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Zero woke up with a strangled gasp. He couldn't get enough air into his lungs, regardless of how hard he tried. The fear in and around him was suffocating, ripping the life out of him with each little huff. Fog filled him and drowned out every bit of life inside his mortal shell until only panic remained. No matter what he did, he was not calming down anytime soon. Little sparks danced around his field of vision while his head sorted through all the memories it could process at once. Nobody would be coming for him there. Zero was utterly alone and could only rely on himself in this situation. Nobody would understand, no, could ever hope to understand. He was running out of time. Just keeping his eyes open was a chore; they fluttered shut every so often. Any second now he would pass out again or lose control entirely. Neither was acceptable however, and so Zero held on for as long as he could out of sheer spite alone.
Before he had woken up he had been elsewhere. No. That's not quite right. Rather, he had been sometime else. He couldn't explain why he was so sure of it, but Zero knew with absolute certainty that he was in his room at Cross Academy. Yet before that he knew he was not. He was certain he had not been in his room, or his bed for that matter. The faint memory of pinewood and riverbank sand could attest to that.
Another bad dream then? He shook his head. That seemed logical at first, but it was quickly disregarded. It had been too real. There was a certain weight of truth in his so-called dream that he could not ignore. He saw facts, not figments while he slept. There was no way he could be time traveling. Magic may exist, but something of this magnitude was far too much. Not even the pureblood king could hope to pull that one off. Which left him even more confused than before. If it wasn't a time travel accident, then he needed to figure out what had happened exactly. For his own sake, and for everyone else around him, Zero hoped with all of his long dead heart that there wasn't another crazy vampire involved.
Looking around he saw his – old? – room as if he had never left it behind. The wood didn't look like it was a few hundred years old, nor did his books for that matter. Paper was usually the first to show signs of aging, but these letters were new. His homework was finished and put away neatly as well. When was the last time he did his math homework…? Then his eyes went wide. The ink was still a tiny bit wet. This was impossible. Unless he really was in the past. No. Again, time travel was impossible. But… if he could not move through time, maybe there was another explanation. Perhaps, Zero mused to himself in the dark room, perhaps there was a way to see the future without moving through the stream of time?
Of course he has heard of things like palm reading already. Half of them were a scam, but a very few may be able to actually do it. Not that Zero knew any medium or soothsayer. He only knew a very nosey and overbearingly caring pureblood princess and her asshole of a… let's say brother. Yuki. It has been so long since he last saw her and their kid. Of course he loved them both but sometimes he knew the mother of his child was thinking of another. Zero had pushed her away to make the inevitable split hurt much less. His daughter tried to stay in touch but… he was a lone wolf with hundreds of years of experience in avoiding all kinds of vampires. Neither mother nor daughter had stood a chance against him. Zero knew how to vanish.
Then there was Kuran Kaname. What had Zero done to deserve to have to deal with this pest? Over time he came to somewhat respect his royal highness. If it weren't for the fact the prince had used him like a chess piece they might have become friends earlier on, but manipulation was something Zero couldn't forgive that easily. If only Kuran had asked for his help instead of forcing him into this mess against his will... That was all, really. If he had done the human thing and asked him to help take down Rido, then Zero would have gladly helped. When Kuran used his authority and power to force Zero into doing just that, like the obedient lapdog he wanted him to be, it was infuriating the hunter. Even worse the whole thing was orchestrated when he was just a scared and hurt child. Kuran demanded respect but would rarely show it to anyone who wasn't special enough to him.
Well… if the recently done homework was any indication then these things have not happened yet, right? The only war he would have to deal with was changeover. Speaking of change… Zero could change things. Right? He knew where to push to avoid things spiraling into death and pain. He could turn the tides, bend them to his will alone. Should he do that though? Who was he to dictate which way history was to play out? And, in the end, would that make him no less better than Kaname and his own manipulations?
Zero growled in frustration. One thing at a time. First he had to figure out what was going on. Then he had to figure out how to keep his sudden ability to sneak a peek at the future a secret. Then, maybe if he felt like it, he could save the world from falling into full blown war.
Pale moonlight illuminated his room. The cold light dipped everything into a soft blue hue and made the shadows seem larger than before. However, it also softened those. Sunlight would cast hard edges while moonshine was a lot gentler. His vampiric eyes thanked him for the blessedly dim room. Old Zero would have insisted on burning his eyes out just to stay outside during the daytime like any other human being. This Zero had made peace with his situation while he spent years inside a dream. He was used to the night, real or not. That meant he was used to navigating in the dark and thus he was quick to take a shower and dress for a scouting trip as well. One graceful jump out of the window had him standing on dewy grass.
It was time for a little midnight walk around the moon dorms. If he was right about the current date, then nobody would come looking for him there. After all, everybody knew he hated the night class with a fiery passion. Zero couldn't help but snort at that thought. He hated the ones responsible for the death of his family. He wanted all of them eradicated, yes, but what "all of them" truly meant was only for him to know. What was a vampire, but a soulless killer? What was a man, but a miserable pile of secrets? What was black and what was white, on the chessboard of life?
The first thing he noticed was how bright it was outside despite it being almost a new moon. The very thin crescent above him was barely more than a hair on the endless night sky above. Yet, he could still see as clearly as if it was a sunny summer day. From the tiny droplets of dew caught in a spider's web to the little fuzz of the moss that grew on every third tree's bark, Zero saw it all without even trying to. It was unnerving. Useful, he admitted, but as unnerving as a sleepover on a stranger's grave.
The second thing that Zero noticed was how quiet he was. Even with his hunter training and all the years that apparently have not happened yet, he was only ex human. Even Kaname should have made some noise as he walked around. In comparison to the ethereal pureblood he himself should be akin to a stampede in the library. This total absence of everything acoustic sent shivers down his spine. It was just so wrong and unnatural. It was a small crack in what was an ordinary mirror image of Zero's perfectly crappy life.
The gate guardian sent him a look but didn't speak up. The old keeper knew him well and was fully aware of his status as prefect and school guardian. It was an added bonus that Zero was a vampire as well. So, as stated before, the gate guardian just sent a look his way and then proceeded to ignore him. Zero found himself not minding that at all. It worked in his favor seeing how his nemesis could hear a flea sneeze across campus if he wanted to. This way Zero could pretend he was just another Night Class student… even if the thought alone still disgusted him for all the wrong reasons.
From vampire hater to reluctant sympathizer. How far had he fallen?
Thankfully it was serenely quiet and soothingly peaceful. His hunter senses told him exactly how many vampires were near him. His vampire senses filled in the blanks and allowed Zero to pinpoint everyone's precise location as well as what they were doing. Now if that did not come in handy he did not know what would. Especially since he knew he would need everything he had to stand up to Kuran Kaname because the prince was a freaking ancestor reborn. Dream-Zero did not know until it was far too late, but the current Zero knew exactly what to expect. Their ideal worlds were so similar that it was almost too easy for him to consider just rolling with the show and accept his fate. His more stubborn side vetoed this idea almost immediately. He was not Kuran's servant or lapdog. He was Zero Kiryu!
Somewhere to his left, Zero noticed a broken glass bottle. It was a normal bottle used to hold juice. The students seemed fond of it, even though Zero found it too sweet. It did however remind him of another issue he would have to deal with sooner or later. He did not want to be taken down into the basement. As far as he could tell his bloodlust wasn't too hard to manage. Once he figured out how to distract himself and how to keep the symptoms at bay he was fine. He may still be unable to take the tablets but if his dinner was a little more bloody than it needed to be… who cared about the details? It had worked in his dream, perhaps it would work in the waking world as well. Maybe it was his hybrid nature or just his sheer stubbornness, but animal blood was more than perfect for him. It was a solution both his vampire side and his hunter side could compromise on. Speaking of dinner, there was a sweet scent in the air.
Crap.
Zero shot off like a lightning strike and thankfully arrived before any other vampire. There was a Day Class girl with a camera phone in her left hand, and a big cut on her right one. If the footprints on the nearby oak were any hints, detective Zero concluded she slipped and hurt herself on the way down. This would earn her a week of detention for sure. However, Zero was in a relatively compassionate mood that night so he just helped her up and quietly hoped she wouldn't scream.
"Oh no! Uh… it's not what it looks like! Zero, please don't expel me! I just wanted some pictures of-"
"Yeah, yeah. You're hurt. I'll escort you to the nurse's office so you can get that looked at. You don't want to get an infection, believe me." Zero huffed with mild annoyance.
As a reply he got a very stiff nod from the girl before him. Her black hair flew everywhere as she did so.
"Now: up. You shouldn't even be here in the first place." there was still some bark behind those words.
As they made their way to the school building to let the nurse look at the girl's injury, Zero noticed a pair of wine red eyes following him around. Kuran didn't trust him, that much was obvious. If he remembered correctly then the real Kuran Kaname was worried he might snap and fall to E status every second now. Ha. As if. So, in protest and rebellion, Zero ignored the burning stare and focused on his duties as a school prefect and guardian. Mr Disciplinary Committee had a mission, and no fanged leech would get between him and his duty. Nope. Not even a royal leech.
The reward for his trouble was a shy, grateful and even a little guilty "thank you, Kiryu." from the Day Class girl. It warmed Zero from the inside to know he was appreciated for once. These little moments were what kept him going.
"Zero."
And there he was.
"Kuran. What do you want?"
Zero was ready to blow steam through his nose. The little smirk on Kuran's face, so full of confidence it bordered on arrogance, it was infuriating him. How dare he assume that he would bend over to his will! The pureblood could not control him, or force him anymore either for that matter. The sooner he accepted this the sooner they could stop ripping each other to shreds every time they met.
Monotone and yet so elegantly airy Kaname replied with, "you could have hurt this student. It is pure luck you still have some semblance of control, but it will not be long until you slip."
"You make that sound like my fate is sealed, prick." he shot back.
"It is. We both know it is only a matter of time."
"Oh?" Zero saw his opening and made his move, "like it is a matter of time until your insane uncle is going to attack the academy and you will use me to do something you unfortunately aren't capable of doing yourself?"
Now that hit a nerve.
Zero decided to go for the kill, he was enjoying this: "I thought an ancestor would be capable of keeping his subjects in line. What? You need me to end Rido for you? My, why didn't you just ask like any normal person out there? You know, if you would stop trying to use me as your pawn I would be open to cooperate with you willingly."
He did not know how he managed to dodge that strike, but Zero somehow sidestepped a slap coming at him with pureblood speed. The act alone made them both freeze. Kaname, because he was officially lost and unnerved by how quickly everything got out of his control. Zero, because he should not be able to do any of this, yet here he was.
"I've had enough of you throwing all this shit at me. Talk to me like I'm a person. You might be surprised how much easier things get when you don't try to pull strings behind people's backs."
Kaname did not ease up. He forced himself to relax, but Zero could easily see the tension in him. It lingered just below the surface and was waiting like a tightly wound spring to unleash hell upon him. Now, Zero had a choice to make. He could either go for it and deal with Kuran head on, or he could diffuse the situation and try diplomacy.
Just as he was about to do something, Kaname grabbed his wrist.
"Who told you?"
"Nobody." Zero huffed, he decided to go with what he believed to be the truth this time, "I'm clairvoyant."
Kaname scoffed, "Ah so you asked a crystal ball about my past, present and future? How cute. I need an answer, Kiryu. A real answer."
"I just told you. I can apparently see the future."
"That's impossible."
"The same way your fancy vampire powers are impossible? Is it that big of a stretch to think I gained something too?" Zero said mostly to himself as realization dawned upon him.
"You are an ex-human level D. You don't have powers." Kaname countered, but with a curious edge in his voice.
"I'm a Kiryu. We are one of the oldest hunter families in existence. Perhaps that did something?"
As soon as Kaname let go, Zero shrugged and crossed his arms before his chest. This night was turning out to be very interesting so far.
"Well… who would have known." Kaname mumbled to himself.
He turned around and left Zero standing there with more questions than answers, but Zero suspected the feeling was mutual. He also didn't cry after him as Kuran returned to his lair. He just let the king in waiting go, thankful to be alone again and rid of the pureblood. Zero still grinned a tiny grin. He had gotten under Kuran's skin. That was a win for him any day.
If only he could shake off that feeling of wrong that had coiled around his heart and was squeezing it like a whip made of a rose's thorns. Something had stirred deep inside the fog and now moonlight shone through it, blazing away all the lies and half-truths.