Vampire Knight Fanfiction.
First Night / Athene.
I was half asleep on one of the Moon Dorm's sofas in the main room while Hanabusa- who had been talking to me- was trying to persuade some humans that he would not help them. Hanabusa might seem dumb, but he's really very clever. And, while he's usually quite sweet- to me, Takuma (it's impossible NOT to be nice to Takuma!), Senri, Akatsuki and Kaname, he can be PRETTY scary when he wants to be.
I should probably explain who I am: I am counselor Aleana Souen, and I'm counselor for the Night Class and Ruka's sister, meaning that I end up running about and stopping fights and arguments a lot. I also (try to) stop the vampires from getting upset. We might seem to be rather cold and emotionless, but we aren't always.
"This is something that we can only ask of you, the 'Miracle Genius'!"
Oh gawd. Usually it's a stupid idea to suck up to Hanabusa, but when he's tired…
"Please, help us with our research institute! You wrote that research paper!"
"Huuh…? Buuuttt… I don't have any interest in day work. I'm tired, so will you leave now?" he said. He seemed polite enough, but… "The door's over there."
See what I mean?
"Oh," he muttered. I saw the door open slightly, and saw Yuki Cross come in. "Yuki!" Hanabusa said in a chirpy way.
"Idol… Oops… Aido."
"Hey! Time for you to leave!" Hanabusa said, hurriedly ushering the humans out. I got up and followed him over. I saw Hanabusa glare fiercely after them. "Ugh. It's bright. I'm sleepy. I'm grumpy. It's all their fault," he stated bluntly.
"I'm sorry for coming over," Yuki said, embarrassed.
"Oh, if it's you, it's OK," Hanabusa said, surprisingly chirpy for a sleep- and blood-deprived vampire. "Why'd you come by?" he asked. "Everyone is asleep."
Well, duh.
"Oh! Maybe you came to have your blood drunk by me!" he said.
No way, Hanabusa. Dream on. (He's a gullible idiot; he's very intelligent, but he's not clever.)
"No, I came to see Kaname," Yuki said as I pulled Hanabusa off.
"Get-off-my-collar-Ali-I-can't-breathe!" he spluttered and I released his collar. Hanabusa coughed again, then swallowed a couple of times.
"Uhh…" Yuki said.
"Sorry. This way," Hanabusa said.
"Huh? You're just going to show me the way, then?" she asked, confused.
"Hleh. You're the only one that President Kuran is nice to, so everyone just follows his lead," Hanabusa replied, stretching and putting his hands behind his head while glaring round at us. I padded alongside Yuki.
"You're out of your depth here, Cross…" I muttered, signaling with one finger to Hanabusa. "He's seriously annoyed about those research institute guys, sleep- and blood-deprived," I muttered quietly as Hanabusa looked round at us, his eyes narrowed. I thought for a second he was glaring at me, so I put my hands up.
"Yuki…" Hanabusa said, much less cheerfully and jokingly than he had been a moment ago. "Who made those wounds in you neck…?" he asked. I frowned. Hanabusa ran forward faster than I could see and took a plaster off her neck. "In our classroom, the night before last, we suddenly smelt blood. We were surprised," he said. I nodded. "I was the only one who noticed right away that it was your blood," he said. "... Because I've tasted it," he added quietly. "President Kuran told us to disregard it, so we stopped making a fuss." He glanced at me. "Not that Takuma and Senri ever did, because I can see you glaring at me."
"Kaname said that?" Yuki asked.
I suddenly felt the room grow colder, so I ran- very fast- up the stairs to wait anxiously at the top for Kaname (he'd know). As I reached the top of the stairs, Hanabusa suddenly made all the candles go out. I shook my head, and signaled to Yuki to run. Now. But, naturally, she had frozen, like a deer in the headlights.
"This… Is really…" As he spoke, Hanabusa froze the banister and the stairs up to where I was. Yuki seemed to completely freak out. "... Pissing me off…" he snarled. "What are you to Kaname, Yuki…?" he snarled, and I saw his fangs, which was terrifying for Yuki, I imagine. I never really saw Hanabusa's fangs; he wasn't a very bite-y sort of Vampire, unless he was up to his tricks of trying to get Yuki's blood, or, indeed, one of the other Day Class Girl's blood. "Huh?" he added, a little sarcastically. I considered going to get Kaname, but then I remembered what had happened last time: he'd hit Hanabusa's cheek, really hard. Much harder, in fact, than necessary. Hanabusa's cheek had bled quite badly, and he'd ended up holding a wad of damp paper (which he frequently ended up changing) over his face, and he'd cried half the night, and still no compassion from Kaname, who had just snarled that he better hadn't do it again. I would have liked to beat Kaname up at that time, but Hanabusa is a bit of a special case. He's completely and comprehensively crackers, if very sweet and good-natured (usually). He'll get beaten up for this, for sure. I just hope that Kaname will come soon so I can be put out of my misery. I bet he'll slap him, though. "Why does Kaname-sama care about you so much?" he hissed.
"Kaname saved my life ten years ago from a vampire who had gone berserk!" Yuki snapped. Hanabusa drew back, clearly embarrassed. I could even hear him thinking! (Admittedly, my powers are telepathy and telekinesis, not to mention the fact that I technically have schizophrenia since I hear a weird voice inside my head. So, yes. Even for a vampire, I'm not quite what one could call 'normal'.)
"What?" Hanabusa said. "I… Didn't know that…" he said. "Then, Yuki, you should offer yourself to Kaname-sama. Offer him every drop of blood in your body in return," he hissed. Yuki gulped.
"My… Blood?" she asked.
"Yes. Your blood belongs to Kaname-sama. But those puncture wounds aren't from Kaname-sama, are they?" he hissed. "Don't give your blood to anyone else, including me," he whispered. "Someday, Kaname-sama's lips… Will gently brush your neck… And his fangs… Will sink slowly in to you… If you heard the sound of Kaname-sama taking in your blood… You'd be in ecstasy, Yuki…" he said softly and coldly. "You should offer yourself to Kaname-sama; plead to him, 'Please, drink my blood'."
"You're just trying to…" Yuki growled anxiously.
"You're embarrassed? OK. Then I'll freeze you with my ice, and take you to him."
"That's enough, Aido!" Yuki shouted. She lifted her hand to slap Hanabusa, and I tensed myself to run down the stairs. Suddenly, before I could get there, President Kuran sped downstairs and caught Yuki's hand.
"Please, stop, Yuki," he said gently. Hanabusa gulped.
"President… Kuran…" he said, concerned, a drop of sweat appearing on his temples. I covered my eyes and heard Hanabusa yelp loudly and I could hear him breathing heavily, as though he were trying not to cry. Kaname obviously wouldn't want my interference, but I rather wanted to intervene- I felt exceptionally sorry for him. (Not Kaname, Hanabusa. I hated Kaname when he was like this, despite the fact I worked very closely with him.)
"Did I ask for this?"
"No… I… Acted on my own…"
"Leave. Now," Kaname replied darkly. I heard Hanabusa run upstairs, and he brushed my arm with his hand. I opened my eyes and got glared at by a particularly annoyed blonde vampire. The side of his face was bleeding, and he stormed in to the dorm area. I ran anxiously after Hanabusa. He stomped in to the room he shared with his cousin, Akatsuki Akatsuki. I went in to the room I shared with Ruka. She stirred and glanced groggily at me.
"Sorry," I whispered in to the darkness. Ruka smiled.
"It's fine. Hanabusa makes so much more noise anyway, sis'," she quipped. I nodded.
"In his defense, though, Kaname did slap him really hard," I muttered. Ruka shrugged.
"It doesn't matter," she said.
"... Ruka, I know you don't get on well with Hanabusa, but… Well, I'm the counselor, I guess. I have to get on well with everyone. And I guess I do," I said coldly. Ruka nodded.
"Yeah. I know. But, I just can't get on well with Hanabusa, I guess…" she sighed. I nodded.
"Know the feeling. I sometimes can't stand having to get on well with everyone. Yeah… Particularly- and I know you respect him so you'll kill me for this- Kaname."
"Yeah. He's got a bad attitude which can be bad," Ruka sighed.
"So… His attitude is shaped like itself?"
"That doesn't tell you- no, you numpty! He has a bad attitude, comma, which can be bad. As in, he has a bad attitude which can be a bad thing!" she laughed.
"OK, I probably should have understood that, but I'm overtired. I've been up three night straight writing these stupid reports!" I said. "Speaking of which…" I took out the box under my bed and started writing- again.
"You seem to be writing reports all the time! How many have you even done?" Ruka asked. I sighed.
"One. And not even all of that," I replied.
"OK… Since I'm your sister, do I get privileges? Like… Whose file you've already done…?" she asked. I frowned.
"OK. Since you're my sister. I've started on Takuma's so far. I've got half a page," I replied.
"I suppose you aren't allowed to discuss them?" Ruka said.
"Usually, I'm not. But, once again I'm willing to make an exception because you're my sister."
"Oh, the perks I get," Ruka said. "OK, speak," she added. I nodded and looked at the file.
"'Takuma Ichijo is, by all means, a very good-natured vampire. He never shows any irritation, and, as a result, when he is upset, many of the others who would usually show very little emotion (Senri Shiki, Akatsuki Kain, Ruka Souen, Seiren) seem to show more emotion (particularly Senri) when they are around him, although whether this is because he always defends them or is just so good-natured, caring and generally kind I am not sure.' So, yeah. That's where I am…" I said. Ruka chuckled.
"I would agree that I show very little emotion," she giggled. I smiled at her.
"I guess, like me, you can't really afford to very much. It's just… I don't know."
As I spoke, I heard Kaname come up the stairs. I then heard hurried footsteps coming down the corridor, and began to worry. Then, one of the doors (Hanabusa and Akatsuki's, I think) opened, and I flopped back on the pillow. That is, until I heard someone shout angrily. Then I got up. Ruka sighed tiredly, but by that time, I was already pulling a coat on over my night-dress. Ruka frowned.
"You're that worried?" she asked, but still got up.
"Oh, come on. These guys fight way more than you know of, sis'," I said, hoping that no-one had scattered thumbtacks outside the door (that someone, if it did happen, would no doubt be Hanabusa), which had actually happened before. It had been directed at Ruka, not at me at all, but, since I get up so early, at least an hour before Ruka, I had spent half the day pulling thumbtacks out of my feet and then limping around because it hurt to put any weight at all on them. Understandably, I was really annoyed with Hanabusa for that whole day (he'd got in to an argument with Ruka- easy enough to do; she's not the kindest vampire I know, but, heck, she's my sister, so I defend her no matter what, although sometimes through very heavily clenched teeth) but, because I can't afford to have enemies, particularly not Hanabusa, I forgave him quick enough, and even helped him play a trick on Ruka (really, I needed her out of the way for a while- I'd been given a pile of reports a mile high to write, so I needed her elsewhere for as long as was possible, although I did go to one of the halls, where Takuma was lurking and playing the piano, although I don't mind his company too much), because I will do (just about) anything to avoid writing reports, because I hate writing reports, even if I do have to. It's much more fun to be doing something else when I should be writing reports, but it's my job, I suppose… Poor me…
"I'm gonna stay in here," Ruka said, snapping me back down to earth.
"OK," I replied. "But, as the school counselor, looks like I'm stuck, though," I sighed, swinging the door open.
And then wishing I'd just stayed in the room.
I should probably explain.
While I AM counselor, I've certainly not seen everything that there is to see. For example, I've never seen an elephant playing a piano. Although, that is COMPLETELY irrelevant to what was going on (I have to keep these damn case-notes; why not turn them in to a book?).
The sight which confronted me was one that made me wish I just hadn't accepted the position of counselor. The sort of thing which made me wonder what I was doing in life: I'm not as such an outgoing kind of vampire; I wouldn't naturally go and see what people, or, indeed, vampires, were shouting about just out of my own damn-blasted curiosity (mostly because I DON'T HAVE ANY CURIOSITY! The position was both open and needed (thanks so VERY much, whoever the previous counselor was) so I took it! Argh!) or even friggin' think about interfering, but, as counselor, I HAVE TO!
Anyway; now I've done being annoyed, I shall tell you what I saw: Hanabusa was sitting against the wall next to my room with his head in his hands, hardly moving at all apart from the fact his shoulders shuddered every time he tried to take a breath, which Akatsuki (forever the madman) was glowering at Kaname. My eternal monologue with my schizophrenia went something like this.
Well, this is great. Yeah. Akatsuki and Kaname have decided they hate each other, and Kaname appears to have injured Hanabusa quite badly. Get me out of this one, brain!
Hurmm… Well… No, I'm stuck.
Yeah, fat load of good you did!
Well, sorry!
A… Aleana? someone a little way off (from my point of view, at least) said. I recognized Hanabusa's voice (while he couldn't hear my telepathy, he could transmit his thoughts in my general direction, although how he could when he was injured I wasn't sure).
"It's alright." I knelt down beside him and put my arm gently over his shoulders, then decided to listen to the argument I had to wonder what it was actually about. He cautiously got up.
"You should thank me," Kaname said. I frowned.
"Thank you for what?" Akatsuki asked angrily. Kaname hadn't raised his voice at all yet, and, surprisingly, that REALLY annoyed me.
Suddenly, Kaname moved forward, and slashed fiercely at both cousins with his sharp fingernails. Akatsuki winced and ran his finger over his cheek. Hanabusa cowered behind his cousin (who is incidentally a head taller than me, therefore a head and a half taller than Kaname; I'm very tall), shuddering fearfully. When Kaname shook then him- hard- his head knocked against the wall and he collapsed. I gasped, knelt beside him and put my hand gently on his neck. I could feel a faint pulse.
As he was speaking, Takuma and Senri came down the corridor. Senri turned tail without saying a word, but Takuma looked at me. I shrugged, then he left after Senri and I heard a door open, and then close a second later.
It has become about time you had a name, oh voice-in-my-head. After all, I would probably go insane without you, I stated bluntly.
You sure choose your moments well, it said angrily. Separate entities though we may be, we're both counselor, so we both care about everyone here.
OK, then. If you just want to remain 'Voice'… I said, oddly relaxed.
OK, OK! How about… Athene? she asked.
OK. Athene it is, then, I said, calm and cold as usual. But inside I was cursing myself. I was meant to be the counselor, and yet I had completely failed at looking after Hanabusa!
"This is below me," Kaname said egoistically, and Akatsuki ran over.
"Are you OK?" he asked, concerned. I got up, now sure that Hanabusa would be OK. There were tears running down his face. I gently ran my hand over his back and glanced at Akatsuki, who was glowering after Kaname, who had just upped and left. Akatsuki anxiously put his arm over Hanabusa's back. "Takuma, get back here!" he shouted. I frowned, but then realized that Takuma might be able to do SOMETHING (I don't know what). A few seconds after he shouted, Takuma then returned- he might be the Deputy President, but he usually takes orders from Akatsuki, because he's so much taller. He's very sweet, though. When he wants to be, and he's actually very gentle. He never really over-reacts, or even reacts at all. But he's definitely very sweet. He defends Hanabusa and Ruka a lot- quite frankly rabidly. Of course, Akatsuki usually not doing much gets him in to trouble with Kaname- when Hanabusa does something stupid, it's usually HIM who also gets punished, which I don't quite think is fair. But, you know. We're all vampires.
"Oh, we're SO much below you," I snarled, hearing Athene say exactly the same thing in my head. "If that's so, why don't you just leave?"
He's too proud to, that's why, Athene growled coldly.
Yes, I stated in reply.
Hey, do you remember when Hanabusa found that hedgehog? The one asleep in the sun? Athene asked.
Yeah. And he said it looked like a tangle of thorny bushes.
But when we came back the next day, he was still there and he was dead, Athene finished bluntly.
Hmm. Yeah, I replied. I took my "Little Black Book Of Everything About Everyone" (Little Black Book, Black Book or Everything About Everyone for short- basically everyone knows about it, although no-one knows what's in it. That is my secret) out of my pocket and flicked through it. I had nothing at all about Kaname Kuran that I could use against him. I checked through it repeatedly, but there was absolutely nothing. "Well, for once the Little Black Book Of Everything About Everyone is of absolutely no use," I muttered aloud.
"I might be able to help," a voice behind me said. I jumped and spun around.
"Oh, God! Don't DO that Senri! You scared me!" I said. Senri shrugged.
"Sorry," he replied coldly. "But trust me. I always hang around with Takuma, and when he's annoyed with Kaname-sama, just because I happen to be there and very nearly invisible usually, he tells me what's troubling him," he explained. I nodded.
"Right," I said. "Tell me of your plan."