A/N: Not my finest work. Beware of some strong(?) scenes. Depends on how sensitive you are…

Chapter 10

The soirée was moving along smoothly, people chatting amongst themselves as the sound of live classical music permeated the grand hall. Chandeliers lit up the room, emitting a subtle glow – bright, but gentle enough for vampire eyes.

He walked in with confident, graceful steps as the nobles bowed their heads in his presence. The four others that came with him remained in the background, letting him take the lead.

Curious and cautious eyes trailed after him and his companions, their sudden appearance causing great confusion among the spectators.

His honey blonde hair was groomed perfectly, golden strands slicked back, revealing his chiselled face. A confident, but pleasant smile lingered on his face as he regarded each and everyone around him with his ebony eyes.

"Sorry I'm late, everyone," he said, his voice smooth as honey. As an afterthought, he added: "Though I wasn't exactly invited…"

"Nevermind," he drawled, shrugging his shoulders. "I hope you don't mind that I brought some… snacks. Please," he gestured with his hand to one of his Level C servants. "Hand me one, will you?"

The grey-haired man grabbed one of the humans they'd brought, pushing her roughly to the pureblood. Her hands were tied and her mouth was taped over with silver-tape, muting her screams of terror. She writhed and shook as she went, her fear taking over her nervous system, releasing adrenaline into her veins. The pupils of her eyes dilated, her shoulders raised high and tense; her whole body was in fight-or-flight mode.

He grabbed the girl, placing her in front of him while his hands caressed her sides. Her tattered dress, once white and pure, now a dusty grey due to dirt and dust, displayed her skin freely. He leaned down, his nose trailing her neck as he breathed in deeply.

"Ahh, human fear. How aromatic it makes the blood," He grinned, his reddening eyes trailing across the crowd that had gathered around him and his ménage.

"What are you doing?" The angry voice of Cross Kaien caught his attention, though he kept his eyes on the crowd as he spoke.

"Oh, apologies. How rude of me! My name is Tamanaha Subaru, of the Tamanaha bloodline in China. Pleased to meet you all!"

"What are you doing?" Kaien asked menacingly, recognizing the fear in the human girl's eyes. She writhed, trying to break free from the pureblood's iron grip on her.

Tamanaha barely lifted his eyebrows, his red gaze directed at Kaien. "And you are? I happen to be looking for Kuran Kaname." He said arrogantly.

"Cross Kaien, vampire hunter and president of the Hunter's association. I'll ask you again, what do you think you're doing?" Kaien snapped, frown lines appearing on his forehead. The thought of humans being used by purebloods as a plaything yet again angered him beyond words.

Not tonight, he thought, please not tonight.

"Isn't it obvious?" The pureblood rolled his eyes. "I'm having a little snack," he said, clicking his fangs.

"A human is not an appropriate snack for this event, Tamanaha," Kaname's voice was calm and collected as he spoke. He walked up to the commotion, the temporary audience stepping aside to let him through. Stopping besides Kaien, his garnet eyes remained on the other pureblood. Though his face was passive, his eyes were more emotive, anger and the promise of a threat swirling in them.

"There is no 'law' restricting us anymore, is there?" Tamanaha drawled, his eyes narrowing. "Are we not purebloods? Should we not feed as purebloods?" He asked, raising his chin in the presence of the Kuran pureblood. "I have plenty more, if you're interested."

"I suggest you surrender those humans to us and leave this party in peace," Kaname's aura darkened, his disapproval of the situation apparent.

"Mmh..." Tamanaha pursed his lips, as if in thought. "No. I reject your suggestion. You know why, pacifist?" He licked his lips, leaning down to the neck of his victim. "Sanguis est fatum."

His fangs buried themselves in her neck with lightning speed. The brown-haired girl jolted, her scream muted by the tape on her mouth. Tears welled in her eyes as the pain of Tamanaha's fangs cutting through flesh and muscle registered in her mind. Her legs went numb, and her body slumped back against Tamanaha's chest. The light in her eyes faded gradually, her screams and struggle quieting and stilling. He wasted no time in draining her, snapping her neck as he finished.

She fell to the floor, her eyes wide and open, as if in disbelief.

As if she couldn't believe that her young life was over.

As if she couldn't believe a monster like that existed.

Tamanaha licked his lips, his fangs coated with blood as he spoke. "I laugh at your pacifism, Kuran. You are not fit to lead the vampire race anymore. It's time for a chang – "

The snap of his neck reverberated throughout the room all of a sudden; the sickly sound of flesh being torn apart soon followed.

His headless body slumped to the ground, revealing Yuuki behind him, holding his severed head by his long, honey blonde hair. Her black eyes were tinted with red, as she stood unfazed in front of the shocked crowd.

The crowd was silent for a moment, unable to grasp what had happened in front of their eyes. Meanwhile, the strong scent of pure blood permeated the room, making their mouths water. Hisses escaped amongst the crowd; the blood of a pureblood was the most aromatic and mouth-watering smells of all for a noble vampire – the epitome of temptation.

"How dare you kill a sacred pureblood? You've committed the ultimate sin!" A noble vampire yelled from the crowd.

"The ultimate sin is the existence of purebloods," Yuuki answered. She stepped over Tamanaha's decaying body, walking towards the centre. "Every year, thousands of innocent humans are killed and turned into slaves by these 'sacred' purebloods that you hold so dear. How do you justify protecting and glorifying such evil? Purebloods are nothing but abominations of nature."

She held up Tamanaha's severed head as it turned to ashes, his stricken face dissipating into tiny, grey fragments.

"As the Vampire Knight, it is my duty to eradicate the flaws of nature and protect humanity. So indeed, I do dare kill a 'sacred' pureblood."

She looked around at the furious gazes directed in her direction, dusting off her hands. "Many more if I have to."

The rogue purebloods that had arrived with Tamanaha growled, their eyes glowing red.

"We've had enough of the Kurans ruling and controlling us. They shall no longer be allowed to restrict us from our true nature!" One of the purebloods said. "I say we destroy these blasphemous Kurans once and for all!"

The nobles had never witnessed so many purebloods in one room before. It seemed they had different languages and backgrounds, having travelled to Japan to start a revolution. They were all strikingly beautiful, their aura radiating the pure strength they carried in their veins. It was common belief that the pureblood population had decreased dramatically over the past centuries, with only five surviving families, one by one dying out, either by surrendering to pureblood madness or getting killed by another family. Prominent purebloods such as Shirabuki Sara and Hiou Shizuka had been the last of their bloodlines, rendering the continuation of their family legacy impossible. After the battle at Cross Academy, the remaining purebloods had either retreated or been killed, leaving the vampire world to wonder about their whereabouts.

However, the real existence of purebloods and their numbers were often kept secret to the public. There were many more families than the previous Vampire Council had let on, Japan being one of a few countries housing pureblood residence. In truth, the whole world was inhabited by purebloods; some seeking refugee from war crimes and shame committed in their original land, and some seeking a new life and beginning.

The four purebloods gathered around Yuuki, surrounding her. They growled as their auras darkened dramatically, engulfing the room. Candles were snuffed out from their chilling auras, leaving only the light from the grand chandelier above. Fangs bared, they snarled and hissed at Yuuki, like wolves circling their prey.

Kaname shot forward, intending to kill them for even baring their fangs at Yuuki in such a manner, but Kaien's arm stopped him from going any further.

Kaname's livid gaze shifted to Kaien.

"Wait," Kaien mouthed, giving him a stern look.

"You are a pureblood yourself, are you not?" A red-haired pureblood asked, her eyes narrowed and her brows furrowed. "Why are you so intent on killing your own kind?"

Yuuki's red-painted lips quirked into a half-smile, her fangs peeking out beneath her lips.

"I stopped being a pureblood the day I was turned into the Vampire Knight. I do not need blood to survive, nor do I desire it. I am my duty and my duty alone."

"Despicable!" One of the male purebloods yelled, stretching his hand forward. An electrical current shot out from his fingers, hissing and crackling as it headed straight towards Yuuki with the power of a thousand flashes of lightning. Yuuki merely held up her hand in defence, and from it her infamous shadow-chains streamed, stopping the electric current midway. Twisting her fingers, she manipulated the electrical current and turned it into a dragon-like creature. Flicking her wrist, she turned the electric beast in the opposite direction, now heading towards the other pureblood. It launched at its previous master, throwing him through the crowd and into a nearby wall. A loud crash sounded as his solid body crashed into the marble. Now unconscious, he slid to the ground as the whole crowd watched his body contort from the high voltage attacking his body.

Meanwhile, the red-haired pureblood woman launched herself at Yuuki, her hands turned into fiery claws, their talons ablaze.

Yuuki was quick to react, gathering Artemis from the slit in her dress and activating it. She swung the scythe; cutting of the woman's claws when she got close, and consequently, her real hands as well. The woman staggered to her knees, blood oozing from her handless arms as she growled.

The claws turned into ashes in front of her.

She looked up at Yuuki again with fire in her eyes.

Yuuki swung the scythe one last time, severing the pureblood's head off her neck.

Her body shattered, and her head followed a few seconds after, her ashes scattering on the floor.

The remaining two purebloods, one man and a woman, remained calm, awaiting the situation. By now they had two options; they could help their other companion who was currently knocked out by his own electrical current, or they could save their own skin by not aggravating the Vampire Knight.

The choice was obvious. Purebloods did not look out for each other.

"Haven't you spilled enough pureblood?" The man asked, his long, jet-black hair piled into a long braid behind his back.

Yuuki balanced the scythe on her back, her hands dangling over the handle.

"I've just gotten started." She smiled wickedly.

By now, many of the bystanders had begun fleeing the area, not wanting to witness the powerplay between the purebloods and get hurt in the process. The sounds of their frantic breathing and hushed whispers as children cried while their parents ushered them out registered in the purebloods' ears.

"I see," the black-haired man said, his eyes briefly flicking towards the exit before he spoke. "Well, I do believe the night must come to an end."

With that he stepped aside quickly, watching as the grand chandelier above them fell down with grand speed. It crashed into the floor, sending crystals and pieces of iron flying across the room in every direction. A loud rumble sounded as it embedded into the floor, cracks forming in the smooth marble. Dust and debris floated in the air as the lights went out in the hall.

Everywhere people screamed, some struck by the blast of power that followed the chandelier's crash, while others were hurt by the debris.

Yuuki coughed and sputtered. She'd managed to get out of the way just in time, but she hadn't been so fortunate in avoiding the debris. Protruding from her ribs, nearly missing her heart was a large piece of iron. Blood spurted from the wound as she wheezed and coughed. She looked around, her vision blurry as she watched the nobles fussing over their families, some of them quick to run away from the commotion, while others helped the wounded. One woman cried over the ashes of her dead husband, who had been struck by a wooden piece of furniture.

Destruction.

Chaos.

Misery.

Everywhere.

All because of those vile purebloods.

Yuuki groaned as her hands worked the iron-piece, trying to drag it out of her torso. She couldn't get a proper hold of it; it was slick from her blood, and she struggled to grasp it.

Warm hands settled upon hers, and she looked up to see the stormy eyes of Kaname.

"On the count of three, I want to you to exhale deeply." He ordered calmly, looking into her eyes. "Can you do that?"

"Yes," she wheezed.

"Good," he said, his eyes refocusing on their hands on the metal piece. "One, two… three!"

As Yuuki exhaled, Kaname pulled the piece out, flinging it across the room. She panted from the pain, biting her tongue. He leaned forward, his hand grasping her chin, looking her over for any other fatal injuries. "Are you all right?"

She nodded as the wound began knitting itself together. She pushed herself up on her hands, and then on to her feet, wobbling slightly.

Kaname went to support her, but she swatted him away, her wound already fully healed and other injuries healing themselves. She straightened her back, her breathing calming and evening out as she searched the room for the purebloods. Her recovery was done in no time, thanks to her newfound powers.

As expected they had ran away, leaving the one she nearly electrocuted behind.

She took a step in his direction, intending to finish him off when a cry stopped her in her tracks.

"Mother! Father! Help!"

She turned her head in the direction of the voice, her eyes landing on little Akira. She laid beside a fallen marble pillar, amongst broken furniture and ornaments, like a snow-angel in a winter landscape; only there was no pure, white snow surrounding her – she laid in a field of destruction.

Yuuki rushed towards her without thinking, settling down on her knees beside her when she reached her.

She watched quietly as the child cried in agony. A crystal shard from the chandelier had embedded itself into her stomach, and the skin on her chubby, little face was marred with cuts and bruises. Her white, pretty dress stained by her blood.

"Yuu… Yuuki-chan!" Akira cried, tears gathering in her eyes. "Please help me!"

"I-" Yuuki said, her eyes locked on the massive wound on her stomach.

A child could not survive such an extensive injury.

She swallowed hard. "I..."

Her white dress turned red in front of Yuuki's eyes.

Scared… What is red?

"I…"

The voice in Yuuki's head taunted her, images of a forgotten past, a forgotten fear coming back.

Mother… Father! Brother! I'm scared!

Yuuki's breathing quickened while she remained paralyzed.

All this blood… I'm scared.

"…uuki! Akira!" Kaname's voice sounded far away and muted, as if under water. Her mind could not comprehend anything, could not process what was happening or who or what was nearby. Everything was going in slow motion – the people rushing around her, the panicked screams and cries of the wounded vampires, the sound of her heartbeat…

All she knew was the fear.

And the nausea that curled around her esophagus, making her feel ill all of a sudden.

"It hurts!" Akira howled, bringing Yuuki back to the present.

Kaname had arrived a few seconds after Yuuki, sitting on his knees on the opposite side of Yuuki, Akira between them.

Kaname's hands worked with determination and practice, removing the shard from her stomach with a sharp tug. Akira screamed in pain as his hands worked on stopping the blood. His jaw clenched; noble-blooded vampire children did not develop the ability to fully heal themselves until they reached the age around 10, and from his estimation Akira had not yet reached the Age of Healing. Furthermore, judging by her blood type she had a very low percentage of vampire genes in her DNA, as he'd suspected due to her parents heritage. The Keisuke's were the last of a mixed bloodline with heavy human influence.

In theory, his and Yuuki's pureblood should heal her wound completely, but the blood loss…

The small body of a child could not handle blood loss the same way as a grown vampire could. Combined with the fact that she was not fully vampire…

Yuuki's eyes met his, drawing the same conclusion as him.

She looked down, watching with wide eyes as Akira stilled.

"No, no…"

Akira whimpered, her eyes staring up at the ceiling. Her heartbeat slowed into a faint beat, barely audible.

For the first time, Yuuki felt something. It settled in her chest, spreading to her stomach and the rest of her body.

Pain.

"No, Akira! No! Stay with me," She pleaded.

It was not just the little girl in front of her dying. It was innocence, youth, joy…

Everything Yuuki had been once; everything she wanted to protect.

"No!" She yelled, bringing her wrist to her mouth, biting it frantically.

She pushed her bleeding wrist to Akira's mouth hurriedly, coaxing her to swallow.

Akira sputtered and coughed, rejecting the blood. "Drink, Akira, drink," Yuuki urged, still keeping her wrist at Akira's mouth.

Akira's beautiful, doe-like eyes stared up at her. "Yuuki-chan… Tell Mother and Father that I love them. And…" She wheezed, her body giving in. "Don't… don't let your light fade, Yuuki-chan. Shine…"

Kaname swallowed hard. He'd witnessed so many deaths in his long life, and in his days of helping the humans in his village he was forced to watch as plagues and pests took the lives of countless children. By now another death should not faze him; should not have any effect on his frayed heart, but it did and he was helpless and…

Akira closed her eyes, sighing. Yuuki stilled, her eyes wide and unblinking.

"No, no, no, no, no…."

Death pardons no one; it whisks away life without preference, carrying the souls of the mortals over and into the world of afterlife. Death does not wait, nor does it linger; when it arrives it is final, it is absolute.

It is what it is, Yuuki.

It was Haruka's words that echoed in her mind. Reminding her of times spent in his lap, listening to his stories and his wisdom, a time when she was young and wondering why the world would end one day.

Yuuki sobbed, though her eyes remained dry. She couldn't cry. She couldn't cry no matter how much her body yearned for the release. She couldn't cry, damn it!

She screamed, punching the floor in anger, blood spilling from her knuckle as bruises formed around the cut. Unconsciously she released her power, and the already fragile architecture of the grand hall began to shake, rubble and debris floating in the air. The temperature dropped several degrees, goosebumps forming on the skin of the remaining nobles in the room.

The loud crack of a nearby marble pillar caught Kaname's attention. He whipped his head around, truly noticing the effect of Yuuki's destructible power. Surely, the room would collapse soon, and if they wanted to stay alive, they needed to get out now.

"Come, Yuuki. Come with me now!" Kaname yelled angrily, grabbing her arm and dragging her with him. She followed without thought or objection, lost in the events that had occurred. She ran behind him with robotic-like motions, dazed and numb to the world, careless in her steps.

She couldn't explain what was happening inside of her, how she was… feeling. If she even was feeling at all. Or if she was feeling too much, and it was overwhelming her… or…

A strange feeling settled in her chest. She looked up and around, scanning the room as Kaname dragged her along.

Just as he made it towards the exit doors, Yuuki caught sight of a pair of crystal-blue eyes.

He was standing there, tucked in the shadows. His blonde, spiky hair complemented the paleness of his skin; his appearance reminded her of Hanabusa, only his aura was more ominous and powerful. He raised his hand, removing his black mask, revealing a sinister grin as he stared at her.

Yuuki's breath caught as she felt his presence and power. Somehow she felt… drawn to him. As if there was something in him that existed in her also; a link, a connection, something that was familiar in a sense. It pulled and pulled at her, willing her to turn and run to him, to see…

See what? Who is he? Why am I feeling like this…?

The blonde-haired man took a step back, his body turning into shadows at the edges of his silhouette. His mouth formed words she could not hear or comprehend, but she felt that they were important. His body dissipated into shadows, fading out. The last piece of him to go were his crystalline eyes, staring into her soul, chilling her bones.