Chapter 13 Elephants

It was a sunny day the next morning and all seven host club members were underneath a bright and colourful pavilion eating ice cream.

"Weird," said Kaoru, leaning against a wall with graffiti all over it, "this ice cream is curry flavoured."

"GAH!" Hunny was dancing around the other twin in agitation, "Hika-chan, don't put chilli sauce on your ice cream!"

"Careful, careful Mitzuke," muttered Mori. He set his mango ice cream down and started following Hunny anxiously and trying to stop the hand holding the chocolate ice cream from flailing about too much.

"This is even more bizarre," Hikaru glanced evenly at Kaoru, and licked his ice cream, now smothered with the hottest chilli sauce the store offered.

"Nothing beats vanilla!" Tamaki thrust his ice cream in front of Haruhi. "The delicate and delectably smooth and creamy taste of vanilla ice cream is only suitable for the exquisite palette of the finest-"

"Why not have more than one flavour?" interrupted Kyouya quietly, as he emerged with his three scoop ice cream.

Haruhi nibbled at her strawberry ice, and eyed her friends. Since when have we started comparing ice creams?

"ARGHHHH!!!" Haruhi screamed. Hunny had just run into her.

"ARGHHHHHHHHH!!!!" screamed six male voices. "Haruhi, Haruhi, are you okay?"

Haruhi blinked and sat up. "I'm fine. But…" Something cold, squishy and brown had spread all over her left cheek.

"H-h-h…" Hunny looked like as if he was going to burst into tears. His wafer ice cream cone was crushed in his hands.

"Mitzuke," Mori said sternly. "Apologize to Haruhi."

"MY CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM!!!" wailed Hunny.

Haruhi winced. "It's ok, Hunny. I'll buy you another one."

"NO!" Tamaki pushed her back down on the floor. "I will buy it." He majestically took out a napkin and proceeded to wipe off the ice cream from Haruhi's cheek when someone pushed him away.

"I WILL," Hikaru hissed fiercely. "Since we-" he glanced at Kaoru. "I took Haruhi here. She's my guest, so I'll pay."

"You forget," Kaoru replied smoothly, "I have the wallet. You don't."

The floor was hard and bumpy and Haruhi wished she could stand up, but Tamaki, Hikaru and Kaoru had pinned her down to the floor with their arms. Really now, now we're fighting over who to pay for Hunny's second ice cream. The ice cream was uncomfortable and sticky and she wanted to wipe it off her face.

"Why all this arguing?" Kyouya emerged from the shadows and pushed a new chocolate ice cream into Hunny's hands. "I just bought it. You don't have to pay, Haruhi. And no, it won't go to your debt." He pushed his glasses up his nose. It seemed like he was smirking at the muted look on everyone else's face.

Great, Haruhi didn't like the silence that followed. Maybe it was never a good idea to go on this, what did Sempai call it? A Host Club bonding holiday.

"No." Hunny suddenly piped and broke the tension. "I don't want my new ice cream. I want my old one." His new ice cream went sailing through the air and landed on Tamaki's shoe.

"WHAT!!!???"

Hunny giggled. He bounded off to Haruhi. Before anyone could realize what was happening, or do anything to stop him, Hunny's pink tongue slipped out and licked all the chocolate ice cream off Haruhi's cheek.

Haruhi froze. The thing was, everyone had noticed how the tip of Hunny's tongue had teasingly touched the edge of her mouth.

"ELEPHANTS!" screamed Tamaki. "IN." he pointed viciously at the limousine. "EVERONE IN. NO MORE ICE CREAM EATING. WE'RE GOING TO SEE THE ELEPHANTS. NOW."

"Milord," Hikaru sneered, not moving an inch, "We've already been-"

"QUIET!" Tamaki pushed Hikaru's ice cream into the bin. In fury, Hikaru pushed Tamaki, who fell over and knocked Kaoru's ice cream on the floor. Mori picked up Hikaru to stop him, who started kicking. His shoe fell off and landed on top of Mori's ice cream still on the table. Mori dropped Hikaru on top of a bush. Insects angrily buzzed out. Kyouya looked down to see his ice cream full of bugs.

It was chaos.

It was terrible.

Everyone's ice creams were spoiled. Except Haruhi's.

"It's okay Haruhi, you can still eat yours." Tamaki said kindly. Five other voices erupted into sound.

"Well of course."

"I was going to say that-"

"No I-"

Haruhi sighed for the fifth time that day. They were now all grumpily bundled into the limousine which was swerving and jerking at a high speed. Hunny was humming a song. Mori was staring out the window. Hikaru's fingers twitched every now and then. Kaoru fixed his eyes on his shoe. Tamaki secretly started growing mushrooms. Kyouya was hidden behind his silver laptop. The outside scenery flashed past. Haruhi's watch ticked.

It was a scene that had repeated itself three times already. Haruhi sighed inwardly again.

She had been shoved into that limousine three times that day. Every time they went to some famous attraction, something would go wrong. The first time, they had gone to have elephant rides. One elephant must have three people, the lady stressed. Her male friends had argued over which two of them would sit with Haruhi. Finally after much chaos, Tamaki had screamed at all of them to stop and demanded that they now go to the sacred temples.

It was a good thing the limousine seated many people in one compartment. Otherwise there would be a fight over who she sat with. Currently, Haruhi was strapped to the middle of the compartment. Everyone sat around her. At first, Haruhi felt like some zoo animal being watched by a pack of hungry and greedy people. Then she had lightly commented on her discomfort at being stared at all the time, so now none of them even dared to look at her.

Haruhi shifted her position on her cushion. Oh, she forgot. They were all sitting around her in a perfect circle arrangement. The first limousine had a rectangular passenger compartment, so Kyouya had arranged for a special limousine with a circle one. She didn't even know those existed. It was quite ridiculous. But all of them had agreed that this was fair. Now everyone was an equal distance away from Haruhi as they traveled.

At the sacred temples, the priest explained (through a translator who happened to also be their limo chauffer) that you could buy a lucky charm for someone and hang it on the temples as a blessing. Haruhi did one for her father. Her friends all wanted to do one for her. But the old man had said it was against the rules to hang up more than one charm for the same person. Due to uncontrollable loud bickering, the priest had kicked them out of the temple. Rich or not, influential or not, the old man was determined in keeping the spiritual peace of the temple.

Then they had gone to the cultural markets. Hunny had complained about the hot weather so Tamaki suggested ice cream. That was how the whole ice cream fiasco, where-Hunny-almost-kissed-Haruhi happened.

Haruhi let out another long heavy sigh. Really, she had wanted to go home. When she had mentioned "back to normal", she had hinted at going back to Japan. No, no, no, Tamaki had dismissed her pleas. He told her with childish glee, that they were going to have a Host Club bonding holiday. Haruhi glanced at Tamaki. He looked comically upset and fidgety. Was it really the same person? The same person who…? Haruhi cast her mind back to that early morning of the holiday spree. It had been about dawn, maybe 5 or 6am.

"I'm sorry Haruhi." Someone was breathing gently against her cheek and whispering into her ear.

"What?" Haruhi murmured confusedly, still half asleep. She shifted and the blankets rustled.

"Thank you for thinking about the Host Club," the voice was soft and sad. A finger touched her cheek and she felt it trailing downwards, stopping at her chin.

"Sempai!" she gasped, and flicked her eyes open. She saw the wall. Quickly, she turned around. But the person was already gone. In the faint glimmer of the rising sun, she saw a flash of fair hair. But it could have just been fair because of the light. How he got into her room, she didn't know. How she knew with certainty that it was Tamaki, she didn't know either. But it left her feeling more confused than ever.

"Stop," Kyouya's voice was tight and tense.

"What?" Haruhi snapped out of her reverie. The limousine stopped at Kyouya's command. Haruhi felt confused. Everyone had stopped looking annoyed or upset. It was replaced by an emotion she identified as fear.

"There's something going on," Kaoru gripped at his arm rest.

"I don't think we were supposed to use this road." Kyouya frowned.

"Sir," the driver at the front was pale and stuttering. "T-T-There are a mob of people surrounding this car."

"MITZUKE!" Mori wrenched Hunny's hands away from the window opening button. "Don't open the window."

"Don't open any doors." Tamaki followed quickly. His eyes were alert.

"What's going on?" Haruhi found herself trembling. "Hikaru-" she glanced up at him. He had moved closer towards her and clasped his hands reassuringly over hers. "It's okay Haruhi. We're passing through some country areas. I think some locals have come out and are curious about our limousine." He gave a twisted smile.

"Oh…" the girl visibly relaxed. "Then it should be fine. Let's go out and meet them-"

"No." The doors all clicked locked. Kyouya turned to face her. "It may be friendly locals. It may be a gang."

"Keep moving," Kaoru suddenly commanded the driver. "Go slowly."

Haruhi felt the car slide forwards. She pressed her hands against the dark windows and tried to see out of it. Suddenly she saw a little girl holding up her hands towards her.

"Kyouya," Haruhi called out sharply, "I want to get out."

They stared at her.

"I saw a little girl out there. She's asking for our help." Haruhi started feeling angry at the lack of response.

"They want money." Mori answered her hollowly.

"And? Are we rich or not?" Haruhi demanded.

"It's not that…" Kaoru tried to explain. "I came here last time. We gave them money but they kept following us."

"Sometimes they bash up the car," Hikaru said suddenly. "We can't give them anything, Haruhi."

"It's not a gang," Kyouya said with some relief. "Haruhi I'm sorry, but its common safety not to give too much to these people."

"C-can't we help them at all?"

"Haruhi," Tamaki was determined. "We'll do something about it, but only when we get home. Kyouya can arrange everything." The girl was silent.

Haruhi flicked the lock open. Before anyone could stop her, she climbed out of the car, and tumbled out onto the dirt road.

---

"OW!" Haruhi gasped. Big, flat, white toenails. Something grey and thick as a young tree. Hot, stinky breath on her exposed neck. She looked up and was blinded by the dazzling white tusk of an enormous and fully grown elephant.

"HARUHI!" six voices yelled. One by one, all of the host club members clambered out of the limo, only to be struck by the sight of hundreds of elephants lining the street.

The little girl that Haruhi had sighted through the dark window giggled and spoke rapidly in a foreign tongue.

"What did she say?" Kyouya asked the chauffeur swiftly.

The man still looked shaken. "She said, we've just drove into a local festival."

"Take the car to the other street." The man obeyed and came back.

"T-This will be interesting." Hikaru said faintly. "We've never experienced this before."

There were thousands of people watching. Was it her imagination, but were there young ladies situated every 5 feet dressed in the most beautiful outfits? Haruhi puzzled over it as well as admiring the handiwork and designs. The many elephants were moving again, down the road, now that the car was out the way. Why were there so many elephants? What was this festival? Why were there those beautiful Indian girls?

Haruhi watched hypnotized as the elephants stamped past her. Kyouya narrowed his eyes. "Haruhi."

"What?" Haruhi jumped.

"They've stopped."

"Oh…"

"Look up," Tamaki's voice was tense.

She did. A local man was seated above an elephant. He was elaborately dressed in fabulous colours. His dark skin shone and his dark eyes were resting on her face. Suddenly he spoke in a deep and rich voice.

"W-What did he say? Did he say it to me?" Haruhi glanced uncertainly at the chauffer. The man looked stunned.

"What did he say?" Hikaru asked urgently, shaking their translator. The crowd had gone silent before, but now there was a lot of whispering. Haruhi noticed with unease that some of the beautiful Indian girls were staring at her with an open look of dislike. Others were sobbing into their hands.

"H-he, He-" The translator cleared his throat. "This is a festival for the chief of the village to choose a bride."

"What?" spluttered Tamaki.

The translator glanced at Haruhi. "A-and…he's chosen. He's asking you… to… marry him."

---

Haruhi never thought, for a million years, that something like this would be happening to her. She was sixteen for god's sake. And now, at her feet were six men bowing down to her and asking for her hand in marriage. What the? No, wait, there was more. Six men pleading at her, at the same time, same place for her to marry him. What were they using to persuade her? What were they offering to help her make the choice? Elephants. Yep, that's right. Elephants. They were being competitive, with elephants.

"WHY did you do it?" Haruhi remembered herself asking her friends countless number of times afterwards.

"Because," Kyouya had answered. "Some people are just plain stupid."

"And," Hikaru had added, "Some people just wanted pure fun."

"This is terrible." Tamaki paced up and down. He looked a right mess. He was in total disarray. "Haruhi is being forced to marry the local chief."

"A person she doesn't know." Kaoru added.

"A foreign person. An Indian." Hikaru added.

"A person who is much older than her!" Tamaki wringed his hands. Privately, he was thinking; a person who is not me.

"This is terrible." Mori murmured.

"Haru-chan! Haru-chan!" Hunny was on the verge of tears. "What should we do?"

"We know…" the twins said slowly in unison.

"Want to play a game, milord?" Hikaru poked Tamaki.

"How can you be thinking about games!" Tamaki cried.

"It's called the who-can-save-Haruhi-from-marrying-the-local-chief-by-beating-his-proposal-of-elephants game," Kaoru enlightened him.

"In other words milord," Hikaru smirked at Tamaki's blank expression,. "the game to see who can get the most number of elephants, to beat the chief, so that by law, Haruhi will have to chose us \. Therefore she won't have to marry the chief. Therefore she will be saved."

"But…" Hunny wondered, "That means one of us will end up marrying Haruhi."

There was a pause. All blushed at the thought.

"Of course not," snapped Hikaru. He was red from head to toe. "It's a game to save Haruhi from her fate."

"Kyouya, are you going to play? Will this be the first Hitachiin game you will participate in?" Kaoru beckoned at the figure hidden behind his computer screen.

"Of course not," came the cool reply. "I never play pointless games."

"POINTLESS?" Tamaki was blue with shock at Kyouya's reply. "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? THIS IS OUR PRECIOUS DAUGHTER BEING MARRIED OFF TO AN UNKNOWN PERSON!"

Minutes later they all took off on their own paths, in search of elephants. Kyouya remained behind. It always happened like this.

"Kaoru?"

"Hikaru?"

The twins stared at each other. "Let's work together."

"So we can beat milord."

They sniggered.

Where was Haruhi? She was resting in a special house. She had one night to make her choice about the chief's proposal. She had no idea, until the next morning that she had five more proposals.

So, Haruhi found herself facing six men who wanted to marry her. First there was the chief, than Hikaru, Kaoru, Tamaki, Mori and Hunny. The funny thing was, Hikaru and Kaoru were working together, and Mori and Hunny were working together. She didn't know whether it was allowed. Did that mean they were proposing for her to marry the two of them?

Their translator stood by her side, translating under his breath as the Indian chief spoke. "He is saying, that he offers 235 elephants to your family in exchange for your hand in marriage. He hopes that you will consider his proposal and accepts. He thinks you will make a fine wife." The translator explained as he went along. "You may think it is bizarre, but in this village elephants are the monetary unit. Please respect the culture."

"Yes," Haruhi replied faintly.

Now it was Tamaki's turn. "Quality over quantity." He stated. "I present the most exquisite gift to my bride to be. My elephants are the best quality. Surely, such beauty surpasses all numbers." He gave a glorious laugh. "I am the best choice. Behold!" He flung away the red cloth. To reveal a cage. With a single elephant. It's tusks were positively black compared to the shiny white tusks of the chief's elephants. The worst thing was a red collar around the elephant's neck with the inscription:

FuFu the elephant from Rhando Zoo

Haruhi dropped her glass of water. What the &((??? Did he actually steal that from the local zoo??!!

"Quantity over quality," the Hitachiin twins grinned. "We beat the chief in the number of elephants we present to our dear Haruhi. 567 elephants!" They flourished their hands. There came a huge thumping and roaring. Suddenly the whole street was filled with elephants. Elephants, elephants everywhere! Their grey shapes stretched off into the horizon.

Haruhi dropped her second glass of water. )$#$!!! WHERE did they get that many elephants from???!!!

"I think I'm the best choice!" chimed Hunny. He gave Haruhi his super sweet look. Mori nodded. "DADADA!!!"

Haruhi slumped in her chair. I can't believe he drew a picture of elephants. They don't even look like elephants. Omg, they actually look like bunnies.

"So what is your choice?" the translator had quite a job trying to get that message across to Haruhi. The girl straightened up.

"I have made my choice." She said in a clear voice.

"Oh, she's made a choice!!!" squealed Tamaki in excitement.

"I reject all offers."

"WHAT!!!" The host club members looked aghast.

Haruhi turned to the chief and spoke kindly, the translator helping them overcome the language barrier. "I respect your offer. But I cannot marry you. I'm sorry. I hope you find a nice wife soon." The chief nodded with grim acceptance and walked away.

"But! Haruhi, what about us?" the host club members looked at her anxiously.

"You guys are the biggest bunch of idiots I have ever had the misfortune to meet," she replied shortly. "Of course I was going to say no. Did you think I was going to be forced into marriage?"

"Exactly," sighed Kyouya. He had just arrived at the scene.

"KYOUYA!" They clambered around him.

"Is that why you said no to the game?" Hunny asked.

"Duh."

Tamaki was dying in the corner. "After all that I sacrifed…." He sobbed. Harsh images of his midnight adventure in the zoo, trying to overcome the security guards jabbed at him.

The Hitachiin twins grinned evilly. "Whatever. It was fun. Importing elephants."

Hikaru stretched. "I haven't had this much fun in sooo long. Good work Kaoru."

"And you." They clapped high fives.

---

They were walking slowly back to the limo. Finally, they were going back to the hotel. Finally, this was the last night in India. Finally, they were going home.

"Guys, I want to say I've decided on my Prom Partner."

The male members of the host club froze, all still as rabbits as they listened to Haruhi.

"Y-You've decided on who to take?"

"Yes, Tamaki." Haruhi smiled. "This whole "Host club bonding holiday" made me realize."

WHAT??!!! Tamaki was panicking. I was the one who acted most stupid. Oh no! She's saying she will never ever choose me.

"What is your choice?" Hikaru asked flatly.

Haruhi sighed. She reached inside her pockets and drew out a mobile phone. "You're all my best friends. I don't want to hurt any of you. And this morning, it was clear how much I've created a rift."

They watched her intensely.

"Are you saying…?"

Haruhi nodded at Kyouya. "That's why I've decided not to go to the Prom with anyone who loves me as a woman."

Lighting struck all of them.

Haruhi showed them a message on her phone. "Kasanova-kun texted me today-"

"KASANOVA-KUN?" Six faces were of horror.

"-and asked me to go to the Prom with him." Haruhi continued firmly. "This is his message:

Dear Haruhi

How are you holidays? I hope you are having fun. I was meaning to ask you before term finished, but I never got a chance. Will you go to the Prom with me? I mean, just as friends? I would, well I would really like to go with you.

Kasanova

And I've decided to go with him. Just as friends. This way, none of you will be hurt. Just for this Prom. I hope you will understand."

Haruhi smiled and climbed into the limo.

Tamaki was shaking turning green. "She She she !!!! Going as friends???!!! That is totally NOT his intention at all!!!!"

Kyouya was silent. His face was a still as stone. Mori was too. Of course Haruhi is again, dense in this area.

Hunny laughed. "Well as least this is a good outcome."

"What do you mean?" Kaoru found his voice.

"We're all united now! We're all the same now!"

"Haha," Hikaru laughed bitterly, "True."

---

Haruhi walked back and forth across the corridor, back in the hotel. She was sighing a little. What should I do? At least I've solved the problem of the Prom. But what should I do?

She turned and saw Kyouya walking up the stairs towards her. "Kyouya-sempai!"

"Haruhi," he said slowly. They stared at each other. "Haruhi, you can't avoid our feelings."

"I know, Kyouya." I don't know what to do. Haruhi averted her eyes. I feel uncomfortable. I want to go back to my room. "I'll be going back now." Haruhi gestured awkwardly.

Kyouya stared after her. His heart felt hollow. She doesn't have any feelings for me.

"Kyouya!" Haruhi's eyes widened. Kyouya's eyes were dull. His face was so unbearable close. She felt that his arms were pinning her to the wall.

"Sorry Haruhi." He whispered. "I'm taking advantage of you now because I know I will never have the chance again." The distance between them closed. Their lips touched. Kyouya-sempai…? Their mouths slipped and slided over each other. Then he was gone.

Haruhi stood there a little shocked. Her heart was hammering like crazy. Kyouya's figure had already melted away into the shadows.

AN/ Pls don't kill me for revealing who Haruhi's Prom Partner is!! That is my first request! -hides- I hope you liked the chapter. Remember Prom King and Queen nominations closes 24/22/07. Thanks to everyone who continually supports this fic! Feel free to criticize though, . Until -roughly- next week,

lu.e3