CHAPTER 10

Disclaimer: I do not own VK or its characters. :) Hino Matsuri does though! I want to add new things here but I can't!!! :D

IM BACK!!! Finished my Common Tests already and now, its the September holidays! PURE AWESOMENESS! So sorry to all the waiting reviewers. Here's the daunting chapter! DO enjoy and DON'T forget to review!!! :)

P.S.: When it read "neither his blood nor hers" basically it means Kaname had drunk someone else's blood whom Yuuki did not know of. After all, when Kaname was with Yuuki, he only drank from her or survived on blood tablets remember? So it basically represents the shock that Yuuki faced when she found out that the scent of blood she smelled just now was from Kaname and it was not his blood nor was it hers(Yuuki's).

"Kaname Onii-sama," she exclaimed, shock written all over her face.

She could smell 'it' and it drove her crazy. The scent of blood lingered from his clothing and Yuuki, having not drank any blood for so many weeks immediately succumbed to temptation, eyes glowing a bright red. But then again - she paused - this scent of blood was familiar, almost too familiar but she knew one thing - that wasn't his blood. She took a step back. No, it wasn't possible right? It just couldn't be true. Her brother, fiance in fact, had drank the blood of another? Another in the academy?!

"Onii-sama, you..." she muttered, hands clinging onto the sides of her skirt.

She took another step back. And another. Kaname wasn't replying - he wasn't moving an inch.

"I?" he finally replied after a moment of silence, eyes hardly wavering, looking at the petite girl in front of him.

Impossible. Just impossible. She wiped away the trace of blood down her neck. A palm on her forehead, she drew a long sigh. She sat, sprawled on the red sofa, hugging the white Night Class coat tightly in her arms. No, it wasn't hers. It was his. She could smell it - the scent of her own blood. Why had he done that? Wasn't it Yuuki-sama that he wanted? Then, the vampire rose from her position. Then again, she thought, he did substitute her for Yuuki-sama. Her eyes seemed to water at the thought. She clung onto her knees, calmly breathing in his scent mixed with hers. She felt protected, warm, almost too familiar. But she couldn't just - she wouldn't just... No, it was a fact, the truth. He was not hers. He was never hers in the first place. She brushed her fingers lightly across her neck. The bite mark was still there. It had healed easily of course, but there was still this mark, this feeling of his very fangs piercing through her skin.

It was painful.

She dropped her head down to her knees. Sorrow engulfed her, nightmares began and she was brought back to a nightmare of her own. The night when she lost all her feelings, emotions and replaced them with hate.

It was the night she lost her existence.

"Okaa-san, today's my birthday right?" the beautiful little girl asked, eyes sparkling at the thought.

"Yes, it is. You're turning four," her mother calmly replied, patting the girl on her head, "And don't worry, we WILL celebrate it with you today. Okaa-san has promised to,right?"

"Really? And Otou-san too?" she jumped, excited and happy, smiling cheerfully.

Her father merely nodded, then asked her mother a question - she couldn't hear what they were saying. Her father held sad eyes, a smile mixed with sorrow and pain.

"Otou-san? Are you okay? Keira will be good, I promise!" immediately jumping into his arms.

"Keira, we'll go now. Please... take care of yourself, okay?" he gave her a light kiss on the forehead, and gave her a hug before both he, and her mother, left the room.

As soon as the doors were closed, the little girl's eyes lost their sparkle. She was alone - again. All she had was the company of her bedroom, a small room, with no windows and no light. Her parents had reminded her never to open the doors. She always wanted to know why but was always given a less than appealing answer. She stood a few centimetres from the door. Although her parents did not know about it, there was actually a little hole on the bottom of the door, almost like a peephole especially for her. She found out about it a year ago and from there, she could see everything. She crouched on the floor, arms hugging her knees. Then, she heard it.

Something that made her lose her mind.

"We need to let her go," she could hear her father's voice, loud and clear.

Immediately, she turned, scooted up the door and looked through the tiny peephole. There they were - her beautiful parents.

"But, it's so sudden. She's my daughter, I won't allow it. I know that..." her mother replied but was interrupted by her father's stern voice.

"We have to. It's either her or both of them. I know how you feel. I love her too. But, you know the consequences if you let her stay. Jack is willing to take care of her. He and Julie are moving to London and then she will gain a new life - a better one, I'm sure."

"But its her birthday and I promised her..."

Her eyes widened, her heart pounded, tears began streaming down her cheeks. No, this wasn't happening. No. No.

"Look! If you love her, we have to LET HER don't make this harder for me."

"But when she grows older and if they leave her..."

"No, they won't. Jack and Julie know a lot of vampires of high society. They will take care of her. They will take care of Keira."

She took a step back. It was quiet. Her mother had not replied. Nor had her father continued. She didn't want to leave. No, it wasn' t true. They promised...

Suddenly, the door swung open. Her mother came in, eyes welling up with tears. Her father was still outside, head leaning against the wall. Her mother came closer, letting out her hands to reach for her.

"Okaa-san... No!" she exclaimed, but was interverned by her mother.

"Okaa-san loves you so much. Gomenasai, Okaa-san is just so weak and I can't protect you. Please be happy, for Okaa-san...And Otou-san."

Her vision blurred and her eyes were forced close. She clung onto her mother, weeping incoherently.

"Okaa-san, Otou-san, please don't leave me alone..."

And she blacked out.

Yuuki cried. A surge of pain burned in her heart. She wondered, why was she crying? Out of jealousy or hatred or just pain? It was a mixture of all three. Her eyes were blurred by tears and she ran down the stairs, not caring whether she bumped into someone or just fell. The tears just couldn't stopped. It was just so sudden. Seeing his face, smelling that scent. Just when she turned to the next flight of stairs, her feet slipped and she began to fall.

At this moment, no one's here for me. She thought to herself as she fell backwards, closing her eyes for the impact.

"Yuuki, it's okay," she heard his voice, calling out to her and when she opened her eyes, she could visually see the young Kaname.

He had saved her once when she fell down a tree, having wanted to 'reach the sky'. And those exact words...

"It's okay, Yuuki," and she blinked, this time seeing her Onii-sama, tall and handsome, effortlessly carrying her.

She muttered, almost confused for a moment, "Onii-sama,"

And then the tears began to form and she covered her face with his shirt, leaning against his shoulder as she clung onto him like a little child. She began to cry, tears coarsing down her cheeks. She felt a gentle weight on her head. Kaname had softly leaned his chin against the top of her head, calming her down immediately. A huge realization dawned upon her, like a huge burden lifted. She still loved him, the same way as she did when she was younger and now, it was even deeper. She missed him so much, just couldn't live without him. And she wanted to be next to him, by his side, for him to always protect her.

Because by his side was where she felt the happiest.

She had woken up. She looked around her surroundings, so dark, so lonely, so unfamiliar. She felt a peck on her forehead.

"Okaa-san?" she gently said, mumbling.

"Sayonara, Keira. We love you and we're so sorry."

"Okaa-san? Okaa-san! Otou-san! No, NO! OKAA-SAN! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!!!" she ran for the door but was pulled by an unfamiliar stranger.

She could see her parents, their figures and shadows moving quickly away. She wailed, screamed, shouted, shrieked. But they never stopped moving until nothing but darkness covered their shadows.

She could feel it in her heart. The pain, the torture, the hatred, the madness, the sadness, the disappointment, the trauma, the HATRED.

UNWANTED, ABANDONED, UNNEEDED, UNLOVED, UNLIKED, UNCHERISHED, DESTROYED, WRECKED, TORN, BROKEN, TORTURED, BURNED, DESTROYED, THROWN AWAY...

WORTHLESS.

"Ojou-sama..." she looked up, from her position and wiped away the tears that had fallen.

"You....Who are you?" she jumped, in a defensive position, ready to tear the unknown stranger apart.

"You...want to know who you really are right? You're lost, aren't you my dear...my dear Keira Crawford..."

"How did you... What do you want?" she growled.

"I know your parents and I am willing to help you if YOU HELP ME..." instantly, he disappeared from her sight, then reappeared behind her, putting his left hand over her eyes and his right hand over her waist.

"Ojou-sama, help me destroy the Kurans and I'll help you find your parents..."

CLIFFHANGER -suspense music- !!! I don't know why but I love this chapter because we're going to the important part of the story - the climax!!! So please review!! And I LOVE YOU, REVIEWERS!!!

Nana-chan here, signing off.