6
"You could always help her, you know," Rei quietly informed Zero, not even looking up from her book.
"Shut up," he sighed.
Rei finally looked up from her book on foxes. He was sitting on the ground by the stables, she could hear Lily shuffling inside. The horse that only liked Zero was worried about him, and she was happy someone else was. He was paler than usual, and she knew why. A loud cheer came from the crowd of females and she outwardly cringed. Oh, she was quite glad that female vampires had to deal with creeps instead of loud squealing. She paused for a few seconds; she shouldn't really think that. Thinking such things was going to get her into trouble. She got up from her feet and moved to help Yuki out with the crowd of girls. She brought a while out of her skirt pocket and blew on it, the shrill sound making several of them flinch.
"Line up already," she sighed, and Yuki made a face as the girls did as she asked.
It was weird how Rei could control the crowds, she'd think she would've taken a page out of Zero's book, but she was too nice for that. Yuki brushed off the dust and dirt from her skirt and slowly got up as the gates opened. The night class was already heading out so they could go to their classes for the night. Rei stood to the side and watched as the noble vampires walked through the gates, her eyes narrowed slightly before she carefully relaxed her expression. She got slight bows of respect out of them, her status of a pureblood making them do so. The only one that seemed highly upset that they had to do so, was Hanabusa Aido. It amused her. He was such a brat that it was incredibly humorous.
"Hio-Sama," a different blonde vampire greeted, a pleasant smile on his face.
"Ichijo-San, have a nice night," she quietly greeted back, a graceful nod of her head following her words.
Her nose twitched at the tainted smell of Kaname Kuran. The other progenitor's scent bothered her greatly. She gave him a polite nod in greeting before turning to look back at Zero. The white-haired boy was glowering at the vampires and the human girls. Rei sighed. She missed the boy who was surly but still kind. That boy had been lost to her for years now. Her body tensed as Kaname moved to help a fallen Yuki. She felt protective over the vampire turned human. Yuki was a lot like a little sister, a bit dim but sweet. She would protect her from Kaname. He wanted to continue a cycle that needed to stop. Zero stopped him and she let out a soft sound of relief.
"Rei," Kaname said, his greeting small.
"Kaname," Rei greeted back. "Please remind Aido that his behaviour is close to breaking several regulations during the change over."
"It's nice to see that hasn't changed," Kaname commented, his tone light.
Rei shook her head and went to take her spot next to Yuki. Slightly scaring the brunette at her sudden appearance. She watched as Yuki sent a forlorn glance at Kaname.
"I don't care if you like him, but you do understand, don't you?" Zero commented to Yuki.
"Shut up I know," Yuki huffed, a sad expression appearing on her face. "They are different from us."
"I'll try not to be insulted," Rei softly said, and Yuki panicked slightly.
"I didn't mean you, Onee-san," Yuki scrambled about, apologizing to her older sister.
A hand gently patting her head calmed her down, well before that hand was snatched by Zero. The bruising grip that he held Rei's wrist in was a reminder that he didn't trust her either. She ignored the small zaps of electricity that came from his grip. It had been happening more often as she got older. Her hand was thrown back and she put them both behind her back. He spun around on his heel and shot his death glare at the crowd of girls.
"Go back to your dorm!" He ordered and they all scrambled to get away from him. "You all make such a fuss with your damn yelling!"
"I think he's going to argue with papa again," Rei softly sighed. "Nice to see things will never change."
"How can you tell?" Yuki asked as she slammed a fist into Zero's side.
"What did I do?!" Zero snapped at Yuki, rubbing his side.
"Let's go we have to report in," Yuki simply answered.
Rei tucked her book under her arm and calmly walked with them to Kaien's office. She smiled at the sight of her father behind his desk, his half green poncho draped around his shoulders. His amber eyes lit up at the sight of them and a smile made its way to his face. It vanished slightly when Zero loomed over him with a glare.
"Explain something to me," Zero calmly stated before his voice raised in anger. "Are we supposed to guard the school or act as bodyguards to the night class?!"
"You have such a hard time evening after evening," Kaien said, holding out a cup of tea to his eldest daughter.
"If you understand then why don't you add more people to the disciplinary committee?!" Zero questioned before hiking a thumb over his shoulder at the two girls. "All I have is Yuki and Rei and they're useless."
"Rude," Rei huffed taking a sip out of her tea and pausing at the taste. "Tomato mint tea? Not the strangest tea you've served before."
"I don't want to hear anything from the guy who is always late!" Yuki snapped at Zero.
"That's not possible," Kaien informed them. "Guardians are crucial so that the two classes can co-exist. I can only allow you three to do the job. I suppose there are a lot of chores involved with the job, and the hours are long… people also start to dislike you."
"Papa," Rei sighed as she saw Zero's mounting anger.
"But I let my adorable children do the job, so I don't have to grieve over it!" Kaien informed them, his cheerful smile sending Zero over the edge.
"While it's true you've taken care of me, I don't remember becoming your adopted son!" Zero stated, bringing his hand down on the table and splitting it in two.
"You're too concerned with the details," Kaien commented, giving Zero a sad look.
"Yuki, you're actually his daughter so say something," Zero stated.
"I don't mind, I think the night class is getting along well with the day class," Yuki stated with a kind smile.
"That's mainly because of Kaname and I," Rei apologetically stated, a sad smile on her face. "They won't do anything to incur the anger of a pureblood, but it's nice to see them behaving."
"I'm glad that you understand my pacifism Yuki," Kaien stated, reaching for his smallest daughter.
"I'm glad that I'm not seen as pacifistic," Rei softly said before shaking her head. "I'm heading out on patrol."
Momo jumped off Kaien's desk and followed behind her mistress. Zero quickly left as Kaien continued his spiel. He somehow caught up to the pureblood vampire and sent her a scathing look. Everything about her made him sick. Still, she had useful information.
"Mistress," Momo called, and Zero looked down hearing nothing but animalistic noises. "I believe there are a few stragglers out tonight."
"Thank you, Momo," Rei thanked her familiar.
"I still think you can't understand her," Zero commented and she blinked in surprise.
That was the most normal thing he'd said to her in years. She stood up straight and peered at him from under her long lashes. He was glowering in front of them, and she looked back down at Momo. Right, they had stragglers out and about. She began to walk past Zero, he watched her movements. He narrowed his eyes. The older they got, the more she looked like her elder sister.
"You two, return to class," he heard her order a pair of vampires. "You are both aware that you are to remain in class while it is in session."
One of the vampires gave a bow before hurrying back into class and the other simply tilted their head. Her pink eyes slowly flashed red, and they quickly headed to class. She let out a soft sigh before looking up towards the sky. Her pink eyes distant.
"Have a good patrol, Zero," she softly said.
Rei left and he watched as she made a tree bloom before she left. The ginkgo leafs fell to the ground as it quickly died off. Her abilities didn't make sense to him. Momo looked up at her mistress and noted the strange expression on her face. Something was bothering her.
"It's been quiet on the front," Rei quietly informed her. "I need you to gather information on the outside."
"Of course, mistress," Momo said, quickly scuttling away.
Rei knew that the information she needed was going to be integral to what she did next. She didn't have a gift of foresight, but she could do her best to learn what was going on behind the scenes. Kaien didn't want her near the politics, the man was smart enough to figure out just which progenitor she was. He knew that she'd done enough to last several lifetimes. A light breeze went through the area and her hair was caught by it. The bells let out some happy chimes and she smiled softly. At least the weather was nice.
Rei looked at her notebook as Zero slumbered next to her. The teachers had assigned seats in all the classes and somehow, she ended up next to him. Her father had to have something to do with it. She wouldn't doubt it. Zero let out a soft snore and she placed her pen down before gently shaking his shoulder. He snapped awake and slapped her hand away. His glare was bleary, showing his exhaustion.
"I thought you'd like a change from constant supplementary classes," Rei stated, picking her pen up and returning to her note taking.
The girls in the seats near them began to whisper amongst themselves. Rei ignored them while Zero turned his glare towards them. It wasn't his fault that Rei wasn't in the correct uniform. How she was able to add the night class undershirt to the day classes uniform he didn't know. The long skirt also brought attention to her. That and the bells.
"Onee-Chan don't leave me alone in supplementary class," Yuki pleaded, turning to face her sister as the class ended.
"Sorry, I have a meeting with papa," Rei apologised. "Don't worry, time'll go fast you'll see."
She needed to pick up new blood tablets. Zero still had his, but she wasn't about to ask him for a couple. He needed them more. She grabbed her school bag and pulled it over her shoulder. A few of the male students watched her figure and she felt shivers go down her spine. She hated the vampiric nature that caused people to be entranced by them.
Kaien was sitting at his desk and drinking tea when she walked in. Her perked up at the sight of his daughter and she took a careful seat across from him. He enjoyed it when his children paid him visits. He placed her new blood tablet container on the table, and she picked up the small box with a tiny smile. She was looking forward to their rare teatime.
"Everyone is behaving as usual," she softly informed her father. "I've sent Momo out to find information on Shizuka. I want to ask her why."
"You want to ask as the new head of the family," Kaien caught on.
"As a reborn progenitor I have to," she softly admitted. "My family isn't upholding our values, that's why I was reborn into the line…Kaname is a different story."
"What will you do?" he asked placing a glass of water before her.
"I don't know," she said, and he watched as she blankly gazed at the water. "I…I never thought that my family would do such a thing."
Kaien knew that everyone wanted to believe the best of their loved ones, but sometimes it was impossible to do so. She picked one of the blood tablets out of her container and placed it in the water, letting it dissolve. He started to fix some of his paperwork as she drank the supplement. She finished just as he placed the last piece of paper down. He sat back in his chair and took in a deep breath.
"Can you please save my plant?" he asked, and her eyes widened slightly.
"How did it get to this point?" she questioned looking at the dying plant.
He gave a light laugh in response. She simply sighed and placed her hands on the wilted leafs. Her gaze sharpened as she slowly brought life back into the plant. It began to turn a lively green and the leafs perked up. She removed her hands when it was back to how it should be. She sat up straighter when the door opened. Right, she needed to start her patrol. If she didn't then Yuki would get upset at her. She got up from the chair and moved around her father's desk to give him a hug. He made a happy sound before she left via window. He hummed to himself as he wondered where his children picked that habit up from. Rei landed with ease, the heels of her boots clicked as they hit the pavement.
The smell of blood went through the air and Rei tensed. That was Yuki's blood. She hurried towards the source, she wasn't going to be lenient with the nobles. Not if they hurt Yuki. She got there just as an anti-vampire weapon went off. The tree next to her suffered the attack. In front of it was one of the nobles.
"Akatsuki Kain…mind explaining what's going on?" her quiet question caused the taller vampire to stand up straighter.
"Hio-Sama," Kain stated, the strain in his voice obvious.
"You didn't stop him, therefore you are complacent in his actions," she informed him, closing her eyes with a soft sigh. "Isn't that right, Kaname?"
"That is correct," Kaname agreed and Yuki lit up at the sight of him. "Would you put away that bloody rose of yours, it is a great threat to us."
"Kaname-Sama," Aido muttered, wincing outwardly as Kaname grabbed onto the back of his uniform.
"I will take care of this fool and wait for the headmasters instructions," Kaname informed the disciplinary committee. "Is that acceptable, Kiryu?"
"Take him away, kuran," Zero stated, holstering the bloody rose.
"Their memories will be erased, a leak like this could cause issues," Rei stated, kneeling next to the two day class students.
Her pink eyes settled on Aido and he let out a very soft yelp. She didn't agree with her father on the school, but she would help him. She cared about his beliefs and dreams. What Kaien didn't know was that she had tried to do something similar, they had been rebuilding after the war that nearly destroyed everything. The humans hadn't taken kindly to their newly turned brethren, and that caused war to break out once again. A part of her could still see the mountains of paper work she'd done to try and make laws for their people to follow. A majority of them were still in use. Kaname left with the two nobles in tow, he met her eyes and inclined his head just the slightest. He knew where her anger came from, and he was amused by it.
Water fell on the floor as Rei took a shower. Their nightly patrol was over, and she was using the showers in her room. She didn't live with the day class, nor the night class. She stayed with her father, a part of her not wanting to be parted from him. She pushed her long hair back and gave it a thoughtful look. She was starting to look more like Shizuka. It was off putting, and she knew that it came from the lack of varied genetics in pureblood lines. She pulled herself from her thoughts and turned the water off. She exited her bathroom, a towel wrapped around her. She looked at her calendar as she got ready for bed.
Ah, St. Xocolatl's day was coming up. A snort passed her lips. Of course, they couldn't get rid of Valentine's Day. It was too engrained in humans. She wished that St. Patrick's was still a thing, but that had been lost to time. Much like her claymore. She had no idea where it was, but she could still feel it. It was still whole. She needed to find it. A weapon was going to be required in the future. She was sure of that. Especially with Kaname involved.