LB: Hey, everyone!!!=D
DFA: Hello!!
LB: Damn it, Dawn, how many more chapters are you going to make us do?
DFA: Umm… well, I think there are about three or four more chapters left. ^^ I can't wait to finish this, because then I can concentrate on my next project… or my current one: Legacy!! When that's done, I'd start White Wings… or maybe when that's half finished, White Wings will enter the scene. Hey, Bells, why don't you start your own VK story too?
LB: Nope. *gulp* One story is enough to give me headache. Another VK, I'd jump off the roof. Haha! Joking!
Aido: Maybe she's scared…
Ruka: Don't taunt her! She'll make you do something you don't want to do.
Yuuki: Yeah, she's well known for that.
DFA: Anyways, on with the show!!
Chapter Twelve: The War
Takuma let out an involuntary cry of shock, and he slammed his hands down on the railing, leaving a dent there. Staring into the darkness, he saw her ivory dress flutter, and land on a giant bird. The bird screamed triumphantly into the air and spread its humongous wings. Takuma watched it fly away, with her on its back.
Seeing her back, getting further away every second, there was nothing he could do, nothing at all…
The scent of her blood wafted back on a teasing wind, as the scream of her pain rang in his ears, tearing into his heart.
"Ayumi!" he cried, causing several of the party guests to turn and stare at him. Tears were starting to form in his eyes. Please don't cry in front of so many guests… He reminded himself. But, with his love gone, he couldn't control his emotions.
Aido and Kain came hurrying over at his shout. "Ichijo, what happened to her? Where is she?" Aido asked him.
Takuma's hand trembled and clenched, causing the innocent stone railing to crack under the force of his strength.
"Ichijo?"
Yuuki came over as well, with Kaname close behind her. For once, Kaname's tranquil presence did nothing to help the vice president.
Sighing, he laid one gentle hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Ichijo, be calm and tell us what happened."
Behind that friendly and calm voice, there was an order, but Ichijo just stood there, staring down into the darkness in complete shock. He wouldn't believe it. The girl whom he promised to take care of, to protect, was gone, was taken away, in front of him.
Everyone else was whispering among themselves. "How could he disobey the Pureblood Prince?" "Wow, look at how closely-bonded these people are." "I wonder who caused such a chaos."
The length of Ichijo's body trembled with anxiety and worry; he was so tense that Kaname had to take back his hand after a minute.
"Ichijo-san?" Yuuki asked in a small and gentle voice.
Some part in his gentlemanly mind told him not to worry the young girl, so he turned his head mechanically to give Yuuki a smile that didn't reach his eyes. Yuuki didn't look very reassured with that smile as lacked of the happiness he always carried, but she gave him a smile back nonetheless.
He relaxed slightly, but still he trembled.
"Can you tell us what happened?" Yuuki whispered, putting one calming hand on his back. Kaname bristled slightly, then sighed in resignation. It did no good to be jealous now. Takuma's situation needed to be taken care of, before he goes crazy.
Automatically, like a shell without its soul, Takuma's mouth opened to retell his tale, but the memory of her throwing herself overboard sliced into his mind like an icy dagger, and he winced. He hunched over the railing, breathing hard, and closed his eyes and mind against the hurt. He then used the railing as his stress reliever, clenching his hands so the stone cracked and broke, falling down into the darkness, like she did just minutes ago.
"Ichijo," Yuuki whispered sadly as the older boy's hands broke the railing.
Kaname stroked his sister's hair. "He'll be fine."
Yuuki shuddered suddenly, and closed her eyes.
"What do you see, Yuuki?" Kaname asked her, recognizing the symptoms of an incoming vision.
"They're coming," she said in a remote, faraway voice that chilled everybody's bones with fear. Aido actually flinched at the tone. "All of them. Marching through the woods. Not far. They… he's with them. Leading. Coming again. He survived. He wants revenge."
"Who's he?" Aido mumbled, still shaking with fear. Kain put on hand on his cousin's shoulder, before he actually screamed out of fear. Who knew what Aido could come up with?
"I can't see," she replied in the same voice. "They're covered. But his mind… it's open, searching; he's furious." Then, she gasped, her eyes flying open. Her body tumbled backwards and Kaname quickly grabbed her shoulders. He stared into her eyes; those eyes stared right back like he wasn't even there.
"Yuuki, what's wrong?" he asked frantically. Even his cool façade melted when Yuuki's concerned as there was nothing in the world more important than the sister of his.
"Onii-sama… He… He… found… He found me!" she stuttered, fear lancing her remote tone. The last three words came out as a scream. "He found me, and he's angry, he's going to–" Her sentence was cut off as she gasped again, and her eyes rolled back into her head as her body went limp. Kaname caught her back, fear in his usually calm-or-angry eyes.
"Yuuki!"
"Yuuki-sama!" Aido cried at the same time. Kain made no noise, but he stepped forward with worry in his eyes.
A single tear rolled down the side of the Princess's face.
Everyone gasped.
It was a tear of blood.
--
Meanwhile, Ichijo's own mind was in turmoil. Pain and fear penetrated every nerve, causing him to tense all his muscles and his worst memories to fly into his brain, controlling him, locking him in place. Teaching him fear.
"Takuma, run, my son!" She said weakly lifting one pale, weak hand. Her eyes locked with his, and he froze.
His mother was on the floor, blood staining her features and matting her long black hair. Her gray eyes were filled with pain as the hunter shot her once more, and she went silent.
Takuma was frozen in place, his eyes on the silver-haired hunter as he raised his katana to kill the boy.
"Don't hurt my son!" His father said with his dying breath.
With every last ounce of his strength, he stood in front of Takuma with a pair of shaky legs, his arms raised as if he could stop the hunter from killing him.
"Otou-sama!" Takuma cried as the hunter threw something – something that tore through the blonde man's heart and exploded out the other side.
A shuriken buried itself in the wall just above Takuma's head.
His father crumpled on the floor, dead, as tears flowed down the toddler's face.
"Otou-sama," Takuma whispered again, staring down at the corpse that had once been his happy father.
The hunter looked at the boy.
"Die, vampaia," the hunter snarled, and raised his weapon.
His companion – a woman – stopped him, holding his hand, and forcing him to point the weapon to the ground.
"Wait. He's just a child! He did nothing wrong." She looked at the boy gently. Those eyes… They were so gentle… How could she be a lethal hunter?
"He's a vampire," the man replied with a growl. "All vampires must be destroyed if there is to be peace in this world."
"What do you think we'd feel like if we died to save Zero and Ichiru, and they were still slaughtered anyways?" the woman continued. "This one's helpless, he can't fight us. He's just a baby, for goodness sake!"
The hunter's grip on the weapon loosened, and sighed.
"All right," he muttered, shooting Takuma a filthy look that made him shake. "But if we kill him next time because he did something wrong, I hope you feel guilty for what you did today. Guilty for the loss of a human life."
They both turned away, leaving Takuma to run over to his parents' corpses, his young mind begging them not to leave him…
The scene changed to show his grandfather's furious face, leaving the memory of his dead parents to burn the first nerve. I lose almost everyone I care for…
"Takun. Come here."
Body trembling, the six-year-old stepped towards his grandfather. Asato told him to bend over and pay for his crime – breaking the statue of the Kuran Ancestor.
A whip slashed his tiny back, and an uncontrolled cry escaped the boy's lips.
"You must learn proper respect to our first King," Asato snarled at the boy. "And you must be brought up with firmness. Do not cry, boy! Crying is a weakness. You mustn't show your tears to anyone!"
The whip whistled through the air and made yet another mark on the boy's back.
More memories poured through Takuma's mind, much like these two memories, and tortured him for a second time, as if he were living them once again.
As they burned him, a lone, whispered voice entered his mind.
Takuma.
But it was a mere hallucination, a small balm for his pain. For her voice wasn't really there – it was just another memory, but a good one. A memory that will calm him more than anyone could.
A torrent of images tore through him, all of her. Everything about her entered his mind, from her silver hair, to her mesmerizing eyes, to her smile, to her lips… All of it soothed his nerves and his muscles like magic. Even, he was chagrined to find, his imaginative image of her. *
Slowly, he relaxed, and her scent filled his brain. Like a drug, it washed him into half-consciousness as her voice swirled in his mind. He was slightly conscious that as she was speaking into his mind, as if speaking out loud, she had placed a barrier around his mind, blocking out the hurtful memories.
Takuma, she whispered, and he felt her embrace him mentally. He tried to speak, but was stopped. No, we don't have time to exchange pleasantries. Is Yuuki hurt?
I don't think so.
Good. I don't know what he did to her, but it felt pretty bad. I tried to block her mind, but she's stronger than I thought…
Where are you? He asked.
He could almost see the small smile of annoyance forming on her lips.
No time to answer that. My connection with you is fading. Takuma, you must wake up. There are creatures coming. They will hunt all of the vampires down and kill them – except you and Kiryuu. My brother will want to take you down alone, but he wants to watch your face as your friends die first. Then, he hopes that you'd be so mad that you'll go hunt him down alone. He'll kill you then, and you mustn't take the risk of that. Take Kiryuu – don't interrupt, she said as he tried to say something, there is no time. Take him, and go underground. Hide there. Get Aido to come with you – he's the key target, because his powers can destroy them. Kain, not so much, but he's after Aido. Make sure Kain is not without at least three other nobles. Tell Kaname to take Yuuki away with you, and make sure that they do not leave your sight. Without them, all the vampires will fall into panic, and the creatures will come and tear them apart. Barricade the mansion – all windows, doors, or any other openings must be guarded with a team of at least ten vampires. All young ones must be taken with you. Remember that your life – and Kaname, Yuuki, Kiryuu and Aido's – is more important than any other vampire. Don't help them if you see them in trouble. Her voice was fading fast. Go! And… I love you.
Before he could reply, her presence faded and his eyes opened.
Aido was crouching over him, with Kain. Yuuki was still in Kaname's arms, unconscious.
"Ichijo," they said in relief as he awoke. "I thought you were dead," Aido added. Kain jabbed his elbow into his side, and Aido winced.
"Hey!" Aido glared at his cousin playfully.
Then, they noticed that Takuma was neither listening nor looking at them. His eyes were trained on a flickering flame, deep and far into the forests. Then, as if to himself, he whispered:
"They're here."
*Hint, hint. I think you know what I'm talking about… Lol, I feel bad now.
DFA: Please review!!
LB: Yes, or Dawn here will cry.
(Author Dawn glares at Author Bells, but the scene fades…)
(Ichijo hums in the shower)
Ichijo: (sings) I keep bleeding, I keep, keep bleeding love… (flexes muscles, and pokes abs) These are really coming along well… (notices camera on him and gasps) AIDO!!!
(Scene grows messy as Ichijo fights Aido)
(Scene turns black as Ichijo turns off the camcorder)