~*Okies! So…been a while since I updated anything. But I was looking through the stories that I had on my computer and I decided that I didn't like the way that some of them had turned out when I first posted them…like this one lol. So. Secret of the Tamer had gotten some really good reviews last time it was posted, so here's what I want the fans of the original to do: I have gone through and rewritten every chapter of this story, and I'd like you guys to tell me how you think this one compares to the original that was posted like…three years ago xD So! Vampire Knight belongs to Matsuri Hino and all that lovely stuff, disclaimer, disclaimer, disclaimer. Now! Here's the link to the original:

EDIT: Okay so for some stupid reason, it's not letting me link to the original story. So! This is what I'm gonna do. After typing FanFiction into the address bar, type this after it: .net/s/4720368/1/Secret_of_the_Tamer This SHOULD take you straight to the original...let me know if it doesn't!*~


Cross Academy…A private school run under Headmaster Kaien Cross. There, classes are held two times everyday: once during the day, and the other at night. The Day Class consists of those ordinary honor students whose parents were able to get them in. The Night Class is formed of many elite, extremely good-looking students. So…what makes those in the Day Class different from the Night? The answer is simple: The Night Class is formed entirely of vampires. "Vampires?" you may say. "Yeah, right. Vampires don't exist!" Well…you're wrong. They do exist and they go to school just like everyone else. At least, the ones from Cross Academy do. So have I gotten you to believe yet? "But…aren't vampires nothing but blood-thirsty monsters?" you may ask. The answer is yes…and no. There are many classes of vampires. The first would be the A Class purebloods: the highest, most feared level of vampires. They run everything and everyone under them, using the lower class members to sometimes do their dirty work. The second level would be the B class nobles. They serve under the purebloods and have special powers, usually the power to control an element. After them, you have ordinary vampires in the C Class and vampires in the D Class that were once human, but were saved from becoming an E Class. Finally, there are E class vampires. E class vampires are the worst kind that you could ever get involved with. They are those that were human at one point but soon lost all sense of reason and deteriorated into nothing but a blood thirsty monster. "So does every human bitten by a vampire turn into one themselves?" That answer is no. You see, you can only turn into a vampire yourself if you are bitten by a pureblood vampire. Of course, if you are bitten by a pureblood, you could just as easily die than turn into a vampire. Then again, I'm sure you would rather choose death. The slow, aching process of turning into a vampire messes with the mind. Over time, a person's thirst for blood becomes greater and greater until finally they can't control it anymore. The bloodlust takes over and they attack any human that they wish. But those are the bad vampires. There are good ones too; and those are the ones that attend Cross Academy.

Chapter 1:

Keiko Mie sat on her bed and stared blankly at the blood-stained carpet in front of her. Her shoulder-length, reddish-brown hair fell messily over her face, covering bright blue eyes that were now full of despair. Just yesterday, everything seemed so perfect. No one had seen this coming. It had started out like any other day. Keiko had gotten up and eaten breakfast with her parents and baby brother. Afterwards, she had gone to school and then at the end of the day she had headed off with her best friend to study for an upcoming test. And then her cell phone rang. She had rushed home as fast as she could only to be greeted by a group of professional vampire hunters. Keiko had stared down at the motionless, mangled, and bloody bodies that were her family with tears streaming down her cheeks, trying to comprehend what had happened. A large pile of ashes, the remains of the attacker, stirred and drifted across the ground as a sudden wind blew.

"Three Level E's in one place…attacking one family…what the hell is going on?" one of the hunters asked his companions. The other two shook their heads as they looked down at the ashes. The hunter that had spoken suddenly noticed Keiko and walked over, kneeling down beside her and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Your family?" he asked. Keiko just nodded. The hunter looked back at his companions then helped Keiko onto her feet. "Let's get you inside," he said, casting one last look at the other hunters before helping the shocked girl into the house.

The inside was hardly more of a comfort. The glass from the windows was scattered all over the blood stained carpet. The furniture was overturned, the television and other electronics were broken, leaving pieces of exposed wire sending sparks all over the floor. Keiko barely noticed as she was guided through the living room and up the stairs. It didn't occur to her to try and catch herself as she stumbled and the hunter had to catch her and steady her on her feet. After what seemed like hours, the two finally came to a closed door at the end of the hall. Keiko looked up at the brief pause in motion and it took a moment for her to recognize that they were at her room. The hunter opened the door and brought Keiko to her bed, setting her down on it gently then taking a step back. "You going to be okay?" he asked. Keiko stared down at the floor in silence. "Do your want to stay here by yourself?" No answer. The hunter turned around and left the room, and soon Keiko heard the front door close.

Her family was gone and now she had nowhere to go. She had no other family. Her mom, her dad, her baby brother…they were all she had left. And now they were dead. This house was blood-stained, destroyed, and everywhere she looked, the images of her dead family filled her mind. What was she supposed to do now?


Keiko was dragged out of her thoughts by the sound of the doorbell ringing. She lifted her head wearily, ignoring the pounding in her skull, and stared out her doorway. She hadn't been able to move from the spot on her bed for more than 24 hours since the hunter had brought her there. She hadn't eaten or slept…just sat, staring blankly at the floor. The continuous ringing of the doorbell finally stirred her to stand up on her shaky legs and, after pushing away a wave of dizziness, she worked her way down the stairs to answer the door.

Outside the house, a girl with long, brown hair and eyes stood with a guy with silver hair and violet eyes in front of the door. The girl rang the doorbell one more time before turning to her companion. "I guess she's not home."

"Or maybe she's just tired of hearing the doorbell ring over and over and over…."

"Shut up, Zero!" the girl countered. "You're so mean! What is she's hurt? Or worse! What if she's—" The girl was cut off as the doorknob rattled and the door opened slowly.

Keiko peeked out of the door and stared at the visitors. "Can I help you?" she asked softly.

The female on the doorstep smiled and gave Keiko a light wave. "Hi!" she greeted. "I'm Yuki Cross and this is Zero Kiryu. We'd like you talk to you if that's okay…"

Keiko looked behind her at the disaster that used to be a happy family home then shrugged. "If you want. Just please excuse the mess."

Yuki and Zero followed Keiko through the house, carefully stepping over pieces of glass and debris as they followed Keiko into the middle of the living room. Zero bent down and picked up a piece of glass that was lying in a puddle of blood. "This is definitely the place," he said to Yuki who simply nodded.

"E-excuse me," Yuki called to Keiko. Keiko stopped and stared at the floor. "You're Keiko Mie, right?"

Keiko swung around quickly and stared at Yuki with a look of suspicion . "Why?"

"I take that as a yes," Zero interrupted before Yuki could answer. "Come with us…now."

"You could be a little nicer, Zero! After all, her whole family was killed by a Level E vampire."

Keiko stiffened and glared even harder at Yuki. "How do you know that?"

Yuki looked back at Keiko warmly. "Keiko, we'd like you to come with us. If you do…then we can tell you everything."

The suspicion in Keiko's eyes died only slightly as she continued to stare at Yuki. She had never met these people before in her life, yet they knew her name, where she lived, and what had happened to her family. But even so…it was the only lead she had. "What have I got to lose?" she responded with a sigh.


The three arrived at Cross Academy a few minutes later. The school was like a huge castle-like building with smaller complexes diagonal from it on the left and right. Zero and Yuki led Keiko into the school, down hallways, and up stairs until they came to the headmaster's office. Yuki gave Keiko a comforting smile as Zero knocked on the door.

"Come in!" someone beckoned in a sing-song voice.

Zero opened the door and glared at the man sitting happily behind the desk. "Do you always have to act like such an idiot?"

The headmaster, Kaien Cross, was a man about in his early thirties with long, blond hair pulled back in a ponytail and glasses over his bright light brown eyes. He wore a very colorful scarf around his neck that trailed over his white dress shirt. The man giggled then looked over at Keiko. "I see you've found her! Hello, Keiko," he greeted as he held out a hand to her. "My name is Kaien Cross. I'm the headmaster of this school. It's very nice to meet you." Keiko looked down at the outstretched hand in front of her then turned her head away to the side, ignoring the headmaster's friendly gesture.

Headmaster Cross lowered his hand then laid his head in his palms. "Keiko, the reason I have had Yuki and Zero bring you here is because I have a proposition to make."

Keiko looked up and stared into the man's brown eyes. "A…proposition?" she repeated softly.

Kaien nodded. "I heard about what happened to your family, and I can't begin to tell you how terribly sorry I am for your loss. But if you like, you're welcome to stay here at the Academy under my custody. You can finish your schooling here as well to make things easier on you."

Keiko stared at Kaien for a moment longer before sighing lightly. "Why are you so interested in me?"

Kaien looked down at his desk briefly before looking over at Yuki and Zero who had also averted their eyes. "Both Yuki and Zero," he explained, "were victims of a vampire attack."

Keiko gasped and turned around to face the two that had brought her in. "Both…of you?"

Yuki nodded. "Zero's family was killed by a vampire just like yours was. I don't remember my family that well," she gave Kaien a quick warning look, "but when I was five, I was attacked, too. I was saved by someone named Kaname and he brought me to Headmaster Cross who adopted me." Yuki tried her best to keep a straight face as she talked to Keiko. After all, Yuki and Zero both were vampires although they hid it nicely. Yuki was a pureblood vampire from the Kuran family who was betrothed to her brother and lover, Kaname. However, Yuki and Kaname both had been in the middle of a serious argument, causing the two of them to split and go their separate ways. Yuki went and found Zero, her childhood friend and former human, and the two of them had paired up for the time being. Kaname had returned to Cross Academy as the Moon Dorm President and, no matter how much Kaien disliked it, all contact between the two Kuran siblings was cut off. Yuki's thought quickly faded away as she forced herself not to show any emotion as she looked at Keiko.

Keiko was looking back at Kaien, her eyes full of sorrow. "My parents…and my baby brother were killed," she sniffed, as tears gathered in her eyes. "He was only five. He didn't deserve to die the way he did." She stopped and looked down at the ground. "And my parents…they were so happy….I don't see why…" Keiko broke off in a soft sob as she covered her face with her hands. Yuki's face fell and she leaned against Zero lightly, taking his hand in hers and looked over at Kaien sadly.

Kaien caught the look and gave Yuki a kind of half smile before looking back at Keiko. "Keiko…"

"No," Keiko said softly. Kaien looked at her curiously as the young brunette lifted up her head and met his eyes. "I…I have no one else to turn to. I'll stay with you, but…don't expect me to forget what happened."

Kaien smiled sympathetically at Keiko. "Of course not, my dear," Kaien said warmly as he stood up and walked over to Keiko, giving her a tight hug.

Yuki smiled and nudged Zero. "We're going, Dad!" she said as she waved to the headmaster.

The man's eyes lit up excitedly. "You…you called me 'Dad'!" he exclaimed. "Be good, kids! I'll see you soon!" Yuki waved and Zero raised a hand in farewell as the two walked out of the room.

Kaien turned back to Keiko. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

Yuki walked hand in hand with Zero as they walked out of the gates of the school. "It's been a while since we were last here…huh, Zero?"

"Yeah," Zero replied, looking up at the sky. "Almost two years since the incident with Rido…" he looked down when Yuki went silent. "You miss him."

Yuki looked up at Zero in confusion. "What?"

"Kaname."

"Oh," Yuki said softly, her gaze drifting to the ground as they walked. "Maybe it was for the best," she said sadly.

"Maybe," Zero said. He brought their hands to his mouth and gently kissed Yuki's before dropping them back to the two's sides.

"Least you don't have to worry about becoming a Level E anymore," Yuki pointed out with a wink. Zero just smiled as the two walked off the school grounds.

Meanwhile, Keiko stood in the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She had just taken a shower in Kaien's living quarters and put on some clothes that he had given her. Although the clothes consisted of nothing more than a T-shirt that was way too big for her and a pair of underwear and a bra that Kaien had managed to snag out of what used to be Yuki's dorm room, Keiko was still grateful. Tomorrow she was to start school as a Cross Academy Day Class student, but tonight Kaien had told her that she was welcome to stay in his private living quarters until she had a dorm made ready for her. She sighed and opened the door and walked out, jumping back in shock when she bumped into someone who was walking down the hallway. "Oh, sorry," she apologized.

"It's fine," a soft male voice replied.

Keiko looked up to see a guy with dark brown hair and eyes that seemed to have a touch of red mixed in. Keiko recognized his uniform as being that of the Night Class. "Are you…in the Night Class?" she asked, although she was certain she knew the answer.

The boy nodded. "Kaname Kuran at your service," he replied as he bowed slightly, never once breaking eye contact.

"Uh…"Keiko stammered as she felt her face warm up slightly. "I…I have to go see the headmaster…so…yeah."

Kaname looked down at her with a hint of amusement in his eyes. He knew that the girl was at loss for words…only because he himself was going to go meet with the headmaster. And Kaien's office happened to be in the opposite direction. Still, Kaname gave her a soft smile. "Good night," he said as he watched her go down the hall.

Keiko blushed as she opened the door to the headmaster's guest bedroom. Kaien had told her that the only requirements of her living with him was that she made her bed everyday and ate all the food that Kaien prepared for her…both of which would not be hard at all for the brunette once she was able to settle down. Keiko walked over to the bed and flopped down on it. 'Kaname Kuran,' she thought as she closed her eyes. 'Why does that name sound so familiar? Will I ever meet him again?' And with those thoughts swirling around in her mind, Keiko rolled over on her side and drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile, just down the hall, Kaname reached Headmaster Cross's office and walked in.

"Don't you ever knock anymore?" Kaien asked him with a sigh.

"Who's the girl?" Kaname asked distractedly.

"Hm?" Kaien looked up at him. "You mean you don't know? That was Keiko Mie. Her family was killed by a group of rogue Level E vampires."

Kaname frowned and snapped his gaze from the doorway to Kaien. "Why didn't I know about this?"

"I thought you would have," Kaien told him, genuinely confused. "You being a high and mighty pureblood vampire and all. I thought nothing got past you."

Kaname clenched his fist. "Is she…?"

Kaien shook his head. "You can tell, Kaname. I know you can. She's a pure human. And she'll be attending the Day classes tomorrow."

"I see," Kaname said, deep in thought as his gaze wandered to the doorway again. "That reminds me. Things have been getting troublesome without a prefect I've heard. Do you think you could look into that?"

"I've been made aware, Kaname," Kaien told him with a disappointed sigh. "But you know, I can't just send anybody. Nobody knows about you and the Night Class being nothing but vampires. Or the existence of vampires period!"

Kaname was silent for a moment then looked up with a curious glint in his eyes. "What about Keiko?"

Kaien looked up at him. "I can't do that, Kaname. She wouldn't be ready. It's too soon after the accident."

Kaname's eyes glowed a bright blood red. "There are ways to prepare her," he said before walking out of the office.

Kaien raised a frustrated eyebrow as he watched the vampire leave his office. "Kaname…"