Normally he'd feel some twinge of empathy or remorse for having them scream at the obviously half asleep Prefects but not today. On only ten minutes of sleep Zero had no compassion for their pain. In fact it made him feel better. Not enough to forgive them but he didn't have the urge to rip them to shreds for their betrayal. It might seem to be a small thing, skipping patrol, but not to him. That time is the only time when he can relax knowing they and the Academy is safe.
Stormy eyes tracked them from underneath lowered lids, his mouth quirking in a quick feral satisfied grin. As they stumbled towards him, half drunk on sleep, the girls blocked their path surrounding the vampires and the Prefects. With one last look he turned away from them. This will not be easily forgotten.
"Wait Zero!"
He continued on ignoring his twin's cry. Sephiroth was right, he can't trust anyone but the General. Only he is loyal and now that he has fallen, Zero is all alone in a world of predators just waiting to hunt him down and devour him.
Yuuki stared after the silverette. "Why didn't he stop? He can't be that mad. It was only once." Ichiru faced his crush, and even though something told him they'd done something terrible, agreed. Sorry Zero but it's Yuuki. IF he wants her to pick him he's going to have to do everything he can. "No idea. Come Yuuki, we'll see him in class."
But they wouldn't see Zero in class. He would be excused all day by the Headmaster. In fact they didn't see him for the rest of the night. By Crossover they started worrying. Even the Night Class was wary of what had called the angry Prefect away.
"On your seventeenth Hunt you will be called. Inside the bowels, past the fallen, you'll see Him. I cannot guide you through this Heir. I can only prepare you so you may survive." A hand ruffled his hair. "Know this, you are ours, not even Death can steal you. No matter your Naming always remember that." He smiled and looked up into those acid green eyes. They glinted with that familiar protective possessiveness that always warmed him, breaking through his trained apathy. These are the ones who care, they will stand with him forever.
"Your Naming is your title, your signatures. All others will know you by this. The ones who fell before me, it was their lineage, mine was different. As will yours. Remember Heir, your Naming is the day you life changes."
That conversation came back to him now, as he stands before the fallen ready to step inside he didn't feel the hesitation he expected. Whenever he'd thought of this Ichiru and Yuuki made him hesitate but now...he's free.
Zero gently passed the first, second, third all to the eighth. He stared down at him, the General who trained him, the man who loved him. "Thank you Master. The day you have trained me for has come." With one final brush against the casket he walked to his fate.
Shadows blocked the room from any light as he approached the middle of the chamber and kneeled. He bowed his head in the silence and closed his eyes, just waiting. "Zero, Heir to the General. Today is your Name Day. From this moment forth you are officially a Kiryuu." Brushing against his bowed head, fingers turned to talons, dragging his head up.
The atmosphere suddenly turned deadly as Zero stared passively into this onyx and golden eyes. "Don't hide." He gave his head a good shake, ripping strands of silver hair out, making Zero wince. "Show me the real Zero, not this machine hiding behind apathy. Or are you to fearful to face your emotions? Do you not have enough control?" Zero lowered his eyes to the stone floor and let go.
Fire raced through his beings, rage burrowed into his heart, anger seared his bones to ash. His world ended and began, with the real Zero standing there.
"There you are. Raise those pretty eyes, let me see what you truly are." Now gentle, he raised Zero's head to meet his eyes. "Good. That's who you really are. Did you know Zero? You were mine before them." Canines flashed in a grin. "You're my chosen. They all were great but you, you're something special. There's such anger, such rage inside you. It's not a normal fire. This is my wrath. So my dear Chosen, you may take a Name that's different from all who came before." Cold breath brushed his ear.
"Rise Zero, the Reaper." His lips pressed a gentle kiss against his brow and dropped him. He watched the boy shake and scream as he collapsed to the floor.
The silver locks grew to ankle length and bled black with red streaks. His skin paled even more if possible and he shot up a good foot in height. But the final change was his back. Carved into his back a black wing, curving from his left shoulder blade to his right hip, as to the right of it from shoulder blade to the top of the curve of the wing, in a list lay the eight others who rose and fell before him title's included. He finally fell silent once the last letter healed, scar tissue black.
"Go, begin your reign. I will be watching you Reaper. Do me proud." He turned away, disappearing in a flutter of wings.