Fatum
Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight
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Fabula II
Zero flopped down on to his bed, face down.
"So the rumors are true," he muttered to himself. Sighing, he turned on to his back and stared at the ceiling. "Now what?"
"Hi Zero!" Yuuki sqeaked as popped her head in.
He shot up. "How did you get in here?"
"Your door was wide open!" the 10-year-old grinned. "Come down for supper, okay?"
"Sure, sure," Zero waved at her.
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"Take the child away and leave her."
"Yes your majesty."
The child within the arms of a servant wailed violently as it searched for its mother.
"His senses are impeccable!"
Outraged, the king ordered that the servants leave the cage room immediately.
"My...child!" the queen cried, with her outstretched hand. "Give him back!"
"Die."
Opening his eyes, Kaname felt the heat of the sun blaze against his cool skin. Pulling the red sheet over him, he turned on to his side and felt a shadow staring down at him. "What do you want, commoner?" he croaked.
Sauntering from behind a pillar, Zero walked over towards the cage. "You really do exist."
Hissing, Kaname rapidly threw off the paraphenelia and lunged himself at the silver-haired man, who only smirked in triumph. "So that's why you're covered in bandages! You throw yourself at the bars!"
"Damn you," Kaname cursed. Turning, he shuffled back to pick up the red blanket and draped it over his body. "What are you here for?"
"Oh...just collecting a few things, here and there. You know..."
"You're not a knight."
With a smug expression, Zero applauded the prince. "I'm a writer. People have been talking about your story. True or false, you highness?"
Kaname walked over and hung from the bars, glaring icily at Zero. "Why are you...interested?"
"No reason," Zero shrugged. "Since your story's true...I guess I can tell the whole town and--"
Grabbing on to his collar, Kaname's jaws locked as he stared at the writer with his narrowed, crimson eyes. "Let's compensate," he whispered in a low voice.
"No thanks," Zero said, brushing his arm away. "I don't like making deals that aren't fair."
Kaname's grip tightened on his shirt and pulled him into the iron bars. Zero struggled to get away, but it was no use. The prince was talented, no doubt about that. Beads of sweat formed on the back of Zero's neck as Kaname's face was in the same position it was the day before. The tip of his nose brushed the end of Zero's nose. If he wanted to, he could close the gap between them. Brushing past Zero, he made his way towards the lobe of his ear.
Wincing, Zero felt Kaname's cold breath ghost up against him.
"Here's what I want," the prince whispered. Pausing for a mere moment, he glanced at the door before finally whispering, "Give me a heart."
"A...heart?"
Kaname pulled back. "I let you tell the truth...and in return, you do things for me."
Scoffing, Zero stepped backwards. "Fine. A heart. It shouldn't be too difficult."
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"You did what!?"Kaien squeaked as Zero pulled him aside.
"Where can I get one?"
Kaien's eyes were wide open as he examined Zero from head to toe. "Are you insane? Are you going to go up to a random person and tear their heart out? The prince isn't serious!"
Zero clucked his tongue in annoyance. "Shouldn't even have asked you."
Walking away from Kaien, Zero felt the urge to go back down into the prince's chamber and tear his heart out.
x-x-x
"Mother! Tell me another story! What happened at the end?"
The boy's mother smiled lovingly. "The prince was locked in his cage for all of eternity."
The boy stared at his mother. "That's all? Why isn't there a happy ending? Is the prince lonely? Will he-"
Giving the boy a small smile, his mother kissed his forehead. "This story doesn't have a happy ending."
"But why?"
"Some stories in life aren't meant to have happy endings. And yes, the prince is lonely."
"Tell me another one!"
Shaking her head, the boy's mother pulled the blanket up to his chin. "Time for you to close your eyes. I'll tell you another one tomorrow."
As his mother made her way towards the door, she stopped and looked back at her son before stepping out into the dark corridor.
Kaname's eyes opened slowly to see violet colored sky. He found himself propped up against the bars with bandages bound to his wrists, hanging from the very top of the cage, acting like puppet strings. Running a hand through his hair, Kaname fell on to his back and stared at the lavender ceiling, dotted with stars. The cool air blew against his already cold skin without any effect.
"It's just a dream," he assured.
"YOU!"
Zero stormed into the room and grabbed the iron bars. "You suck a tricking people, you know that?"
Kaname stood up and strolled across the satin cushioning and looked him straight in the eyes. "Lying, was I?"
"You expect me to go out and kill a random person, and give their blood to you? I'm just a writer, not a killer!"
Kaname's continued to stare at Zero.
"Maybe being caged up is driving you insane! That's it! You've developed your own illness! Ugh! That's sick!" Zero gaged. Spinning on his heel, he marched back up the corridor slamming the granite blockade behind him.
Kaname shook his head. "If I were lying...you wouldn't have come back and asked."
"Dad! Can you tell me a story!"
The raven-haired boy's father lied down next to him. "More about The Caged Prince?"
The boy nodded his head, excited as ever. "What happened after he was caged up forever?"
His father rubbed his chin. "Well...the prince was accused of being sick."
"Sick? Like his mother, the queen?"
The boy's father nodded his head. "Right. But you see, the prince's sickness was different. You see, since he was locked up, he wasn't allowed to step outside. So he demanded strange things. For example...he demanded that a cage of swallowtail butterflies be delivered into his chamber."
Gasping, the boy pulled the blanket over his head. "What did he do?" he asked from under the sheets.
"None of his servants knew the answer to his strange demands. Everyone thought he was grotesque and...sick. I can't explain things as well as your mother. Sorry."
The boy peeked from under the blanket. "Dad? What else did the prince want?"
"Well...maybe he wanted some bread and cheese?"
The boy broke out into a peal of laughter. "Really? Did he also want some grape cordial to go with that?" he giggled.
Chucking, his father poked his side gently. "Yes. And you know what else he wanted?"
The boy raised his eyebrows. "There's more?"
"Oh, there's always more. He wanted...a heart."
x-x-x
The town square was illuminated with hundreds of lights as townsfolk took the time to enjoy themselves. It was the annual Carnival of Lights. Performers entertained crowds, as pubs were full of the drunks, and scantily dressed women roamed the streets. Children chased one another around the crowded forum with treats and toys in hand, giggling like children usually do.
Zero slipped in and out of the sea of bodies as he had a gun in hand. Pulling his hood over his head, he backed into alleyways and moved into crowded areas, before coming to a stop at a performer's stage.
"Come one, come all!" the performer beckoned. "Come hear the story of The Caged Prince! Your parents have told you the stories, but you haven't heard the truth! For I have all of the evidence needed to prove that he is alive!"
People pushed and pulled at each other just to get in earshot range.
The stage was an average sized wooden crate, placed on the side of a simple tanned-colored tent, that was surrounded by poorly lit lamps, purposely lit for the failure and entertainment of an eerie aura.
"Come ho! Listen to my tale about the very prince who is the epitome of every young girl's dreams! The epitome of every father and husband's nightmare! They say that he is even more stunning than the most beautiful woman in the kingdom! With luscious red eyes, and dark hair, so soft, it is mistaken as silk! People say that he is caged because he killed his mother! He is a madman! A murderer! A freak!"
The crowd gasped and jeered at the fake's story. Zero leaned against a barrel and crossed his arms across his chest, listening to the wild tale.
"And the prince drinks blood as well!"
Shocked and outraged, the crowed jeered at him, throwing rubbish or anything that can or could be thrown. Zero stood by as the numbers began dwindling.
"No! No! Wait!" he pleaded. "The prince! He wanted a...an apple! Yes, that's it! An apple! Redder than any apple out there!"
"Get off the stage!"
The crowed continued their insults as Zero made his move around the crowed an into the tent that acted as the backdrop. Looking both ways for any spectators, he slipped inside.
"There's no luck for you! That was a phony lie!" a gruff voice said from outside the tent. Zero pulled the gun up to his chest, pointing away from his chest.
As the flaps of the tent were pulled apart, the storyteller entered the room, cursing and muttering threats to himself. With his eyes narrowed, Zero cocked the gun and pointed it towards his target.
"Bloody hell! Where's my--"
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Dragging the body away from the oblivious crowd, Zero pulled a dagger from his side. Carefully, he inserted the blade into the left side of the man's chest, carving away at the cavity, and digging deep enough to penetrate the ribcage and flesh that surrounded it. The stench of alcohol and blood was unbearable, as Zero continued to cut away at the flesh.
"Found it."
Slicing away at the heartstrings, Zero pulled out the organ, a pulsating, brilliant, human masterpiece that squirted blood as it pulsed. Jerking his head away in disgust, the writer-turned-murderer, dropped the heart in a sack and fled the scene of the crime.
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