Thank you all for your support! It was really helpful to hear that none of you actually think that I am plagiarizing anything. And sorry for my slightly too emotional reaction.
Recommendation!: I have published a new story once again. Sometimes, I just can't help myself. Anyway, it is a Self-Insert into Harry Potter. If you are interested in that fandom, then try it out.
Please leave a review.
Summary: As Reika slowly started to understand her new life, she came to the conclusion that fairness did not exist in this world and that blood was the only thing that mattered. [SI, Self-Insert/OC-Insert as Kuran Rido's daughter]
Enjoy.
To Rule The World
Chapter 6
I Had A Dream About A Burning House
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.
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Where She Learned Something New
"Nobody's perfect. We're all just one step up from the beasts and one step down from the angels."
― Jeannette Walls, Half Broke Horses
"In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart."
― Anne Frank
Reika was seven years old and she had no idea how she always got herself in such unfortunate situations.
Apparently, accidentally causing earthquakes was a very bad thing which meant that after seven years in this new world, someone had finally decided that she needed to properly learn controlling her powers. And what better teacher was there than her dearest older cousin.
The girl could understand the logic of their choice, though that did not make her like it. Considering that the other pureblood was an Ancestor and had supposedly been taught control by his parents, Kaname was obviously more proficient at using their inherent powers. They both also had a similar set of abilities due to their shared heritage. Another important aspect was that alongside her, he was one of the last living purebloods.
An aristocrat might have been capable of teaching her, but there were none that could have contained her powers should they go ballistic. Kaname could stop anything too bad from happening by using his own powers to subdue hers.
It wasn't something Reika would enjoy and yet it was a necessary evil. The girl did not want to harm her brother accidentally and she could not sent him away from the mansion each time she trained.
''If you want this to work, you need to concentrate.'' A gust of wind ruffled her hair and steered her attention towards Kaname. The air felt cool against her skin, but it was not its temperature that made goosebumps appear on her skin. Reika could feel the Ancestor's essence manipulating it, manipulating nature.
Something like should not have been possible.
''I'd like to say that I'm trying my best, but we both know that would be a lie,'' uttered Reika as she forcefully stopped herself from sneering at the other vampire. ''Not everyone has the privilege of having responsible adults who are willing to support and help you advance in their life. Unlike you, I've spent almost eight years without having to truly control myself, so please excuse me if I don't advance as fast as you wish.''
It was a rather childish response, though it did hold a lot of truth in it. Reika had the misfortune of being reborn as a madman's daughter. Rido never cared about teaching her control or even how to protect herself. After all, why should he show her something that could be later used against him?
Besides, the girl disliked how each time when she used a little too much of her powers, Kaname would push his own aura upon her. The whole thing was very unpleasant and made her feel like a cornered animal.
Still, despite her arrogance, Reika could see her own faults very clearly. Thus, it was not hard to recognize that what she had said had been rather insensitive. Mentioning Kaname's supposed parents in such a brisk manner was something she should not have done. Had her brother's uncle heard he, then he might have actually scolded her. Especially because there was nothing to envy in this matter about her cousin. Unlike hers, his parents were dead.
(...internally, a small part of her envied him even for that...
...
...how would her life have been like if Rido had never appeared in Shizuka's home...
...
...
... if he had never managed to push his believes into Senri's mind? Perhaps, the siblings would have actually managed to be truly happy if the man had never been a part of their lives...)
Sighing softly, Reika shook her head to clear it from her unpleasant thoughts. ''I'm sorry, that was uncalled for.''
The older pureblood nodded his head in acceptance and once again manipulated the wind in the garden. Flower petals and leaves flew in the air, dancing haphazardly all around them. Then as suddenly as it all started, everything literally stopped. The wind ceased blowing around them and the petals and leaves just floated peacefully in the air. Gravity did not manage to force their return onto the ground. ''It's alright. Perhaps the time has come for us to try something new. I'll keep everything in the air.'' He he pointed upwards with his hand. ''You just have to take over for me whenever you're ready. It will cost you more if you have to overpower me to make one of the leaves or petals float and you will also find out how much pressure you need to use. When you manage to do it flawlessly, we will once again try the previous exercise.''
Deciding that she had done enough to antagonize her cousin that day, Reika took a deep breath to relax herself and tried to smile encouragingly. She knew from experience that Kaname could spent hours doing the same thing until it was completely perfect and she did not want to sit in the garden when the sun started rising once again. Unlike her brethren, Reika liked the idea of daylight, but that did not make the sun's rays feel any more pleasant against her skin. Still, even the easily gained sun burn did not deter her completely from going outside during the day.
Reika had once been human, thus a part of her would always be partial to the light instead of the dark.
After she zeroed her gaze on one of the leaves, the female Kuran concentrated on the warmth inside of her body. A tingling sensation always accompanied the use of her powers. Reika could feel how they traveled over her own skin and interacted with her environment.
She could feel the exact moment it collided with Kaname's ancient aura.
Instead of flinching or backing up like she almost always did when confronted by her ancestor's might - And wasn't that just a ridiculous way to describe Kaname's strength? It sounded like something villains used to describe themselves, and yet there was no denying that this noun fit perfectly when connected with the first Kuran to ever exist. - Reika pushed in the same manner she had used during their first meeting.
She was instantly met with resistance, but it was much weaker than it could actually be. Just like always, it was startling to notice the difference between their power levels and the amounts of control they both possessed. Considering how powerful her cousin felt, Reika wondered how he managed to stop himself from killing everyone who crossed his path.
It was a wonder, really.
Warmth prickled against her skin as her own aura mixed with Kaname's and Reika had never felt something as frightening and exhilarating before. The moment was over within a second and then only the smallest portion of her power was allowed to escape her body, the rest being pushed back by the other pureblood. Forcing herself to ignore the uncomfortable feeling that accompanied this exercise, the younger Kuran focused on the small amount of her power that was allowed to trickle towards one of the flower petals. The positive aspect of this exercise was that she finally learned how much power she needed to use to move small objects such as leaves. That would not help her too much when it came to control, but at least she had a goal now.
Besides, there was something very satisfactory about seeing one of the yellow petals moving upwards at her command.
''That was good.'' Kaname's lips tilted upwards into the smile that made him look like a real child. It was a dangerous gesture because it managed to fool everyone surrounding him, even Reika. ''Now you just have to manage this without my assistance.''
Rolling her eyes, the girl grumbled in annoyance.
The Toya family belonged to the less influential aristocratic families, though it was still pretty powerful when compared to many others. They hadn't had a pureblood in the family for a long time, thus it was no wonder that they tried to seek out an alliance with the Shiki clan. Senri might not have been a pureblood, but he was still the son of Kuran Rido who in turn was the first born child of the previous vampire king. When one considered that, then even the madness that seemed to be a permanent presence in both of her brother's parents lost all of its meaning.
A marriage between Senri and one of their daughters was the best thing that could happen to them, especially when one considered the favor Reika showed her brother. She tried to hide it to the best of her capabilities, but it was still clear that Kuran Reika loved her brother. And that was something no vampire would hesitate to use.
The fact that Senri and Toya Rima ended up being the best of of friends was just a bonus no one had expected.
And now here she was, sitting in the middle of a girlish room, trying to ignore the silence that was caused by her arrival. Rima had moved up from her spot on the floor to greet Senri. Once she saw her though, the other girl immediately froze in place. Less than two seconds later Rima performed a perfect albeit rigid bow.
Afterwards the three children settled on the floor. A few magazines were scattered around them and it was painfully clear that both Rima and Senri were only pretending to read them.
''So, I heard you were the one who introduced my brother to poky.'' Reika never did claim to be a good conversationalist.
The young aristocrat looked confused. ''Uhm, yes.''
There was a moment of silence during which they all stared at each other.
Rima fidgeted uncomfortably.
Senri looked rather exasperated.
Reika smiled, amusement lightening her eyes. She could not help but think that the young girl was adorable. Despite being clearly severely discomfited by Reika's presence, Rima still had enough manners and respect to not say anything against the intruder in her room.
Though, the pout on her lips made what she thought about Reika very clear.
''Well, instead of just sitting here in silence, we could do something,'' proposed the pureblood. ''How do you normally spent your time when Senri comes to visit you?''
Hesitantly, the younger girl met her gaze. ''We like to explore the gardens. If we ask the servants, they could prepare some food for us before we go.'' Rima paused. ''Only if you want to, of course, Reika-sama.''
''It's not as if we've got anything better to do.'' Smiling, Reika nodded her head. ''Besides, a picnic does sound nice right now.''
''Great!'' Senri exclaimed in an unusual bout of enthusiasm. ''Why don't we just go before this situation gets any weirder.''
While Rima stared at Senri with something akin to shock, the older Kuran found that she was enjoying this visit to the Toya mansion more and more. Her brother was probably the only one who would dare to call anything that had to do with her weird of all things. It was very refreshing to have even just one person in her life who sometimes managed to talk back to her or even just tell her what they truly felt.
''Alright. How about we ask one of the servants to just bring us some food when it's finished. Until then we can look for a nice place in the garden.'' Although it sounded like a proposal, Reika knew that neither of the present children would argue against it. Senri because he just wanted to get out and Rima due to the societal differences between them.
After standing up, Reika dusted off her dress slightly. Then she linked her arm through her brother's and allowed him to lead her out of the room.
The Toya mansion was just as lavishly decorated as their own home. There were less portraits of their ancestors on the walls, but that was only because their family did not go as far back as the Shiki clan.
Along the way to their destination, the children came across a female servant. As their host Rima informed the teen about their desire for food and where she should bring it when it was finished.
''Hai, Rima-sama,'' said the servant. From her smell, Reika guessed that she was a Level C vampire. ''Shall I bring some blankets as well?''
Nodding her head, Rima uttered an affirmation. ''Yes.''
The rest of their short journey to the gardens was rather unspectacular. With bored eyes, the female Kuran observed her surroundings. Luxury was something she had gotten used to in this life, so it did not manage to awe her anymore.
Arriving in the gardens had the exact opposite effect on Reika. The girl had thought that the outside of her own home was beautiful, but the Toya grounds actually managed to steal her breath.
Colorful flower beds covered most of the grounds. They ranged from tulips to roses and hyacinths and made the garden appear almost magical. Wistfully, Reika noted that there were even a few red spider lilies not too far away from her.
They were flowers that supposedly grew in hell and directed the souls of the dead to their next reincarnation. Legends said that if a soul followed a path along which those flowers grew, it would never get lost in the afterlife.
''Reika-sama?'' the soft childish voice jarred her out of her thoughts. ''Would you like to rest in the shade of that tree?''
Gazing at the tree at which the young Toya was pointing with a finger, Reika nodded her head in agreement and started the short trek towards it.
They settled down next to each other, Senri putting his head onto his sister's lap.
In some ways, their time together was very idyllic. It was filled with silence and meaningless chatter, a certain awkwardness surrounding anything they said. Although Rima clearly wasn't comfortable in her presence, Reika still found their afternoon rather peaceful.
Altogether, there wasn't much peace in Kuran Reika's life.
Reika was nine years old when she saw a Level E vampire for the first time.
Together with her brother and cousin, she had gone into town that day for some summer shopping. It was still light outside and Reika had not thought that they required a guardian to follow each of their steps. As such, Chinatsu stayed in the car, while the three children bustled through the small shopping district.
At some point, the two siblings were separated from their cousin, though they did not worry too much about that. If the older vampire wanted to find them, then he would do so without a problem.
The female Kuran did not mind being left alone with her brother. She might have been physically just a child, but mentally she was much older and very much capable of taking care of her younger sibling.
Or at least that was what she thought until a stranger snatched Senri away from her. The whole thing happened very fast and managed to shock her for an instant. One moment Reika's little brother was at her side, the next someone was forcefully pulling him down an alley.
Instinctively and without even an ounce of hesitation, the female Kuran followed what she quickly guessed to be a vampire.
No human could move that fast.
Not even that realization stopped her from pursuing her obviously frightened brother.
Reika would not abandon the only family she had in this world.
In many other situations, Reika would have acted like a selfish coward. This time around she could not afford it. She loved Senri too much to lose him.
No, she could never abandon her baby brother.
(...if only she had known what exactly was awaiting her in that alley...)
Once she finally managed to catch up with her brother's assailant, Reika came upon a sight she never expected to see. A man, though she wasn't sure if he could really be called that, was holding Senri above the ground, his clawed hand wrapped tightly around the small boy's throat. Saliva was dripping down the creatures chin as his crazed eyes were fixed upon her brother's pulse.
Sharp fangs became visible as what Reika now realized to be a Level E vampire opened his mouth. Even from afar she could smell his putrid scent. This wasn't much of a surprise when one considered the state of his dress. Ragged and bloody pants adorned his legs, while his upper-body was covered by only a few tatters.
Reika's observation was cut short when the creature decided to lean its head forward. Stricken, the girl watched him sniffing Senri's neck.
She knew that she had to do something now. As a pureblood she theoretically had enough power to defeat the monster before her.
(...theoretically...
...
...what a joke...)
And yet, she did not trust herself not to harm her brother in the process. With just one wrong move, the girl could easily break the other child's neck.
Unfortunately, Reika wasn't sure if compulsion would work. After all, if the vampire was too far gone to properly understand her commands, he could not follow them.
Seeing the man open his jaw widely, the Kuran acted on impulse. She rolled up the sleeve that covered her right arm, raised her wrist towards her mouth and bit it.
The reaction was instantaneous. As rivulets of blood dripped down her hand and onto the ground, the smell of her blood permeated the air and the Level E vampire's head snapped in her direction.
If possible, the crimson in eyes began to glow even brighter with each measured step he took in her direction. At first, he seemed almost hesitant, but that changed within seconds.
There was no time to evade. One second he was standing a few meters away from her and the next instant the creature was holding her against the brick wall of the alley, his tongue sliding against the skin of her arm.
Frightened, Reika let go of the control she had over her powers and pushed them against her assailant.
It did not work out as she wanted it to. Instead of pushing the other vampire away from her, they severed his whole arm from his body.
Blood spurted out of the crude wound, coloring Reika's whole side red. It seeped through her clothes and touched her skin. Something inside of her felt disgusted by the thought of being touched by such impure blood.
(...another part of her...
...
...the human part...
...
...
...was stricken and horrified by the fact that she had just mangled someone's body...)
The thing - it could not be called human anymore - did not even react. It only tightened its hold on her shoulder and viciously bit down on her wrist.
Reika cried out in pain.
In response to her panic and hurt, the earth underneath them begun to tremble and a harsh wind blew against their bodies.
Her situation looked really bleak. Should she manage to successfully push her assailant away from herself now, Reika could easily lose her hand if not her entire arm due to his unforgiving hold.
Stupidly, she started to thrash her body in despair. His jaw tightened some more around her wrist, causing Reika to cry out even louder. Somewhere in the background, Senri was screaming loudly.
The girl could only hope that he would stay as far away from them as possible. It wasn't safe in her immediate vicinity.
As if to prove her point, her powers leashed out once again, cutting the vampire's stomach deeply. Whether it was due to his own strength and determination or her blood that continued flowing into his mouth, the creature just did not let go of her.
Additionally, the freshly inflicted wound even started to heal.
Tears streamed down Reika's cheeks as her vision blurred slightly.
Her whole arm throbbed and the girl actually screamed in pain when her shoulder was dislocated due to the vampire's tight hold on her.
''Stop, stop, stop,'' the pureblood tried to command unsuccessfully.
Was this how she was going to die again? Killed by something completely inferior to her?
Blood splattered her face once again. This time it was not her who harmed the monster, neither was it a wound that her blood could ever heal for him.
Relieved, Reika watched the hand protruding out of the Level E vampire's chest. It was small and childish and as familiar as the powerful aura suddenly covering the whole area.
With a mix of horror and alleviation, the young girl watched the vampire before her shatter into thousands of pieces, his remaining particles dancing in the air.
Without anyone to hold her upwards, she slumped forward, though her body never hit the ground.
Kaname caught her before that could happen.
Never before had she felt so glad to see the Kuran ancestor.
''There is nothing more sinful than spilling our blood.'' Whether it was an explanation for his actions or a reprimand for her own did not matter at the moment because for the first time in years Kuran Reika allowed a sob to pass her lips. With her still functioning arm, she took a tight hold of her cousin's jacket. Before she could properly think through her actions, Reika pushed her body against his in a mockery of a hug.
At that moment, she did not care about who the boy in front of her was or what he would do in the future. The only thing she did care about was the safety he provided her and the power that now blanketed both her and Senri.
''Thank you,'' whispered the small girl so softly that it was barely perceptible.
Had she been in her right mind, Reika might have taken a moment to ponder the way his posture seemed to soften at those words. The way his hand carded through her hair once and then twice.
As it was, she just leaned her whole body against his, not having the strength to stay upright by herself. At some point, her cousins hands took a hold of her uninjured arm and waist respectively and pushed her a few centimeters away from him.
Glowing eyes slid over her form until they finally landed on her injured shoulder and wrist. ''I have to relocate your shoulder and then take care of the bleeding.''
And that's exactly what he did. As gently as he could, Kaname pushed her shoulder back into place. Afterwards he ripped of a piece of his own shirt and wrapped it securely around her wrist. During the first procedure, Reika could not stop herself from howling in pain. During the second only a few whimpers escaped her lips.
Due to how much blood the Level E vampire had taken from Reika, her wounds weren't healing as fast as they should. It had been a long time since she had had last to worry about any injuries. Normally, they healed within seconds. This time it would take longer.
A hand gripped her own tightly and her attention was immediately directed towards her brother. Despite all that she was feeling, Reika's expression softened when she noticed her brother's tear-stained face. ''Senri...''
He threw his arms around her, completely ignoring the way she winced in pain. For once there was no one there who would try to stop him and Reika would not either. She used her healthy arm to hug her brother and looked over her shoulder towards their cousin.
Her lips quivered as she once again whispered: ''Thank you.''
Their eyes met and Reika realized that she had never seen the Ancestor so human before.