The Mirror and the Mask
Chapter 6: Relieved by Prayer I
It was 2:15 am when the Nigh Class emerged from the school, opening their umbrellas before venturing out in the rain.
"What a bore. Spanish class is so pointless." Rima looked down at her folded umbrella as Shiki beside her opened his.
"You can say that again." He answered just as somberly.
"Look at this rain!" All turned their direction towards Ruka who slammed her foot to the ground. "I should have stayed home if I would have known there was a flood coming our way."
"You mean, you would stay home knowing if Kaname was going to be absent." Aido joked, making his cousin Kain sneer at him. The night class, one by one, walked under the safeguard of the patio into the rain. Only Ruka stayed behind since she didn't think of bringing an umbrella.
"Here." Kain handed Ruka his umbrella. "You can use mine." Ruka looked at Kain while she took the umbrella, watching him shuffle his hands into his pockets and walk out; ignoring the icy sting of the rain.
"Wait!" She opened the umbrella and hung it over both of their heads. "Stupid, didn't you ever think that two can share!" Ruka rolled her eyes and began leading for the two through the rain. Kain said nothing more. He didn't need to say nothing more.
How melodious the rain can be when one dares to listen. The repetition of the droplets pelting into the pavement, the booming sound of the thunder, the crackling of the lightening, and the whisper of the wind which carried it all in one song. Kaname sat alone in the dark, listening to nature's most beautiful song of sorrow. Only the moonlight, now streaked by the shadows of the rain, was his only source of light.
But he didn't need much during this dark hour.
His thoughts were ineffable and equivocal to care of anything else.
How dare they? He thought. Zero and Yuuki—how dare they play this ploy behind my back? How could she be so stupid to open her throat to him! Is she so naive to not understand that it's only salt to the wound? And him?! Why him?! I have waited so diligently for ten long years, pulling myself back from tasting her blood only to see that she has already been plucked by a vulgar beast. I wanted it myself but I couldn't have her. And for that I didn't want anyone to have her yet he slipped under my eyes, proving my patience and resistance to be futile.
And it's not only that I've seen the loss of Yuuki's innocence. But I'm also enraged to find that Zero has been yearning after Yuuki. I know it's only her blood but taking one's blood is as intimate as making love. How can I touch him knowing that the blood of Yuuki, who I've always seen as my daughter, flows through him? How can I ever look at them the same when I know that they do that behind closed doors!? It's scandalous, sinful, and disgusting at the same time.
And I don't even know why I feel so bad.
"You chose her over me." Kaname stared down at the chess game. The pieces were positioned throughout the board in a strategic manner. Ichijou and Kaname promised each other to resume the game once they came back from class. But now not even the promises of friends seemed to cheer Kaname.
SLAM!!!
The chess pieces flew across the room only to slap against the wall on the other side.
"How could you let me touch you when you knew what you did with her?!"
"Zero!"
"Zero!"
"Uh?!" Zero Kiryuu looked up to find Professor Bowden staring down at him with foreboding eyes.
"Mr. Kiryuu! I've had it with you! Please leave my class now!"
"But—''
"No! I'm tired of you falling asleep in my class. If detention won't work then I'll have to find other means of punishment."
With a final groan, Zero stood up and bare the weight of everyone's eyes. He packed up his books and slung his bag over his shoulder, trying not to catch Yuuki's eyes because he was too ashamed to look at them.
What now? Zero allowed his book bag to drop at his feet while he stared at his reflection in the mirror of the boy's bathroom. All day he felt a tug at his heart. It was almost a sickening weight but as the feeling grew, he knew what it was developing into: thirst. I've been getting in to trouble more recently and they're things that I cannot control.
Lately I've been feeling tired during the days and awake at nights. The sun's intensity hurts my eyes and it's as if I can feel the sun burn my skin. Nothing appeals to me anymore than the taste of blood which I haven't taken since last week. Yuuki continues to hint that fact but I just ignore them. For some reason I can't bring myself to even touch her anymore. I don't know. Is it guilt? But of what? She offered it to me and I took the opportunity. Or is it morality which I feel guilty of?
And most importantly is Kaname. Just his lingering presence sets me in a high stronger then the taste of blood. He can tell me to do anything and I would do it in a heart beat. But why? Why are all these things happening to me?
THUMP!
"Ah!" Zero clutched his neck, feeling his pulse throb underneath his skin. This thirst…it's worsening. Zero's breathing began to thicken. His throat clogging up with swollen glands and as he peered into the mirror, he noticed the newfound intensity to his dilated violet eyes.
"This isn't happening." Zero mumbled. He turned the faucet and splashed a handful of water upon his face. Though it settled down some of the animalistic urges he still could feel the pounding thirst in his throat.
As Zero struggled to quell his breathing and pain, the shrilling sound of the bell rang through the hall; a signal of the end of the period.
"Shit!" Zero hissed. Within the bathroom, he could hear the entire school emerged nosily from their classrooms and spilling out into the hallways. The silver hair teenager prayed that no one came into the bathroom. He hung his head low and gripped the sides of the sink.
"And so I was like 'Dude, where the hell is my car!'." Great! Zero's body went on alert. The sound of a rambunctious group of boys were coming this way.
"Dude that's so freaking funny!" Another laughed.
"Isn't it?! I can't believe they went through all that trouble." Zero couldn't do anything but watch from the mirror, seeing the group of boys flood into the bathroom and snickering about their joke until they saw the silver hair Prefect.
"Well ello, Zero!" The boy with blonde spiky haired slapped Zero's back. "Rough day we're having?"
"Uh…yah." Zero could barely answer without wanting to throw up.
"Hey, man you don't look so good." Another added.
"I…don't…" Zero's feet suddenly seemed to falter in their strength. It was like watching a dream, he couldn't stop it. His head rolled back and his eyes closed before his body crashed to the ground ceasing on moving.
"Someone get some help!"
Roses. That's all I remembered smelling. That suffocating stench of artificial dreams. They seemed to swirl all around us. Like we were in a windstorm of flowers, me and my Mother of Darkness.
She was so beautiful and I knew that in some twisted sense, she loved me as her child. We both loved each other in a way, that's why we hated one another. Our hatred was our love.
"Make hatred your nourishment and become an adult quickly…my lovely Zero." Her gentle hand caressed my cheek. "You want to kill me…this Shizuka Hiou, don't you?" Her slight chuckled enraged me just as much as her gentle touches. If my life wasn't pouring out from my neck, I would have torn her apart with my hands; skin ripping underneath my finger tips.
"I want to watch you closely forever. Those eyes of yours that are filled with hatred are just mine. I'm happy that you and I are bound by the bond that never can be broken."
But I never had that pleasure of killing you, Mother.
"A game!" Zero bolted up from the bed, his eyes wide and his heart racing from a nightmare memory.
"Mr. Kiryuu!" Zero's head turned to find the plump little nurse, Ms. Brommer. She teetered down the row of vacant medical beds to where Zero laid on.
"What happened? Where am I?" He said before Ms. Brommer damped his sweating forehead with a wet towel.
"You fainted in the men's restroom two hours ago. It seems that you're body is taking a heavy toll."
"From what?"
"Either you're not eating enough or not drinking enough." For a moment, Zero forgot reality under the tender touch of the nurse. This was not the first time she's taken care of him. To everyone, Ms. Brommer was the over loving and protective Aunt that no one had. She was cherished by all the school.
"What time is it?"
"Almost 4:00"
"I should get going. I've wasted so much time already." Slowly he turned his legs to dangle off the bed but when jumping down, he almost fell if Ms. Brommer didn't hold him.
"Now, don't you dare son." She chuckled. "You take it easy. You're body isn't ready for all of this activity."
THUMP!
No!
"Why Zero, you look like you haven't slept in years." She patted his shoulder.
THUMP!
Not again! Zero clasped his hand over his neck, feeling his throat dry up and his tongue swollen.
"Zero?" Zero couldn't help it. He couldn't stop it. Everything, all control, was slipping away into the abyss. Another being was taking over his body and all he could do was stand back and watch. No! Not now! My pills? Where are my pills?
"Ms. Brommer—'' His voice was hoarse and gone from the overwhelming wheezing of his breath.
"Zero, what's the matter?"
"Run!"
"What are you saying—''
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" He pushed her away from his as he stumbled into the middle of the medical room, falling to his knees.
"Zero!" She trotted over to the fallen boy. "What's the matter, what's hurting you?"
"My pills…tablets…"
"What tablets? Where?"
THUMP!
"Ahhhh!" Zero's grip on his throat grew to the point of almost chocking himself. But no matter how much he struggled to suppress the pain, he couldn't kill the thirst. Even the fangs of his teeth were beginning to pierce into his bottom lip.
"Zero!" He turned to find Ms. Brommer looming over him, cradling him into her fleshy body. He could smell the perfume she used this morning, the starch on her clothes, the coffee she drank and the blood coursing through her veins. Soon the throbbing sound was not of his heart but of hers.
He stared at her throat, imagining the blue veins popping out under his skin. Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it, don't do it! But the more he ordered himself to not do it, the closer he inched towards her throat. His breathing settled down but the thirst was almost unbearable. Just one taste, that's all—no! Don't do it!
"Zero?! Ah—'' Before her scream could echo through the room, Zero's fangs ripped through her skin, silencing her cries. She was defenseless under his extreme amount of newfound strength. All thoughts of guilt and morality soon flew from his mind in this singular moment of brevity and felicity.
Zero's mind went through an adrenaline ride. With each gulp he drank in another heart beat, another sigh of her life. The pleasure was so sweet he couldn't help but moan. But despite the level of ecstasy, Zero still had a drop of consciousness within him.
Footsteps. Those beating sounds of a coming person was singing in one ear and out the other. It wasn't until Zero heard the bark of a voice did he stop from indulging in his urges.
"ZERO!" Zero tore away from the woman's throat and turned to find the Chairman Cross standing at the entrance of the room, staring down at him with anger and shock.
Zero suddenly felt weak and small under the Chairman's gaze. It was like looking through a mirror did he see himself drenched in innocent blood. Zero dropped the barely alive woman, his eyes frantically switching from her to the man. His thirst was gone but in its place was sadness and regret.
No, don't look at me!
"Ah…" He cut short a sob. Holding back the storm of cries which were begging to be released. Instead tears were pooling behind his eyes. The Chairman continued to look at him, his anger and shock gone but just looking at him; observing and waiting.
Zero was now shaking and he was yearning for something. Something that only the chairman could give him.
"Zero…" Zero shot up from the floor and bolted for the Chairman, burying his head deep within the folds of his clothes which he'd seen Yuuki done thousands of times before. As he was pressed within the smoky scent of the Chairman, he began to cry.
"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry."
"Shhhh." The Chairman stroked his fingers through the young vampire's hair. "It'll all go away soon." But the Chairman knew better. It will never go away.
Unless he goes away.
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Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews! They inspire me to continue writing. Now I know many are disappointed that not much sexual contact was incorporated within this chapter but bare with me. A shocking truth will reveal itself next chapter as well as a hot scene between Zero and Kaname!
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