Toil and Trouble

Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble. On All Hallows Eve, you musn't be deceived for thee mischief happens among the misty grave...

"What?" Yuuki's mouth gaped open with shock. "Um..." Juuri's shy mouth wavered.

"You're leaving me and Onii-sama alone here? Just like that?" Yuuki pouted.

"I'm sorry but you know what happened last year. You wouldn't want that again,right dear?" Juuri tried to calm Yuuki down with her senses. Silence. Tension.

"When are you coming back, Mother?" Yuuki finally spoke after the truncate silence. "During the second week of November... that's the closest time I can come back." Juuri squinted.

"Am I making you mad, Mother?" Yuuki cried out. "No! I'm just tired, that's all. Don't worry about me!" Juuri used her fine facade and pulled off a concealing smile. Yuuki crawled into a corner with a little pout on her face and hugged her knees.


Here's the back story. Every year during the week of A Hallow's Eve, Juuri and Haruka must go into incognito before the full moon or else a group of rogue vampires hunt them down. I am not kidding. One time, Juuri's arm was nearly chopped off by a single blow. Haruka's leg got deep, harsh abrasions. They swore they'd never stay near a place filled with beasts in human form again, during Hallowe'en. It is to protect themselves for Kaname and Yuuki's sake. What would Yuuki do during their secret hideout? Make a mess in the house? Bother Zero all week long? Or throw a Hallowe'en party that will change their boring, dull lives forever?

"Yori... what am I going to do for these two long weeks? I'm going to be so friggin' bored! Ugh!" Yuuki pounded her head on the long desk. Everyone stared at her.

"Um... Yuuki. Everyone's looking at you." Yori nervously whispered. "Uh...oh. Gomen nasaii." Yuuki nearly fainted from the excessive banging to the forehead.

The silence faded into a pungent amount of chatter. Yuuki had absolutely no sleep yesterday night and was feeling so anxious and exasperated. The lectures and lifeless lessons just seemingly drew the life out of Yuuki. For the other half of the lecture, Yuuki was sleeping until the teacher paced towards her desk.

"Cross-san! Wake up, you baka!" Yukarawa-sensei scowled and muttered out a curse. Yuuki let out a whimper and apologized, recklessly. She flipped through the Forensics textbook and yawned. "Why does school have to be so damn boring?" Yuuki thought. She peered over to the place Zero was. He was absent, as usual.

"Okay, you wee grasshoppers. Homework for tonight is doing the activity from pages 98-106. Study hard for your Forensics test on Thursday!" Yukarawa-sensei strictly announced. "Also, would Yuuki Cross stay to do some extra work with her sensei." Faint chuckles escaped from some mouths. Yuuki groaned and waited for the 'punishment'.

Yuuki's 'punishment' was to write a 1,000 word essay on forensics and sleeping. She had her share of detention then packed up and wobbled through the hallways, all tired and stressed out. She couldn't handle her weight and was extremely lightheaded whilst dusk was approaching. Just one more step... Yuuki collapsed, breathing heavily. But something, or someone softened her fall. But who or what was it? Was it the silver-haired, tsundere and handsome friend who relies on Yuuki? It was Zero, gently carrying Yuuki through the hallways back to her dorm. At first, he was pissed off at her for always being weak but later he softened up. He never does that... unless it has to do with Yuuki. An hour later, Yuuki woke up drearily in her dorm bed. Her vision was clearing and then saw Zero sitting on a chair next to her. She blushed a little then coughed to get Zero's attention.

"I see you finally woke up." Zero sighed. "Z-Zero? What are you doing here?" Yuuki shuddered.

"For your information, I had to drag you back here. You collapsed." Zero looked at her pitifully. She coughed again. "W-what? Aw, I am so damn weak! Oh why..." Yuuki clutched her forehead and moaned.

Some silence accompanied her angst. She sat up and stared at Zero glaring at the window. What was he thinking? Yuuki shuffled her legs around, they were stiff and sore. She was worried, hoping Zero won't take out Bloody Rose and attempt to shoot her again. That cold, hostile impulsr of his is natural. It is his hatred for any vampire. Including himself. Yuuki attempted to escape the tense atmosphere and get a drink of water.

"Where do you think you're going?" Zero snapped. "Oh what? I can't take a drink of water? Am I your prisoner or what?" Yuuki rolled her eyes and scoffed. Her legs wobbled.

"You're such a weak pureblood! Aren't you supposed to drink blood like every other vampire?" Zero scowled. "Well maybe... I just can't quench my thirst with blood. It's inevitable." Yuuki used a hoarse voice. The man who has a soft spot for Yuuki put her back safely into her bed and insisted to give her a glass of water. And a blood tablet.

Zero came back from the bathroom with a glass of water and a blood tablet box. "You have to drink this. For me, it's painful. Just go on with it." Zero handed over the tray and placed it firmly onto Yuuki's lap. Then he shrugged and looked away. Yuuki slowly dissolved the blood tablet in the water then hesitated. She was being watched by Zero. What if she spaces out and cannot drink the fluid? She would just be another weak, hesitant vampire with no soul. She started to sip, it tasted somewhat awkward and bitter but her body reacted to it. She finished the last sip and thanked Zero for his help.

"I'm done, thank you." Yuuki closed her eyes. "That'll do. But you still got homework to do... your 1,000 word essay is due." Zero winced at the textbook and the sticky note on it. "Awh... damn that teacher. She doesn't understand that I am a prefect..." Yuuki spoke.

"Whatever. Still do it. I have to find out what I missed." Zero shrugged. Then he left the dorm room. Still do it... in this condition? Boy, Yuuki has a lot to do. There's a Forensics test on Thursday, essay due and prefect duty tonight. Will she be able to handle that? Or is she missing the stamina to accomplish everything? Relief. Yukarawa-sensei withdrew her assignment due date and Yuuki doesn't have to do her duties tonight.


Sleep...dream...hallucinate. Blood, is everywhere. Bodies, are decomposing... and her fingers are soaked with the tingy, crimson fluid. In this macabre, she lost all the ones she loved. Kaname, Zero, Yori...Kaien. The redness faded and she woke up screaming. Tears were dripping down her face. Yori woke up.

"What is wrong, Yuuki?" Yori was alarmed. "B-bad dream... blood." Yuuki sobbed. Yori had to turn on the lights and comfort her. "D-don't! Vampire..." Yuuki gasped. Her eyes glowed red. Then a knock came at the door.