December

Chapter Thirteen

The Past

   Nyoko sighed, slipping on her school shoes. She plopped onto her bed and stared out the window. The morning was barely broken across the sky. The night still grasping onto the clouds. She heard the morning rush of girls racing to the showers. Giggling and chatting outside the room. Nyoko stood up, patting her skirt. She stared at herself in the mirror over the small sink in her room. Her head tilted, she sort of wished they had a pants option. Every now and then on windy days she loathed skirts.
    "Give that back!" A muffled voice yelled out. "Kiko I'm not joking! I need to do my makeup!"
    "No amount of makeup is gonna fix that!" Another voice, assuming Kiko, called back.

Nyoko swung her door open and the chatter closest to her stopped. She would never admit it, but she loved how easily she could make them stop talking. Just with her presence. She knew she wasn't frightening, or had any real power over them if they really wanted to do something. But, wave a pink slip in front of them, and they shut up. Like now. "Give the eyeliner back." Nyoko waved her hand at Kiko. She scoffed and threw it at the other girl. Nyoko bent down and picked it up, giving it back. "Do it, again. Nicely."
   "Or what?" Kiko smiled, getting closer to Nyokos face.
Immediately all the girls gasped, Nyoko had slapped Kiko. "H-hey! You're not allowed to do that!"
   "Do what?" Nyoko pulled her sash up her sleeve. "That interaction was between students. I'll handle it personally." Nyoko smirked.

13

"You cannot do that again! Do I make myself clear?" Kaien pointed at Nyoko. She was slumped in the office chair across his desk, arms folded. "If you hit another student, I'll be forced to give the Captian job to Zero."
   "Okay..."
   "Sweetheart." Juri spoke. She had been standing behind Kaiens chair. "What inclined you to do that? You've never done that before?"
    Nyoko shrugged.

She knew exactly what inclined her. Yuki and Kaname. She couldn't be on their level at most things. But this, having power over someone with a lesser title. She could do what they do.
    "Okay well... your title as Disciplinary Committee Captain is apart of why this place works so well. You're not just jeopardizing your job, you're jeopardizing your father too..."
    "That's enough, honey. I think she gets it." Kaien patted her hand.
     "Can I go now?" Nyoko asked.
     "You- " Juri started.
     "Yes you may go." Kaien said.

"What the hell!" Zero barged in the room, the door knob smacking the wall. Juri sighed in annoyance. "What is he doing here?!"
    "Who?" Nyoko turned around in her seat to look at Zero.
    "He knows." Zero didn't break eye contact with Kaien. Furrowing his brows as strongly as he could.
    "He was... another compromise..." Kaien nervously answered.
    "Who? Who's he?" Nyoko flipped back and forth between her father and Zero.
     "Toga Yagari. A vampire hunter, stationed here as a lecturer. To keep an eye on you four."
     "Four?" Nyoko asked.
     "Me and the Kuran siblings." Zero mumbled.
     "What? Why?"
     "Because of that mission we went on. He's here to watch over us and make sure we don't step out of line. Make sure I don't go crazy and start eating students. Have I got it right?"
     "Yes."

Zero nodded, annoyed, and walked out. Nyoko followed.
     "You shouldnt let him talk to you like that." Juri said, she walked over to the wall, brushing her fingers against the hole Zero created. "I just fixed that, if he slams a door like that in my house I won't be so kind."
Kaien sighed, smacking his forehead against his desk.

13

"Where were you?" Zero asked, after a long silent walk to class with Nyoko.
   "In father's office... being chewed out."
   "For what?"
   "Slapping Kiko." Nyoko let a smile tug at her mouth.
   "What?" Zero stopped, he chuckled a bit.
   "Sh-She got in my face." Nyoko pushed up her glasses. "And I got angry..."
    "Good." Zero continued to walk. "She's annoying." Nyoko smiled slightly to herself.
    "Can I ask something?" Nyoko caught up to him.
    "What?"
    "Whats the history, with that Yagari guy?"
Zero took in a breath, hesitant to answer. "He's my old Sensei..."
    "Is that all? You seem really upset for him to just be an old Sensei." Nyoko shrugged. Zero looked over at Nyoko, a little peeved.
    "He was... my guardian. My parents were out a lot. He also trained me and my- "
    "Your brother?"
    "Yeah." Zero cleared his throat. "When we were little, I saw a level E for the first time. She was a beautiful and kind woman. My brother was always in the nurses office so she knew us well." He made eye contact with the floor. "She was an ex-human vampire, who had escaped imprisonment from nobles. One day she turned into a savage beast infront of our eyes. Sensei lost his eye protecting me, I had begged him to spare her. And she tried to kill me."
    "Uh, I'm sorry that happened."
    "Promise me something, Nyoko."
    "What?"
    "Kill me, if I ever start to go mad. Kill me. And don't hesitate."
    "I- " Nyoko was taken-a-back by Zeros sudden request.
    "Promise it." Zero demanded.
    "I... promise..."
    "I don't want to be like that woman. Ever."

Nyoko watched Zero walk away, and passed the classroom door. "Aren't you gonna go to class?"
    "Are you joking?"
She looked down at her bracelet, wondering of all the ways she could overpower a level E crazed Zero... how she could kill him if given the chance. She looked back up at his frame. Walking away.

Yeah, it would be annoying around here without him.
    "Wait up!" 

13

Yuki sat on the couch in the middle of the living area. The day still burning against the black out curtains. She sat criss-crossed. Her silk pajama bottoms tangled in her feet. She had a glass of diluted, red, liquid. Her brows knit together, staring mindlessly at the floor.
   "Why are you up?" Kaname asked, entering the room, holding a news paper.
   "Hmm?" Yuki hummed, keeping her eyes glued to the floor. Kaname made a breathy laugh. He strode over to behind the couch, bending to her face. He squinted at the floor.
   "I do not see a bug?" He said.
   "I wasn't looking for one."
   "Why are you up?" He repeated. She looked at him.
   "Why are you?"
   "Fair point."
   "I can't sleep." Yuki threw her head back on the couch. "I can't help but feel like this will not be the last time the school gets attacked." She stared up at the ceiling. "It went so horribly last time... because of me."
   "It went horribly because you went without telling anyone." Kaname patted Yukis head. "You're lucky I decided to check in on things."
   "You don't have to remind me..."
   "Your worry isn't displaced." Kanames face fell serious. "I can feel it too. This wasn't random."
Yuki picked up her head.
   "What do you mean?" She asked.
   "In my experience, things like emmassing large quantities of pureblood blood isn't just a random whim." Kaname stood up straight. "Someone is planning something."
    "W-well what are we doing just wondering around? Do you know something?" Yuki turned her body on the couch to face him. Her tone was hinted with annoyance.
    "No. That's what's bothering me." He looked over at her, giving her another reassuring pat on the head. "Stop trying to grow up so fast, let yourself be a teenager." He started to walk away.
   "You're only a few years older than me!" Yuki yelled back. She slumped in the couch, pouting.