The Reality

A/N: Snow shipping. This is NOT a SnowXOC fic. I understand full well that Snow is in love with Serah and will ALWAYS be in love with her. But we all know his hero-complex, don't we? :3 He's everyone's hero, always will be.

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The Reality

He didn't love her, and she accepted that. But Jade could not ignore her reality, not when it was staring her in her face.

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The Reality

MazdaKitsune

"The reality of it all is," Jade Cross puffed as she crossed a stack of crystals and wobbled precariously on the edge of a small chasm before Snow Villers held out his hand to help her jump over. "That I love you and I can't do anything about it. Oops!"

She stumbled, and Snow chuckled as he caught her around her small waist and easily lifted the lighter girl over the small hole that her foot had gotten caught in and swung her onto his back, continuing on as if she weighed nothing.

"The reality of it all it," Jade continued complaining in a matter-of-fact tone while linking her arms around his neck so she wouldn't fall off. "That I know you'll never be able to return those feelings to me because you love Serah, and she's all you've ever been mentioning since the start of our mission."

Snow simply smiled, but kept his silence as he pushed on forwards to cross the Lake of Crystals. It was cruel and cold of him not to respond to her words, but what she said was true, and he was used to her constant chatter. She had a fun, easy-going personality just like Vanille, but she was a frank person, the type to speak her mind regardless of person or place. To answer her was to invoke an argument; the best was to just keep quiet and let her prattle on till she ran out of steam.

"The reality of it all is that whatever I do, I'll never be able to escape the fate of being an I'Cie, and that I'm either going to end up as a Cie Corpse, or face the same fate as Serah; becoming immortalized in crystal."

Lightning sent her a little disapproving frown from the front where she was leading, the name and fate of her sister catching her attention. Vanille gave a nervous little titter, Hope's gaze darting back and forth between Lightning and Jade. Everyone knew of their inescapable fate; death. Death in the form of turning into a monster, or turning into a crystal. Serah Farron, the sister of Lightning Farron, had managed to complete her Focus, her mission, and had subsequently turned into a statue of crystal, beautiful and immortalized in every shard. Snow's eyes were downcast, filled with frustration and sadness. "Jade," he began, but she cut him off, having finally garnered an answer.

"The reality of it all is," she closed her eyes. "That I don't know what my Focus is, not even now, and I'm scared because I don't want to. I don't want to die."

Neither of them wanted to. "Jade-"

"The reality of it all is that more arrows are appearing on my Mark, and I'm running out of time."

"Jade." Snow stopped walking, his voice firm so she wouldn't be able to interrupt him again. "We'll pull through this. I promise you that. I won't let anything happen to you, I'll protect you."

Jade blinked at him, then chuckled softly. "You have a hero complex, you know that?" Always rushing into danger first to draw it to yourself so we others have a chance to escape. But Snow... you can't protect everyone. Sometimes death is a necessary, a sacrifice."

"I'll avoid that if I have to," Snow answered vehemently. "I won't let anyone die, not even you. Besides... you're always not far behind when I go rushing into danger like you said."

"That's because I'm a Song Sorceress," she sniffed. "My powers specialize in supporting, healing and buffing. If it wasn't for me and my shielding, you would be a goner by now."

Snow laughed and began walking again, hoisting her higher on his back. "You forgot, I'm a hero. Hero's don't die, no matter the situation. I'll always turn up to save the day in the end."

Jade giggled at that, hugging him a bit more tighter. "The reality of it all is, that's the reason why I fell in love with you in the first place," she whispered.

Snow smiled, looking on ahead. "I'll always protect you, Jade."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

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"The reality of it all is," Jade whispered as she began to crystallize, eyes swimming with tears, but shinning with contentment and life. Her hand was still stretched out, clasped in the disbelieving Snow's, but even then, the power of the Fal' Cie's "reward" began pulling it back towards himself to form the pose of a noble statue. "That I lied. I knew what my Focus was from the start. It was to protect you, Snow Villers... until the time comes when you need me no longer."

"Jade..." All Snow could do was hold her hand until it was dragged away from him, sorrow in his eyes. Behind him, Vanille let out a little sob, Hope reaching up to put a hand on her shoulder. The two women had been particularly close with their cheerfulness and optimism, the sunshine of the group, and Vanille was sad to see her end her mission now, right before the final stage.

"Thank you for everything, Snow..." Jade smiled at him, though the blue glow was already creeping up her neck, turning her face eerily transparent. "The reality of it all is, I'm not scared, not any more. Thank you for being with me till the end..."

Her voice trailed off into a melodious tinkle, and her body arched as she raised her face to the sun. For a while, she could still feel the warmth of the sunlight on her face, and she smiled, letting her tears flow. She was content that she was able to protect the most important person to her until the end. All that mattered was that Snow was safe, and it was up to him now to fulfil the rest of his mission and get back to Serah safely. They would all be without her protection, but she trusted them enough to not get themselves killed before their Focus was over.

There was a strange feeling of floating, peculiar tranquillity that stole over her, and suddenly, Jade realized it wasn't scary at all. It was just like falling asleep, but for how long, she didn't know. Her skin hardened, and in a blue flash of light, it was all over. And she was yet another beautiful statue carved intricately out of crystal itself, a monument of a heroine or a Goddess long forgotten by men.

Yet another victim of the Fal' Cie.

Lightning turned away and began pushing on again, but under her impassive face was a heavy heart of frustration, rage and sorrow. "Come on. There's nothing we can do for Jade now. Her Focus is complete."

One by one, they turned and followed, but Snow lingered behind, gazing up at Jade's softly glowing crystal. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I'm sorry I can't return your love, but I'll keep my promise. I'll find that Fal' Cie and destroy it so you and Serah can be freed and safe. Just wait and see, Jade."

And with that, the self-proclaimed hero turned and strode away briskly to catch up with the rest of the group, leaving the crystal statue behind.

The Truth Beneath The Rose

A/N: Vampire Knight. Yes. I know. The title is from Within Temptation's album: 'The Heart Of Everything'. I won't make this long, I'm tired and I have college to go to tomorrow, but the idea played around in my head after an RP with Kaien, and one of my resolutions for 2010 was to make sure this blog didn't die. XD Seriously, my postings got lesser and lesser as the years went by. Let's try to change that this year.
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The Truth Beneath The Rose
For the life of her, Ruka couldn't figure out why Kaname had allowed a huntress-turned-vampire to enroll in the Night Class, and she intended to get her answers, once and for all. Slight ZeroxOC if you squint.
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The Truth Beneath The Rose
MazdaKitsune

She was down there. Without even looking, Souen Ruka knew that their recent addition to the Night Class was lounging on the sofa in the common room, drinking a cup of tea. Her nose wrinkled delicately with dislike as she elegantly swept down the stairs, sweeping her long and wavy blond hair over her shoulder. Her roommate, Toya Rima was on the second couch, eating Pocky, but Ruka knew that Rima could care less for the other girl silently keeping her company.

"Souen-san." The shorter black haired girl with emerald eyes greeted politely, going as far as to stand and offer Ruka her seat, but the taller vampire declined with a wave of her hand.

"Don't bother yourself, Kamaitachi. I can sit with Rima." Ruka said, almost coldly as she joined Rima, the younger and decidedly even more blond girl saying nothing but rolling her blue eyes in their direction. Few things ever caught Rima's attention, unless it was Kaname-sama's orders, modeling, or suspected boyfriend Shiki Senri. She and him were so much alike; they were models and one of the youngest students for the Night Class, seemed to lack interest in things around them, had and spoke in a deadpan expression, and sometimes even seemed to read each others' minds, speaking together in a coordinated fashion.

Kamaitachi Ryorin nodded and sat down again, resuming the sipping of her tea quietly. She stared at nothing in particular, emerald eyes gazing at the closed double doors as though trying to memorize their shape and pattern, and Ruka wrinkled her nose further before turning away. For the life of her.... she would NEVER understand WHY Kaname-sama had allowed her into their class. Ryorin was no noble, and she certainly wasn't a vampire to begin with either. No, Ryorin was like that damned Kiryuu Zero, a Level D that would gradually fall to a Level E.

Kamaitachi Ryorin had been a young huntress from a different school, sent to work at the Hunter's Association as an intern. It was there that she had met Cross Kaien, and after accidentally stumbling on a secret meeting meant to assassinate him, was bitten by a Pureblood Vampire. She didn't remember much about the incident, her memory hazy and distant after she had come to, weak and cold from loss of blood, but Kaien had saved her and brought her back to Cross Academy. Ryorin knew that she wasn't human anymore, and battling the rising vampire instincts inside her, agreed to enroll as a student in the Academy's Night Class, under the watchful eye of Kuran Kaname, the most powerful Pureblood. So to say Ruka was NOT happy when Kaname gave Ryorin his pure and precious blood to stave off insanity would be misleading; she was furious. She was certain things would end up like Zero, who had totally no respect for Kaname whatsoever. She didn't see the point in helping a turned human, especially when eventually the bloodlust would drive them insane.

Perhaps she was just hoping that when the time came, she would be able to kill Ryorin off herself.

But the girl in particular was sitting so comfortably on the sofa, drinking tea as if she belonged and was one of them, so utterly relaxed and unaware that Ruka felt like throttling her. But a noble wouldn't do such an unsightly thing as that, so instead, she sniffed with disdain and leaned back against the sofa, crossing her arms and legs.

"Why are you here?"

"Hmm?" Ryorin turned round to face her, then shrugged after contemplating the question. "Because I enrolled here, I guess."

"No, I mean... why are you, a human turned vampire, even sitting and sleeping among us nobles?" Ruka's brown eyes settled on her unblinkingly. "You are an outcast from your people, and the rest of the vampires look down on you. Do you even understand the criticisms you get? The situation you're in?"

Ryorin's face was a careful blank mask like Rima's as she finished off her tea slowly. "Yes... I understand. I know that one day I'll loose my mind to madness and be killed either by the Association, or by you. I also know that the rest of the Night Class are rather wary and hostile of me because I don't belong, but right now, I don't belong to the human race either. Chairman Cross was kind enough to let me in, and Kaname-sama gave me his blood to help slow the process of deteriorating down. But I guess that if I let these facts bog me down, I wouldn't be sitting here and drinking tea as if nothing had happened. To me, life is what I make it, and though I'm no longer human, I'll still try to make the best out of it so it won't pull me down."

"Kiryuu-kun should take a leaf out of her book...." Rima muttered in her deadpan voice as she chomped on her Pocky. "At least Ryorin isn't suicidal or depressed."

"Kaname-sama gave you his blood." Ruka stated, and anger flashed through her eyes. "Just like he gave Kiryuu Zero. But he only did that to ensure protection for Cross Yuuki, making him a pawn. But there's no guarantee that you won't turn around and betray Kaname-sama."

"Kaname-sama saved my life." Ryorin said quietly. "I'm already resigned to the fate of being a vampire, and no matter what others may think, I won't bite the hand that feeds me..... no pun intended there. Perhaps I'm just a piece on his chess board as Zero-kun is, or perhaps he did it only out of a favor of Chairman Cross, but his blood runs in me, and I myself will forever be indebted and loyal to Kaname-sama." She pressed a hand to her heart. "I know you're extremely close and loyal to him, Souen-san... and I'm sorry if my taking of his blood has offended you in any way. I don't expect you to understand, nor do I expect the Night Class to stop criticizing me, but I live my life the way I want it to be." Standing as she heard the chatter of the male vampires coming down the stairs, she straightened the red ribbon she had used to tie the upper layer of her hair together. "And the way I want my life to be now is to be as normal as it can, albeit with some slight changes. I do not wish to be close to Kaname-sama, nor to even try, but I will offer him my undying loyalty and faithfulness. And he will be the one to end me when I wilt away."

A fast and painless death that only Kaname could offer with his powers. Ruka realized her intentions now; Ryorin was once human, and when she fell to the status of a Level E, she didn't want to hurt anyone, and being in a place where nobles and a Pureblood lived together.... she would have a fast death before she even placed a foot outside the Moon Dorm. Perhaps she should have just killed herself, but despair wasn't a part of her, and Ruka could understand that. No one wanted to die, even a suicidal person would wish for life at the very last minute. Ryorin had decided to live as a vampire, and Kaname's kindness was to allow her to continue having a normal life by giving her his blood, and being Death when the time came. She was brave, braver than Ruka could ever be, and the noble found newfound respect for that.

Ruka sighed and got up from the sofa as Aidou Hanabusa's voice filled the room with merry chatter. "Ryorin." She called, and threw a book at the girl with blurring speed. "You forgot your textbook."

Ryorin turned around and easily caught the book in her hand without any problem. "Thank you... Ruka." A cheerful smile curved her lips.

The Moon Dorm's doors opened for the vampires to walk out into the sunset, and a minute later, so did the gates. Walking past the screaming fangirls (plus one fanboy) and a flustered Prefect Yuuki, emerald eyes met empty lavender.

Zero turned from the girl who had suffered the same fate as he, calling her a 'betrayer' in his mind. He had decided to remain human as long as he could, but she had defected so easily to Kuran's side. Still, he couldn't deny that she too had chosen life over death, although in a way very opposite to his. Just like he and Yuuki, they were different, night and day. Yet, he had no desire to hate her, not when he understood what she had to go through.

Ryorin walked on beside Ruka, inclining her head when Kaname turned once, murmuring a respectful, "Kaname-sama" under her breath. He was her king now, offering both life and death, and she was his pawn.

Yet another pawn in a chess game, just like her. Ruka let out a breath, surprised that the feeling of hostility was gone. Now, Ryorin was just another vampire, with feelings to consider and a life to lead. Perhaps... a possible ally and friend. She knew the truth now, and had made her peace. Life must go on.