This is a one-shot inspired by a strange dream that I had last night. Even though I am in the middle of a DMC fic at the moment I knew that if I didn't write this immediately that I would lose it forever! I hope none of my DMC followers read this, they'll know I've been cheating on them... Anyways, I hope that you enjoy this!
Set sometime in the manga after Vampire Knight Guilty ends.
The morning sun leaked through the drawn curtains. The light pierced through the darkness and fell across Zero's pale and peaceful face. His hair glinted and rays danced off of his messy hair. The silver-haired teen responded by rolling over, pulling the covers closer to his chin.
It was time to wake up, he knew, but his body fought against him. It was the same every morning; his body craved the darkness, one of the reasons he had a difficult time falling asleep. Conversely, when faced with the task of waking up in the morning his body resisted it.
Daily, as the sun rose and illuminated the room he had to use all of his willpower to roll out of bed and go about his day. This was true for all teenagers on some level- however for Zero it was significantly worse. No matter what he did the nocturnal instincts that he possessed refused to surrender and allow him normalcy.
With great difficulty Zero managed to fling the covers back and roll out of his warm cocoon. He sat perched on the side of the bed, his feet resting on the cool floor below.
He rubbed his tired eyes and let out a soft yawn. Once again, he felt as if he hadn't slept a wink. Occasionally he allowed his sleeping habits to slip- sleeping in until noon, and going to bed late at night. His body responded more positively to this behavior. It enraged him at how his body betrayed him.
Zero strolled over to his closet and picked out some clothes: a coat, pair of faded jeans, and a fresh t-shirt. As he slipped the material from the hanger his stomach let out a low growl. His hand instinctively went to the source and pushed against the pang.
After he flung the clothes on the bed he walked to the bathroom and attempted to alleviate the problem. The teen looked in the mirror- he looked tired and worn-out. Dark circles were beginning to make their presence known on his creamy skin. He opened the cabinet and withdrew a small package. Zero opened the box and slipped out a small handful of tablets. He popped the pills into his mouth and chased them with a quick swig of water.
He was beginning to need more and more to satiate his appetite it seemed. His stomach ached for nourishment, but whenever he attempted to eat food he simply wasn't "hungry". There had been numerous times where he had fixed himself something but as soon as he tried to eat it he simply didn't want it. This usually ended with him stirring around whatever food was in front of him.
The tablets had been his main source of sustenance lately; they eased not only his hollow belly but also his parched throat. He knew it was bad when his throat was so dry that he could barely breathe. He had to resort to desperate measure on such occasions- things that he was not proud of.
After allowing the blood tablets to settle and ease his empty stomach he continued on with his normal morning routine. He brushed his teeth and ran a hand through his messy hair- deciding that it looked fine after a second glance at his reflection. He then strolled back to his bedroom.
It was now mid-morning and Zero quickly removed his white shirt and replaced with the dark one resting on the bed. He had a few errands to run today, one being visiting the Hunter's Association to see Kaien who requested a word with him. Responding to Kaien was a duty that he took very seriously; above all else he was a hunter. Gathering the few essentials that were needed he left and headed out towards the association first.
Upon arrival at the association he was greeted as usual with glares and other hunters whispering under their breath. He could hear everything, the malice and disgust in their hushed voices, the bitter words used to describe him as he walked past.
With nothing else to do, he simply kept his gaze straight and headed to Kaien's office. Despite the silent objections by others he was still a vampire hunter himself. Zero took his work seriously and hated vampires as much as the others, perhaps even more. The ridicule was something that he just had to live with.
Rounding the corner Zero noticed that Kaien's door was open. There were voices talking amongst themselves inside he noted. Giving a light "tap" to the door frame he let himself inside.
"Oh Zero, perfect timing," Kaien said with great enthusiasm laced in his voice," punctual as always." The straw-haired man gave Zero a brief smile before opening a drawer and scrambling through his junk to look for something.
Zero remained standing and peered to his left. Sitting in the office along with Kaien was Kaito. He was sitting there casually staring at Zero- showing no emotion in doing so. Kaito let his gaze escape Zero, and looked instead back to Kaien. The acting president continued to search for a few more seconds before he produced a white envelope.
"Ah-ha, here we are," said Kaien as he slid the envelope across the wooden desk in Zero's direction.
Zero walked over and took the envelope, already knowing that it was an assignment. He slid the parcel into his coat pocket; he would open it later when he was alone. Something about reading with others watching bothered him.
"Is that it then," questioned Zero awaiting any further instruction from the president.
"Yes. You are to complete this mission with Kaito. I've been briefing him on the mission while we awaited you." Kaito glanced back to Zero gauging his reaction.
Despite Zero's objections he knew that was why Kaito had been briefed already and was waiting for him. If he had it his way Zero would have taken the mission and disappeared before his partner could meet up with him. He liked working on his own better, for a multitude of reasons. Kaien knew him too well.
"….got it." Zero nodded and exited the room, knowing that Kaito would be hot on his heels.
"Good luck," he heard Kaien call out as two sets of shoes made their way down the narrow hall.
Kaito sped up to meet Zero's pace and handed him something. "Here's your ticket- meet me at the train station at noon, don't be late." He took the ticket and inspected it briefly. They were headed to a town that was nearby.
With that Kaito took a left and headed down a different hallway. Zero pocketed the ticket next to his mission details and headed for the front of the building.
The silver-haired hunter had hurried back to his apartment to gather a few things. While there he read the details of the mission. It seemed that the pair was to seek out and eliminate a level E; it seemed fairly standard. The level E was a man, seemed to be mid-forties who had already killed a handful of people with his insatiable appetite.
The mission itself was run-of-the mill, one that zero could have carried out and completed on his own easily. The association however, stood by the policy of sending teams out frowning upon solo work. Although he preferred working alone, he understood that it was for safety- even though any level E was merely dust before him.
Zero pocketed the envelope once more and headed to the bathroom to collect one last thing. Despite always carrying blood tablets on him, he decided that he should also take his second pack that he kept in the bathroom cabinet. Before slipping the thin box into his pocket he slipped a few out and took them as well. He didn't want to take any chances with Kaito tagging along. The older hunter needed only the hint of a reason to put Zero down, and he knew that.
Despite taking more tablets he began to feel a burning in his throat. He hadn't drank blood in so long. Even thinking about blood sent his mind into a small frenzy. For a moment he closed his eyes and say red liquid dripping down a warm body, imagining the sweet substance gushing into his mouth.
Zero quickly opened his eyes and shook the thought from his mind. His heartbeat had quickened and his breathing was faster. Allowing his mind to wander was a dangerous thing to do. But lately the thirst, the pained thirst that his body felt, had been building in intensity.
After turning off the bathroom light he made his way to the front door. After locking the door behind him he allowed himself another moment to cal down. He just needed to make it through this mission then he could relax for a few days. He swallowed, trying to subdue the burning sensation that was building in his throat.
"Departing in five minutes," came a yell from a man standing outside of the opened train door. Zero spotted Kaito leaning against a brick wall, he made his way in the older hunter's direction.
"Thought I was going to have to leave you," mumbled Kaito as he headed to the man collecting tickets at the door. The pair produced their tickets and boarded the train. Kaito weaved around the passengers, with Zero close behind, finally finding an empty car where they could reside.
Kaito took his seat, and Zero took his on the opposite side leaving the two men facing one another. There was a small table bolted between the two, and a large window opposite a sliding door.
"We should be there in about two hours," explained Kaito as he stretched and placed his arms behind his head. "I'm going to rest my eyes for a minute. Let me know if the lunch cart comes through I'm starving."
Zero simply nodded his head and looked out the window. The train was loaded and was slowly rolling out of the station. He always did like the train- it was peaceful and relaxing in a way. Watching the scenery go by as the wheels rolled smoothly along the track was captivating. He looked over at Kaito who was breathing slowly- already asleep.
A rough knock came from the sliding door. An hour into their ride and the lunch cart had stopped by. The older lady opened the door and peeked inside. Her face was weathered and had little enthusiasm to show.
"Anything from the cart gentlemen," the woman questioned casually glancing between the two occupants. Kaito had stirred and gave his face a small rub to wake up.
"Whatcha got lady," questioned Kaito in response being as tactful as ever.
The woman scowled at him and listed off the numerous menu items to the pair. The older hunter decided on a steak and potato, while Zero selected a club sandwich and a bag of whatever chips they had. She opened up the cart and fished around for the food items before carefully setting the meal on the table between the two. She also rustled up two bottles of water and slid them towards to the two.
Kaito handed the woman some money and told her to keep the change with a slight grin. Zero was unsure if he was trying to be nice, or simply being untactful and rude again. Regardless, he thanked Kaito for the meal and watched as the woman pocketed the bill and went along her way.
"Let's dig in, we'll be there in about 45 minutes I'm guessing," said Kaito as he unwrapped his steaming potato and began loading it up with butter that had been accompanying the meal in a plastic package.
Even though Zero's stomach was aching and his throat still heated he had the sudden sensation of being full. More and more recently, food had been putting him off- it was a strange sensation. When he ate it was comparable to being extremely dehydrated and craving water but having only soda to drink. It just simply wasn't what his body craved.
After receiving a quick cut of the eyes from Kaito he decided that he needed to eat as much as he could and not let the older hunter suspect anything. Zero picked up his sandwich and took a large bite. The bread was dry, and the turkey inside was almost flavorless.
Kaito accepted Zero's bite and focused once again on his food. After he doctored up his steaming potato he then grabbed his knife and set to work on his steak. A new tension fell over the small compartment. Even though the trip thus far had been spent in silence, the slight clicking of utensils and crunching of chips made it more awkward.
Zero only took a few bites of his sandwich before setting it down. He turned his attention to the chips and munched on a few more. They too were unsettling, tasting extremely salty. He was fed up with the whole meal and decided to stick with his water for the rest of the trip.
As Zero sipped at his water, his plate being untouched for a few minutes now, Kaito piped in. "You full already?" He took a bite of his potato and awaited Zero's response.
"Yeah, I had a big breakfast…." He lied, and worse it sounded like a lie. Zero looked away from Kaito and out the window.
Kaito shrugged it off. "Suit yourself." He didn't care if Zero ate or not, wasn't his concern. He grabbed his knife once again and began cutting his steak into smaller pieces. "You should have got the steak, hehe."
Zero looked over at the steak. The knife sliced through the meat allowing the juices to run out onto the plate. The rare steak had a pink middle, and the juices leaked out giving the faintest hint of red. He stared at the running liquid pooling around the meat. It almost looked almost, almost like…
Zero's throat tightened up and made him cough. He reached for his water and took a big swig- this did nothing to alleviate him. His hand went to his burning throat and he began to rub the area. The younger hunter's eyes closed as he tried to block everything out. It was like molten lava was running down his esophagus ripping and tearing away at his insides.
Kaito was startled. "Hey man, drink some more water." He handed Zero his bottle as well.
Zero didn't notice, instead stood up and ran out of the small compartment. Through watery eyes he roughly pushed his way past people in the hall and made his way to the bathroom. He locked the door behind him and ran the water in the sink.
His insides twisted together into rough knots sending him down to his knees. The pain was blinding. Zero swallowed the saliva in his mouth trying anything to ease the burn of his throat. It felt like hours were passing of him being burned alive from the inside out.
Feeling a sudden urge build inside of him, he leaned over the toilet and threw up. What little contents had been in his stomach were now gone leaving him feeling even more empty than before. After he was emptied his body continued to dry heave.
After he calmed himself slightly he reached for his blood tablets- the only thing he could think of. With the water in the faucet still running he poured the box of pills into his hand and swallowed as many as he could. With an unsteady hand he cupped his hand under the water and took a drink. The pills traveled down his throat and settled in his lower abdomen. Zero began a coughing fit and covered his mouth.
Outside the door he heard a knock. "Hey, you okay in there?" Zero was unsure of who it was, or how long he had even been in there. As the coughing continued along with the persistent burning of his throat he became desperate.
Zero rolled back the sleeve of his left arm and allowed his fangs to sink deeply into his wrist. The initial sting was barely noticed as blood began to drip slightly from the sides of his mouth. Already knowing what was going to happen he closed his eyes and took a long drink. Immediately afterwards he stopped and his face had a sour look to it. The blood was terribly bitter and almost impossible to stomach.
He had faced this level of desperation before and drank from himself. It did nothing to satiate himself, and was futile. But, when the frenzy set in he did things that made no sense- anything to end it all. He spit the blood that he didn't drink into the toilet.
The teen sat there on the bathroom floor with blood smeared around his mouth, arm, and protruding fangs. His breathing was ragged and shallow, masked only by the running water. Blood was swirling in the toilet. He was truly a pathetic sight.
The burning sensation had faded, but the emptiness inside remained. Feeling like vulnerable and hating himself he cleaned up the bite marks and blood on his arm before rolling down his sleeve. He flushed the toilet and shakily stood up. When he looked into the bathroom mirror he saw the same face that he saw that morning, only this one had blood dripping from the corners of its mouth and a red tint to its eyes. He was a monster.
Zero cleaned himself up and left no trace that he had even been in the bathroom. After controlling his breathing and settling himself he opened the bathroom door. A few people were waiting outside, with their bladders probably about to burst. They gave Zero a magnitude of looks as he passed by, but nobody said a word.
The silver-haired teen slid open the door to the car where Kaito was waiting inside. Not saying a word Zero closed the door and took his seat.
"What the Hell happened?" Kaito had an intense look in his eye. The meal had been taken away and the table was cleared.
"I-I felt really sick all of the sudden," Zero said trying to sound convincing. "I sometimes get sick on long rides like this…." He let out a breath and reached for his water to calm himself.
Kaito simply looked at him. "Yeah, you looked kind of sick since we got on the train." He narrowed his eyes and contemplated this for a moment. Deciding that everything checked out he turned his attention to his bag.
The older hunter produced a picture. 'I'm sure it was in the report, but here is the man we are going after. It should be fairly easy, a simple mission." He handed the picture to Zero who accepted it and looked it over. Zero nodded and handed it back.
"We should be arriving in a few minutes so let's gather out things." Zero followed suit and readied his gear for the imminent departure. He was beyond ready to get this over and done with.
The train came to a halt and Kaito and Zero stood as Kaito interjected, "Let's go kill a vampire."
The train rolled away down the tracks as the two hunters gathered their bearings. They had a few hours to complete their mission and return before the train to take them home arrived.
"There are a few locations that I think we should check out first," said Kaito leading the way. "There have been reports of this guy spotted at the local school, packing company, and the cemetery- go figure." Zero nodded, remembering reading said information in the mission details earlier.
They began their search at the school; nothing too out of the ordinary. It was the middle of the day, so class was being held. It was unlikely that a vampire, even a level E, would be lurking around the school in broad daylight.
On their way to the next location, the cemetery, Zero had a strange sensation sweep over him. A slight breeze carried a scent that wafted through the air- it was blood. His senses went on high alert. He knew that Kaito couldn't smell it; he was fairly sure though that it was the vampire they were looking for. Even with lots of people passing by them he could pick out the distinct sweet scent.
Zero dashed down an alley, allowing the older hunter to continue on his path to the cemetery. When zero looked back over his shoulder he noticed that Kaito had been swallowed by the crowd, not noticing that he wasn't following him anymore.
He continued running, following the scent that was becoming more potent by the second. He eventually came to a run-down factory. "This must be the packing company," thought Zero to himself. The teen hurried inside, he was hardly surprised to see that it was dilapidated and completely deserted.
A high-pitched scream came from upstairs and Zero took off in that direction. He had to weave around broken equipment and shattered glass on the ground. The only light seeping in was from cracks in the wall, or the occasional hole in the roof.
"Get away from me," came a scream for the next room over.
"Just be still, this won't hurt long," came a sickening reply.
Zero rounded the corner and entered the room. On the floor was a woman, maybe mid-twenties with a gash on her forearm, and a man that fit the mission description.
"Leave her alone," shouted Zero as he approached the pair. The man's red eyes flew from the helpless girl onto Zero. His madness was evident from his hunched posture to his labored breathing. He bared his glistening fangs and sprinted towards Zero.
Zero followed suit and charged the enraged vampire. As the two closed in on each other, Zero shifted to the right and dodged the man's leap. He ran over to the woman and helped her up. He was filled with the scent of her blood- it was so close. He held his breath and pushed her roughly towards the door.
"Get out of here," he yelled towards the woman. She had no hesitation in running as fast as she could out of the room. Zero closed his eyes and let himself regain his senses. The thick smell of blood still permeated the air.
"That was my lunch!" The level E charged Zero once again in a blind rage. He swept his clawed hands at Zero in a desperate attempt to fight. The teen opened his eyes. The now blood-red orbs rested on the level E charging him. His bloodlust overcame his body.
The two combatants met with a rage. Zero took control and grabbed the level E's hands and pinned them to his back with his left hand. With the level E facing away from his, and his right hand holding onto his neck Zero felt his fangs elongate.
'Let me go, let me go," the level E screamed for his life thrashing and struggling with all his might against Zero's hold. Zero ignored the cries and screams coming from his prey. He allowed his madness to take over and he plunged his fangs into the level E's neck.
The crimson liquid sloppily fell from the vampire's neck. Zero continued to hold the thrashing form in his hold. His body greeted the blood and eased his burning throat and knotted stomach. Instant release flooded zero as he abandoned any resistance and greedily drank.
Slowly the level E's thrashes turned into slight movements which eventually faded into mere twitches. The figure now lay limp in Zero's arms. To gain more stability the teen crouched down onto the floor and huddled over the level E in a predatory stance.
Feeling the madness begin to subside Zero came back to a fully-conscious state. The level E let out low gurgles and moans as his life was being drained out of him with each passing second. As the level E's heart gave once last pump his body turned into dust in Zero's arms.
Zero remained crouched on the floor with the dust lying in front of him. He stood up and closed his eyes reveling in the fullness. He licked his soaked lips, then wiped his mouth clean with his sleeve. His clothes were spattered with blood- a truly monstrous sight.
Suddenly Zero's head snapped to the doorway. Kaito had just run into the room and froze. Zero stared intently at the other hunter not knowing what to do. What had he seen? Kaito walked towards Zero and reached into his back pocket. Zero's muscles tensed and he drew a quick intake of breath.
Kaito produced a handkerchief and handed it to Zero. A wave of relief flooded Zero; that was not what he was expecting.
"I met the girl when she was exiting the building; she told me you two were inside." He looked down at the pile of ashes at Zero's feet. He then took note of all the blood on Zero's body. "Looks like he gave you a Hell of a time."
Zero soaked some of the blood off of his body with the handkerchief. "He didn't want to go down without a fight…." Zero explained. He rubbed around his face, making sure Kaito was looking away before he licked his lips to make sure they were still clean.
"You shouldn't have run off without me- you could have gotten your ass killed." Kaito shot Zero a dirty look before rolling his eyes. "Anyways, I guess we completed our mission though. Let's get you cleaned up and catch our train back home."
Zero nodded his head and walked towards the door. Kaito allowed Zero to pass. He looked at the silver-haired teen's back with pity in his eyes. At least it was over- for now.