I do not own Vampire Knight or any of the related characters with the exception of Aiko and Noriko (thus far)
Chapter Two
I guess I had fallen back to sleep after that, because when I woke next I was in a foreign room. It was spacious and the bed I was on was quite large and cushy with a large black lace canopy over it. I could just barely see through the translucent material into the rest of the room. From what I could tell it was still night, though probably more into the early morning hours. There as a large bay window off to my right. On the left side of the window was a large book case. On the right side of the window was a wooden desk. The light from the window revealed, though just barely, the left side of the room. I could see the large white French doors in the furthest corner and a single door directly in front of me. Yet another door, slimmer in width was in the corner closest to my bed, so I took a guess that it was the closet. The other doors must have led to either the bathroom or the hallway. The room was extremely large. I'd never had a room quite this size before. In the center of the room was a maroon sofa and love seat combo with small, but long wooden coffee table sitting in front of the set.
'Where am I?' I asked myself. The last thing I remember was lying on bench outside the chairman's office. 'Oh, and that strange conversation. I wonder who Rido is…' Shrugging, I pulled the thick violet duvet covers off my small body, pushed aside the lace curtain and slipped gently to the carpeted floor. There was a pair of white slippers sitting at the foot of my bed, as if expecting my arrival. Shrugging once more, I slipped my feet into the comfy, warm fuzziness with a small smile of satisfaction. Looking up, my breath caught in the back of my throat as I found myself staring at my reflection. I hadn't realized there was a full length mirror next to the closet door. It was one of those oval shaped mirrors that swung frontwards and backwards. I noticed that I was no longer wearing my outfit from earlier, but rather a simple black night gown that reached mid-shin. My long, waist length wine colored hair hung about my pale frame in a wavy mess. Grayish-blue eyes stared wide-eyed back at me. I could see the fading discoloration under my left eye and the black stitches that held my bottom lip together in three different places. On my right cheek, starting in the middle and stretching almost to my ear was a scabbed over cut, jagged and ugly. Rushing over to the mirror I grabbed it, pulling it forward so that the wooden back was facing me, concealing my image. With a sigh and I turned and headed for the two white doors. I figured the double doors probably led into the hallway. I could find someone at the very least and try to figure out where I was.
Opening the door softly I peered cautiously out into the hallway. It was completely empty. I blinked in confusion. Walking out of my room, I left the door slightly ajar and slowly made my way down the long white hallway. I passed a main entrance where a sitting area was, but no one was there. A couple twist and turns later, I found a balcony that over looked a beautiful garden. I had found a small library or study room, a conference looking room and thousands of locked doors, but no people to speak of. I was beginning to freak out. I didn't like the fact that this place was devoid of life. I turned a corner and nearly jumped out of my skin as I nearly ran into a tall figure.
"There you are." Looking up at the deep voiced male, I took in his russet colored hair and liquid topaz eyes. The male looked down at me with slight relief over his face. "We've been looking for you everywhere. You shouldn't be wandering around like this. Makes it difficult to protect you, understand?" he told me gently. I nodded silently, looking up at him apologetically. The tall boy sighed and ran a hand through his ever messy hair. "Oh, don't give me that look. It's alright, okay? Just don't do it again." I nodded and offered him a smile, which he returned. He glanced around for a moment before saying, "I see why you came this way though. It's a great view of the gardens." I turned to the window behind me and glanced out.
To be honest I hadn't been paying attention to what was outside, but now that he mentioned it, it was beautiful. There was a large fountain with a fairy pouring the water out of a jug in the center of the garden. All around the fountain were bush after bush of different colored roses. I loved roses dearly, especially blue roses. I would probably find myself in that garden quite often if I got the chance. "Do you know your way back to your room?" I turned back to the male behind me, shaking my head no. He sighed once again and told me to follow him, muttering something about not leaving places you don't know how to get back to. I hardly paid attention, though I probably should have, to the winging, twisting hallways as we finally made it to the front parlor. This time I was teaming with people. I recognized Ichijou from the chairman's office immediately. He was pacing back and forth at the head of the staircase. "I found her." my guide announced to the room. Ichijou immediately looked in our direction and hurriedly walked over.
"Thank you, Kain!" he told the male beside me, who nodded. Turning a soft gaze to me he said seriously, "Aiko-san, you can't just wander off like that! You have to tell someone."
'Tell who though? I was trying to find someone in the first place.' I thought. Nonetheless, I looked down and nodded. I flinched as a hand landed on my head and patted it reassuringly.
"Don't get so down, kid. Like I said, just don't do it again." Kain smiled at me. Nodding again, I smiled back.
"So, this is Aiko-san?" I heard another male voice ask. Looking passed Ichijou, I saw another blonde male only this one had icy blue eyes. I blinked up at him and smiled softly in greeting. The male grinned, "You're right, Ichijou, she is cute." I cocked my head to the side curiously. 'I'm…cute?' This action only caused Ichijou to chuckle and Kain to smile. The mystery boy closed his eyes and…sniffed the air? 'What the hell?' "She smells good, too." His grin this time was different, almost predatory. 'That's just weird.' I couldn't help by grimace at his choice of words.
"Aidou!" Ichijou scolded.
"Watch it, Hanabusa." Kain chided at the same time.
Aidou pouted and crossed his arms, "What?"
At this point another voice, sophisticated sounding, said, "I'd keep those fangs inside your mouth, Aidou, if you know what's good for you."
Immediately, Aidou turned to his right and glared at the light haired brunette female. "Oh yeah? Just what are you gonna do about it, Ruka?"
"Would you like to see?" she snapped back. The two then went into glaring contest. I felt my eyebrows rise slowly at the two. Talk about intense.
"Don't you two have something better to do?" another female voice asked, emotionless it seemed if not for the slightly exasperated edge to it. Another red head stood on the staircase watching the events detachedly with her sapphire gaze. Beside her was a handsome male. Now don't get me wrong, all the guys in the entrance hall were handsome, just something about this one in particular was exceedingly so. His maroon colored hair accented his silvery blue eyes perfectly and both seemed to make his flawlessly pale skin glow. He wore a bored expression on his face and an almost apathetic expression in his eyes, but I could tell there was emotion behind them. It was merely a matter of knowing what to look for.
I heard a sigh and turned to look back at Aidou and Ruka, only to see them being pushed aside by the one I remembered to be Kaname, the strange kingly male from the chairman's office. His eyes glanced over the two on either side of him, a look of annoyance plastered on his handsome visage. "How bothersome. I tell you to simply find her and here I find the two of you bickering."
"Kaname-sama!" Aidou and Ruka exclaimed, jumping back slightly at the tall male's sudden arrival.
Ignoring them he walked straight up to me and offered me a hand, "You're tired. I'll take you back to your room now." To be honest, I hadn't even noticed I was tired. 'With all the traveling I did today I suppose it's not unheard of to be tired.' With a yawn, which I hid behind the back of my left hand, I placed my right hand in his outstretched one and allowed the dorm president to lead me away from the strange assortment of people. Turning my head back, I waved at them as they watched me. Only Ichijou, Kain and the mysterious male on the stairwell waved back.
When Kaname and I had finally arrived back at my room, he led me straight to my bed, picked me up, and set me on top of it. Kneeling before me, he gently slipped my slippers off and placed them as I had found them at the foot of my bed. The way his head was bent and the way his hair fell over his shoulders and face, covering all but his mouth, reminded me of someone. Suddenly the image of a pair of eyes flashed before my eyes. One wine red, the other suede blue. I got a warm, safe feeling in the pit of my stomach, almost nostalgic. I shook the image from my head just as Kaname stood and faced me, a gentle smile on his face. "Aiko-san, you mustn't disappear like that. Not all the Night Class students are as kind as the ones I surround myself with. You must never forget that we're vampires." he told me softly as he placed a tender hand on my cheek. 'That's right. How could I have forgotten?' There was both sternness and warmth in his eyes as he looked down at me. I frowned, looking down into my lap. It was times like these that I wish I could find the will to speak, to explain myself. It's hard to explain, but it's as though he stole it from me. My eyes darkened at the thought of that murder. "Don't look so sad. I realize you were probably looking for someone, am I right?" I nodded. Kaname gave a short nod, "Well then, I guess we'll just have to leave someone outside your door for you. Sleep, it's been a long day for you. Tomorrow you'll join the rest of us in class. Goodnight, Aiko-san." Kaname rubbed his thumb across my cheekbone one last time before turning and walked out of my room, closing the door behind him.
'How strange. I didn't take him for the affectionate type.' I thought as I swung my legs back up on the bed, tugged the curtains closed and pulled the covers back over my body. 'He's an odd one. I'll have to keep an eye on him. I have a feeling there's more to his affection than he lets on.'
I woke hours later to a soft knock on my door. Groggily I sat up, just as the doors opened. Through the lace I could make out the form of a small girl with long wispy hair. "Aiko-san? Are you awake?" her soft voice rang through the room almost like the tinkling of a bell. I gently moved the lace out of the way to show her I was awake and listening. Of course, the first thing I noticed was how strikingly similar she looked to Kaname. She essentially was a female version of him with longer hair, shorter in height and more innocent look in her wine colored eyes. She smiled at me as she crossed the room to my bedside. "I'm Kuran Yuuki. It's nice to finally meet you." she said excitedly. I saw the restraint she put her expression, trying to hold in the apparently thrill she got from meeting me, not that I really understood why. I smiled back and nodded.
Yuuki offered me her hand and helped me out of bed. "Today you'll join us in class, so we have to get you ready." she told me as she pulled me over to the door across from my bed. Opening it, I realized I had been correct. This was indeed the bathroom. It wasn't anything special, just your average porcelain counter tops and toilet. The only difference from any other bathroom I had used was perhaps that the tub and the shower were separated. The tub was in the far left hand corner and the shower was opposite the tub in the right hand corner, jutting out of the wall like a linen closet. Glancing around the bathroom I realized the mirror was missing. Yuuki seemed to notice my confusion. "I took it down when I was setting up your room last night while you slept, I hope you don't mind. I noticed how you turned the other one around." she said with a sheepish smile as she rocked back and forth on her heels. I smiled my thanks to her and nodded my head. Grinning back Yuuki continued, "I already set out a towel for you beside the shower and your uniform is sitting on the counter here. If you need anything let me know, I'll be right outside the bathroom." The brunette girl smiled sweetly as she shut the bathroom door behind her.
A few minutes later, I stood in the shower, warm water cascading down my battered body. There were remnants of bruising around my ribs and down my arms. Large green and yellow splotches spotted my thighs. I knew there were nasty cuts and bruises on my back, I had seen them once before. The image terrified me. It was just a harsh reminder of the whip lashing and the different, sharp blades that tore through my skin time and time again. Cringing, I stuck my head in the warm water and shook my head, trying to rid myself of the horrible images.
'Why do these things have to be so complicated?' I mentally groaned. My shower hadn't been long. I didn't want to keep Yuuki waiting on me, so I had hurried through the rest of my routine and gotten dressed just as quickly. The only thing left was this stupid red tie. I knew it was supposed to go in front of the white uniform. I had seen Yuuki's like that, but for some reason I couldn't get it to look nice enough. Heaving a sigh, I walked out of the bathroom and back into my bedroom where, just as she said, Yuuki was sitting on the couch waiting for me. The girl look over at me and upon noticing my frustrated expression, giggled lightly. "I had the same problem when I first put on the uniform. It takes a little practice to get use to it. I'll tie it for you." I smiled softly in thanks.
Once my attire was taken care of, Yuuki grinned. "Alright! All done! Now let's get your hair taken care of. It's kinda chilly outside, so we should dry it, okay?" I had merely nodded and allowed the girl to lead me back into the bathroom where she insisted on brushing and drying my hair. "It's so lovely." she told me, a sheepish grin on her innocent face, "I can't help but want to play with it." There was a slight pause as Yuuki brushed through the silky locks one more time. "Done! You look so pretty!" she told me, but I kept my eyes on my lap. Yuuki noticed. "You know, you're still beautiful, Aiko-san. What he did to you was wrong and cruel, but you don't have to think less of yourself. I don't see the stitches when you smile or the gash on your cheek or the bruises around your eyes. I don't see the bruises on your arms or your legs. I don't see the scars on your back or the discoloration around your ribs. I simply see a beautiful girl who needs to be reminded of that." she said softly, lifting my chin to look at her. I gave her another confused look. How had she known about the other markings? "I was the one who changed you when you first arrived. I didn't stare if you were wondering." I glanced away for a moment, but Yuuki nudged my chin making me look back towards her. "You don't have to look in the mirror just yet. When you see what I see, what everyone else sees, you won't be ashamed to gaze at yourself every once in a while." After that, she didn't say anything more on the subject. Yuuki led me out of bedroom and down to the main room, just below the balcony where I had my encounter with the strange array of students the night before. I noticed Aidou and Kain standing next to the door, the latter leaning against the doorframe. Sitting on the high backed couch was Ruka. She sat straight up, her eyes glued in a bored fashion to the open book in her hands.
"Ah! Aiko-san! Yuuki-sama!" Ichijou proclaimed, a giant smile on his face. 'I swear that boy never stops smiling. Not that I mind.' "Good morning!" he greeted us. Glancing out the window, I moved my confused eyes back to his. Laughing he gently took our hands and led us the rest of the way down the stairs. "Morning for us vampires at least. Did you sleep well?" The last part was directed at me. I nodded and bowed in thanks. Ichijou quickly waved his hands in embarrassment, "No need to bow, Aiko-san! We wanted to make you feel at home here. I'm just glad the transfer is going smoothly thus far." Turning to Yuuki he offered her a bright smile as well, "Thank you for your help, Yuuki-sama."
Yuuki huffed and glared at the blonde. "Ichijou-sempai, you call nii-san Kaname, so why can't you just call me Yuuki? Yuuki-sama just sounds weird coming from you." I chuckled soundlessly at the childish look she gave the older male. There was no doubt in my mind that her pout could even bring down the scary Yagari. It was just too damn cute!
"Hai, Yuuki-sa…uh…Yuuki!" Ichijou corrected himself when the young vampire glared a tiny bit.
Yuuki turned her gaze on me once more, the same smile she'd had all morning still flashing brightly at me. "Aiko-san, there is one thing you have to know about Cross Academy. The Night Class has…uh…a bit of a "following" per say." she said, cringing at a memory. "Well, mostly the boys in the Night Class do. The girls have their own following, but it's greatly over shadowed by the females in the Day Class." I was confused. Following? What were they celebrities or something?
Apparently seeing my confused face, Aidou took advantage of this and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. Startled, I turned my head to look at him sharply only to stare at him strangely. Aidou had one hand in his wispy blonde hair and a "sexy" grin on his visage. "Haven't you noticed how absolutely handsome we all are? The girls simply can't resist our dazzling good looks. Don't you agree?" I merely stared at him blankly, completely unsure of how to react to this situation.
"You're making her uncomfortable." A voice suddenly broke the silence that had enveloped the room. Aidou was suddenly pulled off and a gentle hand pulled me to their side. Looking up, I was momentarily "dazzled" as Aidou would say by the male beside me. He was the mystery boy from the night before. Blinking up at him, I noticed his eyes were locked with mine. The same bored expression as the night before, but there was kindness there, too. I wondered for a moment if he was merely too lazy to even change his facial expression. I mean, it's not that I knew him or anything, but I got the distinct feeling of laziness from him. "You shouldn't let people make you uncomfortable." he said. "Especially Aidou. Just push him off." I couldn't help but laugh silently at the bluntness of his statement.
"WHAT?" Aidou cried. He grabbed the mystery boy by his uniform front and glared fiercely at him. "Say that again, I dare ya!"
"Aidou." I saw the blonde visibly cringe and move away from the maroon haired male. Kaname made his way down the stairs slowly, the same air of supremacy exuding from him. Yuuki walked over to greet him as he reached the bottom. The two sharing a loving look as Kaname laid a tender hand on her cheek, which she leaned into. Turning back to everyone else, Kaname wrapped and arm around Yuuki's waist and walked forward. "Shiki and Ichijou will be her guardians from this point on. I suggest you don't step on either of their toes. I have my own assignment for you, however. During our break, I would like you to meet with me so we may discuss it. Is that clear?" Aidou let out a "Yes, Kaname-sama" and bowed deeply.
Ichijou placed his hand on my unoccupied shoulder, making me look up at him. "We'll be heading out in a second, Aiko-san. Just stay between Shiki and I and you'll be fine. The girls are rather rowdy, but they mean no harm." I merely stared up at the blonde before shrugging and looking forward. Kaname and Yuuki walked towards the door a moment later and opened it. Immediately, we were all greeted by an ear splitting noise. 'Are those the girls? Geez, you'd think Johnny Depp or Hugh Jackman had arrived on campus!' I thought sullenly as I snapped my hands over my ears. It was frightening really.
Gentle hands curled around my wrists and pulled them down. Looking up, I noticed Shiki was the holder of my wrists. His apathetic eyes stared into mine with his usual unreadable look. "It'll become easier. Just tune them out for now." he told me simply. All I could do was nod at the boy as Ichijou placed his hand on the small of my back and nudged me forward.
"Off we go, Aiko-san!" he chirped. 'I think he secretly likes this…' I mused.
The entire Night Class fell in step behind the two head vampires just as the gates, two large stone doors, began to swing open. Yuuki briefly turned around to grin at me, giving me thumbs up to reassure me. I smiled unsurely back at her. As Ichijou, Shiki and I made our way through the gates, the screams and cries only got louder.
"Marry me Ichijou-sempai!"
"I love you Idol!"
"Wild-kun!"
"You're so dreamy Kaname-sempai!"
"Shiki-san, look over here!"
It was like walking down the red carpet or something. Like I was surrounded by celebrities. In a way it made me feel small, like I didn't belong. I suppose I shouldn't have been so caught off guard when the Day Class girls finally realized I was there. I could hear their whispers behind me as I passed them.
"Who's that?"
"What's wrong with her?"
"Did you see her face?"
"Why are Shiki-san and Ichijou-san so close to her?"
"How'd she get in with them? Ruka-sempai and Rima-sempai are so much prettier."
"Yeah, even Seiren-sempai is prettier."
The whispers went on and on, getting worse the more I listened. Shiki-san was right, better to tune them out that to pay any attention. However, for someone as silent as me, it's hard not to hear everything around me even when I'm trying not to listen at all. What was I even doing with these beings? Clearly they were of another level than me. I didn't belong with them. Furthermore, I was more of a burden than anything. I suddenly felt bad for coming to Cross Academy. It seemed that no matter where I went I was always a burden. I was sent to live with my distant uncle, one I didn't even know I had, after I got out of the hospital. I was only there a month or two before he couldn't take my neediness and sent me back to the hospital. Noriko picked me up and took me to another distant family member's house. I was sent right back to her less than a month later. No one wanted a broken, emotionally destroyed mute girl living with them. I was just too damaged.
As if sensing my sudden depression, the mysterious and supposedly emotionless male beside me grabbed my left hand in his gently. Tension I hadn't even realized built up within me was suddenly dispelled at his touch. It was an odd sensation, but one that I welcomed completely. Without looking at me, he said, "I told you not to listen." Then as an afterthought, he added, "They don't know what true beauty is."