oOoOo
Hikaru went to Kyoya's bure again. There was no way he could ever fall asleep alone in the bed he had once shared with Kaoru. Hikaru sat on Tamaki's bed while Kyoya looked over the charts again. The twin was silent for a long time before he finally spoke, "What if we don't find them?"
"We will find them," Kyoya responded. He would not consider any other possibility.
"But what if we don't?" Hikaru repeated despondently. "They have been missing for more than 24 hours. What if we never see them again?"
Hikaru had been so focused on finding his twin, that he hadn't given the others much thought. Now he did. He pictured Mori, strong and silent, with a cheerful Honey perched on his shoulder hugging Bun-Bun. The two of them making such an odd pair, but almost as close to one another as the twins were. And Tamaki…Tono. He could be an idiot, and overly melodramatic, but he had a good heart and was always willing to offer help to anyone who needed it. He would often surprise them all with words of wisdom and insight. He was the first to accept that the twins were contrary. They could be individuals and one at the same time. If it weren't for Tamaki's persistence, the twins would still be isolated in their own little world. Then there was Haruhi, the only person who had ever been able to tell the twins apart. She knew them as individuals, and despite her protests, Hikaru could tell that she enjoyed spending time with them. She understood him, and could even sometimes tell what he was thinking. No one had ever done that before, other than Kaoru.
Kaoru…his Kaoru. His brother, his twin, his world. Hikaru didn't know what he would do without Kaoru. He would go crazy whenever they were apart even for a day, which didn't happen often if they could help it. They had always been together, since before they were even born. Hikaru couldn't imagine it any other way. He sometimes thought of single babies, and how lonely they must be without a warm body next to them. He was glad he never had to experience being alone like that. But now he did, and it scared the hell out of him.
"We will find them," Kyoya repeated firmly, breaking Hikaru from his distressing thoughts. "Look," he said, pointing to his laptop. "There are reports of debris washing up on islands in the Southern Lau group."
"Debris?!" Hikaru said in alarm. "Does that mean the boat was wrecked?"
"I don't know," replied Kyoya soberly, "but it does give us a good place to start searching tomorrow. For now, we should try to get some sleep."
Hikaru crawled into bed as Kyoya turned out the light. The twin hugged a pillow trying to pretend it was Kaoru, but it was not an adequate substitute. He lay awake for a long time, shedding silent tears, not wanting to disturb Kyoya.
Kyoya, however, was well aware of Hikaru's suffering. Though he wanted to comfort the twin, he was afraid of cracking the emotional barrier he had created around himself. He needed to remain calm and level headed if he hoped to find his friends. He could not allow his emotions to take over. Anger was a feeling he knew how to deal with; grief was not. Kyoya rolled over and forced himself to sleep.
oOoOo
"Kaoru!" Hikaru awoke in a cold sweat. He had been dreaming. Kaoru was trapped, and Hikaru couldn't get to him. Then Kaoru was drowning, and calling to Hikaru for help. He suddenly knew his twin was still alive, and was out there waiting for Hikaru to come and find him. He even felt like he knew where to find him.
Irregardless of his own personal safety, Hikaru launched himself at Kyoya's bed. "Wake up!" he shouted, shaking the dazed shadow king. "I know where he is…where they are!"
"Hikaru! What's going on? What time is it?" Kyoya asked irately, squinting at the clock by the bed. It was just after 5:00 AM. The sun was not up yet, but it would be soon.
"I know where Kaoru is. He came to me. I saw him. We have to go to him. I'm sure the others are with him." he blurted fervently.
Kyoya sat up and put on his glasses. "Where is he then?" he asked impatiently.
"He's…well…I…" He couldn't put it into words. He somehow knew where Kaoru was, but was unable to put a name to the place. It was a place he had never been to before. He grabbed one of the nautical charts and examined it, hoping the answer would leap out at him, but it didn't. He couldn't say where Kaoru was; he could only feel it.
"What good does it do if you can't tell me where they are?" said Kyoya, his frustration growing.
"I don't know," admitted Hikaru, "but maybe we could just go and I could show you."
"Fine," Kyoya said gruffly as he climbed out of bed. "The search teams should be assembling soon anyway. We might as well get ready." He headed off to the bathroom to shower and dress. Kyoya had seen evidence in the past of a strange connection between the twins. It had helped Hikaru find Kaoru before. Maybe it would work again.
oOoOo
The search teams were just beginning to organize when they arrived at the marina. The two boys had stopped at the main complex for a quick breakfast; this time without resorting to theft. It would take awhile before the boats would be ready to go, so the boys decided to commandeer a pilot and one of the planes.
"And where is it exactly you two wish to go?" asked the pilot.
"We're not quite sure," acknowledged Hikaru. "Just get us into the air, and I will let you know."
"I need to have a destination. I need to submit a flight plan," argued the pilot.
"Here, we'll go here," Kyoya thrust the nautical chart at the pilot, pointing to the Southern Lau group of islands, where the debris had been found. "If we need to change direction, you can radio it in. We must leave now, or perhaps we should find a more capable pilot, and you will no longer be necessary. Understood."
"Understood, Sir," responded the pilot. It was not worth losing his job over a technicality. He went to prepare the plane for departure.
Soon they were in the air and headed south. Kyoya looked at Hikaru expectantly. "Well?"
"I'm not sure," the twin confessed. "It felt so strong this morning when I woke up. Maybe it was just the dream. I don't know. What was I thinking? It's hopeless. I'm useless."
"Give it time," Kyoya encouraged. "We will just continue on this course. If anything comes to you, let us know."
Hikaru sighed and leaned his head against the window, looking down at the blue sea below. Kaoru was down there somewhere, waiting for Hikaru to find him. But how could he. It was stupid of him to think that some psychic twin link could actually lead him to Kaoru. He must already be going crazy without his brother.
oOoOo
"Now look who's giving up," said Kaoru with a smirk. Hikaru looked out the window at his twin. He stood in a basket suspended beneath a brightly colored hot air balloon. "I thought you wanted to find me?"
"I'm trying, but the sea is so big," explained Hikaru.
"Alright then, I guess I will just get more alone time with Haruhi," teased Kaoru. "She slept next to me last night you know." he taunted.
"Hey," Hikaru protested. "I'm the only one that gets to sleep next to you!"
"I wish it had been you. I think Haruhi snores. Or maybe that was Mori." he reconsidered. "Anyway, I think I am going to go see what the others are up to." The red, orange, and yellow balloon began to drift away. "You know where to find me Hikaru. Come and find me Hikaru…find me Hikaru…Hikaru."
oOoOo
"Kaoru, wait!" Hikaru leaned forward and hit his head on the airplane window. "Ouch!" he said, rubbing his forehead. Had he fallen asleep? Had he been dreaming? There was no balloon in the sky now, but he had clearly seen the direction it had gone. "That way!" he called up to the pilot. "Go that way!" he pointed to the southwest; the direction the balloon had gone.
"What the…why?" questioned the pilot.
"Just do it," ordered Kyoya. "I've seen this before. You just have to trust him." Not wishing to anger the young Ootori, the pilot did as instructed, calling in the change of course on the radio.
Hikaru stared anxiously out the window. It was nearly noon when islands began appearing in the ocean below them. He peered down at them, hoping to find signs of life, but saw nothing. Just when he thought that the whole thing must have been a silly dream, he spotted something. It was a triangle; a bright red, orange and yellow triangle on one of the islands below. "Over there!" he shouted. "That island over there, go closer!" He grabbed a pair of binoculars and focused on the island. There were people on the beach. As they got closer, he counted four of them. "Go lower!" he demanded. The plane circled around for another sweep. He could see them clearly now, waving up to the plane. He saw Mori and Honey, Haruhi and Tamaki. Where was Kaoru? "One more time!" he begged. Again, the plane looped around and they flew over once more. Hikaru saw no sign of Kaoru. "I don't see Kaoru! Where is Kaoru?" he cried, panic stricken.
"Calm down, I'm sure he's there," Kyoya reassured him. "He brought you here didn't he." Kyoya was right. Kaoru had to be there, didn't he?
The pilot noted the coordinates, and radioed to find the nearest island with an airstrip where they could land. There was one located about a half an hour away from their current position. He also called for the nearest rescue boat to rendezvous with them there. It would be a two hour trip back to the castaways by boat. Kyoya suggested they also send for a helicopter to head straight to the island in case of any medical emergencies.
They soon landed on the island of Kabara and were driven to a marina where they waited impatiently for the rescue boat to arrive. Once it did, they boarded and headed straight for the island where they had seen their missing friends. After a seemingly endless voyage, they finally neared the island. They anchored off shore, and an inflatable launch was lowered into the water. Kyoya and Hikaru insisted on being in the landing party. As they approached, they could see their friends waiting on the beach. It was the most wonderful sight they had ever seen. As soon as they were close enough, they jumped out of the boat and ran to their friends. It was a joyous reunion, until Hikaru noticed that Kaoru was still missing. He was led to his brother, lying prone under the colorful triangle that billowed in the breeze. His brother was not yet safe. Hikaru stayed close by his twin's side while they waited for the rescue helicopter, and then on the way to the hospital, they shared their own private reunion when Kaoru finally awoke. The two were now one once again, and all was right with the world.
oOoOo
A/N: I recently discovered, while doing some research, that Fiji had a military coup last December, and there has be a travel advisory since then, especially in the capital city of Suva. I'm glad that this is a work of fiction, and that this Fiji is the idyllic tropical paradise that I first imagined. Apparently this is the fourth coup in two decades. It is sad that a place so beautiful can be full of such turmoil. Is there no place on earth immune to ignorance and hatred? Now I remember why I live in a fantasy world. Thank you for joining me.
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.