The next day Rose walked into the sitting room without saying a word and avoiding eye contact with Hanabusa.
Hanabusa of the other hand was dying to ask her what exact had happened last night. She usually seemed so calm and arrogant but when he saw her in that hallway she looked a mess, almost like a Level E.
She sat down at her usual spot and heard the conversation around her. News that Kaname went to a summit with Yuki had spread fast, especially the fact that Rose wasn't invited.
She felt just awful about the night before and what she made him do. In a desperate attempt to not seem so flawed she caused him to up and leave her again. She really was pathetic.
Rose paused when she heard Hanabusa call out to her in the back of her mind. "Hey, Lady Adelaide?"
She reluctantly turned to him as he whispered. "Are we just not going to talk about what happened last night?"
Looking around at the others in the room she quickly stood and moved to leave. "Nope."
Without thinking Hanabusa raced forward at grabbed her arm to stop her. He couldn't live with a response like that, he needed to know.
The action surprised Rose and the people around her as her gaze shifted from his face to the two bite marks on his neck. She had done that to him.
Carefully lifting her hand she ran her fingers lightly across the marks to which Hanabusa stood frozen as a light blush ran across his cheeks. What was she doing?
Just then she gave him a face that he had never seen her wear before. It was a look of utter disappointment and pity and he wondered exactly who it was aimed at.
Rose closed her eyes and let her hand fall before speaking. "If you want to stop here with being a guardian then I will tell Kaname and my uncle."
Hanabusa internally gasped at what she was saying. Was she letting him go? There agreement was supposed to be until the end of the break but she was setting him free.
He opened his mouth to speak when another voice entered the room. Rose turned as he spoke. "I have a package for you Lady Adelaide."
Hanabusa watched as Rose's mouth curved up into a warm smile before taking the package. It seemed to be shaped like some sort of book and whatever it was it made her smile like that.
She held it close to her chest as Matthew entered the room and she quickly withdrew. "My Lord wishes to see you."
Rose looked at him for a second before slowly nodding her head and reluctantly giving the book to a maid passing by. "Could you please put this in my room?"
The maid nodded joyful as she handed the book off before turning back to Matthew.
When they entered the room Hanabusa could feel an immense heavy aura attending from the space. It didn't feel welcoming.
Rose stepped forward before bowing her head like always in respect. "You wished to see me uncle?"
This time Carson didn't smile like usual and just gestured one of the servants to bring in an object wrapped in cloth. "You know Rosabella, I believe I told you not to test me."
He unraveled the cloth and Rose tried to hide her fear but failed to do so. Underneath that thin piece of fabric was her hunter's bow.
Hanabusa felt the air shift as Carson stood. "Honestly you keep surprising me. I would have never thought that this is how you would spend your time."
Rose balled her first in anger as she looked up. "With all due respect, you never specified what I could and could not do."
Suddenly a loud crack could be heard throughout the room as Rose fell on her knees in pain. Her jawed screamed from the sting as she didn't dare to look up at him.
Hanabusa raced forward to help her in fear when she shouted. "No! Stay where you are Hanabusa."
He complied but started to regret it when Carson gave a low laugh. "At least you remember that much. I did think you had matured over those years, but it seems I was wrong. No matter, we can fix that."
She sharply lifted her head when she heard those words and found Carson lifting her bow before chucking it into the fire beneath the fireplace.
She could do nothing but watch as the flames engulfed her only speck of humanity and covered the wood into a ashened mess.
Tear threatened to fall but she shoved them down as he turned back to her. "There. Now then.."
He stopped when he saw a shining piece of metal in her neck and his eyes darkened. Rose deepened her eyes in fear and confusion when he stepped forward. "What do we have here? I thought I sold this pile of junk."
Before she could react Carson wrapped his hand around her necklace and pulled in from her neck painfully, the clasp breaking in the process.
Rose hissed in pain as the metal rubbed against her skin as he held one of the only remaining joys in her life.
He held the necklace by the ends before crushing it in his hand. "You never learn do you?
Carson walked to throw it in the fire when Rose screamed. "NO! Please…"
He paused at her noncompliance and turned to look at her.
Shaking Rose threw away her pride and kneeled before Carson as the tears came cascading down her face. "Please, It's all I have left of him."
He watched her for a moment before kicking her in the chest and causing her to fall backward. Then he grabbed a fistful of her hair and made her look at the fireplace as he handed the necklace to Matthew. "A pureblood crying and begging? Seems like that humanity is still left on you."
Then as she grunted in pain Rose watched Matthew throw the last connection she had to her human life being thrown into the fire.
She screamed out in anguish as Carson held her hair firmly in place. She had lost everything, her hunting, Kaname, Zero, and now she had lost the last remaining piece of her past.
Carson released her when she stopped struggling and let her fall to the floor. Her smiled at her compliance and snapped his fingers as two burly guards approached. "Now, it seems we need mold you to erase that humanity from you again Rosabella. Take her."
Hanabusa watched as the guards grabbed onto each of her arms before lifting her up and carrying her away. She didn't try to claw, fight or scream like she usually did, instead she stood there numbly as they let her take her away.
Once they were gone Hanabusa turned to Carson and asked. "What are they going to do to her?"
Carson glanced at the aristocrat before moving back to his chair and sitting. "There is no need to worry Hanabusa, she will be back soon. You are dismissed"
Hanabusa remained frozen when another guard carefully touched his arm, telling him to leave.
Three days later Hanabusa paced his room back and forth wondering what could have happened to her. She seems so afraid and terrified
It had been three days and there had been no word of Rose anywhere, truthfully he was starting to get worried.
Wandering the hallways he paused at her room and noticed that the door was unlocked. Looking back and forth for any sign of people he slowly slipped in and shut the door.
What was he doing? Was he actually worried about her? Just the thought of her face brought a low pain in his stomach. Where was she?
He stopped when he saw the same book from three days ago resting on her bed. She looked so happy when it arrived and he wondered what could possibly be inside.
Telling himself it was wrong he thought about it for a moment before saying screw it and opening the top cover.
Inside was a collection of writings that looked like a journal. He read the first couple pages and gasped.
Dear Rose,
Zero is doing quite well today. The loss of you and Yuki has caused him to throw himself into his work and he usually stays late at the association. I do believe he is handling it in his own way through which is a step in the right direction. Yesterday he made vegetable soup but ended up burning the entire pot because he was spacing out, sounds like Zero huh? Sometimes at night I hear him go to the rooftop of the school and just look out at the horizon until sunrise. I may just be saying things but I believe the he is thinking about you and Yuki. Tomorrow we plan to go on a hunt together so I can whip him into space after being all mopey for days. I'll tell you how it goes tomorrow, let's hope I don't end up getting shot cause that would be a real bummer.
Sincerely, Kaien Cross
After reading the first entry Hanabusa almost dropped the book. Why did she have a book of entries about Zero?
Suddenly he heard a creak and jumped up to find Rose standing in the doorway with an unreadable expression.
Hanabusa jumped and quickly looked at the book before closing it and hiding it behind his back. "Ahh I'm so happy you are back Lady Adelaide, I was just ummm."
Rose quickly stepped forward with a blank expression before grabbing Hanabusa by the tie and lifting him of the ground.
He avoided her eyes and stuttered nervously. She was pissed, she was so pissed at him. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! It was just there and I-."
Without a word Rose pulled Hanabusa along down another hallway before opening the door to a library.
He wondered why he was here until she pulled him along a stopped by a wall of book. Carefully scanning the shelve she pulled a certain book down and the book shelf slid to reveal a passage.
Hanabusa gasped as she threw him into the dark corner as he tried to explain himself. "Look I'm so sorry Lady Adelaide, if you would just let me explain I could.."
He paused when she flicked out the light switch at saw what exactly was in that room.
Hundreds of books that looked just like the ones he just read lined the left side of the wall, covering the entire surface. On the right ride where almost identical books except instead of being black they were colored in an off white.
Hanabusa looked around in confusion as Rose closed her eyes and shut the bookcase, leaving him alone.
He heard the sound of the entrance being sealed at looked at the books. Wondering if this was really okay he carefully picked one off the top row labeled "10" and opened it up.
Dear Rose,
Zero seemed to be eating better today compared to other days. I wish he would tell me what his favorite food was but whenever I ask he just looks at me in annoyance, typical Zero. Yuki seemed to be having a good influence on him and yesterday I actually saw him smile to her. Can you believe that? He still has nightmares even though he tried to hide them from me I can still hear him yelling from his room. He keeps urging me to teach him to hunt, sounds like someone else I know. Slowly by slowly I can see him attempting to open up a bit more.
Sincerely, Kaien Cross
Hanabusa closed the entry and placed it back on the wall before looking at the others. Were all of these entries about Zero?
Then he turned to the other wall at pulled out a small white book with the label "10R" on it before opening it up, except this one shocked him even more.
Dear Zero,
I'm so happy you decided to eat again and if I could I would come over and make a thousand different dishes until you told me which one is your favorite. I am a pretty great cook you know. I wish I could see what your smile was like, I'm sure it's even more amazing then I could picture. I know very well how terrifying nightmares can be first hand and I'm sorry you have to experience them. If I could I would rub your head like my parents used to for me and stay with you until they were gone. Everything will get better I promise, if you were able to smile today then maybe you will be able to laugh tomorrow. I just know it's possible.
Signed, Rose
Hanabusa looked up before putting the book away in its rightful place. So this was the extent of her love.
He had always wondered what was so great about that silver haired hunter but now he felt like he understood a bit more. All of these white colored books where responses to Cross's letters.
He wondered to himself if Zero had even actually seen these since they looked handwritten.
Pulling out a stack of both the black and white colored books he sat down and began to read her story.
Once he had finished Hanabusa found his way back to Rose's room to find her waiting on the bed for him.
He looked at her and started with his millions of questions. "That room, why did you show me that?"
She looked up at him before speaking. "Because I knew you were going to ask a million questions after you read the first one so I thought this was easier."
Hanabusa nodded his head knowing that's exactly what was going to happen if she hadn't shown him. "Has he read any of them?"
Rose's head shot up and narrowed her eyes. "Of course not. It complicated."
Complicated? That was a understatement. "What's complicated? Why don't you just show him?"
She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed loudly. "It doesn't work like that Hanabusa."
He didn't understand anything she was saying but watched her get up and leave. "It's time for my lessons, remember what I said about interfering."
When they got to her usual study room an older woman was already there waiting for them.
She taught the lesson quickly and firmly as Rose started to jot down notes at lightning speed until she was finished.
Putting down her pencil the woman walked over to her and started testing her as Hanabusa watched. She seemed tense. "According to legend, the Shinto Sun Goddess who was the Great-Grandmother of Emperor Jimmu, the mythical founder of Japan and the Japanese Imperial family?"
Roes looked at her dead in the eyes and answered. "Amaterasu."
The woman nodded her head and asked another. "Dogū figurines date from the _ period."
She glanced at the board before stating. "Jomon"
Seeming pleased the woman took a step closer and continued "The largest Kofun tomb is has been attributed to be the tomb of who?"
Hanabusa noticed a bead of sweat drop down her forehead as she nervously replied. "Emperor Jimmu."
The woman looked furious as she slapped Rose across the face and she fell to the side. "Wrong. Would you like to give it another try?"
Rose bitterly looked up and tried to remember her notes. "Izanami?"
Another hard slap met Rose as she spit out a drop of blood and the woman looked down on her in disappointment. "Wrong again. Let's try it again."
This continued for another hour until Rose was able to answer all of the questions from the lessons correctly and then she was dismissed.
Rose staggered down the hallway until they got to her room and Hanabusa yelled. "What the hell was that? Hitting a pureblood?"
She rolled her eyes and moved to remove the pins from her hair. "Don't worry about it Hanabusa. It's always like this."
His eyes grew wide in shock as he grabbed her arm. He didn't care about being polite anymore, he was genuinely afraid for her. "What do you mean always like this? Does Lord Kaname know?"
Rose laughed bitterly at his response and put her hand on her dresser. "Not until recently no. But it looks like that didn't stop him from leaving again. Carson's special orders to make me perfect."
He tightened the hold her arm before shouting. "Then why won't you do something about it?! I've seen your records as a hunter, you could destroy him if you wanted to. So why?"
She looked at him before shaking his hand off her. "It's not that easy. You don't understand."
Hanabusa was done trying to be nice to her, he needed answers. "Then make me understand!"
Rose stood in silence for a moment before sighing at walking over to her desk before pulling out a folder of papers.
Then she gripped the folder and threw its contents on the floor.
Hundreds of papers flew onto the ground as Hanabusa picked one of them up. It seemed to be a profile of an aristocratic vampire, in fact all of them were profiles of various vampires. "What is this?"
Rose darkened her eyes and showed him the entirety of the contents. "It's a list of Carson Ackermans followers. All 200 of them."
Hanabusa gasped and picked up even more papers before realizing it was true. He heard her voice though his thoughts. "2 purebloods, 50 aristocrats, 40 regular vampires, 60 Level E's and 48 humans."
He looked up and saw her pick up on of them before crumpling it in her hands. "It doesn't matter if I destroy Carson. He has so many followers it won't matter, another one will just replace him. He's purposely weaving a web so that I can't cut free. That's why I have to destroy all of them."
Hanabusa watched her eyes turned crimson as he looked at all the names of the floor. Could she really kill all of these vampires? "Is that even possible?"
They watched as Rose took her foot and forcefully stomped on the profiles before looking at him with a murderous gaze and muttering. "I'll make it possible."