Chapter 8-Suspicion Grows

                                    

                                          
Geehee, this seems like a pretty accurate representation on their reactions to me!
                          
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I chased Ryuki through a sunlit field, giggling and calling out his name. "Ryuki, wait for me! Mommy said that if I lost you I'd get in trouble!" He turned around and smiled, but just kept running. "Ryuki, wait!" He finally came to a stop and turned around, glaring at me playfully.
                          
"Okay big sis, I stopped, now what are you going to do?" I simply grinned and sprinted at him, grabbing him around the waist, and tackling him.
                          
"This!" We were both laughing and then Ryuki rolled me over and began a tickling war. I had the height advantage, but Ryuki was slippery and knew exactly where my weak spots were. We went back and forth, but neither of us could get an advantage over the other. 
                          
Eventually, we called a truce and laid side by side, looking up at the sky, panting and giggling a little still while we calmed down. I looked over at Ryuki, and he had a serious look on his face. "What is it nii-chan?" He sighed and then rolled onto his side looking at me, so I did the same.
                          
"Nee-chan, what are we going to do if one of us leaves the other? I'm not talking when we grow up and move away, but what if one of us goes to heaven, and we leave the other one behind?"
                          
"What brought this line of thinking, Nii-chan? That's pretty heavy stuff for a pipsqueak like you to be pondering." That brought a small smile back to his face, he growled and playfully pushed me; then became serious again, obviously expecting an answer. "I don't know Ryuki; I mean, I'd be really sad, and it would be hard to get over it, but eventually we have to move on and keep on going, right? It sounds sad, but I think the best thing we could do is remember that the other one of us is up in heaven looking down and cheering us on."
                          
"Nee-chan, I'm worried for you, I know that if I were to go, you wouldn't really have anyone else. I know that I'm younger than you, but I get the feeling that I'm your only friend; I just don't want you to go into a shell like a hermit if I die." Now Ryuki looked about ready to cry, so I sat up and pulled him into a hug.
                          
"Ryuki, I honestly don't know why we are having this conversation, but I promise that if you die, I won't hide, I'll keep going, and my goal will be to live so that you would be proud of me when we see each other again. But you have to promise the same thing. Mom would really need your happiness if I left, so you would have to be strong for her, okay?"
                          
"Risa, I won't. I just have a bad feeling that something big is going to change, but now I bummed myself out, geez, talk about depressing!" I laughed and ruffled his hair, "Okay, I'm done, now we should probably get back before Father gets off work! I'll race you home!"
                          
"Oh, you are so going down, Ryuki! You should probably just give up now." We got up and stood next to each other, "Just remember, winner gets the loser's ice-cream tonight."
                          
We started counting down together, "Ready... Set... GO!!!" And with that, we were off; having the time of our lives as we raced each other home.
                          
***
                          
My eyes opened slowly and I sat up, thinking about that dream. I had been about twelve in that dream, so Ryuki was eight. I smiled a little as I thought of my brother's smug expression when he won the race home, he had been so proud. I was proud of him too, though I would never admit it. 
                          
"Ah, Risa, you're awake. It's good to see you back in the land of the living." I looked to my side and saw the Hosts sitting a little way away, they looked like they had been in the middle of discussing something. "Since you're awake now, you can come over here and join us." Kyoya smiled slightly at me as he gestured to a chair next to Haruhi.