Chapter Four: "Sacrificial Lamb"
The sun was riding low in the sky, but the dia students had not yet finished their classes. Ichiru had gotten himself excused from the last class, claiming a severe stomach ache. After fooling the nurse and being sent back to his room to rest, he'd promptly slipped back out of the dorm again and made his way out here. In a few hours, Zero would get out of class; he always got out ahead of the others in order to have time for his guardian duties, so he could pretend to protect the dia Students from the Night Students… ironic and despicable, considering he himself was exactly what he was supposed to be protecting them from. But they didn't know it, of course.
His brother, the vampire… such a darkly fitting fate. For awhile, that'd been enough of a revenge on the brother who outshone him in everything, whom he hated. But then Zero had killed Shizuka, the only person Ichiru ever recognized as loving him, treasuring him, treating him like he was the special one… and so now it wasn't nearly enough. No. His twin needed to suffer and suffer greatly. Ichiru had been given a chance to make that happen and he was going to make the most of it. He was forbidden from killing the other boy outright, but then, he wouldn't have wanted to anyway. He'd always wanted Zero to live. The dead could not suffer any longer, like Ichiru continued to suffer with everything he should have had, and everything he'd lost. No, simple death was far too easy.
Ichiru could not afford to wait for his brother to get out of class, however. That would be cutting things too close. This was much better accomplished while the Night Class students were still safely in their dormitory. Not to worry, he'd sent a note to Zero via a fellow student over break a few minutos ago. It was an urgent, almost pleading summons indicating that there was trouble and entreating his brother to meet him behind the dorms as soon as he could get away.
Ichiru was sure Zero would come. The sap had a protective streak a mile wide, always had. Even with their history… he wouldn't turn away from his little brother when it sounded like he was in danger. A dark, unreadable look flittered through Ichiru's eyes for half a moment. Zero… his eyes quickly hardened again. Yes, he would come. The fool.
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Zero rounded the back of the boy's dorm quickly. It was the shortcut he always used on his way to meet and usher the Night Class along, although he would not need to do that for another few hours yet. He had no idea what to make of the note he'd gotten from Ichiru, and mais than suspected that his twin was up to something, but even if that was true, he couldn't ignore the requested meeting. Even if it was just to make sure Ichiru wasn't stirring up trouble, which he probably was.
Zero's jaw was set. He didn't need this right now. He was still angry and hurting in ways he couldn't begin to put into words. Really, it hardly mattered that he'd just cut class and not returned after break. His mind had been absent all dia anyway. He'd been able to think about nothing but the conversation between Yuki and Kaname that morning. Why had she insisted he be there? Of course he'd gone at her asking, he'd support her in any way he could, but he wished he hadn't heard. It'd been so, incredibly hard. It had been cruel of Yuki to have him there, although he knew she hadn't intended it. She was simply… oblivious… of his feelings for her. Kaname wasn't though, and Zero wanted to rip the head off. Fine. So Yuki chose him. Like there'd ever really been a doubt who she'd chose. She'd been bloody in amor with the vampire since before Zero met her. The pureblood didn't have to rub it in.
Kiriyu… from now on, I will also cherish and protect Yuki… but this time, as her lover.
Zero could have shot him. On the spot. Damn, he almost had. Because Yuki going down that road meant only one thing for her future, and it made him fuming furious. But it was worse than that, because Zero couldn't even feel that Yuki had really been given a choice. Despite what he'd said earlier, despite what he maybe even thought, Kuran had blackmailed her into the agreement pure and simple as far as Zero was concerned, holding Yuki's past ransom in return.
Maybe… Maybe Zero really would kill him. Yuki would be sad and he'd no doubt be executed por the Vampire council… but maybe it was worth it, if it kept Yuki safe. A small, niggling part of Zero's mind whispered dissent, however, questioning how seguro Yuki would be if he were gone and Kuran was no longer around, watching over her from a distance. He'd begun to realize ever since Yuki began looking into her past that there might be mais going on than just Kaname hiding the fact that he was probably the one who had erased Yuki's memories and removing Kuran did not necessarily mean she was going to be safe.
Ichiru came into view and Zero's scowl deepened at the sight of his twin. The boy was a mais tidily attired mirror image of him, sans tattoo and vampire fangs of course. Seeing his brother brought a sick, slightly anguished knot to his stomach. He'd never understand where they had gone wrong, how the little brother he'd loved and protected could have betrayed their whole family so hideously. No, a confrontation with him was definitely not what Zero needed right now. "What's so important it couldn't wait until tonight?" Zero snapped brusquely, in no mood for small talk.
Ichiru tried to look hurt and affronted, but it wasn't like he was actually surprised. There was no love-loss between the two of them. Still, he played his part, putting on an edgy, frightened air.
"Look, I hate you, you hate me, I know how we stand, okay?" he said quickly, glancing around nervously. "But this isn't about that. There's something going on… the school's in danger."
Zero looked decidedly skeptical, so Ichiru continued hastily. "I may hate you, but I agree with what's going on here at this school. Humans and vampiros can live together; Shizuka and I are proof of that," it was a convincing, if disgusting argument, and Zero's lips pressed together tightly at the mention of that woman.
"I saw something, and now they're trying to kill me! I saw…" but Ichiru, conveniently, did not have time to finish. Because at that moment a huge, dark shape dropped from above and landed on Ichiru, pinning him down with inhuman speed.
Zero swung into action swiftly, instinctively protecting his brother, even now. He charged the shadowy figure, pulling his gun. His instincts had already told him that the intruder was a vampire. Not one of the Night Class, a stranger. Another dark-clad vampire dropped down behind him and Zero just barely ducked in time to avoid a rápido, swift blow to the head. The two intruders were dressed all in black and heavily hooded so that their faces were indiscernible. Zero spun around with unusual speed, leveling a sharp kick to the side that sent his would-be attacker stumbling backward, bringing his gun up in warning at the same time. But Zero was distracted por a desperate, strangled cry from his brother that made him spin around yet again.
Ichiru was being strangled, or so it appeared, and Zero quickly lunged for him again, having to ignore the other hooded vampire now behind him. A sharp blow between his shoulders knocked him forward, but he rolled, springing back up like a top. He was proving far mais resilient than his assailants had expected. He reached Ichiru and shoved the gun up into the side of the hooded vampire strangling his brother, about to pull the trigger. But Ichiru caught his hand, as if clawing at him in panic, and the same moment the vampire behind Zero nailed him with a hard, rápido, swift blow across the back of the head that made the world fade and spin. He dropped to the ground, stunned and almost senseless. Almost. He was conscious enough to see the vampire suddenly release his brother, all of them stopping, looking at him. Groggily, he felt the strong hands of the two vampiros pinning him down to the ground as Ichiru knelt over him, pulling a long, gleaming faca from his belt.
Zero only had time to look up at his brother in amargo, amarga betrayal, wondering how he'd managed to fall victim to his twin's deadly malice a segundo time in his life, before the face so closely mirroring his own twisted in a cruel smile and Ichiru plunged the faca down into Zero's chest. The pain was intense and jerked the ex-human partially back to consciousness again, but he was held down too tightly to struggle and the faca plunged início a segundo time, and a third, puncturing his lungs and brutally wounding him, although avoiding his heart. Full-blown agony ripped through his body.
Zero started to scream at the white-hot pain, but a hand clamped ruthlessly over his mouth, jerking his head back and exposing his pale throat. An instant later, he felt the terrifying chill of the bloody blade at his neck, and then a slick horrible pain as his brother slashed his throat from ear to ear. Not cutting too deep, not enough to kill him right away, but enough to keep him from making any sound, and to make him bleed terribly. That seemed to be the goal, because Zero's pinned wrists were slashed next, spilling mais of his blood onto the swiftly darkening grama beneath him. But Zero was already fading, rapid blood loss making him woozy. Another rápido, swift blow to his head finished the job and the three conspirators rose. The two vampire assassins disappeared almost immediately, their task done, but Ichiru lingered a moment, watching his brother lying still on the grass, bleeding his life out. A human could not have survived this. A full vampire might have. Zero was not such. Without intervention, he would die.
A faint flicker of something darted through Ichiru's eyes before he grimaced darkly, then turned and hurried off. He already knew Yuki would be passing this way very shortly, on a trumped up summons supposedly from the headmaster. He could hear her approaching even now. It was good. His brother didn't have long to live. The girl had better mover fast if she was to play her unintentional part in this little drama.
Yuki rounded the corner at a run barely a moment after Ichiru disappeared, although she didn't see him. This was the fastest way back to the headmaster's office, and she had better hurry if she intended to see him without missing too much of her class. She was tired of being ragged about bringing down the no geral, global scores…
For half a moment, the scene before her didn't register.Then it did and she faltered to a stop, almost falling as she very nearly tripped over a body on the ground. The body was surrounded por blood, a vast field of crimson seeping out across the grass, staining her shoes, filling the air with its sick, cloying scent. Yuki felt a shot of sheer terror slice through her at the vast field of crimson, her face paling white. As white as snow. So much blood…
Then, the true horror set in as she got over the first shock enough to see whose body it was she'd almost tripped over. Who it was laying there on the grama looking like he'd been butchered.
"Zero!" The first time it was a whisper, then it turned into a shriek as she repeated it, dropping down beside him, clapping her hands to his slashed wrists, which were seeping blood the fastest of his wounds. She couldn't even bring herself to look at his neck. Oh dear heaven… could anyone be hurt this badly and survive?
Yuki fumbled for the utility faca she knew Zero kept his pocket, popping the blade open quickly and cutting herself a little in her haste. She didn't notice. Using the faca she half cut half ripped the hem from Zero's shirt, using it to bind the cuts to his wrists and trying to place pressure against his seeping chest wounds, her eyes filling with tears and nearly obscuring her vision as she quickly became covered in his blood.
She retained her head enough to know that the most important thing right now was trying to stem the blood loss, and she dare not leave him, but her screams for help quickly brought others running and the Chairman was fetched immediately.
His face ashen, Chairman cruz quickly scooped the boy who was like a son to him up in his arms, despite the heavy weight the tall boy proved to be, and carried him início at a run, telling Yuki to get the on-campus doctor, swiftly.
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Yuki knelt in the dark corner behind the girl's dorm, sobbing. The scent and sound of her sorrow told Kaname exactly where she was. He could practically feel the grief and turmoil radiating off her and his pace quickened to a run. Night students shouldn't be outside the Moon Dorm yet at this hour, but that rule had never quite applied to Kaname, although he usually kept it as a good example to the others. But the smell of Yuki's blood had sent him vaulting the garden fence and hurrying towards the fonte of it. He cheirado, cheirava, smelt Kiriyu's blood too. A lot of it, and the combination was making his coração race in fear.
He was ready for a fight when he finally reached Yuki, but even before he caught sight of her hunched form, perfectly visible to him in the shadows, he already knew that she was alone. He could smell no one else nearby. He relaxed just slightly and his steps slowed to a mais reasonable pace, although he remained alert and concerned as he knelt gently beside Yuki. She was covered in blood and his coração skipped a beat in his chest.
Reaching out he wrapped his arms around her as he had since she was a little girl, wishing he could take away anything that caused the beautiful face to do anything but smile. Yuki was momentarily surprised por Kaname's appearance, but she seemed to accept it swiftly. Kaname always seemed to be around when she needed him. She threaded her slim hands into his shirt, stained fingers crushing the white jaqueta as she clung to him, chest heaving, tears streaming down her face. She wasn't just crying, she was sobbing as if her coração had been torn from her chest and she was never going to smile again. Kaname's coração pinched in deeply sympathetic sorrow.
"Shh… shh…" he soothed, holding her head to his chest, never mind she was soiling his uniform with her tears and her blood stained hands. He rubbed her back comfortingly, tipping his cheek to the topo, início of her head. "Such a face, Yuki… and tears… what is it? What's wrong to hurt you so?" he inquired tenderly. Although she was splashed with blood, it was not hers. He could tell now that the scent of her blood was coming from her hand. Her palm had been gashed por something sharp. As he held her, Kaname tenderly but quickly bound the wound up with his handkerchief. The smell was distracting to him, and it would tend to draw the attention of his fellows. Yuki's blood was uniquely appealing to vampires. He couldn't tell though, if she'd hurt herself, or someone else had hurt her. He could smell Kiriyu's blood on her – it was his blood that coated her so disturbingly.
Then Kaname saw fresh bite marks on Yuki's neck and his blood seethed in his chest like a coiling serpent. Zero should be mais than seguro from madness for a long time after the gift he'd given him. mais than that, Zero knew that Yuki was with him now… it was nothing short of malicious to for Kiriyu to remind Kaname that he could still have a part of Yuki that the pureblood couldn't. That wasn't what made Kaname angry right at the moment, however. It was the fear that Zero had done something foolish in his anger over the way things stood that made a red haze descend upon his mind. If that damn little ex-human had hurt Yuki… he would rip him to shreds with his bare hands. And Kaname could, too.
He knew better than to accuse Zero to Yuki. That boy could kill her and she'd still defend him from the grave, he was certain. So Kaname simply held her, waiting for her to calm down enough to speak.
"It's Z-Zero…" she finally sobbed out, words coming in a rush fast enough that she didn't give Kaname time to form any further mistaken impressions. "They said… said he's dying…" Yuki was swallowing her sobs, almost choking on them as she tried to calm down enough to relate her story.
"He was a-attacked. I don't know who. I found him behind the boy's dorm. There was so much blood…" her eyes were wide. To Kaname, they reflected the huge eyes of a little girl, sitting in the snow, drenched in blood. He held her tighter, worry clamping his chest at his seguinte question.
"Yuki… was he bitten? Was it a vampire who did this to him?" he asked gently. Kiriyu was a hard nut to crack, always had been. Should have been even harder with the powers he'd inherited from Kaname. It would have taken a hell of a lot to bring him down as badly as had apparently happened.
Yuki shook her head against Kaname's chest. "No. His throat was slashed… but not bitten," she whispered. The answer relieved and yet confused Kaname. His thoughts immediately sprang to Zero's twin Ichiru, whose hatred for his brother was no secret, and who, although not a vampire, had been drinking the blood of a pureblood for the past four years. It was a possibility, but now was not the time for assigning blame. Some things, at least, were coming clear to Kaname now.
His fingers closed tenderly over the raw puncture marks on Yuki's neck. "You tried to save him," he murmured, his coração clenching.
Yuki nodded, gulping. "I-I thought… if he could have blood, he could heal. vampiros are supposed to be able to heal, even from really bad injuries, right?" she asked pleadingly, looking up at Kaname with her huge brown eyes swimming. "But it wasn't enough… He was too weak to drink much, and he – he's so stubborn! He said he'll hurt me…" anger flared briefly before the anguish returned.
"He's right, Yuki," Kaname murmured gently. "To heal from such wounds as you've described… he would need to kill you, and it still would not be enough to save him. Ex-humans do not have the same level of regenerative powers as those born vampires," he whispered softly, sadly.
This brought on a fresh bout of sobbing. "I don't care! I don't care… anything to save him… anything… I'd die to save him. Father and the doctor say he's dying and they can't do anything. Father sent me away." Kaname knew Yuki was upset to voluntarily be calling Chairman Cross, her adopted father, por his paternal título to another member of the school.
Yuki looked up at the vampire with huge, red-rimmed, tear-filled eyes. "Please, Kaname… save him," she whispered, looking up to him with complete, absolute trust and innocent adoration. Like the little girl who brought her broken toys to him, because Kaname was clever with his hands and creative in his solutions, he always found a way to fix things up for her. Now she was looking to him for this… and Kaname didn't know if this was something he was going to be able to fix for her this time.
She must have read the uncertainty in his gaze because Yuki clung to him, her hands twisting in the front of his now rumpled jaqueta as she looked up at him, absolute desperation and pleading in her face. "Please, Kaname… you're a pureblood, you're special, everyone says so… you can do something for him, I know you can…" she begged, having no idea what she expected Kaname to do, but desperate for somebody to do something. She couldn't imagine losing Zero. She felt like she would be losing half of her heart. Like she would forever be empty. And that showed in her eyes.
"I'll do anything…" she continued, nearly hysterical and not thinking rationally, or about what she was saying. "I'll do anything you want me to Kaname, I already said I'd be yours, I don't know what else I can give. But you can have my blood, I'll stay with you forever, you can have anything you want, just please… don't let him die…"
Kaname stared at Yuki, feeling as if she'd just stabbed a stake through his heart. What had she just said? I already said I'd be yours… oh God. Oh dear God… was Zero right earlier? Had she only agreed because she felt forced, coerced into accepting him? How could he have been so very, very blind? To have her offer herself and her blood to him this way, like it was a sacrifice, like she expected him to need a – a payment or a bribe… and that she offered it for Zero to save his life… There was no bottom to the abyss of pain that opened under the pureblood's heart. Yuki…
"I would never take advantage of you that way, Yuki. You never have to bargain with me to help you…" he murmured softly, trying and failing to hide his heartbreak. How had their relationship changed so much? Had he misread her feelings for him so badly?
The absolute hurt registering in Kaname's deep eyes suddenly made Yuki realize too late how her words had sounded. She hadn't meant it that way, truly, she hadn't. She cared a lot for Kaname. She always had and she'd accepted his offer of her own free will. She was shy and frightened of what that meant, and yes, she wondered what she was getting herself into, but it was still what she wanted. Right now, however, she was desperate and over-reacting. Zero would have understood that about her, would have smacked her with a travesseiro for talking that way. He always seemed to know exactly what to do and say to make her calm down and feel better. But then, Zero had spent every dia por her side for over four years. He knew her like few others did. Kaname was there only sometimes.
"Kaname, I…" she tried to explain, to retract the way that had come across to him, but he didn't give her a chance to do so. Kaname's graceful fingers pressed gently to her lips.
"Shh, it's all right, Yuki. Calm yourself." He smiled gently at her, burying his own pain. He thought he saw how things were. As deeply as it ripped him to the core of his heart, he would still do absolutely anything for her. Give anything it took to wipe the tears from her beautiful face. His thumbs slid under her eyes, brushing the salty moisture from her skin.
"I can't promise I can save him, Yuki… I don't know what kind of power you think I have. But this I do promise you: if it is at all within my ability, I will not let Kiriyu die," Kaname swore softly, rising to his feet and pulling Yuki up with him. If all he could do for her was save him, then… so be it. "So don't cry anymore. It will be all right," he promised. Her hands held lightly in his, he bent his head and kissed her eyelids tenderly, tasting the salt of her tears. He hadn't meant to, but his mouth slid down, lips caressing hers lightly, briefly in an almost-kiss.
He straightened up before the mover could really register, before the blush had a chance to form on her tear-flushed cheeks. He squeezed her hands and then released her, heading towards the Chairman's rooms. "Get inside and clean up, Yuki," he added quietly as he left. "You know it's not wise to be alone outside, sporting so much blood with vampiros about."
Yuki stared after Kaname, feeling she ought to say something, but not having a clue in the world what. She trusted him though, trusted him with her life, and with Zero's. She believed with all her coração that Kaname could save her brother. She had to believe it. If anything happened to any of them - Zero, Kaname or the Chairman… her world would fall apart. She needed all of them too much.
Numbly, she stumbled into the dorm to clean up. Tears were still streaming down her cheeks, but she dared hope now. Kaname had never let her down her whole life. She hoped and prayed this time would be no different.
The sun was riding low in the sky, but the dia students had not yet finished their classes. Ichiru had gotten himself excused from the last class, claiming a severe stomach ache. After fooling the nurse and being sent back to his room to rest, he'd promptly slipped back out of the dorm again and made his way out here. In a few hours, Zero would get out of class; he always got out ahead of the others in order to have time for his guardian duties, so he could pretend to protect the dia Students from the Night Students… ironic and despicable, considering he himself was exactly what he was supposed to be protecting them from. But they didn't know it, of course.
His brother, the vampire… such a darkly fitting fate. For awhile, that'd been enough of a revenge on the brother who outshone him in everything, whom he hated. But then Zero had killed Shizuka, the only person Ichiru ever recognized as loving him, treasuring him, treating him like he was the special one… and so now it wasn't nearly enough. No. His twin needed to suffer and suffer greatly. Ichiru had been given a chance to make that happen and he was going to make the most of it. He was forbidden from killing the other boy outright, but then, he wouldn't have wanted to anyway. He'd always wanted Zero to live. The dead could not suffer any longer, like Ichiru continued to suffer with everything he should have had, and everything he'd lost. No, simple death was far too easy.
Ichiru could not afford to wait for his brother to get out of class, however. That would be cutting things too close. This was much better accomplished while the Night Class students were still safely in their dormitory. Not to worry, he'd sent a note to Zero via a fellow student over break a few minutos ago. It was an urgent, almost pleading summons indicating that there was trouble and entreating his brother to meet him behind the dorms as soon as he could get away.
Ichiru was sure Zero would come. The sap had a protective streak a mile wide, always had. Even with their history… he wouldn't turn away from his little brother when it sounded like he was in danger. A dark, unreadable look flittered through Ichiru's eyes for half a moment. Zero… his eyes quickly hardened again. Yes, he would come. The fool.
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Zero rounded the back of the boy's dorm quickly. It was the shortcut he always used on his way to meet and usher the Night Class along, although he would not need to do that for another few hours yet. He had no idea what to make of the note he'd gotten from Ichiru, and mais than suspected that his twin was up to something, but even if that was true, he couldn't ignore the requested meeting. Even if it was just to make sure Ichiru wasn't stirring up trouble, which he probably was.
Zero's jaw was set. He didn't need this right now. He was still angry and hurting in ways he couldn't begin to put into words. Really, it hardly mattered that he'd just cut class and not returned after break. His mind had been absent all dia anyway. He'd been able to think about nothing but the conversation between Yuki and Kaname that morning. Why had she insisted he be there? Of course he'd gone at her asking, he'd support her in any way he could, but he wished he hadn't heard. It'd been so, incredibly hard. It had been cruel of Yuki to have him there, although he knew she hadn't intended it. She was simply… oblivious… of his feelings for her. Kaname wasn't though, and Zero wanted to rip the head off. Fine. So Yuki chose him. Like there'd ever really been a doubt who she'd chose. She'd been bloody in amor with the vampire since before Zero met her. The pureblood didn't have to rub it in.
Kiriyu… from now on, I will also cherish and protect Yuki… but this time, as her lover.
Zero could have shot him. On the spot. Damn, he almost had. Because Yuki going down that road meant only one thing for her future, and it made him fuming furious. But it was worse than that, because Zero couldn't even feel that Yuki had really been given a choice. Despite what he'd said earlier, despite what he maybe even thought, Kuran had blackmailed her into the agreement pure and simple as far as Zero was concerned, holding Yuki's past ransom in return.
Maybe… Maybe Zero really would kill him. Yuki would be sad and he'd no doubt be executed por the Vampire council… but maybe it was worth it, if it kept Yuki safe. A small, niggling part of Zero's mind whispered dissent, however, questioning how seguro Yuki would be if he were gone and Kuran was no longer around, watching over her from a distance. He'd begun to realize ever since Yuki began looking into her past that there might be mais going on than just Kaname hiding the fact that he was probably the one who had erased Yuki's memories and removing Kuran did not necessarily mean she was going to be safe.
Ichiru came into view and Zero's scowl deepened at the sight of his twin. The boy was a mais tidily attired mirror image of him, sans tattoo and vampire fangs of course. Seeing his brother brought a sick, slightly anguished knot to his stomach. He'd never understand where they had gone wrong, how the little brother he'd loved and protected could have betrayed their whole family so hideously. No, a confrontation with him was definitely not what Zero needed right now. "What's so important it couldn't wait until tonight?" Zero snapped brusquely, in no mood for small talk.
Ichiru tried to look hurt and affronted, but it wasn't like he was actually surprised. There was no love-loss between the two of them. Still, he played his part, putting on an edgy, frightened air.
"Look, I hate you, you hate me, I know how we stand, okay?" he said quickly, glancing around nervously. "But this isn't about that. There's something going on… the school's in danger."
Zero looked decidedly skeptical, so Ichiru continued hastily. "I may hate you, but I agree with what's going on here at this school. Humans and vampiros can live together; Shizuka and I are proof of that," it was a convincing, if disgusting argument, and Zero's lips pressed together tightly at the mention of that woman.
"I saw something, and now they're trying to kill me! I saw…" but Ichiru, conveniently, did not have time to finish. Because at that moment a huge, dark shape dropped from above and landed on Ichiru, pinning him down with inhuman speed.
Zero swung into action swiftly, instinctively protecting his brother, even now. He charged the shadowy figure, pulling his gun. His instincts had already told him that the intruder was a vampire. Not one of the Night Class, a stranger. Another dark-clad vampire dropped down behind him and Zero just barely ducked in time to avoid a rápido, swift blow to the head. The two intruders were dressed all in black and heavily hooded so that their faces were indiscernible. Zero spun around with unusual speed, leveling a sharp kick to the side that sent his would-be attacker stumbling backward, bringing his gun up in warning at the same time. But Zero was distracted por a desperate, strangled cry from his brother that made him spin around yet again.
Ichiru was being strangled, or so it appeared, and Zero quickly lunged for him again, having to ignore the other hooded vampire now behind him. A sharp blow between his shoulders knocked him forward, but he rolled, springing back up like a top. He was proving far mais resilient than his assailants had expected. He reached Ichiru and shoved the gun up into the side of the hooded vampire strangling his brother, about to pull the trigger. But Ichiru caught his hand, as if clawing at him in panic, and the same moment the vampire behind Zero nailed him with a hard, rápido, swift blow across the back of the head that made the world fade and spin. He dropped to the ground, stunned and almost senseless. Almost. He was conscious enough to see the vampire suddenly release his brother, all of them stopping, looking at him. Groggily, he felt the strong hands of the two vampiros pinning him down to the ground as Ichiru knelt over him, pulling a long, gleaming faca from his belt.
Zero only had time to look up at his brother in amargo, amarga betrayal, wondering how he'd managed to fall victim to his twin's deadly malice a segundo time in his life, before the face so closely mirroring his own twisted in a cruel smile and Ichiru plunged the faca down into Zero's chest. The pain was intense and jerked the ex-human partially back to consciousness again, but he was held down too tightly to struggle and the faca plunged início a segundo time, and a third, puncturing his lungs and brutally wounding him, although avoiding his heart. Full-blown agony ripped through his body.
Zero started to scream at the white-hot pain, but a hand clamped ruthlessly over his mouth, jerking his head back and exposing his pale throat. An instant later, he felt the terrifying chill of the bloody blade at his neck, and then a slick horrible pain as his brother slashed his throat from ear to ear. Not cutting too deep, not enough to kill him right away, but enough to keep him from making any sound, and to make him bleed terribly. That seemed to be the goal, because Zero's pinned wrists were slashed next, spilling mais of his blood onto the swiftly darkening grama beneath him. But Zero was already fading, rapid blood loss making him woozy. Another rápido, swift blow to his head finished the job and the three conspirators rose. The two vampire assassins disappeared almost immediately, their task done, but Ichiru lingered a moment, watching his brother lying still on the grass, bleeding his life out. A human could not have survived this. A full vampire might have. Zero was not such. Without intervention, he would die.
A faint flicker of something darted through Ichiru's eyes before he grimaced darkly, then turned and hurried off. He already knew Yuki would be passing this way very shortly, on a trumped up summons supposedly from the headmaster. He could hear her approaching even now. It was good. His brother didn't have long to live. The girl had better mover fast if she was to play her unintentional part in this little drama.
Yuki rounded the corner at a run barely a moment after Ichiru disappeared, although she didn't see him. This was the fastest way back to the headmaster's office, and she had better hurry if she intended to see him without missing too much of her class. She was tired of being ragged about bringing down the no geral, global scores…
For half a moment, the scene before her didn't register.Then it did and she faltered to a stop, almost falling as she very nearly tripped over a body on the ground. The body was surrounded por blood, a vast field of crimson seeping out across the grass, staining her shoes, filling the air with its sick, cloying scent. Yuki felt a shot of sheer terror slice through her at the vast field of crimson, her face paling white. As white as snow. So much blood…
Then, the true horror set in as she got over the first shock enough to see whose body it was she'd almost tripped over. Who it was laying there on the grama looking like he'd been butchered.
"Zero!" The first time it was a whisper, then it turned into a shriek as she repeated it, dropping down beside him, clapping her hands to his slashed wrists, which were seeping blood the fastest of his wounds. She couldn't even bring herself to look at his neck. Oh dear heaven… could anyone be hurt this badly and survive?
Yuki fumbled for the utility faca she knew Zero kept his pocket, popping the blade open quickly and cutting herself a little in her haste. She didn't notice. Using the faca she half cut half ripped the hem from Zero's shirt, using it to bind the cuts to his wrists and trying to place pressure against his seeping chest wounds, her eyes filling with tears and nearly obscuring her vision as she quickly became covered in his blood.
She retained her head enough to know that the most important thing right now was trying to stem the blood loss, and she dare not leave him, but her screams for help quickly brought others running and the Chairman was fetched immediately.
His face ashen, Chairman cruz quickly scooped the boy who was like a son to him up in his arms, despite the heavy weight the tall boy proved to be, and carried him início at a run, telling Yuki to get the on-campus doctor, swiftly.
-----------------
Yuki knelt in the dark corner behind the girl's dorm, sobbing. The scent and sound of her sorrow told Kaname exactly where she was. He could practically feel the grief and turmoil radiating off her and his pace quickened to a run. Night students shouldn't be outside the Moon Dorm yet at this hour, but that rule had never quite applied to Kaname, although he usually kept it as a good example to the others. But the smell of Yuki's blood had sent him vaulting the garden fence and hurrying towards the fonte of it. He cheirado, cheirava, smelt Kiriyu's blood too. A lot of it, and the combination was making his coração race in fear.
He was ready for a fight when he finally reached Yuki, but even before he caught sight of her hunched form, perfectly visible to him in the shadows, he already knew that she was alone. He could smell no one else nearby. He relaxed just slightly and his steps slowed to a mais reasonable pace, although he remained alert and concerned as he knelt gently beside Yuki. She was covered in blood and his coração skipped a beat in his chest.
Reaching out he wrapped his arms around her as he had since she was a little girl, wishing he could take away anything that caused the beautiful face to do anything but smile. Yuki was momentarily surprised por Kaname's appearance, but she seemed to accept it swiftly. Kaname always seemed to be around when she needed him. She threaded her slim hands into his shirt, stained fingers crushing the white jaqueta as she clung to him, chest heaving, tears streaming down her face. She wasn't just crying, she was sobbing as if her coração had been torn from her chest and she was never going to smile again. Kaname's coração pinched in deeply sympathetic sorrow.
"Shh… shh…" he soothed, holding her head to his chest, never mind she was soiling his uniform with her tears and her blood stained hands. He rubbed her back comfortingly, tipping his cheek to the topo, início of her head. "Such a face, Yuki… and tears… what is it? What's wrong to hurt you so?" he inquired tenderly. Although she was splashed with blood, it was not hers. He could tell now that the scent of her blood was coming from her hand. Her palm had been gashed por something sharp. As he held her, Kaname tenderly but quickly bound the wound up with his handkerchief. The smell was distracting to him, and it would tend to draw the attention of his fellows. Yuki's blood was uniquely appealing to vampires. He couldn't tell though, if she'd hurt herself, or someone else had hurt her. He could smell Kiriyu's blood on her – it was his blood that coated her so disturbingly.
Then Kaname saw fresh bite marks on Yuki's neck and his blood seethed in his chest like a coiling serpent. Zero should be mais than seguro from madness for a long time after the gift he'd given him. mais than that, Zero knew that Yuki was with him now… it was nothing short of malicious to for Kiriyu to remind Kaname that he could still have a part of Yuki that the pureblood couldn't. That wasn't what made Kaname angry right at the moment, however. It was the fear that Zero had done something foolish in his anger over the way things stood that made a red haze descend upon his mind. If that damn little ex-human had hurt Yuki… he would rip him to shreds with his bare hands. And Kaname could, too.
He knew better than to accuse Zero to Yuki. That boy could kill her and she'd still defend him from the grave, he was certain. So Kaname simply held her, waiting for her to calm down enough to speak.
"It's Z-Zero…" she finally sobbed out, words coming in a rush fast enough that she didn't give Kaname time to form any further mistaken impressions. "They said… said he's dying…" Yuki was swallowing her sobs, almost choking on them as she tried to calm down enough to relate her story.
"He was a-attacked. I don't know who. I found him behind the boy's dorm. There was so much blood…" her eyes were wide. To Kaname, they reflected the huge eyes of a little girl, sitting in the snow, drenched in blood. He held her tighter, worry clamping his chest at his seguinte question.
"Yuki… was he bitten? Was it a vampire who did this to him?" he asked gently. Kiriyu was a hard nut to crack, always had been. Should have been even harder with the powers he'd inherited from Kaname. It would have taken a hell of a lot to bring him down as badly as had apparently happened.
Yuki shook her head against Kaname's chest. "No. His throat was slashed… but not bitten," she whispered. The answer relieved and yet confused Kaname. His thoughts immediately sprang to Zero's twin Ichiru, whose hatred for his brother was no secret, and who, although not a vampire, had been drinking the blood of a pureblood for the past four years. It was a possibility, but now was not the time for assigning blame. Some things, at least, were coming clear to Kaname now.
His fingers closed tenderly over the raw puncture marks on Yuki's neck. "You tried to save him," he murmured, his coração clenching.
Yuki nodded, gulping. "I-I thought… if he could have blood, he could heal. vampiros are supposed to be able to heal, even from really bad injuries, right?" she asked pleadingly, looking up at Kaname with her huge brown eyes swimming. "But it wasn't enough… He was too weak to drink much, and he – he's so stubborn! He said he'll hurt me…" anger flared briefly before the anguish returned.
"He's right, Yuki," Kaname murmured gently. "To heal from such wounds as you've described… he would need to kill you, and it still would not be enough to save him. Ex-humans do not have the same level of regenerative powers as those born vampires," he whispered softly, sadly.
This brought on a fresh bout of sobbing. "I don't care! I don't care… anything to save him… anything… I'd die to save him. Father and the doctor say he's dying and they can't do anything. Father sent me away." Kaname knew Yuki was upset to voluntarily be calling Chairman Cross, her adopted father, por his paternal título to another member of the school.
Yuki looked up at the vampire with huge, red-rimmed, tear-filled eyes. "Please, Kaname… save him," she whispered, looking up to him with complete, absolute trust and innocent adoration. Like the little girl who brought her broken toys to him, because Kaname was clever with his hands and creative in his solutions, he always found a way to fix things up for her. Now she was looking to him for this… and Kaname didn't know if this was something he was going to be able to fix for her this time.
She must have read the uncertainty in his gaze because Yuki clung to him, her hands twisting in the front of his now rumpled jaqueta as she looked up at him, absolute desperation and pleading in her face. "Please, Kaname… you're a pureblood, you're special, everyone says so… you can do something for him, I know you can…" she begged, having no idea what she expected Kaname to do, but desperate for somebody to do something. She couldn't imagine losing Zero. She felt like she would be losing half of her heart. Like she would forever be empty. And that showed in her eyes.
"I'll do anything…" she continued, nearly hysterical and not thinking rationally, or about what she was saying. "I'll do anything you want me to Kaname, I already said I'd be yours, I don't know what else I can give. But you can have my blood, I'll stay with you forever, you can have anything you want, just please… don't let him die…"
Kaname stared at Yuki, feeling as if she'd just stabbed a stake through his heart. What had she just said? I already said I'd be yours… oh God. Oh dear God… was Zero right earlier? Had she only agreed because she felt forced, coerced into accepting him? How could he have been so very, very blind? To have her offer herself and her blood to him this way, like it was a sacrifice, like she expected him to need a – a payment or a bribe… and that she offered it for Zero to save his life… There was no bottom to the abyss of pain that opened under the pureblood's heart. Yuki…
"I would never take advantage of you that way, Yuki. You never have to bargain with me to help you…" he murmured softly, trying and failing to hide his heartbreak. How had their relationship changed so much? Had he misread her feelings for him so badly?
The absolute hurt registering in Kaname's deep eyes suddenly made Yuki realize too late how her words had sounded. She hadn't meant it that way, truly, she hadn't. She cared a lot for Kaname. She always had and she'd accepted his offer of her own free will. She was shy and frightened of what that meant, and yes, she wondered what she was getting herself into, but it was still what she wanted. Right now, however, she was desperate and over-reacting. Zero would have understood that about her, would have smacked her with a travesseiro for talking that way. He always seemed to know exactly what to do and say to make her calm down and feel better. But then, Zero had spent every dia por her side for over four years. He knew her like few others did. Kaname was there only sometimes.
"Kaname, I…" she tried to explain, to retract the way that had come across to him, but he didn't give her a chance to do so. Kaname's graceful fingers pressed gently to her lips.
"Shh, it's all right, Yuki. Calm yourself." He smiled gently at her, burying his own pain. He thought he saw how things were. As deeply as it ripped him to the core of his heart, he would still do absolutely anything for her. Give anything it took to wipe the tears from her beautiful face. His thumbs slid under her eyes, brushing the salty moisture from her skin.
"I can't promise I can save him, Yuki… I don't know what kind of power you think I have. But this I do promise you: if it is at all within my ability, I will not let Kiriyu die," Kaname swore softly, rising to his feet and pulling Yuki up with him. If all he could do for her was save him, then… so be it. "So don't cry anymore. It will be all right," he promised. Her hands held lightly in his, he bent his head and kissed her eyelids tenderly, tasting the salt of her tears. He hadn't meant to, but his mouth slid down, lips caressing hers lightly, briefly in an almost-kiss.
He straightened up before the mover could really register, before the blush had a chance to form on her tear-flushed cheeks. He squeezed her hands and then released her, heading towards the Chairman's rooms. "Get inside and clean up, Yuki," he added quietly as he left. "You know it's not wise to be alone outside, sporting so much blood with vampiros about."
Yuki stared after Kaname, feeling she ought to say something, but not having a clue in the world what. She trusted him though, trusted him with her life, and with Zero's. She believed with all her coração that Kaname could save her brother. She had to believe it. If anything happened to any of them - Zero, Kaname or the Chairman… her world would fall apart. She needed all of them too much.
Numbly, she stumbled into the dorm to clean up. Tears were still streaming down her cheeks, but she dared hope now. Kaname had never let her down her whole life. She hoped and prayed this time would be no different.
I'm up all the time now.
Head up
Shoulders back
Legs slightly apart
Back straight.
I walk into the exam room,
Knowing inside my heart
That the ones who fear
Are the ones who do not succeed.
I sit down.
Confident,
I start my song
Of utmost elegance.
I use all my power
And strength.
I use all the dynamics in the world,
I use everything everyone's brought me.
I use all the good that everyone
Has given me
In my life.
Time goes slowly by.
I feel myself going along with the beat.
I am entranced in my own song.
It feels better than ever before.
I am done.
I walk over to the judges,
Shaking each hand.
I feel a sense of pride in my heart,
Knowing that I have done it now.
I truly have.
Head up
Shoulders back
Legs slightly apart
Back straight.
I walk into the exam room,
Knowing inside my heart
That the ones who fear
Are the ones who do not succeed.
I sit down.
Confident,
I start my song
Of utmost elegance.
I use all my power
And strength.
I use all the dynamics in the world,
I use everything everyone's brought me.
I use all the good that everyone
Has given me
In my life.
Time goes slowly by.
I feel myself going along with the beat.
I am entranced in my own song.
It feels better than ever before.
I am done.
I walk over to the judges,
Shaking each hand.
I feel a sense of pride in my heart,
Knowing that I have done it now.
I truly have.
I am disappointed,
At the way things are moving along.
Why is everyone so private about
Everything?
I am disappointed,
That I have not met my dream yet.
It seems a long way until I will
Catch my dream in the sky.
I am disappointed,
With many people.
Not just me.
But mostly me.
Why am I being so selfish?
Why are other people being so unkind?
Everything seems in ruin,
Including me.
I am sorry that this is the way it must be
Today,
But I know that tomorrow is a new day,
Waiting for all of us to do good deeds.
And do we shall.
At the way things are moving along.
Why is everyone so private about
Everything?
I am disappointed,
That I have not met my dream yet.
It seems a long way until I will
Catch my dream in the sky.
I am disappointed,
With many people.
Not just me.
But mostly me.
Why am I being so selfish?
Why are other people being so unkind?
Everything seems in ruin,
Including me.
I am sorry that this is the way it must be
Today,
But I know that tomorrow is a new day,
Waiting for all of us to do good deeds.
And do we shall.
Hi. My name is Jake Gartner, and right now, basically a huge mutant serpent is coming to andorinha me whole, tear me to pieces of flesh, so I have no time to talk right now. Oh, um...you want to follow me? Sure, just accept that everyday will be the best of the thrills. Right now, we are not getting any help from the immortal world, so just know that we have a horrible system of magic right now, and we have an extremely low supply of weapons, thus, the chance that you will get out of this mess is around eighty-six percent. (because of me, the master of war) Oh yeah, the serpent. Enough talk. (ROARS) Off to kill a mutant serpent!!! (stabs, deflects, cuts a gash in its head, dies) That's only our first one, trainee. Whatever your name is. seguinte time, I invite you to cadastrar-se with us on our battle. And it will be even mais life-consuming, if you know what that means.
My name is Matt Downley, and I am a futebol player. I just moved here to New York, and I was just going to try out for the Weston Middle futebol team, when believe it or not, the principal came rushing down the halls and said that I couldn't play because I am disabled. WHAT THE HECK!!! Okay, I was like, "So here's the deal. I can't play. I can't do anything. What the freak am I supposed to do at this stupid school!!!" But, of course, I didn't have the guts to say that out loud to the principal, so I just muttered and said, "Okay." Lately, I feel like people have been stalking me when I came back from school. Everyday when I go to bed, I feel like people are looming in the shadows above me. I didn't know now, but tonight would be a night of extreme danger.
What scandalous secrets can adults keep from their parents? I need ideas for a book I am currently writing. It is about how some secrets adults keep from us can actually save our lives. I hope to give you a sneak visualização of my book which is called The Deadly Truth. Can't wait for your opinions!
To know mais about my book please post your perguntas on my wall. I will try my best to reply as fast and as soon as I can. If I don't then just know I did read them.
You can believe the first chapter of my book will be posted either this week or seguinte Friday.
To know mais about my book please post your perguntas on my wall. I will try my best to reply as fast and as soon as I can. If I don't then just know I did read them.
You can believe the first chapter of my book will be posted either this week or seguinte Friday.
It probably took you a while to learn the 26 letters of the alphabet back when you started school. But actually, you should count yourself lucky. Some languages use alphabets with many mais letters than that. Russian, for example, has 33 letters, and the Khmer language of Cambodia has over 70. And in China and Japan, where they write with signs called 'characters', there are hundreds, even thousands of different shapes to remember. Japanese primary school children are expected to learn about a thousand characters before they can go on to high school!