11:47

"Will you play with me?"

Kaoru blinked. "Sure," he answered after a moment. What else did he have to do? The tiny hand grasped his own and began pulling him forward – with difficulty, of course; she couldn't have been more than five or six years old.

"Where are we going?" he asked, focused on engraining that adorable dress she was wearing into his mind so he could offer the design to his mother later.

She giggled – the epitome of childhood innocence. "For a ride." The other small hand pointed to a carriage not far off. Laced in gold and ivory, it stood atop a river of shimmers and sparkles, white and blue and purple and pink. Majestic horses waited for a command with reigns fastened to their muzzles. Upon closer inspection, Kaoru realized the reigns were made of ribbon – the kind one received wrapped around presents during the holidays.

"Are you coming, mister?"

Kaoru realized that the girl has already climbed into the seat of the carriage and was now beckoning for him to do the same. He allowed his lips to upturn slightly at the sides as he followed. She handed him the ribbon-reigns.

"Drive," she commanded, but in that cute way.

"But I don't know how." Hikaru had always led him to where they needed to go.

"Yes, you do. Everybody does. Try it." With that charming smile of hers and the excited feeling bubbling up in the pit of his stomach, he knew he had to try. But he was scared; scared of the power it gave him, scared of not knowing what lay ahead. Yet somehow that juvenile, charming smile of hers told him it was going to be all right – that everything would work out in the end.

He took a deep breath and snapped the reigns. The horses neighed in a fervent fever, stomping their hooves on the ground in matched rhythm before taking off. The road was tortuous and blinding in parts, but all the while shinning with an impressive glow from the colorful pavement. Kaoru breathed in the air; sometimes light and refreshing, other times choking and dusty. The girl laughed, a sound that he could not help but find uplifting.

Gradually, his smile grew. There was something about this that he could not help but love, something that was purely amazing. Perhaps the feeling of strength and independence, for it was he and he alone who was controlling the path.

Then, the painful words struck.

"It's almost midnight," she spoke up, quietly now with a soft breath of wind in her voice that whispered regret. Kaoru stopped. Grasping the reigns even harder – he could not let this go – he looked at his watch: 11:47.

"What happens at midnight?" he asked, though he feared the answer.

"Bedtime." Kaoru wondered at this simple explanation unlike that which he had been expecting. Still, either way, it would bring a halt to this joy ride. "I have to go sleep."

"Oh." The horses were already coming to a stop. A cold breeze blew down the dimly-lit path. Kaoru bit his lip, wondering why this child had to leave such a wonderful place in order to visit the land of nightmares that only brought sorrow. What was the problem in having her stay here, with him?

"Will your parents get mad if you don't get to bed on time?" he questioned further. She cocked her head to the side at the unexpected question.

"No, I don't think so…" she replied slowly, as if she was unsure of the accuracy of her answer.

"Then why do you go to bed at midnight?"

A shrug. "I've always gone to sleep at midnight."

Almost deviously, Kaoru led a smile creep onto his lips. He wanted to spend more time with this adorable child, riding down the sparkling pathway and letting the breeze blow through his hair like in the Calvin Klein commercials. And since the girl's parents wouldn't have a problem with it, and he himself had nowhere to go, why not?

Besides, in the worst-case scenario he still had 13 minutes left – he would make the best of these 13 minutes.

A snap of the reins and a few giggles later, they were once again riding off into the perpetual sunset.

…

"Kaoru, wake up… You're going to make us late, sleepyhead," a very familiar voice spoke. Blinking rapidly, Kaoru let his eyes adjust to the light as they opened to reveal Hikaru's face peering down at him. The older twin's mouth was twisted in both concern and annoyance. "Are you okay?"

Kaoru's eyes drifted back and forth from Hikaru to Haruhi, as she stood by his side. Gradually, his lips turned upwards into a small smile. "I'm just fine, Hikaru," he replied, fully trusting his own words.