Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri-Sama!

Author's Notes-- Sorry it's been so long… I just had a tiny bit of writer's block…

In this chapter we finally get back to the YuukiZero pairing, and more RimaShiki!

Thank you everyone that's reviewed so far!

Chapter 4: Denial is a Frozen Ocean

xXx

What was he doing? Who was he fooling?

His eyes glazed over. He was watching, not seeing like he wanted to. More than anything, he wanted to be able to do what he wanted. Literally, he was kept from it.

It was like a train crash. He wanted to turn away, but when his eyes moved he tried to resist. She just laid there, her hair spread around her like blood. Unmoving.

Rima…

His body rebelled against his mind. He was weak. He knew that. She didn't have to say it. But her putting it into words really sent him flying.

He could feel the smirk on his lips, the clenching of his fist. Everything he told himself to do somehow ended up being the opposite. Even through their lids, her eyes were haunting him. Screaming at him.

Coward.

Lousy. Weak. Coward. How could he let himself be manipulated so willingly? He was just a puppet putting on a show to swipe the minds of the audience. The master laughs, and cuts the strings.

Freedom?

Ichijou reached a shaky hand towards Rima, his heart beating against his ribcage. "Rima…?" He gulped. What was there to do? When she glared up and let that word escape her lips… 'Never.' It was like her signature in blood on a death wish.

Shiki's crimson and blue eyes narrowed to the point you could barely see them at all. Enraged, he snapped, and sent all his power flying at her. Her rebelliousness was foolish. Didn't she know that? Why didn't she just give up like he kept telling her to?

This wasn't going to help the real Shiki in the slightest. Ichijou knew that much. Sure, he was powerless against his father under the circumstances… but he was still conscious. He was there… somewhere… deep, down in the darkness of the farthest recesses of his mind….

But he was there.

Seeing Rima struck down like this would make him feel weaker, wouldn't it? How is this supposed to help? Shiki didn't need to feel worse! And Rima… putting her life on the line… for what? Her pride?

"No…" Ichijou watched Rima, an understanding look upon his features. "It was all for Shiki."

"Takuma." The malice in 'Shiki's' voice startled him. "Are you going to stare at her all day? If you don't do something she might die."

Ichijou's eyes widened. "What? You- … Please, she's just an innocent bystander to all of this. Leave her out of it."

'Shiki' simply smirked at his pleas. "You brats need to learn your place." He muttered before stalking away. Ichijou glanced at the unconscious Rima, worry sprouting up inside him.

Please, Shiki… Don't let her efforts go to waste…

XxX

This wasn't supposed to happen.

No… He wasn't supposed to show her.

He showed her! Why? Why did he let his guard down? He shouldn't have showed her. He shouldn't have gotten close. The closer he got, the more it would shove him into the darkness.

She looked up at him like a lost soul. Her eyes were open wide, her lips slightly parted. The gleaming mocha pools shot his reflection back at him. Staring dumbly at her. He looked terrified and shocked at the same time. A typhoon swept through his mind. He moved away and stood, watching the air like it would somehow part and leave him gasping... reaching.

Too close. He got too close. She didn't need him. She didn't need the guilt.

Does she know? How could she not... he practically spelled it out for her!

She needs Kaname. She loves Kaname.

With her personality, she'd never want anyone to dislike her... even in the slightest. She never wants anyone to feel bad. She'll do anything to put a smile on anyone's face. Even if that means squandering her own happiness away.

No, that's worse. Why wouldn't she realize that the ones that she would do anything to make smile are the ones that would rather see her smile without them? Please... don't find out about the storm... or it will strike you down too.

Her lips formed his name. No sound reached his ears, muffled by the thunder of the rolling velvet clouds.

Don't come any closer.

Stay away from the darkness. You don't need to be smothered by it.

Please…

"Zero?" Yuuki's voice finally reached him. His eyes clenched shut. Shielding his face with his hands, he felt his insides freeze. His heart tried to keep rhythm, pumping crimson slush through icy veins. All those annoying, hummingbird feelings spiraled down and crashed. Snowed over. Cold.

She sat up and reached out to him. Why was he suddenly so… distant? It's not unusual but… She felt like he had finally let her in. Let her be close to him. He was warm… so unusual.

His hands fell. Those eyes that were molten violet, smoldering… crystallized, hardened, and frozen. Just ignore it. Act normal. Cheerfulness… aloofness… He'll protect her again.

She lost him again. He's standing off. His armor's been replaced and his body numbed. The fire's out…

There's a blizzard coming.

XxX

Ichijou carefully placed the unconscious Rima on the bed. All her wounds were healed, but the psychological ones would take more time. The only thing left to do was wait.

Would Rima's façade have any effect on the dormant Shiki? Or would he recluse and be devoured by his guilt whilst trapped in his own subconscious?

He had to do something.

Ichijou clenched his fists at his sides. He couldn't grope his way through this pitch-black with a simple grin of optimism. This was definitely not the normal high school dramatics that you can fight with a healthy outlook. He had to take a stand… against his own family no less. He had to be serious, he had to be punctual… he had to be strong. Fighting for your friends seems easy when it's against a faceless force.

He had to face his grandfather… and the rest of his noble family.

His grandfather was too preoccupied with the Ichijou Family's "good name", and less affiliated with the outlook of the Night World. Even the health of other Families didn't rest on his conscious. As long as he had power attached to his name… He could sleep peacefully knowing the council was influential.

The Ichijou family has always supported the council fully. Other families would support it somewhat, or not at all. If the council falls, the family name gets dragged down with it.

But this wasn't about power, ancestry, the council, or anything the grandson of a noble would be thinking of. This was about his friends. His true family that didn't push out the rest of the world to be as pure as they could be. He wouldn't do this for anyone.

Most if not all of the odd jobs he did around the Academy, weren't done with no argument just because Kaname was a pureblood. He respected him in personality and heart… not blood.

This confrontation was going to be the toughest thing he's ever done. He barely liked to look at his grandfather… now he's going to see him on his own accord? The world is changing… This one avalanche could destroy them all. But he would rather fall by his own choices, than be corrupt by someone else's.

Denial has no place in him now.

The door burst open. Ichijou whipped around, his usual brightness falling from his face. Kain struggled into the room, a large bundle draped over his forearms. "Takuma…" he started, but drifted off, following the Vice President's gaze.

His emerald eyes widened, dread slashing through him like a blade. The avalanche was beginning…

"Shiki…"

xXx

Author's Notes- This chapter is very, very short by my standards… and it's a cliffhanger! It's taken me so long to write! When I started I really didn't think it would take this long but I guess I was wrong… I'll try to update more quickly but I still have a lot more stories out there. My friend and I's Code Geass fanfic was updating rapid fire, but was put on hiatus for me to write this!

Review if you wish and sorry for the delay,

-Destiny