Eyes red as Blood
Twenty second Night: Turmoil
"What's wrong, Rima?" Arisu opened the door after the quiet knock resounded.
"May I come in?" Rima asked. The girl was clearly frazzled as she fidgeted with the hem on her blazer.
"Of course, you needn't ask," Arisu replied, stepping aside. Once the girl was inside Arisu motioned her to sit on one of the armchairs by the window. Arisu quietly prepared tea with honey, heating the water in a tea cup was no problem with her spells, and handed it to the aristocrat. "Are you okay?"
Rima accepted the tea, and held it close to her while answering, "It's Senri. I think there's something… wrong him. I know it sounds crazy, and he just came back, but I can't help to feel something sinister around him."
Arisu froze. "Have you told anyone else?"
Rima was unnerved by the severity in her voice. Quickly she shook her head. The fear in Rima's eyes became evident, but it wasn't directed at Arisu and it wasn't just because she thought something was wrong.
Arisu grabbed her hands and leaned forward, "Rima, did he do something to you?" Her heart sank when she saw Rima's facade falter. The model's bottom lip quivered, and Arisu felt her hands tightly fist in hers.
"It wasn't Senri. I know it wasn't him... He'd never hurt me," she replied once she found the words to, "I haven't been harmed, but… I don't know how to word it. I was sitting in the common room. Senri entered and just kept on looking at me… His eyes, they scared me. Takuma rushed into the room before Senri could talk to me and took him away."
"Was there something different with his eyes? Think back; you may have been trying to protect yourself by overlooking some details," Arisu explained. She remained holding onto her hands, "Take a deep breath, and close your eyes. There's no need to worry, I'm here."
Rima did as she was instructed, visibly tensing. When she opened her eyes again there was a mix of fear and worry that was quickly becoming overtaken by anger as she continued to speak. "His eyes were different color. And his aura wasn't his."
Arisu tightened her grasp; that was all the confirmation she needed.
"Rima, listen to me. I know you're angry right now. I suspect you know who is behind this, but please do not confront him right now. That would extremely dangerous for you." This only served to fuel the girl's anger.
"Then what am I supposed to do? Nothing. Senri is hurting right now." She withdrew her hands from Arisu's and clenched them at her side.
"Rima. You don't know what -
"Oh and you do?" Rimas eyes narrowed when Arisu didn't respond right away, "of course you do. You know, Arisu, I thought you'd be different from Kaname."
Arisu recoiled as if Rima had struck her. A flash of remorse shone in Rimas eyes, but was masked under layers of anger. Rima didn't say anything else as she stormed out of the room.
Arisu gripped the table to support herself. This isn't how things were supposed to go.
"DAMMIT!" She let go and kicked the edge of the table with the arch of her foot. The table screeched as it slid to the nearby wall hitting it with a loud thud. Arisu turned and took hold of the back of Rima's chair and threw it towards her desk. It collided and cracked under the pressure. The vase toppled over and the sound of glass shattering filled the room for when the vase hit the floor. The wilting flowers lay scattered on the floor. Arisu willed herself back into control. She slowly walked to the broken vase and knelt down to pick up the shards, not caring if her knees became wet because of the spilt water. One by one she gathered the pieces, stacking them on top of one another until there were none left in the floor. Mechanically she stood up and walked to the trash bin, dropping all the shards in. She turned around so that her back was pressed against the wall. Sliding down to ground, resting her head on her knees. There was a knock on the door, but Arisu didn't bother responding because she knew he would let himself in either way.
"Arisu, are you alright?" The door opened and closed softly when Kaname entered the room. She could hear him walking towards her.
"Just peachy," she grumbled back. Arisu was quickly becoming embarrassed by her outburst. Not to mention she had accused Kaname of doing the same thing RIma accused her of.
"I'm sure Rima didn't mean what she said," Kaname soothed. His voice sounded close.
"You were listening, were you?" Arisu lifted her head to give him a weak glare. He was kneeling on one knee in front of her.
"No, but I saw her angrily walking away from your room and assumed." He didn't think it necessary to point out the disarray of the room as evidence.
"You think you're so smart," Arisu's annoyance overtook her embarrassment.
"I do, actually. Now will you stop making childish remarks; its unbecoming of you." Kaname tucked her lose locks of hair behind her ear, giving her a small smile. Arisu pulled her head away making Kaname sigh. "I know that Rido is back and at the academy. Please, stay away from him, and I'll not ask you to do anything else."
Arisu looked at him, and nodded.
It went unspoken that Arisu wished for Yuki to remain completely out of this ordeal, but that wasn't in Kaname's plans anymore. He needed to buy time now. Enough time so that he could ensure their safety as well as enough time to eradicate the Vampire Council.
"Don't do anything stupid, Kaname," she muttered.
Kaname chuckled, "I can't guarantee that. I've heard love makes people act stupidly."
Arisu looked away; her heart hurt. She wasn't sure if Kaname was referring to Yuki or to the Ancestress. She wondered if he was really doing this to protect Yuki or if he had ulterior motives. Kaname didn't say anything else as he left the room. Arisu stayed there for a while longer before deciding to tidy her room. Outside the air was chilly.
It wasn't until she was done cleaning that she noticed a folded piece of paper sitting atop her desk. Gingerly she reached for it, recognizing Kaname's handwritting when she unfolded it.
I suspect Rido knows of both of you.
As deranged as he is, he still believes in the traditions of the Kuran. If my suspicions are correct, Rido will move so that he kills me and Yuki to leave you as the heir to Kuran. I chose Yuki, so without us in the picture, you would be next heir.
Therefore, it would not make sense to leave her defenseless. Yuki will be turning tonight. I know Mother would not have wanted this. I'm sorry.
"There he goes doing something stupid," Arisu muttered, resigned. She grabbed her coat and left the dorms to find Zero. Along the way, she summoned her familiar and gave it orders to tell Kai to be on the lookout for Shiki as he was being possessed by Rido. Arisu jogged through the halls in search of the male prefect and found him sitting on the window sill in one of the buildings.
"What do you want, Kuran?" he asked but didn't glance her way as she approached.
"There is something you should know. Actually, I already told you before, but you asked me to erase your memories."
This time Zero turned and glared at her. "What are you talking about?"
"Kaname will turn Yuki tonight. When you see her next time, she'll be a pure blooded vampire, but –
"You must be joking," Zero relaxed after hearing the preposterous idea.
"I'm not. I have no reason to lie. I'm only telling you because I fear your reaction to her."
The hunter stood up from and towered over her. "Leave."
"I will," she hesitated before continuing, "Remember all the memories you have of Yuki. She'll still be in there." '
Zero growled and lunged for her, but Arisu was quicker, leaving through the window before Zero could pull out bloody rose.
There was a gust of wind as she landed outside. Energy buzzed in the air. It must have happened just then. Arisu looked over her shoulder to see if she needed to continue running away, but Zero wasn't following her. Arisu could only hope he listened to what she said. It wasn't long before she made it back to the Moon Dorms to wait, surely Kaname would be back with Yuki soon.
She was swarmed by aristocrats and their questions as soon as she entered the building. They could all feel the prescence of another pureblood nearby. She glanced around the room and saw Kai leaning against the Dorm wall. She gave him a slight nod before turning towards the others, "It is best that you wait for Kaname to come back. I'm sure your questions will be answered then."
Some of the aristocrats protested, but Arisu ignored them and went to stand by Kai. It wasn't long before they could feel Kaname and the other pureblood approaching the Moon Dorm. Kai nudged Arisu, and she looked up at him, "Calm down; you're too nervous."
"Can you blame me?" she replied, but did her best to do so. She cunclenched her hands at the sound of the front door.
"It all makes sense now," Hanabusa muttered to himself. He was the first of the aristocrats to recover from shock.
The unknown pureblood presence was undoubtedly coming from the long-haired girl. From the once human Yuki Cross. She was being carried by Kaname, and fear settled in Arisu. Why wasn't she awake yet? It shouldn't be taking this long. Arisu rushed past the group to stand in front of the two of them. SHe had to fight down tears as her eyes set on Yuki, this Yuki, so close 's rich brown hair was longer, and her bangs were partially covering her face. Arisu reached out tentatively, ignoring the conversation that Kaname was having with the others. When her trembling fingers made contact, Yuki whimpered and opened her eyes ever so slightly. Their eyes met, and it was only the two of them.
"Ari," Yuki barely whispered before closing her eyes again.
Arisu covered her mouth with her hands to prevent herself from crying out. After calming down, she reached out to caress Yuki's sleeping face. She bent down to plant a gentle kiss on the sleeping girl's forehead. "I missed you, Yuki. Welcome back."
"Hey, I must take her inside before she wakens," Kaname spoke softly.
Arisu nodded and stepped aside, following him through the group. She looked up at Kaname, feeling his gaze inntently watching her. His eyes asking her a silent question. Arisu placed her hand on his arm, "I'm fine."
"Why hasn't she woken yet?" She asked once they were in his room. Kaname carefully sat on his bed, cradling Yuki in his arms.
"She'll wake soon. If you don't want to be here when she feeds for the first time, I suggest you leave now," he replied, looking right at her. His gaze never wavering.
She knew it was going to happen, but it didn't lessen the hurt. She had known Yuki would feed on Kaname. Once Yuki drank his blood willingly, it would mean she had accepted his proposal, and Arisu would never be able to drink his blood without committing taboo. She had accepted the fact and turned to walk out of the room just as Yuki was stirring in his arms. She closed the door, preventing the scent of Kaname's blood from fully reaching her.
"You don't look fine to me."
Arisu jumped and looked to her right. Kai was leaning against the wall.
"Is that your new thing? Leaning against walls, I mean," She replied nonchalantly as if she wasn't bothered by what was going on in the room.
"You're not fooling anyone," Kai walked towards her, "come with me."
"Let go of me," Arisu protested when Kai grabbed her hand and started dragging her away from the room.
"No," he looked over his shoulder at her, "You'll end up hurting yourself or destroying something if I leave you alone."
"You don't know that," she muttered, but her protests became weaker, "You don't even know me."
"I don't, but I – Just follow me."
Arisu stopped protesting, and let herself be pulled away. They were soon out in the biting cold.
"How come you let him do whatever he wants?"
"It's not like I can stop him," she replied, attempting to pull her hand out of his, but he gripped her harder. Kai opened his mouth to reply, but kept silent instead. They were walking on along the path leading to the gate that separated the two classes when they both smelled blood.
"It's not Kaname's; we wouldn't be able to smell it from here," Arisu thought out loudm "I think it's Rima's."
"You think somethings happened to her?" Kai asked.
"Yes, I think she confronted Rido even though I told her not to."
"I'll look for her while you head back to the dorm." Finally, he let go of her hand.
Arisu shook her head, "No. I need to go look for her too. It's my fault that –
"Quit it will ya," Kai grumbled back, "Just go back, I know you can feel their presence as well."
She furrowed her brow. She didn't know what he was talking about, but she closed her eyes and breathed inm ignoring the scent of blood. Seconds later she could feel what he was talking about. A horde of vampires were fast approaching. They would reach the Day Class Dorms first. Arisu laughed, confusing Kai.
"There's even less of a reason for me to go hide now," she explained, "I'll go tell Zero about our guests. He should help us take care of them." No doubt Yagari and the Chairman already knew about this attack because of the Association. Kai was about to protest when Arisu reached up to cover his mouth with her hand. "I'm not weak," he raised an eyebrow, "Quit being cheeky. I'm fine now; I have a goal. If you want, I'll even promise to stay out of harms way as much as possible."
Kai rolled his eyes and pulled her hand away from his mouth. "Just don't die."
"I'm not planning on it," she smiled, "So may I ask that you make sure Rima is safe while I go find Zero?"
"I'll come find you after I confirm her safety."
They stood there, facing one another.
"I can't leave if you hold on to me." Arisu deadpanned, nodding her head to their joined hands.
"Right," Kai didn't immediately let go.
This time Arisu rolled her eyes and waited until he let go. "Be careful."
"Speak for yourself, Arisu," Kai replied, watching her leave. When she crossed the gate, he walked towards the scent of the blood.
Arisu had reached the Day Class Dorms when the student council president stopped her, asking if she needed anything.
"I need to speak with Zero, have you seen him?"
"Erm, no, but I did hear the students say he was escorted by Mr. Yagari out of the dorm to the Headmaster's office," the boy replied. Sheepishly he placed a hand on his neck, "Sorry."
"Not your fault. Wait, classes were canceled today?"
"Yes, I was told by the Headmaster to make sure everyone stayed in their dorms."
Arisu thanked him and bid him well before jogging in the direction of the Headmaster's office. She saw him walking briskly out of his accommodations, sword in hand. "Headmaster!" She was startled when he turned around and frowned at her.
"Go back to your dorm, Arisu." That was all he said before turning around again.
"Wait," he stopped and glanced back at her, "Where is Zero?"
"Didn't you hear me? Go back to your room. We don't have time for this."
"With all due respect, Headmaster, I don't want to be there right now, and you can imagine why. I need to find Zero. There is a large group of vampires heading towards the Day Class Dorms."
The headmaster swore under his breath.
"He's in the Academy dungeons." His voice turned bitter as he continued talking, "Apparently, the Hunter's Association felt the need to detain him." Arisu nodded, and bowed her thanks. He studied her, "Don't do anything rash. He's volatile right now."
"I understand." The Headmaster sighed, but said nothing more as he quickly left.
It wasn't until after he was far enough away that Arisu realized her heart was hammering in her chest. She had never felt fear being near the Headmaster, but at the moment her instincts screamed at her to put as much distance between them. He was dangerous. Arisu pitied whoever he was going after.
Once she had control of her senses, she went searching for the dungeons. She already had a general idea of where the dungeons were; Yuki had told her all about the Academy grounds when she was learning to be a Prefect. Zero had mostly just stayed silent and glared at her, Arisu chuckled at the memory as she walked down the steps hidden away at the edge of the campus.
"What do you want this time?" Zero's voice echoed in the damp walls and her humor disappeared, "haven't you done enough?"
Arisu passed through the entrance way to get to the farthest cell where Zero was sitting in. His violet eyes were stormy, a swirl of anger and hate resided in them.
"No, I haven't. which is why I am here," she raised an upturned palm, "The humans are in danger."
He scoffed at her, "You expect me to believe that you care for their well being?"
"No, I don't, but I would hope you help protect them." She dropped her hands.
"Even if I wanted to, I can't get out of here," Zero condescendingly remarked, "the bars are warded to prevent me from breaking out."
"It's a good thing I'm here then," Arisu tentatively smiled at him.
Zero rolled her eyes. "Don't. I will kill you once I get out."
"You can try, but I'm sure you'll prefer to run along and save my sister instead of wasting your time with me." Zero snarled at her, and clutched the bars. There was a nauseating sizzling noise and they both smelled burnt flesh.
"Stop that, Kiryu." The two of them turned towards the entrance. Kaname was standing there, "You'll be of no use if you injure yourself."
Kaname turned his icy stare to Arisu, "You. How dare you –
"How dare I what?" She matched his glare with one of her own.
Zero became unsettled by the sheer power they were both exuding. He wouldn't show it, but he was affected by the two purebloods.
Kaname closed his eyes, and took a deep breath to calm himself. "You shouldn't be here."
"I gathered that from everyone telling me."
They all quieted as they heard footsteps coming down the steps.
"Hello, Kaname," Kai greeted as he passed by him to stand next to Arisu. She spared him a glance, and he nodded. She visibly relaxed knowing that Rima was fine.
"This doesn't concern you, Koruya," Kaname bit out, thinking that she had relaxed because he other boy was there now. He was frustrated. Arisu shouldn't be here much less the other one. Zero was all but forgotten.
"Didn't Arisu tell you? We are allies now, so I'll stand by her against those that would cause her harm," the blond responded.
Kaname looked at her; his blank expression hiding his anger and hurt.
"Arisu, send your dog away," Kaname commanded.
Kai whistled at the insult. Arisu balled her fists; Kaname could be cruel. They all still waited for her reply.
She hoped her voice didn't tremble, and she looked at the wall behind Kaname. "Kai, could you see to the safety of the humans?"
Kai looked down at her incredulously.
"I'll be fine," she whispered more to herself.
He continued looking at her, frowning.
"Go." The girl gently prodded him to the side.
"As you wish, but I'd like to point out that Kaname over there gave Rido enough blood to fully revive himself."
"It was necessary," Kaname defended himself as Kai left, "That was the only way to get him out of Shiki's body."
"Whatever," Kai waved at them as he disappeared out the door.
It was silent, neither vampire knew what to say before Kaname broke the silence.
"Arisu, I know you're hurt, but come back to where I can protect you." He beckoned her to him, but she didn't move. He waslked to her instead. She drew back when he got too close to her. A look of hurt crossed Kaname's features. He reached out to her to cradle her face in both of his hands. The younger vampire tried pulling back when he brought his face closer to hers, but he held her in place with his hands. Now he was only a couple of inches from her.
"I really am sorry, Arisu," he murmured before closing the remaining gap between them. His lips softly touched hers.
Arisu was so taken aback that she barely registered the stinging pain on her neck. Her eyes glazed over and her vision blurred just as Kaname pulled away. Vaguely she registered Zero yelling, but he sounded so far away. It was becoming hard to keep her eyes open even though she tried so hard. Kaname's face was the last thing she saw before she collapsed into his arms, unconscious.
Revised 3/20/20