AN/ I wrote this more than a few years ago, and whilst I'm not particularly proud of the writing, I did put a lot of work into it. It seems wasted left on a computer, so I'll post what I managed to finish before life intervened.
Vampire Knight and all associated products belong to Matsuri Hino
Amaya ran furiously through the woods, heart pounding in her ears, hair streaming behind her. She bent over awkwardly clutching at her injured arm and hissing in pain every time she stumbled. Every now and again, she looked over her shoulder and, although she saw nothing, fear consumed her further.
A large fence suddenly loomed in front of her, stopping her short. She glanced frantically along its length but saw no openings and in a blind panic began to climb, ignoring the stabs of agony from her wound. She landed heavily on the other side, and, satisfied for now that she was safe, began to stagger through the woodlands in search of a place to rest.
Instinctively drawn to water, she wandered around the grounds until she found a small artificial lake. Amaya sat down on the stone ledge and gingerly removed her hand from her wound. It was black and festering, unable to heal, weeping watery blood. She looked away quickly the insatiable hunger rising within her. She desperately needed to feed, to eat, to heal. The beast clawed at her insides violently and she retched.
Footsteps echoed in the still night and Amaya span around in terror, searching for the source. A delectable scent filled Amaya's senses and her head snapped up. A young girl about her own age stood a few feet away, a long rod braced in her hands.
"Who are you?" she demanded of Amaya, "What are you doing at the Academy?"
Amaya growled, a desperate, feral sound, and leapt for the girl, securing her in a tight grip.
"So good," she breathed, ghosting her fangs over the teen's neck as she struggled futilely. "So very tempting," One hand traced the contours of the girl's skin, drawing back when she found a set of bite marks. "But you belong to another," she gasped.
The girl stiffened in her arms, then threw herself at Amaya violently, trying to break her iron grip.
"Please let go! You c-can't. Let me go! Please!" the girl's plea ended in a whimper and Amaya was transported, for a moment, to another place where the positions had been reversed.
"No!" she cried, pushing down the beast and thrusting herself away from the girl. She overbalanced and landed in the pond. Her muscles spasmed painfully in the cold, and then she relaxed, letting the water remove the bloodlust. At least for a while.
Amaya lost track of the time that passed before she was wrenched from the water. She was thrown violently onto the concrete path and for a while, lay there, sobbing. Then rough hands grabbed her, pulling her upright and she was forced to face a young man with silver hair and soft amethyst eyes. He held a gun to her head.
"Try and escape, vampire," he hissed, "And I'll finish the job some else has started."
Amaya clutched at her injured arm instinctively and he smirked.
"Zero!" Both vampires snapped round to the girl who had spoken. "There's no need for that," she scolded, "Come on, it'll be daylight soon,"
Amaya was led into a large building and then through a rabbit warren of corridors and passageways. The girl, whose name Amaya still didn't know, darted forward, knocking on a large oak door. A cheerful voice invited them in, Zero pushing Amaya over the threshold when she hesitated.
"Yuki-kun! Zero-kun! What are you doing here?" asked an overly happy man, "Oh," he paused, seeing Amaya, "Who is this?" he frowned, "And why is she soaking wet?"
BREAK
Amaya felt disconnected from the situation as she was ushered in front of the fire and handed a towel. No matter what they did, Amaya would not respond, physically shying away from the chairman and Yuki. She allowed Zero to come near, much to his bewilderment as he had held a gun to her, but she was obviously uncomfortable with people around her. She concentrated on keeping her blood lust suppressed for as long as she could, but the tell tale red eyes soon appeared.
"Ah, she's hungry," said the Chairman calmly, pulling out a box of tablets, "Give her this Zero,"
A glass full of red liquid was thrust into Amaya's line of sight. She looked up questioningly at Zero who scowled.
"Drink it," he ordered, "It'll help. Push it down for a while,"
A half-smile flickered across Amaya's face.
"T-thank you," she said hoarsely, taking the glass from the startled hunter with her uninjured hand.
She sniffed at the drink suspiciously, and then took a sip. The glow behind her eyes flared and she began gulping down the blood substitute hungrily until Zero snatched it from her hands.
"You'll make yourself ill," he explained gruffly, "First time, right?"
Amaya nodded sheepishly, eyes downcast as she wiped her mouth clear of what she had spilled.
"Don't worry," chirped the Chairman, "Yuki will be back with Kaname-sama soon. He will help,"
Zero snorted in disbelief as Amaya turned back to face the flames, the words barely registering.
Seconds later footsteps could be heard echoing along the corridor and three people entered the room. Recognising the foremost, Amaya fell to her knees in submission.
"Kuran-sama," she whispered, not looking up.
"Amaya?" broke in another voice in disbelief, before Kaname could acknowledge the young vampire. "Maya-Chan,"
Amaya looked up in shock, eyes widening.
"Hanabusa," she whispered, half standing, eyes filling with tears.
"Amaya!" he exclaimed, sweeping her close to his chest. "Oh Kami-sama. Amaya."
Amaya sobbed unashamedly into his shirt, clutching at Hanabusa desperately.
"Nii-san," she hiccupped, "N-nii-san,"
"What the hell?" shouted Zero, breaking up the siblings.
Hanabusa held Amaya close to his chest as he turned to face the rest of the room's occupants.
"Guardians, Chairman, Kaname-sama, I would like to introduce you to Amaya Aido . My sister,"
"What?" yelped Zero, "Since when have you had a sister, Aido?"
"For the last sixteen years," replied Hanabusa in annoyance.
"S-she looks a lot like you, Aido-san," stuttered Yuki, trying to keep the peace.
The statement was true, though. The two siblings were roughly the same height and even though Amaya's hair was thoroughly soaked, it was obviously the same infamous blonde as her brother, whilst their eyes were both a clear blue.
"More importantly," broke in Kaname, "What is Amaya-san doing here? I was led to believe that she was staying with the Senate, Hanabusa,"
Hanabusa frowned, "She was," he muttered, "Amaya, why did you come here? 'Maya?"
Amaya was pale and shaking, huddled against her brother and tearing and scratching at her arm violently.
"Amaya-san?" asked Kaname gently, "Will you show me your arm, Amaya-san?"
Amaya didn't respond and Kaname darted forward, peeling her clammy hand away, exposing the wound to everyone. Hanabusa growled manically.
"Kiryuu-kun!" he yelled.
"I had nothing to do with it!" Protested Zero, holding Yuki tight, as she looked away, "Don't blame me,"
"Shouldn't it be healing by now anyway?" Interjected the Chairman, "Aido-san, your family is nearly pure,"
Hanabusa stiffened, but didn't reply to the Chairman, not meeting anybody's eyes.
"Amaya's different," he said eventually, "If she wants to tell you, she will,"
The was a long pause before Kaname released Amaya's arm and announced, "She needs to get out of the light," he steered the younger vampire towards her brother, "Without fresh blood, that wound is going to get worse before it heals,"
"Permission to take her back to the dorm, Kaname-sama?"
"Of course," replied the pureblood, before the Chairman could speak. "I will inform Kain."
"Thank you, senpai,"
Hanabusa began to lead the unresisting Amaya out of the room, catching her when she stumbled and fell. Effortlessly, he swung her into his arms, carrying her bridal style without stopping and continued his journey back to the Moon Dormitory.
As the door swung shut behind the Aido siblings, Kaname turned to Yuki and Zero.
"Where did you find her?" he asked stiffly.
"Down by the fountain," replied Yuki, "She was sat on the edge and so I asked her who she was and…" Yuki gulped, "She attacked me,"
Instantly, Kaname and Zero were at her side, pouring over her neck.
"Stop that, it tickles," Yuki laughed, wriggling out of the vampires' grasps. "She didn't bite me- she stopped herself."
"That couldn't be possible," the chairman pointed out, "You saw how strong her blood-lust was. She shouldn't have been able to stop,"
"Well she did," insisted Yuki petulantly, "She said…she said that I belonged to someone else.
Both Kaname and Zero's eyes widened imperceptibly, but they hid their shock admirably.
"Never mind," Kaname smiled, "The good thing is that she stopped herself."
In the distance a bell sounded. "I think I had better return to the Night Class," He continued, "There will be some confusion over Aido-san's arrival."
BREAK
Hanabusa laid Amaya gently on his bed, pulling the blankets tight around her. She was pale and feverish, beads of sweat dotting her forehead. She shivered violently, as if the sheets had turned to ice, and to Hanabusa's dismay, they had.
He groaned. "You're so difficult when you loose control, 'Maya-Chan,"
Amaya's eyes fluttered open and she rolled to face her brother, turning the sheets back.
"I'm s-sorr-ry, Busa,"
"It's not your fault," Hanabusa wiped a stray hair out of Amaya's face, "What happened to you?"
"There was a raid, on the villa," Amaya's breathing was laboured as she relived her terror, "There had been some attacks in the area and hunters were investigating. Everyone else had left earlier in the night but no one told me. Okaa-san said I had to stay in the room. She didn't tell me!" Amaya shrieked hysterically, "She left me to die!"
"'Maya, calm down,"
Hanabusa threw himself over the younger vampire, pinning her down as things froze all around the room. Amaya thrashed violently, trying to throw her brother off as the fit contorted her body. Finally, it passed, leaving both siblings scratched, bruised and panting for breath. Shudders wracked Amaya's slim frame and she clung desperately to Hanabusa, crying.
"'Maya, it's all right," soothed Hanabusa, "It's just your body reacting to the bullet. You'll be better soon," his attempt at light heartedness fell flat.
"Just another difference," muttered Amaya darkly, "If I really was your sister…"
"Don't say that," interrupted Hanabusa sharply, "I've told you, no matter about that, you're still my sister,"
"Still," continued Amaya, but her smile was teasing. Another tremor shook her body and she whimpered, "Stay with me?"
"You have to ask?"
Hanabusa slid into the bed next to his sister, relaxing as her arms wrapped around him. Amaya buried her head into the older vampire's shoulder, her eyes closing wearily.
"I missed you nii-san," she sighed, tightening her arms around his neck.
"Me too, Maya-Chan, me too,"
Absolutely exhausted, but still terrified, Amaya struggled to get comfortable and rest. Hanabusa let her wriggle for a while before pulling her close to him and looking down at her.
"Can't sleep?" he murmured quietly, stroking her hair.
"Too scared," Amaya admitted, "I keep thinking it's all a dream and that I'm back on my own again."
Hanabusa didn't reply at first, but began to hum, the soft sound reassuring Amaya that she wasn't alone until she fell asleep.
BREAK
A bright shaft of sunlight woke Hanabusa and he groaned audibly.
"Akatsuki, close the curtains,"
There was no reply. Hanabusa rolled over.
"Akatsuki, close the curtains. It's too early."
There was no Akatsuki. The events of the previous day flooded his mind and he turned his head to look at Amaya. She still had her arms wrapped loosely around her torso and she had buried her head under the blankets, out of the sunlight. Hanabusa detached her arms and stood up, straightening out his uniform. Squinting, he pulled the curtains shut, plunging the room into a welcome darkness.
Amaya rolled into the middle of the bed, waking drowsily when she noticed her brother's absence. Hanabusa hurried over, sitting back on the bed and taking Amaya's hand. She smiled weakly, then fell back into sleep, her breathing slow and laboured. Worriedly Hanabusa put his hand to her forehead, drawing it away quickly when he felt the heat.
"She has a fever!" he exclaimed, "That's not good,"
BREAK
When Aido and Kaname-sama had left classes with Yuki Cross, the Night Class had accepted it. When Kain Akatsuki was not allowed into his shared dorm and made to move into a spare room, the Night Class accepted it. But they weren't accepting this.
Aido Hanabusa was running up and down the corridors, screaming. Although this was a common occurrence, it was still daylight and they were tired. And tired vampires get cranky.
Akatsuki caught his cousin effortlessly as he once again raced past his door. The rest of the Night Class emerged from their dorms sleepily, but angry enough to kill.
"What are you doing?" Kain growled, lifting Aido off the ground.
"She has a fever," Hanabusa's eyes were wide with fear. "She has a fever. What do I do if she has a fever?"
"What are you going on about Hanabusa?" murmured Ichijo, holding onto his doorframe for support. "Who has a fever?"
" 'Maya!" moaned Hanabusa, "She's all hot and…burny,"
"Well go and freeze her, ice boy," Ruka spat, "And let the rest of us sleep,"
"What did you say?" For once Hanabusa was serious.
Hanabusa struggled fiercely against Akatsuki's grip, ice forming and racing towards Ruka.
"What's going on here?"
Kaname had emerged from his room, startling the other vampires. Akatsuki turned to face the pureblood, not letting go of his cousin who was still glaring at Ruka.
"Hanabusa had some sort of nightmare," Kain explained, "And woke us, thinking it was true."
"Very well," Kaname's voice betrayed no emotion. "You may return to your rooms. Hanabusa, come with me,"
Akatsuki let go of Hanabusa and the Night Class retreated gladly, leaving the Dorm Leader and a nervous noble in the hall.
"Am I right to assume that this wasn't a nightmare?" asked Kaname, advancing on Hanabusa, who blushed.
"Amaya's ill," the young noble confessed. "She's running a fever and I don't know what to do,"
"Show me,"
Hanabusa led Kaname to his room where Amaya was tossing and turning restlessly in the bed. The pureblood knelt by her immediately, pulling the blankets off her thin form. Amaya's injured arm had swollen badly and streaks of black poison were pulsing gently around the puncture. Kaname let his hand rest on her forehead a moment before drawing it back.
"She needs cold water and something to apply it with," he announced, "You need to bring her temperature down," he continued, turning to face Hanabusa who raced off.
He returned quickly and Kaname instructed him on how to relieve his sister's discomfort. Hanabusa had some difficulty as Amaya kept turning the water into ice, but he persevered. Eventually he triumphed through force of will and Amaya's fever dropped slightly.
Kaname sat lazily on Kain's bed whilst Hanabusa mopped Amaya's brow. The sun was at its peak and both of them were feeling its effects.
"Strange, that a child of a noble should react so badly to such a small bullet. Most would have assimilated it in hours," commented Kaname, holding up his hand to shield himself from the ray of light that had somehow escaped the heavy curtains.
"Amaya's not most," Hanabusa replied after a while.
"I suppose not," Kaname stood quietly, "I will see that you are excused from classes until the circumstances change,"
"Thank you, Senpai,"
Kaname nodded in acceptance and left the room, leaving Hanabusa to care for his sister.
BREAK
For the next two days, Hanabusa rarely left Amaya's side. She slept continuously, waking only briefly and often delirious with fever. Hanabusa did what he could to keep her comfortable but the bullet had been spelled with antivampiric magic, making his task extremely difficult.
On the third day, Hanabusa was startled when the door to his room opened. He had been left alone since Amaya's arrival, something he was grateful for, but the isolation was beginning to become stifling. He turned to greet his visitor and was surprised to see Kaname closing the door behind himself.
"Kaname-sempai," he greeted. "Is there a problem?"
"No," replied the pureblood, making his way over to the bed, "I merely wished to see how you and your sister were faring,"
"I think she's passed the worst, senpai," said Hanabusa, "She's probably just sleeping to recover now,"
"And her wound?"
"Still angry, but it's closed over," If Hanabusa felt any confusion at the pureblood's questions, he didn't show it.
"Very well," Kaname walked over silently, standing directly behind Hanabusa, "We have an audience with the Senate this evening. You need to prepare yourself."
"I can't leave Amaya," said Hanabusa, shakily, "I can't,"
"She will be fine," Kaname tried to calm the younger vampire, "We will only be gone a few hours."
"But…" Hanabusa interjected and Kaname's temper flared.
"Hanabusa you will come to the Senate. Now go and prepare yourself. If you are that worried, I will stay with her until we leave. Is that sufficient?"
"Yes, Kaname-sama," the terrified noble breathed, eyes downcast.
He quietly gathered some clothes together and left the room, hesitantly glancing at his sister. Kaname sat down gracefully in the chair by the bed and watched Amaya sleep. He found it strangely comforting that she had not stirred when he entered, nor made any sign to acknowledge his presence. It was unusual that someone could be so unaffected by him, even in their sleep. He felt like he was seeing the true person for once, not a mask put up to please the pureblood.
Kaname lost track of the time that passed and so he was surprised when Amaya began to toss as if waking up. Her head emerged from the mounds of blankets piled on top of her, her blonde hair sticking out at awkward angles, and she focused blearily on Kaname.
"Onii-sama?"
It took a while for recognition to come but moments later Amaya's eyes widened and she squeaked hoarsely,
"Kuran-sama!"
She attempted to get up but Kaname pushed her down again.
"You will injure yourself further if you get up," he said calmly, causing Amaya to blush vividly.
"Yes, Kuran-sama," Amaya whispered, lying back down awkwardly.
There was a long silence where Amaya fidgeted with the blanket edge whilst Kaname looked on in amusement.
"Are you feeling any better?" he asked eventually, startling Amaya.
The younger vampire looked up wide-eyed at the question, unbalanced by the pureblood's concern.
"A little, Kuran-sama," she stuttered, unable to meet his eyes.
"There is no need to be so formal," Kaname announced, leaning back in the chair, "Senpai or san is quite enough,"
"Yes, Kuran-senpai."
Kaname sighed in exasperation.
"I meant Kaname-senpai, Aido,"
Amaya blushed a second time, the vibrant red highlighting her pale skin.
"I'm sorry," she apologised, flinching away, "I'm sorry,"
Her eyelids drooped a little but she fought them valiantly, not wanting to offend the older vampire by falling asleep. Kaname watched her inward struggle for a while before leaning over and closing her eyes gently.
"Sleep, Aido-san,"
"Amaya-san," she murmured, rolling over slightly, "Amaya-san, Kaname-senpai."
Her breathing evened out quickly and Kaname settled back into his chair.
Hanabusa returned a little while later, looking a lot cleaner and refreshed.
"Was she alright?" he asked his Dorm Leader.
Kaname let a small smile grace his features as he noted the obvious concern in Hanabusa's voice.
"She woke for a little while, but fell asleep again quickly," he said, standing, "Are you ready to go?"
"Yes, Kaname-senpai,"
The two vampires left the darkened room, closing the door softly behind them whilst Amaya slept on, unknowing.