Story... Moon Dancer
Author... A Bleeding Heart Blooms
World... Anime
Setting... During the first season, (SPOILER) before Maria's entrance.
Rating... T, to be safe. Possible language and descriptive kissing in later chapters, but nothing major.
Standard Disclaimer:
I do not own Vampire Knight, nor do I profit in any monetary way from this story. It is written for my and other's enjoyment, and I am taking creative liberties with the characters. The only character that is mine is Ms. Himura. Vampire Knight and Vampire Knight Guilty are property of Viz Media and Matsuri Hino. Support them buy purchasing manga and dvds legally from your favorite retailer! The rating is posted above, and I cannot be held responsible if a reader who is too young reads this story without permission.
Author's Note:
Hello! Thank you for giving my story a try. This is the first story that I have posted EVER (Yay!), so this is a big step for me. Quite frankly, I'm a little nervous... Constructive criticism is appreciated since I'm new to this. I proof-read this, but I am only human, unlike most of the characters. I attempted to keep everyone in character.
Here are some things you need or might want to know before reading:
A). If you haven't watched up to EPISODE 9 turn away now unless you want potential spoilers. Honestly, I don't think that will really become an issue until later.
B). While it won't be full of chocolates and roses at first, this will have a romantic ending, with friendship moments a plenty.
C). What exactly is the pairing, you ask? There will be sweet moments/misunderstandings between Yuuki and the following characters: Kaname, Zero, Aidou, and Takuma. The final romantic pairing will follow the canon of the story and be Kaname and Zero pining for our heroine, Yuuki. I have several differernt scenarios running around in my head for the ending, and I don't want to say for sure which one I'll choose, yet (lame, I know, but if you like watching the show you should like this story, I hope...).
D). I will attempt (key word) to update once a week or two, but don't hold me to it. Updates will probably be big chapters like this, so never fear.
E). I have a feeling this story is going to be as long as my author notes when it's complete, so buckle down and grab some popcorn if you are planning to read this all at once. I have a tendency to be very wordy...or very detailed and descriptive (depending on how you want to look at it) in my writings. Whether it's a blessing or a curse right now, I'm not sure.
F). MOST IMPORTANT - please, please, please no bashing other people if you don't like who they think Yuuki should be with in the reviews. Keep it clean, people, and we should all get along just fine. :)
You're probably tired of reading my ramblings, so I won't bore you any further. On to the story!
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CHAPTER ONE: AN OPPORTUNITY
With the three o'clock hour fast approaching, the excitement among the students at the prestigious Cross Academy was approaching a crescendo. For them, it was the best time of the day, full of the promise of a conclusion to the day's studies. For their instructors, however, it was the most frustrating.
"May I have your attention, please, students? The sooner you listen, the sooner you get to leave," the middle-aged teacher requested as the students gradually quieted down. It had been the first day of classes for the new semester, and everyone was still eagerly talking with their friends about their adventures over break. As requested, the students reluctantly paused their conversations.
"Thank you. Now, I have a special announcement to make. The Headmaster has approved a new course for select students to earn more fine arts credits after regular classes meet. Starting next week, you will all have the opportunity to audition for ballet. There will be a standard ballet class for anyone who's interested, and an advanced ballet class that will have to be auditioned for in a few weeks time. Both classes will have a performance at the end of this semester. Meet in room 102A tomorrow after class if you are interested. Ms. Himura, the instructor, will discuss the terms and audition requirements to you. NOW, you are all excused, except for Zero and Yuuki. You get to stay after class," the math instructor said as he began sifting through his papers. The chatter in the room quickly regained its former intensity as the students gathered their things.
"Hey, Yuuki. You like to dance, don't you? You should sign up," said Sayori Wakaba, who was in her usual spot right next to her. The reserved Sayori (or Yori, as she was usually addressed) was the perfect compliment to her best friend, Yuuki, who was very excitable. As her steadfast friend, Yori encouraged her roommate to enjoy life more in between her very busy schedule. Even though they shared a room, the instances that they got to really spend quality time together were few, and those times were usually the only free time Yuuki had.
Yuuki sighed heavily, both from exhaustion and a little worry. "Yes, I do, but I don't know if I can take the class. I sure could use the credit, though. My grade point average is terrible." Yuuki Cross wasn't one who grasped certain concepts easily. She did reasonably well in a few of her classes, such as, physical education. As soon as you put numbers in front of her, however, like in calculus, she was a lost cause. Unfortunately for her, this semester her courses were mostly scientifically and mathematically based.
"Why shouldn't you try? I've seen you dance before, and I think you could be good at it. I may even join you." Yori was well-aware of Yuuki's constant school troubles, so the comment didn't phase her anymore.
"You really think I would do well?" Yuuki asked with a renewed hope shining in her amber orbs.
Yori nodded and smiled, her sunshine-colored hair glittering with the light from the setting sun. Ever since her father, Kaien Cross, took her to see a ballet when she was younger, Yuuki had held a love for it in her heart. As a little girl, she would try to imitate the beautiful dancers when she thought no one was looking, and she still did it occasionally to this day. She didn't know if she wanted to pursue it as a profession, but for now it was just something relaxing for her.
Yori, taking pity on her, stayed behind in the large classroom and tutored her best friend while Zero slept quietly on his desk. An hour later, the sun was disappearing over the horizon, and Yuuki began gathering her things.
"Ugh. This class is so boring. I don't understand how you do it."
Sayori giggled softly. "You'll get better at it, but you should go. Zero's already snuck out."
"What? That jerk. I'm going to give him a piece of my mind. He is supposed to wait for me," Yuuki said, fuming.
"Don't use up too much of your energy. I'll see you later tonight," Yori said, laughing quietly at her best friend's relationship with the brooding guardian. The observant girl was aware of Zero's hidden feelings for his fellow guardian, and she wondered when, or if, their relationship would grow. For now, she would stay out of it and let things take their course.
After she grabbed a quick snack, Yuuki ran through the stone walls of Cross Academy, hoping that she could get Zero to cover her guardian duties for a while. Honestly, she was a little apprehensive. He tolerated being a guardian, to begin with. Who knows what would happen if one of the night class students said the wrong thing to him if he were the only one on patrol?
As she ran through the halls filled with students figuring out how to spend their free time, she saw Zero's figure walking slowly in the distance towards the Moon Dorm. Wanting to punish him for leaving her behind, Yuuki picked up speed and prepared to smack Zero on the back, only to see him sidestep at the last minute. Yuuki nearly lost her balance, but managed to recover without smacking her face into a nearby tree.
"With how hard you were breathing, I could hear you coming all the way from the classrooms. Maybe you should exercise more during duty instead of daydreaming," Zero said, obviously in a sour mood, yet a little bemused at his best friend.
"Oh, shut up! I can sneak up on people when I want to. Besides, you are one to talk. You're the one that acts like you're sleeping during duty!" she retorted as they continued on their walk to the foreboding gates.
"There's a difference; I'm listening to see what sounds out of place. You, on the other hand, are tuned out because you're daydreaming about Kana-"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Zero Kiryuu, or I'll tell the Headmaster that you want to have family bonding time," Yuuki said with an evil glint in her eyes.
"I'm not really part of the family. Not like that," said the silver-haired vampire through clenched teeth.
"Yeah, yeah. I know. He's my father, and I can keep him." A group of girls in black uniforms ran past them in a hurry, determined to try and catch of glimpse of the white-clad night class students without interference from their "bodyguards."
"Hmmm, the day class girls seem a little louder today." Yuuki's eyes suddenly got very big as she had a terrible realization. "The night class students can't audition for ballet, too, can they?"
In her mind, if the night class students were given the opportunity to audition, they would get all the parts, for sure. They all were very beautiful, and exhibited a gracefulness that most humans didn't possess. Not to mention, that they excelled at almost anything they set their minds to. Her companion's mood soured a little more at the mention of the banes of his existence.
"The teacher didn't mention the night class being able to audition for the advanced class, but it may have been to keep a mob from starting. I doubt that the vampires would be interested in a human production, but Kuran may think that it will be a 'good-will' opportunity. Why are you so worried about that anyway?"
"Well...you see...I want to ask you about that. Could...would you take over my duties for a while so that I can go?"
The lilac-eyed vampire stopped in his tracks, judging her expression. "You're serious." Yuuki remained silent and Zero sighed, unable to deny her. "Fine, I'll do it so you can go, but only if you get that annoying father or yours to help me if I need it. I can't be expected to patrol the whole grounds by myself on the bad days."
"Deal! Thank you, Zero!" she said joyfully, as she gave him a quick hug. "Come on, let's go before they tear down the gates!"
Ignoring the fact that she dodged his question about her worry, he smiled slightly to himself as he approached the mass of girls swooning over the mysterious night students. All girls on his side wisely behaved. He watched Yuuki blowing her whistle every ten seconds, and trying to be as authoritative as a girl her size could manage. Even in a large crowd, he saw only her, but he would never tell her that. He was brought out of his reverie when the gates slowly opened, and the bane(s) of his existence walked onto the grounds.
"Hello, ladies! You're looking lovely, as usual!" greeted Hanabusa Aidou with a cheery smile.
"Hello, Idol!" the girls chorused.
The remainder of the night class students paraded through as Aidou did his 'bang' routine with his fans. Takuma gave a wave and smile now and then (a genuine one to Yuuki, as well), but the rest of the students appeared typically disinterested. Kaname, as he sometimes did, stayed a little behind the others to talk to Yuuki.
"Yuuki, how are you doing today?" More than a few disappointed groans were heard from the day class girls. The Night Dorm President had his own fan-girl following, and it drove them crazy to see him give the female guardian preferential treatment.
"Uh, I-I'm fine, Kaname. Thank you." The handsome and kind (to her, at least) vampire still managed to make her stumble over her words, even though she had known him longer than Zero.
"I heard the Headmaster has added to the school curriculum. Are you planning on enrolling in the ballet class?" he asked, as the wind brushed his hair, ever so slightly.
"Y-yes, actually I am," she said proudly.
Kaname's gaze softened a little and he gave a subtle smile. "I'm sure you will do great. Let me know how it goes, alright?"
"O-ok. Sure," she stuttered as Kaname followed the rest of the white-clad students to the school. Yuuki could feel the jealous girl's glares on her back as she watched Kaname leave with the others.
"What was that, Yuuki?" demanded one.
"Yeah, how come he encouraged you when he didn't even ask us if we want to audition!" said another.
A circle of girls was slowly forming around the petite guardian, and she was quickly trying to devise an escape route. She looked around frantically for Zero, and began to panic internally when she couldn't locate him. Just as she was about to break into a run, the girls froze and looked behind her.
"I suggest you get back to your dorms before I make you," said her fellow guardian. The frivolous girls quickly obeyed without question and left towards the Sun Dorm like their skirts were on fire.
Once they got out of hearing distance, Yuuki let out a breath that she didn't know she had been holding. "Thanks, Zero. They sure were angry with me, huh?"
"Whatever. Let's get ready for patrol," he said as they both began the long path back to the school grounds.
Luckily, the two guardians didn't find any stray day class students sneaking around that night. It was probably because they were all too busy planning for the class, they reasoned. Before they went to bed, Zero escorted Yuuki to the Headmaster's house to arrange for the switch in patrols the following night. The warm glow from his office lamp could be seen from the path, indicating that he was still working when most were asleep. Zero and Yuuki opened the door to the familiar home and wasted no time by heading straight for his office.
"Ah, Yuuki! Zero! What brings you here this fine night?" the overly emotional Kaien chimed as they walked in. He was wearing his usual frumpy and comfortable-looking attire. They both thought that he was way too chipper for being awake at this hour. If it weren't for the fact that he raised them, they might have suspicioned that he was a vampire, himself.
"Um, I'm here to ask a favor, Headma-father." Yuuki still stumbled over calling Kaien what he actually was to her, even though she had been in his care for many years, already.
"Anything, my dear! What can daddy do for you?" Zero rolled his eyes at how much Yuuki had Kaien wrapped around her finger, whether she was aware of it or not.
"Would you take over my duties, if Zero requests it, for the semester so that I can enroll in the ballet class you approved?" The brown-haired girl twiddled her thumbs in slight anticipation, both from trying to guess his reaction and attempting to prepare for a potential bone-crushing hug that her father was famous for.
"Of course I will!" he said as he did just that. "I'm so glad you've decided to enroll; I submitted the proposal for this class because of you, after all. I can see it now: my darling daughter, the star of the school ballet! I'm sure you'll do much better than those night class students."
"Ni-night class students?" Her fear was coming true, and she was starting to lose confidence.
"Why, yes. Night class students are given the opportunity to audition for the advanced class, as well, to promote good will. Besides, it wouldn't be fair if only the day class had extracurricular activities. I thought it would be a fun surprise for everyone if I didn't have it announced. Oh, and the instructor is one of the night class teachers. Isn't that great?"
"Y-you mean that the n-night class will be combined with the day class for the advanced lessons?" Yuuki was shocked that he would approve such a thing, as interactions between the two sets of students had to be supervised heavily.
"Were you going to tell us about it so that we could supervise?" Zero asked through clenched teeth, trying to keep from strangling the man in front of him.
"Not right away. I thought I'd let you be surprised with the rest of them." The Chairman reasoned. Zero held his hand over his face, as his caretaker took a softer tone. He knew Zero feared for his daughter's safety above all others, and he wanted to quell his worry a bit so that he wouldn't argue the matter further. "Kaname is going to be there, Zero, to make sure the auditions happen without incident, and Yuuki will be there, anyway, as a student and a guardian."
"Wait, WHAT? I have to audition in front of him? Why didn't he tell me he was going to be there?" She was pulling at her hair a little bit, and had the same look on her face as the day the teacher announced a pop quiz in her math class.
"Probably so that you wouldn't freak out like you are now," Zero replied in monotone.
"Well, Kaname won't be there the entire time, only when the classes are combined the first few sessions or so. If Yuuki isn't accepted, which I'm sure won't be an issue, I will supervise the class, myself. Who knows, I might even participate," the Headmaster happily said to console his near-hysterical daughter.
Zero sighed heavily as he pulled the shell-shocked Yuuki out the door. "You are going to the audition, Yuuki. You'll do fine. Just pretend he isn't there like I always do."
"Bye, bye my dears! Daddy loves you!" the Chairman sing-songed as he watched the two people he cared about most go out into the cool night.
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A/N: And that's the end of the first chapter! *author throws confetti into the air* ;) I can't believe this is 6 pages long already. I hope you enjoyed it.
After this, my notes won't be so epically long. Until the next chapter! "We'll see you then!" (wink wink OHSHC fans!).