Chapter One – Night Of Horror And Loss
"Yuuki? Where are you? I really need to speak to you!" calls an impatient Cross Kaien as he runs around looking for the 10 year old Yuuki.
Whilst the chairman's back is turned, Yuuki came creeping up behind him and screamed in a high pitched screeching tone.
"Arghhh!" the chairman fell over in shock. "YUUKI!" He said trying not to shout to loudly, at her whilst she was rolling on the floor in laughter.
"Its not funny, I need to go out, it's very urgent" the chairman said getting up.
Yuuki saw the seriousness in his green eyes. "I'm really sorry farther" she replied back to the reaction and hugged him in return.
"Call me daddy Yuuki, and its okay But the problem is, is that I can't leave you here by yourself" he said now a bit annoyed.
"Keian! We have no time to lose. We have got to go." said an injured man with long, curly black hair who was perching against the door which he presumably came into the house from. His face could not be seen due to his long dark hair and what looked like crimson ink on his cheek and arm.
"Its okay, Chairman... I will look after Yuuki." Said a very familiar calm voice. Coming from the door which the injured man stood by, came in Kaname.
"Kaname-senpai." Yuuki said cheerfully.
"You sure about this Kaname?" The chairman asked politely.
"Yes, I'm sure; you have an important job to do." Kaname replied in understanding.
The chairman walked up to Kaname and put his hand on his shoulder. "Thank you" the chairman simply said and walked out of the house with the injured man leading the way.
Kaname turned to Yuuki, and saw the impression she used at that present time.
"Don't look worried Yuuki. It's all okay." He said coming over to her and getting on to his knees to become level with her. "There's nothing to worry about" he said calmly and hugged her. She immediately felt calm and she knew that it could have been all due to his presence but part of his powers.
"But...what's going on? Or what is happening?" Yuuki still asked no matter what she felt.
"Yuuki, you wouldn't want to know, trust me...I am sure you will find out eventually, just not now, it's not the right time." Kaname replied still holding her.
"Okay...whatever you say Kaname senpai." Yuuki simply replied now feeling sleepy.
Every second that went by, Yuuki's eyes would slowly drop like she was falling to sleep but fighting against it till she suddenly dropped quietly to sleep. Kaname intended this to happen so that she wouldn't worry no more. He lifted her up like he was picking up a feather and took her to her room and put her to bed, hoping she wouldn't wake up too early. He sat down on the chair next to her bed and simply watched Yuuki sleep peacefully.
Kaname had always loved this little girl since the day he met her, and he was always there for her when she needed help or needed to be looked after. But there was always a thought in Kaname's mind that was an advantage and a disadvantage for him. If he still loves her when she becomes older and she loves him, he can always change her into a vampire, but the problem was that there would always be a risk of Yuuki becoming a level-e, but the risk shouldn't be so bad as he was a pureblood, if he kept giving his blood to her, she should be kept under control and strong. But yet, Kaname does not know his feelings, he could just love her as a little human sister.
Painless hours flew past and Kaname never stopped looking at Yuuki, and for that spilt second, he remembered the promise he made her when she was one years old. He promised to protect her but even before he promised, he thought it. He reached out for her head and gently stroked it with his big hand and even as he did it, there was no sign of awakening.
All a sudden the sound of the door opening and closing was heard and Kaname looked at Yuuki and she shuddered at the loud noise, Kaname went straight out to hear the recent news of the situation.
A minute later, Yuuki woke up to the sound of worried mummers, she came out of her warm bed all sudden feeling a sudden breeze of icy air, she walked out of her room and to the place she heard the mummers from. It was coming from the lounge where her and her farther departed for the night.
"Daddy, your back!" Yuuki said happily to her farther who was speaking with Kaname. The injured man wasn't present now; he must have left for good.
The chairman looked pleased when Yuuki had called him what he preferred her calling him ('Daddy'). But then his mood changed to become quite calm and serious.
"Yuuki, I want you to do me a massive favour that Kaname and I would be grateful for..." the chairman said taking a deep concentrated breath "Yuuki, I want you to meet Zero." At that moment a little boy about the age of 11, with long-ish light silver hair, and wrapped in a green blanket, came into sight after being behind the chairman. "He and his family was attacked by a bad vampire...it was only him that survived. From now on, till he's the right age, is going to live with us, as a step son and step sister to you and me. He needs alot of care and support at this present moment due to the sudden shock and I know you are going to take good care of him Yuuki. But please don't think of all vampires as bad Yuuki, there are a few that may not be so nice though." Explained the Chairman with some concern.
"Okay Daddy, I will look after Zero for you, Kaname and Zero himself." Replied Yuuki smiling.
"Thank you Yuuki." Said the chairman thank fully and leading Zero to Yuuki.
"He will need a wash first Yuuki."
"Okay." She replied happily.
Yuuki put her hand on his arm and looked up to his face seeing splats of blood dotted on different parts of his pale face. Most of the blood looked like it was coming from under the blanket. No smile appeared his face, and this was hard for Yuuki to understand. She has never seen someone so upset and neutral. There were no tears in his eyes, but just the look of shock and paleness. Still holding onto his arm, Yuuki lead him the way to the bathroom.
"I think I should wash the upper top of your body to see whether there are any cuts that need seeing to." Yuuki said letting go of his arm and filling the sink up with warm water. She then went to the cupboard and got a first aid kit and a clean flannel. She looked back at him as she sensed no movement.
"Its okay Zero, I'm not going to hurt you..." She said politely.
She turned back towards the sink and stopped the running water and checked the temperature of the steamy liquid.
"Hm, just right!" Yuuki said proudly, she soaked the new flannel into the warm water and rinsed it so that it wasn't so full of water.
She turned to look at Zero, and he did exactly what she told him to do. He took the blanket of and his crimson red shirt which lay soaked on the floor. Yuuki gasped for air. She has never seen something so horrifying and painful. The right side of his neck, his right arm and his chest was crimson red. He had been bleeding badly, too badly to bear. Yuuki went over to him immediately and gently used the flannel to wipe of the blood on his body.
Constantly, Yuuki had to keep going back and forth to the sink to clean the flannel, but no matter how long it took and how impatient she was, she handled him with care being careful with every wipe she did. Once she had finished cleaning the blood off, she examined for cuts, but all she came across was two deep wound holes on the right side of this neck. Before she went to the first aid kit, she took a minute to take the wound into detail.
"Do you know how you did that? Or what happened to it?" she asked wondering.
Silence. Yuuki looked up to his face; there wasn't any eye movement or mouth movement to reply back to her question. She thought it would be selfish to ask again, so she went straight to the first aid kit and took a plaster that suited the size of the wound. Once she had found one, she gently stuck it onto the wound.
"There you go Zero. I hope that makes you feel better."
There was still no reply.
"Urm, I think you should take a bath, just to relax in and recover in."
Now Yuuki was not going to even ask him whether he would like one or not, she immediately just went to the bath tub and filled it with warm water and bubble bath.
A sweet lavender fragrance filled the room along with condensation due to the warm water.
"There you go Zero. Try to relax and not think too much and heres a towel which I would leave here on the radiator so it's warm for you." Yuuki instructed "and you can call either me or my farther, the chairman, when you are finished."
Yuuki picked up the clothes of the floor and walked out of the room closing the door behind her.
"Yuuki?" called out the chairman. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes daddy. Zero's having a bath at the moment, here's his clothes, well half of them." Replied Yuuki.
"Thank you Yuuki" said the chairman taking the clothes off of her. "I think you should go to bed now. We both had a busy day today, and you will awake to not me but Kaname tomorrow morning as I will not be here. I have to take Zero somewhere." He said sighing "well have a good sleep and try not to worry too much okay Yuuki?" the chairman kissed Yuuki on the forehead and then she immediately ran into her room and then into her bed and was ready to fall asleep.
8.30 AM the next morning.
Yuuki woke up and from the chairman's predictions, to Kaname looking out of her window.
"Good morning Yuuki, sorry if I woke you up. Are you hungry?" Kaname asked.
"Urm, where's Zero gone?" Yuuki felt that she should ask after looking after him the last night but was a bit puzzled that it was the first thing she said.
"He's gone somewhere with the chairman. I thought you're farther told you before you went to sleep?" Kaname asked puzzled.
"I know he did, but I was just wondering wh-...oh never mind, excuse my rudeness." Yuuki said un-happily.
Kaname looked at her in detail, "is there something wrong Yuuki?"
Yuuki just instantly shook her head in the signal of 'no'.
Her mood turned to disappointment, but she didn't want this to be seen by Kaname, so she walked out to the kitchen and sat by a rectangular table.
"So I guess you are hungry." Kaname said laughing after her.
"Oh, urm, no, im not actually that hungry...could I just have a glass of milk?" she asked shyly.
"Sure, one glass of milk coming up." Kaname replied automatically going to a cupboard which presumably had glasses in it.
Yuuki sat pretending to be happy, but deep inside she was worried, worried about Zero, and what pain he had probably gone through. Being attacked by a vampire is a serious incident when it comes to harm and danger and losing your family... Yuuki was always grateful to have someone blood related to her still alive.
"There you go Yuuki." Said Kaname giving Yuuki the glass of cold milk. Yuuki immediately stopped daydreaming.
"Thank you." Yuuki replied with a wide smile whilst taking the glass from him.
After the drink was handed over, Kaname went straight to the kitchen window and looked straight out of it. Yuuki was puzzled at this movement.
"...are you expecting someone?" asked a puzzled Yuuki wonderingly putting her milk glass on to the table in front of her without drinking any of its contents.
Still looking out of the window, Kaname replied "No, I'm just watching out for your farther so that when he arrives I can go straight away." He said daring not to look at the puzzled Childs face.
"But... can't you stay for another hour or something?" Yuuki asked politely.
"I'm afraid not Yuuki, I have a lot to do and I think your farther would like to speak to you anyway. I wouldn't want to interrupt that." Kaname replied still not looking at her.
"Oh, okay, Kaname." Said Yuuki concerned and feeling the sense that something isn't right. "How long has farther been?"
"He went out with Zero about two hours after you went to sleep." Kaname replied now able to look at her.
"That's a long time since now. I bet Zero is exhausted!" Said Yuuki concerned. "Why did farther take him out that hour anyway?"
"I wish I could tell you Yuuki, but you will know eventually one way or the other, Trust me." Kaname said looking in to her eyes.
This did not only make Yuuki have butterflies in her stomach, but she also did feel trust, so she didn't feel worried anymore.
"Ah, here they both are. I will see you soon Yuuki, okay, I promise." Kaname walked over to Yuuki and hugged her tightly like he was holding on for his life, and then with quick movement, Kaname moved from the kitchen and into the lounge to exit the front door before the chairman and Zero could enter the house through it.
After Kaname left the house in such a quick flash, Yuuki turned back to her glass of milk and drank some of its icy cold contents waiting for the arrival of her farther and Zero. She certainly heard that.
"Right Zero, I think it's a good idea that you should take a rest and maybe go to sleep." Yuuki heard the chairman say whilst closing the door, presumably, behind them both.
To Yuuki's surprise she saw a glimpse of Zero and her farther going straight to her room and then heard mummers coming from it. She tried hard to figure out what they were saying and why they were in her room.
The mummers then stopped and she heard footsteps coming towards the kitchen. It was her farther.
"Oh Yuuki, perfect timing. I hope you don't mind this, but Zero is sleeping in your bed for now till he wakes up which then he can either sleep with you, so that he has company, or on his own." The chairman said in a neutral presence.
"That's fine daddy, but...what is exactly going on?" Yuuki asked carefully.
The chairman looked down towards his feet and took a deep breath struggling for words. "Yuuki, when your older, you will know exactly what is happening." He replied looking at her now and stroking her face. "I think I might light the fireplace in your room so that it is nice and warm for Zero, I'm sure that he is cold." He said glumly. "Then I might have a rest or a nap, if that's okay Yuuki?"
Yuuki simply nodded and smiled. "When Zero is awake, do you want me to look after him?" Yuuki asked before the chairman exited the room.
"Yes please Yuuki, I probably won't be around much this week...or next week, so I will need your expertise." The chairman said thankfully and then left the room with his hand on top of his blonde haired head.
Yuuki sat unknowledgeable at what was happening, and as she knew Zero was back finally, she had the urge to go and see him, but she didn't want to disturb him at any point.
She picked up her glass of milk and started drinking it all at once. She then decided to have a bath to distract herself from going to her room and checking Zero to see whether he needs anything and if he is okay, but she thought she should do that after her bath so it gives him time to relax and settle in. So she put down her empty glass and ran, not looking at her wooden half open door, to the bathroom and locked it afterwards.
Two Hours Later...
Yuuki had her bath, which took her an hour including getting dry and changed in new clothes, and was sitting outside her room door daring whether she should go inside or not. She had waited there patiently for at least an hour, but she didn't mind that. Ever since the chairman had told her that she should look after Zero, for the time being, she had been wanting to know more about him and to be close to him so that it made him not feel lonely and un loved.
After the hour of building up her courage, the little girl got up to her feet and knocked on the door twice so that the quiet person within the room knew she was entering. She slowly walked into the room knowing it was too late to turn back and embarrass herself in such a manner. She automatically looked at her bed expecting him sleeping on it, but he wasn't there, she then turned to the lit fire place which the chairman said he would light to keep Zero warm, and to her surprise, Zero was sitting on the floor opposite the fiery fireplace. It seemed that the peaceful boy did not notice Yuuki's entrance.
Yuuki watched struggling for words to say and what actions to take. She did not know much about him, so she did not know how to act around him. All she knew was that he went through something no 11 year old boy should go through and have to remember as a tragic memory.
The boy moved, and Yuuki watched, but the movement was not what Yuuki was expecting...the boy raised one of his hands to the right side of his neck (where Yuuki had seen his deep wound) and, to what looked like from Yuuki's point of view, used his nails to scratch it deeply. The movement was slow and, what could imagine, to be painful.
Yuuki automatically stopped staring in shock and ran towards him and fell to her knee's right next to him and she grabbed his hand and used her other hand to clutch the bleeding cuts to stop outflow of more blood.
A few seconds later, Yuuki looked directly at Zero's face to find that he was already looking at her. There was no upset present on his face, just the look of shock and pain.
"Zero, don't hurt yourself like that, you have already been though too much pain..." Yuuki said looking deeply into Zero's eyes. The look of shock dramatically changed to a calmer look. "It's okay now, your safe and nothing is going to hurt you" said Yuuki letting go of his hand and using her hand to place on his cheek. Yuuki twitched slightly due to his cold temperature and due to this warm source (Yuuki's hand); Zero closed his eyes in comfort. "Zero, your freezing you need to warm up and you need another plaster for those cuts." Said Yuuki getting up from where she was sitting and walking out of the room to get the certain objects she requested.
A few minutes later, Yuuki came back with a plaster and a soft, orange-checked blanket in her arms and sat right next to Zero again.
First of all, she took the plaster and unwrapped it so it was ready to be placed onto the wound, but before she did so, there was something different, something she didn't see the first night she met Zero... on the right side of his neck was a black symbol, maybe a tattoo of some kind, but Yuuki did not see this, she only witnessed two hole wounds. Was this done during the chairman's and his outing? Yuuki thought for a minute and then looked at Zero. It seemed that he had sensed her seeing it. He didn't look back at her but simply looked into the roaring fireplace like he was ashamed of something.
Yuuki had the urge to ask, but thought it was not best at this present time, so she stuck the plaster on carefully and gently once more. Then she wrapped the boy with the chequered blanket.
"I bet that is much better now." Yuuki asked whilst stroking his head like a caring mother.
He still didn't answer.
"Would you like me to leave?" Yuuki asked politely.
Zero simply looked round at Yuuki and dropped his eyes to the floor.
Yuuki had the impression that the answer was 'yes'.
"Well, if you need anything, I will be in the lounge." Yuuki said getting up and then starting to walk away.
"Wait"
Yuuki immediately stopped at where she was standing and in disbelief, turned to back to face Zero looking at her.
"Please don't leave me...I-...I-." Zero pleaded.
Yuuki walked straight back to him and sat right next to him in front of the fire.
"It's okay, you don't need to explain." Yuuki said putting her arm around him. "Its not nice being on your own...especially when something bad has happened, like this."
Zero started to stare down into the depths of the warm fireplace again, but this time, he stared at it with his head on Yuuki's shoulder. Yuuki did not have any problem with this and she saw that every minute that went by, that Zero's eyelids kept dropping till finally he fell asleep. Yuuki smiled in comfort. She hadn't felt so much comfort from someone nearly the same age as her before. Yuuki herself felt tired also, so she lightly placed her head against Zero's, and fell silently to sleep with Zero, in front of the warm, welcoming fireplace.