Disclaimer: Characters from "Vampire Knight" belong to Matsuri Hino.

Summary: Zero let Yuki go without a fight? Not hardly. Here's the untold story of how Zero conquers his inner demons and goes after his woman! The Timeskip Adventure Continues! Ch1: Kaname's new chess match. Ch2: Zero hits rock bottom. Ch3: Shindo's fateful decision. Ch4: Ichiru's wish. COMING SOON Ch5: Escape from Hell

Characters: Zero, Kaname, Seiren, Cross, Shindo, Momoyama, Ichiru, White Lilly, Yuki, Maria. Zero/Yuki.

Note: This is an eclectic story that takes, what I feel are, the best elements from the anime, manga, and my own ideas, and recombines them in a way that makes sense for me.

Comment: If you like my story, have a question, spot an error, or have a critique, please leave a review. =^.^=

Update 11/24/10: Happy Thanksgiving! Chapter 4 is live! Thank you Betas! *hugs* Will update with Ghost part 2 soon! == Thank you for the reviews and the favorites! I'm trying to update every 2 weeks. ^^


Chapter 1: STORM

72 hours into the future, Kuran Mansion
Kaname Kuran point of view

A clap of thunder rattled the windows. Lightning streaked across the sky. A dangerous aura had fallen over Kuran Mansion. What late Autumn leaves had remained on the trees were brutally plucked from their branches. Lurking among the barren forest on the outskirts of the formal garden was a solitary figure. His longcoat flapped erratically in the gusts like a giant black bird with a broken wing. The silvery hair of the intruder glowed briefly in a flash of lightning. His eyes flickered in the dark between the color of angry purple clouds and red of a vampire.

Zero Kiryu.

Kaname Kuran narrowed his eyes. He hated Zero. He hated giving his blood to Zero. He hated the way Zero was disrespectful to him. He hated how Yuki chattered on and on about Zero. He hated the way Zero looked at her. And he hated how he had been locked outside in the cold while Zero was the one who got to protect her. But things had changed now that Yuki had joined the Night Clan. It was Zero who was locked outside in the cold.

A woman with sharp bobbed hair and a serious expression stepped out from the shadows. "Would you like for me to chase him away, Lord Kaname?"

"No," the lord of the manor replied in barely concealed irritation. Streams of rain poured down the glass as he carefully considered the trespasser on his property. It was bold for Zero to invade his territory. The young hunter would not have dared to come if he was not fully prepared for a fight to the death.

This was not supposed to happen. Kaname's master strategy had been perfect. Three days ago Zero had been reincarnated into the most powerful Vampire Hunter alive. He destroyed Rido Kuran, a vexing problem to Kaname. Zero's reward was avenging his brother's murder and saving his beloved Yuki from the jaws of Rido. But Yuki was not his to have, she belonged to Kaname. Yuki was no longer the human girl Zero loved, her Pure Blood was unsealed revealing her true identity as the Kuran Princess. It must have been a nightmare for Zero to discover the girl he had fallen in love with was secretly the thing he hated most, a Pure Blood vampire. His threat to kill Yuki did not fool Kaname however. Certainly the conflict within Zero raged over Yuki's true nature. No one but Zero would think he was a hypocrite if he loved the gentle sweet-natured Yuki. She was not an evil vampire and did not deserve his scorn. This turmoil within him should have driven Zero into despair, even suicide, thereby ridding Kaname of the nuisance Zero posed to him. What went wrong? Why was Zero here?

"He's been out there for 4 hours and 37 minutes, sir."

Kaname fidgeted with the White Knight chess piece, flipping it left then right, then passing it between each finger with expert precision.

The gaze of the brooding figure outside remained locked on the front door of the mansion. He would probably continue to stand out there in the rain indefinitely.

"Sir, I took every precaution to hide our whereabouts. He should not be able to see past the barrier, but he appears to know we are here."

Kaname sighed and ran a hand through his hair. How was it possible for Zero to see the mansion? The entire estate was hidden behind a powerful barrier. What special abilities did a Vampire Hunter turned Vampire have? Had he made a mistake grooming a falling ex-human to be as strong as Zero? Zero's body may have been thoroughly bleached in the most ancient vampire bloodline, but his body was still human. Then again, Zero's Hunter powers were no longer fragmented between him and his identical twin. They became one, and because Ichiru Kiryu was human, the Vampire Hunter weapons could not kill Zero now. The window of opportunity had closed.

"Seiren, would you please check on Yuki? I don't want her to discover his presence."

"As you wish, Lord Kaname." Seiren crossed her arm over her chest and bowed in the traditional show of respect all vampires gave to the Pure Bloods.

Yuki had a bad habit of throwing herself between Kaname and Zero whenever they fought. Tonight, Kaname made sure she would not interfere.

"She's still under the sleeping spell, Lord Kaname," Seiren said as she returned to his side, "Do you think he intends to kill us all?"

"No, of course not. Zero is merely an angry dog, barking empty threats."

"Let me ask another way, Does he intend to kill you? You helped turn him into what he is, and then you took away the only thing in the world he truly loved."

"Yes, if he goes insane, or if I give him an excuse, he would not hesitate to do it except for one thing, killing me, Yuki's brother and sole remaining family member, would hurt her. And since Zero would never intentionally hurt her, I believe I am safe."

What Kaname didn't say, was that the same was true for him. He could not risk destroying Zero, or he would lose Yuki's love forever. What was he going to do?

"Seiren?" Kaname turned to face her, "May I ask you a question?"

"Yes, my lord."

"What is your opinion of Kiryu?"

"Hot tempered. Tortured. Determined. Loyal. Protective. Passionate," she paused, then added hesitantly, "Attractive."

Kaname looked back towards the lone figure beyond the trees. Attractive? Why would a female vampire find a vampire hunter attractive? Zero threatened many times to kill all vampires, and besides that, Zero never smiled. His glare alone was so cold, it was as if he could shoot ice daggers into anyone who annoyed him. He was thoroughly unlovable.

"I'm sorry," Kaname corrected himself, "that's not what I was asking. I mean, as a Champion, what is your opinion of him?"

"You mean as Yuki's chosen Champion?"

"Yes."

"Capable."

It was true. Zero was the ideal body guard for Yuki. Unfortunately for him, Zero was too willful to live with them in Kuran Mansion. He was not at all like his Seiren. Seiren would not try to snatch his bride and run away with her into the night. Seiren was practically invisible. She was a seamless extension of Kaname's will. She was his most trusted confidant. In this way, she was superior to Zero. But Seiren could not save him from Rido's enslavement. Only Zero could. And Kaname knew he owed a great debt to Zero.

"Thank you. That is all. Please continue to watch over Yuki."

"Yes, my lord." Seiren bowed deeply, leaving Kaname alone to his troubled thoughts.

What Zero needed was a new purpose. He was not old enough to be a full fledged Vampire Hunter. He would continue to attend Cross Academy, but now that the Night Class was disbanded, Zero did not have day class students to protect from vampire aggression. He no longer needed to protect Yuki either. Zero had no reason to live anymore other then his thirst for revenge. Kaname wished he could savor this victory over his rival, but Kaname was not entirely without sympathy for Zero. Zero had just survived a devastating ordeal. He was truly an incredible asset to him, a valuable piece on his chessboard. He needed to protect his investment. He had to help steer Zero away from a path of darkness. But how?


Coming soon, Chapter 2: Rewind to three days ago: Zero hits rock bottom!