Guess what? I think I can grind out a wonderful chapter! Eh? What's that? It BETTER be wonderful or you'll kill me? Yeah, I thought so. So, without further ado, I give you, um...the next chapter. I guess.

---I BE A CEREAL KILLER!---

When Yoko awoke, she felt odd. It was much too quiet in the room, and all she could hear was her own breathing. She could feel the light pressure of blankets draped over her form, and her legs stretched as she released the hold she had had them in. Yawning, she sat up in the bed she couldn't remember falling asleep in, and took a look around. She was still in the dorm she shared with Zero, but the silver-haired boy was nowhere to be seen. It tooka moment for her to realize that Zero was not there. Zero was not there.

"OH MY GOD! ZERO!" Yoko yelled, flinging the blankets off of her legs, not caring that her skirt had been hitched up way past her thighs. She had forgotten to change the night before, or rather, had not wanted to, because Kaname had refused to leave, and Yoko didn't want the two boys to be alone, even if it only took her a minute to get dressed. Frantic, she ran around the dorm, looking in every nook and cranny, hoping to find Zero there. She was even stupid enough to look under the bed, even though she knew very well that Zero couldn't fit under there. Heck, even she couldn't fit under there.

"Zero, oh my fucking...Zero!" Yoko called again, but it was now quite obvious that the boy was not in the dorm. Flinging open the door and slamming it shut behind her, Yoko ran out of the dorm room and down the corridors, flying down dozens of stairs, and zipping out of the Sun Dorm doors as fast as she could. She didn't know where Zero went on Saturdays (or rather Sundays, but an announcement had been posted that school lessons had been canceled today), so she had no idea where to look for him. The only thing that mattered was that he was injured and HE HAD LEFT WITHOUT TELLING HER! That went right under "unforgivable" in her book" Or, in Zero's case, close to unforgivable, because the boy hardly liked to tell others his plans.

"Zero, Zero!" she called again and again. She didn't even realize it, but Yoko was heading right to the Moon Dorms. Running past the gate once she got it open, down the path, through the Moon Dorm doors, and right into another person.

"Ouch! I'm sorry!" Yoko said, backing up and trying to get around the other person she had just run into. A hand reached out and grabbed her by the arm, though, stopping her in her frantic quest for her friend.

"That's a bit rude, don't you think?" a silky voice asked. Yoko growled and looked up into the charming face of Hanabusa Aido.

"Sorry Idol, but I'm in a bit of a rush today. Let go!" Yoko tried to wrestle her arm out of Aido's grasp, but the boy's hand was stronger, and the more she tried to get away, the more pressure he applied, until it began to hurt. "Let go!" Yoko tried again, but she eventually gave up. Her muscles ached from where Aido had squeezed them, and she was sure she'd have a nice bruise later.

"Why are you so hassled this early in the morning?" Aido asked smoothly. He trailed a finger down Yoko's arm, with a silent warning that if she tried to leave without answering his question, her arm would be in his grasp once more.

"I can't find someone," Yoko replied, and then turned to ascend the stairs of the Moon Dorms. Again, Aido held her back, but his grip was much softer.

"Why don't I help you?" Aido asked, a command rather than a question.

"I don't need your help," Yoko scowled, and she tore away from the vampire, jogging up the steps with renewed vigor. She had been to the room she was searching for before, so she had an idea of where it was. Picking out the telltale door, she knocked loudly and waited, hands on hips, for the person behind the door to open it.

"May I help you?" Kaname said calmly, peering our from the haven of his dark room. He was a bit startled to see the frenzied girl standing on the other side of his threshold, and even more startled when that same girl grabbed him by the collar of his uniform and raised a fist threateningly.

"Yes, you can. Where's Zero? What'd you do to him?" Yoko asked in one breath, her fist shaking slightly as she waited to hear the vampire's answer.

Kaname sighed and pushed Yoko off of him. "I don't know where your precious Zero is. And I sure as hell didn't do anything to him." Yoko was a bit stunned when she heard the vampire swear, but she didn't let it hold her down.

"Are you sure? What about your classmates, could they have done something?"

Kaname was clearly angered. With a swift motion, he slapped Yoko across the cheek, much like he had at her "birthday" party. Yoko felt the sting, but she didn't reach up a hand to baby the red skin of her cheek. She would take the consequences of her actions without any sign of remorse. "My classmates and fellow vampires would never do such a foul thing as tampering with another person's life," Kuran retorted, and then slammed the door to his dorm shut. Yoko stood out in the hall, ignoring the curious looks she was getting, and then remembered her search for her silver-haired friend.

Running down the hall and almost tripping on the stairs, Yoko passed by several of the vampires without difficulty, and then she was back in the warm, bright sunlight once more. Who else could she look to? The girl sighed and started walking down the path to the Moon Dorm's gate. Maybe she would just take a walk around outside. Sometimes the answer would just hit her if she was calm and patient.

Leaving the Moon Dorm's property, Yoko didn't even think before changing direction. She blindly walked down a path she vaguely remembered walking before, eyes closed to keep out the unusually bright sunlight. She could feel the land rising up and down in hills, and continued walking, now knowing where she was going.

Opening her eyes for a split second, Yoko almost got a headache from the sudden brightness. Once her eyes adjusted, Yoko could have fainted when she saw Zero. The boy was out in the pasture with a small, gray pony, watching as the horse pulled and tugged at the grass under its hooves.

"Zero!" Yoko called, and the boy looked up to see her. Yoko jogged down the hill to the fence of the pasture, and Zero walked over to meet her. "What the heck are you doing here?" Yoko asked once the silent boy was close enough to hear.

"I always come here on Saturdays to help take care of the horses," Zero said simply. Yoko sighed, and Zero wondered, "Why?"

Yoko wanted to say, "No reason," but then she remembered why she had been so concerned in the first place. "ZERO! YOU WERE ALMOST KILLED YESTERDAY! YET YOU'RE UP HERE, DOING WHATEVER YOU PLEASE!!! I can't tell you how worried I was…" Yoko said, trying to keep back the tears that threatened to fall.

"I'm fine. I heal fast, because I'm part vampire," Zero explained, a somewhat amused look on his face. Yoko frowned, and then shook her head "no".

"I don't care if you heal quickly! I was so freaking scared when I found you in that alley!" Yoko gave Zero a desperate look, trying to get her point across. "I honestly thought you were going to die, and then you surprise me by getting up and leaving first thing in the morning!" Yoko huffed and turned her back on Zero.

"Yoko, I'm sorry," Zero said a moment later, regret evident in his voice. Yoko wanted to tell him she forgave him, but a little voice in her head was telling her one apology wasn't enough.

"I don't think you really mean it. Besides, if you had really cared, you wouldn't have left me all alone."

Yoko heard the thump of boots on wood and then felt Zero's strong arms pull her into a hug. Apparently, Zero had climbed over the fence. Well, one hug and an apology still wouldn't do it. "Yoko," Zero said silkily, whispering into Yoko's ear, "I'm sorry. I didn't want to wake you. I thought you wouldn't mind."

"That's where you're wrong," Yoko huffed. She felt Zero tense up, and a pair of lips pecked her cheek.

"Please forgive me," Zero asked, retracting from the kiss. He wanted Yoko to forgive him so that he could let go of her, even if he didn't completely want to. His vampiric senses were kicking in, and with her neck bare like that, who knew how much longer he could go on without giving in to his urges?

"Alright," Yoko finally sighed, giving in. Zero always won. "Just don't ever do it again, okay?"

"I promise," Zero said, smiling. Yoko turned around and gave the boy a quick hug before she pulled away.

"Good. But I just want you to know, next time you do something this unforgiving, don't think that a kiss and an apology will work!"

Zero smiled again. "Really? So if the kiss and apology won't work, what about the hug? Was that what really won you over?"

"Shut up!" Yoko said, playfully punching Zero on the arm. Zero laughed and tackled Yoko, sitting on top of her to mess up her hair. Yoko laughed, and then squealed when Zero went to tickle her sides and the back of her neck. The two rolled around on the ground, not caring that their uniforms were getting dirty. In the end, Yoko gave up because it was hard to breathe while you are laughing and trying to get away from a vampire who keeps tickling you.

"Hey! There they are!" Yoko and Zero heard someone shout. Both looked up and saw Yuuki and Yori running down the path to the pasture.

"Oi! Yuuki! Yori! Whatcha up to?" Yoko yelled, standing after a little help from Zero. Zero remained impassive as the two new females ran down and greeted their friends.

"Looking for you!" Yuuki yelled, tackling Yoko. Yoko groaned under her friend's weight. Yori was a bit more polite in her approach, but she was enthusiastic nonetheless. "You'll never guess the news I have for you!"

"You learned to fly?" Yoko asked hopefully. She was too kind to add the, 'So you can fly far, far away?' part.

Yuuki shook her head fiercely. "Nope! Headmaster Cross wants to make up for last night, so he invited you, me, Yori, Zero, Kaname, and Ichijo back out to the town for a free day. We can do whatever we want, as long as we pair up in group so that we are prepared for an atta--"

Zero bumped Yuuki on the head before she could reveal to an unknowing Yori a deep secret. "When do we leave?" he asked quietly.

"Today!" Yori gushed. "We're going to be leaving in an hour or so, around noon, so we are all going to meet at a restraint for lunch. Then we can split up and do whatever we feel like!"

Yoko looked at the excited females to the stoic male beside her. "I'll go, since I've only been in the town once. Have Kaname and Ichijo already agreed?"

"Yes, we happened past them on the way here, so we asked them first," Yuuki explained. "They said they would meet us later, because they have business to do and won't be able to meet us until 6:30 or so." Yuuki gave Zero a meaningful gaze and he understood. The vampires were not coming out until the sun set.

"Well, we have to go tell Headmaster that you are coming!" Yuuki said after a moment of thoughtful silence from everyone. She and Yori turned to go back up the hill, but Zero stopped them with a few barking words.

"Hey, who said I was going?" Zero looked a bit hurt, but that hurt turned to fear when Yoko raised a fist and grabbed him by the collar.

"You're going if I have to drag you by your ears," Yoko seethed. "There's no way I'm going with two hyper teenagers and two Night Class members." Yoko and Zero had a stare-down until Zero sighed and removed Yoko's hand from his uniform.

"Fine. I'll go." Yoko nodded in agreement and Yuuki and Yori – both assuming it was agreed – yelled goodbye and ran up the hill, disappearing from view. Yoko and Zero turned to each other once they were gone, both giving the other a good look before Yoko sighed and leaned against the fence.

"Need help with anything around the stable?" she asked. "We still have an hour or two, so I might a well hang around you until we leave."

"You make it sound like a bad thing," Zero joked. Yoko stuck out her tongue, and after a silent moment Zero asked, "We are going to stay together in a group, right?"

"Yes. I wouldn't be with anyone else," Yoko said. It was supposed to be joking, but it came out much more serious. Zero looked shocked for a moment, and then he let a small smile dominate his face. Yoko smiled back, and then she grasped Zero's hand tightly with her own.

"Come on. I'm sure there's some terrible, hideous job you can find for me to do." Yoko pulled Zero down the path to the stable, and Zero couldn't help but chuckle. This girl sure was interesting. Not to mention…

She made him feel emotions he had hoped to bury deep inside of himself. Even more, he was attracted to her by some unknown, natural force he had no experience in. If he had to take a good, logical guess, Zero would say that he was in love. Pure, innocent, highly-possibly unrequited love. Well, if there was a possibility it wasn't unrequited…

He would just have to find out for himself. And that evening would be the perfect chance.

---chance---

Ah, gome, gome. But, to make up for the long update time and super short chapter, I'll definitely start working on the new chappy right away, and it'll be super long! I won't give up until it is…10 pages at the least! And you have to give me SOME credit, I found a cool way to make the story longer AND I can cram in some Kaname action!

Review, or the cereal killer community and I shall eat you up!munch munch!