Note from the Author: So this doesn't completely follow the original story...in fact, it hardly does, but the picture is exactly the same, and I thought the original just wouldn't suit Haruhi that well if I tried to copy it exactly, so here's the newest version of Sleeping Beauty! Please don't hate me, haha.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club or any of the characters, no matter how much I may want to.
Haruhi's burning red eyes watched the digital numbers on the clock switch from 11:59 to midnight. She couldn't keep staying up. And she couldn't keep using the combined thirty minutes of napping taken during the day as an excuse to stay up later, getting some extra studying in. Haruhi was exhausted, but she was somewhat dreading the thought of sleeping at that moment- and this wouldn't be for a lowly ten or twenty minutes. This would be for hours. A whole night's worth of sleep. Would that change her dream? The length, the story…the end? Haruhi sighed. Only one way to find out, she thought miserably, crawling out of her desk, heading straight for her bed. She had been ready for this moment since ten o'clock.
Haruhi didn't bother going to the trouble of actually getting under the covers. She just laid on top of her nicely made bed and closed her eyes, feeling them cool down instantly. They had been screaming at her for hours, it felt only right to give them a break. Haruhi took in a deep breath and let herself be swept away for the third time that day. I hope this doesn't happen tomorrow…Haruhi prayed, wondering if she had said that aloud or not. But she never reached a conclusion.
As Haruhi's old thoughts disappeared, they were immediately replaced with new ones, along with an entire new setting. She was in a forest again. Less cheery, and far less animated than her most recent dream, but still a forest. Apart from her other dreams that day, Haruhi was already walking down a small, hardly noticeable pathway between the trees. She wasn't sure what she was doing there, and this time her clothes gave her no hint. They were just…plain and simple. A blue dress that looked like it belonged in a more medieval time. But lots of fairytales took place around there, Haruhi didn't know where she was or who she was supposed to be at all.
She stopped short when she a figure not far off, pleasantly leaning against a tree, as though waiting for something. Haruhi felt a little nervous approaching, but what other way was there to figure out where she was?
"Um, excuse me…" Haruhi began, walking closer to the figure. It was a boy. Haruhi thought she recognized him, but…she couldn't tell that either. What was going on? Why was she so confused in her own dream?
"Yes, can I help you?" the boy said, standing up straight as he turned to meet her.
"Yeah, if you don't mind, could you tell me what story this is supposed to be?" Haruhi blatantly asked, "I can't tell just by looking, and I'd really like to know before I try anything." The boy just looked at her for a moment before holding back a laugh and trying to cover up his smile.
"Don't worry, you're just a little exhausted. It's been a long day for you," he explained sweetly, "Everything will start to make sense soon." Haruhi didn't know what to say to that. She guessed he was right. Why wouldn't he be? Everything in her dream came from her own mind, and who to know better if she was tired than Haruhi herself? But waiting it out wasn't quite going to do it…
"Um, then, do you think you could tell me how I can get home?" Haruhi asked again. If knowing the plot was going to be delayed, Haruhi thought she might as well wait through it in the comfort of her own home. The boy held back a laugh again. He pointed down the road, in the direction Haruhi had been going.
"Just keep walking, you'll reach it," he told her with a bright smile, reaching out and grabbing her hand as he sunk into a low bow, "But I'm afraid if you can't remember what you're doing, then there's really no need for me to be standing here." Haruhi felt herself blush as he lightly kissed her hand and stood back up.
"I suppose I'll just have to wait until I'm needed next," the boy finished, turning around to face the way Haruhi had come. He began to walk away. Haruhi wanted to stop him, but she wasn't sure how, or if she should, or even why she would want to do such a thing. She just stood there, watching him.
"Well, home comes next, I guess," Haruhi shrugged softly to herself, abandoning the sight of the stranger she had met and proceeded to walk in the direction she had been told to.
Walking along the trees felt almost relaxing. It definitely did wonders for Haruhi's mind. Step by step down the path, Haruhi felt her head get clearer and lighter. By the time she reached the clearing she recognized as home, Haruhi had figured out what story she had been placed in.
"Haru-chan!" cried a teeny red-dressed Hunny from the door of a small, overly-cozy looking cottage, "You're back!" He leaped onto Haruhi's shoulders, spinning her around.
"Yeah, I am," Haruhi said slowly, trying to get her eyes back in focus, "Are you another animal friend, Hunny-sempai?" Hunny leaped off Haruhi's shoulders, relieving her of the pressure- as little as there was.
"Nope! This time I'm a fairy!" Hunny cheered, gracefully spinning around on his heels. Haruhi didn't know why he found calling himself a "fairy" to be a good thing. That was just an embarrassment more than anything else.
"Right…" Haruhi agreed, not sure what else to make of it.
"Hika-chan and Kao-chan are inside, too!" Hunny told the not-as-energetic Haruhi, grabbing her hand and dragging her through the door. The house was a great deal cooler than the air outside. It felt nice and roomy, but Haruhi didn't have to time to appreciate it. Her arms were instantly linked away from her body.
"There you are," the twins whined together, skipping off with Haruhi, further into the house, "We've been waiting all day for you." How could they have been waiting all day…? Haruhi wondered, though she was beginning to accept the oddities that occurred in her most recent dreams.
Her feet scraped against the polished wooden floor as she was carried up the stairs and through a simple wooden door that matched the floorboards. Haruhi was tossed to the floor while the happy, bouncy Hunny popped into the room behind her.
"Hey guys, if you're-" Haruhi tried to complain, but was interrupted when the twins pushed a mannequin of about her size in her direction.
"We figured if you were going to fall asleep and make out with some stranger, you might as well look nice for the occasion," Kaoru said, holding one hand out, almost like he was advertising the article of clothing on the headless mannequin.
"I kept saying it should be blue, but Kaoru insisted it be pink, so if you don't like it, I completely understand," Hikaru threw in harshly, folding his arms in a pout.
"It's one of our mom's designs," Kaoru explained, "We ordered it this morning." Haruhi just stared at the dress hanging off the mannequin's shoulders. They weren't serious, were they? Sure, this was a fairytale, but the dress was so…flowy. And definitely showy, for that matter. There were at least three bright shades of pink coloring the dress, and it looked like the kind of dress that flung out when you spun in it. The first set of sleeves ended in a point, and there looked like there should be a second set where a part of the dress- in a lighter pink -stuck out at the shoulder. Haruhi really wished it didn't fall off the shoulders as much as it looked like it did…But what Haruhi seemed to dislike most of all, was the fact that she couldn't shake away the feeling the twins were just trying to put her in something they thought would be cute on her. Again. Considering no one seemed to change within the confinement of her own dreams, Haruhi believed it was perfectly plausible.
"Thanks guys, but do I really have to wear this?" Haruhi asked in misery, standing up and brushing herself off, though the room looked to be perfectly spotless.
"Of course!" the twins yelled together, forcing Hikaru free of his pouting position, "Now put it on." They hurriedly ran to Haruhi and pushed her closer to the dress, then turned around and quickly left the room. Well aren't they excited, Haruhi thought, knowing exactly why they were in such a hurry…Once again, her assumptions had been correct.
"See you downstairs!" Hunny waved, bouncing out the door, muttering, "She's gonna look so pretty" to himself while he shut the door behind him, following after the twins.
Haruhi sighed long and loud before she started to change. She wanted something to know, whether it could answer back or not, that she wasn't happy with this. Haruhi was especially peeved when she felt the dress cling to her skin- particularly her arms. It was definitely well-fitting. Haruhi couldn't see how a dress would ever be designed this way. Maybe it was supposed to be bigger and she could use that as an excuse to take off the flowy thing. Better go tell Hikaru and Kaoru, Haruhi's laughing mind triumphantly thought. She opened the door and walked down the steps, ready and willing to get out of the dress. But she wasn't that lucky…
"Perfect!" the twins cheered together, each throwing up the two-fingered sign of victory that once belonged to a rather loud and violent group of violence-protesters. Haruhi groaned.
"Are you sure?" she asked in desperation, "It feels a little tight…"
"Nonsense, it looks great!" Kaoru shook off.
"Yeah, no kidding! Why couldn't I be the prince?" Hikaru laughed awkwardly, but found himself blushing anyway.
"Wow, Haru-chan! You look so cute!" Hunny complimented with excitement. Haruhi wanted to keep fighting the dress, but the showering of compliments only made her cheeks turn a light pink, similar to one of the shades on the dress, and stand at the base of the steps feeling embarrassed.
The front door opened, causing Haruhi to jump and snap out of her bashful state. Mori poked his head into the room from outside.
"Mitsukuni…" he said, "You need to come now…"
"Takashi!" Hunny quickly greeted, "Okay, we'll be right there!" Hunny turned to look at Haruhi. "Hika-chan, Kao-chan, and I all have to go to the castle for a little while. We have to be sure you're not around any spinning wheels!"
"I don't see why, I mean it's pretty obvious she'll prick her finger or whatever happens," Hikaru stated. He had a point no one could deny.
"But that's part of the story Hika-chan," Hunny began to cry. As Haruhi fell asleep more and more, she found herself more inclined to believe Hunny really admired fairytales.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Hikaru sighed, adding in a mumble, "Just think the story would be better if she didn't have to meet some stranger prince guy…Seems cliché and stupid if you ask me." But even while he was mumbling away in his sorrow, he put his hands in his pocket like Kaoru had already done and made his way out the door.
"Maybe next time, Hikaru," Kaoru comforted. It was the last thing Haruhi heard before she was enveloped in silence. It felt nice. Now if only she could breathe right…Haruhi started to make her way back up the stairs to change just while they were gone, but there was a knock on the door.
"Coming!" Haruhi called, wishing she wasn't in the fancy dress to answer the door. She reached out and hurriedly opened the door, expecting to see someone, but only found herself staring at the strangest object sitting on the dirt. A spinning wheel. Was this supposed to be discreet. Haruhi grabbed a letter sitting on the top of the wheel and opened it up, only curious as to who would be so stupid as to so obviously place exactly what she was supposed to avoid in front of her doorstep.
"Couldn't think of a better way to get this to you," the note read, "I'll send you the check for shipping later." Haruhi knew instantly it had to be from Kyouya. Who else would charge her for her own demise?
"I'm not pricking my finger, if that's what they want…" Haruhi said quietly to herself. She'd rather not have a repeat of the Snow White incident. She looked around at the trees. Someone must be ready to take her away to that castle…Or maybe she would just end up there…Wait…wasn't she already supposed to be there?
Come on Haruhi, think…her thoughts ordered in haste, How can you do this so you can prevent the ending…? Haruhi felt rather satisfied only a moment later when she thought of the most wonderful idea. She reached out her finger and put it just close enough to the pin sticking from beside the wheel, but she was sure not to actually touch it. Instantly, Haruhi forced her knees to go slack, collapsing on the ground.
Haruhi almost immediately felt herself be whisked away, on a rather bumpy journey, to where she was supposed to have fallen. She wanted to see who it was taking her there, or how she was getting there in the first place, but she had to keep her eyes gently closed if she was going to finish this dream her own way.
The echo of footsteps told her she must be inside that tower Sleeping Beauty ended up in. Haruhi was about to give up the charade, feeling the motion sickness get to her stomach, but right before she opened her eyes, she felt herself be laid down on a soft, feathery mattress. It was so soft…Haruhi thought she might actually fall asleep just by accident.
Sleep sounds nice…Haruhi thought happily, forgetting she was already asleep. Her thoughts began to wander to places Haruhi would never remember, no matter how hard she tried. Going here and there, until a loud sound interrupted them. The door opened.
"Haruhi…?" a small, meek voice whispered from the doorway. Haruhi knew who it was. Who else could it be…? Based on all the other dreams, she should have just expected it.
"Wow, you look so pretty," Tamaki squeaked quietly, unintentionally quoting Hunny, "Oh, but…you're asleep aren't you?" Haruhi heard the soft sound of his footsteps as he walked over to her bed. She felt her blood pump energetically as she got ready to stop the "finale." But Haruhi only felt a tug at her feet. Tamaki must have sat down on the other end of the bed.
"You don't like this very much, do you Haruhi?" Tamaki asked sadly. Haruhi was beginning to grow suspicious that he knew she was really awake. But he just kept talking, so maybe he didn't…Haruhi was, once again, thoroughly confused by the mind of Tamaki.
"Fairytales, and things like that," Tamaki went on, "I like them a lot." Haruhi could practically hear him smiling. "They always end in a happily ever after. It's so wonderful! I guess I can see why you wouldn't like them, though…They are kind of…childish. But isn't it fun to act it out? We should do this at the club sometime! Hmm…but that would be hard to get across…" Haruhi just lay there quietly, wondering why he was rambling like this. "Prince Charming" wasn't supposed to ramble before he declared himself "in love" with his sleeping princess.
"I guess I'm straying from the point a bit," Tamaki laughed sheepishly, "I'm just…trying to say…I don't mind…I guess. This, you know…" He awkwardly released a laugh again. "I'm not doing too well, am I? I'm not even really supposed to be doing this, it is a fairytale after all. I'm just supposed to wake up the princess and everything's wonderful again. But…I think you should know first…" Haruhi felt her heart begin to pound, knowing Tamaki had scooted closer. She felt his fingers trace the side of her face, moving away a stray lock of hair Haruhi had hardly noticed was there until its absence. She felt Tamaki's heat lean over her. Haruhi couldn't get a proper breath, feeling Tamaki's on her face. Now would be a good time…Haruhi's panic warned.
"I don't know how to say it right," Tamaki softly whispered in a conclusion, "but…I think I've fallen in love with you, Haruhi." Haruhi felt her mind almost explode, despite her panic meter rise in fear. She felt Tamaki draw closer in, his lips just above hers.
"Yeah," he said in a voice even quieter than a whisper. Haruhi could practically feel his lips moving. "I have."
Haruhi bolted up right as she felt the very brush of a kiss, but she wasn't in a tower. She was laying on her bed, panting in the dark, silent interior of her own room. She frantically looked around, being sure she was out of the dream. Somehow, seeing the digital clock on her nightstand solved everything.
The numbers told her it was one in the morning. A regular, fantasy free morning. Haruhi sighed and let herself fall back onto her pillow. She wanted to believe she had just been in a nightmare, or maybe think of some explanation for why all her dreams were ending that way, but there was only one, lonely word of complaint glued in her mind that she couldn't erase: why? Haruhi had to conclude, though, that the worst part of it all was the fact she knew exactly why.
