Caught In A Dream

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight, this fanfiction is purely based on my imagination.

Rated M for character death, violence and explicit content.

Pariring: Zero x Kairi (OC); Kaname x Yuuki

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The crimson moonlight caressed his shoulders, following him, laughing at him, as he ran aimlessly in the pitch black grounds. This night was ominous.
He suppressed a shudder as the chill wind picked up. He knew he was in the wrong territory. But right now, he could not care less.
He heard her screams loud and clear, echoing wherever he went. He felt her fragile soul shattering. She was going to be taken away forever,
he was already too late. He had to kill the thing before it was born. Before it killed Yuuki. Still, Zero could not give up. He had taken out all the vampire guards that stood before him easily, the vampires had stooped so low.. to appoint Level-Es for protection. But they had proved their point, they did not want to be disturbed. He just wasted time fighting, he did not even concentrate on the savages. It was like waiting, in agony, trying, and failing, as Yuuki broke, more and more.

"Yuuki! I'm coming.. I'm coming..." he panted. As he neared the mansion, two more Level-E vampires jumped at him, digging their claws into his arms and legs, ripping off his clothes and skin. They growled and their eyes flashed with rage.

"Hunh!" Zero's heel met with one of their necks, in sharp collision, breaking it instantly. But the Level-E just repositioned its neck, with a cricking sound, and charged at him again. Zero whipped out the Bloody Rose and shot the second beast between its eyes, while the first jumped onto his back, its sharp talons piercing his back. With a swift movement, he grabbed the thing sitting on his shoulders and threw it over his head. It landed with a dull thud, but Zero was already dashing into the mansion, up the fancy stairs.

"Shit.." he swore, skidding to a halt. The house was full of rooms and he met with three different corridors. What the hell did they prove by living in such a place. But it was in their favor, he was utterly lost. Relying purely on instinct, he just sped along the middle one. Bright and elegant lamps blurred past him and he paid them no notice. A large double-door of mahogany stood at the end of the corridor. He pushed them open with a kick, expecting the worst.

And it came. Zero entered the Dorm Leader's room. Unimpressed by all its majestic architecture and pointless furniture, he took a few steps into the room before squinting in the darkness. When his eyes adjusted to the dark, his worried expression was replaced with confusion, disgust, then horror all in quick succession. The pureblood knelt beside Yuuki, whispering to her as she gave birth. The sight made him dizzy for a minute. When was she even pregnant? He had not seen her for a year after she left the Academy but she was just sixteen then. The damage had been done. Yuuki lay, shivering on the gigantic bed, her legs spread wide, grabbing onto the sheets and occasionally his waiting hands. Her petite, heaving frame was almost obscured by transparent curtains. There were two more figures, looming over her. One of them was the long haired female vampire, Zero realized. The other two were probably vampire doctors, since they had decided to do the delivery at hone. The smell of Yuuki's blood knocked him heavily, because he longed for it so much, but when he finally had it, it was mixed with a new scent.

Zero feared there was something different inside of her. He peered at her again, she did not move.

"Kuran..!"

It rang in his ears like a million bells. Over and over again. Zero's mind dripped with venom as he spat the pureblood's name and he automatically calculated how much distance he had to cross to crush the pureblood's skull.

"Oh, you're finally here.." He said, looking up from beside Yuuki and walking in his direction." But I do not think you need to be here to witness this moment, Kiryuu. It will be on television tomorrow." he spoke, his smile showing triumph. Zero would have given anything that moment to shoot him in the head. But he restrained himself.

Yuuki looked so pained that he did not want to cause a commotion. He would just kill the darn thing and save her.

Zero let out a string of foul words, but not before a pair of strong arms, belonging to two different vampires, grabbed him, pulling away and tossing his gun out of his reach. The blonde vampire with tousled hair and extremely good looks delivered him a neat uppercut, nearly dislocating Zero's jaw. A searing pain bit into him, bringing water to his eyes. Zero blinked back his tears and felt the adrenalin pump through him and it almost pushed the pain away. He jerked his arm away from the taller vampire, the blonde's cousin, if he remembered correctly, and punched the blonde one square on his nose, satisfied with the audible crunch, making the other cry out with pain, stepping back.

"I've been wanting to do that for a long time."

Without wasting any time, he advanced towards his target. But, once again, the blond was in his face. Only now, there was a thick stream of blood running from this nose to his snarled mouth and beyond. Stupid vampires, they never gave up. But neither would he. With a growl, Zero tackled the wounded vampire to the ground and showered him with blows.

Suddenly, he heard a dull sound, accompanied with dull pain, and saw spots. His hands moved slower, there was a blood clot forming in him, rendering him helpless...

"After all this time, after all those threats, you come back, screaming like a little child.. So tactless. Why can't you just accept she's mine?"

Kuran. His voice sounded closer.. but where? Zero was completely blinded by his own tears. But he wasn't crying, where were they coming from? The blond vampire kicked Zero off himself and Zero fell, face front, on the carpeted floor. He could see his form move away, and another one move closer. Maybe two forms, no, more..

Zero squinted, then tried to stand up.

"It was inevitable, Yuuki and I.. we need an heir."

"I'll..kill you.." Zero muttered, through his teeth. This invited a few snickers from the blond boy. And then he realized that there weren't tears running down his face, there was blood. Blood from him. He painfully brought a hand to his hand and gingerly felt. Someone had delivered a blow there. And he knew who it was.

Kneeling, he dug his nails into the carpet, trying not to sway. Trying to stay focused on his mission.

That was it, just another mission.

Then why did it hurt so much?

He stole another glance at Yuuki, who was now showing signs of life. Even through the blinds he could see that she was struggling. She was the reason he had come back. All those things he said to her, he would take it all back, in a second. She meant so much to him, he just couldn't tell her how.. If only he had told her sooner, if only he had told her how much he loved her...

But before could call out to Yuuki, a rough push jolted him. He was flat on his back, unable to balance himself.

"Kiryuu.. how rude. You really shouldn't show me your back. I'd rather cut you here..!"

The pureblood sliced a sword across Zero's chest before the words had sunk in.

"Go, run away with your tail between your legs. You will never trouble my family again."

As before, Kaname used the hilt of the sword, this time to smash Zero's cheek in before stepping over him.

"Kuran...don't..touch her," He had to finish this. It was, after all, his mission.

Kaname laughed shortly and muttered something like 'pathetic', walking towards him to kill him this time when a shrill scream erupted from the bed. Yuuki was panting, a few whispers from the girl and vampire doctors confirmed Zero's fear..

He ignored his bleeding chest and rolled over, so he could stand. He had just gotten past pushing up his elbows when the female vampire came round the bed, holding a bundle of silk.

Suddenly, the room fell silent, as if in respect for the small bundle. Zero wiped his hand over his brow. Blood was really covering his eyes, blood was pounding his ears. He could only hear one sound, the sound of a baby crying. The blinds fell open and he could see Yuuki. She didn't even notice him. She was smiling through her pain, she was looking at the baby. She was a mother.. A new wave of emotion hit him, and it hurt. It hurt more than any cut or blow.

"Yuuki!" he choked, frantically grasping at nothing. But she had keen hearing, she looked over at him with a surprised expression.

"Zero.." she had said his name. She remembered him. Zero let himself smile. And suddenly, she was in his head again.

"No!" she yelled. But before he knew what happened, a hard something came down on him one last time. And he watched helplessly as the picture dissolved, dragging Yuuki with it as she called out his name..

"Zero.. Zero..!"

Zero sat up in bed, breathing hard. His whole body was sleek, covered in perspiration. He took in a deep breath, held it, and let it out again. He had learnt it was one way to prevent having a fit. Surely, he would have one. He suddenly realized there was a frail body leaning against his chest, holding onto his two arms. Zero's face now showed guilt.

"Ichiru.."

The person before Zero sank deeper into him, shaking uncontrollably. Zero placed a hand on the other's silver hair, very much similar to his, only that it did not stand up in all the wrong places, stroking it, gently. He slowly moved his hands to his brother's cheek and caressed it, consoling him.

"How many times.." was all the other could manage to choke before tightening his slight grip on Zero's strong arms, renewing his sobs. Zero sighed. Right now, he could do nothing more but pull him closer, assure him that he was fine and Ichiru had nothing to worry about.

It was such a lie.

Zero kicked himself mentally. He had probably woken Ichiru up with all his screaming - again. He gathered the sheets around them, pulling them around his brother's bare shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Ichiru. I'm so sorry.. I'm fine now." Zero apologized repeatedly, nuzzling the other's neck. Apologize was all he could do. He had probably caused Ichiru more misery than anyone else had. He had etched his pain, and his problems on his brother who was not as strong as he was - again, thanks to him. The dreams he had almost every night, of the one eighteen years before, haunted Zero. He tried to forget, he tried to move on. But a part of him was lost that night - and he had never found it again.

But Ichiru had saved him whenever he had these nightmares, even though it scared him, as much as it troubled Zero. That was why they slept together, so Ichiru could save him? Zero groaned inwardly. He did not deserve such a brother. He could not repay him in any way.

"Thank you, Ichiru..."

Ichiru scrambled out of Zero's arms to look up at his face. He looked so darling, just like a little child, staring at candy in wonder. That was how he looked at Zero.

Not as candy, but in wonder.

His purple orbs, that were so much like Zero's, but softer, suddenly opened wider, before his shoulders began to cower again. Zero looked at him, perplexed. Perhaps he had had too much for one night, he was diving into a fever. When he voiced his thoughts, Ichiru said something Zero did not expect.

"T-There's someone outside.."

Sleep left his body in an instant. Zero put on his defenses, told Ichiru, firmly to stay hidden in bed, despite the other's protests. He grabbed the Bloody Rose from the nightstand and clicked the safety off. He felt whole again, now that his beloved gun was with him. The six millimeter was not one to be judged by size. It had served him better than any weapon he could own. He embraced its cold surface that fit so perfectly, as if it was made for only his hand.

He turned to look at Ichiru, and for a moment did not see him. He camouflaged well. Zero gave a little wave to nothingness, assuring his return. He got a muffled reply from a direction nowhere close to where he was looking.

No wonder Ichiru won every time they played hide and seek.

Zero did not bother putting on a shirt. He flexed his shoulders to remove any stiffness, while holding his gun between his teeth. He edged through the shadow-kissed side of the house. A lot of things were scattered around. Hunter records especially. He always brought home his work, unwilling to stay in the Association's Head Quarters for more time than he absolutely needed to. Ichiru always cleaned up after himself and Zero but this was how he liked the house. He surveyed them as if the objects would jump at him.

Of course they did not.

Stealing a glance at the closed window, he did not see anything. Then he boldly parted the stained curtains and stood right in front of the window. Nothing.

Zero let out his revved up tension through a sigh. Ichiru was hardly wrong about sensing presence. Be it vampire, or human. But maybe Ichiru was just being his paranoid self.

Maybe.

Zero decided to look outside since nothing looked out of the ordinary. He unbolted the lock at the top and bottom of the door and his hand held the knob.

After a moment's pause, he turned it, pulling open the door open.

He knew it was cold outside but did not expect the wind to knock him off his feet and onto the floor, backward.

Or to have a voice.

"Please.. It's trying to kill me!"

And everything that happened after that was a blur. Zero disregarded the visitor that fell on him because there was a new visitor. Level-C. What a pity, he didn't even need his gun.. But he used it anyway, setting eternal slumber to the thing that was now dust on his doorstep. Zero felt good. He always did, just before, while, and after fighting. His body relaxed and his stance left him, this was not much of a challenge. But still, they had never shown up at his doorstep like that. Suddenly, Zero heard a sound of surprise and whipped around.

But the face that met him was one that was more troubling than the Level-C. How cruel, was someone up there, if he had to endure this, now? It could have been anyone, anyone but this person. His mind and heart were still scarred, but they were healing. He did not need fresh wounds in his heart. This person could defeat him without even touching him.

He knew he had lost the battle before it began.

"Yuuki."

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A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. The next chapter is written and will be out in two weeks.
The name Kairi was decided between my friend and myself because we liked the sound of it. It means 'moon' in the Taino language.
Does that keep you guessing~?