A warm welcome to all who have recently begun to read T-M-T-E-T-S and a great big thank you to those who have persevered throughout these past few months alongside me.
Due to unforeseen - yet not unwelcome - circumstances, my update times for both stories will follow an irregular pattern of productivity. This is because my class and work schedules, which will coincide starting August, will permit me little to no time for constant updates.
I guess its like they say, 'Everything for the sake of the future.'
That, however, does not mean that I will forget about you all.
I love writing as much as I love enthralling my readers.
Patience is all I require; and if you'd grant me that, I will keep my promise to complete my stories without keeping you all at a permanent hiatus.
With that said...
Onward we go.
THE MOON THAT EMBRACES THE SUN
Chapter VI
Gifted Curse: Part II
Nightfall descended across the land.
The gentle rays of the midnight moon permeated through the flashing clouds, seeking the warm terrain in which to spread its crystalline glow. Yet, the dour and thunderous storm forbade the orb's luminescent descent - transmuting the dusky blue of the tempestuous skies into a sable shade that rivaled the forsaken night; devouring all in sight.
Thrumming roes of lightning strikes resonated across the heavens like clashing blades. An ominous roar accompanied it shortly after, reverberating, through the rustic manor as if announcing its monstrous presence upon the land; joining the rumble in a calamitous symphony that grew louder and louder, until finally, dying off into the distance like drums of an impending war.
Ruminating within its barred cage, the eye-patched teddy bear observed heaven's descent through rain-splattering windowsills.
Broken twine lay visibly dispersed behind him; shredded pieces scattered inauspiciously across the floor of the metallic encasement.
Approaching the thin bars of the pet cage, Teddy grasped them with an almost restrained force.
The dent left behind from its stuffed hold may not have been as exceedingly obvious, but it was proof enough.
A crooked grin broadened across its sewn features.
It seemed the effect was beginning to wear off.
~S.O.V~
Wall-mounted candle sconces of ancient Gothic design, visibly hung against the garnet-dyed walls of the Sakamaki manor, alighting the elongated hallways with their flickering glims. However, rather than suppress the growing shadows of the night, it appeared to somehow enhance the surrounding darkness; plunging the already funereal ambient into a state of mournful dread.
Undeterred by the vibes of their newfound environment, the self-proclaimed leader, alongside his wary sisters, continued to walk around the abandoned hallways; extensively searching through every unlocked door and solitary hall that they came across, for any sign of their missing siblings (and the exit) - to no avail.
Coming to an abrupt stop (after a specific flash of lightning illuminated the dusky hall of the manor's West Wing) the children soon came to an unsettling conclusion, after completing a third roundabout on the second floor - when they came face-to-face with, yet another, dead end.
"Oh my God, Akumu," Hime huffed as she turned to face her brother, annoyance clearly visible within her azure gaze. "This is exactly why I told you to take a different hall! We've been walking around in circles!"
Rolling his eyes in equal displeasure as the blonde, the choleric red-head simply crossed his arms against his chest - refusing to admit to the mistake he had obviously made somewhere along the line.
"And I told you," he faced her, irked by her continual accusations against him, "We were going in the right direction! Z'not my fault that I got stuck with a squeaking hen that can't keep her mouth shut for two seconds!"
Placing her hands against her hips, Hime corrected him, much to the boy's chagrin. "Hens 'cluck' not 'squeak'; and I believe the word you're looking for is 'squawk', baka!"
He scoffed.
Her small bubble of superiority burst into pieces when she realized exactly to what she was admitting. In a whiplash, she instantly faced her brother, puffing her cheeks; a small tinge of rouge brightening her face, showcasing her embarrassment at the slip.
Akumu turned away from her, his hands resting behind his head.
"You know," he said as he lay his back against the wall, a hint of aversion in his tone, "If they ever decided to give out awards to the worst - most annoying - backseat walkers in the world, you'd win first place, hands down, Hime-nee!"
Abashed by his brutal jibe, Hime stomped her way toward the indifferent boy, raising a finger toward his head - her stature overpowering his own frame by mere inches - jabbing a manicured fingernail against his forehead (mentally yearning to drill a hole through his thick skull), before he raised his hand and slapped hers away in blatant irritation.
"For the record," she added, displeased, "That's not even a thing; and I'm neither a hen nor a backseat anything! I suggested we take another hall because the one before this seemed kind of sketchy. You, on the other hand," she raised her chin in confidence, "were the one that had to be all 'Ore-sama this' and 'Ore-sama that' and deciding 'No, we're going the right way! I know where we're going! Stop telling Ore-sama what to do!'"
In mimicking the boy's actions and words, the unsuspecting blonde earned a confused stare from Luna (who observed their heated banter with growing unease); and an eye-rolling glare from Akumu (who was beginning to lose what little patience he had toward the oldest of the three).
"Cut me some slack, will ya," he huffed, slightly," I haven't lived here all my life, ya know."
"Oh sure~," she scoffed as she took a seat against one of the resting chairs that adored the dusky hallway,"and it's not like you would even bother remembering how we were led to our rooms in the first place, right?"
Akumu scowled at her from the corner of his eyes.
"If it was that easy, how come you didn't do it?"
She turned toward him, eyes drastically widened as if he had just insulted her. "It's not my job to keep track of things!"
"So what? Now it's my job?"
"It was meant to be, but you know what? It seems I've overestimated your capabilities. Clearly," she extended her arms to the side, pointing at the end of the hall, "You can't handle such leap of responsibility."
He moved away from the wall, obviously upset at her lack of faith in him, "And who says I can't handle it?!"
"Look around you, you dummy! Because of you, we're lost!"
"What, so now you're trying to throw this whole thing on me? Don't give me that bullshit!"
"Well~," she stood from the chair and turned her back to him, "If the shoe just so happens to fit~, wear it!"
"Why, you-!"
And, once more, an argument erupted between the two - most incompatible - siblings.
~S.O.V~
Observant ruby stared around her, wearily transfixed, by the drab hall with glum interior. Her attention, though momentarily diverted toward the ranting siblings (whose argument had blown out of proportions as they pointed fingers over whose fault it was that they were stuck in this predicament), would often return to her surroundings.
Garnet-dyed walls, encompassed by fine lines of ebony and gold, flashed nefariously by the crashing lightning outside the rain-splattering windowsills. Darkness, far more deeper and vacant than the eternal abyss, swallowed the halls in a shadowed cloak that not even the flickering candle glow of the sconces could illuminate.
Gray ceilings, with equally bleak floorboards - covered by a single central rug that was as red as the blood in their veins- creaked with the rolling thunder; its low, sonorous tone resembling that of a wounded animal's moan.
ba-bump...
The suffocating emotion emitting from the unfamiliar residence, though completely disregarded by the bickering siblings, was felt in all its raw fervor by the platinum-blonde. Quivering, she tentatively reached out to grasp her chest, clutching at the fabric of her nightgown in muted anxiety.
ba-bump...
She could feel it.
ba-bump...
Her eyes were beginning to pulsate in even beat to her heart.
ba-bump...
The blurry sight of the cascading rain upon the window reflected the unearthly beauty of the glims in their flickering form.
Ba-Bump...
Deeply focused on the sensations, was she, that she failed to realize the smoldering ruby gazing back at her from the opaqued glass.
Ba-bump...
It hurt.
It hurt so much.
Despite her young age and naivety toward the world outside the stark monastery of her early infancy, Luna could bleakly understand the pain that emerged from within the shadowed relics of the antiquated castle.
It was enough to make her want to cry, without knowing exactly why.
Hesitant, she looked around her.
The overturned contrast of this place only served to add to the somberness it exuded.
Running up to her rampaging sister, she reached out to her dress, grasping the silky cloth of the nightgown as she muffled a small shriek from a passing flash of lightning that had frightened her from her thoughts.
Earlier sentiments now astray, the glowing red of her orbs faded out, returning them back to their ruby shade.
The loud 'crack' rebounding from the sky across the land heightened the fear the child felt.
Without the safety of her eldest sister's embrace, Luna felt herself slowly succumb to the terror of this new environment.
It was at times like these that she missed her mother.
Especially the warmth of her hugs.
"Come here, sweetheart," The blonde beauty with deep morganite eyes beckoned the child to her, extending her arms in assurance, "What's wrong?"
"Kaa-chama!" the child ran toward her, trickling tears staining her creamy cheeks, as she carried a small white rabbit in her arms. "Kaa-chama, the little rabbit is asleep! He won't wake up no more!"
Compassionate of her daughter's plight, the blonde smiled sadly as she petted the child's hair, combing through the whitened strands with such soothing gentleness that calmed the sniveling cherub in her arms, "Sweetheart, the little rabbit has gone to heaven now."
"But why?" she asked in her innocence, cradling the unmoving animal with such tenderness that melted the woman's heart.
"Sometimes," she said as she rocked the newborn boy in his crib while carrying the toddler in her arms, "God chooses the most beautiful flowers from his garden to pick."
"But why little rabbit?" She cried.
"Every soul goes through the cycle of life in this world, God created us as such in order to cherish every day of our lives; and, when its time to go back to Him, we rest in eternal slumber."
"Then, is the little rabbit going to sleep forever?"
"Yes, darling."
Luna brushed away the tears and lay a soft kiss atop the rabbit's head. "Goodnight, little rabbit."
The blonde woman smiled sadly at the scene, but embraced her daughter nonetheless. "Come," she placed the animal on the ground, ceremoniously; kneeling in prayer as she joined her palms before her, "Let's pray so that God may bless him and keep him."
Luna closed her eyes and prayed alongside her Mother, sensing the warmth that emanated from her being, and the happiness the little rabbit felt as its soul finally found its peace.
'Kaa-chama...Nee-chama...' she trembled, small tears threatening to fall from the corner of her eyes; her dismay remaining unnoticed by the two fervently arguing siblings.
~S.O.V~
"Just admit it!" Akumu continued with their banter, as they tried to settle - once and for all - the cast of blame. "We're lost because you were distracting me with all your rambling, you dumb blonde!"
"Ugh! How dare you, you self-centered brat!"
"Self-centered? You're the one that spends an hour and a half in the bathroom mirror, you narcissist-ist!"
"It's pronounced 'narcissist', you idiot! Get a dictionary if you don't know the words!"
"Shut up!" He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, "I ran out of saliva and got tongue-tied, you tyrannical princess!"
"First of all, ew~," Hime scrunched her nose in disgust, "Second of all, I am a princess. After all, my Daddy is the future King of the vampires."
"As if!"
"Kaa-sama believed so, that's why she named me Hime; and I'm not a tyrant! It's not my fault that people succumb to my wishes easily. I bet my Daddy would-"
"There you go again with your 'Daddy' this and 'Daddy' that," he threw his hands above his head, exasperated to hear the word 'Daddy' mentioned over and over again by the blonde.
"Well, he is my Daddy, so I have a right to call him as I please!" Sticking her tongue out at the boy, she pulled Luna along with her, intent on heading back from where they stood to try another exit. Exaggerating a sigh, she shrugged with indifference as she asked aloud, "Where's Kaname when you need him? He wouldn't have us walking around in circles like this."
"Oi, I heard that!" Akumu pouted, "And for the record, I am way better than Kaname-nii!"
She sneered.
"Says the one that got us lost in the first place."
"I already told you it wasn't my damned fault! You're the backseat walker here, not me!" He responded with displeasure, "Besides, we both know you suck at taking the lead!"
"I do not!"
"Ya do too!"
"Do not!"
"Do too! Besides, you can't even tell the difference between left and right!"
She flushed, "Oh, as if you could do better!"
"Of course I can! I am, after all, the best one at everything!"
"Oh, for goodness sake!" She threw her hands in the air, "You think you're so~ great!"
"If you would shut up for once, I would have led us all around the damned house with my eyes closed, and you know it!"
"P~lease," she scoffed, "If you're such a big, fat, know-it-all, then by all means enlighten us, Oh~ Great One!"
"I will, and you'll be-!"
A deafening silence interrupted their banter, instantly encompassing the raucous hallway with its noiseless atmosphere, as a scent - metallic and rustic in its redolence - overbore their senses with its sickeningly sweet fragrance.
Eyes widened in shock.
Their worst feels crawled up against their spine.
"N-Nee-chama," Luna tugged on Hime's nightgown, her ruby gaze never leaving sight of the passageway from whence darkness appeared more ominous and unsettling than the brewing storm, "...b-blood.."
Hime immediately lifted the frightened child in her arms, embracing her tightly while rocking back and forth to quell her terror. "Sh~Sh~ Luna," she said, own voice dripping with fear, "Everything is going to be alri-!" Mid-stride, however, Hime's hand bolted straight toward her own quivering lips; a sharp sting overbearing her senses in an instant.
The blonde dhampyr could feel her incisors stretch against her upper jaw. Their previous sharpened point appeared more prominent against her lips, as the painful jab of the fangs sought out the one food it had abstained from for months; parching her throat with insatiable thirst.
Alarm reflected off her azure orbs as she faced her, uncharacteristically quiet, brother.
"Akumu," she beckoned with dread, "Is it...Nee-sama's?" Knowing fully well that Akumu, in comparison to any of them, had a keener sense in discerning Regina's blood; for a reason that, even now, still affected him.
His expression, though controlled and unreadable, was marred by a visible frown.
Nevertheless, if there was one thing that could give credibility to the boiling emotions she had perceived earlier from him, it was the trembling fist at his side.
"If it were her's," he suggested, emerald eyes narrowing at where the scent remained heaviest, "Then our fangs would be the least of our worries. No," he sniffed slightly, "It's Kaname-nii's."
"Kaname?" she asked, astonished. "But, why would- Did something happen to him?"
"Doesn't seem to be the case."
Sniffing once more, and using his - now heightened - senses, Akumu pondered on the smell before discerning how deep the wound was from his current position.
'One of the perks of being born a dhampyr, I guess.'
He mentally scoffed.
Quite the gift, indeed.
"It's just a small cut. Probably even did it himself." He answered after a few minutes, sensing the tension emanating from the eldest.
"Self-inflicted a wound?" Hime gasped, cradling Luna in her arms who was beginning to cry, "What was that boy thinking?"
"Beats me," he shrugged, "But we both know he wouldn't do something like that unless..."
He went silent.
"Unless what?" Hime questioned with increasing apprehension for the safety of her siblings. "Akumu! Tell me! Unless what?!"
"Something's wrong."
"Oh no."
Saying no more on the subject, and keeping both of his sisters on edge, the emerald-eyed boy turned toward the passageway and grabbed the blonde's hand securely in his own before bolting straight down the hall.
Making his way through every corridor and room in sight, the boy let himself be guided by the scent of his brother's blood.
Despite the obvious unease caused by the rustic odor, he wasn't exactly concerned about the well-being of the actinolite-eyed boy. At least, not as much as the other two.
After all, he knew his brother well.
The older of the three males was a natural-born genius with a penchant for absorbing anything he learned once - something most (if not majority) of them lacked, despite being related. It took him quite the amount of years to admit that his brother held potential to be slightly better than the great Akumu-sama, but when he did, it made things much easier to cope with.
Like the fact that Kaname had a great sense of self-defense with, and without, the use of force; which he had to forcibly learn through experience.
However, the same could not be said about the other two.
Still a toddler, Luka could barely hold his own weight; and Regina, his sweet and loving Nee-chan, was far too gentle a soul to raise a single hand against anyone.
Even if it were for the sake of self-defense.
He tightened his grasp on Hime's hand unconsciously.
The memory of Regina's beautiful, alabaster skin had suddenly come to mind - and with it - the image of the hideous purple marring it, caused by none other than own Father.
'Damn him.'
Ayato was nowhere near the 'cool guy' persona his Mother had made him out to be.'Kaa-chan thought he was cool...but he must've lied to her too. I guess...we were both wrong about him, then.'
Distance and time appearing almost irrelevant to one another as their images flashed by through every window pane, the red-haired dhampyr was too caught up in his own thoughts that he failed to realize the aquamarine eyes staring at his back, fretting.
Being led roughly along the corridors did not suit Hime at all, and though she would often make a fuss about being treated in such a way, she refused to make a peep. One of the main reasons being her overflowing concern for the safety of her two younger brothers and eldest sister.
The other, was currently stringing her along like a sack of potatoes.
'Akumu,' she thought as she watched his red hair flow back and forth with every sudden turn.
Even though they were as unequivocally incompatible as their born gifts, she still cared for him. He was, after all, her younger brother.
That was exactly why, even though she didn't have Luna's ability to read a person's heart, she could still tell that something did not bode well with the emerald-eyed boy since she woke him up; and, though he may not be much of a morning person (even though it was well past night-time), this spontaneous change of attitude was something new, even to her.
"Let's hurry."
There was that same 'dead serious' gaze of his that meant trouble, but she could not - for the life of her - determine if it was a warning for them, or toward him.
'Maybe its a fluke.' She hushed Luna's muffled whimpers as the pain of the fangs began to recede, reverting her incisors back to their unsharpened state. 'It has to be.'
And yet, the boy's attitude continued to unnerve her.
He suddenly stopped, causing the blonde to crash against his back.
"What is it?" she asked, internally fretting that something bad was standing in their way.
"I told you I could lead us out if you would shut up for once," he smirked, and though she would've begun the banter all over again, something in his eyes did not reflect the same confidence that his smile posed.
"Hmph!" she turned away, rolling her eyes.
And so, momentarily forgetting about those unpleasant thoughts, Hime continued to follow him, silently praying that her sister and brothers were safe, while holding Luna tightly against her, as they descended down the corridor to the main hall.
Down, toward where the pervading scent began to slowly disappear.
~S.O.V~
Though the men were still stunned by the revelation of their kin, the two siblings were momentarily trapped in their own world to pay much attention to those around them.
It had not taken long for the wound on Kaname's wrist to heal, but even with the unmarred skin intact, it still wasn't enough to placate Regina's concern over her brother.
"I'm really fine, Nee-san," he smiled, reassuringly, "Honest. The wound is gone now, see?" He held up his wrist and demonstrated that no cut or scar was left after the little show-and-tell he had done to prove his point.
Gentle hands, slightly cold to the touch, softly brushed against his wrist - cautiously inspecting that there truly was no lingering pain on the boy's body. After guaranteeing that no damage was done, a small, slightly tremulous sigh, escaped her lips as relieved tears pooled on the corner of her eyes.
"Please, Kaname-kun," she silently begged as she held his wrist in both her hands, "Don't ever do something like that again. I don't want any of you to get hurt," then, with the softest whisper, added, "...for my sake..."
Though barely audible to any of the males, Kaname had clearly heard her last words - realizing then how deathly afraid she had been for him.
Ashamed at his actions, he grasped her hands in his and planted a warm kiss atop the alabaster skin. "I'm really sorry, Nee-san. I promise I won't do something like that again."
Teary morganite glanced upward at apologetic actinolite, searching for some form of affirmation to his promise.
He quickly made a cross sign atop his heart, "Scout's honor."
A soft giggle escaped her lips as a smile graced her features, though sadness still pooled behind her rosy orbs.
He kissed her hands again and smiled brightly to ease away her tension.
"Ahem."
Both siblings turned to face their Fathers and Uncles. Least to say, none of the adults thought there was anything remotely funny about the current situation, to deserve a beaming smile from the lad.
"So," Ayato crossed his arms against his chest, the fabric of his already unbuttoned shirt stretching alongside his visible pectorals, "If your blood is pure like ours, then you've gotta be a full-pledge vampires like us, right?"
"Well, not exactly-" Kaname found himself immediately interrupted by Shu, who had stated a fact through a tone of indifference.
"That woman was human, though."
"Precisely why," Reiji added, fixing his glasses against the bridge of his aristocratic nose, "This situation appears to be almost surreal."
Subaru scratched the back of his head in frustration, "It doesn't make any damned sense!"
"Nfu~ If they were full-pledge purebloods, Ayato, how do you explain their powers?" Laito remarked with a cheshire grin as he continued to glance back at Kaname.
"Good point," both red and white head agreed.
"Interesting observation, Laito," Reiji stated as he walked toward the two children, "However, it still leaves us at square one. If not purebloods, why is their blood pure?"
Thoughts immediately broke out into words as each brother speculated some sort monstrous hybrid in the children that became more and more ridiculous with each muttered suggestion.
Kanato observed the unraveling ordeal with Luka in his lap, who glanced upward at the bickering lot. Both mauve-haired, father and son, sported the same confused stares as they looked from side to side at the growing tension between the groups.
Kaname finally decided he had had enough.
"If you'd let me speak, I'd be glad to explain what little information we were provided by Father Komori." Interrupting their banter, and gaining the Sakamaki's full attention, he cleared his throat as if presenting a project. "As to what you had mentioned earlier, Uncle," he faced Ayato, "Though the blood in our veins is pure, we are still essentially dhampyres through and through."
"That makes no damned sense, whatsoever," Subaru added with a scowl.
"Remain silent, Subaru, if you have nothing better to add." Reiji chastised, earning a heated glare from his white-haired brother.
Kaname took a deep, and much needed, breath. "To better explain myself, you've said so yourselves. Our Mother was fully human."
The brothers looked at one another in blatant confusion.
Kaname mentally sighed.
'Guess I'll just have to explain myself with pins and needles, huh?'
"You see, regardless of the blood in our veins, we were born from a human womb. Chromosomes, DNA, genes, you name it - we inherited that from our human mother. Because of it, our bodies are capable of withstanding things that pure-bloods and half-bloods, or nosferatus, cannot."
"Like~?" Laito asked, intrigued by the topic of conversation.
Kaname briefly ignored his stupid grin, but answered him nonetheless. "We can handle the intensity of the sun in its unfiltered from, unlike purebloods; who project a filtered barrier that protects them from the light so that no damage comes to the cells of their faceted body."
"Interesting," Reiji said, with a small grin on his handsome face that had Regina turn away with a slight blush, earning an arched brow from said male.
"But how did you-?"
"Know?" Kaname finished Ayato's question, "You have one within the premises of the manor. I could see it from miles away, not to mention that Father Komori's library had provided some information in regards to them. Although," he said as he heard the rumbling of the thunder from afar, "I would suggest strengthening it a bit. It's not helping much to ease the current weather."
Laito laughed, practically howling.
Ayato and Subaru hid a snicker behind their hands.
Kaname and Shu grinned.
Reiji slightly coughed, a small grin on him as well.
"Your bodies not masked like other creatures of the night is dully noted. However," he focused his sight on the boy, his form unknowingly close to Regina as she stared at his hand, a deep longing to hold it reflecting off her candid gaze. "Is that all you dhampyres possess? An unwavering form?"
"Yes and no."
"Which is it?" Subaru growled.
"There's more to us than what we currently possess. So far, we've only recently discovered some of our bodies aspects such as - because of our human form, we do not depend highly on blood as your kind - although that does not necessarily mean we do not crave it at times. A Full Moon has no weakening effect on us, at least, not in the same way as it affects pure-blooded vampires. Also," he stared at his father, "garlic and crosses are just vegetables and accessories to us."
Laito smirked. "Nfu~ We're not affected by garlic and crosses either, Kaname-kyun."
Regina observed Kaname's scowl with anxiousness, however, it was quickly replaced with a collected mask that only increased her worry.
The boy shrugged. "Shame. I thought I could buy some to at least repel you."
"Kaname-kun!" Regina shrieked, her eyes - much like everyone else's - darting back and forth between father and son.
Laito observed his son with a twinkle of mischief in his olive eyes. "I don't know why, but I take it you don't like me, huh? Kaname-kyun~."
"I wonder what gave that away?" he responded bitterly, though his actions reflected a maturity beyond his years.
Like a cat toying with its prey, Laito languidly made his way toward the couch where Kaname, Regina, Kanato, and Luka sat. "Nfu~!" A conniving, salacious grin became him, putting the boy at edge.
Approaching Regina, he scooted Kanato over, practically pushing the male off the seat, as he plopped beside the sable-haired girl; seductively crossing one leg over the other as he leaned back and wrapped an arm around the teenager's petite frame, glancing at his son from behind the girl's head.
Regina was oblivious to the man's exuding pheromones, but Kaname was no idiot.
That lecherous bastard was trying to make a pass at his Nee-san!
Laito smirked in triumph.
The boy looked like he was about to rip his head off.
"Well, darn," he added insult to the injury, "and here I thought we could get to know each other well, but, if that's the case," he placed his chin atop Regina's shoulder, blowing a gust of cool air against her neck; earning, in response, a tiny 'eep' from her, "I guess your big sister and I will get to know each other really well."
Kaname jumped out of his seat. "Don't you dare lay your hands on her-!"
However, what surprised them all was that Reiji had grasped Laito by the collar and lifted him off the seat, away from the girl as he threw him back onto the chaise. "Enough of your childish games, Laito. We are in the middle of a serious conversation."
"Hai~Hai~," The olive-eyed male smirked, his face momentarily covered by his fedora hat, "No need to get protective Reiji."
The raven-haired brother rolled his eyes, neither denying the accusation, nor confirming it.
Kaname, ignoring the two brothers, was quick to jump to his sister's side and ask her if she was alright.
She smiled innocently, "I'm fine, Kaname-kun. Uncle Laito didn't hurt me."
"That's not what I meant..." he sighed.
"Hm?" She asked, not knowing to what other way he referred his question.
Disgruntled, Kaname sat back in his seat, glaring at his Father, who sported that stupid triumphant grin on his face, again. It was now, more than ever, that he felt everyone and everything around them pose a threat to his beloved sister's safety, (especially his damned perverted Father) if her innocent mind could not detect the crudeness behind that man's actions.
"Returning to the issue at hand," Reiji continued, realigning the conversation to the main topic, "the validity of your form does not necessarily explain the purity of your blood."
Calming himself, Kaname proceeded with his explanation. "I believe there had been a letter, once," he faced Regina for confirmation, who nodded in agreement, "Which Father Komori had received from this, Tougo Sakamaki person. The contents of the letter, as far as Father Komori had summarized, explained Mr. Sakamaki's belief that our mother's blood may have had something to do with why our blood was pure."
The Sakamaki brothers glanced at one another, solemn and melancholic as they recalled the woman that had nudged her way into their lives, and abandoned them without a trace.
Except, of course, that which stood before them.
The two siblings observed as the solemnity in their gazes replaced itself with unfiltered hatred, within the blink of an eye.
Kaname had instantly discerned that they knew something the rest of them didn't, but he'd rather let them speak when deemed necessary.
As it was, he had other pressing matters to worry about than them.
"What about your powers?" Reiji had asked, after the silence in the room had grown unbearably still.
"Though we are born with these abilities," he raised his hand toward his eye, "we are only aware of their development when we awaken them."
"What about your awakening, then?" Shu yawned. He had sat upright on his seat after the moment of silence, "Is there a specific age or time for you to awaken your vampiric side?"
The triplets, and Subaru, idly glanced at Luka, who - as before - was happily unaware of what was happening around him as he played with his Father's hands.
Kaname, who had followed their line of sight, immediately shook his head. "We've all awakened at different times. Luka, by far, is the only one whose awakening came much earlier than due."
Ayato's momentary confusion was replaced by a pondering question, which had arisen since he first stepped into the room to find a murderous stuffed toy. "Do you have any control over these powers?"
"Some of us are still fairly new at them, so we don't exactly have a great extent of control."
"So then you can't control them." Ayato stated, rather than asked.
"We can," he assured.
'If we practice enough.'
"So, are all your powers the same?" Kanato asked, glancing at the boy on his lap.
Laito, interrupting Kaname, stated, "Doesn't look like it, since his brother was able to take out every flame in the living room to create a ball of fire in an instant."
Ayato nodded, remembering the earlier incident.
"Yes, that's true. Relatively so." Kaname conceded.
"Million dollar question here is, what's your power?" Laito asked, piqued with interest.
Kaname felt like sweating bullets.
This was a topic he most likely did not want to bring up, for fear of where it may lead, but the perverted idiot had to ask it in such a way that it was impossible to refute.
"My power is the ability to see into a person's memories."
"That's it?" Ayato raised a brow, slightly disappointed that the peak of the conversation had lead to such a boring conclusion.
Kaname bit the inside of his cheek, restraining himself from answering his red-haired uncle in much the same manner as he would his red-haired brother.
"I'm sorry to disappoint, Uncle, but I guess it is. We are still growing, so we don't exactly have a full grasp of what our power's limits can do. After all, for these past years, since our respective awakenings, we've tried the best we could to subdue them."
"Then, what am I thinking right now?" Laito smiled.
"I don't remember memories and thoughts being classified under the same definition," Kaname frowned, "and you don't need a genius to guess what your lascivious mind is thinking right now."
The brothers laughed.
"Wait a minute, you mentioned something about subdue. You mean your powers? Why?" Kanato asked, looking down at his son.
"For the sake of blending in with the crowd, Uncle." Idly, Kaname had looked over at his sister, whose crestfallen gaze was intently focused on the ground as she incessantly twirled the ends of her hair with her fingers - an action, he knew, meant that her nerves were rampaging like hell at the moment. Placing his hand atop her own, he intertwined his fingers with hers, trying to provide some semblance of comfort for the nervous girl.
The men had not noticed this exchange, except for Laito, who continued to stare at his son with a mixture of emotions, some caused by the similarity the boy had with the woman that had betrayed their trust.
"We lived most of our life, after Mother's death," there was a pause, "in a secluded monastery, away from all forms of social contact with people our age, or people in general. You could imagine how necessary it was for us dhampyrs to blend in with the humans that surrounded us. Partly because only a handful knew of our existence."
"Presumably," Reiji interceded, "Komori and our Father."
Kaname and Regina were about to nod, but stopped short when they realized what Reiji had stated.
"Tougo Sakamaki is our grandfather?" Kaname asked, incredulous.
The brothers nodded, each sporting a different expression that almost resembled disdain at the name.
"Am I to assume you were unaware of that fact?" Reiji asked.
The children nodded.
The bespectacled male sighed.
"We knew Mr. Sakamaki was politic, but not that he was our grandfather." Kaname added, somewhat incredulous by the fact that their relative (whom they had initially assumed was simply a distant relative, considering that they never personally met the man other than through constant letters) had been closer than they thought.
"Tougo Sakamaki is simply an alias in the human world," Shu explained, resting his elbow on the side of the couch as he leaned his cheek against his palm. "His real name is Karlheinz - and he's the current Vampire King."
The children appeared momentarily surprised, but considering that they were more familiar with the title than the name, accepted the fact without much to say.
"Regina." Reiji approached the overtly silent girl, who - since the conversation on their powers began - had not uttered a single word.
"Y-Yes, Otou-sama?" She sat upright, eyes widened in silent alarm.
"What about your powers then?"
"M-Me?"
"Yes," he stated with an arched brow, "What abilities do you and your other siblings possess?"
Kaname's eyes widened.
Shit!
This was exactly what he had been trying to avoid.
"Our siblings, they-!" but Kaname found his momentary diversion instantly interrupted by a sudden spark that alighted the candles atop the central coffee table.
All eyes widened as they turned to face the stairs that led to the second floor.
"Rather than asking Kaname-nii, why don't we just show you?" Akumu suggested as he and his sisters made their way toward the impressed, and distressed, group.
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