Yet another Zero chapter. I love this man xD

Even though he pisses me off...a lot ._.

Anywho! Enjoy!

-Anii

Chapter 35: Zero

Zero pressed his fingertips against his temples as a raging headache washed over him, making his jaw clench. He slid into his bathroom and threw open the medicine cabinet. He knocked over several bottles until he found the one for migraine relief. He kicked a fallen pill bottle out of his way, cupped a handful of water in his palms and downed two pills, praying that they did their job. Soon.

He bent down to pick up the other bottles when his door was knocked off its hinges. The thick wooden door clattered to the ground and Zero jumped up, prepared to bash in the intruders skull armed with nothing but a bottle of Midol. Why the hell do I have this? He threw away the thought as a figure barged into his room.

Diva's eyes found him without missing a beat. The usual frosty contempt that filled her eyes was replaced by unnerving and frantic fear.

"What happened?" Zero whispered without realizing.

"Have you seen Saya?" Diva asked.

Zero caught the slight quiver that shook her lip as she spoke. "No. I haven't. Why?"

Diva spun around, clicking her tongue against her teeth as she bolted from his room.

"Hey?!" He ran to his doorway. "What about my door!?"

Zero slammed his head against the broken door frame, growling loudly.

••••••••

Zero tilted back his head, letting out a sigh that carried away all of his pent-up frustration. I wonder if Diva found Saya?

A breeze rolled by, carrying the lingering scent of flowers with it. Zero cracked open his eyes. Maybe that gardener knows where she is.

Zero rose off of the wooden bench and strode towards the courtyard, his keen eyes scanning the rather large area for the black-haired man. He couldn't find him. Someone rushed by wearing a bandana over their orange, spiky hair.

"Kai." Zero called out.

The man turned around, grinning with his usual friendly smile. "Hey, Zero."

"Where is the gardener?" Zero asked casually.

"You mean Haji?" Kai's smile dropped as he dug through his memory. "Oh! That's right. David sent him somewhere."

"Somewhere?" Zero lifted a suspicious eyebrow. "When will he be back?"

Kai shrugged. "Don't know. Why? Do you need him for something."

Kai was Saya's adopted brother. He should know if she were missing. "Have you seen Saya?"

Kai's face darkened. "Now that you mention it…I haven't."

Zero clenched his fists. Damn it, something wasn't right. "Well if you see her, will you let me know?"

"Why? Is she okay?" Kai prodded, his brotherly side flaring up.

"Tai! Get your ass to that shop and buy me more potatoes!" A woman called shrilly from the kitchen doorway, her eyes burning holes into Kai.

Kai flinched. "I'm going, Helen!" Kai turned back to Zero, his face hard and serious. "Will you let me know if you find Saya?"

Zero nodded and the orange-haired man took off running to do the scary woman's bidding. Zero stuffed his hands in his pockets. What have I gotten myself in to?

Rustling in the forest near him made Zero's senses go on high alert. Before he could order the person to step forward, Diva burst out from the bushes, her beautiful face marred with dirt and leaves clinging to her ebony hair.

"Diva." Thunder rumbled overhead as Zero called out her name.

She looked like a frightened animal, ready to flee at any moment. Zero stepped forward, grabbing her wrist just as she moved to run. "Diva!" He barked.

She winced and he lowered his voice, even though his annoyance still came through. "What the hell have you been doing?"

"Looking for Saya!" Diva cried desperately, her breathing panicked.

"Hey. Hey!" He gripped both of her slender shoulders in his hands. "Calm down and tell me what the hell's going on."

"She abandoned me!" Diva sobbed.

"Saya?" I hate when women cry… "Why would you think that?"

"I can't find her anywhere!" Diva forced out, her shoulders shaking tremendously with her violent sobs. "She's disgusted by me!"

"Hey, shush." Zero slapped both hands against either side of Diva's cheek and pushed her cheeks together. "Are you done? We'll go find her. Maybe she went for a walk in town or something."

Diva shook her head from side to side, gripping Zero's wrists and throwing his hands away from her face. "She would have told me!"

"Well it's better than you rolling around in the dirt!" Zero snapped. "Let's go. I have a friend who might let me borrow his bike so we can get to town quickly."

"It's no good she doesn't want to be found!" Diva's wails increased.

"Good God! We're going and I'll prove that she's not so just shut up!" Zero's fingers coiled around her wrist.

••••••••

Zero slammed the palm of his hand down on the table. "What the hell do you mean 'no'?"

"It's going to rain." Jason stated simply. His nose crinkled as he looked at Diva, who was sniffling at Zero's side. "I can't let you take my bike out in the rain just because you made her cry."

"I didn't-!" Zero bit back his retort. "Look, can you please just let me use it? It's an emergency."

"I'm sorry, man, I can't let you take it out in this storm." Jason hissed.

Zero clenched his jaw. Why was he getting so worked up? "I need that bike."

Jason tilted his head to the side. "Or what?"

Zero glanced at Diva and held his breath. The pain he saw in those radiant eyes was reflected in his own chest - he was frantic for her. Zero ground his teeth together. "Fine!"

Zero shoved Diva out of the teacher's lounge and dragged her towards the gate, the angry-looking clouds above twisting and turning as they blocked out the sun and sky. Zero's speed increased and his fingers tightened around Diva's wrist. "Come on."

"Why are you doing this?" Diva's voice was so soft, Zero could barely hear it over the rumbling thunderstorm approaching.

"To prove you wrong." He replied, his anger melting away as his feet pounded against the pavement and his muscles warmed from the exercise.

"About what? You don't know how Saya feels." Diva snapped, her sadness becoming even more of a nuisance as she descended into melancholy.

"apparently I know more that you!" Zero shot as they neared the gates. "Now shut up and run!"

••••••••

Zero battled to be heard over the loud crash of thunder that rattled his eardrums. "Saya!"

Rain pelted him and Diva, chilling them both to the bone. Diva's teeth chattered as she called out her sister's name. The town square was devoid of life. Save for the two lunatics prancing out in the rain looking for a girl who might not even be here, Zero thought angrily.

"Saya!" Zero shouted, his voice cracking and faltering from repeated use. "Saya!"

"Give up." Diva resorted back to crying. "Saya doesn't want to be found. She hates me"

Zero's anger flared deep in his chest and reared its ugly head. "Are you quite done being a narcissistic little cry baby!?"

"What?" similar anger flashed in Diva's eyes, a red light in the gloom of her depression.

Zero yanked her towards him. Diva's body bumped into his and he shoved his face close to hers, his words low but filled with venom. "All you can think about is yourself. Did you ever stop to think that your sister might be out there somewhere - hurt?! Are you going to sit here sniffling while she could be bleeding to death!?"

Being this close to her, he could see every line in her big eyes. It really was unnatural how much they glowed. He hid his chuckle as he felt her heart thrum against his chest.

Diva opened her mouth, her lips curling back in a snarl, but quickly snapped it shut as her eyes drifted over Zero's shoulder. Zero turned to see what had startled her and his chest tightened. Saya…?

The older twin was completely drenched from the rain, her midnight black hair clinging to her deathly pale cheeks. The thick hoodie and shorts she wore did little to protect her from the rain that fell from the sky relentlessly. Her bare, pale legs were trembling with every step she took.

However, the worst part was the lack of life in her eyes. She seemed completely devoid of emotions and understanding. She looked utterly catatonic.

"Saya." Diva muttered.

Her sneakers paused as she heard her name and her lowered head lifted slowly. Lightning lit up the sky, casting an eerie shadow across Saya's face. Zero ground his teeth together. These sisters would be the death of him.

He bent down in front of Saya, offering his back. "Let's get you home, Saya."

••••••••

Zero stared down at Saya, who was curled up in a ball on the Headmaster's couch in front of the fireplace, with his arms crossed over his chest and a frown plastered on his face. Saya hadn't spoken a single word the entire time home - not even to Kai.

Diva dropped by her sister's side, resting her head on the cushion near her sister's. She closed her eyes tightly and balled her hands into fists. "Saya, what were you doing out there?" She whispered softly.

Diva reached a gentle hand up and touched her sister's cheek. "She's freezing."

Zero sighed and turned around to poke at the fire. He was curious as hell and, although he'd never admit it out loud, he was concerned but he chose to remain silent.

"Maybe if Haji were here she'd talk."

Saya's eyes visibly widened and her face contorted with despair. She rolled over on to her right side, turning her back to both Zero and Diva. Diva fretted over her twin, trying to get the silent girl to tell her what as wrong but Saya wasn't up to talking.

Zero gently pried Diva away from Saya and sat her by the fire. "Why would Saya talk to Haji but not her own siblings?"

"Because he's the one Saya trusts above all else." Diva replied, staring at the churning fire.

"Simply because they're dating?" Zero snorted with contempt. Love…

An unfamiliar pain throbbed in his chest and Zero's eyes narrowed. What the hell was that about?

Diva's usual scorn was back and she cast him a severe glare. "It's more than that."

"Do tell." Zero taunted.

Diva glanced at her sister and lowered her voice. "They've been together even longer than her and I have. Haji has followed my sister around for nearly her entire life, always protecting her and following her every order like it was the word of God." Diva's eyes turned to him. "Queens sleep for thirty years and are only awake for two. Do you know what it's like to spend thirty years of your life away from the one you love and only have two years, two precious years, to spend time with her?"

Zero wisely kept his mouth shut as empathy attempted to rise up in his chest. He dashed it away but not before feeling a small amount of the pain this man, Haji, must have felt.

"Haji saved my sister's life when she tried to commit suicide because of me." Diva's head bowed. "I'm eternally grateful to that man."

"Tragedy seems to follow you two." Zero quipped, feeling uncomfortable with such a deep discussion.

"Yes." Diva answered simply, stunning Zero momentarily.

Zero cleared his throat. "Well…I have work tomorrow. You can sleep there."

He strode out of the door, his back ramrod straight, and closed it gently. What was wrong with him? Helping near strangers and feeling their pain? He wasn't himself. "I need a drink." Zero hissed as he walked down the hallway.

Possibly one of my favorite scenes! Gotta love zero being kind and violent xD -Anii