Athena, whoever you are, thank you so much! Your review was very nice, and I will try my best to correct all my grammar mistakes. I can't always send my work to my beta, sadly. I also apologize on a pre note for this coming chapter.

Sorry I'm so late. Vacations, vacations.

Anyway, thank you so much Athena! You are lovely.

Disclaimer: I don't own this anime, nor characters except my own OCs.

Italian translation- State of Emergency (Joga by Bjork)

Chapter 7- Stato di Emergenza

Kyoya stared at the empty space where Tamaki once stood. Tamaki had left only moments before, but Kyoya couldn't bring himself to rip his eyes away. He hadn't wanted him to go; his jovial attitude brought amiability to the atmosphere as opposed to Kyoya's irascible mannerisms. Tamaki had stayed the entire night salvaging Kyoya's library. They had succeeded in finding absolutely nothing; although, Kyoya was completely at peace with this. Tamaki's presence had made it better, and now Kyoya was regretful for keeping him so long. He could tell Tamaki was tired; he could barely keep his eyes open. Kyoya smiled at the memory of a sleepy- eyed Tamaki. It was quite the sight.

There was a cluttering of what sounded like dishes a floor down.

Kyoya couldn't make himself care. Other than his family, only Tamaki and Kaoru were admitted by security into his home. Kyoya hated to admit it, but he was hopeful it was Tamaki. He didn't have the willpower or the patience to deal with Kaoru. He was truly sorry for giving him misleading information, but there was nothing more he could do for the man.

Kyoya hung his head, ready for a nice, long nap in his chair.

"Kyoya. . ."

Kyoya looked up at where Tamaki had once stood, where a now sweaty, shaking Kaoru barely stood. His knees looked about to buckle, and his eyes were bloodshot from obvious lack of sleep. Kyoya stood, wiping the sleep from his eyes. He took a few slow steps toward Kaoru, but came to a halt when Kaoru lifted his hand as to say "stop right there". An intense silence had fallen across the room, Kyoya's name still hanging in the air.

"I'm sorry to admit my previous accusations were wrong." Kyoya offered, hoping Kaoru would take the apology without fail. He was hoping Kaoru's flustered state was not his doing.

Kaoru looked at him, an odd expression on his face. Remorse maybe?

"I never believed them" he answered, sounding a bit crueler then he intended. Kyoya blinked at his answer, not sure it was a good or bad thing.

"Why are you being so cold?" he asked. Kaoru's eyes increased in size at the answer; he looked guilty.

"It's none of your concern." Kaoru spat viciously. Kyoya took a few more steps toward Kaoru, holding out his arms. He wasn't sure why Kaoru was acting this way.

"Kaoru, what happened?"

Kaoru looked taken aback by this question. He even took a few steps back, pushing himself up against a wall.

"Nothing. . . nothing's happened." Kaoru answered, his tone changing ever so slightly. Kyoya caught the lie and urged on.

"Kaoru, why don't you tell me about your night, hm? Did your meeting with Mai end desirably?"

Kaoru's face crumbled at the mention of his customer. Kyoya was afraid he'd go into hysterics.

"Kyoya. . . I. . ." he sobbed, covering his face with his hands. Kyoya sighed; he was never good with crying things. He dropped his arms and approached Kaoru cautiously. He'd hate for another hallucination to attack Kaoru.

"Kyoya. . ." he sobbed once more before wiping the tears from his face and looking up at Kyoya, who now only stood a few centimeters away. Kaoru slid his hand over his eyes, wiping the remanding tears.

"NO!" Kaoru screamed, pushing Kyoya away. He wiped his face once more, making sure his eyes weren't deceiving him. Kyoya stumbled backwards, completely bewildered by Kaoru's sudden outburst.

"Hi. . .ka. . ru?" Kaoru stuttered, fear etched across his face.

Dread filled Kyoya when he realized what was happening. Kaoru thought he was Hikaru.

Kaoru pointed a shaky finger at Kyoya and screamed, "What did you do with Kyoya!"

Kaoru's eyesight had become hazy; all he saw at the moment was a blurry image of something evil.

"Kaoru, it's me. Kyoya. It's me." Kyoya whispered, trying desperately to regain his balance. Kaoru was having none of it. He shook his head angrily and pushed himself off the wall. He positioned himself in a defensive stance.

"Do you know what you've put me through, Nii-sama? Do. . . you understand that. . .I'm losing my mind?" Kaoru grabbed his head and tilted it to the side as to emphasize his statement.

Kyoya decided to go along with it. Denying the hallucination would only make it worse.

"No, Kaoru. I don't understand. Tell me. Tell me so I can fix it." Kyoya offered quietly, keeping still.

Kaoru seemed lost in thought for a moment, recalling such emotions and moments. Fears and dreams. "You're everywhere, Hikaru. You're in my every dream. You're on all the faces I encounter, and you're all I see. You're my reflection. I. . ." he trailed off, giving a longing look to Kyoya. "STOP!" he screamed, his unstable emotions overtaking him. "Stop messing around in my head! Stop trying to be my brother! Just. . . stop everything." Kaoru was violently sobbing at that point; his fiery hair matched the color of his skin.

Kyoya stepped forward, believing maybe it was safe. "Kaoru, I'll stop. I'll stop everything." He continued to close the space between them hoping he could manage some sort of mental epiphany for Kaoru. Kaoru didn't say a word; he just stood in the middle of the room looking utterly pitiful in all his sorrow. Kyoya actually wanted to cry; he wanted to cry for this man standing before him.

"I'll stop. I'll stop everything." He repeated, close enough now he could place a gentle hand on Kaoru's tense shoulders.

"DON"T YOU DARE TOUCH ME!"

With all his vigor, Kaoru used two hands to slam into Kyoya's chest, sending him flying across the room toward the bookshelves. Before Kaoru could blink, Kyoya's body had collided forcefully into the hard edge of one of the wooden bookshelves. Kaoru blinked furiously.

And then he vomited.

Kyoya's body had slid slowly down the rectangular edge of the bookshelf. His body had gone limp, and a thick, line of crimson followed the trail of Kyoya's head on the edge of the bookshelf. Kyoya's eyes hanged open, immediate unconsciousness to the impact.

Kaoru had fallen to his knees, and now he was crawling towards Kyoya. He mumbled incoherent things under his breath, and his eyes stung with held back tears. He reached his destination and extended his right hand to Kyoya's face. He placed his palm on his cheek and stared at him, deciding then he would not let himself be the cause of Kyoya's end. He blinked back tears and closed his eyes. He hated seeing Kyoya like this. No one should ever see anyone like this.

He stood abruptly and ran out the library, down the stairs, and to the front door.

There she stood, in all her excellence. Not a blemish on her face, no expression other than determination written across her features. She wore a blue dress that almost matched the shade of blue mixed into her eyes. It hugged her body tight, leaving no room for imagination.

"I've been looking for you everywhere!" Mai exclaimed, pushing herself into the mansion.

Kaoru look bewildered; he'd opened the door to leave, but there in the doorway was Mai.

"I. . ." Kaoru tried. He knew he must've looked terrible. Salt stains on his cheeks. Puffy eyes. The smell of vomit fresh on his breath.

The moment Mai saw Kaoru, she knew something was amiss. She remembered quickly how his expressions cycled when he slapped her. She wasn't offended, knowing it was the effect of hallucination. But she would not let him run away from this, whatever that may be.

"I went to the Host Club, and no one has seen either you or Kyoya today, and it is very unlike Kyoya to be tardy for work." Mai said, slowly sauntering throughout the foyer. Kaoru knew she was perceptive; she would keep pressing until he gave way. Just the mention of his name made multiple tears fall from his eyes. He was a guilty man.

"You didn't hurt somebody else did you?" Mai asked, a malicious tone lacing her voice. She stopped midway into the foyer and turned about facing Kaoru. Then, she dropped her nonchalant attitude and hurried toward Kaoru. A new stream of tears laced his face at the mention of his name.

"Kaoru, what happened?" Mai yelled, grasping Kaoru at his shoulders. She would not let him run away. Kaoru looked up at her, silence filling the room.

That was all the answer she needed.

Mai bolted up the stairs, catching Kaoru glimpse upstairs when she questioned him. She ran to the right of her, not sure which direction to go. Kyoya's house was huge, to say the least. Although, it wasn't too hard to find the scene; Kaoru's trail was full of broken lamps, fallen portraits, and disheveled tapestries.

When Mai reached the wide-open, double doors of Kyoya's private library, she covered her mouth with both her hands to dampen her scream.

First her eyes went to the scattered books on the floor, and then they noticed splutters of red on some of the books. And then she saw his body, leaned against the side of a bookshelf. He looked lifeless, like his soul had fluttered out of his body. His eyes were open, dead and emotionless, and they seemed to stare directly into her. There was blood mixed into the curls and strands of his dark hair, and raindrops of crimson showering from the midspace of the bookshelf to where Kyoya's head lay.

Mai sank to her knees, the shock overtaking her. What had he done?

Suddenly, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her and pull her out the room. "You shouldn't see him like this." She heard Kaoru whisper, while pulling her from the room. She ended up on her knees outside the room, with Kaoru standing over her, a guilty expression on his face.

"Kaoru, call the police now." Mai said, while she stood. She put a strong hand on Kaoru's chest and pushed him a bit.

"Doesn't he have trained paramedics or something! Call them!" Mai screamed in a flutter, her face turning red.

"I don't know! I don't know! Kyoya keeps to himself. . ." Kaoru muttered, his breathing becoming intense. Mai stared at him a moment, unbelieving. She shook her head and inched closer.

"I'm calling the police, Kaoru. And I'm going to the hospital with him. You call Tamaki, and you tell him what has happened here." Mai whispered, tears streaming down her face. "But you, you stay here. Stay here and clean up your mess!"

It took the paramedics seven minutes to arrive. And in those seven minutes, Kaoru sat next to Kyoya's unconscious form and sobbed violently. Mai watched them, the panic leaving her system when she realized there was nothing much she could do. So, she stared sadly as Kaoru screamed apologies between earth- rattling sobs.

Kaoru didn't fight when the paramedics ripped Kyoya's body away from him and placed him on a stretcher. He watched as they carried him out of the room, farther and farther away from him. Mai trailed behind them, until they reached the ambulance. Kaoru listened as the constant stream of flashing lights and the screech of sirens became a distant anomaly.

Kaoru stayed seated for a moment and tried hysterically to recall the events of the night, but his memories only made him frantic and panic-stricken. He leaned his head to the right and stared at the bloody stain on the bookshelf. He could smell the ghastly odor; it smelled like death. He couldn't bear it any longer. He stood and walked out of the room, closing the doors behind him. He made his way down the stairs and sat on the couch where he'd slept when he first stayed the night at Kyoya's. It didn't bring back good times.

The house was disturbingly quiet; the silence was suffocating Kaoru. He cried himself dry, and now there was no sound to occupy the hungry echo of the house. Kaoru reached in his pocket and pulled out his cell phone with shaky hands. He did not want to call Tamaki, but he knew Tamaki was Kyoya's closest friend. He knew the words he were about to speak would break the man's heart.

"Hello?" came Tamaki's happy voice. It sung beautifully, and Kaoru's eyes watered at the joyful sound.

"Tamaki. . ." Kaoru muttered sadly.

"Kaoru! Is that you? I haven't heard from you in a while. Kyoya tells me you work for him now?" Tamaki engaged, not understanding the point of the call.

"Tamaki. . ."

"Come to think of it, it's really early. Are you alright? I didn't know you were an early bird."

"Tamaki. . ."

". . .really need to get together. There's so much. . ."

"I think I killed Kyoya!" Kaoru screamed, hating the way it tasted on his tongue. Tamaki fell silent; Kaoru could hear his stuttering breaths go in and out.

"Let me talk to him, Kaoru. He can't be. . ."

"Tamaki, Kyoya's in the hospital. You can't talk to him right now."

"Just let me talk to him! I was there. He was there. It was fine. IT IS FINE!" Tamaki sobbed, dropping the phone to the floor, his knees not far behind. Tears fell down Kaoru's cheeks as he heard Tamaki's cries.

"Tamaki, go to the hospital. I. . . I'm sorry. I killed him." It was on the last words that Kaoru's voice cracked and his resolve was utterly broken. He threw the phone at the nearest walls, it shattered into pieces with a horrible, cracking noise. Like the sound Kyoya's cranium made when it hit the edge of the bookshelf. Kaoru cried out, cursing the gods. He flailed his arms around and ripped the seat cushions. A mad rage had taken over.

"That will do nothing, Kaoru, and you know it."

A tense silence fell across the dark house as Kaoru turned around and fell off the couch in disbelief. Not now. Not now.

Hikaru knelt down, putting a cold hand on Kaoru's cheek. He let his fingers slide across his cheek and trail down his neckline. He met eyes with his mirror image once more.

"You didn't mean anything, Kaoru. There was nothing you could've done. Sorry for my interruption." Sorry? Kaoru sweltered and grabbed Hikaru by the neck, squeezing tightly.

"You did this, Nii-sama." Kaoru squeezed tighter, feeling Hikaru's veins pop out.

Suddenly, a cheerful laughter filled the air. A cold, nasty laughter.

"You can't kill something that isn't real, Kaoru. You are quite dull, darling." Hikaru mused, disappearing from Kaoru's grip. Kaoru's fingernails dug into the palm of his hand as Hikaru's presence became unknown. Kaoru howled in agony; his fingernails bit into his skin causing droplets of blood to crash over his palms.

"Poor child. You're only hurting yourself, love." It's voice echoed across the room; although, it's body was nowhere in sight. Kaoru was reluctant to admit that he was right in every sense. From the moment Hikaru invaded his thoughts, Kaoru not only hurt himself, but the people closest to him. He wouldn't let that go on, especially after Kyoya. Kyoya did not deserve what happened to him. He was just trying to help.

And he'd killed him.

"You know what you have to do. You know where to find me, Kaoru."

Kaoru fell to his knees and glared at the white of the high ceiling. He closed his eyes and screamed one last time.

He had to see his brother.

Now.

A/N: Please, please do not kill me for this chapter. You have yet to read the rest.

I will try my best to get the next few chapters out as fast as I can.

Until next time,

Ona