AN: I do not own Ouran, Shrek, or Sleepy Hollow.
Chapter Eighty-Nine: Realizations after Things that Go Bump in the Night
Yuki did not return to school till October and when she did her hair had been completely chopped off. It was surprising to see since in all the time I've known her, she's kept her hair long past her shoulders. It was different and very striking to see after weeks of not seeing her. I could possibly have seen her, I knew I should have, but I never went. I had a closer eye on me now. Iff I attempted anything with Yuki while she is still considered Akito's fiancé, I would be disowned. I knew that for a fact and it was one I could not change. My feelings for her did not change, I loved her, but I have to finish what I've been working towards. I need more time here before I leave everything else behind. I have to finish what I started.
Kimi's POV
"I can't believe they cut their hair, well that short at least." I told Hikaru after we had run into Sumi, Reiko, and Yuki. Yuki and Reiko were able to talk for a short while before heading to class. Sumi had time to quickly say 'hi' before she dropped Hana off for school and headed to work. "What would you think if I cut all my hair off?"
"Why are you asking me?" Hikaru asked confused.
"You're a fashion expert, why not?"
He shrugged, "I like your hair long, but I guess if you wanted to cut it short, it would look okay too."
I nodded, and then changed the subject, "Did you have any interest in seeing Crimson Peak?"
"Yeah, but you hate horror films."
"I was thinking we could do a double feature, see that and Goosebumps." I replied, "I used to like the books as a kid, I was curious on how the movie turned out."
"I loved those books and the shows."
"So would you want to go?"
"Yeah." He nodded, "Next Saturday work for you?"
"I think so." I replied as we went into class and took our seats next to Carmen, Kaoru and Haruhi, who were already seated. I sat next to Haruhi and Hikaru sat on the other side of me. The class started off with the class representative, Kazukiyo Soga, going over business for the year.
"Alright, the next item on the agenda, I move to discuss what the class plans will be for next week." He changed to the next topic, which was finally something worth being interested in.
"Next week?" Carmen asked confused.
"Yeah, Halloween!" Kaoru told her.
"Oh, Carmen, you've only been a student at Ouran Academy since this year, right?" Momoka Kurakano, the vice representative, asked, "So, you don't know. After we finish taking our exams for the fall, we're allowed a few days off until the end of October and we get to throw costume parties on campus to celebrate."
"And also to promote comradery, each class is allowed to use an entire day for a special class event of their choosing." Kazukiyo added.
"Event?" Carmen asked.
"Yeah, it could be anything from a social to watching old movies." Kaoru clarified.
"Boring! Boring!" Renge exclaimed, "Boring!"
'She's still in our class?' I thought confused, Renge hardly ever showed up to class.
"Halloween, the day that sounds the death of summer and brings in the icy cold of winter." Renge gushed, "Halloween, once a day when ghouls walk the earth and disguised as ghouls, we try to ward them all off. Halloween, a day for wearing costumes and playing tricks on trick-or-treaters with reckless abandon."
"Some people don't wait for Halloween to dress up." Hikaru told her pointedly.
"Some people cosplay year round." Kaoru added.
"You are one of those people." I told her slightly miffed that she was here.
"I know that's right." Haruhi agreed with us, "So what's with the uniform?"
Renge laughed, "This is the uniform in Oki-Doki Memorial 2, which isn't scheduled for release until next spring. What do you think? I know important people on the inside if you catch my drift."
"I think you look ridiculous." I commented.
"I didn't ask you." She retorted, but before she could say anything more Kazukiyo asked her to get off the desk she was currently standing on. She blatantly ignored him, "Tea parties and cosplay, the Host Club practically does that nonstop."
"We have themed events every week." I pointed out.
"What our Halloween requires is something special." Renge continued.
"Um, we're supposed to decide this as a class." Kazukiyo tried to tell her.
"So, I propose holding a Halloween Test of Courage Tournament!" Renge exclaimed, "The bravest student wins!"
"A Test of Courage" Hikaru started.
"Tournament, you say?" Kaoru finished.
"This might be the first good idea you've ever had, Renge." I smiled as she glared at me, "What? It was a compliment, I thought you were an incompetent, loud idea makes me respect you a little more."
"Here's what we'll do, we'll ask the superintendent to give us permission to be in the school after dark and dress up in our freakiest costumes and proceed to have the time of our lives scaring the absolute crap out of each other." Renge explained.
Hikaru and Kaoru chuckled, "Yeah, we're in."
"You can count me in too." I agreed. The whole class started to gush over the idea in excitement.
"Well, why don't we think this through everyone?" Kazukiyo said, trying to get everyone's attention, "We can't all go individually. We should be in teams of at least 3 or 4."
"Yeah, teams would be scarier." Momoka agreed.
"And anybody who leaves" Hikaru started.
"Gets featured on the cover of the school newspaper as the captain of all cowards." Kaoru finished.
"Seconded." The whole class agreed.
"Alright then, are their any objections to the majority vote?" Kazukiyo asked, "Are there any at all? Is anyone opposed to the idea? C'mon anyone?"
I raised my hand.
"Yes, Kimiko?"
"I'm not opposed to the idea, I just think instead of teams of three or four it should be two or three."
"Seconded." Most of the class agreed.
"Oh, very well, then the motion has passed." Kazukiyo stated, "The class event for this year will be a special Halloween Test of Courage Tournament."
The class cheered.
Yuki's POV
"Okay, now on to new business." Chiyoko, the class representative, moved on to the next subject, "What shall we do for our Halloween event?"
"Kimi just texted me, she said her class is doing a test of courage tournament, who loses goes on the newspaper as a coward." Reiko whispered to me.
I smiled, "Looks like we might have an event to nominate."
"Anyone have any ideas?" Chiyoko asked the class.
I raised my hand.
"Yuki?"
"Class 2-A is having a test of courage tournament with whoever loses or runs out on the tournament going on the newspaper as a coward, Halloween is all about scaring people, why not have our event be that we go to school after hours in teams and try to scare as many of them as we can? We could call it a Scaring Tournament. See if we can get the whole class in the newspaper."\
'That's diabolical, I love it." Chiyoko grinned from ear to ear, "Who votes for a scaring tournament?"
The whole class raised their hands.
"Motion passed and carried." Chikyoko stated, "That was easy."
Reiko's POV
Not much happened in class after that, it was a normal day. The Host Club did a special themed event for Halloween. Tamaki and Kyoya had decided that the rest of days of exams, and classes leading up to them, would be events for Halloween: themed meetings, a scavenger hunt, a small carnival, and a haunted house. We had decided to start the haunting season a little early. Today, we were vampires. Kimi, Hikaru, Kaoru, Haruhi, and Carmen were late and when they did end up showing, it was only to say that they were not going to be able to participate in the club until after Halloween due to the fact that they were on the preparation committee for their class Halloween event.
"So what are you guys doing for your guys doing for your class event?" Kimi asked us.
"Just a silly competition with a costume party afterward." Yuki replied nonchalantly. It wasn't like she had lied, we were doing a competition and the class had decided on a costume party to celebrate how many people we scared afterwards, her answer was just slightly more simplified than it actually was.
"Well, we'll see you guys later." Kimi said before going off with the others.
"Wait, why is Haruhi going?" Tamaki cried.
"She is in our class." Hikaru replied.
"The special event is an after dark test of courage tournament." Kaoru added. Tamaki looked at them shocked before he fainted, if he actually fainted I couldn't tell.
"We've got Tamaki handled, go have fun." Yuki smiled and waved them off, as Tamaki got up and started to babble. "Shut up and let them have their fun." She told Tamaki, before looking back at the group of them, "Bye guys, hope you enjoy your tournament. You'll have to tell us how it turned out."
They said their goodbyes and left.
"You're only mad at yourself because when you agreed to scaring the living shit out of the class, you forgot that Haruhi was in that class." Yuki told Tamaki as he glared at her.
"Why did you have to suggest it?" He asked her annoyed.
"Because I thought it'd be fun." I smiled, "And Reiko and I got The Black Magic Club to help us out, isn't that great?"
That sent Tamaki straight to his emo corner.
"Should we tell him about the alums and the other clubs who've gotten involved?" Yuki asked Kyoya and me.
"I think we should quit while we're ahead." I replied.
"He doesn't need to know right now." Kyoya agreed.
Kimi's POV
When we got back to the committee, we were stuck discussing costumes and medical precautions for the next twenty minutes. Costumes under 300 yen, doctors present, and the possibility of food were all discussed before we had to choose groups for the tournament. The groups ended up splitting us mostly into two with some groups of three. Haruhi and Kazukiyo ended up pairing off together, as well as Kaoru and Carmen.
"Partner?" Hikaru asked me.
"Partner." I nodded in agreement, before he went off to go inform Momoka.
"It's all set." Hikaru said when he came back, "Were you interested at all in doing the double feature before we headed up here to do the tournament? I think less people would be there during the day because most people would still be in school."
"Yeah, I'd like that." I smiled.
"Great, maybe we should get something to eat before too." Hikaru suggested, "I mean we'll probably be spending all night at the school."
"Okay." I nodded.
Yuki's POV
"Okay, so how are we teaming up for the scaring tournament?" I asked Reiko, "We have to give our teams to Chiyoko tomorrow."
"Well it has to be teams of two or three initially and as more people leave the more we group up." Reiko shrugged, "I think you should probably pair up with Kyoya and Tamaki since this will be the last event you get to do with them. I think I might pair up with Anju and give the black magic club some help."
"Does that mean the guys and I can take Hunny, Takashi, and Sumi?" I asked curiously.
"It does." She nodded.
I went over to Kyoya and Tamaki, "I was wondering if you guys wanted to be a group for the class tournament."
"You're not going to pair up with Reiko?" Takmaki asked confused, "I thought this would be something you guys would want to do together."
"No, she's going to pair up with Anju and work with The Black Magic Club for the intial rounds of the tournament." I explained, "I was hoping we could pair up and bring in Hunny, Takashi, and Sumi."
"We can use alums?" Tamaki asked.
"Alums, other clubs, as long as they aren't in class 2-A, they're up for grabs." I replied.
"Let's do it then." Tamaki stated, "What do you think Kyoya?"
Kyoya nodded, "I think it would be a good idea for us to be a team, but we must discuss our strategies and tactics as we move ahead with the tournament."
Hikaru's POV
"You ready to go up to the school?" I asked Kimi.
It was Halloween, we had just finished dinner at an Indian restaurant after spending the day at the theater. I don't know what was wrong with me, I had to keep reminding myself wasn't a date, neither were any of the other times we went out. That this wasn't or wouldn't be a romantic relationship. I was not going to get into a relationship with Kimi, who was beautiful, sweet, funny, intelligent, and fit perfectly into mine and Kaoru's world because it wouldn't be right to go with her after she went out with Kaoru.
'That was several months ago and he's moved on.' Part of my mind chided in reminder, 'She is available if you wanted to pursue her.' This back and forth had been going on for months. I hadn't quite decided what I was going to do about it, if anything.
"Sure, we can go, if you want." Kimi replied.
"Okay." I nodded, and paid the check for dinner.
"You know you don't have to pay for dinner." She smiled, "Not that I mind, but we could have split it, if you wanted."
"Don't worry about it." I shook my head with a smile, "Dinner, the movies, when we hang out, it's on me."
"You always treat me, I feel bad that I can't do anything for you."
"Maybe next time we hang out we stay in and I provide the entertainment, like movies or games or something, and you could make the food?"
"Okay, where would we stay?"
"Good question." I nodded, "Let me figure that out, okay?"
"Alright." She nodded. Shortly after, we left to go to the school.
When we arrived at the school, we signed into the tournament and found hiding places. It wasn't too long after that we were joined by Kaoru, Carmen, Haruhi, and Kazukiyo.
"Couldn't find a different hiding place?" I asked them.
"We just started looking and when we saw you guys, we knew you'd be the only ones as we went who wouldn't bother trying to scare us." Haruhi explained, "Kaoru and Carmen signed in at the same time we did, so we thought we might as well hide together for the time being."
"That makes sense." Kimi commented.
"Hey Kaoru, tell us the story about the evil clock tower witch." I suggested.
"One Halloween, many years ago, a girl dressed in a witch costume fell to her death from the tower;" Kaoru started, and then looked to me, so we could finish it together, "and now, whoever sees her ghost on Halloween night will be cursed forever."
"Please stop it you guys!" Kazukiyo cried.
"Will you guys knock it off? The point is to scare someone not on your team." Haruhi said sternly.
"We're all on separate teams." Kimi pointed out before Haruhi could continue.
"That is true, since we're all on teams of two, we're all fair game to one another." Carmen agreed.
Haruhi tried to help Kazukiyo with his fear, but really all it boiled down to was the mention and teasing of Momoka and to get him to continue on. The only reason he was here and didn't oppose the tournament was because she wanted to do it so badly. Even though I wouldn't ever admit it, I respected that and knew how it felt. A loud thump was heard before something started to roll down the staircase. It was a human skull. We all screamed before we noticed it was fake.
"It's not your turn, you guys." I called up to the group above us, "Follow the rules!" I kicked the skull back up the staircase.
"My skull…" Someone moaned as they came out onto the top of the staircase, "My skull…"
The clock tower began to chime.
"Could it be the clock tower witch?" Kazukiyo panicked.
"Why did you kick my skull?" The figure yelled before showing its gruesome face. We screamed and ran in different directions. Kimi and I ran to the left, Carmen and Kaoru ran to the right, and I don't know where Haruhi and Kazukiyo ran.
Yuki's POV
"Kyoya, Yuki, you're not joining in the fun." Umehito commented surprised.
"I am not." Kyoya replied and continued to read.
"And I have nothing to do till the others are all grouped up." I added, and then said to Kyoya as Umehito left, "Will you turn the page already? I want to know if this dude gets his head chopped off."
"Patience is a virtue."
"No it's not."
Kyoya turned the page, "Better?"
"Did you finish the page?" I asked him.
"I finished it a few minutes before Nekozawa came by." He replied.
My jaw dropped, "So you just stalled to annoy me."
"Possibly." He smirked.
"You're going to pay for that." I took the book and the flashlight from his hands.
"Those are mine, you know." He commented.
"You want them back, come and find me." I winked and smiled before taking off.
Hikaru's POV
We had been caught in a net and the position we had been thrown into was suggestive to say the least. I was on top of her, practically pinning her down. I could feel my face turning bright red.
"Hikaru, I'm gonna need you to switch places with me so I can cut us out with my swiss army knife."
"Switch places?" I stuttered.
"Yes, so I can cut us out of here." She replied, before making a move to switch. I complied and started to switch places with her. "Hikaru, you might want to move your hand a little lower." I blushed and did so as she got on top of me. "I know this is probably kind of awkward, but it's the easiest way to get out of this."
I would have shook my head, but her chest was right above it, "It's okay, take your time, do what you need to do." I told her nervously. She cut us out and we made our way to find the others.
Yuki's POV
Everything was all set up in the clock tower, I put Kyoya's letters in the back of his book safely and put the flashlight on top of it. If he did follow me, he would be here in a few minutes.
"Clock Tower ghost, I don't know if you exist, but if you could help the person who owns these find them tonight, I'd be very grateful." I told her, before I quickly made my way out of the clock tower and where I was supposed to meet Reiko so we could hide Tamaki's pack of letters.
"Where are we going with these?" Reiko asked.
"Club room." I told her, as we quickly made our way to club room three. We went inside, I set the letters on the music stand of the piano and we left the school.
"There is one more thing, I want you to give everyone." I told Reiko when we got to the airport. We both got out, I got my backpack, my suitcase, and Rocket, who was in his carrier.
"What?" She asked confused, "You already gave us the letters."
I set Rocket's carrier down, and took out two DVDs from my backpack, "This is for the club. I made it for them this morning."
"I'll make sure they see them." Reiko nodded and hugged me, "I'll miss you. We all will."
"I'll miss you too." I replied, "Thank you for everything." I picked up Rocket's carrier and got my suitcase, and then went to catch my flight to New York.
Kyoya's POV
When I got to the top of the clock tower, Yuki was nowhere to be found. She had been here, my book and flashlight were here, but she, she was gone. I grabbed the book and flashlight and started to make my way to the stairs of the tower, but a small packet fell out of the book. I picked up the packet gently and opened it, it contained several sealed letters. I sat down and when through them. Each envelope had something written on it. The first one said, 'Open Me after You've Opened the Packet'. I opened the letter and started to read.
Kyoya,
If you are reading this, you have found the book and the flashlight, but not me. I left a little earlier than planned, but it was time for me to go. I could feel it was time for me to leave, I had been feeling for months that it was time for me to leave, but I wanted to stay with you, and Tamaki, and everyone else. That's not how it was meant to work out and we knew that from the beginning that eventually I would have to go. I wish I could have been with you a little longer. I regret the time I wasted that I wasn't with you, how many times we fought over nothing, how many times I thought about being in a relationship with you before we decided to get together and not doing anything about it. There'll be so many things I'll miss, but I hold onto the memories and the love I have for you as I go, get settled, and long after.
I cannot tell you where I went because something tells me that while you're reading this, you'll want to go after me. I don't want you to come after me, Kyo. It's not because I don't want to be with you, I do. I would love to be with you and for you to have come with me, but I also don't want you coming with me and then resenting me later because you did not pursue something you had always dreamed about. I want you to stay at Ouran, I want you to finish everything you have wanted you to do. You've wanted these long before you have loved me and I think you should pursue them. If after you do and you wish to be with me, then we will, don't worry about that.
I'm sure you have noticed that there are several letters instead of just one, each one has its own time for them to be opened. I think I ended up writing the most to you in all honesty and some of them, I don't know if you'll even end up opening, but I covered every topic that I could think of.
I love you.
- Yuki
I pinched my nose and took a deep breath before looking at the rest of the envelopes. She was right, there was one for many different occasions: Open When You Miss Me, Open When You Are Lonely, Open When You Are Sad, Open When You Are Crying, Open When You Are Stressed, Open When You've Had a Bad Day, Open When You Can't Sleep, Open On Your Birthday, Open When You Need to Know How Much I Love You, Open When You Are Annoyed, Open When You Are Thinking About Moving on, and To Her.
I looked at the last two shocked. I was not expecting to see these among the others, but here they were. I put the letters back in the packet and reached into my pocket and pulled out the small box I had been carrying around all day and opened it to look at them. "What do I do with these, now?" I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, closing the box of the bridal set ring and band. There was nothing I could really do with them now other than hold on to the set until I needed them. I shoved the box back into my pocket.
Tamaki's POV
I went back to the club room to change and found a small package envelope on the piano. It was addressed to me, I picked it up in bewilderment and opened it. Inside of the package were more envelopes of what looked to hold letters. The first one in the package read: Open Me After You Find These Letters.
Tamaki,
If you are reading this, you have found the package that I've left on the piano for you. I tried to leave it with something that is almost as much a part of you as I am. These letters are going to be my last gift to you for a while because while you are reading this, I am on a flight out of the country. I'm sorry I had to tell you this in this way, but it was time for me to go and I wanted to be able to express my goodbyes instead of being rushed through them or asked to stay longer.
I'm glad I got to see you, Tamaki, and spend the past few years with you. I'm sorry we couldn't have more time together, but we knew it would only be for a short while. That time seemed longer when we first started it, but it went by rather quickly, much quicker than I ever thought it would go by. I'll miss you more than ever now, but I'll have Rocket to keep me company.
Do me a favor Tamaki while I'm gone, so all of my hard work and my time with you and at that school has not been a complete waste of time. Tell Haruhi how you feel about her. You are in love with her, not platonically, not like a parent, like you are passing it off as. You are in love with her, deeply in love with her and she needs to know that. You need to tell her, speaking from experience, after being friends with someone for a long time, if I wasn't told that Kyoya was in love with me, I wouldn't have known that he was. You should tell her, it would be better for your relationship, whether it be friendship or romantic, that she knew how you honestly felt about her.
I love you and I'll miss you.
- Yuki
I sat down on the bench, taking everything in. I would look through the letters later, I had to sort this all out first. I had to take in the fact that she had left, and this time, I had no way of getting in touch with her.
Sumi's POV
"So did Yuki get on the plane okay?" Takashi asked me as we headed home from the school.
"As far as I know, she's on the plane to New York now." I replied, "We didn't have much time to say goodbye, we made the two videos for everyone and then we had to get ready."
"Did she ever tell you what that favor she wanted was?"
I smiled softly, she had. It was a simple and kind one. To be happy. It might had been cheesy, but it was kind and unexpected.
"Let's get married." I told him.
"What?" He asked happily surprised.
"The favor she asked was for me to be happy and I can't imagine anything that would make me happier than to be married to you. We've been talking about it for a long time, we live together, we already have one daughter and are expecting another. Let's get married."
"When?"
"I don't know, we could plan a weekend in the next few weeks to elope."
"What about Hana?"
"Well we could do it a couple of ways, her birthday is in a couple of weeks, we could surprise her with that and the adoption-"
"Let's go with that." He smiled, "Where do you want to go?"
"I don't know, I haven't traveled that much."
"Don't worry." He told me, "I'll plan it."
Hunny's POV
"So, Yuki's on her flight to New York now?" I asked Reiko when we got home.
She nodded, "Yeah, my brother will meet her when she gets off the plane and get her to her apartment. She knows where she's working for the time being and she's already enrolled to finish school online and start classes in the summer for at a community college, so she can finish her generals faster before she goes to a university."
"Is she gonna be okay?"
"I have no worries about Yuki, she'll be okay."
Kaoru's POV
Hikaru and I took Carmen, Kimi, and Haruhi home after the tournament. The whole class ended up running out of the school after being practically scared half to death. I couldn't really sleep when we got home, so I watched a couple of movies to get the night out of my head. When I went to put them back, I found a movie I had forgotten about, one I didn't remember we had, Shrek. For a laugh, cause I wasn't tired yet I put it on and fell asleep almost halfway through the end when it started to play Hallelujah.
Dream
Once upon a time there was a little ogre named Hikaru, who lived in a bog by a tree with his parents. On his birthday, his parents sat him down and told him the honest truth about how life was for ogres. The truth of it was…They were throwing him out to live on his own at the age of seven. They went on to explain that life was not only difficult for ogres, but that they had to be on guard all of the time or someone would try to kill them. It was a life of being hated and mocked by other people. After they explained everything, they gave him his bags and sent him on his way. He walked for miles and finally found a place to call home. He stayed there for many years, all alone and very happy with how his life had turned out.
"Ah, c'mon not again." Hikaru groaned, the door on his outhouse had jammed again. He broke through it and stepped out. Hikaru smiled to himself thinking about how lucky he was to be on his own and then started off when his daily chores, leaving his home until the afternoon. Shortly after he left, soldiers escorted a large group of fairytale creatures onto his land.
"This place is a dump." A tall wooden boy spat. The other fairytale creatures began to complain as well.
"You read Lord Farquad's deceree." The captain told them.
"Yeah, I read it, we all did." The wooden boy retorted, "All fairytale creatures have been banished from the kingdom of Duloc. All fruitcakes and freaks will be sent to a resettlement facility."
The captain groaned, he had been putting up with them all day and was more than ready to be rid of them. "When I call your name, step forward." He took out his list. "Kaoru, the puppet."
"I am not a puppet, I'm a real boy." Kaoru tried to say, but his nose grew a couple inches longer. He laughed sheepishly.
"Sure you are." The captain replied mockingly, and then pointed, "That's your patch of mud right over there, real boy."
"Thanks." Kaoru rolled his eyes and went to his spot.
"Carmen, the shoemaker's elf." The captain called.
"That would be me." The female elf stepped out. The captain pointed to her spot and called the next person. She rushed quickly to her spot.
"Oh, dropped on a swamp, man, I tell you sometimes being a fairytale creature sucks pine sap." Kaoru sat down and watched everyone get placed, "Life is disappointing. Outted by my nose, that's just how it goes for poor 'Pinocchio'" He sighed to himself, pointing to his nose when he said Pinocchio.
"Strife is never ending." Carmen sighed as she sat down in her small patch of land.
"Banished from the town." Another fairytale creature cried, Kaoru could only assume by his getup that he was supposed to be Peter Pan.
"They dragged me from the pond." Another cried.
An old fairy cried after her, "They broke my magic wand."
"They blew our condos down." Three pigs sobbed.
Every fairytale creature had a sob story from what Kaoru saw.
"Have fun, you guys." The captain said as he started to leave, "And remember if we find you back in the kingdom, you will be executed." He laughed and then left them there to panic.
"What are you doing in my swamp?!" Hikaru yelled when he came back home and found the fairytale creatures in his swamp.
"We were forced to come here." Kaoru started to explain.
"Forced by who?" Hikaru asked pointedly.
"Lord Farquad." Kaoru replied, "He evicted us from our homes."
"Not my problem." Hikaru retorted.
"If we go back, we'll be killed." Kaoru told him.
"And that is still not my problem." Hikaru replied, "Get off my land and find somewhere else to go."
"We have nowhere else to go." Kaoru argued.
"You know, Farquad might listen if you went to go talk to him." Carmen interjected, "We don't want to be here any more than you want us here. We can't go to Duloc, they will kill us, but you can."
"Fine, if that is what's going to get you guys off my land, then I'll go talk to him." Hikaru agreed. The group cheered and all went into his house.
"Don't die." Carmen smiled before closing the door and shutting him out of his own house.
As Hikaru left his home he saw four guards chasing after a donkey.
"Great another one." He rolled his eyes, he stopped and watched the group for a moment and quickly regretted it afterward. The donkey had stopped running when he saw him.
"Hello." The donkey greeted.
"Hi." Hikaru nodded.
"What is that?" One of the soldiers asked, referring to Hikaru, "It's hideous.
Hikaru looked back at the donkey and then looked at the soldier, "That's not very nice, he's just a jackass."
"Step aside, ogre, and let us at him." The solider told him.
"What did he do?" Hikaru asked, "Other than be a talking jackass."
"I would rather you stop calling me a jackass." The donkey commented.
"Would you like me to hand you over to them?" Hikaru asked.
"Not particularly." The donkey replied.
"Okay then." Hikaru nodded and turned his attention back to the soldiers, "Now you were about to say something?"
"By order of Lord Farquad, I place you both under arrest." The soldier told him, not realizing he had been the only one still there at the moment.
"Oh really?" Hikaru chuckled, "You and what army?"
The soldier looked behind him and then looked back to Hikaru frightened.
"This is the part where you run away." Hikaru instructed, the soldier did as he was told. He turned to the donkey, "Do you know where Duloc is?"
The donkey nodded.
"Can you take me there?" Hikaru asked. The donkey nodded again. "You got a name?"
"Kyoya." He introduced himself, "And you?"
"Hikaru." Hikaru responded. They headed off to Duloc.
After a couple of hours they found the castle.
"It's a bit much, isn't it?" Hikaru asked, "Do you think he might be compensating for something?"
"You've never met him, have you?" Kyoya asked him.
"Can't say that I have." Hikaru responded, "Let's just go inside."
"Now, the moment you have been waiting for has been set forth." A little man exclaimed to his audience. "The raffle to see who will rescue the princess from the fire-breathing dragon!"
"Let me guess, that's Farquad." Hikaru commented to Kyoya.
He nodded, "He's not the most intimidating physically."
"I can see that." Hikaru replied, before he went to Lord Farquad. "Excuse me."
The small group for the rally began to scream and all ran for cover with Farquad beggin for them to stay.
"Are you Lord Farquad?" Hikaru asked the shorter man.
"Depends on who's looking for him." He responded.
"A pissed off orge who now has new residents living on his land because you forced them there." Hikaru retorted.
"You know what, you go get this princess that I need, I will give you your swap back." Farquad bargained.
"What princess?" Hikaru asked dryly. Farquad explained the situation and what Hikaru would have to get his swap back and sent him and Kyoya on their merry way.
"I cannot believe you agreed to go rescue that princess after all of the things we have to go through to get to her." Kyoya groaned as they made their way out of Duloc.
"I want my swamp back and if I have to rescue a princess to do it, so be it." Hikaru responded.
"And the dragon?" Kyoya asked plainly.
"Well get to that when the time comes." Hikaru replied.
After a few days of walking, they made their way to the tower where the princess is being held.
"What are we doing about the dragon?" Kyoya asked Hikaru as they made their way inside.
"Leave it alone and find the princess?" Hikaru replied.
"One of us is bound to run into it." Kyoya pointed out, "The odds of us missing it are slim to none."
"Then let's hope it's you." Hikaru replied.
"And you call me a jackass." Kyoya rolled his eyes.
"You take the dungeon, I'll take the top of the tower." Hikaru told him before running off.
"Why would a princess be in a dungeon if she has a tower?" Kyoya called after him, but he was already gone. Kyoya made his way to the dungeon. Low and behold, at the bottom was a blonde young woman. When she saw him, she glared.
"What the hell is your guys' fascination with this damn princess, she's here for a reason." The woman yelled at him, "She's not going anywhere."
"You're the dragon?" Kyoya asked her confused.
"I turn into a dragon." She clarified.
"Why aren't you-"
"You're a donkey and I don't feel like working today."
"I could have a friend with me right now that could be going after her right now."
"He a lord, prince, or a knight?"
"No." Kyoya shook his head.
"Any plans to kill her?"
"No."
"Okay." The woman replied, "If he can agree to get her out of the tower, he can take her with him."
"You don't care?" Kyoya asked surprised.
"I've been doing this for the past ten years, if your friend wants to take her off my hands, he can go ahead."
"You don't even know what he is."
"What is he?"
"An ogre."
She smiled, "Oh, she'll be fine. There's one thing though, I want an even exchange."
"Princess for princess?"
"No, more like a princess for someone else." She replied, "Since you and your friend came to retrieve the princess, one of you will have to take her place. And since your friend had an interest of some sort in the princess, it will be you who takes her place here."
"I'm a donkey."
"Yes, but with a little magic, you could be a man, who just happens to have the ability to turn into a donkey if he ever chooses to."
"How does that work?" Kyoya asked curiously.
"If you both manage to get the princess out of here, you come back to the tower within a fortnight and I will show you." She replied, "You might want to go find your friend."
Kyoya nodded and went off in search of Hikaru, who had just made it up to the tower. He was wearing a knight's helmet that he had found on the way up the winding staircase. When he found her, she was laying in her bed.
"Great, I got one of the snoozers." He groaned before shaking her awake, "Wake up!"
She sat up, looking at him like he had gone crazy.
"Are you Princess Kimiko?"
"I am and I'm waiting for a knight so bold as to rescue me." She smiled.
"Okay, I guess." Hikaru replied, not really knowing what to say, "Now let's go."
"Wait, sir knight, I have waited long for this day, I would like to know your name before we go?"
"Hikaru." He responded, "Now that we've got the names down, let's go." He started to go, but she stopped him.
"Wait, don't you want to savor this moment, it is our first meeting." She said, before music started to play.
"What am I a crackpot magnet?" Hikaru commented annoyed.
"This is how a dream comes true" She sang.
Why are you singing?" Hikaru asked her, after a few moments he had lost his patience. "Okay, we're going now." Hikaru said, pulling her forward, while he still had a hold of her hand.
"You couldn't let me finish my song?" She asked him.
"No, if we want to get out of the castle before the dragon gets to us, we have to leave." Hikaru replied, "I don't know why you burst out into song in the first place."
"That's what you do when you meet your true love."
"Not in this adaptation."
"Wait, what do you mean before the dragon gets to us?" Kimiko asked him, "You haven't taken care of the dragon?"
"Not if it isn't necessary."
"How is it not necessary?"
"If we hurry it won't be." Hikaru replied as they started to pick up the pace.
"Good, you found the princess." Kyoya said when he caught up to them, "I took care of the dragon, let's get out of here, before she changes her mind."
They ran out of the castle and shut the drawbridge behind them.
"You both are wonderful, thank you." Kimiko smiled, "You're a little unorthodox, I'll admit, but you did rescue me, so I am eternally in your debt."
"Great, we should get out of here." Hikaru told her.
"Aren't you going to remove your helmet?" She asked confused.
"Why?" Hikaru asked in return.
"Because I want to look upon the face of my rescuer." She replied.
"No, you wouldn't." He shook his head.
"But how will you kiss me if you don't?" She asked perplexed.
"What?!" Hikaru replied shocked, before turning to Kyoya, "That wasn't in the job description."
Kyoya shrugged, "Maybe it's a perk."
"No, it's destiny. A princess locked in a tower is rescued by a brave knight and then they share true love's first kiss." Kimiko explained.
Hikaru laughed, "No, it's not."
"Why not?" Kimiko retorted.
"Let's just say, I'm not your type." Hikaru told her.
"You're my rescuer, you have to be." She replied, "Now, remove your helmet."
"As you wish, your highness." Hikaru conceded, taking off the helmet.
"You're an ogre." Kimiko said surprised, taking in his appearance.
"Were you expecting Prince Charming?" Hikaru retorted.
"Yes, actually." She replied softly, "You were not supposed to be an ogre."
"Princess, I was sent to rescue you by Lord Farquad." Hikaru told her, "He's the one who wants to marry you."
"Then why didn't he rescue me?" She asked.
"I don't know, maybe he couldn't rise to the occasion." Hikaru replied, "You should ask him why when we get there in a couple of days."
"It'll take that long?" She replied, and then looked up, "It's almost sunset; we should make camp and head out tomorrow."
"Camp?" Hikaru asked her.
"Tomorrow?" Kyoya asked at the same time.
"Yes, I found the whole ordeal exhausting and could not possibly go on until tomorrow." Kimiko lied, "We can leave tomorrow, there's a cave over there. I'll sleep there and at first light, we can head out." She went into the cave.
Kyoya and Hikaru rolled their eyes and went to go find something for dinner.
"So, how did you handle that dragon?" Hikaru asked him out of curiosity.
"It was a woman who could turn into a dragon, she was human when I talked to her." Kyoya replied, "We made a deal, the princess for me. She's given me two weeks to come back."
"And you might make it back before the two weeks is up." Hikaru told him, "Was she pretty?"
"Beautiful." Kyoya replied, "With hair like gold and amethyst eyes"
"So, after we get the princess to Duloc, you're coming back here?"
"I'd be a fool not to." Kyoya stated.
"It doesn't bother her that she is mostly human and you're a donkey?"
"She's going to turn me into a man."
"And that is a reason to go back on its own." Hikaru replied with a small laugh. They got their food and set up camp.
When they got up the next morning, Kimiko had breakfast prepared for them.
"Good morning, gentlemen." She greeted them, "I'd like to apologize for my behavior yesterday. We obviously got off on the wrong foot and I'd like to make it up to you."
"You would?" Hikaru asked surprised.
"Yes," She nodded, "You did rescue me after all. I hope you both are hungry because I've made quite a bit and I have berries gathered for the trip. I didn't think anything else would last the whole day."
They ate and started their journey to Duloc.
"So what's Lord Farquad like?" Kimiko asked.
"Should we tell her?" Hikaru asked Kyoya reluctantly.
"We might as well." Kyoya sighed.
"He's a short narcissistic man with a Napoleon complex." Hikaru told her bluntly.
"We only spent a few minutes with him though." Kyoya added.
"He might be better once you get to know him." Kimiko said optimistically.
"I don't know, the hoard of fairytale creatures he evicted and put on my land didn't seem too happy with him." Hikaru replied.
"Maybe…" Kimiko started, "Okay, I can't come up with something for that one. Why would he do that?"
"Because they're different from his perfect society." Kyoya replied.
"That's terrible." Kimiko gawked, "Why are you taking me to him?"
"Because he wants to marry you and I want my land back." Hikaru told her honestly, "I only agreed to rescue you and take you to him. If you choose not to when you meet him, that is up to you, your highness. I get my land back either way."
She sighed, "At least you're honest about it and it's better to be out here than stuck in that tower."
As the days progressed and the more Hikaru and Kimiko got to know each other, the more they liked each other.
"There's Duloc." Hikaru sighed when he saw the castle on the horizon.
"I didn't realize we were so close." Kimiko sighed almost sadly.
"We could wait until the morning to go down, if you wish." Hikaru suggested.
"Or she could go turn him down now and we can all get on with our lives." Kyoya suggested.
"So you can go back to Yuki in the tower dungeon?" Kimiko smirked, Hikaru had told her about Kyoya's little encounter with her dragon protector, she thought it was sweet.
"Who?" Both men asked confused.
"The girl who turns into a dragon." She clarified, "That's her name."
"And it fits her so well, except for the fact that she's a dragon." Kyoya stated.
"Who breaths ice instead of fire." Kimiko pointed out.
"Nevermind." Kyoya replied.
"So, we'll make camp here tonight?" Hikaru changed the subject hopefully.
Kimiko nodded, "I would like that."
"Then I'll find us some dinner." Hikaru smiled.
"I'll go get some firewood." Kimiko volunteered happily.
After they ate, Kimiko went inside the small, empty shack they made camp next to as the sun began to set.
"There was a moment that you two could have had, why did you let her walk away?" Kyoya asked him, "She's not marrying Farquad, she's fair game and she likes you."
"You're crazy."
"So you're going to tell me, you have no feelings for her after everything these past few days?" Kyoya asked him, "There is something going on between you two, even a blind man would notice that there is something there."
"Even if I did, which I'm not saying that I do because I don't, she's a princess." Hikaru replied, "And I'm-"
"An ogre?"
"Yeah."
"She needs to know." Kyoya sighed, "I'm going to go get more wood before the fire dies."
Hikaru went for a walk and was gone by the time Kyoya came back.
"Princess, you might as well come out." Kyoya told Kimiko through the door, "I know you shapeshift too, into what, I don't know, but you might as well come out and talk to me."
The door opened slightly, "I'd rather you come in here, if we're going to talk."
"Hikaru's not here." Kyoya told her, "He's gone for a walk by the looks of it. I'm guessing you don't want him or anyone else to know and that's why you hide at night. I won't tell anyone, but you have to come outside."
"Alright." She replied as she came out of the shack. She was an ogre like Hikaru.
"You're an ogre?" Kyoya said in surprise.
"I'm cursed." Kimiko sighed and sat down on a log, "By day, I'm a princess, and by night, I'm this until I get true love's first kiss."
"Hikaru and you have a lot in common, maybe he is the one to break your curse." Kyoya suggested, sitting down next to her.
"Hikaru…" Kimiko smiled softly.
"You both have a lot in common." Kyoya told her, "You should tell him."
"I don't know about that." Kimiko looked down.
"You're both ogres, there shouldn't be a problem."
A little way off in the distance was Hikaru with a sunflower in his hands.
"Princess, how's it going?" He practiced, "Good? Good for me too, I'm okay." He looked down at the flower in his hands, "I picked this flower. I don't really like it, but it reminded me of you because it's pretty. What I'm trying to say is you are also pretty, but I like you anyway." Hikaru stopped himself, running a hand through his hair, sighing. "Why is this so hard?" He looked down at his feet, trying to think of how to explain how he felt.. "If words fail, she'll understand." He smiled to himself, "She'll understand."
When he got back to the camp, he saw Kyoya talking to a beautiful female ogre who looked similar to Kimiko.
"Kimiko?" He said in surprise.
"Hikaru…" Kimiko replied in surprise, she was not expecting him back so soon. Kyoya took it as his cue to leave them be and went to find a place to sleep.
"Wow." Hikaru gawked, "That explains a lot."
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner." Kimiko smiled softly, before noticing the flower, "The flower's pretty."
"It's for you." Hikaru replied, handing her the flower.
"Thank you." She looked at the flower, "I would kiss you, I have to turn down Lord Farquad first as a human, so you can fulfill your deal with him. If I kissed you now, he probably wouldn't recognize me as the princess."
Hikaru took Kimiko's hand, "Or I could kiss you now, we can go back and get Yuki, and if he makes a fuss, she can turn him into a human ice sculpture."
"Are you sure?" Kimiko asked, "We've come all this way."
"I've never been surer of anything in my entire life." He replied, cupping her face, "I love you, Kimiko."
"I love you too, Hikaru." She confessed, before closing the distance between her mouth and his in true love's kiss.
End Dream
"What the hell?" I asked confused and groggy after waking up from the dream. It was quarter to four in the morning. "Kimi and Hikaru?" I rubbed my eyes and yawned. The sound of their names and the idea of them together made more and more sense as I thought about it. Memories and words stuck out in my mind and they weren't just recent, some were almost over a year old. The pretend fight we had last year because we got bored and Yuki needed a planned distraction for Kyoya and Tamaki, so she and Kimi could go to a baking seminar. Hikaru took care of their transportation, accommodation, and got them tickets to Universal Studios. When we picked out their suits that time we went to the beach, he was quick to cut me off when Kimi got embarrassed, saying that the burgundy bikini that was picked was because of the color and how it would compliment her figure. He picked that bikini, not me. When Hikaru had to fix things for the Shakespeare project that he, Reiko and Yuki did together, Kimi was the one to help him fix things. Anyone else could have helped him, but it ended up being Kimi. While we were competing for the room at the bed and breakfast, Hikaru spent his free time with her. After we broke up, Hikaru was the one to comfort her, well comfort her more than others. He spent a lot of time with her, took her out, and made her his top priority. Now, months later, they spend most of their time together going to movies, restaurants, festivals, museums, carnivals, paintball, the park, and farmer's markets. She got him to go apple picking. "He's in love with her." The realization and all of the memories of the two of them together stood out and merged together and thinking about it, it all made sense. I don't think he knew though, I think he just knew he wanted to be around her and to be with her. She didn't know how he felt, she would have acted differently or at least I think she would have. I really wasn't sure at this point.
I tried to shake off my thoughts, but they remained. I sighed and went to mine and Hikaru's room to go to bed.
"Why are you up so late?" Hikaru asked tired and confused when I came in.
"I was watching movies and fell asleep on the couch." I replied tensely, I wasn't quite sure what to say after that dream and everything.
"You okay?"
"Odd dream." I sighed, and then told him, knowing he was half asleep, "You know, Hikaru, if you were interested in Kimi and wanted to date her, I would be okay with that."
"Okay…" He replied before falling back asleep. I don't think it really registered with him what I said. I left it alone and went to bed.
Kyoya's POV
After hours of trying to figure out where she could have gone and how I could have missed her when I went to the clock tower, I went to bed. I had to get up early tomorrow, we had an all day event for the club. If I wasn't vice president, I wouldn't go, but I have to. It wouldn't be the same, but it was something I had to get used to whether I liked it or not. Why couldn't she have waited? Even if it was only a few more days, that would have been enough. One more day would have been enough. Why did I waste so much time?
Dream
The will had been witnessed, signed, and delivered, now all that was left was to leave the cursed town before the carriage and its passenger, the sole witness to the will of the now deceased Lady Hatsumi Morinzuka were tracked down by the Headless Horseman. Their efforts however were wasted, for they had left too late. With a maniacal cackle and the crisp swipe of a blade, both the elderly gentleman and his horseman met the same fate as the late Lady Morinzuka, their heads rolling in the grass.
In New York City, a two days' ride from Sleepy Hollow, Constable Kyoya Ootori spent his time trying to bring in some amount of forensic science to a corrupt and unquestioning police department that one could only get away with in the turn of the century.
"The millennium is almost upon us." Kyoya told the judge, "In a few months, we will be in the nineteenth century, yet our courts continue to rely on medieval styles of torture."
"Stand down!" The police chief yelled at him.
"I stand up for sense and justice." Kyoya argued, "Our jail cells continue to be filled with men and women, who are convicted with no more than this-"
Before he could go on, the judge pounded his gavel, "Constable Ootori, this is a song that we have heard from you more than once. Now, there are two courses open to me. First, I can let you cool your heels in the cells until you learn respect for the dignity of my office."
"I beg your pardon,"Kyoya interjected before the judge could continue to his second point, "but why am I the only one to see that the only way to solve crimes, to detect the guilty, we must use our brains to recognize vital clues using up to date scientific techniques?"
"Which brings me to the second course," The judge told him, "there is a town upstate two days' journey to the north in the Hudson Islands. It is a place called Sleepy Hollow, have you heard of it?"
"I have not."
"It is an isolated farming community, mainly Dutch. Three persons have been murdered there all within a fortnight. Each one found with their head chopped off."
"Chopped off?"
"Clean as dandelion heads apparently." The judge clarified, "You will take these experimentations of yours to Sleepy Hollow and there you will detect the murder, bring him here to face our good justice, will you do this?"
"I shall." Kyoya responded, it was a better option than being in a cell until they felt like letting him out.
"Remember, it is you, Kyoya Ootori, who is now put to the test." The judge told him.
Kyoya went home, packed his things, and left for Sleepy Hollow. When he arrived in the small creepy town he made his way to Lord Suoh's home, who was currently hosting a grand party for All Hallow's Eve.
"Who's got a kiss, who's got a kiss, who's got a kiss for the pickety witch?" A young blindfolded blonde woman chanted in the middle of a group in a circle. By the looks of it they were playing a game. She ended up catching Kyoya, who had been slightly too close to the group as he passed by. She gently touched his face, "Is it Allan?"
Kyoya blushed, "No, pardon me, miss, I am only a stranger."
"Then have a kiss on account." She kissed his cheek, before taking off her blindfold. Her beauty struck him, she was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen with her long blonde hair, violet eyes, and delicate features.
"I am looking for Tamaki Suoh." Kyoya told her.
"I am his sister, Yuki." She nodded,
"And who are you friend, we have not heard your name yet." A man interjected annoyed that Yuki was even conversing with Kyoya.
"I have not said it." Kyoya replied simply before turning back to Yuki, "Excuse me." He started to go, but the man stopped him.
"You need to learn some manners."
"Akito! That-" Yuki was about to stop him, but she was cut off by a blonde man with violet eyes. Kyoya could only assume that he was Lord Tamaki Suoh.
"Akito, there is no need for raised spirits during this dark time that I and my dear wife are giving this little party." Tamaki told Akito, and then looked to Kyoya, "Sir, you are most welcome to join us, even if you are selling something."
"Thank you, sir." Kyoya replied, before taking out some papers out of his jacket, "I am Constable Kyoya Ootori, sent to you to investigate murder in Sleepy Hollow."
"Then Sleepy Hollow is grateful to you, Constable Ootori." Tamaki's wife replied, "And I hope you will honor us by remaining in this house."
"Well said, dear." Tamaki agreed, "Come, we'll get you settled."
The party resumed as the Suohs got Kyoya settled into the room he would be staying in. After he unpacked his things he met Tamaki and some other gentlemen in his study. They discussed the murders of the victims and their similarities.
"How much have your superiors explained to you, Constable?" Tamaki asked after a while.
"Only that three were slain in open ground, their heads found severed from their bodies." Kyoya replied gravely.
"Their heads were not found severed." One of the gentlemen, Kaoru, corrected, "Their heads were not found at all."
"The heads are gone?" Kyoya asked confused.
"Taken." Another man, Takashi, responded, "By the Headless Horseman, taken back to hell."
"Pardon, I don't-" Kyoya starte, but Tamaki cut him off.
"Perhaps, you should sit down."
Kyoya did so on the available seat on the couch.
"The Horseman was a Hessian mercenary sent to these shores by German princes to keep Americans under the yoke of England, but unlike his compatriots, who came for money, the Horseman came for love of carnage. When battle was joined, there you'd find him. He was known for slicing off soldiers' heads in battle. This butcher didn't finally reach his end until the winter of '79, not far from here in our western woods. They chopped off his head with his own sword. Even today, the western woods is a haunted place where brave men will not venture. He was laid there to rest after he was killed. And has been so for the last twenty years, but these last few weeks, he has been on the rampage."
"Are you saying that what you believe is these murders have been committed by a ghost?" Kyoya asked.
"Seeing is believing." Takashi responded.
"Gentlemen," Kyoya stood, "Murder needs no ghost to come from the grave. We have murders in New York without the aid of ghouls and goblins."
"You're a long way from New York, Constable." Tamaki told him.
"The assassin is a man of flesh and blood and I will discover him." Kyoya stated.
The meeting dispersed after his statement and Kyoya started to conduct experiments the next day, including one on a victim from that night, who was found in the woods with everything except his head. A funeral was held for the man that afternoon, which the whole town attended. After the funeral, the people departed except for a young boy.
"Mister Constable, sir." The boy ran after Kyoya when he noticed that he was leaving. Kyoya turned to face him, "I am Mistukuni Haniozuka, at your service in honor to avenge my father."
"Well, I thank you very much, but your mother will need you more than I."\
Mitsukuni looked down, "My mother is in Heaven, sir. She has my father now to care for her, but you have no one so serve you. I am your man, sir."
"Yes, and a brave one too, but I cannot be the one to look after you." Kyoya put a hand on Mitsukuni's shoulder, "I'm sorry for your loss, Mister Haniozuka." Kyoya walked away, but was stopped by Hikaru, one of the gentlemen from the meeting last night.
"Constable, there is something you should know." Hikaru told him, "Haniozuka was not the forth victim, but the fifth. Five victims and four graves." He left shortly afterward.
Kyoya looked back to Mitsukuni, "Young Haniozuka, find a place in the Suoh servant quarters and wake me up before dawn. I hope you have a strong stomach, you're going to need it."
The next day, Kyoya had the graves dug up and inspected the bodies. When he inspected Lady Morinzuka's body, he found not only her head gone, but her stomach cut as well. Kyoya instructed the men to bring her grave into the doctor's office so he could use the operating table and run tests in the sanitized space. When he finished running tests, he came out to talk to the group waiting for him.
"Lady Morinzuka was with child." He announced, "It seems she was quite early on in her pregnancy when she was killed, a few months or so at most."
Kyoya could help but catch the mixed emotions on the faces of the people in the group. Hikaru was very calm, he was already aware of the woman's condition, Kaoru and a few of the other men looked shocked, but it was Takashi's expression that struck a chord with him. It was only for a moment, but in that moment Kyoya could see the face of a man who had completely been destroyed by not only the love of his life dying, but reliving it by having her grave dug up, operated on, and finding out he was to have another child.
That night when Kyoya went to go get water, he saw a light in the library and went to go inspect it. Inside the room, he found Miss Yuki Suoh.
"Forgive me for the intrusion, I saw the light." He apologized.
"It's no intrusion." She smiled, "I come here to read when I can't sleep."
Kyoya came inside the library, noticing when he did so, she hid the book, "To read books which you must hide?"
"They were my mother's books. My brother believes that the books are part of what led to her death two years ago. The nurse who cared for her in her sickness is now Lady Suoh." Yuki explained, "How are your investigations going?"
"Some are more conclusive than others."
"It sounds like you are not having too much luck." She replied, before taking a book from her robe, "Take this, it is my gift to you."\
Kyoya looked at it, it was a book of spells and devices of the spirit world. He shook his head, "No, I have no use for it."
"Are you so certain of everything?" She asked him.
Kyoya took the book from her and opened it, "It was your mother's."
"Keep it close to your heart." She told him, "It is sure protection against harm."
"Are you so certain of everything?" He asked her. She smiled softly.
The next day they went for a ride on the grounds that the Suohs currently owned so Kyoya could get a better scope of the town of Sleepy Hollow. That night there was another victim, Hikaru, and this time, Kyoya witnessed the entire thing from the Horseman galloping down, Hikaru's head being sliced clean off, to the Horseman taking the head and galloping away.
The next afternoon, after processing everything, Kyoya met with the group of gentlemen, Mitsukuni, and the Suohs.
"Gentlemen, I need abled bodied men to come with me into the western woods." Kyoya told them, "Who will volunteer?"
After a few moments of silence, Mitsukuni volunteered. The two set out on horseback shortly after.
"Do you hear something?" Mitsukuni asked him.
"I hear nothing." Kyoya told him.
"That's my point."Mitsukunki replied, "It's silent, no birds, no animals, nothing."
They quickened their pace as they headed forward. They came across a cave, coming from inside was the first sound they had heard since they had arrived. The sound of a woman humming.
"Pardon our intrusion." Kyoya greeted her as they came inside the cave, "Perhaps you could help us."
"You from the hollow?" She asked with her back turned to them.
"Yes." Kyoya told her, "I would like to say I make no assumptions about your occupation or your ways, which are nothing to me, whatever you are. Each to us own."
The woman set a dead cardinal down on the table next to her and turned to face them, her face was covered.
"Do you know of the Horseman, ma'am?" Mitsukuni asked her, "The Hessian?"
"You come with me." The woman grabbed Kyoya's shoulder and led him closer to the fire, "Go out, child. Keep away, whatever you hear, keep away."
Mitsukuni went outside and shut the door behind him. The woman led Kyoya to a table and sat him down. She sat on his other side.
"What might he hear that he would need to keep away from?" Kyoya asked as the woman chained herself to the wall.
"He rides to the Hollow and back, I hear him." The woman told him, as she started to mix spices. "I smell the blood on him."
"Well, I am here to find him and make him stop." He replied, as he watched her.
"You must acknowledge the netherworld, I can show you." She told him as she cut off the head of a bat and then poured his blood onto the table.
"What are you doing?"
"You must not move or speak." She instructed, "When the other comes, I will hold him."
"The other?" Kyoya asked confused.
"Silence." She told him, "He comes now." Her head went down on the table, when he went to see if she was alright, her eyes and tongue jumped out of her skull, each looked as if they were attacked by snakes. Kyoya ran out of there as fast as he could.
"We're leaving." Kyoya told Mitsukuni.
"What happened? Mitsukuni asked confused.
"We are leaving now." Kyoya repeated.
They quickly got on to their horses and rushed to the tree of the dead. They were supposed to climb into it to find the Horseman's resting place. As they made their way to it, they ran across someone else on horseback.
"Stay here." Kyoya told Mitsukuni, before going to investigate. When he caught up to the figure, he raised his gun to it and demanded that they show themselves. The figure took off their hood. "Yuki?" He said in surprise, "I could have killed you. Why have you come?"
"Because no one else would go with you." She replied simply.
He took her hand gently, "Well, I am now twice the man because of your white magic."
She smiled and leaned down to kiss him, but before she could do so, Mitsukuni spoke up, he had followed Kyoya, "Pardon my intrusion, I think you'd better get a look at this."
Mitsukuni had found the tree of the dead and led them to it and all of its warped glory. The tree was dark and twisted and bled when it had been cut. Kyoya cut into it and to the hollowed out center in the base of the trunk, revealing all of the severed heads. Mitsukuni buried his head into Yuki's shoulder.
"This tree is a gateway between two worlds." Kyoya told them as he climbed up the tree to the sword that was stabbed into it, "This ground has been disturbed, the soil is loose. Bring the shovel."
Mitsukuni grabbed the shovel and handed it to him. Kyoya dug up the Horseman's grave. "The skull is gone." He told them after he finished, "Taken. That is why the Horseman returns from the grave. To take heads until his own is restored to him."
"Kyoya!" Yuki called up to him as the wind suddenly began to howl. Kyoya moved away from the grave and the three watched as the Horseman came out of the tree and rode off. Kyoya rode after him.
Everything went black after that.
"Do you remember what happened to you?" Kyoya awoke to Yuki hovering over him, "You bruised your head pretty badly."
The memories flooded back to him. He and Akito got into a fight with the Horseman after he killed a family. Akito had instigated the fight with the Horseman, who wasn't after him, and lost his life because of it.
"The Horseman was not set to kill Akito or me." Kyoya told her, "His victims are not random. They are chosen by someone who controls him, by the person who took his skull. Someone who know where to dig. Someone of flesh and blood as I have already said." Kyoya sighed, "I should have never have come to this place. It is destroying my ideas of sense and reason"
"Will you take nothing from Sleepy Hollow that was worth the coming here?" She asked him.
"No." He shook his head, "Not nothing. A kiss from a lovely young woman before she saw my face or knew my name."
"Yes, without sense or reason." She pointed out.
"Forgive me, I speak of kisses and you've lost your brave man, Akito." Kyoya looked down.
"I have shed my tears for Akito, and yet my heart is not broken." She responded, "Do you think me wicked?"
"No." Kyoya told her, "Perhaps there's a bit of witch in you, Yuki."
"Why do you say that?" She asked confused.
"Because you have bewitched me." He replied. She smiled softly and hugged him.
The next morning, he awoke to Lady Suoh by his bedside.
"Hello." He greeted.
"You slept like the dead." She told him.
"You're too kind to me." He responded, "I do not look to be served by the lady of the house."
"Nor would you be, but the servant girl has vanished." She told him.
"Kimi?"
"Run away like so many others." Lady Suoh clarified, "They're all leaving in fear."
"Where is Yuki?" He asked.
"She watched over you till dawn, now it is her turn to sleep." She replied before she left. Mitsukuni came in shortly after. The two worked together to try to figure out who would be the one to conspire against the others, to control the Horseman's head. Hikaru knew there were five bodies to four graves. Takashi was the father, he was obviously not the conspirator, but he could easily be one of the next victims due to his connections to all of the deceased. Tamaki Suoh was now the chief citizen due to one of the first murders. They went to go see Takashi, who was the notary.
"Leave me alone." Takashi told them.
"Not before I see the will and testament of Fujioka." Kyoya told him.
"He left everything to his daughter." Takashi told him.
"Who died with him." Kyoya pointed out, "So it passes to the next of kin."
"Naturally." Takashi nodded.
"Who would that be?" Kyoya asked. Takashi remained silent.
"Her cousin, Hatsumi." Mitsukuni told him.
"Hatsumi." Kyoya nodded, processing the information, "She was your wife. She and the Fujioka's were killed, so it would go to someone else, their next of kin, Tamaki Suoh."
"That does not sound like Lord Tamaki to kill to gain." Mitsukuni said as they left Takashi's office.
"Who of the Suohs would though?" Kyoya asked.
"I don't know." Mitsukuni replied, "We could ask Yuki. I mean if something ever happened to Tamaki, she would be the next of kin since Lady Suoh was killed this morning by the Horseman, I saw the body. Although, if anyone would be behind all of this she would have if she wasn't dead, she's quite greedy, been after the Fujioka's land for years since she married Tamaki, she was climbing the ranks before that though."
"I don't think we have to have to ask Yuki." Kyoya said putting the pieces together.
"Why?"
"Because I don't think Lady Suoh is dead." Kyoya replied, "We need to hurry quickly though."
They had found Yuki at the mill on the the Suoh property. She was running out of the mill with Lady Suoh coming down after her.
"Yuki!" Kyoya called to her when he saw her. She ran to him. "Thank god."
"We have to go now." She told him, but it was too late the Horseman was already there. They ran back inside the mill.
"Mind your head." Lady Suoh called after her.
They ran up to the top and closed the doors behind them, securing the bulkhead doors with a shovel underneath the handles and sandbags on top of the door. After they did so, they headed to the roof. Kyoya started the fan on the wheel on his way up and dropped the lantern into the mill after the Horseman got in and started to climb up after them. They jumped on to the sails as the mill started to catch fire and made their way to the horses.
"Is he dead?" Mitsukuni asked.
"That's the problem, he was dead to begin with." Kyoya replied. They quickly got on to the horses and left.
"Where are we going?" Mitsukuni asked Kyoya as Horseman chased after them.
"Anywhere but here." Kyoya replied simply.
"We have to do something, he's going to keep chasing us if we don't." Yuki told them.
"Go to the tree." Kyoya told Mitsukuni.
When they got to the tree, they got off their horses and walked over to it, but Lady Suoh was already there.
"Run, Yuki." Kyoya told her. She started to run, but Lady Suoh shot Kyoya. He fell to the ground. Mitsukuni ran to him.
Lady Suoh rode over to Yuki on her horse and caught her by her hair, "Here!" She called to the Horseman, "Take her, she's yours!" She told him as Yuki struggled to get free as the Horseman walked to her, but it was no use, Lady Suoh's grip was too tight.
"You're not dead." Mitsukuni said relieved as Kyoya got up.
Kyoya saw the satchel that held the Horseman's skull and ran to get it, fighting Lady Suoh for it. Mitsukuni knocked her out with a branch and Kyoya grabbed the skull just as the Horseman grabbed Yuki.
"Horseman!" Kyoya called to him. The Horseman dropped Yuki once he saw the skull in Kyoya's hands. He tossed the skull to the horseman, who put it on his head. Kyoya ran to Yuki, she hugged him. When they pulled away, he opened his jacket to show her the book she had given him, it had stopped the bullet. Once the Horseman was fully attached, he got back on his horse, picked up Lady Suoh, and rode back into the underworld.
The next morning, the three of them went back to New York to live a less eventful life.
End Dream
I woke up shaking my head, "Why did it have to be that movie?"
If it had to be Tim Burton, who was not one of my favorites, why did it have to be that one? It was not a movie, I particularly enjoyed, nor was it one of Yuki's. She liked it fine, but she preferred his work on the Batman movies, Nightmare Before Chrismas, and Corpse Bride. The only reason why it would have been this movie was because the club watched it as one of the movies to get ideas for the Halloween events. Three fourths of the way through the movie, I had stopped paying attention. I don't know why it would have stuck in my memory or why it would have put my father as the Horseman or Renge as Lady Suoh. I will admit she is outlandish, but I do not think I could characterize her as a villain, but she was in the dream. I wonder if any of the others end up having dreams where she is a villain or causes problems. Her being Lady Suoh didn't make sense though, she hates Tamaki.
I sighed, "It's just a dream. A confusing, nonsensical dream." I took a deep breath and tried to clear my head, but smaller details wouldn't budge, "Why New York of all places? Why that movie?" I grabbed my glasses and picked up a book and started to read, knowing this wouldn't go away any time soon tonight. If I continued to focus on details of that dream any longer, I would miss her more than I already did. I'd feel even worse that she left and I wasted the last few months. I could have spent more time with her, or at least tried even harder to find a way around Akito, but she was gone.
Kimi's POV
The next morning, the entire class was in the newspaper for running out on the test of courage tournament.
"They really got us good." I smiled and shook my head. I would have been annoyed, but I was too impressed by what they had pulled off.
"Anyone can tell from the picture that the shadow is of Beelzenef." Hikaru laughed lightly.
"But you wouldn't be able to notice that from where we were standing." Carmen commented, "After everything last night, we would have believed almost anything without question."
"All of it was fake though." Haruhi responded.
"But there was no way we could have known that though." Kaoru told her.
When we got to music room three, the only ones there were Tamaki, Kyoya, and Reiko. We looked at each other confused and then looked at the tree of them sitting on the couches, Tamaki and Kyoya opposite Reiko. Nothing was set up or put together, it was just the three of them. We were supposed to have some type of event today. Everything would have been done long before now.
"Where's Yuki?" I asked, deciding to be the first to speak up about the odd sight.
"She's gone." Reiko answered, "She left last night."
So, it had finally happened. I wasn't surprised that she left without a face to face goodbye with everyone. It would be too sentimental and would take too long, especially to give all of us an individual goodbye. By the looks of it, neither Tamaki nor Kyoya got a goodbye in person. No one said anything after Reiko told us that she had left, which allowed her to continue.
"Each of you have a letter and she left something else with me so she could have another way to say goodbye." Reiko held up a disc, "Anyway we can play it?
Kyoya put the disc into his laptop and connected an HDMI cord to it so we could see it on the projector screen.
"How does this thing work again? We used to borrow it all the time." Yuki asked.
"I think you mean steal it and it's already on." Sumi answered off screen.
"Oh." Yuki smiled sheepishly, "We never stole his camera, we borrowed it without permission and he never bothered to check the data on it."
"You're on camera and it's recording." Sumi reminded her, "We don't have the time to redo this. I have to return the camera before he notices it's gone."
"Right." Yuki replied, before starting her message to us, "Hi guys, if you're watching this, I've already left Japan. I wish I actually had an idea of what I was going to say to everyone in this. I really just wanted a more personal goodbye to add to the letters. Yeah, you all have letters. And I do mean all, even Renge has one."
"You wrote Renge one?" Sumi asked surprised.
Yuki looked down with a small knowing smile, "I had something I wanted to say to her." She looked back up at the camera, "I had something to say to everyone in the club. We might as well face it, Renge is a member of the club whether we recognize it or not. The point is you all have letters and they are hidden somewhere in Ouran and a few other places we have enjoyed in the past couple of years. My last event that I've put together is one for you guys. You guys never truly get to participate in an event without putting on a show. There will be no guests coming today or for the weekend. The remainder of the events in the schedule are for you. Follow the clues, work together, and you guys will find them. You will not be given anything unless you all work together. I have a few very good friends to help me with that. A few took a couple of days off, one drove up, another flew in, and some rearranged their plans to help with this elaborate scheme. They are well informed of everything and agree to their roles. Please don't let all of our efforts be for nothing. Good luck."
"What the hell?" I asked confused, and then looked to Kyoya, Tamaki, and Reiko, "Do you guys already have your letters?"
"Kyoya and I found ours." Tamaki answered.
"No, but I already knew about this and volunteered to help." Reiko told us, "This assignment of sorts is for you seven."
"What did you guys do before she left, watch P.S. I Love You?" Haruhi asked.
"No, but I'm a little surprised you've seen it." Reiko replied.
"My dad likes it." Haruhi shrugged.
Reiko nodded, "Guys, this task is simple: listen to us, follow the clues, do what you guys are told, and stay together."
