A/N: I really should be focusing on my other stories right now (considering I have two fanfics and two original stories in the works at this moment). However, this inspiration came to me yesterday and I decided to post one chapter… so I won't back out of this story. Hope you enjoy it.

Full Summary: For the past five years, Kaname Kuran has lived in Europe. However, in an attempt to escape a haunting mistake, he decides to return to Japan and resume his old life as a respected pureblood vampire. The only problem is things have changed since his absence. When he becomes involved with an elite organization of private detectives, he finds himself paired up with famed hunter Zero Kiryuu. But solving crime – particularly supernatural crime – is a dangerous task, and before they can accomplish everything, the two partners need to learn a little thing called "trust."

Rated "M" for future violence (and possibly sexual innuendo).

Disclaimer: This fanfiction is for enjoyment purposes only. I don't own Vampire Knight or its characters. No, that honor goes to Matsuri Hino.

ARC ONE: NEW BEGINNINGS AND NEW ACQUAINTENCES

part one: the return

He wasn't sure how he ended up in the dance club.

All he remembered was getting in the taxi from the airport and telling the driver to proceed forward. Everything else afterwards blurred in his mind. He did recall feeling a kick. A shout was involved somewhere, a shout of anger and insult revolving around him being a rascal. Then there was a trek through the streets as he wheeled his luggage. But he wasn't truly aware of his surroundings until he found himself standing in the club.

The pulsating music rocked his heart; he could hear his heartbeats thrumming inside his head. The strobe lights struck his eyes, and he blinked rapidly, trying to adjust. The musky smell of sex and alcohol seeped into his nostrils, and it filled his soul with the allure the club promised. Despite having the keenest of vampire senses, he still felt disoriented – dizzy, almost uncertain of where he was and what he was doing.

He descended the steps and immersed into the crowd of dancers. The dance floor contained life, and as he glanced at the grinding and cheering, he realized why he decided to enter the place.

He wanted to feel alive again.

He wanted to revel in the energy pouring out of every soul, to feel the blood run through his veins. He wanted to return to the old days before the whole mess began, before he left for Europe.

In hindsight, he was a fool. He had acted on a whim, and now he realized how uncharacteristic the decision was. He wasn't the type to run away from responsibilities; he wasn't the type to forget who he was. Yet he had done all of that by going to Europe – a regrettable choice, a choice always haunting him like the ghost of his parents. If only he had stayed in Japan, maybe the tragedy wouldn't have occurred.

He sighed and strolled towards the bar. Thinking about it, he needed some alcohol to drown his sorrows. Calling the bartender, he asked for five shots of the strongest beer available. A moment later, he downed all five glasses without even a break. Vampires were resistant to alcohol; blood was what made them drunk. This fact, however, didn't prevent the room from spinning after he finished.

His hazy vision returned to the dance floor. The people were all blurs, inconsequential things that didn't concern him. Bored, however, he stared at them in melancholy.

A streak of blond caught his attention. The curly wisps of hair, the startling blue eyes, the self-assured expression – they were familiar, and he knew to whom they belonged. Without another thought, he paid the bartender, stood up, and followed after the blond man.

He was led to a narrow hallway in the club, lined with doors in which he could hear moaning and groaning from inside. There was no question where he was, but he didn't redden in embarrassment. He tended to be composed at all times, and the current situation was no exception. The blond chose a free room and pushed his companion – a pretty redhead with sparkling green eyes – inside. The door locked.

The sound of objects crashing to the ground hit his eardrums. He wondered if it was polite to interrupt, if it would put him at an uncomfortable position. The pit in his stomach formed into knots. Strange – he had never felt the sensation before. A hesitancy overcame him. He froze, hand gripping on the doorknob but lacking the ability to fling the door open.

He had been gone for such a long time and to intrude – how would the blond react?

He was paralyzed for a brief time.

It easily passed. Uncertainty was not an attractive emotion on him.

He kicked open the door.

The blond was currently on the bed, lingering over a groaning female and pressing butterfly kisses on her. The pretty woman opened her eyes, sighted him, and gasped. She nudged on the blond, catching his attention. He snarled in annoyance at the interruption, though she whispered a few words into his ears. The blond grew red and flipped around, eager to confront the intruder.

"Hey, we're trying to do something…" The blond man's sentence faltered and he stared wide-eyed at the presence in front of him. His next word came out as a whisper. "Kaname-sama?"

Kaname Kuran blinked at the blond then frowned.

"You concern me sometimes, Aidou. You certainly concern me sometimes."

*arc one*

"So why have you returned to Japan?"

Hanabusa Aidou glanced back. A small, forced smile flitted across his lips, and he ran his hands up and down the steering wheel. It was a sign of anxiety, and Kaname sighed, seeing the action. After a five year absence from Japan, this was how he was received.

With unease.

"May you please keep your eyes on the road?" Kaname asked in a cool, crisp voice. "It'd be nice to not die in a car accident on my first night back."

Aidou paled. "I-I'm sorry, Kaname-sama, but we're vampires. A car accident won't kill us."

Regardless of his words, the blond vampire's focus shifted to the streets.

Kaname rubbed his temples and turned his attention towards the window. The street lights lit up the night, allowing all view into Tokyo nightlife. Young men and women strolled in the streets, laughing and dancing erratically. A few stray businessmen hurried home from work. Creatures lurked in the shadows.

"But you didn't answer my question," Aidou said. "Why have you returned? Is there anything wrong?"

The last question brought unpleasant memories back to Kaname. Before they could resurface in full glory, however, he sealed those recollections in his mind's deep recesses. He never showed anything but surety and power, and he wasn't ending the streak any time soon.

"Europe bored me," he lied. "So I decided to return to Japan."

Aidou relaxed, hearing the response; even in the backseat, Kaname could see the noble vampire's strained muscles go limp. His face brightened considerably. He shot another glance back before focusing on driving.

"Glad to hear that, Kaname-sama," the blond said. "I – we missed you. All of us. Life just isn't the same when you're not there."

"Is that so?"

"Yes," Aidou affirmed, bobbing his head up and down. "The Council has been getting even more restrictive without a pureblood there to rein them in. Passing more regulations, being more abusive of their power – it's been awful. Coexistence has completely flown out of their minds. And don't even get me started on the Association." The blond grew red, and his grip on the steering wheel tightened. "They've been targeting vampires with the strangest reasons, obviously picking on them. I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if they start arresting us for jaywalking."

Kaname narrowed his eyes. A fire lit up inside his heart. He had worked for years to ensure that the Association and Council did not infringe on his work. He had wanted coexistence to be possible, and he had acted as a spokesperson for the mission. He had tried to get vampires placed in a favorable light. And as soon as he left, all he strived for had been destroyed.

"How?" he demanded. His voice was shaky, and he clenched the leather fabric of his seat. A crackling filled the air – the crackling of glass prepared to break. "Wasn't there anybody there to stop any of this from happening?"

"Yeah," Aidou answered. "Yuuki tried to maintain the Kuran legacy by taking over your jobs."

"Yuuki?" His brown eyes enlarged at the thought. His sister had gotten involved. His precious little girl had gotten tangled up in the mess. The truth dawned to him. Yuuki had a good heart, but she was weak. She couldn't bear the brunt of leading the vampires. With a strained voice, he said, "They broke her, didn't they?"

Aidou chewed on his lip. He said nothing, intent on remaining silent.

"I asked you a question, Aidou." He pulled the leather fabric up. He was ripping it away from the seat.

Aidou still refused to say anything. The blond always was fond of talking, so why did he choose to be quiet now?

"Answer. My. Question." Kaname enunciated each word. New cracks appeared on the windows. His message was clear.

The Level B vampire exhaled. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, and then, he snapped them open. Finding a curb, he twisted the steering wheel and parked the car. The gear shifted to 'Park,' and Aidou threw his head onto the seat's headrest. He ruffled his hair and mumbled a few incoherent words. Silence filled the car – crushing, revealing silence. Kaname remained stiff, his mouth taut. He was waiting for Aidou's answer, the response he already knew.

"Yes," Aidou finally breathed out. "But Yuuki fought valiantly, Kaname-sama. She was so good at hiding her fear, her troubles. The Council and Association gave her a hard time, but she always prevailed. She was always the one who had the last laugh. For some time, we actually believed she was going to survive, that she was going to do well in your job." He trembled. His voice cracked, and Kaname could see the blond blink away tears.

"We always volunteered to help," he continued to say, "but she always refused. And she seemed to be doing so well that we started to not worry." Aidou threw his head onto the steering wheel, making the car honk. "We didn't even realize that she was having such a hard time until…"

"Until what?" Kaname pressed. He had to hear the words, even though he knew the truth.

Aidou sniffled. "One day, she was gone. There was no note – nothing – but her clothes weren't packed and she couldn't be traced. It's clear what happened."

Kaname buried his head into his hands. His breaths slowly grew rapid. He felt like he was suffocating, as if he was stuck in a vacuum. He needed air fast; he needed air to survive. Though the car floor under his feet was solid, he felt as if it was collapsing. As if he was falling into darkness, a void where there was no such thing as light. Something wet trickled down his cheeks. Tears. He wiped them off and looked away.

He was never one to show weakness. He had renown for his calm and strength. He wasn't going to break the streak any time soon.

"Suicide," he pronounced.

Aidou said nothing, but his nod spoke for him.

"I'm sorry, Kaname-sama," the vampire said. "As I said, life just wasn't the same without you. Things changed too quickly."

*arc one*

Aidou brought Kaname to his apartment. Kaname had asked to be returned to his mansion, but the Level B had responded with a negative. The mansion was no longer under the Kuran name; it was possessed by the Council.

According to the blond vampire, Yuuki's death precipitated a change in power dynamics for the vampire society. With the sole Kuran in Japan gone, the Council had doubled their efforts to gain complete control. It had worked. Everybody believed Kaname would never return – Aidou included, the blond had added with shame. The Kuran supporters easily relinquished their stakes in decision-making. By giving up their power, they had lost all hold in the vampire society. Instead they turned to human work.

Takuma had become a doctor. Kain took over a major business conglomerate in Hong Kong. Shiki and Rima continued their modeling work, expanding their fame to acting and singing. Ruka had become a teacher. And Aidou was now a freelance reporter and photographer.

That had been four years ago. Just one year after Kaname went to Europe.

"But actually, I think I like reporting," Aidou had said, trying to not worry the pureblood. "It's fun. I get to meet interesting people, and I'm pretty famous. I almost won the Pulitzer, you know."

The words did nothing to make Kaname feel better. On a whim, he had left his duties in Japan, and it had destroyed everybody around him. Yuuki was gone. His once shining supporters were now reduced to human jobs, mostly forsaken by the vampire society. He had returned to Japan, hoping to start anew – to rebuild a better life.

Who knew he actually had to start over.

It was ironic really.

"I'm sorry about how small this place is," Aidou said as he brought Kaname's luggage in.

He turned on the light switch, revealing the state of his housing. The apartment was small and quaint; there was an air of welcoming to it, capable of warming any heart. But for the ostentatious Aidou, the place didn't match what Kaname expected.

Aidou chuckled nervously. "Still, it's home sweet home."

Kaname stood at the doorway, unsure what to do. Aidou beckoned him to enter the living room.

"But of course, this is a temporary measure," he started rambling. "I wouldn't even think of letting you stay in this dingy little thing. I'll call Ichijou tomorrow, and you can stay with him then. He lives in a pretty nice penthouse suite. You know how loaded doctors are, and he's a world-renowned surgeon, too."

Aidou opened the door to a room annexed to the area. Kaname peered inside. It was a tiny bedroom containing a bed, a drawer, and a desk – only the bare essentials.

"There's only one bedroom here," Aidou explained, "so you can stay in my room. I'll sleep on the couch."

Kaname had been reflective throughout the whole conversation, but hearing Aidou's words, he returned to the alert. He regarded the blond carefully. Aidou was whistling, unperturbed by his sacrifice. In fact, he seemed content as he searched for extra blankets and a pillow.

"The Aidou I knew would never offer to sleep on the couch so happily," he said. He folded his arms across his chest as he added, "Even for me."

Aidou shrugged. He pulled out a dirty comforter from beneath the bed. As he passed Kaname by the door, he repeated the hurtful reply he gave in the car.

"Life just wasn't the same without you. Things changed too quickly, and people did, too."

*arc one*

Kaname never dreamed. His sleep was occupied by nightmares.

On that night, he was haunted by fire and screams. A girl – a little human girl, only twelve years of age – ran towards him, looking for salvation. His hand reached out, ready to grab her tiny fingers. But dust exploded in front of him. A boom played in the erratic air. His back slammed onto a wall. The girl shrieked.

Her entire body had been consumed by flames.

For the first time in his entire life, Kaname Kuran had lost control of everything. He had become another plaything of Fate, and she was cruel. She was on a mission to force him to his knees and break him down.

Life just wasn't the same without you. Things changed too quickly, and people did, too.

Everything had spiraled out of his hands. And he had thought it ended in Europe. How wrong he was. His happy life in Japan had dissipated. His old life before Europe was rife with headaches and frustrations, but he was pleased with everything. He had a loving sister and loyal supporters. He had the world at his fingertips. And then he had abandoned all of that. And for what? For a whim? For a reason he couldn't even remember?

The burning girl morphed into another image, another girl. Only this female had long brown hair and deep brown eyes. She gave him a sad smile, and then she pulled out the Artemis from within her clothes' folds. The Artemis shifted into a scythe, and she cut her head with it. The innocent, beautiful girl became crystal shards.

Yuuki.

One day, she was gone. There was no note – nothing – but her clothes weren't packed and she couldn't be traced. It's clear what happened.

The burning scene changed into a cramped apartment. It was a quaint apartment but not the one fit for one of his most devoted followers.

But actually, I think I like reporting. It's fun. I get to meet interesting people, and I'm pretty famous. I almost won the Pulitzer, you know.

He had left his friends and family. He had allowed the castle he had built to be knocked down. He was the glue holding his fort together, and he had ignored it. It was his fault that everything he built was destroyed. And for what? For an escape? For a reason that didn't even matter any longer?

Kaname awoke. His breaths were raspy. His body was shivering. He sat up and clutched his head. The thoughts were so painful. They seared his mind.

He shook his head, trying to clear them away.

He was pitiful at the moment, and he didn't like that one bit. He was Kaname Kuran, the fierce pureblood vampire – the one everybody feared and respected. He was not the type to be crying over his mistakes. He had committed his wrongs, and he was paying for his crimes. It was time to face the truth.

His life in Japan had changed. There was nothing he could do about it. So it appeared he had to start over. So he had to take a different path with his life. So he had obstacles to conquer.

He couldn't falter in his resolve. No. He wouldn't falter in his resolve.

He was Kaname Kuran. He was a pureblood vampire. He was the man who once possessed the greatest power over all Japanese vampires. He was the one who always knew what to do, who always bore himself with dignity and potency.

He wasn't going to break his streak any time soon.

A/N: As a last note, the conception of this story is like an anime. There are several arcs to the entire plot. The first few arcs won't seem connected, but as the story progresses, continuity will be established. So that's just a quick warning. Currently, we're on the introductory arc, so things will be slower. But my plans (if they work out) involve a lot more action in the future.

Also, updates might be sporadic, since I'm focusing on my other stories first. But once I finish SoH, I'll probably kick up updates for this story.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Reviews are much appreciated along with concrit.