Learning Lies
Chapter 1: Ghosts
Zero closed his eyes hoping that the horror would disappear. He didn't want to tell anyone what truly happened but it was being forced from him.
He and his brother Ichiru had been waiting for there cousin Shizuka to come visit them, she was supposed to arrive a few hours ago and they were getting worried. They knew she could take care of herself, her being a pure blooded vampire and all but she was still family and family worries when one of them is missing.
Last time she had come to visit she had brought along Raido Kuran, the man she was going to announce as her fiancé but she said that was only for family to know of, for now, since there was talk of betrayal. She claimed she was more worried about us, since the plot involved both the Kiryuu's and the Kuran's. It seemed that the death of Raido's siblings was done by whoever was behind this new twist that was plotted. She said she would be back at her normal time to tell us more about what was really going on.
The Kiryuu's had done some digging of there own, and found connections of betrayal leading all the way up to the Association President. It was then that Zero knew what was going to happen.
Shizuka had come to the house a few hours late, both twins were outside waiting. Zero gave her a quick run down on his thoughts, she was the only one he knew that would listen to him. Sure his parents thought he was smart but they didn't understand Zero's sight. It wasn't as if he could tell the future, no, what Zero could do was understand the thought process of others which give him a power like empathy but for the mind, not someone's emotions.
After Shizuka got in the house she made sure to tell her cousins what needed to be done and gave her word that the twins would survive, even if it meant her death.
E's had followed her, but they weren't without their master. This pure blood was the last pure blood of the fallen line. The fallen used to be a well known name until they betrayed all by attacking the young born of others trying to increase their power. When Zero had learned of them he got a feeling that there was a high ranking hunter in the Association still linked to that family.
After the Fallen had attempted what they did by the help of their blood hunters1, the Council and the Association had put a bounty on their heads. Within a year that family was said to be wiped out.
When the last pure blood of the Fallen had shown himself Zero knew exactly who he was related to in the Association. Their first female President.
"You, you're related to the President." Zero said. Many of the E's were then sent his way. Zero knew how to use his gun thanks to his Sensei Yagari, and Ichiru although he had a weak body could wield his sword like the best of them but tired quickly.
It had seemed like they were going to win.
Hunters had shown up with the President. Many of then were too young within the Association that they just followed her orders blindly. Shizuka had taken too many wounds from the Hunters that the twins' parents were trying to cover for her. Her bleeding had taken hold of the E's minds and they began to swarm them.
Their father went down first, Ichiru ran over using the last of his strength to work his way into the middle with them. Zero was shooting down E's after E's to cover his brother not caring that Hunters were approaching fast. Zero went down after watching some E's tear his father into portions.
Cherry Blossoms flew around as their mother threw herself into a new swarm of E's. Her charm she used took her life and all those around her within ten feet. Zero's head swam as he watched fro the ground. Most of the E's were gone and Shizuka was the only one alive besides him and his brother. Ichiru sat on his knees in shock. The one E left was so close. Zero used all of his will to move his bleeding body.
The E didn't even know what hit him before he turned to dust. Only some of the Hunters and the President were still there. With his brother in shock and Shizuka wounded, Zero cried on his knees as he knew what was going too happened. The images came to mind and then were replayed in reality. Zero was not mentally strong enough to do anything to stop the images in his head from happening.
Blood splattered across his face as the President took out the Hunters following her. Zero couldn't stop his tears as he watched as brethren fell; eyes wide with shock. He couldn't help them. His arm wouldn't move. His mind felt dizzy from blood lost.
Their President had betrayed them.
Shizuka could barely stand. The President walked closer and closer to her. Zero wanted to cry out to tell them to run but his voice wasn't working. He was coughing up blood. Ichiru had their father's head staring straight at him.
Zero needed to save Shizuka.
She would take care of Ichiru.
For the first since Zero had let his Sensei get injured, he used his gun in his main hand. In his left hand.
Zero shot at the President. He could hear his mother voice in his ears scolding him about not following the rules.
He fired again and again, just to hear the voice in his head.
His President staggered but didn't fall. No she took another swing at Shizuka.
"Ichiru!" Zero cried over the blood.
Ichiru looked up to see his brother bleeding profusely. Ichiru blamed himself he had left his twin to fend for himself while he threw himself carelessly into a mass of E's knowing his brother would worry more about his safety than himself. Ichiru watched as his brother shot at someone to his right. Shizuka was on her knee trying to get back up. Their President, she was going to kill his family.
Ichiru took his sword and three graceful moves stuck the weapon to the hilt in the lower left side of the President. She elbowed Ichiru in the stomach and pushed the weapon out of her. Ichiru was breathing heavy, he needed to calm down or he would have an attack. Zero shot at the President again, drawing Ichiru's attention to himself.
Ichiru had clamed down.
The president was retreating.
Shizuka's wounds were closing.
Zero had finally let his eyes close as his body slumped to the ground. He could hear his brother cry out for him. Zero wanted to comfort him.
Shizuka staggered as she made her way to the twins. Ichiru was fine but Zero wouldn't make it, she knew that by smell. She would take Ichiru with her, bite Zero and give him some of her blood hoping he would survive. She knew Yagari or Cross would be the only two Zero would live with if he did. When she healed fully she would come back for him.
Ichiru watched as his twin was bitten and was given cousin Shizuka's blood. He continued to watch his brother long after Shizuka lifted his limp body and began to walk away. Ichiru just wanted his brother to wake. To tell him he was only playing. That's he's not hurt it's just fake blood.
Ichiru cried silent tears when he could no longer see his brother's body lying in what used to be their backyard. Zero heard all, his body just couldn't move and he so badly wanted to go with them.
Zero knew he's brother was safe when he woke up alone in the hospital wing of the Association. Yagari Sensei was the first to notice that he woke up. The President was there but Zero made no move to show he knew what happened. He had a wrap around his head.
"Where's Ichiru?" Zero asked.
Yagari shook his head. The President had made up a story about what had happened, not thinking that Zero would survive. Zero faked memory loss. Then as things were told back to him came up with an even more warped version of what happened than the President. She left thinking that all was well.
Yagari stayed even after the nurse left. He smoked his cig and watched as Zero fisted the blankets beside him. He knew the boy had lied about what happened. Obviously the President and her lackeys knew something.
Zero cried. He was angry, frustrated, and hurt.
Yagari waited until Zero was done with his tears before asking the boy to go into detail on what happened.
"Not here," were the only two words Zero said to anybody for weeks.
Yagari got called away for a mission so he asked Cross if he would take the boy in. Cross agreed quickly. It was after Yagari was trying to push Zero into Cross' home that Zero whispered to him.
"President watched live"
Zero quickly went inside leaving his Sensei to curse venomously.