Hey everyone! I'm here with another update of The Cross Princess! I really hope you enjoy the story, you know!
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I stand still, in the middle of the battlefield, not moving a muscle, not uttering a word. Screams of agony echo around me, and gleeful cheers resonate at nearly the same time, the mixture of cries, an elegant harmony. The wind, coming from the broken windows whips around my face, tousling my long hair to and fro around my body, as well as scattering the shards of glass from the windows. The moonlight shines through beautifully, and highlights my features artistically, while blood was splattered all over my body, drenching my white t-shirt, until it looked like it was originally ruby, and held my hair together carelessly, with its messy, now dried, brownish-red clumps. With Artemis recovered, in its majestic scythe transformation, now slung over my back, I look like a full-fledged demon. But, even with all this commotion, all these battle cries, and the attacks being exchanged between the two parties, flying within millimeters of my body, only one thing was going on in my head.
"Even in your first battle, you're nothing but a nuisance!"
The memory plays in my head countless times, and no matter how many times I recall it, it still sends a pang of hurt down my body. I try to rid myself of it, the pain, and the memory; I try to tell myself…no, convince myself that Zero was just acting on instinct. I stand there for minutes and hope, that on a fleeting chance, he might come back, and apologize. He doesn't even have to say anything. An apologetic smile...no, look? Maybe just a twist of his head? Something that hints that he feels at least the tiniest guilty. Seconds, and minutes, and he still does not come.
But, hell, why do I even care? I hardly know him! Sure, he was nice enough to heal my bruises after I tried to kill him (though he had made the damage himself), and I definitely don't want to forget how he almost smiled at me, even sometimes letting a grin crack through, but I only really knew the man for, what…six hours? Besides, he seems like the type to not open up to any one. In fact, why he had even answered the questions that I threw at him when I first met him, is a mystery.
No. The reason why it hurts…now that's a mystery to me, to be honest. Is it really hurt? Is this tightness in my chest or the tears forming, already on the brink of falling; are these all symptoms of hurt, of emotional pain? Or is it just fear? Could be. After all, that was one of the first times I had ever let the fear in my eyes show. Even though, I don't think Zero picked up on it, I was scared of him, and I still am.
Some shouts wake me up from my constant worrying, and I perk my head up, grasping the information being thrown across the room. At first, I thought it was serious, but the hollers are soon morphed into cries of joy, and laughs of glee, and as the next words are soon out, I cheer along with them, my anguish soon evaporated into thin air.
"It's done! They're retreating!" Aido shouts out. More cries echo out along with his, and I turn and see the rest of the officers jumping through the window, carrying wounded comrades, though I don't think most have a chance of living. One by one, they send us glares, then leap, screaming the rest of the ay down. The last one, before he jumps out, turns to me, his eyes piercing mine.
He bites out. "Don't think this is the last you will see of us." I grit my teeth together, dread what comes next. "Prince Kaname will be informed of your atrocities! And you all will face the consequences!" With maniacal laughter, he jumps out the window, an eerie silence, and a soft thump following shortly after.
I glance around the room, taking in the broken furniture, the blood on the floor, and the fallen comrades, who had died for me. And regardless if they fought or not, now...now all of these people were wanted for treason, to be hunted, and brought in, dead or alive. Most of them are wounded heavily from this battle, some faces twisted in pain, some resisting the urge to scream from invading bullets, and deep sword wound. And now, all of them will be hunted. And maybe found. And if found, then killed. Reality doesn't come through to me often, and neither does common sense. But when they do, they me hit hard. I realize after, this…
This whole battle, the cause of blood being shed, the look of agony on some people's faces…this was my fault. And now, because of my carelessness, people, innocent people, were hurt, and innocent people were dragged into my problem.
Exactly what I had tried to stop from happening. Exactly the reason why I had first opposed of staying here, and now, my biggest fears are coming true...
And I've got to do something about it.
"Well…what was that all about?" Rima replies. She shakes her head, looking quite bored. "Damn. No more action."
"As long as I'm here, I don't think you have to worry about your lack of action." I knot my eyebrows together, and look down to the floor, ashamed. The group of people slowly start to come around me, forming a circle, trying to hear what I say. I speak up, because my next words are important. "After all, they only came here for me." I sigh, and look up, searching for Zero. He deserves my next words, as they should be one of my last to him, and I only wish he's present to hear them. "And after all…" 'Even in your first battle, you're nothing but a nuisance!'; "I'm nothing but a nuisance." I smile bitterly, as I locate Zero, behind the group of people, leaning on the wall, listening intently. As I spoke the words, the words he knows I took from his earlier confrontation, his eyes widen for a split second, then close, into thin little slits. He starts forward, to break through the crowd, pushing and shoving people let and right. My breath hitches in my throat, as he's trying to get close to me, but I would never let him.
I speak my last sentence as more as a hurried cluster of words, and plan my retreat from Zero. Ah…there's a nice hallway to run down. "So don't be surprised if you wake up tomorrow, and you find me gone!" I finish my sentence just as Zero reaches me, and swiftly jump over him, and the group of people. As soon as I hit the ground, I start running towards my escape route. But…if I run… if I escape, why am I fleeing, and what I will be running away from? The answer is obvious.
I'm running away from these kind people, who accepted me in a mere moment. I'm running away from the first source of undying warmth I've found in this desolate world, and I'm running away from Zero…would I count him in this list, Ruka, Rima, Shiki, (I haven't found out why they're here yet, and probably never will…) Aido, Kain, Takuma, and more. But, I try to let the wave of sadness crashing into me only enhance my speed, as I could only show weakness when I'm not in their presence.
I hear the panicked voices, I hear the gasps, and the mutters of shock, as I flee, as I run away from them, and I let my heart flutter a bit. Because they care. About me.
But, only one noise sounds the loudest in my ears, and at this moment, I'm terrified of the noise.
Footsteps.
Now, if Zero comes after me, I'd understand. I mean, I'm leaving him, and my last words were those that I would hope to haunt him for a while, then of course he would come. But, I hear more than one pair of feet. I hear at least four. And no magic.
Well hell.
Déjà vu, much?
Stupid, hopeless situations are the only thing that I seem to attract these days!
"Yuuki!" I hear Ruka shout out. Her pleading tone almost stopped me dead in my tracks, but I forced myself to continue. "Why? We were having such a good time… without the me-almost-dying thing. But, that's not the point. You can even stand us for a day? Why are you running away now?"
They think that I can't stand them? Where did they get that from? I have to fix this. "I promise you, I wish I could stay, and get to know all of you...but," I gasp, as I'm running out of air, and talking isn't help either. "I'd be putting you in danger. And I hardly know you! I do not want you to die in my place!" We round a corner, and I see a flight of stairs. Great. As we reach the stairs, I skip the first couple of steps, as I rush down the first flight, and as I reach the end of the flight, a rather large platform, which allowed plenty of room to run amok, I allow myself to look back.
Oh my gosh.
You know how I said around four?
No, instead, I'm being chased by Aido, surprisingly enough, Ruka, Rima, Shiki, Kain, Takuma, and Zero, of course.
"Holy crap! Way to hunt a rabbit with a cannon!" I scream. My mild hesitation, seeing the rather illustrious assemblage, cost me a bit of my lead, I realize, but I press on.
"Please stop!" Zero's voice echoes out, and blends with the sound of our footsteps, but unfortunately for him, I heard the words perfectly.
"For you, I'm afraid not." I bite out. Surely, he hadn't forgotten that he screamed at me, not even ten minutes ago, for something that wasn't even my fault. "For the rest of them…" I motion my head back, to refer to the people with him. "…for their sakes, I cannot!" We continue our game of cat and mouse, and I start to gain leverage against them, my lead soon gaining distance. I'm getting really tired by now, and I haven't even made it down the stairs. But, I need to escape. I can't hurt these people anymore!
As I'm nearing my fourth flight, Rima suddenly drops in front of me, and closes her umbrella, which she used as a floatation device. Stretching her arms in front of me, she tries to block my escape. I gasp, and struggle against her block, seeing the rest of the group nearing. As time becomes more of an issue, I gain the adrenaline I need, and finally break through her blockade. Goddamn it, she has the strength of a weight lifter!
Just as I start to take off again, and finally reach the end of the fourth flight, a whip is curled around my arms, wrists, waist, and legs, halting my retreat completely. I whip my head up, and see Shiki on the stair rail, one leg on top of the other, and pointer finger stretched out towards me, a thin line of blood protruding around it. I shoot him a death glare, and he responds with a smirk. Once again, I struggle against my bonds, but they're tough, like iron. Pretty annoyed, I take the whip with both of my hands, and snap it in half, freeing myself from Shiki's bonds. I turn to him again, except now I'm the one smirking. He again, smiles back, and I peer behind his head to see where the rest of the group is. As I see them only a couple of steps away, I gasp in remorse, turn around to try to run again.
Only now, my feet are frozen to the floor.
And yes.
Literally.
I finally snapped. "What is this?" I scream. "Am I not allowed to run away, even for your sakes? Can I not write out my life, the way I want to? If I want to die alone, then so it shall be! You have no right to interfere!" I try to shatter the ice, as I have no magic to burn it with, but my efforts prove to be futile. I start to freak, as the rest of group now is one flight away from me.
"Now, that's where you're wrong." Shiki states. He jumps of the stair rail, and comes forward. When he's come close enough for our arms to touch, he grabs both of them, and ties my hands together with his whip, all while smirking at me. Does he think this is some kind of game...?
"Me? Wrong?" I spat. "About my own life, you believe you know it better? It is my decision to-"
"We know, we know, 'to die alone', "Kain comes too close for my comfort, and talks to me in a "matter of fact" tone "But it's our decision to help you, and I'm sorry, but your 'Princess Veto Power' doesn't work here." He flicks my nose, to further his point. I snarl, and try to smack him, a tough feat when your hands are bound. I hear Shiki mutter something like 'This is why I had bound her up'. Seeing how ineffective my whacks are, I stop thrashing, more the most part, but no sooner do I stop trying to break free, I finally wrap my head around the words that were spoken, and I realize what Kain means. My eyes widen.
"But it's our decision to help you."
My acquaintances have already accepted the fate of which they have been bound to unintentionally.
They've accepted the fangs of my destiny, which have already pierced through them, but they still want me here, with them.
They're fine with the fact that they betrayed the kingdom, and only for a little girl, who happens to be the princess.
They, to put it in short terms, have accepted me, and all the consequences that come with it.
My eyes start to water, the tears already on the verge of falling. Why me? Why in the God's name, have they come after me, even after all the problems that would ensure them, if they were to take me in. I speak, holding on to the sobs, which are ready to explode. "W-why would you h-help me? I…I don't u-understand? I h-hardly k-now you and n-now you're going t-to d-die! F-for m-me!" I let the first tears fall, and try futilely to wipe it, with my hands bound together and all. I no longer speak, instead I sob, hiccupping through my cries, and the tears don't stop flowing. Cascading down my face, every tear seems like a waterfall.
"Well, we won't die that easily." Ruka saunters down the final steps, and comes face to face with me, a smile gracing her slightly flushed face. "And, even though we just met, I've already taken a rather large liking towards you." She moves her hand to my cheek, and wipes away some of the tears, new one taking their place instantly. She pouts, as soon as they fall. "And even if we do get killed, it's our decision to die together, isn't it?" She moves her hands to my shoulders, and squeezes gently. Her hands still grip my shoulder as she yells. "Oi! Shiki! Dispel your whip, eh?"
I can't help as I smile breaks through my tears, as the salty concoction falls into my mouth, never to be seen again. My hands are soon free from their captivity, and I clap them together, yet again happy for being able to move. Well…sort of.
"Um, Ruka…?" I speak softly, my tears had slowed, but I was still conflicting whether or not I should stay here. "My feet…"
"Oh, right!" She lets go of my shoulders completely, and mentions for Shiki and Kain to step away from me. They relent, and take a few steps back. She screams rather loud, and I discover myself concealing my ears from the rather harsh racket. "Oi! Aido! Get your lazy ass down here, and free our princess!" I smile at the 'our' part. She stomps her foot, like it would do something about her lackadaisical comrade, and breathes sharply through her nose. Soon enough, he loiters down to my level, and smirks at me. Even on my flight, he's a couple of heads higher than me, and he uses his height to his advantage. Pressing close to my trapped body, he sneers down at me, clearly enjoying my helplessness. I blush heavily, and try to shove him off of me. He chuckles.
"Aww, do we have to let her go now? I would much rather her bound and tied up. It's easier to punish her that way." Wha…?
"Excuse me…? Punishment? Oho, just wait 'till these restraints come off…!" I glare at him, my eyes fearless, but I smile as well, as I would hate to have his attitude dismissed towards me, out of pity. I'm just happy he still has it, as well as his playful behavior. But still, I do have my personal bubble, and I don't like it to be popped by the sharpness of his body, and coldness of his words. I shove him firmly off of me, and command. "Now, free my legs. "
"Tsk…Fine." Aido snaps his fingers, and my the ice around my legs starts to crack. Soon, after much special effect, the frozen water is turned to mist, weaving through and around my limbs. Now, as being able to move, I automatically jump, and tackle Ruka, Rima, Shiki, Kain, and even Aido, in a bear hug. Squeezing tightly, I laugh, and enjoy the warmth their bodies possessed, as well as the warmth, which is bubbling inside of my body. So this is what it feels like…to have friends. Ruka automatically hugs me back, crushing the group closer.
I giggle, as I see Shiki and Rima's eyes widen, but they don't back away. Instead, the chuckle along with me, and to my surprise, wrap their arms around me as well, though not as tight as Ruka. Kain and Aido jump out of my grasp impulsively, (Pity. I wanted to crush Aido some more.) but the smiles on their faces still remain. Eventually, Rima flees from my embrace, Shiki following after, and it's only Ruka and I. I nuzzle my head into her shoulder for a while, resting there, and she pats it quite awkwardly. I lift it up, to save her the embarrassment, and move my hands from her upper back, to her shoulders, while she does the same, us beaming at each other.
"No matter who follows you…" Ruka speaks softly, and I find myself craning my neck closer to her to hear. "No matter how many enemies come to attack you…" she squeezes my shoulders, harder than the first time, "And no matter how long we've known you…we'll always be here for you, so don't run away." Again, she wipes of the rest of my tears, and lets go.
"I…I don't think I will…" I say hesitantly. "I believe I have come to like it here." I beam at her, and she smiles back. The then grasps my head in both her hands, and turns it in the direction of the stairs, which would take us upwards.
"Now…I believe you have some…er, business to take care of, eh?" She motions to Zero and Takuma, who were walking down the stairs, until they reached our flight. No, no. I don't think so.
"Hmm…not now. I want to see how this will play out." A tilt from Ruka's head shows me that I had to clarify. I walk up to her, and whisper in her ear, as so no one would hear. "He deserves this, I promise you." I smile wickedly, and chuckle a bit. "I wonder how he long he can stand me ignoring him before he's forced to apologize…" I move away from her ear, and I meet an equally malevolent smirk on Ruka's normally pleasant face.
"Haha, I look forward to this. How about we do see how this will play out…" She pats me on the shoulder. "Go get him!"
I smile at her a final time, and we begin to walk across the platform, and to the stairs, Shiki, Rima, Aido, and Kain following behind. As we near the first step, to go up the third flight, Zero and Takuma notice that we've gotten nearer. Zero automatically tries to speak to me.
"Yuuki, I-"
"Why, hello Takuma!" I declare, rather cheerfully. I hear a 'Wha…?' blurt out from Zero, who was beside me, and hold in a giggle. I continue my small talk with Takuma, though he hadn't replied yet. "Don't worry. I've decided to stay, okay. Just, don't put a lock on my bedroom, hmm?" I giggle, and start to walk up the stairs before Takuma had time to reply, completely ignoring Zero, and what he had to say to me before. Ruka walks up as well, but not before a smile towards Takuma, and a veer at Zero.
"Good. Now don't look back." She informs. I nod.
"With pleasure." I snort. Rima and Shiki follow up, and come to walk besides me. They both give a questioning tilt of their heads (Gosh, they really are perfect for each other!), and beckon me to explain. I giggle. "No, no. Not yet. I'll inform you when we're alone." I throw my head back, to mention Aido, Kain, Takuma, but mostly Zero. When we reach to the top of the second flight, and make our way on to the platform, I look back, already breaking the rule which Ruka had set for me, and see Zero and the others following. When I take a good look at Zero, I can't help, but burst into laughter, at the look of pure exasperation and confusion written all over his face, only thinking that he deserved it.
I laugh along at a joke, which Aido had said, as he, and a lot of other people laugh along with me. We now are walking down an ample hallway, littered with decoration, and lacerations, though I have no idea where we we're going. If I had asked anyone, they said it was a surprise. Hmm, best thing about surprises, is unraveling the mystery inside.
When I had finally calmed down from my earlier giggles, Ruka speaks to me. "Gosh, Yuuki! Your laugh is so contagious!" She says, through her giggles. She laughs a bit more, then snorts. I find myself bursting into laughter all over again, seemingly never to stop, until I had to stop walking because my sides hurt, as I resort to bending down, and clutching my hips. Ruka and Aido also laugh at my current condition, Ruka actually bending down with me, and Kain and Takuma was, who were walking near us a moment ago, also stop to smile, quite amused at our antics.
I gasp out. "Haha…Ruka…you…haha…you snorted!" I laugh even harder, the giggles racking my body, as I also start slapping my legs, something about the topic being extremely humorous.
Rima and Shiki walk past us, muttering something about being helpless creatures. I know they were laughing on the inside, though, because their eyes were dancing with amusement and humor, and it only caused my to smile wider, not out of humor, but out of pure joy. Man, thing could not get better, as I laughed even harder, again, out of glee.
"What's so funny?" My laughter dies the moment I hear his voice resonate to me. I let go of my sides, and uncurl myself. I sharply turn away from Zero, and speak to Ruka, quite mirthfully, completely contrasting my brisk movements. "Come on Ruka. Lets go catch up with the others."
"Aye." She replies. "Come on Aido. Were moving on ahead. The same with you, Takuma and Kain." I smile, as she didn't mention Zero's name. Heh, payback is fun. Screw those people who say that revenge isn't worth anything, as I'm receiving quite a bit of delight! I start walking, but automatically stop, as I hear the taboo words (Or at least to me, right now.) echo out from behind me.
"What about Zero?" Aido reminds Ruka, completely oblivious to our plan. I stiffen a bit, and Ruka inhales, before I continue to walk briskly ahead. Ruka, after much moments of hesitation, and quite a bit of internal conflict, finally relents, much to my disappointment.
"Fine. He may come with. But, it wouldn't make much of a difference, as we're already here." She sighs. We stop at a pair of big doors, lavishly decorated with many patterns and designs. Roses laced the corners and well as the middle, and the doorknobs were one big flower, cut down the middle, where you could pull the doors open. I gape at the site, and Ruka laughs a bit, before the informs me. "And this…" She points to the door. "Is only the freakin' door. Wait until you see the inside."
With that, she gives the doors a mighty shove, and I watch as they slowly creak open. What's inside was a beauty to behold. It was a dining room, the walls painted with extreme skill, as it looks like the dancers dancing within the painting are real, and floor is covered with deep indigo tiles, gleaming with our reflections, lit up by the moonlight, shining in from the ornate and beautiful windows. The windows are covered with lavish drapes, but the most beautiful part, was the ceiling. The ceiling was covered in black and purple, but had constellations, made up of stars. The tiny white dots looked like they were actually shining, and I feel like I'm actually looking at the sky, even though the evening was shining only a couple of meters away.
"So this is…" I mutter. "…the dining room." Only then do I notice the tables, covered with extremely tempting food, filled up with platters and platters of the stuff. People were already sitting around the dining table, conversing a conversation quietly, until they notice our presence. Well… no. Mostly mine.
Aido steps forward now, and declares to the room of people, as if it was his job, or something, "Yuuki Cross is here to stay!" With that, roars and cheers erupt from the lines of people, and clapping is deafening, some people standing up, some actually getting out of their seats to come and shake my hand, or hug me. Odd, cause I hardly know the people, yeah? When the commotion dies down, and let me say, it took a while, one person directs me to my seat. Everyone around me starts to follow me, and all take their respective places. Ruka and the gang, as well as myself are directed to an entirely different table. The smallest, but the most decorated. It also had the best food. Everything looks great, and I thought that my situation couldn't get better.
Except for the fact that I have to sit next to Zero.
And except for the fact that he keeps staring at me.
And except for the fact, in which I still have to ignore him.
Oh God.
I'm royally screwed.
I look at Ruka, who was sitting across from me, smiling apprehensively. I know why though, and I don't need anyone to clarify that my current situation sucks. Shiki, who is seated next to me, (And Rima next to him) notices my discomfort, and pokes me on my shoulder to try to gain my attention.
I turn around, to face him, and he automatically smiles knowingly. I grimace, and my heart skips a beat, as I believe that my plan was found out. Damn. Am I that easy to read? He whispers softly to me, moving his mouth to my ear. I try not to think of the closeness of his body (Though I don't think of him like, well, like that.) and try to focus on his words. "I see now. You can try and ignore him all you want, but I must warn you of the consequences later." I pull back, and look at his beautiful eyes, his words confusing me to no end. Consequences? Of what sort?
I hear the clink of a spoon against a glass, and turn to see Kain and Ruka standing up, glass and spoon in hand. Ruka opens her mouth to speak, but Kain beats her to it. "I would like to welcome Yuuki Cross, the Princess of Cross Kingdom, as a new member of our organization! May we…Wah?" What? Organization? Ruka whacks his head, and shoves Kain down in his seat. I chuckle at their antics.
"Sorry there. Someone took my lines!" She glares daggers at Kain, while he rubs his head awkwardly. "As I was supposed to say, may everyone treat Yuuki Cross, our new member, with love and affection, and may we hope that her skills will come in handy for the future!" With that, the group cheers, and I feel a hand jerk me up, out of my seat, forcing me to stand. I'm about to question that, who did it, but I'm onslaught with the cheers and claps sent my way. I even hear some cheer 'Go Princess Yuuki!', and I laugh a bit, forgetting about the matter from before.
When I sit down, Aido suddenly exclaims, "Remember, the fight for food is a merciless one! So everyone…try to survive!" and with that, he leaps into the trays and plates on our table, many following after him.
"Ah!" I exclaim. Well then, I certainly hadn't accepted that, fighting for food is rather weird! But as I look around our table, even Shiki and Rima, the supposed orderly people in this assemblage, and Zero, the supposed ringleader, for the meanwhile not concerned with me, even they were fighting to gain some food.
Eh…? Oh well.
I jump into the fray, everyone's silver ware shining in my face, impairing my vision. I spot some ramen noodles in the corner, and lunge my fork to get them, but someone's silverware beats me to it, and steals the majority. I sigh in disappointment, and reach for the remainders, splaying them all over my plate, once I grab them, as I move out of the cluster. Once the rest is put on my plate, I jump back in, and again, search for my next target. I locate a large bowl of caeser salad, and once again, reach forward to grab the bowl. But when I almost reach it, as it becomes close enough for me to touch it, the same person (I can identify from their silverware, even though I can't see the faces. Everyone has a different color…) snatches the bowl away from me. When it arrives back in its original position, a couple of seconds later, it was now an empty bowl, save for a few croutons, and pieces of lettuce. You can't be serious. God, well, food is food. I snatch the salad bowl, or what's left of it, anyway, and pour the contents on my plate. I now look down at it; the food hardly filled a small portion of my dinnerware, not nearly enough to satisfy my hunger, which was bubbling in my stomach. Deciding that I need to get more, I leap back in the jumble of bodies, and fight once again. I whip my head, back and forth, finding my next victim. I see a bowl, currently left alone, and first look around to see if that damned purple-jeweled silverware was around, looking to steal my food. When I see it across the table, currently fighting with blue silverware, I know this is my chance. Hell, I don't even know what it is, but I reach for it. When the bowl is in my arms, I grin with victory, and pull it back, for me to feast on.
Except for the fact, that it's empty.
I would starve, if this goes on for much longer. All through out dinner, the same person, the owner of that damn purple silverware, kept stealing what I would go for, leaving me scraps of food, which I had to suffice on. While everyone else sat back on their chairs, apparently full, to the fact in which they couldn't move, I was up and moving, looking around for leftovers of the ornate feast. When I couldn't find any, and with much hesitation, I sat down, quite disappointed with the fact in which I couldn't eat anything sufficient.
"Aww, poor Yuuki." Aido speaks pointedly at me. I scowl. "Couldn't get anything to eat, eh? Well, in this house, eating food is a survival skill. You got to get dirty, or you will starve." I stick my tongue out at him, and turn away.
When I meet Zero's gaze, as he was still watching me after all this time, my breath catches is my throat. I avert my eyes automatically, but I can sense him still staring at me. Yuuki, be calm. You have to remember; he's the one who will crack, not you. I need to strike up some conversation with someone, anything to make him lose his interest on me, so I turn to Rima, giving my back to Zero, and blurt. "So! That was very interesting! Do we eat like that everyday…oh, I mean every evening? Or, do you do that in the morning and afternoon too? Cause if we do, I guarantee that I will starve, yeah. Damn purple silverware kept stealing my food over and over again! Stupid purple silverware, stupid purple silverware…" I turn my head down to the able, and chant it, like it would do something about my empty stomach. I hear Zero laugh behind me. Dammit!
Rima looks at me like I have three heads, and stays silent for a few fleeting moments. Then, she asks very calmly, and very deliberately, "Yuuki, you didn't eat anything that has made you delirious, have you?" I sag my head. Great, now she thinks I'm crazy. And Zero laughing his ass off doesn't really help. Did I do something ridiculous? I mean, what could I have done to make Rima form a face like that, and to make Zero laugh? He never laughs. In fact, he hardly smiles! Much less laugh!
I breathe out, and shake my head. I stand up sharply, and mention to Rima, "I'll go to the bathroom. I need time to cool off…" With that, I start walking towards the exit of the ballroom, saying 'Hi' to the people littering the other tables.
I hear Zero yell behind me, "Yuuki! You'll get lost!" Ridiculous. Me, get lost?
Okay, maybe, but it's only the bathroom. Once I find my way, I'm sure to come back.
When I reach the exit, I push the doors, and after much struggle, I realize that I have to pull, thanks to a big sign that is hung on the door. Wow…I'm really out of it today…
I pull the doors open, and step out. As I take steps away, to one direction, I hear the door behind me slam. So no one had followed to show me the way, eh? Oh well. Adventure time! Now, lets see how long I can go, before I get lost.
I'm lost.
…
I know. How predictable.
Hmm, well, standing around, complaining about it won't do anything. I might as well try to find my way back. I look around me, once again, to try to find my way, to see any kind of passageway, in which I could escape from. I turn to my right…Ah! There's a good one! I run down the corridor, which was plenty large, and nicely decorated. I slow down, to admire the paintings hung up on the walls, and touch one of them. When I pull back my finger, it's now covered in a layer of dust. They seem pretty old, and so did the furniture littering the place. But, nonetheless, it was all very breathtaking.
I make my way out of the hallway, and into another fork in the road. But…what's this? The openings are very tall, and clearly aged, and an old, dirty sign hang above both. The notes on the signs are written in a different language, one which ancient and was never really used much, I conclude. I…forgot the name, but I can identify the language, as I learned about it quite a bit during my studies...
I don't have enough magic to perform a Word of Understanding, one that will let me decipher all codes and languages from the battle before, so I let my sense of adventure betray my common logic, and start to walk towards the entrances. I quickly choose one, the right one, and start to walk in to the darkness.
Immediately, I'm halted by a vice grip on my wrist.
"You are not allowed to go in there."
I'm whipped around, and come face to face with Zero's rather annoyed face. Not batting an eyelash, I rip my hand away from him, sharply turn, and walk away. For the second time that day, he walks up to me, grabs my shoulders, and slams me into a wall, pinning me there with his body. I feel the wall crack a bit under the force of the slam, and try not to wince, as I feel splints of wood pierce into my back. "The hell you ignoring me for?" he hollers. I resist the urge to cover my ears with my hands, and instead use them to push him off of me. My back, for some reason, gains an ache, in which I can't get rid of.
I smile sweetly, completely contrasting the rage boiling through my body. "I don't know. Figure it out yourself!" I try not to lose it, even after I had spoken, and again, try to walk away. I try not to walk to fast, to look calm and collected, but I can't help it, as I hear Zero's rushed footsteps start towards me. He catches up to me in no time flat, and jumps in front of me, blocking my escape through the hallway. Oh shoot…wait! I turn back to the entrances, and look smugly at Zero, victory, or an assumed one, etched across my face. "My win!" I exclaim, and start to sprint towards the openings.
"No!"
I hear the sound of a whip being lashed, and my sprinting is halted immediately, by something wrapping its self around my waist, as well as my hands, legs, and even my neck. I look down to see metallic vines, wrapping it around me. Suddenly, I'm pulled backwards, and my back collides with something hard More precisely, Zero's chest. My back, and I hope only from the collision, basically screams in agony. Zero's hands come out, and crush me closer to him, and even with the protesting my spine was doing, I can only think of our closeness. His body heat is radiating into mine, and I nearly shriek, blushing heavily, but instead, I resort to hyperventilating. "Wha…Z-Zero, w-what…why a-are you…oh m-my g-god…w-what are you doing?" What the heck is this, all of a sudden? But then breaking through my rather suggestive thoughts, I noticed something.
Zero was shaking.
Oh my gosh. "Z-Zero…are you-"
"When I tell you not to do something…" Zero's breath tickled my ear. Even his breathing was uneasy. My blush gets heavier at the distance between the vicinity of our bodies, (Is it even possible?) but I still listen, "Out of your safety, whether your furious or not, please do not ignore me." He whispers the last part rather harshly, but his movements contradict his tone. He softly lets me go, and I turn to look at him. I look into his eyes, and gasp as I see fear in the usually stoic amethyst, and my anger was now diminished. I avert my eyes quickly. Something obviously happened in these hallways, and whatever did, seriously affected the boy in front of me. And now, I'm scared. When I look back to him, the fear in his eyes is replaced by the previous anger and confusion. "Anyway, if you don't want to relent, to actually listen to me, then that's fine with me!" He turns around, and now it's his turn to storm out of the place. The hell? Bipolar much? And, he thinks he can get away with walking out on me like that? Especially with no answers? Hah, not likely.
I run up to him, and still sprinting, collide with his body while wrapping my arms around his waist, the impact almost throwing him of his feet. He freezes, and I feel his body go rigid. My face smashed into his back, I speak, my voice quite muffled. "I know something happened back there, in those passageways, though I'm not sure what it could've been. But, even though I just met you, and even though I'm still mad at you, you accepted me, for all the trouble I'm worth. So now it's my turn. If you have any problems, feel no hesitation in sharing the pain with me. It will not be a burden, and I would be happy to help. You never have to ask, you can go ahead and tell. So…please tell me…what happened…" I slowly unwrap my arms from Zero's back, and take a few steps back, and wait for him to say something. He turns around, and walks up to me. His words surprise me to no end.
"Why are you crying?" He smiles faintly as he says this. My eyes widen, and I reach a hand up to my eyes. When I touch them, they receive a cool liquid coating, which has already began to soak my fingers. I start to wipe at them, but Zero stops me.
"Let me do it." His thumb is slipped under my eye, and tenderly starts to wipe at my tears. With him looking at me so intently, I feel my heart beat out my ribcage, and put a hand on it to settle down and I avert my eyes from his, for like, the fifth time today. It doesn't work sadly, and I feel a blush creeping up on my cheeks. Even when he pulls his hand out from under my eyes, he doesn't stop looking at me.
…
…
…!
To break the awkward silence growing between us, I turn around, my back facing Zero, and blurt, "I'm hungry! I didn't eat at all because this damn guy kept stealing my…" I don't get to finish my sentence, because a shock of pain was sent up my spine. "Ow! What the…?" I reach my hand to touch the pained area, but Zero catches my wrist in my hand.
"Don't move." Zero says softly. I try not to, but when I feel another ripple of pain sent up my back, I jump, and frantically turn around, and look up at Zero. But, it's his shirt that gains my attention, and I see red blotches covering the front of it. Then I hesitantly look down to his hands. They were doused in the liquid. I gaze up to his face, even more scared than seeing blood. The guiltiness etched on his face is heartbreaking, but, his face was also twisted in...pain? And, is it me, or are his eyes...red? I couldn't tell very well, as he now covers his face with his blood stained hands. I ignore that for now, and slowly reach to my back, and touch the area. Again, the same spike of agony erupts through my body, and I quickly pull my hand away. I gasp, as I see them now deluged in blood, much like Zero's are. I put the pieces together like a jigsaw puzzle, and conclude that this wound is because of the wood that had pierced though my back, when Zero slammed me into the wall. I hadn't thought he did it that hard…guess he must have been rather agitated.
"Hmm…that's gonna leave a mark…" I say softly. I wipe my blood on my already blood stained pants, and beckon for Zero to come closer. He does, so I speak to him. "This is your fault, you know."
"I know."
"So I expect to heal me, you got it?"
"Of course."
"And apologize."
"For what?"
"For yelling at me in battle, and for slamming me into a wall so hard, it made me bleed."
"I got it."
"And Zero…"
"What?"
"Will you heal me the same way as before?"
"Maybe."
Oh man, I don't even know if I want him to do it or not. Curse these teenage hormones!
" Fine. Now, direct me back to the kitchen, where you will order me some food!"
"Wha…?"
"Do you want me to forgive you, or not?" I wave a finger around, then point it at him, waiting for an answer.
"Tsk…women."
"Hee, I know."
"Oh my gosh, Yuuki? Where have you been?" Ruka exclaims. I'm back in the dining hall, where everyone is swarming me with questions, or exaggerated tales on why I had been gone for so long. I try not to show anyone my back, by letting anyone creep up behind me, or accidentally turn around while I'm talking, so I make my conversations short and precise, as I wait for Zero to return with some food.
"I assure you, nothing bad happened when I was gone. I had simply gotten lost, is all." I try and try to reassure the people that they missed nothing, that absolutely nothing happened in the time period in which I was away. I think I was doing pretty well from averting their attention, but my heart skips a beat when I hear Aido say:
"I smell blood." He starts to sniff dramatically, and his eyes search the room, trying to find who was bleeding. His statement causes everyone else to also sniff the air. As eyes widen, I'm start to get nervous, because I believe that they could find out if they look a bit closer. Soon enough, each and every pair of eyes locks on to me. I instinctively take a step back.
"Yuuki...a-are you bleeding?" Rima says to me. Her voice is shaking, which is odd for her. She's usually solemn. But now, she's very pale...I mean, paler than before, which scares me, and her eyes have a bit of a pained gaze. Just like Zero from before! I have to come up with an excuse, soon. And a believable one, too. I look for Zero, and I see him walking towards me, food in tow, but rather slowly.
Alright, here goes nothing. "I think it's just my shirt...I mean, from the battle, I think, I got rather bloody..." I try
"No...It...it's fresh..." Now it's Shiki's turn to stutter, and he speaks so softly, if the room wasn't dead quiet, I don't think I would've heard him. I look up alarmingly at Zero, and we catch each other's gaze. I think he gets the point, as I see his pace frantically increase, and he arrives here, soon. He pushes people out of the way, until he reaches me.
"Come on Yuuki. Let's go. Now!" He takes hold of my arm, and pulls me out of the door. We start running...well, Zero's running. I'm being dragged across the floor, but, we make our way across the hallways, and to the stairs. We go up one flight, and come to rest at another pair of large doors. I walk forward a little bit, and scan the doors with my hand, my breathing still uneasy from the mad escape we had just succeeded in.
"Hmm…what are these?" I question.
"These are the bedrooms. Usually, girls sleep in one room, while boys sleep in another. The maximum limit is 6 people per room. But there are some exceptions, you being one of them. For safety reasons, you will be sleeping next to me..."
My eyes widen to an immaculate degree, and I sputter, "Me...you...s-share a room? No…a bed?" I flail my arms, to try to prove what a bad idea it is, but I gain a shock of pain for my efforts, cascading down my upper spine, to my lower back.
"No! I mean, there will be a door separating us in the room, and we will share one bathroom, but there are locks for both sides, and we have separate beds. This is all for your safety, and I will only come into your room, should you ask." I release the air I didn't know I was holding. There was, still, one more matter I have to make sure of, though.
"Where will Ruka and the rest sleep?" I ask him.
He smiles faintly. "Don't worry. Their rooms are right next to ours, alright?" I sigh in relief, and start walking to the door. I shove them, but they don't budge. I try again, and gaining the same result, flip my head back to Zero, with a what-the-hell-is-this look currently owning my face. He rolls his eyes, reaches into his pocket, and pulls out a key, holding out for me to see. My mouth forms an 'O', and I step to the side to make room for Zero, wincing when my back scrapes the door. "Don't worry. I'll heal that when we get to the room." I nod, and watch him open the door. Man, my back is killing me!
Once wide enough for me to step through, I take my first steps in, and look around. Just an empty hallway, save for three doors at the end of it. I turn to Zero. "What…" He walks past me, beckoning for me to follow him. I do. We walk to the end of the hallway, and enter the middle door. Inside, I see doors, with numbers above, and a keyhole on all of them. Obviously, these are the rooms. I question, "Zero, which room are we…I staying in?" He points to the one on the far right side. I start to walk towards it, and once I reach it, I wait for Zero to arrive, because he has the key. He looks at me strangely, and then puts his face into his palm. "You can open it without a key, you know?" When he raises his head, I notice he was rather pale. His eyes too… he looks in pain. But I ignore that for now.
"Ah…"
I grip the handle, and open the door, while taking a step inside. The room was…average, to say at the least, but nothing in which I had expected from the ornate castle. But it has a bed, a TV (Though I doubt I would use it.), and a nightstand, as well as a desk, so I was satisfied, for a while. But…it was rather dull…Oh well, I would fix that later.
I flop down on the bed, and watch Zero put the food down on the desk. I scoot over, to give him room to sit. He doesn't at first, but a pout shot towards him is all he needs to oblige with my whims. "So, are you going to do it the same way…?" I mutter. "I mean, healing me…"
His smile turns feral. "Why? Would you like me to?" His voice was a bit uneasy. Man, what's wrong with these people, and their reactions to my wounds?
"I'll let you decide…now, turn around!" I twist my fingers to give him a physical example of what I have asked of him. He tilts his head in confusion. "I need to take off my shirt, you idiot!" He nods his head, and turns around. I pull my shirt above my head, and proceed to pull it off the rest of the way from the bottom. I then un-strap my bra strap, and using my shirt and bra, cover my front. I mention for Zero to turn around. When he does, I hear him gasp. I fell him lean forward, and he touches the hurt area tenderly, as I hold in a groan. "Why are you hurting me more?" I snap at him.
"Are you sure you want me to do this…" he gasps. His hot breath keeps landing on my wound, and I resist the urge to turn around. Why is he acting like this…?
"Please, just do it already!"
He grabs my shoulders, and dips his head into my back. Letting his tongue out of its cage, his licks around the wound, lapping up the blood, almost feverishly. He licks down, below the wound, or even the blood, and I issue a warning to him. Immediately, he moves back up, and starts to tend to the incisions. I bite my lip, to hold back a scream of pain, as I feel the wound go back together, as he traces a line down it with his tongue. I think my body was shuddering, as Zero squeezes my shoulder lightly to calm me down. I try to straighten my back, to make it easier for him, and yet again, he squeezes my shoulder, though a little bit harder than before. I get the picture, and stop moving. He gives the wound a final lick, and the pain intensifies tenfold as he moves away. Only then do I let out a small wail, as the healing continues, sending agony through my spine and upper back. It hurts so badly, that I almost feel like blacking out.
And then, there's nothing.
No pain from the wound, no pain from the healing. Just nothing.
"Haha, great, I-Wha…?" Again, Zero dips his head to my back, and begins to lick at my back. My back is cooled by his saliva leaking down my slender frame, but warmed by his hot breath, making goosebumps erupt on my skin. I start to turn around, as to ask Zero to stop, but instead, I stop, dead in my tracks, as he reaches his hands over me, and tugs me to his body, my back hitting his chest. I gasp, and I'm about to speak, but he grasps my head with a large hand, tilting my head to a rather uncomfortable degree, and leans his head over my neck, automatically silencing me. I freeze for a moment, my brain failing me for these fleeting moments, but I regain my senses quickly, shake violently, and scratch at his hands, to free my face and body, because I sense danger. Call it a women's institution, would you, and trust me, I'm hardly wrong, especially about situations like these. But, unfortunately, he responds by stretching his free arm over my front, and pulling me even closer to him, crushing me between his strong arms, and even more powerful front. He licks a slow, torturing line down my neck, and then abruptly pulls away. I think I'm free for the moment, but my thoughts are flipped 180, as a sharp pain is shot down my neck. Zero's face leans more into my body, and starts to lick at the wound(s), lapping up the blood which started spilling down my neck.
"What…" I whisper. He continues, even when I start to strain to get out of his grasp. He places his lips on the area that he had penetrated, and sucks to gain more blood into his mouth. He again, licks the area, and when a small amount of the red liquid dribbles down to my front, he wastes no time in dropping down there, and lapping it up, moving dangerously close to a certain area. I gain a dizzy pang from the lack of blood, and my vision blurs white, shaking violently, but originally resorts to normal, signifying that I'm running out of blood.
I decide enough is enough, and I slip my arms out from under his grip. Twisting my body, I turn to face him, and quickly smack him on the face. He recoils, and I jump away from him fluently, while knocking over the desk next to my, currently, blood stained bed. I use my clumsiness to my advantage, and duck behind the toppled furniture, while hesitantly peeking over it to watch my apparent attacker. My hand automatically reaches to my neck, where I run it over the broken surface, touching the two bumps that were still, even now, steadily leaking blood. I look at Zero's mouth, which was cover in blood, as his hand runs over the surface of his lips. When the ligament is removed, fangs, long sharp, blood drenched fangs are revealed to me. My eyes clench in fear, as I look over his appearance, or more likely, my blood on his form, and I slowly speak, my voice shaking in disbelief and pure, utter terror.
"Z-Zero, y-you…you're a vampire…?"