Chapter 2! It's a shorter chapter…things will start moving forward from here.

ENJOY!

Chapter 2: Remedy

"Get up, kiddo. You've been lying there for hours."

Zero Kiryu sighed in exasperation as he continued to twirl his Bloody Rose gun between his fingers. He was lying in a miniature-sized cot placed closely next to the crack-stained walls, allowing his head to rest uncomfortably against the old cement. His eyes trailed a path through space, caring nothing about the world around him.

"I didn't let you live with me so you can lie around all day like mutt," Touga Yagari kicked the side of the bed to get Zero's attention. "It's been more than two years, and you're still as gloomy as ever."

"What's the joy in not killing vampires, Sensei?" Zero responded bluntly. "There hasn't been an assignment for days, and I've got nothing to do." He turned on his side towards the wall.

"Oh, you'll be doing something alright," Yagari stuck another cigar in his mouth and sat on a solitary chair next to the bed. "You need to keep your title as the new legendary vampire hunter, and that does not include being a lazy a-"

"Whatever, I'm not in the mood…" Zero grunted as he turned his back towards him.

Yagari whipped out a blotch of smoke before he leaned against the back of his chair. Ever since the confrontation between the vampires and hunters two years back, Cross Academy had closed down temporarily. Fortunately, the Day Class students had found a separate human school to attend while the vampires worked to resolve their conflicts. Now the academy had returned to its usual task of teaching both humans and vampires alike, headed by the previous legendary hunter, Kaein Cross. This time, however, he was left with a new batch of students; new freshmen who had little knowledge of what had occurred in their grounds. Everyone else had left or graduated, yet after two years, Kaein Cross still lived up to his duty as a pacifist. Even when some vampires still opposed his philosophy for peace, the new and improved council encouraged his task for a better society.

As for Zero Kiryu, Yagari had decided to let him share his apartment residing near the vampire hunters' headquarters. Now that the young vampire's full powers were released, he had become stronger and fiercer. Titled as the new legendary vampire hunter, Zero had become renowned amongst the other hunters and vampires. Even his previous risk of becoming a bloodthirsty Level E vampire was no more; her blood had served enough for him to be fully cured.

Yet even now…even when he had never mentioned it once at all, Yagari could sense Zero's broken heart. Inside, he could tell, Zero was lost in anguish, denial, and regret. His loved one was taken away from him, and even when he allowed it to happen, her absence had left a hollow space in his soul.

Zero missed her so much. He missed Yuki Cross even when she had become a vampire.

"Nothing's going to change no matter what you do," Yagari spoke quietly. "A vampire hunter is forever bonded to his role…" his gaze went to Zero. "He can never love another vampire…"

Zero cringed slightly before he jerked up and got to his feet. His brows were furrowed together in deep cringes. "Are we gonna train or what?" he hissed under his breath.

Yagari smirked. "About time."

Outside, the late evening hour cast dull orange streaks across the sky as the tall compressed apartment buildings veiled the narrow winding pavement with disfigured shadows. The neighborhood was as deserted as ever, only providing a habitat for local hunters and humans who had no trouble being isolated from their own kind. Zero looked down the street where the top half of the hunter's headquarters stood in the distance behind blackened trees. The training grounds stood on the opposite side within a small clearing. If he had to get there, he had to pass the headquarters. Not a pleasing thought for someone who had been despised by its members while he was still Level E.

"I was thinking of getting more food on the way back." Yagari attempted to break the silence. "Maybe some grocery shopping will kill your boredom."

"Tempting," Zero grunted sarcastically as he walked ahead of his teacher.

The world seemed to be in a standstill to him. Nothing felt like it brought him anywhere, but led him through a constant never ending cycle involving killing untamed vampires and solving unsolved mysteries. Sometimes, he wished he could just break free of the same miserable and boring schedules and run down an endless road with no destination in mind. He desperately thought about breaking into a sprint down the pavement towards the horizon, following where the winds took him and never having to look a second back.

The idea of freedom, Zero thought, was more tempting than shopping for food. It was a futile thought, but perhaps if he could just leave the place for a week or two, things would not be such a pain in the butt. Perhaps, he thought, a vacation would do him good.

"Ah, Kiryu…Yagari," A voice spoke from the front of the hunter's headquarter gates. Zero, upon being slightly surprised from finding himself in front of the hunter's association already, looked up to see one of the gatesmen welcome both of them with a pleasing smile.

"Nice to see both of you." The man slightly bowed before he beckoned Yagari to approach him closer. "A word, please, Yagari."

Zero raised a brow as his teacher and the man spoke to each other in low whispers. He turned his eyes towards the sky, hoping to not overhear the possibly boring conversation about some escaped vampire, or an evil vampire plot at work.

"Ah…Zero," Yagari finally spoke as he motioned Zero to join them.

"What? Another assignment?" Zero questioned annoyingly.

The gates man shook his head as he handed him a small white envelope. "For you."

Zero's eyes instantly widened as he clasped the envelope tightly and searched for any name or address. His mind began running furiously as he thought about the sender.

He had never received any mail before.

"I believe it's from one of your vampire friends." The man said. "The new council head I believe."

"That Takuma guy?" Yagari grunted as he bit into his cigar. "What does he want?"

Zero said nothing as he unfolded the letter inside. The content was small, but it was enough to let him release a short gasp.

It has been too long, Zero Kiryu. I hope you are doing fairly well as a newly renowned vampire hunter. Things have become quite peaceful it seems. However, I have written this letter to remind you of an incident that had intruded our destined course long back. I hope you recall it has been more than two years since her death. If you have any sense of respect, you would agree to accompany us on a few week's trip to Zurich, Switzerland on her behalf. Take into consideration that I have personally invited you as a single chance to mend your past wrongs. If you are truly wise, you would comply to my offer. Don't forget that you have already lost once. Let's not make that happen again.

He did not have to continue to know that Ichijo Takuma was not the one who wrote him the letter.

It was Kaname Kuran…

Zero's mind cracked into waves of past events, both grieving and painful, as his face began to boil in anger. How dare that pureblood write to him after all this time? How could he possibly acknowledge him so casually after everything that had happened? Everything that he had done to make his life even more miserable…

How dare he reiterate his worst realities after taking his one remedy away for good?

"Bullshit," Zero hissed under his breath as he crumpled up the letter and threw it across the street. The envelope itself was in line for the same fate, until Zero paused to find something else inside. His hands reached in to grab a single airline ticket, completely inscribed in German and including the flight date and time. In the corner, however, Zero recognized a single note written in Japanese:

Do it for Almira…do it for Yuki…

"What is it, kid?" Yagari gave a concerned look at Zero whose flaming complexion turned into a grave look of sorrow. "What does he want?"

A few seconds of silence ensued as the young vampire hunter gathered his thoughts together. Too much had happened over the years for him to even consider what the pureblood wanted. His love for Yuki, already buried into the depths of his blackened heart, resurfaced once again. Was Kaname allowing him a chance to see her face after so long? Was she going on this so-called "trip" as well?

And then it struck him. That incident that Kaname mentioned in the letter…the one that involved the werecats from the west…it had indeed happened. Everything from the arrival of that half-blood girl and her enemies to the forbidden charter, the awakening of her dark side, and finally, her death, was not a dream. It was him who pulled the trigger and caused her fatal end. But it was also him who allowed her a passage to freedom. He fulfilled the forbidden charter and set her free. Allowed her to be reborn into a new life.

And now it was time for her to return back to what she was before. Almira McDellan would have already grown to Yuki's age.

Yet now…she would be a pureblood.

Those past memories of her intervention…of their intervention had become a mere fantasy. He had forgotten that it had been entirely real. The fact that werecats truly existed had become nothing more than a myth, and after everything that had followed at Cross Academy…the demise of Kaname's malicious relative, the destruction of the council, the painful loss of his love, and his immediate rise to power…Zero had never acknowledged that incident ever again. He spoke nothing about it to anyone. Not even his fellow hunters or Yagari knew what had happened back then. His one moment of commendation.

"A trip to Switzerland…" Zero thought to himself. Was he being invited to see how Almira had become? To see what his unintentional actions had contributed? After all, he was in dire need of a vacation away from the decaying aspects of his monotonous lifestyle. And he had always heard of Zurich's breathtaking natural beauty.

But then again…he was being invited by vampires. Yet not just any vampire…Kaname Kuran, whom he despised ever since he had first laid eyes on him, wanted him to join. Zero could simply scoff at the thought. Why would Kaname want him to go anyway? Did the pureblood forget what he had said once that they both were never allowed to cross paths again? That if Zero was to see Yuki again, he would surely kill her?

Yet…Zero knew himself that his words were simply a threat. Even if he was hopeless against her brother, he could never kill his one beloved. It was because of Yuki, after all, that he chose to continue on living his wretched life.

'…you have already lost once. Let's not make that happen again…' The words continued to jog through his mind.

So now there was only one question remaining. Did Kaname want him to go because of Almira? Or was it because of something else…?

"Whatcha got there?" Yagari swiped the ticket out of his hands and inspected it with squinting eyes. "Damn it, what the hell is up with these scribbles?"

"It's German…" Zero sighed matter-of-factly.

"What is this all about, eh?" Yagari gave him a skeptical look. "A letter, and now a ticket? What is that Takuma guy trying to do? Win your sympathy?"

Zero closed his eyes as he turned his face towards the other side of the horizon. West…where the sun had already descended hours before, leaving only its dim streaks of light behind. Although he hated to admit it, he was curious to see what Kaname had in store for him. So many questions left unanswered…it was starting to become a new scavenger hunt.

Perhaps, he thought, this trip would do him some good…

"No, Sensei, it's an opportunity to take a few weeks off. " Zero continued with a whisper. "I've decided to go on a little vacation."

"So when will they be arriving here?" a soft clear voice of a young woman spoke in German from the corner of a darkened room.

"A week from now," a man with ash blonde hair responded from a solitary desk as he flipped a pen continuously in his hand. "I have already sent him the letter and the tickets. It'll be a waste if he denies the offer though."

The woman gave a small chuckle. "Why would he do that?" she continued. "Did not you say it was his choice to come after all?"

"Anything could have happened after two years…especially since he told me he had unfinished business to resolve before he thought about us again…" the man said he stood up to walk towards the curtained window. Lake Zurich was in plain view under the early noon sky. "However, if he is willing to follow his conscience…he will not refuse…"

The woman gracefully joined next to him as she soothingly patted his back. "Japanese vampires in our land…" her eyes turned bright gold as a cringe of concern crossed her face. "This will change everything..."

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