A/N: Hello, my dearests! *waves* Yes, I'm back again, and a little bit earlier than expected, I think. I actually could have done it sooner, but I got a bit lazy for a few days somewhere along the way, thus the result.
Oh, well. Here is the new chapter. Definitely not my finest work, but I still hope it won't be a total disappointment to you lovelies *prays*
Once again, thank you for the favs, alerts and most of all, for your wonderful, amazing, inspiring reviews! You have no idea how happy each and every single one of them made me. Really, thank you, dearests *bows deeply*
And we all know the drill. Disclaimer stands, warnings and so on remain the same. All mistakes that are definitely there are mine and mine alone.
Would be delighted to hear from you later.
Hope you will enjoy reading! :D
Chapter 35: Unforgotten Past
A pale hand extended towards Ichiru.
"Come, dear child," Shizuka called. "You need to feed."
Ichiru turned his head sideways to look towards the door the pureblood woman was standing at. He regarded her for a long moment.
"I don't need it," he said as he returned his gaze to his sleeping twin. Reaching out, he gently stroked Zero's hair, his hand lingered on the older teen's head for a bit before shifting to his cheek and then forehead. He knew he shouldn't be worried — it was silly to be. Zero was strong, he would be alright, he would get through the transformation. Ichiru knew he would. He shouldn't be worried. It was totally unnecessary — he knew, he really did.
Still, he couldn't help it. He was worried. He couldn't not be. So he kept checking his much stronger older brother for any signs of a fever as well as anything else that might be off. There had been none of that so far, thankfully. But he still needed to make sure — to keep making sure.
Ichiru breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
It still seemed to be okay. Zero wasn't in pain.
"But you do," Shizuka insisted softly, pulling Ichiru out of his musings. It took the teen an extra couple of seconds to recall what exactly they were talking about.
Ichiru frowned at the woman's persistence. "I'm not hungry."
"Of course you are. Our thirst never ceases. You should know that by now."
He did. Very well. Still…
"I don't want your blood."
A sad smile tugged at the corners of Shizuka's mouth. Her gaze turned sympathetic as she regarded Ichiru. "I know," she said. "But you will have to bear with it for the time being." Pink eyes turned to Zero for a contemplative moment, her smile vanished, leaving only quiet sadness in its wake. "…For both your sakes."
Ichiru breathed a long sigh, unconsciously stroking Zero's hair again.
"…Can't it wait?" he asked after a while of silence.
"I'm afraid not. I will have to leave soon, and I won't be back for some time," Shizuka informed, surprising the younger twin.
Ichiru turned to the pureblood once more, blinking, his eyes widened a fraction as he asked, "How long?"
"A week. Perhaps a little longer."
"I see…" Ichiru trailed off. He thought about inquiring further, but realized he didn't really care enough to do so. It was none of his business anyway. So he let it be.
"Come," Shizuka called again, slowly turning around in the doorway. "There is something I need to show you before I leave."
A small frown creased Ichiru's features briefly. He had to admit he got a bit curious. But he was still reluctant to leave. His expression as he pressed his lips together and threw a glance at his twin made it obvious.
"Don't worry about your brother. Maria will stay here to watch over him," Shizuka tried to reassure Ichiru.
The attempt wasn't very successful, as it only made Ichiru narrow his eyes at the mentioned girl who had been silently standing by Shizuka's side since the very beginning of their conversation.
Maria couldn't help flinching slightly at the suspicious look Ichiru gave her. Her gaze dropped, her small hand involuntarily clutched the folds of Shizuka's kimono as she unconsciously shifted a little closer to her relative. Shizuka's hand slowly rose, gracefully landing on Maria's shoulder. Pink eyes never left Ichiru.
"No need to be so hostile, dear child. Maria is a friend. She has no ill intentions towards either of you. I promise."
Shizuka's words weren't enough to ease Ichiru's concerns. He hesitated for a long while, but decided to comply with the pureblood's request in the end.
Throwing one last worried glance at Zero, Ichiru reluctantly got up and left his twin's side, following Shizuka out of the room.
-o-
Zero didn't know how much time had passed since Ichiru had left. It felt like hours, but he couldn't be sure. He couldn't be sure about anything anymore.
Even after spending a very long while reflecting on the recent changes that had come crashing down on him in what felt like a single night, he still couldn't quite sort everything out and grasp his suddenly changed reality.
He had been bitten. He had been turned.
Zero's fingers involuntarily curled, clutching his upper arms tighter at the thought.
Right. He had been turned, Zero reminded himself. He had been turned. The words kept going through his head again and again.
He wasn't human anymore. That part of him was lost forever. It had been taken. It had disappeared. It had died a quiet, lonely, imperceptible death while he had been unable to realize it happen in his unconscious state.
He wasn't human, Zero repeated in his head, but the words refused to sink in. It seemed too surreal to be true, it was too sudden and incomprehensible to accept.
He was a vampire now.
Zero's eyebrows furrowed in a thoughtful frown, he hugged himself a little tighter.
He was a vampire...and he still wasn't sure how he felt about that change. He didn't know, he couldn't tell.
He had never entertained the idea, never even considered the possibility. He might have been secretly curious about some aspects of vampire life, but he had always been content with being himself.
A human.
A hunter.
The former was gone. And the latter… Was he still one? Would he still be able to be one? Would he be allowed to be one? A hunter, he meant.
He doubted it. After everything that had happened, it was hard to believe the Association would simply accept him. Not that he could blame them. It was a normal, expected, right way of thinking. Yagari and Kaito had always been the only ones willing to somewhat ignore that same 'right way' for Ichiru's sake, and Zero had always been immensely grateful for it. It was important. Not just to him, but to Ichiru as well, although the latter would never admit it even to himself.
But Zero knew. He knew for sure Ichiru would have been hurt by Yagari's rejection. By Kaito's, too, difficult as it was to believe. Their older friend might be an insufferable ass, but he still was an important presence in their lives, and Zero didn't want that to change. He didn't want to lose him. He didn't want to lose either of them, and he could only hope that it was the same for the two hunters, that they would be able and willing to find it in themselves to accept him, even if he wasn't…quite himself anymore.
He knew he wasn't. He could feel it, although he wasn't sure what exactly had changed. The world around him seemed different somehow. It felt different — uncomfortably so. He couldn't help but find it somewhat weird. Foreign. Confusing. His perception of it had changed somehow, even though he still couldn't tell what exactly was so different now.
He wondered if it had been the same for Ichiru after he had been turned. His twin hadn't told him much about the changes he had gone through — only about the outcome they had brought, never about the experience itself, and Zero had chosen not to pry beyond the normal questions about his twin's general physical condition. He had let Ichiru decide whether to share that bit of information or not. Ichiru had chosen not to, so now Zero had to make sense of what was happening on his own as well.
A soft sigh escaped him as he rose to his feet for the first time in a long while. He turned around and looked out the window once more, only to find the same beautiful, serene scenery as before. It was nice. It was mesmerizing, without a shadow of a doubt. It was...
Foreign. Unfamiliar. Lonely.
It reminded him how far — and he was sure it must be pretty far — away he was from the second place he had come to consider home.
It also reminded him of his first home. He remembered it had been warm and cozy and very, very welcoming. He remembered being happy there, living as a family with Ichiru and their parents. He remembered Yagari coming to visit and spending time with them. He even remembered Kaito, still a teen, but already a royal ass.
Their older friend had visited them a few times when he had been temporarily training under Yagari in the absence of his own master. He had already been a bullying bastard even back then, and Ichiru couldn't stand him. He had retired to his room about ten minutes into Kaito's visit each and every time without fail. Zero was sure he had always followed, but there was a memory of one time when he hadn't gone right away, staying for a bit instead. He didn't know why he had done it, he couldn't — and surely wouldn't be able to, no one would — remember now, but he had lingered, only to witness one of the most surprising sights in his life. A polite Kaito. A polite, docile and extremely flustered Kaito — the one that had made himself known the moment Zero's parents had entered the room. Apparently, Kaito had always been their fan of sorts, thus the sudden change in his usual attitude, or so Zero had been told later — by Yagari, he believed.
Zero remembered he had been puzzled — to say the least — back then. Thinking back to it now though, he couldn't help but find Kaito's behavior highly amusing. And a little cute. He still waited for an opportunity to tease the hell out of the older hunter about it.
...Zero remembered being happy in that place, even if his brother might not fully agree with him.
To Ichiru, that house had been a prison, one where his 'former weak, pathetic self', as Ichiru unfairly referred to his childhood self, had been meant to 'rot and die'.
To Zero, however... It had been home. His home. Their home. Their family home. It had been a special place. It still was even now. It held his happiest, saddest and most terrifying memories. It had witnessed his weaknesses, his failures as a brother and a son, his mistakes, his betrayal. It would never forget, and neither would he.
…The scenery outside reminded Zero of all that and more. Of happiness, warmth, sadness, loss, grief, regret…
Every now and again, Zero couldn't help but wonder when everything had started to change.
…of his parents, of their time as a family…
When? Why? How had it all gone so wrong…?
…of the day he and Ichiru had met Hiou Shizuka for the very first time.
He remembered leading Ichiru away upon sensing the woman's presence. He hadn't known about her pureblood nature — he still hadn't known what a pureblood was supposed to feel like back then. But he had known about her being a vampire, and a strong one at that. Very strong, and just as dangerous. He remembered he had been apprehensive, so he had chosen to stay away.
It had been different for Ichiru. He hadn't sensed her, so he hadn't known why Zero had been so bothered by her presence. Zero had told him, but even then Ichiru hadn't grown wary, only more intrigued. Still, he had complied and let Zero lead him away, but Zero knew now it hadn't ended at that.
He hadn't seen Hiou Shizuka after that. Not even once. He had felt her presence somewhere far away several times, but he hadn't met her anymore. Now he couldn't even recall her face clearly — he had seen her once a long time ago, after all, so the details had long become a blur by now. Only impressions remained relatively strong.
Something had changed on that day. Zero hadn't realized it then, naturally, but looking back at it now, he knew it had. Ichiru had, if only slightly — he had started changing bit by bit.
Then, not too long after, that night had come. It had taken everything from him — his parents, his warm and happy home, his life as he had known it. And together with all that, somewhere along the way, he knew some part of both Ichiru and himself had been lost as well.
It hadn't been the same anymore. They hadn't been the same since then. They had been given a new family and a new home, a new life. It had been nice. Their new home had been warm and welcoming, same as their new family. They had been happy there. It hadn't been the same as before, but they — Zero, at the very least, although he was certain Ichiru hadn't been any different — had been happy in that place they now knew as their second home. It had been new, but not entirely so. A part of their previous life had followed them into their new one. A very important, precious part represented by Yagari and Kaito.
Their master hadn't changed much, nor had his attitude towards them. And Kaito... He had stayed pretty much the same too, save for added curses, disapproving remarks, mostly empty threats and occasional half-assed attempts on Ichiru's life. Not that different from his usual bullying, insufferable asshole self. It couldn't be helped — it was in his nature, and Kaito simply wouldn't be Kaito without those splendid qualities of his. Sure enough, they had always been annoying, and Zero remembered more than just several occasions when he had wanted to strangle the life out of his older friend, but he still had been grateful to both Yagari and Kaito for staying. For staying their usual selves and for staying with them. They had been their — his mostly, he guessed — connection to the long lost happy times from the past. They had kept him from forgetting.
So had Cross. He had been a part of their previous life too, albeit hardly as regular as Yagari or even Kaito. Still, it had made the unknown less scary and brought some bit of familiarity to their suddenly altered environment. It had probably been that which had helped Zero accept the change and adjust to their new life better.
Zero had liked their new family. It would never be able to replace their old one, of course, but it still had been nice. It had made him happy. He had liked it, he had liked their new life and all the people in it. Yagari, Kaito, Cross, Yuuki…
…Kaname…
Zero's eyes lowered thoughtfully as the pureblood's face flashed through his mind. His hand involuntarily went up to his neck, his fingers rubbed it absently. It suddenly felt…weird, uncomfortable…itchy, for lack of a better word. He was quick to dismiss the foreign sensation though, distracted by his thoughts.
Zero couldn't say he remembered the last time he had seen Kaname very clearly. The memory itself was a bit of a blur, but he still could recall bits and pieces. He had just been bitten. He had been in pain, confused, shocked and dizzy. There had been only Yuuki and Ichiru at first, then Kaname had joined them. Zero was sure there had been some sort of a struggle — he didn't recall it, but he somehow had that impression. And the next thing he remembered...was Kaname's face.
In that memory, Kaname was looking down at him with the saddest expression Zero had ever seen the pureblood wear. It never failed to make Zero's chest clench no matter how many times he recalled it. It did so now too.
Zero wondered how Kaname was faring. Was he okay? Was he worried? Was he still sad about the incident? Did he blame himself for it? He always did it, after all. Whatever happened, he somehow tended to think it was all his fault, even if it wasn't true.
Did he know he shouldn't blame himself? Did he know it was okay? Did he know that Zero was okay? That he was unharmed? But more importantly...
...Was he even okay with Zero the way he was now...?
It was probably a stupid question. Zero realized that, but he couldn't help it. The way Kaname had looked at him back then... All that sadness, all that regret... They made Zero feel uncertain.
...What would Kaname think of him? Would he be able to accept him as-…as a vampire…?
Zero's fingers unconsciously moved over his neck, clutching it, while his free arm rose to wrap around his middle. He stayed that way for a few long moments, thoughtful, but then his eyes widened slightly and he froze as a very belated realization struck him.
There was no wound. No torn skin. Not even a bitemark remained. His neck was completely free of all that, at least so it felt to his fingers. Where there would normally be a still unhealed wound, there was nothing. It had closed. Completely. As though it had never been there in the first place.
Zero's face twisted into a frown, his fingers curled over the side of his neck, he tensed, hugging himself tighter.
There was no trace left, but he could still feel it all. The fangs, the piercing pain… The ghost of it still lingered, and it only got more persistent the longer Zero touched it. It hurt. It was burning.
He felt sick. He couldn't breathe.
Zero squeezed his eyes shut and doubled over, panting. His hand left his neck to lean heavily on the windowsill for support. Zero felt his chest tighten, his heart hammering in it. His frown deepened as he tried to will the memories of the bite away from his mind.
For a while, his heavy breathing and rapid heartbeat were the only sounds Zero could hear. It took him some time, but he eventually managed to calm down.
Amethyst eyes slowly slid open, blinking. Zero's features relaxed, his frown gradually smoothed away. He released a long breath, then slowly lifted his head and straightened, his gaze focused on the scenery outside once more. He inhaled deeply and exhaled evenly, again and again, until his surroundings returned to normal and all phantom sensations vanished.
It was okay. He was fine. He would get through this. He-
They would. Together. Like they had done so far, like they always did.
Zero let out a deep sigh as he recalled the words Ichiru had said before leaving.
There had never been any choice for him to make to begin with.
-o-
In another room of the same mansion, Ichiru remained seated on a windowsill for hours. His gaze was directed out the window, seemingly locked on the beautiful view of cherry blossom trees, but his eyes were unseeing and completely unappreciative of the undeniably breathtaking sight.
"…Was it really okay?" came Maria's quiet, hesitant voice.
A weary sigh left Ichiru at the question. Without looking away from the window, he asked in response, "What do you mean?"
"Leaving Zero-kun like that..."
A few moments of silence passed. When Maria was sure she wouldn't get a reply, she tried again.
"He must need you now, Ichiru-kun."
Ichiru gave another sigh. "What he needs is to make a choice," he replied, only then turning to look at his companion, "and I'm letting him do it on his own."
A faint frown creased the girl's forehead. "Is there really a choice to make?"
Ichiru arched an inquiring eyebrow.
Maria hesitated, her fingers curled in her lap, clutching the fabric of her skirt lightly. "You already know what Zero-kun's answer will be."
Ichiru allowed himself a small, wry smile. "Do I now?"
Maria's frown deepened slightly. She struggled to comprehend the expression on the other's face. It made something in her chest tighten and rendered her unable to speak. Ichiru turned away after a few moments, but Maria continued to study him carefully.
It was only after a long while that she finally managed to catch it.
Doubt.
Uncertainty.
Fear. Worry.
Sadness.
Regret.
Dejection.
More fear, more worry, more doubt still.
Ichiru was drowning in those negative emotions. They were all over him, making his usually relaxed posture impossibly rigid, his face stiff, his muscles tense, his aura suffocatingly dark and bitingly cold. The changes in his demeanor were quietly subtle, imperceptible almost, but they were there. Maria could see them now after looking hard enough.
The girl's frown deepened further. She honestly couldn't begin to understand what exactly Ichiru was thinking and why, what made him feel so painfully insecure about his current situation.
"...You know Zero-kun would never leave you," Maria said after a long pause.
Ichiru let out a bitter snort. "I wonder about that..." he replied with a sad, somewhat pained even, smile.
Maria could only blink at Ichiru, frowning with genuine puzzlement. She didn't say anything after that, and neither did Ichiru.
The girl stayed in the room for another while, then quietly got up and left. Ichiru never noticed her go, just like he didn't notice more time pass as he continued to stare indifferently out the window. It might have been mere minutes, might have been hours. Ichiru didn't know, neither did he care. He hardly even registered what was before him, until…
Lilac eyes blinked, widening as they focused on a familiar form that had appeared out of nowhere, attracting Ichiru's attention.
Zero.
He was outside now, standing in the snow watching the cherry blossom trees up close. Ichiru's first instinct was to run up to his twin, and he automatically got off the windowsill to do exactly that, but then he stopped, uncharacteristically hesitant all of a sudden. The moment of uncertainty didn't last for very long though, and, cursing softly under his breath, Ichiru quickly made his way outside after grabbing some outer garments for Zero and himself, reaching his counterpart's side in no time.
"Nii-san!" Ichiru called as he approached Zero with brisk strides while pulling a coat on. "What the hell do you think you're doing here dressed like that?" he demanded scoldingly with a disapproving frown, draping another coat he had brought over his brother's shoulders. "Honestly," he grumbled under his breath, pulling the coat closed, "what were you thinking...?" It wasn't a question Ichiru expected an answer to, but his twin gave him one anyway.
"I was curious," Zero said after a brief while of silence.
It was only then that Ichiru met Zero's eyes for the first time. Frowning anew, he asked, "About what?"
"About…" Zero trailed off, lowering his gaze in contemplation. After a short pause, he shrugged and resumed speaking, "I don't know. Whether it would still feel the same?" he finished uncertainly, looking up at his counterpart.
"'It' being...?"
Another shrug, followed by another answer that ended up sounding like a question instead. "Everything?"
It was met with a raised eyebrow. "And?"
"It's cold."
Ichiru gave a snort. "No kidding." He shook his head, his gaze lowering briefly. Chagrined amusement glinted in his eyes when he locked them with Zero's anew before asking, "Why did you think I kept wearing coats?"
"Force of habit?" Zero offered, eliciting an amused chuckle and another shake of the head from the younger twin.
"Now you know it wasn't."
Zero nodded, "Mm."
The two lapsed into silence — comfortable at first, increasingly disconcerting as time went by. At least so it felt to Ichiru. Uncharacteristically, he couldn't help feeling anxious under Zero's steady gaze. It was frustrating, to say the least.
"Um, we should get back inside," Ichiru suggested, averting his gaze as he took Zero's hand and pivoted around. "It's too cold to be outside in these." He gestured vaguely to their relatively flimsy — considering the weather — outfits before making towards the mansion, only to be stopped mid-step by a gentle tug on his hand.
Ichiru turned to Zero, their gazes locking once more. A few moments of silence passed, then Zero spoke.
"I want to go back," he said.
Ichiru involuntarily tensed. He tried not to show it, but he was scared. With bated breath, he waited for his twin to continue.
After an excruciatingly long moment, Zero did, "But I can't leave you here alone."
There was no way Zero could do it. He couldn't leave. He couldn't abandon Ichiru, he couldn't betray him like that. Never. Most certainly not while Ichiru still needed him by his side. Not while Zero himself still wasn't ready to be apart from his other half. It was simply unimaginable to him. There was just no way he could leave his twin behind.
Ichiru secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"I still want to see them," Zero continued. "I want to say goodbye. Properly."
"You will," Ichiru agreed hurriedly with a nod.
Amethyst eyes lit up with hope, Zero stepped closer to his other half. "Then-"
"When it's safe to go back there."
Zero's shoulders dropped. He frowned. "And when will it be?"
"…Just give it some time," Ichiru implored after a while. "Please."
Another bout of silence ensued as Zero contemplated Ichiru's words. Then, with a long sigh…
"…Okay," Zero surrendered. "I will wait. But once you're done with this…arrangement…" He squeezed Ichiru's hand. "We will go home together."
Ichiru squeezed Zero's hand back, his tense expression softened as a small, warm smile graced his lips.
"Mm," the younger of the two nodded, stepping closer to his counterpart and taking his other hand. "We will." He leaned forward and touched his forehead to Zero's. A deep sigh escaped him, his eyes slid shut and his shoulders drooped. He felt terribly tired all of a sudden, albeit in a somewhat nice way.
A whispered 'Thank you' was the last thing that left Ichiru's lips before a comfortable silence enveloped the two. They stayed that way for a bit longer, then slowly made their way inside the mansion.
-o-
"I guess that's about it," Takuma said as he turned to Kaname with a small smile. "We're all set to go."
Kaname nodded. "Good. Let me know when you get there. And feel free to contact me if you need my assistance with anything."
Takuma took a moment to regard his friend, his smile turned somewhat sympathetic as he asked, "Are you sure about this? Maybe it would be better if-"
"I'm sure," Kaname uncharacteristically interrupted the noble, not letting him finish. "I will stay here for a little longer."
"I see..." Takuma breathed a soft sigh. "I hope you will be able to find them soon then."
Kaname gave another nod.
"Yuuki-chaaaaan!" a loud cry sounded, immediately attracting the two vampires' attention to its overly dramatic source. Unsurprisingly, it was Cross. "My cute little daughter is leaving me too now! The world is so unfair!" the retired hunter wailed with crocodile tears rolling down his cheeks as he squeezed Yuuki in a bear hug.
"Uh, C-chairman, p-please calm down." Yuuki half-hugged her adopted father while trying to put some distance between them. Even a tiny bit would do. She was being suffocated there.
After a few unsuccessful attempts, the girl finally managed to get it right — or rather, Cross let her pull away a little. Looking up at the man with a warm, bittersweet smile, she continued, "We will see each other again soon. I promise."
Cross sniffed back more tears. "Of course we will!" he exclaimed, hugging Yuuki tighter. "I won't have it any other way!" And more wailing and hugs followed. Yuuki kept trying to calm the man down, but to no avail.
Takuma couldn't help chuckling, amused by the comical yet undeniably heartwarming scene before him. His merriment was forgotten after a few moments though, as his attention was drawn away from Cross and Yuuki by a slight movement on the edge of his vision.
Takuma's emerald eyes widened when he saw Kaname turn around to leave without seeing Yuuki off. He frowned. "Aren't you going to-?"
"I can't," Kaname interrupted his friend again. "Not yet." He looked over his shoulder, catching Yuuki's gaze for the first time. He let eye contact last for a couple of seconds before breaking it as he turned away and continued his way towards the Moon Dorms. "Take care of her, Takuma."
The noble's lips stretched further in a sad smile. "I will," he replied with a small bow, following Kaname's retreating back with his eyes until the pureblood's form disappeared from sight.
Not so far away from him, Yuuki was doing the same, watching sadly as her beloved brother and prince left her without so much as bidding her a proper goodbye. Her shoulders sagged, gaze lowered. She felt a prickle of uninvited tears behind her eyes. She fisted her hands and pressed her lips together, doing her best not to cry. She probably would have failed, had it not been for a comforting hand that was suddenly placed on her shoulder.
Giving a small start, Yuuki lifted her gaze, blinking up at a pair of kind, compassionate honey-colored eyes.
"Don't worry, Yuuki-chan, Kaname-kun will come around," Cross said with a warm, albeit a little sad, smile. "Just give it time. It will be okay."
Yuuki blinked again. It took the words a few long moments to sink in, and once they did, a small smile pulled the corners of the girl's lips upwards. "Thank you, Chairman," she said, her eyes bright with genuine gratitude. "For everything." She hugged her adopted father who was only too happy to reciprocate the gesture.
"Remember that you're always welcome here," Cross said after a while of comfortable silence, only then releasing Yuuki from his warm embrace. "You can visit whenever you want. And if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask. I will be happy to help."
Yuuki gave a nod, her smile widened, grateful and happy yet sad at the same time. It was a bittersweet change for her. She was reluctant to leave, but a part of her was still eager to see what awaited her in her new life now that her true identity had finally been restored. She only wished she wasn't the only one thinking that way. She wished Kaname could feel the same, but she knew it wasn't possible. At least not yet.
Taking a step backwards, Yuuki gave Cross a slight bow and thanked him once more, then graced him with one last smile, turned around and headed for a car waiting for her at the academy gates. Takuma followed suit, bidding the Chairman farewell with a smile and a nod.
Cross watched his dear adopted daughter leave, a sad smile never leaving his face. He remained by the gates for a few more minutes, then turned around to head home. He didn't make it far though, brought to a halt by a familiar voice of Kaito.
"We're supposed to hunt her down, not send her to the safety of her very own castle to live happily ever after, you know," the young hunter said accusingly, his arms folded over his chest as he leaned against a tree in a deceptively relaxed manner. "Yet here you are, setting a criminal free to do whatever the hell she pleases…"
Cross let out a heavy sigh. "Kaito-kun..."
Kaito fixed the former hunter with a sharp glare. "She committed a crime, Cross. She turned a human against their will. I don't care if she 'wasn't herself'. That's a bunch of crappy excuses." He unfolded his arms and pushed away from the tree, his hands clenched into fists at his sides, his his jaw tightened as he continued, "She fucking turned a human, and not just any human. It's Zero we're talking about, for fuck's sake!" His fists tightened. "We're supposed to take her into custody, but instead you're sending her off to live her merry life like nothing happened! Like she didn't do anything wrong!"
"You don't understand. She-"
"Oh, I understand," Kaito interrupted before Cross could finish. A mirthless smile stretched his lips. "Trust me, I do. You chose vampires over your own kind. You chose her over Zero, over both of them." His features twisted into a distasteful expression, he let out a bitter chuckle, adding spitefully after a short pause, "No wonder they left. You have no right to be their guardian." He knew his words had hurt Cross, he could see it. But he didn't care about the man's pain. He wanted it to hurt.
Unfortunately for Kaito, though, he had to stop at that. Courtesy of Yagari and his ever-perfect timing.
"Kaito, that's enough," the raven-haired man said gruffly as he approached the younger hunter.
Kaito shrugged. "It's the truth. And you think the same thing anyway. There is no way you don't."
"Kaito…" Yagari's one good eye narrowed warningly, his brows drew together in a scowl.
A long, stubborn silence followed as the two hunters locked in a staring contest. Unsurprisingly, Yagari won.
Kaito looked away, running a frustrated hand through his hair with an exasperated sigh. "Do whatever you want," he said after a while as he regarded his companions once more. "I'm outta here." Walking past the two, he left without sparing either of them another glance.
-o-
Kaname returned to his rooms in the Moon Dorms after sending his sister and inner circle away. He had decided it would be better for them to live in one of the Kuran Manors now that the academy was closed for an indefinite period of time and both vampire and hunter worlds were in turmoil. It was safer and no one would disturb them there. Kaname would have gone too — he knew he would after some time, but not yet, he wasn't quite ready just yet. He had to stay. Just in case. He wanted — needed — to stay and wait a little longer. And in the meantime...
"Are you sure this is the place?" Kaname asked as he looked up at Seiren after reading a report on her findings.
Seiren nodded. "Yes, Kaname-sama. With your permission, I will leave immediately to make contact with them."
"...No, I will go myself."
Seiren's eyes widened a fraction at the answer, but she quickly fixed her momentary slip and regained her usual impassive expression.
"Thank you, Seiren. You did well."
Seiren wanted to argue and offer her assistance, but she refrained from doing so, sensing her master's impatience to act, and only bowed deeply and excused herself instead.
Left alone, Kaname wasted no time turning into a huge flock of bats and leaving the premises of the academy in search of answers, which led him straight to the Kurenai residence.
The Kurenais were a small family of noble vampires that happened to be the only remaining relatives — albeit distant ones — of the Hiou clan. They were quiet and socially inactive, and preferred to keep to themselves. Maybe it was partially due to the fact that they weren't particularly powerful as a family of nobles. Maybe they had chosen their current lifestyle for the sake of their only daughter, Maria, who was said to be unusually sickly and fragile even for a common vampire, let alone one of her social standing. Maybe they simply preferred peace and quiet to endless scheming and power struggles of the true vampire world. Or maybe it was a bit of everything.
Kaname honestly didn't know, nor did he care much. Their views and reasons were irrelevant, and the Kurenais themselves were nothing more than a potential — and the only highly possible one — link to Shizuka in his eyes. He only hoped they would be useful and provide him with the information he needed willingly. Otherwise they would have to suffer the consequences of their disobedience. Kaname was in no mood to be lenient.
It didn't take the pureblood long to reach his destination.
The place he had arrived at was a pleasantly quiet and isolated one, surrounded by forest and mountains, away from humans and constant noise of their towns and cities — just the way pretty much every vampire preferred it.
Oddly enough, Kaname's presence didn't seem to come as a surprise to the Kurenai couple. They welcomed him to their house with polite graciousness, formal but not forced, restrained but genuine nonetheless. They made no attempt to lie or avoid answering his questions, too, and Kaname was genuinely taken aback by the lack of resistance. Curious, he asked the couple about the reason for their willing cooperation. The answer both baffled and perturbed him.
It was Shizuka. She had instructed them to tell him what he wanted know, whatever it may be.
Obviously, she was expecting him. Which certainly didn't sit well with Kaname. It could be a trap, it could be a diversion, it could turn out to be a wild goose chase, it could be many other dangerous things — it could be anything, really. However…
Kaname still chose to take that risk and meet the pureblood woman. So he set off without delay.
Unsurprisingly, the next location turned out to be another secluded mansion many hours away from the Kurenai residence and even farther away from the Cross Academy. It appeared to be abandoned — it certainly felt that way due to a distinct absence of presences of any kind.
Kaname wasn't convinced though. The place was too quiet and empty, so much so it almost felt unnatural to him.
It was that which chased all doubt away.
She was there.
Kaname wasted no time entering the building.
As expected, the mansion looked far from abandoned on the inside. It certainly wasn't permanently inhabited, if sheet-covered furniture was any indication, but it had been taken care of. Kaname guessed the servants tried to maintain its condition so that their only remaining master — or mistress in their case — could return at any time. He wondered absently if they knew she actually had.
After some while of careful exploration, Kaname finally found it — the room Shizuka was in. Its doors were wide open, and the woman herself was standing in the middle of the room facing them, facing him.
Kaname didn't hesitate to enter.
A smile slowly stretched Shizuka's lips as she broke the silence, "I didn't expect you so soon." She gave a small snort. "Then again, I suppose you must be rather desperate by now."
"Where is he?" Kaname cut to the chase.
"Not here. Surely you didn't think it would be so easy?"
He hadn't, certainly not. But a tiny, frustratingly pathetic and traitorous part of him still couldn't help but hope foolishly.
Kaname breathed a quiet sigh before asking his next question, the one the answer to which probably interested him the most at the moment. "Is he alright?"
"He was still asleep when I left. But I hear that yes," Shizuka nodded, "he is."
Another sigh left Kaname, this one of undeniable relief.
Shizuka let out a soft chuckle. "How fascinatingly ironic."
Kaname frowned. "What is?"
"How much you have grown to care for someone you once regarded as nothing more than another one of your potential easily disposable pawns…" Shizuka's smile widened somewhat smugly, her expression turned condescending. "Wouldn't you agree?"
Kaname's fingers curled into fists at his sides. "Don't refer to him as that."
"But it's the truth."
"It's not."
"Not anymore, you mean."
"It wasn't even then." Not completely, at least.
Shizuka snorted. "But of course it was," she disagreed. "I know it. You know it, even if you don't want to admit it, and now…he knows too…"
Kaname's heart skipped a beat, but he chose to ignore it and smother the apprehension he could feel begin to crawl over him. Frowning, he asked, "What?"
Shizuka's smile slowly morphed into a smirk. It deepened his unease, but Kaname made sure not to show it.
"Ichiru," Shizuka specified. "He knows what you did that night."
Kaname froze, his eyes widened in terrible comprehension. For one dreadfully long moment, everything stilled.
"...He knows how I broke free."
-o-
"What the hell was that?" Ichiru asked after pulling away from Shizuka and wiping his mouth absently, his dazed eyes wide with confused disbelief and eyebrows furrowed in a frown.
"My memories," came Shizuka's simple reply.
Ichiru looked up at the pureblood. "Memories…?"
"Yes," Shizuka nodded. She came up to a window, her gaze turned distant. "Of everything."
"Was that what you wanted to show me?"
Another nod. "Yes."
Ichiru's frown deepened. "Why?"
"Because I cannot have you accept my proposition without knowing the whole truth."
Ichiru snorted. "How very considerate of you," he remarked sarcastically.
Shizuka smiled faintly, snorting quietly. "It certainly is."
A long moment of silence passed.
Then Ichiru asked, more seriously now, "How can I even be sure they are real?"
"Blood doesn't lie. You will learn to see it soon enough."
Another while of silence, a longer and more strained one this time.
"…Was that-…" Ichiru started, but halted, trailing off. It took him a few moments to resume. "Was that really how you got out?"
Shizuka looked at the silver-haired teen over her shoulder, her smile grew. "Blood doesn't lie," she repeated, keeping her gaze locked with Ichiru's for a few seconds longer before turning to the window anew.
Not a word was spoken after that.
Ichiru stayed a while, pondering over a particular bit of information he had been given. Then, shaking his head with a sigh, he chose to let the matter rest for the time being and left the room to return to his twin's side.