The Fate of the Purebloods
AN: To Zephyr's Voice: Thanks for the tip on the honorifics! I wasn't sure whether or not to put a "-" between it, so I decided to be lazy and leave it out :P and sorry about the commas! My punctuation is pretty rubbish! Thanks for your review!
Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight. And it is unlikely I ever will :(
The wind is loud. It roars in the little boy's ears. He cannot wait for this to be over. He feels suffocated in the black. Black sky, black clothes, black mood....
"My consolations."
"....a terrible tragedy..."
"....poor children...."
He ignores the whispers and the murmurs. He places a hand on his sister's head. Her tears have long since dried up. "I'm sleepy", Haruka mumbles. The little boy glances at his siblings.
"You'll look after them..."
He nods. "Let's go home." Three children walk in the gathering darkness. They are going to a house. Not home. They have no home. Home died with mother.
-oOo-
Kyosuke grips the handrail of the balcony. A starless night. His grip tightens. The rail snaps. He goes inside. How foolish.... they were foolish. She never did agree with him. They had never seen eye to eye. Nonetheless, she had been his wife. And they had killed her. He runs a hand through his light blond hair.
"Otou-sama?"
He turns in surprise. A small girl, barely four years of age with a mop of dark curls stands in the doorway. Her eyes are red and puffy. She wordlessly holds out a storybook.
He cannot meet his daughter's gaze. "I miss Okaa-sama", Juuri chokes. Her eyes well up with fresh tears and she barrels into his chest. She is sobbing. He wraps his arms around her and sits her on his lap.
He should reassure her. But his throat is dry. What words of comfort can he offer her? He is responsible...
He hates himself. His throat constricts, but tears still do not come. Why? Why can he not even shed a single tear for his wife?
"The wife you killed."
He ignores the whispers in his head and lifts his daughter up. As he walks toward her room, the whispers continue to spread. They poison every corner of his mind until they are not whispers, they are screams. They shriek in his ear again and again.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? THIS IS YOUR FAULT! YOU MAY AS WELL HAVE KILLED HER YOURSELF!"
"Goodnight, Juuri." He kisses the top of her forehead as he tucks the covers around her. "Sweet dreams."
Juuri stares at him, her large brown eyes moist. Rukia's eyes....
He feels sick. Outside in the hall his legs surrender. He falls to the ground, shaking all over. "What have you done to them?"
"Shut up.... shut up, shut up, shut UP!"
His breath comes in short, painful gasps.
"What have I done?"
-oOo-
"His lordship is unwell I'm afraid, master Rido", the maid says apologetically. The little boy nods. "Thank you."
"Is Otou-sama with Okaa-sama now?"
"Juuri!" Haruka scolds. "Don't be morbid! Otou-sama is upset."
Rido watches as the pair bicker. Little children, he thinks. But he glances at the bedroom door again. He cannot hear movement. "What is it, Otou-sama?" he whispers to himself.
"INTRUDER!"
The three children are startled. "Take three guards downstairs! Try to cut him off at the gate!"
"Guard! What is it?"
"A cloaked man, Master Rido, fled from the late Mistress's private study!"
"Is anything stolen?"
"He was holding documents of some kind, Master Rido!"
-oOo-
How beautiful.... silver and sleek...
Her dark hair is dances in the wind. Her white dress is billowing. She is laughing. Rukia....
How.... beautiful....
There are three sharp raps on the door. "My Lord?"
Kyosuke Kuran doesn't reply. He is lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. "My Lord, an intruder broke into her Ladyship's study!"
He closes his eyes.
"I would like my study to have lots of shelves, Kyosuke. For my books?"
"Of course, dearest. You're books are much too precious to reside in the library with the likes of MY books!"
She laughs and hits his shoulder. "Don't be sarcastic!"
"My Lord?"
"Go away..."
She twirls the rose gently in her slim fingers and smiles at him. "You're sweet. I like you."
"I'm sorry!"
"Why did you do that to me? To us?"
"I'm sorry!"
Her face crumples. Tears slide down her pale cheeks. "How could you?"
"I didn't want that! I love you! I-"
She screams and falls on her knees.
He cannot move towards her. "Rukia...?"
Her tears turn to blood, it streams from her eyes, her mouth, her nose.... The white skin is dyed red. The white dress is stained crimson. The white rose dies.
"How... could..."
Her hands clutch her chest, over her heart. He stares at his hand. He is holding a bloodied dagger. "No...!"
"Kyo...suke?"
"Rukia!"
"NO!"
He opens his eyes. How beautiful indeed. He twirls it in his fingers, admiring how elaborate and finely crafted it is. He clutches it walks outside.
"I love roses. They are so delicate and beautiful. Kyosuke? Let's have a rose garden in our house!"
He sits among them. The roses. Red roses, pink roses, yellow roses, white roses....
He allows a smile creep across his face. It widens until he is laughing. "I gave you a rose garden! Just like you said! I'm glad you liked it!"
"They are not as beautiful as you... nothing is."
She smiles. "I love you."
"I love you too!" He yells.
She jumps to her feet. "Come on! Come with me!"
"Wait..."
She runs away.
"Rukia? Where are you going? Wait!"
She pauses. There is a beautiful wrought iron gate set in the stone wall of the house. Roses are twined around it. He doesn't remember a door like that being there...
"Where are you going?"
"My garden. Are you coming?"
"That's the house, Rukia. There is no garden there."
She shakes her head and smiles sadly. Then she opens the gate and walks through. "Wait! I'll come! Don't go, please...."
He holds it against his heart.
He walks toward the gate. "I'm coming too! Wait for me...."
Tears prick his eyes.
He rests his hand on the elegant gate. Rukia is standing on the other side. She smiles sadly.
He plunges the knife deep into his heart and twists it.
"I want to be with you."
This pain.... this horrible pain.... screaming....
He opens the gate. "I'll come with you. Always..."
His eyes are slowly closing. The sun is smiling on him from it's perch in the azure blue sky. "Why are you happy I'm going?"
The world.... is red.
"Rukia...?"
But she is gone. There is no gate, no garden.... there is... nothing....
Thanks for reading! Sorry if it dragged a bit. Please R&R and no flames!