Title: Visitors from the Future
Genre: General/Romance/Friendship
Rating: T
Pairings: Zero/Kaname
Disclaimer: No, I do not own Vampire Knights. It belongs to Hino Matsuri - I only borrow the characters from the series and use it in my own fic. However, I do own the three original characters featured in this story.
Author's notes: I try my best to fit in twins' actions in here but if you noticed… it's not much, with Kaname away from the campus – you get to see some Zero and the twins bonding. Akane noticed something different in Zero's feeding pattern too…Yuuki part in this chapter is slightly more, I'll insert Kaname into the chapter with the rest of night class members later on in the ending portion if possible.
Chapter 27 – In which Sayori and Akane talk …
Kiryuu Zero entered the Chairman's residential area on the academy grounds, and was immediately met by the sight of a teary eyed Akira with reddening cheeks. Standing two steps to the left was an emotionless Subaru with his entire pureblood aura unleashed in full gear, and then Akane was practically doubling over with laughter.
The culprit behind it all was none other than the Chairman whom had left the school building faster than he did, Yuuki, on the other hand was off to the direction of the Sun Dorm to pick up some of the items which she will need over the period of the vacation.
"Chairman Cross, kindly released Akira from your cheeks pinching act. He may have loved you enough to not threaten you with bodily harm, but he will tattle – and when he did inform a certain Kuran about what you did to him…" Zero left the threat hanging in the air, waiting for the retired hunter to soak it all in himself.
The Chairman gulped nervously before taking his hands off the younger twin, though not without another last pinch on those reddening cheeks of the boy. It was not every day that he could have the chance of pinching the cheeks of a vampire child, and certainly the chance was completely none when the said child is a pureblood.
Looking at Akira now would remind him painfully of those days whereby Kaname was still young standing to the side of his mother – Kuran Juri. He had yearned to pinch Kaname then, but he did not have the guts to do it. That intense gaze of his had him faltered. Akira though was another case completely, the boy was completely fun to converse with and he seldom put on the airs of being a pureblood.
"Daddy…" Akira started his eyes pitiful as he dashes over to where Zero stood as soon as he was out from the Chairman's reach.
Zero sighed as he picked the tearful boy up in his arms, as he ventured in deeper into the residence. Beckoning for Subaru to follow him while they made their way to his room within the Chairman's residence, Akane was left alone with the Chairman in the living room – while one double over with laughter, the other sulking with the loss of his 'toy'.
Once the silver-haired teen and the two boys were out from earshot range, Akane pulled herself together and regarded the Chairman in solemnity.
"Now that they are no longer in hearing range, care to fill me in on what happened in the infirmary ward earlier on?" Akane started, in tone that leaves the ex-hunter no way out from the situation.
With an audible sigh, the Chairman started to recount the incident that took place in the infirmary towards the sandy-haired vampire girl seated in front of him.
Back in the Sun Dormitory building for girls, Yuuki Cross was very surprised to find her room-mate and best friend still on campus.
"Yori-chan… you haven't even start to pack yet?"
"Aa… I can't get any available ticket heading for the direction of my hometown today, according to the ticket booth vendor – the next available ticket for the train would only take off tomorrow morning." Wakaba Sayori lied easily enough, she was purposely lagging behind in her packing and trying her best to delay herself in traveling back home. In short, she was procrastinating …because going home would mean for her to face with her dilemma of allegiance, and that was the last thing she wanted to think about.
"Well… I supposed you can indeed stay for another night, after all, Maria's parents would only be able to pick her up from here tomorrow morning." Yuuki reasoned, since Maria Kurenai is a vampire by birth nature and despite it being winter – generally vampires disliked traveling in the mid-day. Come to think of it now, those night class members are really one of a kind … so long it wasn't in the middle of a summer season; they are actually willing to step out from the comforts of their dormitory to patrol the streets in town during day-time under orders, of course.
"Now then… Yuuki, you are not just coming in here to chit-chat, are you?" Sayori prompted.
"Ah! You're right, I almost forgot!" Yuuki had all but gushes out, as she pulled a sling bag from her wardrobe situated within her dorm room as she sweep the lots of her daily necessity items into it before excusing herself from the company of Wakaba Sayori and made a mad dash for the Chairman's residential area.
"…" Wakaba Sayori stared after the hurrying girl in silence, before shaking her head ruefully and stared down at her mobile phone in dread. 'Any minute now…' she thought, and true to her premonition – the phone blare to life soon after.
Taking a deep breath to brace her-self for what was to come, Sayori hold the phone to her ears and waited.
"Yes… I know… My utmost apologies for the delay. No, there's no need for you to send anyone over to pick me up from here, I've already book the ticket for tomorrow. Yes, I will present my report to you when I got back tomorrow. No, mother has not said anything pertaining to it yet. That, I will tell you tomorrow – this subject is hardly a topic of discussion to be speaking of, over the phone." Sayori responded, her voice tight as her free hand gripped on to the fabric of her skirt tightly while she fought the urge to smash her phone gadget against the wall.
The conversation only lasted for like ten minutes, and she felt as though several years had gone by during that short amount of time. Dropping her phone unceremoniously to the side, Sayori pulled both her legs up to her chest as she buried her face upon them.
Frustration at the whole general issue was at work obviously, never one to vent her agitation outright – Wakaba Sayori was at a loss of actions. Her blood boiled as she remembered the words spoken from her father through the phone conversation earlier, she was his daughter for heaven's sake – how could he talk to her as though she was one of those subordinates of his?!
When was the last time her father had spoken to her in a civil manner? Right, before she was being sent into the Cross Academy for her so-called spying activity… From that point onwards anything that her father had it in mind to speak to her about – it would always concern her observation of Kiryuu Zero.
Honestly, she has no absolute ideas as to why her father had wanted her to keep an eye out on Zero's actions – but not to hinder any of it, at the same time. What is the point behind her observation, anyway?! What the hell was going on in the clan of the Fujiwara?! If the reports were to be submitted to them, Sayori still would not mind it this much – but to send a copy off to the Hunter's association as well?! That's just plain weird, isn't it?! Considering the fact that the Fujiwara had never did fit in completely with the members of the hunter's association.
Then her mother's words came to her – to protect Zero at all cost. Fujiwara Haruto and Fujiwara Yumi, what are those two playing at now? The current head of the vampire council is – Ichijo Asato, and Fujiwara Yumi would never associate with the likes of those wooden blocks as she deemed it to be. Fujiwara Haruto; though is another matter entirely – he works closely with relations to the Hunter's association, going against all the rules set by the first clan head of the Fujiwara's hunter's lineage.
A sudden knock on the door draw the hazel brown haired girl out from her thoughts, as she turned inquiring eyes towards one Kiryuu Akane. The girl currently going by the alias identity of being the so-called distant relative of Kiryuu Zero, an outright and blatant lie if Sayori had any say in it – the Kiryuu clan was no more, saved for the Kiryuu twins themselves.
"I hope you don't mind the intrusion, but I'll like to have a word with you – if you don't mind." Akane started, as she leaned against the open door-way leading to the inside of Sayori's dorm room.
"Sure, just come on in and closed the door behind you." Sayori responded, thinking that it was perhaps time for them to air out some laundry that is long over-due.
"In other words, you are saying that there's some conspiracy work at play here – between the association and the hunter's side of the Fujiwara clan?" Sayori questioned, after she had spent an hour listening to the words of Kiryuu Akane and fully digested the extent of information being dumped on her like a bomb-shell.
'Time travel… how daring…' Wakaba Sayori thought inwardly, before she was draw out from her thoughts by the girl's next words.
"Well… there's no other ways of thinking it, isn't that so? Fujiwara Haruto was always on the aggressive side, and he was never happy with the way the previous clan head had handled the situation between the clashes of the vampires and the hunters in general. The union between Fujiwara Yukari and Kiryuu Kaoru itself was another point contributing to the possibility of Haruto conspiring with the association. Fujiwara are always been seen as an outcast in the society, and the Kiryuu are highly look upon by the association – because of the Kiryuu's abilities in the grounds of hunting for vampires. Still, while they look upon to the Kiryuu's – the association had never liked them much either.
The Kiryuu line had started from Kiryuu Mamoru, and that guy is just like someone that popped out from nowhere – it was rumored at some point of time that he had came out from the threshold of the Hiou's ground. The distinctive lilac eyes of the Kiryuu's that has always been passes down by generations, and the Hiou clan in the pureblood society are well-known for their possession of such beautiful lilac eyes, isn't that so?" Akane mused aloud, funny that no one has ever come to suspect that possibility – and she never did too, until she remembered Yuuki's case.
Combined with what Akane had gathered from the words of recount coming from the Chairman, pertaining to Maria Kurenai. Shizuka Hiou had given Maria Kurenai her blood in exchange to make use of Maria's body to come down over to the Academy in order to meet Zero, the blood of Shizuka successfully allowed Maria's sickly body to make a turn for the better. The reason given by Maria for the fact was that they shared blood relations through their veins, then what about Ichiru?
The younger twin of Zero used to be a sickly child too – but judging from what Zero had recounted when Shizuka died combined with the words Ichiru had used against Zero when the silver-haired hunter had tried to kill the pureblood. According to Ichiru's recount, Shizuka had willingly allowed her blood to be drunk by Ichiru and strengthening up his body changing it for the better.
If what Maria said was the truth, and Ichiru had no reasons to be lying as well – what does that means then? Not to forget that after Kaname literally forced the blood of Shizuka Hiou down the throat of Zero, the silver-haired teen had bit by bit slowed down on the number of times of going into a bloodlust. Initially, it was once in every three days – now it became once in two weeks.
A vast improvement Akane dared say – and that's only the result of half bottle of blood ingested, because the other half bottle had been accidentally broke by Akira's recklessness. What would happened if Zero had ingested the supplied blood by one Shizuka Hiou prior to her dying in full amount? What would the situation be like then? Akane found herself wondering.
"So what do you suggest that we do then?" Wakaba Sayori questioned, sounding slightly amused now that she had gotten over the shock – of knowing Akane's real relations to Kiryuu Zero.
"Remove Haruto from the position of being the clan head for the Clan." Akane stated, solemnly.
"I see… and after that's done – who do you suggest to be taking up on the role of the new clan head?" Sayori asked yet again.
"Fujiwara Akemi or Satomi, either one of them is fine." Akane suggested, the two names she had supplied for Sayori are both from the branch of the initial clan head – prior to Haruto's lead. In addition, those two girls are direct cousins of Zero and Ichiru.
"I will discuss the issue with my mother after I went home tomorrow, and then I will speak to my father about my decision then." Sayori responded, and with that it marks the end of the talk between Akane and herself.
Early next morning, the parents of Maria Kurenai had came by to fetch her back – Zero was absent from the site, and only Yuuki was around to see her off. Maria had told Yuuki then to pass a message along to Zero, informing Zero to let Ichiru in on the fact that she had missed Ichiru. To which, Yuuki had agreed easily enough – seeing as she does not have the heart to turn down the girl's request.
Wakaba Sayori was doing last minute check on her belongings in the dorm room then, she too, was scheduled to leave for her hometown in another 30 minutes. She will need approximately 25 minutes to travel from the school to the train station, the memory of what had been transpired and shared between Akane and herself still swirling around in her mind.
Yuuki took it upon herself to walk her friend off towards the front gates of the academy, and then she bid her friend good-bye and trying her best not to look sadden by the departure of her friend. Walking back to the Chairman's place, Yuuki was trying her best to appear like her usual cheerful manner only to find that it was failing horribly.
"… Yuuki, lunch will be ready in 30 minutes time. Feel free to head for the bath before then." The Chairman had told the girl.
Zero, meanwhile, was in the kitchen cooking their lunch while the twins and Akane continue to sleep in peace. The twins had stayed up practically for the whole of last night, and Zero was more than willing to bet that they will only wake around late afternoon. Akane; though was harder to gauge – since she usually kept by the normal human being's body-clock routine but whom was to say for certain during vacation period.
"Nah… Zero-chan, do you think Yuuki is alright?" The Chairman asked as soon as the girl is out from earshot.
"… I have no idea." Zero allowed an inaudible sigh escaped from his lips as he replied to the Chairman's question.
"Good morning…" Akane then sauntered out from the tiny guestroom that she had taken the liberty to tidy up for her own use, claiming to say that she had no inclination to be sharing Yuuki's room while being here and Zero's room is cramped enough with the twins in there.
"Good morning, though its' approaching noon already." Zero greeted back in response, after taking a glance at the kitchen clock hung onto the wall – it was now 11:45a.m.
"Aa… looks like I wake just in time for lunch then." Akane mused, not caring that she would be skipping out on her breakfast for the day.
"Indeed…" Zero commented dryly, as he took in the girl's appearance.
"… Don't give me that look yet, Yuuki is in the bathroom so until she emerges from within – I'm stuck." Akane knew she look like a mess, her hair all tangled up during her sleep and she had yet to go through her morning routine either.
"I'll go and remind her about it then." Zero muttered under his breath as he headed towards where the common bathroom of the house was situated.
Knocking twice on the bathroom door, Zero called out to Yuuki reminding her not to stay inside for too long a time – if not she might get a cold from it.
"Ah… I'm coming out soon." Yuuki responded, but soon after let out a scream of fear that caused the three awaken beings in the house to charge into the bathroom promptly.
"What happened?" The Chairman had asked, while Akane mirrored Zero's actions in frowning.
"No… nothing… I just thought…" Yuuki murmured.
"Thought what?" prompted Akane.
"That the water appeared red to me like a pool of blood…" Yuuki responded in a daze-like manner, and almost immediately Akane blanched whereas Zero appeared to be utterly bewildered by Yuuki's words.
"…" Akane fought the urge to curse and swear aloud, she knew the memory seal was breaking and that is not a good sign. Something must have caused the girl to start awakening her sealed memories subconsciously… now they are left with two options, to either have Kaname 'waking' her up or to let her remember things by herself. Akane was more prone towards the first option, because that is far more reliable then the second one.
Who knew what could have happened if Yuuki were to let those memories of hers surfacing up by it-self – and with those memories like jumbled up pieces to a jigsaw puzzle, it would actually do more harm than good though. What Akane would give to call Kaname up and let him in on the information, but unfortunately there was no way she could have done it at this point of time. Moreover, there was nothing Kaname could do with him being so far away from campus anyway… Somehow she must have zoned out during the process because by the time she snapped herself back to reality, she was been entrusted with the task to tend to the twins while the Chairman and Zero took Yuuki towards the Hunter's association to flip through past records dating back to about ten years ago.
"What? – you can't be serious about that, right?" Akane questioned, sounding somewhat distressed by the decision made.
"…Chairman, tend to Yuuki while I speak to Akane in private." Zero eventually said, as he pulled Akane into the nearby study of the Chairman.
"I'm not looking forward to the trip, and neither does the Chairman – but Yuuki need to be put at ease with her fears. I would rather we bring her there, than to have her going out there alone – who knew what would happen then. Moreover, I have no qualms about having an irate pureblood after me because I failed to keep a lookout on his beloved Yuuki." Zero said, sounding strangely ironic on the last part of his words.
"… I think he would be more concern about the notion of you going to the association in your current state than Yuuki. You know what you are, and Yuuki – to put it mildly is just a mere human at this point of time."
"True, but I am a Kiryuu – they had it in them to know not to mess with me."
"Agreed, but please do not forget you are also a Fujiwara – and you know how that little detail will also create trouble for you over there at the headquarters."
"It will be fine; the Chairman will be there with us. Nothing will go awry, I promised. Now keep the twins entertained, will you?"
"Fine… but I swear if they messed up anything of yours – don't come after me for it." Akane muttered as she agreed to the request of her adopted parent grudgingly.
"I know… tell them I'll be back in four hours time, with chocolates for their consumption." Zero sighed aloud in resignation, as he pondered over his bribery act to make it up for the twins.
"Okay… okay, hurry along already – would you?" Akane then proceeded to shoo the silver-haired teen out from the room, she wanted to get down to her long over-due morning routine before the twins starts to wake.
Date started: 3/1/2013
Date completed: 3/1/2013