Chapter 21- Awake
Maria? Zero looked at the dust in the corner of the room. He felt his heart drop to his stomach.
"What did you do to her?!" He screamed at Kuran.
Kuran laughed. He had a cold look in his eyes. "I didn't do anything. I just found her there. Or what remained of her."
Zero screamed. The windows broke and shattered into a billion pieces. Light danced on the ceiling and floor as the glass fell. It was morning. Light pierced his skin. He had grown unused to the light since he had remained in the dark for so long. The glass rose from the ground and they suddenly flew at Kuran.
It hit him. Or rather it passed through him.
Kuran laughed his cold laugh. Zero felt the anger grow larger and larger in waves. It rose in him, it was uncontrollable. The wood planks in the room broke free. They rose upwards. Zero's eyes widened.
How the hell did I do that?, he thought in surprise.
Kuran laughed again. He had a cold mechanical look on his face. He felt power surge through him in waves. Just like the anger. Somehow, it felt wrong. It wasn't his power. No, it was somebody else's. Who's?
"You are getting stronger Zero, almost like a real Pureblood. But you have to die," Kuran said while smiling a cold smile.
Zero raised his hands. They were moving by themselves. Let me do this, the person said inside him. Something was speaking to him. Zero felt the planks rise even more.
"Kuran! Where is Yuki!" Zero yelled at him. His voice was hoarse from not speaking for so long.
Kuran laughed again. "You know, I had hoped to recruit her in my mission. But, my superiors didn't like that idea. Like I said, she's fine, This will be easy. Almost like killing a baby. I really wish you wouldn't try to use your powers."
The planks moved at him. They passed through him again. Kuran held the sword up in his decomposing hand. It was down to the bones now, the flesh melted right off. He hit the planks down into the ground. He used his free hand to crush the planks into splinters of wood.
"Kiryu, you're weakening," Kuran said.
It was the truth. He was weakening. Zero felt weaker. He fell to one knee gasping. The light cascaded down on his back. His back was facing the broken window. He winced in pain. Kuran swung the sword. It stopped in mid-air. It was crackling and sparking against something. Zero had made a force field. He had no idea how he had done it.
You can't do it, don't! Stop! You can still go back! Tell him! The necklace! Zero, listen to me! Tell him!
"The necklace," Zero croaked out.
Kuran looked alarmed. His expression flickered from the emotionless one.
"What? How did you know about that?"
Kuran took out a silver necklace. It had a small stone on it. It was a rose, a red one.
Zero tried to stand. The shield broke. Kuran put the necklace back in his pocket.
Kuran looked at him. "I hope the next time we meet you will be dead."
He transformed into bats and he flew out the window. Zero's hands curled into fists. He was too weak to go after him. He had failed. Again. He wanted to rescue her. Yuki. He was sure that she wasn't safe. The planks landed with thuds on the ground. It seemed the powers Seiji had had passed on to him.
The door was burst open by Machiko. Her hair wasn't in its usual bun. It cascaded down her back. It was a dark golden blonde since it looked wet. She was wearing a simple dress instead of the maid dress. Zero stared at her in surprise.
"Seiji?"
He realized she was referring to him. He had forgotten people referred to him in that name. Zero began to feel even more drained. He stumbled backwards onto the floor. He tried to balance himself with a nearby wall. He ended up sitting on the floor.
"Seiji?! Are you okay? I mean Zero-Sama, are you okay?"
She was kneeling before him, looking at him with kind eyes.
Zero managed to nod. "I'm fine."
She got a sad expression and said something that Zero didn't hear. He felt himself fall somewhere else. The last thing he saw was Machiko smile with tears in her eyes.
Zero woke up. Or rather he woke up in his dream. Yuki was sitting beside his bed. Her hair was tied back and she had a sad expression. She was holding his hand. Zero looked at her. She had tears in her eyes. She looked like she was trying not to cry.
"What's wrong?" He managed to say.
She smiled and said, "Zero, you're awake. Nothing's wrong."
Zero looked at her and she stroked his hair. "This is a dream." He said.
She nodded and said, "It is. Zero, I've been unconscious. I don't know where I've been. I wake up sometimes. The person who you spoke to when you were Seiji is an impostor. That wasn't me."
"I know." Zero said.
She looked at him and smiled. "I'm glad to know you are safe. Kaname isn't himself."
"Oh really, he seemed himself when he was trying to kill me."
She shook her head. "My brother would never do harm to me or to the people I care about. He would never do that. Never." She said, her eyes were clear of tears. "Something is wrong. I think a Pureblood is behind this. I just don't know who."
Zero sat up and he winced slightly. "A Pureblood?"
She nodded. "I can't speak to you anymore. I'm losing power." She leaned and kissed him on the cheek. "See you Zero."
Zero woke up for real. Zero opened his eyes and sat up. He winced and looked around. Aido was sitting in a chair. Machiko was speaking to him softly. Aido's eyes were red as if he were crying for a long time. Zero saw him shake his head. Machiko got a sad expression and she noticed that Zero was awake. She walked toward him.
"Zero-Sama, you're awake. Are you okay?"
Zero looked at her and said, "I'm fine."
Zero glanced at Aido. He looked horrible. Machiko noticed and said, "I've been trying to convince him to eat some food or take some blood tablets. He won't hear of it."
"Aido," Zero said, "You have to eat."
Aido looked at him. "Is that an order?"
Zero looked at him and he sternly said, "Yes, it is. I need you at full strength."
Aido stood up and left the room.
Zero sighed and looked at Machiko. She served him some water. He noticed she had a cut on her cheek and on her fingers. Her fingernails looked red underneath. He could tell it was dried up blood.
"Where did you get that?" He said pointing to the cuts on her fingers and the cut on her cheek.
She looked at him and said, "When I was cleaning up the glass, I accidentally cut myself."
Zero took the glass from her and he drank it. He put his glass on the counter. He stood up. Machiko looked at him alarmed.
"Zero-Sama, you shouldn't be up."
Zero waved her worried look away and he got out of the room. "I need to take a walk."
Machiko began to protest but Zero assured her that he would be back. She let him go. He walked down the hallway. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His hair was shoulder-length. He was wearing drawstring pants and a loose t-shirt. He kept walking. He came upon a staircase and he went down the stairs. He heard voices. They were familiar.
"How long are we going to stay here?" Kaito said. Kaito looked up and saw Zero. "Zero?"
Zero reached the last step and he was, soon, surrounded by the other Hunters. They began to ask him questions. It hurt hearing their loud voices. A few of them touched him to make sure he was real.
"Stop touching and stop talking." The gruff voice of his teacher, Yagari, made everyone be quiet.
Yagari looked at Zero and then he smiled and said, "Welcome back Zero. You're a very troublesome apprentice."
Zero smiled and said, "Yeah, it seems I am."
He touched his face. He was smiling and the Hunters seemed surprised of it. Zero stopped and he stepped backwards. His face had moved on its own. He realized that Seiji would've smiled at them. Not him. He was always trying to suppress his emotions.
He closed his eyes. The light hurt him. He knew it was day now. He raised his hand to cover his eyes. He opened them and he looked down. He tried to go up the staircase.
"Zero? What's wrong?"
He fell on the ground. He closed his eyes. The light was too painful. He felt someone put a blanket over him.
"Here you go, Zero-Sama," it was a woman's voice.
He looked up to see Emiko. "Emiko."
He smiled gratefully. He covered his head with the huge blanket. He felt himself breathe easily.
"It's hurts doesn't it?" She asked, kneeling down beside him. A hand was on his back and she looked at him with her dark black eyes.
He nodded. "Before, the light didn't hurt me as much. Now, it's like its stabbing me to pieces."
She nodded. "I'm sorry."
He shook his head. "It isn't your fault. Have you found Maria?"
Emiko shook her head. "I haven't. Hyousuke was going to ask the Hunters to help in identifying the dust to see if it was Maria or some random vampire, but Machiko says that she can identify whether it was Maria or someone else. Let's hope it isn't Maria."
Zero nodded. He stood up and he walked upstairs. Emiko helped him. He went inside the room that was once Seiji's. He sat on the bed. He caught his reflection on a silver spoon that was on the bedside table. He fingered his long silver hair. He looked underneath his pillow and he found a ribbon. It was Maria's. He used it to pull back his hair.
He cast his eyes down to his hands. He could see the veins of his wrists. His throat ached and his voice was raspy.
Emiko left him and Aido came in. His eyes were still red. He was holding a case of blood tablets.
Zero still had the blanket over his shoulders. He looked at Aido. He felt sorry for him. Maria was gone. Zero wanted to say something to Aido. He wanted to say that everything was going to be okay. That Maria was fine. Except, it would be like telling a lie.
Zero felt the hunger stab him. He gripped his throat and he tried to calm the wild hunger inside of him. Aido stared at him.
"Are you okay?" Aido asked him.
Zero nodded and he let go of his throat. "Can you pass me those blood tablets?"
Aido tossed them to him and Zero caught them. Zero opened it and he swallowed a bunch of them. Zero gagged a bit at the taste. He remembered that he had tasted some of them and he had complained about the taste. Well, Seiji did.
Aido looked at him. "Seiji did that when he first tasted them. That's why I had to offer him my blood."
Aido rolled up his sleeve and he offered his wrist to him. Zero shook his head.
"I'm fine. I'll get used to the taste. I already did once."
Aido grabbed the chair that was in the corner and he brought it to sit across Zero. Aido sat on the chair. Aido stared into Zero's eyes.
"Are you okay?"
Zero bit his lip. "I saw Yuki."
Aido stared at him. "What?"
"She was sitting next to me. She was crying. She said that the person you and Seiji saw was an impostor. She said that a Pureblood is behind this all. She said that Kaname isn't himself. I didn't understand half the things she said. Aido, I have to rescue her. I'm worried that she's going to be hurt badly. She sounded like she was in pain."
Aido nodded. "Get some rest Se-Kiryu. You'll need it."
Zero nodded. Aido left the room.
Yuki woke up. Her throat ached. She was thirsty. She wondered how many weeks passed. She wondered if instead of weeks it was months. She hadn't drunk blood in a long time. She winced. The rope dug into her wrists. She sat up.
She had chains on her legs and hands also. She pulled on it. It was no use. It didn't break easy. She could probably break them with just a thought. But she was weak. She was starving. She hadn't had blood for weeks. She remembered having a dream, Zero was in it.
She looked around. There was a small window. She turned and saw a wine glass filled with blood on the nightstand. She tried to reach it. The chains pulled her back. Her fingers were centimeters away from the glass. She gave up frustrated. She wiped away her tears. She had to be brave. Kaname was going to rescue her. Her brother hadn't turned evil.
He hadn't.
She tried to convince herself. She could hear shouts. It was probably on the first floor. Wait, how did I know that? Yuki thought amazed at the knowledge. She was unconscious when they brought her here. She tried to reach the drink again.
"Do you want this?" Someone said as he grabbed the glass from the nightstand. He was smiling.
It was Kaname.
"Kaname!" Yuki cried out happily.
Kaname took a sip of the drink. He sat on a couch that was a couple feet away from the bed. He had a cold look on his face that made Yuki shiver. He smiled at her.
"How are you? I'm sorry about these room arrangements. It was the only place I could think of that nobody would even look for you in."
"Wait, you brought me here?" Yuki stared at her brother.
He was smiling. He had blood on his black gloves and it stained the bottom of his coat. He took off his gloves and threw them to the side.
"Yes, I did." Kaname said, coldly.
Someone took the glass from Kaname. It was a woman. She had long blonde hair. Her lips were blood red.
She smiled. Her fangs peeked through. "He only did what asked. Hee, hee, look at you. The Pureblood Princess is now the pauper. I wish I had a camera. I could send this picture to all my friends. Oh," her eyes widened as if she realized something, "Oopsie, I forgot. I killed them all."
She laughed. She stroked Kaname's hair and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Don't touch him," Yuki screamed.
The woman smiled and licked Kaname's neck. "You can't do anything Princess. He's mine."
Kaname smiled at the remark. "I do whatever you tell me. Will you reward me now for my efforts?"
She smiled. Yuki stared in horror. The woman ripped her hand and she gave it to Kaname.
"Drink and eat it. It'll give you powers you could never have imagine gaining. My twin did a good job in infiltrating the mansion of Seiji-Sama. Though Richard did horrible in choosing the 'truthful ruler' of our kind. Though you already are considered a leader to the vampires are you not, Kuran?"
Kaname smiled at her. He had already finished eating her hand. "I am considered a leader."
She giggled. "A leader. What a nice thing to be considered as. About Zero, when will you kill him?"
Kaname looked at her distastefully. "He'll die soon enough. If I kill him now, it would be as if killing a baby. He isn't used to his body yet. Ah, but there was Kurenai."
Yuki looked up at them. Kurenai?
The woman smiled and she sat on Kaname's lap. She stroked his hair. "Ah, yes. My twin killed her. At least, that's what she tells me. She had gotten to be her friend. Oh dear, she was crying when she called me. She was always the weakest one. That's why Father gave her that infernal gift. The gift to walk through dreams. It was so easy to convince her to betray them. Just stepping into my great nephew's dream was the key to win her over. Oh, by the way Princess, you should go back to sleep. It seems the spell I put on you has weakened."
The woman stood up and she smiled.
"Sweet dreams Princess."
Yuki fell back on the bed. She was asleep again.
Hyousuke saw Aido come out of Zero's room which was originally Seiji's. Hyousuke had his arms crossed.
"How is he?" Hyousuke asked.
Aido looked at him. His eyes were rimmed with red. "Kiryu's fine."
Hyousuke looked at him. "Not Zero? You do understand that he's not the same anymore. Light burns him more easily. He has Seiji's powers. He faced death the minute he woke up. His nerves are strained."
Aido looked at him. His face was serious. "So?"
Hyousuke resisted in punching him. "He is Seiji! And Seiji is him! That doesn't change the fact that you were like a father to him! Seiji's father. He remembers Seiji's memories more clearly than his own right now. I know because I have gone through this operation myself. I bet right now he feels bad that he is alive. He sees that Seiji is probably better than him."
Aido looked at him. "Why should he feel sorry for himself? Yuki is still alive. He hasn't lost the person he loves. She's still alive."
Hyousuke frowned. "How can you say that? He loved Maria too. She was almost like a sister to him. Aido, what would Maria have done? She wouldn't have let you act this way."
Aido's hands went into fists. "Don't you dare bring Maria into this!"
"You brought her first when you said he hasn't lost the person he loves! You can't even begin to comprehend loss. Zero has lost everything he has ever loved. You should be happy he hasn't lost her. You should be happy that h-"
Aido had a cruel look on his face. "I don't care. Heh, you sound as if you're experienced in matters of loss or else you wouldn't get that face on you."
Hyousuke looked at him straight in the eye. "I have lost everything. My mother, father, even my human side of my family to one person. He still tortures me in many ways that you can't even begin to understand. To me this life is never ending. I cannot escape from it. No matter what I do. I cannot escape. He has cursed me to live this life for eternity. So yes, I know a thing or two about loss. Even Zero's loss doesn't begin to compare to mine. But I have one good thing going for me and that's Emiko. I understand how you feel, but don't let it swallow you."
Aido walked away. Hyousuke sighed. He had revealed too much about himself to him. He went inside the room. He found Zero staring at his hands. Hyousuke sat down.
"I was going to ask how are you feeling, but then you would lie to me. So I'm going to ask you how are you really?"
Zero looked up at him. "Maria is probably dead. Aido must blame me somehow for her death and I don't blame him."
Hyousuke sighed. He wondered if originally Zero took the blame when something went wrong. "Stop that. You have to be strong. You've got people following you. I will stand by your side even if the others don't. I'll help you find Yuki. Come on, get ready."
"I heard you from inside."
Hyousuke sighed. He had talked too loud.
"I didn't understand half the things you said. But," Zero said. His eyes widened. His throat hurt. He gripped it. His hands clenched into fists. The wild hunger rolled at him in waves. Hyousuke stared at him.
"Did you take blood tablets?"
Zero nodded.
Hyousuke shook his head. "I'll go get you more. Wait here."
Zero nodded.
"I'm sorry about what happened to your family," Zero said.
Hyousuke looked at him. He and Seiji were so alike. But not, at the same time. He smiled and said, "It's okay. It happened a long time ago. I'll go get them."
Zero nodded. Hyousuke left.
Zero stood up. He cast the blanket down. He looked at his bedroom door. No, not his bedroom door. Seiji's. He opened the window. He felt a gust of wind enter. He heard a sob. He knew it was Aido. He could hear Machiko talking. Emiko and Hyousuke tried to talk with Machiko. Zero bit his lip.
He fell onto the ground. He floated down. He landed softly on his feet. He began to run. The sun burned his skin. He flinched. He went underneath a tree and he stayed in the shade. He saw a woman with the same hair as Yuki. He walked toward her. She held out her hand.
"Zero," she whispered.
He felt something wrong. It wasn't her. He continued walking toward her, almost like he was in a trance. He grabbed her hand.
She smiled and his eyes widened. He staggered back. He coughed blood. She had stabbed him in the stomach. She smiled and her appearance rippled. Zero's vision got foggy.
"Yu-"
She smiled. "So easy to trick. I was able to finish what my pet, Kaname, could not. Goodbye Zero Kiryu. You shall not win."
Zero fell on his knees. He heard her walk away. He coughed blood again. His vision got even more foggier. He saw something different. He saw a boy with dark brown hair. He had purple eyes. He stared at him. The boy reached out to touch him. The boy had Zero's face.
"Father?" The boy asked.
Zero reached to grab him. He collapsed.
Hi! ^-^ I am so sorry for the long wait. I was extremely busy with things. But now, this chapter is out! Yay!
I'm happy to say that there is a family tree on my profile page which explains Hyousuke's family. It'll go into some detail. Also, there is a section that is all about "A New Pureblood". It talks about the story. This is in honor of the story reaching twenty chapters and beyond. Yay!
On a sad note, it appears that Maria died. Not good for Aido since their relationship had just started. Aido gets really depressed and he just doesn't care anymore. Hyousuke tries to knock some sense into him, but that appears to not work. Also, if you notice and its really (or maybe not) subtle so its okay if you didn't, Aido calls Zero "Kiryu". Also, about Kaname. It also appears that he is working with mystery woman. There is also that boy that calls Zero father. You'll see on the next chapter what he means and why he looks so much like Zero.
I would really appreciate comments and feedback on this chapter or on the story. Thank you very much! :) Also, please forgive me if there are spelling mistakes. I might've missed something. I'll post the next chapter as soon as I can!