Finding My Way

Chapter 2

A vampire? What's my father thinking bringing a vampire here? I take a step back, the butterflies in my stomach replaced with sheer horror.

In a sudden movement from my right, Zero leaps toward the vampire with a fist drawn back. Before Zero can make it to him, the headmaster steps between them. "Stop it, Zero! Kaname is here as my guest and I need you to act rationally."

"Why should I act rationally around a vampire? He's nothing but a beast in human form!" Zero spits out, trying to edge around my father.

A beast in human form? Now that seems a bit harsh to me. Over these past ten years, I've struggled to reconcile myself to the fact that a vampire saved me, even though another killed my mother. My father taught me that there are many different kinds of vampires and, just like humans, not all are bad and not all are good. Still, that doesn't stop me from being wary of vampires or fearing them.

My father raises his hands in front of him in a conciliatory fashion. "Okay, okay, I realize that I probably should have broken the news to you a little better than this."

"You think?!" Zero shouts, red starting to color his face. I have never seen him lose control like this. Sure, he's gotten frustrated with me before, but he's never been furious. Belatedly, I realize that I've done nothing to contribute to this scene.

I walk over to Zero and put my hand on his arm, "Let's see what the Headmaster has to say. He would never endanger us, so there must be a good reason for him," I tilt my head towards the vampire, who had remained silent and immobile in the corner, "to be here."

"Thank you, Yuki," my father says, "You truly are my daughter." He looks at Zero questioningly. Zero is staring at me intently. I can see those emotions that I had seen on that first day we met: fear, anger, and even some hatred. That last emotion sent a chill down my spine. I make a mental note to myself to talk to Zero after this.

Finally, Zero nods and looks away.

"Right, would you all sit down?" my father asks, gesturing towards the couches on the right side of the room. He has an enormous office. The desk is located in the far left by the windows, with enough room for a fireplace and couches on the other side.

I comply, sitting down in the spot nearest the door. The vampire slowly moves, probably so as not to agitate Zero again, and sits down diagonally from me, so that he isn't too close. Zero doesn't move.

"I'll stay over here, thanks," he says, moving behind my couch and leans against the wall.

My father looks like he wants to argue, but then apparently decides against it and sits down on the other end of the vampire's couch, facing me.

"Kaname and I have been collaborating now for years on a project that we hope will set our races on the path for peace," I hear Zero scoff behind me, but the headmaster either does not hear him or chooses to ignore that little outburst. "It has been my dream for some time now to run an academy where vampire and human students can coexist peacefully! The embodiment of my pacifist ideals!" His voice begins to rise as it does when he's really passionate about something.

"That's why, Kaname here, who shares my pacifist ideology, will be bringing other receptive vampires with him to this academy! They will inhabit the Moon Dorm and attend classes at night, while the human students attend class during the day. We will have a Night Class and a Day Class!" Somewhere in that speech, my father had stood up and begun pacing around. "For now, the human students cannot know the true identity of the Night Class students. That secret must be protected at all costs."

He stops his pacing and faces towards Zero and me, in turn looking each of us in the eye. "That is where you come in. You two already serve this academy as prefects and help enforce the rules. I'd like to adapt your role and have the two of you to become Guardians of this academy. You will still be known as the Disciplinary Committee, but you will now be looking after both classes in order to keep the peace at this academy."