Chapter 8- Young and Beautiful
A/N: Ah, sorry for the delay guys! School's started again and my time to write fics will be solely on the weekends D: Please bear with me as I will be spending more time drawing for my AP Art class instead of writing, which will swallow up a large chunk of my time. Now that I've got that out of the way, here is the usual fic recommendation area, lol XD I have a drabble series called 'Sweet Dreams,' where you guys can send me requests/prompts for any VK pairings or scenarios that you want me to write :3 Secondly, I have put up the first chap of my Shiki/Rima fic, 'One Wish.' It's a tragedy/romance AU set where a human!Rima only has thirty days to live. So… yah, if you guys checked those out I'd greatly appreciate it ^^
Disclaimer: Let me check… nope, VK's still owned by Matsuri Hino.
Title/Quote from: Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Ray.
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"Will you still love me when I have nothing but my aching soul?"
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The silverette's eyes narrowed considerably. "What are you talking about?"
"You two were young then, after all. I guess it isn't too hard to believe that you've forgotten. I was the one who killed Shizuka Hiou before she could taint either of you with her fangs."
Zero kept the gun pointed at the pureblood's chest, but his hand shook, the memories of that night flitting to the front of his mind. All the blood and snow and screams…
"Kaname-kun, it's a pleasure to see you! What a delight to have you in my home! Come in, come in! And Zero, drop your weapon! Don't you know it's rude to point guns at guests?" The ex-hunter exclaimed from the staircase, running down to usher the brunette inside.
Reluctantly, the youth placed the gun in its holster, frowning. "Listen, vampire, I don't care if you've saved the world at some point in your life—you're still nothing but a blood sucker in my eyes."
"Fair enough." He sighed, hanging his long coat on the rack. He gave a warm smile to Yuuki as he passed, following the flaxen-haired man upstairs.
"Now Zero, Yuuki, you two stay downstairs. Oh, you too, Ichiru! Kaname-kun and I have a lot of important business to discuss! I wouldn't want to bore you with the details so why don't you guys tidy up while we chat?"
The youths reluctantly obeyed, Yuuki's gaze fixed to the brunette as he ascended the wooden staircase.
Kaname… what else are you hiding from me?
The exuberant man shut the oak doors behind him, turning to look at the pureblood king. Kaname took a seat in front of Kaien's desk, a hint of apprehension in his eyes.
"I assume you have told her the truth?"
"Well, part of it. I left out a few… unsavory details. You must be the one to tell her everything."
The vampire's gaze dropped to the floor, voice mixed with an uncharacteristic hint of uncertainty, "Did I make the right decision? Should I have not interfered? Am I making the wrong choices yet again?"
The ex-hunter frowned, voice steady and serious, "Kaname, I can't tell you whether your decisions up to this point have been right or wrong. It is your life, not mine. All I know is that you can't stay in the past. That's what kills purebloods. When you can't look to the future, when your life is buried in the sands of time, when you find out you have nothing to live for… that is when a pureblood is in the most danger. Now that you've gotten Yuuki involved I will not forgive you if you break her heart. So, you must live, for her sake."
The man nodded. "I will do whatever I can to protect her, this time. Kaien, I need to keep Yuuki in the castle with me, until Rido is disposed of. It is too dangerous here. I know you are all hunters but—"
Kaien held up a hand. "I understand, Kaname. You can leave with her; just keep in mind what I said before. Never break her heart."
He gave a sad smile. "I wish I could promise that. I can only promise her safety, unfortunately."
The mad pureblood let out a cackle, throwing a skull up into the air. It shattered into pieces around him as he brought his gaze to the masked man in front of him.
"Ah, it's been a while, my friend." He motioned to the pile of bones to his right.
"These catacombs make a wonderful home. Please, sit down. We have much to discuss… my little spy."
The stranger put up a hand. "If it is alright with you, Milord, I would prefer to stand. I have information regarding Kaname Kuran and Yuuki Cross."
"Hahaha, wonderful! I just met the girl, Yuuki. She seems absolutely delectable!"
The masked man clenched his fists at the girl's name, but remained impassive. Rido noticed this and laughed. "My, my, you aren't thinking of betraying the only person who saw your power? I saw your wasted potential and immediately used my blood to make you stronger. Petty ties will only get you killed; it's best you learn this now. I will not accept insubordination."
The youth bowed, placing one knee onto the dusty floor and a hand over his heart. "Forgive me, Rido-sama. I serve only you."
"Good. Now, what is this new information you were speaking of earlier?"
The man stood up, a flash of violet slipping from behind his mask. "It appears that Kaname Kuran plans to keep the girl in his castle. It will be difficult to apprehend her at this point. Even with a war, it may be impossible to reach her."
Rido gave a lopsided grin, reaching for another skull from the pile. He kissed the forehead before showing it to the man in front of him. The skull had a pair of fangs. "Well, you can get into the castle with relative ease. These are my orders: get me Yuuki Cross, alive. I don't care how many of Kaname's followers you kill, as long as you bring back the girl. I think it goes without saying that if you fail me I will kill you."
"I understand, Milord. Please excuse me." The man disappeared up the stairs, leaving the vampire alone with his thoughts.
The silence was deafening. His smile faded as he crushed the skull in his hands. "Why do I still long for you, Juuri? Even after all these centuries… why? It's maddening!"
As many times before, there was no answer.
Suddenly, a memory broke through his conscience, sending him back to when he first met Juuri Kuran.
The sea is calm. A man dressed in a dark coat sits on the edge of the water, curly brown hair teased by the gusts of wind.
A woman who appeared to be only a few years younger approached, her bare feet making tracks in the soft white sand.
The stranger immediately senses her presence and turns, one blue eye and one crimson eye glaring at the petite brunette.
"Who are you?" He barks out, rising from the sand. She sees the glint of fangs peeking from underneath his lips.
The girl takes a few steps backwards, but keeps her head forward, a flash of determination apparent in her brown orbs.
"My name is Juuri. This beach is open to all, is it not? I was just taking a little midnight stroll."
He chuckles lightly, "Is it not foolish for a young human woman to be walking out late at night? You might just be eaten by a monster."
She sits down, allowing for the edges of her white dress to gather sand. "It's a possibility… but, it's such a beautiful night. The moon is full and everything just seems peaceful and still."
"Like death." He replies, stalking towards the fearless girl. "Are you afraid to die?"
Juuri shrugs, bringing her knees up and rests her chin. "Sure. It's part of being human. But, I'm not going to let that ruin my fun. What about you? What's your name?"
He laughs again. "I go by Rido."
"Rido… that's an interesting name."
"Now you're just trying to flatter me. Sorry, but that's not going to make me any less hungry."
The brunette holds up her arms in surrender. "How about we call a truce, since it's such a beautiful night? You can stop being a killer for a night and I don't have to worry about being eaten. And we both get to enjoy each other's company."
"You're definitely strange for a human."
"You're definitely strange for a vampire. I thought you guys were supposed to just eat first and ask questions later."
"Well, I'm feeling a bit nostalgic tonight. It's probably because of the moon. I can promise your safety... for now."
She giggled, bringing a hand to cover her mouth. "You're funny, Rido. And here I thought all vampires had no sense of humor."
"Flattery, dear, will get you nowhere. Although, I appreciate that you understand my deadpan, snarky humor."
Juuri nodded, returning her gaze to the ocean. "Say, Rido… I have a question for you. You're a vampire so you should know the answer. What does forever feel like?"
He turned his gaze to the horizon, taking in a breath of the cold, salty air before responding. "Forever is cold. Maddening. Sickening. Lonely. Don't tell me you approached me to ask for immortality. Because that would be severely disappointing. In fact, it would make me want to kill you immediately."
She shook her head. "I was just curious… every vampire I've ever seen always looked really sad."
"Your room is adjacent to mine. I have also moved my servants to this wing; if anything happens do not hesitate to contact either me or any of the Court members."
"Ah, thank you, Kaname. You're really too kind." She blushed, gaze cast to the floor.
She felt a cold hand brush against her neck, trailing to her chin. He tipped her head so her eyes met his. "Yuuki… I am actually being terribly selfish. I want to keep you to myself. Taking you away from your friends and family with barely an explanation, it is quite cruel of me."
She shook her head wildly, cinnamon orbs wide in surprise. "Selfish? You're the one protecting me. I've done nothing but cause more problems for you. I should be the one apologizing, really."
He didn't respond for a while, head tipped to where she couldn't see his eyes. "Ka…name?" She questioned hesitantly, bringing a hand to his face.
He caught her wrist, eyes clouded by an unfamiliar emotion. "That's right, I almost forgot. I won't forgive you just yet." He picked her up over his shoulder, bringing her to his room.
"W-wait, Kaname!"
He remained silent as he deposited her gently onto the couch. He stared into her eyes, letting his forehead rest against hers.
"Just let me stay here, with you, for a little while." He murmured, resting his head against her chest. Yuuki blushed, but didn't fight against him. She ran her fingers through his hair, face flushed pink.
The vampire listened to her steady heartbeat, feeling the ache of his fangs at the sound of her blood pumping through her veins. She smelled like roses, a tantalizing scent that caused his chest to tighten. He nuzzled further up her chest, nudging a lock of hair away from the column of her neck. She let out a gasp, the stirrings of fear clear in her cinnamon orbs.
Kaname pulled away, eyes a dark crimson as he stared into her eyes. "Yuuki… I love you. Will you become my queen and stay by my side, forever?"
She hesitantly nodded, shutting her eyes. A whisper escaped her lips as he descended, fangs bared. "Yes. Just don't be sad anymore, Kaname."
He licked at the pulse of her neck, allowing a single fang to press against the skin. She held her breath, waiting for the flash of pain. But, it never came. The pureblood turned away, guilt clear in his now mahogany orbs.
"I'm sorry, Yuuki. I went too far. I forgive you."
Before she could respond there was a knock at the door.
"Kaname-sama, I have some very unfortunate news." The violet-haired woman opened the door, bowing at the vampire.
"What is it, Seiren?" The king questioned, already feeling a sense of foreboding.
"The town… is burning."
The pureblood stilled, turning his attention towards his bodyguard. "Get all the Court members to go to the town. We need to save as many lives as we can."
He brushed his hand against the brunette's cheek. "I promise to return once the town is safe."
The blonde man coughed, darting past the hordes of people as they scrambled to flee the area. Shit—Yori, please be alright!
Hanabusa continued to run through the emptying streets, steeling his eyes forward and away from the carnage. There were countless bodies littering the alleyways. He let out a breath of horror at the sight of a group of Level E's attacking what appeared to be an already dead man. They clawed at his neck and stomach as they fed, growling to each other as one of the Level E's swiped at his comrade. The vampire growled back, tackling his assailant as the third vampire continued its meal.
Stay focused! Just one more block and you'll be at her house. You can save her! The cerulean-eyed man pulled himself away from the bloody scene to turn the corner, only to come to a startling halt.
It seemed that the fire had started in the residential district of the kingdom, swallowing most of the smaller homes. Yori's home was already on fire, the porch having already crumbled down. Flames licked at his heels as he ran to the burning building, jumping over the rumble and kicking open the front door.
"Yori!" He yelled, peering through the heavy layer of smoke. There was no response.
"Yori! Damnit, where are you?" He growled, stepping into the burning remnants of the study. He heard a dim cough and turned towards the staircase, only to see that a burning pillar was blocking his path.
"W-wait a second, Yori! I'll be right there!" He focused a layer of ice onto the pillar, smothering the flames with his power. The pillar eventually froze over as he jumped over it, tumbling forward.
The vampire got to his feet, rushing up the stairs. The hallway was clouded in smoke, making it nearly impossible for the noble to see. The noble ran his hand against the wall, looking for the tell-tale bump of a doorknob. Finding one he immediately kicked down the door, searching the room frantically. He finally spotted her, legs trapped under fallen rubble.
"Aidou!" She exclaimed, wiping tears from her eyes.
"Hold on, I'll get you out of this mess." He pulled at the debris, shoving a chunk of the ceiling off of her lithe form. He managed to get the rest of the rubble off of her, wincing at the sight of a large gash down the side of her leg.
"I'm sorry, Aidou, but I don't think I can walk—"
"Shut up." He said, pulling the woman into his arms. He held her bridle style, approaching the open door. A loud crash could be heard as more debris fell from the ceiling, successfully trapping the pair inside the room.
"Shit!" He searched the room, wracking his brain for a solution. His eyes drifted to the small window. Aidou ran to it, pushing the window open with one hand.
"Close your eyes."
She obeyed, curling her fingers into the fabric of his shirt. The blonde noble jumped out of the second story window, cursing as he fell backwards, allowing himself to take the brunt of the fall. They landed onto the grassy lawn, the breath nearly being knocked out of the man as his back hit the ground first with a harsh thud.
The girl opened her eyes, coughing as she tried to sit up. The pain in her leg caused her to wince, moving off of the exhausted vampire.
He opened his eyes to give a cocky smile, bringing a hand to her face. "I told you I'd make you 'fall' in love with me."
"You're such an idiot… and I still haven't forgiven you for that kiss." She murmured, bringing her arms around the vampire's neck.
He chuckled, returning the tight embrace. "I know."
A loud cough interrupted the pair as a man with wild orange hair appeared. "Not to ruin the moment or anything, but the town is still on fire. Hanabusa, you're the one with ice powers. I don't think my flames are going to do much—"
"Alright, alright," He sighed, picking up the auburn-haired girl with him. "Akatsuki, where's everyone else?"
"Ruka and Rima are keeping the vampires away from the rest of the humans gathered near the Vampire Hunter Association Headquarters. Shiki and Takuma are taking care of rogue Level E's scattered throughout the town. Kaname-sama wants us to take care of the fires and rescue any humans trapped in their homes."
The blonde huffed. "Fine. Akatsuki, after we rescue the rest of the humans I need you to create an even bigger fire."
"Why would I do that?" He questioned, confusion clear on his face.
Aidou sighed and would have probably waved his hands around theatrically if he wasn't holding Yori. "Geeze, Akatsuki! Did you pay any attention in school? While I freeze off some of the worst parts of the fire, you need to create a bigger fire so they will swallow each other and die out."
The ginger-haired man blinked. And then blinked again. "You act like an idiot so much that I forget you actually have a brain. Alright, I'm going to go search for survivors. Try not to get killed."
"You too! You don't want to make Ruka worry, do ya?"
The amber-eyed man stilled, turning around. "Shut up, Hanabusa…" He mumbled, disappearing into the heart of the town.
Yuuki looked through the large window in her room, eyes furrowed in worry. Kaname, Yori, Father, Zero, Ichiru… please, be safe. Her mind traveled back to the incident with Kaname and she blushed, shaking her head. He was just tired… and not thinking properly. There's no way he would really love me—
A sudden knock interrupted her musings as a familiar head of silver hair appeared in the doorway. The man gave a large smile, shutting the door behind him.
"Ichiru? How did you get in here? How is everyone? Are Zero and Father—"
"Don't worry, Yuuki! They're perfectly fine! They took refuge in the Vampire Hunter Association Headquarters. They asked me to come get you."
She tipped her head to the side. "Really? I thought I was supposed to stay in the castle."
He laughed. "We've had a bit of a change of plans. I'll explain more of it to you along the way. Pick up your suitcase and let's go!"
"O-ok, give me a second!" She turned to pick up her suitcase only to have a hand cover her mouth. Her eyes widened as a voice whispered in her ear.
"Sorry, Yuuki…" Ichiru said, jabbing her harshly in the side.
She immediately fell forward, the spindles of sleep fluttering behind her eyes. Just as her conscience faded she saw the sneering grin of her adopted brother.
A/N: Things are starting to get interesting XD Just in case you guys need some clarification, past!Yuuki's parents are Haruka and Juuri while current!Yuuki's parents were just regular humans. I didn't know if I explained that adequately :P More plot twists and craziness to come, so stay tuned. And, as usual, please drop a review if you enjoyed the chap, please! I only got two reviews for last chapter T-T *sniffle*
-Isis
