Vampire Knight Fan Fiction ❯ Entwined ❯ Path of Discovery ( Chapter 5 )

Entwined

Path of Discovery

Disclaimer: I do not own nor profit from any of the ideas, characters, names, etc that I have used from Vampire Knight. Original characters are all mine of course.

A/N: Again, this chapter has only been proof-read by myself, so as usual, apologies in advance for any mistakes. This chapter just sped along, writing itself, it seems, luckily for you peeps. *grins*

Thanks again to the folks who have taken the time to review my previous chapters. It's always appreciated. *smiles*

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Takuma Ichijo flipped casually through the newspaper sitting on the table in front of him. Although his gaze was locked onto the pages before him, he didn't really have much of a clue what the articles written on them were about. His mind was elsewhere.

Ever since his brief conversation with Kaname the night before, he had been plagued by a niggling feeling of worry. First the pureblood had left the estate without warning, refusing to inform anyone of where he was going. Then, when he had returned, he had brought a low-level vampire with him. That in itself was strange. Kaname didn't usually take much interest in individuals outside his personal circle, especially those of low ranks. His attention was usually on matters of commerce or on the vampires within his inner ranks, those who were closest to him. So, for him to abruptly take an ex-human under his wing, and then treat him as a guest, had been quite surprising.

Takuma assumed that Kaname must know this individual from some time in his past. Unfortunately, the pureblood hadn't been forthcoming with information on anything relating to their guest.

The blonde was sure Kaname had not meant for those around him to worry in such a manner, but sometimes he could just be so damned evasive. It was more than a little frustrating.

Takuma had followed the instructions that were given to him. He had made sure that fresh clothes were left for their guest, and regular meals were sent up to his room. The vampire had obviously been injured when Kaname had brought him into the house. The smell of blood had agitated the household somewhat, that feeling only being multiplied when the pureblood's own had been scented by the staff later. Takuma had been the one to deal with the other residents, telling them a slightly altered story of the one Kaname had conveyed to him. They had settled down a little reluctantly, but eventually the atmosphere had returned to normal.

The blonde, however, still felt that same agitation. He had only visited the low-level vampire's room once since he had arrived at the estate the day before, but he had been startled at the way Kaname's scent had clung to it. The smell of blood had dissipated but the pureblood's natural body aroma had not. Had he been visiting the room regularly?

When Takuma had entered the guest room to check if the midnight meal that had been taken up earlier had been eaten, the low-level vampire had been in bed, still fast asleep. The food had been untouched. If Kaname had been back to the room, Takuma couldn't possibly fathom the reason behind it. The ex-human had clearly not been disturbed.

The blonde let out a sigh, telling himself that he was over thinking the matter, and to simply trust in the pureblood. A soft chuckle startled him from his thoughts and he looked up to see a blonde-haired vampire with shocking blue eyes stood at the opposite side of the table from him. Hanabusa Aidou; just who he did not need to see at the moment. He met his gaze, expectantly waiting for the questions that he knew would come.

Aidou leaned forward, resting his arms on the waist-high table. He glanced around conspiratorially before returning his attention to Takuma.

“So, you gonna tell me what really happened?” Aidou accentuated his words with a knowing smirk.

There was only one thing he could be referring to.

Takuma feigned surprise. “But I already have, Hanabusa. You were present when I told the others, weren't you?”

The other vampire rolled his eyes. “C'mon, even I could tell that was a cover-story.”

Aidou was, of course, belittling himself. He was in actual fact, highly intelligent, considered a genius in some circles. He was also very astute, so when he said something like `even I', it was in reality more likely to mean `only I'. This sort of behaviour might fool people who did not know the vampire, but Takuma was not one of them.

“You know as much as I do, Hanabusa.” Takuma dropped his gaze back to the newspaper, hoping Aidou might take the hint and realise he wasn't in the mood to discuss this particular topic.

Even though the other vampire could clearly see that Takuma was not his usual cheery self, it seemed he was downright adamant about questioning him further.

“Look, Takuma. If Kaname was hurt, I need to know why,” his voice had dropped to a near whisper and the tone had completely changed, causing Takuma to glance up again.

Aidou's whole demeanour was different. His eyes had narrowed, his mouth was set into a tight line and his expression was one of deadly seriousness. Takuma was a little taken aback to see the other vampire so severe, the complete opposite of his customary nature, but it also wasn't entirely uncommon for him to become this way when Kaname was involved. The vampire had a strong attachment to the pureblood, a sense of loyalty that bordered on obsession.

Takuma decided to use a different tact. He flashed a disarming smile at the other blonde.

“Well then, as I really can't help you, perhaps you should go ask Kaname for yourself?”

Aidou's expression soured to a near pout. He pushed himself away from the table, folding his arms across his chest.

“That's unfair. You know I can't.”

The smile that pulled at Takuma's lips was genuine this time. He sympathised with the other vampire. He knew how utterly frustrating being left in the dark could be. He also knew Kaname hadn't been completely truthful about the incident with him either.

“You'll be the first I tell should I find out what happened, alright?”

Aidou's expression brightened slightly at the offer. He nodded.

“Okay, fair enough.” A sly look passed across the other vampire's face. “I'm going to go check out what all the fuss is about. Catch you later.” He waved a hand as he walked away from Takuma.

The blonde's eyebrows raised in response to Aidou's last statement. Fuss? As understanding dawned on the vampire, his mouth dropped open. Surely he wouldn't be so stupid?

Takuma hurriedly stood and started moving towards the door Aidou had just passed through. This is Aidou we're talking about, of course he could!

* * *

Zero had enjoyed a relaxing night and day of rest. He had slept continuously for almost the whole time, attesting to the exhaustion that his body had been feeling. He had woken half an hour before to the smell of vegetable stew. Through his bleariness he had managed to devour the contents of the bowl, even though it had been mostly cold by the time he had gotten to it.

Now he was sat on the edge of the rumpled bed, freshly dressed in the trousers and t-shirt that had been placed on the chair by the writing desk. They were a little oversized but he was thankful that he no longer had to sit in the room naked. He wasn't overly modest. He simply detested strangers, especially vampires, seeing him in such a vulnerable state. It was bad enough that there had obviously been others in the room while he had slept. Not only had he been oblivious to it all, he had been defenceless. Even though his rational mind told him that they would not go to the extent of providing such comfortable living conditions to just kill him while he was sleeping, the over-bearing, somewhat paranoid side of himself kept cursing his recklessness and stupidity.

Zero raised his hands in front of him. They had felt much improved after waking. He gave them an experimental flex, and was surprised that there was only mild discomfort in his wrists. With a puzzled expression, he began to remove the bandages from his left hand.

Zero allowed the gauze to slip through his fingers and pool on the floor below his hand as he gently pulled the padded dressing away from his skin. His eyes widened in astonishment. The wrist and much of the hand around the thumb area were red, but the skin was not broken. Zero was a vampire, and normally healed much faster than a human, but it usually would have taken many more days for the damage around his wrists to mend to this extent.

He went on to remove the bandage and dressing from his other wrist and arm. So this is what it means to drink the blood of a pureblood. As expected his other wrist had also healed to the same degree. The wound on his arm caused by Arlena's claws had not fared as well, unfortunately. It had closed up, and he was in no danger of re-opening it by removing the protective gauze, though.

Zero stood, grabbing the dropped bandages from the ground and depositing them in a wastepaper bin he had spotted by the desk. He wasn't entirely sure why he was cleaning up after himself, but somehow it didn't feel quite right to mar the elegance of the room with his litter.

From his vantage point by the desk, he had a clear view of the grounds outside the building through the partially open curtains. Pulling the material aside with one hand, he peered out of the window. It was mid evening, the sun having set some hours earlier, and the moon highlighted the well kept gardens below him in silvery hues. Even with his enhanced eyesight, Zero could not see how far the estate extended. He did spot forms moving among the trees at the edge of the preened lawns. Guards of some sort, he assumed from the pattern of their movement. He would be an easy target if he tried to escape via the window.

Zero turned his attention back to the interior of the building. He sensed many vampires nearby, of varying degrees of power. It seemed the pureblood's `warning' had been well-founded. Any attempts of fleeing would undoubtedly result in recapture or worse.

Fine, I'll play your little game... for now. He smiled bitterly. His state of mind just a few days ago had led him to this situation. It wasn't as if he feared death. A futile escape attempt would surely lead to that, but somehow he found himself feeling that he didn't quite want to throw his life away for something of such little meaning.

Zero let out a small sigh and began to head towards the door at the foot of the bed. He had discovered earlier that it had been unlocked and led to a bathroom. He had washed briefly after his meal, but now he had the sudden urge to clean off the grime and filth of the past few days, not all of it the physical kind. A bath would be relaxing as well as having the added bonus of soothing his still slightly tired muscles.

He abruptly halted halfway across the bedroom. He heard footsteps in the corridor, nearing his room. Suddenly he felt like a deer caught in the headlights, unsure whether to flee or face what was coming. There was, of course, no guarantee that whoever was walking along the corridor was coming to his room, but his instincts were telling him otherwise, and he had lived a long time listening almost solely to those instincts. He was not about to start disregarding them now.

He felt exposed without the Bloody Rose, but his pride and stubbornness finally won out and he remained standing where he was as he heard the footfalls halt outside the door to the room. He adopted a more relaxed posture, certainly not wanting whoever it was to know how apprehensive he was.

The door opened with a muffled click. Zero didn't recognise the vampire who entered the room. His gaze swept over him, appraisingly. The slightly shorter blonde was smirking at him, his piercing blue eyes mimicking the appraising look Zero had just given him. The two vampires stood assessing each other for many moments before the blonde broke the silence with a short laugh.

“So, what makes you so special then?”

Zero's frown caused another laugh to pass the other vampire's lips. If his senses hadn't been telling him in no uncertain terms that this vampire was a noble, the superior demeanour he was expressing surely would have.

“You don't know?” the blonde asked mockingly.

Zero scowled at him. “What the hell are you talking about?”

The noble brought a finger to his lips in a pensive pose.

“Perhaps it's that insolent tongue of yours? Maybe if I cut it out, he'd no longer have any use for you?”

If it hadn't seemed so absurd, Zero could have sworn the blonde's tone was dripping with jealousy. But what fool would feel envy over the position he was now in?

His upper lip curled back in a sneer. “Just try it.” The words came out as a near growl.

The other vampire's eyes narrowed as he dropped his hand to his side and clenched his fists. The temperature in the room seemed to plummet, causing a shiver to run up Zero's spine. His instincts were screaming at him to move, to get the hell out of the room. He didn't want to make the first move though. His adversary was a noble, and he was at a distinct disadvantage, especially without his anti-vampire weapon. If he tried to run now, while the blonde was watching for any sign of movement, there was no chance he could make it past him. Escape was not an option, as he'd previously assessed. The only choice he had at this moment was to try and defend himself, to attempt to catch the blonde off-guard during the first moments of his attack.

His muscles tensed reflexively as the anticipation of the noble's attack began to form an uncomfortable knot in his stomach.

In a blur of motion, the blonde swung his arm up in an arc. Zero knew the other vampire would be fast, but he hadn't been prepared for the sudden slickness of the floor. For a heartbeat, he couldn't quite understand why his feet almost slipped from under him on something that felt like cold fire to his bare soles. The carpet below him glistened and shimmered and he suddenly realised he was standing on a thin layer of ice. Nobles usually had one special ability. This one's was obviously associated with controlling ice.

The blonde had evidently counted on the momentary distraction caused by the first use of his power. Zero's eyes widened as he saw ice forming in mid air at an alarming rate, heading straight for him. He flung himself to the side, hoping to avoid the glacial missile, but his feet slipped briefly, slowing his momentum. His leg was caught in mid flight and he slammed face first into the ground with a grunt as his motion suddenly halted. The impact to his head sent the room spinning. He couldn't tell which direction was which, but something was telling him his body was in a position which seemed... odd.

He tried to move. He knew the next attack would be incoming, but he found his leg was being held above him. The intense cold seeping through the material of his trousers told him it was encased in ice. A wave of fear swept over him. There was no way he would avoid the next one.

Abruptly the feeling of ice against his leg was gone and it dropped to the floor. He rolled onto his side swiftly in an attempt to gauge the situation, his head still spinning.

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. The noble's face had drained of colour, his eyes no longer focused on him, but on the open door to the side of the blonde. Zero followed the gaze. The entranceway was still empty, but he could clearly feel a presence in the corridor. A tall, dark haired figure stepped into view.

Zero heard the noble suck in a deep breath. Kaname's gaze took in the scene before him, finally coming to rest on the blonde.

The noble opened his mouth as if to speak, but the pureblood cut him off.

“Get out.”

The other vampire looked as if he wanted to offer some form of objection, but Kaname's unyielding gaze informed him in no uncertain terms that he would not take any argument on the matter. He scurried out of the room, pausing hesitantly in the corridor at the sound of the pureblood's voice once more.

“Oh, and Aidou? I shall see you later.”

The noble paled even further and quickly disappeared from view. Kaname watched the spot where he had been standing, eventually closing the door after the sounds of his footsteps had faded away. He turned to Zero.

The silver-haired vampire was still lying on his side and he struggled to his feet, holding his head with one hand as another wave of dizziness passed over him. The pureblood walked slowly towards him, causing Zero to take an involuntary step back. He didn't know what to expect from the seemingly calm vampire in front of him. He was so difficult to read. As he met his impassive gaze, Zero's breath caught in his throat. The pureblood's normally chocolate brown eyes were tinged with crimson. Not a promising sign.

Faster than Zero's eyes could follow, Kaname closed the distance between them and gripped one of his arms firmly. His other hand moved to his jaw and held him, surprisingly gently.

“You're bleeding, Kiryu.” Kaname's voice held a slightly restrained tone.

At the brunette's words, Zero felt a line of blood trickle from the corner of his mouth. He clenched his teeth. He must have bitten his lip when he had hit the floor.

Kaname's usually composed expression softened and he smiled slightly. He ran one finger from Zero's chin up to the corner of his mouth, along the line of blood, resting the digit momentarily on his lips. Before Zero could react, the pureblood had pulled his hand away. He felt a shiver run up his spine as he watched the brunette open his mouth and slide the blood-smeared finger against his tongue. The graceful motion had seemed strangely sensual. Zero tore his eyes away from the pureblood, disgusted at his own reactions.

Kaname released the grip he had on his arm.

“Now I understand why Arlena had been so angry with me.”

Zero glanced back at the brunette. He still had that slight smile on his face, but he was now standing in a relaxed position, his arms at his sides. He wasn't sure what Kaname was trying to accomplish by acting this way, but he was determined not to fall for it.

“Let's sit, shall we? We have much to discuss.” The pureblood motioned to the beige sofa in the centre of the room.

“I'll stand.”

Kaname raised an eyebrow. “As you wish.” He turned and walked to the sofa.

As soon as the pureblood had turned his back, Zero wiped a hand over his mouth, trying to remove whatever traces of blood were left. He resumed a casual pose as Kaname sat down and crossed one leg over the other. He couldn't help but marvel at how every action the brunette took looked so elegant, and then cursed himself for that sort of train of thought again.

Kaname looked up at the silver-haired vampire. “Well then, I hope we can keep this civilised.”

Zero didn't think there was much chance of that happening, but he nodded in reply.

“I see your injuries are healing well.” The brunette's gaze slid down to the low-level vampire's hands before making eye contact once more. “I apologise for Aidou's reckless actions. I shall deal with him personally.”

Zero had never been one for pleasantries, and exchanging them with a vampire, especially a pureblood, just made him downright uncomfortable.

“What did you want to discuss?” The words had come out a little harsher than he had intended, but the pureblood did not seem to notice, or he had ignored it.

The smile faded from Kaname's face and his gaze intensified. He paused, as if mulling over his words.

“Who turned you, Kiryu?”

Zero felt the blood drain from his face. Of all the questions he had expected, that had not been one of them. He folded his arms over his chest and looked away. This was an area of his past he did not want to remember, let alone discuss with someone he would never trust.

“You do not wish to tell me?”

Zero scowled. “You'll find prisoners aren't the most accommodating of conversationalists.”

He heard a slight chuckle from the pureblood.

“You are not a prisoner here, Kiryu. As I think you have already discovered, your door is unlocked. You are merely here for your own protection.”

“Protection?” Zero echoed, incredulously. “From what?”

He turned to meet the pureblood's gaze once more.

“From yourself, mostly.” Kaname's tone was completely serious.

Zero was beginning to get irritated.

“What are you trying to say? I don't need your protection. I've been alone up `til now and I've survived just fine.” He was finding it difficult to keep the anger out of his voice.

A look of profound sadness swept over Kaname, before he quickly caught the slip.

“Is that all you wish to do, Kiryu? Just survive?”

Zero's scowl deepened. “What the hell else can I do? I'm a monster, and it's you vampires' fault that I'm like this!”

Kaname let out a sigh at the ex-human's raised tone. “I can understand that you are angry. At the vampire race, at yourself, at the world in general. But, surely you do not wish to be like that forever? I am simply offering to help you along a better path.”

Zero remained silent for many moments, a clear expression of doubt written on his face. Just what kind of game was this pureblood playing at? There was no chance his offer could be serious. Not that he would take it, even if it was. He didn't want to stop being angry. If he did, then that would leave him open to other emotions that he wasn't as capable of dealing with.

“Why would you want to help me?”

“Not all vampires brush off their obligations.” Kaname shifted his position, uncrossing his legs and leaning forward.

Zero bit back a bitter laugh. “It's not as if you're responsible for what happened to me.”

The pureblood looked away briefly. “Indeed.” The word was barely a murmur.

Zero's eyes narrowed at that response. Was that... guilt?

Kaname stood abruptly, his attention once more on the low-level vampire. “You do not trust me, I realise that. But I hope that I can convince you that I do not mean any ill intent towards you.”

“Don't bet on it,” Zero muttered.

A smile pulled at the pureblood's lips at that retort.

“You must have a very strong will to have survived so long on your own, Kiryu. I can respect that. But we all have our limits. How long until you reach yours, I wonder?”

“That's my problem, not yours.”

“Well, you see...” The brunette brought his hand up to rub gently at his neck, pausing mid sentence. “It is my problem as well now. I have overstepped some clear lines with regard to you, and as I have said before, not all of us brush off our obligations, or in this case, responsibilities.”

Zero frowned. “What do you mean?”

The pureblood's smile faded. “Think about my offer. I shall have someone come up to the room and clean up Aidou's mess. You are free to roam anywhere within the estate, bar any locked rooms, but please, do not try to leave the grounds.”

The brunette turned and swiftly walked to the door.

Zero took a step forward, angered at Kaname's sudden departure. “You didn't answer my question.”

The pureblood turned to look at him, a slight smile on his lips again. “Another time.” He slipped out of the room and closed the door behind him.