Rose of Immortality
by Rondomness
Rating: T
Summary: Kaname is too close to fulfilling his plans tolet himself be stopped by anything. Even if it is his beloved.
Warnings: Character whumping and torture. Violence.
Spoilers: For the entire Vampire Knight series, but especially chapter 80 to 83.
Pairings: Kaname x Yuuki. Implications of past Zero x Yuuki and one-sided Sara x Kaname.
A/N: The story is based on a plot bunny by Blackened Wing on , although it was such a good idea that my brain automatically expanded/changed some of the events… I was originally going to post this on a new profile, and most of you guys have been told that I moved to a new profile. But I was very, very surprised to find out how much you actually liked my works. Many of you have asked for my new profile and I'm very happy for that. Also, the new fanfic feature where you're able to see number of likes and followers all proved to be a big, positive surprise. So, since I'm actually quite satisfied with my penname, love all you amazing readers and feel that it would be a waste now, I'll stay here. I'm so sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you guys.
So, as a small little "gift" for all you readers, who stuck with me even though I confused and mislead you guys, I'll not only continue to post here, but also show you a short lists of planned fanfics. This one, Rose of Immortality, is going to be my first priority. But I've also planned a harsh fanfic with no decided title, which is inspired by Sagakure's wonderful Cradle of Blood. If you're not familiar with it, you got to look it up ASAP because you're seriously missing out! Also, please look forward to Ruby Drops, the continuation of ToB and CD.
This is an introduction chapter and the rest of the fic will cover the events leading up to this confrontation, so it can be a little confusing perhaps. Bear with me, please :D
It some sort of "jumps" right in between chapter 83 and 84, although most of the fic itself is placed at some point between chapter 79 and 83. As if I have some sort of cut all the context out between the chapters and replaced them with something else, if you understand what I mean… Hopefully, it will not confuse. It goes AU from chapter 79 and onwards, although the meeting mentioned later in the fanfic never happened in the real manga. Reviews and comment are very, very highly appreciated, just please be gentle :D
When it comes to names, I use the Japanese way of writing the names, as well as the Japanese honorifics. I really like the way it makes relationships between characters stand so much clearer and it also makes it very easy to see the difference between different groups of individuals. For example, it is very easy to see the difference in how Kain, Ruka etc. speak to Kaname and how the hunters speak to him.
Besides… From now on I'm going to take a little longer time writing my things and will therefore hopefully come up with something better.
Disclaimer: Vampire Knight and all characters appearing in it is not and will never be my characters, they belong to their creator, Hino Matsuri. The story is pure entertainment and no money is earned from it.
Chapter One: On Opposite Sides
Her beautiful strands of brown hair, the hair he adored, yes, worshipped even, laid on the ground, cut off and soiled. Separated from her angelic face. As a sign of her separation from him, a sign that she no longer could stand up for the things she believed him to have done. Ironically, it was not the things he had been a voluntary scapegoat for that finally drove her from his side. It was the unplanned and unexpected things he wished he'd never done.
The hunter, who had so drastically evolved from a knight to a king in the blink of an eye, stood by her side, pale and disheveled, but ready. He was ready to take out the monster in front of them, just like she was, her deadly Artemis in hand. The scythe's blade flashed alongside the Bloody Rose, twin weapons for thousands of years and now, reunited in battle against their creator.
Kaname's fingers knotted tightly around the blade in his hand, waiting for his opponents to make the first move. His mind was clouded with worried thoughts. He could never hurt Yuuki, it would be impossible for him, but he also knew that she would never withdraw without a fight. Kaname could not withdraw himself, not now. He was too close to his goal, too close to the key that would open up the door into the world Yuuki deserved to live in.
How he wished that she was able to trust him more, that she could have believed him when he told her that all he ever wanted was for her to be happy. It did not surprise him though, he had known all along that inevitably, her pure heart would not be able to tolerate his soiled remnants of a such.
The last bloody bats flew scattered over his wounds, healing them up as they slowly added themselves to his body mass. Kain's fireballs hurt immensely and had destroyed most of the pureblood's left shoulder. Kaname had never been on the receiving end of his so-called friends' powers before, but he did not blame Kain for what he had done. If it had been himself, if Kain had dared hurting Yuuki, Kaname would not have hesitated to rip off the noble's head.
The Yuuki in front of him now, was a combination of the Yuuki he wanted her to be and the Yuuki he wanted her to become. He yearned for her humanity, her unknowing, innocent and childish smile. He yearned for the days before he had clouded her life in shadows of blood. He could still see a glimpse of that time in her now short hair, in her necklace with the Cross Academy logo on it and in the taming bracelet around her wrist. But he also yearned for the pureblood in her, yearned for the illusion that they could be together, that they were alike. He could see her pureblooded presence in her Night Class uniform, in the great scythe she carried, but most of all in her silent, determined and serious face. That expression tormented him, reminded him of how he had robbed her of her innocence. How he had given her knowledge of how cruel the world was. He wanted back her innocence, yet he also desired and wished that they could stay together forever, side by side as it had always been meant to be like.
If he had only been able to do it without having to worry about her safety, he would have been everything for her. Her lover. Her friend. Her brother. Her fiancé. Perhaps even with time the father of her children. But all that was a future long gone. A future he had erased himself, for the sake of her safety.
"I am sorry, Zero. I won't make blunders anymore," Yuuki tenderly whispered to the hunter, although Kaname's pureblooded hearing probably picked up on the sound before Kiryuu did. "Now… we both have the same objective…" Yuuki's voice was determined and Kaname was the only one with sharp enough hearing to pick the slight tremble of her tone.
It made him happy, hearing how she hesitated a little about ending him, a small sign of something that he thought he had destroyed for good, however small said sign was. He would wish she stepped aside for him, letting him pass through and finish the duty he had charged himself with. It was for her sake after all, and she knew it. Either way, she had chosen to do what she believed to be morally right and he could not blame her.
He wanted to create the perfect place for Yuuki to live in, but he also could see that his goal might frighten her. He wanted to end the purebloods, to make sure that no one would ever have the chance of turning Yuuki back into this monstrous being.
All of them, they had been wrong from the very beginning. Vampires did not need someone to look out for them. They did not need someone to tell them what to do or who to be. Kiryuu was a proof of that. Vampires had their own self-control, their intelligence and their moral to tell them what was right and what was not. The only exception to this was the ex-humans, but they would not be there in the first place without the purebloods.
Through ex-humans, purebloods had taken so many lives. First the ex-human, then in turn all the people that ex-human would manage to kill before anyone stopped it. Purebloods were not only the top of evolution, they were also the top of cruelty in any living creature. Although it pained Kaname to describe Yuuki as anything but kind and caring, this was the sad truth.
"So it's fine for me to be alongside you now, is it not?" Yuuki asked tentatively, her voice low, nothing but a breathy murmur. Her knuckles turned snowy white when her grip intensified even more. It was obvious from her body language that she was on guard, waiting patiently for Kaname's first step. Her senses were on high alert, she was ready, prepared, waiting… and yet, her eyes betrayed how unwilling she was to do this. Her moral told her it was the right place to be – between Kaname and Sara - but still, the pureblood in front of her easily picked up on her nervous and confused feelings, even as she tried to hide them behind the infamous pureblood façade.
A short silence followed after her words, as if Kiryuu was considering whether or not he thought that way as well. Kaname knew he was just unwilling to voice his agreement though, knew he was happy that they stood together, united. Just like Kaname would feel.
"Yeah," the hunter murmured finally, keeping his silvery eyes locked on his opponent. "It's fine for you to be here, at the end of his blade." There was a barely concealed bitterness in his tone when he spoke, as if he was both mocking and begging the pureblood.
It was obvious that he wanted this fight, that this was the fight he'd always yearned for, this the price he had always desired. But Yuuki complicated matters for both of them. Kaname knew that Kiryuu could not tolerate the fact that the pureblood in front of him might eventually get enough of standing there, looking for the moment to slip past, and attack the girl both of them loved. It made the pureblood happy to witness this though, although he was still unsure about Zero's decision.
It was clear that Kiryuu was fighting against himself, from the look on his face. A fight between the side of him that told him to step aside in order for him to get Yuuki away from such a danger, and the side that whispered to him that he could not miss the opportunity to finally end Kaname by his own hand, as he'd always wanted. Kaname knew of his fight, and tried to appeal with his eyes in the desperate attempt of making Zero get Yuuki to safety. And getting both of them out of his way.
His eyes once again locked with Yuuki's. How had it come to this? He would have done anything for her. But now, there was no time to explain it to her. No time. No choice. And no other way.
Perhaps, I won't get the chance to twine your beautiful hair again, after all…