The Other Side

by Kuro Warau

Rating: M

Summary: If you knew it was the right thing to do, would you remove the blindfold and start the war?

Warnings: AU.Non-con, also on minors. Sex slavery, mature themes, yaoi. Angst. Lemons. Do not read if you dislike graphic sexual or yaoi content. Do not read if you're underage.

Pairings: Kaname x Zero, Zero x Kaname mainly. But also many other pairings, including Rido x Kaname, Rido x Zero, Rido x Yuuki, Takuma x Kaname, Aidou x Kaname and Shizuka x Ichiru. There will be other pairings, I'm just mentioning some of the ones mostly influencing the story.

Disclaimer: Vampire Knight, together with all characters do not belong to me. They belong to their creator, Hino Matsuri. I'm only borrowing them with great affection for entertainment reasons. I'm not earning any money on this fanfiction.

Author's Notes: This is the first time in a long time that I've managed to write anything I'm actually satisfied with. It's not the first time I've tried writing fanfiction off a manga, but I have much more time now and would like to start afresh and make them better.

The names I use are the Japanese names altogether. But everyone can just call them and write their names in any way they'd like. I also use Japanese honorifics, as in Kaname-sama, Zero-kun and so on.

In case it's not clear, the first part is all a flashback, while the text in italic after the break is present time.

Also, I'm sorry for the weird summary, it was actually a line that popped into my head on a holiday and then I wrote it on my phone and slowly developed the idea for this story. I hope you enjoy it! Reviews are most appreciated. They motivate me and I love hearing your reactions.

Chapter One: Behind the Walls

"Here Yuuki, let me help you," Kaname offered, bowing down to help the little girl get into a jacket and some shoes. She looked questioningly up at him, her brown eyes shining with worry and confusion. "Where are we going?" Her high, baby-alike voice sounded out of place, coming from the small, determined and anxious face.

"We just have to get ready for leaving, in case mother or father decides to go somewhere safer," Kaname tried to explain, determined to sound cheerful and uncaring in order for him not to frighten her even more. Once he had clothed his little sister in the winter clothes she'd never had to use before, he settled with her on the couch, clutching her tightly to his chest. She was not yet frightened, only confused and worried. "Outside? A-ah… But mother and father say I can't go outside," she said, unsure about something so new and possibly dangerous.

Kaname just held her tightly, trying to ease away her confusion and worry. His eyes glowed red in rage. But also in… bloodlust? Blood. There's blood in the air. Kaname's pureblooded senses easily picked up on the small change in smell. Yuuki noticed it too, her little body beginning to shake in his arms, sending spikes of guilt to his heart. In the following minutes, the scent washing down over them in waves, sending both of them into bloodlust, but also worry and fright.

"It's alright. I'll stay here with you. It's going to be alright," Kaname kept saying, repeating his own words again and again in a desperate attempt at making her calm down. It didn't help. The scent of blood scared Yuuki, it made her feel unsure because the scent was something she knew well, even though she could not place it. Not Kaname. Not father. Not mother either.

"It hurts me to see you this scared," Kaname finally admitted, still holding her tightly against his chest. "I've been too absorbed by happiness. But don't worry. I've decided that I will take you somewhere safe." Her small body was still shaking in his arms. He was frightened himself, he didn't know what to say anymore. He just wished he could have protected her better. Yuuki literally trembled with fear.

Suddenly, her brother's melting embrace changed to a tight hold, his arms stiffening with the sudden blow of air and scents. She felt he was watchful now, his ruby eyes scanning the walls, searching for sounds or scents. She tried catching up with him, but couldn't understand what troubled him.

A second later, the door blew open, revealing that it was not only Rido the children had to fear. "Who?!" Kaname's voice cut through the air like a blade, at the same time as he stood up in a rush, shielding his little sister behind his back. Her small, frightened scream echoed through the room for a second, then fell silent.

They were dressed all in black, but Kaname could see their red eyes peeking out through the darkness of their hoods. His own eyes had reddened as well, his fangs extending drastically while an animalistic hiss found it's way past his lips. All of the figures immediately took a step back, cautious, their eyes fixed on him more than her. He may only be a boy, but he was still an enraged pureblood, protecting his sister with power they could not hope to match in a fair fight.

"What do you want?" Kaname hissed, his eyes ferocious and his sharp canines glinting in the unusually sharp light of the basement rooms. He didn't understand what was happening. Nobody was supposed to know of Yuuki's existence apart from him and his parents. Not even the servants of the Kuran Estate were trusted highly enough to be let in on a secret of such dimensions.

But these nobles clearly had known exactly what they were looking for and where they had to look. How was it possible that they knew of Yuuki? Why was he made to stand up to these frightening strangers alone? Where were their parents? The questions circulated in his head, made him confused and unfocused. Not much, but enough for it to be a fatal mistake.

Instead of answering his questions, all of them simultaneously bowed down, curling together into an attack position. They clearly were trained in what they did. They were not yet attacking, but Kaname soon realized that they were spreading, in order for them to be able to corner him and Yuuki up. He quickly took the two steps back that would insure that Yuuki stayed safe, being protected between Kaname's back and the far end wall.

Ever since her scream, Yuuki hadn't made a sound, standing quietly in fright and shock behind Kaname, unsure of what was happening or what she might be able to do. Now she cautiously peeked out behind him, watching the dark shadows move closer and closer. She could feel the frustration that seemed to emanate off her brother and out in the room.

When they had gotten as close to the children as a meter, they stilled, as if they were waiting for Kaname to make a move. Then suddenly, they flung into action, attacking like a group. The first one launched for Kaname's leg, which he just had to time to pull back. Before he had time to settle, others attacked from the opposite side. They kept reaching out and Kaname had no way of keeping track on all of them.

What was most important of all was to keep by Yuuki's side. If he could just manage to keep her behind him, he could protect her and that was what mattered most to him. He did not care if he got hurt, as long as he was able to stand up, what mattered was protecting her.

He had to use his hands, counterattacking by swinging his deadly talons through the air in the same height as the figures' throats. He took a step forward, trying to get a bit closer in order for him to be able to take down some of his opponents. He hissed at them, hoping to scare them off, or at least give him a second to find a better technique.

He took a step forward and bowed down, turning into one big ball of enraged pureblood not to be fooled with. Kaname took off with his foot, launching forward and finally managing to bore his nails into flesh. He pulled out shortly afterwards, hissing deeply as he made ready for repeating his actions. Then, all of the nobles stood up at once. Kaname turned around, startled and unsure of what to do. His sharp eyes immediately looked for Yuuki and realized the trap.

He had been fooled away from her side, and when they stood up, it made it hard for Kaname to see her. It froze him for a dangerous second. One of the nobles grabbed his arm, trying to pull him towards the others who stood there, waiting for him. He managed to pull away, Kaname taking up the fight once again, trying to fight his way through the group of nobles to reach Yuuki in time.

"Kaname!" Her scream stopped him dead in his tracks. He was close enough to see what had happened and it filled him with dread. How dared these insolent nobles lay a hand on her? Yet, the fear filled more in him than the anger. He tried reaching her, her frightened small eyes holding his while those monsters lifted her from the ground and flung her over the shoulder.

An infuriated hiss sounded and Kaname rushed forward, not having eye on anything else than freeing Yuuki. Unfortunately, the nobles saw the small glimpse of unawareness lurk in Kaname's eyes, swinging into action. "Yuuki! L-let me go!" Kaname tried twisting out of the hand holding onto his wrist, but the second he succeeded was a second too late and another hand grabbed his other wrist.

Suddenly five different pairs of hands held onto him, making escape close to impossible. He continued struggling though, fighting against the ruthless hands that kept holding onto him. Then, he felt them press a cloth down over his nose and mouth. The cloth gave off a sweet scent, almost like roses, and it dulled his mind instantly. He only got time to understand that it was drugs they forced him to breathe, while his eyes slowly slid up to Yuuki's, seeking her gentle, but frightened gaze before he drifted off.

Juuri's dress danced in the air, in the same way as the rage burned in her eyes. How dare Rido – just calling that bastard her brother was an indignation to herself and Haruka she wouldn't even think – to show up here, as if he was expecting to be let within the walls of her house once more? Never again would she make the huge mistake of believing she could trust Rido because of family relations or fake, sugar sweet words.

Haruka seemed to be in an equal state of mind. His eyes were steely. "I see you were able to escape from the Council's clutches… brother." The word rolled off his tongue with disgust. One of the only things all purebloods could agree on was that the Council was ridiculous. But even over that, there were different beliefs. Some saw it as a necessary controlling force to keep the lower classes in check, others saw it as a power resource and then, there were the families who wanted to get rid of them entirely.

Rido clearly thought that if he "befriended" them, he could control them, which would grant a lot of power. It was unmistakably true, but most other purebloods found it below their status to befriend foolish nobles who thought they had any say in purebloods' businesses.

"You shouldn't underestimate the Council. They're a group of lower beings who'll dance on your orders because they're afraid of getting devoured. Not only by me, but also by the other councilmen who're just waiting for a chance to get higher up by stepping on someone else," Rido smirked, eyeing the mansion with eyes that clearly searched.

"We want no dealings with the Council and I thought we'd made that clear for both them and for you. Now be gone." Rido's smirk only got wider at Juuri's attempt of defying him. She had a burning fire that he liked, but she and Haruka were in his way. And Rido had learned long ago that trusting anyone would only lead to being let down. Real love was an emotion that had been extracted from his being long ago. He desired Juuri, but wouldn't let her get in the way.

"I don't think that's any appropriate way to address your brother. Think about… your children…" Rido's voice spoke volumes. "And the Council…"

Rido had planned it well, a frightened scream cutting through the air just as he finished. No doubt it was Yuuki and it sent ice running through Juuri's and Haruka's veins. The most frightening and horrible thing for a parent is to know that their children are hurt or in danger. It was obvious that Rido had only acted as a distraction, drawing their attention away from Kaname and Yuuki while the Council encircled them.

"Yuuki! Kaname!"

Kaname awoke slowly. His eyes regained focus slowly. The ceiling came into focus slowly. At first he was horribly confused and disoriented. He didn't know where he was or how he'd gotten there. He was lying on a soft couch and looking into nicely made golden swirls decorating the ceiling. It was fine craftsmanship.

Kaname slowly sat up and looked around. His senses had already informed him that he was alone and that it was daytime. But the light didn't bother him, there were no windows in this room, from which he concluded he was in a basement. At first he was confused, but then, in a horrible rush, his memories of what had happened just before his mind went blank returned. Yuuki. I have to find Yuuki.

He practically ran out the door and then stopped in absolute confusion in the hallway. He knew this place. He hadn't been here before, but he knew the scent and the portraits on the wall. His parents had forbidden him to go close to this house, and he'd been quick to agree. He didn't like this scent, it stung in his delicate nose. Not because it was hideous, far from it. It was delicious, but it was full of memories.

His senses alarmed him a second before he heard the door open in the other end of the hallway. Cold dread washed down his back. Should he fight? The person or persons had clearly both seen and sensed him. How could he find Yuuki? What if…?

"Kaname-sama," the man greeted respectfully. "If you'd please follow. Your uncle wishes to see you and I am sure you'd like to see that your sister is well." Kaname looked suspiciously at the noble, but then decided he'd better follow, if there was even the smallest chance that this man would take him to Yuuki.

Kaname gave the noble hidden glances from time to time while they walked. The young pureblood was sure that he'd seen him before, although he wasn't sure where. Most nobles, he knew from soirées. Then, there were the noble families with children around his age that Juuri continuously tried to pair him up with, but in vain.

"It's in here," the man announced and opened the door for Kaname. It kind of bothered him how polite and respectful this vampire seemed. It was, without doubt, the right way to be acting from someone of his status compared to the pureblood, but Kaname had thought he was held prisoner and he was confused by the gestures.

"Brother!" Yuuki's cheerful voice sounded, cutting through all of Kaname's worries. She came running towards him and he bowed down to greet her with open arms, holding her as close as possible. She looked thankfully unharmed, although a bit startled and confused.

"She's so young. Perhaps she will at some point be able to work as a replacement but as she is now, she's useless to me." Rido's eyes were dull, almost disappointed. He looked genuinely uninterested in her, giving Kaname a slight hope. Yuuki didn't seem to understand what he meant and just stared up into his mismatched eyes with curiosity and fascination. At the end of the day, she was, after all, only a five year old girl.

Rido was sitting comfortably on a soft couch, his eyes observing the two children interacting. His eyes dwelled on Kaname and the younger pureblood noticed. "Kaname, come over here. You can talk with Yuuki later."

Kaname slowly went up there, more out of fear of what would happen if he didn't rather than lust to find out what his uncle wanted to say to him. On a wink with the hand, the nobles left the room and pulled Yuuki with them, which almost frightened Kaname the most.

"Kaname, don't be worried about Yuuki," he remarked when he saw Kaname's worried gaze. "I won't harm her. Or you, when speaking about it. Her parents… became a hindrance for me. So I disposed of them. But you're far too powerful for me to ever want any harm to befall you before you're fully grown. And there was no reason for me to touch their precious baby girl." His voice darkened for a second before falling back to his mildly cheerful pitch.

"So I've decided to take you into this mansion, where you'll both live from now on. She'll get a better life here, away from all the political tensions her parents created with the Council. So, I've been really nice to you, haven't I? Don't you think I deserve something in return?" A small smile played in the corner of his mouth.

Kaname's breathing increased. His body was stirring on the white bed, his hands grasping the thick wooden frame. His own blood and sweat mixed together as the red liquid slowly slid down over his sweaty skin. Rido had never directly said that these nobles were allowed to take his blood, but he must know about it and made no objection, apart from reminding Kaname once again that unless otherwise specified, the young pureblood took tablets only.

Kaname's back ached. He could feel himself getting closer to a finish and learned in closer against the blond noble above him. They finished together.

Aidou Hanabusa lay down next to the pureblood. "What's master doing? He hasn't been outside his rooms for two days again. Do you know anything, Kaname?" Kaname sighed. Aidou was a good friend, but he pried a bit too much in Kaname's private life and worshipped Rido a bit too much.

"You're never allowed to see master's favorite." It was a standard response, he knew that, but what else was he expected to answer? He knew Rido had his favorite in the small west tower, he'd built that tower just for his favorite. Kaname wasn't sure if it was a lover or a slave. No one was.

"I don't want to see him. I'm sure he's some stuck up kid who thinks he's something special because master likes him the most," Aidou mumbled, quite obviously jealous and Kaname gave him a half-concealed smile. He shared the noble's ideas of what kind of person Rido's special someone was, but he didn't share his friend's lust to replace that person.

Ever since that snowy night ten years ago, he hadn't been lusting for anything. He was like an empty shell. He had friends and he had his sister, but still no one to talk to. He was the only one Rido mistreated and that was only because he refused to bend under the elder pureblood's will, as everyone else did.

After the murder of Yuuki's parents, society was turned into what might look like the perfect combination of old pureblood traditions and new council government. A society where power was concentrated on a group of nobles known as the Council, but where the ultimate decision always would be made by Rido, in all the matters where he bothered making a decision. Yuuki was his very spoiled niece, and he made it look like Kaname was a spoiled nephew. But Kaname couldn't and wouldn't directly either forgive him or bow to his will and so, his uncle always terrorized him. Truthfully, if Kaname had put any hope into the thought that he'd be treated better if he behaved, he'd have done it.

But he knew Rido enjoyed mistreating him. In the beginning he resisted wildly, but he had become docile over the years and now volunteered of own free will to go to bed with Rido when his uncle wanted it. At least it felt good. When Rido decided to play out some more wicked games on him, Kaname just had to bite his teeth together and accept it.

Rido enjoyed messing with his mind and it worked well. One second, he was incredibly sweet, got Kaname gifts and let him spend time alone with Yuuki. Then suddenly, he changed character. Kaname mustn't do anything wrong and if he did, it was because he was a worthless boy who didn't pay attention to anyone or anything. And when Kaname was such a bad boy, how should Rido then be able to allow his nephew to be with Yuuki unobserved? Or to go out in town?

It turned Kaname mad slowly, but it wouldn't have been that bad if he had anyone to talk to. It was just hard to find someone in this new world who wouldn't report right back to Rido if Kaname ever dared say anything negative about the "master" of the house.

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To be continued…

A/N: If any of you are wondering why the characters behave or think slightly differently from their original manga-counterparts, it's because, while they were still born into the same world, they've experienced ten years that are radically different from those ten years in the manga. So while they're still the same personalities, their behaviors are painted by the circumstances they live under.

Kaname, for instance, has lived ten years of being repressed and held down by Rido and as such, have learned what things he shouldn't say or do, very much in the same way as he learns to deal with the Council in the manga. Yuuki, instead of being insecure due to missing memories, has spent ten years on the apex of vampire society and therefore, she has a confidence and a "purebloody" behavior she lacks in the manga. On the other side, she has been overprotected and hidden away and thus she, to a certain length, lacks sense of reality and of the world outside.

The only character who doesn't have the big changes in personality is Rido because, let's face it, he pretty much behaves like he's the ruler of the world in the manga too xD