There had been a reason, right? It was so that the pain would no longer exist, she could go back to her mundane days of studies, daydreaming, and a self-imposed solitary state. It was also in part for the safety of her love for Hanabusa, but mostly it was in complete selfishness. She wanted to run again and as a result, she was sure she had given him more pain in the end than anything else. She cursed herself over and over again, but what's done is done. She tried to convince herself she had no other choice, and she truly didn't, but regardless, she had done it willingly and had even wished it to happen.
So she began to watch him again, just as she had done so long ago. She refused to make eye contact with him as usual. It was the act of the century, to pretend you were not in love with the person who loved you back. Pretend you didn't know that he knew. Simply pretending you didn't see the pain no one else saw.
After the floodgate of her memory had been shattered she made Yuki promise not to tell anyone of that episode, especially Kaname-senpai.
Yori watched as Hanabusa flinched whenever someone touched him or got too close. His smile wasn't true or genuine, not like the ones he gave her as she would let him in at night. It was an endless cycle that would never come to a conclusion in Yori's eyes, which forced her to fall deeper into her depression, once again losing the weight she had happily gained back during her time with Hanabusa and perhaps he noticed and then again, maybe he didn't. She couldn't tell anymore. How could he act so coldly to her? They had been through more than most, hadn't they? Perhaps the real challenge had yet to come.
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Finally, the climax had arrived. The final piece was handed to Hanabusa as Kaname explained Yuki's true identity; his little sister. This would explain quite of a few of his sovereign's actions in the past. Hanabusa had never truly been forced to contemplate the complications of the purebloods. Truly, vampiresses were available everywhere and it did not require intermarriage between the nobles, but the purebloods were an entirely different matter. Hanabusa quietly thanked his background in this particular case. For the last month he had been slowly cursing it more and more harshly. He continued to keep a close eye on her, even when she went to her secluded place by the lake. He watched in the shadows, knowing better than to approach her. Kaname had allies in places even he was not aware of and he did not want to tempt trouble. He tried to remain satisfied simply staring at her naked figure as she dove into the water. It would take little to no time at all to simply leap in after her. She would remember him. She would remember everything and embrace him with open arms and then soon thereafter they would reunite into the bond that had drawn them so close before she had allowed Kaname-sama to remove her memories. Some days he felt it was asking too much of him not to allow his dreams to become reality, but in the end he would relent to his inner most logic as a vampire and let go of any fantasy of approaching Yori.
The orders came down quickly from the top. An imminent danger loomed within the campus and all students were to be quarantined into their designated dormitories. With the sudden encroaching threat, the dorm leaders were informed not to allow anyone outside the buildings on the school grounds. They were under strict orders, upon threat of doubling their tuition. Yori had no desire to wander outside except for the possibility to find Yuki, but she knew in the recesses of her mind that if Yuki was out there, the last thing she wanted was for Yori to be there as well, so she held herself still and resisted the urge to go outside. She swayed from uncertainty, fear, and moments of fiery determination, her emotions were in complete turmoil. She hated ambiguity, especially in cases such as these.
Something drew closer, more dangerous by the moment and it made Yori worry for her best friend's safety. It made her worry about Hanabusa's safety. Every person on that campus and in town was in danger at that very moment and she felt frustrated by her inability to do anything. She did the best she could by simply bringing along an extra set of clothing for Yuki should she finally show up. She couldn't explain why her friend would need it, but as the girls were being hustled into the den Yori felt the need to grab the uniform.
Despite the urgency of the moment Yori managed to find some excuse to return to her dorm room. She couldn't stand the thought of having to lie in wait of what may come. In the den she felt trapped, like a lamb waiting for the slaughter. It wasn't until she stood vacantly staring at the room before her that she realized how alone she felt there, but at least here she could guiltlessly allow herself to think about her past transgressions. Yori slowly wandered closer to her desk and placed her hand lightly on the back of the chair, staring into the nothingness of the clean surface of the desk. Where was he? Was he safe? She was sure that he would be all right. His incredible arrogance would serve him in this purpose. He would never allow anything to happen to himself. Then her thoughts wandered to Yuki. Things most certainly had changed for her friend and she felt an ever growing void when she realized how far her friend had fallen from her. Yuki had truly been the one to stand by her side despite thick and thin. It seemed as though the evening was culminating on a constant feeling of loss for everything she held dear. It was almost unbearable.
Yori stood frozen in place as the windows of her room were suddenly flung open. The bars had been literally ripped from the wall on the outer edges and hung in a disheveled state. Before her stood a tall, lean figure of a man and her heart sank immediately upon focusing on his eyes. This was not a Night Classman; he was someone who was dangerous, someone not to be taken lightly and he had no intention of guarding her safety. She sucked in a breath quickly as she forced out the question she already knew the answer to, "Who are you?" He smiled cruelly as the side of his lips quirked upward.
"My master is returning and we are gathering a warming gift for him," he said in almost a snake like way, his tone was oily and sly, nothing like Hanabusa's deep, robust voice. It made her shiver. He lunged for her without further explanation and Yori prepared for the worst. Her eyes slid shut, not wanting the last image to be of this quickly approaching creature.
"I won't fight in these situations."
"I won't let you forget!"
"Yori…" Hanabusa 's face flashed before her eyes. Yuki smiled at her happily. "Yori…" Her mother held her gently in her arms after her father's death. "Yori…" They had all left her there and this was how it was to end? She felt anger at first and then a complete resignation. It had been her fault in many ways. She had pulled away from those she loved and for a matter of time she thought it had been in protection of herself, but truly it was cowardice.
It took her a moment to realize that the ensuing attack had halted. The man stood frozen with his eyes wide and puzzled. He glanced down at the large spears of ice lanced throughout his body only to shatter into dust as his life left him. It was over so quickly and it left Yori standing with her legs knocking together as she took in the silhouettes of two others in the window. Yuki! Despite the obvious difference in length of hair, it was still Yuki, but something was different; something had changed. Yuki's face was sad, as if a veil had been lifted and what was revealed to her was a scene of carnage.
"Yori… I'm sorry, I am what that was." Yori felt relief well up within her. Whatever inner-struggle her best friend had been facing was finally revealed, at least now they would be able to move forward together, right?
Yori took a moment to absorb this sudden change and also to take in Hanabusa's presence. He stood coldly behind her friend in the window sill. His arms were crossed nonchalantly across his chest, waiting for something else to happen. Though, his eyes never left her. She felt her insides twist in a whole new direction. Fear lanced through her. Did he know she had recovered her memory? Was he furious? She didn't care, it was simply enough to look at him and see that he was alive and well. It was too much. Yori launched herself at Yuki, the closest and most unassuming target. Her arms embraced her distraught friend.
"Baka! I thought you wouldn't return… as my best friend." The meaning was quite apparent to her, perhaps not so much for A Hanabusa or her companion. Her eyes fluttered momentarily to Hanabusa, but tried to shut them before he saw her. This simple action of holding someone else was temporarily enough to release the pent up angst that had been building throughout the last several hours.
"Yori…" Her arms tightened even more, wanting to squeeze the life out of the other girl. She had lost too much in her young life. Already she had begun to acknowledge herself as the forever doomed victim of misfortune.
Another figure suddenly appeared, interrupting the moment; Kaname. He looked meaningfully at Yori, before taking Yuki into his arms as well. Yori listened sadly as he stood trying to convince her friend to leave them behind and she wanted badly to reach out and hold her friend once again, but she hesitated. A wall was building slowly between them; she felt it with every passing moment, the same wall that forever separated her and Hanabusa. She glanced up briefly only to look away quickly. He was looking intensely at Kaname and his jaw was clenched. Her heart felt a vice wrap around it once again, tightening and squeezing it. It was a reminder. This was what was important to her ex-lover and this is why he would never be hers. His love for his master and friend was too great to overcome. The loyalty was apparent and a bond that she could not even begin to fathom. She needed to let him go. She had to if she were to survive, if they were both to survive.
Her thoughts were rudely interrupted as Kaname suddenly gave an order to Hanabusa. His eyes warning, seeing as he had no other choice at that moment.
"Hanabusa, take Yuki's friend to a safe place." Hanabusa nodded jerkily and reached for Yori's hand. She resisted. Her eyes were riveted to Yuki, she felt an impending doom, as if this was the last time she was going to see the other girl.
"Don't make a fuss," growled Hanabusa under his breath as he hauled her away. Surprisingly, she listened. She gave in to the inevitable; she didn't even have an opportunity to say goodbye. Her mind was one that worked two steps ahead in logic. If she resisted and fought, it would not accomplish anything, so why try? He hauled her down the hallway and with every step she felt pain seeping away into an even more terrifying numbness. She had lost everything… everything! The doors passed by with an incredible speed and ferocity. Hanabusa's grip tightened on her painfully as they completely left the confines of the dorm.
Their advance was suddenly blocked by another unfortunate vampire. Hanabusa quickly disposed of the other without hesitation. A world where a vampire killed his own without hesitation and human followed with little thought. It was a world of chaos.
Yori couldn't even feel the need to cry anymore. Though it had slowly been growing over the last several months, this was it for her. Why care anymore? The one she loved would never return her feelings. Her only true friend was to be taken away. The one place that gave her quiet and serenity was being destroyed as she stood there watching. Her world was crumbling.
The two escapees had finally reached the tree-line and it looked as though Hanabusa was not going to stop until he had reached a safe location, one of which she had no idea existed at that moment. It was partly out of surprise, but also one of desperation when she saw the other amongst the trees. She had seen him first and sensed it coming, the piercing energy in the form of an arrow, aimed at Hanabusa's back. She was selfish. She wanted to not feel anything anymore and the idea that he would be injured on the account of her was the final blow to her hold on everything. She jumped without thinking. Grabbing hold of his shoulders, knocking him down mid-stride as it pierced her upper shoulder. She grit her teeth against the pain that spread throughout, putting and immediate hold on the cry that wished to escape her lips.
Hanabusa had been running quickly simply because he wished to not let go of her. As long as he kept moving, she would have to remain by his side. His full concentration was on reaching his destination and that is why he had not been aware of the oncoming attack. His heart stopped when he felt her impact against his back and slowly he turned midair as they began falling to the ground together. His arms reached out to envelope her and break her fall. She must have tripped, was his immediate conclusion, but then he could smell it; blood. His eyes widened and flared and he felt his fangs grow ever so slightly. Looking down he felt his gut twist into knots, catching just in time the vanishing shape of an arrow lodged in her back. Sweat had begun to drop from her brow as her body curled up in a defensive manner, trying to ward off the pain.
"It wasn't aimed all that well," she grumbled, half trying to distract herself and at the same time attempting to dissipate the shocked look on Hanabusa's face. "I guess I was a bit clumsy," she smiled slightly, but the movement forced the pain to seer through her faster. She clenched her body into a ball.
"Foolish girl, you got in the way," came a voice from the shadows. Another woman stepped out. She was gorgeous, pale, elegant and composed; everything that Yori felt she was not. Her eyes wandered to Hanabusa, whose face had now become slated over in stone, he was dangerous.
"Hello Hanabusa-kun," she purred seductively. "It has been a while."
"What are you doing here, Rora," he hissed as he gently moved Yori off of his chest and on the ground, then stepping in front of her defenseless frame.
"Is that such a way to greet your ex-lover?" The statement hit a nerve. He glanced back at Yori reflexively who was purposely keeping her eyes closed; she had suddenly started shaking. The woman's violet eyes slowly looked at the girl behind Hanabusa and she smirked sardonically.
"Is she the one? The one everyone has been talking about? The one you took over me?" Her voice remained cool and at ease, but there was a hidden pool of anger and outrage. "It is too bad I had not aimed for her first. It doesn't matter though, because it will soon be irrelevant. Our master is returning and before this happens I will dispose of you two. However, perhaps I shall make you watch as I slowly eat your little human toy." Hanabusa stiffened and positioned himself defensively.
"Just because you are a woman, I will not go easy on you," he said furiously. "I won't allow you to touch her." He hesitated. "She is an important person to Yuki and she is important to Kaname-sama." The woman saw through his weak excuse.
"Is that so? You would go so far as to protect a human. Although, she does look delicious and her blood is so enticing; can't you smell it?" She inhaled deeply and put on an air of pleasure. Hanabusa 's instincts were to do the same, take in as much of the beautiful aroma as possible. "Perhaps you would like to join us? We could present her as a gift to our master together, perhaps he would even leave a little for us as well." Ignoring the vampire within, Hanabusa launched himself before he had even thought of doing so.
"Don't touch her!" Ice flared from his splayed fingers surrounding his opponent, but her energy effectively eliminated his onslaught. She moved quickly as well, her long gown did not hinder her movements in the least, but she had not seen the growing sea of ice surrounding her. Despite trying to avoid the sudden appearance of an icy lake, it only took one wrong move before she was ensnared within its confines. She had banked on his pride as a vampire and ex-lover not to attack her so ferociously. It was a deadly assumption.
"You would not kill one of your own! You could not!" she said uncertainly as the ice slowly moved higher above her waist. She uselessly flung one wave of energy after another into the encroaching encasement, only slowing it temporarily before it advanced once again. Hanabusa said nothing as he stared at her blankly, emotionless. She couldn't struggle or win against such strength and the realization heightened her bitterness.
"You have fallen so far, Hanabusa. That human will not last, they are too fragile. She will disappear as will all the others. They are encased in a time that we will never be member of."
"Silence," he growled lowly. The ice's advance sped up rapidly and encased the other completely, cutting off any dying words. The silence that followed was deep and thick, difficult to leave and save oneself from. Hanabusa turned around and stared at Yori who was now sitting up clutching her shoulder.
"Why did you do something so reckless?" he scolded, the poison on the tip of his tongue was tasting horrible to him, but it was the only way to hide the mounting frustration he felt for this situation. She did not answer right away, gathering herself to lie for his sake.
"I'm not sure what you're talking about. I was running and the next moment something hit me from behind. What is going on? Where is Yuki anyway?" feigning shock and confusion. The ploy worked. Hanabusa let out a sigh, not of relief, something completely different.
"Let's go," he said stoically. He leaned down and scooped the unsuspecting girl into his arms and took off running again. With every footfall Yori's shoulder was jarred and she grit her teeth not to cry out from the throbbing pain. At one point her vision seemed to fade, but she made a conscious effort to stay awake, no matter what was to come.