The Rosen Vampire Knight Series

Thread of Thorns: Chapter 10

Emma

"So what's the plan, boss?" Toran followed up, going back to his old humor.

"Finding Keirrin would be easier with Kogeta's telepathy." I began. "Unfortunately, you're brother hasn't fully recovered yet---as we know."

Toran's eyes narrowed at me as he became agrivated inside. "What do you mean 'as we know' ?" he asked almost accusingly. Only our recent spiel kept him from going off on me.

"I mean as far as he's told us." I elaborated as we began to walk. "He refused Satoru's help when we brought my brother's noble to him."

"He did?" Toran blinked in surprise.

"All he told us was 'No' and he wouldn't give us a reason why. I think his kidnapping changed him somehow. He isn't the same person anymore." I poured my thoughts out loud to him. "That's why I want you to talk to him. You'll be able to tell if he's changed in any way."

Toran huffed. "I would have talked to him anyways."

"I know." I replied with a smile.

Suddenly, my friend sighed. He looked straight ahead. "Things have changed." he noted.

"Things? What do you mean?" I asked, not understanding he was bringing that up now.

"We were friends before we found out you were a pureblood. Then we were merely master and servant." he thought off to the top of his head. "In the last year, we completely ignored each other and became enemies for a short while. Now we're back to being friends."

"Let's just hope the cycle doesn't repeat." I muttered sarcastically.

Toran gave a short laugh which I took as an agreement. We continued walking down the hall until we got to an intersection.

"I guess I'll go and find my brother." he shrugged and started to walk away from me.

"Good luck." I wished him.

I watched Toran disappear down the hall before Zero called my attention.

"Is there anywhere else you'd like to go?" he asked me with a frown.

"No." I sighed. "You can go back to moping." I teased.

Zero snorted. "Like I'd do that."

"Yeah. You'd probably like spending more time with Yori." I mused as I began to walk from him.

"What?!" He exclaimed, frozen to the spot until he decided he wanted answers. "How did you...? I don't like Yori!" he insisted, furriously trailing after.

" 'How did you...?' sounds suspicious to me. So you do like her." I led him on.

"I don't!" he argued, but it brought color to his face.

I laughed. "You couldn't of hid the secret from me forever. I see the way you look at her. That's why I'd taken the liberty last year to invite her as a Perfect."

Silence.

"You did THAT?!" he practically exploded.

"I thought you two would be good as a couple." I hummed. "Yori was extremely concerned for you when you got locked up and I betted that you felt the same for her---except you weren't going to show it." I paused for a moment. "You're sure Shizuka's blood didn't make you cold?"

"That's cruel." Zero grumbled in reply.

"Sorry. I went to far." I apologized quickly. "But back to Yori---are you going to ask her or what?" I inquired with big, batting eyelashes.

"Ask her what?" he retorted.

"To be your girlfriend!" I practically shouted at him. "Both of you have been eyeing each other, why not go ahead with it? If it turns out you don't like the other as much as you thought, so what? At least you tried. You're more likely to regret ever getting with the person than wasting you're life wondering what could have been!"

"Since when did you become a philospher?" Zero rolled his eyes at me.

"Ever since you've needed cousouling." I countered.

He huffed and split off from me, going down a separate hallway.

"You can run but I'll always find you!" I called after him playfully, giggling in the end.

I turned left to head towards class. The hallway was completely bare. Although I still had some time before the bell rang, I wanted to get there early. Returning to the room with the others was usually crowded. I walked up to my classroom and pulled the sliding door aside.

Bam.

Right in front of me was Keirrin, standing directly in the doorway. She nearly caused me a heart attack.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her.

"I could ask you the same thing." She muttered in return, but with little enthusiasim. That was odd for her. She was usually hyper no matter what the situation.

I looked at her with concern. "Are you okay?"

"Fine. Fine. Everything's fine." she replied, her voice strangely whispery.

I frowned and put my hands on her shoulders. "Keirrin." I called her by her name to pull her attention to me. Her drooping eyes looked up and connected with mine. "I think you need to see the nurse." I told her.

"Nurse?" she repeated rather tiredly. She looked like she could drop any moment.

"Let's go." I decided, taking her with me as I backtracked out into the hall.

Keirrin agreed without argument, letting me lead her through the hallways. Getting to the nurse station was never a problem for me. I always ended up there anyways, so I knew the area pretty well.

The nurse working at this hour took my cousin in without me having to say a single word. She could just tell by looking at the girl that she was sick. I followed in behind, prefering to stand rather than sit inside the room. The nurse led Keirrin to a cot and sat her down while she looked through her files at the desk. She drew out my cousin's and laid it out.

"Hmmm..." the woman mused. "It looks like there's nothing I can do for her."

"What?" I barked before I knew I had spoke out loud.

The nurse spun around on her desk chair. "Her papers list under 'special conditions' that she gets rather exhausted during a full moon."

Full moon? I thought to myself. I gazed out one of the many windows in the nurse station to see that there was indeed a full moon out this night. I hadn't even noticed.

"What does it mean?" I asked the woman when I turned back to her.

"Exactly what the papers say." she shrugged. "The poor thing just gets depressingly tired."

Of all the strange things Keirrin was, I didn't expect this. "So she'll be fine tomorrow night?" I assumed.

"Should be." The nurse confirmed. "But if she isn't, then bring her back."

I agreed to her deal. Once I thought Keirrin could handle walking again, I took her to her classroom. My mind was still swirling with questions---like why had she been in my homeroom---but I didn't ask her. Maybe I would tomorrow when her head was clear, but tonight was certainly not her best day.

~"~

A little mid-night dreaming, a little mid-night scheming.