Thank you all for understanding the havoc of my life and the patience you've provided thus far. In all honesty, I have been so busy (in and out) that I have neither rest nor the adequate amount of sleep required for a human being to remain - remotely - sane.
Oh well...
To say least, these past few months have been nothing short of chaotic, and have consumed much of what is left of my creative mind.
Nevertheless, I have managed to push through and - as promised - here is the continuation.
For the record, neither one of my stories will be placed on hiatus or given up. I'm working on them as much as I can through what little free time I have. It's just a temporarily slow updating pace for the new chapters, is all.
A ginormous thank you hug to all who have been catching up on the chapters, including those who have taken the liberty of their time to leave me a review. Your enjoyment of my stories is my utmost pleasure, and your feedback most welcomed.
Please continue to enjoy.
THE MOON THAT EMBRACES THE SUN
Chapter VII
Gifted Curse: Part III
The soft glow of the hanging candelabra dispersed its golden light across cerulean-dyed walls. A fanciful array of beams, permeating through intricate Swarovski crystals decorating its antiquarian design, alighted the vibrant hues of pristine white, celestial blue, and royal silver that embellished the opulent bedroom.
And though the adorning backdrop created a visual illusion of heavenly proportions around them, the hellish howls of the moaning wind outside - recklessly jerking and rattling the windowpanes of the bedroom - threatened, in all their their enigmatic glory, to shatter the crystal glass with a terrifying force.
Hime, with an unbecoming silence about her, pondered quietly against the pearl cushioned window seat; somber gaze staring out into the havoc-wreaked land below.
After having willingly confessed to their Fathers, and Uncles, about the powers they possessed - and discovering that Luka had awakened his in the most inapt of times - Hime had been nothing short of confounded by Kaname's sudden hostility towards her and Akumu, as he - without an uttered sound - dragged the two of them away from prying eyes and ears, and into the nearest room available (which, just so happened, to be her assigned bedroom).
Hence, here she found herself, with a heavy atmosphere that encased them in dread.
Discomposed, restive aquamarine glanced to her side, settling onto the two boys accompanying her within the solace of the room.
On one end, restlessly pacing across the eggshell-colored carpet that adorned the wooden floor - Kaname - her usually composed brother, blatantly wore the agitation he felt on his face; as he perpetually tread in a straight line, back and forth, without pause.
On the other hand, Akumu - the more outspoken of the six - stood near the darkest corner of the room, reclining against the brick wall with an air of indifference about him that unsettled the exacting Hime; in much the same way as his contrasting 'devil-may-care' posture, did.
A piqued sigh escaped her, then, incidentally releasing a small puff of hot air onto the frosted window. To which - unbeknownst to the blonde - had mysteriously grown a thick line of ice flowers* that ran across the edges of the thin glass, where her fingers unconsciously rested.
'Clack...Clack...Clack...'
Pursing her pink lips into a visible pout, annoyance soon overbore her thoughtful facade through the loudly clattering window - like the relentless 'pitter-patter' of a dripping sink; and, not one to be acquainted with patience, derisively pulled the window inward and locked the side pane, muffling the sound for good.
Grasping the silver-dyed fabric with a tearing force, she tightly drew the curtains in, before making her way toward the edge of her queen-sized bed.
Practically throwing herself onto the edge of the bed, Hime could hardly hear the soft creak of the mattress beneath her weight, as she focused deeply on the pervading question.
'Why am I even here?'
~S.O.V~
Ardent emerald, darkened by the shadows looming over the corners of the room - and the deepest parts of his thoughts - scrutinized the blonde as she pattered from one end of the room to the other, flopping unceremoniously onto the edge of her soft bed; disdain written plainly across her pretty face.
Taking notice that the annoyance so clearly written in her eyes was being direction - specifically - at him, Akumu merely rebuffed the sentiment with a muttered curse. Moving his arms from the back of his head toward the front of his chest, he emphasized his own displeasure of the current situation.
'Why the hell,' he furrowed his brows, 'Did Kaname-nii have to bring us here in the first place? And like-!'
Wincing, he felt a searing sting suffuse his right ear.
Tenderly rubbing the reddened lobe of swollen flesh with the pads of his fingertips, Akumu could still feel the slightly throbbing burn from the tender flesh shoot through him; making him flinch every time his cool skin touched the cartilage of his wrenched ear.
Turning away from the accusing aquamarine, Akumu warily eyed his older brother; who, distracted by his own thoughts, failed to see the caution in his brother's stare.
Stray locks of reddish-brown hair, gleaming like rustic copper beneath the light of the candelabra, was constantly pushed back into a slick hairdo from the sheer stress he was under. Discomposure filled every part of the genius' stoic mask; and, oblivious to it all, openly displayed the heavy thoughts that wreaked havoc within his burdened mind.
"Kanam-..."
In vain, Akumu felt his brother's name fail to escape his lips as, after noting the storm pooling behind brooding actinolite; had been rendered speechless within the expanse of a second.
Never, in all their time together, had he ever seen Kaname - his 'perfect' older brother - look so...so...
'Afraid...' he thought, despite himself.
Downcast, the second son could do nothing more than clench his teeth in self-recrimination, his fists trembling beside him from the sheer pressure; causing crescent-shaped indents on the skin of his palms.
He knew...He well knew he had screwed things up for his siblings...for his Nee-chan, but...but someone had to have done something then!
'If I didn't then Nee-chan wouldn't have-...I just-...I had to-...!'
But the truth of the matter was - what was done was done; and there was no way he could ever fix what he had caused.
Not now...
and certainly not then.
With an aggrieved sigh escaping the innermost part of his soul, Akumu slumped in his position; and vaguely reminisced on what had transpired earlier.
Downstairs.
-sov-
Eldrich creaks softly echoed across the sepulchral silence inhabiting the living room, as the dhampyr children cautiously descended the steps of the stairs toward the - subtly nonplussed - crowd, awaiting an explanation for the previous demonstration, below.
With the vicious intensity of heated scrutiny upon them, tension - thicker than butter and more viscous than honey, but without the gentle taste of either - quickly enveloped them in its suffocating hold.
Even then...this - judging glare - if it could even be called that, was far more welcoming than their brother's piercing glower.
From the moment that Akumu had invoked his ability before the eyes of a curious crowd, Kaname had felt himself sweat bullets then and there, but refused to show it to anyone. Least of all Regina, who was already in a mental breakdown of her own.
"It's going to be okay," he reassured her, before excusing himself from her side and locking his gaze with that of the darker shade of his brother's.
Not passing Hime's eyes unperceived, she saw the moment that erratic fear replaced itself with irascible wrath within Kaname, as he made his way toward them in a swift - but steady - gait; never once looking away from the boy beside her.
'Akumu' both thought, with different emotions behind the uttered name.
Obviously nervous, but unwilling to let it be exposed, Akumu watched Kaname walk toward them - him - like a ravenous animal ready to tear apart his own kin.
"Nii-chama!"
Startled by the sudden outcry that broke apart the oppressing storm surrounding the three, Hime released the little girl from her arms, placing her onto the ground as she irradiated glee to seeing her brother safe and sound.
Sweet, innocent little Luna - unaware of her beloved brother's currently fizzling temperament - ran toward him with open arms; to which the latter mechanically moved, so as to lift her into an embrace of his own.
"Are you okay, Nii-chama?" she asked, ruby orbs pooling from the deep concern over his well-being.
Placing a gentle kiss on her temple, Kaname murmured an, "I'm fine, Luna," before making sure to communicate to his ignorant brother that his current affection toward the youngest was not, in any way, going to save him from the trouble he would soon find himself in.
Hime felt a chill run down her spine.
Akumu mentally shuddered.
"Luna," Placing her back on the ground, Kaname gently coaxed the platinum-blonde onto the direction of the couch; where Regina, Luka, and Kanato sat. "Go and sit with Nee-chan, okay?"
"Hai, Nii-chama!"
Nodding excitedly, she ran toward Regina, who beckoned her over with open arms and a warm smile to her pale demeanor. However, in her eagerness to reach the safe haven of her sister's embrace, the child's tunnel vision made her blissfully unaware of the red eyes that followed her every movement; with a candor beneath a predatory glare that resembled an emotion long lost to its owner.
'crash!'
"Ouchie!" Luna shrieked.
Within a moment of sentimental subconsciousness, Subaru - the youngest vampire Prince - inadvertently moved toward the child; and, without intending to, blocked the girl's path in the process.
Luna, focused on no one but her sister, only managed to notice the black jeans near her when she was already face-planted against them.
Recoiling from the suddenness of it all, Luna glanced upward at the handsome towering male (who stood there, as equally frozen as she) before cowering in place.
She had accidentally bumped into his legs.
Into the one person she least wanted to see.
"Oi-..."
But Subaru's attempted apology died in his throat as he watched the child - his own daughter - make a mad dash around him, moving with such swiftness that it took a while for the seated brothers to register that it wasn't a ghost that had ran past them; as she tried to reach Regina through the other end of the couch.
Nevertheless, in her attempt to avoid her Father, altogether, Luna failed to notice Kanato's foot - which had been propped atop his knee so as to better adjust the toddler in his lap - until it was too late.
"Luna!" Regina jumped from her seat, reaching out to stop her sister from face-planting against the ground, until she noticed the slender arm that had quickly extended itself toward the little girl.
And much to the surprise of the congregated group surrounding them, Kanato - reacting on the same paternal instinct that he had used to cushion Luka's fall and save Regina from Teddy - rapidly held onto Luna's arm before she became acquainted with the floor; earning himself a ferocious scowl from none other than his own younger brother.
Luka, releasing his Father's hand for a brief moment, stretched out his little arms toward his sister in worry; as if asking her if she was alright.
Luna, surprised but otherwise happily unharmed, quickly assured her brother that she was okay. Once regained footing on the ground, Luna turned to her mauve-eyed Uncle and bowed in deep gratitude.
"Thank you, Ji-chama!"
Kanato merely grunted, as if indifferent to the little girl's appreciation, without realizing he had now become a subject of much admiration from his little niece; and much harbored hatred from one particular white-haired vampire, who was slumped into the farthest wall with his arms furiously crossed against his chest.
Meanwhile, throughout the youngest's ordeal, the strain enclosing the three distant children had managed to somewhat intensify; and, though not endowed with Luna's inherent ability, both blonde and redhead knew well that Kaname, their often reserved brother, was baring out his fangs to the world in that single heated glare.
Yet, in Kaname's defense, the anger he felt was nowhere near what his eyes foretold.
His face, a mask of indifferent civility before the eyes of a prying crowd, perfectly hid the angry howls of a riled beast - barred - within an iron cage.
With a rampant aura that swirled about him in a path of destruction, he approached his siblings step, by meticulous, step; inhaling deeply through his nose, like a bull seeing red, while abstaining from face-palming himself...
...and slapping the living daylights out of his brother!
What Akumu had done only served to destroy any chance they had of discreetly straying the conversation away from that topic, without arousing the suspicion of the vampires behind him.
'Especially...'
Kaname discreetly glanced to the side, where his raven-haired Uncle continuously looked their way from the corner of his bespectacled gaze.
'The most observant one of them all!" he sighed, sensing an incoming headache appear.
"Akumu, have you no-...!"
A feminine squeal interrupted Kaname's reprimand, as he watched a yellow streak of golden hair flash behind Akumu; and reach the lethargic blonde yawning on the couch a few feet away from them.
And, as if unaware of the many questioning gazes surrounding her, Hime - ignoring her brother's current state of anger and the severity of the situation - fangirled before the eldest vampire prince; her hands sweetly clasped in front of her chest, as stars practically twinkled within aquamarine orbs.
"Daddy! What a surprise to see you here!"
Staring at her through sleepy, half-lidded eyes, Shu simply turned away - openly raising the volume of his earphones - so as to drown out any form of disruptive noise; and though the action would have put off anyone (even to the point of upsetting the two brothers over seeing their flamboyant sister dismissed in such a manner) Hime had never been one to give up on what she wanted until obtaining it.
And her Father's attention was such a thing.
Without further word, Hime brazenly scooched herself beside her Father, practically pushing Laito off the couch - who could only stare at her in surprise - as she wrapped her arms around the blonde's arm; resting her cheek against his shoulder as if claiming her possession over him.
Sensing the snake-like grasp on his arm that - had he any living heart - would certainly have cut off all form of circulation in his body, Shu torpidly opened a bright blue eye and stared down at the blonde holding onto him, like a Koala bear holding onto a tree.
"Do you like my new braid, Daddy? Nee-sama made it for me! I look extremely beautiful, don't you think so? Of course you do! I'm practically your carbon copy! Anyone would be jealous of how good-looking we are!"
Loudly sighing, Shu muttered a soft, 'troublesome girl from a troublesome woman', before turning away yet again; not bothering to move his arm, or push the girl away.
Hime, not minding his apathetic behavior in the least, continued to hold onto him; much to the chagrin of her brothers.
'Traitor,' Akumu scowled, watching his sister get all 'comfy' with his sloth of an uncle.
'Hime-nee...' Kaname shook his head, visibly disappointed in her actions.
"Ahem," Reiji interrupted, beckoning the attention of all those in the room to get the situation back on track. "As was previously discussed. The powers you all possess, which you've certainly demonstrated us," he glanced over at Akumu, who did nothing more than watch his brother take a stand beside him and face Reiji, "Is it possible to assume that your abilities can control the element within your reach?"
"Leave this to me." Akumu heard Kaname whisper behind him, as he discreetly grasped the boy's arm, tightly. "Don't you dare say a word-..."
"Obviously not, though you're not all that wrong." Hime answered from the other end of the living room.
Speechless, Kaname could do no more than gape at Hime's indiscretion.
"I didn't say anything," Akumu muttered back, using his brother's current state of shock to free himself from the grip he had on him, before making his way toward Regina; who, though seemingly alright, appeared somewhat paler than usual.
"Are you okay, Nee-chan?" he asked as he watched Luna sit next to Kanato, while playing some sort of hand game with Luka.
Regina nodded softly. "I think...I'm just tired, is all."
Understandingly, Akumu wrapped his arm around her waist and lay his head against her shoulder, feeling her cool hand brush his red locks softly.
Leave it to Regina to somehow soothe his distressed heart, when he should be the one reassuring her.
Taking a deep breath, Akumu grabbed her hand in his and looked over at his 'four-eyed Uncle'; as the man - with an authoritative tone about him - ordered Hime to elaborate on her given answer.
Facing her 'directly-related' Uncle, she shamelessly rolled her eyes, much to the chagrin of said man, as she twirled her finger upward; creating a little ring of ice that floated in mid-air. She managed to hold it for a few seconds before it 'poof-ed' all around her into trillions of little snowflakes; incidentally covering her and her father with specks of snow.
Placing his thumb beneath his chin and an index finger against his lips, Reiji analyzed the girl's powers before smiling - more to himself than to what he had witness. "So you can manifest the element as well."
Hime nodded, proud of herself for presenting something more 'eye-catching' than Akumu's simple parlor trick.
"Eh~ So you can make snow?" Laito questioned, leaning in toward Hime as he noticed the snow twinkling above her head. "How about some ice cream? I've been craving some lately~"
"Is that it?" Kanato questioned.
"It's not snow!" she rolled her eyes again, standing up from her seat and looking at both her uncles in disdain. "It's ice!"
"Heh," Ayato scoffed, "Seems to me like such a stupid power to have."
Subaru, still standing against the corner of the room, remained completely silent from any opinion. His attention was solely focused on the smiling girl gleefully playing with her baby brother.
Pouting and stomping her foot, Hime turned to face the ever indifferent Shu with a huff.
"What do you think, Daddy?"
Now it was Shu's turn to roll his eyes as he rested his cheek against the palm of his hand.
So much for listening to his music in peace.
"Is that really all you can do?"
Hime, excited about Shu's apparent interest, completely forgot about her Uncles' previous jibes. "I can freeze a lot of things!"
"Can you freeze time?"
"Um..." she thought deeply about it. The most she could do was freeze a clock, but that was about it.
Shu vaguely smirked as he watched her fumble from the corner of his eyes, but was quick to cover the half-smile behind his palm.
"Call me when you do, then I'll be impressed."
"Really?!"
"Hn..." Shu's ostensible attention, though short-lived, had kindled a light of hope within Hime that maybe earning her Father's love wasn't all that distant in the future; though her Uncles didn't think seem to think so.
"Why would you need to freeze time, Shu~?" Laito asked, intrigued.
"So I can sleep longer..." the blonde yawned, closing his eyes and drifting into a light sleep.
"Good-for-nothing," Reiji muttered beneath his breath as he turned away from the lethargic male; and toward the sable-haired girl being hugged by her red-haired brother. "What of your powers, Reg-?"
"Luna," Kaname interceded, before Reiji finished his question, "Luna's power varies from the rest of ours. But you could say its almost equal to my own."
"Why's that?" Subaru had asked, but - once noticing his brothers' inquiring gazes on him - was quick to change the tone of his voice, "I mean, is she dangerous like Kanato's kid?"
"You leave Luka out of this!" Kanato stood up, still holding onto the toddler; who was none the wiser of the things that were happening around him.
"Why? You've grown all soft all of a sudden?" Ayato goaded , though his gaze never once left that of his own son; who returned his stare with a glare.
"Of course not! But he's mine!"
"Aw~ wook at wittle Kanato holding his baby!" Laito taunted, causing his brother to flush furiously.
"Cut it out!"
"Enough!" Reiji yelled, beyond angered of the incessant disruptions. "Must I throw you all out until I discern the rest of their abilities?"
Once the room grew silent, Reiji faced Kaname. "Proceed."
"Luna's ability allows her to read into a person's heart; and no, Uncle Subaru, she does not pose any danger to anyone."
Subaru simply 'tsk-ed' at the response. Nevertheless, he never once looked away from Luna's direction, causing Regina to notice the warmth that pooled within his eyes.
Perhaps, they had been quick to misjudge the man's inner heart with his outer character.
'Mother was right,' she thought, solemnly, ' there's more to them all than what meets the eye.'
"Bo~ring!" Ayato howled, reclining his head back on the seat.
"Ayato," Reiji chastised, "One more word out of you and I'll throw you out, are we clear?"
"Hmph, you think you can kick out ore-sama?" Ayato cocked an eyebrow, as if challenging Reiji to do his worst.
The sophisticated prince simply arranged his glasses against the bridge of his nose, and added with a glare of his own, "Comport yourself, Ayato. This is neither the time, nor the place, for one of your little games. Now," he turned back to Kaname, "you were saying that the child can see into a person's heart. Is it similar in the way that you see into their memories?"
"No. She has to touch the person to be able to read what lies within them, but - just like Luka - she is still too young to control it."
He inwardly hoped that that was enough to satiate his Uncle's thirst for answers.
"I see." he arched a brow, and looked back at Regina.
Nevermind.
"Then-"
"Wait a minute," Akumu was quick to jump from his seat, "What do you mean by Luka's power, Kaname-nii? Last I checked, Luka doesn't have any powers."
"Now that you mention it," Hime added, equally confused, "Why is Luka sitting with Uncle Kanato and not Nee-sama?"
Kaname internally sighed; annoyed, but - nevertheless - grateful that the topic had been diverted from its current course.
"Luka awakened his powers today. We just discovered them about a few minutes before you all got here."
"Really?" Hime asked.
"Yeah."
"What is it?" Akumu glanced over at the toddler in his Uncle's arms.
"I don't know what it is 'exactly', but..." Kaname looked at Luka as well, "He somehow was able to give life to Uncle Kanato's Teddy and...restrain him, too."
"Are you serious?" Hime asked, eyes widened in awe as she glanced at her brother.
Who continued to be blissfully unaware of the attention he had, unknowingly, grasped.
"Where's the bear now?" Akumu asked.
"He was locked up and taken away."
"Why?"
"Because it tried to kill us, that's why." Ayato, interfering in the brothers' conversation, responded.
"I'm surprised it didn't succeed." The boy bit back.
"Akumu-kun!" Regina gasped, tugging on his pajama, as if beckoning him to take a seat before the already tense situation worsened for both Father and Son.
"Heh," The red-haired prince smirked, "You got a bone to pick with me?"
"You hurt my Nee-chan! I'll never forgive you for that!"
"Ore-sama wasn't asking for your forgiveness, you brat." The older of the two crossed his arms against his chest, visibly annoyed.
"Don't call me a brat!" he yelled.
His brothers and sisters could only stare at the ruffled boy verbally fight with his equally rattled father.
"I can call you whatever I want. This is my house, therefore my rules. You should be grateful to ore-sama for even letting you stay here."
"Oh, really? Then let me show you my gratitude right now, Oyaji*!"
Heat surged from his right palm, causing the clenched fist to glow a sizzling red.
Afraid that her brother could harm himself and his Father, Regina quickly placed a hand against his back. Softly rubbing the muscle between the nape of his neck and shoulder blade, she quietly begged him to stop. "Please, Akumu-kun. Don't fight with Uncle Ayato for my sake. I really am okay. What happened before was just a misunderstanding. Do it for me, ne*?"
Akumu's glowing emerald glanced back and his sister; and, seeing her eyes searching his own to reassure herself that he would not fight with his Father, released a withheld sigh and unclenched his fist. Letting the steam in his hand dissipate before embracing her.
"I'm sorry..." he shook, leaving the rest of the room stunned by the boy's quick change of temper. "I did it again, didn't I?"
"No," she assured him with a kiss on his temple, "Not at all. You stopped when I asked you to. That's proof enough for me, Akumu-kun."
"I see the boy resembles you more and more. Right, Ayato~?" Laito snickered.
"Hmph. Whatever."
Ignoring his reprehensible brothers, and taking this opportunity to approach his daughter, Reiji was finally able to ask the question he had most wanted an answer to.
Much to the chagrin of the actinolite-eyed boy.
"What of your power, Regina? What is your ability?"
Akumu sensed the moment that Regina's body went rigid in his embrace. With a slight tremor about her, he gently coaxed her to sit down before carefully mouthing an 'I'll take care of this' - while turning to face his stoic faced Uncle.
"Nee-sama is-!"
"Nee-san's actually-!"
But both siblings found themselves silenced by Akumu, as he cockily stated, "You just saw it for yourself, didn't you?"
"Did I, now?" Reiji arched a brow, not at all liking the boy's condescending attitude. "And, pray tell, when was this?"
"A few seconds ago, actually. You really didn't see?" The boy scoffed, "Those glasses must be for show then."
He could vaguely hear his Father snickering in the background along the other brothers.
"What is it then?"
"She stopped my powers from getting out of control."
Akumu could practically feel the wide eyed stares of his siblings boring a hole through him.
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, it is." With a shrug, the red-haired boy turned back to his sister and offered his hand to her. Lifting her from her seat, he wrapped a protective arm around her lithe waist and beckoned her to walk toward the exit. "May not be much to a high class vampire like yourself. But she's essential to all of us in every way. Nee-chan...Nee-chan is the most special one of us all."
Looking over at Regina, Reiji noticed the openness of her morganite gaze resemble her mother's.
That same, fiendish woman that had betrayed them long ago.
He averted his eyes, not realizing that in doing so, he had inadvertently rejected Regina; who felt torn between what was said and what was real.
Looking away as well, Regina sniffed back incoming tears without letting herself be noticed by her siblings or her Uncles.
"Is that all you wanted to know from us?" Akumu almost barked back, having heard the muted sniffling from his sister.
"Yes. I believe that for now, we have - more or less - a better understanding of what your abilities are. The rest can be assessed at a later date."
"May we be excused, then?" Kaname hastily asked.
"You may."
And with that said, Reiji, Shu, Ayato, and Laito disappeared in the blink of an eye. Subaru, still and silent as a statue, continued to stand on his corner; watching as Luna esteemed Kanato, while the older man continued to play with Luka.
Regina, noticing that the only ones left in the room had been her two uncles and the rest of her siblings, silently traipsed toward the door, before she felt a hand pull her back. Turning around, crystalline morganite met with worried emerald.
"Nee-chan..."
"I'm..." she softly spoke. He could see her lower lip quivering, but she quickly bit it. "I'm going to clean up the mess in the kitchen."
"But...Nee-chan..."
Releasing her hand from his, he watched her disappear within the darkness of the hall.
Shaking his head, he was about to follow after her when - out of nowhere - a stinging pinch grabbed a hold of his earlobe and pulled him to the nearest room, while commanding the upset blonde (who was wondering where her Daddy had run off to) to follow him as well.
-sov-
After silence had inhabited majority of the night, except for the scuffling of feet brushing against the pearl-colored carpet, Hime - finally up to her wits end with all the tension - broke the stillness with an outburst of her own.
"Would you please sit down and tell us what's going on? Your pacing is making me nervous!"
In a whiplash, both blonde and red-haired siblings head a sharp sigh escape their brother as he faced them with a visage that - had they been attending a Setsubun* festival - would've put any Oni* mask to shame.
"Do you think this is a joke, Hime-nee?" He approached them with the same violent intent as earlier. "Do you think that what the both of you have done is anything to be applauded at? To be commended? Don't you see? What you two did downstairs not only put our chance at normalcy at risk, but also endangered the life of the person most important to us!" Taking a deep, bated breath, he questioned through gritted teeth and a piercing glare, "Explain to me what the hell ran through you minds earlier. What were the two of you thinking?!"
Hime was the first to react. "And just what exactly do you mean by that?" Stomping an indignant foot against the ground, she continued, "We were worried for the three of you! If you had woken up, and the first thing you saw was a half-empty bed, wouldn't you go out to look for us? What else were we to do but go and look for the three of you-?!"
She suddenly stopped her outburst.
If looks could kill, she would've been six feet under by now.
It was painfully obvious that the copper-haired boy was in no mood to withstand the blonde's banter at this point.
"Kaname-nii," Akumu approached him, his arms resting precariously behind his head, as if unaware of his brother's current ailment. "We were just-"
He should've known to keep his mouth shut. If the tension in the room was anything to go by.
"What were you trying to pull out there, Akumu?" Kaname's voice was bitter to the ear.
Masking the pain he felt by his brother's obvious distrust in him, the redhead's response was answered in the same detached and indifferent manner he had previously showcased. Though, Hime could tell he was trying really hard not to upset his brother further.
"They wanted to know what our powers were. I just showed 'em a little trick, is all."
"A trick?" Kaname questioned, flabbergasted. "A trick?! Is this some kind of game to you?!"
"No, I-"
"When will you ever take things seriously?!"
Emerald stared deeply into actinolite, before frowning and turning away.
To add to the copperhead's dilemma, his redhead brother simply shrugged his shoulders, as if nonchalant about their current predicament.
"Akumu! Do you know even know what you've gotten us into?" but the hand that was intent on gripping the boy's shoulder was immediately cast away by a vehement tug of the arm.
"Maybe not," he responded, "but I know what I got us out of."
"What?"
Akumu inhaled deeply through his nose, "What were you planning to tell four-eyes, Kaname-nii? That Nee-chan couldn't use her powers because it was raining? That's priceless." There was an evident tone of sarcasm in his voice as he continued. "Oh wait. Knowing you you'd probably say something along the lines of, 'she can't use her powers because of an illness that was passed down through our mother's side.' Of course, you'd always rely on a 'reasonable answer', am I right?"
Kaname clenched his fist.
Hime gasped, horrified.
"How the hell will you explain to them, then, when Nee-chan starts to grow? Huh? Explain that one to me, Kaname-nii."
"Watch your mouth, Akumu." Kaname warned, pointing at him.
"Akumu, shut up." Hime begged.
"No," Akumu fought, "I'm tired of you guys always casting the blame on me! You," he pointed accusingly at his older siblings, "The two of you. You don't even give a crap about Nee-chan."
"That's a lie!" she defended.
"As if!" he scoffed, "The first thing you did when we were downstairs is run to you lazy ass dad! You didn't even bother to see Nee-chan at all!"
The boy was obviously riled, but - in comparison to the anger that manifested before his Father - this situation was different.
It wasn't anger that he felt, though he was no less discomposed about the situation.
The copperhead's unvoiced ire, which had been fervently contained within clenched teeth up until now, reflected at full force through dimmed actinolite in a moment of blind rage.
Suddenly, a loud 'slap' echoed across the room, and Akumu found himself staring at the wall opposite of the door, reddened mark stinging slightly against semi-tanned skin.
"Kaname!" Hime cried out, hand immediately covering her mouth in shock.
"Don't you dare say that I don't care for Nee-san!" Kaname chastised, ignoring Hime's reaction, "Don't you dare say that again! I'm the one that has to put more into protecting this family than either one of you!"
Akumu raised his hand to touch his face.
The sting against his cheek was greatly diminished, when compared to the sting in his heart.
"I care about Nee-sama as well!" Hime fought, brushing the tears from her eyes. "I love her. She's my only big sister. How can you accuse me of not caring for her at all?"
"Now's not the time, Hime-..."
"If you two did care for Nee-chan," Akumu softly spoke, "Why...Why then...haven't either one of you been able to fulfill her dream?"
Both eldest turned to face their brother.
"What Nee-chan wants most in the world is to...to be accepted by Uncle Reiji...to be acknowledged by him," he made a motion to walk out the door. "Even if a lie...I wanted to give her that."
"Your lie will only cause her further suffering when they do find out!" Kaname answered, pained at finally seeing his brother's point of view on the matter of his actions.
"Maybe. But," Akumu grabbed the handle of the door, "The least I could do was give her more time."
Realization dawned on both of the eldest.
"After all, unlike us," he opened the door and left, "her time isn't eternal."
Both siblings stood within the room with regret plastered on their faces.
"Kaname," Hime asked, "Maybe...Maybe it was for the best...What Akumu did, I mean. Maybe-"
"Hime-nee, you and I both know that's not how it will work. That's not how it will ever work." The boy sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I would love it if we could keep lying throughout all this and make it seem that she is one of us, but how - then - will we hide the truth from them when the day comes that Nee-san looks more like our grandmother than our sister?"
She looked at him, a fresh set of tears escaping her.
"When they begin to notice her body change," he said, downcast, "What used to be a fresh youth one day, reduced to ash and dust the next...What then-?"
"Stop!" she pleaded, "Please, don't say anything anymore! I can't take it. The thought of Nee-sama leaving us- No! I don't want to think of it!"
Kaname approached his crying sister and hugged her tightly. "It's a law of life, Hime-nee. None of us can stop it. Not even God himself."
"But...But why Nee-sama?" She cried. "Wasn't it enough taking Okaa-sama away from us?!"
"Hime-nee..." he frowned, pained by his sister's words. "It's inevitable."
"But, why, Kaname-kun? Why her? Why my Nee-sama? What did our kind and benevolent sister ever do to deserve such a curse? Why did she have to be born...?" an incoming sob stopped her from finishing.
"a Human?" Her brother finished for her, finding it necessary that the word be said, making the girl embrace him further until she had her face buried in his neck. "No one cursed her, Hime-nee. Mother's genes simply passed on to her. If Uncle Reiji wasn't such a stiff about perfection, and didn't look down so much on humans...maybe Nee-san's wish would've been easier to fulfill. Even so..." his bangs covered his face for the briefest of moments. "It doesn't matter...It shouldn't matter. Even if she is a human, it won't make us love her any less. Right?"
Despairingly, she nodded; but still continued to pour her sorrows out onto the boy, who could do no more than brush his hand against her back and provide a semblance of emotional stability, even while his own heart shattered at the inexorable truth.
~S.O.V~
Locking the large wooden door behind him, with a tightly muffled 'slam', the red-haired boy clenched his teeth; an almost audible 'crackle' echoing within the dark cavern beneath tightly lined lips. A single, trembling fist gripped the brass knob with restrained force, before releasing the slightly dented object from his grasp.
Emerald eyes, set ablaze within the fine light that illuminated the black-maroon adorned bedroom, flickered angrily beneath the storm's persistent rays.
Ensuring that no one else accompanied him that stormy night within the four walls, he approached the edge of his red-linen bed and slammed his fist against the black-wood carved post; inadvertently causing the frame to mildly shake beneath the sudden force.
A pulsing heart beat.
A bated breath.
A low growl rumbling deep within his chest.
Emerald green shone brightly, like a warning signal, before he took a deep breath and diminished the color by will, allowing a small sizzling sound to escape his lips through a thin strip of smoke.
Mentally and emotionally exhausted, he threw himself against the center of the mattress and looked up at the darkened ceiling overhead; letting his clouded thoughts run rampant within him.
Closing his eyes to will away the leaden emotion weighing his chest, he felt a sudden - and very much unwanted - chill run through the back of his spine before washing over a wave of nausea through him. Sitting up, he quickly covered his mouth, willing back the bile that reached his throat before unrequested tears slid down his cheeks like the rainwater that slid down the windows.
An onslaught of memories hit him.
Unwanted memories.
Unneeded memories.
Memories that he had tried hard to forget.
From a scarred childhood that he wished had been forever buried in his past.
~S.O.V~
Emerald eyes observed - with shuddering trepidation - the men surrounding him.
The rays of the mid-day sun penetrated through the shattered windowsill of that old, dilapidated shed; the one he had always been warned about by the Old Man to never play in, for a reason he could no longer remember. Specks of golden light perforated through chipped wood - reaching his slightly tanned skin in the most minimal of streams.
However, even the slight comfort of the warm light on him - for as small as it was - could not heal the coldness within.
Not when everything around him seemed to be swallowed up in darkness.
And the darkness had soon become the least of his concerns.
He had feared their intentions, for it was clear to see - within those shadowed eyes and crooked grins - that their purpose there had not been for his own sake.
Nevertheless, the inherited pride he owned refused to succumb to the intimidation their scowls instilled.
Even if he was completely, and utterly alone.
The echoing ring of the Chapel's bells began to toll from afar -
marking in its symphonic grace,
the first call of Evening Mass.
Fear - the one emotion he hated above all else - rushed through his veins like a cold jet stream; freezing every limb on the spot.
His body felt strangely heavy,
His lungs oppressed.
All light around him became shrouded by the shadows of those idealistic men in their hallowed sable robes - their towering frames only fueling his indignation.
Pride suppressed the onslaught of emotions creeping into his weakened mind.
But it did not diminish them.
Regina's voice was distant, but he could clearly make out the worry in her tone
as she continuously called his name.
Father Komori was also with her, searching for him.
But he could not call out to them.
His voice remained lodged against his throat -
lest it show his kidnappers the terror that became him at that very moment.
If, in an attempt to recollect what had happened that day, he had tried to ask himself just how he ended up within that abandoned shed - away from the Chapel and the Convent - he would not be able to pinpoint the exact answer.
Or even come up with a good answer at all.
He had shown his siblings the power he possessed.
Had demonstrated the ability to manipulate a - both- feared and coveted element.
His eldest brother had praised his awakening.
His second-eldest sister had crossed her arms in disapproval, huffing about how her power still exceeded his in many ways, but minutely proud that his gift had appeared within such a young age limit.
However, it was the person he sought the highest approval from the most, his beloved 'Nee-chan', who - rather than exalt his prowess - had pleaded with him not to showcase his power in front of anyone else.
With a confused nod, he had agreed.
How could he have known that their every move was being observed
by those that abhorred their existence?
A sharp cry had escaped his lips, when the rough - unforgiving straw - of a rope, coiled itself around his his small wrists and ankles - binding him to that forsaken place.
Five men, all dressed in black cassocks, scrutinized the boy from above their towering frames.
Their faces, which had been nothing more than expressionless voids, began to morph - like monsters of ancient lore - into masks of contempt and wicked interest; unbefitting their proclaimed sanctioned positions.
They laughed and muttered among themselves at his feeble, pathetic form, squirming beneath the strains of the rope - in growing alarm.
They had brought forth crosses,
and rosaries,
and bibles,
and even holy water.
Why were they doing this to him?
Why were they treating him as if he were no more than a demonic entity
that needed to be exorcised?
He was afraid.
Extremely afraid.
And that fear had frozen his body and his blood...
And yet,
the heat within could not be extinguished...
It made him boil to be looked at in such a way.
To be observed,
scrutinized,
as if he were no more than a lab rat.
It was as if...
As if he was no longer classified under the same race as everyone else!
For, even though born a dhampyr - in essence - he was still human...
Wasn't he?
The second toll of the Chapel's bell rung louder than the one before -
beckoning to all
the attention of those who were still dispersed
from the word of God.
It had all remained a blur from that point forward.
He could no longer recall what was what anymore, as the sound of their voices began to ring louder than the beat of his frightened heart.
He could feel his body trembling against his will.
He could sense their mockery behind every scrutinizing gaze.
He could hear their curses and taunts - fueling the seething rage within.
They had shunned him in the worst possible way.
Denied him his God-given right
- his humanity -
as they insulted him;
ridiculed the existence of his siblings and he,
threw stones at him,
and chanted their damned prayers.
All because of the men they derived from,
And the woman that bore them.
The humiliation did not stop.
They, the damned bastards, continued to mock his beaten form; spewing their chants and their salvation unto a young boy who had yet to reach his 8th birthday.
And as their voices continued to grow louder and louder.
His blood continued to boil further and further.
It was simply a second in time,
but one that could never be forgotten.
Silence reigned for the briefest of moments,
as the hideous sound of their distorted chants still echoed within the concealed room.
He broke out in cold sweat.
What happened next only served to prove that this so-called 'gift' he owned,
was no more than a wicked curse.
The sound of the Chapel's final bell tolled in the distance
- its saccharine chime -
muffling the agonizing screams beneath.
Frozen in horror, he watched as those who had once been human, lay sprawled around him - their bodies no more than charred weight - dragged by blackened limbs across the dilapidated wooden floor.
They screeched like pigs prepared for the slaughterhouse, but the strain of their vocal chords calling for help was all for naught - immediately silenced - by the woeful cry of the evening bells initiating Mass.
He hadn't meant to do it!
It hadn't been his intention!
But they just wouldn't stop!
The repugnant stench of seared flesh had infiltrated his nostrils. Its sickening odor pervading within his lungs like heavy smog, throwing him into a fit of coughs.
An arm, boiled like a lobster's reddened shell, reached out toward him - its bubbling skin melting like candle wax; but before it could grab a hold of him, it sizzled to a stop, instantly turning to ash before his very eyes.
Glowing Emerald watched the entire ordeal with knots in his stomach, and bile in his throat.
It had all been because of them!
They deserved it all for what they had done!
For what they had said!
And yet...
In claiming the blame upon those things that no longer appeared to be human - his own was beginning to emerge in the most abhorrent of ways.
And it smiled back at him in the form of an egregious sin.
'I'm so...'
His voice was a hoarse whisper,
affected by the bile and smog,
as he muffled a sob behind trembling hands,
'I'm so sorry!
The tears he had refused to release just moments prior, now easily slid down his heated cheeks, shriveling like the skin of their bodies within the blazing inferno surrounding him.
Yet, the scorching temperatures did nothing to him.
After all...
It was he who had summoned the Flames of Purgatory.
Terms and Definitions
ice flowers - window frost
Oyaji - "Old Man/Father" in Japanese
Ne - "Okay/Right?" in Japanese
Setsubun - "Bean Throwing Festival"; although, in Japanese it literally means "seasonal division", but usually the term refers to the spring Setsubun, properly called Risshun celebrated yearly on February 3 as part of the Spring Festival.
Oni - "Demon" in Japanese