Fifth Night

Yuuki strode across the shadow-casting grounds of Cross Academy in the dim, dreary night, wielding Artemis with minor carefulness. She wondered what Zero had done with his weapon; the anti-vampire Bloody Rose gun. Surely he would not bring it with him in the Night Class. Zero was not that stupid so as to arouse such a ruckus among the other vampires. But still, she could dismally see him still carrying it with him unaware of all the precautions. A smile representing small laughter elapsed from her lips. Her mind began to aimlessly wander with reminiscing thoughts of good, old memorable times, as, suddenly a voice disrupted her avid remembering,

"Where might I find Headmaster Cross?"

Unaware that anyone was even here, for she could not feel their slight presence, she jumped back unconsciously, startled, her body reacting on it's own to the sudden shock. She regained her stance for a moment, cleared her head, as she saw standing in front of her now a dark figure of a person. She could hardly see them amidst the very faint moonlight, but she could distinctly distinguish the figure of a young man much to her own age, it seemed; or rather, closer to Zero's age.

"He's not a vampire…" Yuuki concluded to herself with stern eyes as she gripped Artemis tighter in her firm hands.

"Don't worry I'm not an enemy." The figure spoke in a calm, kind manner. They raised both of their hands up as if rejecting an offer or request that was thrust to upon them. And, just as Yuuki had deduced, judging by their voice, it was indeed a young man.

"I am Headmaster Cross' nephew. Rather, he is my uncle."

"Y-You're his nephew?!" Yuuki exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, I was supposed to arrive tomorrow morning, but…"

"So you're…you're going to be the new prefect?" Her voice undetectably faltered.

"That's right. How did you know?"

Yuuki faintly caught the hint of a smile on the person's moonlit-bathed face as she realized now that this was the person who…who would be replacing Zero. Her eyes lowered in the dismayed realization of this as she eased her grip on Artemis.

"Ah, I see. You're Headmaster Cross' adopted daughter, aren't you?" He spoke again in a friendly tone, as Yuuki looked back up at him with a meek expression.

"What was it…?" He paused retaliating in thought for a moment. "Yuuki! Right?"

"Y-Yes…" Yuuki replied with a wayward smile as she knew undoubtedly that the only way he could possibly know her name of it was because the Headmaster—her semi-crazed feather—had told him "all about Yuuki! My sweet little Yuuki!" His overly loving voice rang through her head with these words as she slumped her shoulders and composure at his fonding demeanor for her. Not that she resented it as anything bad or ungrateful for it. But simply…embarrassed for it, so to put it plainly. Noticing Yuuki's silent, meager reply to his words, as she was thusly spaced out as described above, he spoke once again, this time in a reproachful manner as if most humbly apologizing for a great crime,

"I-I'm sorry. I must have caught you off guard all of a sudden…"

Yuuki shook her head, retreating back to the world and current situation. "N-No! My mind just wandered off for a minute." She timidly smiled. "I can take you to the Headmaster."

"Would you?" He smiled with a bright smile once again. "Thank you very much, Yuuki-san." He bowed his head for a second, then looked back up and rubbed his head, smiling nervously this time.

"I'm afraid that I don't know my way around the school grounds…yet. And well, it is dark out here."

A small laugher of reply at his remark escaped from Yuuki's lips. "Yes, I can imagine. Well, we'll go, then." She pointed with her finger towards the right of them. "Headmaster's office is over in that building."

"I see. Thank you, once again."

"He's so polite…" Yuuki thought to herself with an awry glance. "I didn't know that the Headmaster even had a nephew…"

They both began walking steadily, silence making it's debut for a few unsettled minutes.

"You're the other prefect, right?" The young man, yet-to-be-named, asked presently as the rhythm of two pair of feet resounded quietly on the stoned floor; nearly to the main academy building now.

"Ah…yes." Yuuki answered with convicted politeness.

"The other prefect was…Kiryuu Zero-kun…" His voice lowered at the mention of Zero's name spoken, as Yuuki noted this small tint with confusion of his sudden change of tone.

"Y-yes. Zero was…" She stopped walking, not wanting to talk about the grievous subject much, as they both stood in front of the main academy building. Yuuki's heart sank deeply in a controversy of wilted hope, as her mind knew the full realization that Zero really was gone. A new prefect…in actuality, she hated and despised the very suggestion of the act. No one could ever replace Zero for her.

--

"Well you've already met, but I'll introduce you to him again."

Yuuki, the Headmaster, and his nephew, all now stood within the office of the Headmaster, facing each other in a circular aerial. The Headmaster jolted one finger at his nephew, who stood by his side, across from Yuuki, as he reintroduced him once more for his oblivious daughter,

"His name is Reitsu, my nephew…which I'm sure you already knew, of course. And…" His voice lowered to that of a somber restorment. "…the new prefect of the Academy. In place of Ki—" He paused suddenly as he noticed the empty face that Yuuki displayed. Saying Zero's name in front of her would be trivial; considering the hardship it pushed onto her.

"Well that's it." The Headmaster smiled brightly, so as to lighten the heavy atmosphere. "Please get along."

"Thank you, uncle." Reitsu said in that calm, polite tone of his. He looked at Yuuki, who appeared as one who is stricken with hearing horrible news. "Yuuki-san."

Yuuki returned his eyes' gaze as she smiled in return back, trying to seem as if not conflicted with Reitsu's appearance; and role of becoming the new prefect. "You can just call me Yuuki. I don't care for honorific formalities too much."

"All right…Yuuki." A wispy smile obscured his lips. "And you can just call me Reitsu."

"Awww!!" The Headmaster exclaimed lovingly, resting his hands over his face with glistening eyes. "You two get along so well already!"

"H-Headmaster…" Yuuki said slowly, raising her hands in a rebuking manner, so as to away those…revolting words. Reitsu chucked quietly at the behavior of the two, as Yuuki feigned a smiled and sighed within herself.

"Well, I should get back to patrolling." she said.

"Yes, go ahead, Yuuki." The Headmaster acknowledged as he sat at his desk now, scanning through an assortment of papers that stacked it also endlessly.

"Reitsu." He raised one eye out of his reading of his papers, directing it at his nephew indolently. "The night's almost over, so I'm sure Yuuki is capable of finishing off the patrolling herself tonight. You can just rest up." He stood up again, his chair creaking in doing so. "I'll give you Kiryuu-kun's old dorm room; he lived by himself, anyway, so—" The door suddenly shut in a loud vibrant sound, interrupting the Headmaster mid half-way between his explanation.

"Yuuki…" He said with a wearied sigh. "I knew I shouldn't have said anything about Kiryuu-kun in front of her…"

"Kiryuu Zero-kun…" Reitsu said as if in deep thought, a strange placid cold tone weaving itself into his words.

--

I wonder if Zero would forgive me for not making him an appearance in the past two chapters…? D: But don't worry…he'll be in the next one. ^^