Rido's Secret - Vampire Knight Fanfiction

Chapter One

Chapter One ~ Humans are Scarier

It was cold. Winter was at its highest point, and a little girl was sitting under a snow blanketed tree. Waiting. Shivering.

She was a young child, no older then maybe six or seven, and she only wore a thin summer dress that looked to be well worn and even torn here and there. A small bag of nuts, nearly all gone, next to her under the snow. The girl was practically frozen in place, her only movements were her violent shivers. She had hugged her knees in close to try and keep warm--even by just a little--and had her face buried in her knees.

Not far from the small girl was a tall man, six foot one to be exact, with wavy hair and wearing a long black coat. He spotted the girl, but he also spotted another figure closing in on her vulnerable form. A human child so far from the villages at this hour?

The other figure was lanky, long hair a mess, hunch backed, and crazed looking. A Level-E. A hungry Level-E at that.

The sound of footsteps stopping before her, making the little girl look up, dull orange eyes met with glowing red ones and fangs. "Hello little one." The woman before her spoke. "What is a delicious looking child like you doing in this cold?"

The child didn't speak, her eyes seemed hazy, as if they were clouded with hopelessness. As if they reflected that she had given up on life. Her fight had been broken, and her barely even started life had already been deemed worthless to the child herself.

The estranged woman ignored the fact that she got no answer and spoke again. "If you do not mind, may I partake on your life?!" She pounced.

Just as the Level-E was about to bite, a hand was jabbed straight through her heart. A man stood before the girl now as he yanked his long arm out of the beast in human form. "I'm afraid the one that is going to die, will be you." He licked at the blood left on his hand as the woman turned to dust.

The man looked down at the girl as she stared up at his heterochromia iridum eyes. "I wonder why a small child like you is out here in the cold all alone." He said, making it seem as though he were thinking out loud. "Would you tell me why?" He asked, crouching down to be closer in height. His eyes caught sight of the many yellowing bruises, cuts, scrapes and even small scars that littered her body. She had been beaten a few days before, and maybe for many years.

"...Mother said... to wait... and not move..." The girl's voice was raspy, as if it had been days since she last spoke. It was very likely that she hadn't.

"How long have you waited?" The man found himself asked the small child.

"Nine days..." The girl answered, her voice nearly silent and you could almost hear and see the despair that kept her bound in place.

The man gave a hard look as he was deep in thought. She must have been abandoned. Abandoned by her mother, someone that was meant to cherish her, and hasn't even realized it. Humans are such pitiful things. He thought before standing up and pulling off his coat and placing over the girl.

As he turned and was about to walk away, he felt a tug pull him back weakly. He looked over his shoulder to see the girl, her hand on the leg of his pants with a frown on her small face. "You'll catch cold, mister." She stated, her doe like eyes wavered with worry over the man--who was a stranger to her.

"Are you worried for my well being, girl?" The man asked and the young child nodded. "Even if you know not of who I am?" Again, the little girl nodded. "What if I told you I was a beast in human form, that I am what just tried to eat you?" The child was silent.

Her eyes fell down to her hand, still holding him back from leaving, before looking up at the stranger who saved her. "I think humans are a lot scarier than monsters are."

The man was taken aback, but another look at her dull--practically lifeless--eyes made him realize something: she had given up on humanity. She had been broken, she was a reflection of himself in a way. An outcast to life and what others believed in, shattered by those that you loved but never loved you back.

The man plucked his coat off from the girl's shoulders and threw it over his own, over his tattered white collared shirt, and proceeded to pick the girl up like she was a princess. "Then would this keep you warm and satisfied?" He asked the little child. Why do I feel the need to protect this child...?

The girl nodded with a hum and leaned her head against his chilled chest. "Do you want me to take you home?" He asked.

The girl shook her head. "No."

"Do you have a place to stay instead of out here in the cold?"

She shook her head again.

"Would you like to stay at my home then?"

This time, the girl looked up at the man. "Is it okay?" Her voice was soft as she asked.

"Of course."

The child smiled. "Okay then." She leaned her head back against the man as her eyelids became heavy. "My name is Miyako. I'm five."

Just as darkness was about to take full grip of her, she heard his reply. "Rido. Kuran Rido."

Waking up, Miyako had found herself lying under plush sheets and on a mattress that was so soft she'd think it was made by angels.

Where am I? She thought to herself as she rubbed her eyes from sleep. As the sleep slowly faded, memories flooded back to her. That's right... a man saved me... Kuran Rido...

As if on cue, the deep voiced vampire spoke from the door. "I see you're finally up." Miyako looked to his direction.

Rido stepped into the room and took large, gliding, steps towards her, a glass of water in hand. He held the glass to her and she accepted it, managing to utter out a thanks before downing the clear liquid. "Thank you for saving me, Mr. Kuran." She thanked him as she held the glass set on her lap.

The man merely grunted in response, not knowing why he felt inclined to save a child. A human child no less.

"Just Rido. There are two males in my family, I'd rather not be mistaken for him through our surnames." He said in a rough tone that was akin to that of a groan of frustration.

The girl smiled. "Alright, Rido-chi!" She smiled and was about to say more when a grumbled interrupted her. She looked down at her lap as her cheeks flared a light dust or pink. She was hungry.

Rido held back a laugh at the sight of the little girl's cheeks flushing in embarrassment. "Come now, you've been sleeping for two days, and haven't eaten much at all for eleven days. Food's down in the dining room." He held out his hand to her, which she shyly accepted as he yanked her up and into his arms to carry with his right arm, left arm left free to open doors.