I do not own Ouran High School Host Club
Thanks to the people who've been reviewing! I've been working really hard on this chapter so the more people who review the better! Please review when you're done- it'll motivate me to write the next chapter faster!
Kagura's eyes drooped from where she lounged on the couch beside Sakura, across from Hikaru and Kaoru.
"You OK Kagura-chan? You look tired." Kaoru said worriedly. "I'm fine." Kagura widened her eyes, trying to look alert. She didn't know why no one had pointed out Hikaru's dark eyes- the bruises underneath his were as dark, if not darker then Kagura's.
We've been having the same nightmares. Kagura thought grimly, drawing her fingers through Smoke's fur. He knew about the shared dreams, but he didn't offer any advice on how to stop it, other then to sleep when Hikaru wasn't sleeping.
And how am I supposed to do that? Call Hikaru and tell him not to sleep tonight so I can? Kagura thought irritably.
The Third Music Room was quiet, but it wasn't awkward; everyone seemed more tired then usual.
"It's been such a long week." Hikaru groaned, leaning back and closing his eyes, throwing his arm over his eyes.
"I hate exams." Sakura agreed with a sigh. Kagura thanked her lucky stars she didn't have to take them until further notice, since she had only started two days before. She couldn't imagine how exhausted Hikaru must be.
"Lucky us, we get a vacation for the next two weeks." Hikaru muttered, not looking up.
"A vacation?" Sakura echoed, her eyes confused. Kaoru sighed. "Yeah, we have to go to our Aunts house." He muttered, not looking happy about it.
"Lucky. We're going to be trapped here." Kagura groaned. "We wish we didn't have to go." Hikaru sighed, sitting back up. "She doesn't have electricity. It's going to be a snore-fest." He muttered.
"Still more entertaining then school." Sakura and Kagura pointed out in unison. Kagura smiled slightly when they spoke together, realizing how much she'd missed that.
Pictures flashed through her mind of Hikaru and mixed emotions and she blinked, understanding what Smoke was telling her quickly.
He's just pretending he doesn't want to go? He actually wants to go really badly? Kagura thought in surprise. More pictures and emotions flooded her brain.
Ah, I see. He just wants Kaoru all to himself. I get it. She glanced at Hikaru with a new understanding in her eyes. She understood his want to be alone with his twin for once; even though Sakura had been sticking close to her side lately, when she saw Kaoru and Sakura together she felt a pang of loneliness and betrayal, like her twin was abandoning her.
Pictures flashed through her mind at a quick, almost angry pace.
I know she loves me; I just can't help feeling this way. She assured Smoke, stroking him. He twitched his tail, not believing her. He liked Sakura, and didn't tolerate any ill thoughts of her.
You're such a good cat. Kagura thought warmly, scratching him behind the ears. Smoke purred softly in response.
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Hikaru and Kaoru sat in front of the phone, waiting for their aunt to answer.
"Hello?" They both leaned forward and placed the phone on speaker.
"Hello Arisa-chan!" They called in unison. Their aunt had told them to call her that.
"Hello boys! I can't wait to see you in a few days!" She said warmly. Hikaru and Kaoru glanced at one another. "You sure you want to ask this?" Hikaru asked his twin quietly and Kaoru nodded firmly. "You're on your own." He grinned, scooting backwards. Kaoru sighed and turned to the phone.
"Actually I wanted to ask you a question about that." Kaoru said hesitantly. There was a pause on the other line as their aunt waited for him to continue.
"I was wondering… could I maybe bring a friend?" He blurted out finally. "Of course!" Arisa laughed. "Bring as many as you like! My house has been so empty lately, the more the merrier!" She said. "Phew, I was worried you guys were going to cancel!" She exclaimed, laughing again.
"Of course not." Kaoru assured her. "May I ask which of your friends this is? Any of the Host Club?" Arisa asked.
"Nah, the Hosts aren't very big on horses." Hikaru said, coming closer. "Ah, a girlfriend perhaps?" There was more then a hint of a smile in Arisa's voice. Kaoru blushed and Hikaru answered for him.
"Yeah, he can't bear to leave her for two weeks." He grinned and Kaoru shoved him out of the way.
"Ah, Kaoru-kun, it's so good you've made a lady friend." Arisa said. "Now, what about you Hikaru? Anything interesting in your love life lately?" She asked. Hikaru let out the faintest of sighs. "No, nothing." He muttered.
"Aw, that's disappointing. You're such a cute boy Hikaru, and a real gentleman; you'll make a great husband someday." Kaoru snickered and Hikaru punched his shoulder, knocking him over with an audible thud.
"Boys, no fighting." Arisa said sharply and they both froze. "Sorry." They muttered in unison.
"Well, I gotta go feed the horses. It was great hearing from you guys! See you soon!" She hung up before they had a chance to say their goodbyes.
"'Oh Hikaru, you're such a gentleman…'" Kaoru teased and Hikaru stuck his tongue out at him.
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Kagura and Sakura were lounging on their bed, laughing at a comment Kagura had made about Tamaki's behavior earlier, when Sakura's cell phone rang.
"Hello?" She answered it quickly. Her eyes brightened at once. "Kaoru! Why are you calling this late?" She asked. She listened for a moment, a slow smile stretching across her face. Kagura leaned forward eagerly, trying to hear the conversation but Sakura shooed her away with a grin.
"I'd love to Kaoru! But what about Kagura?" She asked, and Kagura raised her head when Sakura mentioned her.
"I'll ask my mom and Kagura and I'll call you back tomorrow, OK?" she asked. After a moment she blushed lightly and glanced at Kagura. "I love you too. Good night." She hung up the phone.
"What did Kaoru want?" Kagura asked immediately. Sakura grinned. "Remember the vacation he was talking about?" She asked. "Yeah…?" Kagura looked at her twin warily.
"He's invited us!" Sakura nearly squealed. Kagura's eyebrows shot up. "Seriously?" She demanded and Sakura nodded eagerly. "So? Do you want to go?" She asked. "Are you going?" Kagura asked in return, not answering yet. Sakura looked taken aback. "Of course!" She exclaimed. Kagura grinned. "Then I'm in!"
"Great! I'll go ask Mom!" Sakura jumped up and ran out of the room. Smoke hopped up onto her spot of the bed, curling up into a ball and fixing Kagura with a questioning gaze. Kagura laughed and rubbed his head.
"Of course I'll take you with." She grinned.
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Hikaru stood with his arms crossed, taping his foot impatiently.
"They should be here soon." Kaoru said, eyeing his brother's tapping foot. "I know!" Hikaru snapped, and sighed. "Sorry." He muttered. Kaoru nodded and looked at his brother with worried eyes.
"You haven't been sleeping at all lately." He said gently. "What's wrong?" He asked, nor for the first time. "Nothing! I'm fine!" Hikaru growled and Kaoru sighed. "I don't know why you won't tell me. I thought we told each other everything." He said, his eyes hurt. Hikaru sighed again.
"I'm sorry Kaoru. I just think talking about it will make it worse, not better." He explained and Kaoru nodded. "OK. I understand. But if you change your mind, I'm right here." He said. Hikaru smiled slightly. "I know. Thanks Kaoru."
They both turned their heads when they heard the sounds of a car approaching. A long white limo stopped in front of them and Kagura and Sakura got out. Hikaru's eyes narrowed when he saw that Kagura was holding that creepy cat.
Did she have to bring it? He thought irritably. As though hearing his thoughts, the cats turned his head slowly towards Hikaru and hissed, baring his teeth menacingly. Hikaru took a step back and Kagura smiled slightly, adjusting her grip on Smoke.
They stood in silence, waiting as the servants placed Kagura and Sakura's bags in the Hitachin limo.
Finally, when everything was loaded, they settled in the limo.
"How long is the ride there?" Kagura asked. "About three or four hours." Kaoru said. Kagura sighed and leaned back in the seat. "Anyone know any good road games?" She asked hopefully. Hikaru and Kaoru glanced at each other, each drawing a blank.
"None." Kaoru admitted and Kagura groaned. She glanced towards Sakura as she scooted towards Kaoru and placed her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. "Wake me up when we get there." Hikaru wished he could have a peaceful sleep but he pushed the thought away, turning to Kagura.
"Why don't you get a purse or something for him?" He asked, nodding towards the cat who glowered at him.
"I can't, because he thinks he looks girly in any of them." Kagura explained. Hikaru stared at her and she returned his stare evenly, never blinking. Finally Hikaru looked away, thinking that this would be a long vacation.
Three hours later, Kaoru and Sakura were both asleep, his head resting on top of hers while she leaned on his shoulder, while Hikaru and Kagura sat in an awkward silence. Hikaru was blasting his iPod, listening to the same song for the third time in a row, while Kagura just stared off into space, her eyes cloudy. Hikaru glanced at her from time to time, wondering what she was thinking.
Suddenly the limo slowed to a stop and Hikaru peered out the window curiously. They were parked in front of a large white house; definitely not a mansion, but roomy enough.
"Guys, wake up. We're here." Hikaru reached over and shook his brother gently. He glanced at the still dazed Kagura and waved his hand in front of her face, snapping his fingers. She blinked and shook her head. "We're here." He explained as her eyes swam into focus.
"Come on; Arisa's not going to wait long." Hikaru said, scrambling out of the limo, Kaoru and Sakura hot on his heels.
"Arisa-chan!" Hikaru exclaimed, speeding up to a jog as he hurried over to his aunt who was running from the front porch. His aunt had short, bobbed blonde hair and friendly brown eyes.
"Hikaru-kun! Kaoru-kun!" She cried, sweeping both boys into a massive hug. She ruffled Hikaru's hair and he laughed, a true grin spreading across his face. He'd missed his aunt- he hadn't seen her for over a year.
"Oh, and who are these lovely ladies?" Arisa asked, pulling back from the twins to look at Sakura and Kagura. They both curtsied.
"I'm Ootari Sakura, and this is Ootari Kagura." Sakura said, nodding to her sister. "It's great to meet you." Arisa said warmly, stepping closer and hugging them both. Their eyes widened with surprise before they hugged her back, sharing an amused glance with Kaoru and Hikaru. They'd warned them that their aunt was a very affectionate person.
"And who's this?" Arisa asked, scratching the cat under his chin. "This is Smoke." Kagura said. Smoke purred softly, his eyes half-closed and Kagura smiled slightly.
"Come on- I'll show you around." Arisa said, leading the way up to the house.
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Kagura looked around the house with interest, Smoke curled around her shoulders, barely awake. He liked Arisa a lot- Kagura was glad of that.
It was a beautiful, old-fashioned house with little furniture and decorations, but the house had a warm, cozy feel.
Kagura noticed the lack of television and computer but she didn't mind; she'd gone without them for a long time.
"This will be your room." Arisa said, pointing to a door on the second floor. "And this will be twins; now I have the ears of a bat so I'll know if there's any comings and goings between the rooms at night." She said with a wink and Sakura and Kaoru's eyes both widened, while Hikaru and Kagura coughed to hide their snickers.
"Can we see the horses now?" Hikaru asked eagerly and Arisa laughed. "Sure! Kagura, will Smoke run away if you leave him the barn? There's quite a few mice springing up and I'd think he'd be useful down there." She said. Kagura sent a mental image of mice to Smoke and licked his chops hungrily.
"I'll think he'll be happy to help." Kagura said with a smile as they left the house, heading towards the large red barn.
Smoke jumped out of Kagura's arms the instant they stepped foot in the warm building. He darted into the shadows, already on the hunt.
Kagura saw Hikaru close his eyes and take a deep breath, and when he reopened his eyes he looked much happier then he'd ever had at school.
As they walked down the aisles, being introduced to every horse, Kagura's mind was being bombarded with thoughts. Most of the horses were speaking with words, but with simple words.
Pet me!
Feed me!
Over here! Yes me, I bet you have treats!
Kagura smiled to herself, admiring the individual beauty of each horse as they stretched their noses out, calling out to her as she passed by.
"Can you girls ride?" Arisa asked suddenly, coming to a stop. Sakura and Kagura glanced at each other. "We've never ridden before, but we can try." They said in unison.
"Great! Would you like to go out riding?" She asked eagerly. Kagura smiled. How could she say no?
She and Sakura nodded, and she beamed. "Hikaru, Kaoru, help me get some horses ready; you should remember which ones. You girls can wait outside, so you don't get underfoot." Arisa said, leading the twins away.
As soon as they were outside, Sakura asked what kind of things the horses were saying. Kagura laughed. "Simple things, really. They all want treats and to be petted." She explained and Sakura nodded. "I wish I could talk to animals." She sighed dreamily. Just then, she received an image from Smoke as he decapitated a mouse and she gagged.
"Be careful what you wish for." She grimaced.
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Hikaru sat deep in the saddle, completely relaxed for the first time in weeks.
I'm glad we came. He thought, reaching down to scratch his mount, a bay gelding named "Jupiter" on the withers.
"My land stretches out for miles." Arisa said proudly, sweeping her arm around. Kagura and Sakura stared around from where they sat on their older, bombproof horses. Sakura was riding an old chestnut mare named "Lady", while Kagura sat astride a gray gelding named "Admiral".
They all heard a piercing neigh and the horses all turned to look, their ears pricked towards a spot near the barn that they hadn't passed.
"That's Aiode. He's a rescue horse I bought mainly out of pity; they would have slaughtered him if I hadn't." Arisa said sadly. "He's gorgeous but he hates everyone. I can't get close enough to bring him inside." She explained. "I've only had him for about a week though. He'll settle eventually."
"What does 'Aiode' mean?" Sakura asked, leaning forward in the saddle. "It's Greek for 'singer', right?" Kaoru asked. Arisa beamed at him. "Very good! Yes, I named him that because he 'sang' all night the night I brought him home." She explained.
"Cool." Sakura grinned. "That's about all for the tour; if you want to keep riding with the twins, that's fine, but I've got to make a few phone calls." She said. "I'll be in the house!" She wheeled her mount, a black mare named "Black Magic", and galloped down to the barn.
"You guys want to keep riding?" Hikaru asked, leaning on the saddle horn. "Yeah!" Kagura said eagerly. "Then come on, let's go." Hikaru grinned, nudging Jupiter into a canter.
"Hikaru! They can't go that fast!" Kaoru called after him. "Then you baby sit them!" Hikaru shouted over his shoulder. He urged Jupiter forward, and the Quarter Horse responded eagerly, thundering along at a breakneck pace across a stretch of flat land.
This is the life. Hikaru thought happily.
The ending here's kind of the opposite of the ending for the first chapter, no? But in case you're wondering why I decided Hikaru loves horses, I thought that since he learned how to drive a carriage, a love of horses would make sense. More chapters will be coming soon! The more reviews I get, the faster I'll write!
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