7
Zero and Rei shared identical looks of displeasure at the sight of crowds at the night classes gate. Class was in session, yet so many people were outside. She brought a hand up and rubbed at the back of her neck in annoyance. She couldn't believe these girls. Was it so important to give their chocolates to the night class that they'd risk expulsion? She stopped rubbing her neck. That was a stupid question, of course they would.
"This is why I only have three people I'm giving gifts to," she grumbled before watching Yuki scale a wall.
Zero raised a brow at that. He had never really gotten anything from her besides a common friendship card. If she made chocolates, it'd be the first time she ever did. It was weird. She put her hands into her skirt pockets and watched as a whistle was blown. Yuki was concerned that so many students were waiting, and it was still early morning. They'd have to talk to Kaien about this whole holiday.
"Everyone should be in class right now!" Yuki shouted at the crowd. "Please return to your classrooms!"
"She's going to fall," Rei softy said.
Zero looked at where her gaze was and moved to intercept the teenagers that were trying to scale the wall. Rei watched as the girl with twin braids and glasses was caught by him. She felt her cheeks turn pink in unison with a couple of the other day class girls. Rei quickly fought to regain her composure, but the surprise on Yuki's face let her know that she had been seen. Zero placed the girl on her feet before levelling a glare towards the crowd.
"If you all continue to make such a fuss then this event may be cancelled indefinitely," Zero threatened.
"You're too mean, Kiryu!" a girl yelled at him as her friend began to drag her away.
"You don't have to say something that makes you the enemy of all the girls on St. Xocolatl's day," Yuki informed him. "You won't even get friendship chocolate."
"I have to agree with him on this one, with how Aido's been misbehaving perhaps it is best to cancel the holiday for this year," Rei stated, closing her eyes when Yuki shot her a betrayed look.
She never understood the need for such commercialised holidays anyway. She knew that an argument between Zero and Kaien was on the horizon, and she let out a soft sigh. She couldn't wait for that eventuality. It seemed that Zero was taking his frustrations out on everyone the longer he devolved. He wouldn't listen to her if she informed him that she'd help him stabilize until she could find the location of her older sister. He needed Shizuka's blood if he were to return to a level C vampire. Still, he wouldn't accept her help at all, not without stipulations.
"This holiday is dangerous because one wrong move could bring about the night classes true nature," Rei informed Yuki opening her eyes after collecting her thoughts. "Like I said, Zero might be right in wanting the holiday cancelled."
She spun on her heel before anything else could be said and started her walk to the headmaster's office to give in their report and learn what they needed to do for the night. He might be lenient in his tasks because of the upcoming holiday. The second he caught wind that she planned on making chocolates, the second she noted that the kitchen was stocked with the right ingredients. She was going to have to up her chocolate game, there were expectations now.
"Today is St. Xocolatl's day, the whole school is very excited about it," Kaien informed them, and Rei wondered why he was wearing a heavy coat with a hat. "Something may happen that will reveal the night class's secret. Please be on your guard more than usual."
"Yes, Headmaster!" Yuki chirped.
"You could just cancel the event," Zero sighed, and Rei looked to the side in agreement.
"If I do that then there will be a riot," Kaien countered. "It's an event to let off some steam. It's so wild because our vampire boys are all so beautiful and excellent. Well, if they're our allies then they're a great resource to us."
"Don't flatter them in front of me," Yuki translated as Zero deeply glared at the headmaster. "That what Zero is thinking."
"Humans and Vampires have been enemies for a long time, since Vampires came to be," Rei quietly stated, getting everyone's attention. "While I agree that it is a nice thought that both species could co-exist, I don't know how well it's going to work. The instinct of a vampire can and will kick in, especially when they are younger."
"They are beasts in human form, who drink human blood," Kaien stated. "That is what Zero thinks."
Yuki floundered slightly. Her eyes moving side to side as she looked at everyone in the room. From her father's serious expression, Zero's angered glare, and Rei's sad look. She quickly searched her pockets. She had to do something to ease the tension amongst the three. She plucked out the gifts she had made the night before. She quickly clambered onto their father's desk and presented him a small wrapped gift.
"Here Father, I have a St. Xocolatl's gift for you," Yuki stated. "And the usual for you as well, Zero."
"Ooohhh, it's twenty tickets for Yuki's shoulder massage!" Kaien happily exclaimed looking at the gift from his daughter.
"Good for one errand," Zero read his slip of paper before shooting the brunette a dubious look. "You've been giving us the same gifts since grade school."
Rei accepted her gift from Yuki with a fond smile and a gentle pat on the head. Even if it was the same, it was still appreciated. The ribbon would find use in her hair. She changed the colours constantly. She just liked lavenders, and a part of her had an inkling that Yuki knew why.
"Shut up," Yuki huffed.
"I need to make the chocolates," Rei stated with an apologetic smile. "And help set up the gates for change tonight. Please, let me know what the homework is."
She had her hands together in prayer and Yuki gave a nod. Kaien and Rei both knew that Zero would, even if he disliked her. It was a silent agreement between the three to give each other the homework if they ever had to miss class. He liked seeing the three work together. Rei gave the three a small wave before heading out of the office and towards the kitchen. The cream coloured apron with purple Canterbury bells sewn on the hem was put on. She loved the apron, but she didn't understand the need for the ruffles. Then again it matched her fathers. That could be the reason now that she thought about it.
"Oh, Rei," Kaien said as he walked into the kitchen. "Can you put on a kettle, please?"
"Of course, Papa," she smiled at her father. "What kind of tea are you having today?"
"White mimosa white tea," he answered holding up a jar of loose tea.
"Interesting choice," she mused before going back to making the chocolate.
Nama chocolate was nothing new to her. A part of her could hear the soft Japanese city pop playing on a speaker as her mother watered her garden. Her brothers and sister talking amongst one another as she gently guided them into making the dessert for their friends and loved ones. The human memories, from before the war, before she became a monster in human form. They had faded over the long years. Once she became a vampire, she had to discard who she used to be. The progenitor memories took hold, and she could feel the slight shift in her personality. Kaname didn't have the issue she did, or what other progenitors did when they were reborn. He could use his memories and still act normally. His memories of being a human still there but ignored like they used to be, but she had trouble moving past them. Being born a vampire made it incredibly difficult to reconnect with how she had been.
"What's wrong?" Kaien asked.
"I hate the government for what they did," she softly stated, and his eyes widened as he realized just who he was talking to. "My family…no one deserved what they did."
"Rei…" he said and he watched as she placed the knife in her hand down. "You miss them, don't you?"
"I do, but I have a wonderful family now as well," she admitted, a light pink blush on her now smiling face.
The human expression made him smile as well. He liked seeing small pieces of the humans that became the vampiric royalty. Rei, or rather Suzu, had been a mischievous girl that loved her family and loved cooking for them. He enjoyed it when she made something that she remembered from those times. His favourite was sukiyaki, and he knew that Zero had enjoyed it as well. Those two were so stubborn without realising it. He paused when she poured some rum into the chocolate. She paused to grab some cherries from the fridge, and he blinked. That's what she had been doing earlier that morning? He was growing excited about the chocolates.
"It has three hours in the freezer," Rei warned him, starting to clean up the dirty dishes and utensils she had used. "I picked out boxes for them."
" I won't mess with them, I promise," he said, and she gave him a skeptical look before nodding.
He watched as she finished cleaning up. She hung up her apron and hurried out of the kitchen. She was running behind on putting up the decorative gates for the changing. She almost felt bad at waking up the other vampires, but honestly they could easily be up during the day. She was.
The sunlight caused her eyes to burn slightly as she exited the building. Ah, that was why they weren't. She shook her head clear of such things before focusing on the task at hand. She pulled on a pair of work gloves and picked up the first piece of fence. The iron was painted a shimmering gold, her eyes caught sight of small hunter runes transcribed into the metal. The day class would be protected while giving out their chocolates.
Kaien checked in on her and noted the flowers slowly appearing on the fences. Oh, she chose carnations and roses. It looked nice, and he was proud of her work. He slowly brought up a camera and snapped a picture as she wiped at her brow. The weather was cool, but the sun was making her sweat. He had another picture of his children to happily tuck away. He smiled happily before returning to his paperwork and tea.
Rei headed back inside, stopping to take a small shower. She was disgusting. She pulled her wet hair back with her bells, a flower shaped hair pin helping to keep to strands in place, and started to box the chocolates she made. Her father had the bright pink box with small hearts on it. She knew what he was about. She tied the bright red ribbon on the box and slowly walked it over to her father office.
"Here," she said, placing the box down on his desk. "Happy St. Xocolatl's day."
He made a happy sound and she blinked in surprise as he gently opened the box and immediately ate one of the treats she made. It was amazing. He looked at her in surprise and she tilted her head before smiling slightly. The bell ringing informed her that she needed to head back to the gates. It was time for the change over. She got there in time, with the two remaining boxes in her bag.
"It's a madhouse," she muttered, slowly making her way towards Yuki and Zero.
Zero had a wide berth around him, which made it easy to find him. He was glaring at everyone, the noise grating on his ears. She didn't blame him for that at all. Her own were starting to ring, and hers were better. She shot out of the crowd and caught her balance before stopping in front of Yuki.
"Sorry, I wasn't expecting them to gather so quickly," she apologised.
"It's all right," Yuki stated before looking over at the night dorms gate. "I'm worried that somethings going to go wrong."
"Only if they don't behave," she said, before levelling a cold look over the crowd.
It went silent as they all moved behind the fences. Rei let out a soft sigh, before looking towards Yuki. It was her call when to begin the event. She was the one with the whistle. Zero crossed his arms over his chest and she slowly followed suit. The gates opened, the snail pace made Rei wonder if the gatekeeper was messing with the girls. She wouldn't put it past him.
"Oh, before I forget," Rei quietly said, slowly bringing out the box of chocolates for Zero. "Here, at least it's different from the yearly card."
He reluctantly accepted the lavender box. A few girls on the crowd began to whisper amongst themselves and his glare caused them all to stop. He would've turned the chocolates down, but a part of him didn't want to. It was an incredibly small part, but still. The box slowly went into his inner coat pocket and he reacted to the blown whistle. It was starting. The two watched the proceedings, their small areas completely under control. Zero had the easier night class students. Ruka Souen, Roma Toya, and Seiren didn't have as many fans as the male students.
"Oh, Ichijo-San." Caught his attention.
"Happy, St. Xocolatl's Day," Takuma chirped, happy to see the pureblood vampire.
The blonde noble was holding out a small box with a floral patterned ribbon. Rei slowly accepted it, not really expecting gifts from anyone but Yuki. That seemed to open the flood gates from the night class that had been unsure if they could give the disciplinary committee gifts. Rei became slightly overwhelmed as people turned towards her with gifts of chocolate.
"T-Thank you," she stuttered, accepting chocolates from a few girls that were blushing heavily she dropped the volume of her voice to something that only Takuma could hear. "Ichijo-San, that was dirty and you know it."
He simply gave her a sunny smile before walking away. Her eye twitched slightly before she quickly attempted crowd control. Yuki sighed as her older sister was suddenly overwhelmed by gifts of chocolate. It was all going into the freezer. She pulled her train of thought back before pushing against the wall of girls attempting to cross the golden fences.
"Thank you, Yuki," Kaname thanked her.
"Of course!" Yuki exclaimed before making a sound and pushing against the girls.
"Don't get hurt," Kaname chided.
Rei's expression darkened at her old friend. He was going to enforce the circle, to keep it going. Disgust started to form on her face. Zero caught it and noted how she looked at her fellow pureblood. He had never seen an expression like that. It was usually somber acceptance or calm. He rarely saw her grin, or give anything other than a small smile. It didn't matter, she was just like the rest of them.
"Cross-san?" a girl asked Rei.
"It wasn't you, sorry that I made such an unpleasant expression," she apologised.
The girl turned a bright red and held out a rather small box of chocolates. Rei accepted with a kind expression. Her line, which surprised her, was calm and polite. They knew her too well, and it was oddly scary. She heard Zero call out to Kaname and she watched as a small box of chocolates flew through the air. Her eyes snapped towards a particular noble instead. She gave an apologetic look towards her line and they all waved off her apology. She made her way towards Aido. Appearing behind the blonde and waiting for his spine to straighten. It slowly did, he sensed the predator behind him. He slowly turned his head to face the soft face that held a serious expression.
"Hanabusa," her voice held her warning. "Only the chocolates, understand?"
"Y-Yes, Rei-Sama," he stuttered out.
He knew better than to use the Hio surname around the humans. She was the headmasters eldest daughter. That's how she wanted to be known. She gave him a sharp look before walking away. Her pink eyes searched the area before widening when she didn't find what she was looking for. Aido heard her rapid footsteps and she hurried to find something. That girl…he despised her, but he still had to respect her. If not for her position, but for her abilities. Those freshly grown flowers stood out due to the out of season appearance.
Rei hurried through the school hallways, following the familiar scent of gunpowder. The girl that had fallen from the wall rushed past her, tears falling down her face. Rei felt a pang of sympathy for her. She knew exactly what feelings for Zero could bring about. The pain and hurt. She was too used to it. Her eyes sharpened as she focused on the oath in front of her. She saw a figure clad in black slowly moving down the hallway, their hunched form speaking of pain. The figure froze, as though knowing she had appeared.
"Zero," she softly called.
"Go away!" He snapped and she rolled her eyes in response, slowly walking towards him.
"No," she told him, and he turned to glare at her. "How long had this been happening?"
"It's none of your business," his answer was filled with pain and anger.
"Isn't it?" her question set him off further.
Pink eyes stared straight into lavender, ignoring the weapon aimed at them. Zero's chest was heaving in pain and fury. That detached calmness and superiority pissed him off to no end. It was like looking at the woman who did this to him. But at the same time, he saw the little girl that had been his best friend. The girl with the soft smiles and kind eyes, the one that had been lonely even when surrounded by people. The anti-vampire weapon slowly lowered and surprise appeared in those pink eyes, their slight widening showing it even more.
"I hate you," he informed her.
"I know," she said.
"But I hate her more," he said.
"I…I know," her soft admission caused his eyes to widen. "I just ask that I can talk to her one last time and ask her why. That is my only request from you…"
"…fine," he reluctantly agreed.
He let out a pained sound and his hand clutched his throat. A small hand appeared on his shoulder. The smaller teen was slowly leading him towards the headmasters wing. He would've quickly wrenched his shoulder from her grasp, but she was moving him away from people. Lowering the risk of the exposure of his secret. He collapsed to the floor when they entered the sitting room.
"You're so stubborn," Rei muttered, barely reacting when he slapped her hand away.
"Rei, can you go grab a glass of water?" Kaien's sudden voice caused her to tense before relaxing.
She gave a small nod and quickly left to do as asked. Kaien studied the silver haired hunter, noting the way he was breathing. It was the first time that Rei had been around to witness one of his attacks. She had an inkling that they were happening, but no concrete evidence. He gained a somber expression. His gaze turned towards the building where the night class was residing.
"Vampires are creatures that prefer human blood and live long lives," Kaien informed Zero. "They have a savage side, but are unusually beautiful…they have a string sense of dignity, and posses skills that humans can only dream of."
Rei paused in the doorway of the kitchen. She could hear him thinking on vampires and looked down at her feet. Was that…was that how the hunters saw them? They forgot that they had human traits as well. They could feel pain, grief and fear. They also experienced joy, love and camaraderie.
"No wonder the day class adores them," Kaien stated. "Well, Zero."
Rei slowly moved into the kitchen and grabbed a glass. She listened to the running water fill the glass before shutting off the faucet. She hurried back to the sitting room, internally wincing at Zero's pained breathing
"You can't outrun it," Kaien informed Zero, kneeling before him. "Yet you keep pushing yourself to the limit."
He motioned for the glass of water and she handed it to him. Her hands rested uselessly by her side as he added a blood tablet to the small offering. Zero let out a loud pained sound and Rei felt one of her hands lift. This was horrible, and it cemented as the single worst action her elder sister had ever committed. She needed to know why. The boy in front of her was hurting, and he didn't deserve it.
"This will make you feel better," Kaien told Zero.
"What is it?" Zero questioned.
"You know what it is," Kaien answered.
The shattered glass scattered over the tops of Rei's boots. Zero had slapped the glass away. She gently moved away to grab a dustbin. She didn't want anyone to step in it. She tuned out Kaien's gentle warning to Zero. It wasn't her business what Zero needed to do. She went back to to the kitchen and opened the cleaning supply cupboard. She faltered in reaching for the broom and dustpan. She loved her sister, but she hated her at the same time.
Kaien was gone when she returned with the broom and dustpan. Zero was still trying to catch his breath, calming himself down. His nose crinkled slightly and he peered up through his bangs. He was watching her movements. He let out a pained breath when she knelt to scoop up the glass. A single piece jumped out and she sent it a look before plucking it from the ground and placing it with the other pieces. It was when she went to throw it away that she heard him move.
"What do you know?" Zero's harsh question confused her.
"Please, elaborate," she requested frowning slightly as she threw away the broken glass and reaching for a few towels to soak up the water.
"About devolution," he elaborated.
She gave him a look before sighing softly. She grabbed onto his wrist and he almost wrenched himself free before noting her serious expression. She left the towels on the water puddles, dragging him behind her the entire time. She was taking him somewhere, her blank expression giving him no clue where. He was gently pushed into her room and he noted the style of it. It was large, far bigger than the dorm rooms he and Yuki stayed in, and set up more like a small apartment. Kaien had been surprised when she showed him the design she wanted implemented. He didn't really expect her to have people stay in her little sitting room. Zero was deposited on a small lavender couch. He stood out against the soft colour, he was too harsh a figure.
"How much do you know about pureblood vampires?" Rei's serious question made Zero narrow his eyes. "This is important because I need to know just how incorrect your information is…if it makes you feel any better the nobles don't know everything out purebloods either."
"They are the only vampire that has no human blood in their lineage and are able to change humans," Zero answered, frowning.
"Their blood can also give humans special abilities, it can bolster their physical abilities and intelligence," Rei added. "Their blood can also stabilise a changed human, but only for a little while."
Zero's expression darkened at her admittance. She was looking at a plant he didn't recognise. With a gentle poke she made it bloom, allowing its scent to fill the room. It was better than the smell of blood that was prevalent on the school grounds. She slowly turned to look at him and he saw the red tinge to her eyes.
"Only the pureblood that changed the human can save them from turning into a level E," she informed him. "I'm telling you this because you deserve to know. Shizuka is the only person that can fully stop your descent, a pureblood can only stop it temporarily."
Zero sat there in disbelief. The woman that did this to him, was the only one that could stop it? Anger appeared in his eyes and Rei welcomed that more than the pain that had been there. A part of her wanted to see that burning fire to fight, she wanted to see him actively fight to live. She poked another one of her plants and helped it back to health.
"And as a Hio?" Zero's question caused her to pause.
"I would be like any other pureblood," she confirmed. "The only thing I can try to do is get Shizuka to see reason…which is going to be incredibly difficult."
More like impossible. Rei didn't want to lie to him, but she knew for a fact that her sister wouldn't listen to her. Shizuka had been jury and executioner in the case of the Kiryu family. It had been an overly harsh judgement at that. Zero went to get up from the couch, only to collapse once more. Rei slowly moved towards him and knelt on front of him. The sweat on his face was worrying. She brought a small hand up and pressed it against his forehead. He was burning up.
"You stubborn idiot," she fondly muttered. "Zero these attacks are going to get worse."
"Shut up!" Zero snapped and she gathered he finally had enough of her. "What do you know about this?! You were born this way!"
Rei went silent and he caught a glimpse of something cold in her eyes. She slowly stood up and tilted her head at him. She stepped back when he clambered to his feet, his arms wrapped around his middle. She listened to him stumble away and she looked down at her feet. Her hair entered her line of sight and she narrowed her eyes angrily at it. She needed something to get rid of her anger. A soft sound at her windowsill made her spin on her heel to look at it.
"Momo?" she questioned, looking at the small fox in surprise.