Silver Night
By: A Really Big Idiot
100 Years Ago
The Day after the Wedding
Her ex-hunter father, her silent brother, her weary friends, and two highly agitated vampire hunters were at Zero's apartment.
"There are obvious signs of a massive struggle." Kaien Cross seriously said, for once back to his old hunter persona. "It seems like he was viciously attacked at his car. I'll say maybe 8 to 10 Level C Vampire Men."
The mix group of purebloods, nobles, hunters, and humans looked at Cross limply. Yuki was stringently holding a small tattered piece of Zero's white wedding suit.
"WHY DIDN'T HE HAVE HIS WEAPON ON HIM?" Toga loudly hissed. He had searched through Zero's bedroom apartment and found something he had not wanted to see. That foolish boy! That thing, of all things, shouldn't have been there! It should have been in Zero's hand when … Toga held Zero's beloved weapon – The Bloody Rose – in a tight bloodless grip. "Zero could have taken twenty Level C vampires on his own if he had it!" Toga's single blue eye blazed with unchecked wrath.
"Calm down, Toga." Cross snapped. "Yelling and anger isn't going to solve this!"
"Damn cowardly vampire beasts!" Toga was beside himself. "There probably is a noble or two behind this. That's the only explanation!"
The vampires present didn't too much mind Toga's general racial insult. They knew how serious the situation was that petty things like vampire pride and ego wasn't needed right now.
"We will find him." Yuki said desperately but resolutely. "I will find him." She promised more to herself and her missing true love then for the people in the room.
A Week Later
She didn't sleep for the past few days. Her eyes were dry and weary. Her body was tired, but she would not sleep. Why sleep when during that time, she could possibly get another important clue as to Zero's whereabouts? She didn't need sleep. Sleep would just waste precious valuable time.
And time is so important right now! Zero was the one who didn't have it. Once Yuki found him and he was healed and okay, then she could sleep for however long she wanted beside him. So, sleep could wait. Sleep wasn't important.
I have to find him. Yuki desperately thought to herself. She stepped outside into the moonless night again.
Week Four, Day 6
Yuki looked over her body. She could now see her ribcage. She had always been slightly on the thin side, and she always hated that. Being so skinny wasn't very feminine or girly or womanly. Women were supposed to have breast and curves, and she was a walking cardboard box. Or so Zero would have maybe said if he could see her right now.
She should eat something. Her stomach was crying with hunger pangs.
She ignored her belly.
Eating wasn't the most important thing she had to do now.
And eating was a hard thing to do. Eating took a lot of time. First, you had to go into the store and buy the ingredients. Next, you had to cut up each food item. Third, you had to wait as the meal was cooked. And last, you had to sit down and actually eat it. A meal could take anywhere from thirty minutes to three hours for preparation, cooking, and eating time. That was a lot of time wasted. She couldn't waste time with something like that now.
Yuki would just cover her body with thicker clothes, so her friends and family members wouldn't notice her malnourish state. She needed to go back out and start her search again.
He always found me, so now it's my turn to find him. Yuki thought to herself as she put on her thick black coat and stepped into the cold outside world for a sixth time that day.
Month Three, Week 3, Day 5
Today, a suspicious man approached her with a possible key clue as to her Zero's whereabouts. His name was Kenichi Daisuki and Yuki had an unsettled feeling about him.
He told her to come alone and inform no one of him contacting her. Yuki had thrown all logical caution to the wind and agreed to it. It had been too long since she found such an important clue and clues for Zero's location was getting even more spare than they had to started with. Its been months since Zero was last seen. So, she met with the odd man.
Why would Yuki do something so stupid and reckless like that? Simple, because this strange and face-scarred man had presented her with one bloody button of Zero's white wedding tuxedo. She would know that button anywhere. Their wedding planner arranged for Yuki's and Zero's wedding outfits to be the only ones in the entire world. That button was one of the missing buttons from Zero's ripped apart tuxedo.
However, he wouldn't give her any more information without her giving him something in exchange.
"I want some of your pure vampire blood." The half-scarred man slyly suggested. His bloody eye was gloating at her naked desperation.
Yuki wanted to rip the man into bits at such a suggestion. But if it would help her find Zero she would do anything.
She agreed to the trade.
Kenichi smiled at her and gave her the clue she needed. "I found that button in a cave during my hikes in the Aokigahara." Yuki stared at him silently as he hurriedly left her presence.
The Aokigahara? Yuki thought in complete astonishment. What in the world? How could Zero have gotten so far? When did he get there of all places? And why was he there in the first place?
That place was a very popular place for suicides.
Month Four, Week One, Day 3
The Aokigahara, also known as the Sea of Trees, was a 14-mile forest that lies at the northwest base of Mount Fuji in Japan. The density of the trees and the absence of wildlife made the forest exceptionally quiet.
They had all come here and searched. The hunters, Cross, Yagari, and Takamiya, took the east side of the forest. Kain, Aido, and Ichijo took the west side of the forest. Senri, Seiren, Rima, and Ruka took the south side of the forest.
Kaname and Yuki took the north side of the forest. They were in the caves.
And she found the room.
His old and dried blood was everywhere in it. It stained the icy-cold cave walls like a morbid paint job. Numerous knives covered with rusted blood were left everywhere. Bloody chains, broken whips, and ripped apart wood pieces were scattered on the floor. A large metal cage was broken and bend at weird angles.
This can't be! Yuki thought. No. No. No.
So much blood. Too much blood. Such a massive amount of blood lost...
Zero couldn't have been trapped in such an evil place. He couldn't have. He couldn't -
But the room had his unique scent of sandalwood.
Impossible…
There were bloody bits of his torn wedding clothes and odd-placed silk pieces.
It couldn't be…
And his silver-gold earrings. Her engagement gift to him. She had spent so much time looking for the perfect gift for him.
Shock overtook her.
Her pale sickly skin was cool and clammy. It was quickly turning into a pale gray color. She started to hyperventilate, and her pulse started to pump rapidly but weakly. Waves of intense nausea overtook her body, and she fell upon her knees. Green bile, the single saltine cracker she ate, and blood burned her throat as vomit raced out of her mouth.
"YUKI!" Kaname held her, but he sounded so far away. "What is wrong?" He panicked.
She couldn't understand what he was asking her.
No. No. No. No. No
Her mind was twisting, spiraling, bending. There was madness all around her. Her dark-brown eyes had a lack luster glow, and her black pupils dilated to an unnatural degree.
No. No. No. No. No.
Her stomach twisted. The pain of her sudden onset of pelvic cramps shot up her spinal cord. A persistent dull ache in her lower back vibrated throughout her body. She vomited her bitter madness some more.
A cold weakness trembled through her limbs and raced through her mind.
No. No. No.
Zero couldn't be –
"YUKI!"
No. No. No.
Heavy bright-red blood poured down her bruised thighs and legs, and the bleeding wouldn't stop.
"YUKI!"
Time seemed to stop. Every sound seemed so far, far away. She could only see blackness. Pure blackness. She couldn't see anything but blackness.
And silver and purple and white and blackness and -
She was falling.
Distantly Yuki thought, Perhaps I can find him in death.
Yuki went comatose.
Chapter Thirty-Six: Uncover
Present
Rima would be arriving soon.
Queen Yuki Kuran closed her dark-brown eyes.
Today was the day she would finally reveal to Rima why she was divorcing Kaname.
Yuki's ability to break memory spells on herself and those she interacted with had grown more powerful over the long years. She could interfere with memory blocking spells through touch and blood. So when she had drunk her soon-to-be ex-husband's blood to heal herself one year ago, she had naturally removed the block memories inside her husband's mind. She had done it without really thinking about it, and Kaname had been very distracted by the events of her attempted assassination.
But those blocked memories were not done by an outside force. Kaname blocked those memories himself. She hadn't known he could do such a thing, but when she relived his blocked memories in her healing sleep – she knew why he hadn't informed her of this ability of his.
She saw him plotting Zero's murder. She saw all his dark thoughts and intentions against Zero. She saw Zero's 'Don't be sad' sympathy speech to him. She had seen Zero's intentional care and trusting clear amethyst eyes land on Kaname when they got ready together for his wedding.
"I doubt anything will happen Kuran." Zero wirily intoned. "After all, you'll be there." Zero friendly patted Kamane's right shoulder as he walked toward the exit."This is the only time you will ever hear me compliment your power, Kuran." Zero gave Kaname an ironic but gentle smile. "You're a powerful and scary guy, but at least you are on my side, eh?"
Kaname had felt a sudden wave of shocked guilt, but before he could have pondered the feeling further ...Kiryu was out the door.
Yuki saw the men who murdered Zero surround him at his small car.
Zero fought like a wild white tiger.
His wedding suit was torn and bloody and was barely hanging onto his wounded body. Zero had broken his right hand, and his left arm and leg was throbbing.
Zero was desperate. He was bleeding. He was in intense pain.
Kaname thought that perhaps he could stop this. He could stop it but if he did, then he would end up -
Zero looked at him suddenly. The men attacking him for a brief moment were completely forgotten. Clear purple eyes met unsure dark-brown orbs. Zero reached toward him with a bloody hand. "Help me, Kaname."
He could stop it, but if he did, then Kaname would end up alone.
So, no. He wouldn't stop this.
Kaname took a revolted step back. "And allow you to have my happiness? Never." He ruthlessly said.
She saw Zero's face at that moment.
Zero's gentle heart was torn to shreds at that moment. The shocked realization. The sudden understanding. The pain of such a willful betrayal. His watering questioning eyes were full of a thousand questions. Why? I trusted you, Kaname. Why? I believed in you, Kaname. Why? I started to care for you, Kaname.
Why Kaname?
And Kaname did not want to answer. He would never answer for what he chose to do.
She watched as the men finally knocked Zero unconscious and drag him away. She saw as Kaname paid Kenichi for his services. She watched as Kaname jumped into his car and drive to her location.
She watched as Kaname looked at an excited and overjoyed younger version of herself and told her that Zero said he was on his way to there.
Kaname's memory of everything chilled her to her soul. Zero actually trusted Kaname. Even when he was fighting those men, he had asked him for his help. Still trusting. Still hoping. Still giving Kaname that one last chance to redeem himself. But Kaname had just cruelly refused and had simply watched as they took him away to be murdered. And then he had the sheer unprincipled impudence to lie to a stupidly trusting young Yuki and say that Zero was on his way.
If Yuki's deep-black hate against her husband were unleashed - it could burn the entire world into ashes. But she couldn't unleash it. Unleashing it wouldn't bring Zero back, and she was not going to go insane again. If only for his sake.
But Yuki was going to take away everything she could from Kaname. She would destroy his reputation and name. She was going to rip his kingdom apart. She was going to take away as much of his beloved dark power as she possibly could.
Kaname was going to suffer for what he did. The rest of his entire life would be one of pure suffering.
Just like Zero's last few moments in this cruel and unfair world was undoubtedly full of suffering.
Yuki had decided that she would be Zero's hammer of justice from the grave.
Kaname will suffer. Yuki promised to herself.
This promise she would keep.
Haruka felt like a clueless fool.
A really big clueless fool.
Silver Night was not a nice and cool guy.
The stories of Silver Night's past that Haruka had now learned were beyond belief.
Isamu and Genji had shown him a few websites that contained all of Silver Night's past escapades, masters, and events. These websites were something like a fan site for an infamous celebrity and had launched great topics of discussion throughout the online vampire world.
Haruka had spent the entire day and night reading story, after story, after story of Silver Night's past.
Story #1: One son murdered his own father to claim him.
Story #2: Another story involved a wife poisoning her long-time husband in order to get Silver to embrace her.
Story #3: A mother killed her daughter to get Silver herself.
Story #4: A top business leader bargained with his rival - one night with Silver for a fair merger agreement. Both companies were destroyed during the process.
There were so many different stories. So many different, scary, and strange stories of the past of Silver Night.
Haruka did not want to believe any of it.
It couldn't be true. It couldn't be!
However, Haraka had learned one thing - the majority of the people who talked about Silver Night didn't even know what he truly looked liked. The physical description of Silver was off some of the time and complete wrong at other times.
Some said he had short black hair. Others said he wore glasses and had pure silver eyes. Still others said he was had a tan complexion.
If they could be so wrong about how he looked, couldn't they be wrong about Silver himself?
Haruka actually met Silver. He was nice to him and his sister. He played with him. He had complimented him. And he defended him from such a scary person like his father.
How could that person be this…this dangerous incubus and destroyer of lives and hearts and families in these online stories he read?
Haruka was confused.
And hurt.
Perhaps Silver wasn't the reason his parents were feuding and now divorcing, but something told Haraka that Silver's presence in his family would further destroy it.
Therefore, while Haruka was confused and hurt, there was one emotion he felt the most at this moment.
Haruka felt highly betrayed.
By what exactly, he didn't know.
Rima wondered if she heard Yuki correctly.
"Are you telling me that Kaname is the one responsible for Zero Kiryu's, your late fiancé's, death?" Ms. Bitch Lawyer Mastermind asked in shocked horror.
"Yes." Yuki looked at her deeply.
She finally revealed it.
Yuki had finally revealed her darkest pain and hurt and sadness to someone she could completely trust now.
She had held it in for such a long time - one year of being the only one who knew the truth.
The feeling was somewhat freeing.
Yuki looked at her dear friend softly. Rima's mouth was opened, but she didn't utter another sound. "I saw Kaname's hidden memories of his past plot when I took his blood to heal myself after that assassination."
Rima felt like her heart had been torn out of her. She couldn't move where she sat. She just couldn't move.
It was two days after the Inner Council meeting. When Senri arrived, they were all able to get down to busy. However, Rima knew that the Inner Council itself was splitting apart.
On the Queen's side, were Rima and Senri. However, Rima suspected that Seiren was also on the queen's side, but since the woman made no obvious declaration, Rima didn't want to bet on it.
On the King's side, were a sad-faced Takuma and drunken-but-sobering Hanabusa.
Akatsuki's position in this conflict was obviously neutral. (Like always.)
But surprisingly, Ruka was torn between the two.
Even so, Rima was able to suggest Queen Biashara Bimnono as the neutral moderating judge. Takuma had stared at her for a few disbelieving seconds but then agreed that she was a good choice. They then agreed that they would work together to convince the African Isolationist to agree to be Yuki's and Kaname's moderating judge. Rima had been amazed that Takuma had so readily agreed with her. But then again, Takuma had always been a go-lucky person.
Surprisingly, Senri had then asked if his station, VNN, could be the hosts of Yuki's and Kaname's divorce proceedings, and unexpectedly, Takuma had also agreed to that! Rima was a bit floored at that as well. After all, both she and Takuma knew that Senri had no great love for Kaname. And as a leader in media, Senri would have a key influence with the public perception of the divorce. However, Takuma allowed Senri's station to be the televised host of this entire affair.
Very strange.
However, Takuma's reasoning for it was most surprising.
In the event that Yuki and Kaname decided to get back together, it would be easier to clean this mess up with the least number of people involved in this.
Rima wanted to snort at that – Takuma really didn't know how passionate Yuki was about it. That annoying optimistic outlook of his isn't dead yet it seems.
Two days after the meeting, Rima was feeling very good about herself. Well, as good as one could be when they know they were about to fight against a man who could crush her as much as look at her. By darkness, Rima would make sure that Yuki won this. She really didn't want to face Kaname's spiteful wrath if she lost.
Nevertheless, she came to Yuki today because today was the day that Yuki would reveal her true reason for all this. Rima had been so excited to learn the secret, but when she had, Rima was shocked into silence.
Rima breathlessly stared at her sad red-eyed queenly friend.
All her dark thoughts about what happen to the lost hunter was true?
Kaname killed Zero Kiryu.
Kaname had actually been the one behind Zero Kiryu's murder.
When she had first met the hunter at Cross Academy all those years ago, she had been somewhat indifferent to him. Kiryu was just a rude if a somewhat entertaining human teen to her back then, but when Yuki and Zero had finally gotten together – she had really envied them. They were the perfect young couple. Yuki was warm-hearted and bright. Zero was cool-headed and gentle. They were so funny when they interacted with each other, and she had secretly wished that she and Senri had been like them. She was so jealous of them back then.
Zero and Yuki – they just clicked so well.
Rima felt a deep pane of intense hurt and horrendous empathy for the woman in front of her. She suddenly understood why Yuki was going through with this. Everything suddenly made so much sense – so much pitying, horrifying, and terrifying sense.
Yuki had unknowingly married and supported the man who arranged the murder of her true love that caused her to lose their baby which had driven her insane for five years.
Rima, for another moment in her life, was lost for words.
The lies. The sheer deception and falsehood of it! The pure evil and the unheard of level of such egoism. The hurt. The pain at such a realization...
By all that is dark, Rima was going to rip that bastard to shreds in court.
To be Continued