Setting
Default Location for Vampire Knight: The Devil's Dance
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east |
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Cross Academy is a part of 
Vampire Knight: The Devil's Dance.
5 Characters Here
Asuka Fujiwara [189] "Truth is beautiful, without doubt; but so are lies."
Zenith Rosenkreuz [168]
Sora Tsukino [157] "The phenomena of your power and my choice are forever disconnected. This is the Null Hypothesis."
Haruka Yamazaki [122] "I can see it in your eyes..the pain you try to hide."
Anastasia Guillory [40] "The optimist sees the opportunity in every hardship; the pessimist sees the hardship in every opportunity."
Start Character Here »
Asuka smiled, her hands folded behind her back as she walked the grounds of the Academy. She didn't appear as sickly as she had yesterday, the subtle glow to her hair returning slightly as well as the paleness receding from her skin. She looked more alive than she previously did. Perhaps it was because of yesterday, or perhaps it was something a little different. Whatever the case may have been, there was an extra spring to her step as she patrolled the area. Lunch had just ended, so it was her job to make sure all of the students returned to their respective places. Once everyone was inside, it wasn't long before the next period came, and for some of the students, they had a free period.
She made sure that a majority of the students stayed where they needed to, away from the Night Class and on their part of the Academy. Once that was settled, she took to the grounds once more, humming a soft tune to herself. Snow cried out softly, landing on her shoulder as she rubbed his chest in small circles. He let out a sound, something of a mix of a purr and something of pleasure as she smiled. "You are doing well now Asuka," he stated, opening one blue eye to stare at her. She merely rolled her eyes at his implication, but a small smirk formed on her lips regardless.
"And you still look like crap. I wonder why that is," she jested to her familiar. Snow merely chuckled softly as he shook his head. "It...it feels a bit better though," she stated softly, causing Snow to open both of his eyes in time to see her lay her hand over her heart, a bright smile lingering on her lips. He shook his head once more, his eyes softening a bit. "Don't forget that feeling then, Asuka," he stated, flapping off of her shoulder as she frowned at her familiar. Always so criptic, she mused to herself. She entered a scene soon thereafter and almost laughed. Anastasia seemed to be introducing herself to Sora, who had a confused look upon his face.
"Is Sora-chan bothering you Ana?" Asuka stated, walking so that she stood next to Sora in the process. She glanced between the both of them, her smile widening a bit in the process. She did forget to inform Sora of the new student, and perhaps that was the reason why he was here, to tell her to go onto class, however; she had caught the last of the statement of her being on a free class period.
Sora looked over at Asuka, allowing a slightly affronted expression to cross his face for a moment. It was something that really only showed up around her, this expressive part of himself. He didnāt even mind this human student seeing itāshe didnāt seem to be like most of the rest of them, inclined to turn tail and run whenever he showed up, or to squeal after the rest of the Night Class like they had nothing better to do. āI was not,ā he protested blandly.
Ana, on the other hand, pushed herself up with her hands so that she was sitting, smiling brightly at the both of them. She could feel how Asukaās sadness from yesterday had abated somewhat, and she hadnāt missed the brightening of her feelings when she came within sight of this person, the vampire Sora. She was still having a bit of difficulty getting a read on him, but what she did detect pointed to much the same, and the conclusion was obvious. Raising her hands in front of her face, she formed the index finger and thumb of each hand into a square, framing them both with it and beaming.
āYou two are just adorable,ā she said simply, the smile seeming to split her face. And why should it not? Seeing other people happy was itself a reason for happiness, as far as she was concerned. Whatever else might be true of them, she got the sense that they made each other happy, and thought of one another often. There was something, so deep down in their personalities that she didnāt quite have a name for it, that suited one another, bound them together with a common thread of strength. āAnd heās right. Sora wasnāt a bother at all.ā She shrugged lightly, dusting a few stray bits of grass from her shoulders.
Asuka gave Sora a bland look before smiling. "Of course not. You don't bother people," she replied with a shrug of her shoulders. Her attention was captured once again by Anastasia, who spoke, causing Asuka to blink somewhat. Adorable? She glanced towards Sora, tilting her head to the side a bit. She pursed her lips together, chewing her lip a bit as she studied Sora. She wouldn't exactly call him adorable, but she wasn't going to say what she thought he was out loud either. Instead, she settled with a smile and laced her arm through his, pulling herself a bit closer to him and grinned at Anastasia.
"You should see him when he smiles," she stated, grinning a bit mischievously at the black-haired pure-blood. "And that's good. Sora doesn't usually bother people. Usually all he does is this," she stated, mustering the best replica of Sora's stare she could and gave it to Anastasia. "That usually has most students running back to their class or dormitory," she replied with a shrug of her shoulders.
Was that supposed to be a replication of his usual expression? If so, she was doing a rather poor job of it, and he blinked down at her, a gesture rather reminiscent of Snow more than anything. He was not at all bothered by the fact that her arm was linked with his, though he might resist the characterization of his person as āadorable.ā The adjective fit Asuka very well, though, even if it was a bit too mild.
Anastasia, on the other hand, laughed at the other girlās stare. āActually, I think Iāve seen that one. I was laying on the ground minding my own business, and then there it was, that face.ā It was actually much moreā¦ something than the silly one Asuka was making, but it wasnāt hard to tell what the female prefect was getting at. āI bet it does. Unfortunately for tall dark and grumpy, however, I am not so easily intimidated.ā She made a determined face herself, but she couldnāt hold it for long before the smile cracked through, as sunlight through a canopy of trees.
Standing, though, she brushed her uniform off and folded her hands behind her back, rocking back on her heels. āUnfortunately, my free periodās almost over. I hope Iāll see you guys around, though? Maybe youād like to have lunch with me tomorrow? If you can spare the time, that is.ā She wasnāt sure if their prefect duties would allow it. Sora shrugged, glancing down at Asuka. If it was fine with her, it would be fine with him. Actually eating lunch was an acceptable way to watch the other students doing the same, though he did not technically need to eat. He wouldnāt mind hereāwhile Ana had perhaps a little too much energy, he was kind of used to dealing with that. Sachiko was quite bright herself. Perhaps his cousin and his ward would want to come, also.
Asuka snorted at Anastasia's response. She returned Anastasia's gestured smile and blinked somewhat. "Now I think that defines Sora more than adorable would," she stated, chuckling a bit in the process. "Though he isn't as grumpy as he used to be. You should have seen him in the beginning of the year," she stated, shaking her head at the memory. Being the only prefect back then, and their casual encounters had always left her a bit...what was the word? Angry? They butt heads more than rams did during mating season, but even then she had enjoyed their little tussles.
"We always have time to spare. Our jobs have been a little easier than normal recently. I don't know about you, Sora, but I think I can manage a lunch period with you. It would be..." she began, pausing slightly at that. Haruka briefly crossed her mind and she lowered her gaze for a brief second before smiling again. "It would be a good way to finally meet you Ana. I hope we can be friends," she stated the last part a little softer than normal.
Sora nodded his assent. He knew just how hard it was for Asuka to say something like she wanted to be friends with someone. Given all that sheād lost, it wasnāt easy to open back up again, to anyone. He knew that very well indeed. That she wanted to try was a good sign, andā¦ perhaps it would be all right if he tried alongside her. After all, the first time heād let himself make a friend, it had gone much better than he ever could have expected. āIāll be there,ā he replied at last, and Anastasia smiled at the both of them.
āI hope so, too,ā she replied sincerely, inclining her head politely to the both of them. āUntil tomorrow, then.ā And with that, she headed for her next class, still smiling all the while.
She made sure that a majority of the students stayed where they needed to, away from the Night Class and on their part of the Academy. Once that was settled, she took to the grounds once more, humming a soft tune to herself. Snow cried out softly, landing on her shoulder as she rubbed his chest in small circles. He let out a sound, something of a mix of a purr and something of pleasure as she smiled. "You are doing well now Asuka," he stated, opening one blue eye to stare at her. She merely rolled her eyes at his implication, but a small smirk formed on her lips regardless.
"And you still look like crap. I wonder why that is," she jested to her familiar. Snow merely chuckled softly as he shook his head. "It...it feels a bit better though," she stated softly, causing Snow to open both of his eyes in time to see her lay her hand over her heart, a bright smile lingering on her lips. He shook his head once more, his eyes softening a bit. "Don't forget that feeling then, Asuka," he stated, flapping off of her shoulder as she frowned at her familiar. Always so criptic, she mused to herself. She entered a scene soon thereafter and almost laughed. Anastasia seemed to be introducing herself to Sora, who had a confused look upon his face.
"Is Sora-chan bothering you Ana?" Asuka stated, walking so that she stood next to Sora in the process. She glanced between the both of them, her smile widening a bit in the process. She did forget to inform Sora of the new student, and perhaps that was the reason why he was here, to tell her to go onto class, however; she had caught the last of the statement of her being on a free class period.
Sora looked over at Asuka, allowing a slightly affronted expression to cross his face for a moment. It was something that really only showed up around her, this expressive part of himself. He didnāt even mind this human student seeing itāshe didnāt seem to be like most of the rest of them, inclined to turn tail and run whenever he showed up, or to squeal after the rest of the Night Class like they had nothing better to do. āI was not,ā he protested blandly.
Ana, on the other hand, pushed herself up with her hands so that she was sitting, smiling brightly at the both of them. She could feel how Asukaās sadness from yesterday had abated somewhat, and she hadnāt missed the brightening of her feelings when she came within sight of this person, the vampire Sora. She was still having a bit of difficulty getting a read on him, but what she did detect pointed to much the same, and the conclusion was obvious. Raising her hands in front of her face, she formed the index finger and thumb of each hand into a square, framing them both with it and beaming.
āYou two are just adorable,ā she said simply, the smile seeming to split her face. And why should it not? Seeing other people happy was itself a reason for happiness, as far as she was concerned. Whatever else might be true of them, she got the sense that they made each other happy, and thought of one another often. There was something, so deep down in their personalities that she didnāt quite have a name for it, that suited one another, bound them together with a common thread of strength. āAnd heās right. Sora wasnāt a bother at all.ā She shrugged lightly, dusting a few stray bits of grass from her shoulders.
Asuka gave Sora a bland look before smiling. "Of course not. You don't bother people," she replied with a shrug of her shoulders. Her attention was captured once again by Anastasia, who spoke, causing Asuka to blink somewhat. Adorable? She glanced towards Sora, tilting her head to the side a bit. She pursed her lips together, chewing her lip a bit as she studied Sora. She wouldn't exactly call him adorable, but she wasn't going to say what she thought he was out loud either. Instead, she settled with a smile and laced her arm through his, pulling herself a bit closer to him and grinned at Anastasia.
"You should see him when he smiles," she stated, grinning a bit mischievously at the black-haired pure-blood. "And that's good. Sora doesn't usually bother people. Usually all he does is this," she stated, mustering the best replica of Sora's stare she could and gave it to Anastasia. "That usually has most students running back to their class or dormitory," she replied with a shrug of her shoulders.
Was that supposed to be a replication of his usual expression? If so, she was doing a rather poor job of it, and he blinked down at her, a gesture rather reminiscent of Snow more than anything. He was not at all bothered by the fact that her arm was linked with his, though he might resist the characterization of his person as āadorable.ā The adjective fit Asuka very well, though, even if it was a bit too mild.
Anastasia, on the other hand, laughed at the other girlās stare. āActually, I think Iāve seen that one. I was laying on the ground minding my own business, and then there it was, that face.ā It was actually much moreā¦ something than the silly one Asuka was making, but it wasnāt hard to tell what the female prefect was getting at. āI bet it does. Unfortunately for tall dark and grumpy, however, I am not so easily intimidated.ā She made a determined face herself, but she couldnāt hold it for long before the smile cracked through, as sunlight through a canopy of trees.
Standing, though, she brushed her uniform off and folded her hands behind her back, rocking back on her heels. āUnfortunately, my free periodās almost over. I hope Iāll see you guys around, though? Maybe youād like to have lunch with me tomorrow? If you can spare the time, that is.ā She wasnāt sure if their prefect duties would allow it. Sora shrugged, glancing down at Asuka. If it was fine with her, it would be fine with him. Actually eating lunch was an acceptable way to watch the other students doing the same, though he did not technically need to eat. He wouldnāt mind hereāwhile Ana had perhaps a little too much energy, he was kind of used to dealing with that. Sachiko was quite bright herself. Perhaps his cousin and his ward would want to come, also.
Asuka snorted at Anastasia's response. She returned Anastasia's gestured smile and blinked somewhat. "Now I think that defines Sora more than adorable would," she stated, chuckling a bit in the process. "Though he isn't as grumpy as he used to be. You should have seen him in the beginning of the year," she stated, shaking her head at the memory. Being the only prefect back then, and their casual encounters had always left her a bit...what was the word? Angry? They butt heads more than rams did during mating season, but even then she had enjoyed their little tussles.
"We always have time to spare. Our jobs have been a little easier than normal recently. I don't know about you, Sora, but I think I can manage a lunch period with you. It would be..." she began, pausing slightly at that. Haruka briefly crossed her mind and she lowered her gaze for a brief second before smiling again. "It would be a good way to finally meet you Ana. I hope we can be friends," she stated the last part a little softer than normal.
Sora nodded his assent. He knew just how hard it was for Asuka to say something like she wanted to be friends with someone. Given all that sheād lost, it wasnāt easy to open back up again, to anyone. He knew that very well indeed. That she wanted to try was a good sign, andā¦ perhaps it would be all right if he tried alongside her. After all, the first time heād let himself make a friend, it had gone much better than he ever could have expected. āIāll be there,ā he replied at last, and Anastasia smiled at the both of them.
āI hope so, too,ā she replied sincerely, inclining her head politely to the both of them. āUntil tomorrow, then.ā And with that, she headed for her next class, still smiling all the while.
|āNo matter what happens. No matter what occurs. This is mine and mine alone."|
It had been far too long since the last time. This is the thought which a certain guest has upon arriving within the grounds of Cross Academy. "They rebuilt it again, huh... Well, as expected." The way those words were stated had a hint of sarcasm and eccentric annoyance. Well, it could be expected as this person took the effort of destroying it in the past. Of course, another took that role completely. Like that, this guest walked in which some of the remaining prowling students took noticed. It was hard not to do so, after all. This person wore an elaborate outfit very reminiscent of Japanese Gothic Lolita fashion, consisting of a black and red dress. The dress contains many layered ruffles on the skirt and sleeves. Over the shoulders, there is a matching, also multiple layered, ruffled shawl, with a similar piece being worn on the waist over the bottom portion of the dress. The guest also wears long white stockings underneath and red Mary Jane's. The outfit is completed with multiple ribbons for accessories, with one being tied over the hair, and a miniature top hat on the left side of the head.
Other than that, what caught the attention of the students was the long and straight silver white hair of the guest which was without doubt a little girl who was around 11 years old. The only other individual inside the academy with such hair color was the iconic King of the Night Class, Zenith Rosenkreuz. As such, the students could not help but wonder if there was a relation between the two. Furthermore, the girl was also quite cute which strengthens the possible connection. Unknown to them, she indeed have a bond with the illustrious idol of the academy. She even studied here as Alice Rosenkreuz. "London bridge is falling down... falling down..." She began to sing lightly as her gait gained an extra spring to it. That was because, she could see it... What was about to happen... It was very exhilarating in every sense.
Despite having a little girl walking about, no one was brave enough to approach or to ask her purpose of being here. It was all due to the certain aura she exuded as if no one has the right to come near her. This was of course, intentional in every sense. Even with her singing a popular nursery rhyme. However, the way she sang it. As if, there was something ominous and prophetic about the rhyme itself. Her eyes of crimson red much like blood reflected an image of a certain individual. She had finally reached the Main Building itself as she tilted her head and was face to face with a certain orange-haired girl. "London bridge is falling down... my fair lady..." She ended her song with an upbeat tone. This girl was also seen in her sight. Everyone is, no one was exempted. "Hello! Big sister!" She started while placing her hands behind her back and gave a small smile. "Do you know where is Zenith?"
Luke released a rather large yawn. The class was really boring and lunch was not good as well. It was because of the company mainly. His ward was not in the best mood. It was probably from the letter the kid had received from the person named Alice. He really had not met that individual personally, however, he knew much from the reactions of Zenith alone. This Alice was important in a rather foreboding sense. Nevertheless, he gazed at his ward who was much like a diligent student. There was nothing different about the Pure-blood King on the surface. As if, there was nothing wrong with him. Well, it was not the case at all. He had known the Rosenkreuz kid for some time to know something was stirring underneath. "Kid, can I copy your notes, later?" He initiated.
Golden eyes gazed at Luke with its usual empty notion. "No." The answer was short and crisp without any delay. Their fellow classmates were watching the interaction between the two with interest. Actually, this had become somewhat a daily routine in which Luke serves as a comic relief. "Why not?!" Luke complained while looking at Zenith with questioning eyes. Of course, the teacher noticed this and released a small sigh. The white pure-blood ignored Luke and focused his attention to the front once more. This made Luke pout in a very childish manner. From this action, many of the people watching were smiling and even blushing. There was no denying it. Luke was handsome in all standards. "Come on, don't ignore me! Please!" The said pure-blood was now standing in front of Zenith's desk making what most people know as the puppy dog eyes.
Zenith closed his notes and stood from his seat. However, his eyes were not on Luke but on the window beside him. A familiar essence, a familiar scent, it was something he had sensed. He looked at the teacher. "I would ask myself to be excused." The teacher gave his permission and soon the silver pure-blood was out of sight. Luke felt very dejected and ignored at that. This earned a few laughs from his classmates. However, he recovered quickly as he knew that something was up. The kid would never leave unless it was something important. So, he released a sigh and soon was following his ward while leaving another of him inside the room. He came here to ensure the King's safety. It was something he will do even if the past was going to come after him.
Alice looked at the female in front of her. Strictly speaking, she finds the presence of this one very irritating. It was more annoying than that of a certain prefect. Her eyes of ruby did not change its expression. She still has a very cheerful smile. However, one could easily see that there was something else brewing behind it. "You know where he is right? You are the self-proclaimed friend, Anastasia Guillory." She stated with a sweet yet with a subtle hint of malicious inquiry. This woman should simply stay away from Zenith. No one can come close to him. He is hers alone. Around the corner, Zenith was about to approach the location where the two women would be and not far from behind was Luke.
Other than that, what caught the attention of the students was the long and straight silver white hair of the guest which was without doubt a little girl who was around 11 years old. The only other individual inside the academy with such hair color was the iconic King of the Night Class, Zenith Rosenkreuz. As such, the students could not help but wonder if there was a relation between the two. Furthermore, the girl was also quite cute which strengthens the possible connection. Unknown to them, she indeed have a bond with the illustrious idol of the academy. She even studied here as Alice Rosenkreuz. "London bridge is falling down... falling down..." She began to sing lightly as her gait gained an extra spring to it. That was because, she could see it... What was about to happen... It was very exhilarating in every sense.
Despite having a little girl walking about, no one was brave enough to approach or to ask her purpose of being here. It was all due to the certain aura she exuded as if no one has the right to come near her. This was of course, intentional in every sense. Even with her singing a popular nursery rhyme. However, the way she sang it. As if, there was something ominous and prophetic about the rhyme itself. Her eyes of crimson red much like blood reflected an image of a certain individual. She had finally reached the Main Building itself as she tilted her head and was face to face with a certain orange-haired girl. "London bridge is falling down... my fair lady..." She ended her song with an upbeat tone. This girl was also seen in her sight. Everyone is, no one was exempted. "Hello! Big sister!" She started while placing her hands behind her back and gave a small smile. "Do you know where is Zenith?"
Luke released a rather large yawn. The class was really boring and lunch was not good as well. It was because of the company mainly. His ward was not in the best mood. It was probably from the letter the kid had received from the person named Alice. He really had not met that individual personally, however, he knew much from the reactions of Zenith alone. This Alice was important in a rather foreboding sense. Nevertheless, he gazed at his ward who was much like a diligent student. There was nothing different about the Pure-blood King on the surface. As if, there was nothing wrong with him. Well, it was not the case at all. He had known the Rosenkreuz kid for some time to know something was stirring underneath. "Kid, can I copy your notes, later?" He initiated.
Golden eyes gazed at Luke with its usual empty notion. "No." The answer was short and crisp without any delay. Their fellow classmates were watching the interaction between the two with interest. Actually, this had become somewhat a daily routine in which Luke serves as a comic relief. "Why not?!" Luke complained while looking at Zenith with questioning eyes. Of course, the teacher noticed this and released a small sigh. The white pure-blood ignored Luke and focused his attention to the front once more. This made Luke pout in a very childish manner. From this action, many of the people watching were smiling and even blushing. There was no denying it. Luke was handsome in all standards. "Come on, don't ignore me! Please!" The said pure-blood was now standing in front of Zenith's desk making what most people know as the puppy dog eyes.
Zenith closed his notes and stood from his seat. However, his eyes were not on Luke but on the window beside him. A familiar essence, a familiar scent, it was something he had sensed. He looked at the teacher. "I would ask myself to be excused." The teacher gave his permission and soon the silver pure-blood was out of sight. Luke felt very dejected and ignored at that. This earned a few laughs from his classmates. However, he recovered quickly as he knew that something was up. The kid would never leave unless it was something important. So, he released a sigh and soon was following his ward while leaving another of him inside the room. He came here to ensure the King's safety. It was something he will do even if the past was going to come after him.
Alice looked at the female in front of her. Strictly speaking, she finds the presence of this one very irritating. It was more annoying than that of a certain prefect. Her eyes of ruby did not change its expression. She still has a very cheerful smile. However, one could easily see that there was something else brewing behind it. "You know where he is right? You are the self-proclaimed friend, Anastasia Guillory." She stated with a sweet yet with a subtle hint of malicious inquiry. This woman should simply stay away from Zenith. No one can come close to him. He is hers alone. Around the corner, Zenith was about to approach the location where the two women would be and not far from behind was Luke.
āIs it normal, to feel so uneasy like this?ā
Lunch with Sora and Asuka was actually a very pleasant affair. The former had brought along his cousin, Sachiko, who was to Anastasia a very interesting person. Sachiko was capable of glimpsing the future, and through her own talent for mind reading, Ana was able to pick up on some of what the girl knew. Honestly, sheād rather not know what was coming, because she wanted to be able to believe in the mysterious and beautiful qualities of life, but all the sameā¦ she would admit to a certain level of curiosity about such a talent. Though she was initially reluctant, Sachiko was won over by Anaās own willingness to talk about her powers, and found it very surprising when the flame-haired female confessed to being able to gain access to Soraās mind, but only if she concentrated intently.
The best hypothesis for why this worked when he was able to cancel vampiric talent was comparatively simple: Anastasiaās powers were not vampiric in nature, but stemmed from a different source entirely. It was an interesting thought, and somewhere in the discussion the two shared on the theory of such matters, Ana was also able to meet Kaede, a talented but very solemn human girl who was apparently Soraās ward. Theyād assembled a very strange little family, those four, but she could not help but think it delightful. Sheād left them a little early to go take a walk maybe, as she had quite a lot of new information to digest. This was a whole new world of experience for her, and she was incredibly happy that she was being exposed to it. The people she was meeting were absolutely fascinating, down to the very last one. All in different ways, of course, butā¦
Her attention was captured by a little girlāor, more accurately, someone who looked like a little girl. Appearance was no true mark of age around here, after all. She was singing the last part of an English nursery rhyme, though honestly, something about her seemed more suited for Alouette than anything. There was this feelingā¦ she was prevented from fully forming the thought when the girl addressed her, and Ana, short as she was, still had to look down at her to reply properly. She smiled, but it was not the same expression sheād shown Zen, nor Sora and Asuka and the others. It was polite, deferential even, but it did not reach her eyes.
āI do,ā she replied, as it was relatively simple to locate someone via their mind when she knew who she was looking for. Btu she was prevented from elaborating when the girl kept speaking, and something at the very pit of her stomach knotted uncomfortably. There was a sense of foreboding about this girl, and she could tell on some kind of visceral, instinctive level, that she was not liked. Wellā¦ that happened sometimes, and she would do her best to change it, but. It was quite unusual that her name should be so known.
This must, indeed, be Alice, thoughā¦ the girl was different from what sheād expected, and yet somehow also the same. It was difficult to explain, and she wouldnāt have been able to put it into proper words if sheād been asked. Stillā¦ āI am,ā she affirmed with a nod, the expression gentling slightly. Foreboding or not, she wasnāt going to be anything other than nice. It wasnāt in her nature. āAnd you must be Miss Alice. Pleased to meet you. Heās actually headed this way right now,ā she said, tilting her head in the direction of the corner Zenith and Luke were about to turn and clasping her hands behind her back.
The best hypothesis for why this worked when he was able to cancel vampiric talent was comparatively simple: Anastasiaās powers were not vampiric in nature, but stemmed from a different source entirely. It was an interesting thought, and somewhere in the discussion the two shared on the theory of such matters, Ana was also able to meet Kaede, a talented but very solemn human girl who was apparently Soraās ward. Theyād assembled a very strange little family, those four, but she could not help but think it delightful. Sheād left them a little early to go take a walk maybe, as she had quite a lot of new information to digest. This was a whole new world of experience for her, and she was incredibly happy that she was being exposed to it. The people she was meeting were absolutely fascinating, down to the very last one. All in different ways, of course, butā¦
Her attention was captured by a little girlāor, more accurately, someone who looked like a little girl. Appearance was no true mark of age around here, after all. She was singing the last part of an English nursery rhyme, though honestly, something about her seemed more suited for Alouette than anything. There was this feelingā¦ she was prevented from fully forming the thought when the girl addressed her, and Ana, short as she was, still had to look down at her to reply properly. She smiled, but it was not the same expression sheād shown Zen, nor Sora and Asuka and the others. It was polite, deferential even, but it did not reach her eyes.
āI do,ā she replied, as it was relatively simple to locate someone via their mind when she knew who she was looking for. Btu she was prevented from elaborating when the girl kept speaking, and something at the very pit of her stomach knotted uncomfortably. There was a sense of foreboding about this girl, and she could tell on some kind of visceral, instinctive level, that she was not liked. Wellā¦ that happened sometimes, and she would do her best to change it, but. It was quite unusual that her name should be so known.
This must, indeed, be Alice, thoughā¦ the girl was different from what sheād expected, and yet somehow also the same. It was difficult to explain, and she wouldnāt have been able to put it into proper words if sheād been asked. Stillā¦ āI am,ā she affirmed with a nod, the expression gentling slightly. Foreboding or not, she wasnāt going to be anything other than nice. It wasnāt in her nature. āAnd you must be Miss Alice. Pleased to meet you. Heās actually headed this way right now,ā she said, tilting her head in the direction of the corner Zenith and Luke were about to turn and clasping her hands behind her back.
"Am I still dreaming? Sometimes it feels as if I am."
Lunch with Anastasia had been a bit nice. Sachiko had come along for the ride as well as Kaede, and everything seemed to flow, naturally. Asuka had found herself smiling more-so that day than she had the entire year and a half ago, even longer than that, in their presence. She had sat next to Sachiko, leaving Sora to his own accord and listened to the conversations with a sort of awe as the two spoke to each other. Asuka was fine with not being included into their conversation; she was somewhat fascinated by what Anastasia could do. She was almost a bit disappointed when the lunch period ended and they had to go their separate ways, she back to her prefect duties, and the others back to class or wherever it was they were to head towards.
She walked through the halls of the Academy, letting her mind calm and her hands roll across the walls. The building still felt different to her, and she wasn't entirely sure why, but it must have something to do with the fact that Haruka was gone. Though she still mourned the loss of her friend, Asuka was trying to move on. Some may think it harsh of her to do so, so quickly, however; she wasn't being harsh, at least not in her mind. Being accustomed to death was not something Asuka liked, but with every thing that has happened in the last year and some months, things were not always what they seemed. She had to move on if only for the sake of her still living friends. She had not paid much attention to where she was going, and Asuka found herself standing in front of the music room. She blinked owlishly at the door before pushing it open and stepping inside.
"It has been a while," she stated, allowing her hands to roam over the various instruments before landing on the one so familiar to her. Part of her regretted breaking her own violin, but she didn't want to play it any longer. It was something she didn't think about when she committed the deed, but now she was. She sighed softly through her nose before pulling one of the violin's off of the stands and began tuning it. Once the strings had been tightened and tuned, she took the violin with her, leaving the music room and headed towards her favorite spot to practice: the roof. It has been a while since she was last up here to practice anything, and she was feeling in the mood to do something other than patrol. Once she reached the roof, she was greeted by her familiar.
"I thought you gave it up?" he stated, amusement laced in his tone as Asuka pulled her face into a scowl. "If I remember correctly, you were the one who stated that you were no longer going to play," he continued as he flapped his wings, releasing a few feathers in the process. "I am glad you did not though. Some of us were beginning to miss your music," he stated, mischief shining through his eyes. Asuka simply rolled her eyes, placing the violin underneath her chin before drawing the bow across the strings, eliciting a soft sound before glancing back at snow.
"It was a mistake, one I do not plan on making again. Thanks Snow, for not giving up on me," Asuka stated as she smiled at Snow. He merely chuckled at her as she took a deep breath, gazing out over the building in the process. Releasing the held breath, she began sliding the bow over the strings again, eliciting a sound that was carried by the wind. She allowed, as she had before, the music to take over her, letting it flow naturally on its own.
She walked through the halls of the Academy, letting her mind calm and her hands roll across the walls. The building still felt different to her, and she wasn't entirely sure why, but it must have something to do with the fact that Haruka was gone. Though she still mourned the loss of her friend, Asuka was trying to move on. Some may think it harsh of her to do so, so quickly, however; she wasn't being harsh, at least not in her mind. Being accustomed to death was not something Asuka liked, but with every thing that has happened in the last year and some months, things were not always what they seemed. She had to move on if only for the sake of her still living friends. She had not paid much attention to where she was going, and Asuka found herself standing in front of the music room. She blinked owlishly at the door before pushing it open and stepping inside.
"It has been a while," she stated, allowing her hands to roam over the various instruments before landing on the one so familiar to her. Part of her regretted breaking her own violin, but she didn't want to play it any longer. It was something she didn't think about when she committed the deed, but now she was. She sighed softly through her nose before pulling one of the violin's off of the stands and began tuning it. Once the strings had been tightened and tuned, she took the violin with her, leaving the music room and headed towards her favorite spot to practice: the roof. It has been a while since she was last up here to practice anything, and she was feeling in the mood to do something other than patrol. Once she reached the roof, she was greeted by her familiar.
"I thought you gave it up?" he stated, amusement laced in his tone as Asuka pulled her face into a scowl. "If I remember correctly, you were the one who stated that you were no longer going to play," he continued as he flapped his wings, releasing a few feathers in the process. "I am glad you did not though. Some of us were beginning to miss your music," he stated, mischief shining through his eyes. Asuka simply rolled her eyes, placing the violin underneath her chin before drawing the bow across the strings, eliciting a soft sound before glancing back at snow.
"It was a mistake, one I do not plan on making again. Thanks Snow, for not giving up on me," Asuka stated as she smiled at Snow. He merely chuckled at her as she took a deep breath, gazing out over the building in the process. Releasing the held breath, she began sliding the bow over the strings again, eliciting a sound that was carried by the wind. She allowed, as she had before, the music to take over her, letting it flow naturally on its own.
Alice tilted her head to the side, an action which would be done when one is curious or wondering about something. However when she does it, her gesture seemed to be more of calculating and observing every little movements of this human known to her as Anastasia Guillory. "Are you really that confident you can remain friends with Zenith?" There was a hint of sarcasm in that cheery tone of hers. Furthermore, there was also an underlying threat covered by the way she childishly delivered her question. However, she seemed uncaring of the answer that the human girl would have and was more interested to the direction in which Zenith would be coming from. After all, she knew that the Pure-blood King will never be able to stay away from her for so long. That is simply how it is and how it was meant to be.
Like clockwork, emotionless golden eyes gazed at Alice who ever so slightly lifted its gaze to the maiden with sunset-colored hair. This person was known to him as Ms. Guillory. Why was she here? His eyes did not stay on the human girl and was quickly returned to the little girl whom he could not help but see as the shadow of someone very dear to him even now. Following behind him, the ever jovial Luke who raised an eyebrow at the people he could see at the corridor. It was bound to get very interesting. "Hello! Good morning to y'all!" The usual energetic and brilliant greeting did not change. Of course, Alice could care less about him and immediately run towards Zenith. "Zenith! I missed you!" As if no one was there but her and the Silver Pure-blood.
Without much of a hesitation or thought, Zenith caught Alice who jumped to his arms. This was something he had grown accustomed to. It only then that he was assaulted with the scent that he had been enchanted by the dream of a past. "Did you miss me too?" Expecting ruby red eyes looked at him. It was impossible for him not to answer or to ignore this girl which he had done to many others. Adjusting his hold on Alice, he freed his other arm and then proceeded to tuck a stray hair of hers behind her ear. "Yes." It was a one-word answer and there was not even the treble of emotion behind it. Yet, it was enough for Alice to smile so brightly and embraced him more tightly as her delicate arms encircled his neck. "I'll give you a special treat as a reward!" She stated happily and for anyone to hear, it was much like treating Zenith like a faithful dog. Oddly enough, he did not mind at all.
On the other hand, Luke stood by the side while watching the scene before him unfold. There was no denying it. This Alice person has similarities with Amalthea. It was not only due to specific physical features but, the sweet scent of roses. Furthermore, he was now starting to see why Zenith was under the thumb of this Alice who appears in the form of a little girl. It cannot be helped as his ward was still a prisoner to his past and memories. In any case, he really has no objections with what kind of relationships the kid would like to have. The only problem which he sees in this was the fact, this Alice was someone who was made specifically for Zenith, and that alone was suspicious enough. The words that the Headmaster left him with during their last meeting echoed inside his thoughts. Was this connected somehow?
"Well, so this is the infamous Alice. Why don't you introduce me, kid?" Luke interrupted the exchange between the two with his signature smile. It was effective enough as Zenith looked at him as if in a daze. As for Alice, she clearly was not pleased as a pout was present on her lips. "This is Alice." Well, that was much as an introduction anyone could asked from him. Luke sighed at this while Alice continued for the emotionless pure-blood. "Alice Rosenkreuz, I'm his sister. Don't you know that Luke?" Those crimson eyes of hers held a certain gleam of warning and also something foreboding as if Alice knew something more than all of them combined. Well, it was not impossible to do so. As for the jovial pure-blood, he raised an eyebrow at this. Silence reigned among them which was soon destroyed by a chuckling Luke. This little girl was obviously more than what it seems. How interesting and very dangerous.
"So sorry about that, little lady. I have a forgetful memory." Luke managed to say as he had finally calmed down from his laughter and then scratched the back of his head while glancing at Zenith who did not express any kind of retort or contradiction to what Alice stated. So, he took this as a sign for him not to intervene in such matters and he will do so. He was only here for to ensure that Zenith would not be harmed. So, as long as his ward was fine, he would not do anything that could ripple through this silent pond. Alice smiled at this and then returned her attention to Zenith. "Can we go now?" Zenith gave a curt nod as he looked at Luke and then to Ms. Guillory.
Noticing this, Alice looked at Anastasia once more and then smiled with such a devilish intent. It was hardly normal for a little girl but when it comes to her, it fitted perfectly. "Your new friend is interesting. Do you think she'll stay?" The question made him look at Alice who met his gaze without flinching. He could tell that Alice wanted to know his answer right here and right now. She will not let him stay quiet. Moreover, the true meaning of her words were well-known to him. "No." He stated as he walked away with Alice in tow. The little girl smiled happily at this while waving at Luke and Anastasia. "Bye! Bye!"
Soon enough, the two were gone from sight as Luke sighed once more and even shook his head. He then looked at Anastasia. "Sorry about that." He apologized to her as it may had been a very awkward situation and especially how Alice was acting, it was very intentional in every way. "Those two are very close, you see." He noted and suddenly remembered something. Clapping his hands, he reached out his hand to her and smiled warmly. "I forgot to introduce myself. The name is Luke." When she took his offered hand, he leaned his face closed to hers as if looking for something. He stayed in that position for a few minutes before pulling away. "You're beautiful, that's why Alice is a bit hostile with you." He said with cheerful manner but then, his eyes of green was not smiling when he spoke his next set of words. "For your own good, you should stay away from the little girl and more importantly to the Kid."
Like clockwork, emotionless golden eyes gazed at Alice who ever so slightly lifted its gaze to the maiden with sunset-colored hair. This person was known to him as Ms. Guillory. Why was she here? His eyes did not stay on the human girl and was quickly returned to the little girl whom he could not help but see as the shadow of someone very dear to him even now. Following behind him, the ever jovial Luke who raised an eyebrow at the people he could see at the corridor. It was bound to get very interesting. "Hello! Good morning to y'all!" The usual energetic and brilliant greeting did not change. Of course, Alice could care less about him and immediately run towards Zenith. "Zenith! I missed you!" As if no one was there but her and the Silver Pure-blood.
Without much of a hesitation or thought, Zenith caught Alice who jumped to his arms. This was something he had grown accustomed to. It only then that he was assaulted with the scent that he had been enchanted by the dream of a past. "Did you miss me too?" Expecting ruby red eyes looked at him. It was impossible for him not to answer or to ignore this girl which he had done to many others. Adjusting his hold on Alice, he freed his other arm and then proceeded to tuck a stray hair of hers behind her ear. "Yes." It was a one-word answer and there was not even the treble of emotion behind it. Yet, it was enough for Alice to smile so brightly and embraced him more tightly as her delicate arms encircled his neck. "I'll give you a special treat as a reward!" She stated happily and for anyone to hear, it was much like treating Zenith like a faithful dog. Oddly enough, he did not mind at all.
On the other hand, Luke stood by the side while watching the scene before him unfold. There was no denying it. This Alice person has similarities with Amalthea. It was not only due to specific physical features but, the sweet scent of roses. Furthermore, he was now starting to see why Zenith was under the thumb of this Alice who appears in the form of a little girl. It cannot be helped as his ward was still a prisoner to his past and memories. In any case, he really has no objections with what kind of relationships the kid would like to have. The only problem which he sees in this was the fact, this Alice was someone who was made specifically for Zenith, and that alone was suspicious enough. The words that the Headmaster left him with during their last meeting echoed inside his thoughts. Was this connected somehow?
"Well, so this is the infamous Alice. Why don't you introduce me, kid?" Luke interrupted the exchange between the two with his signature smile. It was effective enough as Zenith looked at him as if in a daze. As for Alice, she clearly was not pleased as a pout was present on her lips. "This is Alice." Well, that was much as an introduction anyone could asked from him. Luke sighed at this while Alice continued for the emotionless pure-blood. "Alice Rosenkreuz, I'm his sister. Don't you know that Luke?" Those crimson eyes of hers held a certain gleam of warning and also something foreboding as if Alice knew something more than all of them combined. Well, it was not impossible to do so. As for the jovial pure-blood, he raised an eyebrow at this. Silence reigned among them which was soon destroyed by a chuckling Luke. This little girl was obviously more than what it seems. How interesting and very dangerous.
"So sorry about that, little lady. I have a forgetful memory." Luke managed to say as he had finally calmed down from his laughter and then scratched the back of his head while glancing at Zenith who did not express any kind of retort or contradiction to what Alice stated. So, he took this as a sign for him not to intervene in such matters and he will do so. He was only here for to ensure that Zenith would not be harmed. So, as long as his ward was fine, he would not do anything that could ripple through this silent pond. Alice smiled at this and then returned her attention to Zenith. "Can we go now?" Zenith gave a curt nod as he looked at Luke and then to Ms. Guillory.
Noticing this, Alice looked at Anastasia once more and then smiled with such a devilish intent. It was hardly normal for a little girl but when it comes to her, it fitted perfectly. "Your new friend is interesting. Do you think she'll stay?" The question made him look at Alice who met his gaze without flinching. He could tell that Alice wanted to know his answer right here and right now. She will not let him stay quiet. Moreover, the true meaning of her words were well-known to him. "No." He stated as he walked away with Alice in tow. The little girl smiled happily at this while waving at Luke and Anastasia. "Bye! Bye!"
Soon enough, the two were gone from sight as Luke sighed once more and even shook his head. He then looked at Anastasia. "Sorry about that." He apologized to her as it may had been a very awkward situation and especially how Alice was acting, it was very intentional in every way. "Those two are very close, you see." He noted and suddenly remembered something. Clapping his hands, he reached out his hand to her and smiled warmly. "I forgot to introduce myself. The name is Luke." When she took his offered hand, he leaned his face closed to hers as if looking for something. He stayed in that position for a few minutes before pulling away. "You're beautiful, that's why Alice is a bit hostile with you." He said with cheerful manner but then, his eyes of green was not smiling when he spoke his next set of words. "For your own good, you should stay away from the little girl and more importantly to the Kid."
āThe greatest tragedy of all is to live, and never to have reached for anything that seems beyond your grasp.ā
She knew the question, innocently-phrased as it was, did not call for an answer, and she did not give it one. Words were so seldom powerfulāwhat would saying it accomplish? Anastasia herself already knew it, and Alice would believe what she wanted to believe, regardless of what she said. This was something she knew without needing to observe for any time at all. It made her a little sad, actually, but she accepted it for what it was. The answers to questions like that should probably be writ only in deeds, anyway.
Zenith rounded the corner, and to say the scene that took place was strange was probably to do it a bit of a disservice. On the surface of it, she expected it might look commonplace enoughāa brother and sister, glad to be reunited, or something of the sort. Ana had never had any brothers nor sisters, so she perhaps could not say what it might have looked like to someone else, only what she saw in it. And that was never what ordinary people saw, even if she sometimes wished it was. She clasped her hands gently in front of her and smiled softly when she was acknowledged, if only briefly, but it was not long before the two were on their way.
She sighed softly and shook her head at Zenithās answer to Aliceās question. Apparently, he did not believe that she would continue to be his friend for very long. Well, that was perhaps to be expected. He had no reason to believe in her, and unlike her, he probably needed a reason before heād do something like that.
She was brought from her thoughts by Luke, who more formally introduced himself, though she had learned what his name was. With a mild expression, she raised a hand and waved it vaguely in front of her face, as though to stave off the apology. āOh, thatās not necessary to do. I had guessed as much already.ā Well, guessing had very little to do with it. It may have only been a very educated guess from Zenithās reaction to receiving Aliceās letter the day before, but it was much more than that now, from the reads she had on both of them. There was something a littleā¦ twisted about it, though, something that had begun to worry her when she caught something about Alice having been made for her friend. What could possibly be meant by that? She knew, of course, that vampires made a habit of exchanging blood with one another because of certain laws and a preference for the taste over humans or the artificial caplets they had, but was that what was being referred to? Made seemed like such an odd choice of wordā¦
Her smile returned to her face when she took Lukeās hand and shook it, though she once again thought that he reminded her of some odd shadowplay, or perhaps clockwork and hidden cogs, as though his workings, the true ones, were kept far from the surface. She knew his smile didnāt reach his eyes because she sometimes saw the same thing in the mirror, when she told herself that everything would be fine after all. Even if she was alone. Even if sheād never see him again. She could only suppose that heād lost someone precious. Like Zenith, like her. Like Sora, who almost never smiled, and like Asuka, who seemed the strongest of them all for the way she was still moving forward.
Wellā¦ Ana would do her very best to move forward, too. It was the only thing left to do, after all. She blinked at the extended proximity, but by now she was used to being something of an object of curiosity. So she only tilted her head to one side, huffing an amused breath at the comment. āYou flatter me, but if thatās the reason, then there should be many more people here she dislikes more than I,ā she said with a small shrug. āPerhaps even yourself?ā Her tone was a bit teasing, but it was true enough. Luke was clearly a beautiful personāone had only to look to see that. The school was full of vampires, for goodnessā sakes, and they were lovely without exception. She saw nothing untoward about pointing this out.
His last sentence, however, actually managed to wring a sigh from her. It wasnāt one of vexation, just a bit of weariness. Politely, she released his hand, wrapping both of hers around herself and rocking back on her heels. How to say it? āItās a funny thingā¦ my own good, I mean. Everyone seems to have some opinion about what it is, but meā¦ Iām not so sure. You see, I think having friends and keeping promises are both things I should do for my own good. And I think that being around people who are willing to let me be who I am is good for me. Being his friendā¦ that lets me do all these things that are good for me. I hope that, one day, it will do him some good, too. Even just a little. Donāt you think he deserves that?ā She smiled brightly, then shrugged again.
āI do.ā
Asuka was eventually joined on the rooftop, but perhaps not by the person sheād expected. Sora was still on prefect rounds, and Kaede was in class at present. Sachiko, however, had the time to spare, and, troubled by things she could only half-discern in her visions, sheād taken to wandering, only to be lured here by the sound of the violin music. She waited politely for the song to end, then stepped up beside Asuka.
āHello, Suka-chan,ā she greeted, trying the nickname on for size and finding she liked it. āSora said youād stopped playing. Iām glad to find he was wrong. Actually, I usually amāhe says such depressing things sometimes.ā She smiled, but it was a bit uneasy, and her dark grey eyes flickered with some unnamable anxiety.
āItās a bit funny, actually. He never talked much about school, but even before he knew who you were, heād always talk about the Violinist he listened to. I wonderā¦ I suppose I have to believe in Fate a little, because of the things I see, but do you?ā She folded her hands behind her back lacing her fingers together and inclining her head towards Snow with a smile.
Zenith rounded the corner, and to say the scene that took place was strange was probably to do it a bit of a disservice. On the surface of it, she expected it might look commonplace enoughāa brother and sister, glad to be reunited, or something of the sort. Ana had never had any brothers nor sisters, so she perhaps could not say what it might have looked like to someone else, only what she saw in it. And that was never what ordinary people saw, even if she sometimes wished it was. She clasped her hands gently in front of her and smiled softly when she was acknowledged, if only briefly, but it was not long before the two were on their way.
She sighed softly and shook her head at Zenithās answer to Aliceās question. Apparently, he did not believe that she would continue to be his friend for very long. Well, that was perhaps to be expected. He had no reason to believe in her, and unlike her, he probably needed a reason before heād do something like that.
She was brought from her thoughts by Luke, who more formally introduced himself, though she had learned what his name was. With a mild expression, she raised a hand and waved it vaguely in front of her face, as though to stave off the apology. āOh, thatās not necessary to do. I had guessed as much already.ā Well, guessing had very little to do with it. It may have only been a very educated guess from Zenithās reaction to receiving Aliceās letter the day before, but it was much more than that now, from the reads she had on both of them. There was something a littleā¦ twisted about it, though, something that had begun to worry her when she caught something about Alice having been made for her friend. What could possibly be meant by that? She knew, of course, that vampires made a habit of exchanging blood with one another because of certain laws and a preference for the taste over humans or the artificial caplets they had, but was that what was being referred to? Made seemed like such an odd choice of wordā¦
Her smile returned to her face when she took Lukeās hand and shook it, though she once again thought that he reminded her of some odd shadowplay, or perhaps clockwork and hidden cogs, as though his workings, the true ones, were kept far from the surface. She knew his smile didnāt reach his eyes because she sometimes saw the same thing in the mirror, when she told herself that everything would be fine after all. Even if she was alone. Even if sheād never see him again. She could only suppose that heād lost someone precious. Like Zenith, like her. Like Sora, who almost never smiled, and like Asuka, who seemed the strongest of them all for the way she was still moving forward.
Wellā¦ Ana would do her very best to move forward, too. It was the only thing left to do, after all. She blinked at the extended proximity, but by now she was used to being something of an object of curiosity. So she only tilted her head to one side, huffing an amused breath at the comment. āYou flatter me, but if thatās the reason, then there should be many more people here she dislikes more than I,ā she said with a small shrug. āPerhaps even yourself?ā Her tone was a bit teasing, but it was true enough. Luke was clearly a beautiful personāone had only to look to see that. The school was full of vampires, for goodnessā sakes, and they were lovely without exception. She saw nothing untoward about pointing this out.
His last sentence, however, actually managed to wring a sigh from her. It wasnāt one of vexation, just a bit of weariness. Politely, she released his hand, wrapping both of hers around herself and rocking back on her heels. How to say it? āItās a funny thingā¦ my own good, I mean. Everyone seems to have some opinion about what it is, but meā¦ Iām not so sure. You see, I think having friends and keeping promises are both things I should do for my own good. And I think that being around people who are willing to let me be who I am is good for me. Being his friendā¦ that lets me do all these things that are good for me. I hope that, one day, it will do him some good, too. Even just a little. Donāt you think he deserves that?ā She smiled brightly, then shrugged again.
āI do.ā
Asuka was eventually joined on the rooftop, but perhaps not by the person sheād expected. Sora was still on prefect rounds, and Kaede was in class at present. Sachiko, however, had the time to spare, and, troubled by things she could only half-discern in her visions, sheād taken to wandering, only to be lured here by the sound of the violin music. She waited politely for the song to end, then stepped up beside Asuka.
āHello, Suka-chan,ā she greeted, trying the nickname on for size and finding she liked it. āSora said youād stopped playing. Iām glad to find he was wrong. Actually, I usually amāhe says such depressing things sometimes.ā She smiled, but it was a bit uneasy, and her dark grey eyes flickered with some unnamable anxiety.
āItās a bit funny, actually. He never talked much about school, but even before he knew who you were, heād always talk about the Violinist he listened to. I wonderā¦ I suppose I have to believe in Fate a little, because of the things I see, but do you?ā She folded her hands behind her back lacing her fingers together and inclining her head towards Snow with a smile.
Asuka kept her eyes closed, letting her hands guide the bow string across the violin as she continued to play. Sachiko's scent filtered through her nose as she smiled against the violin. Once the song finished, she set it down to her side and took a deep breath. Opening one eye, she allowed the other to open as a smile fluttered across her face. She hadn't really spoken to Sachiko since that day in the forest, and even though now they were friends, it was nice to see her around still. She laughed nervously at her first statement and rubbed her neck sheepishly.
"Well, I kind of did stop playing for a bit. I...it was something that felt too personal and I wasn't sure if I could continue playing it," she admitted truthfully, glancing at the violin in her hand. She then blinked owlishly at Sachiko. "He talked about me? Huh, that's odd, I didn't peg Sora as the type to talk about anything really. Goes to show just how much I know about him," she replied with a nervous chuckle. Though in reality, she still didn't know much about him. He told her a few things, things that seemed more important than anything else, but that didn't mean she knew him. Well, she had a long time for that.
"Fate? Honestly, I've never believed in fate. I don't believe that things are just meant to happen, that they are created by the choices we decide for ourselves," she began, pausing momentarily before shaking her head. "But when you look at it that way, perhaps Fate is what makes us make those decisions in the first place. It's like, no matter what happens, things that were meant to happen, happen anyway," she admitted. She then walked over towards Sachiko and took a seat next to the dark haired girl. A soft smile fluttered across Asuka's lips as it reached her eyes a bit. She truly was feeling a lot better as the days passed by.
āChoices are definitely important,ā Sachiko agreed with a smile, ābut sometimes I wonder how much we really get to choose.ā She could feel a little of her anxiety beginning to slip away. The miracle of the company of friends, perhaps, though the dark shadows loomed even still. When Asuka expressed some doubt as to how well she knew her cousin, Sachiko tilted her head, birdlike, to one side, and sighed.
āHeās just not very good at talking about himself, Iām afraid. But you know, you havenāt misjudged himāhe didnāt talk about much. He did talk about you. Or, well, the violin player who happened to be you. But in that year and a half when we were goneā¦ he wasnāt in the best of places.ā Granted, a lot of that had to do with certain things he had learned about himselfādark things that he would probably have been better off not knowing. But at least part of it was a persistent agitation at being so far from the only person heād called friend in a very long time. Sachiko had done her best to get him through it, but in the end, Asuka had reached him in a way his relative had never been able to. Not even Kaede got as far under his shell as the dhampir had.
āIf thereās something in particular that you want to know, and you donāt feel comfortable asking him, Iād be willing to talk about it,ā she offered. It was true that Sora had his secrets, but by this point, Sachiko knew most of them, because sheād been there for the making of them. She had no compunctions about passing the information on, because she knew he wouldnāt, either. That much was obvious.
Asuka smiled and shook her head. None of them had been in a particularly good place during that year and a half, though she could only imagine what Sora had been through. She had her duty as a hunter to keep her busy, to keep her mind focused and away from her cousin, Hayate, and her uncle. Sora, she didn't even know where he had been, how he was doing, or if he had been okay. Judging by Sachiko's words, it appeared that though he was physically fine, his emotional state had been a little less than that. This caused her to frown somewhat before she wiped it off of her face.
"I appreciate the offer, Sachiko," she started, pausing only to place the violin in her lap before returned her attention towards Sachiko. "but if Sora has something he wants to tell me, I think he should be the one to do it. Some things are best left revealed at a leisurely pace. Knowing too much about someone too fast might not exactly be the best approach to things," she finished with a soft smile. While it was true that she would like to know more about Sora, what is revealed to her should be done by him, at his own pace, at his own time.
"But you are right, choices are important. And I'd like to believe we get to choose often, though perhaps it might not always come with the results we were expecting. Like when I told Sora I loved him," she stated a little too freely, and by the time she realized what she said, Asuka covered her mouth and allowed her face to turn a shade of red she thought wasn't particularly possible. "I mean...," she stuttered out, suddenly finding the hem of her skirt very interesting to play with.
Sachiko threw back her head and laughed, genuinely amused not only by the color of Asukaās face, but by the way sheād seemingly walked herself right into the admission with no help from her at all. It was actually rather adorable. āThat explains why he couldnāt stop smiling the other dayāhe wouldnāt tell me,ā she said with a residual chuckle. Of course, just because he hadnāt told her didnāt mean she hadnāt guessed. It was pretty obvious it had something to do with Asuka, because those were really the only things that made him truly happy, and for him to be smiling, even a little bit, was a sure sign that it had been something major. Frankly, she was glad that theyād finally figured it out.
ā¦or had they? āHe did tell you he loves you back, right? Because if he didnāt, Iāll kill him. He absolutely doesāheās just a bit slow about these things.ā She could only suppose that he had, because Asuka didnāt seem upset, but honestly, one never really knew with Sora. He could be remarkably dense for such a smart man, particularly when it came to emotional things. Theyād all been raised to be that wayāSachiko had just never internalized the training the way Sora had been able to. She was honestly glad that someone seemed able to help him move past it.
Asuka's face only deepened in color when Sachiko laughed, though she tried to cool her face down. It wasn't exactly working and she pouted her lip a bit. It's not like she meant to say that, it just blurted itself out of her mouth. Though in all honesty, Sachiko was bound to find out eventually. She was Sora's cousin, part of his family, and she was exceptionally sharp that way. Asuka blinked a bit owlishly, something akin to what Snow would have looked like if he were to have blinked at someone, and Asuka laughed a bit nervously. Well, he didn't exactly say it, but he did manage to say it all the same.
"Not exactly, but you know how Sora is. He said it in his own way, I suppose, if asking someone to let them love them is his way of saying I love you," she replied, air quoting the last three words in the process. She smiled, finally toning down the color of her face in the process. "Maybe one day he'll actually say those words, but for now, I won't hold it against him. Besides, he wouldn't be Sora-chan if he did," she added. She sighed softly and began to pluck absently at the strings of her violin. She then glanced towards Sachiko, her fingers still plucking at the strings.
"What about you Sachiko? What...I'd like to know more about you, if you don't mind me asking. I feel like I don't really know you, and yet it feels strange because it feels as if I do. I hope that makes sense," she stated, laughing nervously and trying to draw the subject away from Sora. She might have confessed, but the subject was still a bit embarrassing for her to touch on. Not to mention their exchange of heated kisses and the fire that had burned beneath her skin at his touch. Nope, she didn't need to be thinking about him right now, not like that, and besides, she wanted to know Sachiko. They were friends...right?
Sachiko shook her head at the absurdity of her cousin, but in the end, she figured Asuka was right. What he had said was about as close as heād ever come to saying such words, and it basically meant the same thing in the long run. Still, she could sense that the other girl was still a bit uncomfortable with the topic, and she certainly didnāt mind changing it. āWellā¦ my history and my cousinās history are pretty much the same. Weāre not that far apart in age, so we were raised together, I guess, inasmuch as any of the Tsukino are raised together. Itās more like a competition than anything, sometimes, but Sora looked out for me where he could. He was a bit nicer than the others, that way.ā
Thinking about it, it was actually kind of hard to think of anything from her childhood that wouldnāt come across as horrifically depressing. It had all seemed so normal at the time. āOur friends were probably the reason we didnāt end up quite asā¦ā she made a vague waving motion with her hand. āRuthless, as our other relatives. After the attack, we and Kaede left, though I stayed in communication with the family. Mostly, they used me to talk to him. Weāve been all over, especially in the last few years. Iām rather fond of Italy, and the color pink, and cream puffs, actually. I made Sora try one once. Not sure Iāve ever laughed harder in my life, so it was completely worth the fact that he didnāt talk to me for a week after that. Oh, andā¦ I like to draw. I think that, if this ever ends, Iād like to be an artist.ā
She shrugged. āHonestly, thereās not a whole lot more to me than that, except for the visions. How about you? Anything I should know?ā she smiled brightly, laying back and cushioning her head with her hands. This was surprisingly nice, now that she had the time to appreciate it. It wasnāt hard to tell why Sora loved her.
Asuka sat in silence, listening to Sachiko speak and nodded where she could. She made a face, an attempt to not laugh when Sachiko spoke of Sora not talking to her in a week because of a treat she made him try. Instead, she settled for shaking her head lightly. Her eyes softened a bit as the other Tsukino began describing the things that made her, her. Italy? She'd never truly been to Italy, and she had heard that there were some beautiful cities to visit. In reality though, if there was any place she truly wished to visit, it would have been New Zealand. She wasn't sure why, but something about the openess of it all seemed appealing to her.
"Well, as you are aware, I am not exactly a human, but nor am I a vampire. I don't know how to properly define what I am, however; I don't think it truly matters. What I am and who I am are two completely different entities, and it's taken me a long time to realize and accept that. I am just glad I was finally able to do that," she replied. Though in all honesty, it was true. It had taken her a long time to come to terms with the fact that she was something different, that she wasn't either human nor vampire, and for the longest time, it had scared her. It had scared her because she didn't know how she would have been accepted into either community, however; all that mattered now was what he thought of her.
And that's all that ever would. "And I think I have your cousin to thank for that, but I think I should actually return to my duties now. It's almost time for a new switch," she stated, standing in the process before dusting off her uniform. She made towards the door that lead back into the Academy, and paused momentarily to glance over her shoulder. "Thanks Sachiko," and with those parting words, she descended the staircase and began roaming the halls once more.
"Well, I kind of did stop playing for a bit. I...it was something that felt too personal and I wasn't sure if I could continue playing it," she admitted truthfully, glancing at the violin in her hand. She then blinked owlishly at Sachiko. "He talked about me? Huh, that's odd, I didn't peg Sora as the type to talk about anything really. Goes to show just how much I know about him," she replied with a nervous chuckle. Though in reality, she still didn't know much about him. He told her a few things, things that seemed more important than anything else, but that didn't mean she knew him. Well, she had a long time for that.
"Fate? Honestly, I've never believed in fate. I don't believe that things are just meant to happen, that they are created by the choices we decide for ourselves," she began, pausing momentarily before shaking her head. "But when you look at it that way, perhaps Fate is what makes us make those decisions in the first place. It's like, no matter what happens, things that were meant to happen, happen anyway," she admitted. She then walked over towards Sachiko and took a seat next to the dark haired girl. A soft smile fluttered across Asuka's lips as it reached her eyes a bit. She truly was feeling a lot better as the days passed by.
āChoices are definitely important,ā Sachiko agreed with a smile, ābut sometimes I wonder how much we really get to choose.ā She could feel a little of her anxiety beginning to slip away. The miracle of the company of friends, perhaps, though the dark shadows loomed even still. When Asuka expressed some doubt as to how well she knew her cousin, Sachiko tilted her head, birdlike, to one side, and sighed.
āHeās just not very good at talking about himself, Iām afraid. But you know, you havenāt misjudged himāhe didnāt talk about much. He did talk about you. Or, well, the violin player who happened to be you. But in that year and a half when we were goneā¦ he wasnāt in the best of places.ā Granted, a lot of that had to do with certain things he had learned about himselfādark things that he would probably have been better off not knowing. But at least part of it was a persistent agitation at being so far from the only person heād called friend in a very long time. Sachiko had done her best to get him through it, but in the end, Asuka had reached him in a way his relative had never been able to. Not even Kaede got as far under his shell as the dhampir had.
āIf thereās something in particular that you want to know, and you donāt feel comfortable asking him, Iād be willing to talk about it,ā she offered. It was true that Sora had his secrets, but by this point, Sachiko knew most of them, because sheād been there for the making of them. She had no compunctions about passing the information on, because she knew he wouldnāt, either. That much was obvious.
Asuka smiled and shook her head. None of them had been in a particularly good place during that year and a half, though she could only imagine what Sora had been through. She had her duty as a hunter to keep her busy, to keep her mind focused and away from her cousin, Hayate, and her uncle. Sora, she didn't even know where he had been, how he was doing, or if he had been okay. Judging by Sachiko's words, it appeared that though he was physically fine, his emotional state had been a little less than that. This caused her to frown somewhat before she wiped it off of her face.
"I appreciate the offer, Sachiko," she started, pausing only to place the violin in her lap before returned her attention towards Sachiko. "but if Sora has something he wants to tell me, I think he should be the one to do it. Some things are best left revealed at a leisurely pace. Knowing too much about someone too fast might not exactly be the best approach to things," she finished with a soft smile. While it was true that she would like to know more about Sora, what is revealed to her should be done by him, at his own pace, at his own time.
"But you are right, choices are important. And I'd like to believe we get to choose often, though perhaps it might not always come with the results we were expecting. Like when I told Sora I loved him," she stated a little too freely, and by the time she realized what she said, Asuka covered her mouth and allowed her face to turn a shade of red she thought wasn't particularly possible. "I mean...," she stuttered out, suddenly finding the hem of her skirt very interesting to play with.
Sachiko threw back her head and laughed, genuinely amused not only by the color of Asukaās face, but by the way sheād seemingly walked herself right into the admission with no help from her at all. It was actually rather adorable. āThat explains why he couldnāt stop smiling the other dayāhe wouldnāt tell me,ā she said with a residual chuckle. Of course, just because he hadnāt told her didnāt mean she hadnāt guessed. It was pretty obvious it had something to do with Asuka, because those were really the only things that made him truly happy, and for him to be smiling, even a little bit, was a sure sign that it had been something major. Frankly, she was glad that theyād finally figured it out.
ā¦or had they? āHe did tell you he loves you back, right? Because if he didnāt, Iāll kill him. He absolutely doesāheās just a bit slow about these things.ā She could only suppose that he had, because Asuka didnāt seem upset, but honestly, one never really knew with Sora. He could be remarkably dense for such a smart man, particularly when it came to emotional things. Theyād all been raised to be that wayāSachiko had just never internalized the training the way Sora had been able to. She was honestly glad that someone seemed able to help him move past it.
Asuka's face only deepened in color when Sachiko laughed, though she tried to cool her face down. It wasn't exactly working and she pouted her lip a bit. It's not like she meant to say that, it just blurted itself out of her mouth. Though in all honesty, Sachiko was bound to find out eventually. She was Sora's cousin, part of his family, and she was exceptionally sharp that way. Asuka blinked a bit owlishly, something akin to what Snow would have looked like if he were to have blinked at someone, and Asuka laughed a bit nervously. Well, he didn't exactly say it, but he did manage to say it all the same.
"Not exactly, but you know how Sora is. He said it in his own way, I suppose, if asking someone to let them love them is his way of saying I love you," she replied, air quoting the last three words in the process. She smiled, finally toning down the color of her face in the process. "Maybe one day he'll actually say those words, but for now, I won't hold it against him. Besides, he wouldn't be Sora-chan if he did," she added. She sighed softly and began to pluck absently at the strings of her violin. She then glanced towards Sachiko, her fingers still plucking at the strings.
"What about you Sachiko? What...I'd like to know more about you, if you don't mind me asking. I feel like I don't really know you, and yet it feels strange because it feels as if I do. I hope that makes sense," she stated, laughing nervously and trying to draw the subject away from Sora. She might have confessed, but the subject was still a bit embarrassing for her to touch on. Not to mention their exchange of heated kisses and the fire that had burned beneath her skin at his touch. Nope, she didn't need to be thinking about him right now, not like that, and besides, she wanted to know Sachiko. They were friends...right?
Sachiko shook her head at the absurdity of her cousin, but in the end, she figured Asuka was right. What he had said was about as close as heād ever come to saying such words, and it basically meant the same thing in the long run. Still, she could sense that the other girl was still a bit uncomfortable with the topic, and she certainly didnāt mind changing it. āWellā¦ my history and my cousinās history are pretty much the same. Weāre not that far apart in age, so we were raised together, I guess, inasmuch as any of the Tsukino are raised together. Itās more like a competition than anything, sometimes, but Sora looked out for me where he could. He was a bit nicer than the others, that way.ā
Thinking about it, it was actually kind of hard to think of anything from her childhood that wouldnāt come across as horrifically depressing. It had all seemed so normal at the time. āOur friends were probably the reason we didnāt end up quite asā¦ā she made a vague waving motion with her hand. āRuthless, as our other relatives. After the attack, we and Kaede left, though I stayed in communication with the family. Mostly, they used me to talk to him. Weāve been all over, especially in the last few years. Iām rather fond of Italy, and the color pink, and cream puffs, actually. I made Sora try one once. Not sure Iāve ever laughed harder in my life, so it was completely worth the fact that he didnāt talk to me for a week after that. Oh, andā¦ I like to draw. I think that, if this ever ends, Iād like to be an artist.ā
She shrugged. āHonestly, thereās not a whole lot more to me than that, except for the visions. How about you? Anything I should know?ā she smiled brightly, laying back and cushioning her head with her hands. This was surprisingly nice, now that she had the time to appreciate it. It wasnāt hard to tell why Sora loved her.
Asuka sat in silence, listening to Sachiko speak and nodded where she could. She made a face, an attempt to not laugh when Sachiko spoke of Sora not talking to her in a week because of a treat she made him try. Instead, she settled for shaking her head lightly. Her eyes softened a bit as the other Tsukino began describing the things that made her, her. Italy? She'd never truly been to Italy, and she had heard that there were some beautiful cities to visit. In reality though, if there was any place she truly wished to visit, it would have been New Zealand. She wasn't sure why, but something about the openess of it all seemed appealing to her.
"Well, as you are aware, I am not exactly a human, but nor am I a vampire. I don't know how to properly define what I am, however; I don't think it truly matters. What I am and who I am are two completely different entities, and it's taken me a long time to realize and accept that. I am just glad I was finally able to do that," she replied. Though in all honesty, it was true. It had taken her a long time to come to terms with the fact that she was something different, that she wasn't either human nor vampire, and for the longest time, it had scared her. It had scared her because she didn't know how she would have been accepted into either community, however; all that mattered now was what he thought of her.
And that's all that ever would. "And I think I have your cousin to thank for that, but I think I should actually return to my duties now. It's almost time for a new switch," she stated, standing in the process before dusting off her uniform. She made towards the door that lead back into the Academy, and paused momentarily to glance over her shoulder. "Thanks Sachiko," and with those parting words, she descended the staircase and began roaming the halls once more.
|āThe world is nothing more but a red marble on the palm of my hand."|
There was no denying. Alice knew well. Zenith was very starved due to her unexplained absence. Well, there was no need for her to explain. At the same time, he really did not ask for it in particular. For now, she wanted to focus on the sensation of her blood being taken from her neck with such fervor. It was exquisitely delightful in more ways than one. This was the undeniable proof that the Rosenkreuz pure-blood, the King of Vampires solely belongs to her. He will only taste her blood and no one else. Well, there was an incident about that particular person. It was something which she despised very much. Because even now, that taste still would not fade away within his system. However, there was nothing he could do, nor is he willing to do anything about it. Moreover, she will not allow it anyway. He only belongs to her.
"You have been good. You did not drink the blood of another." Alice noted while twirling a lock of Zenith's hair around her index finger. She was delighted that he was immovable in this aspect or rather very stubborn. Although, she did want to see this emotionless pure-blood be desperate even if it was just once. How his beautiful face would twist in agony and then pleading for a morsel of hope to save him. It would be definitely a wonderful sight. Yet, her thought soured when she remembered that person who held a lingering affection from him. To that person, he who should never show any form of feelings will subtly invoke a form of response. "After all, that person now belongs to another." Her words were able to elicit a form of reaction from the pure-blood. He briefly stopped from drinking her blood, yet, continued on as if it did not occur. Of course, this was not unnoticed.
"You only need me." It was stated with a clear bravado. There was no longer a chance for Zenith and that nuisance of a girl to be tied as one. This was not because she chose another or fell in love. It was due to the fact that he had chosen not to act or even more so, to ensure it will never be possible through the decisions he had done. As such, their possible destiny slowly erupted into the shadow of nothingness. After all, the future was nothing more a network of compromised choices. It was the same thing in regards to the other insect of a human girl. Good thing, that insect died Although, she knew well that he still cared about that disconnected affection and that deceased human girl. She despises it very much. Now, there was another annoying twit in her way. She was an irritating thing for what the future seemed to show. This mundane girl seemed to hold a degree of influence over him which she will never allow.
The future could be changed and altered. This had been proven and done many times. Alice had been instrumental in all of them and she will change it once more to what she desired. After all, it always does end in how she wanted it, always. "So, you don't have any need for that new friend of yours." Zenith finally stopped his intake of her blood. He then raised his head to look into those crimson red eyes filled with possessiveness directed at him. It did not bother him at the very least. This was something he was rather familiar with and to be expected in her. At the same time, he knew well who she was pertaining to. It was the human girl, Anastasia Guillory. The very odd human girl, he had met. He had already stated to that girl he was very dangerous. Yet, she was persistent and stated that it was her choice, her will. As such, he had no right to intervene in her own volition.
"She is not my friend." There was no hesitation, no doubt, no emotions of any kind could be traced. This was true in the perception that he does not see her as a friend. It was only Ms. Guillory who believed that. Alice smiled brightly at this. She knew that Zenith had done and wanted to distance himself from such matters. It was his belief that it would be for the best. However, that twit was persistent and was very annoying in every way. She then traced the corners of his face in a very gentle manner as she continued to look into his abyssal golden eyes. "So, do me a favor." She said with a malicious smile as she leaned forward, placing the curve of her neck in front of his lips. After all, she knew he was not done yet with his feeding. "Take her out of the picture."
Zenith did not show any sort of emotion from the words she had stated and what she wanted him to do. He was certain that he did like for Ms. Guillory to stay away. There was no need for anyone else to be involved in his personal affairs. Yet, he stopped his thoughts at that. Instead, he simply closed his eyes and bite into Alice's neck. He continued to drink her sinful blood. It was rather fitting for someone like him. Yes, this is why the only blood he will consume would be hers. She run her fingers through his silvery white hair while looking at the lone red marble floating in front of her. The small sphere was glittering. It was yet again showing her a myriad of scenes. "Do you want to see the world in my eyes?" She stated playfully as the enclosed room they were in was filled with the sweet scent of roses as if lulling everyone into a very dangerous dream.
|āIt seems you can be the one, I hope you really are."|
Entertaining and very interesting as well, this girl was a delightful creature. Well, vampires like him especially are meant to be beautiful and attractive. It was a trait which they were given to adapt to this world, after all, their prey were humans who liked all things shiny and pretty. However, this human girl was a threat to Alice probably because she was the only one who dared to reach out to his stoic ward. He finds this very ironic in every sense. āYou're a very interesting belle." He noted with a smile as those bright green eyes of his gazed at her. The little energetic familiar named O had told him about where this human girl had become friends with the Rosenkreuz King. Many people would view this as foolish, malicious, or any deregotary term people could think nowadays. But certainly, it would never be seen in a positive light. āThat's why Alice is hostile with you. Your beauty is far different from the others who tried to attach themselves to the Kid."
Luke gave a hearty chuckle upon hearing her answer. No wonder O was excited when the white familiar told him about the encounter. Perhaps, this girl would be the key to everything. Hopefully, she would be, but then again, disappointment was always part of life especially in the lives such as theirs. āHe does deserve it." Luke stated after he calmed himself from his laughter and released a rather sad sigh. His eyes looked away from her and instead gazed to the skies above. They were starting to darken and the scent of rain was slowly filling the air. It was obvious to him that soon the sky will cry. āBut that kid has a rather different mindset and priority and once he decides on something, it would be till the end." He took out a pocket watch and gently held it in his hand. Anyone could tell that it was a precious object to him. His eyes also soften to a great degree but there was melancholy behind those green orbs of his.
āAt times, it's a good thing. But most of the time..." Luke looked at her and shrugged his shoulders. āIt's bad." He then looked back at his pocket watch and then opened it as a melody began to play. It held a certain affection, mystery, and sadness in it. But nevertheless, it was rather entrancing as if lulling everyone into a beautiful dream. āYou'll be a good influence to him, really." He then looked back at her with his usual smile which seemed to allude that nothing could ever get him down. However, it was not true at all. No one was truly unaffected in this cruelly beautiful world. āThough, I fear for your safety." The pocket watch stopped playing as he closed it and released a hopeful sigh. āThat kid gave up everything he could ever want and so, everyone gave up on him." After saying that, he kept the pocket watch and stretched his arms upwards in which the rain began to slowly drizzle around them. āSo, I really wish you wouldn't give up on him." He then looked at her with a really brilliant yet meaningful smile. āRight now, what he really needs is a friend, you."
|āEverything is according to your will... Ah, sorry... Your will is inconsequential."|
Within the Headmaster's Office, Hughes was sitting on the couch while looking at the various documents which he held with a lazy eye. It was all about the usual school affairs and whatnot. However, a particular document caught his interest. It was the application of a new student. He would need to call Dahlia that she would need to be more keen on babysitting. At the very least one of the children was well-behaved. In any case, he found the turn of events interesting. Even more so with the timely appearance of Anastasia Guillory. After all, he had lost one of his prospects. It was actually the only thing which made him sad losing one of his so-called precious student. Furthermore, it was also probably the reason in which Alice pushed through coming here at the Academy.
His thoughts was only disturbed when his personal phone rang. Hughes waited for a few rings before answering it. "Yes." There was no need for any introduction on his end. On the other line, there was a distinguishable female voice. There was a lot of things being said. "I will handle it." That was his decisive answer and there was no need for any more words to be said. Another issue was reported to him as he simply sighed at this. It seemed there was yet again another failure. He would have to inform Dahlia to handle things for a while. This Academy will be keeping him busy for a while. "Dispose and then get a new batch. Do also inform Dahlia about Alice escaping and tell her to handle my workload for the meantime." There was a brief response and afterwards, he ended the call. There was nothing else to be said.
That was when his eyes glanced over a piece of document which Hughes had set aside earlier. He picked it up and looked at the data on the sheet of paper with scrutiny. This was actually the thing he had stated which he will handle personally. Things would certainly be entertaining and lively around here. "Shall we get things started." His lips slowly formed into a very calculating smile as thoughts of horrid things filled his mind.
"You have been good. You did not drink the blood of another." Alice noted while twirling a lock of Zenith's hair around her index finger. She was delighted that he was immovable in this aspect or rather very stubborn. Although, she did want to see this emotionless pure-blood be desperate even if it was just once. How his beautiful face would twist in agony and then pleading for a morsel of hope to save him. It would be definitely a wonderful sight. Yet, her thought soured when she remembered that person who held a lingering affection from him. To that person, he who should never show any form of feelings will subtly invoke a form of response. "After all, that person now belongs to another." Her words were able to elicit a form of reaction from the pure-blood. He briefly stopped from drinking her blood, yet, continued on as if it did not occur. Of course, this was not unnoticed.
"You only need me." It was stated with a clear bravado. There was no longer a chance for Zenith and that nuisance of a girl to be tied as one. This was not because she chose another or fell in love. It was due to the fact that he had chosen not to act or even more so, to ensure it will never be possible through the decisions he had done. As such, their possible destiny slowly erupted into the shadow of nothingness. After all, the future was nothing more a network of compromised choices. It was the same thing in regards to the other insect of a human girl. Good thing, that insect died Although, she knew well that he still cared about that disconnected affection and that deceased human girl. She despises it very much. Now, there was another annoying twit in her way. She was an irritating thing for what the future seemed to show. This mundane girl seemed to hold a degree of influence over him which she will never allow.
The future could be changed and altered. This had been proven and done many times. Alice had been instrumental in all of them and she will change it once more to what she desired. After all, it always does end in how she wanted it, always. "So, you don't have any need for that new friend of yours." Zenith finally stopped his intake of her blood. He then raised his head to look into those crimson red eyes filled with possessiveness directed at him. It did not bother him at the very least. This was something he was rather familiar with and to be expected in her. At the same time, he knew well who she was pertaining to. It was the human girl, Anastasia Guillory. The very odd human girl, he had met. He had already stated to that girl he was very dangerous. Yet, she was persistent and stated that it was her choice, her will. As such, he had no right to intervene in her own volition.
"She is not my friend." There was no hesitation, no doubt, no emotions of any kind could be traced. This was true in the perception that he does not see her as a friend. It was only Ms. Guillory who believed that. Alice smiled brightly at this. She knew that Zenith had done and wanted to distance himself from such matters. It was his belief that it would be for the best. However, that twit was persistent and was very annoying in every way. She then traced the corners of his face in a very gentle manner as she continued to look into his abyssal golden eyes. "So, do me a favor." She said with a malicious smile as she leaned forward, placing the curve of her neck in front of his lips. After all, she knew he was not done yet with his feeding. "Take her out of the picture."
Zenith did not show any sort of emotion from the words she had stated and what she wanted him to do. He was certain that he did like for Ms. Guillory to stay away. There was no need for anyone else to be involved in his personal affairs. Yet, he stopped his thoughts at that. Instead, he simply closed his eyes and bite into Alice's neck. He continued to drink her sinful blood. It was rather fitting for someone like him. Yes, this is why the only blood he will consume would be hers. She run her fingers through his silvery white hair while looking at the lone red marble floating in front of her. The small sphere was glittering. It was yet again showing her a myriad of scenes. "Do you want to see the world in my eyes?" She stated playfully as the enclosed room they were in was filled with the sweet scent of roses as if lulling everyone into a very dangerous dream.
|āIt seems you can be the one, I hope you really are."|
Entertaining and very interesting as well, this girl was a delightful creature. Well, vampires like him especially are meant to be beautiful and attractive. It was a trait which they were given to adapt to this world, after all, their prey were humans who liked all things shiny and pretty. However, this human girl was a threat to Alice probably because she was the only one who dared to reach out to his stoic ward. He finds this very ironic in every sense. āYou're a very interesting belle." He noted with a smile as those bright green eyes of his gazed at her. The little energetic familiar named O had told him about where this human girl had become friends with the Rosenkreuz King. Many people would view this as foolish, malicious, or any deregotary term people could think nowadays. But certainly, it would never be seen in a positive light. āThat's why Alice is hostile with you. Your beauty is far different from the others who tried to attach themselves to the Kid."
Luke gave a hearty chuckle upon hearing her answer. No wonder O was excited when the white familiar told him about the encounter. Perhaps, this girl would be the key to everything. Hopefully, she would be, but then again, disappointment was always part of life especially in the lives such as theirs. āHe does deserve it." Luke stated after he calmed himself from his laughter and released a rather sad sigh. His eyes looked away from her and instead gazed to the skies above. They were starting to darken and the scent of rain was slowly filling the air. It was obvious to him that soon the sky will cry. āBut that kid has a rather different mindset and priority and once he decides on something, it would be till the end." He took out a pocket watch and gently held it in his hand. Anyone could tell that it was a precious object to him. His eyes also soften to a great degree but there was melancholy behind those green orbs of his.
āAt times, it's a good thing. But most of the time..." Luke looked at her and shrugged his shoulders. āIt's bad." He then looked back at his pocket watch and then opened it as a melody began to play. It held a certain affection, mystery, and sadness in it. But nevertheless, it was rather entrancing as if lulling everyone into a beautiful dream. āYou'll be a good influence to him, really." He then looked back at her with his usual smile which seemed to allude that nothing could ever get him down. However, it was not true at all. No one was truly unaffected in this cruelly beautiful world. āThough, I fear for your safety." The pocket watch stopped playing as he closed it and released a hopeful sigh. āThat kid gave up everything he could ever want and so, everyone gave up on him." After saying that, he kept the pocket watch and stretched his arms upwards in which the rain began to slowly drizzle around them. āSo, I really wish you wouldn't give up on him." He then looked at her with a really brilliant yet meaningful smile. āRight now, what he really needs is a friend, you."
|āEverything is according to your will... Ah, sorry... Your will is inconsequential."|
Within the Headmaster's Office, Hughes was sitting on the couch while looking at the various documents which he held with a lazy eye. It was all about the usual school affairs and whatnot. However, a particular document caught his interest. It was the application of a new student. He would need to call Dahlia that she would need to be more keen on babysitting. At the very least one of the children was well-behaved. In any case, he found the turn of events interesting. Even more so with the timely appearance of Anastasia Guillory. After all, he had lost one of his prospects. It was actually the only thing which made him sad losing one of his so-called precious student. Furthermore, it was also probably the reason in which Alice pushed through coming here at the Academy.
His thoughts was only disturbed when his personal phone rang. Hughes waited for a few rings before answering it. "Yes." There was no need for any introduction on his end. On the other line, there was a distinguishable female voice. There was a lot of things being said. "I will handle it." That was his decisive answer and there was no need for any more words to be said. Another issue was reported to him as he simply sighed at this. It seemed there was yet again another failure. He would have to inform Dahlia to handle things for a while. This Academy will be keeping him busy for a while. "Dispose and then get a new batch. Do also inform Dahlia about Alice escaping and tell her to handle my workload for the meantime." There was a brief response and afterwards, he ended the call. There was nothing else to be said.
That was when his eyes glanced over a piece of document which Hughes had set aside earlier. He picked it up and looked at the data on the sheet of paper with scrutiny. This was actually the thing he had stated which he will handle personally. Things would certainly be entertaining and lively around here. "Shall we get things started." His lips slowly formed into a very calculating smile as thoughts of horrid things filled his mind.
āYou know, Iām not really anything special. All I am is someone who wants someone else not to suffer. Shouldnāt everyone be like that?ā
He was laughing at her, but she wouldnāt hold it against him. She didnāt really understand what was so amusing about the answer, but then, she was among people in a situation where everyone seemed to know more about everything than she did. Most unusual, for someone as smart as she was, but then, it wasnāt IQ that was operative here. It was history. They had it, and she was very new to it. It wasnāt as if she could just ignore the fact that there was a mystery here, but she knew when to ask and when to simply accept. Not something that had always been easy for her, but she liked to believe that just like everything and everyone else, she could change. It was, after all, the essential process of life. Nothing was ever meant to remain the same.
He told her she was interesting, which was one of those words that could have almost any connotation at all. She, however, took it as a compliment and accepted it gracefully. āWhy thank you. Itās nice to know Iām not boring, at least.ā She smiled lightly, a glimmer of amusement in her eyes, but sobered when she observed how he looked at the pocketwatch. It was clearly a very sentimental object to him, and she supposed it must be connected to whatever she sensed heād lost.
The tune it played was lovely, but sad, and for a moment, she simply contemplated what heād said. This was not, for all appearances to the contrary, a frivolous man, and if he was saying anything at all to her, there was a reason for it. What that reason was, she could not yet divine, and probably would not be able to without much more exercise of her abilities than she was comfortable using on someone. The only time she ever entered anotherās mind on purpose was with permission, and, important as she felt whatever he was trying to tell her to be, she would not break this rule of hers to find out. Because people had reasons for what they did not say just as much as reasons for what they did.
In the end, she simply did what she always did, and spoke her mind, perhaps a shade too bluntly but with unmistakable sincerity all the same. āMy father told me once that I donāt know how to give up,ā she remarked, and though it seemed conversational and light as everything else sheād said, there was a steely undertone to it, belying some strength that most would never even guess was present in someone like her. āAnd I wonāt learn in this case, I assure you.ā She tilted her head faintly to one side, a few locks falling over her shoulder.
Zen needed a friend? Perhaps, and sheād known that, on some level, which was why sheād made the offer in the first place. But she was uncertain why Luke seemed to be insinuating that it was her specifically. Was he not also his friend? And they knew each other very well, that much was clear. She blinked, and then chased away the thoughts. It didnāt matter. Her resolution was the same. Though she truly understood precious little of what was going on, she could feel it, the way things started to close in around them, with a kind of suffocating intensity she had not known before. It was obvious what she had to do, and she would not be dissuaded from doing it.
āThen he shall have one, have me. Whether he wants me or not.ā The words were meant in the most innocent way possible, and she was not aware that there was another manner in which they could be taken, if her friendly smile was anything to go by. Even if this friendship remained entirely one-sided for the rest of her life, she was sticking to it. After all, she really didnāt know how to give up.
āBut you know, Lukeā¦ if you ever need to talk to someone, about,ā she waved a hand broadly to encompass the things that she could sense but not quite name, āIāve been told Iām a pretty good listener.ā She shrugged. He didnāt really seem like the sort who would confide, but she figured the offer couldnāt hurt, just in case. Because he was sad, too, thoughā¦ it wasnāt quite the same kind of thing as Zenithās misery, really. Regardless, he had helped her, in a way, and she would like to someday be able to return the favor.
He told her she was interesting, which was one of those words that could have almost any connotation at all. She, however, took it as a compliment and accepted it gracefully. āWhy thank you. Itās nice to know Iām not boring, at least.ā She smiled lightly, a glimmer of amusement in her eyes, but sobered when she observed how he looked at the pocketwatch. It was clearly a very sentimental object to him, and she supposed it must be connected to whatever she sensed heād lost.
The tune it played was lovely, but sad, and for a moment, she simply contemplated what heād said. This was not, for all appearances to the contrary, a frivolous man, and if he was saying anything at all to her, there was a reason for it. What that reason was, she could not yet divine, and probably would not be able to without much more exercise of her abilities than she was comfortable using on someone. The only time she ever entered anotherās mind on purpose was with permission, and, important as she felt whatever he was trying to tell her to be, she would not break this rule of hers to find out. Because people had reasons for what they did not say just as much as reasons for what they did.
In the end, she simply did what she always did, and spoke her mind, perhaps a shade too bluntly but with unmistakable sincerity all the same. āMy father told me once that I donāt know how to give up,ā she remarked, and though it seemed conversational and light as everything else sheād said, there was a steely undertone to it, belying some strength that most would never even guess was present in someone like her. āAnd I wonāt learn in this case, I assure you.ā She tilted her head faintly to one side, a few locks falling over her shoulder.
Zen needed a friend? Perhaps, and sheād known that, on some level, which was why sheād made the offer in the first place. But she was uncertain why Luke seemed to be insinuating that it was her specifically. Was he not also his friend? And they knew each other very well, that much was clear. She blinked, and then chased away the thoughts. It didnāt matter. Her resolution was the same. Though she truly understood precious little of what was going on, she could feel it, the way things started to close in around them, with a kind of suffocating intensity she had not known before. It was obvious what she had to do, and she would not be dissuaded from doing it.
āThen he shall have one, have me. Whether he wants me or not.ā The words were meant in the most innocent way possible, and she was not aware that there was another manner in which they could be taken, if her friendly smile was anything to go by. Even if this friendship remained entirely one-sided for the rest of her life, she was sticking to it. After all, she really didnāt know how to give up.
āBut you know, Lukeā¦ if you ever need to talk to someone, about,ā she waved a hand broadly to encompass the things that she could sense but not quite name, āIāve been told Iām a pretty good listener.ā She shrugged. He didnāt really seem like the sort who would confide, but she figured the offer couldnāt hurt, just in case. Because he was sad, too, thoughā¦ it wasnāt quite the same kind of thing as Zenithās misery, really. Regardless, he had helped her, in a way, and she would like to someday be able to return the favor.
|āSo it's true, there are still beautiful things in this distorted world."|
Luke blinked a couple of times as he heard the human girl's reply to his statement. The sound of the falling rain behind them did not dissuade the bubbling laughter which emitted from within him. This girl was truly something else. It reminded him of a certain person. It was probably why the image of a person in the past overlapped with this human girl's presence before his eyes. How fascinating. At the same time, it was a good thing to know. In any case, it seemed she was unaware what are the various connotations of her statement. One was something he was sure that they were on the same page with, she meant it with determination to be the Kid's friend. The other one was a playful one and even could be a possibility. But of course, if that would ever happen, she and the Kid must be prepared for the worst.
āHe should be fine then with you around." He was able to say as his laughter finally settled down. His bright emerald eyes looked at the rain behind him. In that watery curtain, he was seeing scene of two females, one was considerably a child and the other preferable an adult. They were playing under the rain with such a smile. Soon, they slowly changed into that of two children, a boy and a girl. āYou might think that me and the Kid appear to be friends, but we aren't." His eyes held a distant look as he continued on. āWe are simply connected by certain events. Kindred spirits in a sense. When it ends, we are nothing to each other." After saying that, he returned his attention to Anastasia and have his signatory smile. It appeared to be bright but behind there was a notable darkness. This indicated that the relationship between the two pure-bloods was not really as vibrant as it appears to be.
Hearing her offer to listen to his personal matters, Luke could not help but chuckle a bit. She was both endearing and a bit reckless. Endearing in a sense in her innocence to share the burden, yet reckless for she has no idea how terrible and broken the things she would hear if he really does speak his inner secrets. Strictly speaking, she will not be able to take it nor is she prepared to. This was probably why the Kid had believed strongly she would give up on the idea of being his friend. However, Luke would like to see how determine this girl about not giving up and perhaps, she will succeed. He really hope she does, before everything would be far too late. Anyway, he smiled at her and gave a polite nod. āThanks, I'll keep sure to remember that."
Looking at a certain direction, he released a sigh and returned his attention to Anastasia. āWell, time for me to go. I'm the bodyguard after all." With that said, he waved at her and began to take his leave. However, he stopped midway and looked back at the human girl. āAn advise, stay strong." After saying that, he left her with a smile and a wink before disappearing from sight.
|āTell me, what are you afraid of the most."|
After a few days, there was yet again another news to be heard around the Academy. Before, there was the new student Luke, then the presence of Anastasia, and now, the return of a familiar face to others, Alice. It was rather a very popular one as she reinstated her claim as the sister of Zenith, the one to be considered as the Idol of Cross Academy. She was also a notable face with her albino features and certain presence which she exudes. Moreover, she has the greatest reason to be close to the top two beauties which was Zenith and Luke. It is why many was envious and even wanted to be friends with the new student to join the ranks of the Day Class. Of course, this was approved by the Headmaster.
Speaking of which, Hughes was doing his daily monitoring which was actually taking a walk around the school grounds. It was rather peaceful as there were no reported troubles or mishaps. Moreover, the Night Class seemed to be well-behaved with the aid of his ever reliable prefects. It was interesting. He also noticed the affection between the remaining prefects which was Fujiwara and Tsukino. They do say that high school life will be full of love and drama. However, sometimes, there are things meant to be torn apart. With that thought, he had a small smile lingering in his lips as he continued his rounds.
It was then he caught the sight of a certain individual. "Good day to you, Ms. Tachibana" He greeted her with a warm smile. It was truly a wonderful good day. As such, he wondered how much beautiful this day would turn out as the hours passed by. Because, he was certain in his own way, it would be a wonderful one for him.
āHe should be fine then with you around." He was able to say as his laughter finally settled down. His bright emerald eyes looked at the rain behind him. In that watery curtain, he was seeing scene of two females, one was considerably a child and the other preferable an adult. They were playing under the rain with such a smile. Soon, they slowly changed into that of two children, a boy and a girl. āYou might think that me and the Kid appear to be friends, but we aren't." His eyes held a distant look as he continued on. āWe are simply connected by certain events. Kindred spirits in a sense. When it ends, we are nothing to each other." After saying that, he returned his attention to Anastasia and have his signatory smile. It appeared to be bright but behind there was a notable darkness. This indicated that the relationship between the two pure-bloods was not really as vibrant as it appears to be.
Hearing her offer to listen to his personal matters, Luke could not help but chuckle a bit. She was both endearing and a bit reckless. Endearing in a sense in her innocence to share the burden, yet reckless for she has no idea how terrible and broken the things she would hear if he really does speak his inner secrets. Strictly speaking, she will not be able to take it nor is she prepared to. This was probably why the Kid had believed strongly she would give up on the idea of being his friend. However, Luke would like to see how determine this girl about not giving up and perhaps, she will succeed. He really hope she does, before everything would be far too late. Anyway, he smiled at her and gave a polite nod. āThanks, I'll keep sure to remember that."
Looking at a certain direction, he released a sigh and returned his attention to Anastasia. āWell, time for me to go. I'm the bodyguard after all." With that said, he waved at her and began to take his leave. However, he stopped midway and looked back at the human girl. āAn advise, stay strong." After saying that, he left her with a smile and a wink before disappearing from sight.
|āTell me, what are you afraid of the most."|
After a few days, there was yet again another news to be heard around the Academy. Before, there was the new student Luke, then the presence of Anastasia, and now, the return of a familiar face to others, Alice. It was rather a very popular one as she reinstated her claim as the sister of Zenith, the one to be considered as the Idol of Cross Academy. She was also a notable face with her albino features and certain presence which she exudes. Moreover, she has the greatest reason to be close to the top two beauties which was Zenith and Luke. It is why many was envious and even wanted to be friends with the new student to join the ranks of the Day Class. Of course, this was approved by the Headmaster.
Speaking of which, Hughes was doing his daily monitoring which was actually taking a walk around the school grounds. It was rather peaceful as there were no reported troubles or mishaps. Moreover, the Night Class seemed to be well-behaved with the aid of his ever reliable prefects. It was interesting. He also noticed the affection between the remaining prefects which was Fujiwara and Tsukino. They do say that high school life will be full of love and drama. However, sometimes, there are things meant to be torn apart. With that thought, he had a small smile lingering in his lips as he continued his rounds.
It was then he caught the sight of a certain individual. "Good day to you, Ms. Tachibana" He greeted her with a warm smile. It was truly a wonderful good day. As such, he wondered how much beautiful this day would turn out as the hours passed by. Because, he was certain in his own way, it would be a wonderful one for him.
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It was in the air.
Kaede had lived among vampires her entire life. Some of them had been kind to her, some of them had disdained her, and some of them had not hesitated to tell her what they would do if Sora had not appointed himself her surrogate older brother. She knew, therefore, that just as with everything in life, some of them were good, and some of them were not. She also knew that Sachiko had looked at her with dark, sad eyes several days ago and told her to be careful.
The words had not conveyed it, but the look had. Sachiko looked like that when they were running out of possibilities, when the future in which everything was good was no longer possible. It was always like that, when they were in danger, and every time, it came closer and closer to the future in which her guardians died for her. She had never told them this, but it was not a future she would allow. She would not, and could not. The only reason she had even lived this long was because of them, and she simply did not have it in her to watch them die.
They spoke, sometimes of her parents, and though she did not remember them, she knew that they would not have wanted anything bad to happen to Sachiko and Sora either. The Tsukinos had given her everything, and though she was only a human, they had opened their hearts to her as much as possible. Without her to hold them back, they could have escaped all this misery long ago. Wellā¦ she had decided as soon as she arrived in this place that she, at least, would run no further. Because of them, sheād had more love in her short life than some people received in a thousand years. She knew this. And it was why she didnāt mind the thought of dying so much.
Because she had lived.
She had truly lived, and that was all thanks to them. Kaede waited. Over the months and the days and the hours ticking down to this moment, she waited for her Reaper, and she had decided that whoever they were, she would face them with all the bravery and strength she had learned from them. She would not shame them, she would not burden them, and she would always love them, as they had loved her. She knew, of course, that if either of them had the faintest idea that she thought this way, they would have taken her away from here immediately. They fought so hard for her, butā¦ she knew, in a strange way, that her life reached its conclusion now, and she was at peace with that. She expected it must have been how her parents felt, or perhaps how people with terminal illnesses felt in their last days. It was just that her terminal illness was a life borrowed, stolen from the jaws of death.
The was simply grateful sheād had it at all. So when the Headmaster appeared, something malicious and dark behind his eyes, she read it in the way only a child could, and understood in the way that only those with ancient souls ever did. He greeted her, and she tilted her head to one side slightly, the bright grass green of her eyes fading to a dull emerald. āYes,ā she said quietly. āI suppose that if I got to choose, today would have been mine, as well.ā Outside, it rained, the lightning forking across the sky the herald of the great booms of thunder. She wondered if dying would hurt. It probably wouldāit would probably hurt like nothing sheād ever known. But however much it did, it was worth it to have lived a life like hers. She wondered if this man could say the same.
It seemed unlikely, and Kaede actually smiled a bit, a melancholy, dark thing, but a smile all the same. Yes, today was a perfectly good day to die. She hoped they would forgive her.
Kaede had lived among vampires her entire life. Some of them had been kind to her, some of them had disdained her, and some of them had not hesitated to tell her what they would do if Sora had not appointed himself her surrogate older brother. She knew, therefore, that just as with everything in life, some of them were good, and some of them were not. She also knew that Sachiko had looked at her with dark, sad eyes several days ago and told her to be careful.
The words had not conveyed it, but the look had. Sachiko looked like that when they were running out of possibilities, when the future in which everything was good was no longer possible. It was always like that, when they were in danger, and every time, it came closer and closer to the future in which her guardians died for her. She had never told them this, but it was not a future she would allow. She would not, and could not. The only reason she had even lived this long was because of them, and she simply did not have it in her to watch them die.
They spoke, sometimes of her parents, and though she did not remember them, she knew that they would not have wanted anything bad to happen to Sachiko and Sora either. The Tsukinos had given her everything, and though she was only a human, they had opened their hearts to her as much as possible. Without her to hold them back, they could have escaped all this misery long ago. Wellā¦ she had decided as soon as she arrived in this place that she, at least, would run no further. Because of them, sheād had more love in her short life than some people received in a thousand years. She knew this. And it was why she didnāt mind the thought of dying so much.
Because she had lived.
She had truly lived, and that was all thanks to them. Kaede waited. Over the months and the days and the hours ticking down to this moment, she waited for her Reaper, and she had decided that whoever they were, she would face them with all the bravery and strength she had learned from them. She would not shame them, she would not burden them, and she would always love them, as they had loved her. She knew, of course, that if either of them had the faintest idea that she thought this way, they would have taken her away from here immediately. They fought so hard for her, butā¦ she knew, in a strange way, that her life reached its conclusion now, and she was at peace with that. She expected it must have been how her parents felt, or perhaps how people with terminal illnesses felt in their last days. It was just that her terminal illness was a life borrowed, stolen from the jaws of death.
The was simply grateful sheād had it at all. So when the Headmaster appeared, something malicious and dark behind his eyes, she read it in the way only a child could, and understood in the way that only those with ancient souls ever did. He greeted her, and she tilted her head to one side slightly, the bright grass green of her eyes fading to a dull emerald. āYes,ā she said quietly. āI suppose that if I got to choose, today would have been mine, as well.ā Outside, it rained, the lightning forking across the sky the herald of the great booms of thunder. She wondered if dying would hurt. It probably wouldāit would probably hurt like nothing sheād ever known. But however much it did, it was worth it to have lived a life like hers. She wondered if this man could say the same.
It seemed unlikely, and Kaede actually smiled a bit, a melancholy, dark thing, but a smile all the same. Yes, today was a perfectly good day to die. She hoped they would forgive her.
|āSweet dreams..."|
Surprise? Hughes was not at all. Actually, he had expected such reaction from the young child. It was something he had assumed from the very first moment he saw "Kaede Tachibana's" profile. She was far mature for her age and someone to be described as an old soul. He would have liked to discuss a lot of matter with her if possible. But of course, he is rather pressed for time. "My... My... My... it seemed you have made your resolve." His smile was very sincere as he find her very adorable in the way she was dealing with whatever her little head was concocting of the plausible scenario between them. "If people are like you, it would be very easy for me to deal with things." He gave a curt nod as he said those words and then gently stroked the girl's head.
"You're certainly precious, indeed." Hughes spoke with a tone much like a father would do his children. In the end, he treated all of his students here in this Academy and those under his responsibility as his own. So, there was no lie in this. His eyes of absolute black showed interest. It was because, he would have to handle a personal thing by himself and this little girl was involved in it. "That is why you are needed very badly." After stating that, he removed his hand on her head and then looked ahead of him. It was because there was another person present in the vicinity. Black met with gold, Hughes was pretty much a void in any vision. He was an anomaly which no one could see.
"Good day to you, Mr. Rosenkreuz." Hughes smiled brightly as he placed his hands behind his back. The infamous blank face of the Vampire King looked at him. He could tell that the Pure-blood was rather wary of him, but more than that, the White Pure-blood appears to know something. What that something? Well, he would leave it at that for now. "It seemed that your sister Ms. Rosenkreuz joined our humble school. Do keep her out of trouble." He stated with a warm smile as Zenith simply gave a nod of understanding and then glanced at the child whom the Headmaster seemed to be talking to earlier. The Pure-blood is unaware who the little girl is exactly. His eyes returned to the Headmaster who was now about to excuse himself.
"Well if you would excuse me now, have a nice day and study a lot." After saying that, Hughes left the two on their own while a rather mysterious smile plagued his lips as he soon disappeared from their sights. Zenith watched the Headmaster leave before looking at the little girl once more. After doing so, he walked towards the girl but not because, he has any purpose with her, it was because, she was simply on the path he was taking. As such, the very moment he was about to walk passed her. Something came over the little girl.
A wave nausea, a great amount of pain all over the little girl's body, and a blood coming out of her every orifice. It was like that when Zenith looked caught the girl in his arms in alarm, but of course, his face did not show any value of emotion at all. What was going on? Because right now, this girl was now slowly dying in his arms.
"You're certainly precious, indeed." Hughes spoke with a tone much like a father would do his children. In the end, he treated all of his students here in this Academy and those under his responsibility as his own. So, there was no lie in this. His eyes of absolute black showed interest. It was because, he would have to handle a personal thing by himself and this little girl was involved in it. "That is why you are needed very badly." After stating that, he removed his hand on her head and then looked ahead of him. It was because there was another person present in the vicinity. Black met with gold, Hughes was pretty much a void in any vision. He was an anomaly which no one could see.
"Good day to you, Mr. Rosenkreuz." Hughes smiled brightly as he placed his hands behind his back. The infamous blank face of the Vampire King looked at him. He could tell that the Pure-blood was rather wary of him, but more than that, the White Pure-blood appears to know something. What that something? Well, he would leave it at that for now. "It seemed that your sister Ms. Rosenkreuz joined our humble school. Do keep her out of trouble." He stated with a warm smile as Zenith simply gave a nod of understanding and then glanced at the child whom the Headmaster seemed to be talking to earlier. The Pure-blood is unaware who the little girl is exactly. His eyes returned to the Headmaster who was now about to excuse himself.
"Well if you would excuse me now, have a nice day and study a lot." After saying that, Hughes left the two on their own while a rather mysterious smile plagued his lips as he soon disappeared from their sights. Zenith watched the Headmaster leave before looking at the little girl once more. After doing so, he walked towards the girl but not because, he has any purpose with her, it was because, she was simply on the path he was taking. As such, the very moment he was about to walk passed her. Something came over the little girl.
A wave nausea, a great amount of pain all over the little girl's body, and a blood coming out of her every orifice. It was like that when Zenith looked caught the girl in his arms in alarm, but of course, his face did not show any value of emotion at all. What was going on? Because right now, this girl was now slowly dying in his arms.
āNo, pleaseā¦ not you. Not you, too.ā
He was doing his rounds on the edge of the school boundaries when the smell of blood hit him like he imagined a freight truck would. Worse, really, because he probably wouldnāt flinch if he were hit by a truck, but this one scent filled him with a dread he had not felt in years, one heād hoped, in that small part of him that was still able to hope, that he would never feel again. He knew before he arrived that it was too lateā¦ there was too much blood. It smelled too strongly, like the rain and fresh earth, a deep metallic undertone beneath it. It had belonged to her parents, that scent, and now it belonged only to her.
Even so, he was beside her in moments, his jaw clenched and his eyes a deep, sanguine red where they had once been simply black. No mere accident would have drained her blood so fast, and he was half-inclined to tear apart whatever had done it, but when he arrived, there was only the Kaede and Rosenkreuz. He was for a moment torn, unsure of what he should do, but in the end, he only bent, taking the girl from the other vampireās arms with a glare heated enough to melt metal, though whether it was precisely directed at the other pure-blood was unclear.
It was soon irrelevant anyway, because it was evident that all he cared about was his ward. His bleeding, dying ward. Sora swallowed thicklyāthe scent of her blood was strong enough that he shook faintly from itānot from a desire to consume it, but from a sorrow so deep it threatened to consume him. āKaede,ā his voice cracked on the middle syllable, and she seemed dimly to recognize the sound even so, because with what little she had left, she turned her glassy eyes towards him, her mouth slanting in something like a parody of a smile.
āSoraā¦ā she whispered, and her hand reached up, shaking and covered in her own blood, to touch his cheek. She couldnāt hold it there for long, and it started to fall, but he caught it in his own, pressing her rapidly-cooling flesh to his, still warm and vital with life. Life he did not deserve. Not while she was dying. He could feel the fine tremors in her weakened limbsā¦ or was that him shaking. It was impossible to tell, and he didnāt care. She was in pain and she was dying, and for all the years heād protected her, he had failed so utterly in this moment he could not even quite register it yet. All he understood was that her life faded, slipping away like water through his fingers.
She was trying to formulate another word, and even with his senses, he had to lean close to hear it. āH-headmasterā¦ā The rest of the sentence faded out, and he clutched her tighter to him, running one hand gently down the back of her head, stroking her hair in a soothing gesture. There was nothing else he could do, but though he wanted to be angry about that, his grief was so overpowering, so complete, that he didnāt even remember how to feel rage. The sorrow blocked everything else utterly. He understood, now, the pain of a parent that lost a child. Heād tried so hard not to think of her that way, to make sure he kept that little bit of distance between them. She could be his family, as Sachiko was his family, but he would not allow her to be his child.
But heād been a fool. That gap had never existed at all. He felt it against his chest, when her breathing stilled, and his knees buckled, pitching him to the floor, but he did not let her fall as well, rather shifting her so that he could see her face again, and he closed her open eyes. She was not a vampire, never like him, and she would not simply disappear. She would leave something behind. But she may well have taken part of him with her, when she departed. Noā¦ she definitely had. It felt like his very soul had been ripped out of him, if heād ever had such a thing to begin with.
Bowing his spine, he pressed his lips chastely to her forehead, something that tasted of bile rising in the back of his throat. It occurred to him that Rosenkreuz was or had been present, but he did not care. Kaede had named her killer. And it was not him. āI promise you,ā he whispered brokenly to her, āWhatever they try to build, I will tear down. I will cut off the hands that killed you, slice out the eyes that looked at you with the intent to hurt. Whatever they meant to bring about with this, I will stop. You will not be a means to an end.ā It was a hollow promise, given in a hollow voice. Not because he would not keep it, but because he knew it made no difference. All his life, he had known death and vengeance, and never once had it brought anything to the departed. It had never even done him any good.
But it was necessary. She was not a thing to be used, no mere pawn in someoneās elaborate chess game, and he would not allow her to be treated like one. He would destroy the whole fucking board if he had to. Silently, he rose, Kaede limp and cold in his arms, and departed.
Even so, he was beside her in moments, his jaw clenched and his eyes a deep, sanguine red where they had once been simply black. No mere accident would have drained her blood so fast, and he was half-inclined to tear apart whatever had done it, but when he arrived, there was only the Kaede and Rosenkreuz. He was for a moment torn, unsure of what he should do, but in the end, he only bent, taking the girl from the other vampireās arms with a glare heated enough to melt metal, though whether it was precisely directed at the other pure-blood was unclear.
It was soon irrelevant anyway, because it was evident that all he cared about was his ward. His bleeding, dying ward. Sora swallowed thicklyāthe scent of her blood was strong enough that he shook faintly from itānot from a desire to consume it, but from a sorrow so deep it threatened to consume him. āKaede,ā his voice cracked on the middle syllable, and she seemed dimly to recognize the sound even so, because with what little she had left, she turned her glassy eyes towards him, her mouth slanting in something like a parody of a smile.
āSoraā¦ā she whispered, and her hand reached up, shaking and covered in her own blood, to touch his cheek. She couldnāt hold it there for long, and it started to fall, but he caught it in his own, pressing her rapidly-cooling flesh to his, still warm and vital with life. Life he did not deserve. Not while she was dying. He could feel the fine tremors in her weakened limbsā¦ or was that him shaking. It was impossible to tell, and he didnāt care. She was in pain and she was dying, and for all the years heād protected her, he had failed so utterly in this moment he could not even quite register it yet. All he understood was that her life faded, slipping away like water through his fingers.
She was trying to formulate another word, and even with his senses, he had to lean close to hear it. āH-headmasterā¦ā The rest of the sentence faded out, and he clutched her tighter to him, running one hand gently down the back of her head, stroking her hair in a soothing gesture. There was nothing else he could do, but though he wanted to be angry about that, his grief was so overpowering, so complete, that he didnāt even remember how to feel rage. The sorrow blocked everything else utterly. He understood, now, the pain of a parent that lost a child. Heād tried so hard not to think of her that way, to make sure he kept that little bit of distance between them. She could be his family, as Sachiko was his family, but he would not allow her to be his child.
But heād been a fool. That gap had never existed at all. He felt it against his chest, when her breathing stilled, and his knees buckled, pitching him to the floor, but he did not let her fall as well, rather shifting her so that he could see her face again, and he closed her open eyes. She was not a vampire, never like him, and she would not simply disappear. She would leave something behind. But she may well have taken part of him with her, when she departed. Noā¦ she definitely had. It felt like his very soul had been ripped out of him, if heād ever had such a thing to begin with.
Bowing his spine, he pressed his lips chastely to her forehead, something that tasted of bile rising in the back of his throat. It occurred to him that Rosenkreuz was or had been present, but he did not care. Kaede had named her killer. And it was not him. āI promise you,ā he whispered brokenly to her, āWhatever they try to build, I will tear down. I will cut off the hands that killed you, slice out the eyes that looked at you with the intent to hurt. Whatever they meant to bring about with this, I will stop. You will not be a means to an end.ā It was a hollow promise, given in a hollow voice. Not because he would not keep it, but because he knew it made no difference. All his life, he had known death and vengeance, and never once had it brought anything to the departed. It had never even done him any good.
But it was necessary. She was not a thing to be used, no mere pawn in someoneās elaborate chess game, and he would not allow her to be treated like one. He would destroy the whole fucking board if he had to. Silently, he rose, Kaede limp and cold in his arms, and departed.
"It never ends does it? This cycle of death?"
There was a gentle breeze floating by, carrying the scents of variety of people. Asuka found them not to be as overwhelming as they once had before, and smiled at the breeze. The day, it was bright, beautiful, and appeared to be almost perfect. There wasn't a hint of cloud, and honestly, she felt that nothing could ruin her day. At least until it hit her. It was overwhelming, and the last time she'd smelled so much blood in one spot before was during the day the school was destroyed, and bodies covered the yard in heaps of broken, mangled flesh. But this scent, it was so familiar, and for a split second, Asuka searched her memory of who it belonged to. Once she found the name, her eyes widened.
She willed her body to move, to run towards the area it was coming from, however; her feet were glued to the spot, her eyes fixed in the direction it was coming from. This was Kaede's blood. It was her scent, and it was pouring out into the open air. That, in itself did not bode well. It was overwhelming, and Asuka was only half a vampire. She couldn't imagine what the actual vampire populace was thinking about right now. With such a large amount permeating through the air, it was bound to test some vampire's level of control. She finally willed her legs to move, starting out in a slow walk before it escalated to a jog.
Part of her wanted to be convinced that she was imagining things, that Kaede's blood wasn't on the wind. That such a large amount of it was fluttering about so carelessly. Perhaps...perhaps she just injured herself and she was just bleeding. Asuka wanted to fool herself into believing that, however; she knew that that wasn't the case. Such a large amount of blood on the air was only caused by one thing, and it was something that drained all the color from her face. Something terrible happened to Kaede and that thought alone caused her to momentarily paused. If she could smell it, then without doubt, he could as well. He would have known just as quickly as she had, and part of something in Asuka's heart was breaking.
He would be able to smell the scent of the little girl that was in his care, the one he had spoken of, had been so fond of. If there was one thing about Sora that Asuka knew from sharing parts of his memories, was his attachment to Kaede. She couldn't fully say she knew what that attachment was to him, but she did know enough to know that Kaede was extremely important to Sora. And with that in mind, she pushed her legs harder, causing her to exert a speed only inhabited by vampires. When she came to the scene, her heart felt as if it were stopping. Blood littered the area, but most of all, it was on Rosenkruez. Had he been present of what happened?
"Rosenkruez, what happened, where's Kaede?" she spoke, finding her voice finally, however; part of her already knew what had happened. Though she knew not the cause, she knew that something happened to the red-haired child, and that she was no longer part of the cycle they called life. Something warm burned behind her eyes as she tried to take hold of the situation. But she was failing. Even as the warmth trailed down her face, she was failing. How much more of this could she take? How many of her friends had to die? How long did she have to be weak before she could protect her friends, the people she loved, and herself?
How long?
She willed her body to move, to run towards the area it was coming from, however; her feet were glued to the spot, her eyes fixed in the direction it was coming from. This was Kaede's blood. It was her scent, and it was pouring out into the open air. That, in itself did not bode well. It was overwhelming, and Asuka was only half a vampire. She couldn't imagine what the actual vampire populace was thinking about right now. With such a large amount permeating through the air, it was bound to test some vampire's level of control. She finally willed her legs to move, starting out in a slow walk before it escalated to a jog.
Part of her wanted to be convinced that she was imagining things, that Kaede's blood wasn't on the wind. That such a large amount of it was fluttering about so carelessly. Perhaps...perhaps she just injured herself and she was just bleeding. Asuka wanted to fool herself into believing that, however; she knew that that wasn't the case. Such a large amount of blood on the air was only caused by one thing, and it was something that drained all the color from her face. Something terrible happened to Kaede and that thought alone caused her to momentarily paused. If she could smell it, then without doubt, he could as well. He would have known just as quickly as she had, and part of something in Asuka's heart was breaking.
He would be able to smell the scent of the little girl that was in his care, the one he had spoken of, had been so fond of. If there was one thing about Sora that Asuka knew from sharing parts of his memories, was his attachment to Kaede. She couldn't fully say she knew what that attachment was to him, but she did know enough to know that Kaede was extremely important to Sora. And with that in mind, she pushed her legs harder, causing her to exert a speed only inhabited by vampires. When she came to the scene, her heart felt as if it were stopping. Blood littered the area, but most of all, it was on Rosenkruez. Had he been present of what happened?
"Rosenkruez, what happened, where's Kaede?" she spoke, finding her voice finally, however; part of her already knew what had happened. Though she knew not the cause, she knew that something happened to the red-haired child, and that she was no longer part of the cycle they called life. Something warm burned behind her eyes as she tried to take hold of the situation. But she was failing. Even as the warmth trailed down her face, she was failing. How much more of this could she take? How many of her friends had to die? How long did she have to be weak before she could protect her friends, the people she loved, and herself?
How long?
|āChange. Life. Death. Those are the only things which will forever remain....ā|
The scent of this child's blood was overwhelming. If he was any other vampire, Zenith would have been overtaken. However, he was not. In addition, he would only take her blood and no one else. Thus, he could detect a certain scent drowned in the aroma of the crimson liquid. A touch of daisies, this was something he was familiar with. He now understood what exactly happened to the little child in his arms. The faint sound of her heart was but fading. It does not need for someone to be a genius to know this human child was suffering tremendously. It was his fault in a way she was now like this. As such, he would take responsibility to end her suffering. But before he could do so, the girl was taken from his arms of someone he was familiar with, the Tsukino Pure-blood, Sora.
From his memories, Zenith had learned that the Tsukino Pure-blood was attached to this child. Of course, this information was not something he had taken effort to know. Actually, this was provided by him through Alice as if seeking any form of reaction from him by doing so. The vermilion red eyes of the black-clad vampire did not go unnoticed by him. Rather, it was to be expected. All he did was to remain still and silent throughout the parting words of the two. It was not much as the cloud of death was already taking the human girl. Even so, a name was spoken and it was of the Headmaster. The man who had left the two of them as if nothing malicious was done or would take after. He remembered the first encounter he had with the man known as Hughes Jackson at the School Festival back then. Now, the current Headmaster of Cross Academy.
It was then death finally pierced the little girl's body. Her heart was not beating anymore. This girl named Kaede was now dead. Zenith's eyes went towards the grieving Tsukino. He knew well what kind of emotions the other pure-blood must be feeling. Because at some point, he had been in such a situation. The void which will encompassed all reason and emotion, it will dictated what must be done. Somehow, he does not see any fault with that. Tsukino promised vengeance for the death of the human child. It was truly sad to lost a life so young even by human standards, moreover, it was not due to a disease or an accident, but an instigated killing, a murder. So whatever anger that Tsukino was feeling, it was justified in his opinion.
After that, Tsukino left with the body of Kaede. As for him, Zenith watched the black pure-blood's visage disappear from his sight before directing his eyes to another presence coming towards this location. This person was also known to him, more than he could hope to dissuade. Soon, she arrived, Fujiwara had come at the beckon of the scent of blood. The horror and disbelief in her eyes were obvious to anyone even to him. It was not a clean scenery and even he was stained with a great amount of blood on his person. The pristine white uniform was now like a mosaic of crimson patches. As if, he was either the victim or the perpetrator of whatever the bloody crime had occurred here. Yet, he was not bothered by it. In his experiences, he had always been in such
Soon, Fujiwara found her voice to ask him. Zenith remained indifferent and unchanging in his features. It was like nothing exponential happened. As if what occurred was simply normal. āIf that is the human child, she is dead.ā His voice held no degree of any sentimentality. However, that is to be expected from him who is known as someone who never showcases any form of emotion no matter what he is presented with. He then looked towards the direction where Tsukino went with the body of the one known as Kaede. There was a great amount of sadness looming around him. It was understandable and to be expected. āShe was taken by Mr. Tsukino.ā After saying that, he returned those empty topaz-colored eyes of his on Fujiwara. Her scent was a bit different now as it mingled with Tsukino. Somehow, there was a pang in there but negligible at best.
Seeing her tears fall, Zenith instinctively raised his hand to gently wipe it away. However, he stopped midway. It was because this gesture was not his to do from the very beginning nor it would be in the future. He had no right and he would not fight for it as well. As such, he returned his hand to his side. āNone of you should have come back.ā He stated with his monotone voice. It was true that his intentions was never to see them again, He had wanted them to stay away. However, it was never meant to be as such. They still returned. āLeave, you, Mr. Tsukino, and everyone else you hold dear. Our paths should never cross again.ā When he said those words, he turned his back at her and began to walk away. It may not be evident however, he truly could conclude that whatever was happening, it had began from the death of Amalthea. It was his problem and never theirs.
āThat girl died because of me even Ms. Yamazaki.ā Zenith stated without much a hint of doubt nor hesitation. At the same time, it was emotionless as ever. Soon enough, he was out of sight from anyone. This was probably what Luke had informed him about sometime. The past was coming once more. In truth, he did not mind. After all, it was the past what he desired. It was never the present nor the future. In any case, what he had declared was true in every form. The cause of the human child's death was his presence and about Yamazaki, he knew that it had a connection with whomever the other player beyond this chess board had in plan. Nevertheless, he would not falter. Yet, he would not deny that the lost of life will always be unacceptable even if he had done so many times. It was always an action he will regret for eternity.
From his memories, Zenith had learned that the Tsukino Pure-blood was attached to this child. Of course, this information was not something he had taken effort to know. Actually, this was provided by him through Alice as if seeking any form of reaction from him by doing so. The vermilion red eyes of the black-clad vampire did not go unnoticed by him. Rather, it was to be expected. All he did was to remain still and silent throughout the parting words of the two. It was not much as the cloud of death was already taking the human girl. Even so, a name was spoken and it was of the Headmaster. The man who had left the two of them as if nothing malicious was done or would take after. He remembered the first encounter he had with the man known as Hughes Jackson at the School Festival back then. Now, the current Headmaster of Cross Academy.
It was then death finally pierced the little girl's body. Her heart was not beating anymore. This girl named Kaede was now dead. Zenith's eyes went towards the grieving Tsukino. He knew well what kind of emotions the other pure-blood must be feeling. Because at some point, he had been in such a situation. The void which will encompassed all reason and emotion, it will dictated what must be done. Somehow, he does not see any fault with that. Tsukino promised vengeance for the death of the human child. It was truly sad to lost a life so young even by human standards, moreover, it was not due to a disease or an accident, but an instigated killing, a murder. So whatever anger that Tsukino was feeling, it was justified in his opinion.
After that, Tsukino left with the body of Kaede. As for him, Zenith watched the black pure-blood's visage disappear from his sight before directing his eyes to another presence coming towards this location. This person was also known to him, more than he could hope to dissuade. Soon, she arrived, Fujiwara had come at the beckon of the scent of blood. The horror and disbelief in her eyes were obvious to anyone even to him. It was not a clean scenery and even he was stained with a great amount of blood on his person. The pristine white uniform was now like a mosaic of crimson patches. As if, he was either the victim or the perpetrator of whatever the bloody crime had occurred here. Yet, he was not bothered by it. In his experiences, he had always been in such
Soon, Fujiwara found her voice to ask him. Zenith remained indifferent and unchanging in his features. It was like nothing exponential happened. As if what occurred was simply normal. āIf that is the human child, she is dead.ā His voice held no degree of any sentimentality. However, that is to be expected from him who is known as someone who never showcases any form of emotion no matter what he is presented with. He then looked towards the direction where Tsukino went with the body of the one known as Kaede. There was a great amount of sadness looming around him. It was understandable and to be expected. āShe was taken by Mr. Tsukino.ā After saying that, he returned those empty topaz-colored eyes of his on Fujiwara. Her scent was a bit different now as it mingled with Tsukino. Somehow, there was a pang in there but negligible at best.
Seeing her tears fall, Zenith instinctively raised his hand to gently wipe it away. However, he stopped midway. It was because this gesture was not his to do from the very beginning nor it would be in the future. He had no right and he would not fight for it as well. As such, he returned his hand to his side. āNone of you should have come back.ā He stated with his monotone voice. It was true that his intentions was never to see them again, He had wanted them to stay away. However, it was never meant to be as such. They still returned. āLeave, you, Mr. Tsukino, and everyone else you hold dear. Our paths should never cross again.ā When he said those words, he turned his back at her and began to walk away. It may not be evident however, he truly could conclude that whatever was happening, it had began from the death of Amalthea. It was his problem and never theirs.
āThat girl died because of me even Ms. Yamazaki.ā Zenith stated without much a hint of doubt nor hesitation. At the same time, it was emotionless as ever. Soon enough, he was out of sight from anyone. This was probably what Luke had informed him about sometime. The past was coming once more. In truth, he did not mind. After all, it was the past what he desired. It was never the present nor the future. In any case, what he had declared was true in every form. The cause of the human child's death was his presence and about Yamazaki, he knew that it had a connection with whomever the other player beyond this chess board had in plan. Nevertheless, he would not falter. Yet, he would not deny that the lost of life will always be unacceptable even if he had done so many times. It was always an action he will regret for eternity.
āIn the end, nothing lasts forever, and nothing truly dies. The solution to that paradox is the answer to all questions.ā
Sora did not return to the campus of Cross Academy for twenty four hours. Heād left without speaking a word to anyone, moving too fast to be perceived, and disinclined to slow down, the cold flesh of his ward held to him. Her long braid fluttered like a pennant in the wind of his passage, never slowing or ceasing until he reached the spot he wanted. It was, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful places in the world. On some of his familyās land lay a mighty forest, and he had climbed to the highest point in it, the top of a sheer cliff face from which crashed a massive fall of water. The view was breathtaking, miles of verdant greenery laid out all around.
Or it would have been, were he not entirely numb to all feeling right now. With the utmost care, he set her down on the ground. Walking to the nearest copse of trees, he slammed his fist brutally into one of them, tearing it down with ease. From it, he tore branches and planks, arranging them into a neat rectangle, into which he piled brush and dead leaves. It took him the better part of the day, working with precision but no haste. This would be done the right way. It was so little, but it was all that was left for him to do.
When it was done and the sun fell to the horizon, he placed her with the greatest delicacy atop the arrangement, folding her hands neatly over her abdomen with shaking limbs of his own. Smoothing the hair back from her face in an unmistakably paternal gesture, He brushed his lips over her brow, stroking her cheekbone with his thumb. āYou are stronger than I ever was,ā he whispered, and then he reached within himself, calling the lightning to his fingertips. Channeling it through the first two, he directed it to strike the dry brush that pillowed her now, Stepping back only after removing a small token from her wristāa simple woven bracelet sheād made from various colored pieces of twine. This, he slid onto his own, but he did not and could not tear his eyes from the pyre as it lit, the fire spreading outwards from the brush to the wood underneath and around it, growing hot enough to consume everything in the structure heād builtāincluding Kaedeās body.
He felt a little selfish, for doing this without Sachiko, without anyone, but he could not have managed it, otherwise, and it needed to be done. Like this, the right way. Sora stood at the very edge of the cliff, the head from the fire on his back, even when the wind began to carry her ashes past him, over his shoulders and out into the open air of the night. He could still smell her faintly, and he knew that part of him would never forget. His family, he had not mourned. His friends, he had, to an extent. But for her, everything simply went numb. He emptied of everything he was, of everything he had become over the last two years, and all that was left in his eyes was the Void.
It had never hurt before, to merely exist. But now, even that, even continuing to draw the breaths heavy with the perfume of her ashes, caused him agony. She was gone, and he would never be the same.
Anastasia had heard about the incident thirdhand, and by then it was difficult to tell what had actually happened. All anyone seemed to know was that Kaede had suddenly started bleeding everywhere, and the blood loss had killed her before anyone could even consider saving her. Her heart ached, thinking of how the othersāSora, Sachiko, and Asukaāmust be taking it, and not for the first time, her mind wandered back to her fatherās death. A deep pang seized her, and her mouth twisted down into a frown, an expression rarely to be seen on her face. She could hear the mournful violin music, even out here on the grounds, and she presently lay under a tree, staring up at the bright green canopy of it and contemplating life and death.
Perhaps it would be unexpected for her to have anything particularly insightful to say about it, but experience was the best teacher. She folded her hands over her ribcage and let her eyes fall half-closed. She wondered if there was anything she could do to helpā¦ well, perhaps it was best to wait a while. She didnāt know any of them particularly well as of yet, and they had each other, which she suspected would help. It would have been nice to have someone, when Father had goneā¦
The day after his departure, Sora had returned, but in that time, he had seen and spoken to only one person, and that because she had insisted. It hadā¦ not gone well, and so it was with a tear-streaked face that Sachiko followed the music, making her way to the room where Asuka was playing a melancholy tune. She did not stand on formality simply entering and waiting for the girl to stop the song. In that time, she composed herself as best she could, wiping at the tears on her face and trying to calm the jagged heat in her eyes.
It wasnāt his fault, exactlyāshe just couldnāt bear to see him like that, and nothing she said or did was making any difference. Her hands fisted in the material of her skirt, and when Asuka turned to her, she was for once bereft of her usual polite courtesy. āAsuka, please. You have to go talk to Sora. Heāsā¦ heās worse than he used to be, two years ago and I canātā¦ I canāt get through to him.ā And if nobody couldā¦ the future grew very dark indeed, and she didnāt need her powers to know that.
Or it would have been, were he not entirely numb to all feeling right now. With the utmost care, he set her down on the ground. Walking to the nearest copse of trees, he slammed his fist brutally into one of them, tearing it down with ease. From it, he tore branches and planks, arranging them into a neat rectangle, into which he piled brush and dead leaves. It took him the better part of the day, working with precision but no haste. This would be done the right way. It was so little, but it was all that was left for him to do.
When it was done and the sun fell to the horizon, he placed her with the greatest delicacy atop the arrangement, folding her hands neatly over her abdomen with shaking limbs of his own. Smoothing the hair back from her face in an unmistakably paternal gesture, He brushed his lips over her brow, stroking her cheekbone with his thumb. āYou are stronger than I ever was,ā he whispered, and then he reached within himself, calling the lightning to his fingertips. Channeling it through the first two, he directed it to strike the dry brush that pillowed her now, Stepping back only after removing a small token from her wristāa simple woven bracelet sheād made from various colored pieces of twine. This, he slid onto his own, but he did not and could not tear his eyes from the pyre as it lit, the fire spreading outwards from the brush to the wood underneath and around it, growing hot enough to consume everything in the structure heād builtāincluding Kaedeās body.
He felt a little selfish, for doing this without Sachiko, without anyone, but he could not have managed it, otherwise, and it needed to be done. Like this, the right way. Sora stood at the very edge of the cliff, the head from the fire on his back, even when the wind began to carry her ashes past him, over his shoulders and out into the open air of the night. He could still smell her faintly, and he knew that part of him would never forget. His family, he had not mourned. His friends, he had, to an extent. But for her, everything simply went numb. He emptied of everything he was, of everything he had become over the last two years, and all that was left in his eyes was the Void.
It had never hurt before, to merely exist. But now, even that, even continuing to draw the breaths heavy with the perfume of her ashes, caused him agony. She was gone, and he would never be the same.
Anastasia had heard about the incident thirdhand, and by then it was difficult to tell what had actually happened. All anyone seemed to know was that Kaede had suddenly started bleeding everywhere, and the blood loss had killed her before anyone could even consider saving her. Her heart ached, thinking of how the othersāSora, Sachiko, and Asukaāmust be taking it, and not for the first time, her mind wandered back to her fatherās death. A deep pang seized her, and her mouth twisted down into a frown, an expression rarely to be seen on her face. She could hear the mournful violin music, even out here on the grounds, and she presently lay under a tree, staring up at the bright green canopy of it and contemplating life and death.
Perhaps it would be unexpected for her to have anything particularly insightful to say about it, but experience was the best teacher. She folded her hands over her ribcage and let her eyes fall half-closed. She wondered if there was anything she could do to helpā¦ well, perhaps it was best to wait a while. She didnāt know any of them particularly well as of yet, and they had each other, which she suspected would help. It would have been nice to have someone, when Father had goneā¦
The day after his departure, Sora had returned, but in that time, he had seen and spoken to only one person, and that because she had insisted. It hadā¦ not gone well, and so it was with a tear-streaked face that Sachiko followed the music, making her way to the room where Asuka was playing a melancholy tune. She did not stand on formality simply entering and waiting for the girl to stop the song. In that time, she composed herself as best she could, wiping at the tears on her face and trying to calm the jagged heat in her eyes.
It wasnāt his fault, exactlyāshe just couldnāt bear to see him like that, and nothing she said or did was making any difference. Her hands fisted in the material of her skirt, and when Asuka turned to her, she was for once bereft of her usual polite courtesy. āAsuka, please. You have to go talk to Sora. Heāsā¦ heās worse than he used to be, two years ago and I canātā¦ I canāt get through to him.ā And if nobody couldā¦ the future grew very dark indeed, and she didnāt need her powers to know that.
"What could I possibly say that has not been said already? I will try though."
She knew it.
She didn't want to believe it, but it was true. Kaede was dead. The little girl was dead, and there was nothing Asuka could do to bring her back. She couldn't focus, her eyes becoming increasingly blurred as the tears continued to fall. She hated this feeling, this feeling of being weak. She couldn't protect her friends, the ones who she had come to love over the last two years, and it was slowly killing her. She didn't hear a word Rosenkreuz spoke, and caught perhaps the last of it. He said it was his fault, that Haruka an Kaede's deaths were his fault. Haruka's, she couldn't say for certain. She had died of the poison in her system from the dagger, not by Rosenkreuz's hands, and as for Kaede...
She couldn't say for sure if that was true or not. She was not present for the situation, and she couldn't say if it truly was his fault or not. Part of her, the part of her that had wanted to forgive Rosenkreuz for his transgressions against her, against the school, wanted to still forgive him for it. But there was another part of her, a part that terrified her still. It wanted nothing more than to see the one responsible for everything to die. And she wished death upon no one. Instead, she did the only thing she could. She fell to her knee's, face buried in her hands, and she cried. She cried until she felt the tears come no longer, and Snow rested upon her shoulder.
Part of her wanted to go to Sora, to find him and do something for him. But she couldn't. Her feet, her body felt as if it were made of stone and she found herself rooted to the floor. She could feel the air around her chill, the rain falling around her, mixing with her tears as she tried to keep her ability under control. It proved almost useless as tiny balls of hail fell around her, one hitting her hand slightly. She picked it up, stared at it for a moment before crushing it in her hand. She pushed herself up, forcing herself to stand on weakened knees. The rain would wash away the scent of blood, so there was no need to clean it up. She tilted her head up towards the rain, allowing it to caress her face.
She couldn't smell Sora, nor Kaede. He left. He left with her, and a small bout of fear crept up inside of Asuka. Why would he leave like that? Shouldn't he have come to her, or to Sachiko? Shouldn't he have...she paused in her train of thoughts, banishing them away. He had every right to leave. Who was she to think otherwise? She was no one but the person who loved him. And for a split second, she wondered if he truly loved her back. She shook the thought from her head as she closed her eyes, allowing the rain to wash her tears away. Snow merely glanced upon his master with saddened eyes.
The next day, Asuka found herself in the music room, neglecting her duties as a prefect. She didn't care, she just wanted to find solace. And the music room was always where she found it. In the confines of her own music. As such, she pulled the violin from its case, her jade eyes scanning over it as she adjusted the strings slowly. He had not spoken a word to anyone, and a part of Asuka's heart hurt. It hurt because she knew, to some degree, how he felt. Though she couldn't say the pain of losing some like Kaede, a child no less, was something she knew, she did, however, know the pain of losing someone. She lost her uncle, her cousin, her friend, and now Kaede. Kaede was as much her friend as she was to anyone else who knew her.
She sighed, taking a deep breath afterwards, and placed the violin underneath her chin. She drew the bow string across the violin, listening as the sound purred from it. Once she was satisfied, she began playing a melody she played once before, a very long time ago. She allowed it to consume her, the melody, and before she knew it, the scent of Sachiko entered her senses. She could smell the salt-like scent coming from the girl, and she could only surmise that Sachiko had still been weeping for Kaede, however; when Sachiko spoke, it was not for Kaede, but for Sora. Asuka bit her lower lip, trying to keep herself calm.
"I...I don't know Sachiko. You are his family, if you couldn't talk to him..." she paused. The look on Sachiko's face was a bit much for Asuka, and she couldn't help herself. She swallowed thickly, trying to keep the lump in her throat from growing. "Alright Sachiko, I'll...try," she stated, wrapping her arms around the Tsukino female before leaving to find Sora. He had returned some time ago, his scent already strong in her senses, and she followed it to where she would find him. Once she had, she stared at him, noting his features and how darkened they truly were. It...frightened her a bit, to know that Kaede's death took this kind of toll on him.
"Sora," she spoke his name so fragile like as she took a step towards him, and stopped. "Sora, Sachiko's worried about you. I am worried about you. You said you would let me help if I let you help me. So...please," she almost pleaded to him, but she couldn't tell if she was getting through to him or not. She loved him so much that her heart felt like it was being ripped out of her chest to see him in such a way. She didn't want him to be this way. She wanted Sora back, but she knew that was asking too much. There would be no getting her Sora back the way he was. And they had seen to it with Kaede's death.
She didn't want to believe it, but it was true. Kaede was dead. The little girl was dead, and there was nothing Asuka could do to bring her back. She couldn't focus, her eyes becoming increasingly blurred as the tears continued to fall. She hated this feeling, this feeling of being weak. She couldn't protect her friends, the ones who she had come to love over the last two years, and it was slowly killing her. She didn't hear a word Rosenkreuz spoke, and caught perhaps the last of it. He said it was his fault, that Haruka an Kaede's deaths were his fault. Haruka's, she couldn't say for certain. She had died of the poison in her system from the dagger, not by Rosenkreuz's hands, and as for Kaede...
She couldn't say for sure if that was true or not. She was not present for the situation, and she couldn't say if it truly was his fault or not. Part of her, the part of her that had wanted to forgive Rosenkreuz for his transgressions against her, against the school, wanted to still forgive him for it. But there was another part of her, a part that terrified her still. It wanted nothing more than to see the one responsible for everything to die. And she wished death upon no one. Instead, she did the only thing she could. She fell to her knee's, face buried in her hands, and she cried. She cried until she felt the tears come no longer, and Snow rested upon her shoulder.
Part of her wanted to go to Sora, to find him and do something for him. But she couldn't. Her feet, her body felt as if it were made of stone and she found herself rooted to the floor. She could feel the air around her chill, the rain falling around her, mixing with her tears as she tried to keep her ability under control. It proved almost useless as tiny balls of hail fell around her, one hitting her hand slightly. She picked it up, stared at it for a moment before crushing it in her hand. She pushed herself up, forcing herself to stand on weakened knees. The rain would wash away the scent of blood, so there was no need to clean it up. She tilted her head up towards the rain, allowing it to caress her face.
She couldn't smell Sora, nor Kaede. He left. He left with her, and a small bout of fear crept up inside of Asuka. Why would he leave like that? Shouldn't he have come to her, or to Sachiko? Shouldn't he have...she paused in her train of thoughts, banishing them away. He had every right to leave. Who was she to think otherwise? She was no one but the person who loved him. And for a split second, she wondered if he truly loved her back. She shook the thought from her head as she closed her eyes, allowing the rain to wash her tears away. Snow merely glanced upon his master with saddened eyes.
The next day, Asuka found herself in the music room, neglecting her duties as a prefect. She didn't care, she just wanted to find solace. And the music room was always where she found it. In the confines of her own music. As such, she pulled the violin from its case, her jade eyes scanning over it as she adjusted the strings slowly. He had not spoken a word to anyone, and a part of Asuka's heart hurt. It hurt because she knew, to some degree, how he felt. Though she couldn't say the pain of losing some like Kaede, a child no less, was something she knew, she did, however, know the pain of losing someone. She lost her uncle, her cousin, her friend, and now Kaede. Kaede was as much her friend as she was to anyone else who knew her.
She sighed, taking a deep breath afterwards, and placed the violin underneath her chin. She drew the bow string across the violin, listening as the sound purred from it. Once she was satisfied, she began playing a melody she played once before, a very long time ago. She allowed it to consume her, the melody, and before she knew it, the scent of Sachiko entered her senses. She could smell the salt-like scent coming from the girl, and she could only surmise that Sachiko had still been weeping for Kaede, however; when Sachiko spoke, it was not for Kaede, but for Sora. Asuka bit her lower lip, trying to keep herself calm.
"I...I don't know Sachiko. You are his family, if you couldn't talk to him..." she paused. The look on Sachiko's face was a bit much for Asuka, and she couldn't help herself. She swallowed thickly, trying to keep the lump in her throat from growing. "Alright Sachiko, I'll...try," she stated, wrapping her arms around the Tsukino female before leaving to find Sora. He had returned some time ago, his scent already strong in her senses, and she followed it to where she would find him. Once she had, she stared at him, noting his features and how darkened they truly were. It...frightened her a bit, to know that Kaede's death took this kind of toll on him.
"Sora," she spoke his name so fragile like as she took a step towards him, and stopped. "Sora, Sachiko's worried about you. I am worried about you. You said you would let me help if I let you help me. So...please," she almost pleaded to him, but she couldn't tell if she was getting through to him or not. She loved him so much that her heart felt like it was being ripped out of her chest to see him in such a way. She didn't want him to be this way. She wanted Sora back, but she knew that was asking too much. There would be no getting her Sora back the way he was. And they had seen to it with Kaede's death.
Obsidian black eyes gazed at the little albino girl before him who was also known as Alice Rosenkreuz. He had summoned her on the precipice of a Headmaster welcoming a new student. But of course, there were other different matter to be discussed. "You left without permission, it seems." Hughes started as he picked up his cup of brewed coffee from the table and taking his time drinking it. As for Alice, she sat across the Headmaster with a rather apologetic expression. From that alone, one could determine that the respectable Headmaster something all together. After all, Alice has always appeared uninhibited and fearless of anything or even anyone, until now. Those crimson eyes did not take the initiative to meet those steely black ones looking at her small form.
"I'm really sorry... I just wanted to see him so much..." Alice defended herself coming to the Academy with a rather small voice. She was completely intimidated and scared of this man before her. The cup of coffee was placed back on the table as Hughes released a sigh at this reason. This was enough for him to finally conclude that she was still too childish in her desires. Well, it was more of an asset especially now. "I don't mind anymore. Just make sure to inform me always." Alice enthusiastically nodded as she was glad that she would not be punished. It was only then she finally looked at the Headmaster who immediately closed the distance between them. He grabbed her chin and pulled her face towards him. "Don't disobey me next time."
Her lips were trembling as those eyes of black were very cold and very malicious. Alice knew that Hughes was a very frightening person. She knew what she would possibly face. However, she had thought back then she could take it. But right now, she knew that she was ultimately wrong. "I promise." Hughes kissed her and for good measures bit her lower lip until it bled. After doing so, he licked it and returned to his seat which was behind his desk. "Well with that over, I would need to watch over other children who might be very emotional about a certain death." He noted with a rather intriguing smile. Of course, he was informed about the sudden death of another student of his. As such, there would be a memorial service which will be conducted in the name of Haruka Yamazaki and Kaede Tachibana.
As if on cue, Alice levitated three red marbles as she glanced at them in a very brief manner. "All will be prepared as willed." Hughes shrugged at this and looked at one of the documents on his desk. "As wanted and executed, indeed."
Luke watched the movements of his charge. It was notable that the presence of the prefects had wavered. This was rather acceptable as another death plagued this campus. Moreover, it was the demise of a someone so young. Actually, this event left a bad taste in his mouth. This girl was truly innocent but the players of chess board where all of them seemed to be involved in one way. This would only get worse as it goes. At the same time, the pieces placed on the board were completely ignorant of the reason why they are being targeted specifically. As far as he knows, Rosenkreuz has an idea but would not speak of it. As for him, he has some conclusions. But of course, he was only here as a bodyguard to the kid and no one else. That would only be his concern entirely.
āHey Kid, what do you plan to do?" The question made Zenith raised his head as he was reading a book underneath one of the trees in the gardens. Fortunately, the ogling fan girls and fan boys were docile this time and kept their distance. Those golden eyes never revealed anything as he simply gazed at the golden-haired pure-blood before him. There was no question about it. This Academy was yet again, spiraling to its doom. "Nothing." This was his only answer and Luke released a disappointed sigh. Actually, he was expecting that answer. The Kid believes that if he does nothing about it, eventually, those actions will be rendered ineffective. However... āYou know, it will not stop. You should at least tell them."
Zenith closed the book he was reading and stood from his position. Information at this point would only aggravate the situation. Furthermore, it would have those people he had liked to be far away from him be involved more. That was something he does not like at all. "There is no need." After saying that, Zenith made his way to leave while Luke shrugged his shoulders at this dismissive stand of his charge. The boy was really stubborn more than Amalthea was. āI hope this doesn't end terribly. I really don't like you to be like him..." He said as an afterthought and then followed after his responsibility. Luke was very aware that this Kid will be the death of him someday, or may be it would be a different story. So, he will see this through.
"I'm really sorry... I just wanted to see him so much..." Alice defended herself coming to the Academy with a rather small voice. She was completely intimidated and scared of this man before her. The cup of coffee was placed back on the table as Hughes released a sigh at this reason. This was enough for him to finally conclude that she was still too childish in her desires. Well, it was more of an asset especially now. "I don't mind anymore. Just make sure to inform me always." Alice enthusiastically nodded as she was glad that she would not be punished. It was only then she finally looked at the Headmaster who immediately closed the distance between them. He grabbed her chin and pulled her face towards him. "Don't disobey me next time."
Her lips were trembling as those eyes of black were very cold and very malicious. Alice knew that Hughes was a very frightening person. She knew what she would possibly face. However, she had thought back then she could take it. But right now, she knew that she was ultimately wrong. "I promise." Hughes kissed her and for good measures bit her lower lip until it bled. After doing so, he licked it and returned to his seat which was behind his desk. "Well with that over, I would need to watch over other children who might be very emotional about a certain death." He noted with a rather intriguing smile. Of course, he was informed about the sudden death of another student of his. As such, there would be a memorial service which will be conducted in the name of Haruka Yamazaki and Kaede Tachibana.
As if on cue, Alice levitated three red marbles as she glanced at them in a very brief manner. "All will be prepared as willed." Hughes shrugged at this and looked at one of the documents on his desk. "As wanted and executed, indeed."
Luke watched the movements of his charge. It was notable that the presence of the prefects had wavered. This was rather acceptable as another death plagued this campus. Moreover, it was the demise of a someone so young. Actually, this event left a bad taste in his mouth. This girl was truly innocent but the players of chess board where all of them seemed to be involved in one way. This would only get worse as it goes. At the same time, the pieces placed on the board were completely ignorant of the reason why they are being targeted specifically. As far as he knows, Rosenkreuz has an idea but would not speak of it. As for him, he has some conclusions. But of course, he was only here as a bodyguard to the kid and no one else. That would only be his concern entirely.
āHey Kid, what do you plan to do?" The question made Zenith raised his head as he was reading a book underneath one of the trees in the gardens. Fortunately, the ogling fan girls and fan boys were docile this time and kept their distance. Those golden eyes never revealed anything as he simply gazed at the golden-haired pure-blood before him. There was no question about it. This Academy was yet again, spiraling to its doom. "Nothing." This was his only answer and Luke released a disappointed sigh. Actually, he was expecting that answer. The Kid believes that if he does nothing about it, eventually, those actions will be rendered ineffective. However... āYou know, it will not stop. You should at least tell them."
Zenith closed the book he was reading and stood from his position. Information at this point would only aggravate the situation. Furthermore, it would have those people he had liked to be far away from him be involved more. That was something he does not like at all. "There is no need." After saying that, Zenith made his way to leave while Luke shrugged his shoulders at this dismissive stand of his charge. The boy was really stubborn more than Amalthea was. āI hope this doesn't end terribly. I really don't like you to be like him..." He said as an afterthought and then followed after his responsibility. Luke was very aware that this Kid will be the death of him someday, or may be it would be a different story. So, he will see this through.
āWhat is promisedā¦ am I even strong enough to keep them?ā
Heād lost track of time. Heād lost track of his surroundings. Honestly, he couldnāt even be bothered to pay attention to what he was thinking. He just drifted, somehow over time and space, the lines between the past and the present blurring so much that he began to understand how Sachiko must feel, when she had one of her visions of the future. Because he saw possibilities, too, only the ones that would never be. She haunted his dreams, the little girl with the red-rose hair and the emerald green eyes. He must have watched her grow up a thousand times, seen a thousand different lives she might have led.
He saw her married, with children, or a careerāmedicine, like her parents, or literature, since sheād always loved reading. He saw her grow old and happy, with a smile still on her face, surrounded by the people who loved her most, in the life sheād built. Sometimes, he was even tormented by what might have become of her had he changed her. A life almost as long as forever, with him, with them all. Heād never thought it a fitting option, at the time, but nowā¦ he came to understand how vastly preferable it would have been, to this. She could have lived, she could have laughed and smiled and cried as only the living do. She could have loved, and sang, and read to her heartās content. She could have stood beside them, beside him still.
He held onto none of these possibilities, nor the memories that interwove with them. But nor did he make any effort to chase them from his mind. He simply let them subsume him, draw out everything that was left in him and carry it off as they disappeared, leaving a hollow shell behind. Sachiko had come to him, he knew, but he had barely noticed her, and he could not make his tongue move to speak with her. Everything just hurt too muchāthe lingering ache of emptiness.
And all that echoed in him was violin music and a childās voice.
He knew it, when she appeared, but the eyes that met the jade ones were dull, fathomless black, deep and unfeeling as the Void. His grief was numb, like nothing heād ever experienced, and not even the sound of her sweet voice could stir him. It was all he could do to make eye contact, but that connection, that magnetism that drew them always toward one another from the very beginning, that sparkāit was gone, vanished as though it had never existed at all. He was the Null again, the Nothing, the Empty.
Perhaps that was what heād really been all along.
Something cracked in the back of Asuka's mind as her eyes met Sora's. His eyes, they were empty. Though his eyes had always been dark, lifeless at times, there was always some sort of light behind them. It took her a while to see it, but there was always a small glimmer of light, a glimmer of something behind his eyes. And now, there was nothing. Asuka tried to keep her breathing even, but it was hard. It was so very hard seeing him like this, and it was slowly causing her to feel suffocated. He regarded her with those eyes, those empty eyes. Did she truly mean nothing to him if he wouldn't so much as speak to her? What he told her, was it all a lie? To get her to admit to her feelings that had grown, was it all a game for him?
That thought caused her face to contort into something different. It wasn't disgust, it wasn't anger. It was just...blank. She wouldn't allow that to be true. She loved him. She wouldn't love another, couldn't love another. Losing someone was never easy, and she could only imagine how many people he lost that he cared about. Though from his memories, there was only a handful: Kaede, Yusuke, and Sakura. Then there was his cousin, Sachiko. They were his family, his friends. But what was she to him? Asuka lost her friend, her brother, her father. She had lost family as well. With that thought in mind, Asuka allowed her hands to finally ball into fists as she stood in front of Sora.
"You're not the only one, Sora," she spoke, her voice calm, soft like a whisper, with a hint of something dark. "You're not the only one who has lost someone important to you. I cannot claim to know how you feel about Kaede, but I do know how it feels to have someone you love stolen from you. You promised you'd let me help you, you're breaking that promise Sora. You..." she continued, her voice cracking subtle. She held her breath, gauging him for any reaction, but his face was still blank. There was nothing there. There wasn't anything behind his eyes, and it was breaking her heart even more. If there was anything left of her heart, and it broke further, she felt as if she would die.
"Do...do I even mean anything to you any more? You look at me with those eyes, and I feel like I never meant anything to you. Was I wrong to say that I loved you? Was I wrong to believe that you even loved me? Was it foolish...to think that," she finally questioned. He wasn't speaking to her, and she wanted to know if she made a mistake. She wanted to know if she made the mistake of loving him, of telling him that she loved him. "Tell me that it's true, and I will leave. I won't...I'll leave you. Just...just tell me," she finally felt her voice crack further as her eyes burned, the warmth sliding down her face as she fell to her knee's in front of him, grabbing his hand in hers and holding it to her cheek in the process.
He recognized her, but for a long moment, the recognition did not truly click. It was so hard, to make anything mean something to him. Her words felt like physical blows striking him, but he was so numb to pain that they produced no visible reaction whatsoever. Breaking a promiseā¦ heād done that twice now, it seemed. Heād promised Sakura and Yusuke that he would protect their precious child, and now she was gone. She was gone because he was not strong enough, vigilant enough, to save her. In the end, it didnāt matter who had made her bleed, because it was he who had killed her. It was his fault she had died. Because he was not stronger, or fast enough to save her. And if heād broken a promise to her as well, thenā¦ he was simply damned again, wasnāt he? Didnāt she see? She should just leave, hate him like he loathed himself. Because he was an oathbreaker, a protector who failed, and weak. Too weak.
The saline liquid of her tears dripped onto the hand she held to her face, and he could feel their warmth. It was more than heād felt in days, and he did not quite know what to make of it. Her skin, too, was flushed and warm, with her anger or her sadness, he did not know. She should not be angry or sad because of him. All heād ever wanted for her was to see her smile, to see her happy. It had astounded and confused him to realize that he was actually capable of that, of making her smile. He was pretty sure heād never been the source of anyoneās happiness before. Heād protected it, until he failed to, but theyād always made it on their own, and heād just been nearby. To be the reasonā¦ it made no sense.
But he was used to being the cause of misery. Something in his chest tightened, just a little bit, and his heart made an irregular thump in his chest. The sensation was uncomfortable, like he was being squeezed from the inside, and it took him a long time to recognize it. He hurt. His heart was aching, because she was crying, and he was the source of her misery. He should let her go, let her walk out of here and be free of him, so that she never had to cry because of him again. It would be the right thing to do.
Sora found that, as seemed to be the case too often lately, he was too weak to do the right thing. He could only be selfish. āDonāt,ā he said, his voice raspy and harsh from disuse rather than intent. āDonāt leave. You promised, tooā¦ā He was too weak to let her go, too pathetic to let her have what she deserved. And she deserved so much better than him, who could not even keep his promises to the dying. Who could not even protect a child. His thumb moved where it was against her face, brushing a tear away, but he allowed himself no more than that. He could manage no more than that.
Asuka leaned further into the brush of his hand, her tears falling harder as he spoke. She did promise. She promised she would never leave him, but if that was what he had wanted, she would do it. No matter how much pain it would cause her, she would leave him if that was what he desired. She was only happy with him around. She only ever truly smiled with him around, and if she meant nothing to him, she would leave him be. She would leave him to his own accord and she would disappear. She would disappear from his life as if she never existed in the first place. If that was what he wanted, she would do it. Her happiness be damned. The only thing she ever wanted was to make him happy. He deserved that much.
But then, he told her not to leave, and her fingers coiled a bit tighter around his hand. There was a slight hiccup in her heart beat when he spoke. He told her not to leave, but he still didn't answer the question she asked. Did she mean anything to him at all? Or was she simply just something there? She wanted to believe that the latter wasn't true. She wanted to believe she truly meant something to him, but all he spoke was for her to not leave, that she had promised too. She moved herself so that she was closer to him, removing her hands from his and sliding her arms underneath his. She rested her hands on top of his shoulders as she embraced him. It was always something she found comfort in, and she was trying to do the same now.
"I promised I would never leave you. I promised, and I don't break my promises," she spoke, her voice stilled and soft. She didn't break her promises, only when they were unexpectedly removed from her. "I won't leave you, but tell me. Please, talk to me. Don't shut yourself away from me. I...I can't," she continued, her arms tightening around him. She wouldn't be able to take it if he closed himself from her. And that was what he was doing earlier. Not only to her, but to his cousin, to the two people who he mattered to. He mattered to Asuka because she loved him, he mattered to Sachiko because she loved him as her cousin.
"I couldn't take it if you did. I told you my world would end without you, and I meant it. I meant every word I've ever said. So please...don't...don't hide from me. Don't close yourself off from me. I want to help you Sora, in anyway I can, even if I have to give you my life," she finally concluded, burying her face into his chest, her tears still falling. She wanted to stop them, but they continued to fall, soaking through everything they touched, including his shirt.
He saw her married, with children, or a careerāmedicine, like her parents, or literature, since sheād always loved reading. He saw her grow old and happy, with a smile still on her face, surrounded by the people who loved her most, in the life sheād built. Sometimes, he was even tormented by what might have become of her had he changed her. A life almost as long as forever, with him, with them all. Heād never thought it a fitting option, at the time, but nowā¦ he came to understand how vastly preferable it would have been, to this. She could have lived, she could have laughed and smiled and cried as only the living do. She could have loved, and sang, and read to her heartās content. She could have stood beside them, beside him still.
He held onto none of these possibilities, nor the memories that interwove with them. But nor did he make any effort to chase them from his mind. He simply let them subsume him, draw out everything that was left in him and carry it off as they disappeared, leaving a hollow shell behind. Sachiko had come to him, he knew, but he had barely noticed her, and he could not make his tongue move to speak with her. Everything just hurt too muchāthe lingering ache of emptiness.
And all that echoed in him was violin music and a childās voice.
He knew it, when she appeared, but the eyes that met the jade ones were dull, fathomless black, deep and unfeeling as the Void. His grief was numb, like nothing heād ever experienced, and not even the sound of her sweet voice could stir him. It was all he could do to make eye contact, but that connection, that magnetism that drew them always toward one another from the very beginning, that sparkāit was gone, vanished as though it had never existed at all. He was the Null again, the Nothing, the Empty.
Perhaps that was what heād really been all along.
Something cracked in the back of Asuka's mind as her eyes met Sora's. His eyes, they were empty. Though his eyes had always been dark, lifeless at times, there was always some sort of light behind them. It took her a while to see it, but there was always a small glimmer of light, a glimmer of something behind his eyes. And now, there was nothing. Asuka tried to keep her breathing even, but it was hard. It was so very hard seeing him like this, and it was slowly causing her to feel suffocated. He regarded her with those eyes, those empty eyes. Did she truly mean nothing to him if he wouldn't so much as speak to her? What he told her, was it all a lie? To get her to admit to her feelings that had grown, was it all a game for him?
That thought caused her face to contort into something different. It wasn't disgust, it wasn't anger. It was just...blank. She wouldn't allow that to be true. She loved him. She wouldn't love another, couldn't love another. Losing someone was never easy, and she could only imagine how many people he lost that he cared about. Though from his memories, there was only a handful: Kaede, Yusuke, and Sakura. Then there was his cousin, Sachiko. They were his family, his friends. But what was she to him? Asuka lost her friend, her brother, her father. She had lost family as well. With that thought in mind, Asuka allowed her hands to finally ball into fists as she stood in front of Sora.
"You're not the only one, Sora," she spoke, her voice calm, soft like a whisper, with a hint of something dark. "You're not the only one who has lost someone important to you. I cannot claim to know how you feel about Kaede, but I do know how it feels to have someone you love stolen from you. You promised you'd let me help you, you're breaking that promise Sora. You..." she continued, her voice cracking subtle. She held her breath, gauging him for any reaction, but his face was still blank. There was nothing there. There wasn't anything behind his eyes, and it was breaking her heart even more. If there was anything left of her heart, and it broke further, she felt as if she would die.
"Do...do I even mean anything to you any more? You look at me with those eyes, and I feel like I never meant anything to you. Was I wrong to say that I loved you? Was I wrong to believe that you even loved me? Was it foolish...to think that," she finally questioned. He wasn't speaking to her, and she wanted to know if she made a mistake. She wanted to know if she made the mistake of loving him, of telling him that she loved him. "Tell me that it's true, and I will leave. I won't...I'll leave you. Just...just tell me," she finally felt her voice crack further as her eyes burned, the warmth sliding down her face as she fell to her knee's in front of him, grabbing his hand in hers and holding it to her cheek in the process.
He recognized her, but for a long moment, the recognition did not truly click. It was so hard, to make anything mean something to him. Her words felt like physical blows striking him, but he was so numb to pain that they produced no visible reaction whatsoever. Breaking a promiseā¦ heād done that twice now, it seemed. Heād promised Sakura and Yusuke that he would protect their precious child, and now she was gone. She was gone because he was not strong enough, vigilant enough, to save her. In the end, it didnāt matter who had made her bleed, because it was he who had killed her. It was his fault she had died. Because he was not stronger, or fast enough to save her. And if heād broken a promise to her as well, thenā¦ he was simply damned again, wasnāt he? Didnāt she see? She should just leave, hate him like he loathed himself. Because he was an oathbreaker, a protector who failed, and weak. Too weak.
The saline liquid of her tears dripped onto the hand she held to her face, and he could feel their warmth. It was more than heād felt in days, and he did not quite know what to make of it. Her skin, too, was flushed and warm, with her anger or her sadness, he did not know. She should not be angry or sad because of him. All heād ever wanted for her was to see her smile, to see her happy. It had astounded and confused him to realize that he was actually capable of that, of making her smile. He was pretty sure heād never been the source of anyoneās happiness before. Heād protected it, until he failed to, but theyād always made it on their own, and heād just been nearby. To be the reasonā¦ it made no sense.
But he was used to being the cause of misery. Something in his chest tightened, just a little bit, and his heart made an irregular thump in his chest. The sensation was uncomfortable, like he was being squeezed from the inside, and it took him a long time to recognize it. He hurt. His heart was aching, because she was crying, and he was the source of her misery. He should let her go, let her walk out of here and be free of him, so that she never had to cry because of him again. It would be the right thing to do.
Sora found that, as seemed to be the case too often lately, he was too weak to do the right thing. He could only be selfish. āDonāt,ā he said, his voice raspy and harsh from disuse rather than intent. āDonāt leave. You promised, tooā¦ā He was too weak to let her go, too pathetic to let her have what she deserved. And she deserved so much better than him, who could not even keep his promises to the dying. Who could not even protect a child. His thumb moved where it was against her face, brushing a tear away, but he allowed himself no more than that. He could manage no more than that.
Asuka leaned further into the brush of his hand, her tears falling harder as he spoke. She did promise. She promised she would never leave him, but if that was what he had wanted, she would do it. No matter how much pain it would cause her, she would leave him if that was what he desired. She was only happy with him around. She only ever truly smiled with him around, and if she meant nothing to him, she would leave him be. She would leave him to his own accord and she would disappear. She would disappear from his life as if she never existed in the first place. If that was what he wanted, she would do it. Her happiness be damned. The only thing she ever wanted was to make him happy. He deserved that much.
But then, he told her not to leave, and her fingers coiled a bit tighter around his hand. There was a slight hiccup in her heart beat when he spoke. He told her not to leave, but he still didn't answer the question she asked. Did she mean anything to him at all? Or was she simply just something there? She wanted to believe that the latter wasn't true. She wanted to believe she truly meant something to him, but all he spoke was for her to not leave, that she had promised too. She moved herself so that she was closer to him, removing her hands from his and sliding her arms underneath his. She rested her hands on top of his shoulders as she embraced him. It was always something she found comfort in, and she was trying to do the same now.
"I promised I would never leave you. I promised, and I don't break my promises," she spoke, her voice stilled and soft. She didn't break her promises, only when they were unexpectedly removed from her. "I won't leave you, but tell me. Please, talk to me. Don't shut yourself away from me. I...I can't," she continued, her arms tightening around him. She wouldn't be able to take it if he closed himself from her. And that was what he was doing earlier. Not only to her, but to his cousin, to the two people who he mattered to. He mattered to Asuka because she loved him, he mattered to Sachiko because she loved him as her cousin.
"I couldn't take it if you did. I told you my world would end without you, and I meant it. I meant every word I've ever said. So please...don't...don't hide from me. Don't close yourself off from me. I want to help you Sora, in anyway I can, even if I have to give you my life," she finally concluded, burying her face into his chest, her tears still falling. She wanted to stop them, but they continued to fall, soaking through everything they touched, including his shirt.
"I meant every word I said. I won't leave, only if you want me to."
His tongue was still not cooperating him, but that pain in his chest only increased, and as he wrapped his arms around her waist, he remembered something importantāliving, being alive, was something that hurt. But the pain was just proof that he was alive, that he was here, and she was here, and somehow, some way, things were still moving. The world still turned, even though his had come grinding to a halt with her death. He closed his eyes against their burning, then lowered himself so that his forehead rested on her shoulder.
She was bidding him to open up, to not shut himself off, but still he wondered if he should. If he did, if he told her the one thing that had been haunting his thoughts since after the explosion, that dark thing he had discovered of himself, would she still be willing to look at him? To be here, with him? He had thoughtā¦ that protecting them gave even a life like his meaning, but when he had failed so greatlyā¦ he had no meaning anymore. He had only what he was, and he could not deny that it dragged him down from his flight, like a bird whose wings had been cut. That little witch of a girl had been right about that much.
When he spoke, his voice was soft, nothing more than the barest of broken whispers, more raw and vulnerable than heād been in his life. āIām notā¦ Iām not a Tsukino at all.ā he said dully, his hold tightening. Her warmth was giving him the strength to speak again. Did she know that? Could he ever express it. āIām not anything. I was made, not born, for a purpose I do not understand. Someone spliced a bunch of genes together and grew me. Iām just aājust a weapon. A thing. I thoughtā¦ even afterā¦ that if I could just choose my cause, my life might beāā He swallowed thickly, squeezing his eyes tightly shut.
āI thought that my life might be worth something, if I used it to protect her, to protect them, to protect you. But I canāt. I couldnāt. Iām a tool with no use, no purpose. All I wanted was toāā He took in a great, shuddering breath, and she was no longer the only one that wept. Bereft of the numbness that allowed him not to feel, his grief was breaking him. āAll I wanted was to give her a chance to live. All I wanted was to make you smile, and insteadā¦ I killed her, and you weep because of me.ā
Her grip only tightened when she felt him rest his head on her shoulder. Her tears ceased to fall as she opened her eyes, staring into his shirt as he spoke the first words. Not a Tsukino? Was that even supposed to mean anything to her? It was just a name, nothing more. It didn't hold power over her as most names would to another person. He was simply Sora to her. She didn't love a name, she loved a person, someone. She could feel his hold tightening against her as he continued to speak, and for a moment, she had to hear the words again. She rolled them around in her mind. He was created? He was just a weapon? That...made her angry, and she pulled back from him, her eyes glowing with the anger.
"Don't you dare," she began, a fresh set of tears fighting to fall from her eyes. "Don't you dare tell me that. You are not a weapon. You are not a tool. You are Sora, the only person I've ever loved, the only one I ever will. You are not a thing, Sora," she continued. How could he say that about himself? Granted, knowing that you were a being created and not born, is news that can startle just about anyone who knew nothing of that. But he wasn't a thing. He was a person, a friend, a lover, and that is how she perceived him.
"The circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are," she spoke. These words held a meaning to her as they were spoken to her by him once. By her father. When she had confided in her father that she had despised what she was, what she was to become, he spoke those words to her. She had not known what he meant then, and still probably understands little of what it means, but she understood. She understood what he was trying to tell her, and she could only hope that she was doing the same for Sora. "I weep not because of you, Sora. I weep for you. And that's all you ever did for me. You made me happy. You made me happier than I could have even thought possible," she added.
She laid her head back into his chest, keeping the tears from spilling again. It hurt her to hear the things he spoke of. It hurt her to hear how he thought of himself, how he saw things, and something stirred to life in her. A part of her that demanded that someone pay in blood for the crimes they committed against Sora. "I love you, Sora. Nothing will ever change that," she whispered softly against him. "Tsukino or not, creation or not. I did not fall in love with what you were. I fell in love with who you are, I love you. You've given me so much than I can ever hope to repay back. Kaede...," she spoke the girls' name with a fragile whisper. She might not have shown it, she might not have seen the girl often, but there was something there.
"You gave her a chance to live. And she lived with you, Sora. She was happy with you, as am I. I do not think she could have wanted more. She had you and Sachiko, and...I think in the end, that was all that mattered to her. I do not know for certain, but from the moments I spent with all of you, she was so happy," she continued, her voice still cracked. If he couldn't see that, then she did not know any other way to show him.
It ached still, and perhaps it always would. But slowly, as she spoke, he could feel the empty places filling up again. With her words, the sound of her voice. With her scent and the way she felt against him. With her. It was impossible for even someone like him to remain unmoved by her, and that had been proven long ago. He knew well what heād been created to be. It had all been there, in the data that someone had left for him to find. He knew not where his genetic material came from, and for a while, that had bothered him. Just who was he?
But heād been asking the wrong question. Who he was was this person here, before her, in love with her. What he was was still unknown to him, but it seemed to matter little, if at all. He was what he had been madeā¦ and what he could and had made of himself. That was far from a perfect thing, and there were deep flaws and weaknesses in it. He had still failed to protect Kaede. He still lacked many of the answers, butā¦ he still lived. She still lived. Sachiko still lived, and this had to mean something to him. No, not something, everything. She was everything, and heād never realized how freeing that was. Could it be possible that this binding, this magnetic tie he felt to her, freed her as it freed him? Could it truly be that she spoke the truth, and not something she falsely believed, the product of a good heart and the best of intentions?
Could he possibly mean as much to her as she meant to him?
His grief flared in his heart, but it could not last at such a burning pitch. Not when she was near, and he felt the pain recede to something manageable. Something he would never forget, never devalue, but something he could live with. He would miss her, always. But he would not do her the disservice of letting her sacrifice destroy him. He needed to be strong as she was strong, as Asuka was strong. For them, for her. Gently, he moved his hands, lifting them so that they cradled either side of her face, her skin smooth and dewy against the roughness of his weapon-calluses. It still faintly amazed him, how physically different they were. She was soft where he was firm or rough, fragile where he was strong. But it was a deceptive fragility, because underneath her silk and velvet was tempered, fire-forged steel. He had never been so awed by another person in all his life as he was awed by her.
The pads of his thumbs brushed away the last of her tears, even as his own dried, and his mouth tilted for a fleeting moment into a slight smile. āThis is twice you have unmade me,ā he said gently, something impossibly soft creeping into the darkness of his eyes. āAnd twice you have made me again. I fear what I would have become without you.ā He sighed softly through his nose, tilting his head faintly to the side and studying her for a long moment, searching her with that same soft tenderness.
āFor all that you are and all that you have doneā¦ I love you, Asuka.ā
There it was, that something glittering behind his eyes. Even as he spoke, her eyes remained glued with his. Even as his hands cradled her face, her eyes remained with his. With his fingers, he rubbed away the last of her tears, and she allowed her smile to return. There he was, her Sora with that smile of his. He had returned to her, not fully, but he was still there. She leaned into his hands, pushing a little to the left as she closed her eyes. She loved him so very much, and to see him as he was had killed a part of her, and was still killing her when he had spoken the words he had against himself. She wanted him to see that what she spoke was true, that he wasn't just an object, that he was a person who deserved as much out of life as anyone else.
"I love you too. Just...don't ever scare me like that again," she stated, removing his hands from her face and placed her own hands against his face. She leaned closer to him, their lips but a hairsbreadth apart. "I don't know how much my heart could take," she whispered, pushing her lips to his in a kiss that conveyed that fear. It was soft, hesitant, and full of the emotion that spilled from her heart. "And I fear what would become of me if I didn't have you," she continued as she pulled away. She truly did love this man, this vampire. And she would always tell him, always show him, just how much he meant to her.
"Thank you, Sora, for loving me."
She was bidding him to open up, to not shut himself off, but still he wondered if he should. If he did, if he told her the one thing that had been haunting his thoughts since after the explosion, that dark thing he had discovered of himself, would she still be willing to look at him? To be here, with him? He had thoughtā¦ that protecting them gave even a life like his meaning, but when he had failed so greatlyā¦ he had no meaning anymore. He had only what he was, and he could not deny that it dragged him down from his flight, like a bird whose wings had been cut. That little witch of a girl had been right about that much.
When he spoke, his voice was soft, nothing more than the barest of broken whispers, more raw and vulnerable than heād been in his life. āIām notā¦ Iām not a Tsukino at all.ā he said dully, his hold tightening. Her warmth was giving him the strength to speak again. Did she know that? Could he ever express it. āIām not anything. I was made, not born, for a purpose I do not understand. Someone spliced a bunch of genes together and grew me. Iām just aājust a weapon. A thing. I thoughtā¦ even afterā¦ that if I could just choose my cause, my life might beāā He swallowed thickly, squeezing his eyes tightly shut.
āI thought that my life might be worth something, if I used it to protect her, to protect them, to protect you. But I canāt. I couldnāt. Iām a tool with no use, no purpose. All I wanted was toāā He took in a great, shuddering breath, and she was no longer the only one that wept. Bereft of the numbness that allowed him not to feel, his grief was breaking him. āAll I wanted was to give her a chance to live. All I wanted was to make you smile, and insteadā¦ I killed her, and you weep because of me.ā
Her grip only tightened when she felt him rest his head on her shoulder. Her tears ceased to fall as she opened her eyes, staring into his shirt as he spoke the first words. Not a Tsukino? Was that even supposed to mean anything to her? It was just a name, nothing more. It didn't hold power over her as most names would to another person. He was simply Sora to her. She didn't love a name, she loved a person, someone. She could feel his hold tightening against her as he continued to speak, and for a moment, she had to hear the words again. She rolled them around in her mind. He was created? He was just a weapon? That...made her angry, and she pulled back from him, her eyes glowing with the anger.
"Don't you dare," she began, a fresh set of tears fighting to fall from her eyes. "Don't you dare tell me that. You are not a weapon. You are not a tool. You are Sora, the only person I've ever loved, the only one I ever will. You are not a thing, Sora," she continued. How could he say that about himself? Granted, knowing that you were a being created and not born, is news that can startle just about anyone who knew nothing of that. But he wasn't a thing. He was a person, a friend, a lover, and that is how she perceived him.
"The circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are," she spoke. These words held a meaning to her as they were spoken to her by him once. By her father. When she had confided in her father that she had despised what she was, what she was to become, he spoke those words to her. She had not known what he meant then, and still probably understands little of what it means, but she understood. She understood what he was trying to tell her, and she could only hope that she was doing the same for Sora. "I weep not because of you, Sora. I weep for you. And that's all you ever did for me. You made me happy. You made me happier than I could have even thought possible," she added.
She laid her head back into his chest, keeping the tears from spilling again. It hurt her to hear the things he spoke of. It hurt her to hear how he thought of himself, how he saw things, and something stirred to life in her. A part of her that demanded that someone pay in blood for the crimes they committed against Sora. "I love you, Sora. Nothing will ever change that," she whispered softly against him. "Tsukino or not, creation or not. I did not fall in love with what you were. I fell in love with who you are, I love you. You've given me so much than I can ever hope to repay back. Kaede...," she spoke the girls' name with a fragile whisper. She might not have shown it, she might not have seen the girl often, but there was something there.
"You gave her a chance to live. And she lived with you, Sora. She was happy with you, as am I. I do not think she could have wanted more. She had you and Sachiko, and...I think in the end, that was all that mattered to her. I do not know for certain, but from the moments I spent with all of you, she was so happy," she continued, her voice still cracked. If he couldn't see that, then she did not know any other way to show him.
It ached still, and perhaps it always would. But slowly, as she spoke, he could feel the empty places filling up again. With her words, the sound of her voice. With her scent and the way she felt against him. With her. It was impossible for even someone like him to remain unmoved by her, and that had been proven long ago. He knew well what heād been created to be. It had all been there, in the data that someone had left for him to find. He knew not where his genetic material came from, and for a while, that had bothered him. Just who was he?
But heād been asking the wrong question. Who he was was this person here, before her, in love with her. What he was was still unknown to him, but it seemed to matter little, if at all. He was what he had been madeā¦ and what he could and had made of himself. That was far from a perfect thing, and there were deep flaws and weaknesses in it. He had still failed to protect Kaede. He still lacked many of the answers, butā¦ he still lived. She still lived. Sachiko still lived, and this had to mean something to him. No, not something, everything. She was everything, and heād never realized how freeing that was. Could it be possible that this binding, this magnetic tie he felt to her, freed her as it freed him? Could it truly be that she spoke the truth, and not something she falsely believed, the product of a good heart and the best of intentions?
Could he possibly mean as much to her as she meant to him?
His grief flared in his heart, but it could not last at such a burning pitch. Not when she was near, and he felt the pain recede to something manageable. Something he would never forget, never devalue, but something he could live with. He would miss her, always. But he would not do her the disservice of letting her sacrifice destroy him. He needed to be strong as she was strong, as Asuka was strong. For them, for her. Gently, he moved his hands, lifting them so that they cradled either side of her face, her skin smooth and dewy against the roughness of his weapon-calluses. It still faintly amazed him, how physically different they were. She was soft where he was firm or rough, fragile where he was strong. But it was a deceptive fragility, because underneath her silk and velvet was tempered, fire-forged steel. He had never been so awed by another person in all his life as he was awed by her.
The pads of his thumbs brushed away the last of her tears, even as his own dried, and his mouth tilted for a fleeting moment into a slight smile. āThis is twice you have unmade me,ā he said gently, something impossibly soft creeping into the darkness of his eyes. āAnd twice you have made me again. I fear what I would have become without you.ā He sighed softly through his nose, tilting his head faintly to the side and studying her for a long moment, searching her with that same soft tenderness.
āFor all that you are and all that you have doneā¦ I love you, Asuka.ā
There it was, that something glittering behind his eyes. Even as he spoke, her eyes remained glued with his. Even as his hands cradled her face, her eyes remained with his. With his fingers, he rubbed away the last of her tears, and she allowed her smile to return. There he was, her Sora with that smile of his. He had returned to her, not fully, but he was still there. She leaned into his hands, pushing a little to the left as she closed her eyes. She loved him so very much, and to see him as he was had killed a part of her, and was still killing her when he had spoken the words he had against himself. She wanted him to see that what she spoke was true, that he wasn't just an object, that he was a person who deserved as much out of life as anyone else.
"I love you too. Just...don't ever scare me like that again," she stated, removing his hands from her face and placed her own hands against his face. She leaned closer to him, their lips but a hairsbreadth apart. "I don't know how much my heart could take," she whispered, pushing her lips to his in a kiss that conveyed that fear. It was soft, hesitant, and full of the emotion that spilled from her heart. "And I fear what would become of me if I didn't have you," she continued as she pulled away. She truly did love this man, this vampire. And she would always tell him, always show him, just how much he meant to her.
"Thank you, Sora, for loving me."
|āAll fall down eventually, so learn how to do it gracefully. After all, we are roses.ā|
"Silly Saint, you didn't have to do that.ā It was said with a rather humorous tone. The reason was the action of her precious little brother who saw her as the world and beyond. āI didn't mind dying.ā She noted with a sing-song voice as she delicately plucked the petals of the reddish-pink rose in her hand. It was rather ironic to have such a flower as the symbol of their cursed bloodline. Nevertheless, it was also significant in a way. "I do not want you dead." This rather monotonic and honest words of her brother were truly something she appreciated very much. At the very least, she knew that whatever he does, it was utmost sincere in every way. She smiled and gently patted his head in a rather motherly manner. āThen will you make sure I'm always alive?ā This question of hers was simply a play due to the current atmosphere. However to the golden-eyed male looking at her, it was not. "I will."
āSo, what is this summon for Headmaster?" Luke noted as he remained standing in front of the desk despite being offered a seat. He had a guess that this was probably another twisted set of mind games or the likes. The question will be truly enough to make him move across their board and be a part of it actively, or will he simply remained nothing more but a bystander. "Amalthea." One word. One name. One person. It was enough for the golden pure-blood to narrow his eyes in a very distinctive manner. Since a long time ago, this man before him had never mind certain delicacy in specific topics. āBe careful of the next words that will escape that mouth of yours, Headmaster." There was an edge in that tone of his which made the Headmaster smile with interest.
"She was the beginning of this chapter, isn't it?" Hughes noted as he placed down the documents, he was reviewing. Removing his glasses, he gazed at Luke with those calculating coal black eyes of his. āWhen did it ever end?" Luke noted as his usual carefree manner was now replaced with a rather serious and intimidating one. There was truth in that statement. Hughes gave a shrug. It truly never ended. Even now, the past was still haunting the present and even possibly the future. The true start of this all was an object said to be eternity. Perhaps, it truly was. āIn any case, if you are trying to pick a fight with me. You know it will not end as you like it." Hughes leaned on his chair as he now placed down his glasses and smirked. "True... The one who really started this was the Queen, isn't it?"
Luke slammed his hands on the desk with great force as the sound it made echoed throughout the room. His eyes were filled with restricted anger and at the same time, notable displeasure. āDon't involve them with our problems." Hughes was not dissuaded or even bothered by Luke's actions. Instead, he positioned his arms on the desk and placed his chin on top of his inter crossed fingers. They were far over to settle everything through discussions or negotiations. "We both know, that's impossible now." Those eyes of black was cold and very manipulative. Luke moved away from the desk as he managed to retrieve his composure. There was fact in Hughes' statement. "I will tell you this since we go way back." Hughes stood from his seat and went towards the pure-blood.
A picture was shown and handed to Luke. The pure-blood took it and his eyes widened in surprise. He growled at Hughes in rage. āYou fool, this is an outrage!" Hughes simply smiled at this reaction. It was expected especially with what the picture he gave Luke truly mean. What was happening and about to occur, this would be truly called complete insanity, madness, but aren't we all mad to begin with? "It will be done. Inform your charge, there would be no turning back from this point." Hughes returned to his chair and released a sigh before returning his glasses in place of his eyes once more."This is what he desired in the end, right?" Luke's grip of the photo given to him tightened. Darkness will descend without doubt.
There was a nice breeze. It was comforting as well. That is why Zenith was yet again fast asleep under a certain out-of-season cherry blossoms tree. He was unconcerned about the fact in which Luke had been summoned by the Headmaster. There are matters that he should never interfere with. Even more so if it was a private affair. As such, he would expect Luke not to interfere with his as well. Just like that, he lay on the grass without much concern of those who would be able to come up to him. At the same time, he completely look at peace. As if, there was no problem plaguing him or the darkness which clouded his being entirely. Right now, he comes out to the world as a visage of angelic peace. How truly peculiar, indeed, for a creature who is known to be entirely dipped within the sea of darkness.
"Saint... Saint... Saint... I have something to tell you.ā Someone was calling him by that affectionate term. An alias in which that special someone had coined for her. In truth, this was the only person he wanted to hear the alias from. However, he could not open his eyes. It was truly odd and frustrating indeed. Because. he wanted to see the face of this melodic goddess of his. "You must never forget.ā What does she mean never forget? Was he forgetting something? Never once did he do such anything. "I will never forget it. I will never forget you." There was laughter in her tone upon hearing his answer. "Silly boy... That's not what I mean... Go figure, my sweet Saint... So, open your eyes...ā
With that finally said, Zenith finally open his eyes and what he saw before his eyes was...
āSo, what is this summon for Headmaster?" Luke noted as he remained standing in front of the desk despite being offered a seat. He had a guess that this was probably another twisted set of mind games or the likes. The question will be truly enough to make him move across their board and be a part of it actively, or will he simply remained nothing more but a bystander. "Amalthea." One word. One name. One person. It was enough for the golden pure-blood to narrow his eyes in a very distinctive manner. Since a long time ago, this man before him had never mind certain delicacy in specific topics. āBe careful of the next words that will escape that mouth of yours, Headmaster." There was an edge in that tone of his which made the Headmaster smile with interest.
"She was the beginning of this chapter, isn't it?" Hughes noted as he placed down the documents, he was reviewing. Removing his glasses, he gazed at Luke with those calculating coal black eyes of his. āWhen did it ever end?" Luke noted as his usual carefree manner was now replaced with a rather serious and intimidating one. There was truth in that statement. Hughes gave a shrug. It truly never ended. Even now, the past was still haunting the present and even possibly the future. The true start of this all was an object said to be eternity. Perhaps, it truly was. āIn any case, if you are trying to pick a fight with me. You know it will not end as you like it." Hughes leaned on his chair as he now placed down his glasses and smirked. "True... The one who really started this was the Queen, isn't it?"
Luke slammed his hands on the desk with great force as the sound it made echoed throughout the room. His eyes were filled with restricted anger and at the same time, notable displeasure. āDon't involve them with our problems." Hughes was not dissuaded or even bothered by Luke's actions. Instead, he positioned his arms on the desk and placed his chin on top of his inter crossed fingers. They were far over to settle everything through discussions or negotiations. "We both know, that's impossible now." Those eyes of black was cold and very manipulative. Luke moved away from the desk as he managed to retrieve his composure. There was fact in Hughes' statement. "I will tell you this since we go way back." Hughes stood from his seat and went towards the pure-blood.
A picture was shown and handed to Luke. The pure-blood took it and his eyes widened in surprise. He growled at Hughes in rage. āYou fool, this is an outrage!" Hughes simply smiled at this reaction. It was expected especially with what the picture he gave Luke truly mean. What was happening and about to occur, this would be truly called complete insanity, madness, but aren't we all mad to begin with? "It will be done. Inform your charge, there would be no turning back from this point." Hughes returned to his chair and released a sigh before returning his glasses in place of his eyes once more."This is what he desired in the end, right?" Luke's grip of the photo given to him tightened. Darkness will descend without doubt.
There was a nice breeze. It was comforting as well. That is why Zenith was yet again fast asleep under a certain out-of-season cherry blossoms tree. He was unconcerned about the fact in which Luke had been summoned by the Headmaster. There are matters that he should never interfere with. Even more so if it was a private affair. As such, he would expect Luke not to interfere with his as well. Just like that, he lay on the grass without much concern of those who would be able to come up to him. At the same time, he completely look at peace. As if, there was no problem plaguing him or the darkness which clouded his being entirely. Right now, he comes out to the world as a visage of angelic peace. How truly peculiar, indeed, for a creature who is known to be entirely dipped within the sea of darkness.
"Saint... Saint... Saint... I have something to tell you.ā Someone was calling him by that affectionate term. An alias in which that special someone had coined for her. In truth, this was the only person he wanted to hear the alias from. However, he could not open his eyes. It was truly odd and frustrating indeed. Because. he wanted to see the face of this melodic goddess of his. "You must never forget.ā What does she mean never forget? Was he forgetting something? Never once did he do such anything. "I will never forget it. I will never forget you." There was laughter in her tone upon hearing his answer. "Silly boy... That's not what I mean... Go figure, my sweet Saint... So, open your eyes...ā
With that finally said, Zenith finally open his eyes and what he saw before his eyes was...
āUntil we learn to lean on others, we are only as strong as our weakest moment.ā
With nowhere to be and nothing in particular to do, Anastasia found herself once again wandering the grounds. Sheād spent several hours this morning taking apart her computer and putting it back together, but eventually sheād grown a bit bored with it and swept all the extra parts into a small bag, righted the machine with an affectionate pat and decided that what she really needed was some fresh air. It was such a lovely day, besides, and she could also use some company.
As soon as her bare feet hit the grass outside (it was a weekend, after all, and she didnāt have to wear shoes on the weekend if she didnāt want to), she cast her mind out over the campus like a net, seeking for certain people in particular. Of course, she always wound up with more information than she was looking for, so she knew that Luke was talking to the headmaster, and that he at least was not pleased, but she didnāt want to pry, and so she kept away from any more information than that. Imperceptibly, she brushed over every consciousness in her range, stopping for a moment when she found Sora, Sachiko, and Asuka all together in the library, but they seemed occupied, and likely would not appreciate her company right now.
In the end, though, she found him, and he appeared to be by himself, andā¦ sleeping? She heard a fragment of a feminine voice, and surmised that he dreamed of something. Well, sheād not intrude on that, but perhaps he wouldn't mind if she came to keep him company. If he was still napping by the time she got there, heād leave him be, of course, but she hadnāt seen him in a few days, and felt rather sorry for that. She was his friend, after all, even if he didnāt think so. It was rather difficult to dissuade her once sheād set her mind on something, and this was no exception. What sheād told Luke was the truth, after allā¦ though she did still wonder why the golden-haired man did not consider himself Zenithās friend as well.
She found him, as sheād expected to, in the sanctuary, where that tree was still blooming. It really was a wondrous thing, that it never stopped doing that. The scene looked on the surface of it to be quite serenely composed, and with an artistās eye, and for a moment, she wondered how on earth sheād wound up with such beautiful friends. It wasnāt a quality she went looking for, but it seemed to have happened that way, regardless. Well, that was no great tragedy, and while perhaps another would have nursed a blossoming inferiority complex, Ana didnāt let it bother her. She simply appreciated it, as one did tend to appreciate sculpture or painting. But there was no mistaking that to her sight, to her eyes, it was not serene at all, but rather tragic, as if it had all been tinged in blue and grey and misery.
She took a few steps closer, leaning over him a bit, hands clasped behind her back, to try and discern if he was still asleep or not, and from the regularity of the rise and fall of his chest and the way his eyes were closed, she supposed that he was. Ana was just about to straighten herself and leave him be when they opened, revealing that luminous golden color to the world. She smiled softly, tilting her head such that most of her hair fell over her shoulder. āAh, there you are,ā she said brightly, though at low volume. āI hope Iām not intruding; sorry to wake you.ā Actually, she wasnāt really sure if sheād woken him at all, but regardless, it was probably a bit weird, to see someone you hadnāt expected first thing after waking up. She didnāt bother explaining that sheād only been checking if he really was asleep, because she didnāt feel the need. If he asked she certainly would, but she was not embarrassed by her own presence here.
Instead, she only straightened, still smiling, then took a seat about a foot to his left, folding her legs underneath her and pulling the entire mass of her hair over her shoulder. āItās been a little while, hasnāt it? Or maybe it just seems like longer, because of all thatās happenedā¦ā Her voice took on a note of melancholy, and her fingers froze for a moment in the act of separating her ochre strands into three sections, but then she shook her head faintly and resumed the motion, twisting the mass into a braid with deft fingers, more to have something to do with her hands than anything else. If she felt at all odd or uncomfortable making conversation with someone who spoke so infrequently and in such clipped phrases, she did not show it. In fact, she was perfectly fine with this.
In the library, the group of three sat around one of the tables, one of Soraās hands currently interlaced with one of Asukaās, the joined limbs resting on his knee. Across from them, Sachiko was seated crosslegged on a chair, her journal open in front of her. Interestingly, new faces had joined the old onesāin addition to Haruka, Asuka, Alice, and the boy Sora recognized as having injured Rosenkreuz at the festival, there were now portraits of the Headmaster, the one called Luke, and, oddly, Anastasia.
āWhatās Guillory got to do with anything?ā Sora asked, a frown turning his mouth downwards. If the girl was some kind of agent of whomever they were dealing with hereā¦ then he had to admit, she was a very good one. He wasnāt always the best at reading people, but he could usually tell the good from the wicked in broad strokes. Sheād seemed anything but wicked, so much so that it had actually weirded him out a little, at first. But a mind-reader who could get through vampiric nullification like his was doubtless a useful thing to have, human or otherwise.
Sachiko sighed through her nose. āI honestly donāt know,ā she said quietly, her hands resting loosely in her lap. āIt so unclear still. Maybe nothingā¦ maybe everything. Sheās not our enemy, I know that much, butā¦ beyond that I canāt say anything with certainty.ā Pursing her lips, she raised her hands to the end of one of her twintails, worrying the hair slightly in an anxious gesture sheād had since childhood.
āAll rightā¦ what about the rest of them? Did the Headmaster really kill Kaede?ā The girlās last words were powerful evidence, but the meaning behind them had not been absolutely clear, and Sora did not raise a blade unless he was entirely certain of why he was doing it. That much was a necessity in the assassinās credo.
āI donāt know,ā she repeated, her frustration becoming clear. āHe was definitely involved somehow, but I do not know in what capacity. She just started bleeding, right? Iāve never seen a power that can simply rupture internal organs like that. I canāt tell if he had to touch her to make it work, or if it was a completely mental thing, or what, and without that information, I donāt know enough to narrow down the people that were around her in her last moments.ā
Sora ran a free hand down his face, his other reflexively tightening where it held Asukaās. āAnd you still canāt locate the Contra Mundi?ā
She shook her head. āNo,ā she replied softly. āHeās invisible to me. ā¦Just like you are, Sora.ā She swallowed, unsure what it could mean, but there were some truly unpleasant possibilities. Possibilities that Sora was choosing to ignore for the moment. None of it mattered anyway.
āWhat about you, Asuka? Did Rosenkreuz seem to know anything about what happened?ā
As soon as her bare feet hit the grass outside (it was a weekend, after all, and she didnāt have to wear shoes on the weekend if she didnāt want to), she cast her mind out over the campus like a net, seeking for certain people in particular. Of course, she always wound up with more information than she was looking for, so she knew that Luke was talking to the headmaster, and that he at least was not pleased, but she didnāt want to pry, and so she kept away from any more information than that. Imperceptibly, she brushed over every consciousness in her range, stopping for a moment when she found Sora, Sachiko, and Asuka all together in the library, but they seemed occupied, and likely would not appreciate her company right now.
In the end, though, she found him, and he appeared to be by himself, andā¦ sleeping? She heard a fragment of a feminine voice, and surmised that he dreamed of something. Well, sheād not intrude on that, but perhaps he wouldn't mind if she came to keep him company. If he was still napping by the time she got there, heād leave him be, of course, but she hadnāt seen him in a few days, and felt rather sorry for that. She was his friend, after all, even if he didnāt think so. It was rather difficult to dissuade her once sheād set her mind on something, and this was no exception. What sheād told Luke was the truth, after allā¦ though she did still wonder why the golden-haired man did not consider himself Zenithās friend as well.
She found him, as sheād expected to, in the sanctuary, where that tree was still blooming. It really was a wondrous thing, that it never stopped doing that. The scene looked on the surface of it to be quite serenely composed, and with an artistās eye, and for a moment, she wondered how on earth sheād wound up with such beautiful friends. It wasnāt a quality she went looking for, but it seemed to have happened that way, regardless. Well, that was no great tragedy, and while perhaps another would have nursed a blossoming inferiority complex, Ana didnāt let it bother her. She simply appreciated it, as one did tend to appreciate sculpture or painting. But there was no mistaking that to her sight, to her eyes, it was not serene at all, but rather tragic, as if it had all been tinged in blue and grey and misery.
She took a few steps closer, leaning over him a bit, hands clasped behind her back, to try and discern if he was still asleep or not, and from the regularity of the rise and fall of his chest and the way his eyes were closed, she supposed that he was. Ana was just about to straighten herself and leave him be when they opened, revealing that luminous golden color to the world. She smiled softly, tilting her head such that most of her hair fell over her shoulder. āAh, there you are,ā she said brightly, though at low volume. āI hope Iām not intruding; sorry to wake you.ā Actually, she wasnāt really sure if sheād woken him at all, but regardless, it was probably a bit weird, to see someone you hadnāt expected first thing after waking up. She didnāt bother explaining that sheād only been checking if he really was asleep, because she didnāt feel the need. If he asked she certainly would, but she was not embarrassed by her own presence here.
Instead, she only straightened, still smiling, then took a seat about a foot to his left, folding her legs underneath her and pulling the entire mass of her hair over her shoulder. āItās been a little while, hasnāt it? Or maybe it just seems like longer, because of all thatās happenedā¦ā Her voice took on a note of melancholy, and her fingers froze for a moment in the act of separating her ochre strands into three sections, but then she shook her head faintly and resumed the motion, twisting the mass into a braid with deft fingers, more to have something to do with her hands than anything else. If she felt at all odd or uncomfortable making conversation with someone who spoke so infrequently and in such clipped phrases, she did not show it. In fact, she was perfectly fine with this.
In the library, the group of three sat around one of the tables, one of Soraās hands currently interlaced with one of Asukaās, the joined limbs resting on his knee. Across from them, Sachiko was seated crosslegged on a chair, her journal open in front of her. Interestingly, new faces had joined the old onesāin addition to Haruka, Asuka, Alice, and the boy Sora recognized as having injured Rosenkreuz at the festival, there were now portraits of the Headmaster, the one called Luke, and, oddly, Anastasia.
āWhatās Guillory got to do with anything?ā Sora asked, a frown turning his mouth downwards. If the girl was some kind of agent of whomever they were dealing with hereā¦ then he had to admit, she was a very good one. He wasnāt always the best at reading people, but he could usually tell the good from the wicked in broad strokes. Sheād seemed anything but wicked, so much so that it had actually weirded him out a little, at first. But a mind-reader who could get through vampiric nullification like his was doubtless a useful thing to have, human or otherwise.
Sachiko sighed through her nose. āI honestly donāt know,ā she said quietly, her hands resting loosely in her lap. āIt so unclear still. Maybe nothingā¦ maybe everything. Sheās not our enemy, I know that much, butā¦ beyond that I canāt say anything with certainty.ā Pursing her lips, she raised her hands to the end of one of her twintails, worrying the hair slightly in an anxious gesture sheād had since childhood.
āAll rightā¦ what about the rest of them? Did the Headmaster really kill Kaede?ā The girlās last words were powerful evidence, but the meaning behind them had not been absolutely clear, and Sora did not raise a blade unless he was entirely certain of why he was doing it. That much was a necessity in the assassinās credo.
āI donāt know,ā she repeated, her frustration becoming clear. āHe was definitely involved somehow, but I do not know in what capacity. She just started bleeding, right? Iāve never seen a power that can simply rupture internal organs like that. I canāt tell if he had to touch her to make it work, or if it was a completely mental thing, or what, and without that information, I donāt know enough to narrow down the people that were around her in her last moments.ā
Sora ran a free hand down his face, his other reflexively tightening where it held Asukaās. āAnd you still canāt locate the Contra Mundi?ā
She shook her head. āNo,ā she replied softly. āHeās invisible to me. ā¦Just like you are, Sora.ā She swallowed, unsure what it could mean, but there were some truly unpleasant possibilities. Possibilities that Sora was choosing to ignore for the moment. None of it mattered anyway.
āWhat about you, Asuka? Did Rosenkreuz seem to know anything about what happened?ā
"In a world full of possibilities, there are also consequences."
Asuka sat quietly next to Sora, their hands laced together and resting on his leg. They (they being Sachiko, Sora, and herself) had all met in the library, Sachiko showing them her journal in the process. Asuka recognized it as the one she had shown her before, when she had shown her images of Alice and the strange boy who had attacked Rosenkreuz all that time ago. There were new faces, the ones she recognized to be Anastasia, the new girl. She rose a soft brow at that as she continued glancing at the pictures.
She turned her attention towards Sora when he voiced the silent question rolling through her mind. Her lips merely tugged tightly together when Sachiko replied she didn't know. Asuka had to slightly agree with Sachiko, though. From her first interaction with the girl, up until they had lunch together, Anastasia seemed like a normal girl, probably a little sweet, but still nonetheless rather gentle and peaceful. What could she possibly hope to attain if she were just going to try and attack them?
Asuka wasn't one to brag about abilities, nor strengths, but Anastasia (as far as she could tell), was just a human. A human with an extraordinary gift that should have been gifted to her if she were a vampire. Was Anastasia like her then? A creature caught in between? Asuka shook her head at the silly thought. Of course she was a human, she didn't produce an odd scent like Asuka did, nor did she smell vampire. She was completely human. Perhaps that was what they wanted then, a human able to bypass a vampire's ability with a gift such as hers.
She was brought out of her thoughts when Sora finally questioned her. She pursed her lips together and shook her head. "No. He didn't say anything. I had asked him what had happened, and all he said was that...we shouldn't have come back. That we should leave. He also said something about being at fault for Kaede and Haruka's death," she answered, sighing softly through her nose before taking a deep breath. She didn't understand what he meant by that. How was Haruka's death his fault? Kaede's...she wasn't so sure. All she knew was that he had Kaede's blood on him.
"That was all he said before he left," she continued, squeezing Sora's hand in the process as she felt his tighten. "Who...who is Contra Mundi?" she found herself asking. She had no idea who this person was, who he was to Sachiko, to Sora, and it seemed that there was something personal between the two. She didn't know what it was, however; it ran deep. That much she was able to tell. She glanced between Sachiko and Sora, trying to read their expressions in the process. She couldn't read their expressions, and she pursed her lips together.
She turned her attention towards Sora when he voiced the silent question rolling through her mind. Her lips merely tugged tightly together when Sachiko replied she didn't know. Asuka had to slightly agree with Sachiko, though. From her first interaction with the girl, up until they had lunch together, Anastasia seemed like a normal girl, probably a little sweet, but still nonetheless rather gentle and peaceful. What could she possibly hope to attain if she were just going to try and attack them?
Asuka wasn't one to brag about abilities, nor strengths, but Anastasia (as far as she could tell), was just a human. A human with an extraordinary gift that should have been gifted to her if she were a vampire. Was Anastasia like her then? A creature caught in between? Asuka shook her head at the silly thought. Of course she was a human, she didn't produce an odd scent like Asuka did, nor did she smell vampire. She was completely human. Perhaps that was what they wanted then, a human able to bypass a vampire's ability with a gift such as hers.
She was brought out of her thoughts when Sora finally questioned her. She pursed her lips together and shook her head. "No. He didn't say anything. I had asked him what had happened, and all he said was that...we shouldn't have come back. That we should leave. He also said something about being at fault for Kaede and Haruka's death," she answered, sighing softly through her nose before taking a deep breath. She didn't understand what he meant by that. How was Haruka's death his fault? Kaede's...she wasn't so sure. All she knew was that he had Kaede's blood on him.
"That was all he said before he left," she continued, squeezing Sora's hand in the process as she felt his tighten. "Who...who is Contra Mundi?" she found herself asking. She had no idea who this person was, who he was to Sachiko, to Sora, and it seemed that there was something personal between the two. She didn't know what it was, however; it ran deep. That much she was able to tell. She glanced between Sachiko and Sora, trying to read their expressions in the process. She couldn't read their expressions, and she pursed her lips together.
|āIt makes me wonder, what is a dream or not.ā|
Zenith could see the irony of this situation. It had not been that long since the conversation with Alice. The girl had asked him to remove this human girl who had deemed herself to be his friend from his presence. Yet, there was also the words of his sister. What did she meant about not forgetting? That specific conversation, he could not recall had occurred. He should know for he never forgets a detail. It was also rather pivotal that when he opened his eyes, what he saw was not his precious sister, but this girl with sunset orange hair. He remained indifferent with her greeting as he seat from his position.
On his form, there were pink petals and even some on his silver white hair. It was an interesting sight. The brilliance of pink complimented his features so pale and pristine. Zenith did not gaze at her as she sat beside him to the left. He did not even shower her with a greeting. Yet, the thing which took his interest was remembering of the events which transpired. They were not pleasant. Instead, they were of utmost sadness. As usual, his facade remained impregnable of any sort of reaction or emotions. The one thing which could be deemed as much as an answer from him was him glancing at her.
There was a period of silence as Zenith just looked at her. She was braiding her hair it would seem so. Soon enough, the stillness was broken by him. "You will die if you stay with me." It was stated without much of a stroke of hesitation nor a sign of doubt. Decisive and unyielding, that was how he delivered with his monotonic voice. It was much the same with the next course of action which he took. The human girl was now pinned on the ground as he loomed over her. His one hand was wrapped around her neck which was fragile and delicate in his grip. How easy it was for him to break it into two and let her wither away in this place.
This would be the last time, he would give her a choice to stay away from him. In truth, Zenith did not want her to get involve in anything. She was better off as an innocent unaware of the dark world which was engulfing this Academy. Furthermore, he does not have the confidence to protect nor to save her from peril. Because the path he had chosen to take, was the one of wanton destruction. There was no room for him to have a companion nor a distraction much like her. It was also why, he never even considered the possibility of that flower to bloom. He was truly better off being alone. She should not be concerned about him. Instead, she should be more worried about herself.
"Ms. Yamazaki and Ms. Tachibana's deaths are on my hands." Zenith stated with such an empty tone without even a drop of sadness. His eyes also displayed the same trend. It was a fact which he believes. Moreover, he never lies and whatever leaves his mouth was nothing but the truth. The hand around her neck tightened as he was proving his point or even his intent to end her life right here and now. "Do you want me to have yours, as well." Although, it appears to be of a question. The manner in the way he said it alludes to such a trend. Those topaz-like eyes of his which shine much like that of a dark sun gazed at her with such steadiness.
Yet, the answer which Zenith wanted to hear from her was that of her breaking the illusion of being a friend. He has no need for it. In his entire span of life, this world had always been much like a void which swallows everything to the darkness. As such, he had opted to be just like that. Then, she came. The one thing which reminded him that there was still that warm light. But now, it was gone from his grasp. He would do the one thing which could remedy it. The only action which would make sense to his life and the one he was so much willing to take all and give everything away if it would come true. That is why, she should scream, she should break free from his hold, look at him with such hateful eyes, she should run away.
"You do not belong in my world." Just like that, Zenith remained in his position while the petals of the cherry blossoms tree fall around them much like rain. His hand still around her neck. It was tight to show his strict intention. Whatever comes out of her lips, it will determine the action he will do. Whether, it was to be beneficial to both, or not. One thing was for certain, this will be her last chance from him to escape the clutches of darkness, for her to have a normal life, for her live in peace. This will not happen again. Ms. Yamazaki had stayed away from him as he desired. Even then, she was not able to break free from the fates which entangled them.
Clearly, the one behind this would not stop until what was wanted be obtained. Zenith has a conclusion to what it could possibly be. The moment he had left his manor, his family's land. The cog wheels of time and destiny began to turn. Thinking about it, this was a mere continuation of which had been prevented a long time ago. This what Luke was implying to him from before. This human girl will never be prepared of what was about to befall every piece which was on the board. Thus, he wanted her to pull away, moreover, there was also about Alice who clearly harbors hate to her. He could never deny that girl who claims to be his sister. This is something he will never do. So until she has a chance, she should take it. How hard he wished for her to take it.
Because, his dreams were far more beautiful than this reality.
On his form, there were pink petals and even some on his silver white hair. It was an interesting sight. The brilliance of pink complimented his features so pale and pristine. Zenith did not gaze at her as she sat beside him to the left. He did not even shower her with a greeting. Yet, the thing which took his interest was remembering of the events which transpired. They were not pleasant. Instead, they were of utmost sadness. As usual, his facade remained impregnable of any sort of reaction or emotions. The one thing which could be deemed as much as an answer from him was him glancing at her.
There was a period of silence as Zenith just looked at her. She was braiding her hair it would seem so. Soon enough, the stillness was broken by him. "You will die if you stay with me." It was stated without much of a stroke of hesitation nor a sign of doubt. Decisive and unyielding, that was how he delivered with his monotonic voice. It was much the same with the next course of action which he took. The human girl was now pinned on the ground as he loomed over her. His one hand was wrapped around her neck which was fragile and delicate in his grip. How easy it was for him to break it into two and let her wither away in this place.
This would be the last time, he would give her a choice to stay away from him. In truth, Zenith did not want her to get involve in anything. She was better off as an innocent unaware of the dark world which was engulfing this Academy. Furthermore, he does not have the confidence to protect nor to save her from peril. Because the path he had chosen to take, was the one of wanton destruction. There was no room for him to have a companion nor a distraction much like her. It was also why, he never even considered the possibility of that flower to bloom. He was truly better off being alone. She should not be concerned about him. Instead, she should be more worried about herself.
"Ms. Yamazaki and Ms. Tachibana's deaths are on my hands." Zenith stated with such an empty tone without even a drop of sadness. His eyes also displayed the same trend. It was a fact which he believes. Moreover, he never lies and whatever leaves his mouth was nothing but the truth. The hand around her neck tightened as he was proving his point or even his intent to end her life right here and now. "Do you want me to have yours, as well." Although, it appears to be of a question. The manner in the way he said it alludes to such a trend. Those topaz-like eyes of his which shine much like that of a dark sun gazed at her with such steadiness.
Yet, the answer which Zenith wanted to hear from her was that of her breaking the illusion of being a friend. He has no need for it. In his entire span of life, this world had always been much like a void which swallows everything to the darkness. As such, he had opted to be just like that. Then, she came. The one thing which reminded him that there was still that warm light. But now, it was gone from his grasp. He would do the one thing which could remedy it. The only action which would make sense to his life and the one he was so much willing to take all and give everything away if it would come true. That is why, she should scream, she should break free from his hold, look at him with such hateful eyes, she should run away.
"You do not belong in my world." Just like that, Zenith remained in his position while the petals of the cherry blossoms tree fall around them much like rain. His hand still around her neck. It was tight to show his strict intention. Whatever comes out of her lips, it will determine the action he will do. Whether, it was to be beneficial to both, or not. One thing was for certain, this will be her last chance from him to escape the clutches of darkness, for her to have a normal life, for her live in peace. This will not happen again. Ms. Yamazaki had stayed away from him as he desired. Even then, she was not able to break free from the fates which entangled them.
Clearly, the one behind this would not stop until what was wanted be obtained. Zenith has a conclusion to what it could possibly be. The moment he had left his manor, his family's land. The cog wheels of time and destiny began to turn. Thinking about it, this was a mere continuation of which had been prevented a long time ago. This what Luke was implying to him from before. This human girl will never be prepared of what was about to befall every piece which was on the board. Thus, he wanted her to pull away, moreover, there was also about Alice who clearly harbors hate to her. He could never deny that girl who claims to be his sister. This is something he will never do. So until she has a chance, she should take it. How hard he wished for her to take it.
Because, his dreams were far more beautiful than this reality.