Me: Hey, everybody! I'm back! Last chapter I'll be revising before I update again - woot woot! :D
Kyouya: Took you long enough. Fashionably late... As always.
Me: Haha, sorry! I've been meaning to update for awhile now, but I've been SOOO extremely busy! Plus, my internet was cut off and my computer went ka-blam :'( but nowww, I have a wonderful blackberry :)
Kyouya: Whatever.
Me: I really wanted to update, but then I looked over this last chapter, and I was like omg! This chapter needed a second try in some areas, lol.
Kyouya: Seriously.
Me: -glare- Start the chapter, will ya? Sheesh...
Kyouya: ElementalGuardianProtector owns nothing but this story and her characters.
Chapter Nine
"Mommy, can we go get ice cream?" A small and childish figure ran up to a larger and feminine figure. "Yeah, Mommy. Let's go get ice cream!" An even larger and masculine figure piped in agreement, grinning recklessly. "Eh? Ice cream? Why?" The feminine figure narrowed her eyes. "Because ice cream is so yummy, of course! Didn't you know?" The masculine figure gasped in fake surprise. "Yeah, and then we can all go to the park and spend the day together! Mommy and Daddy are both always so busy, so I want to spend time with them on their day off!" The child-like figure added.
"Pleeeeaaaase?" The child and man begged, giving the woman big puppy dog eyes. "...What am I going to do with you two?" The woman sighed. "Hooray! Didja see that, Daddy? Mommy sighed! We can go, we can go!" The child smiled happily. "Are you feeling alright, honey? Usually you're a serious kill joy." The man felt the woman's forehead. "Don't be an idiot before I change my mind." The woman twitched irritably, crossing her arms. "I'm so excited! I'm going to the car – I'll see you there, Mommy, Daddy! I love you guys!" The child hugged the two adult figures before running off.
"...I love seeing her so happy. It fills me up with warmth." The man sighed happily as he stood beside of the woman. "The two of you are seriously going to get cavities and rot your teeth out – you eat way too many sweets." The woman sighed as well, but with a different emotion in mind. "Yeah, it's true – I really love sweets. But you know what I love much more?" He whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her. "I love you. And don't you forget it, either." "I know you do, and I won't. I love you, too." She smiled back at him.
"But don't think you're off the hook, Romeo. Sweet talking me won't make me succumb into letting you guys have ice cream and cake."
"Dammit... It was worth a try."
"Mommy, Daddy, hurry up! You're being so slow! Hayaku, hayaku, hayaku!" The child urged her parents. "We're coming, sweetie!" They chorused, walking towards their child, hand in hand.
A happy family of three...
I wonder if they're okay...
"Don't let your guard down so easily, Elven Princess!"
Caught off guard, Yasune was sent flying by Risa. Clutching her bleeding and badly injured arm, Yasune crouched down and tried to catch her breath. "You know, you're not bad at all... For a traitor." She admitted with a bitter smile. "Why, thank you. Coming from you, I think that's the closest thing to a compliment I'll ever get." Risa scoffed. "When we aren't fighting, you lurk in the shadows. Tell me, Risa-no-kimi... Is it because you are ashamed of your true form?" Yasune commented on Risa's tactics. "That is no concern of yours. I think you should be more worried about thinking of ways to stay alive." Risa snapped back almost immediately. "Oooh, looks like I've struck a nerve. Hmph. It makes no difference to me. I couldn't care less." Yasune sneered.
"I'll give you one last chance, beast... Back down and answer my questions. Otherwise... You'll leave me no choice but to strike you down. I'm losing my patience - you're running out of time."
"You're giving me one last chance? You dare threaten me when you're the one who's losing here?" Risa repeated mockingly in disbelief. "You heard me right. Or was that too fast for the likes of you?" Yasune rose to her feet again.
"As I said before, you aren't too shabby... But it's about time we stop playing around here, don't you think?"
"I was just beginning to think the same exact thing." Risa's lips curved into the closest thing to a smile they had the current ability to do. "Yes... It's truly a shame that I will have to spill the blood of my own kind." Yasune sighed as she raised her blade. "I simply don't understand how any Donum Unum in their right mind could be a Donum Hunter. The job must open many doors of opportunity in the business world and the pay must be unbelievable, but those aren't good enough reasons. You have to watch what the humans do to our kind first handedly. You have to round up Donum Unus and condemn them to a fate that the blood running through your own veins fears and boils with hatred and anger at the very thought of.
"You sell someone else's life and soul at your own selfish expense. How do you sleep at night, Miyajima? How can you do what you do when you know exactly what will happen? There has to be a reason deeper than money... You're already rich. Miyajima... Why do you choose to involve yourself with the Observatory? What made you decide to become a Donum Hunter? What is it... What are you trying to protect?"
"H... He what?"
"You heard correctly."
"No... No! How could you... How could you do something so terrible like that to him? Why... Why?"
"He asked for it."
"Don't be absurd! He doesn't know what he's getting himself into! Oh my god... He's bound. He's bound and trapped with no where to go... You made him nothing more than your personal dog! How could you?"
"Risa, I know you're angry, but -"
"Angry? Angry? Oh, that's not even the half of it! How could you do that to him... You know him! You know his family! We're friends! How could you condemn him to such a fate without feeling even an ounce of guilt?"
"He is nothing more than a tool. Just as Doktor O says... All things come with sacrifice."
"So you sacrifice the life and well-being of your friend's child?"
"Nothing will happen to him. He's just fine. But if you're so worried, Risa... Then you can join us."
"W... What?"
"Join us at the Observatory. Make yourself useful for once. Become a Donum Hunter. Help us with the Donum Project."
"Me? Become a... Donum Hunter? How can you expect me to do something like that when you know what I am...?"
"You have two options, Risa: Join us and see to it yourself that he will be just fine. You will be able to watch over him and we will grant him freedom at the expense of your own. Or, you can refuse us and then... Well, let's just say he won't be fine at all. If you do not cooperate... Then you will leave us no choice but to go with the latter."
"...Oh, father... Has the Observatory, power, and wealth really corrupted you so...?"
"...It's none of your concern. My reasons are my own. I do whatever I need to do and it's as simple as that. No reason will change what I've done. I've helped round up hundreds of Donum Unus and condemned them to a grim fate – no reason can justify that." Risa answered.
"Whether it's for a good cause or a selfish expense... Quite frankly, it's none of your business."
"...Hmph. You refuse to speak... So be it, then. Though, I'm wondering about one last thing. You see... I heard about your confrontation with Aurora. Tell me, Miyajima... Did it anger you when you realized she didn't remember who you were? Were you outraged to know you had left so little an impression on her that her memory of you wasn't even worth storing?" Yasune inquired.
"Were you angry... Were you upset... Were you furious to see Aurora with that Ootori Kyouya boy? Because she had the audacity to take him away from you? It seems as though she has a bad habit of taking what is yours without even acknowledging it or feeling guilty about it, huh?"
Suddenly, Yasune saw a large figure lunge at her, exposing itself from the shadows. Managing to dodge, she jumped back and then took a good look at it. What she saw was a very large, vicious, and dangerous, but beautiful, silver wolf growling at her with large deep amethyst eyes. "Ah... There you are, Miyajima. It's about time you openly exposed your true form. Now I'll be able to get at you much better." Yasune smirked. Risa's canine eyes flashed in rage. "You... You shut your damn mouth! This has nothing to do with Aura or Kyouya! This is me and you–Here and now!" The Elven Princess heard the wolf snap at her in her mind. Risa charged at Yasune, preparing to viciously and brutally attack the young woman.
"That's right... Come to me, you overgrown mangy mutt." Yasune poised herself for combat as she watched Risa come at her in her true form. Her eyes analyzed every move Risa made. "Go join your beloved Ichiru and Ichigo!" Risa opened her massive jaw, exposing her large and razor sharp teeth at Yasune, preparing to snap them shut...
And fully intending to catch Yasune within them during the process.
Change In POV
"Is... Is everyone good?" Aura asked shakily as she snapped her wallet shut with a devastated look on her face. "Ahh, yep! Man, rescuing damsels in distress sure does pay off... Thanks for the meal!" Hikaru grinned at Aura. "Meal? Together, the four of you ate enough to feed an entire village full of starving peasants..." Aura muttered, putting her wallet away. "Hey, getting rescued doesn't always come at a cheap price." Hikaru and Kaoru shrugged simultaneously. "...You're right. You saved me from an agonizing ordeal... I shouldn't complain. I'm very grateful to you four and I'm glad we happened to cross paths." Aura lowered her eyes apologetically. "Of course we're right!" The twins grinned. "I'm beginning to think the twins planned this from the very moment we saw Hasegawa-san running through the streets - to 'save' Hasegawa-san and then guilt trip her into paying for commoner foods and Hani's cakes..." Takashi thought as he watched Aura sigh. She was obviously thinking on something.
Still... Somewhere in the depths of my heart, I can't help but wonder... If I had gone, would I have been able to see them again? Would I have been able to save them - Nii-sama and Ichigo-chan - this time? Would I... Would I have had the guts to stand up to Yasune-san? I... I will never know now...
"Ne, Au-chan? Why do you seem so down?" Mitsukuni blinked cutely and crawled up to Aura as he held Usa-chan to him innocently. "Eh? Au-chan?" Aura blinked in confusion. "Hai! I didn't want to keep calling you Imoutou-chan, so I thought Au-chan would be a cute nickname!" Mitsukuni explained.
"But why...? And eh... Imoutou-chan? Aren't you like, nine, Haninozuka-san?"
"Nope! I'm nineteen! When school starts up in a few weeks, I'll be a freshman in college – like Mori!"
"Eh...? You're the same age as Morinozuka-san? But... He's so big and mature-looking... And you're so..."
"I know! That's why I'm the Lolita-type in the Host-bu!"
"Host... Bu...?"
"Has Kyou-chan never told you about the Host-bu?"
"No... I don't think he has."
"To put it short and sweetly, Aura-chan, the Host-bu is a club consisting of seven members at Ouran High where we pledge to amuse women of all ages. There are fees, of course, but we always guarantee complete satisfaction." Kaoru explained to Aura. "Yeah! Because Mori and I are going to Ouran University, we were afraid we'd have to leave the club! That's why we asked Kyou-chan to work out our schedules for us!" Mitsukuni nodded. "So all of you are friends and you didn't want to leave the club, so you got Kyouya-san to work out your schedules. That's nice of him... Only I really doubt he did it from the kindness in his heart - assuming he even has any." Aura sweat dropped.
"Mori, can we go get some more cake?" Mitsukuni turned to the tall wild-type. "You have to ask Hasegawa-san. It's her money." Takashi replied in his deep, quiet monotone. "Haninozuka-san, don't you think that's enough cake? Won't you get sick?" Aura blinked in surprise, unable to believe that the young man still had room for even more. "Nope! I can eat as many sweets as I want and they never make me get sick! And don't call me Haninozuka-san – it sounds too formal, Au-chan! Call me something less formal! We're friends, after all!" Mitsukuni lightly scolded Aura for the formality.
"Ah, yes, if that's what you want... But, Mitsukuni-kun, you've already had ten slices of cake with your meal... How can you stomach all of that?"
"Because cake's so yummy! Especially this commoner cake!"
"Yes, but..."
"Here, Au-chan! Maybe if you try a piece, you'll understand why I can eat so much of it!" Mitsukuni offered Aura a slick of cake with a gleam in his eye. Aura said nothing in response, her eyes horror stricken. "Mitsukuni-kun... Why are you looking at me like that, holding your cake in such a lethal manner...? Do you intend to force me to eat it...?" She wondered, sweat dropping once again as her face went pale. "Oh, I see! You're so impressed with the quality of the cake, you're speechless! Right, Au-chan?" Mitsukuni smiled big. Hikaru and Kaoru snickered simultaneously while Takashi watched Aura and Mitsukuni interact wordlessly.
"...Ah, so, Hikaru-san, Kaoru-san... How are the two of you liking the food?" Aura snapped out of it and changed the subject. "Don't call us '-san'. If you really have to use a suffix, call us '-kun'. '-san' is just too formal and uptight for our taste." Hikaru responded. "The food tastes good, to answer your question. But do you not like sweet things, Aura-chan? Like Kyouya-sempai?" Kaoru asked. "...I...-" Aura was interrupted by Mitsukuni exclaiming cheerily, "Of course Au-chan likes sweet things! Who doesn't?" "Kyouya-sempai, evidently." The twins deadpanned. Aura let out a sigh of relief as the twins and Mitsukuni continued their conversation, arguing back and forth on the topic of sweets while they went back to eating and momentarily forgot about.
"You troublesome child. Are you truly unable to make even a single decision for yourself? This is exactly why you have no say in anything - this is exactly why I must make all of your choices for you."
Aura swallowed hard and stopped for a moment before she continued to eat the rest of her food. The five had come to a commoner fast food restaurant because of the four Host-bu member's obsession with commoner food and because Kaoru won the rock-paper-scissors contest (Mitsukuni and Hikaru were bad sports for awhile and Takashi really didn't care), he got to decide what they would all eat for the main course – yakitori, tempura, oden, shougayaki, and takoyaki. Everyone had tea with their meal, but they all chose their own dessert.
"You know what, Kaoru? We should play the 'Which one's Hikaru?' game with Aura-chan." Hikaru suggested to his brother. "Yeah, we should. We haven't played that in a long time." Kaoru agreed. After getting mixed up and prepared to play, the twins chorused, "Okay, Aura-chan, guess – which one's Hikaru? If you get it wrong, you'll have to pay a price!". Aura looked at both of the twins carefully. "Um... Hikaru-kun is the one on the left." She answered. "You're wrong!" The twins stuck their tongues out at Aura. "No, I'm not. You're Hikaru-kun and you're Kaoru-kun." Aura smiled politely as she pointed out which twin was which.
"Are you suuuure? Remember, if you're wrong, you'll have no choice but to pay our price!"
"I know I'm not wrong, for sure. I'm absolutely positive that the one on the left is Hikaru-kun and the one on the right is Kaoru-kun. I can tell the two of you apart very easily - though your faces are very similar, the two of you aren't identical. Not at all."
"Aura-chan, you might as well give up while you still can! No one but Haru-chan ever wins the 'Which one's Hikaru?' game because she's the only one who can tell them apart!" Mitsukuni told Aura. "No, Honey... She's right..." Hikaru trailed off, surprised. Noticing the looks on the Hitachiin twins' faces, Aura furrowed her eyebrows, "Eh? Hikaru-kun? Kaoru-kun? Doushita no?"
"How did she do it...? Though she met us at the Ootori's party, it was only a brief introduction... She's only really gotten to know us today for half an hour, tops. She guessed right... She somehow knew that the one on the left was Hikaru and not me." Kaoru thought, knowing his twin was thinking the same thing. "Was she just lucky? No... She said it with such conviction... She was sure. She really can tell us apart. But... How? How could she already know...? Not even Haruhi was able to tell us apart this fast... How can someone like that possibly exist?"
"No, nothing's wrong." Hikaru shook his head. "We're both just bummed out that you guessed right. It looks like you've escaped our clutches... This time." "Oh, dear... I really don't like the look you're giving me, Hikaru-kun." Aura laughed nervously, sweat dropping again. "Aura-chan, I noticed you didn't order a dessert. I'm about to get something else, so I'll order for you. What do you want?" Kaoru asked. "Eh, that's okay, Kaoru-kun, but I'm fine. I don't want anything, but thank you for asking." Aura smiled politely.
"Are you sure? I'd feel bad if you didn't get to eat what you wanted, since you're already spending so much."
"It's okay. I'm alright. Just make sure all of you get everything you want."
"...Hey, Aura-chan? Will you go with Mori-sempai to get Honey some more cake?" Hikaru asked. "I think the employees are afraid to come near him in cake mode. The last time we came here, one of them tried to come in between him and cake... Yeah, it didn't end so well for the poor guy." "Aha, I completely understand. If I've learned anything about Mitsukuni-kun today, it's that you simply don't come in between him and a piece of cake he has his eye on. Come on, Mitsukuni-kun. Wipe the cake off your face." Aura stood up and handed Mitsukuni a napkin.
"Carry me, Mori!" Mitsukuni pulled on Takashi's shirt. Obediently, Takashi picked Mitsukuni up and hoisted him up on his shoulders, walking away silently. "...Um, Morinozuka-san, do you really think that's appropriate...?" Aura sweat dropped for the umpteenth time as she followed the Host-bu members. "...Kaoru, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Hikaru looked at his twin once the others were out of hearing range. "Yeah. Every time we asked Aura-chan a question about what she liked or wanted, she wasn't able to answer." Kaoru put his elbow on the table and his chin in his hand as he toyed with the remaining food on his plate.
"Why do you think that is?"
"Honestly, I have no idea what that's about. And did you notice how she looks directly into our eyes before addressing one of us? She probably doesn't know she does it – it looks natural and completely normal, no different from what any person would do, but... She does it every single time before she says our names but never to Honey or Mori-sempai."
"Yeah, I know. Do you think somehow our eyes help her tell us apart?"
"That doesn't make sense... Our face are exactly identical, down to the very last detail. The only difference between us is the way we part our hair and the clothes we wear, so why did she say we aren't identical at all? How does looking at two identical things to help you tell them apart? If anything, looking for the differences would be helpful, but not the similarities..."
"I know. Aura-chan looks somewhat... Timid. Like she's reluctant to get close to people. Is she afraid to take a liking to people and get attached? Despite her activity in our conversations, she still seems to be trying to put a clear line of separation between herself and the four of us. I think... She doesn't know how to respond to situations like these easily."
Hikaru took a long sip from his iced tea. "Well. Now we know something about Kyouya-sempai's fiancée for sure. Though she has the image of what one would call 'the perfect girl'... Aura-chan's coping skills are a bit shabby. Interacting with others isn't her forté. Heh, and you'd expect someone like her to be a social butterfly, too." "...Don't interrogate the poor girl, Hikaru. Let her be." Kaoru sat back in his seat. "Don't be like that, Kaoru. Surely a few questions won't hurt... I'm only trying to amuse myself." Hikaru replied as he copied his twin's action so that they were mirror images.
"Besides... I think I know exactly how to strike a nerve in her."
XxXxXxX
"Mitsukuni-kun, don't run off like that! If you're too eager, you'll scare people!"
"I won't cause any trouble, I promise! Usa-chan and I just want to see all the cakes they have here because we both love commoner cakes so much~~!"
"...Alright... But don't get lost or hurt or anything!"
"Au-chan forgets that even though I'm so cute, I'm her upperclassman! Usa-chan and I will be fine!"
"Okay... Tell me when you're ready to order then, Mitsukuni-kun."
"He can be a handful." Takashi told Aura quietly, folding his arms as he watched the small young man run off. "Morinozuka-san... This is the first time you've spoken to me. Probably only the second time you've spoken first since we got here, isn't it?" Aura walked back to stand beside of Takashi.
"...Haninozuka-san is very cute and energetic, and both Hitachiin-sans are interesting. All three of them are good people, but... I just... Don't really know how to interact with them correctly. I don't want to like them and grow attached...
"I... I'm sorry, Aura-chan, but I just can't be your friend anymore. Please, forgive me. I hope you find some other happiness."
"...After I lost the most important person in my life, I was heart broken... And soon after, my entire world changed. I was broken down and built back up... I was trained and practically forced to become what some might call 'perfect'. Okaa-san said it was the only way... And her word was law." Aura began to tell Takashi.
"She always chose everything for me... What I did, what I watched, what I wore, who I saw, how I talked, how I moved, how I thought, where I went... She conditioned me. It's kinda like how a prisoner eventually loses the ability to choose things for himself after being bereft of such privileges for so long. I'm not used to making my own decisions and being allowed to be my own person... I just don't know how. I always did as I was told, thought as I was told, moved as I was told, spoke as I was told... That's how I was was programmed - to be absolutely obedient and submissive to authority.
"After so long of living like Okaa-san's obedient pet... I don't know how to not be the 'perfect little doll' Okaa-san tried to transform me into. All I know... Is how to be like Okaa-san.
"Let's be friends, Aura-chan!"
"Do you not like sweet things, Aura-chan?"
"I'm about to get something else, so I'll order for you. What do you want?"
"What are your likes and dislikes?"
"Simple questions like that... Anyone should be able to answer. But I just can't... I don't know how. The things I love... The things I hate... The stuff I want... The things I don't want... The colors I like... The colors I dislike... The places I enjoy... The place I don't enjoy... My favorite foods... My least favorite foods... I don't know any of those things. They never crossed my mind, not even once. I never thought about them – all I thought about was how Okaa-san would want me to answer those questions... All I knew was how she would answer them.
"I usually know the answer... I'm supposed to be smarter than the rest. I'm supposed to be different... I'm supposed to be better. But it's... Scary. Perfection... The unknown... It's scary. How can anyone so easily open their heart up to anyone when there's no way of knowing whether they will be rejected or accepted... When they don't know if they'll be loved or hated?
"For once in my life, since I met Kyouya-san... I've had no idea what the answers to the questions I'm being asked are. To be so defenseless against a man... And even more, a man like him... Sometimes, it's just too terrifying." Aura lowered her eyes. Realizing the things she had just said, Aura gasped. Never in her life had she been able to admit these sort of things so easily to anyone! Blushing and embarrassed, Aura laughed nervously, "Ah! B-but don't mind me, Morinozuka-san! I... I don't know what's gotten in to me! Forgive me for complaining to you so much...!"
"If you don't know who you are, Hasegawa-san... Then maybe it's about time you try to find out." Takashi suggested, ignoring Aura's last comment. "You have to get out there and open yourself up to other people. You have to meet others, join, and interact. It's the only way you'll be able to progress... It's the only way you'll be able to start living and finally discover who you really are."
"But how can I do that? How can I... How will I know how other people will respond to me?" Aura asked. "You won't. But are you going to let fear over run your life? Are you going to close yourself off from everyone just because you're afraid of what might happen? Just because you're afraid of making a mistake or being hurt?" Takashi inquired.
"I understand your fear, Hasegawa-san - it's not at all irrational. But the truth is, everyone makes mistakes... Because it's impossible for anyone to be perfect. Not even a machine can be perfect. There is no such thing as 'perfection'... Because if there was no flaw in people, then everyone would be the same and there would be no individuality. Just as many people will hurt you... You will hurt many people, as well. That's a part of life that can't be prevented. But if you push past the pain and tears... I think you'll find a happiness that no amount of pain can make you want to give up."
"...Morinozuka-san... You are quiet and calm. Maybe that's why... It's so much easier for me to admit these things to you. I've developed a slight case of androphobia over the years and, though my time with Kyouya-san has mostly helped me get over it, I'm still usually so uncomfortable and shy around men... But I don't feel afraid of you. Not even a little bit. Something about you is just so... Comforting to me. So soothing. The words you've said to me have touched me... Really, they have. Even so... It's not that simple. It's never... That simple." Aura whispered.
"Au-chaaaan! Usa-chan and I have our cake(s)~~!"
"Ah... Okay, I'm coming, Mitsukuni-kun!" Aura nodded as she reached into her pocket for her wallet. " Come on, Morinozuka-san. Mitsukuni-kun is waiting for us." Aura smiled back at Takashi, urging him on.
"Again... That smile of hers is just as it is rumored to be. Beautiful... Yet tragic. She projected her words in that single action alone: With her smile, she said to me, 'thank you, Morinozuka-san, for listening'. She's grateful that someone allowed her to complain and let out the excess she's been trying to hold inside for so long. Finally, dead weight has been lifted off her chest." Takashi thought.
"... You're right, Hasegawa-san. Nothing in this world is ever... 'That simple'. But no one can help you if you won't help yourself." Takashi murmured, walking in the same direction Aura had taken off in so he could follow her and Mitsukuni.
"If you won't open up... Not even he can help you find yourself."
XxXxXxX
"Hika-chan, Kao-chan, look at all the cake Au-chan bought me and Usa-chan!"
"Wow. It looks like you've fallen for his cute charms." The Hitachiin twins chorused as they watched Mitsukuni, Aura, and Takashi walk back towards them, each carrying a large layer cake. "He's so cute... It's a sin to my wallet that he's so cute...!" Aura muttered. "These cakes are pretty heavy... Are you sure you can even eat all of this, Haninozuka-san...?" "Au-chan! You did it again! You called me Haninozuka-san again!" Mitsukuni pointed Usa-chan at Aura accusingly. "G... Gomen nasai. Watashi wo yurushimasu." Aura apologized.
"Maybe you guys should put all that cake down before you make a mistake and drop -" Kaoru was cut off by the sound of the something splattering on the ground. "...I tried to warn you." He sighed. "Oh, no... Au-chan, I made you drop the cake... And it got all over you..." Mitsukuni stared at the cake now covering both Aura and the floor with big watery eyes after he and Takashi both put the cakes they had been carrying down on the table. "It's okay, Mitsukuni-kun. It was my own fault I dropped it. It's only cake, so no harm done. We can buy another one." Aura smiled gently at Mitsukuni, ruffling his hair. "Jeez, you're so clumsy, woman. Look at the big mess you've made now." Hikaru sighed, shaking his head.
"You'd expect so much more from the daughter of the majestic and elegant Takashima Rika and the powerful and regal Hasegawa Zutaka."
"Ah... Yes, you're right, Hikaru-kun... I'm very sorry. I'll clean this up right away." Aura apologized again. "On top of that, you're the younger sister of Hasegawa Shoichi Ichiru, aren't you? And the step daughter of Asegawa Mizuru? Your entire family is so amazing and famous, yet here you are, being so clumsy and reckless. Looks like you didn't get the whole 'graceful and intense prowess' memo." Hikaru snickered as he continued, folding his arms. "Hikaru. Don't say things like that. Remember the last time you so bluntly spoke without thinking?" Kaoru tried to hush his brother, referring to the first time the Host-bu had met the young man who had had a crush on Haruhi in middle school. "Hmph. It's not my fault I can't help but tell it like it is. I'm not trying to be mean, I'm just saying. Why do I always get scolded for telling the truth?" Hikaru muttered.
"Do you think it's my fault you've turned out this way? That it's my fault you're such a failure? Useless brat... You're trying to blame me for what is clearly your own fault. No one is at fault but you."
"Dammit, Aurora... What are you still here for? Get out! Go away! I wish you would just die and disappear, you miserable prick! Get out of my life!"
"...No, it's okay, Kaoru-kun. Really... Hikaru-kun is right. I always mess up... I always cause the ones around me trouble and pain... It's always been like that because of what I am. Okaa-san... Yasune-san... They're always so mad at me... Otou-san and Nii-sama... They must be so disappointed in me... And I always cause Kyouya-san much more trouble than I'm worth. Everyone would be so much better off if I was never born. Everyone... Especially Okaa-san and Yasune-san... Would be so much happier if I just stopped existing...!" Aura murmured. Much to her horror, tears began to form in her eyes. "Au-chan? What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Mitsukuni tugged on Aura's sleeve. "Don't cry, Au-chan..." "What... Is she seriously crying?" Hikaru blinked. "Ah, damn... Look, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to upset you like this..."
Aura shook her head, "No... You were right. I'm not upset... I'm just... Disappointed? Ashamed? I let myself forget... Just how troublesome I really am. I forgot my place... And this is what happens. Just like Risa-san said."
"Everything that's happened to you is your own fault, you know. It's your fault for forgetting your place because of that boy you call Senpai. It's your fault... For letting him make you think it was okay for you to exist! It was your damn fault... For letting him give you hope. Hope is not a possibility for someone like you. You thought you could live a normal, happy life... And that's where you made your mistake! Someone as rotten as you should just disappear! A pathetic half-breed that does not know her station like you deserves to suffer for all of eternity! Wretched cretin!"
The tears began to fall from Aura's eyes as she lowered them. "I'm desperate... I'm so very desperate to make them all proud of me – Okaa-san, Otou-san, Nii-sama... Even Imoutou-san and Asegawa-san. But I'm just never good enough...!
"We live in a world where there are only two categories of people: those who are needed and those who just aren't. You are the kind of person who is unneeded by this world. You turned out so useless... Like an abandoned cat."
"I want Okaa-san to forgive me... I want her to care... I want her to look at me... I want her to need me... I want her to love me... That's all I've ever wanted – to love and to be loved in return! To this day, I wonder... Where did I go wrong? What was my mistake? Was it that foolish of me to want things I could never have in the first place, no matter what? It's against my nature... What I want goes against what I was created for. Everything fell apart...! This burning, selfish desire to live and be happy... Is it really so wrong of me...?" Aura choked out a sob.
I feel so... Pathetic.
I feel insignificant and pathetic.
My legs feel so weak, but I can't fall...
I have to stand up on my own two feet and walk.
I have to wipe these tears and be stronger than this.
After all... How can I ever support anyone else if I can't even support myself?
But the problem is...
Feeling her legs give out beneath her, Aura collapsed to her knees. "I'm sorry I'm so weak... I'll fail, just like all the others before me. I'm no different, no better... Who was I trying to fool? It was stupid of me to think...!" Tears began to stream down Aura's face.
"It was stupid of you to think what?"
Recognizing the masculine voice, Aura looked up. Her white eyes met and clashed with silver ones. "Kyouya-san... But... Where did you come from?" Aura whispered.
It's him...
He always comes, right when I need him the most.
Like always, he's come to my rescue...
"Earlier, I asked Tachibana to keep tabs and a very close eye on you, in case you got yourself into some sort of trouble - like always. Good thing I finished my work early... I knew I'd have to save you from my friends, but I was hoping they wouldn't traumatize you. You're a complete mess... I'll have to take you home so that you can clean yourself up." Kyouya sighed. "Kyouya-san... But... I-" Aura was cut off. "Why are you crying? Are you really going to give up that easily? You feel as though you aren't good enough? Then strive to be better. How can you earn the love you desire... How can you live the life your desire... How can you find the happiness you desire... If you just give up?" Kyouya demanded.
"But... It's not that simple..." Aura tried to argue, but Kyouya cut her off, "Yes, Aura, it is. At the end of the day, it's either you gave it your all or you gave it nothing, either you tried or you gave up, either you succeeded or you failed. Which paths do you want to travel?"
"But..."
"You're afraid of making mistakes and being rejected. For one, don't look at the things you call 'mistakes' as bad things – as people, we learn from our mistakes. With every mistake you make, you become wiser. Don't look at your failures as mistakes either, because failing many times doesn't make you a failure. The great scientist Thomas Edison failed many times while trying to create the light bulb but not once did he call those failures 'mistakes'. Out of his one thousand failed attempts, he simply smiled and said, 'I did not fail at making a light bulb one thousand times. I learned one thousand ways not to make a light bulb'. Everyone fails at something before they succeed – they may even fail so many times, they've lost count. The difference between all those failures and that one success is, they didn't give up. They chose to look at their failure as something beneficial to them. They learned more and more from those 'mistakes' until finally, they succeeded.
" Yes... The sort of world we live in is a place whether there's no guarantee of anything. There's no way to know whether you'll be wanted, loved, and happy... Or if you'll be shunned, hated, and miserable. Even so, you can't give up – if you don't risk it, you'll never know what could have been. The only thing you'll accomplish by living like that is missing out on golden opportunities and wondering what might have happened if you had had enough courage to just try. The fact that you know so little about yourself isn't a sin. It only means you have much more to learn and much more to experience in life. But you haven't 'lost' yourself. I don't believe people are put in this world to 'find' themselves... I believe they are put here to create themselves. That's something you have plenty of time to do and I'm here to help you in that quest - that is one of the reasons why I'm being paid. I don't want to hear someone like you say 'I'm not good enough', or 'I can't do this'. That's a defeatist attitude – defeatist attitudes are things I just can't stand, so you'd betterget rid of it. Though you're neither a first born heir nor a legitimate child, you still have countless advantages and strengths. Use them correctly and there won't be anything that will be able to stand in your way and stop you from accomplishing your goals.
"Rome was not built in a day and a diamond does not form over night. The only thing that will ensure true failure is trying to take on all your problems at once. I can't stress how important it is to think ahead, but it's also equally important to focus on the tasks at hand. Take things at your own pace, one step at a time. Think about what you can do, not what you can't do - you only can't if that's what you've chosen to tell yourself." Kyouya knelt down to Aura. "I'm sure I've said this before... Don't simply assume things are a certain way just because someone tells you so. Look with your own eyes and think with your own brain. You decide what's true and you decide who you want to be. You be the one to create yourself - don't give anyone else that kind of power over you. Don't let anyone's expectations stop you from being who you really are and everything you're meant to be."
"Kyouya-san... Thank you. I'm... I'm sorry. I always cause you so trouble... I always put you in this position... I don't want to do this to you anymore. So that's why... That's why I promise I won't give up anymore. I'll look with my own eyes. I'll think with my own brain. I'll decide... Who I am and what I'm meant to be. I'll... I'll be the one to create myself." Aura nodded, wiping her tears away. "Good. That's what I like to hear, you troublesome girl." Kyouya wiped the cake off of her cheek. "I hope you're satisfied with yourself. Because of you, I've gotten cake all over my clothes. And they're new, too. Tsk, tsk. Looks like I'll have to charge you yet again for ruining this outfit." He stood and brushed himself off. "But... But you're the one who decided to kneel in the cake! Why do you always have to ruin the moment like that, Kyouya-san?" Aura sighed. "Just when I was beginning to think you had a heart, too...!"
"So the problem has been solved. Kyouya comes to the rescue. For once, he is the protagonist and not the antagonist... How very strange." Takashi murmured. "Yaaay~~! Au-chan stopped crying!" Mitsukuni pounced on Aura and hugged her tightly.
"Usa-chan and I are happy Au-chan stopped crying! We were so worried!"
"I'm sorry for worrying you, Mitsukuni-kun..."
"It's okay – at least you're okay now!"
"Yes, I am... Aaaah...! Mitsukuni-kun, stop itttt! I can't... Breathe...!"
"Usa-chan and I are sooo relieved, Au-chan!"
"M-Mitsukuni-kun... My neck... My neck... Air... Air...!"
"...Hani, don't you think you should stop hugging Hasegawa-san around her neck so tightly? Before you suffocate her to death?" Takashi suggested as he watched the Haninozuka heir practically kill the Hasegawa heir.
"...Hikaru." Kyouya turned to the Hitachiin twin. "Yeah?" Hikaru looked at the cool-type indifferently. "When you and your brother realized the things you did about Aura... Why did you choose to approach her about it the way you did?" Kyuya inquired. Hikaru shrugged, "I knew I'd strike a nerve. I wanted to know what she'd say... I was bored. I didn't think she's start crying..." "You never think about what you're saying before you say it - that's your problem. You say whatever you want to people... But you can't do that. You just can't say or do whatever the hell you want." Kyouya reprimanded. "Why are you so pissy? It's not like you really care about her, anyway. Kaoru and I both know she's not really your fiancée. And you're acting like I meant to make her cry. How was I supposed to know I'd trigger something in her like that? She never said anything!" Hikaru responded to Kyouya's sharp tone.
"You don't know what lies in the depths of the hearts of others. You don't know what traumas they've been through or what pains. So while lacking the correct information... What gives you the right to simply make assumptions on your own accord?"
"You're one to talk. At least I'm not using her for my own benefit the way you are. At least she's not just walking profit or praise-in-a-box to me! You have no qualms at all about using base methods so long as you'll profit from them... Hell, I'm sure you'd suck out her very bones if you found a use for them! Every time you meet someone, you pass judgment and calculate their worth, thinking only of how you or your father can benefit from them! You're no better! So don't talk like you're some sort of holy saint that can do no wrong!"
"You're the one who has labeled me so. Never once in my life have I claimed, said, or even thought to be such. You simply assumed that's what I think of myself. See how wrong assumptions can be?" Kyouya retorted in a manner that made Hikaru seethe with anger. "I will admit that you are able to approach people much better than long ago. You and your brother's world now includes a much wider range of things. But even still, you don't think things through before you speak or act and you still miss the little hints people give you. Your judgment is still... Poor and Inaccurate."
"Well, since you know so damn much... Tell me where to stand. Tell me how I can see things the way the people around me do, so that I'll know what to say and what not to say... So that I'll never hurt anyone again. You tell me that, wise guy! Can you see them, up there on your damned high horse? Or should I knock you down a few pegs? The way you're looking down on me is really starting to piss me off." Hikaru glared at his upperclassman.
"Kyouya-sempai, Hikaru, don't argue... There's no point in arguing. Hikaru knows he was wrong now and he's sorry. Also, Aura-chan is just fine. She isn't crying anymore. That's all that matters, right?" Kaoru looked at Kyouya. "...Apologize to her, Hikaru. Ask her to forgive you and tell her you're sorry. Even if you didn't mean to, you put that girl down... You're countering all my hard work. You're right - she isn't my fiancée. She's my client. We're in a contract. I'm being paid to pull her up and help her build up confidence, and you just came along and smashed it all. She's been making good progress... I don't have time for that progress to recede because of you." Kyouya fixed his glasses.
"You sound way too irritated for this to just be about your stupid contract with her. You sound like you actually care about her." Hikaru crossed his arms. "Of course I care about Aura. She's my client. It's my job to care for and look after her." Kyouya replied. "I'll apologize, alright? So long as you get off my case..." Hikaru muttered. "Don't say something to make him snap at you again, Hikaru. Kyouya-sempai looks very tired – you know what happens when you catch the Black-Hearted Demon King in an ill mood." Kaoru sweat dropped.
"Are Hika-chan and Kyou-chan not getting along again? That's no good!" Mitsukuni pouted, interrupting the current conversation. "What do you suppose we do about it, Hani?" Takashi looked down at the martial arts master. "...There's only one thing we can do." Mitsukuni looked at the Hitachiin twins and Kyouya with an evil gleam in his eye. "Mitsukuni-kun... Despite your cute appearance, you really do harbor extraordinary evil in the depths of your heart..." Aura trailed off, sweat dropping for a final time.
"Somehow, that look is giving me a bad feeling...!"
XxXxXxX
"Excuse me?" Kyouya's eyebrow twitched. "Tachibana, how could you allow this to happen?" "Forgive me, sir, but the little runt was too much for me to handle... Haninozuka-sama is very strong, indeed...!" Shito apologized, still clutching his busted lip. Kyouya cursed beneath his breath. "Dammit... Not even our SWAT squadron could hold him back? This can't be happening...!" He rubbed his temples. "Oh, but it is!" Mitsukuni smiled happily.
"The only way to make Hika-chan and Kyou-chan make up and get along is for us to have a sleep over at the Ootori Estate!"
"...I really want to know how you came up with that conclusion, Hani-sempai..." Kyouya continued to rub his temples in irritatation. "Don't complain, Kyouya-sempai. You know it'll be fun." the Hitachiin twins smirked as they practically redecorating the estate to their liking, which on added on to Kyouya's annoyance. "Now I know how Haruhi feels when we barge into her apartment... Who told you people you could just come here and do whatever the hell you want...?"A vein popped out of Kyouya's head.
"Don't be that way, Kyouya-san. This looks like it might actually be... Fun." Aura looked up at Kyouya with a small smile. "I've never been to a real sleep over before... I'm kind of looking forward to this." "...Tonight is going to be a disaster. For every moment of annoyance and headache I experience, I'm charging you." Kyouya sighed, already becoming cranky. "At this rate, I'm going to buried in debt to you forever, Kyouya-san." Aura laughed nervously before turning pale and groaning dismally.
"Yaaay! Kyou-chan's letting us spend the night in the main estate!" Mitsukuni cheered. "Let's bring in the cake, Mori!" "And, let's get this party staaa'-ted!" The twins smirked mischievously. "Don't you dare eat that messy cake in here or initiate a party of any sort, or I swear I'll dispose of you all and leave no evidence of an identifiable corpse." Kyouya warned with a razor sharp edge in his voice.
"Whaaat? Don't be a kill joy, Kyouya-sempai!"
"I'm not changing my mind."
"But Kyou-chan...!"
"I said no."
I'll let her have her way, just for tonight... Because that was the closest thing to a real smile she's given me so far.
"It looks like they did it anyway." Aura stifled a small laugh as she watched Kyouya glare at his fellow Host-bu members, who were all eating cake, running around, and raising hell in the Ootori Estate (except for Takashi).
"Tonight is going to be an interesting one, indeed..."
Ne: It's like a polite way to begin or end a sentence.
Hayaku: Hurry up
-no-kimi: An old and tradition way to say Mr., Mrs., Miss., etc. Pretty much like '-san'.
Imoutou-chan/Imoutou-san: Little sister
Otou-san: Father
Okaa-san: Mother
Nii-sama: Respectful way to say "Big brother" or "Older brother"
Yakitori: Bite-size pieces of marinated chicken grilled on skewers
Tempura: Seafood and vegetables dipped in batter and deep fried
Oden: Boiled tofu, eggs, fish, and vegetables cooked in a broth for a long time
Shougayaki: Grilled pork with ginger
Takoyaki: Dumplings made with bits of octopus meat
Doushita no: Informal way of saying "What's wrong". Aura had been informal due to the twins asking her not to be so uptight and formal - "doushita" by itself would have been sufficient. This word is easily confused with "doushite" which means "why". "Doushiyou" means "what should I do".
Gomen nasai: I'm very sorry
Watashi wo yurushimasu: Forgive me
Me: Haha, I totally couldn't resist myself with the sleep over xD This chapter is sooo much better now that I've revised it, too...!
Kyouya: You are a terrible, evil person.
Me: Why, thank you :)
Kyouya: Not a compliment.
Me: You better watch out, Kyouya... I saw a little somethin' somethin' goin' on between Mori and Aura back there! Wink, wink!
Kyouya: -rolls eyes-
Me: I'm feeling some comedy coming on in the near future and maybe even a little bit of romance! I'm sure no one will mind if the mood isn't so hurtful and angsty for awhile!
Kyouya: I'm sure no one cares what you do at all in the first place.
Me: -ignores Kyouya- Well, that's it for now, everybody!
Kyouya: Read and review, please.
