The empty halls of Kamome were eerie, as the school day came to a close. All the kids had headed home for the day from activities & clubs, their arms cradling endless amounts of homework.

The windows that stretched down the hallways leaked of a red & orange lighting, from the beautiful setting sun. Everything was calm, still, & silent.

Just how I liked it.

Wearing a short knee-high sakura kimono, I walked slowly down the corridors of the empty school. The slight clicking of my black flats echoing throughout the halls. My eyes flicking to look & inspect each & every inch of mine & the other apparitions home.

My kimono was pink with white sakura flowers scattered among it. Around my waist tied a white bow in the back, & the bottom of my kimono fluffed out with a white petticoat underneath. The sleeves of my traditional dress were long, but not too long to bother or disrupt me. It covered my fore arms, which were wrapped with red ribbons. It kept them safe, & out of site - perfect.

I, the eighth wonder of the school, was making my rounds of said school.

I'm Rouge Rumor, the eighth of the eight wonders/apparitions. I live amongst the other wonders in the school, helping the students when needed & keep things in line.

As I walked up & down the halls, my black hair swishing back in forth, sitting in two nice high pigtails. They're beautifully tied into bows, with pink silk ribbons. I feel I looked elegant & strong as I strutted to the next level of the school.

My light blue eyes peered into the classrooms, the empty desks lined in rows & the chalkboards throughly cleaned from the detention kids from earlier.

I let a little huff, disappointed in my rounds. Everything was perfectly calm & nice - the complete opposite of what I want. Where was the drama? Where was the rumors I needed to start & spread?

My annoyment continued to grow as I made my way down the many stairs & hallways to head to the garden. It's not like my rumor was dying or anything...I just craved to start things. To get excitement starting within the boring walls of this school. Since most of these apparitions never stirred up anything exciting.

"But it's the rules & blah blah blah." I started to mimic the words uttered at all the counsel meetings, "Whatever. I want some spicy drama to fix, pfft."

Treading down the stairs, I continued my thoughts aloud, "Hearing those two underclassmen speak of me quite throughly, I really thought I'd have some more visitors...stupid me."

Distraught, I led myself down another hall...until it happened.

My sixth sense kicked in. Within in my head, a little chime went off.

I stopped dead in my tracks, a smile reaching my face, "Oh? Someone is here?"

Slowly getting down on my knees, I brought my hands together in front of myself, praying. Closing my eyes, listening closely to my sixth sense. Embracing myself into it.

In my mind, slowly, an image came to mind. A small school girl was approaching the large sakura tree wary. She was in the school gardens, not knowing that I could see her. The girl looked side to side, fear & worry etched into her face.

I've never seen this short haired brunette, she seemed to be an underclassman though by her size & her baby-ish face.

Thinking to myself gratefully, I smirked mentally, "I guess they did give me some revenue."

The brunette breathed in & out, her breathes shaky. Getting on her knees, her uniform covering some of the beautiful green grass. She clasped her hands together, beginning to pray in front of the strong sakura tree.

'My name is Akari Amru, & I came here to ask for um...something from the Rouge Rumor. I...I need some help with this girl...this girl who's been preying on me since middle school. I hope maybe, you could help...so uh...yeah...thank you? Amen.'

Akari cringed at her awkward prayer - as did I - as she got up & brushed off her dress. I mean, amen? I'm a apparition, not a Goddess.

She stood there for a little bit, staring at the strong tree, seeming hesitant & nervous. But, soon she stood on her tip-toes & plucked a single petal off the tree.

The image disappeared from my mind, as I stood up, smoothing my kimono down.

"Hmm...a little enemy problem, eh?" I sighed, "Nothing out of the ordinary."

Lifting my left arm in front of me, palm facing out & crossing my chest, in a quick movement of moving it in front of me to bring it back to the left side of me - I turned into a small white fox.

I shook my three little tails, fluffing out my white fur. I stretched my back out, before bounding off to meet up with the girl who needed my dangerously good help. I leaped & skittered down the halls, & ran down many flights of stairs, slowing down my pace as I set foot on the first floor of the school.

Clicking of shoes could be heard just a little ways away. Everything was quickly coming together.

I sit myself at the bottom of the steps, waiting for her to notice me. It was going to be a quick rumor to conjure up to make her enemy nicer, & I can go back to my moping around the school.

These are the days I kinda wish I had friends, instead of just worrying about my job all the time. Sheesh.

Akari rounded the corner, her arms close to her chest as she walked down the sunset lit halls. A mischievous glimmer sparked in my blue & yellow mismatched fox eyes as I watched my prey near.

I knew the moment she met eyes with me - her pace seemed to slow even more, & her eyes were wider than ever.

Her face seemed pale, & her emerald eyes were ridiculed with shock & fear. She seemed as if she could scream, her body shaking a little. Akari gulped as I stood up, jumping up to stand on the railing bar of the stairs to meet the young-girls' height.

"Hello, Akari." I greeted, "You summoned me?"

Akari stood there, still taken aback in shock. She shuffled a little, looking at the little fox that I was. She opened her mouth a few times, but no words seemed to come out.

I chuckled, "First time talking to a spirit?"

She nodded, "I-I'm going to be h-honest...I didn't t-think this would w-work."

I snorted, "Of course it was going to work. Us wonders are no fairy tale, don't forget that."

Akairi seemed a little spooked as I continued to speak, "So anyways, this girl seems to be bothering you..."

Akari's eyes somehow got wider, but this time in shock, "How do you..."

"Know? Because I can hear your prayer." I answered annoyed she disrupted me, "Now please, hurry & tell me before I get bored. I don't have all day for the same old same old. I hear all the time of 'she's picking on me so I want her to be nicer' or whatever. Make it snappy."

"O-oh right!" Akari stuttered, grabbing her dress as she spoke, "W-well it's not exactly that..."

My ears perked up a little bit, "Oh?"

"...I've had this issue with this girl since middle school...ever since I moved here from Hakata, she's made my life a living hell. She loves to make fun of me, & hurt me with her words...but they don't bother me much. It didn't start bothering me until she started gossiping about me to my crush I've been crushing on for years now. She said all these cruel things & untrue things, to the point he won't talk to me. Let alone look at me. He thinks I'm this sort of...liar. A stalker. All because of her lying gossip."

I stood there staring at Akari, who's eyes were now stapled to the floor. My blood boiled & my head started to spin, starting to make me unable to think straight.

I tried to stay calm, & not yell at the innocent girl, "& what do you wish this rumor to entail about this girl?"

"I-I don't know honestly." Akari said softly, "All I know is I want this to stop...do you think you can help?"

I smiled, my tail flicking back & forth in a slow movement, "I would be happy to help. & I know exactly what the rumor will be. So, leave it to me, Akari."

Akari gulped nodding, "T-thank you, eighth wonder."

A snicker arose from my throat, mischief & destruction swarming in my mind, "Now, to seal this deal...do you have the petal?"

She jumped a little, patting her uniform. She dug into her left pocket, & pulled out the light pink sakura petal. She outreached her arm, as I took the petal into my mouth. I bowed at Akari, letting her know to leave & thanking her for her buissness.

Akari bowed back, "Thank you, so much...you don't know how much this means to me."

She ran down the hall, bounding home to get ready for the new day that would come very soon. I wonder how she felt knowing all her pain & issues were because of this one girl, & soon it'd be solved...that thought filled an ache in my heart, but I quickly pushed the feeling away.

Who needs gross feelings anyways? Good or bad...

Transforming back to my ghost-human form, I slowly tread back to the garden, heading to my sakura tree. I held the petal in my hands, cradling as if it was glass & could break any minute. Getting on my knees, I clasped the petal in my praying hands.

Softly, I whispered the rumor I wanted to create, putting power into the petal. As I opened my hands, all that was left was an a light pink powder type substance left over from the sakura petal. I stood up, opening my hands as the magical powder of the sakura petal blew into the breeze, & scattered.

The wind carried it throughout the garden, throughout the school yard, & throughout the school itself.

A wicked smile reached my face as I started to chuckle darkly. It was handled, & the job was finished. Akari's pain would finally end tomorrow.

The rumor would be set in place tomorrow.