Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight.

Note: I own Esa Kannazuki.

Hikari Maiden: I consider this insanely hilarious! ^.^

Thistles

By: Hikari Maiden

Aidou Hanabusa glared at his childhood friend. "Esa Kannazuki! Get your hind end back inside this room this instant!"

The blonde growled and hissed. "Shut up, Aidou!" She looked sad as she sighed. I'm sick of my bed, my bedroom, this house. I want to explore. She scratched her head. What the heck? My head itches.

Aidou came up beside her and he stared at her as if she were insane. "You're human, you moron."

She glared at him. "I'm sick of this place. I want to explore. Don't stop me." She began to rush off, but Aidou quickly wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Jeez, woman. You're so stubborn."

"I told you not to stop me!" She struggled to free herself from his firm, yet gentle grip. "Let go of me!"

"Stay put and I will release you."

"I'll die of boredom!"

"You sound like a spoiled child, you know that?"

Zero Kiryu appeared.

Esa smiled, yanked one arm free, and waved. "Kiryu-san! Hiya! How are you?"

"Kannazuki-san. You must listen to Hanabusa-kun."

She whined, "Aw, Kiryu-san! Not you, too! I'm bored out of my mind! I wanna explore!"

The silver haired boy told her, "Don't be an idiot. How about this? If you go back inside your room and rest, Yuki and I allow you to help us with our duties."

She lit up. "'Kay!" She went back inside her bedroom. She scratched her head. Itchy!

Aidou looked at Zero with amazement and told him, "Wow. How'd you do that? Teach me."

"It's a compromise."

The blonde headed boy sighed. "She's so stubborn. Though, I understand how she feels. Still, she must rest. Otherwise, her condition could worsen."

"She still looks a little pale and so thin, but she seems to feel better."

Aidou and Zero heard an abrupt, shrill scream. Both boys sprinted into action. Aidou searched the bedroom for his childhood friend. "Esa!"

"AIDOU!"

Aidou darted towards the scream. "Esa!" He found Esa on the floor of the balcony, beside broken balcony doors, surrounded by shattered glass, and curtains flapped in the wind.

She trembled uncontrollably as she stared up at him from her spot on the floor of the balcony. Tears fell from her eyes and rolled along her cheeks and dripped from her chin. She whimpered, "Aidou. Aidou."

Zero, Aidou, and Esa heard an evil laugh.

Esa shuddered and hugged herself. Ha! So cold! Visions flashed through her mind and a vacant expression came over her eyes. Her head throbbed. She saw sparkles. Her vision went out of focus and she felt everything spin. Her eyelids became heavy and her eyelids closed as she began to fall.

Aidou caught her in his arms. He quickly carried her to safety. "Esa?"

She didn't respond.

Zero fought an evil vampire.

Wake…up…Wake up! She forced her eyelids open. Abrupt, intense pain shot through her head. Stay awake! She stared up at Aidou, eyelids low, vision blurred. "Aidou."

He looked at her as if she were crazy. "Idiot! Don't strain yourself! Go back to sleep!"

She weakly smiled and weakly shook her head. "I've slept enough." She sat up. Her head instantly throbbed and everything instantly spun. She saw sparkles. She struggled to focus her blurred vision. She took one step. Her legs gave way and her knees buckled and she crashed onto her hands and knees, on the floor. Her heart pounded inside her chest and she breathed heavily. I can't catch my breath! The pain in her chest and throat felt like agony and her chest and throat burned like agony. She coughed. Am I gonna throw up? Tears hung in her eyes. The pain throughout her body felt like agony.

"Now, will you listen to me when I tell you to stay put and rest?"

Jerk face! Don't rub it in!

He gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her close to him.

Idiot! You'll get sick!

She feels so weak. "You should have stayed in bed."

Touch me the wrong way and you're dead! She sat there, weak, but as stubborn as ever.

Jeez, what does she think I am? A pervert? "I'm not interested in you that way. I'll beat up any pervert, who tries anything with you."

"You sure ya not keepin' me to yoh self?"

"Did you use the accent on me?"

She grinned. "Heh. Maybe. Maybe not."

He stood and helped her up. "Anyway, I have to get you to the infirmary." When she moved, he noticed something on her back, then, he noticed a red rash at her inner elbows. "What's on your back and arms?"

She gently touched her thick, blonde hair and moved it aside. "Oh? This? Mother says it's exima. Step-mother says it looks like I got bitten by mosquitoes." Then, she gently touched her arms. "This is exima as well. Don't worry. It's not contagious. I also have it on my neck."

The nurse told Aidou, "It seems, she has influenza. Also, she had nits. I treated her hair with Lice MD."

"She must have been exposed at her boyfriend's house. She parted with her giggle panda bear. She gave it to an unfortunate little girl. She so badly wanted her to smile and laugh. She felt so attached to that giggle panda bear. However, it sat on a shelf in the closet. No one looked at it. No one played with it. There was no place to put it without its possible destruction. This may be a sign that she's finally grown up. The little girl had pretty, curly hair, down to her waist, but, then it had to be cut short, then, it had to be shaved. Her boyfriend's hair and beard had to be shaved. Her boyfriend's dad had to shave his beard and any hair on his head. The house had to be disinfected."

Yuuki smiled. "Kannazuki-san is nice."

"She says she doesn't care if she's exposed. She says it feels good to do kind things and say kind things. She says it feels good to have people smile and laugh. She isn't physically strong, but she's strong in other ways."