oOoOo

Haruhi was the first to hear the rumble of thunder in the distance. She had always been overly sensitive to the sound because of her fear. "Did you hear that?" she asked in alarm. The others looked around. For the first time they noticed the clouds forming in the sky.

"Perhaps it would be best if we headed back," proposed Kyoya. He raised the anchor while the twins began to put up the sails. The others cleared away the remains of lunch.

The wind picked up rapidly as they worked, and the waves began to swell. There was a flash of lightning followed closely by a loud crack of thunder. Haruhi shrieked and covered her ears. "Get her below deck," Kyoya shouted to Tamaki, who immediately complied. The storm was approaching rapidly. Kyoya struggled to get the boat turned around. It was not easy to maneuver in the high winds. Waves had begun to wash over the deck of the boat. The boat began to list to the port side, pushed by the strong winds.

Kyoya began shouting orders. "Hikaru, Kaoru, lower the sails. This wind is too much."

"Hai," they acknowledged and obeyed his command.

"Honey, Mori, get the life jackets. Make sure everyone puts one on." They too followed his orders.

Below deck Tamaki tried his best to comfort a terror stricken Haruhi. Honey brought them life jackets, and Tamaki helped the trembling girl into one before putting on his own.

Just then there was an enormous boom as lightning struck the mast. The boat shook with the force of the blow. Haruhi screamed and clung to Tamaki. He wrapped his arms protectively around her and stroked her hair trying to soothe her.

Up on the deck, the twins struggled with the sails. Something had jammed in the automatic system. The sails had come down half way but would go no further. The winds continued to push the boat sideways.

"You'll have to bring them down manually," Kyoya called to the twins. "But you will have to free the lines first."

"I'll get it," Hikaru shouted as he climbed into the rigging.

"Hikaru, be careful!" Kaoru called up to him.

"Mori," Kyoya yelled, "Go below and see if you can send a distress signal on the radio." Mori nodded and went down the companionway.

Kyoya tried to engage the engine, hoping to motor to the nearest inhabited island to weather the storm. It would not turn over. He tried again and again, but to no avail. Mori returned from below deck. "The radio is not working," he reported.

"Damn!" cursed Kyoya. "The lightning must have shorted out the electrical systems."

"Also, the rear cabin seems to be taking on water." Mori informed him.

"Take the wheel," he ordered. "Try to hold her steady." He went below to investigate. Sure enough, water was pooling on the floor of the sleeping quarters. The boat was equipped with a lightning protection system that was intended to conduct the current harmlessly down through a ground plate on the bottom of the boat. The strike must have been so powerful that the hull had been damaged as it passed through.

By the time he returned to the deck, the rain had started. It was coming down in sheets. Kyoya took the wheel back from Mori and attempted to point them toward the nearest landmass, inhabited or not. "Mori, there is a bilge pump below. You can access it under the bed in the rear cabin. See if you and Honey can get some of that water out of there. You will have to pump it manually since the electrical system is shot." Mori immediately obeyed.

Hikaru was still up in the rigging. "I think I've got it," he yelled down to Kaoru. "Try it now." Kaoru tugged on the rope he was holding, and he felt the weight of the sail. He quickly began to lower it.

Suddenly there was a loud crash, and the boat lurched to the side. Hikaru was thrown clear of the rigging and into the water.

"Hikaru!" Kaoru cried. The boat bounced off the rock it had hit and began to head away from where Hikaru had fallen into the water.

Kyoya pulled out the inflatable life raft and struggled to open it. He looked up in time to see a colossal wave wash over the deck. The force of the water pushed him backward, and he too ended up in the ocean. The boat continued to move away from the two floundering boys.

No longer manned, the captain's wheel spun wildly. The boat was tossed upon the waves mercilessly. Below deck, the water continued to pour in. It was now coming in the front as well, from where the hull had hit the rock. Honey and Mori gave up on pumping. They could not keep up. They went back into the main cabin to collect Tamaki and Haruhi.

"Come on," Honey called to them. "We have to go up top."

"No, I can't!" Haruhi cried in panic as the water rose around her.

Tamaki put his arm around her, encouraging her to stand up. "Come, we have to go. It is no longer safe here." Haruhi stood reluctantly and was led up the companionway.

The reached the deck to find a terrified Kaoru. He grabbed Tamaki by the shirt. "Hikaru and Kyoya, they're gone! We have to go back that way!" he screamed pointing toward the back of the boat. Just then the boat was lifted high into the air on top of another huge wave. It came down with a sickening crash upon the nearby rocks. The remaining passengers were thrown violently into the ocean as the boat splintered beneath them.

oOoOo

A/N: Having never been shipwrecked myself, I used my limited knowledge of sailing and did the best I could. I hope it is believable enough.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Host Club characters. I am only borrowing them, again. I promise to put them back when I'm done. I did last time