The lost Rose
Just to the east, a little ways to her left, the first rays of the sun are lighting up the dark sky. Time for the night to end, thought the lone figure, slowly moving along the dirt path. Elegant legs pulled the dark clad person with long, practiced strides and a purpose. The gracefulness of the movement guaranteed that the being is no human. And she, most definitely, is not human.
A heavy sigh passed through her slightly parted lips. That was a close call.
She shook her head, the disbelief should have disappeared a long time ago, it should have been beaten down and crushed. What happened last night wasn't such a rare occurrence. In fact, it was quite common these days.
And, every time she thinks she could handle it, it burns her even more than before. The pain those words bring never quite goes away.
She stopped walking, standing right in the middle of the road she watched the little kitten scurry by across the path. Her gaze turned from the terrified creature to the waning moon and another sigh, more painful than the last one, passed her lips.
She hated it when people brought up painful memories like that, and stirred unhealed wounds. Though, the disrespect they show to those that do not deserve it, that stings the most. They deserve so much more.
Her eyes glinted painfully up at the bright crescent, small tears started to form at the corners of her lids. She won't let them fall though, she gave a promise.
You told me… her heart gave an anguished squeeze. I must always stay by your side. A shuddering breath entered her lungs. But… you're not by mine now.
She stood there for a while, staring at the moon, before dropping her eyes to the brightening east horizon. The sun will make its appearance soon, she should hurry her step in order to arrive in the city before it gets too painfully bright outside. It's going to be a very sunny day.
Somehow though, she couldn't find it in herself to move. The quiet stillness of dawn mimicked perfectly the hollow, monotone, sad state of her soul at this moment. Something must change soon, or she may find herself quickly starting to lose the precious will her parents were so desperate to preserve.
She could see the benefit in eternal peace and darkness, no pain, no loneliness, no guilt. Nothing to hurt her.
Too bad it was against her nature to act upon an irrational wish like that. Besides, should an afterlife exist, she could practically see her mother going all out and drilling, snarling, practically growling at her for ever even thinking about that.
Giving up is not worth the punishment she just knew would be dealt to her, whether by her mother, father or her own consciousness.
No use doing anything against it now.
The sound of heavy footfalls signalled his approach, his aura already speaking to her in leaps and bounds.
Probably worried and tired of waiting. She smirked.
''Yuuki-sama.'' His soft voice reached her ears.
She turned slightly to look at him.
The concern in his tone is clearly shown in his lavender eyes. A light breeze played mischievously with his beautiful silver hair, pulling half of it to cover his pale face. And, not for the first time, she was struck by how ethereal he seemed, almost like an angel.
She gave him a light-hearted half-smile as he came to stand by her. ''Worried?''
He chuckled, the action relaxing him a bit. ''Maybe.''
''You should know better than that.'' She admonished.
He sighed. ''I know. But knowing doesn't help much with it.''
''I guess I'm lucky I have someone who worries about me-''
He snorted. ''Like I'm the only one.''
''-But I can handle myself.'' She continued like he hadn't interrupted.
He turned to the east horizon, watching the first rays of the sun brake through. ''Probably better than anyone else, I don't doubt that.''
As she also turned to the east, he added, smiling morosely. ''That still doesn't settle my nerves, you are quite reckless.''
He took a quick glance at her. She raised both her eyebrows ''And I suppose that means that I need a babysitter.''
He sniggered and crossed his arms in front of his chest ''Probably.''
She snorted.
''I'd volunteer myself for the job, if only you didn't always ditch me so easily.'' He turned to stare at her pointedly.
''It's not my fault that you don't pay enough attention.'' She cackled conspiratorially. ''You're all so easy to leave in the dust.''
''Hey!'' he raised his brows and huffed indignantly.
She laughed. ''Nice to see that even you can get your feathers ruffled up once in a while.'' Starting to walk, she added ''And that you can speak for and side with those three.''
He fell in step beside her.
''I do not.''
''Of course not.''
''Hell to the no.'' he exclaimed, affronted.
She sniggered. ''I can see that.''
He growled.
She laughed harder.
By the time her laughter died down the sun was almost a full orb on the east sky. The silver haired male was contemplating on how to go about getting answers. Something happened, that much was obvious. She rarely looked up at the sky with such a sad expression, and when it happened, it was only because someone reminded her of her parents, in a not so nice way.
''I'm not late.''
He looked at her.
''The meeting time is noon, and the town is not that far up ahead.''
He knew where this was going.
''So, if nothing is out of the ordinary, why are you here?''
She turned to him expectantly.
He sighed, a small smile on his lips. ''I had a… feeling that something was wrong. And you always said to follow our instinct, whether we think it's leading us right of wrong.'' His eyes stared blankly at the path in front of them. ''And something was telling me that you needed… help.''
''Besides…'' he smirked down on her ''You're always back before dawn, wherever you go. And then you go play around town till meeting time.''
''This time you didn't do that.'' He looked at her intently. ''What happened?''
''Sharp… aren't we.'' She chuckled. '' Can't keep anything from you, now can I?'' she smirked at him.
''I'm serious.'' He said.
''Me too.'' She chirped.
''Please, don't play games.'' He asked.
''I'm not.'' She grinned.
''Yuuki-sama!'' he stopped and stared at her, his eyes almost pleading.
She sighed. ''Nothing happened.''
''I don't believe you.''
''Then don't believe me.'' She allowed.
''Please.'' He begged, gripping her shoulders.
''Tell me. I cannot be of help if you don't tell me these things.''
She blinked up at him and then smiled gently. ''You don't need to help me.'' She placed her hand on his cheek ''all that I ask of you is to be happy, to do whatever you want. Haven't I told you that before?'' her thumb gently grazed along his cheekbone.
His lavender eyes softened, taking on a silver hue. ''Yes, you did.''
He took a hold of her wrist and pulled her hand down to rest near his heart. ''But it is my desire to be your pillar of support when you need it.''
''Thank you.'' She pulled her hand out of his grasp and turned towards their path. ''But this has become too common an occurrence these days. I really shouldn't be affected anymore.''
His eyes widened and he took in a sharp breath. ''I'm sorry.''
She blinked languidly. ''Hnn, and what do you have to be sorry for?''
Surprisingly, he found himself at a loss for words.
''Are you the one saying those thing as well? Do you think the same as them?''
''No!'' ha said forcefully. ''I would never-''
''Then there is nothing to it.'' She smiled. ''Let's go.''
''But-''
''So, you noticed that I have one too.''
A faint pinkness could be observed on the boy's cheeks.
''Get a move on.'' She sniggered. ''There is still a ways to go.''
He grunted.
…..............................
His pensive gaze followed the hyperactive idiot currently running around the place. Books were strewn all over the hardwood floor, papers and documents were seemingly defying the law of gravity, and all other kinds of things were sticking out of everywhere, at impossible angles…
A hurricane, he decided. This room was, mysteriously, the only place in the palace hit by the freakish phenomenon of nature. And, probably just to annoy the hell out of him, the storm decided to get embodied. And it just had to choose the moron still going haywire on the poor study.
He sighed.
And to think that he was once-
THUD
A vein started ticking as he pried the book off his face, he grit his teeth in vain attempt to control his temper. Sometimes the bumbling fool really had a way to get under his skin in the worst possible manner. And that only pissed him off more.
And now, the idiot was running around like a headless chicken, the only thing missing is feathers flying out of his ass.
His eyebrow started to twitch at the disturbing image that thought brought to his head.
''Enough!'' he yelled.
The idiot stilled in his tracks, his dirty blond head slowly turning in his direction. He seemed to have noticed him just now. It would have been hilarious, had it not been so damn annoying.
He watched as the tall man turned around, his frilly pink apron swishing a little around him, and launched himself at him.
His blood-pressure skyrocketed.
''Yagari-kuuuun.'' He cried, clutching to the front of his long-coat. ''I can't find it, I can't find iiit!''
The eyebrow started to tick again.
''Help me find it, help me find iiit.'' He wailed, tears practically streaming down his face.
Counting back from ten, Yagari pried the moron's fingers off of himself.
''Find what, Cross?'' he asked when he was sure he wouldn't bite his head off instead of talking.
The man blinked at him. ''What I'm looking for, of course.'' He replied jovially.
Now Yagari's eye joined the eyebrow in ticking, this was not going to end well.
''And what are you looking for that is so important that you ransack the entire president's office?'' he grit out through clenched teeth.
''Yes, it's very important, very, very important.'' Cross mumbled to himself. ''Got to find it before it's too late.''
Yagari took in a big breath and started counting down from a hundred.
A minute later Cross turned from him, ready to search again.
''Stop!'' he commanded.
Cross froze.
''Why did you have to make the room a pigsty?''
''I couldn't find it.'' He said. ''It isn't anywhere I looked. And it's urgent.'' He flailed his arms to emphasise the point.
''And what, pray tell, is it?'' he was losing his patience. One more thing…
''The can of tomatoes'' he answered earnestly ''I'm making pasta for lunch and it's almost time to put the sauce in it.''
''But I can't find the tomatoes.'' He sobbed.
Snap.
''Hooo-'' That's it!
Eyes burning with the flames of hell, he turned towards the fool. Darkness seemed to seep from his every pore. A shiver rolled up Cross's spine, something ominous. He looked back at Yagari and yelped. Explosion imminent.
He turned away, ready to bolt. But it was too late, in a second he was pinned to the floor, being squished under the hunter's foot. It hurt.
He's pissed. No, he's beyond pissed. He is pissed. Putting more strength into it, he stomped on the idiot under his foot, grinding him to the floor. Painfully.
''You mean to say that you threw everything across the ground, lost who knows how many other things, made a freakin' mess in the room I have to clean, because you were looking for a stupid tomato can.''
The man, currently being tortured by his boot, stayed quiet.
''A tomato can that doesn't belong in an office. A tomato can that has no place in an office. A tomato can that is usually in the kitchen, with other food.''
Still silence.
He put more force into his leg.
''Well?''
''...yes'' came a small whimper from the floor.
His blood pressure hit critical.
''You..'' he seethed...
...The room was in a far worse state by the time Yagari was finished. Maids speculated if the thing splattered on the wall was blood or tomato juice...
''You didn't have to hit me that hard.'' Kaien almost sobbed to the fuming man. Tearing his gaze away from his almost-murderer he stirred the sauce lovingly. '' But who would have thought that the tomatoes would actually be in the cupboard?''
Yagari felt his blood-pressure rise again. He was getting ready to once again beat the living daylights out of his sorry little ass when Cross turned serious.
''So, why are you here Yagari-kun?'' he asked with his back turned to him, all the while attentively stirring the sauce. ''It's a well known fact that you can't stand me, though I can't fathom why. More often than not, you wouldn't be caught dead this close to my beautiful person for any period of time.'' he left the sauce, turning to the pasta. ''The only time you wouldn't go the easy way is if something serious happened.''
''Hm.'' Yagari allowed. It was amazing just how many emotions this idiot could change in an instant, and how quickly one follows after the last.
Cross turned and speared him with a look.
He sighed. ''Yea, what's this about a mysterious figure in Illama?''
Cross turned to the stove and popped in a few pieces of wood, feeding the fire. ''Yes, Aidou-kun stated that he felt an overwhelming presence in a bar. A presence that didn't belong there.'' He glanced back meaningfully. ''It came suddenly and vanished just as quickly, leaving the place a complete wreck. But it hadn't left even a trace of the aura behind, nothing. The power behind something like that could only belong to a pureblood. And NO pureblood was anywhere in the vicinity.''
''Then where did it come from?'' Yagari asked, irritated.
''As I said, they do not know.''
''How don't they know? An aura that powerful, how the hell couldn't they feel where the source was? Heck, they should have felt someone that strong before they even the town.'' He said exasperatedly.
''They couldn't. Something was prohibiting them from doing it. It was impossible to pinpoint it before it disappeared, or so they said. You shouldn't blame me, I was not there. Though, I doubt that I, or anyone else,'' he looked pointedly at Yagari ''save for another pureblood, could have done better at the time.''
Yagari snorted ''Yea, yea, stuck up for your little pets.''
''Yagari!'' Cross looked outraged. ''They are not my pets, they're my students.''
He snorted a laugh this time.
''As in, I teach them about humans and how to coexist peacefully.''
Yagari sneered at him. ''Impossible.''
''No, it's very much possible.'' He fired back.
''Whatever.'' He conceded under the glare Cross was sending him.
''So, are they treating this as a threat?''
Kaien looked thoughtful. ''Maybe. Kaname took charge over this one, and you know how big that is, seeing as how he never -ever- leaves that room he locks himself up in. But, I have a feeling it's more as in looking at an interest, instead of eliminating a threat. He sent Aidou and Cain to investigate further, though I wish that the Kurans take this more seriously, especially at times like these and with everything at an edge.''
''What do you mean 'they're not takin' this seriously', if it's a pureblood, shouldn't they be off their pretty behinds and huntin' it down?''
''It's not certain that the figure was another pureblood. As I said, they didn't feel a pureblood close as they should have had that been the case. Purebloods can't hide who they are completely. If someone looked close enough, and Aidou vas looking very, very close, they could pick up the traces.''
Yagari grunted, now that was something. What kind of being besides a pureblood could mess up a place like that that easily in such a short time. Hell, does this mean that there is another monster out there besides the bloodsuckers that needs to be hunted down. The vampires are more than enough, especially with all the shit they've just made. Though, he should probably give the Kurans some credit (some being very, very little- in his opinion). Well whatever, the hunters would be more than enough to control the most idiotic of leeches.
''I suppose we could take a look at it, see if there is really any danger involved from that, or if it's just a boy's overactive imagination.'' Cross huffed and made to interject, but Yagari's glare gave him pause. ''Don't give me that! You know as well as I that the brat has a tendency to blow things out of proportion.''
Cross looked sheepish, he only glared at him some more.
''I don't think that's it, Yagari-kun.''
''Well , whatever it is, the tensions are rising and something is going to give sooner or later. The vampires are more rowdy as of late, they're attacking humans more frequently and don't care to hide their true selves from the general public. We have more and more work piling up, and that's just in this domain, the one that's considered 'safe'. Things are a hell of a lot worse on the Lotus's territory, people are like livestock, butchered and fed from whenever, wherever. Even the substantial fear of the hunters and out weapons seems to have lessened a notch, we are attacked on sight and killed if too slow to react. Nothing but the best of us are sent to that place, and always in groups as of late. Hell, I even just got back from there, that place is one step away from truly fitting the description of cataclysmic. Only strings are holding things in place, seemingly calm on the surface.
Their influence on this side is growing as well, Cross. The vampires are getting bolder and bolder by the second, and some of the lower class are already giving their allegiance to the Shirabuki house in all but name. If the Kurans don't step in now and do something there will be infighting, or even civil war against them. Things may not be that bad now, but the way they are going, that's the inevitable outcome. And the conflict with the Shirabuki clan is almost set in stone, it's only a matter of time before someone makes the wrong move, or the first move if you're looking at it from their side. Something is going to snap soon, all that is missing is a catalyst.''
''I agree with you on that, Yagari-kun. I suppose that the only thing holding the Lotus back is princess Sara's 'interest' in Kaname-kun. Well, that and the fact that though both side's power balances the other out, the hunters are inevitably going to fight on the side of the Orchid.''
Kaien sighed. ''How I wish that the Rose was still with us, their strength would have made all the difference.''
''So, you think that this person has something to do with the Shirabuki clan?'' he let out after a pause.
Yagari nodded. ''Most likely. We should send someone to investigate as well. And to eliminate the person should my suspicion turn out true.''
''Who do you have in mind?''
''You know who I have in mind.'' he snapped irritably ''Zero is the only one I can think of who would stand a chance, if that pureblood-power thing is correct.''
''Zero isn't currently in the citadel, he's out on a hunt. I think Kaito went with him, though he probably ditched him, again.'' Cross answered. ''He won't be back for a while, a few days at least.''
''Irritating.'' Yagari let out.
''No need to get wound up about that. Let Kaname deal with this for now, it would probably look bad it we were to interfere too much. Besides, he is perfectly capable of handling a situation like this, as are the people around him.''
Yagari looked annoyed.
Cross speared him with a look.
''Fine!''
Kaien smiled and went back to his sauce.
I'm really sorry for not updating for all this time. :( Things have been hectic these past few months and I didn't have the time or the energy (and motivation) to write.
I don't think that I'll update again till Spring Break (at least), there's just too much goin' on in RL till then. (to be fair, I'll tell you when the holydays start so that you can nudge me to write should I slack off- it's from the 21st april till the 1st-) I'll try really hard to update both the ROSE and THEE at that time.
And as I said, feel free to remind me to get my butt in gear 'round that time. ;)
If anyone has any questions, please do not hesitate to ask them (I think I left some things murky). Titbits like the one below are unintentional, and I'll clear up any confusion I've inadvertedly caused (I won't clear up the one I've caused intentionally, though ;D)
The citadel is a couple (2-3km the most) of kilometres below the Kuran mansion (as in the city is on the bottom of the hill the palace is sitting on-the opposite side of the valley- while the palace is on the top). It's mostly populated by humans, though there are a lot of high class vampire families living there as well (a lot of hunters too).
Illama is pronounced fast and flowing, if you want to hear how: click on the google translator and set French as the language (copy/paste) and then click listen.
Please forgive me for the lateness. (And probably the future one)
Love you all, ~lily