The front door of the chairman's residence opened just as Zero was on his way to leave. The chairman bustled in, his scarf trailing behind him like a flag.
"Ah! There you are Zero – I'm glad I caught you. There's something you need to know."
Zero eyed him mistrustfully, knowing that whatever it was, it wouldn't be good.
"Ichiru arrived this morning." he tried to keep his tone light, not wanting to provoke Zero prematurely.
Zero's eyes narrowed. "So? I already told you that you could do what you liked with his application, but don't expect me to care. As long as he stays away from me…"
The chairman attempted to assume a blank expression, but he knew that traces of his discomfiture would be showing. Taking a deep breath, he spoke.
"You're not going to like what I say next, but I ask that you give me time to explain myself before you do anything – ah – rash…"
The silence in the room was deafening.
"Ichiru will be sharing your dorm room."
All hell broke loose.
"WHAT? My room? Have you lost your mind? Last time I saw him we tried to kill each other! And now you want us to live together? How could you be so stupid?"
The chairman interrupted his rant before it became physically violent.
"Please, calm down Zero – I assure you, I mistrust your brother as much as you do. I don't believe for a second that he is only here to make amends. I want him to stay with you because you are the only one who is able to keep an eye on him, and stop him if he shows any sign of getting out of hand. I understand your resentment, but please, for the sake of all the students at the academy, I need you to watch him."
Zero closed his eyes for a second. When he opened them, the chairman could see anguish hiding behind the anger.
"How can you ask me to do that? You want me to go to sleep in the same room as the person who sold out my entire family to Shizuka? The one who ended my life as surely as if he'd killed me with his own hands? You ask me to 'watch him', as if he is only a mischievous child, when in fact he is a liar, a traitor to his family. I… I can't. And I won't. You have no right to expect this of me!"
The chairman shrugged. He hadn't wanted to stoop to this, but he had to persuade Zero somehow.
"Very well. In that case, you will be transferred to the night class effective immediately. I will send word to Kaname to have a room prepared…"
Zero's glare became glacial.
"I. Will. Not. Live. With them!"
"Unfortunately those are the only options. The day dorms are full, and I can't put Ichiru in the night class as he isn't a vampire. I won't let you stay here, either. It's creating a bad precedent. So I'm afraid you'll have to make a choice…"
Zero scowled, realizing he'd been outmaneuvered.
"Fine!" he snarled, "This round goes to you – old man. But I swear, if Ichiru even breathes wrong, I can't be held responsible for what I might do."
The chairman knew that was as close to acceptance as Zero would come, and smiled wryly as the boy stormed out.
Sometimes, you just had to know how to handle teenagers.
x--x--x
It was difficult to keep going towards his room when he knew what was waiting on the other side of the door, but somehow Zero managed it. He stood in the corridor, hesitant to go inside, while tried to convince himself that perhaps Ichiru wouldn't be there… but it was no use. Aside from the fact that he knew Ichiru would want to wait for him just to cause him misery, Zero's acute hearing could pick up the soft sounds of breathing within. Steeling himself, he turned the knob and pushed open the door.
His twin was sitting nonchalantly on the windowsill, as if he had lived in this room all his life. His only acknowledgment to Zero's entrance was a slight nod. 'Fine,' Zero thought, 'at least I don't have to make small talk.' Stoically ignoring his twin, Zero went to hang up the towel and grabbed his uniform jacket off the back of the chair. Classes were starting soon. He pulled on the jacket, checked that the Bloody Rose was in its usual place, and headed for the door, hoping to get away before Ichiru deigned to talk to him. He froze, one hand extended towards the doorknob, when he heard movement behind him. A hand was placed on his shoulder, and he shook it off, whirling to glare at its owner.
"Don't touch me."
Ichiru just smiled, a slow smirk which made Zero's blood boil.
"Aren't you going to greet your own brother Zero? How rude…"
Red seemed to descend across Zero's vision. He grabbed Ichiru by the throat, driving him back against the wall.
"I am not your brother any more. You are dead to me. I only tolerate your presence here because there is more at stake than petty revenge. But understand one thing – if I find out your intentions are anything less than strictly honorable, I will not hesitate to kill you. After all, I am a monster now, as I'm sure you recall."
The smirk hadn't left Ichiru's face, despite the fact that Zero was cutting off his air. Contemplating whether Ichiru would stop smiling if he were dead, Zero didn't notice the approaching footsteps, but he did hear the gasp.
"Zero! Stop it, please!"
And then Yuuki was grabbing hold of him, trying to make him let go.
Reluctantly, he released Ichiru's windpipe before simply turning around and leaving the room. He could hear Yuuki talking to Ichiru, asking if he was okay… it made Zero want to hit something. He hated the fact that Ichiru was able to make him lose control that way, with nothing more than a smile and a touch. He couldn't explain it to anybody else - it was something you had to have a twin to understand. The two of them had been inseparable as children, and Ichiru had violated that ultimate trust… Zero shuddered. He needed to stop thinking of the past if he was to have any hope of living with his twin. Otherwise, one of them was going to end up dead.
x--x--x
After finally getting rid of that annoyingly conscientious girl, Ichiru sat in the silence of the room, absently rubbing his throat. Who would have thought that Zero would be so easy to rile? This was going to be fun. Zero's words echoed in his mind -
'After all, I am a monster now.'
Yes… a monster - and every monster has its weakness. Ichiru laughed, a low, mirthless chuckle.
He needed to talk to Kagechi.
x--x--x
Yuuki hurried after Zero, hoping to catch up to him before he made it to class. She'd been shocked at the scene she'd found earlier. She had never seen Zero look so… murderous. Not even the first time he'd met Kaname, when he'd stabbed the pureblood with a table knife. She really wanted to talk to Zero. She knew he must be going through a lot lately, and she wanted to help him.
At last she caught sight of him, but he was heading away from the classrooms. She only hesitated a moment before following. Some things were more important than school.
x--x--x
Zero had been unable to bear the thought of going to class when there was a chance he would be there. Instead, he headed towards the lake, where there was an interesting rock formation at the foot of some trees. It was a secluded spot which was out of the line of sight of all the academy's windows, and he often went there to be alone with his thoughts.
Reaching his destination, he sat down, leaning back against a flat rock and staring at the play of light through the leaves above him. Everything in his life seemed to be going wrong these days… Ichiru's arrival, the messy situation with Kuran… the only constant had been Yuuki… well, until this morning anyway, when she'd walked in on him behaving like a savage. He sighed, letting his eyes drift shut. He hadn't slept last night, and exhaustion was weighing on him. All in all, he was really having a bad day.
A sudden cold shadow falling across his face made his eyes snap open… but it was only Yuuki, probably here to fetch him back to class. It was uncanny how she could usually find him no matter how well he tried to hide.
"Forget it." he told her, "I'm not going."
To his surprise, she sat down next to him.
"Neither am I… at least, not until you tell me what happened earlier."
"What do you want me to say? You saw most of it."'
Her questioning gaze was making him uncomfortable, as if she could see into his soul somehow, into the black void that was his hatred of Ichiru. He couldn't maintain the eye contact, so he looked away.
"He's not worth it you know." Her voice was soft, sympathetic.
"Not worth what?"
"You becoming a murderer. I know that what he did to you – to your family – was unforgivable. But I can't let you kill him, because it would mean that you would sacrifice a piece of your humanity. Whatever you might think, Zero, you are not a killer."
The honest conviction in her words startled him. He didn't quite know what he could say that would convey his gratitude for her faith in him… in the human part of him that still despised blood and death. His voice was gruff, the words insufficient, but it was all he could manage.
"I hope you're right."
She suddenly got to her feet, tugging on his hand.
"Now come on. We can still make it before the next class starts…"
He stood and allowed her to drag him towards the school buildings, but then remembered why he hadn't wanted to go. He hesitated, and she turned to face him when she felt his resistance.
"Don't worry," she told him, "He's not going to class today. I let him off to get his breath back."
She smiled at Zero, willing him to get the joke. Despite himself he snorted, one side of his mouth pulling up into a half-smile.
"Have I ever told you you're something else?"
She laughed, resuming their march towards class.
"All the time!" she assured him.
Perhaps today wasn't going to be so bad after all.
x--x--x
As the sun began to fade from the sky, Kagechi stirred in his makeshift lair, an abandoned shed on the extreme edge of the academy grounds. He realized he would have to feed soon, his hunger was becoming a problem. It was difficult, because it meant he would have to leave the area altogether. He couldn't risk killing in the closest towns, for fear it would give something away to the vampires at the academy, so he would have to take a two-day round trip.
Sighing, he sat up, only to come face-to-face with his employer's trademark smirk.
All that pure vampire blood Ichiru had imbibed from his erstwhile mistress made him as light on his feet as any vampire, and gave him the extra ability to dampen his aura so that he couldn't be easily sensed. A lesser man than Kagechi might have been surprised, but the assassin let nothing show in his expression.
"A little job for you – I think it's time you tried again…" Ichiru said.
"I've told you, it's difficult to get near the pureblood without him realizing that something is off. It took everything I had to make him ignore what his senses were telling him in that clearing. I still have a headache… and your brother has a much stronger will than you think - you have no idea how hard it was to lower his inhibitions enough that he would want to get that close to Kuran…I'm beginning to think you're not paying me nearly enough to justify this expenditure of effort."
Ichiru considered this.
"I admit I may have underestimated our opponents… but I've come to the conclusion that we have been approaching this all wrong. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. So ask yourself - what weakness do both Kuran and Zero share?"
Kagechi didn't answer immediately. He was growing tired of this boy's games. If it hadn't been for the fact that he was necessary to advance Kagechi's own goals, the assassin would have eliminated him long ago. He forced himself to be calm before speaking.
"As I've said - their bond does not make them half as vulnerable as you imagine."
"I was not talking about the bond. Let me put it this way… you can lead a horse to water, but you can't force it to drink. If the horse was thirsty though, it would not need any coercion."
Understanding dawned in Kagechi's eyes.
"Very well. It shall be as you say. I will try that approach, just as soon as I return from my hunting trip."
Ichiru's pale eyes narrowed.
"You can't leave now! Time is of the essence… we cannot allow Zero to talk with the pureblood before we strike, you said yourself he might have noticed you. If they get together and figure it out, everything could be ruined!"
"I have been weakened considerably by that last attempt. Using my power is very draining. I need blood to replenish my strength – otherwise there is a definite chance that I will not be able to accomplish what you ask."
Ichiru cursed. This was not part of the plan… but desperate times called for desperate measures. He knew that now was their best chance, and to give it up would be foolish. Steeling himself, he walked over to where Kagechi lay. Kneeling, he offered his wrist to the assassin.
"Drink."
He didn't need to ask twice.
x--x--x
Things in the moon dorm were not going well. The addition of five surly nobles in the form of Kaname's guard detail was taking its toll already, even though it had only been one day thus far.
Ichijo felt that even his normally amiable personality was being stretched to the limit. When he'd risen that evening and made his way downstairs for a quick snack before class, he'd found three of the five sitting in the lounge playing cards, smoking, and drinking most of the supply of fine wines which were kept for special occasions. Even worse, they were discussing their preferences in women, with specific reference to blood type and flavor. If Kaname came down and heard this, it would take weeks to replace all the windows… Ichijo knew he had to intervene, but he couldn't quite see how.
While he stood at the foot of the stairs pondering how best to begin, he was joined by Kain, Aido and Shiki. They would usually find him in the kitchen at this time, and they seemed surprised to see the vice president standing in the hallway. After listening to the guards' conversation for a while though, Aido spoke.
"We can't just stand here – Ichijo, you should tell them not to talk like that!"
Ichijo shushed him with a wave of his hand, whispering back.
"Keep your voice down! I don't want them to hear…"
Shiki chuckled. "Come on, they aren't that scary!"
Grabbing Ichijo by the arm, Shiki dragged him into the parlor. The others followed, not wanting to miss anything. The guards turned to look at them, and Shiki seized the chance.
"Ah, good morning! I see you're all… comfortable! Anyway, vice-president Ichijo here would like to speak to you regarding the rules…"
Ichijo stared at Shiki, disbelief written across his features. Then his gaze narrowed in warning, letting Shiki know that he would pay for this later. Eventually, he turned back to the guards and spoke.
"Um, yes, quite. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you once again to Cross Academy. As you no doubt know, the vampires here do not partake of any human blood at all. As such, we…discourage…speaking of humans as food. I do hope you will understand…"
One of the guards cut in. "And just what are we supposed to drink then? I did hear tell that you were all crazy here, but I never believed it till now!" The rest of them chuckled appreciatively, until the end of the speaker's cigar suddenly flared up, almost setting fire to his moustache. Ichijo glanced at Kain, who kept his expression impassive, although a dark amusement fluttered in his eyes. Aido elbowed his cousin, whispering.
"Good one, Akatsuki!"
Ichijo managed to suppress a grin. It was obvious that he now held that full attention of the men around the table, so he continued, reaching into his pocket to produce a square dispenser full of blood tablets.
"Well, gentlemen, let me show you how things are done here…"
x--x--x
Kaname paced restlessly across the carpet. Sleep had been elusive, and it was not helping his mood at all. Two of the guards were also outside his door, their foreign auras making rest impossible, and he couldn't manufacture a good enough reason to send them away – after all, he was supposed to be in fear for his life.
Glancing out the window, he realized it was just about time for class, so he began getting ready. Before he opened the door, he made sure his dispassionate expression was firmly in place. He would need it as they headed for the class changeover… because Zero would be there, and lately he couldn't seem to trust his composure around that boy.
x--x--x
Kagechi felt incredible. The offer Ichiru made had been completely unexpected, but Kagechi had jumped at the chance to taste him. Even diluted, the trace of pure vampire blood the boy had running through his veins still held power, and the buzzing sensation under Kagechi's skin was testament to that. He hadn't felt this satisfied after a meal in ages. His mind was definitely recharged now, and he couldn't wait to try the surprisingly clever ploy Ichiru had come up with. All he had to do was wait until the vampires went to class… that would be the best time to work on Kuran. The mingled auras of the pureblood's classmates would help to disguise Kagechi's own.
As for Zero… he was much easier to get to. Kagechi had observed him for a while now, and knew his patrol route well. Idly, the assassin stroked across the page of the book in front of him. Its pages were yellowed and well-thumbed. It was the same book he had stolen all those years ago, the one memento from his past he had not destroyed. In a way, it had been the key to his freedom.
Setting the book aside, he made ready to go out. The night class would be in their lecture room by now, and he had work to do.
In the silence of the shed, a shaft of moonlight illuminated the page Kagechi had been reading.
--
The double-bond is the strongest bond in existence. It opens a telepathic pathway between the bondmates, and allows them to share each other's thoughts, feelings and powers.
Very few vampires are willing to share themselves in this way, which is one reason why the double-bond is so uncommon.
It is also important to note that due to the power-sharing side effect, it is outlawed for a pureblood vampire to instantiate a double-bond with a lower-ranked vampire. The penalty for breaking this law is execution for both bondmates.
--
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