru, Kaoru and Haruhi frowned, Hunny looked over with a concerned stance, and Mori threaded his eyebrows together.

"A couple months!? I don't really know that much about diseases Miss Edlyn, but this is serious! You're coughing up blood, and lots of it too!"

Ed merely waved her hand over Hunny's concern, "S' not like it's stopped me before."

"..." Hunny looked down. "This has happened before Miss Edlyn? Before the couple months even?"

"Yeah, but it's not really a big deal. I mean it's just a lil' blood-?"

Tamaki grasped her hand in a firm grip, pointing to the scarlet splotch on her gloved right hand. His bubbly exterior was gone. "Ed, this is serious. What have you been doing for this sort of thing to happen-?" He went silent as he pulled the glove off. A metal, not flesh, hand was all that lay beneath.

"What is this?"

"A mistake." He stared at her.

Edlyn glared wearily at him and the rest of the silent host club, huffing to herself as she snatched back her steel hand from Tamaki's grasp. She looked sharply at Kyoya, seeming to be the most wary of him, his grey eyes stared back at her. Finally, with a nod to herself, she tore her intense gaze away from Kyoya and looked straight at the rest of the host club. Her eyes flickered uneasily, but in a resigned way, as if this was something that had happened many times.

"I can explain."

"Then please do." Kyoya, stared at her expectantly. She sighed tiredly.

"Sit down, all of you. This is gonna' take a while." They sat.

Edlyn rested her forehead against the metal palm of her hand, her yellow bangs shielding her eyes from view with her mouth set in a thin line. She sighed again, tapping her foot against the floor nervously.

"I lost my arm and leg-"

"And leg-?"

"Quiet." Edlyn glared at the twins, "I lost my limbs in an accident in the country I was in. Back home here was a war going on and...things got nasty when the soldiers fought in my town," she swallowed dryly, the lie sounding strange in her ears, "I had these replacements built so I could do things. Supporting my brother and I would be hard if I couldn't walk or pick up things, right?"

"You have a brother? But wait- where were your parents?" Hikaru echoed Kaoru's question.

Edlyn looked as if she was about to choke, "Mom's dead and the bastard walked out on us when we were little."

"Oh." there was a collective sigh heard throughout the group.

Hunny looked up at her sadly, "What's your brother's name?"

Edlyn smiled a bitter, but happy smile. "Alphonse."

She continued talking, "Anyway, I supported Alphonse and I for a couple years. I moved in with Tamaki and his family to get a better vacation to support us better." she didn't seem to be slurring words anymore.

Tamaki put his hand up to his face, resting it on the side of his forehead. He looked straight at Edlyn. "And how about you coughing up blood, what's that from?"

Her lips seemed to part ever so slightly as she looked up to meet Tamaki's eyes. Her eyebrows furrowed. "Mom was killed by an unknown disease, apparently it runs in the family. And-" she laughed despairingly, her eyes hollow "-it seems to have caught up with me."

Dead silence rung in the room: Tamaki looked ashen, Mori and Hunny looked at her with wide eyes, the twins stared in disbelief while Haruhi just sat and looked at her. Tamaki clenched his teeth and came to sit right over where she was. His violet eyes searched her face, looking for some hint of a cruel joke, something to tell him that she might be playing with him. He found nothing.

"So," he turned a shade paler, "what you mean to tell me is that, you could be dying?"

"I've been coughing up blood for the last half year Tamaki, it's not a could, I am dying."

Kyoya felt scared all of a sudden, like he was sinking in quicksand. It was like a cold hand had grabbed his heart and let it fall to the pit of his stomach. He was actually fearful for the death of this girl whom he had only met a couple days ago, but then again, who wouldn't be? Besides, this girl was someone important to his best friend. He could only wonder how much it would hurt him if Tamaki had to see her go. That was when he decided.

"Edlyn." she turned to him, hearing her name called.

"My family has many specially trained doctors at hand."

"So?"

"I'm offering medical treatment to you."

She looked sarcastic, "Oh thank you, but I don't need your pity."

He frowned at her, "It's not pity, it's merely helping a friend of a friend. Besides-" he pushed his glasses up with his hand, "-there'll be benefits for both sides. You'll get medical treatment, and my family will get to study those metal limbs of yours."

"And what if I don't want my limbs to be used for research?" her mouth contorted into a very nasty snarl.

"You want to have medical treatment correct? Am I also correct in the fact that you don't want anyone to know about your limbs?"

"Was that a threat?"

"Perhaps."

She glared intensely at him, while Kyoya only gave an indifferent look back. She faltered and laughed awkwardly, seeing that he was serious.

"Alright," she looked away nervously, her palms sweating, "I'll take you up your offer."

And for once, Kyoya smiled.

Chapter by: Silver Quil

Next Chapter by: CheetahLover101