Chapter Four – Restless Day

Mai lay there for an hour tossing and turning, but since she still wasn't used to sleeping during the day she was finding it hard to drift off. This is hopeless! I'm getting up! She decided as she pulled the covers off and tugged on some of the daytime clothes she'd brought with her. She threw on a short pleated tartan skirt and a tight black shirt that was open at the neck. She slipped into her black school shoes and crept to the door, easing it open to look out into the hall, but it was empty and remained that way as she stepped out. Maybe I'll go out and explore the grounds for a while…She thought as she headed down the stairs and eased the front door open. The old man at the arch turned to look at her as she stepped out, shielding her eyes from the sun for a few moments.

"Where are you going child?" He asked as she walked down the stone steps, feeling a little intimidated as the tingling sensation prickled across her skin. The old man too? She wondered as she looked over at him with a smile.

"I was just going to take a walk around the school grounds." She replied politely, the old man shaking his head apologetically. The hood of his cloak was still low over his head as he sat in a small stone cubby in the doorway, possibly to keep an eye on dorm traffic.

"Moon Dorm residents aren't allowed outside the dorm grounds during the day." He replied as he looked down at the papers he was reading. Mai quickly covered her surprise as she looked out towards the gates and the gardens within. There was quite a large open patch of grass that stretched around the dorm building and out of sight.

"Oh…Is it okay if I stay within the gates?" She asked as she returned her gaze to the old man, who nodded absently. "Thank you very much." She replied politely with a bow as she turned to walk around the large mansion. The grounds to the rear of the house were a lot larger than the front and filled with rose bushes. The roses were all blood red, the petals soft as silk as she reached out and touched one. A tingle ran down her spine suddenly. "Hello?" Mai called as she stepped back from the roses and looked around the large garden, but she couldn't see anyone. I'm not imagining it…I can feel it…She thought as she looked around more carefully, but no one was in the garden. She could feel the tingle spreading up her limbs, the urge to run filling her as she turned left and right to find the source of her unease.

"Hey, you okay?" A familiar voice called from above. Mai looked up to the windows, but they were all shut, with heavy curtains drawn against the harsh light of day. "Up here." The male voice called again. Mai's gaze travelled further upwards to find Zero looking down at her from the roof, now wearing the black jacket of the Day Class.

"Oh, hello. I just…thought I was being watched, but I guess it was you." She replied with a smile as she looked over her shoulder one more time. Zero nodded as he looked down curiously. It was rare for anyone to be able to sense him. "What are you doing up there?" Mai asked with genuine curiosity. Zero was sitting on the tiled slope with his feet dangling over the edge, his violet eyes watching Mai curiously.

"I come up here to sleep. I don't like being inside the dorm." He replied simply as he looked out over the gates. He could see for miles, right over the small town and up into the hills. "And you can't beat the view from the roof." He added as he returned his gaze to her. "Want to come up?" He asked suddenly, not quite sure where the thought had come from, but it was a little…No! I'm not lonely! I just…think these new people should be watched, and if she's up here she might let something slip. He thought defensively as Mai looked around for a way up. "Here." Zero said as he got to his feet.

"Careful!" Mai called as he stood, thinking he might fall off the edge since he was standing so close to it. At her warning Zero's expression softened slightly as he looked down at her.

"Don't worry, I do this all the time. Come on, this tree will get you up here." He replied as he walked further down to where a large tree stood, its branches reaching right to the second floor. Mai walked over to the tree and looked for a branch low enough for her to reach. She found a couple right by the window of one of the bedrooms, its curtains pulled tightly shut. Mai looked up at the branches, reaching out to grip the rough bark. She jumped with a grunt and heaved herself up into the lower branches. God this is hard…especially in this skirt. My legs and arms are getting all scratched! She thought as she clambered up.

Her leg rubbed the rough bark of the next highest branch as she hefted herself up, kneeling on one branch as she reached up for the next, climbing close to the trunk. Don't look down Mai! She thought as she kept climbing, her heart beating faster the closer she got to the top. She passed the second floor and looked up to where Zero waited on the rooftop, the branch she was standing on stretching up near the gutter. She began edging her way up the branch, grateful that there was one above her that she could hold onto. I'm glad I used to like climbing trees, it makes things much easier…She thought, reaching out for Zero's hand as the branch grew thinner and she found herself within reaching distance. Zero held out his hand, but couldn't quite reach her.

"Jump to me." He encouraged, something in his eyes telling Mai it would be alright, and after a moment's hesitation she jumped. Her hand slipped easily into Zero's, his strength pulling her onto the roof and into his arms. As she fell into his chest Mai found that he had an irresistibly sweet scent. It wasn't like deodorant or aftershave. It was his scent. The scent that clung to his skin and clothes. She'd never smelled anything like it before.

"Thank you." Mai said with a blush as she looked up at him, her hands locked around his waist as he held her small shoulders. Zero stepped back and released her, moving further up the sloped roof and settling down to lie on his back. His arms were folded beneath his head, and one leg was bent while the other lay stretched out. "What are you looking at?" Mai asked as she walked up to sit beside him, settling down and leaning on one arm with her legs curled at her side.

"Just the sky. This is where I usually fall asleep." He explained, his violet eyes never leaving the pale blue of the sky. The morning was still young so the Day Class hadn't left for class yet. It was so quiet. "Why don't you lie down? It's more comfortable than it looks." Zero added as an awkward silence began to stretch between them. Mai took his advice and lay back. The tiled roof was a little lumpy beneath her, but with the discomfort there was a strange comfort too.

"I bet the stars at night look beautiful from here…" Mai sighed as she looked up at the clouds, watching them float slowly above. "The nearest big city must be miles away." She added as she looked over at Zero, who nodded with an agreeing hum, not shifting his gaze to look at her. Mai returned her gaze to the sky. "Hey look! A rabbit!" She exclaimed with a smile as she pointed upwards. Zero followed her gaze with a confused expression.

"You mean that one? I thought it was more like a dog." Zero replied with a slight smile as he looked up, Mai turning her head slightly to look at the white shape from another angle. After a few moments of squinting she nodded her agreement.

"Yeah…I can see that…What about that one?" She asked as she pointed at another, Zero following her hand once again. There was a bubbling cloud rising up out of a slightly hazier one below. It almost looked like an ocean.

"Uhn…Dolphin." He replied after a moment of examination, Mai laughing as she turned on her side to look at him. Zero was far less intimidating then he'd first seemed in the classroom. He was a little reserved, but he seemed to have an underlying kindness that couldn't help but shine through.

"You're joking right? It's definitely a horse head!" She argued, Zero shaking his head firmly, smiling as he watched her laugh. He found her smile infectious as he looked at her. Mai sat up and stretched, looking out at the fields. "Oh wow…" She exclaimed with a sigh as she looked out, seeing clearly over the tops of the trees. Horses trotted around the fields contentedly, and the small town was just visible over the treetops to the right.

"That's how I felt when I first saw it, though that was from the Sun Dorm roof. The view isn't as good as it is from here, but it still took my breath away." Zero said as he sat up, his knees loosely bent with his feet almost touching as his legs rested in front of him.

"Why do you wear the Day Class jacket?" Mai asked curiously, Zero suddenly looking guarded and uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, is it a personal question?" She asked apologetically, feeling bad for prying. Zero smiled and nodded in appreciation of her caring nature, something he could easily compare to Yuuki.

"In a way…yeah." He replied as he looked across at the school, students from the Day Class slowly wandering along the cobble paths into the school building.


"Lord Kaname, you know why we're here." Ichijou said as he entered Kaname's room, where the young noble was sitting at his large redwood desk writing a report for the council, not stopping as his classmates filed into his huge room. Ichijou walked to the window to perch on the sill while Kain and Aido stood together before the large desk. Rima and Shiki opted to take a large leather chair at the edge of the room, Shiki pulling Rima onto his lap. Seiren took her place just behind Kaname as she usually did outside class when they were together, while Ruka stood just a little way off from Kain.

"I suppose I should have expected this…Very well. Yuuki." Kaname called as he turned towards the closed doors of the bedroom, one of them opening to admit a very tired looking Yuuki, who wore a white silk night dress that plunged at her chest and just barely reached her thighs. Ichijou looked out of the window with a blush of discomfort, feeling bad for waking her. "We have guests." Kaname added unnecessarily with a smile as Yuuki squeaked and blushed. Aido tried to suppress a chuckle as Yuuki ducked back inside, returning shrouded in a black flannel dressing gown. It was a few sizes too big on her, Kaname recognising it as his own. "Sorry to wake you Yuuki, but you need to hear this too, and tell Kiriyu when you next see him." Kaname continued as he pushed his chair back, making an uncommon display of affection as he allowed Yuuki to sit on his lap. His arms wrapped around her securely to stop her falling off as she leaned her head on his shoulder tiredly.

"What's going on Lord Kaname? Why are these humans allowed among us?" Aido asked in frustration as Yuuki settled comfortably. Kaname nodded and looked serious, the warmth gone from his eyes as he looked at the group surrounding him. They were in various states of dress. Ruka, Kain and Ichijou were still fully dressed in their uniforms, while Aido had tossed his jacket off at some point and now had the first few buttons of his shirt undone. Rima and Shiki were also still in uniform, but neither wore their jackets and their shirts were untucked, but still somehow smart.

"They're psychic researchers from a company called SPR. It wasn't hard to find that out, but I'm not entirely sure who sent them. They're obviously here to research some sort of psychic activity within this building. They don't know about us, though it may only be a matter of time…" He trailed off, his expression deeply troubled as he looked down at Yuuki's body, not really examining it, more just lost in thought. There was only so much he could do to shield their identities as vampires.

"What should we do?" Shiki asked with a trace of worry that was reflected in the eyes of everyone present. It was bad enough with other vampires out to get them, but a group of humans sniffing around was even more difficult to handle. Not all of the students were used to having to restrain themselves. There was a good reason that members of the Day Class were kept in a whole separate building, and on a whole different schedule.

"We cannot allow them to know about us." Rima added from her place on Shiki's lap, one arm draped elegantly across his shoulders while the other toyed with the open neckline of his shirt. Kaname nodded to both comments as he held Yuuki, barely registering the tired girl in his arms as she looked up at him.

"I know…but for now they're causing no harm. Let us hope we can merely move cautiously and avoid any trouble." He said cautiously, Ichijou leaving his place at the window to stand beside Ruka as Kaname's eyes shifted meaningfully to Aido. There was a time and a place for fun, and he wanted Aido to know that this was not it. If one of his games or pranks went wrong their secret would be out.

"But if they find out?" Aido asked daringly, Kaname looking up with a cold hard expression.

"They will have to be dealt with…somehow…Perhaps there's a way to quiet them. I know the Chairman can erase the memories of many people, but that girl troubles me greatly…She is…different…Her senses are obviously tuned to us…She could be dangerous…" He added as he looked around the room, all eyes upon him awaiting his decision. It was a heavy burden to bear. "For now we watch and wait…If anything else happens, or if anyone has any suspicions, come to me and we'll call another meeting. Until then be careful!" Kaname warned, the others nodding and trailing out since they were obviously dismissed. Yuuki looked deeply troubled as she got to her feet and played with the ends of her hair, something he'd noticed she would do when she wanted to speak but knew their views would differ. "Yuuki…You do not approve?" He asked in concern.

"No…I know how important secrecy is for us, but no matter what promise me you won't hurt anybody!" She replied, her eyes worried and sad as she turned to him. Kaname got to his feet and cupped her cheek gently, his expression troubled and apologetic.

"I…I can't promise you that…but I can promise that I'll look at every possible alternative." He swore, Yuuki smiling with a small nod, feeling Kaname's lips brush hers lightly. She didn't like to argue with her brother, and she knew that he was trying to do what was best. "Now go back to sleep." He added with a warm smile, knowing how fatigued she must have been by now.

"Alright…Will you come?" She asked as she headed back to the bedroom, looking over her shoulder at him as she paused in the doorway.

"No, I still have work to do." Kaname replied with a sigh as he sat at his desk and picked up his pen once more.