*Puppy eyes*
Guys? I hope you are all doing well… I missed reading your reviews on the last chapter, hope it was not too boring or too long to read :((( (Kinda panicking here). I hope to hear what you think of this one ;)
This chapter will be more focused on Ichiru/Zero, not much action but interesting revelations :D
Enjoy
∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ Continuation ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞
After the impromptu guest took her leave, a heavy but awkward silence engulfed the Chairman's office. Many questions swam in each head with no plausible way to voice them without making things even more uncomfortable.
It was getting eerily calm until Kaname jolted every single person present by opening the door and giving instructions,
"I just ended a call with the Ichijou, they will be expecting us in two hours. That is barely enough time for us to drive there. Further discussions will be conducted in person there."
"Wha-" Cross stuttered and Yagari was about to speak but the pureblood would not have any of it.
"I will explain everything later. Rima and Senri were notified since they are on their way there from the airport, they are expected to reach before us and set the ground on my behalf."
"Ground for what? What is happening here?" Zero had to interrupt.
"You will understand when we get there." Kaname dismissed in favor of answering a call that he ended all too quickly.
"The driver is outside, Kiryuu-kun, Aido, Takamiya-kun as well as Ichiru-kun, let's get going." He issued the order and left the gaping crowd to process as he headed out.
It took them a moment to wrap their head around what he just said but they did not waste time to follow him to the car.
Alone in the office, Yagari and Cross stared at each other, puzzled.
"What was that all about?" The one eyed hunter grunted.
"That is Kaname-kun executing a plan he cooked up in a matter of seconds. I never saw him giving open orders like that before, but I have to say…" Cross trailed.
"He is too damn hard to refuse." Yagari huffed, acknowledging that hateful feeling of being compelled to obey despite not really knowing why. Especially when he got it from the pureblood. He could sense the urgency and his guts told him that they should go along with whatever he has planned.
"Well… they can see it through just fine. I am sure they are going for a recon to verify her words about Ichijou's condition." Cross sank in his seat and had a distant look on his face,
"Meanwhile, we have our own demons to slay."
Yagari gave him a side-glance as his lips tightened, "I never thought that a day would come where I find myself forced to reveal the truth of that night."
"It was a matter of time after his death." Cross sighed, "It was foolish to wish that it would never come to this. The only mishap would be how they came to know about it."
"The worst possible scenario." Yagari finished his thought.
"It would be up to them to choose whom to believe. We gave her the upper hand by shielding them for too long." The ex-hunter closed his eyes and breathed out as his lover held his hand over the table.
"We just need to tell them the truth. They are old and smart enough to see the difference and get it right. They are not those crying toddlers that you had to carry out of a bloody fight while they cried in your arms anymore." Yagari hated to remind him of that night but he knew that the wheat-haired hunter would understand.
"Zero ended up with a nasty bruise and a phobia of sharp object long after," he complained.
Yagari snorted, "Well, it was a miracle that no rib was broken with the way his father sent him flying with that kick. I think Sakura almost fainted on the spot if you did not catch him mid-air."
Cross opened his eyes to scowl at his lover, "You make him sound like a ball to catch."
"Well… He was that tiny." The one-eyed hunter half smiled.
"We should be grateful that they were too young to remember it." The older man stood and walked around before opening the door to leave.
Yagari followed in his footsteps, draping a comforting arm over his shoulder, "Soo…. Exactly how much are you planning on telling them?"
"Hmm…. Probably everything… even details you probably don't know about." Cross teased.
"You mean that you still have more secrets, old man?" Yagari teased back and was jabbed in the gut.
"Don't get too cheeky."
∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞
"Kaname-sama! It is such an honor to have you grace us with your presence." The old uncle bowed a ninety degree in front of his king, an action that made the hunters quirk amused eyebrows. Without having the upper hand with the veto like back in the association, the old noble was nothing more than a lower class seeking to get on the good grace of the king.
"Thank you for accepting our visit on such a short notice. Could you guide us to his quarter?" Kaname ordered subtly, tilting his head to the other so that they follow him.
"But of course, it would be my pleasure." The master of the house promptly complied, "The latest diagnosis was promising. However, the doctors were worried about the slow healing of his wounds. One of them reopened today when they were cleaning it. They advised us to procure more 'powerful' blood in hope that it might help, but we would not dare ask for such a thing, could we?"
Kaname almost snorted at the roundabout way the greedy noble was trying to procure his blood. He was aware that the man had the same mindset as his late brother, Ichiou. Kaname also knew that the blood he would give would not be for Takuma because his personal doctor would have notified him if they really thought that it would help. However, the pureblood was not there to argue, neither to expose their malicious intentions. Therefore, he merely nodded as if going along with the sly noble. This is probably the reason they transferred him to the manor instead of leaving him at my hospital!
Zero however was processing another piece of information, and Ichiru was having the same thoughts, judging from the look that he gave his brother. The reopening of the wounds was something their grandmother talked about as a proof of credibility. They were having a bad feeling about all of it, but mostly, worried for their friend who must have overheard the conversation.
They unconsciously held their breath when standing in front of a large wooden door, carved with intricate design and made out of reddish wood that contrasted elegantly with the beige satin paint of the walls. Their host twisted the brass knob and held the door open for them. One-step inside the large room, and they felt overwhelmed by the bustling place.
Maids were rushing in every direction with various items in their hands, a couple of nurses came out of another door and instructed them to bring a list of things written on a piece of paper. Shortly after they went back in, a man wearing a stethoscope emerged from the same door. He acknowledged their presence with a nod after the older Ichijou filled him in about their visit.
"This way please…" The doctor pointed a finger in direction of the adjacent room. Kaname led the group inside. He already sensed two familiar auras from outside and was pleased to find Rima standing up with hands placed on Senri's shoulders while the mahogany haired noble sat on the chair next to Takuma, striking a very quite conversation by scribbling on the white board.
Zero had to hold back a teasing smile when he noticed the emerald eyes scanning the crowd and lighting up when they landed on the hazel eyes they were looking for.
After the usual greeting and a bit of pestering from his great uncle, Kaname managed to chase away the nuisance along with the medical team for some alone time.
The Shiki left their seat to the hunter whom they urged to sit by his lover while Kaname stood on the other side, checking the wound on Takuma's shoulder that the doctor said had reopened.
Kaito made sure that Takuma could not see it and felt his heart bleed when the pureblood uncovered it only to find that it was starting to fester indeed.
"Kuran… That's…" Zero jumped by his side when he noticed him pulling the light blue vial from his pocket. "Are you sure you want to do this?" The silver hunter could not help but voice his worry. If anything were to go wrong, he did not have the confidence of pulling the pureblood together after another guilt trip like last time.
"This is the only way to find out." Kaname took a Q-tip from the nightstand and poured a drop of the gooey substance on it. He exchanged a knowing glance with Kaito who immediately pinned Takuma's shoulder while holding his hand.
The green-eyed vampire was confused and started to panic when his lover's voice soothed him, "Shhh… It's going to be fine." Most people present looked away out of respect for the couple when Kaito gave him a reassuring peck.
If Takuma had his voice working fine, he would have shattered the walls of the building with loud screaming when Kaname glided the dreaded potion over the edges of his wound. Kaito was horrified when smoke erupted on its trail and Zero was about to grab Kaname's wrist and throw the damned flask miles away in the blink of an eye.
The only thing that stopped any of it from happening was the sight of the wound starting to close. In a matter of minutes, Takuma's shoulder was healed, without even a glimpse of scarred tissue left behind.
Zero and Kaito had to gasp in amazement along with the others who finally got closer to have a better look. While everyone else fawned over the tiny miracle, Kaname did not waste a second more before he poured the rest of the liquid and stirred it in warm water. He then dispersed the crowd and gave the glass to Kaito so that he helps the noble drink it.
They waited impatiently for few more minutes. Meanwhile, Takuma was trying to make a sound and excitedly moving his healthy shoulder like a child who finally took off the annoying cast. Little did he know the true meaning behind his body responding to that specific formula.
A knock at the door sent everyone back in their initial seat and jolted Kaito away from the bed in time with a nurse coming in with a bowl of water and ice along with a towel draped over her arm.
"What is that for?" Hanabusa asked, but regretted his question when he remembered the words about the second phase. The nurse only confirmed his suspicion.
"Ichijou-sama have been having bouts of fever coming and going every hour, we are taking rounds placing ice packs around him and helping him keep his temperature normal. The doctor is not really worried about it as it is a normal symptom when it comes to vampire's mechanism of flushing out hunter's poison."
The nurse felt uncomfortable at the eerie silence she received as a response. She believed that saying such a thing would cheer them up knowing that the patient was getting better.
Rima intercepted her by taking the towel and bowl, saying that she will take care of it before dismissing her.
With that last cue, Kaname felt the last straw snapping. He immediately stormed out of the room, leaving everyone else confused, except for Zero who had a wild hunch about his next actions, and hoping that he would be right.
Minutes later, the pureblood came back, relief and anguish flooding him when he heard the voice of his old friend conversing with the others, a sign of the healing potion working like it should.
"I was talking with your uncle just now." He spoke when lively emerald eyes met his. It was the hardest to mask his worries from this person who stood by his side for so long, but he wasn't ready to lose him yet. A little lecture would be worth it.
"Ugh! Please tell me that it did not turn out into a business meeting and shareholding bargain?" The blond noble fumed. There was a reason why he distanced Kaname from his clan, they were a bunch of greedy blood-sucking machines who only lived to satisfy their selfish needs.
"Almost." Kaname held back a chuckle, "Well… The heart of the matter is that Senri and Rima will stay over to watch over you and Takamiya-kun will be your personal guard around the clock."
"Huh?" Takuma felt his heart jump to his throat with excitement and disbelief at the same time. "How?"
Kaname's lips curled up unnoticeably, "Well… Let us say that I made him believe the theory of a mole lurking around. The reason why I did not trust anyone in this house with the safety of my most trusted assistant and dear friend. I might have put a little threat in between though…" He shrugged.
∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞
"Thank you! For doing what you did…" Zero grabbed Kaname's hand before he left the limousine. They arrived back on campus and he waited for Ichiru and Hanabusa to leave the car before he could finally say the words. Kaname may have justified his decision with the need of someone to report on Takuma's health, but Zero knew better.
Kaname may not be able to accept the fact that Takuma chose Kaito for a partner, but he would never deny him the possible joy of having him by his side in time of need, all while protecting their secret.
"Let's hope they do not make me regret it." Kaname answered jokingly while placing a hand on top of Zero's. The hunter immediately retracted his.
"About yesterday…" Zero stuttered, not meeting the garnet orbs staring at him… "I don't know what came over me… but…"
Kaname sighed. He knew this moment would come.
"Nothing happened…"
Zero startled and gave him a quizzical look, especially when he perceived the tender expression adorning the perfect face of the brunet, "Nothing happened yesterday… Whatever came over us in the stable was… fleeting… ephemeral… You don't need to dwell on it much…" Kaname elaborated, confusing the hunter even more.
"Why?" Zero could not help but blurt the question. Normally, he would expect Kaname to act like a dog with a bone, using the incident to make a point that Zero felt the same and trying to win him back.
Kaname smiled and patted the silver head, "Because I know that Kiryuu Zero is not a cheater, not when he is about to have the family he always wanted. Blame it on my lingering affection that may have brought up some old memories along with your… you know… pregnancy hormones and forget it ever happened. Don't beat yourself about it." he slid his hand to cup the cheek of the stunned hunter one last time before leaving the vehicle.
Zero remained still, looking at the spot where the pureblood sat. "What was that about?" He mumbled, unable to process what just happened. His attention snapped back to the present when Ichiru knocked on the tinted window and urged him to join the others.
He was too distracted to focus on the flow of the conversation. It was good enough that he understood the gist of it; wait for Kaito's report in twenty-four hours before deciding to seal the deal with the remaining Kiryuus.
Zero was having a difficult time deciding what to think about the pureblood's action. He did not really know whether to feel happy that Kaname was willing to forget about what happened the day before, or should he be suspicious that the pureblood had something up his sleeve. He found his eyes following his every move, transfixed with his lips as he talked to Cross, apparently telling him about what happened with Takuma and how it fit his grandmother's predictions.
"Nii-san? Are you feeling all right?" Ichiru nudged him, and placed a hand on his forehead, "You're looking pale all of a sudden?"
"Uhm… Maybe…" Zero gently pushed his hand and took a couple of steps back, "I think I am tired…. I haven't slept much because I helped Gin pack…"
"You should go lie down then… It is not as if we will do anything anytime soon… It is all about waiting now. I will come get you if anything comes up." Ichiru urged him to seek some rest.
"Um… You do that." Zero gave him a shoulder squeeze as a grateful gesture before heading to his room where he immediately flopped on his bed, exhausted but not sleepy. He jolted suddenly and his hand flew to his bump. A smile graced his lips when he felt the fluttering sensation.
"What are you doing in there kiddo…" He whispered lovingly as he rubbed his belly, "Stretching? I don't think so. I would start to worry if that was a kick, you ought to put more force into it if it was one…" He chuckled at his own words before his lips pursed again.
He was happy for the distraction. It was as if his baby was trying to comfort him because it was the second time he felt the fluttering sensation. The first time happened while Kaname slept on his lap the day before. Zero did not dwell much about the fact that both reactions happened when he was engrossed into thinking of the father of his unborn child. All he could do was be grateful that the stress was not affecting the development of his bundle of joy.
∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ Hours later ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞
"Zero….Zero… wake up…. Zero… wake up"
Amethyst eyes shot open with a start before a scowl hooded them.
"What…" He groaned from the neon light that assaulted his sensitive eyes.
"You need to wake up one of these days." The voice of his master led his eyes to the man sitting next to him on the bed.
"ugh!" He propped himself in a sitting position, barely registering what he was told.
"Are you all right?" Toga could not help but ask when Zero seemed to drift off to sleep again in that awkward position.
"Ask me that after I manage to get a good hour of sleep instead of a glimpse." Zero complained with closed eyes.
"Look out the window, brat!" Yagari grunted while grabbing Zero's chin and directing his eyes to the open window.
Zero scrunched his face before opening his eyes, but felt his jaw dropping when he saw the pitch-black sky outside. He was sure that it was not yet lunch time when he went up to his room.
"You get what I mean?" His mentor quipped, amused by the shocked expression. "Ichiru did not want us to wake you up for lunch. He said that you looked too peaceful for him to do something as cruel as waking you up. However, missing dinner as well would be out of question."
"How did I sleep this much?" Zero wiped his face, disbelief still written all over it, his head suddenly snapped back to look at his mentor, "Did anything happen with Ichijou?"
Yagari's expression turned from amused to solemn, "It seems that the fever is on the rise, constantly for that matter."
"We have to call that person…" He jumped from the bed, about to head to the bathroom when Yagari grabbed his wrist, "Zero… You don't have any question?"
Zero hesitated for a moment before meeting the worried gaze of that one blue eye, "I do… I have plenty of questions, but this not the time or the place."
After a long sigh, Toga let go of his hand and watched him leave the room. He was surprised to see the silver head popping from door seconds later.
"Did you do it?" Zero asked, "Did you really kill my grandfather?"
Yagari swallowed before nodding.
"Was it inevitable…? Was it for the greater good?" He asked again.
Yagari nodded again.
"Which is it?" Zero leaned against the doorframe.
"Both." His mentor answered.
"Then… I have no reason to judge or hate you for it… I might have done the same if put in your shoes." Zero shrugged and left the confused man staring at the open door.
A hilarious chuckle escaped the black haired hunter as he flopped back against the bed. A sigh of relief escaped him in between the giggles.
"Like father like sons indeed." He was surprised to hear the same words that Ichiru told him after hearing their side of the story spoken by Zero who reached the conclusion in less time and far fewer words. He could not wait to tell his lover how much the boys have grown without them even noticing it. Despite everything, they will always be the little munchkins who gave them more trouble than anything else in this universe, trouble that they welcomed with open arms.
∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞
Zero waited impatiently for Aido to finish his call.
"Kaname-sama is on his way."
The silver hunter was unable to stay still. Too many things transpired while he was in happy dream land. The test result for traces of the toxin in Takuma's body came back positive. He called Kaito and found him panicking because his lover is burning up to the point of melting the ice in record time. Everything was happening fast, too fast to his liking. He started doubting that they had as much as five days before the 'inevitable' happens.
The sound of the door opening snapped him out of his thoughts. Kaname made his way to the living room where they all waited for his arrival.
He greeted them with a nod before sitting on an armchair.
"I administered the incomplete cure personally. Indeed, an hour later, the fever, pain and everything else stopped, just like that. At this point, I fully expect his bloodwork to come back clean just like she said." Kaname's statement held double meaning, one of which would be the urgent need to seal the deal and save his friend.
"Kaname-kun…" Cross demanded his attention, "I have no intention of allowing such a thing as an asylum to be granted. It would pose too much danger for each one of us and those we hold dear. You have no idea what you are dealing with."
Kaname interlaced his hands on top of folded knees, "All I know is that she has important information that could help us. The immunity I grant will not be absolute neither will be the one Yagari-san will provide. After all, we are not the only authorities around." The pureblood had some kind of evil glint in his eyes, "Besides, I have the feeling that they wanted more than just that. She is an excellent actor and knows how to choose her words very, very wisely."
The wheat haired hunter was impressed by the accurate judgement of character. "I guess I made the mistake of underestimating you… once again. I apologize for that." He declared with a sheepish smile.
"Accepted…. Now… who should be the one contacting her?" His garnet-colored eyes were trained on the twins sitting next to each other.
Ichiru took a sharp breath and raised his hand, "I will do it."
Cross immediately passed the card to him and handed the phone.
After minutes of anxious wait, the silverette hung up and threw the phone on the sofa with sheer frustration.
"Change in the deal?" Kaname stated the obvious in the form of a question.
"She thinks the asylum is too little of a price for saving the life of someone obviously so important to all of us." Ichiru answered through gritted teeth.
"When is she coming to let out more of her greed?" Zero asked sarcastically.
"She is not." Ichiru huffed as he sat down by his side.
"What do you mean?" Yagari asked, alarm obvious in his voice.
"She want us to be the one going to her place, at that hotel. Something about discussing things on her turf. What does she think she is, some Yakuza boss?" Ichiru was about to burst a vein from the irritating conversation.
"Close enough." Cross shrugged jokingly, only to have few sets of glare directed his way, "Oh! come on! You don't know her as well as I do… That statement does hold some truth, I was not joking… not entirely at least…" He held a finger up to stop Zero from shutting him up, "And that is why I am against either of you going without someone to guard your back."
"Oh please~" The silver hunter all but whined.
"I agree with him." Both Kaname and Yagari spoke at the same time before giving each other a disturbed look for saying the same thing.
"Well… She did not really ask me to come alone, so I do not see why we cannot bring some extra company." Ichiru looked at his brother, begging him to stop the useless stubbornness every time anyone points out his need for a helping hand.
"Fine! But you are not coming!" The silver hunter pointed to the brown-haired vampire. Aido was about to protest, but Kaname raised a hand to stop him.
"I understand. Just be careful about what you promise, and how you phrase your words." Kaname gave one last tip. He expected something like this to happen and he trusted the twins to handle the situation perfectly fine. However, not going was out of question. If he could not be there in person, he could always send a familiar to be his eyes and ears. He was almost certain that she did not reveal the crucial information about the Kiryuu clan yet, and if she has plans of doing it, it would be when he was not around.
∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ Half an hour later at the hotel lobby ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞
"I still think that I should have brought my gun…" Yagari grunted from his seat.
"Yeah! and have us kicked out and jailed for brazenly bringing in a freaking shotgun?" Zero snapped while going through the menu handed to him without really reading the content.
"We are not here to fight. They will not attempt anything until they acquire the immunity, and I doubt they have the manpower to go against us, even barehanded. That would be plain suicide." Cross pointed the obvious, reminding his younger lover that they have three powerful hunter, one outstanding sword fighter and a noble vampire with a short temper if they ever attempted to hurt his lover. He merely wished that he would not have to explain the vivid ice sculptures in the room in case Aido was forced to neutralize them.
It did not take long for them to be guided to the top floor.
"So much for being fugitives." Zero could not help but bring light into the hilarious situation.
"The resources of your clan can be easily describe as inexhaustible, especially if there is little number using them." Cross explained, "and before you ask, your father had no interest in the wealth and glory, so he basically let it sit there. I guess she still had access to everything."
"Okay… I know I said that we do not care about what happened with those people or the fact that you guys hid it from us, but you could have at least let us know that we were filthy rich. It would have made our life much easier, mine at least." Ichiru complained while buzzing the door.
"This is really not the time, Ichiru!" Zero grounded.
"Say that to my accountant." The younger twin huffed before holding his breath when they heard someone approaching the door.
A young girl with platinum blond hair and greyish violet eyes opened the door. She was wearing a simple white dress and looked no older than fifteen years old. The twins made a mental note not to be fooled by the appearance.
"Come in please, great grandmother is waiting for your arrival?" Her shy and young voice was soothing to the ears and so were her manners when she bowed respectfully and led the way looking down.
Yep, definitely fifteeniesh!
The twin thought simultaneously.
The old lady Kiryuu did not bother getting up from her comfortable seat, but beckoned the girl to sit next to her after acknowledging their guests.
"I trust that you brought the written statement of the asylum, stamped with an oath of blood and all." She got right to the point.
"Yes." Zero opened a folder he was holding and took out two documents that he spread on the table. He allowed the woman to peer at them but snatched them back when she reached to take one of them in her hands. "I trust that you know the meaning of a fair transaction."
She smiled at him with an air akin to pride.
"But of course. However, as I said, after discussing things with my people, there have been some changes on our side."
Zero held back from rolling his eyes, "What would those changes be?"
The woman looked around the room. Zero noticed that she was checking their company since her eyes travelled from Cross and Yagari to Aido who were dispersed against the three walls facing her. Her eyes travelled back to the twins sitting opposite to her around the coffee table of the living room.
She fixed Zero with an expressionless look before looking at Ichiru. They noticed her expression softening all of a sudden while her hand reached to hold the one of the shy girl still sitting next to her.
"We have the best interest of our family in mind. We are exhausted from running away all these years, from living in fear that there will no one left to carry the legacy of our glorious clan. That is why we did the impossible to preserve the younger generation. However, the bloodline would not be the same if the purity of our offspring gets corrupted."
Cross was starting to have a bad feeling the more she talked.
"When seeing you two all grown up. I could barely hold my tears of happiness to see my grandsons healthy and alive. Believe it, or not, I never wished for any harm to befall you. I even went as far as pleading my late husband on hands and knees to spare your lives before that night."
Ichiru and Zero started feeling uncomfortable from the motherly vibe she was sending their way.
"I know that this might seem unfair, however, I see no other way to convince you without twisting your arms a little." She finally looked down, sighing as if a heavy burden was weighing her down.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Zero all but growled.
"Would you come back to the family willingly if we asked you to?" She asked, her tone telling them that she already predicted the answer.
"Hell no!" both silverettes answered immediately.
"We figured as much. That is why, we are not handing over the cure until the rightful heir agrees to come back to his clan and sire the next generation. This girl here is one of our finest and was chosen for her power and intellect to ensure the continuation of the bloodline."
"What the fuck are you saying… She is a freaking child! No… Never mind that!... Claim the heritage and be one of you… No way in hell!" Zero snapped as he stood up, his face scrunching in disgust and disbelief.
"Calm down… It is not as if we are asking anything of you. Being slightly older does not make you the candidate we are seeking, tainted as you are." She snapped back before looking at Ichiru.
Hanabusa tensed at the meaning and took a couple of steps towards them but halted when his lover started talking.
"I am afraid that it would be out of question for I am already spoken for." Ichiru stated with confidence.
"Oh please~ As if subduing yourself to a vampire could ever be called a commitment."
Ichiru had to clench his fist so that he does not revise his rule of punching a female anytime soon.
"What is next?" She added, sarcasm dripping from her voice, "That you will take his name in the reunion of holy matrimony, give me a break. You are merely wasting your mortal life being his own personal blood bank."
"Don't you dare-" Ichiru was about to snap, but Hanabusa's hand suddenly pressing on his shoulders stopped him.
"As a matter of fact, yes. He will be taking my name sometime soon and toss away the one which caused him more grief and sorrow that the happiness I will bring him." Blue eyes darkened with obvious threatening challenge to cross him any further.
"Oh really?" She acted surprised, "Well… Let me ask you one question before you get any more defensive."
"Go ahead…" Aido was taken aback by her attitude, but decided to go along.
"Have you craved any other blood since drinking his for the first time?" Her eyes twinkled.
Aido hesitated a bit before answering, "No. That would be because-"
"Because he is your true love and vampires will only thirst for the blood of their mate once they find them yada yada yada… Quite the stretch when the mate is human, don't you think?" She added.
"What are you getting at?" Zero urged her to continue, impatient for this cold warzone to dissipate.
"Oh nothing~ I am just making sure that my grandson is aware of the real reason his vampire would not be able to survive without him, for reasons other than true love, that is." Her smile widened when Zero and Ichiru scowled at her.
"I guess he hid it well as expected." She stated.
Ichiru looked up to his lover who was glaring dagger at the woman, especially when Aido tightened his hold on his shoulders, "Hana?" Ichiru whispered.
"His ego must be a little too big to admit it, or he merely did not deem you fit to give you the advantage."
"Advantage of what?" Yagari finally snapped, having had enough of the word play.
She gave him the coldest look, "The advantage of knowing that his body is rejecting any other blood, even the manufactured pill he is developing himself."
A gasp escaped Ichiru's lips as he suddenly stood on his feet to face his lover around the couch.
The older woman smirked, "Not only that… He is probably hiding the fact that he is growing stronger the more he drinks from you, becoming more resilient to hunter's weapons and most of all, not easily weakened when walking under the blazing midday sun." She finished her speech and laid back on her comfortable seat before adding the last strike, "I wonder if an opportunist like this is worth spending your precious life with?"
"Shut up!" Aido snapped, "You have no right to judge us because of your insignificant discovery."
Ichiru was starting to feel light-headed as he looked from his lover to his grandmother and back to his lover. He pointed to the woman and spoke to him, "Is it true? What she is saying? All of it?"
Aido looked at the troubled amethyst eyes before averting them, guilt engulfing him more when he met the shocked eyes of the others, especially Zero's.
"I don't know about the super strength since I have not been injured by any hunter weapon lately. I might have healed faster than the others might during the last war, but I don't know if it was because of your 'powerful' blood or the fact that I drank from you on a regular basis before fighting. As for the sun, I would not know since I always avoid it by instinct." The noble vampire felt as if he was being interrogated for a crime he did not commit.
"What about the tablets." Ichiru breathed the question out of his constricting throat.
Aido finally met his eyes, a defeated look haunting his electric blue eyes, "That would be the only truth in her statement." The vampire felt his chest tighten when facing the horrified look in amethyst eyes and the way Ichiru's hands flew to his mouth, "I am unable to consume fake blood or human blood, or any type of blood other than yours for that matter. It has been the case for some time now. I did not tell you so that you do not feel obligated to push yourself and provide me with more than you could afford and end up harming yourself because of me. I would never live with that on my conscience." Aido's tone was drifting from hesitant to loving in attempt to soothe his silver lover.
"Oh please~" The grandmother raised a hand in a dismissing gesture, making fun of the honest confession.
"Oh God~ Why don't you zip it for ten fucking second, old hag!" The room went still when the silver hunter seem to be losing it as he screamed and pointed his gun square in the face of the sitting woman, "One more unauthorized sound and I will finish what my father started… I am not fucking joking here!" His pupil dilated in pure fury, making her swallow any more words.
Ichiru sent a grateful glance in direction of his brother. He walked around the couch and stood by his lover, reaching for his hand that he found trembling a bit. A small quivering smile traced his lips as he rested his head against Hanabusa's collarbone, inhaling his sweet scent before raising his arms to cage him in a hug.
"I am sorry that you had to shoulder it on your own. I believe you." His fingers combed through the golden lock, tracing soothing pattern on the scalp underneath.
Aido finally let out the breath he was holding and reciprocated the embrace, inhaling sharply as his eyes stung at the thought of his lover shying away from him for a second there.
"Thank you!" He mumbled as he buried his face in the crook of Ichiru's neck.
Relief washed over the hunters, but Zero was still holding the woman at gunpoint. He felt bad for the girl curling in her arm, quivering in fear, but he found it to be the only way for him to get the meeting done and over with.
"Now… you will simply answer our questions, without trying to get on our nerves because I do not trust my finger much on this trigger." He twisted the gun to show that he took off the safety, getting his point across.
"Very well." She nodded, complying but not scared, not visibly at least.
Zero nodded at his brother who finally turned around to face her.
"What happened to him? Exactly! What did my blood do to him?" Ichiru was desperate to get the truth out of her and this would be his only chance.
"Because our blood is that powerful." She answered curtly.
"What makes it different from any other hunter's blood? We witnessed a lot of hunters getting mauled and drank from, and no vampire ever had trouble draining their next victims afterwards." Zero shrugged, not buying her explanation.
"Because it is not any hunter's blood coursing through our veins. It is the blood of the original hunters. The true hunters, not the makeshift one born out of consuming the so called first parent." She scoffed in disgust.
"That is nonsensical seeing that the Kiryuu bloodline branched from the Cross and we know that-" Kaien was eager to refute her words with proof of ancient record.
"What is nonsensical would be for you to claim higher status when your clan never managed to defeat our weakest members." She successfully clammed him up, "It is only due to your genetic defect that you got the extra boost to stand on equal ground with us. Other Cross never stood a chance, ever! As for your silly record, that is something written by a biased person, who could easily change things around seeing that we went into hiding for thousands of years before emerging again. Our own record can support the unknown facts of our history."
"What is your point?" Ichiru asked.
"My point would be that we existed long before the rise of the 'new hunters' and have been fighting the supernatural for the longest. The stronger we grew the more desirable our powers became. We discovered over the course of history that the purest our blood becomes the easier it would be to use it as a taming tool. A way to tame the beast we hunt and use it to take down its own kin by tapping on its survival instinct." She smirked, looking at the horrified blond noble.
"They would have no choice to obey because they would perish otherwise." Aido summarized her words.
"That is sick." Zero scrunched in disgust.
"The bright side of it. Those creature would not be able to harm anyone else anymore, neither would they be able to take the life of their tamer. A win-win situation."
Ichiru gave Hanabusa an apologetic look. It was not the fact that his vampire was forever subdued by his blood that worried him, neither the fact that he would not harm anyone else. Ichiru was genuinely terrorized at what will happen to his blond noble when the time comes for his death to do them apart. Aido could not help the wistful smile drawing his lips because of how transparent his lover was being.
"Would that be the explanation why we did not find the composition of whatever infected Ichijou in any of the hunter's spell books?" Zero's question sliced through the thick silence.
"About right!... You see, son-"
"Do not call me that!" The chain of his gun rattled, reflecting his irritation.
"What I meant to say is…" She lowered her voice to calm him down, starting to worry for her own life, "What we use is not your average 'hunter magic' derived from the vampire DNA existing in our system. Yes… sadly, our lineage did get corrupted by their genes at some point, but it did little to nothing in reducing our original abilities…. What I am saying is that we rely on pure witchcraft, the origin of all magic instead of relying on a fraction of it. That is what makes us exceptional."
Ichiru let out a baffled laugh, "Unbelievable! Now you are telling us that you are a witch instead of huntress? What next, you will leave out of the window using your flying broomstick?"
The woman raised an amused eyebrow, "You of all people should know that I am telling the truth… I am certain that you can feel it inside of you, twisting and boiling inside with no way out… Power that you know exists but unable to channel out…"
Ichiru did not deny her words because there was some truth to it.
"That is because no one taught you how, and that is the reason I am here today, extending a hand to guide you towards your true destiny. To show you the infinite magic you are able to channel simply because you are a pureblooded Kiryuu, a status that you should hold with pride instead of burying your potential for the sake of love."
"Ichiru…" Zero could feel his brother swaying, and he did not like it.
"You should be just as powerful, why are you so intent on forcing him to sire another generation?" He asked, reminding his brother that she was brainwashing him for their own benefit.
"Indeed I am! However, none of us will be stronger than the offspring of the fortieth generation. A prophecy passed down since the oldest ages promised the ultimate power for the purest child and descendant of your generation. We cannot afford having such existence deprived from joining our realm, neither do we want their power to fall into the wrong hands and exploited for the worst evil."
Zero's hand unconsciously flew to his stomach. A gesture that did not go amiss by the keen eyes of the old woman.
"In fact, to prove our good intention. We will disappear from your life once the child is born. We only wish to ensure our lineage, whether you want to help raise them, or leave them to us to go back to your lover, we will not object to any decision. That is, as long as the child grows up in our clan, with his mother." She pointed to the young girl in her arm.
Ichiru felt sick in his stomach.
"I need some time to think about it." He whispered words that elicited a string of gasp and words of disbelief, "Calm down everyone… I said I need time. One last thing."
"Whatever it is?" The old woman had a victorious smile on her face when Zero lowered his gun at the request of his brother.
"How will I be certain that you cured Ichijou before I decide to follow you?"
"Oh! that is easy because you will be the one performing the ritual." She chirped, surprising the younger twin.
"I am?" Ichiru was skeptical, "But I-"
"You don't know anything about magic or witchcraft, I am well aware of that. However, it is a part of you. As I said, counting from today, we have four days left. You only need two days to unlock your dormant powers that your parents sealed away probably after the massacre, and enough time to master this spell by following the instruction from the family grimoire. You just need to make up your mind before you run out of time."
What happened after was a blur in Zero's head as he could not register the fact that his brother was giving a thought to something as absurd as leaving his lover to join those who almost took their life and obviously wanting to use him a puppet for their own advantage.
He could not remember how they got back home or the conclusion they reached. All he could do is follow his brother with his eyes, wanting to know what was going on in his head. A thought he probably shared with everyone present in the room.
∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ Back in the hotel room ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞
"I would say that it went very well, wouldn't you?" the old woman spoke with glee as she combed the fine hair of the young girl.
"Are you really sure that he will leave that person to join us?" she whispered.
"Well… Only time will tell… But I would not worry much about it. No matter what decision they might take, it will always play to our advantage. However, if the best case scenario happens, all we have to do is to pluck the annoying weed getting in the way." She whispered back as she hugged the young girl, "All you need to worry about is prettiying up and be ready to change history by carrying the coveted child we have been waiting to welcome for so long."
A sad look haunted the girl's face as she stared blankly at the mirror, watching the smiling reflection of the woman hugging her, "Yes, great grandmother! As you wish." Her voice sounded almost robotic.
She retired to her room later, siting on her bed-hugging pillow, and finally allowing tears to slide down her cheek. Another woman knocked at her door and allowed herself in in time to see the girl wiping her face.
The woman had similar features like hers, only strained with age. "Are you all right?"
"I am fine, mother." The girl whispered.
"Silly girl!" her mother climbed by her side on the bed after opening the large window, "You know better than pretend around me."
The younger gave her a tight smile before sinking in her arms, and let her tears flow freely at last.
"Did you meet them?"
She nodded, sobbing even harder.
"Did they scare you?" The mother started to worry more. She knew that her daughter was originally a crybaby, only putting a strong front so that she does not crumble since the day she had been chosen by the head.
The teenager shook her head violently before meeting the eyes of her mother, "No… NO! They are… he is… Oh god! Mother…" she bawled out.
"Do you want to talk about?"
"I saw it…" she sniffled.
Her mother froze at the words, "saw what?"
"They would be so happy, so good together… It was beautiful." She started to calm down, remembering the moment Ichiru hugged Hanabusa, "The light was so pure that it almost blinded me."
"Such blessing they have." Her mother sighed while stroking her daughter's hair.
"Their future was full of happiness and laughter… I never saw something so… so warm." She snuggled to her mother relishing in the sensation that washed over her along with her premonition.
The brows of her mother knitted when she started to understand the cause of her daughter's distress, "But the future can change any second."
The words sent the little girl in another wave of sobbing and pained cries. Her mother's shushing did nothing to ease the pain tearing at her heart.
"It was so red… crimson red… When he wavered… it was scary… will be horrible… Oh mother! I never wished for such a thing… I don't want to see him like that… He does not deserve it… He never deserved to mourn the loss of his true love." She looked at her mother with eyes pleading her to do something even knowing that she has no power of influence to change anything.
The mother pulled her in her embrace tighter, looking out the window at the stars dotting the dark sky, "We can only pray for the future to change again… You mustn't make foolish requests like asking her to spare his life. She is probably going to eliminate him as soon as she gets what she wants. The best we could do is delay the inevitable until we find an opening to warn them. Please! Do not do something as foolish as going against her, I can't lose you too."
The girl felt the arms around her tremble. They hid the truth from her, but she was aware of the grief bestowed upon her mother. She never voiced it out loud, but her abilities as an oracle allowed her to foresee the demise of her father and the cause of it. She was just too young to differentiate a dream from a premonition at that time. She has always blamed herself for not warning him that the head will take her away for her useful power, that he will object the idea of his daughter getting thrown into the arm of the son of a traitor and bear his children at such a young age. That he will be killed in cold blood when trying to escape, taking her with him to save her.
"I won't, mother! I already accepted my destiny and I will be fine as long as you are by my side." She reassured, Unaware of the raven peering at them from the branch of a nearby tree.
∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ In the new moon residence ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞
*Knock*
*Knock*
*Knock*
The door opened to a distraught looking Hanabusa. Yagari figured that the tension did not subside since the spat Ichiru had with Zero back at Cross's house. It was the first time they witnessed the twins fighting that aggressively, yet they could not blame any of them for snapping and arguing their cases. Ichiru was confused upon finding himself to be the key to cure Takuma at a cost he could never imagine. Zero was livid for the fact that his twin was even considering the insane proposal of their grandmother.
"Did he say anything?" Yagari asked the noble vampire who would not meet his eyes.
Aido shook his head, "He locked himself in the bedroom ever since."
"Can I?"
"Please…" The vampire led the way to their bedroom and knocked at the door twice, "Ichiru? Can you hear me?"
"…"
Hanabusa gave the hunter an exasperated glance before knocking again, "Ichiru… Love… Yagari sensei is here and he wants to see you. He will be standing right here waiting for you to open the door. I will be downstairs. Call me if you need anything." he nodded at the old hunter before leaving the apartment to give them plenty of privacy.
Seconds ticked by and there was no sign of the younger twin. Yagari sighed and knocked at the door, "Ichiru… I am well aware that you know I am here… We need to talk… Now!"
His voice was commanding but kind nonetheless. The last thing he needed was for the silverette to go back to his rebellious strike.
It did not take a minute before the locked door clicked open and for Ichiru to peer out of the crack. Toga noticed the red rims around his eyes that averted his gaze.
"Did Hana leave?"
"Yes…"
Ichiru opened the door and walked bare feet to the armchair where he sat. He lifted his knee and folded them under his chin, hugging himself while rocking back and forth.
"You do know that you do not have to go through this alone, don't you?" The older man started the conversation, "I am not sure about what is going on in that head of yours, but no one would blame you for anything if you chose to refuse her deal."
"…"
"I know what being a Kiryuu did to you, and I wish I could erase the past and make it better. However, Ichiru… That past made you into who you are today. Those mistakes and misplaced judgement helped you grow from them and become a better person. However… There so much one can screw up before reaching a point of no return."
"Is this your way of telling me that I am making the biggest mistake of my life and that I will regret it dearly after it is too late to take back?" Ichiru's voice was strained yet sarcastic.
"Something like that…" Yagari admitted, "Ichiru… Remember when you asked me about your parents after Zero went to sleep today?"
Ichiru nodded, "You told me that Zero took after dad, but I was more like my mom, personality-wise."
Yagari nodded, "It got to the point that it baffled me sometime. You have the same fire when it comes to protecting whomever or whatever you hold dear, that it sometimes blind you to everything else. The aftermath of that night was the hardest on your mother despite her being the one who devised the plan with your father. She did not have a direct hand in the bloodshed, yet she felt her hands dripping with blood for months after witnessing what the massacre it left behind. The only light grounding her sanity was the fact that you two were saved."
Ichiru looked at his mentor, "What about you?"
The question surprised the older man, "What about me?"
"Did you regret it? Killing your own mentor… You said that he was like a father to you." Ichiru was curious about it, as if he found someone to share the burden of causing the death of a family.
"I did… and I still do… It will haunt me to the last day of my life" Yagari squeezed his fist until his knuckle turned white, "But I found salvation in one thing."
"Which is?" Ichiru urged.
"That he wanted me to do it." Yagari gave him a quivering smile.
"Really?"
The hunter nodded, not surprised by the disbelief on the silverette's voice, "It was near impossible to stage such coup without him intercepting it from miles away. Each one of us was ready to lose his life, never in our wildest dream did we think that we would make it out of there alive. However, fate had it that a powerful ally would be standing by our side without us knowing."
"Haruka Kuran?" Ichiru wondered.
Yagari shook his head, "Your grandfather."
"I don't get it."
"Well… He was a man of little words. However, he decided to make a big deal out of the execution of his own grandchildren. It was something I never expected of him. It enraged me to be under the tutelage of such cold-hearted beast. In blind fury, I volunteered to be the one taking him down. That day, before the four of you were brought in, he handed me a scroll and a letter. He told me to have a look at it after everything was over, that it was a keepsake from my late parents that he was supposed to give me later, but he was fed up with keeping it. It did not surprise me since he never liked to keep the wills of others or any precious belonging with him for too long, so I took them. When the signal came, I pointed my gun to his temple and hesitated for a second…. Ichiru… That second should have cost me my life when I was up against such a powerful man, but it didn't… Do you want to know why?"
"Why?" Ichiru was intrigued.
"Because he was smiling at me…" Yagari gave a baffled laugh, "I can still see it vividly along with the words he said right after, 'do what you have to do, son…'"
"He asked you to kill him?" Ichiru could not believe what he just heard.
Yagari sighed, "Something like that, but that was not the end of it. It is true that Kaien called out to the Kuran for help. However, none of us knew who summoned the other one, the masked man she called the dweller of the valley of darkness."
"Who did?" The silverette finally uncurled himself and listened intently.
"It was much later on that I discovered it in the letter that your grandfather handed to me. There was two letters inside the envelope; one was addressed to me and one to your father. Your grandfather was the one who summoned that person and gave him the task of eliminating the Kiryuu clan once and for all, sparing only your little family. In his letter, he asked us to carry on living without fear for he made sure no one would harm his precious children ever again. The letter was written by the man who raised and trained me indeed, he was a kind man, but his burden was too heavy. Your clan was the strongest and the members were not easy to manage. As the leader, he was not allowed to show weakness. That is why he did not train his own son in fear of spoiling him. It seems that he was already planning on putting a stop to the inflating power that was turning poisonous to most of his clansmen, including your grandmother. He wrote it in his later that you two should be the last generation of pureblooded Kiryuu. He probably feared what was to come if he did not stop it, maybe referring to the prophecy she was talking about. He played us, making us believe that he was the bad guy until the very end."
"Why are you telling me this?" Ichiru finally asked.
"Because I want you to make the right decision after knowing the whole truth instead of bits and pieces." Yagari explained.
"But this has nothing to do with the present time. It has nothing to do with the fact that someone is dying and only I can save him at the cost of breaking my own happiness." Ichiru screamed in sheer frustration.
"That is why I want you to think carefully about how you want to approach the matter."
"How so?" Ichiru's pleading eyes followed the man standing from his seat and leaving the apartment.
"Did I forget to tell you?" Yagari had an amused look on his face.
"Tell me what?"
"Sakura took the best decisions in her life when trapped in a corner, all by herself." He smirked before leaving the puzzled twin to his own volition.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ichiru grumbled as pulled on his long bangs. He yanked his hair tie, startling at the giggling bells hanging from it. He looked at them while his hair fanned out on his shoulders, shining from the reflection of the light against it. He pulled on one of the spheres and watched the glint of the spider silk thread extending from it. Despite wanting to be like his father in everything from power, personality and swordsmanship, Ichiru always strived further by secretly mastering his mother's hunting technique. Yagari would never imagine how right he was when he said that Ichiru took after his mother, for he mastered her weapon before learning how to swing a wooden sword. Of course, that was a secret his mother made him keep. He did not remember having so much fun with his mother since that summer when his father had to go on a mission oversea and his brother joined their mentor for a summer training camp to prepare for his hunter certification test.
Sakura did not allow the little Ichiru a minute of rest between teaching him the lessons he missed at school and learning the craft as a hunter. She knew exactly when to push him over his limit and when to let him rest to the point that he never felt sick the whole time. It may have been the catalyst of his vindictive nature when his mother acted as if nothing ever happened and fawned over them like usual after Zero and their father came back home.
The beeping of his phone snapped him out of his musing. The message was surprisingly from Kaname, asking to see him asap, alone.
∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ Kaname's penthouse, the office area ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞
Ichiru closed the door softly while speaking, "Did you need anything?"
"That was quite the young girl they chose as your future wife." Kaname's voice was full of mirth.
Ichiru rolled his eyes, "I see that you had eyes and ears despite your absence."
"Of course, and I witnessed quite the argument between the twins." It was dark and Ichiru could not see Kaname's face since there was only one lamp illuminating the top of the desk and the back of Kaname's chair.
"That would be none of your business." Ichiru snapped as he walked closer, albeit slowly.
"You are right. My business would be the decision you have come to." The pureblood started turning around.
"Don't worry… I will not let your friend die." Ichiru reassured.
"That is not what I am talking about. I am asking about what you truly want, Ichiru-kun." Kaname's voice was grave and commanding.
"I don't want to lose Hana." He answered firmly.
"But…" Kaname trailed,
"But?" Ichiru was confused.
"There is a but, why don't you just say it?" Kaname taunted.
"I don't know." Ichiru hesitated, starting to get scared, scared of confronting the real problem.
"You want the power." Kaname's words struck him like a lightning bolt, making him halt halfway to the desk, "It is not a crime to admit it. It is your right to claim your heritage after all."
Ichiru swallowed before gathering the courage to answer with a shaky voice, "I want it… If it exist inside me like she said… I want it unleashed, I want it…" His voice was gaining confidence gradually as he started shortening the distance again, "I want to have the power to defend myself against everything… I want the power to protect those I hold dear… I want the power so that I do not grief the loss of another while thinking of how it would have been if I had what it takes to prevent it…. I have had enough of being the weaker link."
He slammed his palms against the desk to emphasize his determination, "So, if you are not here to help, do not rile me up any more than this, Kuran!" He seethed at the brunet who had a side smile of satisfaction on his face.
Kaname lifted his hand and leaned into the flickering light, "Very well… However, you need to see something before taking any further action." Ichiru startled when a dark Raven flew out of nowhere and settled on Kaname's hand, the eerie atmosphere accentuated when he noticed that both Kaname's and the Raven's eyes were glowing red.
∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞ TBC ∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞8∞∞
Reviews?